General Prestige Class : Maester
Maesters are the master crafters of the gnome world, combining technical and magical expertise to create incredible marvels. They specialize in the creation of magic items, bending all their skill and ability toward the construction of items that are their art and livelihood.
Maesters are usually wizards, although sorcerers occasionally take up the class. Some bards also have been known to become maesters, but typically not until they have spent a number of years adventuring.
NPC maesters rarely stray from their laboratories, which makes them excellent patrons for groups of adventurers. Maesters often need rare minerals, unusual material components for spells, or other substances for the magic items they create, and it's usually too dangerous to fetch such materials alone. Maesters often hire bodyguards if they're undertaking a journey, paying their guards with magic items they have built. Other times, they simply send allies on a journey of acquisition, providing them with as much lore about their mission as possible.
Adaptation: While gnomes are renowned for their magical craftsmanship, they don't have a monopoly on the trade. This class would be appropriate for a secret organization of item-creating arcanists who are not necessarily gnomes. If you change the spell requirement to divine spells, it's also a good fit for clerics of deities who are known for their peerless magical craftings, such as Moradin.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Maester, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Gnome
- Skills: Craft (any) 8 ranks, Use Magic Device 4 ranks.
- Feats: Any two item creation feats.
- Spells: Arcane caster level 5th.
Class Skills
The maester's class skills are Appraise, Concentration, Craft, Disable Device, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (architecture and engineering), Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Maesters gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Bonus Feats: At 1st and 5th level, a maester receives a bonus item creation feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat.
Quick Crafting (Ex): A maester can craft magic items in half the normal time required (one day per 2,000 gp in the item's base price; minimum one day).
Spells per Day/Spells Known: Beginning at 2nd level, a maester gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, if he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a maester, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.
Identification (Sp): A maester of 3rd level or higher can determine the magical properties of a magic item by handling it for 1 minute and making a successful Spellcraft check (DC 10 + the item's caster level). The maester can't take 10 on this check, nor can he retry the check (and thus he can't take 20). This ability otherwise functions as the identify spell.
| Maester | Hit Die: d4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spells |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Bonus feat, quick crafting | |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | - | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Identification | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | - | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Bonus feat | +1 level of existing spellcasting class |
Source: Complete Adventurer