Ability Scores

Epic Path uses the standard array of ability scores: Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Constitution (CON), Intelligence (INT), Wisdom (WIS) and Charisma (CHA). Each ability score is given an initial value during Character Creation, but can be raised, either temporarily or permanently, by character level, class abilities, feats, spells and spell effects, magic items, etc.

Ability scores are split into two categories: physical and mental, each of which has three of the ability scores:

• Physical: STR, DEX and CON
• Mental: INT, WIS and CHA

Temporary Ability Scores

Temporary adjustments to your ability scores are caused by any effect which has a duration, such as a spell effect, or an effect which isn't always active, such as a bonus from a magic item that has limited uses per day.

In addition, for the first 24 hours of wearing a magic item which boosts ability scores, the ability score increase granted is treated as a temporary ability score. Once the character has attuned to the item (by wearing it for 24 hours) the ability score increase granted by the item is considered a permanent ability score.

Permanent Ability Scores

Permanent ability scores are pretty self-explanatory -- they're ability scores that don't wear off, don't have a limited duration, or are part of the character's innate ability scores. The value of a character's ability scores is usually the sum of their starting values, any increases they've gained from levels, feats, or class abilities, and (non-temporary) increases granted by magic items.

Some abilities and effects ignore temporary ability scores, and are based purely on permanent ability scores. It is therefore important to keep track of your permanent ability scores separately from your temporary scores.

Ability Modifiers

The ability modifier is the numerical advantage or disadvantage that an ability score provides to your character when that ability score is used to perform skills, saving throws, combat maneuvers, and other activities. It is calculated by subtracting 10 from the ability score, and then dividing the remainder by 2, dropping fractions. For example, the ability modifier for a Strength of 15 is +2 (15 - 10 = 5 / 2 = 2.5 rounded down to 2). In the entries below, each ability score details how its ability modifier is used. You can also refer to the table below for a listing of the modifier for each ability score value.

It is important to keep an eye out for abilities and rules which call for an ability score versus an ability modifier. Using an ability score is rare, but it does happen. For example: the starting hit points for a 1st level character uses a character's Constitution ability score, but all future levels' hit point increases use their Constitution ability modifier.

When an ability score is permanently increased to a higher ability modifier, the benefit of that modifier is retroactively applied for each character level. For example, if a character's Constitution score is raised from a 15 to a 16 permanently, raising their modifier from +2 to +3, they would gain 1 hit point for each character level they currently have, as if they had always had that extra Constitution each time they leveled. Similarly, if a character's Intelligence increased to a higher modifier, they would gain an additional skill point for each character level they currently have. Refer to the individual Ability Score entries below to see how increases impact the character's other attributes.

Caster Ability Score

Spell-casting character classes always use one particular ability score modifier (sometimes referred to as their 'caster stat mod') when calculating the saving throw difficulty class (DC) of their spells. In addition, if their caster ability score is high enough, they may gain the ability to cast bonus spells, extracts or poultices per day based on a high ability score in their primary spell casting stat. The spell casting classes and the primary casting stat for each is listed below:

Class	Stat
Alchemist	INT
Bard	CHA
Cleric	WIS
Druid	WIS
Paladin	CHA
Ranger	WIS
Sorcerer	CHA
Wizard	INT

Bonus Spell Slots per Day

Spell-casting character classes who possess a high primary casting ability score may qualify for bonus spells (or extracts, or poultices, depending on their class), per the table below. These bonus spells are an additional number of spells the caster may cast each day. They do not affect how many spells the character knows, only how many spells they can cast. Note that, even if a character's caster ability score is very high, they may not cast spells from spell levels higher than their current level in their caster class allows. Once they gain a high enough level to get access to the higher spell levels, any bonus spells they qualify for are also unlocked at that time, and are added to their number of spells castable per day.

For example, a 3rd level wizard with an Intelligence score of 18 gets 1 additional castable spell per day of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th spell levels. However, because they are only 3rd level, they only have access to 2nd level spells from their caster class, and therefore the bonus 3rd and 4th level spells from their high Intelligence score are unavailable to them until they are high enough level to cast 3rd and 4th level spells.

Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells

Ability Score	Modifier	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th
6-7	-2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8-9	-1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10-11	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
12-13	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
14-15	2	-	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16-17	3	-	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
18-19	4	-	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
20-21	5	-	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
22-23	6	-	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
24-25	7	-	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
26-27	8	-	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
28-29	9	-	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
30-31	10	-	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
32-33	11	-	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
34-35	12	-	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-
36-37	13	-	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-
38-39	14	-	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-	-
40-41	15	-	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-	-
42-43	16	-	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1	-
44-45	17	-	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1	1
46-47	18	-	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1	1
48-49	19	-	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1	1
50-51	20	-	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	1
52-53	21	-	6	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2
54-55	22	-	6	6	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2
56-57	23	-	6	6	6	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2
58-59	24	-	6	6	6	6	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	2
60-61	25	-	7	6	6	6	6	5	5	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3	3	3

Strength (STR)

Used In

Adds to player to-hit rolls and damage rolls with melee attacks and melee touch attacks. Adds to damage for thrown weapons (but not to-hit rolls). Determines how much a character can carry without being encumbered (see below). Some skills make use of the character's Strength modifier.

Carrying Capacity and Encumbrance

Carrying capacity is the amount of weight, in pounds, that your character can pick up, wear, wield, and move around. Carrying capacity and encumbrance are a set of 'realism' rules, to prevent such things as the Fighter from carrying around one of every single Martial weapon, 'just in case'.

Granted, with the right magic items a Fighter can get...scarily close to doing that at the upper reaches of play, but it should be a Big Deal.

Carrying Capacity is a number based on your Strength. All items in the game have a weight defined in pounds. Note that this weight is a bit abstract. Many items are a bit 'heavier' in pounds than seems reasonable, this is because 'pounds' in game terms are not based on real-world pounds, they are a combined measure of weight and awkwardness. A real-world long sword doesn't weigh anywhere close to 4 pounds, but the extra heft accounts for the scabbard, the belt and fittings to carry it, and the general awkwardness of day-to-day handling a meter-long hunk of sharp metal. This is the reason that abstract 'treasure' dropped by monsters is so wretchedly heavy and inconvenient. Sellable Goods are often valuable and awesome, but they're also heavy, awkward, drippy, dirty, sharp, sticky, off-balanced, and generally inconvenient. Their 'weight' abstracts all of that detail, as we try to keep things as simple as is reasonable.

A special note must be made of medium and heavy armors and the various shields. Such things are VERY heavy when measured in 'game-pounds', but they also have special encumbrance rules. Even if a suit of heavy armor is literally the only thing your character is wearing and the weight in pounds is well under your 'light load' threshold, that suit of armor still slows your movement and may have impacts on certain skill rolls. This simulates the fact that slathering hardened steel and leather and padding over your entire body like a carapace is awesome, and everybody would do it if it wasn't unpleasant. Heavy and medium armor has in-game performance costs beyond weight and treasure, to help balance out how incredibly useful and desired it is. After all, why wouldn't everybody wear plate mail if it wasn't painful in some way?

The carrying capacity of your character is defined in the table below, based upon your current strength ability score. These numbers can be modified by racial abilities, class abilities, and feats, among other things, so read carefully and grab all those bonuses!

So, what happens if your Sorcerer with the Strength of 7 tries to carry a tenth of a pound more than 23 pounds? IE, what are the penalties for carrying a medium load, or a heavy load? What happens if that Strength 7 sorcerer is trying to drag the Partisan in their plate mail, who weighs a neat 325 pounds?

We're glad you asked!

• If you character is wearing any kind of armor or has equipped a wielded shield of any size, they first suffer any effects listed in the writeup of that armor or shield.

After the effects of armor and/or shield are calculated, then, any mitigating effects of race abilities, class abilities, magic items, feats, etc, are accounted for.

Next, your total adjusted carrying capacity is calculated. Start with your current strength ability score, and adjust that number for class abilities, racial abilities, feats, skills, or magic-item abilities.

Then, all the weight of equipment, magic items, and 'stuff' your character is carrying (including the weight of armor and shield, yes, you have to account for those pesky things twice) is added up and compared to your adjusted carrying capacity.

• If your character has less equipment and stuff than the largest number in their current light load (round up), they suffer no ill effects.
• If your character is in their medium load band, but carrying less than the highest number in their medium load, they suffer a -5 foot penalty to all their move speeds.
• If your character is in their heavy load band, but carrying less than the highest number in their heavy load, they are treated as if slowed to all their move speeds. This is not a 'normal' condition and can only be cured by reducing weight or increasing carrying capacity. It does not affect stacking of any other condition, either, which kind of sucks.
• If your character has more stuff than their highest Heavy load, but less than their Max Drag, they can still move around under all that weight but are considered Overburdened. While Overburdened, all squares of terrain are treated as Impeded to all movement types, even teleports. Note that since this is a game effect not related to the exact weight, this is NOT AFFECTED by racial abilities that 'double your carrying capacity', except to make your Overburdened penalty kick in later.
• If you try to carry more than your Max Drag, you collapse, and depending upon the GM's rulings, you might suffer Pinned or even go into the Environmental Effects Rules for suffering under a collapse. This is terrible, don't try it.
• If you are trying to move more than your current Heavy carrying capacity's largest number, you can try to stand still and lift that weight off the ground up to over your head, or, you can try and drag it around as if all squares are Impeded to all movement types.
• If you are swimming or flying, there will be other consequences that your kind GM will be sure to inflict upon you, such as sinking like a stone.
• If you try to move a weight heavier than your Heavy carrying capacity, but less than your Max Drag, during a combat, skill challenge, or nasty Environmental effect, you are considered to be Flat-footed until you let go of that ridiculously heavy thing. So, the Sorcerer dragging the downed Partisan out of the lava flow is REALLY taking one for the team, and that Partisan owes them a delicious adult beverage...assume they even survive that insanity.

Score	Modifier	Light Load (lbs.)	Medium Load (lbs.)	Heavy Load (lbs.)	Max Drag (lbs.)
(no score)	-	-	-	-	-
0	-	0	0	0	0
1	-5	0 - 3	4 - 6	7 - 10	50
2	-4	0 - 6	7 - 13	14 - 20	100
3	-4	0 - 10	11 - 20	21 - 30	150
4	-3	0 - 13	14 - 26	27 - 40	200
5	-3	0 - 16	17 - 33	34 - 50	250
6	-2	0 - 20	21 - 40	41 - 60	300
7	-2	0 - 23	24 - 46	47 - 70	350
8	-1	0 - 26	27 - 53	54 - 80	400
9	-1	0 - 30	31 - 60	61 - 90	450
10	0	0 - 33	34 - 66	67 - 100	500
11	0	0 - 38	39 - 76	77 - 115	575
12	1	0 - 43	44 - 86	87 - 130	650
13	1	0 - 50	51 - 100	101 - 150	750
14	2	0 - 58	59 - 116	117 - 175	875
15	2	0 - 66	67 - 133	134 - 200	1,000
16	3	0 - 76	77 - 153	154 - 230	1,150
17	3	0 - 86	87 - 173	174 - 260	1,300
18	4	0 - 100	101 - 200	201 - 300	1,500
19	4	0 - 116	117 - 233	234 - 350	1,750
20	5	0 - 133	134 - 266	267 - 400	2,000
21	5	0 - 153	154 - 306	307 - 460	2,300
22	6	0 - 173	174 - 346	347 - 520	2,600
23	6	0 - 200	201 - 400	401 - 600	3,000
24	7	0 - 233	234 - 466	467 - 700	3,500
25	7	0 - 266	267 - 533	534 - 800	4,000
26	8	0 - 306	307 - 613	614 - 920	4,600
27	8	0 - 346	347 - 693	694 - 1,040	5,200
28	9	0 - 400	401 - 800	801 - 1,200	6,000
29	9	0 - 466	467 - 933	934 - 1,400	7,000
30	10	0 - 532	533 - 1,066	1,067 - 1,600	8,000
31	10	0 - 612	613 - 1,224	1,225 - 1,840	9,200
32	11	0 - 692	693 - 1,384	1,385 - 2,080	10,400
33	11	0 - 800	801 - 1,600	1,601 - 2,400	12,000
34	12	0 - 932	933 - 1,864	1,865 - 2,800	14,000
35	12	0 - 1,064	1,065 - 2,132	2,133 - 3,200	16,000
36	13	0 - 1,224	1,225 - 2,452	2,453 - 3,680	18,400
37	13	0 - 1,384	1,385 - 2,772	2,773 - 4,160	20,800
38	14	0 - 1,600	1,601 - 3,200	3,201 - 4,800	24,000
39	14	0 - 1,864	1,865 - 3,732	3,733 - 5,600	28,000
40	15	0 - 2,128	2,129 - 4,264	4,265 - 6,400	32,000
41	15	0 - 2,448	2,449 - 4,896	4,897 - 7,360	36,800
42	16	0 - 2,768	2,769 - 5,536	5,537 - 8,320	41,600
43	16	0 - 3,200	3,201 - 6,400	6,401 - 9,600	48,000
44	17	0 - 3,728	3,729 - 7,456	7,457 - 11,200	56,000
45	17	0 - 4,256	4,257 - 8,528	8,529 - 12,800	64,000
46	18	0 - 4,896	4,897 - 9,808	9,809 - 14,720	73,600
47	18	0 - 5,536	5,537 - 11,088	11,089 - 16,640	83,200
48	19	0 - 6,400	6,401 - 12,800	12,801 - 19,200	96,000
49	19	0 - 7,456	7,457 - 14,928	14,929 - 22,400	112,000
50	20	0 - 8,512	8,513 - 17,056	17,057 - 25,600	128,000
51	20	0 - 9,792	9,793 - 19,584	19,585 - 29,440	147,200
52	21	0 - 11,072	11,073 - 22,144	22,145 - 33,280	166,400
53	21	0 - 12,800	12,801 - 25,600	25,601 - 38,400	192,000
54	22	0 - 14,912	14,913 - 29,824	29,825 - 44,800	224,000
55	22	0 - 17,024	17,025 - 34,112	34,113 - 51,200	256,000
56	23	0 - 19,584	19,585 - 39,232	39,233 - 58,880	294,400
57	23	0 - 22,144	22,145 - 44,352	44,353 - 66,560	332,800
58	24	0 - 25,600	25,601 - 51,200	51,201 - 76,800	384,000
59	24	0 - 29,824	29,825 - 59,712	59,713 - 89,600	448,000
60	25	0 - 34,048	34,049 - 68,224	68,225 - 102,400	512,000
61	25	0 - 39,168	39,169 - 78,336	78,337 - 117,760	588,800
62	26	0 - 44,288	44,289 - 88,576	88,577 - 133,120	665,600
63	26	0 - 51,200	51,201 - 102,400	102,401 - 153,600	768,000
64	27	0 - 59,648	59,649 - 119,296	119,297 - 179,200	896,000
65	27	0 - 68,096	68,097 - 136,448	136,449 - 204,800	1,024,000
66	28	0 - 78,336	78,337 - 156,928	156,929 - 235,520	1,177,600
67	28	0 - 88,576	88,577 - 177,408	177,409 - 266,240	1,331,200
68	29	0 - 102,400	102,401 - 204,800	204,801 - 307,200	1,536,000
69	29	0 - 119,296	119,297 - 238,848	238,849 - 358,400	1,792,000
70	30	0 - 136,192	136,193 - 272,896	272,897 - 409,600	2,048,000
71	30	0 - 156,672	156,673 - 313,344	313,345 - 471,040	2,355,200
72	31	0 - 177,152	177,153 - 354,304	354,305 - 532,480	2,662,400
73	31	0 - 204,800	204,801 - 409,600	409,601 - 614,400	3,072,000
74	32	0 - 238,592	238,593 - 477,184	477,185 - 716,800	3,584,000
75	32	0 - 272,384	272,385 - 545,792	545,793 - 819,200	4,096,000
76	33	0 - 313,344	313,345 - 627,712	627,713 - 942,080	4,710,400
77	33	0 - 354,304	354,305 - 709,632	709,633 - 1,064,960	5,324,800
78	34	0 - 409,600	409,601 - 819,200	819,201 - 1,228,800	6,144,000
79	34	0 - 477,184	477,185 - 955,392	955,393 - 1,433,600	7,168,000
80	35	0 - 544,768	544,769 - 1,091,584	1,091,585 - 1,638,400	8,192,000
81	35	0 - 626,688	626,689 - 1,253,376	1,253,377 - 1,884,160	9,420,800
82	36	0 - 708,608	708,609 - 1,417,216	1,417,217 - 2,129,920	10,649,600
83	36	0 - 819,200	819,201 - 1,638,400	1,638,401 - 2,457,600	12,288,000
84	37	0 - 954,368	954,369 - 1,908,736	1,908,737 - 2,867,200	14,336,000
85	37	0 - 1,089,536	1,089,537 - 2,183,168	2,183,169 - 3,276,800	16,384,000

Dexterity (DEX)

Used In

Adds to a character's Armor Class value (though this may be reduced by worn armor, if the armor has a Max Dex value lower than the character's dexterity modifier). Adds to Reflex saving throws. Included in to-hit roll calculations for ranged weapons (both thrown and projectile). Used by a large number of skills.

Constitution (CON)

Used In

Adds to a character's hit points each time they gain a level. (This is really, really nice.) Adds to Fortitude saves. Used for a very small number of skills. Did we mention it adds to your hit points and fortitude saves?

Intelligence (INT)

Used In

Used by several classes for arcane spells and other class features. Used in a lot of skills. Determines how many languages you start with and can learn from your race's starting language list.

Starting Languages

All player characters can speak, read, and write the Common language at native familiarity, regardless of the race chosen, or their intelligence score. Some races provide an additional language to starting characters, regardless of their intelligence score. Characters with secondary languages from their race can speak, read and write these languages at native familiarity as well.

In addition to the starting language(s), characters with a positive Intelligence modifier gain one bonus language per +1 of their modifier. That is, a character with a 14 intelligence (which grants a +2 INT modifier) would learn 2 bonus languages. These bonus languages are selected from the list of bonus languages available to their chosen character race. Bonus languages are always learned at the fluent level of familiarity.

If a character improves their Intelligence through a permanent source (such as a magic item, a manual, or through level advancement), sufficient to increase their INT modifier, they gain an additional bonus language, chosen from the same list of their chosen race. If a character's INT modifier increases to the point where they could gain more bonus languages than those offered by their race, they no longer gain bonus languages for increasing their Intelligence (though they still gain additional skill ranks each level; see below).

Characters may also learn additional languages by placing ranks in the Linguistics skill.

Wisdom (WIS)

Used In

Used by several classes for divine spells and other class features. Used in a few skills, but they are quite important. Adds to Will saving throws, and that's rather nice.

Charisma (CHA)

Used In

Used by several classes for arcane spells and other class features. Used in a lot of good skills. Makes you real good lookin', and who doesn't like that?

Other Ability Scores

Some campaigns will have campaign-specific ability scores, which can have game effects specific to the campaign. If the optional Auramancy rules are used, for example, characters may begin with a seventh ability score called Blood (BLD) which dictates the strength of their Bloodline.