Dead Levels

Just small little things to gain when a class level doesn't

PHB Classes
Some Splatbook Classes

Action Points

Earning Action Points
Characters begin play with Action points equal to 4+ character level. They are replenished whenever a level is gained, or when an adventure path (usually 3-5 sessions) is completed (At DM's discretion). Action points may also be given out at the DM's discretion when a PC performs an especially heroic, epic or otherwise amazing feat. Examples include jumping off a tower to attack a fleeing wizard, even though the PC possesses no personal protection from falling damage and the Wizard can fly, or running back into a burning building to rescue an orphan, or trying to right a falling airship so it doesn't hit a halfling village only jumping off at the last minute.

Using Action Points
Action points provide a player with the means to alter d20 rolls in dramatic situations, reflecting the luck that can change crushing failure into heroic success. Your character has a limited number of action points, and you must use them wisely, since you don’t replenish this supply until your character attains a new level.

Main Use: You can spend an action point to improve the result of an attack roll, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw. Certain feats and prestige class features allow you to spend action points in different ways, but this is their most basic use. When you spend an action point, you add the result of a roll of 1d6 to your d20 roll to help you meet or exceed the target number for the roll. You can declare that you are spending an action point after you have already rolled the d20, but you must do so before the Dungeon Master reveals the result of your roll (whether the attack roll or check or saving throw succeeded or failed). You can’t use an action point on a skill check or ability check when you are taking 10 or taking 20.

You can only use action points once in a round. If you spend 1 or more action points on a special action (see below), you can’t spend a point in the same round to improve a die roll, and vice versa. No spell, power, or other special ability can allow a character to reroll an action point die. If a character suffers permanent level loss, he does not lose any action points he has remaining, and any subsequent level advancement provides new action points as normal.

If your character level is 8th or higher, you can roll more than one d6 when you spend an action point. If you do so, apply the highest result and disregard the other rolls. As a 15th-level character, for example, you can roll 3d6 and take the best result of the three. So, if you rolled 1, 2, and 4, you would apply the 4 to your d20 roll.

Character Level Action Point Dice (d6) Rolled
1st–7th:        1
8th–14th:       2
15th–20th:      3

Other Action Point Uses
Instead of altering the result of a d20 roll, you can use action points to perform one of the special actions described below. In addition, some prestige classes and feats allow you to spend action points to gain or activate specific abilities.

Activate Class Feature: You can spend 2 action points to gain another use of one of the following class features that has a limited number of uses per day: bardic music, rage, smite evil, Stunning Fist, turn or rebuke undead, or wild shape.

Hasten Infusion: On his turn, an artificer can spend 1 action point to imbue an infusion in 1 round, even if the infusion’s casting time is normally longer than 1 round.

Stabilize: When your character is dying, you can spend 1 action point to stabilize at your current hit point total. Spending an action point does nothing for you if you’re already dead.

Abilities

32 point buy

a calculator if need be

Skills

There are too many skills, so Pathfinder's collapsing of certain skills will lead the way!

Acrobatics: Balance, Jump and Tumble
Diplomacy: now used for Gather Information
Disable Device: now used for Open Lock
Linguistics: Decipher Script, Forgery, Speak Language (note language rules)
Perception: Listen, Search and Spot
Stealth: Hide and Move Silently

Rangers gain trapfinding and Disable Device as a skill

Perception and Disable Device can still use Intelligence (only for searching with Perception) instead of their associated ability score (Wis and Dex respectively)

Skilled City-Dweller

The various wilderness-oriented skills are valuable indeed, but make less sense -- and may prove less useful -- for an urban character.

Class: Any class that has one or more of the "skills replaced," as listed below, on its list of class skills.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain the "skills replaced" as listed below.

Benefit: The skilled city-dweller gains one or more skills as class skills, at the expense of other skills. If she does not have the proper skill to lose, she cannot gain the skill it grants as an urban benefit.

Note that she need not swap out all these skills. A skilled city-dweller may pick and choose, but she cannot later change her mind.


House rule: Feel free to also trade the other way, Sense Motive for Survival for instance

Feats

The feats Track, Research, Investigate and Urban Tracking are all things characters can just do with enough skill. You are exceptional.

Any feat or prestige class requiring these feats no longer requires them but does require 5 ranks at least in the skill that pertains to them.

Up to two flaws are allowed but must be approved by me. Only flaws from Unearthed Arcana or Dragon Magazine. You may take up to two traits.

Class

Any base class is allowed, prestige classes are allowed on a "unless I say no" basis, and will usually be disallowed for reasons of cheese (incantrix) or because they don't fit the setting.

Equipment

Max starting gold for your class. Consider the upkeep rules (DMG pg 130) for a quick shorthand of how your character lives to avoid needing to spreadsheet your expenses.

Higher Levels/Leveling Up

Take average for hp gained for each hit dice, use Wealth by Level if starting at a level higher than one (any adventure path that begins higher, or if you're a player coming in later to an ongoing adventure)