Many people are scholars. You are a scholar. More importantly you are a bibliothecary, a curator of knowledge, a Librarian. You have scoured manuscripts, studied scrolls, and mastered the Dewfairy Decimal System. You could write a book on books. How to handle books. How to repair books. How to ship books. How to find a book when your only description is "I don't know who the author is but the cover was blue and had a bird on it".
You might be an innocent taking their first adventurous steps away from a pampered life serving on a scholar lord's estate, familiar with the ins and outs of bureaucracy and skilled with writing requests and requisitions. Or maybe you are a seasoned traveller, used to life on the road, carrying books to and fro for your teacher, delivering library loan requests from far away, collecting returns, and doing research requests for wizards and nobles. Perhaps you are a local branch librarian, offering reading lessons to the children and settling arguments at Trivia Night at the local tavern.
Whatever your background, you are the one people turn to when they need answers only a member of the Greater Order Of Gnostics Librarians & Educators would have.
- Skill Proficiencies: Pick 2:
- Tool Proficiencies: Pick one:
- Libraries won't lend just anyone access their precious books. Adventurers of this background are well versed in the use of calligrapher's tools to keep an accurate record of who has what volume.
- Books and scrolls are heavy, and precious, so adventurers of this background are well versed in the use of land wagons and the best ways to transport goods without damaging them.
- Languages: Two of your choice
- Equipment: A bottle of ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a colleague asking you to keep an eye out for a rare scroll for their client, a set of common clothes, and a small ledger recording all receipts for materials you've transported.
To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d12 or choose a Speciality from the options in the table below.
| d12 | Specialty |
|---|---|
| 1 | History: Heroes and Villains |
| 2 | History: Wars and Tactics |
| 3 | Exploration: Dungeons and Underground Lairs |
| 4 | Exploration: Other Planes |
| 5 | Politics: Nobility, Foreign and Domestic |
| 6 | Politics: Temples and Universities |
| 7 | Arcane: Magical Items |
| 8 | Arcane: Magical Beasts |
| 9 | Arts, Visual: Paint, Dance, Sculpture, Glass |
| 10 | Arts: Music, Musical Instruments, Musicians |
| 11 | Literature: Poetry and Fiction |
| 12 | Literature: Philosophy and Science |
You roll with advantage when trying to recall information associated with your Speciality. And if you still don't know the answer, you know where or from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from another Librarian you met once, but sometimes a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.
Spell List
At 2nd level a Bibliothecary gets the Silence spell.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 2nd | silence |
Suggested Characteristics
Members of the Greater Order of Gnostics, Librarians, & Educators are defined by their extensive knowledge of books and scrolls, and their love of discovery; their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to scholarly pursuits, but with a strong streak of curiosity, a bibliothecary often needs assistance getting themselves out of the project they are stuck nose deep in.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I use polysyllabic words that it never occurs to me others wouldn't know too. I also pronounce them funny because I have only ever seen them written. |
| 2 | I've been to the houses of the rich and the famous in the execution of my duties and have friends in high places. Or so I tell everyone. |
| 3 | I am used to being the only one who knows where anything is, and I tend to take over any project whether or not you asked me to. |
| 4 | There’s nothing I like more than a good puzzle. |
| 5 | I am nosey. I claim it's for my research but let's be honest. |
| 6 | I … speak … slowly … when talking … to idiots, … which … almost … everyone … is … compared … to me. |
| 7 | I'm happier in a dusty old ruin reconstructing lost scrolls than I am in a palace. Unless that palace has any forgotten books laying around...? |
| 8 | You may think I'm a scholar, but dog ear that book, I dare you. These fists were made for punching. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral) |
| 2 | Preservation: That scroll belongs in a library. (Good) |
| 3 | Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful) |
| 4 | Nothing is more exhilarating than a narrow escape from the jaws of death with a new book in your hand. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | Danger: With every great discovery comes grave danger. The two walk hand in hand. (Any) |
| 6 | Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of one's own self, to bring about the betterment of all. (Any) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | It is my duty to protect my books. |
| 2 | I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands. |
| 3 | My mentor gave me a journal filled with lore and wisdom. Losing it would devastate me. |
| 4 | My life’s work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore. |
| 5 | Ever since I was a child, I've heard stories about a lost library. I aim to find it, learn its secrets, and earn my place In the history books. |
| 6 | I have a friendly rival. Only one of us can be the best, and I aim to prove it's me. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I am easily distracted by the promise of a rare tome. |
| 2 | Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy because I have this client you see... |
| 3 | I can't leave a building with a library in it or a town with a bookstore without checking to see if they have any rare volumes I haven't seen yet. |
| 4 | I like to explore, and my curiosity will sometimes get me into trouble. |
| 5 | I speak only after really overthinking my words, invariably confusing others. |
| 6 | I can’t keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else’s. |
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