The masters of the College of the Imperial City assemble in the lecture hall to debate a pupil over their dissertation as they sue for graduation. The stone halls echo with intellectual oratory, and as they do the air itself seems to thrum with an almost electric energy.
An elven sage toils away in her laboratory, desks and tables covered in tomes and notes as she mixes various carefully measured substances. She smiles, thinking perhaps this will be the experiment that works.
A human explorer crouches at the entrance to the ancient ruins. They remove a battered diary full of esoteric notes, fragments of ancient stories, songs, and poems, and archaic illustrations. They stare up at the imposing door, and after checking their notes one last time, let out a sharp command, and the door opens before them.
Scholars are those for who knowledge is power, quite literally. They dedicate their lives to a disciplined study of one or more disciplines, acquiring vast swaths of information, ancient secrets, and new discoveries.
Many master scholars exhibit abilities that border on the supernatural - or simply are. Some unlearned may therefore mistake them for wizards, but this is a grave miscalculation. Most scholars do not practice magic per se, save a select few who make the secrets of the arcane a direct part of their studies. Instead, they seek knowledge not as a means to an end, but as an end to itself, and as they acquire more and more of it their view of the world changes.
To a master scholar, the world is knowledge, the spiritual and physical alike merely manifestations of ideas, and by with the proper application of such knowledge they can unlock the secrets of the cosmos itself in ways that cause the world around them to bend to their will. This is accomplished not through magical power, but simply by seeing things as they actually are, underneath the facade, and declaring it to be so. However, these efforts are taxing. Such secrets are secret for a reason, and directly wielding such knowledge takes a toll on the one who does so.
In addition to their more esoteric abilities, scholars are also possess a wide variety of more mundane skills and knowledge. Lore both local and foreign, ancient and recent, carefully practiced techniques, expertise with the tools of various trades, as well as a unique intuition for ferreting out information, are all the true hallmarks of a scholar. Indeed, their intellectual pursuits often lead them to acquire skills and abilities others take years to master. Most adventuring scholars also possess some skill in applying this knowledge for self-defense and other practical concerns. After all, hidden secrets and lost knowledge are often jealously guarded or found in dangerous places, and only those who can survive the trip are able glean them.
The most important questions you must answer for your scholar are: what knowledge to they seek, and why do they seek it. All scholars wish to know things - what specifically does your character want to know? Do they seek to understand the mysteries of creation, to chronicle the fragmented history of their people, or gather the tools needed to safeguard the world from hidden threats, or do they themselves with to dominate those around them as a mastermind and overlord? And what motivates them to do so? Do they have a fierce rivalry with a fellow student they must prove themselves against, a stern and disapproving teacher whose respect they desire, a desire to better the world around them, or a cultural duty to serve their people? While these questions are important, there are other more practical concerns as well. Where and how did they gain the knowledge and skills they possess? Perhaps they were formally trained, or maybe they are self-taught, or perhaps they stumbled upon some ancient secret or hidden truth that set them on the path of knowledge whether they want it or not. All these and more are viable paths for a scholar to have walked.
Table: The Scholar
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Maneuvers Known |
Maneuver Degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Scholar's Discovery, Scholar's Studies, Ear to the Ground | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Combat Maneuvers, Practical Knowledge | 2 | 1st |
| 3rd | +2 | Scholar Archetype | 2 | 1st |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 1st |
| 5th | +3 | Scholarly Discovery, Scholarly Acquaintance, Measure Twice Cut Once | 3 | 1st |
| 6th | +3 | Defensive Studies, Scholar's Studies | 3 | 1st |
| 7th | +3 | Scholar Archetype | 4 | 2nd |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 2nd |
| 9th | +4 | Scholarly Discovery, Wandering Sage | 4 | 2nd |
| 10th | +4 | Scholar Archetype | 5 | 2nd |
| 11th | +4 | Scholar's Studies | 5 | 2nd |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 2nd |
| 13th | +5 | Mental Fortitude, Scholarly Discovery | 6 | 3rd |
| 14th | +5 | Scholar Archetype | 6 | 3rd |
| 15th | +5 | Scholar's Studies | 6 | 3rd |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 3rd |
| 17th | +6 | Knowledgable Communication, Scholarly Inspiration, Scholarly Discovery | 7 | 3rd |
| 18th | +6 | Scholar Archetype | 7 | 3rd |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement, Scholar's Studies | 8 | 4th |
| 20th | +6 | True Genius, Forewarned is Forearmed | 8 | 4th |
A scholar gains the following class features.
Hit Dice: 1d8 per scholar level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per scholar level after first
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Choose one from an artisan's tool, a musical instrument, or a miscellaneous tool.
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose four from Animal Handling, Arcana, Culture, Engineering, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, and Perception
You begin the game with 100gp which you can spend on your character’s starting weapons, armor, and adventuring gear. You can select your own gear or choose one of the following equipment packages. Also consult the Suggested Equipment section of your chosen background.
Academic's Set (Cost 63gp): Quarterstaff, padded cloth armor, abacus, clothes (fine), scholar's pack
Scholar's Set (Cost 58gp): Dagger, padded cloth armor, clothes (travelers), ink (1-ounce bottle), diary, a crowbar, a hammer, 10 pitons, and an explorer's pack
Physician's Set (Cost 91gp): Dagger, padded cloth armor, backpack, clothes (common), healer's satchel (10 uses), 10 bandages, and medicinal salve (3 uses)
A Note on Scholar Abilities
You are committed to the principle that knowledge is power, literally, and that ideas and secrets can shape reality. As a general rule, you do not use magic in the traditional sense, neither that of natural, divine, or arcane origin, instead using your vast knowledge and will to affect the world around you. Unless stated otherwise, none of your abilities are magical. They are not detected by detect magic, cannot be dispelled our countered, work even in antimagic areas, and do not require any components, though they do require concentration if replicating a that spell would. The DC for your scholar abilities are equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. The greatest of such efforts of will are often taxing physically, mentally, or spiritually in the form of expended hit dice, fatigue, and/or strife levels on use.
You have dedicated your life to their particular fields of study, and this has allowed you to pick up training beyond that of ordinary folk. When you select this class at level 1, you gain a bonus feat. You gain an additional bonus feat at levels 6, 11, 15, and 19. These feats must be chosen from the following list, if a feat grants a +1 to an ability score you do gain that as well, and you must otherwise meet the requirements of the feat. If any of these feats grant the ability to cast a spell, these are actual spells that are cast as normal, unlike most scholar abilities.
Crafting Expert, Covert Training, Heraldic Training, Intuitive, Keen Intellect, Linguistics Expert, Monster Hunter, Physician, Skillful, Tactical Support, or Woodcraft Training
At level 1 you may pick one scholar's discovery, a secret of the cosmos you have learned that allows you to manipulate reality through will in some way. You gain another discovery at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17. See the list of Scholarly Discoveries starting on page 6.
Also at 1st level, whenever you finish a long rest in a town, village, enclave, commune, or other reasonably major population center, the Narrator should give you a new piece of information about something significant going on in theworld. Your sources of information are varied and mysterious, and it is enough to know that you know. Once you have done so, you cannot gain information again from the same location until you have gained information from a different location with this feature.
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to use combat maneuvers. You gain proficiency in one combat tradition from the following list: Mirror's Glint, Mist and Shade, or Razor's Edge. You learn two maneuvers of your choice from traditions you are proficient with.
You gain an exertion pool equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining any spent exertion at the end of a short or long rest. You use your maneuvers by spending points from your exertion pool. The Maneuvers Known column of the Scholar table shows when you learn more maneuvers from a tradition you are proficient with, while the Maneuver Degree column shows the highest degree you can select maneuvers from at a given level.
Additionally, whenever you learn a new maneuver, you can choose one of the maneuvers you know and replace it with another maneuver of the same degree from a tradition you are proficient with.
Also at 2nd level, you gain a bonus number of skill specialties equal to your Intelligence modifier. Unlike those normally granted by your Intelligence, these may be chosen for any skill. Alternatively you may exchange a specialty for proficiency in a tool kit or language of your choice on a one to one basis.
At level 3 you choose an archetype representing your specialized field of study. The archetype you choose grants you features at level 3 and again at levels 7, 10, 14, and 18.
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Even the most reclusive scholar must naturally interact with others, and at 5th level you each develop unique ways of turning this to the advantage of their studies. Choose one of the following options:
You may, at the beginning of a social interaction, make an Intelligence (Investigation) check against a DC of 15 + the other creature's Wisdom modifier. If successful, your scholarly studies have granted insight into this situation, and you may gain advantage on one ability check made as part of this interaction.
Your reputation for benevolent care and sharing useful knowledge precedes you. You can automatically find food and shelter for yourself in a significant settlement equivalent to a moderate lifestyle. In addition, when you finish a short or long rest, you gain the benefits of a special version of the sanctuary spell that only applies to humanoids, and most humanoids are willing to at least talk to you before attacking. This effect ends based on the normal conditions for sanctuary.
You gain a follower of the apothecary, healer, diviner, or sage type. They are initially inexperienced, but become seasoned at level 9 and expert at level 17.
By 5th level you are intimately familiar with the need for preparation. You may declare that you have made secret preparations you are only revealing now. You must make a DC 15 check with a skill of the Narrator's choosing to see if these preparations were successful. Examples include: I found this ancient map previously and am only now revealing it, I just happened to have this exact medicine on my person, or I anticipated the king might arrest us and so bribed a guard to leave a key under this loose brick. Such a benefit cannot grant a magic item, and any equipment or item it grants should cost less than 100 x your proficiency bonus in gold. Once you have successfully used this ability, you cannot do so again until you have leveled up.
At 6th level, you have developed knew skills for defending yourself as you explore and study a hostile and dangerous world. Choose one of the following options:
While you are not truly a magic user per se, you have come to appreciate the usefulness of some minor magical talents for defending oneself, especially as an alternative to physical combat. You learn two cantrips of your choice from any spell list. Both cantrips must be from the same list, and at least one of them must deal damage. Unlike most scholar abilities, these are actual spells that follow the normal rules for spellcasting.
You have learned how to apply your knowledge and powers of observation to harming others. You may spend a bonus action to study a target. Any time you hit that target with a weapon attack before the end of your next turn, you deal an additional 1d8 damage to them of the same type as the attack. In addition, for the duration you may apply your Intelligence modifier to hit and damage with weapon attacks against this target instead of Strength or Dexterity. The bonus damage increases to 1d10 at 9th level, 1d12 at 14th level, and 2d8 at 18th level.
At 9th level, your travels have given you new insights, either from the act of traveling itself, through contact with other peoples and cultures, or a simple practical need to expand your knowledge base.
You gain proficiency with an additional skill from the scholar list. This broad base of knowledge reinforces itself, and you gain an expertise die on all skills from the scholar list you are proficient in.
You gain proficiency with your choice of land vehicles and cartographer's tools or water vehicles and navigator's tools if you are not already. In addition, you cannot become lost by non-magical means and gain an expertise die on all checks you make related to journey activities.
At 13th level your studies have granted unparalleled mental fortitude. You gain proficiency in Charisma saving throws.
At 17th level so deep is your knowledge and so great your skill at explaining it that you can do so without the need for words. If another creature is proficient in the same skill as you, you may carry on a conversation with them on a subject related to that skill without needing to speak aloud, speaking directly mind to mind or through significant looks and glances and subtle gestures.
In addition, once per long rest you may expend a hit die to send your thoughts great distances, conveying a brief message of no more than 5 words to another in their dreams, though doing so is mentally taxing and you must make a DC 20 Intelligence saving throw afterwords or gain a level of strife.
Also at 17th level, the thrill of knwledge itself invigorates you. Anytime a scholar ability requires you to expend a hit die, you may spend inspiration instead if you have it.
At 20th level you are a true master scholar. Whenever you succeed on an Intelligence or Wisdom based skill check, you gain inspiration.
In addition, you immediately learn some completely hidden piece of significant information as long as it is related to a skill you are proficient with. Work with your narrator to determine the details.
Also at 20th level your vast swaths of knowledge leave you ready for almost anything. You are under the constant effects of a foresight spell.
In addition you regain the use of Measure Twice, Cut Once after a successful use whenever you finish a long rest.
When you gain access to a new scholarly discovery, choose one of the following.
Your studies have made you unusually alert and capable of perceiving things others might not. You gain a +5 bonus to your passive Perception, and you may expend a hit die to replicate the see invisibility spell. Each time per long rest you use this ability beyond the first, you tax your mind and gain a level of strife.
Prerequisite: 9th level
You have learned secret ancient words and phrases, with the very authority of creation, and can use them to command the world around you. You may expend a hit die to replicate the effects of the command spell. In addition, once per long rest you may expend a hit die and make a DC 20 skill check of the appropriate type to execute a more potent short but irresistible command. Examples include ordering a hungry pack of wolves back to their dens, commanding a hidden and/or magically locked door to open, ordering an undead back into its tomb, ordering a pile of logs to catch alight, breaking the hold of a cursed magic item, or commanding such an item to function in situations it would normally not such as writing that only appears under moonlight revealing itself in broad daylight.
The Narrator is the ultimate arbiter of what effects you can create with this, though it should not be able to affect a creature with a CR greater than your scholar level. Such commands are extremely taxing, however, and grant you a level of fatigue when successfully used.
You concentrate for 1 minute, examining an object to make an Arcana check. If successful, you replicate the effect of casting the identify spell on it. The DC is based on the rarity of the item.
| Item Rarity | DC |
|---|---|
| Common | 10 |
| Uncommon | 13 |
| Rare | 16 |
| Very Rare | 19 |
| Legendary | 22 |
In addition, starting at level 6 once per long rest you may spend 1 minute concentrating and expend a hit die to replicate the effects of the legend lore spell.
Prerequisite: 5th level
You have studied the history of ancient curses and oaths, and in doing so learned to turn this knowledge on others. You may spend a hit die to replicate the bestow curse spell. Starting at level 9 you may plumb even darker depth of knowledge to instead replicate it as if it were cast at 5th level, 7th level at level 13, and lasting indefinitely without concentration until removed at level 17, though such knowledge takes a toll on those who study it, and using the improved version of this curse grants you a level of strife. Only one creature may be cursed by you at a time, and if you curse another the curse on the previous creature immediately ends.
You are adept at using your studies to advise others, as well as yourself, for there are few that share your burden of knowledge. You may use an action to spend inspiration to allow yourself or another creature to regain a use of an ability with limited uses per long rest. This cannot be used to restore spell slots, nor can a single creature benefit from this more than once per long rest. You also gain inspiration anytime you finish a long rest if you do not already have it.
You have learned the secret speech of a particular type of animal, and may communicate with such using social skills like Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation, and Insight. In addition, you may replicate the effects of the animal friendship or animal messenger spells by expending a hit die.
Over the course of a short rest you may regale a number of creatures equal to your proficiency bonus with tales from history that carry in them some relevant lesson. All affected creatures get inspiration. You cannot target yourself with this ability unless you expend a hit die when doing so.
Prerequisite: 9th level if you already possess Lore (Fiendish)
You learn the true name of an minor celestial being, and by speaking it and expending a hit die you may call it forth as a familiar. It takes the form of a sprite or psuedodragon, except its creature type is Celestial, and it gains the Good, Lawful and Good, or Chaotic and Good alignment traits. You may later dismiss this familiar to its home plane with an action by spending another hit die, and you cannot temporarily dismiss it into a pocket dimension. It otherwise follows the normal rules for the find familiar spell. If both this and Fiendish Lore are taken, it allows you to have two familiars at once, though summoning the second one without dismissing the first inflicts a level of fatigue in addition to the normal costs.
Prerequisite: 9th level if you already possess Lore (Celestial) You learn the true name of an imp or quasit, and by speaking it and expending a hit die you may call it forth as a familiar. You may later dismiss this familiar back to its home plane as an action by spending another hit die, and you cannot temporarily dismiss it into a pocket dimension. It otherwise follows the normal rules for the find familiar spell.
If both this and Celestial Lore are taken, it allows you to have two familiars at once, though summoning the second one without dismissing the first inflicts a level of fatigue in addition to the normal costs.
You learn an additional language. In addition, such is your insight into language, spoken or otherwise, that you can communicate short, simple concepts with any intelligent creature even if you don't share a language: enough for a greeting, farewell, warning of danger, conveying the need for help of some sort, or insulting someone. The Narrator is the ultimate arbiter of what you are capable of communicating. At scholar level 6 or higher, you may instead spend a hit die to replicate the tongues spell on yourself.