HEROES AND ANTIHEROES
CHAPTER 5
and successfully deal damage. Allies within 30 feet of the who share their interest in old lore and the recovery of archivist gain a +1 insight bonus to Armor Class that applies long-lost treasure. to attacks by the affected creature only. If the archivist succeeds on his Knowledge check by 10 or more, this bonus Combat increases to +2. If the archivist succeeds on his Knowledge Archivists are not especially potent front-line fighters and check by 20 or more, this bonus increases to +3. will often hang back with the wizards when combat arises. Scribe Scroll: Archivists gain Scribe Scroll as a bonus They are sturdier and usually better armored than their arcane counterparts, however, and boldly stride into combat feat. Lore Mastery: Upon reaching 2nd level, an archivist gains when necessary (for example, when it means defending one a +2 bonus to all Decipher Script checks and to all checks who is weaker or easier to hit). of any one Knowledge skill of his choice. Once this choice Archivists are especially effective in parties that contain is made, it cannot be changed. At 7th, 13th, and 17th level, other divine casters or bards. Given preparation time, an the archivist can choose an additional Knowledge skill on archivist can use his magic to bolster party members, including the clerics, so that when combat begins, the clerics can which to gain the +2 bonus. wade into battle with the fighters, leaving the archivists free Still Mind (Ex): Starting at 4th level, an archivist gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and effects from to heal. the school of enchantment, due to his rigorous focus and If PCs are likely to face foes who have secret weaknesses, intense mental discipline. there can be an enormous benefit in recruiting an archivist. Bonus Feat: When an archivist reaches 10th level, and An archivist can often provide information about a foe’s again at 20th level, he can select a free feat from the followweaknesses that spells the difference between failure and ing list: Skill Focus (any Knowledge skill), Spell Focus, any success against that adversary. metamagic feat, or any item creation feat.
PLAYING AN ARCHIVIST As an archivist, you travel in search of new and unusual magic of a divine nature. Since your understanding of magic revolves around the written word, you prize magical writings of any kind and will travel far to investigate a newly uncovered (or yet-to-be-discovered) holy scripture or mystical recitation. Generally speaking, you aren’t quite as stuffy as the average wizard, given your breadth of experience and high Wisdom score, but neither are you a chest-thumping champion of the gods. The secrets you uncover are their own reward, and your confidence in yourself and in the job you do is more rewarding than the empty gratitude of some group or hierarchy.
Religion While most archivists are religious, it is fundamentally their way to put more stock in the power of the divine than in the divine itself. Archivists exist for virtually every known deity. Some hunt down the secrets of ages past to exalt the greater glory of their deity, while others seek only to safeguard sacred lore from falling into the wrong hands. Still others see very little connection between their personal devotion and the work they do, aside from perceiving their continued success as evidence of their god’s favor.
Other Classes
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Archivists tend to fare well in the company of wizards, who appreciate the scholarly approach they take to magical study. By the same token, however, they have a mercurial relationship with standard clerics. Some priesthoods view archivists as an essential arm of their god’s following, while others see them as little more than shameless thieves who seek to despoil or abuse sacred texts. Many druids look askance at their spells’ being cast by those who do not follow druidic teachings. Archivists often travel in the company of bards or rogues (another mark against them in the eyes of some narrow-minded priests),
Advancement It is often said that archivists are born, not made. Many who embrace this class do so out of a genuine thirst for learning, often accompanied by a reverence or admiration for divine power. Some people who end up walking the path of the archivist began as apprentice wizards or junior clerics but soon felt the call to seek hidden knowledge. Many archivists are archivists for life; the more hidden lore they uncover, the more they feel they still have to learn. Others multiclass to complement their abilities, sometimes validating their pursuits in the eyes of a church hierarchy by taking levels in cleric or even paladin. Less frequently, an archivist’s hunger for lore causes him to branch out into the arcane arts, splitting his studies between divine exploration and wizardry. The archivist is also an exceptionally versatile class for the purposes of prerequisites, acting as a natural gateway class for many prestige classes.
DREAD NECROMANCER
“Necromancy is not just one school of magic among many. It is an Art, one that requires the Artist’s entire devotion.” —Kazerabet, Angel of the Dark A specialist wizard who calls himself a necromancer or a cleric with the Death domain has significant power over undead and the forces of negative energy, but a dread necromancer is their true master. A practitioner of vile and forbidden arts, the dread necromancer roots about in graveyards, searching out moldering components for her obscene spells. She calls upon restless, tormented spirits of the dead, seeking their arcane secrets. She might be a consummate villain, or perhaps a tortured hero whose obsession with death leads her along questionable moral paths.
MAKING A DREAD NECROMANCER A dread necromancer is similar to other arcane spellcasters such as wizards, sorcerers, bards, or warmages. She does
