Know it All
As the more sagacious among you are no doubt aware, we recently released a new book, this one about what we like to call the “wise sage,” which is a sort of character archetype (that’s archetype in the normal sense, not in the sense of a package of alternate class features) that refers to characters like Gandalf, Merlin, and Yoda. This book, Character Guide: The Wise Sage offers lots of advice on great ways to roleplay a wise sage, including tips on how to play characters that are a lot smarter than you yourself are, and has lots of little tips and tricks on how to make playing such a character more fun, plus tons of detailed information on what sorts of classes, feats, spells, and the like make for effective wise sages. It also has some information for harried GMs who want to know how to best cater to the players of wise sage characters, and, of course, some new crunch content as well, in the form of over 7,000 words of new sage-themed archetypes (this time I do mean packages of alternate class features).
Anyway, in order to celebrate, and maybe get you guys interested in taking a closer look at this book we’re already quite excited about), we’re devoting the whole week to sages. And the number one thing to know about wise sage characters is that they tend to be pretty well-informed folks. So, I thought that today I’d spend some time on feats designed to reward you for being knowledgeable (plus one that makes being knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics a little easier). But enough about that, on to the feats!
Engineer’s Insight
Your knowledge of engineering leaves you well-armed to bypass defenses.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks.
Benefit: You gain a bonus on all Perception checks made to find traps equal to 1/4 the number of ranks you possess in Knowledge (engineering). Additionally, you may spend a move action and make a special Knowledge (engineering) check (DC 20) to attempt to find a structural weak point in an object or structure. If you succeed, you gain a +2 competence bonus on all attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, damage rolls, and Strength checks that are made to break, sunder, or damage the object.
Geographer’s Insight
Your knowledge of the lay of the land gives you an almost supernatural knowledge of where to go.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (geography) 5 ranks.
Benefit: Once per week, you may specify a certain location and make a special Knowledge (geography) check (DC 20). If you succeed, then you are able to determine the best way to reach the chosen location, as though you were affected by the spell find the path, except that it only functions if the chosen location is no more than 1 mile away, plus 1 mile for each point by which you exceed the DC. This ability, like find the path, can only be used to find prominent locations.
Historian’s Insight
Knowing that history often repeats itself, you use your historical knowledge to guide your decisions.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (history) 5 ranks.
Benefit: Once per week, you may make a Knowledge (history) check (DC 20). If you succeed, you gain the benefits of an augury spell, except that the chance of a meaningful reply is always 100%.
For every 5 additional ranks in Knowledge (history) you have beyond 5, you may use this ability an additional time per week.
Informed Argument
You are able to make persuasive arguments by citing various facts from your vast repertoire of knowledge.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (any) 1 rank.
Benefit: Whenever you make a Diplomacy check, you can make a special Knowledge check (DC equal to the DC of the Diplomacy check) in order to gain a +2 bonus on the Diplomacy check. For every 5 points by which your result exceeds the DC, the bonus increases by an additional +1 (to a maximum of a +5 bonus for exceeding the DC by 15).
Not all facts are equally applicable, however, and the GM may select one or more Knowledge skills which are not appropriate to be used in this way, based on the context of the Diplomacy check. At least one Knowledge skill must be allowed to be used in this way for any given Diplomacy check, even if none of them seem appropriate.
Sagacious Study
You have the foresight to research topics that are likely to be important to you in advance.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (any) 1 rank.
Benefit: Choose a Knowledge skill for which you have at least 1 rank. Three times per day, when you make a skill check with the chosen Knowledge skill, you may gain a +5 competence bonus on that check. You must declare that you are using this ability before the roll is made.
Trivia Master
You collect odd facts and miscellanea and horde them like treasure.
Benefit: You may make Knowledge checks untrained. Additionally, you gain a +1 bonus on all Knowledge checks that you make, as long as you have no ranks in the associated Knowledge skill.