The Archivist in Play? How Good is it?

[Rystil Arden]

Cool stuff Rystil. Has the Dark Knowledge ability been useful at all?

Absolutely! Although sadly the vast majority of the Shackled City enemies seem to be humanoids, Draconic Archivist helped a surprising amount in the first adventure. Alcyone is always surprised and enthused to find unusual creatures, and she's a master of their strengths and weaknesses. If she gets a lucky roll, she sometimes even beats the DC 30 to get a really big bonus, and everyone cheers. That's part of being a really nice support character. Dark Knowledge + a laundry list of nice Druid and Cleric buffs makes her a formidable enabler for other characters, even if everyone laughs when she tries to attack things with her 6 Strength (Woohoo! Eat 1d4-2 Damage suckers!).

 

[smootrk]

One of the players in my current game has an archivist using a druid-spell variant similar to smootrk's biosoph. We've only met for four sessions thusfar, but the player seems to be enjoying the class and I don't detect any balance issues either way. As a GM, be sure to give a knowledge-oriented character plenty of opportunities to put those skill points to use!

Have any oddities of a Nature Oriented Archivist come up? I am wondering about any issues, as they might apply to the variant class that I wrote up. I had to write in access to certain feats (specifically for Shapechange, even though the class does not shapechange as an ability, there are many shapechange spells on the druid list). There might be other oddities that need addressing.

I also love the idea above for the Alienist variety... very Chthulu-esque... cool.

 

[MadMaxim]

Very intersting. Would you say that it's more fun than, say, the Cloistered Cleric variant from Unearthed Arcana?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Very intersting. Would you say that it's more fun than, say, the Cloistered Cleric variant from Unearthed Arcana?

It depends. The two are very similar, actually, but I prefer the Archivist for flavour reasons.

The Cloistered Cleric's advantages are the higher skill points (always a plus--Alcyone is always running out of skill points!), Bardic Knowledge (a great ability to help be a know-it-all), three domain powers (one of which has to be Knowledge), extra spells per day from domains, access to all spells on their list to start, and spontaneous curing (which could be crucial).

Archivist has Dark Knowledge, Scribe Scroll, a wider spell list (though they have to go out and add spells to their list actively) and those knowledge boosters and bonus feats that pop in every once and a while.

 

[Lordgrae]

Just like to chime in, I've also played an Archivist in the Shackled City AP. It's defiantly a solid class I've really enjoyed. The Dark Knowledge is quite good, specifically the added damage one.

As for spells, I've mainly used clerical spells, but every once and a while I toss in a Druidic attack spell or two.

I give the class high marks overall.

 

[stonegod]

Like RA, I'm also playing a Mad Archivist (see Mad Col in my sig); I'm also playing a DMPC archivist in my RL Age of Worms campaign. Archivist is a class with a bunch a flavor and a good complementary set of abilities for parties. A very good "5th" character position. With Spontaneous Healing, they can help with bandaiding, and w/ appropriate multiclassing, can do a lot of interesting PrC combinations.

One concern folks have is that they can learn *any* divine spell. Well, unless you rich and run into every possible caster with the appropriate Domain, that shouldn't be a problem.

Dark Knowledge is a very cool ability, but you have to balance with what campaign uses. A druid that is always in city will not be as effective, and a archivist that always faces humanoids will be hindered (Knowledge (local) does not work with Dark Knowledge).

Overall, a great class in my mind.

 

[Nyeshet]

I'm still wondering what a party with an Archivist, Bard, Dragon Shaman, and Marshal would be like . . . .

Would buffing even be necessary for such a party, considering every single one either has an aura or a vocal means of enhancing everyone around them - including themselves?

 

[|)ar|{]

From my experience the power of the archivist rest solely in the hands of the DM. If the DM makes non cleric or domain scrolls rare then they a little more than an underpowered cleric. If, on the other hand, domain spell, druid, divine PsC and Shugena scrolls can be found or purchased then thier power level and fun goes way up.
As a DM I love them because they are a built in hook. "You hear about a lost liberary of a cult of X" Where X is a group of domain having clerics or a certain prestage class. I am pretty free with domain scrolls and some of the more studious classes but tend to hold back on classes like druids and pallys who I don't see as being big scroll scribers.
Over all I find them fun to play, play with, and DM. Utility classes are great fun to play with and its always nice to have someone with a ton of knowledge ranks to justify the OOC knowledge they likely already have.

 

[MadMaxim]

I'm still wondering what a party with an Archivist, Bard, Dragon Shaman, and Marshal would be like . . . .

Would buffing even be necessary for such a party, considering every single one either has an aura or a vocal means of enhancing everyone around them - including themselves?

I think it would be difficult to keep track of all the modifiers that they use. It would involve an incredible amount of attention from the players to remember every buff and when to leave it out.

 

[Kafkonia]

I'm always surprised when I look at the class and see they have medium armor proficiency -- it seems out of place, especially given that it's better than more combat-oriented classes like the Hexblade!

But it does look like a cool class, and I may use it next time a divine caster is needed.