Base Requirements

• Races: Any
• Sub-Classes: Any
• Ability Requirements: No ability score below 11
• Alignments: Non-Lawful
• Starting Cash: 4d6 x10gp

Weapon Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: By class
• Bonus Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Required Weapon Proficiencies: none
• Allowed Weapons: By class
• Allowed Armors: By class

Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

• Non-weapon Slots: +3 slots
• Available Categories: All Groups
• Bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies: Etiquette, Literacy
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: Any
• Forbidden Proficiencies: none

Overview: Dilettantes are members of the lesser nobility or wealthy merchant classes who have failed to devote their time seriously to any one pursuit. Instead, the dilettante dabbles in numerous pursuits and even magical studies, gaining a little skill in many areas, but mastering none of them. A very large number of dilettantes are dual-classed or multi-classed characters.

The chief motivation of the dilettante is boredom, a desire to be excited, and an urge to see more of the world. Although many dilettantes are fops and wastrels, some are simply people who lack the patience or vision to dedicate themselves to a single pursuit.

Description: Dilettantes tend to dress in fancy, brightly colored clothing (usually made of expensive silks). The typical dilettante can often be found hanging around sophisticated wine bars in rich areas of cities and is almost never seen “doing a proper day’’s work (unless its simply for the experience). They are often frowned upon for their arrogance and laziness. Even so, it is hard to dislike a dilettante, for the eternal optimism and wisecracking remarks are endearing, if perhaps a little annoying.

Role-Playing: Although a dilettante is not a master of any particular skill, his broad experience in many different fields can help a party. A dilettante can also be useful to a party in gaining access to nobles or other members of the upper class. Dilettantes are often invited to parties or are honored guests of a local lord. Unlike a knight or greater noble, a dilettante cannot demand shelter of other nobles, but he is often invited to stay anyways.

Special Abilities:

• As members of the upper class, dilettantes are well-treated by most commoners and minor nobles, and receive a +1 bonus on NPC reactions against such characters.
• A dilettante may buy two non-weapon proficiencies for the price of one. By spending half the normal number of slots (half-slots are allowed), he learns the proficiency but gains only half the normal proficiency score (after applying modifiers).
• Dilettantes who are non-spellcasters gain the ability to cast one 1st-level wizard spell for every two levels he gains (round down). He learns paths as a rogue, but does not automatically gain access to any paths (he must find a spellbook or find someone to teach him). Since the dilettante does not fully understand the magical forces he sumons, he must make a Reason check every time he attempts to cast a spell. A failed check results in a failed spell. A natural 20 on the check results in a wild-magic surge.
• A dilettante whose class grants him the ability to cast spells (such as a wizard or cleric), does not gain any additional ability to memorize spells. Instead he gains access to a school or sphere of magic normally outside his abilities (such as the Abjuration school for an Illusionist or the Chaos sphere for a druid). Whenever attempting to cast a spell from this school or sphere, the dilettante must make a Reason. A failed check results in a failed spell. A natural 20 on the check results in a wild-magic surge.

Special Disadvantages:

• A dilettante prefers high quality equipment and fashionable clothes. Thus he always spends an extra 10% more than the listed price for everything he buys. He pays this additional amount even for items not actually worth the additional cost. Appearances must be maintained, after all.
• Dilettantes suffer a -2 penalty on all morale checks and saving throws vs. fear, horror, or madness.
• Because of their lack of ambition to study anything in depth, dilettantes may never spend any proficiency slots on improving non-weapon proficiencies and suffer a -1 penalty on all non-weapon proficiency checks.
• A dilettante may never gain weapon specialization or mastery, regardless of his class.
• Dilettantes suffer a -10% penalty to all earned experience, due to their lack of discipline or drive (this stacks with any modifiers for an exceptionally high or low Intuition score).
• Dilettantes receive a -2 penalty on NPC reaction rolls from any serious artist or scholar, as these individuals are annoyed with the superfluous dabbling of the dilettante.

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