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New Core Class: The Adventurer

I have been working on this class for a while now and I thought that I would post it to get some other opinions. I think it still needs some work.

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The Adventurer
Adventurer, hero, brash young hothead -- all these names and many more describe that rare and often short-lived person who quests for some distant and impossible goal. They may be seeking a great and powerful magic item. They may be fighting to protect their village from evil. Adventurers are often driven by more than a want of gold or fame. Rarely will they themselves know what drives them on their quest. Perhaps it is destiny. Perhaps they want to change the world. Perhaps the adventure itself drives them onward.
Adventurers are known by many names and come in every form. Wealthy adventurers are rare, those that live long, rarer still. Young, they are hopeful, naïve, quick to fight and quicker to die. Old, they are cynical, hard, skilled, and scared. But a true hero at heart who seeks the greatest of adventures may survive and become a legend.

Adventures: Adventurers see adventures as opportunities to learn. They practice their many skills and abilities. Only by testing his limits can he expand them. Many adventurers relish the opportunity to enter a long forgotten ancient tomb, to discover ancient works of magic, to decipher old tomes, to travel to strange places, and to encounter exotic people and creatures. Some crave fame, others infamy. Quite a few also enjoy a challenge. Whatever their initial motivations, however, many adventurers often wind up living for the thrill of combat and adventure.

Characteristics: The adventurer is a quite common class, very well adapted to the adventuring life. An adventurer, by his nature, tends to learn many different skills. Like the bard, he is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. Adventurers can fight well, perform a few rogue abilities and may even be able to cast a few magical spells when needed. They are a very welcome addition to any adventuring party. While adventurers lack the skill and versatility of the fighters, wizards, or rogues, they can almost match them within certain areas.

The adventurer is trained in the skills essential for solving mysteries and getting through obstacles while still keeping himself in one piece. While other classes are easily more powerful than the adventurer in their respective fields, none of them are as widely qualified for over-all adventuring.

Alignment: Adventurers, like bards, are wanderers, guided by whim and intuition rather than tradition or law. This footloose aspect of their personality favors a free, chaotic spirit over the disciplined mind, so adventurers tend slightly toward chaos over law. Adventurers, however, are a diverse bunch, and they may be of any alignment.

Religion: Since adventurers are a rather assorted group, they may worship many different deities, or none at all. Some revere Fharlanghn, the god or roads. Those with a bit of larceny in their hearts may worship Olidammara, god of thieves. Those of a warrior bent may worship some of the more martial deities. Some adventurers distrust established religions and prefer an intuitive, natural relationship to the cosmos over formal worship. In any event, adventurers spend so much time on the road that, while they may be devoted to a deity, they are rarely devoted to any particular temple.

Background: Adventurers come to their profession in many ways. Many have picked up their skills from those they grew up around. Some learn from their families, others learned from a single mentor, while others are just self-taught. The adventurer is usually a spirited individual full of life and curiosity. They tend to live by the seat of their pants and rely on their wits and natural abilities. Generally an adventurer is a rough and tumble fellow, who enjoys tests of skill, strength, and cunning, and who enjoys life to its fullest. Adventurers have to be generally physically fit as combat is no stranger to them.
Adventurers have no sense of identity as a group. They do not see themselves as a group or brotherhood. In fact, some adventurers are highly competitive with other adventurers, jealous of their reputations.

Races: Adaptable and often unpredictable, humans take to the wandering lifestyle of the adventurer with ease. Halflings, elves, and half-elves, too, find themselves well suited to the path of the adventurer. Half-orcs, as general outcasts, often take to the adventurer’s path out of necessity. Dwarves and gnomes, who are less susceptible to wanderlust, are very rarely adventurers. Adventurers are exceedingly rare among the savage humanoids

Other Classes: Adventurers find they have the most in common with members of other self-taught classes, such as druids and rogues. They also tend to get along well with bards, as both classes have a similar outlook towards life. An adventurer is curious about the ways of more focused or dedicated classes, often trying to pick up pointers from fighters, sorcerers, and rogues.

Game Rule Information
Adventurers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is important to adventurers because they tend to wear light armor and because many of their skills are often Dexterity based. Strength is important because adventurers often get involved in combat. Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma may be important for many of the adventurer’s skills. Intelligence and Charisma may also be important for spellcasting.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Dice: d8

Class Skills:
The adventurer can choose any ten skills to be class skills. One or two of these skills can be skills exclusive to some other class. See Chapter 4: Skills of the Player’s Handbook, 3rd Edition for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the adventurer.

Code:
[COLOR=burlywood]Table 3-XX: The Adventurer
Lvl Base       Chosen Weapon      Fort Ref Will  Special
1   +0            +1         	   +0  +0  +0    Special Ability
2   +1            +1           	   +0  +0  +0    Special Ability
3   +2            +2         	   +1  +1  +1    
4   +3            +3           	   +1  +1  +1    Special Ability
5   +3            +3         	   +1  +1  +1    
6   +4          +4/+1          	   +2  +2  +2    Special Ability
7   +5          +5/+2          	   +2  +2  +2    
8   +6/+1       +6/+3       	   +2  +2  +2    Special Ability
9   +6/+1       +6/+3       	   +3  +3  +3    
10  +7/+2       +7/+4/+1    	   +3  +3  +3    Special Ability
11  +8/+3       +8/+5/+2    	   +3  +3  +3    
12  +9/+4       +9/+6/+3    	   +4  +4  +4    Special Ability
13  +9/+4       +9/+6/+3    	   +4  +4  +4    
14  +10/+5      +10/+7/+4/+1	   +4  +4  +4    Special Ability
15  +11/+6/+1   +11/+8/+5/+2       +5  +5  +5    
16  +12/+7/+2   +12/+9/+6/+3	   +5  +5  +5    Special Ability
17  +12/+7/+2   +12/+9/+6/+3       +5  +5  +5    
18  +13/+8/+3   +13/+10/+7/+4/+1   +6  +6  +6    Special Ability
19  +14/+9/+4   +14/+11/+8/+5/+2   +6  +6  +6    
20  +15/+10/+5  +15/+12/+9/+6/+3   +6  +6  +6    Special Ability[/COLOR]

Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Adventurers are proficient with all simple and any five (5) Martial or Exotic weapons of their choice. If an Exotic weapon is chosen, it takes up 2 weapon slots. These weapons must be chosen when the character is created.
Adventurers are proficient with light armor but not with shields. The character may choose heavier armors/shield use in place of a weapon.
Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pockets, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried. If the adventurer is able to cast spells, he can cast spells while wearing armor or using a shield but suffers a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (most do).

Special Ability: At 1st level, and every other level thereafter (3rd, 5th, 7th, ect.) the adventurer gets a special ability of her choice from among the following:
Skill Emphasis: The character receives +3 bonus to any class skill. Can be taken multiple times, stacks up to two times per class skill.
Skill Mastery: The adventurer chooses a number of class skills equal to her Intelligence modifier; the character can now Take 10 on these skills under any circumstances. Can be taken multiple times, each time applying to different class skills.
Quick Learner: The adventurer can make any one cross-class skill (except an exclusive skill) a class skill. Can be taken more then once.
Saves: One of the adventurers Saves may be increased to the next highest level. (this needs better, descriptive text)
Avoidance: The adventurer is adept at getting out of the way of melee attacks. When wearing light armor or less and not using any shields and not encumbered they gain a competence bonus to AC equal to their Base Reflex Save versus all attacks that they are aware of. They loose this bonus under any circumstance that denies them their Dexterity Bonus to AC.
Reflex Dodge: Any time he is hit with a critical, the character receives a Reflex Save to avoid the extra damage. The DC is equal to the number rolled on the second attack roll (the second roll for the enemy to see if the threat was actually a critical).
Lightning Strikes: The character may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack, but this attack and each othe attack that round suffer a –2 penalty. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it affects attacks of opportunity the character might make before his next action. The character must use the full attack option to strike with Lightning Strike. This ability may not be taken until 2nd level.
Evasion: An adventurer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks by virtue of his training. If the character makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion may only be used if the chaaracter is wearing light armor or no armor. It is an extraordinary ability.
Uncanny Dodge: The character gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized).
Awareness: The character can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks or sneak attack him. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the character can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).
Trap Sense: The character gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks by traps. This ability may me taken more than once.
Chosen Weapon: The Adventurer may choose one (1) weapon to be his Chosen Weapon. When the character uses this chosen weapon, he gains a better Base Attack Bonus as listed in the chart above. Use of any other weapon requires that he use his normal base attack column.
Sneak Attack: If an Adventurer can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, ha can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Basically, any time the Adventurer’s target would be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC (whether he actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 points every time this ability is taken. Should the character score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target is 30 feet away or less. The character can only sneak attack living creatures with discernable anatomies – undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Additionally, any creature immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks.
Perceive Weakness: The character is able to study his opponents to discover an exploitable weakness. If he spends 2 consecutive rounds observing a single opponent as a standard action he may make a Search check versus a DC of 15 + the targets total character level or hit die, whichever is higher. If successful, he may add a competence bonus equal to his class level to all to-hit rolls against that opponent in melee combat and for ranged attacks at ranges of 30 feet or less. If he fails, he may not try again versus the same opponent until a day has passed. Competence bonuses do not stack. The bonus versus a specific opponent lasts for 1 hour per class level. Creatures that are immune to critical hits still have perceivable weaknesses and are therefore affected by this ability. This is an extraordinary ability.
Favored Enemy: The Adventurer may select a type of creature as a favored enemy. Each time that the Favored Enemy ability is taken, the character gets +1 to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks against that creature type due to his extensive study of his foes and training in the proper techniques for combating them. The bonus also applies to attack and damage rolls versus the favored enemy. The damage bonus IS multiplied when a critical hit is scored. The character also gets the attack and damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only against targets within 30 feet (the character cannot strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range). The damage bonus doesn't apply against creatures that are immune to critical hits.
Fast Movement: The Adventurer has a speed faster than the norm for his race by +10 feet when wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor (and not carrying a heavy load).
Magic Use: Each time the Adventurer picks this Special Ability, he gains +1 level of an arcane caster level of his choice. He gains arcane spells according to the spell-casting class that he chooses. Additionally, he's able to mix and match different arcane caster types.
For example: An 7th level Adventurer could have, as Special Abilities, Magic Use (Sorcerer 1) and Magic Use (Wizard 3). So he could cast spells as both a 1st-level Sor, and a 3rd level Wiz.
Feat: An Adventurer may gain a feat in place of a special ability. These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Armor Proficiency (Medium, Heavy), Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise, Improved Critical*, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Attack (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist), Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot), Power Attack (Cleave, Great Cleave), Quick Draw, Run, Shield Proficiency, Skill Focus*, Toughness, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*.

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I would welcome any comments that you may have about this class.

Also, any other ablilities that you think would be appropriate for this type of character would also be appreciated.

thanks


Edits: Added in Jack Haggerty's great Magic Use ability. Changed, added, and removed a couple Special Ability options and took some of Jens' advice with regards to weapons and armor as well as the chosen weapon ability.
 
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I like it. A sort of Indiana Jones type character...I think it would be best to keep spell-casting away from this class, though. Maybe make a seperate class that can mix and match spell casting ability from the various spell casting classes using some sort of point system like Psions. Then if a PC wants an adventurer with some customizable spell casting ability, he can just multiclass!
 

Actually, if you added the possibility of magic to the class, you'd very nearly have "classless" D&D.

It'd be as easy as including a new special ability...

Magic Use: Each time the Adventurer picks this Special Ability, he gains +1 level of an arcane caster level of his choice. He gains arcane spells according to the spell-casting class that he chooses.

So, if he eschewed all other class abilities, he'd could gain spells half as fast as a bard, sorcerer, or wizard. Additionally, he'd be able to mix and match different arcane caster types...

For example: An 11th level Adventurer could have, as Special Abilities, Fast Movement, Sneak Attack +1d6, Magic Use (Sorcerer 1), Magic Use (Wizard 3).

So he could cast cast spells as both a 1st-level Sor, and a 3rd level Wiz. Plus he could sneak attack like a Rogue, and have +10' to his move like a barbarian.
 
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Thanks Jack that was just what I was looking for. That was so simple I probably should have thought of it on my own :) And I was actually trying to go for a classed "classlessness" (is that a word?) feel.

I originally designed this class specifically for a character that was raised by adventurers (i.e. a second generation adventerer) who learned a little bit here and there from his "aunts and uncles". I could get the same effect from multiclassing but he then would have a lot of excess abilities from the different classes, and I would have to start him out at a higher level.
 

Nice job! But you probably don't just want praise, so...

Weapon proficiencies
- Flexibility: I like it, but why not let the Adventurer choose Exotic weapons as well? I can easily imagine such a character using weird weapons.
- Armors: Maybe let the Adventurer choose heavier armors/shields instead of weapons?
- Chosen Weapon: Since when does a generalist (Jack of all Trades) have a chosen weapon? If you want to give some martial boon, how about a reduced non-proficiency penalty (say, -2 instead of -4) instead? Either way, I think this should be included among the special abilities.

Special Abilities
- I'd give one at 1st and even levels, just like fighter feats. As it is, 20th level is useless.
- Maybe some SAs should only be available at higher levels? Remember that characters can multiclass and dip in for a goodie.
- Avoidance is very powerful. Exactly how does it 'cost' one attack? Do I have to reserve an attack from my previous turn to use it? Or can I 'borrow' from my next turn? What if I then decide to do something else, do I have to stay and attack? (Parrying rules are not easy :))
- Lightning Strike is very good, too. I could imagine many fighter types taking a level to get this or Avoidance.
- Uncanny Dodge: Maybe give access to more steps in the chain?

Spellcasting
- Jacks idea seems good. Just make sure that the Adventurer is not as good at casting spells as a dedicated spellcaster, even just the first couple of levels. (It would be an easy way to get d8 HPs, good saves and a caster level.) Maybe restrict spellcasting to 4th level and above?
 

Feedback on each ability.

Daebryn Bladestorm said:
Avoidance: The adventurer is adept at getting out of the way of melee attacks. When wearing light armor or less and not using any shields and not encumbered they gain a competence bonus to AC equal to their Reflex Save versus all attacks that they are aware of. They loose this bonus under any circumstance that denies them their Dexterity Bonus to AC.

Probably should be _base_ reflex save otherwise, he is getting his dex twice. One thing I'm seeing is there are a lot of defensive bonuses based on dex. Here's an idea...an "adventurer" seems to be the sort that relies upon his cunning and charm as much as his agility. How about modifiying some of these defensive abilities to all him to stack his Int or Cha bonus on top of his dex bonuse for AC or Ref saves?

Reflex Dodge: Any time he is hit with a critical, the character receives a Reflex Save to avoid the extra damage. The DC is equal to the number rolled on the second attack roll (the second roll for the enemy to see if the threat was actually a critical).

That sounds good. Possible Int/Cha bonus candidate.

Precision Strikes: The character is so precise with his strikes that he can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Any time that the adventurer's foe is damaged by the character's attack he must make a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + one-half the character's level + Wis modifier). If the target fails his saving throw, he takes an additional amount of damage equal to his Dex Modifier. Should the character score a critical hit with a precision strike, this extra damage is not multiplied. This ability may not be taken until 6th level.

Too many rolls. Everytime he hits, the DM has to roll a saving throw...that can get tedious fast, especially if it is to avoid 3 or 4 points of damage. Since this is something that can't be had until sixth level, why not just allow him to always add his dex bonus? Make it instead of strenght to keep things from getting out of hand.

Lightning Strikes: The character may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack, but all the attacks made that round suffer a –2 penalty. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it affects attacks of opportunity the character might make before his next action. This ability may not be taken until 2nd level.

All attacks including the first?

Evasion: An adventurer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks by virtue of his training. If the character makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion may only be used if the chaaracter is wearing light armor or no armor. It is an extraordinary ability.

Good.

Uncanny Dodge: The character gains the extraordinary ability to react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized).

Good. Is it possible to stack with Rogue or barbarian uncanny dodge? Can this be overridden by a Rogue of greater level than the adventurerer?

Awareness: The character can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks or sneak attack him. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the character can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

See uncanny dodge.

Trap Sense: The character gains an intuitive sense that alerts him to danger from traps, giving him a +1 bonus to Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks by traps.

Good.

Chosen Weapon: The Adventurer may choose one (1) weapon to be his Chosen Weapon. When the character uses this chosen weapon, he gains a better Base Attack Bonus as listed in the chart above. Use of any other weapon requires that he use his normal base attack column.

Good.

Sneak Attack: If an Adventurer can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, ha can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Basically, any time the Adventurer’s target would be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC (whether he actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 points every time this ability is taken. Should the character score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target is 30 feet away or less. The character can only sneak attack living creatures with discernable anatomies – undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Additionally, any creature immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks.

Good.

Perceive Weakness: The character is able to study his opponents to discover an exploitable weakness. If he spends 2 consecutive rounds observing a single opponent as a standard action he may make a Search check versus a DC of 15 + the targets total character level or hit die, whichever is higher. If successful, he may add a competence bonus equal to his class level to all to-hit rolls against that opponent in melee combat and for ranged attacks at ranges of 30 feet or less. If he fails, he may not try again versus the same opponent until a day has passed. Competence bonuses do not stack. The bonus versus a specific opponent lasts for 1 hour per class level. Creatures that are immune to critical hits still have perceivable weaknesses and are therefore affected by this ability. This is an extraordinary ability.

Neat. Maybe make it 3 rounds.

Favored Enemy: The Adventurer may select a type of creature as a favored enemy. (The Character can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil.) Each time that the Favored Enemy ability is taken, the character gets +1 to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks against that creature type due to his extensive study of his foes and training in the proper techniques for combating them. The bonus also applies to attack and damage rolls versus the favored enemy. The damage bonus IS multiplied when a critical hit is scored. The character also gets the attack and damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only against targets within 30 feet (the character cannot strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range). The damage bonus doesn't apply against creatures that are immune to critical hits.

I'd drop the "own race only if evil." thing. I dropped it on the Ranger, too. I can see this class being used for Private Eye and Bounty Hunter types which are more Lawful Neutral and even Lawful Good law enforcers who want to bring villians of their own race and society to justice for the greater good. But, I suppose you left it in just to remain consistant with the Ranger ability.

Fast Movement: The Adventurer has a speed faster than the norm for his race by +10 feet when wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor (and not carrying a heavy load).

Good.

Magic Use: Each time the Adventurer picks this Special Ability, he gains +1 level of an arcane caster level of his choice. He gains arcane spells according to the spell-casting class that he chooses. Additionally, he's able to mix and match different arcane caster types.
For example: An 7th level Adventurer could have, as Special Abilities, Magic Use (Sorcerer 1) and Magic Use (Wizard 3). So he could cast spells as both a 1st-level Sor, and a 3rd level Wiz.

Good. What about divine casters? That would probably have to be more complex...

Feat: An Adventurer may gain a feat in place of a special ability. These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Armor Proficiency (Medium, Heavy), Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise, Improved Critical*, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Attack (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist), Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot), Power Attack (Cleave, Great Cleave), Quick Draw, Run, Shield Proficiency, Skill Focus*, Toughness, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*.

All good.

After you get this all worked out, I may just present this to my group.
 
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Hey thanks for all the imput guys.

I've gone back and done some modifications. After looking it over again I decided to drop all of the saving throws to Low. This should help balance the the HD and abilities.

I also added in some of the suggestions that you guys made.

If you can think of anything else, please let me know. Thanks again.
 

Rather than just dropping all the saves down, why not continue with the customization theme and allow the Adventurer to designate one of their saves as "Good"...
 

drowdude said:
Rather than just dropping all the saves down, why not continue with the customization theme and allow the Adventurer to designate one of their saves as "Good"...

I did.

It's listed as one of the Special Abilities that can be selected (although I am considering making it just a standard choice).
 

Daebryn Bladestorm said:


I did.

It's listed as one of the Special Abilities that can be selected (although I am considering making it just a standard choice).


Ah, IC... didnt reread the initial post. Making it a standard option at first level would be the best course of action IMO.
 

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