In Adventure Master, one participant acts as the referee while the rest of the players create and control fantasy characters who go on adventures and advance in power to become more and more influential on the campaign world. These characters controlled directly by players are called player characters (PCs).
Player Character Statistics
A PC is defined by a set of statistics that indicate their relative strengths and weaknesses compared to other characters in the game world.
Abilities
The core set of character traits that represent aptitude in various basic tasks. There are five: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Perception, and Charisma. Abilities are ranked with scores that range from 1-20 (and possibly higher!), which determines the modifier (a numeric bonus or penalty) that is added to dice rolls when testing that ability.
Level
The level of a player character is an indication of power, might, and capability relative to the monsters, NPCs, challenges, and hazards in the gameworld. PCs begin their career at level 0 and increase in level through adventuring. As a character’s level increases, so too does their odds of success against powerful foes. They also gain new special abilities to help them during their adventures.
Experience Points (XP)
Characters earn experience points (XP) by completing successful adventures. At the end of each session, the referee awards XP based on the achievements of the party. See page XX for details on XP.
Class
If a PC earns enough XP to ascend to 1st level, they choose a class. Classes are specializations that define the character’s approach to survival and success as an adventurer. Each class provides a set of unique special abilities that set them apart and aid them during their adventures. Adventurers are assumed to be human unless one of the special demi-human classes is chosen (Dwarf, Elf, or Halfling).
Hit Points (hp)
Characters frequently risk injury and death in the pursuit of adventure. Hit points (HP) are a numeric representation of their ability to stave off death and avoid mortal wounds dealt by hazards and during combat. As a PC levels up, they’ll gain more HP. Each PC’s maximum HP value is noted for reference. When hit points are lost during play, the current number of remaining HP is noted. When a PC reaches 0 HP, they are in danger of death, and must make a desperate roll of the dice in hopes of survival. Rest, healing, and magical aid can restore lost hit points, up to the noted maximum.
Hit Dice (HD)
Hit dice are dice rolled to determine the maximum HP value of a PC, NPC, or monster. The type of die (d4, d6, d8…) depends on the PC or NPC’s class. Monsters always use d8’s for HD, and the number of HD that a monster has indicates their level relative to the PCs. Each time a PC levels up, hit dice are rolled to increase maximum HP.
Equipment
The gear, weapons, armor, and magic items that your character uses defines much of their capabilities in the game world. Punching a dragon will do it no harm, but if your hero wields a mighty sword, then they may be able to wound the foul beast! Rope allows adventures to scale walls, rations fill their hungry bellies, boots protect their feet, and torches light the way. Only a fool goes unprepared into the darkness beyond. Equipment is a core element of the game.
Armor Class (AC)
This stat represents the character’s ability to avoid being damaged in battle and is determined by the armor they wear, modified by their dexterity. When attacked, this is the target number for a successful hit against them. A character’s AC is 10 by default, modified by DEX. Armor increases the score according to how heavily protective it is.
Saving Throws
Saving Throws represent a character’s chance to resist or mitigate the effects of perilous situations, magical attacks, or dangerous substances. When your character faces a threat that isn’t a direct attack, the Referee will call for a Saving Throw. The five common categories of Saving Throws are:
- Poison or Death Ray: Used to resist lethal poisons, deadly diseases, or effects that cause instant death.
- Wand: Used to resist harmful magical effects originating from wands or similar magical devices.
- Paralysis or Petrification: Used against effects that immobilize you or turn you to stone.
- Dragon Breath: Used against powerful, area-of-effect attacks like a dragon’s fiery breath or similar large-scale magical blasts.
- Spell: Used to resist magical effects cast by spellcasters such as magic-users, clerics, or monsters.
Movement Rates
A character’s speed when exploring and traveling is determined by their movement rate. Each PC has a base movement speed and encounter movement speed (always noted in parenthesis). Base movement speed is how far they can cautiously move through a treacherous dungeon, per turn (10 minutes). Encounter movement speed is always 1/3 of base movement speed, and represents how far they can move in one combat round (10 seconds). Overland movement is handled via the hex crawling rules.
Languages
A PC may speak more than one language. All characters speak Common, a universal trade language shared among humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, and other demihuman species.
Special Abilities
Each character class offers a few special abilities unique to their profession. These include access to weapons and armor, the power of spellcasting, or a range of specialized skills like stealth, healing, or wilderness survival.
Character Creation
To play Adventure Master, you’ll need to generate one or more characters. Firstly, you’ll need a character sheet and a pencil to record all of the information about your character. As you create your character, note all of their important information on this sheet.
You can visit adventuremaster.org/downloads to get PDF character sheets to print. Form-fillable PDF sheets are also available for digital play.
Follow these steps to create a new character:
1. Roll Ability Scores
Roll 3d6 for each ability, going down the line from top to bottom, in this order: Strength, Intelligence, Perception, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma. Total up the dice roll to determine each score. Swap any two scores. If a set of scores seems particularly poor and unsuitable for adventure, you may discard those scores and start over. See Ability Scores below for more information.
2. Determine Modifiers
Use the table below to find the associated modifier for each ability score. Beginning scores range from 3-18.
| Score | Modifier |
| 3 | -3 |
| 4-5 | -2 |
| 6-8 | -1 |
| 9-12 | +0 |
| 13-15 | +1 |
| 16-17 | +2 |
| 18 | +3 |
3. Select a Class
Select one of the adventuring classes: fighter, magic-user, thief, cleric, ranger, dwarf, elf, halfling, bard, barbarian, monk, assassin, paladin, or druid. Ensure any requisite ability scores for the class are met.
4. Note Attack Bonus, Special Abilities, Saving Throws
Per the chosen class, make note of the character’s attack bonus and any special abilities gained at 1st level. Record the character’s Saving Throws per the class’s Saving Throw table.
5. Determine Hit Points (HP)
Determine starting hit points by rolling the class hit die twice and keeping the best of the two rolls. Modify the result by CON (minimum 1 HP).
5. Choose Alignment
Choose an alignment: Chaotic, Neutral, or Lawful. See Alignment below for more information.
6. Note Languages
All characters speak Common and some classes provide additional special languages. Those with a positive INT speak an additional language of their choice per point of bonus. See Languages below for more information..
7. Purchase Equipment
Characters begin with 4d6x10 silver pieces (SP) to buy equipment. Shop the equipment lists, or purchase a pre-made equipment pack.
8. Note Armor Class, Bulk, and Movement Speed
Armor class (AC) is determined by armor, modified by DEX. Movement speed and maximum DEX bonus are also determined by armor.
9. Note Level, Title, and Experience Points (XP)
Start at Level 1 with a 1st level title per the class experience table. Start with 0 XP.
10. Choose a Name and Description
Choose or roll a name. Choose or roll a physical description and personality.
Generating Multiple Characters
Players are encouraged to generate multiple characters to create a roster to choose from at the start of each adventure. Should an character perish during an adventure, a replacement can quickly be brought in to fill the gap. These alternate characters can be kept on the sidelines and used whenever needed.
Ability Scores
Each character is primarily composed of a set of ability scores, which in turn dictate the modifier (a bonus or penalty) that is added to dice rolls whenever the character is taking an action that is best represented by that ability. Starting scores are randomly generated between 3-18. If an ability score to dropped to 0, the character dies.
Strength (STR): Brawn, brute force, muscle power, athleticism. The modifier for strength is abbreviated STR.
- Melee Attacks and Damage: A character’s STR modifies attack and damage rolls with melee weapons.
- Strength Checks: A character’s STR modifies ability checks to open doors and perform other feats of strength such as bending bars, lifting gates, etc.
Constitution (CON): Vitality, stamina, endurance, grit, resolve.. The modifier for constitution is abbreviated as CON.
- Hit Points: A character’s CON modifies each hit die (HD) when rolling to determine hit points (at 1st level and each time the character levels up).
- Constitution Checks: A character’s CON modifies ability checks that test their health, stamina, or endurance.
Dexterity (DEX): Agility, reflexes, coordination, speed, balance, flexibility. Modifier is abbreviated as DEX.
- Armor Class (AC): A character’s DEX modifies their AC.
- Initiative (INIT): A character’s DEX modifies their Initiative rolls.
- Ranged and Thrown Attacks: A character’s DEX modifies ranged and thrown weapon attacks.
- Some Melee Attacks: Some weapons allow DEX to modify attack rolls instead of STR, as noted in the weapon descriptions.
- Dexterity Checks: A character’s DEX modifies ability checks that test their agility, balance, flexibility, poise, etc.
Intelligence (INT): Knowledge, wisdom, wits, intellect, smarts. Modifier is abbreviated as INT.
- Languages: A character can speak an additional language per bonus point of INT.
- Literacy: Characters with an intelligence score of 5 or less are illiterate.
- Spell Retention: Magic-users make intelligence checks to avoid losing access to memorized spells when cast.
- Intelligence Checks: A character’s INT modifies ability checks that test their knowledge or intellect.
Wisdom (WIS): Spirit, faith, dedication, willpower, perception, intuition. Modifier is abbreviated as WIS.
- Saves vs Magic: Characters apply their WIS to any saving throws against magical effects.
- Turn Undead: Clerics add their WIS to check to turn the undead.
- Wisdom Checks: A character’s WIS modifies ability checks that test spirit, willpower, awareness, intuition, etc.
Charisma (CHA): Influence, persuasion, intimidation, deception, leadership, charm. Modifier abbreviated as CHA.
- NPC Reactions: CHA modifies reaction checks made by the referee during encounters.
- Max Retainers: CHA modifies the number of Retainers a PC may have (base 7).
- Retainer Loyalty: CHA modifies loyalty checks for retainers.
- Charisma Checks: CHA modifies ability checks that test influence, persuasion, charm, etc.
Alignment
The primordial forces of the divine and infernal, of gods and demons, have influenced the world since before the dawn of time. These forces are generally placed on opposing axes, with the destructive and evil legions of Chaos locked in a bitter, eternal war against the honorable and right forces of Law.
Lawful
Lawful characters primarily operate with a focus on law, order, fairness, truthfulness, patience, responsibility, and cooperation with authority.
Neutral
Neutral characters are something of a middle ground, a mixture of all of the other alignments, balanced or on a case-by-case basis depending on mood. Most PCs are neutral unless they strongly lean towards another alignment.
Chaotic
Chaotic characters are the antithesis of law, thrive on destruction, death, mayhem, turmoil, and entropy, so much that its nefarious members organize to wreak havoc and undermine the integrity of lawful civilization.
Languages
Communication between characters and monsters depends on shared languages. All characters speak the common tongue, and some classes speak additional languages as part of their special abilities. Characters with a positive intelligence modifier speak a number of extra languages equal to the modifier.
The Common Tongue
This is a common trade language spoken widely across many intelligent humanoid species, including all player character classes and races. Often referred to simply as “Common”, this language is even spoken by some monsters. The referee may replace this language with a variety of more specific dialects if appropriate to the setting.
Alignment Languages
Clerics are trained to read, write, and speak a special religious language shared among all members of a specific alignment (law, neutrality, and chaos). Other creatures will know when an alignment language is being spoken, but will not understand what is being said. Non-clerics may not learn alignment languages, and clerics may not learn alignment languages of other alignments.
Thieves Cant
A secret language known only to thieves made up of code words, innuendo, and secret phrases used to communicate each other. Other creatures will not know when thieves cant is being used as it is intentionally designed to seem innocuous to eavesdroppers. They can also mark special secret symbols to deliver simple messages and warnings to each other about dangers, opportunities, safe zones, friendly merchants, unfriendly guards, etc.
Demihuman and Monstrous Languages
Characters may also learn to speak the various languages spoken by demihumans and intelligent monstrous creatures.
- Bugbear
- Centaur
- Dragon
- Dwarvish
- Elvish
- Giant
- Gnoll
- Gnomish
- Goblin
- Harpy
- Hobgoblin
- Kobold
- Lizard man
- Medusa
- Minotaur
- Ogre
- Orcish
- Pixie
- Troglodyte
- Troll