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View Full Version : Inspired Scholar [Factotum PrC]



SilveryCord
2009-07-12, 07:11 PM
3.5 | Complete Urban

I'm currently on a big Cityscape kick with my DMing, so I had thought of a lot of different PrCs and feats I'd put together for my ideal 'Complete Urbanite' setting. It's probably the least city-focused of all of them, but I also thought it was the most fun. The Inspired Scholar: a PrC for factotums who wish to go from gish to nearly-full-caster. Factotum is my favorite class, so I hope you all like this prestige option for it.
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Some factotums still seek adventure and danger in their later years, but many go on to seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge. They become Inspired Scholars. The Inspired Scholar spends most of his time in cities studying archives and libraries, learning anything and everything. They may be roused to adventure, however, if they are convinced by the lure of rare materials needed for their latest arcane craft or perhaps one of a kind manuscripts containing long forgotten knowledge.
Inspired Scholar
d6
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Inspiration Points|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|1|Inspiration

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|1|Research

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+3|
+3|2|Intuition

4th|
+2|
+1|
+4|
+4|2|Research

5th|
+2|
+1|
+4|
+4|3|Psionic Insight

6th|
+3|
+2|
+5|
+5|3|Research

7th|
+3|
+2|
+5|
+5|4|Improvised Counterspelling

8th|
+4|
+2|
+6|
+6|4|Research

9th|
+4|
+3|
+6|
+6|5|Meta-inspiration

10th|
+5|
+3|
+7|
+7|5|Research[/table]

Spells per Day
{table=head]Level|0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8

1st|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-

2nd|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-

3rd|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-

4th|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-

5th|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-

6th|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-

7th|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-

8th|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-

9th|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1

10th|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2
[/table]

Requirements:
Inspiration
At least five inspiration points.

Skills
At least 13 ranks in three different Knowledge skills.

Class Skills
All.

Skill Points at Each level.
6 + Int modifier

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Inspired Scholar.
Weapon and Armor proficiency
Inspired Scholars gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells:Inspired Scholars have furthered their study of arcana from their factotum past. Instead of using the Arcane Dilettante ability, they may now prepare spells as a wizard does. An Inspired Scholar casts spells drawn from the bard and sorceror/wizard spell list. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the Inspired Scholar must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. To cast a spell, in addition to expending a spell slot, an Inspired Scholar must spend an inspiration point. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Scholar’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the wizard’s Intelligence modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an Inspired Scholar can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the above table. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score.

An Inspired Scholar prepares spells from a spellbook as a wizard does. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting a good night’s sleep and spending 1 hour studying her spellbook. While studying, the Scholar decides which spells to prepare.

Research:Inspired Scholars might adventure if roused, but most of their time is spent learning from the archives and libraries of large cities. As an Inspired Scholar studies, he finds new ways to apply his knowledge. At 2nd level and every two levels higher (4th, 6th, 8th, 10th), choose an option from the list below.
{table]Scholarly Knowledge|Gain the ability to know legends or information regarding various topics, just as a bard can with bardic knowledge. The Inspired Scholar adds her level and her Intelligence modifier to the lore check, which functions otherwise exactly like a bardic knowledge check.

Extra Contacts|Increase your maximum number of contacts by 4.

Skill Mastery|8 ranks of a skill in which the character has no ranks

Expert Appraisal|+5 on Appraise checks, gain the ability to understand magic items as with the Identify spell.

Newfound Inspiration|Increase your Inspiration points per encounter by 1.

Opportunistic Piety--Commune|You may prepare Commune as one of your spells, but to cast it you must expend 3 uses of Opportunistic Piety and 2 additional inspiration points.

Wise Manuevering|Add your Wisdom bonus to your Initiative roll instead of your Dexterity bonus.

Wise Countermagic|Add your Wisdom bonus to Dispel checks you make while using Improvised Counterspelling.[/table]

Intuition:With a huge array of knowledge at his disposal, the Inspired Scholar needs some perception to put it all together. Starting at third level, the Inspired Scholar adds his wisdom bonus to the number of inspiration points she gets at the beginning of each encounter.

Psionic Insight: At fifth level, the Scholar's learnings lead him to unlocking the secrets of psychic power. An Inspired Scholar can make a Concentration check to gain psionic focus as if she had a power point reserve. He may make his spells cause ability burn instead of ability damage by expending psionic focus and an additional inspiration point to cast it.

Primal Insight: At fifth level, the Scholar realizes the potential of the earth's powers, and learns some natural magic. You may make a Knowledge (Nature) check against a DC of 20+the spell's level to prepare a single spell from the druid spell list as one of your spells.

Improvised Counterspelling (Su): An Inspired Scholar lacks the longevity of a classically trained wizard, and they will much sooner run out of spells. However, their vast expanses of knowledge allow them to break another spellcaster's magic without using a Dispel Magic spell or counterspelling normally. At 7th level, an Inspired Scholar may spend five inspiration points and an immediate action to try to counterspell an opponent. To do so, they must suceed on a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the target spell's level). This check is a free action. If the check succeeds, you correctly identify the opponent's spell and can attempt to counter it. If the check fails, you can't do either of these things. Then you must make a Dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) against the spell. The DC for this dispel check is 11 + the spell's caster level.

Meta-Inspiration: You may apply the effects of a metamagic feat you know to a spell you are casting by spending 1 inspiration point, and then an additional inspiration point for each level the metamagic feat would normally require the spell to be increased by. Adding meta-inspiration is a free action.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-07-13, 09:06 AM
Two things:

1) A factotum can't actually enter the class; they cast SLAs, though their spells do follow some spellcasting rules. If you meant this to be a divine/factotum class, it should probably advance divine casting.

2) Since this PrC emphasizes Wisdom instead of Int, and every factotum ability is Int-based, you should probably add an ability allowing the factotum to use Wis for his factotum abilities.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-07-13, 09:33 AM
Spells:An Inspired Scholar has furthered his study of the arcane to the point where he no longer needs to simply imitate spells and use primitive magic; she can cast spells with proficiency. By spending 1 inspiration point, an Inspired Scholar can cast a spell.

One point per spell? I'm no expert, but that seems like it could easily be a metric TON of spells. Possibly at-will outside of combat, but I've never been sure how that works.


At the start of each day, choose spells from the sorceror/wizard spell list as if you were a wizard four levels lower than your total inspired class level, with bonus spells based on your intelligence score.

Huh? Bonus spells known each day? Bonus spells known aren't based on any score...only bonus spells prepared, and you don't prepare spells. Also, what is the total inspired class level? Inspired Scholar + Factotum? If so, this might be to good...that gets up to 8th level spells...at the cost of 1 inspiration point per spell. That seems pretty incredible to me. I can just prepare a bunch of different 7th-8th level spells (I think...you're very vague on exactly how this works) and go to town.


Intuition:With a huge array of knowledge at his disposal, the Inspired Scholar sometimes just needs some perception to put it all together. Starting at third level, the Inspired Scholar adds his wisdom bonus to the number of inspiration points she gets at the beginning of each encounter.

This seems INSANELY GOOD, especially in a Wisdom based class. Inspiration points are powerful, and this class already offers 5. Adding somewhere between 3-10 more is extremely powerful.


Psionic Insight: At fifth level, an Inspired Scholar can manage to manifest psionic powers. He can make a Knowledge (Psionics) check to see if he knows a particular power, and may not try again until he levels. This check has a DC of 20+the selected power's level times.
An Inspired Scholar manifests as a psion four levels below his total inspired class levels. To manifest a power, he must spend one inspiration point for every two power points he wants to spend on the power, take the normal manifesting time necessary to use it, and make a Psicraft check against a Difficulty Class of 10 + the power's level. If the Psicraft check is failed, the power fizzles. Inspired Scholars are never proficient enough with the psychic forces to apply metapower feats, although they can spend power points augmenting their powers as long as their effective manifester level is high enough.

Why psionics? I liked the caster angle...I don't like throwing psionics into it. Additionally, psionic powers are generally weaker than spells of the same level...why do you have to pay so much more? An 8th level spell costs 1 Inspiration point...why does an 8th level power cost 8 Inspiration points AND require a skill check?

I'd comment on the rest, but I'm running short of time, and the rest of the issues (if there even were any) were definitely secondary to those I just raised.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-07-13, 10:46 AM
One point per spell? I'm no expert, but that seems like it could easily be a metric TON of spells. Possibly at-will outside of combat, but I've never been sure how that works.

You still only get however many spells you prepare, it just costs 1 point to cast it; it's the same phrasing the factotum has.


I can just prepare a bunch of different 7th-8th level spells (I think...you're very vague on exactly how this works) and go to town.

The factotum is already only limited to 1 of the highest level, so a 20th-level factotum can already do 1 8th level spell and the rest 7th level.

SilveryCord
2009-07-13, 01:50 PM
Two things:

1) A factotum can't actually enter the class; they cast SLAs, though their spells do follow some spellcasting rules. If you meant this to be a divine/factotum class, it should probably advance divine casting.

Ah, no, you're right, that's an oversight. It's meant to be a Factotum 10/Inspired Scholar 10 build class. Basically, turns the last ten factotum levels into more spellcasting focused.


2) Since this PrC emphasizes Wisdom instead of Int, and every factotum ability is Int-based, you should probably add an ability allowing the factotum to use Wis for his factotum abilities.
The factotum does have a Wis based ability. Uses of Opportunistic Piety :o
Factotum is incredibly SAD, and IMO, with this more spellcasting focused direction, you could basically not buy any more items to improve your str, dex, or con, like you have to as a normal factotum. Otherwise, you have five dump stats.. and I like the idea that their wisdom 'ties everything together', since wisdom is the stat of intuition and perception.


One point per spell? I'm no expert, but that seems like it could easily be a metric TON of spells. Possibly at-will outside of combat, but I've never been sure how that works.

The idea here is a factotum who wants to become a full caster, except only kind of. I need to reword everything, but the spellcasting basically is, "As a wizard, except 4 levels lower than your factotum+inspired scholar level, and you need to spend an inspiration point in addition to expending a spell slot." I know the wording I have here is super confusing, I just need to think about how to clarify it.


This seems INSANELY GOOD, especially in a Wisdom based class. Inspiration points are powerful, and this class already offers 5. Adding somewhere between 3-10 more is extremely powerful.

Agreed. Probably going to nerf it or replace it as soon as I think of another class ability.


Why psionics? I liked the caster angle...I don't like throwing psionics into it. Additionally, psionic powers are generally weaker than spells of the same level...why do you have to pay so much more? An 8th level spell costs 1 Inspiration point...why does an 8th level power cost 8 Inspiration points AND require a skill check?

Psionics cost so much because the Inspired Scholar doesn't really have an innate psionic gift; but because he knows so much about *everything*, he can sort of wing it, sometimes, but he doesn't have real psionic talents. I agree this is sort of an incongruous angle. Honestly, if there were more good alternative magic systems in 3.5, I'd include all of them :o but it's practically useless to mention truespeaking or shadowcasting, and binding just requires too much page turning to figure out what you're actually going to do, so I wouldn't add it over arcane casting... and psionic magic.... and skill craziness.

Keep commenting! It's very useful to hear other people's criticism, even if I argue ;) I'm going to look through more books so that the Inspired Scholar can do....................
everything.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-07-13, 01:54 PM
The idea here is a factotum who wants to become a full caster, except only kind of. I need to reword everything, but the spellcasting basically is, "As a wizard, except 4 levels lower than your factotum+inspired scholar level, and you need to spend an inspiration point in addition to expending a spell slot." I know the wording I have here is super confusing, I just need to think about how to clarify it.

Ah. Spell slots AND inspiration points. Much better. I can sleep soundly again. :smallbiggrin:


Psionics cost so much because the Inspired Scholar doesn't really have an innate psionic gift; but because he knows so much about *everything*, he can sort of wing it, sometimes, but he doesn't have real psionic talents. I agree this is sort of an incongruous angle. Honestly, if there were more good alternative magic systems in 3.5, I'd include all of them :o but it's practically useless to mention truespeaking or shadowcasting, and binding just requires too much page turning to figure out what you're actually going to do, so I wouldn't add it over arcane casting... and psionic magic.... and skill craziness.

In that case, I'd ditch it completely. Given the high cost, most players won't even bother. There are enough Arcane spells to cover 99.5% of everything Psionics can do, and at least attempt the other .5%. Why pay a enormous cost when, for just 1 Inspiration Point, I can do the same thing with normal magic?

SilveryCord
2009-07-13, 02:08 PM
In that case, I'd ditch it completely. Given the high cost, most players won't even bother. There are enough Arcane spells to cover 99.5% of everything Psionics can do, and at least attempt the other .5%. Why pay a enormous cost when, for just 1 Inspiration Point, I can do the same thing with normal magic?

...This is true. I think I'm going to take a look over and see what I can incorporate from psionics that isn't just crappy power manifestation.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-07-13, 02:38 PM
The factotum does have a Wis based ability. Uses of Opportunistic Piety :o

Fine, I missed the one ability when going from memory. :smallwink:


Factotum is incredibly SAD, and IMO, with this more spellcasting focused direction, you could basically not buy any more items to improve your str, dex, or con, like you have to as a normal factotum. Otherwise, you have five dump stats.. and I like the idea that their wisdom 'ties everything together', since wisdom is the stat of intuition and perception.

The problem with the sudden ability switch is that since everything (except OP, I know) is based on Int, a factotum would be looking at Int-based options: maybe a Wizard multiclass, maybe Chameleon, whatever. If he gets to level 9 and thinks "Hey, this scholar thing looks cool," he'll (A) have had no reason to focus on Wis and thus would be getting little benefit from some abilities and (B) have to repurchase all of his Int stuff, and without planning for MAD like some other classes have to, he won't be able to get discounts or anything else that would make it bearable; if you make Wis replace Int, he could at least get by with selling off some Int stuff.

SilveryCord
2009-07-13, 02:54 PM
Fine, I missed the one ability when going from memory. :smallwink:



The problem with the sudden ability switch is that since everything (except OP, I know) is based on Int, a factotum would be looking at Int-based options: maybe a Wizard multiclass, maybe Chameleon, whatever. If he gets to level 9 and thinks "Hey, this scholar thing looks cool," he'll (A) have had no reason to focus on Wis and thus would be getting little benefit from some abilities and (B) have to repurchase all of his Int stuff, and without planning for MAD like some other classes have to, he won't be able to get discounts or anything else that would make it bearable; if you make Wis replace Int, he could at least get by with selling off some Int stuff.

Besides Intuition (which I'm probably undoing), though, everything important in the Inspired Scholar is Int-based. There are two Research options that give you a boon for being particularly wise, but spells and Scholarly Knowledge are both based on intelligence, and everything else is just based on class level. Nothing too important, and not unlike how a cleric's Turning is based on charisma.