Arcane Librarian (playtest)

Arcane librarians are experts at using magical script. Through their years of exposure to magical writings and their personal studies of the underlying workings of scrolls, they gradually glean the knowledge necessary to use such writings to effectively cast spells without knowing them.

Making an Arcane Librarian

Arcane Librarians gradually gain access to a wide array of low-level spells taken from all spell lists which they can use often (but with a cost), without needing to prepare them. Most Arcane Librarians tend to specialize in low-level utility spells, with the possibility of acting as secondary healer, rather than using flashy offensive spells.

Abilities: Intelligence is important for an Arcane Librarian since it allows her to use higher level spells and determines the DC of her spells. Constitution is perhaps even more important, since her unique way of using spells is fueled by her own vital energy.

Races: Humans and Gnomes tend to make up the bulk of Arcane Librarians. Elves tend to instead become wizards, while other races rarely share the Arcane Librarian's fascination with the written word.

Alignment: Arcane Librarians are rarely chaotic, but can be of any alignment.

Starting Gold: 3d4×10 gp (75 gp).

Starting Age: Complex

HD: d8

Level Base Attack Bonus Fortitude Reflex Will Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Ungifted Activator; Living Parchment; Scribe Scroll
2 +1 +0 +0 +3
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Metaphor, Interpretation
4 +2 +1 +1 +4
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat
6 +3 +2 +2 +5
7 +3 +2 +2 +5
8 +4 +2 +2 +6
9 +4 +3 +3 +6
10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Bonus Feat
11 +5 +3 +3 +7
12 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8
13 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8
14 +7/+2 +4 +4 +9
15 +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Bonus Feat
16 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10
17 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10
18 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11
19 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11
20 +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Bonus Feat

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
All knowledge skills (taken individually) (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Arcane Librarian:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Arcane Librarian is proficient with light armor and all simple weapons, but not with shields. However, since all her spellcasting abilities are actually spell-like and have no somatic components, she would not suffer any arcane spell failure from using armor or shields.

Spells: To obtain or cast a spell with her Living Parchment ability or to use a scroll, the Arcane Librarian needs an Intelligence score of 10 + spell level. The save DC of her spells is 10 + spell level + her Intelligence modifier. Arcane Librarians use the same spell level progression as Bards.

Ungifted Activator: Arcane Librarians can use any scroll of a spell level to which they have access without being able to cast the relevant spell. This always uses her Intelligence score to determine effective accessible spell levels (19 Int = 9th Level Spells accessible in scrolls).

Interpretation: An Arcane Librarian's familiarity with the written word and languages becomes such that she can interpret magical scrolls in a way that better reflects her own understanding. An Arcane Librarian uses her own Intelligence score when determining the DC of a spell cast from a scroll. DC = Int Modifier + Spell Level + 10

Metaphor: The Librarian's further study and use of the written word allows her to create stronger magics by use of seemingly poetic literary phrases and notions. This ability grants the Arcane Librarian the ability to use metamagic in conjunction with her spells known as a sorcerer.

Living Parchment: An Arcane Librarian develops a special technique which allows her to “absorb” the magical script of any scroll, the words of which then start floating freely around her skin. She can then channel her own vital energy into the words to activate them, effectively producing the same effect as a normal casting of the spell. She can only absorb the script from scrolls that she would otherwise be able to use normally.

An Arcane Librarian can thus absorb the script for a total number of spell levels equal to 3 X her character level. For example, a 4th level Arcane Librarian could know six level 2 spells or four level 2 spell and four level 1 spells. 0th level spells count as ½ spell level for this purpose.

“Casting” a spell using this ability causes the Arcane Librarian to receive nonlethal damage of a value equal to the level of the spell used. This damage (characterized by a loss of stamina) can be recovered by resting, at the same rate as normal nonlethal damage, but is otherwise permanent and cannot be restored by any other means. For example, a character who uses a 3rd level spell would receive 3 points of nonlethal damage. Level 0 spells (the spell tier, not each level 0 spell known) are cast with a gain of one point of nonlethal damage for every two level 0 spells cast.

Absorbing and using spells in this way requires an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell level. The DC for spells cast in this manner is 10 + spell level + Int modifier. The caster level is the class level of the Arcane Librarian (regardless of the original scroll’s caster level).

Verbal and somatic components are ignored since she must merely focus her will to activate the magical writing on her skin. Focus and/or material costs less than 1 GP in value are ignored. Focus and/or Material costs greater than 1 GP and/or XP costs are still required.

Absorbing the script for a new spell takes 1 minute. As long as this process is uninterrupted, success is guaranteed. Whether it succeeds or fails, the scroll is destroyed.

If the Arcane Librarian ever loses a limb, her connection to the spells on the severed limb is lost. Each spell she knows has a 20% chance of being permanently lost (unless it is reattached within 24h). However, while the script appears to merely exist on her skin, the connection is actually much deeper. If she is ever reincarnated or resurrected, all the magical script she had on her old body appears on her new one.

The Arcane Librarian starts at first level knowing any spells of her choice (up to her limit), but does not gain any more spells simply by gaining levels. The Arcane Librarian also knows Read Magic, Mending, and Amanuensis; these three spells do not count against the maximum number of spells known.

Scribe Scroll: The Arcane Librarian is capable of crafting scrolls as per the feat.

Bonus Feats: At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, a Arcane Librarian gains a bonus feat. At each such opportunity, she can choose a metamagic feat, an item creation feat, or Spell Mastery. The Arcane Librarian must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including caster level minimums.

These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing levels. The Arcane Librarian is not limited to the categories of item creation feats, metamagic feats, or Spell Mastery when choosing these feats.

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