In an age long past, when mankind flourished under the radiance of arcane mastery, the island of Vylbrand was home to a city-state called Nym. Though the history of that age tells of countless wars waged with earth-shattering incantations, it was the brilliant strategic maneuvering of Nym’s scholars that allowed their mundane army of mariners to throw back would-be conquerors time and again. These learned men and women defended the freedom of their tiny nation with their unique command over spell-weaving faeries, utilizing the creatures’ magicks to heal the wounded and bolster the strength of their allies.
The nymian scholar is an archetype of the scholar class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The nymian scholar mainly focuses on DEX for combat and INT and WIS for their class features and spells.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Limit Breaks (From Dusk Til Dawn and Tabula Rasa), Grimoire, Light Arts/Dark Arts. 2nd – Arcane Reservoir. 3rd – Light Arts: Penury, Dark Arts: Parsimony. 7th – Light Arts: Accession, Dark Arts: Manifestation. 11th – Light Arts: Celerity, Dark Arts: Alacrity. 15th – Light Arts: Rapture, Dark Arts: Ebullience.
Limit Breaks (Su)
At 1st level, the nymian scholar receives the Limit Breaks (Chain Stratagem and Vita Clypeus).
Chain Stratagem (Su): This Limit Break allows the nymian scholar to help himself and his allies, causing enemies’ weak points to be targeted more easily, allowing more critical strikes. The nymian scholar and all allies within 30 feet gain a +1 to their critical hit threat range plus an additional +1 per four scholar levels after 1st, for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four scholar levels after 1st. This bonus is applied after Improved Critical or Keen effects, but otherwise stacks. This limit break requires only a swift action.
Vita Clypeus (Su): This Limit Break causes the full manifestation of Lily, who heals and grants protection to everyone within 30 feet. The nymian scholar and all allies within the area of effect are healed for 2d6 points of damage + an additional 2d6 per four scholar levels after 1st. In addition, the healing applied is also converted into a shield, the nymian scholar and all allies gaining temporary hit points equal to half of the healing amount that lasts for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four scholar levels after 1st.
These abilities replace the scholar’s standard Limit Breaks.
Grimoire (Su)
Beginning of 1st level, books and tomes become deadly weapons in the hands of a nymian scholar. Functioning only in the hands of a nymian scholar, a nymian scholar must choose whether they will deal 1d4 + his Intelligence modifier of shadow damage or 1d4 + his Wisdom modifier of holy damage when reading his book or tome. The nymian scholar must make a ranged touch attack that has a range of 25 feet + 5 feet per two scholar levels.
This ability modifies and replaces grimoire.
Sprite Familiar (Ex)
The nymian scholar may spend a full-round action to summon the incarnation of Eos or Selene. Both familiars may not be on the field at the same time. If one is summoned, the other dissipates.
Familiar Basics
Use the basic statistics for a sprite, but with the following changes.
Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.
Hit Points: The familiar has half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.
Attacks: Use the master’s base attack bonus, as calculated from all her classes. Use the familiar’s Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to calculate the familiar’s melee attack bonus with natural weapons.
Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the familiar’s base save bonus (Fortitude +0, Reflex +2, Will +2) or the master’s (as calculated from all her classes), whichever is better. The familiar uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any of the other bonuses that the master might have on saves.
Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for a sprite or the master’s skill ranks, whichever is better. In either case, the familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a familiar’s total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar’s ability to use. Familiars treat Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim as class skills.
Familiar Ability Descriptions
All familiars have special abilities (or impart abilities to their masters) depending on the master’s combined level in classes that grant familiars, as shown on the table below. The abilities are cumulative.
Table: Scholar's Familiar
| Master Class Level | Natural Armor Adjustment | Intelligence | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st–2nd | +1 | 8 | Alertness, empathic link, improved evasion, share spells, cantrips |
| 3rd–4th | +2 | 9 | 1st spell-like ability, Deliver touch spells |
| 5th–6th | +3 | 10 | — |
| 7th–8th | +4 | 11 | 2nd spell-like ability |
| 9th–10th | +5 | 12 | — |
| 11th–12th | +6 | 13 | 3rd spell-like ability |
| 13th–14th | +7 | 14 | Spell Resistance |
| 15th–16th | +8 | 15 | 4th spell-like ability |
| 17th–18th | +9 | 16 | — |
| 19th–20th | +10 | 17 | — |
Intelligence: The familiar’s Intelligence score.
Alertness (Ex): While a familiar is within arm’s reach, the master gains the Alertness feat.
Empathic Link (Su): The master has an empathic link with her familiar to a 1 mile distance. The master can communicate emphatically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link’s limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The master has the same connection to an item or place that her familiar does.
Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If the master is 3rd level or higher, a familiar can deliver touch spells for her. If the master and the familiar are in contact at the time the master casts a touch spell, she can designate her familiar as the “toucher.” The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the master would. As usual, if the master casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: The nymian scholar may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on herself.
Cantrips (Sp): At 1st level, the familiar gains the ability to cast cantrips from the scholar’s available cantrips at will.
1st Spell-Like Ability (Sp): If a nymian scholar is 3rd level or higher, the familiar gains the ability to cast Embrace. Embrace functions like Cure except uses the scholar’s Wisdom modifier. Each time the familiar uses this spell-like ability, it costs the nymian scholar 1 MP. This ability is granted to both familiars.
At 7th level, Embrace functions like its 2nd level spell equivalent and costs the nymian scholar 2 MP per usage.
At 11th level, Embrace functions like its 3rd level spell equivalent and costs the nymian scholar 3 MP per usage.
At 13th level, the familiar gains Spell Resistance equal to the scholar’s level + 5.
At 15th level, Embrace functions like its 4th level spell equivalent and costs the nymian scholar 4 MP per usage.
2nd Spell-Like Ability (Sp): If a nymian scholar is 7th level or higher, Eos gains the ability to cast Whispering Dawn, while Selene gains the ability Slow Dusk. Whispering Dawn functions like Renew. Slow Dusk functions like Slow. Each time the familiar uses this spell-like ability, it costs the nymian scholar 3 MP.
At 15th level, Whispering Dawn functions like Renew II and Slow Dusk functions like Slowga. Each costs the nymian scholar 6 MP per usage.
3rd Spell-Like Ability (Sp): If a nymian scholar is 11th level or higher, Eos gains the ability to cast Fey Covenant, while Selene gains the ability Fey Glow. Fey Covenant functions like Protectra. Fey Glow functions like Haste. Each time the familiar uses this spell-like ability, it costs the nymian scholar 3 MP.
At 17th level, Fey Covenant functions like Protectra II and Fey Glow functions like Hastega. Each costs the nymian scholar 5 MP for Fey Covenant and 6 MP for Fey Glow per usage.
4th Spell-Like Ability (Sp): If a nymian scholar is 15th level or higher, Eos gains the ability to cast Fey Illumination, while Selene gains the ability Fey Caress. Fey Illumination functions like Cura. Fey Caress functions like Esuna. Each time the familiar uses this spell-like ability, it costs the nymian scholar 5 MP.
At 20th level, Fey Illumination functions like Bless and Fey Caress functions like Esunaga. Each costs the nymian scholar 5 MP per usage.
This ability replaces light arts/dark arts.
Aetherflow (Su)
At 2nd level, the nymian scholar may section off a part of his own aether to be used in a more efficient way. This grants the nymian scholar one stack of aetherflow. In addition, this also grants the nymian scholar an arcane reservoir from the scholar class feature and additional number of points to his arcane reservoir equal to his Wisdom and Intelligence score modifiers. At 7th level, the number of stacks is increased to two. At 13th level, the number of stacks is further increased to three. Stacks of aetherflow are renewed each day after 8 hours of rest.
This ability modifies arcane reservoir.
Scholar Exploits
In addition to the normal exploits a scholar may choose from, the following are added.
Bane (Su): The nymian scholar chooses a target that has damage over time effects that he has placed on them. By spending 1 point from his arcane reservoir and 1 stack of aetherflow, the nymian scholar may spread all of those damage over time effects to every enemy within a 30-ft.-radius. There are no saving throws for this to spread, but they may resist the effects as normal when allowed. Prerequisite: The nymian scholar must be 6th level to select this exploit.
Lustrate (Su): The nymian scholar may spend 1 point from his arcane reservoir and 1 stack of aetherflow to conjure up a powerful burst of healing from within an individual within 50 feet. This causes damage to be healed equal to the target’s hit dice. The number of dice is equal to 1 + 1 per two scholar levels after 2nd. (For example: A 4th level nymian scholar uses Lustrate on a warrior (hit die of d10), this would heal the warrior for 2d10 hp. That same nymian scholar uses it on a black mage (hit die of d6) next, that would heal the black mage for 2d6 hp.) Prerequisite: The nymian scholar must be 4th level to select this exploit.
Rouse (Su): As a swift action, by spending 1 point from his arcane reservoir and 1 stack of aetherflow, the nymian scholar rouses his familiar to perform greater healing for a time. For a duration of rounds equal to 1 + his Wisdom modifier, the familiar gains Empower Spell feat for all her healing abilities. Prerequisite: The nymian scholar must be 8th level to select this exploit.
Adloquium (Su)
At 3rd level, whenever a nymian scholar casts a single target healing spell, as a free action, he may spend 1 point from his arcane reservoir cast it as an Adloquium. This causes the target to receive the full healing effect that the spell would grant and gain temporary hit points equal to half of the healing received.
This ability replaces light arts: penury and dark arts: parsimony.
Succor (Su)
At 7th level, whenever a nymian scholar casts an area of effect healing spell, as a free action, he may spend 2 points from his arcane reservoir and cast it as a Succor. This causes the targets to receive the full healing effect that the spell would grant and gain temporary hit points equal to half of the healing received for 1 minute.
This ability replaces light arts: accession and dark arts: manifestation.
Sacred Soil (Su)
At 11th level, the nymian scholar has learned to sanctify soil and turn it into protective grounds for himself and his allies. By spending 2 points from his arcane reservoir, the nymian scholar may turn the ground in a 30-ft.-radius into Sacred Soil. This grants the nymian scholar and his allies within the area of effect damage reduction 1/- per two scholar levels and spell resistance 2 per two scholar levels (both override current damage reduction and spell resistance if better). This ability lasts for a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four scholar levels.
This ability replaces light arts: celerity and dark arts: alacrity.
Advanced Scholar Exploits
In addition to the normal advanced exploits, a nymian scholar may choose from, the following are added.
Deployment Tactics (Su): As a swift action, by spending 1 point from his arcane reservoir and 1 stack of aetherflow, the nymian scholar may spread the temporary hit points on a target to all allies within a 30-ft.-radius of the target.
Emergency Tactics (Su): As a swift action, by spending 1 point from his arcane reservoir and 1 stack of aetherflow, the nymian scholar causes the next healing spell that would grant temporary hit points to heal them for that amount instead.
Indomitability (Su): As a swift action, by spending 2 points from his arcane reservoir and 1 stack of aetherflow, the nymian scholar chooses an ally. That ally is treated as if they were the target of a Lustrate, but that heal radiates to everyone within a 30-ft.-radius. Prerequisites: The nymian scholar must be 14th level and must have the lustrate exploit to select this exploit.
Excogitation (Su)
At 15th level, the nymian scholar has learned to preempt the need to keep an ally alive. By spending 2 points from his arcane reservoir, the nymian scholar chooses an ally. For a duration of 1 round + 1 round per four scholar levels, whenever the ally is below half health or when the duration expires, she is healed as if the nymian scholar has cast his best single target healing.
This ability replaces light arts: rapture and dark arts: ebullience.
