Imperial Explorer

The Ordos Scholatoria of the Heartland Empire is home to many Schools, each respected, honored, and duty bound to a singular purpose. Of these dozens of Schools, there are six which are seen as the beating heart of the Empire, the very core of the great machine of scientific progress itself.

The College of Scribes is the least of these elites, yet without them, texts would be inaccurate, archives would fall to ruin, and those who needed the notes of the giants upon whose shoulders they stood would never receive exact copies in a timely manner. While their job is not glamorous, it is necessary and looked upon with respect by all.

The League of Magi forms the core of all Imperial Arcana. Standards. Practices. Research. Development. They see to all of it with more precision, documentation, and passion than most believe possible for a mortal to express. It is by their hands that new elements are forged, great wells of energy tapped and spells simplified for the general public's daily use.

The Imperial Engineering Regiment designs and constructs the many great works of the Empire. Dams across canyons half a league wide and thrice as deep. Great harbors which can control their water levels so precisely that any dock can be made a dry dock in but a day. The very palace of the immortal Empress herself. Timeless wonders constructed by their expert hands and keen minds.

The Council of Scientists devotes their lives to the study of the natural world. Every mundane innovation of the Empire began in one of their labs. Their history traces back to the invention of iron refining, irrigation, and water purification. Every weighable, measurable, and testable facet of the natural world is scrutinized to the fullest of understanding within their hallowed halls.

The Psycologist's Charter knows people. It lays a grand highway of understanding intended to connect all peoples of all places and times that they may understand one another. Translations of rare, dying, and lost languages. Brokering peace agreements between ancient warring tribes by forensically analyzing the long-forgotten cause of their animosity. Codifying diplomacy such that it is no longer an art but a science between all peoples the Charter has learned. The Empire's life comes from theirs more than any other.

These five revered orders look up to the greatest of them all.

The wilds of Zo are filled with unknown wonders languishing within lands so hostile they may as well be at war. When the Council needs a rare mineral found only at the bottom of the sea, when the League needs a cup of pure snow from the top of the tallest mountain, when the Regiment needs a survey of lands never before seen, when the Charter hasn't a clue about one of the worlds many peoples, when the College has lost a relic deep within the bowels of a forgotten vault, the Empire calls upon its champions.

These are men and women, the elite of the elite, who brave the unknown knowing that each expedition could be their last. They are, Imperial Explorers.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Wealth: 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with a firearm of their choice and an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The Imperial Explorer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are

Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Imperial Explorer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Explorers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all firearms, light armor, and shields (including tower shields).

Field Alchemy: Explorers have long depended on mundane alchemical substances such as explorer’s fire and smokesticks to keep them alive in the wilderness. Of course, such supplies run out. What does one do then? Why, punch a tree, of course! Then take the bark which came from that tree, grind it into oblivion and process the dust into new smoke sticks with little more than grit, determination, ingenuity, and an old soup tin.

Field improvising supplies became a core element of Explorer training over the centuries. A modern Imperial Explorer can create both mundane alchemical items and magical potion-like extracts entirely from locally foraged ingredients using improvised equipment.

 In effect, an explorer prepares "spells" by mixing ingredients into a number of extracts, and then “casts” his spells by drinking the extract to absorb the magical essence therein and thus cast it similar to a spell. These extracts are unique to each Explorer, who has been conditioned durrin training to resist toxic elements found within all extracts which would kill any who consumed them unprepared (IE; an extract consumed by a non-Explorer acts as a deadly poison). When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an explorer gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the Craft (alchemy) check. In addition, an explorer can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic. He must hold the potion for 1 round to make such a check.

Extracts behave like spells in potion form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by effects like dispel magic using the explorer’s level as the caster level. Unlike potions, though, extracts can have powerful effects and duplicate spells that a potion normally could not.

An explorer can create only a certain number of extracts of each level per day, as foraging the supplies form any given environment is possible but difficult, and supplies are thus limited. His daily base allotment of extracts is given on Table: explorer. In addition, he receives bonus extracts per day if he has a high Intelligence score, in the same way a wizard receives bonus spells per day. An extract reatins its effects even if it leaves the explorer’s possession, which allows Explorers to share their extracts. However an explorer cannot normally pass out his extracts for allies to use (but see the “infusion” discovery below) due to their toxic contents. An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 week before becoming inert (3 months with refrigeration), so an explorer must re-prepare his extracts at least once a week, but can do so daily if required. Mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work, after setting up any required equipment and foraging for ingredients (A process which takes at least one hour)—most explorers prepare many extracts at the start of the day or just before going on an adventure, but with proper ingredients, a portable explorers laboratory, and a minute of time, they can prepare any extract they know (But never more than their daily allotment). Thus, it’s not uncommon for an explorer to keep some (or even all) of his daily extract slots open so that he can prepare extracts in the field as needed.

Although the explorer doesn’t actually cast spells, he does have a formulae list that determines what extracts he can create. An explorer can utilize spell-trigger items if the spell appears on his formulae list, but not spell-completion items (unless he uses Use Magic Device to do so). An extract is “cast” by drinking it, as if imbibing a potion—the effects of an extract exactly duplicate the spell upon which its formula is based, save that the spell always affects only the drinking explorer. The explorer uses his level as the caster level to determine any effect based on caster level. Creating extracts consumes raw materials, but the cost of these materials is insignificant—comparable to the valueless material components of most spells. If a spell normally has a costly material component, that component is expended during the consumption of that particular extract. Extracts cannot be made from spells that have focus requirements (explorer extracts that duplicate divine spells never have a divine focus requirement). An explorer can prepare an extract of any formula he knows. To learn or use an extract, an explorer must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the extract’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an explorer’s extract is 10 + the extract level + the explorer’s Intelligence modifier. An explorer may know any number of formulae. He stores his formulae in a special tome called a formula book. He must refer to this book whenever he prepares an extract but not when he consumes it. An explorer begins play with two 1st level formulae of his choice, plus a number of additional forumlae equal to his Intelligence modifier. At each new explorer level, he gains one new formula of any level that he can create. An explorer can also add formulae to his book just like a wizard adds spells to his spellbook, using the same costs and time requirements. An explorer can study a wizard’s spellbook to learn any formula that is equivalent to a spell the spellbook contains. A wizard, however, cannot learn spells from a formula book. An explorer does not need to decipher arcane writings before copying them.

Explorer Talent: Starting at 1st level, and every 2 levels thereafter, a explorer gains a Social Talent or Vigilante Talent as if they were a vigilante of equal level. Unless otherwise noted, a talent can be selected only once. An explorer cannot choose talents which require a identity unless they poses levels in the vigilante class. Once a talent has been chosen, it cannot be changed.

Brew Potion (Ex): At 1st level, explorers receive Brew Potion as a bonus feat. An explorer can brew potions of any formulae he knows (up to 3rd level), using his explorer level as his caster level. The spell must be one that can be made into a potion. The explorer does not need to meet the prerequisites for this feat.

Evasion (Ex): An explorer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the explorer is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless explorer does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Expert Marksman (Ex): Explorers are trained to use firearms to their fullest potential. They ignore the range penalties for the first two range increments for any firearm they use and may reroll a natural one on any attack roll with a firearm a number of times per day equal to their charisma modifier (but must take the second result).

Discovery (Su): At 2nd level, and then again every 2 levels thereafter (up to 18th level), an explorer makes an incredible alchemical discovery. Unless otherwise noted, an explorer cannot select an individual discovery more than once. Some discoveries can only be made if the explorer has met certain prerequisites first, such as uncovering other discoveries. Explorers cannot take discoveries which grant or modify bombs without having levels in alchemist. The DC of any saving throw called for by a discovery is equal to 10 + 1/2 the alchemist’s level + the alchemist’s Intelligence modifier.

• A complete list of discoveries can be found here: Discoveries

Poison Resistance (Ex): At 2nd level, an explorer gains a +2 bonus on all saving throws against poison. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and then again to +6 at 8th level. At 10th level, an explorer becomes completely immune to poison.

Poison Use (Ex): Explorers are trained in the use of poison and starting at 2nd level, cannot accidentally poison themselves when applying poison to a weapon. An explorer may sacrifice an extract to use it as a poison. The strength of a poison made from an extract is tied to the extract's spell level, with the specifics up to the GMs discretion.

Drift Marksman (Ex): At 6th level an explorer's training as a marskman has passed a barrier referred to in the EMpire as "The Drift" after an ancient battle fought by the crew of an Exploration Ship. So long as the explorer has ammunition for a firearm in their possession, and has made an attack roll with a firearm at least once per three rounds, the explorer is entirely immune to all fear effects. This training is purely psychological, and thus the moment the explorer's ammunition is entirely expended they must make a save vs the fear effect if they are still subject to it. Should the explorer make it through the encounter without running out of ammo they will experience no ill psychological effects from the encounter.

Crack Shot: Starting at 14th level, a number of times per day equal to their chriasma modifier, an explorer can ignore all range penalties up to 20 range units to make a single attack with a firearm of their choice. This attack is incredibly precise. If the attack misses, the ability is expended without any effect. If the attack hits, it acts as if it were a critical hit. If the attack is a critical hit, it functions as a normal critical hit, and the target is subject to a save vs death (DC 10 + damage + 1/2 Explorer's Level).

Legendary Marksman: Beginning at 18th level, an explorer's attacks with firearms always attack flat footed defense.

Grand Discovery (Su): At 20th level, an explorer makes a grand discovery. He immediately learns two normal discoveries, but also learns a third discovery chosen from the linked list below, representing a truly astounding alchemical breakthrough of significant import. For many explorers, the promise of one of these grand discoveries is an intriguing bauble to serve as the capstone of their trinket and curio collections.

• A complete list of grand discoveries can be found here: Grand Discoveries