You were raised within a great temple that served not only as a house of worship, but also as a sanctuary for the lost. Orphans, foundlings, priests, clerics, and paladins all walked its halls, and from the time you could walk you were drawn not to the sword or the sermon, but to the shelves. Books, scrolls, and sacred texts became your companions, and you learned to copy, catalogue, and preserve the wisdom of ages.

Unlike the adventuring zealots or warlike champions of faith, you were the quiet presence in the archives — a bookworm surrounded by the words of gods and mortals alike. You may not know your true family, but the temple raised you to value knowledge, tradition, and the written word as sacred.

Whether you left to seek truth, to prove your powers are a blessing rather than a curse, or to uncover mysteries the temple could not answer, you carry with you the habits of a lifelong scholar: curiosity, patience, and the knowledge that faith and fact often walk hand in hand.

Ability Scores:

Your years in the temple honed your natural presence and sharpened your wit. You may choose to increase your Charisma score by 2 and your Intelligence score by 1, or you may distribute these bonuses to better reflect how your temple upbringing shaped you.

Your study of holy texts, debates with priests and scholars, and endless time spent among scrolls instilled not only knowledge but also a patient eloquence. Whether persuading with reason or faith, your words carry the calm authority of one who has lived a life steeped in tradition and learning.

Skill Proficiencies:

• Religion, History

Tool Proficiencies:

• Calligrapher’s Supplies

Languages: Two of your choice

Equipment: The scholar’s robes of your temple, a writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife), a borrowed book on the subject of your current study, and a pouch containing 10 gp

Suggested Characteristics

Use the tables for the sage background below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a cloistered scholar.

Your bond is almost certainly associated either with the place where you grew up or with the knowledge you hope to acquire through adventuring. Your ideal is no doubt related to how you view the quest for knowledge and truth—perhaps as a worthy goal in itself, or maybe as a means to a desirable end.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition.
2	I’ve read every book in the world’s greatest libraries—or I like to boast that I have.
3	I’m used to helping out those who aren’t as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others.
4	There’s nothing I like more than a good mystery.
5	I’m willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment.
6	I . . . speak . . . slowly . . . when talking . . . to idiots, . . . which . . . almost . . . everyone . . . is . . . compared . . .to me.
7	I am horribly, horribly awkward in social situations.
8	I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.

d6	Ideal
1	Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral)
2	Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good)
3	Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful)
4	No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic)
5	Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. (Evil)
6	Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	It is my duty to protect my students.
2	I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands.
3	I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery.
4	My life’s work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore.
5	I’ve been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.
6	I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back.

d6	Flaw
1	I am easily distracted by the promise of information.
2	Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.
3	Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilization.
4	I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones.
5	I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others.
6	I can’t keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else’s.