Seeker
Description: Devoted to spiritual awareness and self-enlightenment, the Seeker's deep beliefs affect him more than any other elements of his life. The Seeker seeks fulfillment by following the tenets of his faith and striving to understand the relationship between himself and the natural world. He views animal followers as fellow travelers on his spiritual journey.
Seekers can come from any culture, but typically originate from societies placing a premium on religion and scholarship. Many Seekers begin their spiritual quests as students of priests. Others are self-taught philosophers or restless academicians hungry for knowledge that can't be learned from books. Regardless of their background, all Seekers have felt compelled to embark on a wilderness pilgrimage that may last the rest of their lives.
No particular religion is common to all Seekers. Some worship specific gods, while others venerate nature itself as an unknowable but all-encompassing force. All Seekers, however share a reverence for life and a philosophy that embodies discipline, and personal responsibility, and self-sacrifice.
Requirements: A Seeker must have a Wisdom score of 15 or more. A particular religion may impose additional requirements, as determined by the DM.
Primary Terrain: Any.
Role: Good people of all cultures tend to look favorably on Seekers. At worst, Seekers are dismissed as useless but harmless eccentrics. More often, they're regarded as sensitive seekers of truth, admired and respected for their devotion. Priests of compatible alignment are especially deferential to Seekers; even if such a priest follows a different belief system, he recognizes that the Seeker shares his veneration of a higher power.
Though Seekers generally prefer solitude, they constantly seek opportunities to broaden their outlook and stimulate spiritual insight. For these reasons, they may join adventuring parties solely for the promise of new experiences. Moral considerations also motivate Seekers; parties can sometimes recruit Seekers by appealing to their sense of justice.
Typically, the companions of a Seeker will find him amiable, thoughtful, and comforting. Seekers aren't proselytizers--rarely are they interested in converting others to their beliefs--but they enjoy nothing more than debating philosophical issues. A companion who engages a Seeker in such a discussion may find himself listening to a detailed, scholarly discourse that may last the better part of the day.
Though Seekers usually decline to make decisions for the party, they often serve as counselors and advisors to the leaders. Non-aggressive by nature, Seekers avoid combat whenever possible, but fight fearlessly to thwart attacks against their followers or comrades. A Seeker is reluctant to take the life of another creature except to protect a companion, a follower, or himself, or to destroy his species enemy.
Secondary Skills: Farmer, Forester, Groom, Mason, Scribe, Tailor/Weaver, Woodworker/Carpenter.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Seeker receives only a single weapon proficiency at first level. This proficiency must be spent on one of the following weapons: club, light crossbow, dagger, dart, knife, quarterstaff, or sickle, sling. He cannot ever use a sword of any type.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: Religion. Recommended: Agriculture, Ancient History, Artistic Ability, Astrology, Carpentry, Cobbling, Etiquette, Languages (Ancient), Pottery, Reading/Writing, Spellcraft, Veterinary Healing*, Weaving. The Seeker can take clerical proficiencies at the listed (non-doubled) costs.
Armor/Equipment: In most cases, Seekers have no special equipment restrictions beyond those normally associated with rangers. However, Seekers worshipping particular gods or adhering to strict religious doctrines may have additional restrictions, as determined by the DM. Certain Seekers, for example, may be forbidden from using any bladed weapon or wearing any type of armor. Such restrictions should be made clear at the outset of the Seeker's career.
Seekers have little interest in material possessions. After keeping enough money to meet their basic needs, they typically give away the rest of their gold and treasure to the poor.
Species Enemy: The species enemy must be evil. Alternately, a specific evilly-aligned religious group or cult may be taken, in which case members and minions of the group are considered the species enemy. Other common species enemies include ghouls (and other undead), evil dragons, death dogs, evil humanoids, etc.
Followers: All creatures are eligible as followers, except the species designated as a sacred animal (see the Special Hindrances section).
Special Benefits:
Increased Access to Spells: Unlike other rangers, the Seeker acquires spells when he reaches 6th level. He can also cast 4th level spells. Table 51 shows the Seeker's spell progression.
The Seeker has access to spells from an extra sphere in addition to those of plant and animal. When reaching 6th level, he chooses an extra sphere from the following options: divination, healing, protection, weather. This extra sphere remains the same for the rest of his career.
Magical Staff Use: The Seeker can use any magical staff that can be used by a druid.
Table 51: Seeker Spell Progression
|
Seeker |
Casting |
Priest Spell Levels |
|
Level |
Level |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
1-5 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
6 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
7 |
2 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
8 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
|
9 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
- |
- |
|
|
10 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
|
11 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
|
12 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
- |
|
|
13 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
14 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
15 |
10 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
16+ |
11 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
Special Hindrances:
Mediation: A Seeker must spend a full hour each day in silent meditation. This hour must always occur at the same time of day, such as the first hour of dawn or at high noon; once decided, it can never be changed. If a Seeker neglects to mediate or is interrupted more than once (for more than a total of two rounds), he suffers a -1 penalty to all ability checks and attack rolls the following day.
Sacred Animal: Every Seeker has a sacred animal that symbolizes his ideals. A Seeker's sacred animal is determined at the same time he as the species enemy. The player selects the sacred animal from the options listed in Table 52, subject to the DM's approval; for example, if the Seeker's primary terrain is Arctic, his sacred animal might be the polar bear, the snow leopard, or the seal. A Seeker retains the same sacred animal throughout his career. He cannot acquire a follower of the same species as his sacred animal. The player may choose a sacred animal other than those listed in Table 52, so long as it's different from the Seeker's species enemy.
|
Primary |
|
|
Terrain |
Species |
|
Aquatic |
Dolphin, whale, or giant turtle |
|
Arctic |
Polar bear, snow leopard, or seal |
|
Desert |
Camel, owl, or hawk |
|
Forest |
Bear (brown or black), wolf, or small mammal (raccoon,
fox, squirrel, or rabbit) |
|
Hills |
Bear (black or brown), elk, or wolf |
|
Jungle |
Elephant, lion, or chimpanzee |
|
Mountains |
Wild eagle, giant eagle, or bear (black or brown) |
|
Plains |
Falcon, horse, or raven |
|
Swamp |
Owl, raven, or small mammal (fox, otter, or mouse) |
In compliance with his religious principles, the Seeker has vowed to protect his sacred animal in the following ways:
· He is forbidden from intentionally or unintentionally inflicting harm on his sacred animal, or standing by while others do.
· He is required to care for injured or ailing sacred animals.
· He must liberate captive sacred animals held against their will. This requirement excludes followers of other rangers, or domesticated animals serving as pets or mounts. However, it includes farm animals that are being raised for consumption.
· He must protect his sacred animal from hunters, trappers, and predators.
If the Seeker violates any of these requirements, as determined by the DM, he is consumed with guilt and remorse, preventing him from casting spells of any kind for the next week. If his action or inaction directly results in the death of a sacred animal, he is unable to cast spells for a full month. If he benefits from an atonement spell cast by a sympathetic priest, the one week suspension is reduced to four days, and the month suspension is reduced to two weeks.