Rogue, Explorer

Some rogues adventure for fame, excitement, or a pocket full of gold. The explorer seeks out knowledge of the world around him, endeavouring to push back the veil of mystery that cloaks the lands that lie off the edge of maps and charts.

The Quintessential Rogue
Author Michael Mearls
Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2002

Explorers do not always have purely altruistic motivations behind their drive to uncover mysteries. Some seek to profit from their work, while others desire the fame and renown that come with great discoveries and legendary deeds. Explorers are adept at making their way through foreign cultures and surviving in tough environments. While their motives are sometimes questionable, their talents are not.

Adventuring: Explorers approach adventures with a calculating, careful eye. Their vocation takes them into strange, unknown lands where thoughtful planning always trumps rash, impulsive deeds. An explorer may research a dungeon before entering it, hoping to gain some advantage from his knowledge of its history, past occupants, and the legends surrounding it. More than a few expeditions have uncovered a great treasure or dodged a gruesome fate because of the explorer’s scholarly diligence.

Role-Playing: Explorers tend to break down into two different types. Those who adventure in the name of learning are often serious, strident scholars who wish to expand their understanding of the world and contribute to the existing body of knowledge. These explorers are often serious, dedicated, and brave. In their eyes, the quest for knowledge is as important as any crusade for justice or freedom. While they may be trained as academics, they have the same toughness, resourcefulness and wit of any more traditional, rough and ready rogue.

Other explorers are opportunistic, greedy pillagers. They use their knowledge to uncover wealth and track down forgotten artefacts. While their more altruistic minded fellows seek to uncover knowledge for the good of all, these explorers are concerned only with their own well being. Struggles between explorers are often rooted in this division, with one camp working to study an ancient site and another seeking only to uncover its treasures and sell them to the highest bidder.

Bonuses: Explorers are much more academically minded than the typical rogue. As such, they count Knowledge as a class skill. They may purchase any Knowledge skill, such as Knowledge (Arcana) or Knowledge (religion). Furthermore, explorers gain two additional languages as their studies of foreign cultures and ancient ruins require them to pick up many tongues. The explorer may select any racial and national tongue or magical language such as draconic, infernal, or celestial.

Penalties: While explorers are well-versed in ancient societies and forgotten lore, they are not quite as adept at dealing with social situations as other rogues. They do not count the following as class skills: Bluff, Disguise, Innuendo, Intimidate, and Pick Pocket.