Scholar - Faerûn (Character Kit)

Class Information 	Class Information
Class Requirements 	Mage or specialist wizard (no multiclassing)
Racial Requirements 	Elf (gold, moon, wild), half-elf (gold, moon, wild), gnome (forest, rock)
Ability Requirements 	Intelligence 13, Wisdom 11
Prime Requisite 	Intelligence, Wisdom
Aligments 	Any
Social Rank 	Middle class
Hit Die Type 	d4
Attack as 	Wizard
Save as 	Wizard
Advance as 	Mage
Spell Ability? 	Mage
Exceptional Strength? 	No
Exceptional Constitution?	No
Starting Cash (x10 gp) 	1d4+1
Proficiencies 	Proficiencies
Weapon Slots 	1
Initial Weapons 	Standard wizard
Additional WP Slot 	None
Additional Weapons 	None
Nonproficiency Penalty 	-5
Nonweapon Slots 	6
Additional NWP Slot 	3
Available Categories 	General, Wizard
Bonus Proficiencies 	Local history, reading/writing (3)
Recommended Proficiencies	Ancient history, artistic ability, astrology, astronomy (POSP), bureaucracy (CPalH), cartography (CRH), engineering, etiquette, healing, heraldry, herbalism, languages (ancient or modern), law (CPalH), musical instrument, navigation, oratory (CPalH), poetry (CPalH), religion, spellcraft
Secondary Skills 	Limner/painter, scribe
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==Overview==
Elf and half-elf scholars are among the most learned and knowledgeable people in the Realms, having a wealth of information hidden in their minds and libraries, Certain gnome illusionists also become known for their scholarship. The most popular topics studied by these sages are history (of which the Realms has an overabundance), magic (of which some say the Realms also has an overabundance, but no one in the Realms is complaining, except for those who don't have it), and other planes and worlds (as the Realms certainly has an abundance of gates). A scholar is a terrible fighter but a marvelous source of new adventures, clever ideas, and all-around reference material for surviving nearly any situation.
Demihuman scholars come only from the largest cities in their homelands, or in any town with a major library, museum, school, college, observatory, or other academic community. Human cities with cosmopolitan airs, such as Silverymoon or Waterdeep, have demihuman scholars, and the great citadel-library at Candlekeep, on the Sword Coast, has many demihuman scholars on its grounds.
==Description==
A scholar has no use for armor but wears magical rings, bracers, cloaks, and the like that provide protection. Not all scholars have a "bookish" look, but reading glasses or a hand-held magnifying glass carried in a pocket are not uncommon. Clothing is often slightly askew and out of fashion, the sleeves worn around the elbows from resting them on library tabletops. The scholar's appearance may be a bit messy and unkempt, and his eyes may have a vacant or absentminded look. His hands are smooth and ink-stained, unused to hard labor. Paper scraps, scrolls, and writing implements usually protrude from belts, pouches, and pockets.
==Roleplaying==
The scholar is a good choice for a comic character, a nerdish wimp who nonetheless knows just what the rest of the party needs to know at the right moment (or so it is hoped, for the scholar's sake). He can also be a very serious character, someone able to give direction during major quests for ancient knowledge. A scholar is most likely to be a diviner if an elf or half-elf.
A scholar is not a fighter. Any campaign that includes a scholar character must allow for periods during which a scholar can search local libraries or question local sages, students, or spellcasters. Old tomes in forgotten languages like Thorass, peculiar clues requiring thought to resolve, and scientific puzzles of importance to an adventure must be present for the scholar to have a use. The DM should include special notes for any scholar doing research before or during an adventure detailing information that only he is able to discover.
A scholar should get along well with any intellectual sort of character, such as a bard, wizard, sage, or even artificer—unless they disagree over some important point of fact or opinion.
==Special Advantages==
A scholar starts off with a great many proficiency slots (not even counting those from his Intelligence score). In addition, he gains a +1 bonus to all Intelligence and Wisdom checks and all proficiency checks based on those abilities.
Under a scholar's close supervision, any character can temporarily gain any proficiency the scholar has, using the student character's ability scores for success. The many days as 20, minus the student's Intelligence score (1 day minimum). This temporary proficiency is a result of the scholar's extraordinary ability to teach. The proficiency is forgotten after a number of days equal to the student's Intelligence score. Only one temporary proficiency may be held by any character at any time; if another temporary proficiency is taught, the older one is promptly forgotten.
A scholar gains a negative modifier (toward "friendly") to reaction rolls from any NPC who is a part of a town's intellectual community (wizard, priest, sage, teacher, author, or student). This is due to the scholar character's reputation. The negative modifier equals the scholar's level divided by 2, rounded down. Thus, a 7th-level scholar causes a -3 modifier to be placed on other scholars' reactions to him because of his renown in academic work.
time required for this compacted teaching equals as A scholar knows a lot about how to use a library properly to gain information, even if the library is completely unorganized. In any circumstance in which a certain critical piece of information can be found if searched for in a library or any other collection of books and scrolls, the scholar can find that item in half the time anyone else can find it. This ability varies according to circumstance but should be played up when possible.
When handling any magical book, libram, tome, scroll, or other magical writing such as those detailed in the DUNGEON MASTER Guide or Player's Handbook, the scholar gains a +4 to any saving throw required to escape the writing's negative effects, if any. If no saving throw is normally allowed, the scholar receives one but without the +4 bonus. This power applies to anything from handling a page with explosive runes on it (to which the scholar would get a saving throw vs. spell that is not usually given) to reading a libram of ineffable damnation (to which a scholar would also get a bonus saving throw vs. spell). A scholar has a percentage chance equal to three times his level of identifying magical writing on the spot without triggering its baneful effects. Thus, a 5th-level scholar seeing a glyph of warding or vacuous grimoire has a 15% chance to identify it right off, without setting off its negative effects. The scholar must be within 10 feet of an object to identify it.
Finally, a scholar is widely read enough to have the same 5%-per-level ability that a bard has to know the history, purpose, and legends surrounding any single magical item he can examine closely (without touching) for 1d4 hours. The maximum possible score for this ability is 95%.
==Special Disadvantages==
A scholar is very weak when it comes to combat. Only one weapon slot is available at 1st level, as usual, but no other is gained later. This is the only weapon with which the scholar ever has proficiency. Worse, the first combat blow a scholar strikes every day must be taken with a -1 to the attack roll, and all combat is entered with a -1 to surprise and initiative rolls. No special combat maneuvers (such as called shots) ever succeed.
A scholar draws a +1 modifier to all NPC reaction rolls (toward the hostile, but no fighting results) from those in his society who are not scholars, wizards, sages, or priests, as his work is seen as useless to daily concerns. If the character selects etiquette as a proficiency, this damaging modifier vanishes. At any rate, bullies and thugs love to pick on scholars, especially if the thugs are human and the scholar is not.