Guile’s World

A Pathfinder Roleplaying Game update of the master base class from War of the Lance. The great thing about the master and the other new base classes from the various Dragonlance sourcebooks is that they work just fine in non-Dragonlance campaigns.

MASTER

Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The master’s list of class skills varies, depending on the master’s primary focus (see below):
   Master Craftsman: Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis).
   Master Performer: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex).
   Master Professional: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis).
   Master Sage: Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
   Skill Ranks Per Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the master.
   Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Masters are proficient with all simple weapons. Masters are proficient with light armour and with shields (but not tower shields).
   Primary Focus (Ex): At 1st level, masters choose which broad category of talents they are most proficient in, out of the four given below. This becomes their primary focus, and determines their class skills, and which focus group they may select their knacks from as they advance. In addition, masters add a +2 competence bonus to all skill checks made with their key skill (Craft, Perform, Professional, or Knowledge).
   Craftsman: Masters who choose the craftsman focus are dedicated to producing exceptional quality workmanship, from blacksmithing to bookbinding. Master craftsmen are skilled inventors and artisans. Craft is the master craftsman’s key skill.
   Performer: Masters who choose the performer focus are dedicated to creating exceptional performances, whether in art, music, or the stage. Master performers are talented actors and minstrels. Perform is the master performer’s key skill.
   Professional: Masters who choose the professional focus are dedicated to providing exceptional service, from money lending to bartending. Master professionals are savvy merchants and guides. Profession is the master professional’s key skill.
   Sage: Masters who choose the sage focus are dedicated to uncovering exceptional knowledge, from politics and history to engineering and the natural world. Master sages are learned scholars and counsellors. Knowledge is the master sage’s key skill.
   Knack (Ex): Beginning at 1st level, masters acquire specific abilities as they advance, which belong to groups associated with the four master foci. These abilities are known as knacks. Some knacks have prerequisites, which must be met before they can be taken. Some knacks can be taken only once, while others may be taken multiple times, with cumulative effects. Masters may choose knacks only from a list associated with their primary or secondary focus.
   Bonus Feat: At 2nd level and at every 3 levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 20th), the master gains a bonus feat, which must be selected from the following list: Acrobatic, Alertness, Animal Affinity, Athletic, Catch Off-Guard, Deceitful, Defencive Combat Training, Deft Hands, Improvised Weapon Mastery, Magical Aptitude, Master Craftsman, Persuasive, Self-Sufficient, Skill Focus, Stealthy, Throw Anything.
   Secondary Focus (Ex): At 7th level masters may add a secondary focus from one of the other categories they have not yet selected as their primary focus, adding that category’s class skills to their own class skill list and gaining a +2 competence bonus to the key skill of the new category. The competence bonus to the master’s primary focus key skill increases to +4.
   Skill Mastery (Ex): At 10th level, masters select a number of skills from their class list equal to 3 + their Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check using one of these skills, masters may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent them from doing so.

Table: Master

Craftsman Knacks

Applied Craftsmanship: Master craftsmen have learned to apply their understanding of their craft to other crafts. With this knack, they may substitute ranks in a Craft skill for ranks in another Craft in which they have no ranks, on a two for one basis for the purposes of making Craft checks. For example, master craftsmen with 10 ranks in Craft (blacksmith) may attempt a Craft (leather) check as if they had 5 ranks in that skill. Ability bonuses and other modifiers are applied as usual.

Word of Mouth: The master craftsman’s skill at his craft becomes widely known. Select a Craft skill. With this knack, a week’s worth of dedicated work earns the master craftsman a number of steel pieces equal to his Craft check, rather than half his Craft check.
   This knack may be taken more than once. Each time, it applies to a different Craft skill.

Item of Distinction: With this knack, the master craftsman learns how to more efficiently create masterwork items. Select a Craft skill. Masterwork items created with this Craft skill are known as items of distinction. Items of distinction function like other masterwork items, but the additional cost to create them is halved. An item of distinction can be recognized as such with a successful DC 15 Appraise check.
   This knack can be taken more than once. Each time, it applies to a different Craft skill.
   Prerequisite: Craft (specific skill) 1 rank.

Item of Renown: With this knack, the master craftsman improves upon his existing talent at creating superior masterwork items. The master craftsman can create masterwork items that are twice as effective as standard masterwork items – weapons confer a +2 bonus to attack rolls, armour check penalty is lessened by 2, and skill bonus items confer a +4 bonus. These items of renown must be created with the Craft skill specified by the master’s item of distinction knack, take twice as long to create, and cost the same amount as standard masterwork items.
   Prerequisites: Item of Distinction, Craft (specific skill) 3 ranks.

Item of Fame: With this knack, the master craftsman improves upon his existing talent at creating superior masterwork items. The master craftsman can create masterwork items that are three times as effective as standard masterwork items – weapons confer a +3 bonus to attack rolls, armour check penalty is lessened by 3, and skill bonus items confer a +6 bonus. These items of fame must be created with the Craft skill specified by the master’s item of distinction knack, take three times as long to create, and the additional cost to create them is tripled (+900 steel for weapons of fame, +450 steel for armour of fame, etc).
   Prerequisites: Item of Renown, Craft (specific skill) 6 ranks.

Item of Glory: With this knack, the master craftsman improves upon his existing talent at creating superior masterwork items. The master craftsman can create masterwork items that are four times as effective as standard masterwork items – weapons confer a +4 bonus to attack rolls, armour check penalty is lessened by 4, and skill bonus items confer a +8 bonus. These items of glory must be created with the Craft skill specified by the master’s item of distinction knack, take four times as long to create, and the additional cost to create them is quadrupled (+1,200 steel for weapons of glory, +600 steel for armour of glory, etc).
   Prerequisites: Item of Fame, Craft (specific skill) 9 ranks.

Item of Legend: With this knack, the master craftsman reaches the pinnacle of his ability to create superior items. The master craftsman can create masterwork items that are five times as effective as standard masterwork items – weapons confer a +5 bonus to attack rolls, armour check penalty is lessened by 5, and skill bonus items confer a +10 bonus. These items of legend must be created with the Craft skill specified by the master’s item of distinction knack, take five times as long to create, and the additional cost to create them is quintupled (+1,500 steel for weapons of legend, +750 steel for armour of legend, etc).
   Prerequisites: Item of Glory, Craft (specific skill) 12 ranks.

Performer Knacks

Celebrity: The master performer has achieved a certain level of widespread fame. Select a Perform skill. With this knack, the master performer’s talents are able to command a higher price for performances with that skill. The master performer can earn twice the amount listed for an evening’s work based on her Perform check result.
   This knack may be taken more than once. Each time, it applies to a different Perform skill.

Coordinate: The master performer has a knack for getting people to work together. When the master performer can spend a full round directing his allies and makes a DC 10 Diplomacy check, the performer provides any of his allies within 30 feet a +1 bonus on their attack rolls and skill checks. The bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the master performer’s Charisma modifier. The master performer can coordinate a number of allies equal to one-half his master level, rounded down (to a minimum of one ally).
   This knack can be taken more than once. The bonuses on attack rolls and skill checks stack, and the number of rounds the bonuses last increases by +1 for each additional selection.
   Prerequisite: Diplomacy 1 rank.

Inspiration: The master performer can inspire allies with performances, bolstering them and improving their chances of success. An ally must listen to and observe the master performer for a full round for the inspiration to take hold, and the character must make a DC 15 Perform check. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the character’s Charisma modifier.
   An inspired ally gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls.
   A master performer cannot inspire himself. The character can inspire a number of allies equal to one-half of his master performer level, rounded down (to a minimum of one ally).
   Prerequisite: Perform 1 rank.

Greater Inspiration: The master performer can inspire allies to even greater heights with performances, bolstering them and improving their chances of success. An ally must listen to and observe the master performer for a full round for the greater inspiration to take hold, and the hero must make a DC 15 Perform check. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the character’s Charisma modifier.
   An inspired ally gains an additional +1 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls, which stacks with the bonus from inspiration for a total of a +3 morale bonus.
   A master performer cannot inspire himself. The character can inspire a number of allies equal to one-half his master performer level, rounded down (to a minimum of one ally).
   Prerequisites: Inspiration, Perform 3 ranks.

Compelling Performance: With this knack, the master performer’s skill has increased to the point that he can arouse a single emotion of his choice—despair, hope, or rage—in a target. The master performer can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Charisma bonus (if any). The emotion the master performers arouses affects one target within 15 feet. The performance requires a full-round action and a Perform skill check, and its effects on the target last for 1d4+1 rounds.
   The target makes a Will saving throw. The DC is equal to the master performer’s Perform skill check. An unfriendly target gains a +5 bonus to his Will saving throw, while a hostile target gains a +10 bonus. If the target succeeds at the saving throw, the master performer is immune to the compulsion of this performance. If the target fails, the master performer reacts to the emotion as described below.
   Despair: The target takes a -2 morale penalty on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.
   Hope: The target gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.
   Rage: The target gains a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -1 penalty to Armour Class. In a dramatic situation, the target is compelled to fight, regardless of the danger.
   Prerequisite: Greater Inspiration, Perform 9 ranks.

Virtuoso: The master performer has learned how to apply talents in one technique to another. With this knack, the master performer may substitute ranks in a Perform skill for ranks in another Perform skill in which the master performer has no ranks may substitute on a two for one basis for the purposes of making Perform checks. For example, a master performer with 10 ranks in Perform (wind) may attempt a Perform (comedy) check as if he had 5 ranks in that skill. Ability bonuses and other modifiers are applied as usual. Skills such as Acrobatics and Sleight of Hand may not be mimicked with this knack.

Professional Knacks

Fast-Talk: The master professional has a way with words when attempting to con and deceive. With this knack, he applies half his master level (round down) as a competence bonus on any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Disguise checks he makes while attempting to lie, cheat, or otherwise bend the truth.

Bluster: The master professional has the ability to bluster a target through sheer force of personality, a winning smile, and fast-talking. The target must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a bluster attempt, must be within 30 feet of the master professional, and must be able to see, hear, and understand him.
   To bluster a target, the master professional uses a standard action and makes a Bluff check opposed by the target’s Sense Motive check. If the Bluff check succeeds, the target receives a -1 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws for a number of rounds equal to the character’s Charisma bonus (if positive). This knack can be selected multiple times, each time worsening the penalty by -1. This is a mind-affecting ability.
   Prerequisite: Fast-talk.

Faithful Aide: The master professional has acquired a talented apprentice, student, bodyguard, or servant. This knack functions like the Leadership feat, but it applies only to a cohort, and the master professional’s Leadership score is equal to his ranks in a chosen Profession skill plus his Charisma bonus. The aide can be a character of any class, although usually another master, and is treated exactly as any other cohort.
   Prerequisite: Profession 4 ranks.

Jack of All Trades: The master professional has learned how to apply his experience and savvy with one area of professional expertise in order to succeed in others. With this knack, he may substitute ranks in a Profession skill for ranks in another Profession skill in which he has no ranks. These may be substituted on a two for one basis for the purposes of making Profession checks. For example, a master professional with 10 ranks in Profession (merchant) may attempt a Profession (innkeeper) check as if he had 5 ranks in that skill. Ability bonuses and other modifiers are applied as usual.

Loyal Clientèle: The master professional’s skill at his trade becomes widely known. Select a Profession skill. With this knack, the master professional is able to command a higher price for his services with that skill. For a week’s worth of dedicated work the master professional can earn a number of steel pieces equal to his Profession check, rather than half his Profession check.
   This knack may be taken more than once. Each time, it applies to a different Profession skill.

Skilled Team: The master professional has gathered a small group of apprentices and helpers who assist him in his work. This knack functions like the Leadership feat, but it applies only to followers and the master professional’s Leadership score is equal to his ranks in a chosen Profession skill plus his Charisma bonus. These assistants are all NPC experts, and are otherwise treated exactly like followers.
   Prerequisite: Profession 7 ranks.

Sage Knacks

Academic Reputation: The master sage’s knowledge and learning can guarantee a substantial amount of fame and income. With this knack, the master sage may add his Intelligence bonus to any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate checks relating to a Knowledge skill in which the master sage has at least 1 rank, instead of his Charisma bonus. In addition, the master sage may earn a number of steel pieces equal to his Knowledge skill check for each week of dedicated work as a consultant, scholar, and sage, much as a character with Perform, Craft or Profession earns money with his skill.

Complementary Scholarship: The master sage has learned how to apply his understanding of his existing fields of knowledge to other fields. With this knack, the master sage may substitute ranks in a Knowledge skill for ranks in another Knowledge skill in which he has no ranks on a two for one basis for the purposes of making Knowledge checks. For example, a master sage with 10 ranks in Knowledge (nobility) may attempt a Knowledge (history) check as if he had 5 ranks in that skill. Ability bonuses and other modifiers are applied as usual.

Exploit Weakness: After 1 round of combat, the master sage can designate one opponent and try to find ways to gain an advantage by using brains over brawn. The master sage uses a move action and makes a DC 15 Intelligence check with a bonus equal to half his class level. If the check succeeds, for the rest of the combat the master sage uses his Intelligence bonus instead of either Strength or Dexterity bonus on attack rolls as he finds ways to out-think his opponent and notices weaknesses in his opponent’s fighting style.

Linguist: With this knack, the master sage becomes an exceptional linguist. Whenever the character encounters a new spoken language that he does not know, the master sage can make an Intelligence check to determine if he can understand it. The check is made with a bonus equal to half the character’s master level (rounded up). For a written language, the bonus applies to a Linguistics check instead.
   The DC for the check depends on the situation: DC 15 if the language is related to a language the sage already knows; DC 20 if the language is unrelated to any other languages the sage knows; and DC 25 if the language is ancient or unique. The master sage can glean enough meaning from a conversation or document to ascertain the basic message, but this ability in no way is equivalent to actually being able to converse or fluently read and write in a given language.
   A single check covers roughly one minute of a spoken language or one page of a written language.
   Prerequisite: Knowledge of at least 3 different languages apart from Common and the master sage’s native, racial, or regional language.

Lore: With this knack, the master sage has acquired a talent for picking up assorted facts, historical trivia, and random legends, just as a bard does with bardic knowledge. The master sage adds half his class level (minimum 1) to all Knowledge skill checks and may make such checks untrained. The master sage’s levels stack with other classes which have bardic knowledge or similar abilities, such as the bard or loremaster, but not the mariner (whose sailor lore relies largely on hearsay and tall tales) or master ambassador (whose insightful acclimation works differently).

Tactical Advantage: By using his understanding of a creature’s recorded weaknesses, the master sage can gain an advantage in combat. Choose a Knowledge skill to which this knack applies. Once per encounter, a master sage may make a Knowledge check (DC 10 + creature’s CR) to gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls against a creature covered by the selected Knowledge skill for the remainder of the encounter. The specific Knowledge skill required depends on the creature type: Knowledge (arcana) for dragons, constructs, and magical beasts; Knowledge (dungeoneering) for aberrations and oozes; Knowledge (local) for humanoids and regional cultures; Knowledge (nature) for animals, fey, monstrous humanoids, plants, and vermin; Knowledge (planes) for outsiders; Knowledge (religion) for undead.
   This knack may be taken more than once. Each time it applies to a different Knowledge skill.
   Prerequisite: Exploit Weakness.