Excerpt from
Academically Speaking: College Life
A d20 Modern Setting

Character Classes

These four core character classes represent undergraduate education. To advance to any graduate-school prestige class, the character must have completed four levels of any undergraduate core class (a fifth level is optional).

Fuzzy

The fuzzy is the quintessential liberal arts major. Fuzzy specialties range from literature to theater to graphic arts.

Adventures: Fuzzies often go out seeking opportunities to use their Philosophize ability or their Protest skill. Venturing beyond coffee-shop poetry readings or other mostly fuzzy gatherings often leads to challenging situations and occasional arrests.

Characteristics: The many different skills and knowledge fuzzies possess rarely translate to success or even above-minimum-wage lifestyles. Pledged to various ideals such as "gender equality" and "global harmony," fuzzies feel bound to speak out about their points of view and win supporters to their causes. Sometimes their fervor exceeds their logic; for example, a fuzzy might campaign vigorously to respect all animal and plant life and handout leaflets to uninterested people from a leather backpack.

Alignment: Fuzzies follow various ideals. They are more likely to be chaotic rather than lawful, but they are a diverse bunch, so they may be of any alignment. And don't be surprised if it changes along with their major (see Class Features).

Other Classes: Fuzzies generally view themselves as intellectually superior to jocks but will date them anyway. Though usually envious of the future financial success common to most pre-med and techie students, they act publicly dismissive of money as an ideal and adopt the mantra of "learning for learning's sake."

Game Rule Information

Fuzzies have the following game statistics:

Abilities: Charisma is central to the fuzzy skills such as Protest. A high Intelligence score gives the fuzzy extra skill points needed to expand her repertoire.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills

The fuzzy's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arts and literature, history, major, occult) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Protest (Cha, exclusive skill), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha, exclusive skill). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for all skill descriptions except Protest

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the fuzzy.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The fuzzy is not proficient with any weapons. Because they favor thick, woven ethnic clothing, stiff sandals, and other environmentally conscious attire, fuzzies are proficient in wearing padded armor.

Philosophize (Ex): Once per day per level, a fuzzy can use his ability to theorize and obfuscate the truth to produce extraordinary effects on those around him. Depending on the ranks he has in the required skills, he can inspire courage in allies or stymie his enemies.

Inspire Courage: A fuzzy with three or more ranks in Diplomacy can rally his comrades to heroic acts. To be affected, an ally must hear the fuzzy speak for a full round. The effect lasts as long as the fuzzy speaks and for 5 rounds after the fuzzy stops talking (or 5 rounds after the ally can no longer hear the fuzzy). Affected allies receive a +2 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls. Inspire Courage is a supernatural, mind-affecting ability.

Illogical Argument: A fuzzy with five or more ranks in both Diplomacy and Intimidate can use his oratory to stymie his opponents. Opponents must hear the fuzzy speak for a full round. The next round, enemies who heard the fuzzy must make a Will save (DC 10 + the fuzzy's Charisma bonus) or be dazed. This enchantment clouds the minds of humanoids of Medium-size or smaller so that they can take no actions. Humanoids of 5 HD or more are not affected. The dazed subjects are not stunned (so attackers get no special advantage against them), but they can't move, cast spells, use mental abilities, etc. Any attack on a dazed person entitles the victim to another saving throw. The effect lasts only as long as the fuzzy speaks, as his enemies try to figure out what point the fuzzy is trying to make.

Change Major: A fuzzy gets Change Major as a bonus feat.

Jock

The jock is the physically focused guy or gal. Often admired for their sports abilities, jocks have a great deal of peer clout.

Adventures: Jocks enjoy a wide variety of adventures. These primarily focus on sporting events, but also include road trips, spring break in exotic locales, and rowdy Mardi Gras celebrations.

Characteristics: Jocks focus their efforts on sports. They often have scholarships because of their skills. These popular characters frequently find themselves in the social spotlight.

Alignment: Jocks can be of any alignment. They tend toward neutrality. In their sports life, they know that each of their games or events has rules, but in their minds, referees or judges hold the ultimate truth.

Other Classes: Jocks often enjoy dating fuzzies. They get along acceptably well with pre-meds and techies, but don't seem to understand these characters' lack of social commitments and their academic focus.

Game Rule Information

Jocks have the following game statistics:

Abilities: Constitution is central to jock skills. Depending upon the sports the jock pursues, Dexterity or Strength also can prove important.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Class Skills

The jock's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Jump (Str), Knowledge (major, social life, sports) (Int), Party (Con), Ride (Dex), Sports (Con), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for all skill descriptions except for Party and Sports.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the jock.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The jock is proficient in the use of all sports gear and easily improvised weapons, such as baseball bats and hockey sticks. This proficiency does not extend to exotic weapons such as tennis or volleyball nets. Jocks are proficient with sports armor equivalent to padded, leather, and hide armors.

Popular (Ex): At 1st level, a jock receives a +2 bonus on Knowledge (social life) checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 3rd level and +6 at 5th level.

Pre-Med

The pre-med is generally the serious undergraduate student preparing for the rigors of medical school. Pre-meds depend upon intensive study to advance into medical school. They spend hours poring over anatomy books and in the lab.

Adventures: Rarely do pre-meds take the time to adventure for any reason other than research. However, in the pursuit of medical knowledge, they can be relentless adventurers.

Characteristics: The pre-med is well known for her dedicated focus to her studies. Her career goals mean she has much work to do in her undergraduate and medical school years.

Alignment: Pre-med students tend toward law and an appreciation for the natural orderliness of the universe.

Other Classes: Pre-med students associate most closely with other pre-med students and sometimes lose sight of the fact that there are other types of individuals out there, and nonacademic activities. (Huh? There's more to life than studying medicine, chemistry, and anatomy? Oh, yeah, there are other people.)

Game Rule Information

Pre-meds have the following game statistics:

Abilities: Intelligence is especially important to a pre-med student because of the many skills based on it and the extra skill points a good score provides. Wisdom is helpful because medical practice (the Heal skill) is based on Wisdom.

Alignment: Any non-chaotic

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

The pre-med's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (own handwriting only) (Int, exclusive skill), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (any academic) (Int), and Sense Motive (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for all skill descriptions.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the pre-med.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The pre-med is not proficient with any weapons or armor.

Bonus Majors: Pre-med students have as their Knowledge (major) skills Knowledge (anatomy), Knowledge (chemistry), and Knowledge (medicine). At 2nd level, they receive a +2 bonus to all these skills. At 4th-level, the bonus increases to +4.

Study: Due to the excessive amount of time they spend preparing for their chosen profession, pre-meds can use the Aid Another rules to help themselves with any skill check.

Diagnose Ailment: Once per day per level, a pre-med with three or more ranks of Heal can use her status as a near-doctor to cause a single humanoid to become focused on her by suggesting that the humanoid suffers from some ailment. The target must be able to see and hear the pre-med and must stay within 90 feet. The pre-med must also see the humanoid. The target must be able to pay attention to the pre-med. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. The pre-med makes a Heal check, and the target can negate the effect with a Will saving throw equal to or greater than the pre-med's check result. If the saving throw succeeds, the pre-med cannot attempt to diagnose ailment in that person for 24 hours. If the saving throw fails, the person sits quietly and listens to the pre-med explain symptoms and medication side effects for up to 1 round per level of the pre-med. While being diagnosed, the target's Spot and Listen checks suffer a -4 penalty. Any potential threat (such as an ally of the pre-med moving behind the target) allows the target a second saving throw against a new Heal check result. Any obvious threat automatically breaks the effect.

Induce Hypochondria: A pre-med with eight or more ranks in Heal can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that she has already diagnosed (see above). A Will saving throw (DC 13 + the pre-med's Charisma modifier) negates the effect. Suggestion is a spell-like, mind-affecting charm ability.

Techie

Techies revel in the modern world and generally succeed at college life, provided there aren't too many general education requirements and they can get deeply involved in making new things.

Adventures: Although techies spend a great deal of time in the lab and other academic settings, they're always keen on field-testing new equipment and ideas.

Characteristics: Techies are curious and experimental. They love finding out how things tick, then modifying them so they tock instead. They are the masters of the laboratory, invention, and experimentation.

Alignment: Techies have a wide variety of motivations and can be of any alignment.

Other Classes: Techies get along best with other techies. They focus on the practical and theoretical applications of their skills. Hence, they rarely live in the moment as jocks do. They don't have strong ideals of what "ought" to be in a metaphysical sense, so they don't relate well to fuzzies. They don't have the long-term, delayed-gratification patience of pre-meds.

Game Rule Information

Techies have the following game statistics:

Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for a techie. Every other skill is subordinate to a mighty IQ.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d4

Class Skills

The techie's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Alchemy (Int), Computer Use (Int), Decipher Script (Int, exclusive skill), Disable Device (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex; trained only), Search (Int), Technical Balderdash (Int, exclusive skill), and Use Magic Device (Cha). See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for all skill descriptions except for Computer Use and Technical Balderdash.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the techie.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The techie is not proficient with any weapons or armor.

Lab Access: The techie can use campus materials to create her own chemical/alchemical equipment. The lab gives a +6 circumstance bonus to Alchemy checks to create or analyze alchemical equipment.

Build Gizmo: The techie can make items that duplicate the effects of the following spells: alarm, burning hands, cause fear, chill touch, color spray, grease, hold portal, obscuring mist, ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp, sleep, and spider climb. Use item creation rules per Craft Wand, substituting $1 per gold-piece cost.

Weird Science: Techies can duplicate the effects of spells of up to 3rd level from the Player's Handbook. They may create one-use items. Use the price list for scrolls in the Dungeon Master's Guide at a ratio of $1 per gold piece. They pay the full cost of the scroll.

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