Scientist · novice Path · Shadow of the Demon Lord

Erudition provides scientists with all they need to tackle the challenges in their path. Grounded in secular theory and thought, rejecting the occult, scientists attack problems with a combination of cunning, learnedness, and determination to unravel the mysteries before them. The further they progress their training, the more they learn, and the greater the wonders they can create.

Scientists come from academic backgrounds, which help reflect their education and training in higher learning. Some, though, might have taught themselves, such as a criminal with ideas about building devices to carry out heists or soldiers who study engineering to build war machines. Scientists can even come from the ranks of the religious. They might commit themselves to serving the gods, but also see it as their duty to gain a better understanding of the world.

Level 1 Scientist

Level 2 Scientist

Level 5 Expert Scientist

Characteristics. Health +3 Languages and Professions. You add one academic area of knowledge of your choice. Scientific Innovation. Choose one science from the options presented. Sudden Solution. If you benefit from your Eureka talent and get a failure on an attack or challenge roll, you can end the effects of your Eureka talent to turn the failure into a success.

Level 8 Master Scientist

The Sciences

Botany

Defoliant

As an action, you can deploy the defoliant so that a 5-yard-radius cloud forms on a point you choose within medium range. The cloud obscures its area for 1 minute before dissipating. When the cloud appears, all normal plants and fungi in the cloud die and wither away.

Any creature with the fungus, ooze, or plant descriptor in the cloud when it appears or that enters it takes 3d6 damage and becomes diseased for as long as it remains in the cloud and for 1 minute thereafter. At the end of each round such a creature has this affliction, it makes a Strength challenge roll and, on a failure, takes 1d6 damage.

Finally, all other living creatures in the cloud when it appears or that enter it make a Strength challenge roll. On a failure, the creature takes 1d6 damage and becomes diseased- until it moves out of the cloud.

At level 5, the cloud’s radius increases to 10 yards. At level 8, the cloud deals 5d6 damage to fungi, plants, and slimes, and 2d6 damage to all other creatures that get failures on their Strength rolls.

Fertilizer

As an action, you can deploy the fertilizer onto a solid square-shaped surface, up to 5 yards on a side, originating from a point within medium range. If the surface contains no natural plants, molds, or fungus (in other words, it is bare earth, sand, or stone), plants grow across the surface until it becomes difficult terrain that remains for 24 hours or until burned away—10 damage from fire clears a square, 1 yard on each side, of difficult terrain. At level 5, the growth can be harvested, which takes 1 hour of work, and produces food for up to ten people. The food spoils after 24 hours. At level 8, you can choose to also produce one of the random fertilizer effects.

If the surface contains any plant of fungal matter, the fertilizer causes it to grow with unpredictable results. Roll a d6 and find the number rolled on the following table to see what happens. At level 8, you can choose another result in addition to the result gained from the roll of the die and apply its effect to the area.

Fertilizer Results

Roll	Result
1-2	For 1 minute, the plants reach for and curl around creatures on them in the affected area. When this effect begins, and again on each of your turns until the effect ends, each creature on the surface makes a Strength challenge roll. On a failure, the creature becomes immobilized until it uses an action to break free. If the creature is already immobilized, it takes 1d6 damage instead. At level 5, creatures take 1d6 damage when they become immobilized or take 2d6 damage if already immobilized.
3-4	Thorny growth erupts from the surface until it reaches a height of 3 yards or a solid surface. The growth provides total cover to anything behind it. Each creature in area when the thorns appear takes 1d6 damage, or 2d6 damage at level 5. In addition, when a creature enters the zone or moves inside of it, the creature takes 1 damage per yard moved if the creature moves more than 2 yards on its turn.
5	Flowers appear throughout the surface and release a cloud of poisonous pollen that obscures the air above the surface, up to a maximum height of 5 yards. Any living creature in the zone when the pollen appears or that enters it takes 1d6 damage and makes a Strength challenge roll. On a failure, the creature takes 2d6 extra damage, or 3d6 extra damage at level 5, and becomes poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the creature is also fatigued. If the creature is already poisoned, it takes 1d6 extra damage.
6	The plants form into a plant creature that uproots itself and takes a turn immediately. The plant creature is under your control and uses the statistics for a small monster (or medium monster at level 5) that’s immune to the asleep, blinded, dazed, frightened, and stunned afflictions, but takes double damage from fire. The effect lasts for 1 minute or until the plant becomes incapacitated.

Herbal Concoctions

As an action, a creature holding the concoction can consume it or administer it to one creature within its reach. The concoction takes effect at the end of the round.

Botanical Infusion. The affected creature gains the plant descriptor for 1 minute (or 1 hour at level 5), with all of the following benefits.

Increase its Defense by 2.
Halve its Speed.
Grant immunity to asleep, blinded, dazed, deafened, and stunned.
Cause the creature to take double damage from fire.
Enable the creature to use a move while on an earthen surface to root itself in place, which prevents it from being moved short of teleportation.
Grant the creature’s melee weapon attacks the reach property if they don’t have it already.

Herbal Remedy. The creature heals damage equal to its healing rate, or twice its healing rate at level 5. In addition, the creature becomes immune to damage from disease for 24 hours after.

Herbal Stimulant. On the creature’s next turn, it can increase the number of actions it can use by one. At the end of the creature’s turn, the creature makes a Strength challenge roll and, on a failure, the creature falls prone, becomes stunned until the end of its next turn, and the effect ends. The effect ends immediately after 1 minute. Starting at level 5, the affected creature makes the challenge roll with 1 boon.

Chemistry

When you choose this science, you gain an alchemy kit, if you don’t have one already. If you lose your kit, you can replace it for free after the adventure ends. In addition, each time you choose this science, gain one of the following benefits.

Corrosive and Poisons

Chemical Acid. Any creature holding the acid can use an action to pour it onto to a creature or object in reach or fling the acid at one creature or object within short range. A creature makes an Agility challenge roll. On a fail, the creature takes 1d6 damage from the acid or 2d6 damage at level 5, plus 1 damage at the end of each round until a creature that can reach the target uses an action to wash off the corrosive. On a success, the creature takes 1d3 damage, or 1d6 damage at level 5.

Chemical Drug: Any creature holding the drug can use an action to consume it or administer it to a willing or unconscious creature in reach. The creature consuming the drug makes a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane. A creature can choose to fail this roll. On a failure, the creature becomes poisoned for 1 hour. While poisoned in this way, the first time the creature takes damage in a round, it reduces the amount of damage by 1d6, or 2d6 at level 5.

Chemical Poison: Chemical poison functions as ordinary poison (Shadow, page 107), except that a creature damaged by the poisoned weapon takes 1d6 damage from the poison, or 2d6 at level 5, and a creature consuming the poisoned food or drink takes 1d6 damage from the poison, or 3d6 at level 5.

Explosives

As an action, you can set an explosive or throw it. At the end of the round, the explosive detonates and deals 3d6 damage to each creature and object in a 5-yard radius. At level 5, the damage increases to 5d6. A creature that would take this damage makes an Agility roll and takes half the damage instead on a success.

Pharmaceuticals

Any creature holding a pharmaceutical can use an action to ingest it or administer it to a creature within reach. If the target is unwilling, the creature makes a Strength attack roll against the target’s Agility. If you use a syringe (see Shadow, page 108), the creature can use an action or a triggered action, on its turn, to administer the pharmaceutical.

Health Booster. The affected creature gains a +5 bonus to Health for 1 hour, or a +15 bonus at level 5.

Strength Booster: The affected creature makes Strength attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 boon and imposes 1 bane on rolls made against its Strength. In addition, the creature’s melee attacks and ranged attacks using thrown weapons deal an extra 1d6 damage. The effect wears off after 1 minute, or 1 hour at level 5.

Speed Booster: The affected creature gains a +4 bonus to its Speed for 1 minute, or a +6 bonus at level 5. When the creature takes a turn, it can make a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane. On a success, the creature increases the number of actions it can use on its turn by one. On a failure, the creature takes 2d6 damage from strain.

Entomology

When you choose this science, you gain an alchemist’s kit, if you don’t have one already. If you lose your kit, you can replace it for free after the adventure ends. In addition, each time you choose this science, gain one of the following benefits.

Control Swarm

While out of their container, you can use an action to give the swarm any of the following commands:

Attack The swarm crawls or flies toward and attacks one creature of your choice within short range. The target makes an Agility challenge roll and takes 3d6 damage on a failure.

Distract The swarm encircles one creature within short range until the creature becomes incapacitated, moves, or you give the swarm another command. While so encircled, the creature is impaired.

Obscure The swarm spreads out to heavily obscure a cube of space, 5 yards on a side, originating from a point within short range. If the swarm’s area is included in an Air, Fire, Storm, or Water spell that would affect an area, the swarm disperses and reforms on you after 1 minute.

Protect The swarm encircles you or one creature of your choice within short range and remains until the target moves or becomes incapacitated, or you give the swarm a new command. While encircling the target, the swarm imposes 1 bane on attack rolls made against the target.

Monstrous Swarm At level 5, you can command the swarm to concentrate into a monstrous swarm for 1 minute. In this form, the swarm uses the statistics for an animal swarm with the flier trait. If the swarm becomes incapacitated, you lose this Control Swarm benefit for 1 hour.

Giant Insects

Poison Spray

Geology

The servant becomes a medium construct if you choose this science twice or a large construct if you choose it a third time.

In addition to what the servant can normally do, you can use an action to give the construct any of the following commands provided you are within short range of it.

Bulldoze: At the end of each round, the construct moves loose earth, sand, and stone that can fit inside a cube of space of the construct’s size from one spot to another within short range of it.

Dig: The construct digs through a surface made of earth, sand, or stone within its reach until you use an action to command it to stop. The construct excavates a hole of its size into the surface in which it digs moving 1 foot of earth or sand or 1 inch of stone at the end of each round. Material it digs out of the surface falls to the ground behind it, creating difficult terrain that remains until cleared away. A construct’s digging could make structures unsafe, at the GM’s discretion, causing portions of a structure, such as walls, surfaces, and the like to collapse, potentially harming anything under them.

While the construct obeys the command, at the end of each minute it works (or hour if you have chosen this science three times), roll a d6. On a 3 or less, the construct takes 1d6 damage from its exertions.

Thumper: If the construct is on a surface on which it can stand, it strikes the ground at the end of each round, causing a wave to roll through that surface in a 5-yard radius centered on a point in its space. The construct makes a Strength challenge roll and, on a failure, takes 1d6 damage. Each other creature on the affected surface makes a Strength challenge roll and, on a failure, takes 1d6 damage and falls prone. The damage increases to 2d6 if you have taken this science twice or 3d6 if you have taken it three times.

Metaphysics

Gravity Coil

Gravity Pulse: As an action, or as a triggered action when a creature within short range attacks you, you release a wave of gravity from the coil. Each unsecured object within short range of you moves 5 yards away from you. Each creature within short range of you makes a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane. On a failure, the creature moves 5 yards away from you and, if the total of its roll is 0 or less, it falls prone.

Low Gravity: As an action, you reduce the gravity around you out to short range of the coil for 1 minute or until you use an action to end the effect. Any creature in the area doubles the distance it can jump and leap, and creatures take half the damage from landing on a surface in the area after a fall.

Strong Gravity: As an action, you increase the gravity around you out to short range of the coil for 1 minute or until you use an action to end the effect. Creatures treat surfaces in the area as difficult terrain, halve the range of their jumping and leaping distances, and take double damage from landing on a surface in the area after a fall. Finally, any flying creature that moves into the area makes a Strength challenge roll and, on a failure, falls unless it hovers.

Lightning Dynamo

As an action, you can release lightning from the rod to streak toward one creature or object within short range by expending a charge from the gadget. The gadget has a number of charges equal to 1 + half your level and regains all expended charges 24 hours after the last charge has been expended. The target makes an Agility challenge roll and, on a failure, takes 3d6 damage. At level 5, the damage increases to 5d6 and 8d6 at level 8.

After you expend a charge from the gadget, roll a d6. On a 3 or less, electricity sparks from the dynamo, and each creature within your reach makes an Agility challenge roll. On a failure, the creature takes 1d6 damage.

Wormhole Projector

On a success, a wormhole forms between the two spaces, allowing any creature or object entering one space to emerge instantly from the other. The wormhole remains until it destabilizes or you use an action to close it. At the end of each round the wormhole remains open, roll a d6. On a 3 or less, the wormhole destabilizes and disappears.

On a failure, nothing happens and the expended charge is wasted.

Physiology

When you choose this science, you gain a healer’s kit, if you don’t have one already. If you lose your kit, you can replace it for free after the adventure ends. In addition, each time you choose this science, gain one of the following talents.

Cosmetology

Beautify. The target appears beautiful and makes attack rolls in social situations with 1 boon. The effect lasts for 8 hours or until the target is immersed in liquid or takes any damage from fire.
Disguise. You create a superior disguise for the target. The disguise abides by the normal rules for using a disguise kit, but is of a quality such that suspicious creatures automatically fail the Perception challenge roll to discern the disguise is false.
Malform. The target gains the frightening trait for 8 hours or until the target becomes immersed in a liquid or takes any damage from fire.

Creature Identification

You can use this talent a number of times equal to twice the number of times you choose Physiology. You regain all expended uses after you complete a rest.

At level 5, when you use your Creature Identification talent, you also observe the target’s behaviors. You impose 1 bane on attack rolls the target makes against you until you use Creature Identification again.

At level 8, your attacks deal 1d6 damage to target of your Creature Identification talent. In addition, whenever you roll at least one 6 on a die rolled for damage you would deal to the target of the attack, roll a d20 and add the number rolled to the damage dealt by the successful attack.

Medical Treatment

As an action, you use a healer’s kit to help one creature you can reach. It takes 1 minute of work to complete the treatment. When you finish, the target heals damage equal to its healing rate (or twice its healing rate at level 8). Alternatively, you can enable the target to make a Strength challenge roll with 1 boon and, on a success, it removes the diseased and poisoned afflictions from itself if it has them.

Psychology

Counseling

Encouragement

Fear Confrontation

Technology

When you choose this science, you gain a tool kit, if you don’t have one already. If you lose your kit, you can replace it for free after the adventure ends. In addition, each time you choose this science, gain one of the following benefits.

Ballistics

The ballistic weapon functions as a pistol that lacks the misfire and reload properties.

Builder

Machinery

Zoology

Animal Enhancement

As an action, you can administer the serum to one friendly animal within reach. The effects last for 1 minute and then wear off. You extend the duration to 1 hour if you take this science twice or 8 hours if you take it three times.

Growth: If the target is size 1/2 or smaller, it becomes Size 1. If the target is larger than Size 1, it gains a +1 bonus to its Size. From the increase to its size, the target gains a +5 bonus to its Health score and makes Strength attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 boon.

Regenerating: At the end of each round, the target heals 1d6 damage.

Speed: The target gains a +4 bonus to Speed and makes Agility attack rolls and challenge rolls with 1 boon. In addition, the target imposes 1 bane on attack rolls made against its Defense and Agility.

Toxic: The target’s natural weapon becomes poisonous (Shadow, page 263).

Animal Handling

Animal Training

Vicious Attack: When the creature under your control makes an attack and you are within short range of it, the creature deals an extra 1d6 damage, 2d6 damage at level 5, or 3d6 damage at level 8.

Devoted Protector: The creature uses its action to protect you. While the creature is within short range of you, it imposes 1 bane on attack rolls made against your Defense and Agility until the start of your next turn

Help and Hindrance: The creature uses its action to either help or hinder a creature you choose.

Tricks: The creature performs a trick. Example tricks include fetching, making noises, turning around in a circle, laying down, jumping, and so on, within the limits of the animal’s ability and intelligence.