D&Dtools

Benefit

When you select this feat, you gain all the benefits described in this section for being an apprentice.

Apprenticeship

Once a character has taken the Apprentice feat, she is considered an apprentice. The first thing she must do is select a type of mentor; the mentor choices are listed below. The DM can create new mentor types using the listed mentors as guidelines. Upon becoming an apprentice, a character immediately gains two new class skills and two bonus skill points to spend on these class skills.

These new class skills are added to the class skill list for any character class or prestige class she gains. The specific skills gained as class skills depend on the type of mentor she selects. A character immediately gains two new class skills and two bonus skill points to spend on these class skills. These new class skills are added to the class skill list for any character class or prestige class she gains. The specific skills gained as class skills depend on the type of mentor she selects.

In addition, the character gains one specific benefit (the exact type depends on the type of mentor selected) from her mentor, and in desperate times she can even call upon him for aid. Apprentices are expected to learn and grow, and mentors are loath to step in and provide physical support or financial aid, or to pull strings for an apprentice. Convincing the mentor to aid in this way requires a successful level check (d20 + character level), the DC of which is set by the DM and varies from 10 for simple favors to as high as 25 for highly dangerous, expensive, or illegal favors. A successful check means the mentor helps in some way (lends a magic item, accompanies the character on a short mission, pulls strings to get an appointment with the mayor, and so on) but demands double the normal tithe the next time the character gain a level. Once the character asks for aid, no further requests for aid will be honored until she gains at least one experience level.

Finding a Mentor

When a character decides to become an apprentice, she must first locate an appropriate mentor. Not just any NPC will do. As with the Leadership feat, apprenticeship depends heavily on the social setting of the campaign,the actual location of the PC, and the group dynamics. You're free to disallow this feat if it would disrupt the campaign. Unlike Leadership, the allied NPC does not travel with the PCs, so he or she won't take treasure, XP, and spotlight time from the player characters. A character can try to gain a mentor of a particular race, class, and alignment, but the actual details are left to the DM. If a character selects a mentor who is too different from her skill set, interests, or goals, the advantages of this feat are correspondingly diminished. The mentor has gear as an NPC (see Table4—23: NPC Gear Value,page 127 of the Dungeon Master'sGuide) and must have the Mentor feat.

Expectations of the Apprentice

Maintaining the status of apprentice isn't cheap. The apprentice is expected to tithe 100 gp of her earnings each time she gains a level. This tithe covers costs such as supplies, guild dues, gifts to the mentor, and miscellaneous costs. The tithe must be paid to the mentor as soon as possible (and certainly before the character gains another level), or she risks losing her apprenticeship.

Additionally, an apprentice is expected to practice her skills, study, and even undertake minor tasks for her mentor. Every week, she must spend at least 8 contiguous hours working for her mentor and practicing her skills. If she fails to meet this requirement, she must spend an additional day the next week. If she shirks her duties in this manner for an entire month, the character's mentor expels her from the apprenticeship.

Mentor Types

The eight mentor types described below are fairly generic, and can encompass any alignment, race, or class. A mentor can easily be a chaotic evil gnome wizard craftsman or a lawful good human rogue, for example.

Each mentor type is associated with two skills; as detailed above, the apprentice gains these skills as class skills. In addition, each mentor grants the apprentice additional benefits unique to his profession and calling.

Craftsman: A craftsman mentor is skilled at building things. A craftsman grants his apprentice a +2 competence bonus on all Craft checks and a 10% discount when he purchases raw materials for items he makes (including items made with the Craft skill or with an item creation feat, but not spell components or services).

Associated Skills: Appraise, Knowledge (architecture and engineering).

Criminal: A criminal mentor is a high-ranking memberof a thieves' guild, an assassin, a bandit lord, or any similar miscreant. A criminal grants his apprentice a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate checks and an extra 100 gp to spend on equipment as a starting character at 1st level. In addition, the apprentice is not required to pay the 100 gp tithe at each level, provided he remains an apprentice in good standing. He is expected to comply with requests from his mentor for minor services or tasks, such as tailing a subject, staking out a prospective work site, and so on.

Associated Skills: Bluff, Gather Information.

Entertainer: An entertainer mentor is an actor, musician, storyteller, or other notable personality, often someone quite recognizable or famous. An entertainer grants her apprentice a +2 competence bonus on diplomacy checks and the ability to call upon the aid of an admirer or fan by spending a tithe appropriate for the apprentice's level. The admirer is of a character level equal to 1/2 the apprentice's own (minimum 1st) and must be within at least one step of his alignment, but can be of any race or class. The ally serves the apprentice for a limited duration (usually a number of days equal to his Charisma modifier, minimum of 1 day) as if a cohort. Once the apprentice calls upon the aid of an admirer, he may not do so again until he gains at least one level.

Associated Skills: Diplomacy, Perform.

Martial Artist: A martial artist mentor has perfected a particular style of fighting, often exotic. A martial artist grants his apprentice a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate checks and a +2 bonus on Reflex saving throws.

Associated Skills: Concentration, Tumble.

Philosopher: A philosopher mentor is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. In a civilized area he might be a scholar or librarian, while in the wilderness he might be a shaman or nomad. A philosopher grants his apprentice a +2 competence bonus on Concentration checks and a +2 bonus on Will saving throws.

Associated Skills: Knowledge (any one), Sense Motive.

Soldier: A soldier mentor is a commander of an army, a captain of a garrison, a mercenary leader, or otherwise in command of a combat troop. A soldier grants his apprentice a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate checks and a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws.

Associated Skills: Intimidate, Knowledge (local).

Spellcaster: A spellcaster mentor could be a priest of the character's religion, a teacher at a wizard's guild, or an inventor seeking a protégé. Spellcaster mentors are not as useful as the other seven mentors for characters who cannot cast spells themselves. A spellcaster grants her apprentice a +2 competence bonus on Spellcraft checks. The tutelage of a spellcasting mentor grants additional benefits only if the apprentice shares the same class as his mentor. The apprentice only gains these benefits when he gains a level in this class; he retains all the other benefits of this feat (the bonus skills and the bonus on Spellcraft checks) regardless of what class he chooses to gain a level in.

If the apprentice and his mentor are arcane spellcasters, he gains one additional spell known at 1st level. Wizards gain this spell in their spellbooks, and spontaneous casters such as sorcerers or bards gain an additional 1st-level spell beyond their normal number of spells known. As the apprentice gains levels, he is able to learn additional spellcasting techniques from his mentor; wizards can copy from their mentor's spellbook at no charge. Spellcasters who do not prepare spells (such as a bard or sorcerer) gain increased flexibility with the spells they know. Each time an apprentice gains another of these levels, he can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. If the character and his mentor are divine spellcasters who prepare spells (such as clerics, druids, paladins, or rangers), he can select one spell he knows as a preferred spell. This can be a spell of any level he can cast. Once per day, the apprentice can spontaneously cast a preferred spell by swapping out any prepared spell of an equal spell level. He can only have one preferred spell at a time, but each time he gains a level in the associated class, he can change his preferred spell to a different spell.

Associated Skills: Knowledge (any one), Use Magic Device.

Woodsman: A woodsman mentor might be a hunter, a caretaker of a forest, or a scout. A woodsman mentor grants his apprentice a +2 competence bonus on Survival checks and the ability to follow tracks as if the apprentice had the Track feat, but only when the DC is 20 or lower.

Associated Skills: Knowledge (nature), Survival.

Mentor Statistics

The DM should develop the mentor's statistics. A mentor has a base level of 5th, modified by the apprentice's Charisma bonus (if any) and by the following situations. These situations only apply when the feat is first taken; if any of these situations change at a later date (for example, the apprentice's alignment changes), the mentor's level does not change.

Condition	Modifier
Mentor and apprentice are same race and class	+1
Mentor and apprentice are same alignment	+2
Mentor and apprentice share one alignment aspect	+1
Mentor and apprentice are opposing alignments	—1
Apprentice starts at maximum rank in at least two of the mentor's associated skills	+1

Special

Becoming an Ex-Apprentice

In the case of the death or loss of a mentor, an ally or associate of the prior mentor (who is of an equal level to the original mentor) typically takes the place of the original. The benefits gained from the Apprentice feat are not altered. Two conditions can alter the apprentice benefits.

Surpassing the Mentor: Once the apprentice reaches 5th level, he graduates from his apprenticeship. He continues to gain the benefits of the Apprentice feat, but no longer needs to work with his mentor. The mentor's associated skills remain class skills for purposes of determining the maximum rank he can have in those skills, and he still retains the secondary benefits, but an associated skill can only be purchased as a class skill if he gains a level in a class that has that skill as a class skill. He no longer needs to tithe to his mentor upon gaining levels. If you allow, he can also immediately exchange his Apprentice feat for the Mentor feat (see below).

Expulsion: Grounds for expulsion include actions deemed destructive by the mentor, failing to pay tithes in a timely manner, or simply not spending the time required to study the chosen craft for an entire month. A character can also choose to leave an apprenticeship; although the apprentice can part on good terms with his mentor, the game effects are the same as if he were expelled.

An expelled apprentice immediately loses the secondary benefits of this feat, and his apprentice class skills immediately become cross-class skills unless he possesses a level in a class that grants the skill as a class skill. A skill that becomes a cross-class skill begins to atrophy; the next time the character gains a level, any skill ranks in excess of his normal maximum skill ranks for a cross-class skill are lost forever.

Gaining a New Mentor

If a character is expelled or voluntarily leaves an apprenticeship before he surpasses his mentor, he can seek out a new mentor. The new mentor can be of any type. Finding a new mentor is time consuming. The ex-apprentice must make a successful Gather Information check (DC 10 + character level), and each attempt takes a number of days equal to his character level. Success indicates he has found a new mentor; failure indicates that he has not, but he can try again.

Once a character gains a new mentor, he must immediately pay a tithe of 100 gp times his character level. He must then spend at least a week of 8-hour days studying and working with his new mentor to become familiar with her teaching methods. After this time, the apprentice gains the mentor's associated class skills and secondary benefits, but he does not gain bonus skill points for the new class skills.

A new mentor's maximum level is one level lower than the level of the previous mentor (minimum 5th). A character who constantly changes mentors or keeps getting expelled soon finds that no one wants to take him on as an apprentice.