People may see you as 'simple' inconsequential, or unthreatening, and might even wonder if you are just around for comic relief. That is until they get to know you. You see the world in vibrant colour, music, and delicate prose. Every curve, note, or shade is meaningful to you, every word, discordant hum and splattered stain presenting a unique story. Given enough time and resources, you can create unrivalled works of art, musical compositions, or even write a moving poem or a short theatrical script. Each work is profoundly expressive. You can tell entire stories through your art, staying armies, quelling sorrow, and touching the hearts of your audience. Still, not everyone will understand you, and some may fail to see the value of your quality entirely.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among animal handling, arcana, history, investigation, medicine, nature.
- Tool Proficiencies: Any two artisan's tools, gaming sets and/or musical instruments.
- Languages: One common and one exotic language, or two common languages.
- Equipment: A scholar's pack or an explorer's pack. One set of artisan's tools, one gaming set, or one musical instrument. A set of common clothes, a backpack, and a pouch of 10 gp.
Many savants have well defined talents, or specific obsessions that bring them joy. Roll on the table to determine your particular field of interest.
| d4 | Area of Interest |
|---|---|
| 1 | Master Craftsperson. You have an unparalleled skill in a craft that involves working with your hands. |
| 2 | Visual Artist. You have an innate creative talent in a visual medium, be it chisel and stone, or paint on canvass. |
| 3 | Word Smith. You are proficient in the refined use of carefully selected language, writing songs, speeches and poetry to inspire others. |
| 4 | Musical Prodigy. Sound is your medium, and every note is yours to comprehend and command. You give life to music. |
If your flavour of creativity involves an aspect of performance, such playing a musical instrument, you have advantage on Charisma Performance checks related to your talent. In addition, whenever a creature views your work, there is a 10% chance that they will be positively inspired or enlightened by your art. However, there is an equal chance that they will either misinterpret or fail to see the relevance of your work.
In most towns, you might use your artistic talents to earn a living sufficient to support a poor lifestyle. If a member of the wealthier classes, such as a merchant or noble comes to appreciate your work, they may choose to patronise you, offering you enough to support a modest or even a comfortable lifestyle, so long as you regularly produce masterpieces in their name.
Suggested Characteristics
Savants are frequently viewed as 'gifted' individuals, blessed with unique talents and amazing ability. And yet, for every silver lining, there is a cloud. For every dazzling wonder, there is an equally profound blunder. Most savants appear like common people, if a little odd in their mannerisms or expressions. Meanwhile, others may not understand basic social interactions, or else appear simple minded. A few are emotionally fragile, sensitive to criticism, or prone to outbursts of frustration, while others might seem devoid of emotion all together. What unites all savants is there diversity, and their ability to see slivers of the world in ways that ordinary minds simply cannot.
| d10 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I notice details that others tend to overlook, and I overlook details that others think are obvious. |
| 2 | I love jokes. I'm just not very good at telling them. Or understanding why they're funny. |
| 3 | I love people-watching. I play a game with myself by trying to guess what strangers are thinking. |
| 4 | Whenever I have a new idea, I find it hard to think about anything else. |
| 5 | People say I was born old, or that I am an old soul. |
| 6 | I am bad at lying, and speaking mistruths makes me anxious. |
| 7 | I have the same emotions as anyone else, but I often don't know how to express them outwardly. |
| 8 | I love taking up new hobbies and learning new skills. |
| 9 | I find it hard to connect with people, and use art, music, or song to more easily express myself. |
| 10 | I don't understand why people get upset when I give them constructive criticism. |
| d8 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Heroism. I have a gift, and I must use it to help people or to make the world a better place. (Good) |
| 2 | Order. Rules and social contracts are the bones of civilisation. Without these things, the world is a confusing mess. (Lawful) |
| 3 | Structure. Everything and everyone has a proper place in the world. (Law) |
| 4 | Superiority. I am better than other people, even if they are too blind or foolish to recognise it. (Evil) |
| 5 | Equality. Everyone is Equal, regardless of race, social status, faith, title, or the quality of their clothes. (Chaotic) |
| 6 | Balance. Good and evil are two sides of a coin. Neither can exist without the other. The world needs both. (Neutral) |
| 7 | Logic. Emotions only serve to cloud rational thinking. They are anathema to my deductive reasoning. (Any) |
| 8 | Perfectionism. Everything should be the best it can be. Errors, dirt, disease, and impurities should be cleaned, cleansed, or corrected. (Any) |
| d8 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am forever striving to make something new and better than anything I have created before. |
| 2 | My family are the bedrock in a world that doesn't understand me. |
| 3 | I hope to find my place in the world. |
| 4 | Nothing is as important as my particular area of interest. |
| 5 | A notable member of a respected guild is envious of my talent and fears that I am their better. |
| 6 | I prefer to be alone. It's easier that way. |
| 7 | Creativity is the meaning of life. |
| 8 | I am forever trying to perfect new skills at which I am notably flawed. Results are... mixed. |
| d8 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have to perform actions like knocking on doors, chewing my food, and mounting my pony in sets of three. |
| 2 | I am compelled to speed count groups of items like marbles, windows, sheep, or enemies. I do so out loud and with unnerving accuracy. |
| 3 | I am bored by any topic that is outside of my areas of interest, and will struggle to pay attention to such things, even if I know they are important. |
| 4 | If I notice a mistake in someone's work or a bad note in a song, I cannot rest until the mistake is corrected - especially if the work is my own. |
| 5 | When I'm bored, I become restless and act out, which might mean that I take to ale, intentionally break things, or become rude and antisocial. |
| 6 | I suffer from severe social anxiety. Whenever I meet someone new, or even sometimes when I am in the company of too many friends, I find myself unable to talk. |
| 7 | I am almost compulsively truthful, and I can't help but point out when people are being deceitful. |
| 8 | I get angry when other people invade my personal space or touch my possessions. |
People may see you as 'simple' inconsequential, or unthreatening, and might even wonder if you are just around for comic relief. That is until they get to know you, at which point they realise that you are nothing less than brilliant, with a unique level of ability in a defined set of skills. Or, that you really are there for comic relief. You are an Idiot Savant. You might be a master craftsman, with a lack of social graces, or perhaps an artists in the guise of a quiet observer of people. Whatever your particular area of interest, you are a unique blend of genius, even if it isn't immediately obvious to the casual observer.
People who are not familiar with your unique brand of genius are likely to underestimate or even overlook you entirely. When you roll for initiative at the beginning of combat, you may choose to give yourself disadvantage on the roll. If you do so, creatures hostile towards you ignore you in favour of more overtly threatening foes until you make an attack or perform an action that is noticeably aggressive, or until you are the only foe left.
If you are practiced in a craft, you have advantage in the use of tools related to your particular talent. Provided that you have access to the necessary resources and time, you may also use your talents to earn a living sufficient to support a modest lifestyle.
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