Rate my Alternate Core Class - The Explorer

[Celebrim]

Explorer
The world, and indeed the universe, is a vast place filled with wonders that the common man can scarcely fathom and beauties few have ever beheld. But despite this, the great majority of sentient creatures will never stray far from the place of their birth. This is because the outside world is filled dangers that daunt the heart of even the bravest, and unknown peril may assail you whenever you stray from familiar well trodden paths. A few intrepid souls dare brave these dangers, usually in hopes of making a fortune by trading the exotic goods of far flung locales. Some explorers, however, simply love to travel. Explorers are usually known according to the region they most often explore: mountaineers, mariners, and cavers just to name a few examples. Explorers are often called guides whenever they offer their services for hire.
Adventurers: The term ‘adventurer’ fits the role of the explorer perhaps more so than any other class. Even the lowly teamster, driving his oxcart daily between two neighboring villages once set out a great adventure to see what he has never seen before and dreams of one day perhaps taking his cart down roads he’s never traveled. The most dedicated explorers devote themselves to the visiting of places remote and exotic, and of going to places where few if any have dared tread. Although their abilities are not as flashy or as focused as some other classes, explorers make highly capable and flexible adventurers. Many an expedition has gone astray and failed in their objective for lack of a suitable and experienced guide to show the way, and a party replete with combat skills and spell casting power may find an explorer to be a useful leader.
Characteristics: Explorers are hardy travelers. Their skills allow them to successfully journey through lands both familiar and exotic. Their combat skills are excellent, but they have a diverse skill selection allows them a chance to overcome obstacles that the sword would be of no use against.
Alignment: Explorers can be of any alignment. Many have no philosophy beyond the desire to store up wealth for a well earned and comfortable retirement. Some are free spirited chaotics who yearn for the freedom of open spaces and will never be truly comfortable living a settled and predictable life. Others consider themselves to be the vanguard of civilization, and hope to bring order and knowledge to the wilderness and conform distant societies to their own standards. Good explorers seek to protect travelers and encourage the free flow of information, ideas, and goods for the prosperity of all. Evil explorers seek to conquer weaker nations by force, and plunder foreign lands for their own amusement.
Religions: Explorers favor deities with influence over travel, good fortune, and the sea such as Kord, Fharlanghn, and Obad-Hai.
Background: Some explorers learned their trade by simply putting their feet on (or off) the road and seeing how far they could go. Most however took up exploring as a profession either by signing up as a cabin boy on a ship headed for a distant port, or working with a caravan traveling overland to exotic places.
Races: Any race can be an explorer, but by far the most explorers belong to the ambitious and restless human race. Dwarf and gnome explorers are not unknown, especially in the deep area under the earth. Halfling explorers are rare but possible. The majority of all other races feel much more comfortable settled into a private niche in the landscape.
Classes: Since they are such a diverse class, explorers get along well with just about anyone who is willing to travel - and this includes all the adventuring classes. Getting along with individuals is more a matter of compatible personality than anything else. Explorers relish the company of stalwart fighters to help them against the many perils of the road. They admire rouges for their ability to move in great silence, and barbarians for their ability to move swiftly. A bard is always welcome company on any journey. Rangers are usually well liked, perhaps because they share so much in common with explorers, but their attachment to nature can provoke bewilderment and their supernatural prowess envy. Clerics are greatly desired company provided that their goals do not differ too greatly from that of the explorer. The same can be said for paladins. Monks are not necessarily understood, but an explorer can understand a traveling monk provided that they share a continuing desire for new experiences and challenges. Of all the classes, druids are most likely to have conflicts with explorers, since explorers do not understand why they should be forbid access to anywhere and druids see explorers as a sign of vanishing wilderness.

Game Rule Information
Explorers have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Explorers are often well rounded self-reliant individuals. They often benefit more from having slightly above average attributes in many categories than from having exceptionally high levels of one ability and weaknesses in others. Dexterity is important for an explorer since they cannot afford to burden themselves with heavy armor. Strength is important because exploration often takes the explorer into places where the native life is very unfriendly and may even think of the explorer as food. A high intelligence can help the explorer make the most out of his broad range of skills. A hardy constitution can help the explorer fight off disease and fatigue. Finally, a charismatic presence can help the explorer win the trust of the locals and avoid many unfortunate difficulties.
Alignment: Any
Requirements: Strength 7 and Constitution 7
Hit Die: d10

Table: The Explorer
Level	BAB	Fort	Ref        Will         Special
1	+1	+2	+2	+0	Ordinary Challenges, Two Weapon Fighting
2	+2	+3	+3	+0	Charm +1, Endurance
3	+3	+3	+3	+1	
4	+4	+4	+4	+1	Bonus Feat
5	+5	+4	+4	+1	Skill Focus
6	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Charm +2
7	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	
8	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Bonus Feat
9	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Improved Two Weapon Fighting
10	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Charm +3, Skill Focus
11	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	
12	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Bonus Feat
13	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	
14	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Charm +4
15	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Skill Focus
16	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Bonus Feat
17	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Superior Two Weapon Fighting
18	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Charm +5
19	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	
20	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Bonus Feat, Skill Focus

Class Skills: The explorer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (int), Balance (dex), Boating (wis), Climb (str), Craft (int), Diplomacy (cha), Handle Animal (cha), Heal (wis), Jump (str), Knowledge (Nature) (int), Knowledge (History and Geography) (int), Knowledge (Customs and Heraldy), Listen (wis), Move silently (dex), Navigation (wis), Porter(str), Ride (dex), Run (str), Search (int), Speak Language (int), Spot (wis), Survival (wis), Swim (str), and Use Rope (dex).

Skill Points at 1st level: (5 + int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at each additional level: 5 + int modifier

Class Features:
All of the following are class feature of the explorer:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An explorer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
Two Weapon Fighting: When wearing light armor or no armor, an explorer can fight with two weapons as if he had the feats ambidexterity and two-weapon fighting. He loses this bonus when fighting in medium or heavy armor.
Ordinary Challenges: The mere act of engaging in on going exploration and travel provides hardships and obstacles which provides valuable experience to the explorer. For every day that the explorer travels at least 8 miles from the place he started, the explorer receives 1 bonus XP. The explorer receives an additional 1 XP bonus per day if the explorer travels exclusively in an area he has never visited before. This bonus XP may only be applied toward gaining additional levels of explorer.
Charm: Beginning at 2nd level, the explorer gains a +1 insight bonus on all reaction rolls when dealing with first acquaintances. This bonus improves by +1 every 4 levels thereafter (6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th).
Endurance: An explorer gains endurance as a bonus feat at 2nd level.
Bonus Feats: An explorer gains a bonus feat at 4th level and again every 4 levels thereafter (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th). These may be selected from the following list: Aclimated, Alertness, Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Improvisation, Cosmopolitan, Dash, Dodge, Double Strike, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Fleet of Foot, Great Fortitude, Hard as Nails, Hary Beyond Mortal Ken, Improved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Iron Will, Jack of All Trades, Lighting Reflexes, Light Sleeper, Mobility, Mounted Combat, Multicultural, Off Hand Parry, Run, Sea Legs, Skill Focus, Solid as a Rock, Superior Two-Weapon Fighting, Tough as Leather, Toughness, Two Weapon Defence, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus, or Wild Rider. The explorer must still meet all prerequisites for any feat chosen.
Skill Focus: An explorer gains Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 5th level and every 5 levels afterward (10th, 15th, and 20th).
Improved Two Weapon Fighting: A ninth level explorer gains the improved two-weapon fighting feat even if he does not have the other prerequisites for the feat. The explorer must be wearing light armor or no armor in order to use this benefit.
Superior Two Weapon Fighting: At 17th level, an explorer gains the superior two-weapon fighting feat as a virtual feat even if he does not have the other perquisites for the feat. The explorer must be wearing light armor or no armor in order to use this benefit.

 

[Celebrim]

Some background

The Explorer began life as as an NPC class, somewhat loosely inspired by the 1st Edition Mariner class. It's roots as an NPC class are still seen in the 'ordinary challenges' ability, which is something I give to NPC classes to easily explain how they manage to level up without doing alot of adventuring. It was originally intended as a full BAB 'expert', which could be used as a template for pirates and similar sorts of foes. Gradually, the class evolved to be more and more capable, until it has reached this stage and I think makes a decent PC class. It's not a real force in combat compared to the other martial classes, but its very well rounded and benefits well from pretty much every attribute.

Some additional notes may be required to help you understand what you are reading. So, here are the unusual feats on its bonus feats list:

ACLIMATED [TRAIT, GENERAL, EXPLORER, HUNTER]
You are accustomed to a particular environment.
Prerequisite: Rank 1 Survival
Benefit: Choose a particular terrain type: arctic alpine, desert, temperate forest, grasslands, jungle, swamp, underdark, or oceanic. You have a +5 insight bonus to survival checks in that particular terrain, and you have a +4 bonus on endurance checks to resist the extremes of climate in that terrain.

COMBAT IMPROVISATION [GENERAL, EXPLORER]
You can make almost anything into a weapon.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +2
Benefit: When making an attack with a weapon you are not proficient with, or with a weapon in which no proficiency is possible, you receive only a -2 penalty to attack.
Normal: You receive a -4 penalty for lacking proficiency in a weapon.

COSMOPOLITAN [TRAIT, EXPERT, EXPLORER]
You have a broad range of experiences.
Benefit: Choose one skill. That skill is always a class skill for you, and you have a +2 bonus on all skill checks made with it.
Special: Experts and Explorers may choose this as a bonus feat even if they are not 1st level.

DASH [GENERAL, EXPLORER]
Your athleticism makes you exceptionally fast.
Prerequisite: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 13, Run
Benefit: Your base move is increased by 5’ per round so long as you wear light or no armor.

DOUBLE STRIKE [GENERAL, EXPLORER, FIGHTER]
You can attack with both hands in perfect coordination.
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: Whenever you charge or draw an attack of opportunity, you may make an attack with both hands. If you do this, you must accept the normal penalties for fighting with two hands.

HARD AS NAILS [GENERAL, EXPLORER]
Prerequisite: Con 13, Toughness, Tough as Leather
Benefit: Your unarmed strike damage increases as if you were a creature one size class larger. Whenever you would take non-lethal damage from any source, you take one less non-lethal damage. You have a +2 bonus on concentration checks to resist distraction and on saving throws to resist the effects of pain.

HARDY BEYOND MORTAL KEN [GENERAL, EXPLORER]
You are capable of superhuman feats of endurance.
Prerequisite: Con 13, Endurance, Toughness
Benefit: You gain an additional +4 bonus to any check and save to which Endurance applies. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Endurance. (Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage, Constitution checks made to continue running, Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march, Constitution checks made to hold your breath, Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst, Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments, and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.) In addition, whenever you would fail any saving throw which would result in you becoming fatigued or exhausted, you may reroll that saving throw. You must keep the second result, even if it is worse than the first roll.

MULTICULTURAL [GENERAL, EXPLORER]
You blend into other cultures.
Prerequisite: Able to speak at least one language other than your own
Benefit: When communicating with beings whose native tongue you share, you are able to pass for a native. If you are not obviously a foreigner, you suffer no xenophobia penalty. If you are obviously an alien, for example a human speaking to dwarves, any xenophobia penalty you suffer in social interactions is still halved.

SOLID AS A ROCK [GENERAL, EXPLORER]
Prerequisite: Con 17, Hard as Nails, Toughness, Tough as Leather
Benefit: Your natural armor class increases by +1. You gain a +2 bonus to saves to resist spell effects of the transmutation school. Any creature which you successfully trip, overrun, or bull rush takes additional damage as if you had made a successful unarmed strike on them.

TOUGH AS LEATHER [GENERAL, EXPLORER]
Prerequisite: Con 13, Toughness
Benefit: You gain DR 1/-. If you already have DR, your DR improves by 1.

 

[Aus_Snow]

In 3e, this class would be decimated by just about any other.

But I gather you are not, or will not be, using the Explorer in standard 3e at all, given these clues:

* Requirements: Strength 7 and Constitution 7
* Skill Points at 1st level: (5 + int modifier) x 4
* Skill Points at each additional level: 5 + int modifier
* ACLIMATED [TRAIT, GENERAL, EXPLORER, HUNTER]

And really, without knowing just how different your version of 3e is from the RAW, it's hard (impossible?) to gauge the class's relative effectiveness.

Anyway, FWIW, I like the idea. If I was to tentatively offer a bit of advice, albeit with my not knowing the full context, two-weapon fighting seems a little out of place, if anything. Or an odd choice, at least. Also rather 'Ranger-ey'. And the skill points would need to be at least 6+Int, IMO. With all that Rangers get beyond the humble Explorer, it seems peculiar to limit the latter's skill points as well.

 

[Celebrim]

In 3e, this class would be decimated by just about any other.

I'm not sure that's a completely fair comparison.

But I gather you are not, or will not be, using the Explorer in standard 3e at all, given these clues:

* Requirements: Strength 7 and Constitution 7
* Skill Points at 1st level: (5 + int modifier) x 4
* Skill Points at each additional level: 5 + int modifier
* ACLIMATED [TRAIT, GENERAL, EXPLORER, HUNTER]

There are quite a few other clues besides that, but yes, I'm designing for a version of 3.0 that is as different from 3.0 (or 3.5) as 3.5 is from 3.0.

And really, without knowing just how different your version of 3e is from the RAW, it's hard (impossible?) to gauge the class's relative effectiveness.

For my purposes, its enough to compare it to the core RAW fighter.

Compared to the stock fighter, it has better reflex saves (good vs. poor), better skills (5 vs. 2), and vastly better skill selection (diplomacy, spot, listen, search, balance, etc.). It has the same hit points, base attack progression, and fort saves. The fighter gains 11 bonus feats. The explorer gains 5 bonus feats (albiet from a slightly weaker list, forcing it to take most combat feats from 7 general list feats it can expect to pick up), plus 4 skill focuses, plus endurance, plus situationally ambidexterity, two-weapon fighting, improved two-weapon fighting, and superior two weapon fighting (4 feats). Additionally, it gains a bonus on charisma and diplomacy checks worth roughly a feat. Thus, its class features total about the equivalent of 15 bonus feats, albiet it from a list that is not strongly combat focused and which pretty much requires you to be a lightly armored fighter.

Anyway, FWIW, I like the idea. If I was to tentatively offer a bit of advice, albeit with my not knowing the full context, two-weapon fighting seems a little out of place, if anything. Or an odd choice, at least. Also rather 'Ranger-ey'.

Two words: no rangers. Explorer and Hunter more or less split Ranger down the middle.

And the skill points would need to be at least 6+Int, IMO. With all that Rangers get beyond the humble Explorer, it seems peculiar to limit the latter's skill points as well.

Yeah, I'm thinking of boosting to 7+Int, but haven't made up my mind. I'm also wanting to fill at least levels 13 and 19 with an appropriate class feature, but can't really decide what it should be.

One possibility is to give the explorer more of a swashbuckler feel, and giving them the 'precise strike' class ability from the duelist PrC: +1d6 at 7th, +2d6 at 13th and +3d6 at 19th (no PrC's I should also say). This addresses the damage gap between the explorer and other martial classes, albiet in a way that I feel is a little bit crude and unimaginative. A good portion of the crunch of the duelist PrC can be picked up from equivalent feats by focusing the Explorer in that direction though.

 

[Aus_Snow]

There are quite a few other clues besides that, but yes, I'm designing for a version of 3.0 that is as different from 3.0 (or 3.5) as 3.5 is from 3.0.

Yeah, I saw the rest after my (brief) initial scan. And, although I didn't realise when I first posted (obviously), I then thought about it a bit, and assumed that you're most likely building upon 3.0, not 3.5.

Two words: no rangers. Explorer and Hunter more or less split Ranger down the middle.

'Rangers are usually well liked, perhaps because they share so much in common with explorers, but their attachment to nature can provoke bewilderment and their supernatural prowess envy.' I had no way of knowing whether 'Hunter' (?) was in use, or Ranger. . . or both!

But never mind that. I take it that the Hunter also has no spellcasting (hm, but. . . archery, yes?) Naturally, it's your call - and also might be off-topic, I guess - but it might help to see what the Hunter is, or does. The Fighter is basically the 3e version? The other classes?

Not trying to be difficult (comes natural, like ), but it certainly can be challenging, assessing a homebrew class (or race, spell, etc.), when it's nearly stripped of context.