Natural Explorer

While this class is in good parts homebrewed, it is a heavily modified version of Legendary Ranger. As such, if you do end up being a fan of the Legendary Games stuff please go support them at https://www.makeyourgamelegendary.com/ because they are great and deserve all the love we can send their way.

**Alignment**: Any

**Hit Die:** d10

**Starting Wealth**: 5d6 × 10 gp (average 175 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

**Class Skills:** The natural explorer’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str)

**Skill Ranks per Level:** 6 + Intelligence modifier

### **Weapon and Armor Proficiencies**

A natural explorer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

### **Hunting Focus**

A natural explorer can make any creature his hunting focus if he can see them (or sense in a unique way, such as by using a form of blindsense) as a move action. Finally, a natural explorer can also make a creature his hunting focus based on evidence of their presence, without even knowing exactly who they are. If a natural explorer makes a successful Survival or Perception skill check to find tracks or other signs of a creature’s passage, he may make that creature his hunting focus as a move action. If the natural explorer fails, he may not try to make that creature his hunting focus again for 24 hours, unless he discovers tracks or other signs of passage at a different, unrelated location, or comes into contact with the creature head on at which point they may make them their hunting focus as a move action.

A natural explorer has several special abilities that relate to his hunting focus:

* A natural explorer is skilled in finding his hunting focus. When making Survival skill checks made to follow his hunting focus’s tracks, the natural explorer adds half his class level (minimum 1) to his check and can move at his normal speed while using following tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. He takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
* A natural explorer may attempt to use a Knowledge check to identify the creature type of his hunting focus based on its tracks or evidence of their passage.
* A natural explorer may make a Perception skill check against his hunting focus’s Disguise or Bluff check (whichever is higher) to gain some information about its condition at the time they were present, just by looking at the hunting focus’s tracks. They may learn the following: whether the creature was badly injured (has less than half of its hit points), whether it had any conditions that affect its movement (such as blindness or a missing leg), or whether it was encumbered. The natural explorer can also tell whether the hunting focus was running or walking.

A hunting focus lasts until the natural explorer chooses a different hunting focus. For the purpose of this ability, a troop or swarm is considered a single creature.

### **Explorative Hunter**

When a natural explorer attacks his hunting focus, his increased focus makes him even deadlier. The natural explorer then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Intimidate, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against it.

At 5th level, 10th level, 15th level and 20th level, the bonuses on weapon attack rolls, damage rolls and skill checks against the hunting focus target increase by 1.

### **Explorer Talents**

Beginning at 2nd level, the natural explorer may gain explorer talents. He gains one at 2nd level and additional talent every even level thereafter. Some talents require the natural explorer to have a minimum class level, while others interact with specific class features. If the does not have a specific class feature (either by being of insufficient level or by trading that feature away by an archetype) he cannot gain that talent. Some natural gifts add additional choices to the list of talents a natural explorer may choose from, and some archetypes do so as well.

(Listed Here: See **Natural Explorer Talents**)

### **Wild Speaker**

At 3rd level a natural explorer is skilled in speaking with creatures that are tied close into nature. He can speak with any creature with the animal type or communicate with them as if he spoke their language if they don't have one. In addition, when speaking with creatures in this manner a natural explorer may instead use handle animal in place of diplomacy.

This ability improves at 7th level to include Magical Beasts, at 11th level to include Fey, at 15th level to include the earth itself, communicating with rocks, rivers and soil as if it were intelligent. For this purpose treat each 30-foot by 30-foot section of earth as a separate intelligent creature, unless an obvious landmark is larger than that, with an alignment and temperament befitting that sort of terrain. The earth is aware of what has happened to it and has some understanding of events that have occurred in its presence.

When using this ability the natural explorer continues to speak the language they would normally be speaking.

### **Natural Gift**

The first rule of survival is to use what you have, and everyone has something. At 4th level, the Natural Explorer cultivates one specific ability, which will be his greatest asset. Although he will continue to gain abilities in other areas, this will always be his strongest ability.The natural explorer may choose one of the natural gifts listed in the natural gifts section. Once chosen, the gift cannot be changed.

(Listed Here: See **Natural Explorer Natural Gifts**)

### **Trackless Hunter**

Starting at 4th level, a natural explorer leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

At 8th level, the natural explorer learns to apply common materials to his clothing in order to remove odors while remaining downwind of enemies. He can apply his stealth skill to avoid being detected by scent (though he can still be tracked by it).

At 12th level, the natural explorer can use the Stealth skill even while being observed and without needing cover or concealment.

At 16th level, the natural explorer can use special techniques to disguise himself from forms of visions that would be able to pintpoint a creature and negate their use of stealth (Blindsight, Blindsense, Greensight, Tremorsense or other forms of similar vision). He cannot do this while talking or using spells with verbal components.

### **Spells**

Beginning at 4th level, a natural explorer gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the explorer spell list. A natural explorer must choose and prepare his spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, a natural explorer must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a natural explorer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the natural explorer’s Wisdom modifier.

Like other spell casters, a natural explorer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: natural explorer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells). When Table: natural explorer indicates that the natural explorer gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level.

A natural explorer must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation to regain his daily allotment of spells. A natural explorer may prepare and cast any spell on the explorer spell list, provided he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.

Through 3rd level, a natural explorer has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his natural explorer level.

### **Greater Focus**

As a natural explorer becomes more skilled at hunting he learns to make creatures his hunting focus with greater efficiency.

Perceptive Focus: At 5th level the natural explorer may make a creature his hunting focus even if he cannot see them, provided he knows that are present by making a Perception skill check vs the creature's Stealth, Disguise or Bluff check (as appropriate). This is a move action and can be used as part of the same move action to locate the creature.

Movement Focus: At 9th level the natural explorer may as part of moving towards an enemy use their swift or immediate action to make the target of said movement into their hunting focus. He may make a creature his hunting focus as part of a charge.

Instant Focus: At 15th level, the natural explorer may make any creature that attacks him his hunting focus as an immediate action.

Close-up Focus: At 19th level, the natural explorer may make an adjacent creature he can see his hunting focus as a free action.

### **Evasion (Ex)**

At 11th level, a natural explorer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the natural explorer is not wearing heavy armor. A helpless natural explorer does not gain the benefit of evasion.

### **Stillsense (Ex)**

At 15th level, a natural explorer becomes skilled in noticing tiny vibrations, shifts in air currents (or water currents, if underwater), and tiny movements across surfaces from changes in pressure. This works as a form of blindsight with a range of 30 feet that only detects creatures and objects that have moved (such as by attacking, changing location, casting a spell with somatic components, or making a skill check using Strength or Dexterity) within the past round. A creature that stops moving does not instantly become invisible to this sense; they are still noticeable until the air around them has stopped moving, which doesn’t happen until the end of their next turn. Creatures that are completely intangible are naturally invisible to this sense. This ability is not impeded if the natural explorer is deafened in any way but does stop functioning if there is no air. Winds greater than 30mph can create blind spots downwind of the natural explorer.

This sense works continuously, and the natural explorer may spend his move action to concentrate on the ability, doubling the range until the beginning of his next turn. This provokes attacks of opportunity.

At 19th level, the range on this sense doubles to 60 feet.

### **Perfect Survivor (Ex)**

At 19th level, a natural explorer becomes able to survive almost anywhere. The natural explorer becomes immune to nonlethal damage as well as all forms of poison and disease. In addition, he may spend a swift action to focus his force of will, granting himself 20 temporary hit points. The temporary hit points last for 24 hours. These temporary hit points do not stack with themselves or other temporary hit points.

### **Hunt Master's Focus (Ex)**

A natural explorer of 20th level has reached the very epitome of focus possible for any sort of creature. He gains the following abilities.

* The ability to detect the direction of a hunting focus, in addition the ability to know if the creature uses any abilities such as teleportation or plane shift in an attempt to escape it.
* The ability to once per turn re-roll an attack roll against his hunting focus.
* The ability to take up to 5 creatures as a hunting focus at a time.

## **New Favored Class Bonuses**

The following favored class bonuses are open to all characters, regardless of race:

* **Any:** Gain 1/6 of a new explorer talent.
* **Any:** Reduce secondary natural weapon attack penalties on your natural weapons by ¼
* **Any:** Gain +1/2 bonus on Intimidate skill checks to demoralize.
* **Any:** Gain +1/2 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence animals, magical beasts and fey.
* **Any:** Add +1 hit point and +1 skill rank to the natural explorer's animal companion. If the natural explorer ever replaces his animal companion, the new companion gains these bonus hit points and skill ranks.

## **Archetypes**

Archetypes allow a natural explorer to alter some of the fundamental elements of the class to specialize in one or more areas by modifying or replacing some of their standard class features. Unless otherwise stated, these archetypes follow the rules established in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide.

Archetypes that add additional options to the choices available to the natural explorer's explorer talents may stack with other archetypes that would also add other options that also add choices to the natural explorer's explorer talents.

## **Natural Explorer New Options**

### **Natural Explorer Spells**

This section outlines new spells available to the Natural Explorer. These spells can be made available to other natural explorers as well, and other classes that have access to the natural explorer’s spell list.

**Trap Spells**

Trap spells are a type of spell that allows a natural explorer to create a trap magically. This trap may be magical or non-magical but is otherwise permanent until triggered. A trap occupies a 5-foot square at minimum and cannot be placed where it will be immediately triggered. The DCs for Perception checks to notice the trap, Disable Device checks to disable it, and for saving throws to avoid it are equal to 15 + the spell level + the caster’s casting ability modifier.

Trap spells are triggered by a creature entering the square they occupy. They can sense any creature as if using tremorsense. Once triggered, the trap is destroyed and cannot be reset.

**Primeval Spells**

Primeval spells are a type of spell that can enchant a single piece of ammunition the natural explorer is wielding with raw, elemental power. It can then be used by the natural explorer as part of an attack any time during the next round, even on their current turn. If the attack misses, the spell is lost.

**Herbal Spells**

Herbal spells use raw components from the environment to enhance their potency. Herbs, plants, mineral water, and occasionally common animal components can be harvested in many locations, at the GM’s discretion. Foraging for the necessary materials takes 1 minute and requires a survival check with a DC equal to 10 + twice the level of the spell. Such materials need to be used within 1 minute to remain potent. If successful, the spell may then be cast. The GM may apply a +5 or -5 modifier for especially fertile or sterile areas. If the spellcaster can beat the DC by 20, he finds sufficient materials to cast the spell without using a spell slot. Using herbal spells without raw components is possible by substituting large amounts of rare herbs. For every level of the spell, an herbal spell will cost 10 gp to cast.