No magic Scholar?

[zozotroll]

I realize that a scholar is meant to be a multi-use class, but with most of the class features magic related, if a player goes for no magic, they get a lot of skill points but much else. Is there an alternate out there somewhere? A knowledge/skill person that doesnt have a bunch of magic features?

Thanks for any replys.
Owen

 

[Ichabod]

What do you want the character able to do?

There's monastic scholar in The Warrior's Companion that has magical abilities with a different feel from casting spells.

But, if you don't want to do sorcery, couldn't you just multiclass or not play a scholar at all?

 

[zozotroll]

Because I want a smart guy with lots of skill points. Temptress has a bunch of magic as well, and it just doesnt fit a sage type. Niether does thief, with it skill selection. I mean if a scholar can only be a magic user, why not just call them magic user? What I want is a scholarly scholar. I dont believe I am the first person with this thought.

 

[Ichabod]

I'm still confused. Playing nothing but a knowledge dude is simplicity itself. Just don't take any sorcery styles.

What I would guess that you are looking for is to play a scholar who doesn't take any sorcery styles but gets reasonable compensation rather than the crappy 2 extra skill ranks for advanced spells, nothing for bonus spells, and junky feats for new sorcery styles. That's understandable.

I don't know what to tell you. It's still incredibly easy to pile skill ranks into knowledge skills even if you multiclass (being Hyborian marginally helps as you have Adaptability to aid maxing out two skills). Multiclassing won't help getting shafted by junk feats and no compensation for missed bonus spells, of course.

The easiest way to go is to talk to your GM about what you want to do. Could hope for a The Scholar's Companion to someday get published. I don't recall if books like Faith and Fervor or Hyboria's Finest have other options.

If you want an example of a nonmagical scholarly sort, I can provide a NPC dilettante - noble/scholar (4/5) - I created for our campaign but who has never been used. Sucking at how to format tabbed text into places like this, I'm loath to post her unless there's real interest. Also, I designed her as a librarian; she's utterly useless as a PC in any sort of normal campaign.

Anyway, let me try a different question. Besides having high knowledge skills, Knowledge is Power, or whatever brain thing you want to have, what do you want your character to be able to do? Fight - offense? Fight - defense? Socialize?

 

[zozotroll]

The thing is, I am the GM. And the question has not been asked in my game yet, but it will. And I want an answer already in place. And dont feel I know Conan well enough to just wing a base class all by myself.

For NPCs, no problem. Those I have no problem doing on the fly. But players are a different matter. And while I dont think things need to be so carefully "balanced" as 3.5 would have everything, if you take away all the magic from the scholor, you have a pretty vanilla class left.

As for what they are going to want, well of course, something I wont think of until they ask for it. that is the nature of good players after all. As for multi-classing, that just means that thier class features only suck half the time.

At this time, I am pretty sure I dont want a party magician. If we wanted to do that, dnd 3.5 works just fine. I want the no player magic theme. And I like the idea that you can have a skilled person who is not a thief.Just as I like to see the end of "but you have to have a cleric and a thief" type party.

And again, I am just starting out in Conan (the RPG, I have been reading the books for 40 years) I dont believe I am the first to have this thought.

But thanks for the reply. No dont type out your multi-class, I dont think it is what I am looking for, and no reason to go to that amount of work. Perhaps in the next day or two somebody will have what I want.

owen

 

[VincentDarlage]

I think a non-sorcerous scholar is a viable option - and quite playable. You get bonus feats and skill points out the ying-yang.

Or choose the thief class but don't take any of the traditional theif skills (hide, move silently, pick locks, etc).

 

[David St-Michel]

Well, from what I'm gathering...

Get your Scholar all sorts of skills without having him choose any Sorcery styles at all.

If you want to add a little kick to him, make him multi-class once into Soldier for the armor/shield/weapon proficiencies.

Then turn him back to Scholar.

And have fun with your walking tank who speaks eleven languages, including three dead ones.

 

[Teriudin]

A few levels of scholar is amazing! The first four levels nets you a will save boost, 3 free feats (soldier equivelent for a different subset of feats) and TONS of skillpoints.

I believe scholar classes are essential for creating any fencing character, as knowledge (Aq or Zing fencing) is a class skill and the skill points are right there. Alteranating between soldier and scholar nets something like 6 bonus feats, 5 skill points per level, and average HP and slightly above average BAB up to about 8th level. Past that both soldier and scholar taper off, so find another multiclass or prestige class (warlord?) Ooh, just thinking about it makes me want to create that character!

A pure scholar with no sorcery is pretty weak, but it is a very intriguing multiclass.

 

[cbrunish]

What I would guess that you are looking for is to play a scholar who doesn't take any sorcery styles but gets reasonable compensation rather than the crappy 2 extra skill ranks for advanced spells, nothing for bonus spells, and junky feats for new sorcery styles. That's understandable.

I took the rule to be, the character gets 2 extra skill ranks per advanced spell, including bonus spells. But I could be wrong.

And I created a "monk" type character with the scholar. I did give the character a couple of levels in Soldier and the only sorcery style I used was Oriental Magic for the "monk" feel. Actually was a pretty cool character. But there are some good feats for Martial Artists in the Finest book.

 

[Diabolus]

Expert (duh)

 

[VincentDarlage]

There is no Expert class in Conan. (duh)

 

[Jeffreywns]

The non-spell using scholar, whether a priest or clockwork genius,etc. is very, very possible and with bonus feats (skill focus) and the normal gained feats it would be a fun character to either roleplay or GM.
A refreshing take, but as always you will be told the proper way to do it. Just remember that if it fits your group and style, thats what counts. I have made a few with the focus on alchemist and a clockwork artist. The players feared them as much as any "wizard".

 

[Diabolus]

There is no Expert class in Conan. (duh)

Touche' Vincent. I forgot when I posted that I had adapted Expert to Conan RPG myself years ago (1E)...

When I get home I'll post what I did. I had wanted a class that served both for sages, sailors that weren't pirates, and other highly skilled craftsmen.

 

[decker423]

Because I want a smart guy with lots of skill points. Temptress has a bunch of magic as well, and it just doesnt fit a sage type. Niether does thief, with it skill selection. I mean if a scholar can only be a magic user, why not just call them magic user? What I want is a scholarly scholar. I dont believe I am the first person with this thought.

In the game I'm running I have a PC playing a Mitra priest. No magic, his focus is on healing and historical research. He's the group's medic, brain and negotiator (since everyone else is putting all of their focus into combat). On the bad side, he tends to stay way back in combat and has a tough time role-playing a pacifist in the Conan world.

 

[David St-Michel]

Maybe your player was specifically aiming for that challenge? A pacifist in the Hyborian age?

 

[Krushnak]

decker is your player running a pacifist because he's a Mitran priest or because of some other reason? Definately an attitude that will be challenged alot.

 

[Rodericus]

Why not multiclass noble/scholar?

The rest can be rol-played, I think.

Good luck!

 

[Teriudin]

That's what the leadership Feat is for.

Step 1)
Create a great roleplay character.
Step 2)
Get a decent level - 2 follower for the dice rolling.
Step 3)
Profit

 

[David St-Michel]

Step 4: wake up from a week-long drunken haze, poor, naked, with a few women that you don't even know their names and a half-empty keg of cheap wine.

Step 5: go back adventuring.

 

[azoth999]

Because I want a smart guy with lots of skill points. Temptress has a bunch of magic as well, and it just doesnt fit a sage type. Niether does thief, with it skill selection. I mean if a scholar can only be a magic user, why not just call them magic user? What I want is a scholarly scholar. I dont believe I am the first person with this thought.

Temptress (from the 2nd Ed rules) only has magic if you choose to take the path of sorcery in the Secret Art section. You have options for politics or thief-like abilities as alternate paths w/o any magic. But, while Temptresses can be packed full of skills, if your char is not into the seductive aspect, there's not much reason to choose her for the path.