Ancient Chronicler
“Knowledge of the past will open our future’s doors.”
- Bar’al of Kled, dwarven ancient chronicler
Ancient chroniclers act as living repositories of the knowledge of Athas’ past. They live an unending search to uncover the truth and discover wisdom in the events of the past. They use that knowledge to influence modern events and keep detailed records of the past and the present to help them in the future.
Ancient chroniclers most often come from the ranks of bards, clerics, and seer psions, with a few templars specialized in researching the past. Humans, with their insatiable curiosity, make up the majority of ancient chronicler ranks. Dwarven chroniclers are also common as many make it their life focus to unearth as much lore as possible from the sands. Of the other races, elves and halflings sometimes take levels in this class in an effort to get closer to their ancient roots.
NPC ancient chroniclers are equally at home wandering the wastes in a never-ending search for the past’ relics, or in the middle of a crowded citiy on the lookout for rumors and information about notable events. Meeting and befriending an ancient chronicler can provide needed information about unknown items or places. Freelance ancient chroniclers are found working as much for the various chapters of the Veiled Alliance and for the templars of the Sorcerer-Monarchs, sometimes for both at the same time.
Hit Die: d6.
Requirements
To qualify to become an ancient chronicler, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Skills: Gather information 8 ranks, Knowledge (ancient history) 2 ranks, Knowledge (history) 8 ranks, Literacy in at least three languages.
Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]).
Psionic: Able to manifest a clairsentient power.
Class Skills:
The ancient chronicler’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Literacy, Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Kalthandrix gives it 
This class with a few levels in Loremeaster would make a super-cool Oracle if you will- say like Seer 10/Psi-loremaster 10 (Iknow is is not real but would be a good replacement for the arcane version/Ancient Chronicler 10 or something like it.
It is late and I just finished with my DS game for the night- first time having a full group since October- so I will not make any further comment right now except to say that I like it a great deal.
Good job Methvezem
Kudos man!
-X
Talking about the 2nd appendix, any idea for the playtest version's release date?
This is realy a very good flavoured Prc. There is only one thing I don't quite understand. Why is "Able to manifest a clairsentient power." a prerequisite? Is it just for the flavour, because I don't see any mechanical reason why this should be required. Otherwise have to say, realy great job!
This requirement is because I feeled I needed something to have the PrC the psi-like ability Echoes from the past. I thought that a previous access to a clairsentient power, any power, ''open the doors'', if you will, to this ability.
Pennarin suggested that I make sensitivity to psychic impressions the power required but I ultimatly found it to restricting, being a 2nd level seer power. It would have been to restrictive in the end, making it very hard to clerics and bards to qualify for, which I didn't want.
PS: Forgot to thanks Penn for the editing :embarrass
Also it would be better to have Skill Focus Ancient History since that is what this PrC is all about.
Other than that, great job!
IMO the requirements are a bit off. Ancient History should have 8 ranks and History should have maybe 5. Or at least 5 and 5 respectively, 2 is just too less IMO.
Also it would be better to have Skill Focus Ancient History since that is what this PrC is all about.
Since you bring up the point, I'll have to say that I will surely change the ranks required to something like 6 and 6.
The Knowledge (history) and (ancient history) requirements are jumbled because of the thin distinction of their use in the DS rules. Where do the use of (history) end and (ancient history) begins? Most of the time it will be DM's call.
The use of Knowledge (ancient history) was discussed in another thread, but as in the rules it is not the ranks that are hard to come by but the DC to get a specific information that goes up, the Knowledge (ancient history) should be brought to about 6, like any other skill required. Or perhaps Knowledge (ancient history or history) 8 ranks.
I'll perhaps change Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge [history])for Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge [ancient history]) or Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]). What do you think?
Talking about the 2nd appendix, any idea for the playtest version's release date?
There aren't enough class contributions yet to comprise a product IMO. I haven't got an exact number of contributions, but we're far from the number of classes in Appendix I.
I'm not claiming that as an official deliniation, ....but it could be?
IMO the requirements are a bit off. Ancient History should have 8 ranks and History should have maybe 5. Or at least 5 and 5 respectively, 2 is just too less IMO.
Also it would be better to have Skill Focus Ancient History since that is what this PrC is all about.
At first glance its what I proposed to Meth, but I changed it later because Knowledge (ancient history) is very rare as a skill and refers to the deep past (10 or more king's ages in the past).
Aside from the word "ancient" in ancient chronicler, the ancient lore ability is as much useful for recent events as for deep past stuff since it is, basically, bardic knowledge.
Echoes from the past accesses deep past events only by level 10, so considering this and what I listed above, its kinda normal that Knowledge (ancient history) be a minor skill requirement for the PrC, and that the more recent Knowledge (history) be the major skill.
That Knowledge (ancient history) is even a requirement is already an important element which may reduce the presence of the PrC for many DMs.
The use of Knowledge (ancient history) was discussed in another thread, but as in the rules it is not the ranks that are hard to come by but the DC to get a specific information that goes up, the Knowledge (ancient history) should be brought to about 6, like any other skill required. Or perhaps Knowledge (ancient history or history) 8 ranks.
Not true. I based the 2 ranks on another PrC I found which had an exotic skill requirement. I can't recall which one I looked up, but there are more than one PrC out there that have requirements in the 8 ranks category right next to 2 rankers.
Not true. I based the 2 ranks on another PrC I found which had an exotic skill requirement. I can't recall which one I looked up, but there are more than one PrC out there that have requirements in the 8 ranks category right next to 2 rankers.
Didn't knew this was the case, if you remember where you saw that, can you tell me please. And yes, the PrC is more useful for history than ancient history. Even the Echoes from the Past ability back to 6 king's age for a 10th level ancient chronicler with a +4 Int mod.
Ok, faulty memory here. I looked up three books and all I got were combos of ranks like 8/4 and 5/2. I'm still finding it important that the PrC has a ratio of 8/2, or minimum 8/4. If the character wants to increase his ranks in Knowledge (ancient history) he can do so at any time, but the PrC requirements are just that, requirements.
Go Brian Go!
Ok, faulty memory here. I looked up three books and all I got were combos of ranks like 8/4 and 5/2. I'm still finding it important that the PrC has a ratio of 8/2, or minimum 8/4. If the character wants to increase his ranks in Knowledge (ancient history) he can do so at any time, but the PrC requirements are just that, requirements.
That's fine, but I still think it should be more than 2 ranks for Ancient History. So I would say go with the 8/4 ratio. Leave the feat Skill Focus (History) as is, it fits more now that I know more info about the PrC.
I thought it was too late to submit prestige classes for Appendix 2, wasn't it like May 26th or something?
You're right about the submission deadline, but I guess you didn't notice that I posted this PrC about 6 months ago ;) .
Kal, even considering that many a PrC will not be included in Appendix II and thus make room for more, has Jon informed you what he intends to do with any other PrC that comes along? An Appendix III? An expanding of existing appendices?
I pitched an idea to him about a PrC suppliment that would contain non-core race PrCs, other new racial PrCs, and substitution levels for races - he thought is was a cool idea, but that was as far as it went. I was thinking that a good name for it would be Savage Races of Athas: Expanded Rules for Character Races.
I have been working on tweeking the mutation rules in DA III to make a New Race template to maybe go in it, and depending on how Appendix II goes and how many PrCs are in it, some of the PrCs that were sent to me for II may instead go into this other suppliment - but like I said, it was just a brief idea I tossed jon's way and I have not done much with it besides my own stuff --> the Appendix II is coming well, but it is a cumbersom item to work with - there are many different writing styles and I am trying to get it all to flow correctly.