Universal Scholar (Incomplete; PEACH)

[Syne]

This is a spell-casting class I've been working on. It's not really done, and it will take a lot of work to finish up and balance, although the skeleton is in place.

Before I commit myself to the task, I'd like to know what people think about it. About the concept and the mechanics. Are there any potential issues you can see? Do you think this class will be fun to play?

Things that aren't finished:

The extra spell list (containing some Sor/Wiz spells of 7th level+ and a few cleric spells)
Needs more lectures and more techniques.
Balance the memory points, techs, lectures, and spell progression.
Probably things I forgot about.


Universal Scholar
The universe is full of knowledge, and the Universal Scholar is one whose life goal is to collect it all. He journeys far and wide and learns everything he can, collecting every last scrap of information. It’s said that the truly legendary universal scholars have read every article of writing that exists, many that are long gone, and some that have yet to be written.

However, although there are many seekers of knowledge in this world -- some, perhaps, even more eager than Universal Scholars – few can use their knowledge so well. It’s a sad fact that when most read books, the only see the words but not the meaning. The Universal Scholar can see meaning, and *takes it into himself like a fine wine. His understanding is far deeper, so deep in fact, that it becomes second nature to him. He forgets nothing, even in the heat of battle, and may turn to his memory for aid at every junction.

One of the things Universal Scholars seek is spells. Universal Scholars learn spells and memorize them, just like Wizards do. Although they are less devoted to the arcane arts as Wizards are – for it is but one facet of their skill – their immense stores of knowledge mean that they can be said to know almost every spell in existence.

But Universal Scholars are perhaps even more notable for how they interact with others. It is true that every Universal Scholar learns much and can use almost all of his knowledge, but every Universal Scholar can also impart much of his knowledge to his allies. He can give them advice in the midst of battle, and can prepare them for the difficult fights to come, teaching them techniques that allow them to be far more effective than otherwise. Those Universal Scholars that achieve true mastery of knowledge can grant their allies incredible prowess on the battlefield.

Adventures: All Universal Scholars are people too, and so have their own private goals for adventuring. However, it is also true that one of those goals is always the pursuit of knowledge. For whatever reason, Universal Scholars seek to amass as much knowledge as they possibly can.*

Characteristics: Universal Scholars can do many things. They can give lectures to their allies to improve their combat abilities, use Techniques -- which are special applications of their knowledge, cast spells as Wizards do, and when push comes to shove -- they can use their memory and knowledge to improve their combat ability, even though few like to venture into melee.

Alignment: Universal Scholars can be of any alignment, although their roles usually involve helping others, and so some evil characters may not become Universal Scholars, but pursue knowledge in more sinister ways.

Religion: Universal Scholars *know* a lot about religion, and some even practice it. Unlike other characters, Scholars choose their god very analytically, basing their choice on their store of religious knowledge. It’s surely a complement to a god when a Scholar chooses to worship him, for that means he is quite literally the best of them all.

Role: Universal Scholars fill a support role. They make everyone better at their jobs, a bit like bards. However, they tend to require more planning to play well, especially when it comes to which Lectures to teach. They have a lot of choice in terms of which lectures and techniques to learn, and an immense number of spells that they can memorize, but preparation is always key. Still, when excrement hits the windmill, some can even cast spontaneously, and teach their Lectures in the midst of combat, although this is taxing on their Memory Points.
Another important role that Scholars fill is that of the expert. They have all skills as class skills, and although must put most of their ranks in knowledge to do their job, these ranks grant them a large bonus to related skills.

Game Rule Information
Abilities: Universal Scholars require a lot of Intelligence to do their jobs. Intelligence is the most important stat, because it improves their Knowledge skills and is also spellcasting ability score. Other abilities aren’t that important.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4
Class Skills: Universal Scholars treat all skills as class skills.
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier.

Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
MP
Tech
Lect
Special

1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
3
2
2
Lectures (Apprentice), Techniques, Spellcasting, Memory Points, Use What You Know

2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
5
3
3


3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
7
4
4


4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
9
4
4


5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
11
5
5


6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
13
5
5
Lectures (Journeyman)

7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
15
6
6

8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
17
6
6


9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
19
7
6


10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
21
7
7


11th
+5
+3
+3
+7
23
8
7
Lectures (Expert)

12th
+6
+4
+4
+8
25
8
7


13th
+6
+4
+4
+8
27
9
8


14th
+7
+4
+4
+9
29
9
8


15th
+7
+5
+5
+9
31
10
8


16th
+8
+5
+5
+10
33
10
8
Lectures (Master)

17th
+8
+5
+5
+10
35
11
9


18th
+9
+6
+6
+11
37
11
9


19th
+9
+6
+6
+11
39
12
9


20th
+10
+6
+6
+12
41
12
9




—
0th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th

1st

3


1


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


2nd

4


1


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


3rd

4


2


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


4th

4


2


0


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


5th

4


3


1


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


6th

4


3


2


—


—


—


—


—


—


—


7th

4


3


2


0


—


—


—


—


—


—


8th

4


3


3


1


—


—


—


—


—


—


9th

4


4


3


2


—


—


—


—


—


—


10th

4


4


3


2


0


—


—


—


—


—


11th

4


4


3


3


1


—


—


—


—


—


12th

4


4


4


3


2


—


—


—


—


—


13th

4


4


4


3


2


0


—


—


—


—


14th

4


4


4


3


3


1


—


—


—


—


16th

4


4


4


4


3


2


—


—


—


—


17th

4


4


4


4


3


2


0


—


—


—


18th

4


4


4


4


3


3


1


—


—


—


19th

4


4


4


4


4


3


2


—


—


—


20th

4


4


4


4


4


3


2


0


—


—



Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Universal Scholar is proficient with simple weapons, but not with armor or shields.

Use What You Know: The Universal Scholar is considered to be trained in a practical skill if he has at least 1 rank in its linked Knowledge skill. The Universal Scholar receives ½ *his ranks in a Knowledge skill as a synergy bonus to checks made with the linked practical skills. This bonus cannot exceed the Universal Scholar’s class level + 1.

Memory Points: Many of the Universal Scholar’s class features depend on his memory. However, even the Scholar’s memory is limited, and he may only remember so many things each day. The Scholar’s Memory Points represent the extent of this knowledge, and many of his abilities cost several memory points. The Scholar gains a number of base memory points per level, which is shown on the table above. Memory Points are restored after 8 hours of rest.

Spellcasting: A Scholar casts arcane spells which are drawn from the Universal Scholar spell list. The Scholar must choose and prepare his spells in advance (see below). As befits his great knowledge, the Scholar's spell list includes all sorcerer/wizards spells of 1st to 6th level, and has additional spells besides. Universal Scholars don't need to purchase spells or pick the spells they know from the list. They are assumed to know all the spells on their list that they can cast.

To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the Scholar must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Scholar's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Scholar's Intelligence modifier.
Like other spell-casters, a Scholar can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given in the Spell Slots table above. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

Scholars prepare their spells by reading and memorizing their tomes of arcane lore, known as their arcane library (see below). This process takes 1 hour to complete. Time spent resting no effect on a Scholar's ability to prepare spells. Scholars may prepare and cast any spell on their spell list, provided they can cast spells of that level, but must choose which spells to prepare during their studies.
Universal Scholars cannot teach their spells to any class in any way.

Arcane Library: Scholar must study their arcane library to prepare their spells. The arcane library is a large collection of tomes, scrolls, books, manuscripts, tablets, and other mediums that, when studied together, contain all of the spells in the Scholar's spell list. However, the arcane library doesn't contain these spells in the same convenient form as a spellbook. Indeed, the library is useless to anyone but the Universal Scholar that created it; it is too labyrinthine to be used by anyone else.

The Scholar is assumed to be doing research and collecting information to add to his arcane library. The arcane library is quite heavy, and as the Scholar keeps adding to it, it noticeably grows in weight every level. After a while, most Scholars find that the only way they can carry their library at all is using pack mules or bags of holding.

Scholars don't need to buy spells or learn them from spellbooks. They have their own, far more esoteric sources of knowledge: cryptic writings, ancient manuals, and tomes of forgotten lore.

Techniques: The Universal Scholar applies his knowledge through Techniques. These are simply special methods the scholar has devised to increase his own effectiveness on the battlefield, as well as that of everyone else. The Scholar starts with 2 Techniques, and gains additional techniques as seen in the table above. The Scholar can choose techniques from the list below. Every technique has a list of prerequisites, usually involving the Scholar's class level. The Scholar must fulfill all prerequisites.

Techniques usually cost a number of Memory Points to use, which is listed in the technique description. The Scholar can use a technique at any time, so long as he can pay the Memory Point cost. Using techniques doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity, unless specified otherwise.

Lectures: The Universal Scholar can give many different types of lectures to his party. These lectures allow the members of the party to benefit from some of the Scholar’s theoretical knowledge, thereby improving their capabilities. The Scholar must spend 30 minutes giving each lecture, usually (but not necessarily) at the beginning of the day. The benefits last for the whole day. The number of students present at each lecture cannot be higher than 6. The Universal Scholar benefits from his own lectures, and is counted as a student. The same student may benefit from several different lectures, but cannot benefit from the same lecture twice.

The Scholar starts with 2 lectures, but gains additional lectures every several levels, as seen in the table above. After a lecture is learned, it may be given whenever the Scholar wishes, as long as he has enough Memory Points. Each lecture has a linked Knowledge skill, specified in the lecture's description. In order to learn a lecture, the Scholar must have at least 4 ranks in the linked knowledge skill.

Each Lecture has four complexity levels: Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, and Master. The Scholar starts with the ability to give lectures at the apprentice-level, but as he grows in knowledge and skill he gains the ability to give lectures at higher levels.* Higher-level lectures provide all the benefits of lower-level ones, plus additional benefits. Higher-level lectures require more ranks in the linked knowledge skill in order to teach.

The following small table details the number of ranks a Scholar must have in the Knowledge skill linked to a lecture in order to teach that lecture at each level, as well as the number of Memory Points the lecture costs (more complex lectures cost more memory points). Note that the lecture costs the same amount of memory points, no matter how many people attend.

Lecture Level
Ranks
Cost

Apprentice
4
2

Journeyman
8
4

Expert
13
8

Master
18
14


Skill Affinities
For the purposes of the Scholar's class features, some knowledge skills are linked to "practical skills" (any skill other than a knowledge skill). This table shows which knowledge skills are associated to which practical skills, and also introduces new knowledge skills (that may not have other uses).
Knowledge Skill
Practical Skills

Nature
Survival, Heal, Handle Animal

Arcana
Spellcraft, Use Magic Device

Politics
Diplomacy, Sense Motive, Bluff

Local
Gather Information

Dungeoneering
Use Rope, Escape Artist, Search

Engineering
Open Lock, Disable Device, Craft (any)

Linguistics
Decipher Script, Forgery, Speak Language

Warfare
Tumble, Ride, Martial Lore

Psionics
Psicraft, Use Psionic Device

Art
Perform

Espionage
Hide, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand



In addition, some knowledge skills are also linked to creature types, as they represent the knowledge the Universal Scholar has of those creatures.
Knowledge Skill
Linked Types

Nature
Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, Plant, Animal, Fey, Giant, Vermin

Arcana
Construct, Dragon, Magical Beast

The Planes
Outsider, Elemental

Religion
Undead, Deathless

Dungeoneering
Aberration, Ooze

Local
Humanoid



Techniques

Theory and Practice
Prerequisite: Universal Scholar 1
Action: None
Memory Cost: 1
Benefit: When called to make a practical skill check, the Universal Scholar can spend 1 Memory Point (this doesn’t cost an action) to instead make a Knowledge skill check using the linked Knowledge skill, replacing the result.

Theoretical Combat
Prerequisite: Universal Scholar 5
Action: Immediate action
Memory Cost: 2
Benefit: When called to make an attack roll, the Universal Scholar can take an immediate action to instead make a Knowledge (Warfare) check, replacing the result. All penalties that would apply to the attack roll, such as from iterative attacks, apply on the skill check as well. This attack cannot score a critical hit, and a roll of 20 isn’t considered a “natural 20”.

Opportune Advice
Prerequisite: Universal Scholar 1
Action: Immediate action
Duration: Instantaneous
Memory Cost: 2
Benefit: When an ally within 60 feet makes an attack roll or practical skill check the Universal Scholar can help them by giving them some helpful advice. To do this, the Scholar must make a DC 20 Knowledge skill check in the Knowledge skill linked to the practical skill used by the ally, or a Knowledge (warfare) check if the ally is making an attack roll. On success, the ally receives a +4 bonus to the roll.

Tips & Tricks
Prerequisite: Universal Scholar 3
Action: Standard action
Duration: Encounter
Memory Cost: See text
Benefit: During a combat encounter, the Universal Scholar can teach a few simple tips and tricks to an ally caught in a tough situation. Although these tips aren’t as comprehensive as an actual lecture, they fit the circumstances much better, and thus provide equal benefit.
This allows the Scholar to teach one of his lectures to an ally within 60 feet, as a standard action, until the end of the encounter. Using this technique costs twice the number of memory points required to teach the lecture normally.

Arcane Weakness
Prerequisite: Universal Scholar 7
Action: Swift action
Duration: 1 round
Memory Cost: 3
Benefit: The Universal Scholar can use his knowledge of a creature's weaknesses to increase the effectiveness of his spells. The Universal Scholar chooses one creature within 60 feet, and makes a DC 10 + creature's CR Knowledge check using the Knowledge skill linked to the creature's type. On success, the creature gets a -4 penalty to saving throws against the Scholar's spells and the Scholar gets a +4 bonus on caster level checks to bypass the creature's spell resistance (if any). This lasts for 1 round.


Lectures

All lectures provide insight bonuses unless specified otherwise
Health & Safety
Knowledge Skill: Warfare
The Scholar gives a lecture on health and safety regulations on the battlefield. Surprisingly, and some might say unnaturally, this actually works.
All students gain the following:
Apprentice
+1 bonus to armor class and saving throws.
+2 bonus on all Str and Dex skill checks to avoid negative consequences, such as falling, slipping, avoiding an attack, etc.
Journeyman
+2 bonus to armor class and saving throws.
+4 bonus on Str and Dex skill checks to avoid negative consequences.
Expert
Damage reduction 5/--
Master
All students gain either Evasion or Mettle (the Scholar chooses one ability that everyone gains).

Strategy & Tactics
Knowledge Skill: Warfare
The Scholar gives a lecture on strategy and tactics, as they were employed throughout the ages.
Apprentice
+2 to initiative.
+4 to Tumble checks to move through and into threatened spaces, and all students are considered trained in the skill.
Journeyman:
+4 to initiative
Students gain a cumulative +2 attack bonus against flanked enemies.
Expert:
+10 ft. bonus to all movement speeds.
Students deal +2d6 extra damage against flanked enemies.
Master:
Students get a +20 ft. bonus to all movement speeds.
Students get a +20 bonus on Tumble checks to move through and into threatened spaces.

Magic & The Arcane
Knowledge Skill: Arcana
The Scholar gives a lecture about magic and spellcasting. All students receive the following:
Apprentice
+2 bonus to saves against spells and spell-like abilities.
+2 bonus on Use Magic Device and Spellcraft checks.
Journeyman:
+4 bonus on Use Magic Device and Spellcraft checks.
+1 bonus to caster level.
Expert:
+1 bonus to spell save DCs.
+4 bonus to caster level checks.
Master:
Students gain Spell Resistance equal to 11 + their HD.
+2 bonus to caster level and spell DCs.

Martial Lore
Knowledge Skill: Warfare
The Scholar gives a lecture about martial lore and the book of nine swords.
Apprentice
+2 bonus on saves and armor class against martial maneuvers.
+2 bonus on Martial Lore, and all skill and ability checks made as part of martial maneuvers.
Journeyman:
+1 bonus to save DCs and attack rolls made as part of martial maneuvers.
Expert:
+2 bonus to damage rolls made as part of martial maneuvers.
+2 bonus to save DCs and attack rolls made as part of martial maneuvers.
Master:
All students that know maneuvers gain: “Once per encounter, you can choose one of the maneuvers you know and initiate it. You do not have to have the maneuver readied, and if you do, it is not expended.”

Psionics
Knowledge Skill: Psionics
The Scholar gives a lecture about psionics and the arts of the mind. All students receive the following benefits:
Apprentice
+2 bonus on saving throws against psionic powers and psi-like abilities.
+2 bonus on Use Psionic Device, and Psicraft checks.
Journeyman:
+4 bonus on Use Psionic Device, and Psicraft checks.
+1 bonus to caster level.
Expert:
+1 bonus to power save DCs.
+4 bonus to manifester level checks.
Master:
Students gain Power Resistance equal to 11 + their HD.
+2 bonus to caster level and spell DCs.

Skill Usage
Knowledge Skill: Varies
The Scholar chooses up to 2 skills that are linked to the same Knowledge skill, and teaches about their use. The Knowledge skill linked to this Lecture is the one chosen by the Scholar.
Apprentice
+4 bonus to one of the skills and a +2 bonus to the second skill. In addition, all students are considered trained in these skills, even if they have no ranks in them.
Journeyman:
+6 bonus to one of the skills, and a +4 bonus to the second skill.
Expert:
+8 bonus to one of the skills, and a +6 bonus to the second skill.
Master:
+12 bonus to one of the skills, and a +8 bonus to the second skill.

Subterfuge
Knowledge Skill: Espionage
The Scholar gives a lecture on famous infiltration and assassination attempts, as well as on the theoretical principles behind subterfuge.
Apprentice
Students gain a +4 bonus to Hide and Move Silently.
Students gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against enemies without their Dex modifier
Journeyman:
Students gain "Sudden Strike +1d6", or their Sudden Strike damage increases by 1d6. This doesn't increase sneak attack damage.
+6 bonus to Hide and Move Silently.
Expert:
Sudden Strike damage increases by a further 2d6 (to Sudden Strike +3d6).
+8 bonus to Hide and Move Silently,
Master:
Sudden Strike damage increases by a further 3d6 (to Sudden Strike +6d6),
+12 bonus to Hide and Move Silently.

[andreichekov]

As written, the class doesn't have enough skill points per level to be effective.

If he is a scholar, why doesn't he get 9th level spells? The reason spellcasters are op is because of the variety of spells they can cast. If you have a spell list, you can make it reasonable.

giving a d4 Hit die to any classs that doesn't get 9th level spells is just cruel.

[Syne]

Thank you for the comment.


As written, the class doesn't have enough skill points per level to be effective.
I want there to be some conscious choice between which knowledge skills to increase. To be honest, adding all skills to the Scholar's class skill list pointless, because of Theory and Practice and Use What You Know. In the end, they're effectively proficient with all practical skills they care about, whether or not they spend points on them.

4 + Int is deceptively low. Remember that all of their abilities are Int based, so that's equivalent to 6 + Int for other classes, and in later levels they'll be getting more than rogues.


If he is a scholar, why doesn't he get 9th level spells? The reason spellcasters are op is because of the variety of spells they can cast. If you have a spell list, you can make it reasonable.

giving a d4 Hit die to any classs that doesn't get 9th level spells is just cruel.
The Scholar's spell list includes all Sorc/Wiz spells of 0th to 6th level, and they can prepare any spells from this list, like a cleric. They don't really have a spell list. Their vast knowledge of spells comes from, well, their vast knowledge. Unfortunately, they're still mortal, and so can't really both know everything and do everything. I'm really not sure if the current situation is balanced or not, to be honest.

Also, some of the Master Lectures are really, really potent. They don't have any of the unrestricted, game-breaking power of 9th level spells, but they are still very powerful, and can't easily be replicated by any spell. One of them gives everyone in the party Evasion or Mettle for 24 hours.

[jiriku]

This is an interesting concept, and well-executed even though incomplete. I do see some challenges you'd need to address:

With access to theoretically 700+ spells across 30 sourcebooks, players might be intimidated by the work required to know all their options, and avoid the class.
With that same broad access, a player might spend too long choosing spells each game day and need to be prodded to hurry up so that other players aren't waiting around to resume play.
A casual player might be VERY SLOW during combat because with so many spells, the player will almost always be unfamiliar with the specifics of whatever spell he's casting.
A power-gamer who builds a spreadsheet or quick-reference guide to get all those spells at his fingertips could be much more effective than any casual gamers in your group, creating an unbalanced party.
Most significantly, access to all those spells creates immense possibility for broken or near-broken combos if you have a strong power gamer in your group. Off the top of my head, I think I could use it to get unlimited spells per day, unlimited self-healing, and cast spells above the normal maximum level I'd be allowed to cast. If I combined it with a top-tier arcane prestige class, I'm sure I could use a universal scholar to break most campaigns into itty bitty pieces. Now, mind you, a wizard could do most/all of those broken tricks too, and at lower levels, but would have to seek out the appropriate spells (whose access the DM controls) or use some of his precious limited automatic spells known to get the combo components. Chasing too hard after the obscure combos would leave him ill-equipped for the regular demands of adventuring. A universal scholar has all the tools for all the combos automatically for free and you as the DM can't do anything to stop it except play whack-a-mole with ban lists and spell nerfs. Now, if all the players in your group are sociable friendly people, you shouldn't have trouble regulating behavior, but many of us wind up with "that guy" in our group at some point.

That said, as DM I'd sure rather have a power gamer with a universal scholar than a power gamer with a wizard in my play group. If you want to flesh it out I'd be happy to lend some help with the balancing.

[Syne]

Thank you. I actually came up with the idea while reading one of your posts, about "Speak Authoritatively". I originally intended that his knowledge would actually change the universe, but in the end it turned out to be too silly, and actually required even more work, so I gave him spellcasting instead. Also, it was disturbingly similar to a Truenamer.

I've thought of a few ways to fix problems caused by unlimited spells known, but I really don't like any of them. Here are the things I've considered:

Make it a psionic class, like an Erudite. This solves all of the problems, but at least to my mind, it would mean having to change the concept behind the class. Also, this will end up seriously underpowering the class even for normal players.
Add an expanded spell learning mechanism. I think this would be too much bookkeeping and would be even less welcoming to players. They might even forget which spells they know and which they don't.
Limit spell schools at the start, and get more schools every X levels. This doesn't fit the concept, and could make the class pretty bad.

Do you have any suggestions about it?

Also, what do you think of the power level/usefulness of the current lectures and techniques?

[jiriku]

Someone reads my stuff! Cool. :smallsmile:

Spells known is a bit of a pickle. The saving grace of knowing all spells is that you know ALL spells; it's trivial to figure out which spells you're allowed to prepare. A large, limited list is much more complicated to manage than a large unlimited list. I can think of a few crutches you could build, and they all have their own drawbacks:


1) Take the time to build a table of every sorcerer/wizard spell of 6th level or lower, along with the thumbnail description of the spell and its book and page number reference. This is potentially extremely time-consuming for you but puts all the universal scholars on a level playing field: at least they have a single place to find out what spells they know, what those spells do, and where they can go for details.

2) Allow the scholar to change his prepared spells less often than once per day. Possibly you could even use a (fourth wall-breaking) limit of once per game session. However, this approach will tend to stifle risk-taking, since the player is stuck with any bad choices.

3) Grant the ability to prepare spells in a "schema", a fixed array of spells. As the character levels up, give him more schemas. He can only change his spells known by selecting among his schemas. Essentially, the player becomes a limited-list caster like a sorcerer, but can choose each day from among several different limited lists. As he learns more schemas, his spells known list becomes potentially quite large (depending on how many schemas you grant), but the decision-making required when the character preps spells each day is quite simple. For an example of this mechanic, look at my shadowcaster or void disciple classes.

The techniques are pretty boss. The lectures vary somewhat; your lectures to boost casters are rather better than those that boost noncasters. I think you might do well to use the existing Knowledge skills for your skill affinity system, rather than inventing new skills. Every time you invent new skills, you have to go back and assess the class skill list and skill points per level of every class in the game, which is a lot of work.

[Syne]

For (1), there already exist databases like that. The most comprehensive one I've found is this one (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/index.php). It's not totally complete, but it still has many, many spells of all kinds. I counted around 6,000, though some are probably duplicates. It also has an extensive search function and some themed lists. I also counted around 3,000 cleric spells. I had expected the ratio to be higher, to be honest. If wizards only have twice as many spells as clerics, maybe it's not so unreasonable after all; at least in the sense that a player would be just as overwhelmed as if they had played a cleric.

(2) is an interesting idea. The main issue I have with it is that it will end up being DM fiat. I mean, if the PCs just finished up one adventure and are heading out on another completely different one, I can't arbitrarily deny them the ability to change their spells because a game session has already started. So I'll have to say, "okay, okay, you can change spells now." And there are other, similar circumstances where I'll have to override the rules. Also, I don't know how that could be justified in-game.

(3) is a very cool idea. I'm sort of aiming for him to be a good utility caster. Do you think that using schemas in this way would make it difficult for him to both contribute during combat, and still have the right utility spells for the job? How many spells/schemas should he have?

About the knowledge skills, you're right. I've pruned them a bit. For now, I have only Espionage and Warfare left, and I'm not sure where to put them. I can't with a straight face give him an ability that lets him make a Knowledge (history) check instead of a weapon attack :P I was thinking of claiming these skills are only useful for universal scholars, or that characters can make a Knowledge (warfare) check using their BAB instead of skill ranks, since it represents knowledge of combat.

I'm sort of working on a small overhaul of the class. I've changed the names of most things, and made them seem less silly and more interesting or fantastic. I've decided on dumping MP altogether and have him use his abilities by expending spell slots of similar level to the ability's power. For example, Theory and Practice costs an 0th level spell slot to use (or higher). I think this will make balancing everything far easier. I've tried posting my work, but I ran into the character limit (which I sort of forgot about...). I'll probably have to make a new thread with extra posts for more material, and I'd like to get more work done before that. I haven't changed the spell casting yet, though.

[jiriku]

For (1), there already exist databases like that.

Good point.


(3) is a very cool idea. I'm sort of aiming for him to be a good utility caster. Do you think that using schemas in this way would make it difficult for him to both contribute during combat, and still have the right utility spells for the job? How many spells/schemas should he have?

My mystery users get six schemas total, spread out over 20 levels (although I call each container a dharma for the void disciple and a patina for the shadowcaster). For your UV, though, I'd recommend a few more, to encourage that sense of being the most knowledgeable fellow around when it comes to arcane magic. Say, start with two schemas at 1st level and gain an additional one every three levels thereafter (at the same time that access to new spell levels is gained). That's a total of eight over 20 levels. Also, you could fiddle around with the size of the spells known list (the number of slots within each schema). I'd say massaging the sorcerer's spells known table to fit your class spell progression is a good place to start, and you could easily make the case for granting either more or fewer spells known (relative to that table).

For both casters using a schema mechanic, I offer a way to cast from an inactive schema in an emergency. The shadowcaster gets Sudden Shadow once per day per four levels, while the void disciple can spend void points to do it. I'd think the universal scholar could either use a memory mechanic or Knowledge (arcana) skill check to recall a spell from another schema a limited number of times per day, or use a time-based mechanic to rummage through his books and either get a single use of a spell or maybe change his entire schema once in the middle of the day. You could probably also create supporting feats or skill tricks that make it possible/easier to access the inactive schemas in limited ways. I could probably give more specific suggestions once the dust settles from your revamp.


About the knowledge skills... I have only Espionage and Warfare left, and I'm not sure where to put them.

Suggestions:

Knowledge (local) is the closest think D&D has to a "streetwise" skill and is thus a good place to put Sleight of Hand.
Martial Lore is a Knowledge skill in all but name. Treat it as a meta-category and associate other skills to it as if it was a knowledge skill.
Knowledge (nobility and royalty) is a good home for Ride, since horsemanship and mounted combat are traditionally pastimes of the noble classes. Or Ride could be folded under the Martial Lore category.
Espionage skills could find a home either within Knowledge (dungeoneering), as techniques for safely exploring dungeons, Knowledge (local) as techniques for safely navigating dangerous urban environments, or Martial Lore, as techniques for ambush and counter-ambush in a military context. In fact, you could even fold them into Knowledge (nature) as the natural complement to the hunting function of the Survival skill.
Tumble is either an entertaining technique, belonging with Perform, or a self-defense technique, belonging with Martial Lore.