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Dark Scholars are arcanists who have delved deeply into texts regarded as too revolutionary or too dangerous for others. Their colleagues and mentors in the Ebon Cabal have shown them forbidden lore, and that has only whetted their appetite for more.

Becoming a Dark Scholar

The path to dark scholarship is straight forward. You must be an arcane spellcaster who has mastered one or more Knowledge skills, and you must become an Ebon Master in the Ebon Cabal .

 

 

Dark Scholar Entry Requirements
Skills : 10 Ranks in Knowledge (arcana ), Knowledge (history), or Knowledge (the plane s). (Having 10 ranks in more than one of these skills is beneficial.]
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 4th-level arcane spells.
Special: You must have an affiliation score of 9 or higher within the Ebon Cabal to become a Dark Scholar. If your affiliation score drops below 9 after you have become a Dark Scholar, you retain all class features but you can' t advance further in the class
.

The Dark Scholar     Hit Die: D4

Class Features
As a Dark Scholar, you master forbidden lore and reap the benefits of such delving. All the following are class features of the Dark Scholar prestige class.

Spells Per Day: At every level beyond 1st, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the dark scholar level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a Dark Scholar, you must decide to which class to add each eligible Dark Scholar level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.


Book Mastery (Ex): At every level but 2nd and 7th, your study results in the mastery of forbidden lore.
c hoos e one book for which you meet the skill prerequisite from the following table. Remember that you gain new skill ranks before you gain class features, so as a 6th-level Dark Scholar you could potentially gain your 16th rank in Knowledge (history) and immediately claim mastery of the Lexicon of the Elder Gods.

The books of forbidden lore, the Knowledge requirement for each one, and the benefits you gain from reading them, are as follows.
Histories of the Mad Empire, Vo l. II: Knowledge (history) 10 ranks; +2 insight bonus on will saves.
Jarathak's Trials, Annotated: Knowledge (arcana) 10 ranks; cast divination and illusion spells at +1 caster level.
Arcana of Yorrek: Knowledge (arcana) 12 ranks; +1 insight bonus on Reflex and Fortitude saves.
Verses of AI-Vushirak: Knowledge (the planes) 12 ranks; +1 to the saving throw DCs of enchantment and necromancy spells.
Book of Stilled Tongue: Knowledge (history) 14 ranks; cast spells two or more levels lower than your maximum spell level without verbal components .
Codex of the Crimson Trance: Knowledge (arcana) 14 ranks; +4 insight bonus on Concent ration checks.
Netherion's Grimoire: Knowledge (the planes) 16 ranks; use bestow curse 1/day as a spell-like ability.
The Thousand Unspeakable Names: Knowledge (arcana) 16 ranks; cast conjuration spells at +1 caster level.
Lexicon of the Elder Gods: Knowledge (history) 16 ranks; cast evocation spells at +1 caster level.
The Ascendancy Manuscript: Knowledge (the planes) 18 ranks; use divine scrolls as if you were a cleric of your arcane caster level.
Tome of Unlparalleld Puissance: Knowledge (arcana) 18 ranks; 1/day, all spells you cast within a 10 -minute period are at +1 caster level.
Among the Dragons: Knowledge (history) 18 ranks; age one year for every two years that pass.


Scholarly Lore: At 2nd level, you become a storehouse of information beyond the lore contained in your forbidden manuscripts. You can attempt to recall some relevant piece of information about local notable people, legendary items, or noteworthy places as a bard does by using the bardic knowledge class feature (PH 29).You add your Dark Scholar level and your Intelligence modifier to the lore check.


Tongues (Su): At 7th level and higher, you are continuaIly under the effects of tongues, as the spell.

 

 

Playing a Dark Scholar

You are obsessed with knowledge, but your thirst for lore has a decidedly practical mindset. If it doesn't make you more powerful, you're a lot less interested in studying it.

Your efforts for the Ebon Cabal probably involve acquiring new tomes of forbidden lore. Who knows? If you bring a tome to the Black Tower so potent that other Dark Scholars must study it, your influence only increases further in their debt to you.

Combat : You control the battlefield the way you always have - with magic. Your spells often have a little extra kick due to your research, however. When you reach the pinnacle of your studies, you are able to perform feats of magic that no mere wizard can match.


Advancement: Dark Scholars are all Ebon Masters within the Ebon Cabal. Most are wizards, although intelligent sorcerers can derive great benefits from this class as well.


Resources: The books associated with this class aren't in the Black Tower's main library. You have convinced a more powerful member of the Ebon Cabal to let you read forbidden lore from a private collection. Who knows what else you might find there?

Level​

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

BaB

+0

+1

+1

+2

+2

+3

+3

+4

+4

+5

Fort Save

+0

+0

+1

+1

+1

+2

+2

+2

+3

+3

Ref Save

+0

+0

+1

+1

+1

+2

+2

+2

+3

+3

Will Save

+2

+3

+3

+4

+4

+5

+5

+6

+6

+7

Special

Book Mastery

Scholarly Lore

Book Mastery

Book Mastery

Book Mastery

Book Mastery

Tongues

Book Mastery

Book Mastery

Book Mastery

Spellcasting

​-

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

+1 Level of Existing Arcane Spellcasting Class

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Profession, Speak Language, Spellcraft , Use Magic Device.

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