Remembering A Samsaran’s Past Lives?

[Palanan]

Is there a trait or a feat that allows a samsaran to remember their previous lives with perfect clarity, as opposed to the usual vague fragments?

I’m aware of Mystic Past Life, but that’s specific to spells compatible with a current spellcasting class. I’m looking for something broader, which allows full access to the memories of all previous incarnations. Is there anything like this?

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[Ninjaxenomorph]

I don't really know how that would work, mechanically. I seem to recall a spell or occult ritual that allowed you to do that, but I can't for the life of me find it.

[Palanan]

I’m not sure how it would work either, which is why I was hoping the option already existed.

If I had to, I would think it might be a feat that grants all skills as class skills, or perhaps all knowledges as class skills, maybe with a bonus to a couple of them. It would also make sense to have some sort of Lore mechanic, like bardic knowledge, since the samsaran would be able to search ancient memories for obscure information.

Hmm. Would all knowledges as class skills, plus something like bardic knowledge, be too much for a single feat?

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Palanan
Would all knowledges as class skills, plus something like bardic knowledge, be too much for a single feat?

Any feedback on whether this would be feasible as a feat?

[Arutema]

I don't really know how that would work, mechanically. I seem to recall a spell or occult ritual that allowed you to do that, but I can't for the life of me find it.

Rebirth psychic discipline (http://aonprd.com/PsychicDisciplinesDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Rebirth) maybe?

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Arutema
Rebirth psychic discipline maybe?

I was aware of this before, but after a second look I think Past-Life Memories is a good start.

The wording specifies that you can attempt all Knowledge checks untrained. How much of a bump would it be to change this to considering all Knowledges as class skills?

[ElFi]

I was aware of this before, but after a second look I think Past-Life Memories is a good start.

The wording specifies that you can attempt all Knowledge checks untrained. How much of a bump would it be to change this to considering all Knowledges as class skills?

Psychics already get all Knowledge skills as class skills, so you're covered there.

If you'd like to expand the "recall magic from your past lives" deal, there's also the Psychic's Amnesiac archetype. I don't think it'd be much of a stretch to refluff that archetype's spell-remembering power as drawing on memories from previous psychic reincarnations.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by ElFi
Psychics already get all Knowledge skills as class skills, so you're covered there.

Thanks, although this isn’t specifically for psychics. I’m thinking of a racial feat based on Past-Life Memories that would be available to all samsarans.

[ElFi]

Thanks, although this isn’t specifically for psychics. I’m thinking of a racial feat based on Past-Life Memories that would be available to all samsarans.

Hmm. Interesting, but a tricky proposition. Traits are the usual method for gaining new class skills, almost always at one skill per trait. Paizo seems to consider traits to be worth half a feat each (per the Additional Traits feat, which gives you two bonus traits), so two new class skills would be equivalent to one feat. Per that wisdom, then, a feat that gives you all knowledge skills (of which there are ten in total) as class skills would be worth five feats. This is also in line with the Cosmopolitan feat, which gives you two new class skills plus some other minor goodies.

A feat that gives you ten new class skills would therefore be considered overwhelmingly good by the standards of Pathfinder feats. But on the other hand, this would be a racial feat, and most racial feats and options tend to not be judged on the same balance standard as everything else (looks at Paragon Surge. I, for one, don't see such a feat as a huge deal (all Knowledge skills serve a similar function, and it's a flavorful choice for the intellectual-themed Samsaran), but others might think differently. Check with your GM if this idea is intended for a player character.

[Palanan]

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I’m thinking of the Education feat from 3.5, which had several iterations depending on the source. In the Eberron Campaign Setting, Education gave all knowledges as class skills, as well as a +1 bonus to any two of them. In practice it didn’t seem too over-the-top, so to me it seems reasonable as a racial feat.

I also like the idea of an ability similar to bardic lore, but based on memories of past lives rather than a bard’s professional nosiness. Not sure if bundling bardic lore with the equivalent of Education is too much for a single feat or not.