Precognosis Adept (3.5e Prestige Class)

Precognosis Adept
"I saw that one coming..."

Rogues and monks with magical powers may begin to tap into their magic abilities and use them to foresee dangers before they arrive. With their skills honed through practice, they gain an extra edge both on the battlefield and their own skillful endeavours, as they have literally "seen how to do this" before. They live in the future unwritten, and so write in a more favorable result as time passes one step too slow.

Becoming a Precognosis Adept
A Precognosis Adept are usually divination focused wizards, clerics, or sorcerers who have a considerable talent for physical and mental tricks and trials. By turning their magic to their skills, they become most effective, though unless they remember to pack a few attack spells, they do not gain much for battle. Their defenses on the other hand are top notch.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Precognosis Adept.

You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Precognosis Adept, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

 (Ex): At 1st level, your foresight into the future allows you to see how to do things the correct way the first time. You may choose a number of skills equal to 3 + your Wis bonus.(minimum 1). These skills gain an insight bonus equal to half of their class ranks, rounded up. Every day when you refresh your spells, you may choose different skills to receive the bonus.

' (Sp):''' At 1st level, 4th, and 8th levels your divination abilities become accessible at will in the form of simple detection cantrips. Any 0th level spell of your choice that is a "Detect" spell (such as Detect Magic or Detect Evil becomes able to be used at will. You may select spells not on your class list as well.  In epic levels, you may select up to 1st level spells with the Detect name.

 (Ex): Your heavy use of divinations have sharpened you senses. At 1st level you may make a Sense Motive check to detect for hostile and murderous intent in the area, as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Those with hostile intentions may make a special counter check using either their ranks in Bluff or a Will save, whichever is higher. Those with hostile intent make their save against DC 10 + 1/2 HD + your spellcasting modifier. Success does not tell you who is hostile, the location, or the reason or means of the hostility, only that there is someone in the area of effect who wishes harm on you. It does not work on those who merely dislike you, they must be actively wishing to attack and harm you. The range begins at 30 ft. and increases by a distance of 30 ft. every 5 levels.

You may select from any of the following.

 : The caster level of your divination spells rises by 1. You may take this ability multiple times.

 (Ex): You gain the ability Uncanny Dodge as the barbarian ability of the same name. If you already have Uncanny Dodge when you take this ability, you automatically gain Improved Uncanny Dodge. You can only take this ability up until Improved Uncanny Dodge.

 : Your studies of things beyond the future have given you more abilities. You may add any divination spell from any class list, arcane or divine, of a level you qualify for to the spells you know. You may only take this ability twice.

 (Su): Your knowledge of divination allows you to know when it is being employed. You automatically know when a divination is being used upon you, even if you cannot see the caster. You do not learn any more information about the subject. At level 6 and beyond, you may take this a second time to gain a permanent Nondetection effect on yourself. The caster level equals your character level.

 (Ex): When making a Search, Spot, or Listen check, you may roll twice, and take the higher roll.

 (Ex): You gain either an dwarf's stonecunning or an elf's ability to sense hidden door's and passageways. If you already possess the ability, your modifiers double (so a dwarf can detect unusual stonework at 20 ft., and an elf detect doors at 10 ft.). You may take this ability multiple times.

 (Su): With a move action, you can focus on an enemy to observe their weak points. You then gain a +2 insight bonus to your DC, your attack roll, or your spellcasting check to break SR and dispel. You must choose which one of these abilities you want. You may select this ability up to 3 times, each time you may select a different +2 bonus.

 (Ex): At 3rd level the precognosis adept's ability to evade damage improves. She still takes no damage from damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as a dragon's breath or a fireball, but henceforth she only takes half damage on a failed save. A helpless precognosis adept does not benefit from this ability.

 (Ex): At level 3 and every 3 levels beyond, a precognosis adept's ability to see into the future events allows them to dodge and weave with easy. They gain a +1 insight bonus to AC, which increases with level. A helpless or flatfooted precognosis adept does not benefit from this AC bonus.

 (Ex): At 4th level. when employing a divination spell in regards to a future skill check, the precognosis adept may gain a +2 circumstance bonus to their check, so long as they received a valid and related answer. For example, if a precognosis adept senses the presence of a room full of soldiers next door, she may add her bonus to a single check, such as Hide in an effort to evade their notice. This bonus rises to +4 at 8th level.

 (Su): The ability to see your opponents blows before they arrive is a boon. At 5th level, a precognosis adept may add their Wis bonus to their AC in no or light armor. This ability works identically to, and does not stack with, the monk and swordsage abilities of similar function.

 (Ex): A precognosis adept can peer into the knowledge beyond her mind, scooping bits and pieces for tasks. At level 7 she may now used all skills untrained, as if she had at least 1/2 rank in them.

 (Su): A precognosis adept finally is able to divine right in the middle of combat, as your eyes go blank and shine with an unearthly light. At 10th level, you may enter a state of enlightened awareness, gaining either a +4 bonus to your AC, or Reflex saves. The bonus only applies to the first attack or save made in that round, other attacks or reflex saves do not benefit. You can only have one bonus active at a time, but may switch them as a swift action.

Playing a Precognosis Adept
Combat: A precognosis adept is a skillmonkey at heart, using their divinations to unearth abilities greater than the average being. While handy out of combat, they must rely on their spellcasting and defenses in combat. Many become masters of battlefield control, others line up their strikes just right with insight into the working of the enemy.

Advancement: Spells are important to the precognosis adept, especially divination spells. As such casting classes help. Those with a more skillful bent may choose to take rogue style classes instead.

Resources: Certain groups of oracles and seers may take interest in precognosis adepts. Not only do they work in the magic of their kind, but they are able to apply the knowledge to acts of skillful wonder.

Precognosis Adepts in the World
"Ah crap, the King of Nowhere brought guards! How'd he know we were coming?"

Precognosis Adepts make fine seers and soothsayers. Not only do they know the future, they are confident in their survival through sheer insight.

NPC Reactions: Precognosis Adepts are mysterious and often wise. Their abilities breed envy and respect alike. Depending on the culture, they may be seen as gifts from the gods or be seen with fear, knowing that the precognosis adept may know their secrets and plans all this time.

Precognosis Adept Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge Local can research Precognosis Adepts to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Precognosis Adepts in the Game
Caster. Skillmonkey. You fit both rolls just fine.

Adaptation: Being diviners, you may want to substitute Spell Focus for specialization. However, this will restrict it to wizards.

Sample Encounter: The PCs are in a rut, and hear of an oracle named Myco Paras. The eccentric and mushroom capped lass is willing to help, if they will help her divert a danger she has foreseen away from a nearby town, whose residents disbelieve in her fortune telling abilities.

EL whatever: 10