Pathfinder Leveling Up Checklist

This page contains a quick checklist for leveling up characters for the Pathfinder RPG, with links to online resources.

  1. Experience Points. link. This table gives you the experience points required for the next level.
  2. Ability Score. link. This table tells you whether you gain an increase in an ability due to leveling up. If you do increase an ability, this can have multiple changes in your character sheet.
    • Ability Score Modifier. link. The second table on this page, "Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells", provides the new ability modifier. A change in this modifier will change many things on the character sheet, including potentially
      • skill checks
      • attack, damage, armor class, CMD, CMB bonuses
      • spell DC for spellcasters
      • various abilities with daily frequency based on lead ability mod
      Some of these (skill checks, AC, CMD, CMB) will be updated automatically on a modern electronic character sheet.
    • Bonus Spells. For spellcasters, an increase in their lead ability score can result in an increase in bonus spells. The second table on this page, "Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells", provides this information.
  3. For the remaining class-specific upgrades, use the links at the following page. Follow the link to the appropriate class for specific information related to new abilities for your class.
  4. Increase the level by 1.
  5. Increase the Hit Dice (HD) by 1.
  6. Increase the hit points by the appropriate die + the Constitution Modifier.
  7. Increase the Base Attack Bonus (BAB), Fortitude (FORT), Reflex (REF) and Will (Will) saves according to the class-specific character advancement table. (For example for a wizard, the table is here.)
  8. Select new skill ranks by the appropriate amount + Intelligence Modifier.
  9. If the new level was in the favored class, select one of the three bonuses
    • one extra hit point
    • one extra skill
    • one extra trait, as agreed upon with the DM
  10. Note all new special class features as denoted on the class-specific character advancement table.
  11. Spells. Some classes of spell-casters learn new spells upon leveling up. Check the spell section of the class-specific page for more information. List of spells by class are available here.
  12. Feat. link. This table indicates whether you have learned a new feat (at odd-numbered levels).

Note: There are a variety of other RPG resources available from the Poison Pie Publishing House here. Most groups use the medium track.