Savant (5A)

Starfox's 5th Edition Fan Page

Source: En5ider #246, #250. Original writing Jeremiah McCoy. Heavily edited.

Savants are first and foremost experts, unique even when compared to arcane or divine sages. Brilliant detectives, iconic martial artists, and adventurous physicians are counted among their number, each utilizing brilliance where others rely on magic or brute power. For a savant, saving the day means turning leverage and knowledge into weaponry.

What is a Savant?

A wizard knows the right formulas, incantations, and positions to access mystical forces, sorcerers know how to pull the raw power of their blood, and clerics understand the will of their gods and how to appeal to them for aid. Martial characters have moves they have drilled again and again. The savant is drawing power from knowledge an can improvise quickly and decisively. different way and while their “magic” is less showy, it is frighteningly effective in its application.

Creating A Savant

The first decision when making a savant is deciding why they’ve chosen the intellectual arts over martial or magical disciplines. Were they singled out in their youth for being physically slight and had to rely on their cunning? Are they heir to a dynasty known for the sharpness of their fine minds? Have they been taught at all or did they become a savant by way of self-discovery? Once you’ve determined your savant’s circumstances, you can choose their aptitude. Those who pursue the path of an Adversary understand force, the movement of bodies, how they react to certain pressures, and where to precisely apply that force. Chirurgeons understand the body like few others, knowing comprehensively what different potions do, how to relieve pain, and how to cure the sick. A Coordinator understands people in a way deeper than intuition could ever reveal, seeing thousands of subtle hints other might miss.

Brains Over Brawn

There are many kinds of heroes in myths and in legends— some are strong, others brave or righteous, and a rare few are heroic by virtue of their cunning. The savant is the ultimate example of the smart and clever hero. They are supremely intelligent and approach their adventuring life in that context: instead of brute force, a savant applies their understanding of force to achieve the right results.

Quick Build

Quickly building a savant is a simple affair. Your highest ability score should be Intelligence, followed by Dexterity. Your next highest ability score should be Constitution. Choose the Adversary aptitude and for your Fighting Style pick Smart Defense. When selecting your starting equipment, choose a rapier, hand crossbow, and tinker’s tools. For skills, pick Investigation and Perception.

Class Profile

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per savant level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per savant level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: None

Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, improvised weapons, rapiers

Tools: Choose either alchemist’s supplies or tinker’s tools

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Perception, and Sleight of Hand

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.

• a set of traveler’s clothes or common clothes
• a scholar’s pack
• (a) a simple melee weapon or (b) a rapier
• (a) a simple ranged weapon or (b) a hand crossbow and 10 bolts
• (a) alchemist’s supplies or (b) tinker’s tools or (c) theif's tools (if proficient)

Multiclassing

Prerequisite: Intelligence 13

Proficiencies Gained: Improvised weapons and choose either Alchemist’s Supplies or Tinker’s Tools

Savant Table

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features
1st	+2	Aptitude, Versatile Defense
2nd	+2	Analyzed need, Aptitude ability
3rd	+2	Savant Tricks
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement
5th	+3	Extra Attack
6th	+3	Aptitude ability
7th	+3	Intelligent Caution
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement
9th	+4	Focused Defense
10th	+4	More Tricks
11th	+4	Aptitude ability
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement
13th	+5	More Savant Dice
14th	+5	Aptitude ability
15th	+5	Clockwork Mind
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement
17th	+6	Aptitude ability
18th	+6	Mindful Soul
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement
20th	+6	Ultimate Schema

Class features

As a savant, you gain the following class features.

Aptitude

Your aptitude defines what kind of savant you are. Your aptitude gives you unique features at 1st level and again at 2nd, 6th, 11th, 14th, and 17th level.

Versatile Defense

You constantly analyze combat situations to improve your defensive posture, reacting with trained reflexes to guide attacks away from yourself. Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and have one hand free, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier.

Analyzed Need

At 2nd level, when you finish a short or long rest you can choose a skill. When making an ability check using that skill, you use Intelligence instead of the ability score it normally uses.

Savant Tricks

At 3rd level, you can use a bonus action to prepare a trick. You can only have one trick prepared at a time. A trick is prepared until you use it or prepare another trick. Once you use the trick, you can prepare another trick in the same manner.

Tricks and the Action Economy Most tricks can only be used in certain circumstances, but using the trick itself does not require any action. A bonus action is taken when preparing the trick, but it requires no action when triggering it. Other tricks do require a bonus action to prepare and then some kind of action when triggering the tricks.

Some of your tricks require your target to make a saving throw to resist its effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Trick save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

You know a number of tricks equal to your Intelligence Bonus (minimum one trick). You can chose the tricks listed below, or other tricks available from your aptitude. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose to replace the tricks you know with other tricks.

• Diversion. You distract the attention of a creature who is attacking you or a creature within within 30 feet of you just as it is about to attack, giving it disadvantage on that attack roll.

• Grounded Reason. You can to reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll.

• Guiding Steps. When you hit a Large-sized or smaller creature with a melee weapon attack, you can force the target to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is either knocked prone or moved up to 10 feet in a direction of your choice. This movement does not trigger attacks of opportunity.

• Off-Balance. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you put the creature off balance. Until the end of your next turn, the target moves at half speed and has disadvantage on ability checks.

• Sidestep. When you are hit by an attack and there is another creature (not the attacker) within 5 feet of you, you can force the attacker to make an Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, the attack is redirected to strike a creature of your choice within 5 feet of you, but not back on the original attacker. The original attacker makes a new attack roll against the new target.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Savant Pool

At 6th level, you gain a pool of dice you can use to improve your chances. You have a number of d6 equal to your Proficency Bonus. You recover all proficiency dice when you finish a long rest. After you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, you can spend a die from your savant pool and add the result to your roll.

Your aptitude gives you additional ways to spend dice from your savant pool.

Your savant dice improve as you increase your level as a savant, becoming d8 at 11th level, d10 at 14th level, and d1w at 17th level.

Intelligent Caution

At 7th level, when you make a saving throw against a spell or effect that deals damage, you can use your reaction to make an Intelligence saving throw instead. On a success, you take no damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Expended uses are recharged at the end of a long rest.

Focused Defense

Starting at 9th level, when you are facing more than one enemy you’re able to use them against each other. As long as there’s more than one enemy within 30 feet, you can use a bonus action to choose a creature within range. Until the end of your next turn, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

More Tricks

At 10th level, you can hold a second trick in reserve. You still require a bonus action to prepare a trick. In addition, you learn two more tricks of your choice.

More Savant Dice

At 13th level, you gain 2 additional Savant Dice. When you roll initiative, you regain one Savant Dice, not to exceed your initial maximum.

Clockwork Mind

At 15th level your mind is so ordered and controlled that is harder to influence. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Mindful Soul

At 18th level, your keen mind becomes an asset against all types of obstacles. You have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Ultimate Schema

At 20th level, your mental capabilities transcend the normal limitations mortal minds face. You have advantage on all Intelligence checks and saving throws.

Aptitudes

Aptitudes are the different paths of expertise pursued by savants, each a unique focus with its own range of abilities.

Adversary

I can’t let you do that,” said the small, unassuming fellow, brushing back his thin hair and wrapping one hand about the top of his walking stick as the brutes turn to face him, their would-be victim dangling in the air. One of the hobgoblins lashes out with an axe but misses, the short man pushing the weapon’s haft ever so slightly and leaning slightly to the side. The next thug stabs in a vicious thrust but his target steps to the right, lashing out with a cane to strike the attacker’s knee and diverting the assault into the hobgoblin holding the victim aloft. As they look upon him with new regard the little man squares himself once more and nonchalantly asks, “shall we begin?”

The focus of combat is oft en geared towards the use of maximum force but these savants approach fighting from a different mindset, seeking to control a battle through the correct application of force instead. Rather than try to overpower an opponent they maneuver them into a perilous position by way of a superior intellect. As an Adversary you are a master of violence. Whether you choose to do that up close or at range, you are as effective as any standard warrior and what’s more, because of your subtleties you are easily underestimated.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this aptitude at 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons as well as light and medium armor. You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes, and you can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike. In your hands a mace and quarterstaff gains the finesse property, and you can use various canes and sticks as if they were such weapons depending on size. Many adversaries sport a handsome cane that functions as a mace or quarterstaff while appearing to be nothing but an accessory.

Smart Defense

Starting at 1st level you gain a +1 bonus to AC. In addition, while you are wearing light armor and have one hand free, you gain a bonus to AC equal to your Intelligence modifier (up to a maximum no higher than your proficiency bonus). Alternatively, while wearing medium armor, you may use Intelligence instead of Dexterity when calculating AC.

Adversary Tricks

These tricks are only available to Adversaries.

• Affront. On your turn, use this trick to force all creatures within 30 feet to make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the target’s attention is drawn to you and it has disadvantage any attack roll it makes against anyone but you until the start of your next turn. You can use this outside of your turn, but then you only affect a single creature within 5 feet.

• Blinding Strike. Use this trick when you damage a creature with a weapon attack, the target must make a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn.

• Marksman’s Interruption. You can use this trick as a reaction to make a ranged weapon attack against a creature you can see. On a successful hit, instead of dealing damage the target’s speed is reduced by half until the start of its next turn as your attack disrupts its movement. Alternatively, you can use this trick while taking the Attack action with a ranged weapon. If you do, on a successful hit you also deal damage.

• Tangled Dance. Use this trick at any time. Until the end of your next turn, your AC increases by 1 for each creature within 5 feet of you (to a maximum bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier).

Studied Target

At 2nd level, you can spend an action studying a creature. For the next minute, you gain a +1 bonus to weapon damage rolls, attack rolls, and opposed ability checks made against the target. You may only have one Studied Target at a time. This bonus increases to +2 when you reach 11th level in this class, and again to +3 at 17th level.

Tacticia

At 6th level you can use dice from your savant pool to improve weapon attacks. Add the result of the savant die to both the attack and damage rolls.

Exploit The Patterns

At 11th level, as a bonus action, you can choose a creature you can see within 30 feet and make a Wisdom (Perception) against a DC equal to its CR + 5. On a success, the next time you hit the target with a weapon attack you can impose one of the following effects:

• Until the end of its next turn, the target’s AC is reduced by an amount equal to half your proficiency bonus.
• Your attack ignores damage resistances.
• Until the end of its next turn, any attacks the target makes against you take a penalty to damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Subject Mastery

At 14th level, choose one weapon you are proficient with. Your attacks with this weapon score a critical hit on a roll of 18–20.

Disable

At 17th level, you learn how to immobilize an enemy. Once per turn when you have advantage on your attack roll and hit a creature of Large size or smaller with a melee weapon attack, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target is paralyzed for a number of rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make a Constituti on saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Leech

The tiny needle slid into the wizard’s gut as the leech gently slapped his face. “What in the hells?!,” cried the mage. “Why are you sticking a needle in me?” “Because you were dead and I needed to reset your humors to bring you back,” she replies with an unnerving calm. “I was dead?” he asks, aghast. “Yes.” The leech answers, a bit frustrated. “Well, only temporarily.” Rubbing at his temples, the mage continues, “and you brought me back...from the dead?” “A little, yes.” She gestures behind her with one thumb. “Now try and keep up. The others are trying to kill that lich by themselves and it is not going well.”

When clerics can use the power of gods to heal knowledge is not important. Still the study of the body calls to some people. These savants want an understanding of life beyond magic, taking to wandering battlefields or back alleys in search of suffering to heal with nothing more than their hands and the right knowledge. Knowledge of the body is esoteric — the odd relationship of natural humors, the importance of different organs to various functions, and the correct use of herbs can seem like a magic but is not.

As a Leech your role is primarily that of a healer, and though you have access to poisons and other forms of attack your abilities primarily focus on keeping your allies alive.

Mundane Healing in the Game Magical healing in the game is cheap and effective, and to compete mundane healing needs to be the same. Two subclasses focused on mundane healing is the Leech Savant aptitude and the Chirurgeon Rogue archetype. To merit having two branches, they have to be different, which is expressed in the different classes they belong to. The Leech is focused on medicaments and the balance of the humors. From the Savant, it inherits a focus on reason, stunts, and defense. The Chirurgeon is focused on the healing power of the knife, surgery. From the rogue it inherits skills and aggressive sneak attacks.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this aptitude at 1st level, you gain proficiency with Medicine, the herbalists's kit, the and poisoner’s kit.

Knowledge of the Form

At 1st level, your knowledge of the body and its functioning eclipses that of most simple healers. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for all Medicine checks. In addition, you can use Intelligence instead of Wisdom when making a check that uses Medicine.

Abilities below often use Medicine to calculate the effect - this can be either (Wisdom (Medicine) or Intelligence (Medicine), your choice.

You can also use a healer's kit without expending its charges.

Leech Tricks

These tricks are only available to Leech's.

• Always With a Tonic. You administer a potion or leech dice to an ally within 5 feet without spending an action.

• Exhausting the Body. When you damage a creature with a weapon attack, you can force the target to make a Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion for 1 minute. You cannot use this trick to give a target exhaustion again until the start of your next turn. Undead and constructs cannot be harmed by this ability.

• Rescue the Suffering. You can use your action to activate this trick. If you do, one ally you can see can use their reaction to take the Disengage action and move up to their speed.

Leech ’s Care

At 2nd level, you can optimize the effects of a short rest. You and any friendly creatures that take a short rest with you regain an additional amount of hit points equal to your Medicine bonus. In addition, you can choose one creature taking a short or long rest with you. Using the right combination of herbs and pressure points, you remove one condition or a level of exhaustion from the target. Undead and constructs cannot benefit from this ability.

Balancing the Humors

At 2nd level, you can spend an action identify maladies and rout them from a creature within 5 feet. Treating a disease or condition requires a successful Medicine check. If the effect allows a saving throw use the saving throw as the DC. Otherwise use a DC of 12. If the Medicine check fails, you cannot attempt to use this ability on this particular creature again until it finishes a long rest.

You can remove a disease and the paralyzed, poisoned, and stunned conditions.

At 6th level, you can treat the blinded, charmed, and deafened conditions as well as any effect that can be removed with Dispel Magic.

At 14th level, you can reduce the target’s exhaustion level by one, remove the frightened, or petrified condition, or end one of the following effects on the target:

• One curse, including the target’s attunement to a cursed magic item
• One effect reducing the target’s hit point maximum

Leech Dice

At 6th level, you can take an action and spend a savant die to heal a creature you touch. Roll the savant die and add your Medicine modifier, the target recovers Hit Points equal to the result. Undead and constructs cannot benefit from this ability.

Exposure Immunity

At 11th level, countless minor exposures to toxins of all kinds have made you immune to poison damage, the poisoned condition, and all forms of disease, infection, or infestation. In addition, you can use a bonus action to apply poison to a weapon.

Resuscitate

Also at 14th level, you can revive the dead if you reach them soon enough. You can spend an action touching a creature that has died within the last 2 minutes, making a DC 25 Medicine check. On a success, the creature returns to life with 1 hit point. A creature can only benefit from Resuscitate once between long rests. Undead and constructs cannot benefit from this ability.

Superior Physician

At 17th level, you can use a bonus action to touch a creature. The creature regains hit points equal to 1d8 + your Intelligence modifier.

Uncanny Immunity

Also at 17th level, you become immune to the paralyzed, petrified, and stunned conditions. Choose one of acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, psychic, radiant, or thunder damage. You gain immunity to the chosen damage type. When you finish a long or short rest, you can exchange this damage immunity with immunity to another type of damage from this list.

Coordinator

Coordinators are exemplars of the notion that knowledge is power. They use their cunning to aid in endeavors—sometimes by solving mysteries and other times more militantly as they help allies to find a foe’s weaknesses. These savants are skilled experts who use their knowledge to guide people. While their talents might seem magical, Coordinators need no incantations to achieve the seemingly impossible. As a Coordinator you are best at supporting teammates, using your abilities to make your companions more effective. That’s not all you do though, and between your superior deductive reasoning and broad base of knowledge you’re quite a sleuth as well.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this aptitude at 1st level, you gain proficiency with Insight and Intimidation.

Cooperation

At 1st level, you can use the Help action to assist an ally as long as that ally can clearly hear you talk without shouting. This is typically 30 feet, but can be up to 100 feet when it is quiet or as little as 5 feet in a noisy scene. You can always use the Help action, even if you are unable to perform the action you are assisting.

When you give or receive assistance from the Help action, add your Proficiency Bonus to the result. Only one coordinator can add their Proficiency Bonus to a die roll, and Proficency Bonus cannot be applied more than twice to any one roll.

Informed Coordinator

At 2nd level, you can use a reaction action to give an ally within 30 feet a bonus to their next d20 roll equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Coordinator Tricks

These tricks are only available to Coordinators.

• Coordinating the Attack. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you leave the target vulnerable. An ally within reach of the target can use their reaction to attack it with advantage, dealing 1d6 extra damage on a successful hit.

• Precipitous Rescue. You can activate this trick as a reaction when an ally within 30 feet of you fails a saving throw. If you do so, the ally may reroll their saving throw but must use the new roll.

• Prepared Partner. When you are within 5 feet of an ally and either of you is attacked or subject to a single-target effect, you can switch location with that ally. If you were the target, it now targets your ally. If ally was the target, it is now against you.

Coordination Dice

Also at 6th level, can use savant dice to assist yourself and allies. After your or an ally within 30 feet makes an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, you can spend a die from your savant pool and add the result to their roll.

Second, when you or an ally within 30 feet is hit by an attack, you can spend a savant die and add the result to Armor Class until the end of the current turn.

Finally, you can use a coordination die to add to the save DC of an effect used by an ally within 30 feet.

Battue

At 11th level, you can effectively coordinate with your allies to keep track of an attack concealed and invisible enemies. Allies within 30 feet of you automatically locate invisible and hidden creatures within 5 feet unless they have full cover. You and allies within 30 feet of you do not suffer disadvantage when attacking enemies spotted this way. Invisible creatures still have advantage against you and allies unless you can see them by other means.

Coordination Reach

At 14th level, savage tricks with a range of 30 feet and the Focused Defense, Informed Coordinator, Coordination Dice, and Battue abilities have their range increased from 30 feet to 100 feet. Battue still requires your ally to be within 5 feet of a hidden or invisible creature to detect it.

Intellect Over Luck

At 17th level, you never have disadvantage. You still have to roll a die normally, and you can still have advantage on a check cancelled by an effect that applies disadvantage, but you cannot be forced to make a roll with disadvantage.

Investigator

Coordinators are exemplars of the notion that knowledge is power. They use their cunning to aid in endeavors—sometimes by solving mysteries and other times more militantly as they help allies to find a foe’s weaknesses. These savants are skilled experts who use their knowledge to guide people. While their talents might seem magical, Coordinators need no incantations to achieve the seemingly impossible. As a Coordinator you are best at supporting teammates, using your abilities to make your companions more effective. That’s not all you do though, and between your superior deductive reasoning and broad base of knowledge you’re quite a sleuth as well.

Bonus Proficiencies

When you choose this aptitude at 1st level, you gain proficiency with Insight, Investigation, and thieves’ tools. In addition, you learn two languages.

Investigator Tricks

These tricks are only available to Investigators.

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Languages

At 2nd level, you learn two languages. In addition, you gain advantage on ability checks made to decipher codes and hidden messages.

Investigation Dice

At 6th level, when observing a creature, you can spend a savant die and learn information about the target. You always learn what languages the target speaks (if any), what weapons they are carrying, what natural attack they can use, and what armor they are wearing. In addition roll a savant die and learn additional information as given below.

1. The target’s alignment.
2. If the target is disguised or capable of changing their form or appearance
3. If the target has spells or magical abilities or under the effect of spells, and what spells.
4. What languages the target speaks.
5. The target's point of origin, native terrain, and a location they have recently been.

On a result of six or more, you get to chose what information you learn.

Investigating the Scene

At 11th level, you can spend a savant die and learn information about the location you are in, up to 100 feet in radius. You always learn what this place is normally used for. If you are acquainted with the owner or custodian, you can identify them. If an attack was made or a spell was cast in the last three days, you know that this happened but not what specific spell, attack, perpetrator or target.

1. The general type of events in the last three days
2. The three highest-level spells cast in the last three days
3. Weapons attacks made here in the last three days
4. General description of creatures who visited in the last three days. If you are acquainted with these creatures, you can identify them.
5. A piece of or personal item from a significant creature who visited the location in the last three days. Useful for divination spells.
6. Identify a creature that frequents the area and can be a possible witness.
7. You spot any hidden construction, secret doors, hidden caches, and traps, even those who have been discharged or destroyed.

If there is no significant information gained for the die result, the GM can let you reroll. On a result of eight or more, you get to chose what information you learn.

Languages

Also at 11th level, you learn two languages. In addition, your skill and breadth of knowledge allows you to see the commonalities of all languages. By spending 10 minutes studying you can make a DC 15 Intelligence check to translate any script, even if you cannot recognize the language it is written in.

Observations In Darkness

At 14th level, you do not have disadvantage when attacking invisible targets and creatures do not gain any benefit from cover against your attacks unless they have total cover.

Intellect Over Luck

At 17th level, you never have disadvantage. You still have to roll a die normally, and you can still have advantage on a check cancelled by an effect that applies disadvantage, but you cannot be forced to make a roll with disadvantage.