New Clever Schemes

The following clever schemes can be learned by all savants .

Antiquarian

You have a nose for identifying things, even if you’ve never seen them before. If you spend 1 minute examining and touching an artificial object, you learn the object’s age, value, historical/cultural origin, and non-magical properties (if any), such as the DC of a lock or how to use a piece of culture-specific equipment.

Artistic Streak

You find that practicing your art helps you think. You gain an expertise die on checks to engage in artistic activities, such as music, writing, or another creative endeavor. If you engage in an artistic practice for 1 hour (which may be part of a rest), you may gain one point of Key Knowledge regarding an individual, creature, event, organization, or place of which you are aware. Once you have done so, you cannot do so again until you have both used the Key Knowledge you gained and completed a long rest .

Bartitsu

You have trained to defend yourself under any circumstances. You can roll 1d4 in place of your normal damage for unarmed strikes. If you aren’t wielding any weapons or a shield, you can roll 1d6 instead. Finally, you may choose to deal 1d6 damage when using improvised weapons instead of the damage they normally deal.

Business Acumen

You gain an expertise die on checks made to recall information about money, trade, regional goods, and businesses, as well as on checks made to buy, sell, or perform the Work downtime activity. Additionally, your Prestige level counts as 1 higher when interacting with merchants, financial professionals, and business owners within the area described by your Prestige rating.

Enigma Enthusiast

You gain an expertise die on checks made to succeed at solving puzzles, cracking ciphers, answering riddles, playing strategy games, and similar tasks, as well as on checks to create them. In addition, when encountering such a task you may ask the Narrator one question that could be answered with a “yes” or a “no” regarding the task. The Narrator’s answer to this question must be truthful. You may only ask one such question between each short and long rest .

Forensic Scientist

You gain an expertise die on checks using alchemist’s tools and on checks made to collect and analyze physical clues such as chemical residues, personal effects, and footprints, as well as on checks made to determine the manner of a creature’s death. You can always accurately determine how long ago a non-magical corpse you can see died or when a physical clue was put in place.

Jurisprudence

You gain an expertise die on checks to recall information about laws, regulations, and legal proceedings, as well as on checks to convince others of the legality or illegality of an act. Additionally, your Prestige level counts as 1 higher when interacting with bureaucrats, law enforcement agents, and legal practitioners within the area described by your Prestige rating.

Laureate

Prerequisite: d8 expertise die or higher in a skill
Your contributions to your field are highly regarded. Your Prestige bonus increases by 1,and you have advantage on prestige checks against individuals who are proficient in any skill in which you have a d8 expertise die or higher.

Memory Palace

You can recall everything you’ve seen or heard within a number of weeks equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1). In addition, you can retain expertise dice gained from the last two masterwork books you’ve read rather than one, and the size of the expertise die you gain from the most recent masterwork book you’ve read increases to d6 (but decreases to d4 once you read another).

More Things in Heaven and Earth

You understand that not all phenomena can be ascribed to strictly natural causes. You gain an expertise die on checks to avoid, locate, or understand the abilities of celestials, fiends, and undead.

Polyglot

You gain proficiency in two languages of your choice, and you require only half the usual time to train in a new language. You gain an expertise die on Insight checks made to understand other languages.

Practiced Pilot

You gain proficiency with one type of vehicle of your choice, or an expertise die if you are already proficient. You may take a vehicle action and prepare a trick using the same bonus action.

Principia Mathematica

You can perform all mathematical operations with perfect accuracy in your head, as though you were using the calculate cantrip. In addition, you can determine the number and dimensions of any objects, creatures, or areas you can see; the weight of any object or creature you can touch; and the time between any two events you have experienced to within a 1% margin of error.

Psychoanalysis

By spending 10 minutes conversing with a creature you can see within 30 feet of you, you can gain insight into the creature’s motivations, emotional state, and something that looms large in its mind. In addition, you gain an expertise die on checks to determine if a creature you examine in this way is lying or concealing information until the end of your next short or long rest.

Rapier Repartee

You gain an expertise die on Intimidation and Performance checks that rely on your wit. After conversing with a creature for 1 minute, you learn which traits about themselves that can be readily observed or inferred they prize and despise most. This feature does not reveal secret information.

Reports Of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Once per long rest , you may use your reaction to fall prone and suppress your vital signs through a variety of techniques for up to 1 hour. Until you choose to move, creatures of your choice able to observe you consider you to be dead or dying for the duration, although a suspicious creature may make a Medicine check against your trick DC to determine if you are alive. You are blinded during this period but are otherwise aware of your surroundings, and you may use your reaction to move up to your Speed, ending the condition early. Standing up from prone still requires half of your movement when using this feature.

Speech and Debate

Your specialties in lore skills also apply to Persuasion and Deception checks.