Scholar

Living physically sheltered lives in cloisters and monasteries, these true monks known as scholars receive exemplar educations. Others call them bookish, but when the need for ancient knowledge or other long-dead lore arises, they are often the only ones able to provide the proper perspective for the situation.

Adventures: Adventuring is often the first "real-life" experience these scholars have seen. They are not suited to travelling alone, and usually travel in groups of scholars or in mixed parties. Scholars are well-suited to stepping forward when the time is right, an then slinking back to the middle of the group when battles break out. They tend to have a distaste for combat and war in general, and often attempt to convince those around them to put down their weapons unless the need is dire.

Characteristics: The scholar is often an excellent advisor, except in situations outside their training. They often become diplomats when they find their niches, but until then remain frustrated when others do not respond favorably to their recommendations.

Alignment: Scholars are nearly always lawful or true neutral, believing in the truth of their theoretical studies over the messiness of reality. Occasionally a scholar will go rogue, developing a chaotic neutral or evil alignment, and there is no penalty for this change of alignment.

Religion: Many scholars received their initial training in monasteries and other religious settings, so they tend to begin following a religious regimen. However, as they move from their initial place of worship and experience more of the world, many drift from the devout and take on more secular beliefs. Since their powers are almost entirely secular, this change incurs very little penalty, unless the scholar had acquired a significant amount of knowledge from a divine agent. Such knowledge may be removed from the scholar if the deity in question is angered by lack of devotion.

Background: Scolars come from regimented lives of academic toil, where three meals are prepared daily, and where the discussion of strange and lesser-known ideas is commonplace. A scholar may be spurred into adventure by a quest to learn about an undocumented part of the world, or to acquire some artifact they have researched. They may also seek first-hand accounts of events and people. Scholars may also be forced out of their simple lives by the closing of an academy or monastery, either by war, famine, or flood.

Races: Any race can produce a scholar. Elves are particularly adept at scholarship due to their intelligence and long life. Gnomes are also well known for producing scholars. Human scholars are able to blend in the most, and are the most common race among scholars.

Other Classes: Scholars are most comfortable around classes which prefer knowledge over might. Thus, they feel most at home among wizards, sorcerors, and clerics. However, they have been known to partner with rogues, especially when they seek artifacts which are held behind arrays of traps, locks, and riddles. In addition, they have been known to take jobs as advisors to diplomats and leaders, where they can dispense their knowledge without scorn and ridicule. Other classes are not always to welcoming of their unique perspective.

Role:A scholar's primary role is that of note-taker and researcher. No other characters pay as close attention to detail as scholars, and none has the mental acumen to put to the task.

Game Rule Information

Scholars have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence and wisdom are the two abilities treasured most by scholars. As such, they tend to be weaklings and klutzes, stumbling around the battlefield. A high charisma makes them more likely to find work as advisors, and thus live long enough to avoid the battlefield.

Alignment: Usually lawful and neutral, but any are possible. In general, the more chaotic, the worse the scholar at performing the critical tasks for which they are known.

Hit Die: d4

Class Skills

The scholar's class skills are: Alchemy, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Forgery, Knowledge (any), Profession, Ride, Rope Use, Search, Sense Motive, Use Magic Device
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier

Class Features
All of the following are class features for the scholar.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scholars are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with armor or shields. Armor tends to get in the way of their research. However, some scholars have devoted time (a feat slot) to learning how to wear armor for better protection when they find themselves on the battlefield.

Read Arcane and Divine Magic: At first level, scholars can read both arcane and divine magic. This does not bestow upon them the ability to cast spells.

Write Arcane and Divine Magic: At second level, scholars can write both arcane and divine magic. This does not bestow upon them the ability to cast spells.

Research: At third level, scholars can perform research in large information repositories, such as libraries and the Plane of Knowledge, receiving a +5 bonus to gather information or on knowledge checks in these environments.

Spells: Beginning at fourth level, scholars acquire spells according to the Paladin table on page 43 of the PHB. These spells can be either arcane or divine. In addition, scholars receive additional spells based on their Int and Wis bonuses, as per wizards, sorcerors, and clerics. Scholars choose one cleric domain and receive one free spell and power per day as per their chosen domain.

Advanced Research: At 7th level, scholars can perform research in large information repositories, such as libraries and the Plane of Knowledge, receiving a +10 bonus to gather information or on knowledge checks in these environments.

Plane Shift to and from the Plane of Knowledge: At 9th level, scholars can plane shift to the Plane of Knowledge. This requires 10 minutes to cast, and requires reading a passage aloud from a book of knowledge.