The Explorer- one lucky bastard- v 3.0 post #20

[Sadrik]

Here is the explorer. A lucky character to say the least. Tell me what you think...

EXPLORER
The explorer is a traveler of the world. Along their travels they pick up a unique repertoire of skills and an uncanny sense of luck to help them on their travels.
Hit Die: d8.
Class SkillsThe explorer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Excape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Pilot (Dex), Research (Int), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Sneak (Dex), Speak Language, Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

[SIZE=2]Table: The Explorer
Base Attack Bonus:Average  All Saves: Good
1st	+0		+2	Luck 1/day, Obscure Knowledge, Trapfinding
2nd	+1		+3	Bonus Feat, Evasion
3rd	+2		+3	Trap Sense +1
4th	+3		+4	Uncanny Dodge
5th	+3		+4	Bonus Feat, Luck 2/day
6th	+4		+5	Trap Sense +2
7th	+5		+5	Damage Reduction 1/-
8th	+6/+1		+6	Bonus Feat, Improved Uncanny Dodge
9th	+6/+1		+6	Luck 3/day, Trap Sense +3
10th	+7/+2		+7	Improved Evasion
11th	+8/+3		+7	Bonus Feat
12th	+9/+4		+8	Trap Sense +4
13th	+9/+4		+8	Luck 4/day, Damage Reduction 2/-
14th	+10/+5		+9	Bonus Feat
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	Trap Sense +5
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10		
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	Bonus Feat, Luck 5/day
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	Trap Sense +6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	Bonus Feat, Damage Reduction 3/-[/SIZE]

Class Features
The following are class features of the explorer class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The explorer is proficient in the use of all simple weapons and short sword, long sword, scimitar, and rapier and with light armor and shields.

Luck (Ex): At 1st level, an explorer may once per day roll two dice instead of a single die and choose the die roll of the two that they want. The luck only functions on a single die and not all of the dice in a roll. She may use luck 2 times per day at 5th, 3 times per day at 9th, 4 times per day at 13th and 5 times per day at 17th.

Obscure Knowledge (Ex): An explorer picks up a vast repertoire of knowledge and may use her knowledge skills as untrained skills. Hence, they have a chance of knowing information in any given area even if they do not have a skill in it or they know where to find it. Their Obscure Knowledge ability also imparts a +2 bonus to the research skill.

Trapfinding: Explorers can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.
Finding a non-magical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
Explorers can use the Craft Traps (Disable Device) skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
An explorer who beats a trap’s DC by 10 or more with a Craft Traps (Disable Device) check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.

Bonus Feats: An explorer gains a bonus feat at 2nd level and every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 20th). She can choose a feat from the following list.
Armor Proficiency (Medium), Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense (CA), Defensive Roll (as rogue ability, prerequisite: evasion), Defensive Strike (CW), Deft Opportunist (CA), Dodge, Endurance, Favored Enemy (as ranger ability, can only be selected only once), Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Open Minded (CA), Opportunist (as rogue ability, prerequisite: combat reflexes), Quick Draw, Skill Application (any of the +2/+2), Skill Focus, Skill Mastery (as rogue ability, can be selected multiple times), Slippery Mind (as rogue ability, prerequisite: iron will), Dash (CW), Die hard, Run, Toughness, Track, Weapon Focus, Weapon Proficiency (Exotic) and Weapon Proficiency (Martial).
The explorer must still meet all prerequisites for the bonus feat. The class abilities that are feats can only be taken with the explorer’s bonus feats and not as feats from another source.
These bonus feats are in addition to the feat that a character of any class gets from advancing level.

Evasion (Ex): The explorer at 2nd level 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.

Trap Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, an explorer gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise to +2 when the rogue reaches 6th level, to +3 when she reaches 9th level, to +4 when she reaches 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level.
Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4th level the explorer can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
If an explorer already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 7th level, an explorer becomes so lucky they gains Damage Reduction. Subtract 1 from the damage the explorer takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0. This damage reduction improves to 2 at 13th and 3 at 20th.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 8th level and higher, an explorer can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a character with the ability to sneak attack the explorer by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more levels than the target has explorer levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a sneak attacker must be to flank the character.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 10th level, an explorer’s evasion ability improves. She still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless explorer does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

If this were in the PHB, I think anyone would rather play it over a rogue. Compare the two.

 

[dwayne]

Looks to me like a cross between a thief with no back stab and a bard with no spells or music. Which if i let this in my game alot of my players would play this for the survival facter alone. But in a game with no thief or bard it would be great but would maybe work best in a non magic game. Just my thoughts

 

[Sadrik]

If this were in the PHB, I think anyone would rather play it over a rogue. Compare the two.

I see no comparison the rogue has sneak attack. This class does not. Sneak attack is really powerful. This class has luck, which is really powerful, but not as powerful as sneak attack.

The bonus languages are essentially a couple of extra skill points (5 to be precise).

Obscure knowledge is just neat (jack of all trades feat is better).

She gets trap sense, evasion and uncanny dodge just like a rogue.

She gets a couple of points of DR later on.

She gets 7 bonus feats from a list after 20 a rogue gets +10d6 sneak attack.

Weapon and armor are basically the same the rogue gets access to a few other.

Rogue gets 8 skill points this class gets 6.

Rogue gets a 1d6 HD this class gets a 1d8.

 

[Sadrik]

Looks to me like a cross between a thief with no back stab and a bard with no spells or music. Which if i let this in my game alot of my players would play this for the survival facter alone. But in a game with no thief or bard it would be great but would maybe work best in a non magic game. Just my thoughts

What do you mean be survival factor? Because of the skill ?

Yeah, I wanted the class to be non-magical in nature. There are enough classes that have a very magical flare to them.

 

[Hodgie]

I think he means that it is a tough class. No weaknesses.

I like it. I don't think it steps on any toes but I don't think it will work that great in a group for the simple reason that it has few weaknesses.

 

[Felon]

Mechanically it's sound, but it has no unique, substantial abilities to put a stamp of identity on it. The luck ability is as close as it comes, and it's not much to base a class on--and it seems a little bit of a stretch for the explorer concept.

The bonuses languages and lack of offensive ability give me the impression you are influenced by some d20 modern advanced class. Note that in D&D, languages aren't a big obstacle (even in d20m, it's a rather bland class feature). That's why so few characters have speak language as a skill, so bonus languages seem somewhat moot.

In general, I'd rather adapt an existing class, possibly with a few tweaks from Unearthed Arcana, than take this class.

 

[Sadrik]

Mechanically it's sound, but it has no unique, substantial abilities to put a stamp of identity on it. The luck ability is as close as it comes, and it's not much to base a class on--and it seems a little bit of a stretch for the explorer concept.

Well, I think the uniqueness of it is what the others said was its disadvantage. It truely excells at nothing and yet is still somehow viable. A whole bunch of bland can make an interesting character! It definately fills a niche and there are plenty of archtypes for this class Indiana Jones being at the top of the list.

The niche is: the knowledgable non-spellcaster if it is not obvious.

The bonuses languages and lack of offensive ability give me the impression you are influenced by some d20 modern advanced class. Note that in D&D, languages aren't a big obstacle (even in d20m, it's a rather bland class feature). That's why so few characters have speak language as a skill, so bonus languages seem somewhat moot.

Yeah, I could probably drop them, but I thought that it would be interesting for the class to autimatically get more languages. I saw bonus languages somewhere. I couldnt remember where, maybe it was d20m.

As far as the lack of offensive capabilities; its true. Thats why I gave the class DR and a 1d8 HD. A lot of the feat selections where chosen to reflect the characters luck and survivability! Ha there it *is* a very suvivable character!

In general, I'd rather adapt an existing class, possibly with a few tweaks from Unearthed Arcana, than take this class.

Hmm, because the explorer is too weak? or because you think it doesnt fill a niche? or something else?

 

[Sadrik]

I edited the class by eliminating the bonus languages.

Anybody want to give any feedback or answer the questions I posed in earlier posts?

 

[Felon]

The niche is: the knowledgable non-spellcaster if it is not obvious....

Hmm, because the explorer is too weak? or because you think it doesnt fill a niche? or something else?

Sounds llike you're running into the same pitfall as all the folks who design their own ranger variants. Namely, you're defining a character's identity by what it doesn't do (cast spells) rather than what it has to offer. For all the ranting and raving and tinkering the rangerbois do, they never really come up with anything better than the PHB ranger, because their approach to "fixing" the ranger is taking away the spells and giving it a bigger hit die, and maybe co-opting fighter bonus feats and some of the barbarian's class features. Their ranger ultimately has nothing special or interesting about it.

Likewise, I can't see playing your class because it offers no sense of identity. I don't know what I can get from it that I wouldn't get from, say, a mulit-classed ranger/bard. By way of comparison, a lot of people like the scout from Complete Adventurer not only because it has no spells or supernatural abilities, but also because its unique skirmish ability ofers players something fresh and new to paly with (to "explore" if you will).

On another note, you say the character's supposed to be lucky, but why then are his saving throws mediocre (saving throws being a prime area for indicating tthat fate favors a character)?