Sage

## Scholars, Clerks and Functionaries...

In the Primal Magic campaign, there's an assumption that the majority of people who ride a desk for a living fall into the "sage" category. A sage, in this case, isn't necessarily a bearded, skull-capped ivory tower intellectual. Yes, it does include scholars, academics and natural philosophers, but it also includes clerks, accountants, functionaries and most middle management.

A Baldurian accountant might be an average working schlub when passing through North Point, but in comparison to areas where literacy is rare, that same average North Point CPA definitely rates a "sage."

### Default Sage Traits

* Skill Proficiencies: each of the following skills is roughly equivalent to a modern, associate's level of college coursework.
	+ Arcana: recalls facts, history and lore about magic and metaphysics.
	+ History: past and current events and key figures in that narrative. This is more than what's in the books, it's also the closest D&D has to a political science skill.
	+ Investigation: the training of logical and deductive process, including applied abstract methodology. This is a catch-all skill that stretches from detectives to accountants (including mathematicians).
	+ Nature: the physical world. More than botany and zoology, this is also meteorology, geology, astronomy and physics.
	+ Religion: information on deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of organizations that channel divine energy (including the myriad of cults).
* Languages: Two of your choice
* Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

### Default Feature: Researcher

When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature, Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.

### Boosting the Knowledge

Doubling the proficiency bonus indicates specialty focus and/or advanced scholarship (bachelors, masters, doctorate, etc.). Some situations may include the overall skill, and doubling the bonus in relation to checks made on a particular topic.

### What Skills Make a Character

The combination of skills is key to what defines a profession. Here are a few examples:

* *Medical Doctor:* Investigation + Nature. Non-divine healers, whether practicing medicine or studying anatomy, would have double bonus.
* *Scientist* and *Engineers:* Investigation + Nature. Area specialties would have double bonus when dealing with their area of expertise (geology, astronomy, physics, etc.).
* *Arcanomechanics:* widely utilized in Stonehearth and it is *the* specialty of Lantan. This is the complex relationship between Arcana + Investigation + Nature (usually towards physics).

### Specialty

To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8 or choose from the options in the table below.

### Suggested Characteristics

Sages are defined by their extensive studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to scholarly pursuits, a sage values knowledge highly—sometimes in its own right, sometimes as a means toward other ideals.

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 8

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**Source:** PHB, page 137