#beastbrood

(art by Hassly on DeviantArt)

Ah yes, the Loremaster, the very poster child of “Scientia Potentia Est”, or “Knowledge is Power”. We’ve covered the first edition prestige class of that name before on the blog, and now it’s come back in Second Edition as an archetype as many 1E prestige classes did.

However, while loremasters retain the base premise of “Specializing in knowledge”, this archetype is a bit different from it’s forebear, dropping entirely the whole “secrets of body and mind” thing where they could buff different aspects of themselves permanently by studying the masters in that field, as well as getting rid of the metamagical and spellcasting requirements which made the prestige class have a high barrier to entry in the first place.

What it retains is various ways to improve their ability to recall information and put it to use, including some minor information-gathering skills as well.

While I’ll miss things like wizard loremasters gaining toughness for free to bolster their tiny HP pools and such, I do like the idea of loremasters being associated with any smart character, not just mages, so let’s take a look at the archetype and what it does!

The base dedication of the archetype grants training in loremaster lore, allowing them to recall information on any topic, though improving it is a bit harder than other skills. Furthermore, the loremaster also gains access to certain techniques associated with the enigma bardic muse, even if they are not a bard.

With a little magic, many loremasters can improve their recollection, making it easier to have the right knowledge on hand.

Some also learn some basic magic for communicating information, bolstering allies with guidance, sending whispered messages, and leaving magical marks.

Many also learn to apply their loremaster arts to deciphering text, making sense of codes and dense bodies of work.

Sometimes an obscure area of expertise is beyond their knowledge at first, but by studying up on it quickly, they can briefly gain a basic understanding for whatever purposes they need.

Many are so knowledgeable that they don’t have to struggle to remember some basic things.

Later on, those that mastered basic magics can learn greater ones, allowing them to understand unfamiliar languages, link their minds telepathically, or conceal information on a page magically.

Recollection is quick and fast for many loremasters, recalling information almost reflexively.

The most powerful can think at a lightning pace, recalling a lot of useful information at once to analyze a situation and formulate a plan.

This archetype can seem underwhelming at first, but it’s actually pretty powerful, allowing you to use one skill for all your knowledge rolls (though you’ll still have roll the proper skills for any practical applications of said lores or knowledges. What’s more, the spells for gathering or conveying information are quite useful as well. This archetype is perfect for those that want to be super knowledge-focused without having to play an enigma bard (partially because it gets many of the same feats).

The fact this archetype doesn’t have the same strict requirements as the original is actually pretty valuable as it allows for a much more diverse range of characters beyond “especially nerdy spellcaster”. Consider the fighter loremaster who treats the art of the sword as just another skill in their repertoire, an expression of the body just as their other knowledges express the mind. Loremaster investigators, rogues, inventors, and alchemists, all putting their genius to work, and so on.

The party’s chase of a villain takes them to a flooded cave system with connections to elemental water. There, they find several ledalusca, water elementals capable of mimicking shapes. Though it initially seems like a waste of time, indulging their loremaster’s desire to document their abilities discover the icy elementals saw their quarry, and more importantly, the person he met with.

After receiving a cipher they cannot possibly solve, the party’s scholarly patron has become obsessed to the point of attracting the attention of the puzzle’s creator, a fiend of madness and fixation. If not caught, the corruption will turn their greatest ally into their most dangerous enemy.

Not every martial art is about hitting things extremely hard. Some are more subtle, striking precisely to pick apart a foe at the seams with pressure points, pain, and debilitating aftereffects.

Most monks have access to the stunning fist technique, which can leave foes reeling or otherwise befuddled with various conditions meant to place them on the back foot, but those that master mantis style are especially good at this, deflecting blows with a whipping, hook-fingered stance and striking at the weak points.

Some, however, go beyond this, becoming fully devoted to mastering this singular style, unlocking greater secrets from it.

In the real world, there are technically two mantis styles, Northern, and the similar but unrelated Southern styles of Mantis Kung Fu. The mantis style feats in Pathfinder, and indeed this archetype, seem to be based more on the former.

Interestingly enough, the mantis style feats themselves are not automatically acquired by this archetype, so it is possible to take it without them, but given the focus of both, they synergize well together.

 The feints and deflections of these ascetics can leave foes wide open, and they are trained to take advantage of that, striking at the weak points of foes, dealing devastating pain and damage.

Furthermore, the blows of these martial artists are particularly debilitating, leaving their body unresponsive in various ways. Further, they can infuse such stunning strikes with ki to make the aftereffects last longer.

The most powerful among them can tune the vibrations of the quivering palm technique to knock out foes, rather than slay them, if they so choose to grant that mercy.

Built for unleashing stunning fist attacks followed by sneak attack damage, this monk archetype is built for shutting down foes and punishing them. If that interests you, this archetype begs to be paired with the mantis style chain, as well as improved feint and any other technique that lets them approach and lock foes into overwhelming combat. They lose out on a bunch of bonus feats though, so keep that in mind.

 Funnily enough, though we have the master of many styles, there are little in the way of archetypes devoted to exploring the intricacies of just one like this. Perhaps this archetype could serve as a basic template for other archetypes devoted to perfecting other styles, both drawn from earth lore and otherwise.

 A cunning warrior, the beastbrood tiefling Uriskar predicts his opponent’s strategy with his natural ability to read thoughts, and picks them apart with his graceful martial arts and precise strikes. However, he often refuses to fight more than a few times a day due his reliance on that ability. He can be convinced into a fight, however, by appealing to his rakshasa blooded ego.

 The nation of Yu Nasei has long been a place where warriors far and wide can come to test their skills against others, having basked in a lasting peace for nearly a century. Various monastic orders get in on the action by testing their combat styles against each other. However, recently the House of the Mantis has rediscovered secrets of further perfecting their art. This year, they may very well have the advantage, but who revealed this lost lore, and why?

Finished up Fivin Suithrat.