The Seeker

The Seeker is the archetypical hunter, the perfect scout and makes prey out of whatusually would be predators. Their training is in some way similar to the Mystics butmore informal and natural. Days of hunting and surviving by their wits and intuitionsalone have honed their reactions time and perception.

Background:

A Seeker may hail from the untamed woodlands, the harsh wilderness,or be trained in one of the guilds within a sprawling city. They can be woodlandrangers, bounty hunters or even assassins.

Play and Role:

The Seeker is the anti-thesis of the traditional Assassin and adangerous foe for the Mystic and the Sorcerer. Their speciality lies in ranged combat,survival skills and exploiting the openings of their opponents.

Abilities:

Besides being competent ranged attacker and having good Perception, theSeeker also has some powers similar to that of a Mystic. He also has numerousabilities at his disposal, some natural while others which relies on training similar tothose of the mystics. For game purpose, the abilities are classified into three groups:skills, techniques and focus powers.

Legends and Lore:

There are many famous figures who might be Seekers. Perhapsthe most exemplifying figure would be Legolas, from the Lord of the Rings. In thelands of Legend, Athgeld (he who owed the Seven Arrows) was claimed to be one,and that he had several disciples. In Khitai where many religious sects concentrates onthe cultivation of the mind, there are tales of “god-archers” whose aim are so accuratethat they could split the branch of a tree more than 200 metres away. The wild nomadsof the Khanate practise a form of archery in which they could loose several arrows atthe blink of an eye.Hunter-gathers within the uncharted jungles of Mungoda have their senses well honed by the treacherous terrain and some may rise to become a Seeker. In the dramaticSagas of the Gods, which are of Emphidian origins, tales tell of many mighty archers – one which is Eriyus who could loose an arrow that would fly for a hundred miles, or so the tales say!

Races:

Humans have to go through a rigorous training to become a Seeker; usuallythis entails practising with the longbow and going on numerous hunts. Longbowmenemployed by the lords of Albion usually fire en-mass at their incoming enemies anddo not hunt for them in the woods, so they do not cultivate the intuitive sensesrequired to become a Seeker.Elves make excellent Seekers. Indeed, many of them stay hidden upon their secretlook-outs, on the look-out for their old foes, the Orcs, or just plain greedy looters.Halfings may become Seekers too but they may not choose any of the focus powers.Dwarves have little taste for bows (preferring their crossbows) and hence are not the prime candidate to become Seekers; like halfings, they do not gain focus powers.

Beginning Characteristics

A first rank Seeker begins with the following score:

Health Points

1d6 + 5

Attack

Defence

Magical Defence

Magical Attack

Perception

Stealth

Evasion

Characteristics Rank Up

HPATKDEFM.DEFPERSTLEVA2+1+1+13+1+1+1+1+14+1+1+1+2+15+1+1+1+26+1+1+1+1+1+17+1+1+1+28+1+1+1+2+19+1+1+1+1+210++1+1+1+1+1Bonus +1 Perception every 4

, 8

and etc. rank Bonus +1 Evasion every 5

, 7

, 9

and etc. rank

First Rank Abilities and Skills

The Seeker has the following Skills and Abilities as of first rank.

•

Archer:

Attack increases by +3 when attacking with a ranged weapon.

•

Light Armour Training:

Only able to wear padded armour. -2 to Attack and-2 to Defence for Mail Hauberk, -3 for mail armour and -4 for plate armour.

•

Arrow Fletching:

The Seeker can spend an hour to produce 12 arrows if hehas adequate material. Those would be normal broad-head, non-barbedarrows.

•

Track.

All 1

Rank Seekers have the Track ability as the Barbarian.

•

Light Weapons Training:

Only able to wield clubs, short-sword, daggers andstave. Using larger weapons incur a -2 penalty to Attack and Defence and a -1 penalty to damage and Armour Bypass Rolls.

Skills

Some of the Seeker’s abilities are skills. Those are modifiers which are added to therelevant stat when the GM calls for a roll. Skills come in three levels (or novice,master and grandmaster). Novice gives a +1 bonus, while Master is worth a +3 and aGrandmaster level gives a +6.

The Seeker’s Abilities

The abilities of a Seeker fall into three categories – skills, combat techniques andfocus abilities. Focus abilities require the Seeker to make a Fatigue check like theMystic. If he fails the check, he still performs the ability but is unable to use any focusabilities until the combat is over (the GM may rule that the Seeker may need to restfor at least 10 minutes to half an hour to recover from the fatigue).Each time a Seeker gains a rank, he has three picks from which he could select a skill,technique or a focus. Each skill can be selected up to three times; each time he selectsit, it will go up by one level. A skill can only be picked once each time he obtains arank and only at odd-numbered ranks can he choose to upgrade it to the next level.Hence it is impossible for a Seeker to have Master Accuracy just at the start of hisfirst adventure!MinimumRank SkillsTechniquesFocus1AccuracyAthleticsTrackingWilderness SurvivalTrapsAmbushBow and Dagger.Customised ArrowsHawkeye AimEvade BlowPre-emptionSure ShotTrack Target3Stealth MasteryDefensive StanceArcing ShotFeintQuick ShotTwo-Headed SnakeArrow Lord’s StrideCalled ShotPrecisionSilent Steps5PathfindingDarting Hawk Serpent’s StrikeSurvivor Without a TraceEvade MissileHampering ShotPredator’s TranceSparrowhawk 7AwarenessBolt from the BlueHoned ReactionStalker’s PathWyvern’s ClawsFalcon ArrowHeaven’s TalonShadow ShroudSightless I See9Wind of ArrowsCloud BurstDeadeye ShotOne-League ShotThread through NeedleArrow of DestinyGhost’s DanceHidden PresenceUnearthly Grace

Skills

Rank 1 Skills

All those skills can be picked when the adventurer begins his career.

•

Accuracy:

Confers a bonus to the Seeker’s ranged attack.

•

Athletics:

Confers a bonus to all rolls relating to climbing, swimming, jumping and other related physical activities.