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13th Age core book

What is 13th Age?

13th Age combines the best parts of traditional d20-rolling fantasy gaming with new story-focused rules, designed so you can run the kind of game you most want to play with your group.

Created by Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet, 13th Age gives you all the tools you need to make unique characters who are immediately embedded in the setting in important ways; quickly prepare adventures based on the PCs’ backgrounds and goals; create your own monsters; fight exciting battles; and focus on what’s always been cool and fun about fantasy adventure gaming.

Also, owlbears rip your arms off and feed them to their young. That’s a thing.

Who are Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet?

The lead designers of D&D 4th edition and 3rd edition respectively (and they have many, many other games to their credit). They’ve been friends for something like 15 years, and designed 13th Age to be the game they would most want to run for their own weekly Wednesday night gaming group.

Is 13th Age a good game for people new to roleplaying games? 

It’s a fantastic game for new players because it lets them play nearly any kind of character they want (“The only dwarf in the world with a clockwork heart built by a hidden race of dragon wizards? Done!”) and the rules for fighting, spellcasting and using skills are flexible enough that they rarely run into a “you can’t do that” situation.

It’s not a great game for a first-time GM, though. The book assumes some amount of experience with RPGs, and in particular d20-rolling RPGs. It also asks the GM to do some creative collaboration along with the players, rather than defining everything with a rule or a canonical fact about the game world. For example, wizards can make up creative names for their spells. In return for their putting more effort into the game, the GM improvises an additional cool or useful effect that’s not listed in the spell description.

Is the game kid-friendly?

The kids who’ve played in our demos absolutely love it. The rulebook is written for adults, and there’s a couple of mild swear words in it. But nothing you wouldn’t hear in a PG-rated movie.

When is the game coming out?

It’s out now! You can order it from the Pelgrane shop or your local retailer.

When is the PDF-only version coming out?

That’s also out now! You can order it from the Pelgrane shop or DriveThruRPG.

I love 13th Age and my local game store. But I want to order from Pelgrane directly because I also want a .pdf. Can I have both?

Yes!  Here’s how.

Is 13th Age sold on Amazon?

Yes. Amazon purchasers get a 50% discount voucher for PDFs of books purchased on Amazon. If you purchase from Pelgrane Press or your local game store, you get the PDF free. This difference reflects our desire to support hobby retailers and offset Amazon’s low margins and discounting.

Are there any PDF previews? Quick-start rules?

The 2014 ENnies Sampler from Pelgrane Press includes a preview of 13th Age. The Free RPG Day adventure Make Your Own Luck included some quick-start rules, and is available with a 13th Age Monthly subscription.

Where’s the SRD?

Right here.

How is 13th Age different from other d20 variants?

As a player you can invent things for your character in a free-form way rather than picking everything from lists. For example, you define your character’s skills in a free-form, story-oriented way using backgrounds.

Every character has one unique thing that sets them apart: something that is real in the world, but doesn’t provide a mechanical benefit.

Characters’ relationships with the icons—the most powerful non-player characters in the world—connect them to the world and provide a resource they can use during play. PCs are not powerful at 1st level, but they are important in some way.

As a GM you can quickly build encounters (and even monsters) on the fly, and use the story mechanics to share the job of worldbuilding with the players. Once you’re comfortable with the rules it’s fairly easy to improvise a session.

Combat doesn’t use a grid to determine where combatants are, how far they can move, or different effects such as flanking, pushing, pulling, etc. Using miniatures makes it easier to visualize the scene, but all you really need to know is who’s nearby, who’s far away, and who’s engaged in battle.

The “escalation die” mechanic keeps combat moving, turning what might otherwise be a two-hour fight into a 30-minute fight–one that’s exciting and suspenseful to run. On the first round, the monsters have the advantage. But starting on the second round, the GM places a big 6-sided die n the table with the 1 facing up. The PCs (and some very scary monsters) get a +1 bonus to hit. On the third round, that bonus increases to +2…and so on, to a maximum of +6. That way, the longer the PCs stay in combat and fight hard to win, the better their chances get because they’ve learned their opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, and adapted.

The rules play off each other in interesting ways, so something fresh and different is happening all the time. For example, some classes and monsters have abilities that trigger when they roll an even number  on an attack, or a 16 or higher. Some abilities activate when the escalation die is odd or even, or reaches a certain number. Flexibility, randomness and surprise are a big part of 13th Age.

Why do you compare yourself to other d20 variants?

Two reasons. The first is that we want to highlight where we take an unusual approach to a common mechanic, so it’s not confusing to people. The second is that a lot of people who are interested in buying 13th Age ask us to explain how it’s different — if it’s exactly like any other d20 game, why bother with it?

This is basically 4e Pathfinder, right?

No. 13th Age inherits lots of ideas from 4e, but it’s an OGL (3.5) system that incorporates ideas pretty evenly from several editions of D&D, plus many cool new ideas and ideas from the world of indie games.

What’s the game’s default setting?

The default setting is the Dragon Empire, a high-magic realm that is in its 13th historical age. It is ruled by 13 demigodlike “icons” who are recognizable fantasy characters: the Emperor, the Archmage, the High Druid, the Lich King, and others.

We want each group to come up with the version of the Dragon Empire that’s most fun for them, so it’s very loosely described in the book. GMs and players can use it as a starting point and fill in the rest with their own ideas.

If I wanted to use another game’s setting, could I? How would Icons fit into that?

Of course you could! How the icons fit into it depends on the setting. We based them on common fantasy archetypes, so if there’s an emperor (or high king), an archmage, an undead villain, a king of the dwarves, a queen of the elves, a lord of thieves, you can easily adapt the icons presented in the game to the setting.

If that setting does not have very powerful individuals in it, determine which influential NPCs will figure into the characters’ adventures, and use them as icons. If the powerful forces in the world are organizations rather than individuals, have those factions, city-states, cults or whatever be the icons.

Are characters closer to the “Fantasy Superhero” ideal or the more grittier down-to-earth feeling of OSR?

Somewhere in between. Character generation is designed to create PCs who have a rich background, a cool trait that sets them apart from everyone else in the world, and some sort of tie to the most prominent people in the world — so you shouldn’t expect them to die on their first outing by stepping on the wrong flagstone.

But monsters in 13th Age are very tough compared to PCs, and do a fixed amount of damage with every hit. The first few rounds of combat tend to be dangerous. Then the escalation die (see below) starts to kick in, and the PCs have a better chance against the monsters.

What classes are in the core book?

Barbarian: Striding out of the wilderness come indomitable men and ferocious women, barbaric warriors who pit their sinew and will against everything that civilization and sorcery can throw at them. It’s a good class for a new player or the player who wants to have fun without worrying much about rules getting in the way of awesome attacks.

Bard: Bards travel the world, learning and teaching each other the ancient songs and arcane secrets of a hundred lands. They’re not the best character choice for beginning players, but can be a lot of fun for experienced and extroverted players who enjoy performing as jacks or jills of all trades.

Cleric: All mortals call on the gods, but when a cleric calls, the gods sometimes listen. Clerics can shape  battles using invocations, and their complexity depends on how you want to build them. The Justice, Trickery, and War domains require the most attention. For the simplest possible cleric choose the Healing, Protection, and Strength domains.

Fighter: Being a true fighter takes skill, discipline, toughness, and an uncanny ability to get in harm’s way . . . with a double dose of harm for the other guy. Fighters in 13th Age rely on flexible melee attacks, rolling against their enemies and then using the results to deliver attacks that take advantage of openings that present themselves. A couple of class talents can make your job more complicated, but overall, playing a fighter is simple.

Paladin: A heavily armored and fanatically devoted warrior of the gods—or of causes so pure they don’t require gods to make them holy. Like the barbarian, the paladin is simple to play: most every attack you make uses your basic melee attack, but you can augment it by using Smite Evil or one of the other abilities from your talents. Paladins who want a bit more complexity can choose talents that let them cast a cleric spell or use a cleric domain.

Ranger: Some rangers get their training in an official ranger corps, serving the Emperor or another legitimate authority. Others are initiates into half-wild gangs, resourceful nomads who know more ancient secrets than their rough manner might suggest. Like the barbarian and paladin, the ranger is simple to play: Most every attack you make uses your basic melee or ranged attack. You can choose to use your Strength or your Dexterity as your attack ability in melee. Choosing an animal companion gives you two creatures to act with each turn: your ranger and the animal you choose.

Rogue: Some are thugs who have learned enough tricks to get a step ahead of the other thugs. A few are mad, driven by a reckless sense of adventure. Most are quick with a smile, a blade, and a getaway. Our rogue is a bit of a challenge to play thanks to Sneak Attack powers that require the character to team up with allies and Momentum powers that depend heavily on whether you last hit an enemy or were hit yourself.

Sorcerer: Sorcerers are self-taught genius freaks with an intuitive mastery of magic and possibly some brain damage. A sorcerer isn’t the simplest class to play, but choosing whether you want to gather power or cast something right now isn’t all that tough. Players who can handle dice swinginess may enjoy the sorcerer more.

Wizard: Wizards are the masters of arcane energy. They use geometry, symbology, occult numerology, and a complex grammatical system to describe magic and thereby control it. Our wizard is designed for experienced players who like a bit of improvisation. Most of the wizard’s spells can only be used once per day, so timing matters. If you want to play the simplest possible wizard, choose the Abjuration, Evocation, and Familiar talents. To play as the flexible spellcaster who finds unique and amusing answers to problems, choose Cantrip Mastery, High Arcana, and Vance’s Polysyllabic Verbalizations.

Why are the Paladin, Barbarian, and Ranger such simple classes?

That’s intentional; while there are more complex and less complex options for every class, some classes are designed to be more accessible to players who are inexperienced and players who simply don’t care to spend a ton of time worrying about their class mechanics. More complex options for these classes are a common homebrew element. Additional options for the simple classes may be coming later.

Are the classes in 13th Age balanced?

Loosely balanced, with a design focus on making each character class fun to play. Each class has distinctive mechanics that bring out what’s cool about being a fighter, rogue, sorcerer, etc. Fighters adapt to changing conditions in a battle to make unexpected attacks and maneuvers. Rogues move around a lot and strike quickly. Sorcerers gather power and release it in spectacular displays of chaotic energy.

Is there much emphasis on non-combat abilities (spells, abilities, skills, etc.)?

Wizards have a special utility spell slot that lets them load up on non-combat spells.

Non-combat skills are a huge part of the game, through character backgrounds. For example, a PC might put 4 points into the background “Sailor,” giving him or her a +4 bonus to succeed with any skill a sailor might reasonably have.

Even better: the character could have the background, “First mate on a notorious pirate ship that raided off the coast of New Port.” This gives the PC a +4 to things like sailing, navigation, knot-tying, climbing, carpentry, and so on — but also evaluating treasure, knowledge of the criminal underworld, knowledge of the justice system, a reputation among pirates (and notoriety among everyone else), knowledge of the area around New Port, and an ability to lead.

Could a player put the maximum number of points into a background like “Good at Everything” and get a bonus to every skill check?

A GM might not allow it, because backgrounds are things any normal person could achieve with enough time and opportunity. But a more fun way to handle it could be to dig deep into why that character is good at everything (“I’m the result of secret experiments by the High Druid to produce a superhuman”) and what the consequences are (“Agents of the High Druid are trying to capture me. Also, all of my fellow escaped superhumans are evil and insane and want to turn me to the dark side”) and use that to make the character’s life extremely interesting. Check out this article.

How prevalent are the Icons? Aren’t PCs supposed to be the center of the game?

PCs are the center of the game. The backdrop for their adventures is a world where powerful individuals and factions pursue goals that could disrupt the Empire–perhaps even bring about the catastrophe that ends the Age. The PCs’ actions can avert this disaster, or help it along. Depending on the campaign, they may even rise in power and stature to become icons themselves.

To illustrate this, let’s look at the novel The Three Musketeers. D’Artagnan is the hero, and his swashbuckling exploits shape the course of history. But he’s far from being the most famous or powerful person in the story. If we were to map his icon relationships he would have a negative relationship with the villainous Cardinal Richelieu, a positive relationship with King Louis XIII, and perhaps a conflicted relationship with the Duke of Buckingham—an enemy of France but a devoted and loyal lover of France’s Queen Consort (another icon.)

What previous (or possibly hidden) icons have been mentioned in official 13th Age products?

• The Fool (13th Age, p. 24)
• The Wizard King (13th Age, p. 22)
• The Inquisitor (13 True Ways, p. 247)
• The Grand Master of Flowers (13 True Ways, p. 65, 66, 147; Book of Ages)
• The Grandfather of Assassins (13 True Ways, p. 133, 147)
• The Summoner (13 True Ways, p. 221)
• The Sliding Princess (13th Age Bestiary, p. 44)
• The Nightmare Prince (Shards of the Broken Sky)
• The Dark Jester (Shards of the Broken Sky; 13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 241)
• The Serpent Kings: a group rather than an individual, they ruled an age prior to the rise of the Wizard King (Shards of the Broken Sky)
• The Forest that Walks: fallen icon, High Druid of a previous age (13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 88; Book of Ages)
• The Gold King: fallen icon, Dwarf King of a previous age (13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 112, Book of Ages)
• The Great Ghoul: fallen icon (13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 120)
• The Phoenix King, ogre mage icon (13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 221)
• The Pale One (13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 232)
• The Dream Princess (Shards of the Broken Sky, 13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 184, 241)
• The Duke of Nagas {13th Age Bestiary 2, p. 241)
• The Hooded Woman (Book of Ages)
• The Spelljack (Book of Ages)
• The Chieftain of the Giants (Book of Ages)
• The Princess of Cogs and Wheels (Book of Ages)
• The Green Bandit (Book of Ages)
• The Scarab Master (Book of Ages)
• The Dragonslayer (Book of Ages)
• The Poison Sage (Book of Ages)
• The Hobgoblin Warlord (Book of Ages)
• The Steel Colossus (Book of Ages)
• The Mountain Sage (Book of Ages)
• The Speaker in Light (Book of Ages)
• The Lords of the City (Book of Ages)
• The Imperial Fool (Book of Ages)
• The Cultist (Book of Ages)
• The Marrow-Eater (Book of Ages)
• The Emerald Queen (Book of Ages)
• The Zealot (Book of Ages)
• The Stranger (Book of Ages)
• The Barbarian King (Book of Ages)
• The Alchemist (Book of Ages)
• The Empress of the Moon (Book of Ages)
• The Huntsman (Book of Ages)
• The Silver Cleric (Book of Ages)
• The Wolf Druid (Book of Ages)
• The Ghoul King (Book of Ages; may have declined in power and become the Great Ghoul in Bestiary 2)
• The Roadwarden (Book of Ages)
• The Judge (Book of Ages)
• The Tyrant Lizard (Book of Ages)
• The Hermit (Book of Ages)
• The Blessed Emperor (Book of Ages)
• The Glorious Emperors (Book of Ages)
• The Terrible Emperor (Book of Ages)
• The True Emperor (Book of Ages)
• The Titan (Book of Ages)
• The Lady of Labyrinths (Book of Ages)
• The Astrologer (Book of Ages)
• The Manticore (Book of Ages)
• The Captain of the Corsairs (Book of Ages)
• The Explorer (Book of Ages)
• The Merchant Princess (Book of Ages)
• The Serpent (Book of Ages)
• The King Below (Book of Ages)
• The Champion (Book of Ages)
• The Demon King (Book of Ages)
• The Oracle (Book of Ages)
• The Swordmaiden (Book of Demons)

The iconic dragon known as the White was killed by the Lich King, and the Green is a captive of the Elf Queen. This raises the possibility that these two powerful dragons, working with the Three, might have constituted an icon called the Five. This is never stated explicitly in the game, however.

Is there a big bulleted list of information about 13th Age out there somewhere?

Well, besides this FAQ, there’s this Resource page at EN World.

13 True Ways

What’s 13 True Ways?

13 True Ways is a supplement book for 13th Age. It contains an eclectic mix of world information, monsters, and character options, and  introduces the monk, druid, necromancer, occultist, commander and chaos mage classes.

Those classes sound awesome. What are they like?

Chaos Mage: A spellcasting class for players who enjoy randomness and the bizarre, and don’t care much about defined responsibilities and definite plans. Chaos mages have three main categories of spells: attack, defense, and iconic. Unlike other spellcasters, your choice of which spell to cast each turn is constrained by chance; but you get to decide how many of your resources you’ll use. And when an enemy scores a critical hit against you, you must roll on the High Weirdness table.

Commander: A squad leader who affects the battle by directing other characters. All commanders have class features associated with powerful Tactics, which have an immediate effect during your turn, and Commands, which are interrupt actions during an ally’s turn and require spending command points. This is a good option for players who hate waiting around for their turn in combat—there’s potentially always something to do, but you have to pay attention to the flow of battle to take advantage of opportunities.

Druid: Depending on your talents, you can play as the Wild Wood’s answer to the wizard, or as a warrior healer flourishing in the space traditionally defined by the cleric, or as a spellcasting magician who shapeshifts into animal forms to scout and fight. Your choice of talents is key, because each druid talent unlocks a pool of spells or powers. You also have the choice of doubling up on one of your talents, spending two talents instead of one to be more focused on what the talent has to offer.

Monk: A martial artist that can channel ki into supernatural effects, and uses combination attacks that consist of openers, flow attacks, and finishing attacks. Monks are great fun for experienced players who like juggling significant decisions within the flow of moment-by-moment roleplaying. You’ll make significant decisions when building your character out of interwoven options, and fighting using the diverse elements of the monk’s attack forms.

Necromancer: The necromancer wields undeath magic, and has ties to the Lich King. Some of your talent powers and spells are straightforward, while others require weighing the odds whether they will hurt your enemies more than they will hurt you and your friends. There are sacrifices to choose—power that has to be paid for somehow.

Occultist: The occultist is a class for the player who likes to pay attention and weigh options. You craftily watch as the battle plays out around you, waiting for the right moment to distort reality in your favor. In a split second, you can set back time and tweak reality just enough to have a devastating effect. The fates of your friends and of your foes are in your hands.

13th Age Bestiary

What’s the 13th Age Bestiary?

It’s a monster manual for 13th Age. The core book contains some monsters; the Bestiary contains more, with lots of story elements and iconic tie-ins for each monster.

There’s also a Bestiary 2!

Eyes of the Stone Thief

What’s Eyes of the Stone Thief?

It’s an incredibly cool megadungeon campaign by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan. From the product description:

The Stone Thief is an old and cunning Living Dungeon. For unknown ages, it has slithered through the Underworld, rising to consume towers and cities or other, lesser dungeons. Now, it has your scent. It swims through the earth, eager to steal everything you cherish, eager to drag you down into its hellish labyrinth.

Shards of the Broken Sky

What’s Shards of the Broken Sky?

It’s an adventure for 13th Age with old school madness by ASH LAW and a bit of newfangled development by Rob Heinsoo. From the product description:

This sandbox adventure for 13th Age centers on the crash of one of the Archmage’s flying realms. As threats multiply, the flying land turns out to have been the control point for magical wards neutralizing three ancient evils. With the cone of secrecy shattered, each of the thirteen icons offers rival opportunities for glory, plunder, or heroic sacrifice.

Book of Ages

What’s The Book of Ages?

This book helps game masters and players flesh out the history of their campaign world, with options for what might have happened in the previous 12 ages. It includes new PC races, new class talents, spells, and powers, and new magic items.

Organized Play

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What’s the 13th Age Alliance?

The 13th Age Alliance is the ongoing organized play program for the 13th Age roleplaying game, consisting of two seasons’ worth of adventures. Every 13th Age group customizes the Dragon Empire setting based on the characters’ One Unique Things and backgrounds, so we’ve preserved this in 13th Age Organized Play by designing adventures that enable players to enjoy a continuity of story that still leaves room for the freedom and flexibility that sets 13th Age apart.

Hmm. Can I see one or more of the organized play adventures?

You bet! You can download The Archmage’s Orrery, which won the silver ENnie for Best Free Product in 2015, and Race to Starport, which won the same award in 2016.

Cool! How do I join the 13th Age Alliance?

This is no longer available.

What do I get as a 13th Age Alliance member?

As a member of the Alliance, you have access to all of Season One Organized Play (aka Tales of the 13th Age). You also have access to the first three adventures of Season Two, and will be added to a mailing list to be notified of cool new things. When we’re looking for volunteer GMs at events, we usually go to Alliance GMs first. We’re working to add more benefits and features to Organized Play.

How do I get the rest of the Season Two adventures?

You get access to all Season Two Organized Play adventures when you purchase the collected 13th Age Monthly.

Do you have an anti-harassment policy for organized play?

Yes. Read the anti-harassment policy and GM guidelines here.

Fan and third-party creation

Where are the best places to get fan-created content?

Check out the resources page for links. In particular, Vault of the 13th Age is a large and growing repository of user-created content, including the 13th Age fanzine Escalation!.

Are there guidelines and licenses for making my own 13th Age compatible content?

Yes, there’s a complete overview available in the 13th Age Archmage Engine Licensing Overview.

Other Products

Will 13th Age work with my AD&D/3.5/4e/Pathfinder adventures?

Not directly, since 13th Age characters and creatures have different statistics from their counterparts in those systems, so if you try to use the numbers directly, various fights and challenges might be too hard or too easy. You can, of course, convert your favorite adventures to 13th Age by converting the monsters to appropriately-scaled 13th Age monsters. Have fun.

Rules FAQ

SPELL ACQUISITION & SPELLCASTING

How does spellcasting work in the 13^th Age system?

• There are currently four main magic-using classes: bard, cleric, sorcerer, and wizard. With a few exceptions (mostly obvious), the spellcasting classes all gain and use their spells the same way.
• There are five spell levels: 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. The levels correspond to the character level at which you gain access to those spells for the first time.
• A PC that has a main magic-using class knows all of the spells in the rulebook for that class.
• Each main magic-using class has a certain number of “spell slots” they can use. The number of spell slots you have of each level is listed on the class’s advancement table. These numbers are NOT cumulative. For example, a level 5 sorcerer has three 3rd-level slots, four 5th-level slots, and no slots of any other level. Unlike in some d20 systems, you do lose your lower-level slots as you level up. That’s okay; you’re expected to put lower-level spells in higher-level slots.
• After a full heal-up, you fill up your spell slots with spells that you know.
• Any spell you know can be chosen to fill a slot of its level or a higher level.
• A spell’s effect is based on the level of the slot you put it in. For example, if you put Ray of Frost in a level 1 slot, it does 3d6 damage. If you put it in a level 7 slot, it does 7d10 damage. The level of the slot you choose for a spell does not affect your attack rolls with that spell—in other words, you always add your level to your attack rolls, not the level of the spell.
• You don’t get the benefits of the level 3 version of a spell just because you’re level 3; you have to put it in a level 3 slot to get those benefits (no automatic scaling).
• Unlike weapon attacks, spell damage does NOT improve just because you level up. For example, a sorcerer that puts Lightning Fork in a level 1 slot will do 3d6 + Cha damage with it regardless of whether the sorcerer is level 1, 2, or 3.
• You must actually put the spell in a higher-level slot to get the damage increase listed for the higher-level spell. On the other hand, the ability score modifier added to damage does increase to double at level 5 and to triple at level 8 even if you are casting a spell that happens to be lower level than 5^th/8^th, but that’s it (not including wizards). The feats you’ve taken for a spell apply to the spell regardless of the spell slot you choose for it.

Can I choose the same spell more than once at the same time?

• No, you can’t choose the same spell more than once, even if you’re trying to be tricky and choose the same spell at different levels. (Yes, this means that as a level 2 sorcerer you might be choosing five of the six spells available in the book every day. The range of options will increase as you gain levels, however, since each lower-level spell has higher-level options.) The two exceptions to the rule against choosing spells more than once both live in the wizard class. First, a wizard with the High Arcana talent can select one daily spell twice at the same level or at different levels. Second is the wizard’s Utility Spell. As a wizard, you can give up a spell slot to gain Utility Spell at the same level as the slot you gave up.

How many at-will spells can I put into my spell slots?

• As many as you have available and have slots for, or as few as zero. They’re no different from any other spell.

Do I have to put my at-will spells in my lowest-level slots?

• No. In fact, it’s often prudent to put an at-will spell in one of the highest-level slots you have available in order to give yourself a high-impact at-will option.

What happens to the feats that apply to spells that I didn’t choose that day?

• The retraining rules written in the book list “spells” among the things that you get the feats refunded on when you swap them out. Some groups feel that that’s a bit too generous and that feats chosen should represent something a little more permanent, but by default when you swap out a spell, you can redistribute the feats you spent on it. Do the GM a favor, however, and make sure you’re clear how each set of feats and the spell they modify work together to avoid slowing the game down.

What’s the book talking about when it says “Go ahead and assume that all the wizard spells are part of the basic spellbook package, and swap them in and out as you will. But when there are other spells you want to learn, the GM can figure out what adventures are required to track down those new spells?”

• Each class already knows all the spells listed in the rulebook. But you and your GM might want to create new spells that fit your character (with your GM’s permission, of course). The other spells mentioned here are new spells you create this way, and the rules are suggesting that the GM should require a quest or adventure the PC must undertake to gain the new spell(s) before allowing the PC to use it.

Does the “hampered” condition stop me from casting spells entirely?

• Yes; being hampered is especially tough on spellcasters. That’s why you should always have a backup weapon. At the GM’s option, situations based on a PC’s unique or an icon relationship might allow some at-will spell leeway in extraordinary circumstances, but that’s a story thing, not a rules thing.

Do ranged spell attacks draw opportunity attacks from engaged enemies that you target with the spell? 

• Yes; ranged spell attacks draw opportunity attacks from all enemies with whom you’re engaged, including the target of the spell. If you want to cast a ranged attack spell at someone, it’s best to do it while standing away from the battle and not engaged with any enemies.This rule makes ranged spells different from ranged attacks which are not spells, such as from a bow or crossbow. Non-spell ranged attacks do draw opportunity attacks from enemies engaged with you that aren’t targets of the attack, but do not draw opportunity attacks from your target.Close-quarters spells such as shocking grasp don’t draw opportunity attacks. In addition, the sorcerer talent Spell Fist allows the caster to use ranged spells while engaged with enemies without taking opportunity attacks. Example:  Red Sarah the ranger is engaged in battle with Gnolls A, B and C. She uses her bow to shoot an arrow at Gnoll A. While Sarah’s attention is focused on her target, Gnoll B and Gnoll C see an opening and make opportunity attacks against her. Gnoll A is too busy trying to dodge Sarah’s arrow to attack.Gurmenghal the wizard is engaged in battle with Gnolls D, E and F. He casts ray of frost, a ranged spell, at Gnoll D. This spell draws an opportunity attack from all three gnolls. If he had instead used shocking grasp, a close-quarters spell, he wouldn’t have drawn any opportunity attacks. Not that we’re judging his performance.Meanwhile, Spelltron 3030, a forgeborn sorcerer from the future, is engaged in battle with Gnolls X, Y and Z. It casts chaos bolt, a ranged spell, at Gnoll X. Normally this would draw opportunity attacks from all three gnolls, but Spelltron 3030 has the Spell Fist talent. This lets it use ranged spells while engaged with enemies without taking opportunity attacks, and it draws no opportunity attacks from its gnolls.

What monster abilities are affected by the counter-magic wizard spell?

• Any NPC or monster ability with a name that is also the name of a spell in 13th Age counts as a spell for the purposes of counter-magic. Examples include the drider’s lightning bolt, the despoiler mage’s magic missile, and the ogre mage’s cone of cold.
• GMs may also decide to rule that abilities which resemble spells, such as the goblin shaman’s shaking curse, are treated as spells for this purpose. Shaking curse certainly sounds like a spell to us, and goblin shamans seem more likely to be spellcasters than innately magical creatures, so we’d go along with a GM who ruled that it counted as a spell. But if a GM disagrees, it’s their call to make for their own campaign.

INCREMENTAL ADVANCES

How do incremental advances work with powers/spells?

• Incremental advances are straightforward until you start taking powers that you would gain at your next level. We probably didn’t write quite enough rules to make power and spell acquisition clear and fully functional. Here’s some clarification:

Let’s take the example of a second level cleric who has five 1^st level spells. Your cleric gains an incremental advance and you decide you want to gain a spell you would normally only be able to cast at 3^rd level. As you can see from the Cleric Level Progression chart on page 94, as a level 3 cleric, you’ll be able to cast three 3^rd level spells. You can definitely use your incremental advance to choose a 3^rd level spell. But look again at the chart and you’ll see that the total number of spells you cast as a 3^rd level cleric isn’t actually higher than the total number of spells you cast as a 2^nd level cleric—you cast five total spells at both levels. Therefore you have to replace one of your 1^st level spells with a 3^rd level spell. This is straightforward except for the case in which you’ve used up some of your spells for the day.

No replacing used-up powers or spells: You can swap out any lower-level spell for a higher-level spell when you take an incremental advance, except that you can’t replace a spell or power you have already expended. For instance, using your incremental advance, you could only replace your 1^st level shield of faith spell (with either its 3^rd level version or a new 3^rd level spell like combat boon, for example) if you had not already used your daily shield of faith spell. At-will spells and once per battle spells can usually be replaced when you get an incremental advance, but you can’t swap out a recharge power that is currently expended.

For a second example, let’s look at a level 2 sorcerer. Your level 2 sorcerer knows five spells, all of them 1^st level. At 3^rd level, the sorcerer goes up to six total spells and three of them are 3^rd level. Therefore the sorcerer, unlike the cleric, can use its first incremental advance to choose an entirely new 3^rd level spell—it doesn’t have to swap out any of its 1^st level spells. If the sorcerer uses a second incremental advance to gain another 3^rd level spell, this time it would have to swap out one of its 1^st level spells.

This same logic applies to a level 5 cleric who will go from six total spells to seven total spells at 6^th level. Using its first incremental advance for a new spell, the level 5 cleric who normally has two 3^rd level spells and four 5^th level spells will end up with two 3^rd level spells and five 5^th level spells. That same cleric’s second incremental advance choice of a new spell would result in one 3^rd level spell and six 5^th level spells, meaning that one of the lower level spells would have to be swapped out.

Designer Note: If we were using “Jonathan Says” sidebars in the FAQ, this is the point where Jonathan would say that his advice would be to only allow one incremental advance choice of a new power, even though we wrote the book and the character sheets allowing you to choose as many as you could. He thinks it’s a better game that way, and less confusing. Rob now agrees with Jonathan, so the rule has been updated in the upcoming 13th Age in Glorantha book that’s going to be published by Moon Design LLC/Chaosium. We recommend you limit yourself to one new power as an incremental advance each level.

 GENERAL

Why do I have so few spell/maneuver/battle cry/song choices at high levels?

• Lower-level choices don’t go stale in 13th Age like they do in most other d20 games. Maneuvers and battle cries remain relevant forever, and lower-level spells and songs scale up when you put them in higher-level slots.

What does “Middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis” mean?

• It means that if you order those three modifiers from highest to lowest, it’s the one in the middle. For example, if a character has a +4 Con mod, a +0 Dex mod, and a +1 Wis mod, the middle value is +1. It’s the one that’s not the highest and not the lowest. It’s what’s called the “median” value. In the case of ties, like with +3, +1, +1, the middle mod is +1. Doing it this way helps make no single ability modifier too important.

RECOVERIES, HEALING, AND DEATH & DYING

Can I rally as many times as I want in a single battle?

• Yes. The first time you rally, it automatically works without any limitations. Each time after that during a battle that you want to rally, you need to succeed on a 11+ save (roll 11 or higher on a d20) to rally again. If you fail that save, you don’t get to rally that turn, but you also don’t expend the action (usually a standard) that rallying would require. You can use your action on something else, as normal. Some feats/talents/spells might allow a PC to rally additional times during a battle without needing to succeed on the roll.

What happens if I need to use a recovery, but I have no recoveries left?

• You get half the healing you’d get for spending a recovery, and you take a –1 penalty to attacks and defenses until you’re able to take a full heal-up. The penalty stacks.

Which is correct, the “last gasp” rules in the core book or in the SRD?

• In the 13th Age core rulebook, the last gasp rules state that the character has the “helpless” condition if they fail their first death save. The Archmage Engine SRD says that the character “may not take any other actions on future turns,” and doesn’t mention any of the other effects of the helpless condition. The wording in the core book is correct: a PC has the helpless condition in this situation.

BATTLES

What’s engagement?

• When two creatures are engaged with each other, it means that they’re close enough to hit with melee attacks. The chart on page 163 of the core rules covers what that means.

When do I become engaged?

• As soon as a creature moves close enough to another creature to make a melee attack against it, they’re engaged (provided they’re hostile toward each other). Neither creature has to make an actual attack. You’re engaged until one of the creatures moves away, disengages, pops free, or dies.

If the fighter is engaged with two kobolds and the cleric engages one of the kobolds, is the cleric automatically engaged with the other kobold?

• No.

On my turn, can I simultaneously engage multiple opponents that I was previously engaged with?

• We play moving into engagement loosely, so it’s okay to move into engagement with more than one creature if they’re adjacent to each other, and no one intercepts you.
• If you’re using a power, spell, or talent (such as the demonologist’s  Demonic Violence) that triggers when you engage an enemy, and it specifies “an enemy”—singular—you can’t use it against multiple enemies.

How do mooks work in battle?

• Mooks basically work like normal creatures, in terms of how they can be targeted and things like that. The only difference is that a collection of mooks has a collective HP pool equal to the sum of the HP of the mooks in the mob (so 5 mooks with 8 hp have a pool of 40 hp). Every time the mob takes an amount of damage equal to the HP of one of the creatures in it, one of the creatures dies. So if you hit a mob of 6-HP mooks for 15 damage, two will die, and the mob is 3 HP away from another one dying.
• The point of mooks is to make the PCs feel special about wiping out a lot of enemies with a single attack. The point is also to let the players tell cool stories about how an attack that seemed like it was only going to hit a single creature managed to turn into an attack that wiped out a few mooks.
  • It’s worth noting that the only element of mooks that is collective is their hit points. If you use a spell or power against a mook that creates a condition like dazed or weakened or ongoing damage, the only mook or mooks affected by the condition are the mooks that you targeted. Dazing a single mook doesn’t daze the entire mob. Since a targeted mook is frequently just wiped out by an attack, it’s somewhat uncommon for mooks to end up suffering from conditions. It’s possible, just not that likely.

How do multiple-target attacks work against mook mobs?

• You can target multiple mooks in a mob with a multiple-target attack, because mooks are individual creatures. The mob takes all the damage done to any of them. If you target more than one mook in the same mob with a multiple target spell, the mob takes damage for EACH mook you hit. Say you use burning hands targeting two mooks in the same mob. You roll to hit each one separately. If you hit them both and roll 17 damage, the mob takes 34 damage.

Is ongoing damage doubled on a critical hit?

• The rule is the same as the sorcerer’s Gather Power rule for ongoing damage (core book pg. 136): If you crit with an attack that deals ongoing damage, the ongoing damage is doubled the first time it is dealt, but not on subsequent rounds, if any.

MONSTERS

The 13th Age Bestiary 2 talks about how Weakling and Elite monsters are different when building battles, but how are their stats and defenses different compared to a mook, or a double-strength monster?

As a rule, we don’t mess with attack bonuses and defenses much, because those are calibrated by level. The factors that change most for weaklings and elites are damage and hit points. You want a weakling to have about half as many hit points and deal half as much damage. Elites? Half-again the normal amount; in other words, just like large/double-strength monsters, but 150% a normal monster instead of double the normal monster.

ESCALATION DIE

What’s the escalation die in round one? Does it count as even?

• It’s not even or odd, because the die isn’t in effect yet. It’s zero.

So what happens if the PCs just run around and hide until the escalation die reaches six, then start fighting the monsters?

• The escalation die reflects in-game action, and rewards effort. If the PCs are not doing brave, risky things that actively move the battle forward to its conclusion, the escalation die either stops where it is, or starts to go down.

BACKGROUNDS

Aren’t really broad backgrounds better than super narrow backgrounds? Why shouldn’t I pick a “Good at everything +5” background instead of a “Birdwatching +5” background every time?

• In general, it’s up to the GM to determine what an appropriate scope for a background is, and it’s up to the GM and the player to work out when different backgrounds apply. It’s a good idea for groups to agree on what’s a reasonable scope for backgrounds. There might be cases where very broad or very narrow backgrounds are interesting, however; Wade Rockett makes a case for sometimes allowing very broad backgrounds for compelling story reasons.
• Part of the GM’s job is to help players focus too-broad backgrounds into things that are a bit more specific to help the game and the story.
• If a player can make a convincing and entertaining case that her character’s background as a dock worker helps her negotiate a treaty between warring goblin tribes, we think it adds to the fun: the player is more engaged, and we get to learn more about the character and the world. GMs who think scenes like that slow things down and are un-fun sometimes require more detailed and specific backgrounds, or simply use their preferred skill system from another d20 game.

FEATS

Do I have to take the feats for a particular character option in the order that they’re presented?

• The default rules say yes, especially if they build on each other, but with a caveat. If they don’t build on each other, you might be able take a higher-tier one without having the lower-tier one, with the GM’s permission.

BARDS

If you use the Jack of Spells talent to jack a spell that benefits from a class feature the bard doesn’t possess, do you also jack that class feature benefit?

• Yes, you cast the spell you’ve jacked as if you were a member of that class. If the spell relies on a class feature like the wizard’s Cyclic feature—or the cleric’s ability to cast for power or cast for broad effect—you cast the spell as if you had those class features. You can even improve the spell you’ve jacked by taking its feats up to your tier, if it has any

Do you get the final effect of song of thunder as a free action if you don’t sustain?

• Yes.

Doesn’t that make song of thunder overpowered?

• Yeah, probably! The designers wanted to make the decision to sustain the song or not an interesting one. But if you think it’s too powerful, Rob recommends you play it as written but lower the damage of the final verse as the song trails off.

CLERICS

How do I put Heal into a spell slot? What’s up with that spell?

• The Heal bonus spell is like your chosen spells, but it’s also different. You always have Heal available after each battle, and it doesn’t fill one of your normal spell slots. You can think of it as having its own slot that it’s always in. The slots listed on your advancement chart are for your other spells.

How does Turn Undead work against mobs of undead mooks?

• Under the rules as written, it only affects 1d4 mooks in a mob, since each is a separate creature. This means rolling a hit at 8+ or 12+ might kill less mooks than the 4+ hit. Rob Heinsoo says: “That’s not the intent for Turn Undead. The problem is that the spell doesn’t really work right against undead mooks, which is who it should work extremely well against as an area effect spell.” So to make it more effective, here’s the revised rule for how Turn Undead works.
  • Use the +4 result as written.
  • Use the +8 and +12 results as written against non-mooks.
  • Against mooks, the +8 result now deals 4d10 x your level holy damage.
  • Against mooks, the +12 result now deals 4d20 x your level holy damage.

In other words, you should blow the mooks away but there’s a small chance you won’t. If there are mooks left after the +8 or +12 result, maybe the story is that they are surprisingly tough or lucky. See the FAQ entry on mook rules for how conditions affect them.

 DRUIDS

If a shifter druid multiclasses, does Beast Form attack do reduced damage?

• Yes. If you have a multiclass shifter druid in your game, take the Beast Form attack damage down to 1d8 per level on an even hit and 1d4 per level on an odd hit. The point of the multiclass weapon damage penalty is to limit characters that get to roll another damage die every level — because multiclass spellcasters are definitely getting their damage penalized by casting spells a level behind. That’s why the multiclass monk’s attacks are specifically called out on page 110 of 13 True Ways as taking a damage penalty, and in hindsight the shifter druid should have had the same call-out.

NECROMANCERS

How does initiative work when a necromancer uses Summon Undead to summon Blackamber skeletal warrior mooks? The summoning rules state, “The summoned creature continues to take its turn immediately after you (even if your initiative order changes) until the end of the battle.” But the description of the Blackamber skeletal warrior in 13 True Ways says that on a natural 16+ with its shortsword attack, each Blackamber skeletal warrior in the battle moves up 1d4 points in initiative order.

• Go ahead and let the summoned Blackamber skeleton warriors increase their initiative as stated. In this regard, it’s different from other summoned creatures.

PALADINS

The Paladin’s Cleric Training talent has problems if you choose spells that the cleric can cast for broad effect or cast for power.

• That wasn’t intentional, we want the spell to be useful instead of weirdly nerfed. We should have added this sentence: “You cast the spell as if you were a cleric.”

The Paladin’s Divine Domain talent lets you have a cleric domain, but some of the domains have mechanics that interact with cleric-only abilities or that are redundant with a paladin’s existing features. What happens if I take those domains?

• There’s no official way to handle those cases. As the talent notes, you may have to do some adaptation work to make the domain abilities make sense for your character.

ROGUES

When I get to level 3, how am I supposed to take a level 3 power? Rogues have 5 powers at both level 2 and level 3, so I’m not gaining a new power, right?

• Whenever you level up, you can swap out any number of your rogue powers, taking any number from any of the levels you have access to. At level 3, rogues gain access to powers of up to 3^rd level, so those five powers can now include the level 3 powers. Note that rogue powers don’t become obsolete—level 1 powers are still useful at level 10—so it’s not always correct to take all the highest-level powers you can. Look for powers that fit your character concept. For example, at level 2 you might have: evasive strike (1), deadly thrust (1), roll with it (1), sure cut (1), and tumbling strike (1). At level 3, you could switch to: evasive strike (1), roll with it (1), sure cut (1), deflection (3), and slick feint (3).

How does momentum work?

• Momentum is either on or off. You don’t have a certain amount of momentum or multiple momentums; you either have it or you don’t. If you would get it when you already have it, you still just have it.
  • When you start a battle, you don’t have momentum.
  • When you hit an enemy with an attack, you gain momentum.
  • When an enemy hits you with an attack, you lose your momentum.
  • The attacks don’t have to do damage; they only need to hit. Similarly, even if it still does damage on a miss, an attack that misses you doesn’t cause you to lose momentum.
  • Some maneuvers require you to have momentum, or you can’t use them.
  • Some maneuvers require you to have momentum and to spend it on the maneuver. If you do that, you no longer have momentum.

What does “pool available” mean in the rogue’s advancement chart?

• That’s the highest-level power you can know.

Does sneak attack work on any type of monster?

• Yes. The 13^th Age rules assume that for every monster, there’s some way that it’s possible to deliver an extra-powerful attack against it if you can line up your shot. A GM can choose to selectively make some monsters immune to sneak attack if they want to, but the RAW (rules as written) is that creatures are vulnerable to sneak attacks unless they have a specific ability saying that they aren’t.

Can I combine two of my powers, like using Deadly Thrust and Bleeding Strike at the same time to get both the bonus damage and the ongoing damage?

• No. Like spells, rogue powers require a standard action to execute (unless they say otherwise.) Each one is a separate maneuver, and they can’t be combined into a single attack action any more than two spells can be combined into a single attack action.

SORCERERS

How do breath weapon spells work?

• They work like any other daily spell, in that you can use them only once each day. The only difference is that once you use one, then every round for the rest of that battle—and that battle only—you roll at the start of your turn to see if you can use that breath weapon again. If you succeed, you can use the breath weapon attack again that round. (Also, if you make the roll but don’t want to use it that turn, you can’t save it; it’s now or never.) After the battle is over, the breath weapon is done for the day, just like any other daily spell.

The rules say sorcerers can only have one breath weapon spell active at a time. Does this still apply if I’m a multiclass sorcerer using a breath weapon from another class, such as the demonologist’s flame breath?

• Yes. The exception is if you also have the Chromatic Destroyer heritage talent, which lets you have multiple breath weapon spells active at the same time..

Shouldn’t the breath of the black spell on page 140 attack PD instead of MD? I mean, it’s dealing acid damage.

• Right. That’s a typo. PD it is.

WIZARDS

Why do Wizard spells do so much damage?

• Most classes add an ability score to their damage, but wizards’ spells don’t add an ability score, which balances things out.

How come the wizard’s charm person spell on on page 153 uses Charisma as the attack ability?

• Because we made a cut-and-paste typo while grabbing the spell from the bard. The wizard’s version of the spell should read Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD

MULTICLASSING

How does multiclassing work?

• Although players can always work with the GM to swap talents between 13th Age classes, 13 True Ways brought official multiclassing rules to the game. Multiclassing rules are handled on a class-by-class basis, where class-specific rules trump the general multiclassing rules.

Can I multiclass between three classes?

• Given the amount of flexibility and customization already built into 13th Age, we chose to limit multiclassing to two classes.

Can my multiclass character apply [thing from one class] to [thing from another class]?

• You can’t apply a talent, feat, or class feature to a spell or attack from a different class.(Some multiclass feats might break this general rule.) For example:
  

  A barbarian/rogue who is raging makes barbarian attacks, rolling 2d20s to hit — but can’t add rogue Sneak Attack damage on top of the barbarian melee attack.

  A sorcerer/wizard or sorcerer/cleric can’t gather power as a sorcerer and then get double damage casting a spell from their other class.

If a shifter druid multiclasses, does Beast Form attack do reduced damage?

• Yes. If you have a multiclass shifter druid in your game, take the Beast Form attack damage down to 1d8 per level on an even hit and 1d4 per level on an odd hit. The point of the multiclass weapon damage penalty is to limit characters that get to roll another damage die every level — because multiclass spellcasters are definitely getting their damage penalized by casting spells a level behind. That’s why the multiclass monk’s attacks are specifically called out on page 110 of 13 True Ways as taking a damage penalty, and in hindsight the shifter druid should have had the same call-out.

Are there any typos we should know about in the 13 True Ways multiclassing rules?

• Yes. The Key Modifier Table on page 107 has two typos at the bottom for the Sorcerer/Fighter and the Wizard/Fighter. The Sorcerer/Fighter should be Str/Cha and the Wizard/Fighter should be Str/Int. We got it right on the mirror-listings for the Fighter/Sorcerer and the Fighter/Wizard higher up the table.

BOOK OF DEMONS

Hey, there are some mistakes in the text. What’s up with that?

Yeah, we missed a few things, sorry. The errata is available as a PDF on the product page, and is reprinted here:

Page 4: Actually there were ten symbols we used from the Creative Commons Game-Icons site. The one that get didn’t get named here in the credits was the Cultist by Lorc.

Pages 14, 21, 29: Each of the three Path Level Progression Tables has a cell that’s probably not necessary, the spot that lists the spells for a hypothetical multiclassing fanatic of that path. As acknowledged on page 33, that’s technically not possible, since fanatics use all three talents. So it’s a mistake to have listed spells for these impossible characters, though Rob admits he doesn’t feel entirely bad about it, given the weird things that can happen in 13^th Age games.

Page 17: The carrion screech epic feat should read like this:

Epic Feat: When the spell makes a target vulnerable, that target is also hampered.

Page 20: Flame Bonus Spell looks like a talent, when actually it’s information flowing out of the Bonus Summoning Spell feature for the flame path that appears on page 19.

This is a header mistake. The Flame Bonus Spell header should be much bigger than the talent headers, but it appeared at the same size. The other two paths got it right.

Page 31: The 9^th level version of follow the blood is an improvement for non-devotees but makes no sense for devotees. That’s a mistake. Instead, the 9^th level version of the spell should read like this:

9^th level spell     The spell becomes recharge 6+ for non-devotees. Slaughter path devotees instead gain a daily use of the spell in addition to their once per battle uses of the spell.

Page 32: As written, the two feats that accompany the altar reversal spell are nearly useless. To ensure your ally has a chance to use the attack and vulnerability bonus, put the words “until the end of your next turn” at the end of both the feats. Yes, since the epic feat now extends the bonuses for you as well as for your ally, this should allow you to take out your own summoned slaughter demon on your next turn, as well, and get the save to see if you regain the spell.

Page 33: The Demonologist Multiclass Key Modifier Table didn’t mention slaughter path initiates because a multiclass slaughter path initiate is also going to be a corruption path or fire path initiate, and they’re already on the table. But that wasn’t easy to notice, nope. So here’s clarification: all three initiates are covered by the left column. Only the slaughter path devotee gets the more warlike column on the right.

Page 57: The haunt hound’s Ghosts of the Heath ability is missing a number. It should read, “The spirits of the slain work for the demons now. Each ghost a PC is haunted by reduces the effect of any recoveries they use by 2 hit points”