White Box Paragons

A Supplement for White Box: FMAG

By LikelyArrow

This game supplement is compatible with the rules of SWORDS & WIZARDRY.

SWORDS & WIZARDRY, S&W, and Mythmere Games are the trademarks of Matthew J. Finch.
The author of this supplement is not affiliated with Matthew J. Finch, Mythmere Games™, or
Frog God Games.
Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................... 3
Aren’t these just feats? ........................................................................ 3
Should you use this system?...............................................................4
Paragon Features ..................................................................................... 5
Paragon Features and Level Drain......................................................5
Paragon Feature Descriptions.............................................................7
Demihuman Paragons (Optional)..............................................................9
Example System..................................................................................9
Legal Stuff...............................................................................................11
Open Game License Version 1.0a.....................................................11
Introduction
White Box Paragons introduces rules for character advancement beyond
level 10 in White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game games without
simply adding additional levels. It can be used as an alternative, or an
adjunct, to domain level play. The game provides paragon features that
characters can receive when they reach certain amounts of XP. Unlike
gaining levels, hit dice, attack rolls, and saving throws do not improve.

Aren’t these just feats?

A lot of players, and I’m one of them, feel that feats are antithetical to OSR
systems, and especially rules-lite systems like White Box. To that end, I
have tried to ensure that paragon features avoid the complexity and
brittleness that feats bring to 3rd and 4th edition games. In particular,
paragon features are designed to be simple and amenable to house ruling,
like White Box itself. There are no dependencies between paragon
features, so if you don’t like a particular feature, leave it out, or change it.

So, yes, these are feats, but they’re feats done with the simplicity of OSR
and White Box games in mind.

Should you use this system?

An important consideration before using this system is whether it is even
necessary to sustain interest in high-level play for your game. Some
players may be sufficiently motivated by the prospect of acquiring better
items, building and expanding their domains, tying up lose ends, or other
non-mechanical rewards, or even merely the chance to continue playing
a beloved character.

If you find your players do not need additional motivation to continue play,
it’s probably better not to use this system. Dangling a new carrot in front
of players may cause them to chase the carrot instead of pursue other,
more interesting goals.
Paragon Features
Characters who have reached Level 10 but choose to continue
adventuring may continue to gain experience and receive additional
benefits — called paragon features — at certain intervals. Such a
characters are considered paragons of their class and are typically looked
upon in awe by both lower-level adventurers and the general public.

When character receive paragon features depends on the class. The

following table summarizes when each class (including the optional Thief
class) receives paragon features:

CLASS EXPERIENCE # PARAGON FEATURES

CLERIC 450,000 1
600,000 2
750,000 3
+150,000 +1
FIGHTER 600,000 1
800,000 2
1,000,000 3
+200,000 +1
MAGIC-USER 800,000 1
1,000,000 2
1,250,000 3
+250,000 +1
THIEVES 400,000 1
500,000 2
600,000 3
+100,000 +1
Table 1: Paragon Features by Class

Paragon Features and Level Drain

If a character with paragon features is affected by level drain, all of that
character’s paragon feature are also lost.

Optionally, the Referee may rule that only one paragon feature is lost per
level drained, while others are retained. The Referee should choose which
features are lost. Use common sense: if magic-user loses access to 5th-
level spell slots, he should also lose access to any spell slots gained by
paragon features.

If this optional rule is used, no new paragon features may be taken or old
features regained until the character has gained enough experience to
cover the retained features. As an example, a fighter with four paragon
features who is drained of two levels will not be able to regain the lost
features or take new ones until she reaches 1,000,000 experience again.
Paragon Feature Descriptions
Some features are only available to certain classes, this is noted in
parentheses after the feature name. Also, many features can be taken
more than once; this will be noted in the description.

4th- and 5th-Level Magic-User Spell Slots (Magic-User): This feature

may be taken twice. The character gains one additional 4th-level spell slot
and one 5th-level spell slot.

6th-Level Magic-User Spell Slot (Magic-User): This feature may be

taken twice. The character gains one 6th-level magic-user spell slot. Note
that this does not grant the character knowledge of any 6th level spells;
such knowledge must be gained through scrolls or training, and attaining
it may be an adventure in its own right.

Armor Class (Fighter, Thief): This feature may be taken twice. The
character’s Armor Class is improved by -1 [+1].

Back Stab (Thief): On a successful back stab, the character’s weapon

damage is rolled three times and the best two results are used.

Combat Fury (Fighter): The character may use their Combat Fury ability
to gain multiple attacks against foes of fewer than 3 HD.

Counter-Spell (Magic-User): The character gains the ability to sacrifice

a memorized spell in order to counter a spell or spell-like effect being cast
by another. The opposing caster must make a saving throw with a penalty
equal to the level of the spell sacrificed; failure means the spell or effect
fails.

Damage (Fighter, Thief): This feature may be taken twice. The character
deals an additional 1 damage any time they hit. On a back stab, this
damage is applied once for each time weapon damage is rolled. Note that
this damage does not cause an attack to count as magical.

Hit Points (Any): The feature may be taken any number of times. The
first three times it is taken, the character’s maximum hit points increases
by 2. Every time it is taken afterward, the increase is only 1.

Incorruptible Will (Cleric): The character automatically succeeds at all

saving throws against mind-controlling effects, such as Charm Person.
This feature does not affect illusions or spells such as Quest which compel
behavior through coercive, but not mind-controlling, means.

Open Magically-Held Doors (Thief): This feature may be taken twice.

The first time this feature is taken, the character gains the ability to open
magically-held doors, gates, and other locks on a roll of 1 on 1d6. The
second time this is taken, the chance increases to 2-in-6. Optional: a
Referee may allows fighters with a Strength of 18 to take this feature in
addition to thieves.

Poison Immunity (Cleric, Fighter): The character automatically

succeeds at all saving throws vs. poison, with no need to roll.

Protection from Chaos (Cleric): Only Lawful clerics make take this
feature. The character gains the effects of the Protection from Chaos spell
permanently. Note that the Protection from Chaos spell’s benefits do not
stack with this feature.

Protection from Law (Cleric): Only Chaotic clerics make take this
feature. The character gains the effects of the Protection from Law spell
permanently. Note that the Protection from Chaos spell’s benefits do not
stack with this feature.

Use Magic Scrolls (Thief): This feature may be taken twice. The first
time this feature is taken, the character may read and use magic-user
scrolls containing 1st-level spells. The second time this feature is taken,
2nd-level spells may be read and used. (Note that White Box: FMAG
doesn’t provide rules for using magic scrolls beyond Magic-Users copying
them into their spellbooks. This rule assumes a spell can be cast directly
from the scroll, a common feature of later editions.)

Unshakable Faith (Cleric): The character automatically succeeds at all

saving throws against fear-based effects, such as a Nightsteed’s Fearful
cry. In addition, if the Referee normally requires clerics to have their holy
symbol when casting spells, the character no longer requires this.
Demihuman Paragons (Optional)
Demihumans in White Box are considerably more limited in their
advancement than humans. Paragon features can optionally be used as
an alternative method for demihuman advancement. The system above
can be used as-is, although this creates a large gap between the character
reaching their maximum level and their first paragon feature.

A second approach is to take the suggestion made in the White Box:

FMAG book to allow demihumans to continue to advance beyond their
listed maximum levels, but at a 50% penalty. This is probably the best
option for many groups.

A third approach is to leave the level caps but allow demihumans to start
taking paragon features early. This section provides an example of such
a system, including paragon features exclusive to demihumans.

Note that regardless of which approach is used, careful consideration has

to be given to multiclass characters. For example, if elves or other races
are allowed to change classes, do you track paragon features separately
for each class? Are their paragon features available only when
adventuring as the class for which they gained them, or do they remain
available if they change class?

Example System
The following system is an example of how to use paragon features to
support advancement for demihumans. Note that advancement is
considerably slower for demihumans than for humans. In addition, elves
may also gain paragon features as a magic-user, and halflings may only
gain paragon features as a thief.

Restricted Paragon Features: In this system, elves may not take the
paragon features for Magic-Users that add additional spell slots, since
these don’t make sense in context.
 RACE AND CLASS EXPERIENCE # PARAGON FEATURES
DWARF FIGHTER 100,000 1
200,000 2
400,000 3
800,000 4
+400,000 +1
DWARF THIEF 50,000 1
100,000 2
200,000 3
400,000 4
+200,000 +1
ELF MAGIC-USER 500,000 1
1,000,000 2
1,500,000 3
2,000,000 4
+500,000 +1
HALFLING THIEF 50,000 1
100,000 2
200,000 3
400,000 4
+200,000 +1
Table 2: Demihuman Paragon Features

If the optional Elf class is used, the following table is used instead of the
Elf Magic-User entry in the table above. Members of the Elf class may
take both Fighter and Magic-User features, subject to the restrictions
above.

ELF EXPERIENCE # PARAGON FEATURES

750,000 1
1,250,000 2
1,750,000 3
+500,000 +1
Table 3: Elf Paragon Features
Legal Stuff
Art Attributions
Giant Slayer by Jonathan Torres is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. Based on a work at https://liberart.online/?p=234.

Halfling Thief by Jonathan Torres is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. Based on a work at https://liberart.online/?p=209.

The OSR Logo is the work of Matthew S. Jackson. The image of Prince, Princess, and a
Dragon is from OpenClipArt.org. Both are in the public domain.

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