Explorer (3.5e Class)

Complete Xeno→Alien Codex→Star Ships

Author: Franken Kesey (talk) Date Created: 04/06/19 Status: Fin Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Psionics, Other Full

Explorer

Most encounters with aliens and future technology in lore, cinema and games involve the protagonists using the technology of the alien culture in a new way. This difference in application and lack of understanding (or rebellion) with the current powers, allows the protagoist to rise above the rest. However, an explorer has only an elementary understanding of the tools they possess. This is in essence the base class for xeno adventurers. Giving a balanced amount of features that aid in surviving an alien universe.

Making an Explorer

Explorers are an extremely versatile group. Dexterity is probably the most useful ability for all, followed by intelligence. At first level an explorer chooses one mental ability to be her primary ability score, many features rank off this score.

Starting Gold: 4d8×10 gp (180 gp).

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: The Explorer

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Power Points/Day	Powers Known	Maximum Power Level Known
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+2	+0	Alien Survival Skills	0	1	1st
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+0	Bonus Feat, Evasion	1	2	1st
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+1	Resistance	3	3	1st
4th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Alien Companion	5	4	2nd
5th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Skill Bonus +3	7	5	2nd
6th	+4	+5	+5	+2	Bonus Feat	11	6	3rd
7th	+5	+5	+5	+2	Resolved Body	15	7	3rd
8th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+2	Space Walker	19	8	4th
9th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+3	Skill Bonus +7	23	3	4th
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+3	Bonus Feat	27	10	5th
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+3	Alien Physiology	35	11	5th
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+4		43	12	6th
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+4	Skill Bonus +11	51	13	6th
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+4	Bonus Feat	57	14	7th
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+5	Bio-Energy Pool	67	15	7th
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5		79	16	8th
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Skill Bonus +15	91	17	8th
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Bonus Feat	103	18	9th
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6		115	19	9th
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Alien Abomination	127	20	9th
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (The planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Proficient with two martial futuristic weapons, shields (except tower), and all light and medium armor.

Alien Survival Skills (Ex): A 1st level, an explorer gains craft (xeno), knowledge (xeno), pilot, profession (pilot) and program as class skills.

At 5th level, she gains a +3 class bonus on gather information, knowledge (The planes), knowledge (xeno), pilot, survival, tumble, and one more skill of her choosing. At 9th level and every four after, this bonus increases by 4 (max +15).

Power Points/Day: An explorer’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points she has available. Her base daily allotment of power points is given on the above table. In addition, she receives bonus power points per day if she has a high main mental ability score (players choice; see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points). A 1st-level explorer gains no power points from her class level, but she gains bonus power points (if she is entitled to any), and can manifest the single power she knows with those power points.

Powers Known: An explorer begins play knowing one psion powers. The above table shows when an explorer can unlock the knowledge of a new power.

Choose the powers known from the psion/wilder power list. (Exception: The feats Expanded Knowledge and Epic Expanded Knowledge do allow an explorer to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) An explorer can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than her manifester level.

The total number of powers an explorer can manifest in a day is limited only by her daily power points.

An explorer simply knows her powers; they are ingrained in her mind. She does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though she must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all her spent power points.

The Difficulty Class for saving throws against explorer powers is 10+power’s level+explorer’s main mental ability score.

Maximum Power Level Known: An explorer begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As she attains higher levels, she may gain the ability to master more complex powers. To learn or manifest a power, an explorer must have a main mental ability score of at least 10+power’s level.

Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, an explorer gains endurance as a bonus feat. At 6th and every four after, an explorer gets a bonus feat.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level, an explorer can avoid even magical or unnatural attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the Conduit instead takes no damage. This ability only works if the explorer is unarmored and unencumbered. A helpless explorer does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Resistance (Ex): At 3rd level, an explorer gains energy resistance to cold and fire 5.

Alien Companion (Ex): At 4th level, an explorer gains an alien companion (treat like druid's animal companion, except must be an aberration or outsider (preferably xeno)).

Resolved Body (Ex): At 7th level, an explorer becomes immune to diseases and sleep effects; and reduces the effects of exhaustion and fatigue by one step. She cannot become exhausted. If he is exposed to an effect or condition that would normally make her exhausted (such as the spell waves of exhaustion), she becomes fatigued instead.

Space Walker (Ex): Starting at 8th level, an explorer may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her.

Alien Physiology (Su): At 11th level, after constant interaction with alien beings and being exposed to background radiation form traveling in space, the explorer’s biology changes at the microscopic level. This makes her alien even when there are no outward changes in phenotype, as such she gains the xenotheric subtype, granting her access to alien feats. This also gives her energy resistance to acid and electricity 5 and immunity to poisons. However, she does not gain a bio-energy pool.

Bio-Energy Pool (Ex): At 15th level, an explorer gains a bio-energy pool. If she already had one, she adds 1/3 her class level in points to this pool. This also increases all her energy resistances to 10 (acid, cold, electricity and fire).

Alien Abomination (Ex): At 20th level, an explorer becomes a true alien abomination. This morphs her into a creature she had an encounter with (small to large sized). She no longer needs to breath or eat, and is immune to compulsions, necromancy, paralysis and stunning. An explorer can change back to her original form for 20 minutes per day (need not be consecutive).

Ex-Explorers

If an explorer no longer is in an alien universe, they lose the craft (xeno), knowledge (xeno), pilot, professional pilot and program skills. If they are in an anti-psionic zone they lose all manifesting abilities.

Campaign Information

“	They came with probes and peace, but I did not trust it – so I burnt them all alive!	”
—Unknown Explorer

Playing an Explorer

Religion: Explorers can be of any religion. With some being graveyard thieves and thus hunted by the devout, while others protecting sacred artifacts.

Other Classes: This class by design can get along with any other class.

Combat: With futuristic weapons, space ships, bots, powers, xeno-feats, a players options in combat are immense.

Advancement: At later levels, most explorers advance in prestige or paragon classes. But a few may still remain true to pure exploration until the end.

Explorer Lore

Characters with ranks in knowledge (xeno) can research explorers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Xeno)

DC	Result
5	Explorers are standard adventures.
10	Explorers have futuristic weapons and alien abilities.
15	Explorers can pilot space ships and program bots.
20	Specific info on an explorer.

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