SPectral loremasters are spellcasters who concentrate on knowledge gleaned from the spirits of those long gone and value secret lore above treasure and title. Such studies allow the practitioner to enhance themselves in all areas to quite literally become a greater person though ultimately, the aim is simply to know and understand all they come into contact with. it is not uncommon for other loremasters to shun the practice of raising and communing with dead spirits for it certainly carries its own dangers, but many are spectral loremasters that operate within normal society gaining only a reputation for being knowledgeable in all fields.

The spectral loremaster understands that the great libraries of the world only represent the tiniest repositories of information and learning and that for every secret of lore uncovered in some lost tome, a thousand more have been lost through death. This knowledge is still available to the living, however if one dares to investigate the dark realms others instinctively avoid. This path requires extreme dedication but the adherent will be rewarded with forgotten secrets his peers will never discover. The true spectral lore master will exchange anything, even their humanity for this knowledge.

Some pursue knowledge to gain power over others but most simply seek learning for learning's sake, determined to reveal the wisdom of ages past to the benefit of all. All are insatiably curious. A spectral loremaster rarely concerns himself with the raising or animating of the dead and indeed may actively avoid doing so in order to avoid angering the spirits with which he regularly communes. Many practitioners regard this as the most sanitized field of necromancy.

It must never be assumed, however, that such mages are merely timid sages or studious bookworms. The lore they discover often holds enormous innate power and it is likely that should a spectral loremaster ever be forced to battle, he will know a great deal more about his enemy than his enemy knows of him. Knowledge is always equal to power.

Role: Spell Utility

Characteristics: Pursuants of knowledge that was previously lost to the grave

Source: Encyclopedia Arcane: Necromancy

Game Rule Information

The Spectral Loremaster has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Charisma for your diplomacy checks with the dead and whatever your casting stat is, probably intelligence.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d4

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Spectral Loremaster's class skills are Alchemy (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Scry (Int), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis)

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

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Spectral Loremaster.

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

Spells per Day: A spectral loremaster continues training in magic as well as his own field of research. Thus, when a new spectral loremaster level is gained, the character also gains spells as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not however get any additional benefits a character of that class would have gained, only the new spells.

This essentially means that he adds the level of spectral loremaster to the level of another spellcasting class the character already has and then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly. If the caster had more than one spellcasting class before he became a spectral loremaster, he must decide to which class he adds each level of spectral loremaster for the purposes of determining spells per day when he adds the new level.

Speak With Dead Sp: Once per day, the spectral loremaster may cast the Speak With Dead spell.

Spectral Investigation Ex: This class feature confers an unusual use of the Gather Information skill at 2nd level - the spectral loremaster may converse with the spirits of those who died in the local area. The actual information available may vary greatly. The dead may not know exactly what happened yesterday, but they will recall events their living counterparts may have forgotten or never seen. It usually takes between ten minutes and an hour for a spectral loremaster to commune with the spirits of those who died in his immediate area.

This class feature lacks the compulsion that makes spells so potent, and spirits might flat out lie, just as the living do. Normal reactions to the spectral loremaster's race, nation and attitude will affect the information he gathers as well - obviously the spirits of slain orcs have little interest in aiding a human.

Divination Sp: At 3rd level the spectral loremaster is able to obtain information from dead spirits as if he could cast the Divination spell at his existing caster level. THis class feature may be used once per day.

Lost Arcane Lore Ex: On achieving 4th and 9th level the spectral loremaster is able to piece together ancient knowledge and finds entirely new ways of doing things as he communes with the dead. The spectral loremaster gains a single Metamagic, Item Creation, or Magic feats.

Commune Sp: At 5th level the spectral loremaster's growing power permits him to force even more information from long gone spirits. He may now in effect, cast the Commune spell once per day at his existing caster level.

Contact Other Plane Sp: The spectral loremaster now ranges fare further than he has ever before, pushing deeper into the realms of the dead. At 6th level he may use the Contact Other Plane spell once per day at his existing caster level but may only contact the negative material plane. His extreme focus in the field of necromany, however, grants the spectral loremaster far greater control than most other arcane spellcasters can muster. All results on the answer table are shifted one column to the right. This means that on a roll 0-65 he will get a truthful answer.

Lessons from the Grave Ex: The spectral loremaster, by 7th level, is able to communicate with the past masters of nearly every field imaginable on a regular basis. From this point, all skills count as class skills.

Spectral Lore Sp: From 8th level, once per day, the spectral loremaster may consult with the dead for ancient legends and information from distant times. This works in the same way as the Legend Lore spell at his existing caster level but the spectal loremaster has the advantage of possibly conferring directly with the spirits of the very legends in question. If the spectral loremaster has only vague rumors regarding the subject, he is counted as actually having detailed information. Having detailed information allows him to cast Legend Lore as if the subject was present and at hand.

The Veil Parted: At the pinnacle of his powers, the spectral loremaster can now see through the eyes of the dead. No magical trickery may ever fool him from this point forward. The spectral loremaster may invoke True Seeing as a standard action and maintain it for as long as they wish. He gains the ability of divine spellcasters to know the alignments of the subjects he views. Whilst this ability is in effect, their eyes reflect the dark realm they so often immerses themselves withing and turn pure black.