From Introduction:
THINGS happen to adventurers.
WEIRD Things.
They drink from enchanted pools, study the secrets of mystic hermits, get blessed by strange gods, fall into volcanoes, decipher books and scrolls of lore from forgotten archmages, are splattered with demon’s ichor, shatter mystic gems, suffer and heal horrific wounds, take odd magic herbs, tinker with forgotten artifacts, are dosed with curious venoms, explore exotic worlds through sorcerous gates, have visions, receive psychic imprints from elder entities, get transformed into other creatures, and are quite regularly blasted with more magic than most people encounter in a lifetime.
And up until now, none of it seems to have much of an effect on them. It can be hard to tell the difference between a warrior who’s been out adventuring for years and a dilettante who’s spent his time training with a tutor and buying magical gear. In games using attribute-buy systems, it’s not too uncommon for deceased characters to be replaced by near-identical clones one level lower.
From now on it will make a difference. Where and How you got your experience, and the things which have happened to you along the way, will be as important a part of your character as the experience points, feats, and equipment that you’ve picked up.
A character’s history should matter.
Now you can be sure that it does.