The Savant

I've had an idea for an intellectual class using the Martial power source for a while now. Called the savant, members of this class would be amazingly intelligent, able to instantly assess and exploit weaknesses. They would have an uncanny knack for preparation, being ready for almost any contingency. They also would be very knowledgeable, perhaps getting a bonus to all knowledge skills.

Originally I called this class the "mastermind," but after I read AD&D's "Lost" Second Edition - an article discussing some of Gygax's ideas for his version of 2e - I came to prefer the term savant. "Savant" avoids the overtly sinister overtones of "mastermind," and the connection to a version of D&D that never was appeals to me. I feel as if I'm channeling the shade of Gygax, even if I'm not actually on his level as a game designer!

I don't feel that this kind of cerebral adventurer, getting by primarily through supreme intellect, is easy to represent with the current lineup of classes. Wizards are intelligent enough, but their powers are all obviously magical. Rogues don't really rely on a sharp intellect so much as quick reflexes. Tactical warlords are close, but that class is a bit too warlike for my tastes. Psions also come close, but much like the wizards I'd prefer less obviously magical individuals. Given what's available at this juncture, perhaps a hybrid psion|warlord would best fit the idea?

I think when new classes are being discussed, it's helpful to have an image from literature or the movies that crystallizes the look and feel of the class. Recently, this is what happened when I watched the movie Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey, Jr., and it didn't take long. Near the beginning of the movie there's a scene where, with only a glance at his foe, Holmes is able to plan out his next moves in minute detail. Then, Holmes executes his moves exactly as he thought them out. Immediately I thought to myself "That's what I want a savant to feel like!" Other characters that I think are a good fit for the savant label are Van Helsing from Dracula, Croaker from Glen Cook's Black Company novels, Batman as portrayed by Christian Bale in Batman Begins, the folkloric Zhuge Liang as depicted in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Grand Admiral Thrawn from the Heir to the Empire trilogy set in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

Another important consideration is what Role the savant would have. Given my thoughts on how the savant has amazing perceptive abilities and is an expert at foiling the plans of his adversaries, I think either a Striker or Controller would be appropriate. However, the general thrust of the powers and features I imagine this class having - ruining the plans of enemies, manipulating the flow of battle on a larger scale - suggest that Controller might be a slightly better fit. I'll just have to start thinking up some powers!