Askopar

## **Askopar - The Journey Never Ends**

Roiling, infinite Chaos--in it lay the foundations of all worlds, yet to be shaped or molded in any form. No point in the multiverse was the same for any two moments, and yet, exploration was possible, for there was a lone wanderer, forever discovering and rediscovering within the chaos.

When the Lawgivers began to bring order to the chaos, the wanderer was distraught, for eventually, all would be discovered, and there would be no more to see; nothing would be new, and nothing would be good. In desperation, the wanderer sake out a place beyond Chaos and Order, beyond the Lawgivers and beyond the Titans. Exploring the deepest reaches of nothing and everything within the chaos, the wanderer's desperation took form, and its children were borne from its wanderlust. Thus, the wanderer gained its first Premises, from which sprung its first Notions, each to tell a story of exploration and discovery. The wanderer realized that each Premise and each Notion could discover in its stead, even when it had found everything there was to be found, and it could feel the thrill of discovery through its children. The wanderer went back to its fellow Titans to be greeted by Order and land, places in which it could stride rather than simply go. For a moment, it felt the joy of discovery once more and the wanderer took a name: The Longstrider, for it had invented movement beyond simply being in desired locations at desired times--it had invented travel.

Then, along with its siblings, The Longstrider was sewn into the fabric of the Great Wheel--but this was simply another journey to it--another step in its infinite course of Discovery.

Many carry on The Longstrider's legacy in exploration and discovery, but only a few will not, and indeed, cannot settle for stopping as if there is an end to any journey. These few are called the Askopar, explorers, nomads, and seekers of the new, traveling the known worlds and beyond in an attempt to sate their insatiable wanderlust. Of course, they never will.

## Basic Abilities

Askopar have the following game statistics.

**Abilities:** An Askopar relies on no particular ability scores to function. However, a high mental ability score makes her both tougher and faster (in addition to the inherent benefits of the ability), and high physical ability scores will obviously help in combat.

**Alignment:** Any.

**Hit Die:** d10.

**Starting Age:** As sorcerer.

**Starting Gold:** 5d4x10 gp.

**Class Skills:** Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

**Skill Points at 1st Level:** (6 + Int modifier) x 4

**Skill Points at Each Additional Level:** 6 + Int modifier

## Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Askopar.

**Weapon and Armor Proficiency:** Askopar are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

**The Longstrider's Mythos:** An Askopar's power is expressed in terms of one or more "Mythos", the building blocks of the legend that they are, and the stories that they have told and will tell. While any given Mythos varies from the rest, they share some similar traits. They are always extraordinary abilities, and when they reference a difficulty class for an imposed saving throw, that saving throw is always calculated as 10 + 1/2 class level + Wisdom modifier, unless otherwise stated. When a Mythos references a "level" that is not clearly defined in some other way, such as "character level", it refers to "class level" as in the number of levels one has in the Askopar class. When a Mythos references "allies", it specifically does not refer to the Askopar using it. When a Mythos grants a feat as a bonus feat, it is regardless of whether the character meets the prerequisites for that feat (unless otherwise stated), and if the character already possesses that feat (in some permanent fashion - via the normal allotment gained by leveling up, or through another Mythos, and so on, but not those gained temporarily, such as via a "Heroics" spell), they must replace the prior instance of that feat with another feat that they qualify for.

Every Mythos has a Tier. The Tier of a Mythos ranges from 1 to 4, typically referred to as Exceptional, Fantastic, Legendary, and Exalted. Exceptional Mythos tell the stories of travelers who constantly challenge the limits of the physical body in order to explore the undiscovered. An Askopar with Fantastic Mythos is a well-traveled sage of the world, unmatched in the ability to find that which cannot be found. Askopar who wield Legendary Mythos have transcended the barriers of livelihood and state, traveling to places untouched by the gods, yet still existent beyond Chaos. The Exalted Askopar is wanderlust, discovery itself. The multiverse's limits are nothing but thin walls through which the Askopar can hear the call of new lands, new findings yet to be found. Reality is a lie the Askopar can see from light years away--she will break the lies and discover new existences that, prior to her exploration, had not existed.

Some Mythos, in addition to their initial stated effect, have Basic and Advanced manifestations. When an Askopar gains access to a Mythos with a list of Basic manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit immediately as well. This choice may not be changed later. When an Askopar gains access to a Mythos with a list of Advanced manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit upon achieving their next level of Askopar. This choice may be changed at any point before receiving the chosen manifestation itself, but not after (choosing beforehand is just an easy way to mark it down on your character sheet so you don't forget that you'll be getting something later).

**Mythos Known:** A 1st-level Askopar begins play with two Exceptional Mythos that she qualifies for if this is her first level in a PC character class. At higher levels, she gains additional Mythos as noted on the Askopar class table.

For characters that multiclass into Askopar after having taken levels in another PC character class, the 1st level of Askopar grants only a single Exceptional Mythos, rather than two.

An Askopar also has the ability to learn more Mythos, above the ones automatically allotted to her by leveling up by embarking on a pilgrimage with no particular destination for a week. This pilgrimage may not be part of travel with incentive other than innate wanderlust; the Askopar cannot accept a job and travel to the required destination as part of her pilgrimage, for example. While on this pilgrimage, the Askopar may not accept or pick up anything of value (worth 1 cp or more). The Askopar may leave one or more of her possessions (something that has been in her possession for at least a week's time) behind while traveling. These possessions cannot be picked up after sacrificed. They are effectively lost to the Askopar and anyone who witnessed or knows of their locations forever. The Askopar cannot tell others where she left the possessions. She then gains Mythos Points equal to the total value of the possessions left behind.

By spending 1,000 Mythos Points, and 250xp, an Askopar may learn an Exceptional Mythos. A Fantastic Mythos requires 5,000 Mythos Points and 500xp. A Legendary Mythos takes 10,000 Mythos Points, and 1,000xp. And an Exalted Mythos takes 20,000 Mythos Points and 2,000xp.

For half the listed price for a given Tier, an Askopar may learn a Basic or Advanced manifestation of a Mythos she already knows of that Tier.

Learning Mythos above the standard amount requires astounding, nearly single-minded devotion to the story of the Askopar. One may only utilize this ability while more than half of her effective character level (ECL) is devoted to levels in the Askopar class.

**Itinerant Excellence:** As denoted on her class table, an Askopar gains a certain number of abilities known as "Excellencies". These tend to be more general, generic, and passive than a Mythos, but are useful nonetheless, and are drawn from their own separate list, unsegregated by Tiers. Like a Mythos, an Askopar may learn more Excellencies above their allotted amount. Each one costs 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp, plus an additional 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp for each time a new Excellency is innovated beyond the first. (So, 2,000mp and 200xp for the second, 3,000mp and 300xp for the third, etc.)

**Wayfarer:** Many consider movement to be second nature. To an Askopar, movement is all of nature. She gains Travel Devotion (*Complete Champion*) as a bonus feat.

At 3rd level, an Askopar gains a dodge bonus to AC equal to her Wisdom modifier when she moves at least half her speed until the beginning of her next turn.

At 5th level, an Askopar's body and mind simply move out of danger's way, even if it's already found its way to the Askopar's door. The Askopar gains evasion. In addition, whenever the Askopar fails a saving throw against an ongoing effect, she can make a second save in the round following her failure. She only gets one additional save; failure on this second saving throw means the Askopar is affected as normal for the duration of the effect.

At 10th level, an Askopar gains an additional move action each round for the purposes of movement only.

At 15th level, an Askopar is constantly under the effects of *freedom of movement*, as the spell, except the effect is extraordinary in nature, allowing it to function in an *antimagic field* and to ignore dispelling effects.

## Exceptional Mythos

### ***Adamant Impetus Whirlwind***

**Prerequisite: -**

The Askopar moves, and the wind follows.With each step, her prints upon the earth become deeper, and the gusts grow stronger, enforcing the perfection of the Anthol's movements upon all things she passes.

When you move out of a threatened square, you may force a creature that makes an attack of opportunity against you to move with you until the end of your turn. It follows up to the square directly behind you (determining what is "behind" based on the direction you were moving in) upon your arrival at your destination, provoking attacks of opportunity for its movement. You can pick up multiple creatures in this way, forcing them all to move with you, each 5 feet behind the previous.

Creatures dragged underground (with, for example, a burrow speed) leave a tunnel behind them allowing escape within 1 hour. After this time, the tunnel collapses.

**Basic**

*Indiscriminate Gale*: As long as you move through a threatened square, you can move those threatening you, regardless of whether they make an attack of opportunity against you.

*Outrun the Blade*: You gain Dodge and Mobility as bonus feats.

### ***Hazard-Analysis-Neutralization Sweep***

**Prerequisites: -**

Dangerous traps and similar devices are commonplace in many locales of the world. A dead-to-traps Askopar cannot discover what is beyond said traps, and so, many have adapted to bypass such hazards.

You gain Disable Device and Search as Askopar class skills.

In addition, you gain trapfinding. You can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty class higher than 20, and can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magical traps. If you beat a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check, you can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with your party) without disarming it.

Finally, you gain trap sense, and Dungeoneer's Intuition (*City of Splendors: Waterdeep*) as a bonus feat, effectively using your Wisdom modifier (minimum +1) as your trap sense bonus.

**Basic**

*Prepare for the Worst*: You gain Combat Tinkering (*Dungeonscape*) and Dive for Cover (*Complete Adventurer*) as bonus feats.

*Special Device-Disarming Expertise*: You gain Tactile Trapsmith (*Complete Adventurer*) and Trapmaster (*Lost Empires of Faerûn*) as bonus feats.

### ***Inexorable Path-Making Stride***

**Prerequisite:** -

By simply willing it, the Askopar can forge her own path, one unstoppable step at a time. As a master of motion, she goes where she pleases. The path isn't a literal object in the strictest sense--rather, it is simply a projection of the Askopar's will which allows her to move in ways previously impossible.

You can create a path as part of any movement allowing you to walk along it in any direction in three dimensions. Other creatures cannot move on this path, though this does not restrict movement through squares the path intersects. At the end of your turn, the path no longer exists. If you are in the air at this time, you fall. Since making a path takes no action and can be made as part of any movement, you are able to fall any distance without taking falling damage, using your momentum and knowledge of motion to slow your descent and land without injury, as long as you are conscious, even if it's not your turn. You cannot pass through solid objects with this path.

### ***Instinctual Roamer Orientation***

=== **Prerequisite:** -

Not all who wander are lost. The Askopar welcomes unfamiliarity, embraces it with her entire being. With each new step into the unknown, she breathes fresh air anew and feels more alive.

You automatically succeed on Survival checks to avoid getting lost and you gain a +4 bonus to Intelligence checks made to escape a *maze* spell. You wander, but never in circles, for this would not lead you to discoveries undiscovered.

With a successful DC 15 Knowledge (geography) check, you can determine the distance between you and the nearest significant landmark you have seen, with the accuracy of your claim always being within 1 mile. For every 5 by which you beat the DC of the Knowledge (geography) check, you halve the margin of error.

Finally, you always know which direction you are facing. If you are on a plane with no cardinal directions, you can adapt quickly. Over the course of an hour, as long as you don't stay still for more than a minute at a time, you gradually learn how to find your way on the plane just as you would on any plane with ordinary directions. This allows you to label cardinal directions despite their nonexistence on the plane.

**Basic**

*A Wide Road Best Shared*: You may never get lost, but you can't say the same for others. Fortunately, guidance isn't such a hard thing to provide for you, at least in the form of good directions. Once per round as a free action, you may grant a number of creatures up to half your class level (minimum 1) all of the benefits of this Mythos, including the 'Follow the Beaten Path' Basic manifestation if you have it, until the beginning of your next turn.

*Follow the Beaten Path*: You gain Track as a bonus feat and you may track creatures across any plane, regardless of the plane's substance make-up. Usually, the DC of featureless and groundless planes will be somewhere around 25 or 30, but the DM ultimately decides.

***Natural Form-Transcendance Prana*** ===
**Prerequisite:** -

The Askopar wanders everywhere, visiting cultures and sampling beliefs that would boggle the mind of the common folk.

Whenever you spend at least 8 hours actively interacting with two or more members of a specific race with no level adjustment, whether working at their side or just swapping stories, you may choose to carry their Essence. As long as you are carrying the Essence of a race, you are considered to be the better of that race or your own race for the purposes of effects; a dwarf Askopar who has taken on the Essence of a group of halflings would not take extra damage from a dwarvenbane weapon, and would be able to enter a door enchanted to only allow halflings to pass.

The Essence of a particular race only lasts for a month before dissipating; you may only carry a number of Essences at one time equal to your Wisdom modifier.

**Basic**
*Breaking Bread Together:* You may forgo the eight hours of interaction required by this Mythos if the group in question offers you a meal and you eat your entire portion.

*Gifts Fondly Remembered:* Any given Essence that you carry does not dissipate as long as you keep a non-magical keepsake given to you freely by that group; if you lose that keepsake, or it is destroyed, that Essence immediately dissipates. You may abandon such keepsakes as if they were worth 500gp for the purpose of gaining Mythos Points.

*Sleeping Hand in Hand:* You may forgo the eight hours of interaction required by this Mythos if you sleep for 8 hours in physical contact with a living (or animate, if of a non-living race) member of the group in question.

If you possess the 'Drifting in Perpetuity Shintai' Mythos, you cannot take this Basic manifestation. If you already possess this manifestation upon gaining the 'Drifting in Perpetuity Shintai' Mythos, you may immediately choose a different Basic manifestation with which to replace it.

**Advanced**
*No Longer So Defined:* Upon gaining this Manifestation, you are no longer considered a member of your own race for the purposes of effects; however, you immediately gain the Essence of your race. If you have the Gifts Fondly Remembered Manifestation, you may designate one of your mundane possessions as a keepsake connected to your race's Essence.

### ***Physical-Ignorance Momentum***

**Prerequisite:** -

"An object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an external force," said a poor fool who'd never seen the Askopar. Once he's gotten started, the Longstrider's Anthol cannot be stopped, even by her own will.

You gain Improved Bull Rush and Improved Overrun as bonus feats.

You are able to bull rush or overrun any creature, regardless of its size category. When you bull rush a target, you can push it 5 feet for every 2 points by which your check result is greater than the defender's check result, rather than for every 5. In addition, if you fail to beat the target's Strength check result, you can move up to your speed as an immediate action. When you overrun a creature, you don't provoke an attack of opportunity and you decide whether it avoids you or blocks you.

**Advanced**
*Body of External Force*: You gain Cometary Collision (*Player's Handbook II*) as a bonus feat. However, you don't need to ready an action to intercept a charging opponent; instead, you charge as an immediate action. You may attempt to bull rush or overrun as part of this charge in lieu of making an attack.

*Face-Stomping Hoof Submergence*: You gain Trample as a bonus feat. If you succeed in your overrun attempt, your mount deals double damage with its hoof attack.

*Unbridled Motion*: You gain a +4 bonus on opposed checks to bull rush or overrun an opponent.

### ***Skin to Living Callus***

**Prerequisite:** -

Travel, even on a beaten path, is rough. After uncountable steps on a path of the Askopar's own making, her skin has become as the land--hard, unforgiving, but *alive*, much like the Longstrider beneath the Askopar's feet.

You gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.

In addition, you gain a natural armor bonus to AC equal to half your Constitution modifier (minimum +1).

**Basic**
*The Best Defense*: You gain Toughness and Improved Toughness (*Complete Warrior*) as bonus feats.

*The Best Offense*: You gain Superior Unarmed Strike (*Tome of Battle*) and Versatile Unarmed Strike (*Player's Handbook II*) as bonus feats. You are considered 3rd level for the purposes of Superior Unarmed Strike if you are below 3rd level upon receiving this manifestation.

**Advanced**
*Bones of the Mountain*: You gain Stone Power (*Tome of Battle*) as a bonus feat.

*Flow of the Breeze*: You gain Snap Kick (*Tome of Battle*) as a bonus feat.

### ***Unshakable Trail Companionship***

**Prerequisite:** Handle Animal 4 ranks

Sometimes, a lone wanderer isn't so alone. Somewhere along the road, the Askopar became best friends with an animal, whether she rescued a puppy from a burning chapel full of hungry undead, was protected from bandits by an eagle pecking and clawing eyes out, or simply locked eyes with a wandering steed and became drawn to it, and vice-versa. Regardless of the circumstances of their meeting, the animal and Anthol have become inseparable. No matter where the Askopar is, her companion is always a single step away.

You gain Wild Cohort as a bonus feat. As a full-round action, you can call your animal cohort to you, and no matter the distance separating it from you, it always shows up in mere seconds, ready to back you up in an adjacent square (or in the closest open square available if all adjacent squares are taken up). The animal cohort may immediately act upon being called with a full complement of actions. In addition, at any time, you may dismiss your animal cohort as a free action. It immediately leaves you and goes about its normal activities. You may do this even if it is under the effects of a mind-affecting spell or effect, as the bond between you and your companion is unable to be manipulated for long.

In combat, your animal cohort attacks in tandem with you, granting both of you the benefits of flanking an opponent as long as you are both adjacent to the same target. If you are actually flanking with your companion, the +2 bonus on attack rolls increases to +4 and your animal cohort deals an additional 1d6 damage per three class levels (minimum +1d6).

Finally, your animal cohort can help you get around the world when everything else would fail you. Maybe your horse helps you leap across a wide chasm neither of you could cross alone, but your kin spirits allow you to overcome the physical limitations of mortal bodies, or your camel keeps you alive with its stored water in a deadly hot desert. Once per day, your animal cohort allows you to roll three times on any ability or skill check and take the best result.

If you possess the 'Inexorable Path-Making Stride' Mythos, your animal cohort is considered part of you for the purposes of moving along the path on its turn. In essence, it can take the same path you moved on even if your turn has already ended.

**Basic**
*Animal Size-Ignorance Motion Revelation*: Regardless of your animal cohort's size, it can take you along for a ride. For up to a number of minutes per hour equal to your class level, you can move with your animal cohort as if you were riding it, even if you wouldn't normally be able to ride it. For example, your owl cohort might pick you up by your hands with its talons and fly with you for a while, or your badger friend might beckon you to grab its tail before it begins furiously burrowing, thus essentially allowing you to move underwater, by flight, or underground with your animal cohort even if you don't have the ability to do so normally. This even grants you the ability to breathe underwater or underground if swimming or burrowing for the duration of the ride. If you are still moving with your animal cohort when it can no longer keep going with you, you are dropped gently onto the ground or quickly burrowed out of the ground or brought to the surface of the water with no negative consequences if this can be done in a single round. After this time, you fall, begin to suffocate, or begin to drown and must deal with such consequences as normal, though your animal cohort will try to aid you as much as possible.

*Twin-Soul Mettle*: While you are conscious, your animal cohort becomes immune to death effects and cannot be reduced to -10 hit points. It also gains Toughness and Improved Toughness (*Complete Warrior*) as bonus feats.

*Without a Saddle*: You gain Saddleback (*Player's Guide to Faerûn*) as a bonus feat and you do not take a penalty on Ride checks when riding your animal cohort bareback.

## Fantastic Mythos

### ***Action-Reaction Antecedence Epiphany***

**Prerequisite:** -

Most people follow common logic to its conclusion in terms of actions and reactions: reactions, by their very definition, come after the actions that cause them. The Askopar is not "most people." Anticipation and experience combined with fast reflexes make her break out of the mold and perform the extraordinary.

Whenever you are able to make an attack of opportunity, you may instead declare that you make the attack before the action that provoked it occurs in an attempt to prevent the action entirely. If your attack of opportunity hits, you may make your choice of an opposed Strength or Dexterity check. You gain a +4 bonus on this check. If you beat your opponent, you successfully stop the provoking action, whether you slash an opponent's wrist to prevent the drawing of a weapon or you hit a monster so hard it stops right in its tracks, unable to move. The opponent who provoked the attack of opportunity loses the action or actions it would have used to do what it wanted to do. For example, if you stop an opponent who wants to charge out of a square you threaten, that creature loses a full-round action (the action required to charge).

**Basic**
*Astounding Interdiction Competence*: You gain an additional +4 bonus on the opposed Strength or Dexterity check.

*Contingency-Maximizing Intervention*: You gain Deft Opportunist (*Complete Warrior*) as a bonus feat.

*Manifold Retaliation Onslaught*: You gain Combat Reflexes as a bonus feat.

**Advanced**
*Assailance-Thwarting Gambit*: You gain Hold the Line (*Complete Warrior*) as a bonus feat.

*Mysticism-Spurning Proactivity*: You gain Supernatural Opportunist (*Tome of Magic*) as a bonus feat.

*This String Was Made For Pulling*: You may make attacks of opportunity with ranged or thrown weapons. The area you threaten is 5 feet per class level. You still provoke attacks of opportunity for attacking adjacent foes with a ranged weapon.

### ***Dichotomizing Minstral Exhalation***

**Prerequisite:** The 'Adamant Impetus Whirlwind' Mythos

Gale force winds follow the Askopar's movements, sending foes flying while the Askopar continues to advance where she desires.

When you force a creature to move with you with your 'Adamant Impetus Whirlwind' Mythos, you may, at the end of your movement, roll 2d3, multiplying the result by 5. Any creature that was forced to move with you is blown away this distance in feet in a direction of your choice. A creature that makes a successful Reflex save reduces this distance by half (minimum 5 feet) and avoids being knocked down. If multiple creatures are subject to this effect, make a single Reflex save using the highest Reflex saving throw modifier among them for the check, but it takes a penalty equal to the number of creatures beyond the first that were brought along.

**Basic**
*Furious Tempest Outburst*: You roll 2d3+2 instead of 2d3 to determine the distance creatures are blown away by this Mythos.

*Judicious Tranquility*: You can choose to blow away fewer creatures than your 'Adamant Impetus Whirlwind' Mythos brought along for the ride. Alternatively, you may choose to blow away certain creatures normally, while simultaneously blowing away others more peacefully, moving them, but not dealing nonlethal damage or forcing them prone. Targets moved peacefully do not provoke attacks of opportunity for this movement.

**Advanced**
*Duplicitous Raging Storm Calm*: Rather than immediately blowing creatures away, you may gather the winds following your wake into your body, storing them for up to a number of rounds equal to your class level. As a standard or move action (your choice), you may release the energy stored within you, thereafter playing out all the effects of this Mythos.

*Steel Cloud Bolt-Flash*: As a standard action, you may make a single attack against each creature you blow away with this Mythos.

### ***Limits-of-Capability Partnership Realization***

**Prerequisite:** The 'Unshakable Trail Companionship' Mythos

The Askopar and her animal cohort are not two separate beings, but one single entity given two physical forms. They tell the same story, not as two actors, but as one character together.

When you learn this Mythos, your animal cohort learns two Exceptional Mythos and two Excellencies you know. It can't learn the 'Unshakable Trail Companionship' Mythos.

At 13th level, your animal cohort learns one additional Exceptional Mythos and one additional Excellency you know, as well as one Fantastic Mythos you know.

At 19th level, your animal cohort learns one additional Fantastic Mythos and one additional Excellency you know, as well as one Legendary Mythos you know.

Your animal cohort can learn additional Mythos with Mythos points in the same way you can, but the number of Mythos it knows can never exceed the number of Mythos you know, and it can never have more Mythos known than Hit Dice.

### ***Triumph of Precognition Tread***

**Prerequisite:** The 'Inexorable Path-Making Stride' Mythos

With but a thought, the Askopar forges paths long before they are needed. Each path is not a given, but a single choice able to be changed with the fickle mind of the wanderer at any time.

You can create up to a number of path options equal to your Wisdom modifier as a swift action. Each path option must be within your line of sight and line of effect. At any time on your turn while on a path you created, you can move to another option for the path as a free action at the cost of 5 feet of your movement. You don't provoke attacks of opportunity during this movement.

If you possess the 'Adamant Impetus Whirlwind' Mythos, you cannot force any creatures to move with you when moving from one path option to another. However, all creatures that were already being forced to move with you are brought along for the ride to each path option.

## Legendary Mythos

### ***Actuality-Consummating Permanence March***

**Prerequisite:** The 'Inexorable Path-Making Stride' Mythos

The world bends to the Askopar's whims as she takes steps toward her ever-changing destination.

Any path you create with the 'Inexorable Path-Making Stride' Mythos can be made permanent with a thought. It is as real as any road, though perhaps less sturdy. Creatures can move along the path just as you can, as long as the path you create is wide enough for them to stand on (this may require Balance checks for larger creatures). Any number of creatures and objects can be on the path at once; it has no weight limit. The default size of the path is equal to the space you take up (for a medium-sized Askopar, this would be a 5-foot cube), though you can create a path up to your movement speed in height and width. Paths can connect to each other, so the only real limit on the path's size is time. For the purposes of the path's hardness and hit points, treat it as stone.

If you possess the 'Triumph of Precognition Tread' Mythos, you can make multiple path options permanent at the same time by moving on one.

### ***Drifting in Perpetuity Shintai***

**Prerequisite:** -

Your lust for exploration is too powerful to quell with the limited hours in the day. You may no longer willingly move less than half your speed per round, whether stopped or moving more slowly. However, you gain the ability to move half your speed as if taking a 5-foot step. Therefore, you provoke no attacks of opportunity for this limited movement, though you may not move over difficult terrain with these steps (unless you possess a means to bypass difficult terrain's detrimental effects).

You cannot sleep anymore, nor may you even rest. However, you suffer no negative consequences of getting no rest (though you also do not gain any benefits of rest). It isn't that you don't feel the need for sleep, but that your unquenchable wanderlust permanently overtakes your body and simply suppresses your natural fatigue, shoving it into the deepest reaches of your unconscious mind, never to be felt again. Your body and mind do not allow themselves to fall prey to mere tiredness.

Most importantly, you are always exploring the world. Unless you are in immediate danger (such as being in combat or in danger of being discovered while infiltrating a guarded castle), you must always be moving toward places you haven't ever been. You always know directions to new lands and places on the plane you currently reside on, regardless of whether you would plausibly know about such locations beforehand--you don't actually know where you're headed, or how you're going to get there, but, as they say, the experience is in the journey, not the destination. The only exceptions to your instinctual draw toward undiscovered lands are those the gods of travel would not have you feel. That's okay, though, because sometimes, the best discoveries are those that come as surprises.

### ***Eternal World-Frame Apotheosis***

**Prerequisite:** The 'Natural Form-Transcendance Prana' Mythos

The Askopar's body once again adapts to the world around it, this time to become more like the world itself than the living on it. Her features do not change as quickly as a mortal being's do, instead slowly changing from the winds blowing on and slowly eroding her skin, the dust in the air altering her skin's color and texture, the sun and moon casting different light on her as eternity passes by. In this assimilation of worldly features, the Askopar has discovered that everything on a plane is connected; minor changes in the atmosphere grant new insights into climate and weather changes, and a place found before is always just a stride away.

You no longer advance age categories, and any bonuses and penalties from being in an age category other than adult are removed. You become effectively immortal, and therefore never die of natural causes. You can still die from hit point damage, gaining negative levels equal to your level, and having a Constitution score of 0, for example, but you become immune to any effect that would alter your age.

You also gain the ability to travel to any point on the plane you are currently on with a single step, as long as you have been to that location before (within 100 feet per class level of the point you specify). Traveling in this way requires intense concentration for 1 minute before moving. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity from any creatures you may pass along the way, and you move with such swiftness that to perceive you would require godlike sight. A successful DC 100 Spot check allows a creature to notice your blurred form pass by it. A successful DC 200 Spot check allows it to identify key features of your body, such as your general shape, a rough blueprint of your face, and other such large details.

Finally, you can sense the weather a year in advance on the plane you currently reside on. This takes no action and is simply natural sensory input your body takes in as your eyes would light or your ears would sound.

### ***Invisible-Instigation Forbiddance Impact***

**Prerequisite:** The 'Action-Reaction Antecedence Epiphany' Mythos

You may now make a single attack of opportunity per round without provocation. This does not count against your attacks for the round, whether attacks of opportunity or not. Along with this ability, you are able to sense movements and motions on the battlefield before they even occur to the movers. In addition to the damage it deals, if you succeed on your choice of an opposed Strength or Dexterity check, you may declare a single type of action that would provoke an attack of opportunity impossible to perform for the target creature. This action could be moving, casting a spell, attempting a grapple, or anything else that provokes an attack of opportunity.

**Advanced**
*Daring the Beast Exposure*: You gain Robilar's Gambit (*Player's Handbook II*) as a bonus feat. A single attack of opportunity per round granted from this feat may prevent provoking actions as well.

*Love of Motion Threat*: You gain Defensive Sweep (*Player's Handbook II*) as a bonus feat. The attack of opportunity granted from this feat may prevent provoking actions as well.

## Exalted Mythos

### ***Planar Confinement-Shattering Jaunt***

**Prerequisite:** -

By running for 1 minute straight, you can travel to another plane of your choice, arriving at exactly the location you wish to be if you specify such a location. Otherwise, you arrive in a random location on the plane that would not immediately cause harm unto you.

In traveling to this other plane, you break the planar boundary separating the planes you traveled to and from, effectively forever connecting the two (making them coterminous). Any creature is able to move between the planes on a whim if they are within 1 mile of the square from which you traveled (or they can continue to travel on their own plane, as normal).

After breaking a planar boundary, the two connected planes are treated as a single plane within 1 mile of the square from which you traveled. The properties of each plane remain the same, however, for 10 years. After this time, the planar traits of both planes start to mix, creating new environments and altering existing ones in the specified radius. Creatures from both planes will begin to adapt and evolve, practically becoming new species in the process. For example, if the two connected planes are the Negative Energy and Positive Energy Planes, parts of the Negative Energy Plane might gain a minor positive-dominant trait, while parts of the Positive Energy Plane gain a minor negative-dominant trait. Given time, the planes might overlap so much that they begin to show major positive- and negative-dominant traits on both planes, perhaps even together in the same location. Spells that use negative energy might be maximized and impeded on parts of the Positive Energy Plane while spells that use positive energy might have the same traits on the Negative Energy Plane. Myriad possibilities exist, and in connecting the planes, the Askopar effectively creates an infinite number of new places to explore. Once two planes become connected in this manner, any changes in their planar traits make the affected locations new and effectively undiscovered. An Askopar with the 'Eternal World-Frame Apotheosis' Mythos would not be able to travel to an affected location even if she has been there before, for example.

Any attempt to repair a broken planar boundary fails unless the power attempting to do so has more than twice your Hit Dice. Even if this condition is true, the creature must spend at least 1 month repairing the boundary before it is entirely fixed. In the meantime, travel between the planes is viable (and, of course, you can simply continue to break planar boundaries if you so please).

### ***Sweeping Road-Yearning Fascination***

**Prerequisite:** -

The Askopar releases the underlying spirit of her wanderlust into the wind, to be carried across all lands by witnesses to this act.

As a full-round action, you can instill a creature with at least 1 Intelligence who sees you with an unstoppable desire to discover. It is treated as possessing the 'Drifting in Perpetuity Shintai' Mythos. A creature with more Hit Dice than the Askopar is allowed a Will saving throw to negate this effect. Upon success, the target becomes immune to further attempts for 1 week. In addition, should such a creature be affected, it is allowed one Will save per month afterward to break its desire and be able to return to its drab, unexciting existence.

Alternatively, you may choose to force a creature to follow you in your journeys rather than explore on its own. It will not be compelled to aid you in combat, but it must to the best of its ability facilitate further exploration. For example, if the Askopar is unable to jump up to a high ledge which leads to an undiscovered ruin, a follower might act as a springboard for the Askopar to get up.

Once you have affected a creature with this Mythos, you may live its experiences, in a way emulating the Longstrider's ability to discover through its children. You constantly feel the creature's thrill of Discovery, in a way connecting to its emotions, but only for this purpose. As a full-round action, the Askopar can focus on living in her charge's present moment. She can sense anything the creature senses and can feel what it feels. She can do this for as long as she likes, though she must maintain concentration on this connection, using a standard action each round. The Askopar can otherwise act normally while living through the affected creature's experience (and still has all of her body's senses in addition to the creature's).

The Askopar may only affect a number of creatures equal to her Wisdom modifier at one time. If the Askopar instills another creature with her wanderlust, it replaces the first creature out of those she currently has affected.

## Excellencies

### ***Accretive Prodical Acrobatics-Acumen***

You gain two movement skill tricks (*Complete Scoundrel*) you qualify for. In addition, you may trade any number of skill ranks you have already spent at any level in order to learn more movement skill tricks any time you gain a level (trading two ranks per skill trick). Movement skill tricks no longer count toward the maximum number of skill tricks you can know.

In addition, you treat Whip Climber as a movement skill trick.

At 7th level, you can use any movement skill trick you know at will.

### ***Boundless Horizon-Failure Perception***

**Prerequisite:** One Legendary Mythos

You take no penalties on Spot checks due to distance, and you can see literally anything on the plane wherein you currently reside that is not hiding or obscured by something else, even if the horizon would normally break your line of sight. You are still limited by the range of your darkvision, low-light vision, as well as by mist, fog, objects, walls, mountains, and so on if such features obscure from all directions.

### ***Effortless Ambulation Mien***

**Prerequisite:** -

You can move your full speed when making a Balance, Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Swim, or Tumble check as part of movement without taking a penalty on the check. You also gain Leap of the Heavens (*Player's Handbook II*) as a bonus feat.

### ***Freedom Unfettered***

**Prerequisite:** One Fantastic Mythos

Nothing slows your progress in discovery. You no longer take penalties for carrying a medium or heavy load, and armor heavier than light armor no longer slows you down. Even class features that normally do not function while wearing armor heavier than light (or any armor at all) function normally. In addition, for the purposes of carrying capacity, you may replace your Strength score with your Constitution score. Regardless of which ability score you choose, it is treated as 4 points higher for this purpose.

### ***Global Familiarity Protraction***

**Prerequisite:** Knowledge (geography) 4 ranks

You gain Skill Focus (Knowledge [geography]) as a bonus feat.

You close your eyes and reopen them with new insight into the workings of the world through the lens of your knowledge of its lands. You may make any Knowledge check using your ranks in Knowledge (geography). This allows you to make untrained Knowledge checks, but does not apply any other bonuses to Knowledge (geography) to such checks--just the ranks.

### ***Impossibility-Arching Stride***

**Prerequisite:** -

An Askopar does not just walk on land, but over and through water, below ground, and beyond.

Choose one movement mode you do not possess from climb or swim speeds. You gain a 20-foot speed for that movement mode.

At 7th level, you can choose to gain a burrow speed.

This Excellency may be purchased multiple times, increasing the speed of a movement mode you already possess or gaining another movement mode from the above choices.

### ***Kinetics-Vigil Oscillation***

**Prerequisite:** -

You gain Evasive Reflexes (*Tome of Battle*) as a bonus feat.

Whenever an enemy within a range equal to your land speed moves more than 5 feet, you can make a 5-foot step.

### ***Longevity of Sustenance Innovation***

**Prerequisite:** -

A long road awaits the Askopar, and wasting time gathering foodstuffs, natural or not, is not on the agenda.

You need only eat and drink 1/10 the normal amount an average person of your race would need in order to survive. You also become immune to ingested poisons, though any alterations to taste, texture, and so on due to the poison are unchanged.

At 7th level, you subside on such a minuscule amount of subsistence that you are treated as if you no longer have to eat or drink to survive (though you may if you wish to), and what little you consume gives you enough energy to last for extended periods without resting. Effectively, you need only rest for two hours per day to gain all of the benefits of sleeping for eight hours. If you cast spells, you must still rest for eight hours to regain spell slots. Any edible materials you possess for 1 minute or more never perish, even upon leaving your possession. Finally, poison is ineffective on edibles in your possession. Any poison applied to an edible material in your possession that has become unable to perish is immediately neutralized, though any alterations to taste, texture, and so on are unchanged.

If you possess the 'Drifting in Perpetuity Shintai' Mythos, you gain the benefits of resting for eight hours at the dawn of every day, despite your actual lack of rest.

### ***Perennial Real-Traversing Tenacity***

**Prerequisite:** -

You gain Endurance and Run as bonus feats.

In addition, you no longer need to make Constitution checks to make a forced march and you can hustle for any distance without taking nonlethal damage.

At 7th level, you can run for any distance without needing to make Constitution checks.

### ***Terminus Excursion Fortitude***

**Prerequisite:** -

You gain Altitude Adaptation (*Frostburn*) as a bonus feat.

You are treated as always having cold and heat protection 1, which stacks with any protection you may already have, and you can move over natural ice, snow, and sand with no penalties to your movement.

At 7th level, you always have cold and heat protection 3 in addition to any other protection you may already have, and you can move over magical ice, snow, and sand with no penalties to your movement.

### ***Thriving Peregrination Energy***

**Prerequisite:** Constitution 15

Some people just can't get enough of the world fast enough. They are determined to discover. And there is so much to discover! Time is of the essence, and impatience grips the Askopar, extending her physical body's limitations with her mind's force, alacrity, and vigor.

You add your Constitution score, rounded to the nearest increment of 5, as an enhancement bonus to any burrow, climb, land, and swim speeds you possess. This bonus increases as Constitution increases.

This Excellency may be purchased multiple times. However, each purchase after the first requires an additional 2 points of Constitution as a prerequisite, above the prerequisite of the last purchase, and increases the prior enhancement bonus by 10, instead of the normal effect.

### ***Unimpeded World-Embracing Pace***

**Prerequisite:** -

When the world presents an obstacle, the Askopar does not ignore it; instead, she embraces the complication and moves with it, never skirting a challenge.

For the purposes of movement, you ignore all obstacles and difficult terrain. You cannot pass through solid objects, but you can ignore the penalty to movement and skill check requirement to squeeze into a space less than half your size, for example. In addition, for the purposes of overland movement, you treat a trackless path as a road or trail.