Some heroes charge headlong into battle. Others weave spells that change the laws of nature. Some use their stealth to sneak around and strike their opponents with terrifying precision. However, some adventurers are more mundane, putting years of training into action and relying on their skills to help them survive. They may have been shopkeepers, musicians or jacks-of-all-trade. Sharps may not be skilled warriors, but they bring with them an unparalleled proficiency in mundane skills. It may not be fantastic, but it may just mean the difference between life and death.
    The sharp is a base class with a twist. Accessible to any character at 1st level, it represents a more heroic version of the expert class from the Dungeon Master's Guide. Consider taking this class to represent an expert who has decided to put his skills to a more practical application.
    Adventures: Sharps can adventure for many reasons. For the most part, they do so in order to obtain treasure and better themselves in the world. A sharp may adventure for a few years and then simply retire. They may even put their skills to further use, becoming bards, rogues or taking levels in another class.
    Characteristics: Generally educated or at least apprenticed, sharps have a tendency to be arrogant, even if it's just a little. Sharps focus on a number of skills, and it's their focuses that generally determine how they act. Those that specialize in physical skills may be rash and enthusiastic, while those that select skills that focus on more academic pursuits may be reserved, quiet or studious.
    Alignment: Sharps have no particular sway towards any alignment. They can come from a variety of backgrounds, and may be good, or evil, chaotic or lawful. Those that focus on more urban skill-sets tend to be lawful, while those with a bent towards nature tend to be chaotic.
    Religion: Sharps aren't drawn towards any particular religion, but Olidammara is popular amongst them. Some sharps may choose to pledge themselves in service to their deity, focusing their skills appropriately. Because sharps are so diverse, their chosen deities can sway dramatically.
    Background: In villages or cities, sharps may have been apprenticed at one time to a craftsman and had learned the basics from there. Others may have been taught their skills from a patron, educated by a tutor or have been brought up as an orphan and cared for by priests. Those in the wild may also have had a teacher, often a respected elder. Whatever the background, most sharps learn their skills from somebody more experienced than themselves. A very small number have been self-taught, mostly doing so in order to gain the skills they needed to survive from day to day. An even smaller number simply learned their skills out of boredom or a need to learn something new.
    Races: Sharps are somewhat uncommon and appear in any race that produces experts. Humans have sharps as diversified as their race. Elven sharps generally focus on spellcraft, song and nature. Dwarven and gnomish sharps specialize in engineering, mining, alchemy and similar pursuits. Halfling and half-elven sharps are generally fairly adept in social skills. Half-orc sharps are aggressive and select survival and athletic skills.
    Classes: While they may not be the greatest in combat, the sharp's wide diversity can still make them helpful. If protected in combat by warriors, they can assist them in combat or can help spellcasters research new spells. The perfect sharp can help fill the gaps left by the rest of an adventuring party. If they choose to continue adventuring and multiclass as another class, their focus in skills can benefit just about every situation. They do especially well as bards, archivists and factotums or other classes that focus on skills.
    Role: A sharp's role in a party is going to be based largely on the skills they select. They might be a capable athlete, a dexterous sneak, a calm introspect, an esoteric sage, an insightful wise man or even the charismatic face of the party. Since they aren't exactly capable warriors, they do better staying well protected from attack and firing into combat with a ranged weapon. Many sharps find that their niche is outside of combat, assisting the party in the many non-violent issues that crop up constantly.

Game Rule Information
Sharps have the following game statistics.
    Abilities: As sharps are focused on skills, they do best with a higher Intelligence score. Their particular skill selection generally determines their favored ability scores. Those that focus in physical skills tend to have higher Strength, Constitution or Dexterity scores. Those that focus on more mental skills generally have higher Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma scores. Regardless of the selection, a higher Dexterity score helps to protect a sharp from harm and most sharps tend to be at least somewhat dexterous.
    Alignment: Any.
    Hit Die: d6.
    Starting Age: As rogue.
    Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10 gp.

Class Skills
The sharp can choose any ten skills to be class skills. See Chapter 4: Skills in the Player's Handbook for skill descriptions.
    Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
    Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sharp.
    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The sharp is proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor.
    Expanded Skills: At each level, the sharp selects a single skill. The sharp always considers this skill to be a class skill.
    Mundane Focus (Ex): Coming from humble backgrounds, sharps learn to make better use of simplistic skills. At 1st level, a sharp chooses either the Craft, Knowledge, Perform or Profession skill family. They receive a +3 bonus to all skill checks made with those skills.
    For example, a 1st level sharp that selects Knowledge as their mundane focus receives a +3 bonus to all Knowledge skill checks including Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (nature), etc.
    Trapfinding (Ex): A sharp can use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20, and she can use Disable Device to bypass a trap or disarm magic traps. See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player's Handbook.
    Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, the sharp gains a bonus feat of their choice.
    Skill Mastery: At 3rd level, the sharp's skill with some of their skills becomes so refined that they can use them reliably, even when under incredible stress. She selects a number of skills equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. When making a skill check with these skills, she may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so.

• Patrician (Class)
• Peasant Hero (Class)
• Acolyte (Class)
• Class Struggles
• Origins of the PCs
• Zen & the Art of Character Creation