Character Classes: Sages (Family, Philosopher Order)

Sages are based on the NPC Sage as described in DMG. They cast a mixture of magic types and may also know skill sets similar to non-Philosopher classes. All Sages have access to Scholarly proficiencies not available to other classes. Because they are specialists, there are many varieties of Sage: Sage-Specialists are the group most often consulted for their knowledge or services; Sage-Artificers are more protective of their knowledge and instead sell the potions and devices their wisdom allows them to make; Senior Sages are seasoned characters who have retired from another class and earned special abilities through their service to their communities (and by extension to the gods).   Sage-Specialists divide into four subgroups roughly corresponding to four of the five Apprenticeships:   Scholars are often found in the employ of nobles but sometimes set up independently.   Clerks are the most common and versatile of Sages, working as lawyers and legal assistants, in churches, as scribes, as accountants, as chaplains. Clerks are often versed in religious rituals and can stand in for a Cleric in a pinch. They may be any non-Chaotic alignment and use Cleric spells along with either Magic-User or Illusionist spells (choice).   A Sage-Magician is most often also a stage magician, usually being a student of Illusionist magic who wasn’t accepted into one of the Houses of Mystery (Hubworld’s Illusionist guilds, including such groups as the Lords of Light, the Dukes of Darkness, and the Disillusionists). Sage-Magicians can use any two Mage spell-types and may be any alignment, although only non-Lawful S-Ms may use Wu Jen magic.   The Scholastic sage specialises in a particular pair of magical schools (Illusion/Phantasm & Enchantment/Charm, Abjuration & Conjuration/Summoning, Necromantic & Divination, Alteration & Evocation), drawing from any type of magic except Druidic. They may be any non-Chaotic alignment, but only non-Lawful Scholastics may use Wu Jen magic and only Good Scholastics may use Shukenja magic.   Naturalist Sage-Specialists conduct more field study and often set out to gather herbs and minerals for experimentation.   Medics use this knowledge to provide healing services and create simple potions and non-magical drugs and salves. They are Lawful Good or Neutral Good in alignment and cast both Cleric and Shukenja spells.   The Rogue Scholastic is usually a Scholastic who has decided to ignore the taboo on Druid magic and teach it to themselves or learn it from other Rogues or Alchemists. Rogue Scholastics may be any non-Lawful alignment except Neutral Good, but must be Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, or Neutral Evil in order to use Druid spells. Unlike Scholastics, they may pair any two schools of magic as their specialty.   Martials are specialists in combat and are usually veteran Warriors or Agilists retired to a teaching role (level 6 in another class is required to enter a Martial sage class). Focusing less on honing battle skills and more on the theory of fighting, Martial sages stop advancing in their old class and develop a new set of skills appropriate to teaching and commanding.   Sifus are teachers of martial arts and weapon use and have many of the abilities of a Kensai along with spell use based on alignment: Shukenja for LG or NG, Cleric for LN, Illusionist for LE, and Wu Jen for NE or True Neutral.   Martial Advisors may also serve as combat instructors but more often are employed as officers either in standing armies or for hire. Some maintain their own company of followers and contract it out. They may be any non-Chaotic alignment, possess the skills of Cavaliers (cumulative with any Cavalier experience they may have), and cast Magic-User spells.   Purists are demi-divines, usually mendicants, similar to shamans but differing in background, having had an academic or monastic education or been admitted/born into a special caste.   Friars are trained among Clerks and Clerics, but feeling the presence of the gods most strongly in unspoiled nature, have chosen to live among Rangers and Druids, protecting the woods and its denizens. Not having been born into a Druidic society, they cannot become Druids, but the Druids teach magic to Friars, as they do to Rangers, with the understanding that it will be used properly. Besides Druid magic, Friars also possess several skills in common with Monks. They may be Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, or True Neutral.   Sage-Mentalists are the other class besides Monks that may roll each level for Psi powers. They roll with an increasingly high modifier and are guaranteed to eventually unlock their psychic potential. Sage-Mentalists may be any non-Chaotic alignment and cast Cleric, Illusionist, or Magic-User spells in addition to their Psionic abilities.   The other class of Purist, the Sadhu, has many varieties. Sadhu consider wisdom and physical purity to be codependent and each observes a different form of asceticism. They are mostly found in the caste-based Zoron societies of the southeast, although Swamis and Gurus often wander abroad and end up starting schools/cults in foreign lands. All Sadhu possess Monk skills and cast spells. The varieties of Sadhu are as follows:   Rishi (seer): Neutral, Philosopher equivalent to an Oracle, uses Divination and Enchantment/Charm magic.   Guru (dispeller of darkness): NG or CG, casts Illusionist spells. Gurus regularly establish schools to teach their Philosophy but sometimes wander instead. Some will be privately employed by a noble.   Sannyasi/ni (renunciate): LG or NG, casts Shukenja spells and is very similar to a Shukenja, but although a Sannyasi/ni will perform good works, they are more committed to the cessation of their own desire than ministering to others. They are not allowed weapons or any form of wealth and will only join an adventuring party if a divinity or mentor has instructed them to.   Jogi/ni (soft martial artist): LN or LG, casts Cleric spells. The Jogi/ni is an expert in a specific soft martial art (usually Joga) and, like Physicalist Divines, believes s/he can achieve enlightenment through bodily discipline.   Swami (spiritual master): CG or CN, casts Wu Jen spells. Swamis are more comfortable with material wealth than other Sadhu and also feel that pleasure and joy are perfectly compatible with wisdom. They are more free with their spell use than other Sadhu and when not leading their own cults, will sometimes be found working as entertainers alongside Sage-Magicians, Sage-Mentalists, Minstrels, and Carnivalists.   Aghori (necromancer): CN or Neutral, uses necromantic and abjuration magic. Aghori believe that enlightenment is found in the study of death. They dwell in graveyards, wear bones, cover themselves in human ash, and are generally creepy but also highly revered by the communities they live alongside, being expert healers and unafraid to stand up to demons.   Akhara (warrior ascestic): LE or LN, casts Magic-User spells. The Akhara is a spiritual martial artist like the Jogi or Jogini, but practices Hard and Soft/Hard arts, differing from a Monk in that more time is spent with books and learning spells.     There are two Sage-Artificer classes, the Alchemist and the Mechanist.   Alchemists use Druid, Magic-User, and Wu-Jen spells, concoct potions, and have access to unique proficiencies. Because they ignore the taboo on Druid magic, they are hunted by Murtairs. Because they are the only people outside of the Grey Dwarves capable of making gunpowder, they are highly valued in regions where gunpowder actually works. An Alchemist may be any alignment other than LG or LN.   A Mechanist uses Magic-User, Illusionist, and Wu Jen magic, and crafts both magical devices and non-magical contraptions. They are usually skilled in weaponsmithing and armorsmithing and standardly employed by sieging armies to design and direct the building of siege apparatus. They are also the only class capable of gunsmithing. Mechanists can use more kinds of weapons than most other Philosophers. They may be any alignment other than CN and CE. Both Alchemists and Mechanists may create golems.     Senior Sages have achieved renown and excellence in another class (minimum level 12) and been rewarded with spells, heightened wisdom, special skills, and summoning abilities by higher powers.   The Learned Judge, usually originally a LG, LN, or Neutral Clerk, Divine, or Holy Warrior, has demonstrated exceptional wisdom and been rewarded with (additional) Clerical spell use and a set of special abilities. They may summon outer-planar denizens corresponding to their alignment.   A Marshall is a high-ranking Martial Advisor or Warrior whose command has been recognised by the war gods. The Marshall gains several stat bonuses and leadership skills as well as the ability to cast either Magic-User or Illusionist spells. Marshalls may be any non-Chaotic alignment and summon outer planes denizens corresponding to their alignment.   Elders can come from just about any background and can be any alignment but must be of Old or older age. They are exceptionally wise exemplars of their prior class, recognized by community and colleagues as possessing experience-based sagacity. Elders cast two kinds of spells, varying by alignment, and summon elementals or spirits. Like other senior sages, they gain a variety of Divine-type abilities.