The breeze that caresses the face brings with it a cooling balm and scent traces that trigger memories of old. The flavor of the fruit plucked from the tree is tart but sweet, and the sticky juice explodes in the mouth with a texture just as important as taste. The voices of the choir are rough but earnest, and they speak of experiences hidden in the melody that only a sensate can separate from the mix and appreciate.

Anyone can become an ardent dilettante. All it takes is a diversity of interests and a moderate level of ability in one skill. Bards and rogues are the most common among the members, but characters of all classes can find the calling of the ardent dilettante to their liking. However, advancing beyond 3rd level in the prestige class requires a larger suite of skills, abilities, and experiences and offers commensurately greater rewards. Only multiclass characters can achieve the highest levels of membership.

Ardent dilettantes can be found in any walk of life. Those who merely dabble in the class often focus on hedonistic pleasure. More devoted ardent dilettantes tend to travel widely and enjoy exploring or finding new challenges. They make ideal cohorts, allies, or employers of planar adventurers. Ardent dilettantes can make equally viable villains, for a quest for new sensations can lead down a very cruel and dark path.

Role: Spell Support

Characteristics: Individuals with a dedication to sensation and unravelling the mysteries of the world.

Source: Planar Handbook

Game Rule Information

The Ardent Dilettante has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence for a variety of skill allotment, and whichever stat you have for casting.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Ardent Dilettante's class skills are All skills are class skills for the Ardent Dilettante.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Ardent Dilettante.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Ardent Dilettante is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each ardent dilettante level after 1st, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which she belonged before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved undead turning, metamagic or item creation feats, or the like). If the character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an ardent dilettante, the player must decide to which class to add each ardent dilettante level for determining spells per day, spells known, and overall caster level.

Heightened Senses Su: An ardent dilettante gains a competence bonus on Listen, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks equal to 1 + one-half her class level.

Lore: An ardent dilettante hears many intriguing rumors and learns odd facts while traveling. She may make a special lore check (1d20 + her ardent dilettante level + her Int modifier) to see whether she knows some relevant information about a notable person, place, or thing. This ability is otherwise identical to the bardic knowledge ability. If an ardent dilettante has a similar ability from another class (such as bard or loremaster), her ardent dilettante levels stack with those class levels for determining the success of the lore check.

Enthrall Sp: Starting at 2nd level, an ardent dilettante can recount one of her many adventures or experiences, capturing the attention of an audience as with an Enthrall spell. An ardent dilettante can use this ability once per day for every two class levels she has. Caster level equals character level; save DC 12 + Character Level.

Joie de Vivre Sp: An ardent dilettante of 3rd level or higher takes such obvious pleasure in life that she can influence those around her to feel the same way, as with a Good Hope spell. An ardent dilettante can use this ability once per day for every three class levels she has. Caster level equals character level; save DC 12 + Character Level.

Bonus Feat: At 4th level, 7th level, and 10th level, an ardent dilettante gains a bonus feat. She must meet the prerequisites for the feat she selects.

Sense Link Sp: At 4th level, an ardent dilettante becomes able to establish a link with another creature within 30 feet, gaining the benefit of a Clairaudience/Clairvoyance spell centered on that creature's position. Once the link is established, distance is not a factor (though it works only on the plane you and the target currently occupy). Caster level equals ardent dilettante level; save DC 13 + Character Level.

Scent Ex: At 5th level, an ardent dilettante's sense of smell becomes so acute that she gains the scent special quality.

Seen It Before Su: Beginning at 6th level, an ardent dilettante can make a Will save to identify an illusion by perceiving it with any of her senses, even if the illusion provides sensory input for that sense. The DM should make this save in secret, to avoid alerting players that the character is witnessing an illusion. If the save fails, the ardent dilettante doesn't get another one until she interacts with the illusion.

See It Again Su: Once per day, when targeted by or in the area of a spell effect, an ardent dilettante of 8th level or higher can use her next action (if it is made within 1 round of the casting) to duplicate the casting of the spell, with all aspects identical. For instance, an ardent dilettante subjected to a dominate person spell cast by a 12th-level sorcerer can use an identical dominate person effect in the next round. The duplicated effect has the same save DC, range, and duration as if the original caster had cast it. The ardent dilettante automatically knows all relevant information about the spell in question (its name, effect, save DC, and so on).

Blind Sense Ex: At 9th level, an ardent dilettante's senses become so attuned to her surroundings that she gains blindsense out to 10 feet.

Death Holds No Mysteries Su: When a 10th-level ardent dilettante is brought back from the dead by such magic as raise dead and resurrection, the ardent dilettante does not lose a level.