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Globetrotting Scholar

It takes a particular kind of personality to leave the creature comforts of academia in order to explore trap-ridden ancient tombs or observe man-eating monstrosities in their native habitats. The sort of personality that finds joy in the life cycle of parasitic wasps or recounts grisly Ghol-Gani sacrificial rites with a decidedly gruesome relish. Academia would not survive without such globetrotting scholars, but to their more sedate colleagues, they do tend to come off as an odd bunch.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 31
Unspecific Lore: DC 29
Specific Lore: DC 26

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Globetrotting ScholarCreature 13

Medium Human Humanoid 
Source NPC Core pg. 142
Perception +26
Languages Common; up to 5 additional languages
Skills Acrobatics +24, Athletics +27, Crafting +22, Nature +27, Stealth +24, Survival +27
Str +3, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +1, Cha +3
Items +1 resilient leather armor, +1 striking flintlock pistol, +1 striking frost dagger, climbing kit, notebook filled with sketches of wild animals and ancient ruins, writing kit
AC 33; Fort +23, Ref +26, Will +20
HP 235
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] frost dagger +25 [+21/+17] (agile, finesse, magical, versatile S), Damage 2d4+11 piercing plus 1d6 coldMelee [one-action] fist +24 [+20/+16] (agile, finesse, nonlethal, unarmed), Damage 1d4+11 bludgeoningRanged [one-action] flintlock pistol +25 [+20/+15] (concussive, fatal d8, magical, range increment 40 feet, reload 1), Damage 2d4+8 piercing plus 1d6 electricityArcane Prepared Spells DC 30, attack +22; 7th disintegrate, project image; 6th mislead, thunderstrike; 5th sure strike; Cantrips (7th) detect magic, figment, gouging claw, ignition, tangle vine
Following Spell [one-action] (arcane) Frequency once per round; Requirement The globetrotting scholar's last action was a successful Strike; Effect The globetrotting scholar immediately casts gouging claw, ignition, or tangle vine at the target of the Strike.Magnificent…! [one-action] (auditory, linguistic, visual) The globetrotting scholar enthusiastically describes certain features of whatever dread horror they are currently facing, pointing out the weaknesses of a creature within 30 feet. The globetrotting scholar and all allies that can hear or see them gain a +1 status bonus to attack and damage rolls against that creature until the beginning of the globetrotting scholar's next turn. The scholar deals an extra 3d6 precision damage with their weapon and unarmed Strikes that hit that creature during the same duration.

All Monsters in "Scholar"

NameLevel
Astronomer2
Avuncular Professor5
Departmental Chair7
Eldritch Emeritus17
Exuberant Apprentice4
Globetrotting Scholar13
Librarian-1
Obsessive Researcher-1
Sage6
Teacher-1

Scholar

Source NPC Core pg. 138
True power comes from knowledge—the power to shape the growth of kingdoms by mere whispers, stay three steps ahead of adversaries, or even know which flora is best for creating untraceable poisons.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Academic Pranks

It is a fond tradition at most universities in the Inner Sea for young scholars to pull strange and off-kilter pranks, all the more so when those young scholars have magic—the more difficult, bizarre, or inexplicable the prank, the better. The wizards of the Arcanamirium still reminisce over the time they transported an entire galleon into a city park in the middle of the night. Similarly, the students at Dacilane Academy have recently started what they have called the First Great Prank War.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Centers Of Learning

The Acadaemae (Varisia): Premiere wizard's college specializing in the summoning of otherworldly creatures.
Almas University (Andoran): School primarily focusing on law, politics, modern philosophy, and zoology.
Kitharodian Academy (Taldor): Famed bardic college teaching students of all social classes.
Magaambya (Nantambu): Ancient school with some of the world's greatest stores of arcane knowledge.
University of Lepidstadt (Ustalav): School primarily focusing on alchemy, medicine, and scientific study.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Crossover Ancestry NPCs

Several of the NPCs elsewhere in NPC Core can fit well in this group: Catfolk name collector (level 6), dromaar lorekeeper (level 5), gnome philomath (level –1)

Sidebar - Related Creatures Fashionable Familiars

Bonding with a familiar is a deeply personal act, unique to each master and familiar. People being people, certain familiars do remain more popular than others. Cats, rats, and ravens are venerable classics, unlikely to be dislodged anytime soon. Monkeys are common in more southerly climates, and the venerable toad is the familiar of choice for wizards who want something a bit lower maintenance.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Scholarly Titles

University scholars can be just as obsessed with titles as the most hidebound aristocracy, and so all the Inner Sea's universities have a wealth of ranks, titles, degrees, and forms of address. A few of the most common are dean, rector, professor, docent, lecturer, reader, fellow, elder, doctor, master, philosopher, tutor, and don, with a host of vice-, deputy-, senior-, and emeritus-variants on all of them.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Uncommon Scholastic Disciplines

Beside the life and natural sciences such as arcana, biology, botany, geology, oceanography, and zoology, demand is increasing in cities for more modern disciplines like anthropology, economics, sociology, urban planning, and even art curation and forensic investigation.

Sidebar - Additional Lore University Uniform

Most universities in the Inner Sea have robes as either their official or ceremonial uniform, usually with a mixture of stoles, cowls, and sashes stolen with varying degrees of subtlety from local religious traditions. Less commonly, one sees staves, capes, or amulets, but occasionally truly odd things appear. Graduates of the Chirographica in Ular Kel receive a silver spear, while the College of Mysteries in Absalom grants supernatural tattoos to its star pupils.