Academician (Character Kit)

## Academician

**Description:** The Academician is a learned scholar whose love of knowledge is matched only by his preoccupation with research. He is fascinated by magic in all its forms and enjoys nothing more than poring over arcane texts and experimenting with exotic magical devices.

The Academician spends so much time involved in intellectual pursuits that he tends to neglect his physical skills. He is not a particularly good fighter and avoids combat when he can, preferring negotiation and parley to violence. Still, he recognizes the necessity of combat in certain instances, and will fight valiantly when required.

Academicians can be found in virtually any culture, but they are most likely to come from large urban areas that provide ready access to libraries, museums, laboratories, and other resources.

A character must have a minimum Intelligence of 13 and a minimum Wisdom of 11 to become an Academician.

There are no special rules for abandoning this kit. An Academician who becomes disillusioned with the academic life or loses interest in intellectual pursuits can choose to neglect his studies or research, but he is free to resume them at any time.

**Preferred Schools:** The Academician is intrigued by all the schools of magic, but is especially drawn to schools with a wide range of spells, including alteration, illusion, and invocation/evocation.

**Barred Schools:** There are no barred schools for the Academician.

**Role:** In his homeland, the Academician is a respected member of society, valued for his skills as a teacher and advisor as well as for his seemingly endless store of knowledge on a variety of subjects. Most likely, he will fill similar roles in a campaign.

In spite of his somewhat sedentary background, the Academician welcomes the chance to join an adventuring party. For him, it is an unparalleled opportunity to experience new cultures, acquire new devices, and acquire first-hand information about people, places, and creatures he may have only read about.

**Secondary Skills:**

* *Required:* Scribe.

**Weapon Proficiencies:** Required (the player may choose from the following): Dagger, Dart, Knife, or Sling.

**Nonweapon Proficiencies:**

* *Bonus Proficiency:* Reading/Writing.
* *Recommended:* (General) Artistic Ability, Etiquette, Heraldry, Languages (Modern); (Wizard) Ancient History, Astrology, Herbalism, Languages (Ancient), Spellcraft; (Priest) Local History.

**Special Benefits:** The Academician receives both of the following benefits:

1. Academicians maintain an extensive correspondence with scholars throughout the world. Additionally, an Academician's reputation as a man of wisdom often precedes him. When encountering an NPC who is familiar with his reputation, who turns out to be one of his correspondents, who fancies himself an intellectual, or who is an author, researcher, teacher, journalist, or fellow scholar, the Academician receives a +3 reaction bonus.
2. The Academician receives a bonus to all Intelligence Checks and Wisdom Checks. The DM has two options for assigning this bonus. He may simply give the Academician a flat +1 to his Intelligence and Wisdom Checks, or he can consult Table 5, which takes the Academician's age and race into account; as the Academician ages, his bonuses increase. Once a method for assigning these bonuses is chosen, it cannot be changed later.

**Special Hindrances:** Academicians lack the training and instinct to make good hand-to-hand fighters. When attacking with any type of melee weapon, the Academician always has a -1 penalty to hit on his first blow. Subsequent blows—when the Academician has had an opportunity to size up his opponent and adjust his attacks accordingly—are made without this penalty. However, if the Academician attacks a different opponent, his first blow against his new victim is also made at -1.

Academicians tend to be know-it-alls, and unhesitatingly offer their opinions even on matters they know little about. Whenever the party needs to make a decision, the Academician should offer his opinion; for effective role-playing, the player should have his player speak his mind with unshakable confidence. If other player characters disagree, the Academician might lecture them on the error of their ways, welcome the opportunity for a spirited argument, or roll his eyes at his companion's blatant display of ignorance.

**Wealth Options:** The Academician receives the normal (1d4 +1) x 10 gp as starting money.

**Races:** No restrictions