Veteran Play

A central philosophical guideline for Labyrinths & Liontaurs is that the game is divided into tiers, and that it is just fine to stop regular advancement when you reach the end of a tier. Tyro tier ends at level 5; Adventurer tier, at level 10; Hero tier, at level 15; and Legend tier, at level 20. However, play can continue after that, with veteran advancement instead of regular advancement.

Veteran Advancement

You still need to gather experience points (xp) for veteran advancement, but not as many as for regular advancement. The game is designed such that advancing to a new tier requires a significant bump in xp. Since veteran advancement does not include a new signature power, the xp required is not as onerous.

If you end regular
advancement at: Then xp needed each level
for veteran advancement is: Your typical wealth (WBL)
increases by:

Tyro Tier (level 5) +9,000 xp +1,000 gp

Adventurer Tier (level 10) +38,000 xp +4,000 gp

Hero Tier (Level 15) +87,000 xp +16,000 gp

Legend Tier (Level 20) +156,000 xp +64,000 gp

If you end regular advancement at:	Then xp needed each level for veteran advancement is:	Your typical wealth (WBL) increases by:
Tyro Tier (level 5)	+9,000 xp	+1,000 gp
Adventurer Tier (level 10)	+38,000 xp	+4,000 gp
Hero Tier (Level 15)	+87,000 xp	+16,000 gp
Legend Tier (Level 20)	+156,000 xp	+64,000 gp

Class Advancement

Veteran advancement offers no new class abilities. However, your base statistics do advance, albeit slowly. Each time you gain a veteran level, adjust your stats with these values:

Base Attack Bonus: +0.25 / level.

Caster Level: +0.25 / level.

Will Save: +0.25 / level.

Fortitude Save: +0.25 / level.

Reflex Save: +0.25 / level.

Hit Die: d4.

Skill Ranks: 2 + Int modifier.

You gain no other class-based abilities and no class levels. Character level does advance (along with character-level-based progressions from your prior signature abilities, if any). You do gain iterative attacks as your BAB rises, and new spells and slots as your caster level rises. (You do not gain access to new spell levels, since the level of spells available to you is based on class level.) Your character level is the sum of your class levels and your veteran levels.

Non-Class Advancement

Non-class-based advancement continues pretty much as usual. Specifically:

Traits: You gain a new trait at veteran level 1, 6, 11, 16, etc.
Feats: You gain a new feat at veteran level 2, 4, 7, 9, 12, etc.
Racial Power: You gain a new racial power at veteran level 3, 8, 13, 18, etc.
Ability Score Boost: You gain an ability score boost at veteran level 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.

You cannot select a trait, feat, or racial power from a tier you have not reached. You may not take a repeatable feat if you have ever taken it before. It is possible to run out of racial powers, in which case you gain a lionheart point and a respect point.

Veteran Adventures

When creating combat encounters for veteran players, use the average party level (APL) and challenge rating (CR) system as usual — with one tweak. When calculating APL, count veteran levels as half. For example, a group of four 5th level PCs with four veteran levels has an APL of 7.

But as always, creating a challenging encounter is as much an art as an exercise in math. Game masters, keep the capabilities of your veteran group in mind when creating challenges, especially if you have ended class advancement at level 5 or 10. The PCs in your group will not have access to the spells and powers of a higher level party. Plan accordingly.

Veterans in Society

The game assumes that if class advancement ends before level 20 for your players, it also ends for all people in your game world. It also assumes that NPCs with veteran levels are very rare. For low-power (Tyro tier) games, that means nobody has access to Raise Dead, for example. How your cultures and domains develop will need consideration. When 5th, or even 3rd level NPC clerics are uncommon, disease and plague matter a lot more.

In a low power game, the game master has to determine if monsters are also limited in power. A party of level 10+ PCs in a world with no CR11 foes is going to dominate. But the same party in a world with CR20+ monsters will still have to struggle to stay alive. Without high level NPC combatants, monsters like dragons and vampires can wipe out cities, or even nations, if they roam the setting.

And of course, in a game with level 20 characters, with say 10 more veteran levels on top, the game transforms away from these petty concerns. Creating challenges for character level 30 PCs has its own rewards, as the entire multiverse beckons.