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Fallen Classes

A character who no longer meets the requirements for a class based on divinely granted abilities, or a prestige class, cannot use any of the spellcasting abilities or class features of that class. The character may be described as fallen from the class. If one of the requirements of the class is an evil alignment, the character might be described as redeemed instead.

A fallen character retains the Base Attack Bonus, base saving throws, hit points, skill ranks and feats (including weapon and armour proficiency feats) that he gained for his levels in the fallen class. However, he cannot use any other class features.

If a class feature is listed as "gain feat x" or "bonus feat x", then the character still has access to that feat. However, if a class feature is listed as "equivalent to feat x", or has the same name or description as a feat, it is nevertheless a class feature and the character is barred from using it.

The character is not considered to have the affected class levels and class features for any game purpose, except for converting them to levels of another class. If he no longer qualifies for another prestige class or feat as a result, then he may not use that class or feat either. If the loss of levels in the fallen class causes some of his skills to be over their maximum rank, the character may still use the excess skill ranks but may not increase his rank in those skills. The character cannot use skills that are exclusive to the fallen class, unless he has the use of those skills through another class.

The means for the character to regain the use of class features are generally listed in the “Ex-Members” section of the class description. If no method is listed, then the character can never regain the features of that class.

Converting Class Levels

With the DM's approval, the player of a fallen character may convert all of his levels in the fallen class to levels in the Expert class, unless the fallen class grants a Base Attack Bonus advancement of +1/level, in which case he may only convert levels in that class to levels of the Warrior class. The player is not required to convert levels.

The character's Base Attack Bonus, base saving throws, hit points, skill ranks, and feats (including weapon and armour proficiency feats) do not change as a result of converting levels to the Warrior or Expert class.

When a character who has no Expert levels gains levels in Expert by this means, his class skills as an Expert are made up of:

1. all the class skills of the fallen class, plus
2. skills that the character knows.

If this still does not give the character ten class skills as an Expert, he may choose in addition:

3. class skills from any of his other classes
4. any skill that can be used untrained.

A character who gains levels in Expert by this means may select one or two exclusive skills as Expert class skills.

If the character later meets the requirements of a fallen prestige class again, he may not exchange his levels in Expert or Warrior back to levels of the prestige class.

Abandoned Levels

Immediately after gaining a new level, a player may choose to abandon any number of levels in any of his classes. He must retain at least one level in any class that the character had previously, except fallen classes.

The player immediately subtracts any and all benefits that he would have gained by taking the class levels that he abandoned. The character's Base Attack Bonus and base saving throws are reduced by the amount that they would have increased on gaining the abandoned levels. The character loses any feats, and subtracts from his ability scores any ability increases that he would have gained by taking those levels.

The player rolls the hit dice for the abandoned levels, adds his Constitution modifier, and subtracts that amount from the character's hit points. This cannot reduce his hit points below (maximum for one of character's basic classes + 1hp/level + (CON modifier x level)).

The player subtracts a number of skill ranks in class skills of the abandoned classes equal to the skill points that he would have gained by taking those class levels (including any Intelligence ability increase). If he cannot pay off all of the required skill points using class skills of the abandoned classes, then he must continue subtracting 1 skill rank per skill point from other skills. The player must reduce his skill ranks to the new maximum rank for each of his skills. This cannot reduce his number of skill ranks below (2 + INT modifier) x (character level + 3). The character may finish with more or fewer total skill points than are appropriate for his new class levels.

Note that the player need not remove the exact skills, feats and ability increases that he actually gained for taking those class levels.

In any case, the character loses any feats for which he no longer qualifies.

The player's character level and class levels are reduced, as if he never had the levels that he abandoned. His experience point total is reduced to the minimum for his new character level.