Level Up (A5E) A Sample Savant: Dr. Rudolph van Richten

Faolyn

(she/her)
I never liked how Curse of Strahd decided that van Richten was a spellcaster--he's supposed to be a simple herbalist-turned monster hunter who picked up thief tricks, after all. But now there's the Savant, and he can be remade the way he's supposed to be. Since the Red Box had him as a 10th level thief, he's now a 10th-level Savant. I really wanted to emphasize his non-combat nature here as well as the fact that he's a healer by trade.

He is, at this point, a total skill monkey. I would have rathered that he could have traded some of those skills for more skill specialties, to show how he is the authority on monster hunting, but oh well. Unless there's an ability somewhere that lets me do that that I missed?

This is a big character sheet. It's why I always make my own sheets--there's no way that any form-fillable pdf could contain as much information as I want it to!

Rudolph van Richten
Heritage: Human (Ingenious Focus)
Culture: Imperial (Darkon)
Background: Sage
Destiny: Knowledge ("A Cure" to end the threat of supernatural monsters)
Level/Class/Archetype: 10th-level Savant (Steward)

Strength 10 (+0) save +0Dexterity: 14 (+2) save +6*Constitution: 10 (+0) save +0
Intelligence: 16 (+4) save +7*Wisdom: 14 (+2) save +2Charisma: 13 (+1) save +1

Hit Points: 53 (10d8)
AC: 15 (unarmored)
Proficiency Bonus: +4
# of Attacks: 2
Size: Medium. Speed: 30 feet. Maneuver DC: 14
Savant Trick DC: 16
Passive Perception: 14. Passive Insight: 14. Passive Stealth: 12.

Skill Proficiencies: Arcana* (+1d4, +1d6 constructs, +1d6 fiends, +1d6 undead), Culture, History, Insight, Investigation (+1d4 research), Medicine* (+1d4, +1d6 diseases, +1d6 herbalism), Nature (+1d4 lycanthropes), Perception, Stealth. *indicates a skill specialized in with Resident Expert.
Tool Proficiencies: herbalism kit
Weapon Proficiencies: simple weapons, improvised weapons
Armor Proficiencies: light armor
Languages: Abyssal, Mordentish, Darkonese, Sylvan

Traits
Adroit Defense: When I don’t wear armor or a shield, my AC equals 10 + Dex mod + Int mod. When I wear light armor, I can use my Int mod instead of my Dex mod.
Apothecary Basics: When I take a short or long rest, I can medically treat a creature and it can either gain an extra 1d4 hp or can ignore one level of fatigue for four hours.
Connection: The Foxgrove-Weathermay twins in Mordent.
Fast Learner: I require half as much downtime as normal to train in the use of a suit of armor, tool, or weapon.
Hostilia Naturae: I gain an expertise die on checks to avoid, locate, or understand the abilities of aberrations, beasts, and monstrosities.
Inexorable Concentration (3/long rest): I can immediately reroll a failed Con save to maintain concentration and must use the new result.
Inspiration Source: I gain inspiration when I make an arcane, divine, scholastic, or scientific discovery.
Intelligent Caution: When I complete a long rest, I can choose an ability score and am proficient in its saving throws.
Intrepid (1/rest): I can gain an expertise die on an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw.
Library Privileges: I have visiting access to the great libraries, even those normally off-limits to the public. With enough time spent in a library, I can uncover the answers I seek (answerable with a DC 20 check).
Local Healers: Whenever my hp maximum or an ability score would be reduced, it is reduced by half as much instead (minimum 1).
Meeting of Minds: I gain an expertise die on Charisma checks with Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion when interacting with someone who also has that skill.
Motto of the Tropezaros (1/rest): I can produce a non-magical item that I could have purchased or prepared at some time, as long as I can pay for the item and have a place big enough to have held it and that I can retrieve it from.
Quick Wits (4/rest): I can prepare a trick without using a bonus action.
Resident Expert: When I roll less than a 10 when making an Arcana or Medicine check (indicated by an asterisk), I can count the result as being 10.
Sage Advancement: After fetching esoteric knowledge and settling a few academic disputes, I may be granted access to the restricted areas of various libraries (as per Library Privileges, but DC 25 check)
Signature Move: I always have the Direct Ally trick prepared.
Steward’s Care: When we take a short rest, my allies and I regain +4 hit points. Additionally, I can choose one creature resting with me and give it extra care, and it can remove a level of strife.
Trick – Assess Vulnerability: When I attack specific creature, I can use my Int bonus instead of another stat for attack and damage rolls. This applies to all attacks I make against that creature before the start of my next turn.
Trick – Canny Dodge Aegis: I can roll a d4 and add that to my AC against one attack, or to my Dex save if I would fail it. I know how much the roll succeeded or failed by before deciding whether to use this aegis.
Trick – Experimental Flourish: When I miss an attack, I can improvise a follow-up that doesn’t directly attack a foe but that shoves the target or inflicts the blinded, deafened, grappled, prone, or similar condition, and inflicts damage equal to my Int mod. The condition typically lasts 1 round and the creature can make an Int save to avoid the effect.
Trick – Improvised Bastion Aegis: When a creature’s attack, spell, or ability would damage me, I can devise a momentary defense and gain resistance to one type of damage the creature inflicts.
Trick – Mindful Reason Aegis: When I would fail an Int or Wis save, I can use this trick to add 1d4 to the roll. I know how much the roll failed by before I use this aegis.
Trick – Surgical Flourish: If I have advantage on a melee attack and both dice are high enough to hit, I can debilitate one of the target’s limbs or eyes. It must make a Con save. On a success, the part is debilitated until the end of my next turn; on a failure, its debilitated until it completes a short rest.
Word of Advice: When I prepare an aegis trick, I can let an ally within 10 feet use it instead. If the ally doesn’t use the trick before the end of my next turn, it remains available for me to use it instead. Once either of us use the trick, it’s over.

Actions
Basic Maneuvers: Disarm, Grab On, Grapple, Knockdown, Overrun, Shove
Extra Attack: I can attack twice on my turn.
Dagger: +6 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing damage; storage
Apotrapaics: I can spend an action to reinforce an apotropaic (allergen) that can repel or harm supernatural creatures. I gain an expertise die to my opposed Charisma check or to the flat DC the creature must overcome. If the item inflicts harm, I can also make an opposed Charisma check (with expertise die) to repel the creature without having to spend an action.
Physician (Feat): When I use a healer’s satchel to stabilize a dying creature, it regains a number of hp equal to my Wis modifier (2 hp). I can also spend one use of a healer’s satchel to tend to a creature. It regains 1d6+4 hp, plus hp equal to its max number of Hit Dice. It can only benefit from this once per rest.
Trick: Direct Ally: I can choose an ally that can understand me, then choose an ally. If that ally hits that target with an attack before the start of my next turn, their attack deals an extra 2d8 damage. I can’t choose the same target again.

Bonus Actions
Expert Help: I can use the Help action as a bonus action. When I Help an ally to attack a creature, the ally can be within 30 feet of me.
Focused Defense: If there are at least two enemies within 30 feet, I can choose one of them. Until the end of my next turn, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against me.
Inspiration Feature: I can spend inspiration to determine one trait of a creature (resistances, immunities, vulnerabilities, known languages, or AC) or item (if it’s magical, poisonous, cursed, trapped, or its approximate value).
Savant Tricks (More Tricks): I must prepare a trick with a bonus action while in an encounter. The trick remains prepared until I use it, the encounter ends, or I prepare a different trick. I can have have two tricks prepared, in addition to my Signature Trick)
Trick – Saving Advice: I can pick a saving throw and advise an ally who can understand me. It can gain an expertise die on one save of that type that it can use before the end of the encounter.
Trick – Timely Tool: I can use a non-damaging item in a bonus action, even if it normally requires an action.

Reactions
A Step Ahead: When I see a creature within reach try to take a reaction, I can use my reaction to try to distract it. It must make an Int save against my Trick DC. On a failure, its reaction is wasted.
Bolster Ally (1/short rest): I can let an ally reroll a failed save or ability check.
Trick – Unbalancing Intervention: When a creature within my reach makes a Strength or Ability check or save, I can put it off-balance and give it disad on that check or save.

Equipment
Alchemical torch (5), bandages, caltrops, dagger, healer’s satchel (10 uses), herbalism kit, holy symbol (Church of Ezra), holy symbol (Church of Hala), holy water (5 vials), jar of leeches (5 uses), laudanum (3 doses), magnifying glass, manacles, rope, scholar’s pack (backpack, book of lore, bottle of ink, ink pen, 10 sheets of parchment, bag of sand, small knife), tanglefoot bag, tinderbox (2). Memento: A locket containing a portrait of Ingrid and Erasmus.
Bulky: 1
Supply: 10
Carrying Capacity: 150 lbs

Edit: Fixed a mistake with Resident Expert.
 
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