Scholar (Theme)
-Theme Knowledge
You are an expert in one particular field of study, and your passion for the subject shows. Choose either Life Science or Physical Science and then choose a field of specialization. If you pick Life Science, you can specialize in bioEngineering, biology, botany, ecology, genetics, xenobiology, zoology, or another field of biological science. If you pick Physical Science, you can specialize in astronomy, chemistry, climatology, geography, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics, or another field of physical science. The DC of skill checks to recall knowledge about your specialty is reduced by 5. Your chosen skill is a class skill for you, though if it is a class skill from the class you take at 1st level, you instead gain a +1 bonus to checks with your chosen skill. In addition, you gain an ability adjustment of +1 to Intelligence at character creation.
Artificial intelligence (Ex)
-Drone
You begin play with a powerful robotic drone to house your AI. You build and control this drone, which accompanies you on your adventures and is capable of combat, espionage, and other specialized tasks. As you gain levels, your drone advances in sophistication and gain additional abilities. While the value of your drone is immense, only you, with your extensive knowledge of its quirks and security measures, can ever hope to operate or repair it. Drones are detailed in Drones.
Bypass (Ex)
You are skilled at getting inside computer systems and electronic devices. At 1st level, you gain a +1 insight bonus to Computers and Engineering skill checks. At 5th level, every 4 levels thereafter, and at 20th level, this bonus increases by 1.
Custom Rig (Ex)
You have created a customized toolkit you can use to hack systems and items. Your custom rig can be configured to take up an upgrade slot on your armor or can be installed as a cybernetic augmentation system in your brain (though it can be combined with a datajack for the same price as installing a datajack normally), your eyes, or an arm. For more information on augmentations, see Equipment. Alternatively, you can configure it to be a handheld device, meaning that you must retrieve it and hold it to use it effectively. While using this rig, you always count as having the appropriate tool or basic kit for any Computers or Engineering skill check you attempt. Some mechanic tricks and drone mods require the use of a custom rig. In addition, you can use your custom rig as a Mk I comm unit (see Equipment). Finally, if you have a drone, you can use your custom rig to communicate over an encrypted channel with your drone to issue commands to its AI or directly control it at a range of 2,500 feet.
If your custom rig is damaged, destroyed, lost, or stolen, you can kitbash a new one from any engineering kit, hacking kit, or other technological toolkit, reconfiguring the materials into a new custom rig with 1 hour of work. You can have only one custom rig at a time. If you create a new custom rig, your old one functions as a normal toolkit of whatever type you made it from and can no longer be used with your mechanic tricks.
Skill Synergy (Computers and Stealth) (Bonus)
Benefit: Choose two skills. These skills become class skills for you. If one or both were already class skills, you gain a +2 insight bonus to those skill checks instead.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects don’t stack. Each time you take it, it applies to two different skills.
Spellbane (Combat)
You gain a +2 insight bonus to saving throws against Spells and Spell-Like abilities. If you ever gain the ability to cast Spells or use Spell-Like abilities, you lose the benefits of this feat and can replace it with Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, or Iron Will, or the improved version of one of those feats if you meet its prerequisites.
Drone Stats and abilites
Hit Points: 10
BAB: +1
Size: Small
Speed: 40 feet
EAC: 10
KAC: 12
Saves: Reflex +4, Fortitude +0, Will -2
Ability Scores: Str 12, Dex 14, Con —, Int6, Wis 10, Cha 6;
Ability Increases: NA
Bonus Skill Unit: Stealth
Initial Mods: climbing claws, reactive camouflage, weapon mount
Feats: 1
Offense: Laser pistol, azimuth, 350, 1d4 F, 80 ft., Burn 1d4, 20 charges
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Special Abilities
Basic Mods 1st Level
You can choose any of the mods on the basic mod list whenever your drone gains a new mod. Unless otherwise specified, you cannot install a single mod more than once.
Limited AI (Ex) 1st Level
Each round on your turn, after you have acted, your drone can take either a move action or a standard action to attack (your drone doesn’t make a separate initiative roll). You must be able to issue simple commands to your drone, but you don’t have to spend actions to issue these commands. To receive these commands, your drone must be able to see or hear you or be within range of your custom rig. If you become unconscious or otherwise unresponsive, or if your drone is ever out of range, your drone cannot take any actions until you are again able to command it or it is once more within range.
Master Control (Ex) 1st Level
As a move action, you can directly control your drone. This allows the drone to take both a move action and any standard action this turn (one from your control, and one from its limited AI). If you also take a swift action, your drone can take a swift action as well, or it can combine its actions into a full action. Your drone must be able to see or hear you, or be within range of your custom rig, for you to directly control your drone.
Skill Unit (Ex) 1st Level
Choose one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Computers, Engineering, Perception, or Stealth. This is a class skill for your drone, and it gains a number of ranks in the chosen skill equal to your class level. Your drone can use this skill when not under your direct control. You can change your drone’s skill unit whenever you rebuild your drone from scratch. Additionally, whenever you are directly controlling your drone, it can use any of your skill ranks if you wish, assuming it has the appropriate tools to do so (a drone without manipulator arms cannot use Engineering to disable a device, for example).
Climbing Claws (Ex)
Your drone gains a climb speed equal to half its land speed.
This mod can be applied to only combat and stealth drones.
Weapon Mount (Ex)
You can affix a small arm or another one-handed ranged weapon on your drone, allowing it to wield that weapon and attack with it. This weapon cannot be disarmed. Mounting a longarm, a heavy weapon, or another two-handed ranged weapon requires two weapon mounts. A weapon mount can hold up to two batteries, two magazines, or two of another type of ammunition for the affixed weapon, provided this ammunition is of light bulk or less. Multiple weapon mounts used to affix a single two-handed weapon count as a single weapon mount for the purpose of how much ammunition it can hold. The drone reloads these batteries or magazines automatically, which takes the usual amount of time for the weapon. Spent batteries or magazines are stored within the drone. You can replace all of a weapon mount’s batteries or magazines as a move action. You must purchase separately or already have the weapon and ammunition for use with a weapon mount. You can replace the weapon with any other weapon that meets the criteria for your mount (for example, if you have two weapon mounts, you could replace a longarm with a heavy weapon). Swapping out a weapon in a weapon mount requires use of your custom rig and 1 hour of work. You can select this mod multiple times, each time adding an additional weapon mount to the drone.
Reactive Camouflage (Ex)
Your drone is equipped with a thin coating that can change color to match the drone’s surroundings. Whenever your drone stays stationary for 1 round, it gains a +10 bonus to Stealth checks (this bonus doesn’t stack with the invisibility spell or similar effects). If your drone takes any action, it loses this bonus until it once again spends 1 round remaining still.
Weapon Proficiency (Ex)
Your drone gains one of the following feats as a bonus feat (it must meet all the prerequisites of the chosen feat): Advanced Melee Weapon Proficiency, Basic Melee Weapon Proficiency, Heavy Weapon Proficiency, Longarm Proficiency, Small Arm Proficiency, or Special Weapon Proficiency.
You can select this mod multiple times; each time, your drone gains another of the available proficiency feats as a bonus feat.
Feats:
WEAPON FOCUS (COMBAT) (Small Arms)
You have increased training in a particular weapon type, making it easier to hit your target.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon type.
Benefit: Chose one weapon type (small arms, longarms, heavy weapons, etc.). You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with that weapon type. If your base attack bonus is at least 3 lower than your character level (or your mechanic’s class level, if you are a Drone), you gain a +2 bonus instead.
