D&Dtools1

Special

Becoming an Ex-Apprentice

In the case of the death or loss of a mentor, an ally or associate of the prior mentor (who is of an equal level to the original mentor) typically takes the place of the original. The benefits gained from the Apprentice feat are not altered. Two conditions can alter the apprentice benefits.

Surpassing the Mentor: Once the apprentice reaches 5th level, he graduates from his apprenticeship. He continues to gain the benefits of the Apprentice feat, but no longer needs to work with his mentor. The mentor's associated skills remain class skills for purposes of determining the maximum rank he can have in those skills, and he still retains the secondary benefits, but an associated skill can only be purchased as a class skill if he gains a level in a class that has that skill as a class skill. He no longer needs to tithe to his mentor upon gaining levels. If you allow, he can also immediately exchange his Apprentice feat for the Mentor feat (see below).

Expulsion: Grounds for expulsion include actions deemed destructive by the mentor, failing to pay tithes in a timely manner, or simply not spending the time required to study the chosen craft for an entire month. A character can also choose to leave an apprenticeship; although the apprentice can part on good terms with his mentor, the game effects are the same as if he were expelled.

An expelled apprentice immediately loses the secondary benefits of this feat, and his apprentice class skills immediately become cross-class skills unless he possesses a level in a class that grants the skill as a class skill. A skill that becomes a cross-class skill begins to atrophy; the next time the character gains a level, any skill ranks in excess of his normal maximum skill ranks for a cross-class skill are lost forever.

Gaining a New Mentor

If a character is expelled or voluntarily leaves an apprenticeship before he surpasses his mentor, he can seek out a new mentor. The new mentor can be of any type. Finding a new mentor is time consuming. The ex-apprentice must make a successful Gather Information check (DC 10 + character level), and each attempt takes a number of days equal to his character level. Success indicates he has found a new mentor; failure indicates that he has not, but he can try again.

Once a character gains a new mentor, he must immediately pay a tithe of 100 gp times his character level. He must then spend at least a week of 8-hour days studying and working with his new mentor to become familiar with her teaching methods. After this time, the apprentice gains the mentor's associated class skills and secondary benefits, but he does not gain bonus skill points for the new class skills.

A new mentor's maximum level is one level lower than the level of the previous mentor (minimum 5th). A character who constantly changes mentors or keeps getting expelled soon finds that no one wants to take him on as an apprentice.