Class: Learner

The Learner
		Memetics					Maneuvers
Level	Special	Cache	Memory	Libraries	Max Grade	Memes Known	Max Grade	Schools	Maneuvers Known
1	Combat Style, Learning	2	1	1	Common	2	Basic	1	2
2	Pedagogy	2	1	1	Common	3	Basic	1	3
3		2	1	1	Common	4	Basic	1	4
4	Pedagogy	3	1	1	Common	5	Basic	1	5
5		3	1	2	Uncommon	6	Lesser	1	6
6	Pedagogy	3	2	2	Uncommon	6	Lesser	1	6
7		3	2	2	Uncommon	7	Lesser	1	7
8	Pedagogy	4	2	2	Uncommon	8	Lesser	1	8
9		4	2	2	Uncommon	9	Lesser	2	9
10	Learner Talent	4	2	2	Uncommon	10	Lesser	2	10
11		5	3	3	Uncommon	11	Lesser	2	11
12	Learner Talent	5	3	3	Rare	11	Expert	2	11
13		5	3	3	Rare	12	Expert	2	12
14	Learner Talent	5	3	3	Rare	13	Expert	2	13
15		6	3	3	Rare	14	Expert	2	14
16	Learner Talent	6	4	3	Rare	15	Expert	2	15
17		6	4	4	Rare	16	Expert	2	16
18	Learner Talent	7	4	4	Rare	16	Expert	2	16
19		7	4	4	Obscure	17	Greater	2	17
20	Learner Talent	7	4	4	Obscure	18	Greater	2	18

 

Learner

Troi, iconic learner

"Experience is the best teacher."

The petrifying gaze of a basilisk, the lightning breath of a dragon, the soul-draining touch of the undead: these powers are to be feared, most certainly. Some, however, would believe that the best way to fight fire is with fire, and so seek out ways to gain these powers - not through study or research, but through watching those who wield them. This is the way of the learner.

It is impossible to say what a learner is capable of. An individual learner may learn dozens - if not hundreds - of abilities over the course of her lifetime, as varied in power and application as the creatures that walk the world. Calling upon the power of the Blue to enhance her memory and ability to replicate the powers of monsters, the learner is a powerful ally and unpredictable foe.

However, to gain access to these abilities, the learner must see them in action - and that means a life of adventure and danger. As such, learners also train themselves in the arts martial, to acquire the skills needed to do battle with the creatures from which they wish to glean new knowledge. For the budding learner, this also means that they are able to function in an adventuring troupe with minimal fuss; while they are not as well-versed in the ways of combat as true warriors, they are able to hold their own, and once the learner has acquired a stable of useful memes, they can combine their memetics and maneuvers to deadly effect.

Game Rule Information

Learners have the following game statistics.

Force Alignment: Blue.

Force Resistances: TO 5 + level, CO 5 + level.

Abilities: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are all equally important to a learner. She gains bonus active meme slots based on her Wisdom, bonus memory based on her Intelligence, and additional belief-space based upon her Charisma.

Starting Age: Moderate.

T20

Hit Points at 1st Level: 15 + Con score.

Hit Points at Each Additional Level: 9 + Con modifier.

Healing Surges: 10 + Con modifier.

Defenses: Fort +2; Ref +2; Will +2; Det +2.

Pathfinder

Hit Die: d10.

Saving Throws: Fort (Poor); Ref (Good); Will (Good).

Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Skills: ...some list.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the learner.

Proficiencies

Weapons: Choose three.

Armor: Light, Mystic.

Implements: Records, Tomes.

Combat Style

At first level, the learner decides which combat style he will pursue. Choose one of the following; once you have made a selection, it cannot be changed later.

▶ Archer

You focus on the pursuit of archery. You gain the [core] abilities of the archer class, and gain aim with actions spent per the table below. You select your schools and maneuvers from the archer list.

You gain proficiency with a ranged weapon of your choice.

You learn the couerl imprint basic stance.

While you have a quarry, whenever that creature uses a special ability, you can automatically learn that ability (as per learning, below) without expending an action.

When you process a meme that targets a single creature, you can spend aim to improve your attack roll. Each point of aim you spend gives you a +2 power bonus to the attack roll.

▶ Berserker

You have learned how to unleash the inner beast within. You gain the [core] abilities of the berserker class, and can gain rage when you take damage. You select your schools and maneuvers from the berserker list.

You gain proficiency with axes.

You learn the behemoth imprint basic stance.

Whenever you gain rage, if the action that caused it was a special ability, you can automatically learn that ability (as per learning, below) without expending an action.

When you process a meme that targets at least one creature, you can spend one rage per creature targeted. If you do, each creature targeted gains malice against you until the start of your next turn.

▶ Defender

You focus on learning how to defend yourself and others. You gain the [core] abilities of the defender class, and can gain grit when you make successful armor checks and shield checks. You select your schools and maneuvers from the defender list.

You gain proficiency with heavy armor and shields.

You learn the adamantoise imprint basic stance.

Whenever you gain grit, if the action that caused it was a special ability, you can automatically learn that ability (as per learning, below) without expending an action.

When you process a meme that allows the target to spend a healing surge for an effect, you can spend an amount of grit equal to the meme's grade (1 for common, 2 for uncommon, and so on). If you do, each target can spend an additional healing surge (note that this effect may not affect all memes that allow for the expenditure of healing surges).

▶ Einhander

You focus on swordplay above all. You gain the [core] abilities of the einhander class, and have a maximum number of maneuvers readied per the table below. You select your schools and maneuvers from the einhander list.

You gain proficiency with a melee weapon that can be two-handed of your choice.

You learn the iron giant imprint basic stance.

Whenever you use a maneuver, you can choose to halve the damage you deal. If you do, you can automatically learn (as per learning, below) one random ability from one target of that maneuver of your choice.

When you process a meme that affects an area, you can cramp a maneuver of the same grade or higher. If you do, you also deal your wielded weapon's damage to all creatures in the area you hit with the meme.

▶ Falconer

You have learned how to fight alongside a companion you have trained. You gain the [core] abilities of the falconer class, and make focus checks to avoid losing energy, with a bonus to focus checks per the table below. You select your schools and maneuvers from the falconer list.

You gain proficiency with a ranged weapon of your choice.

You learn the bandersnatch imprint basic stance.

Whenever your companion is affected by a special ability, you can automatically learn that ability (as per learning, below) without expending an action.

When you process a meme, you can consider yourself or your companion the origin point of the meme.

▶ Karateka

You have taught yourself to use your body as a weapon. You gain the [core] abilities of the karateka class, and have vigor per the table below. You select your schools and maneuvers from the karateka list.

You gain proficiency in unarmed attacks, and one of the following of your choice: claws, gloves, or knuckles.

You learn the death claw imprint basic stance.

Whenever you use a maneuver as a reaction to a special ability, you can automatically learn that ability (as per learning, below) without expending an action.

When you process a meme that deals damage as a reaction, it gains flow.

Learning

While other memeticists study the world memory in an abstract sense, the learner seeks to instead gain knowledge first-hand. By observing how creatures are able to interact with the world, he can deduce their underlying mechanics and, in the process, learn how to replicate the effects.

Whenever a creature uses a special ability, you can make a learning check as a reaction, which is d20 + your level bonus + your Intelligence modifier, against a DC of 15 + half the creature's level. If you hit, you gain a learned meme, which is a copy of that ability in all respects. You can choose to immediately replace one of your active memes with this learned meme; if you do, and the original meme was allocated to memory, you lose that memory until your next long rest: learned memes cannot be allocated to memory. They otherwise function as normal memes, including your need to load them.

You cannot learn a tech with the (weapon) descriptor.

Physical abilities learned through this ability that require an attack roll require a physical attack roll of the appropriate type (melee or ranged), while any other abilities require a memetic attack roll.

Abilities that recharge per encounter, recharge for you after a short rest; abilities that have a daily recharge, recharge for you after a long rest. All other abilities gain a recharge value as though they were a meme of the highest grade you could access at the level equal to the level of the creature you learned the ability from (for instance, you treat any learned meme learned from a creature whose level is 2 as though it were a Common meme, in terms of recharge value).

You can learn traits with this ability. Your learned memes gained from traits have a processing time of a move action, and a duration of 5 rounds.

Any bonuses other than untyped bonuses granted by a learned meme become power bonuses, regardless of their original bonus type.

This ability cannot be used on class or item abilities.

You can have a total number of learned memes equal to your Intelligence modifier. If you would gain a new learned meme and have already reached your maximum, you can immediately forget one of your existing learned memes; if you had loaded that learned meme into your cache, the new learned meme takes its place, but if the original had allocated memory, that memory is lost until your next long rest.

Maneuvers

The following is the learner maneuver list, ordered by grade.

While learner maneuvers are considered to be their own school, learners do not need to gain access to this school separately: learners can always learn maneuvers from this school regardless of what schools they have access to.

Note that a learner can only learn one basic stance from this school, determined by his choice of combat style.

Learner School

Learner Basic Stances
Maneuver Name	Action	Type	Effect
Adamantoise Imprint	Free	Stance	Your worn armor absorbs more incoming damage.
Bandersnatch Imprint	Free	Stance	You and your companion can more aggressively team up on nearby creatures.
Behemoth Imprint	Free	Stance	You can respond to some attacks with memetic or physical attacks; your rage gains the wrath descriptor.
Couerl Imprint	Free	Stance	Your ranged attacks have a small chance to cause additional status ailments.
Death Claw Imprint	Free	Stance	You can grab, restrain, and constrict creatures.
Iron Giant Imprint	Free	Stance	You can more skillfully use weapons sized for creatures larger than you.

 

Maneuver List

The following is the learner maneuver list.

Regardless of the learner's chosen combat style, the learner adds these maneuvers to his maneuver list.

In addition to being martial maneuvers, and subject to the rules that apply to those abilities, these abilities are also considered Blue-aligned. As such, they allow for BO, and cannot be used in an area in which memetic effects cannot function.

1st-Level Learner Maneuvers
Maneuver Name	Action	Type	Effect
Copycat Strike	Standard	Strike	Attack deals +1d6 damage, copy struck opponent's attack roll on your next attack.
Doppelganger Dance	Swift	Stance	Follow when opponents make 5-foot steps.
Forgetful Strike	Standard	Strike	Target loses one readied maneuver.
Meme Flicker	Reaction	Counter	Penalize your opponent's attack with a momentary flicker of idea.

 

2nd-Level Learner Maneuvers
Maneuver Name	Action	Type	Effect
Analyze Style	Swift	Boost	Learn what maneuvers a target has readied.
Equivocate	Reaction	Counter	Target creature gains your status ailments.
Mimic's Gambit	Standard	Strike	Attack copies a Force ability from struck opponent.
Recursive Dash	Swift	Boost	Return to your starting location at the end of your turn.

 

3rd-Level Learner Maneuvers
Maneuver Name	Action	Type	Effect
Fragmented Memory	Swift	Stance	Create mirror images of yourself.
Lapsing Strike	Standard	Strike	Reduce target's initiator level temporarily.
Reflective Blade	Swift	Boost	Your Strikes target an additional creature.

 

4th-Level Learner Maneuvers
Maneuver Name	Action	Type	Effect
Doppelganger Waltz	Reaction	Counter	Gain free movement whenever target opponent moves.
Memory Strike	Standard	Strike	Target loses a readied maneuver, suffers additional damage based on level of maneuver.
Pointer Swap	Swift	Boost	Trade status effects with a creature.

 

5th-Level Learner Maneuvers
Maneuver Name	Action	Type	Effect
Broadcast Status	Swift	Stance	Status boons and other positive effects on you also affect your allies.
Empty Frame	Reaction	Counter	Become incorporeal in response to taking damage.
Mirror Shield	Reaction	Counter	Negate a Strike maneuver.
Return the Favor	Reaction	Counter	Duplicate a Strike maneuver used against you.

 

6th-Level Learner Maneuvers
Maneuver Name	Action	Type	Effect
Amnesia Strike	Standard	Strike	Attack causes amnesia.
Copycat's Cunning	Swift	Boost	Gain armor, shield, or weapon properties used by opponent.
Plagiarism	Reaction	Counter	Opponent loses an ability used on you, while you gain it.

 

Feats

The following are a selection of feats that are relevant to learners.

 

MEMETIC ADEPT CROSSTRAINING [Blue, Martial]
You study both of your chosen fields in tandem.
Prerequisites: Memeticist, Initiator.
Benefit: You gain knowledge of one additional meme of any grade you can access, of any library you can access; and one additional maneuver of any grade you can access, of any school you can access. You can take this feat multiple times; its effect stacks.

 

Design Notes

Well... turns out that a pure blue mage isn't really doable. That's too bad, but... well, it's been an informative fourteen years or so.

This is a close enough approximation, and with our move on the GM side to more 4e-style mechanics, this particular method of learning works out relatively well. So we're good, I think.

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