A clever method of creating first-level multiclassed characters (with two apprentice levels or "half levels") for Pathfinder. This supplement is clearly written and great for bringing some variety to your campaign.

Learning Curve by Tricky Owlbear Publishing

This product is 12 pages long. It starts with a cover, credits and Intro. (2 pages)

Multi-Class Characters (2 pages) This section is what the book was really made for. Making a multi-Class character at level one. It has 10 steps involved in making one and then a example character showing how it is done. Really the Intro also helps with this, which is half a page as well.

Core Classes (5 pages) This section has a list of charts for each character class. For example Barbarian, it will list what you get at apprentice level and then what you gain at first level. Really you are to combine the two apprentice class levels between two classes to get a first level character, then at second level you combine the two first level rows of each class. At that point your character has one full level of each class. It list all the core classes and the new APG classes.

Additional Uses for Apprentice Rules (2 pages) This section gets into how to use this book if you just want to start the PC's off at level 0 instead of using the book to multi-Class. It also has a section on how this could be used to help balanced a stronger race, but using one of these at the first two levels to balance it out. The final bit is advice for the game master, which offers some suggestions on how to run things using these rules.

It ends with a OGL. (1 page)

Closing thoughts, using this to start off as a multi-Class character are first level seems like it would work very well. It looks like things are balanced fairly well between what you get at apprentice levels and what you get after you get another level. Instead of having you roll for hp, it has set hp you gain. At Apprentice levels you add the hp together of both classes and then again when you level again. Giving you max at first level and a avg for your next level.

The artwork is fair and black and white. The layout is clean and simple. I didn't notice any obvious errors. I did have one minor critic, while the product is written with the idea you will be playing multi-Class characters. It does have a section on how to use it for apprentice levels or 0 level PC's. Which is where the on critic comes in. Since the charts listing the classes have the second hp gain for the level up being a avg instead of max(since with multi-Class you would be 2nd level when you got that). I felt it needed a sidebar in the apprentice level section for using this for 0 level characters saying use the first hp total instead of the second. Minor but still something I felt needed to be added to be clear. Other than that I really have no critics of the book, it does exactly what it sets out to do.

Now some are going to ask how does this stack up to The Genius Guide to Apprentice-Level Characters by Super Genius games. Well they are similar products, but their main goals are slightly different, this more geared for multi-Class and the one by SGG more for zero level characters. Both products can be used for the other. I am not going to directly compare them though, I will say as a whole I personally liked this one better, but you can't go wrong with either one. So what's my rating? Well other than the one minor issue I think it is a well done, simple clean, easy to print product. So I am giving it a 4.5 review. If you like the idea of this product then I recommend it.