Archeologist (Character Kit)

Archeologist
Description:  Archeologists are Warrior or Rogue adventurers who travel the world exploring ancient ruins. They could be loners seeking a personal challenge to discover the past, or they might work with an array of other interested parties. Some choose such a lifestyle for personal profit, others for the pursuit of knowledge or to improve their understanding of their own race or culture. No matter what their ethics, archeologists brave the dangers of lost civilizations and may encounter anything from unsafe tunnels and excavations to guardian beasts and ingenious traps.
These are not the sort of folk who deal with present threats; an archeologist is more interested in dealing with the remains of the past. An adventure in which a maiden needs rescuing from the maw of a beast would not entice this character, but mention how the monster blocks the passage to a lost city and the archeologist is already checking his gear in preparation for the journey. As such characters must be ready for anything and thus require a keen mind, good reflexes, and a strong arm, an archeologist PC-whether Warrior or Rogue-must have a minimum Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence of 13. An archeologist character can be of any alignment.
Role: Archeologists are often at odds with typical adventurers. Those of a more ethical nature wish that sites remain as they were found and consider intruders and looters to be the lowest of thieves. Those archeologists of a more sinister bent are rivals to both their ethical fellows as well as common adventurers: they seek to reach a site before anyone else and grab the treasures for their own sakes.
There is no reason why archeologists need be only humans. In fact, it seems likely that many will be either dwarves or halflings of Stoutish blood. Such demihumans have the most experience with exploring underground where most ruins lie buried. Such races have a natural talent for deducing unsafe conditions. Multi-classed fighter/thieves would be tremendously popular archeologists
Weapon Proficiencies:
* Required: None.
* Recommended: Because there is often limited room while exploring ruins, most archeologists are proficient with one-handed melee weapons such as the short and long swords. A whip might also be used by dramatic characters whose players have seen all the Indiana Jones movies.
Secondary Skills: Mason, miner, or trader. Miners especially foster an interest in buried ruins.
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
* Required: Ancient history, excavations (new).
* Recommended: Directional sense, lan- guages (ancient), looting (taken by unethical archeologists), observation, reading/writing, relic dating (new), stonemasonry.
Equipment: Archeologists tend to travel lightly; there is nothing more frightening than being trapped under some fallen debris and being unable to move in metal armor. Archeologists therefore usually wear nothing more encumbering than studded leather. Excavating sites and recovering relics requires a variety of tools, from picks and shovels that need a pack animal to light brushes for removing dirt from finds, and wrappings to protect a find. Those archeologists without infravision had best be prepared with a good light source, such as a lantern.
Skill Progression: For rogues with this kit, Find/Remove Traps and Read Languages are the most useful.
Special Benefits: An archeologist, at any time during the beginning of his career (in game terms, no later than 3rd level) may choose to specialize in a spe- cific culture or race. Demihuman types must be specified; one cannot specialize in all dwarves but must choose in hill or mountain or even gully dwarves. This specialization grants additional insight when dealing with any such remains or ruins the character happens across. On applicable proficiencies (ancient history, ancient language, excavations, relic dat- ing, etc.) he gains a +3 bonus to his roll. The DM may also grant this bonus to other proficiencies depending on the immediate situation. For instance, an archeologist specializing in wood elves may happen across an ancient wooden
flute instrument and wish to make use of his musical instrument proficiency to figure out how it was played; the DM considers this a valid request for the +3 bonus.
Rogues also gain a +5% bonus when using their Find/Remove Traps and Open Locks skills upon the workings of their specialized culture/race. Warriors with this kit may take proficiencies from the Rogue group without penalty.
Special Hindrances: As this kit is more one of exploration and discovery than of martial endeavors, Warriors acquire new weapon proficiencies much slower than other fighters, at the rate of one every four levels.
The drawback for Rogues is a matter of reputation: thieves that steal and plunder from archeological sites will become known far and wide, and the only ones that will associate with them are greedy merchants and other thieves looking for spoils. They suffer a -2 on reaction rolls with learned folk (such as other archeologists, sages, and scholars). Those rogues who choose to value sites as places to further knowledge become disliked by collectors and traders, suffering a -2 on reaction rolls when dealing with such individuals.
Wealth Options: 3d6 × 10 gp
== NWP ==
Excavation
The character with this proficiency has learned the techniques for the careful unearthing of a site or ruin. This process involves shoring up crumbling foundations, choosing the proper tools, and protecting exposed finds. Without the proper use of this proficiency, deli- cate finds may be destroyed by crude and reckless digging. Characters with the excavation proficiency can ensure that the structural details of a dig are left intact so that further visits to the excavation site can still yield useful knowledge.
Relic Dating
This proficiency proves useful whenever the character comes upon an object of questionable age. He can use this skill to gain an educated guess as to when the item was made. There is no roll necessary for those objects fashioned in the last 20 years (the age of these will be obvious to the character), unless it has been altered through non- magical means to appear much older; in that case, a successful proficiency check reveals the fraud. This proficiency can be combined with ancient history to give more accurate information as to the past of a relic.
Sacred Legends
A character with this proficiency is well-learned in the myths, stories, and
tales of a single religion. This knowledge is not the same as the theology and practices that are gained with the reli- gion proficiency. The character, when confronted with a question or evidence of the faith’s past, may roll this proficiency to recall a specific event or leg end that has relevance. For instance, when an ancient idol is discovered, a successful proficiency check might reveal that the statue resembles a long-forgotten paramour of the goddess, and the character could retell some of the important stories about them.
Additional proficiencies can be chosen to gain knowledge of the sacred legends of other religions.
Screed Lore
A rare proficiency, screed lore offers expertise in the care and collection of books, tomes, scrolls, and the like. This proficiency is crucial to librarians, sages, and scribes. A check would be required whenever the character handles a particularly delicate or worn manuscript. This proficiency also allows a collection to be searched and a specific volume found. Failed rolls indicated problems from the annoying (a torn page or lost book) to the disastrous (an entire scroll crumbles to dust at the slightest touch) depending on how badly the check fails.
This proficiency also provides some knowledge of the safeguards used in protecting books. This knowledge covers not only mundane traps, like poison painted along the edges of the pages, but also magical means of safeguarding libraries. The character can attempt a roll at a -5 modifier to notice any evidence of such traps.
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