Illithid Savant

Requirement

Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 10 ranks

Race: Illithid

Special: Must have consumed the brain of a creature of CR 9 or greater.

Summary

Illithids just had to have a loremaster type option huh? As if the psychic brain-eating squid people weren't problematic enough, then they get this class. They now eat the brains of your allies and acquiring all of their abilities, becoming a facsimile in all but appearance. Are your allies even your own, how do you know they haven't just been replaced. Has the barbarian always been so, well-spoken? Only time can tell.

Role: Utility

Characteristics: An illithid with lore and acquiring the skills and abilities of those it consumes.

Source: Savage Species

Game Rule Information

The Illithid Savant has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence for your lore, and whatever ability score you need to imitate your mark. You want to emulate them perfectly don't you?

Alignment: Any alignment, probably evil because brain eating

Hit Die: d4

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Illithid Savant's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Scry (Int, exclusive skill), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Illithid Savant.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Illithid Savant is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with.

Acquire Skill Ex: At 1st level, an illithid savant can acquire one skill known by a creature whose brain he has consumed, chosen at the time of consumption. He permanently gains all of the creature's ranks in that skill (but not racial or ability score bonuses to the skill modifier) even if his new total is more ranks than the illithid savant's current character level would normally allow. This skill becomes a class skill for the illithid savant, and he may buy more ranks in the skill if the new ranks do not cause him to exceed his maximum ranks in the skill.

At 4th, 6th, and 8th level, the illithid savant can acquire and use one additional skill from a brain.

Lore Ex: At 1st level, an illithid savant gains the ability to make a special lore check twice per day to recall esoteric information from the brains of those he has consumed. Just as with a bardic knowledge check (See Bard for more information on Bardic Knowledge checks), the illithid savant adds his level in this prestige class and his Intelligence modifier as bonuses on any attempt to learn something unusual.

At 2nd, 5th, and 9th level, the illithid savant can make a special lore check two additional times per day.

Acquire Feat Ex: At 2nd level, an illithid savant permanently acquires one of the feats of a consumed creature, provided he meets that feat's prerequisites. At 4th, 6th, and 8th level, the illithid savant can acquire and use one additional feat from a consumed brain.

Acquire Class Feature Ex: At 3rd level, an illithid savant permanently gains one class feature of a consumed brain's owner, as a character of that creature's level in that class. If the former character was a spellcaster, the illithid savant is able to cast one spell of each level available to the character (if the victim was a wizard, the mind flayer must still consult a spellbook or learn from scrolls), as well as any bonus spells provideded by the illithid savant's ability scores. If the illithid savant already has spellcasting levels, these spells are in addition to those granted by the illithid savant's spellcasting class levels.

At 7th level and again at 10th level, the illithid savant can gain another class feature from a consumed brain.

Acquire Special Attack or Special Quality Ex: At 5th level, the illithid savant permanently gains one special attack or special quality of a consumed brain's owner. The chosen ability must not rely on a physical feature of the consumed creature, such as a gaze attack, a breath weapon, flight, or a natural attack with an appendage not possessed by the mind flayer. If the ability allows a saving throw, the illithid savant uses his own ability score modifier to determine the DC.

At 9th level, the illithid savant can gain another special attack or special quality from a consumed brain.

Table 1-1: Illithid Savant Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Acquire skill 1. lore 2/day
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Acquire feat 1
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Acquire class feature 1
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Acquire skill 2, Acquire feat 2
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Acquire special attack or special quality 1, lore 6/day
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Acquire skill 3,Acquire feat 3
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Acquire class feature 2
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Acquire skill 4, Acquire feat 4
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Acquire special attack or special quality 2, lore 8/day
10th	+5	+4	+3	+7	Acquire class feature 3