You hunt down the magical and arcane treasures of ancient civilisations and organisations in order to preserve, or sell, their cultural artefacts and relics. Whether motivated by fascination or greed, your particular set of skills are honed by traversing the ruins of the past and by scouring libraries and the esoteric knowledge of sages and collectors throughout the known world. Some of your kind are well respected historians or collectors in their own right. Some are bored nobles with too much time and money and a desire for the thrill of the find. Others are scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells who, through their adventures, seek to gain fame, power and most importantly, fortune.
- Skill Proficiencies: History and choose one from among Arcana, Deception, Insight, Investigation, and Survival
- Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer's Tools and one type of gaming set
- Languages: Choose one exotic language (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon)
- Equipment: Cartographer's tools; clothes, traveler's; felt hat, whip, your first minor magical relic, a partial map to a location you have yet to explore, a pouch containing 10gp worth of minor curious artefacts
As a child you were always off in the search of the arcane and magical much to the chagrin and distress of your parents or guardians. A dark forest at the edge of town wasn't merely a game reserve to you, it was a place of mystery and wonder where ancient civilisations fought an epic battle to protect their empire from destruction using powerful artifacts. Wherever you went, you found an excuse to investigate whatever ruins or holes in the ground you could ferret out. In one of these places, you found something valuable that initiated your life-long fascination and obsession with exploration. Roll on the Mystical Investigator table to see what you have, or choose an item from the table.
| d8 | Mystical Investigator |
|---|---|
| 1 | Small stones that emit a soft, colorful glow in the dark |
| 2 | A seashell that, when held to the ear, murmurs faint, indistinct whispers |
| 3 | Glass marbles that are perpetually cold to the touch |
| 4 | A small piece of fabric that changes color to match its surroundings |
| 5 | An inkwell whose ink only appears under moonlight |
| 6 | A small hand mirror that can mimic the last face it reflected for a few seconds |
| 7 | A feather that floats and dances in the air when music is played |
| 8 | A small bottle of sand where the grains constantly shift to form different patterns |
You are well versed in the history and legends that surround ancient locations and the cultures that built and populated them, especially as they pertain to the invaluable magical artefacts and arcane relics of those peoples. Dungeons, lost cities, cult lairs, the erstwhile towering spires of great civilisations or the shattered remnants of flying citadels, all of which once housed great treasures of arcana and magic, are all examples of where you might earn your living collecting lost items of value.
If there is a way to find the location of such places and what they contain, as well as any information about them that can aid you in plundering these riches, then you have an uncanny knack for tracking down this information, and also in knowing the value of what you do, or could, find.
Suggested Characteristics
Arcane Hunters have an innate fascination with the ancient world and bygone eras and, in particular, the magical artefacts, both cultural and tangible, that such people leave behind. They search out what was mystical to these cultures and bring these things back from the ruins to civilisation, for profit or posterity.
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'd rather be searching for magic items. |
| 2 | I like to think of myself as a preserver of the arcane and protector of history. |
| 3 | I like to burn the candle at both ends, especially when hunting for arcane relics in the dark... |
| 4 | I hate to give up on a search for a long, lost artefact. |
| 5 | I wouldn't risk my life to get an item of significance, however other people's lives? Sure! |
| 6 | The search for arcane items is as much about the journey, as it is about the rich, rich rewards. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Recognition. Fame is longer lasting than fortune, and I aim to seek it even if it costs me everything! |
| 2 | Respect. Ancient cultures must be respected, as must their contemporary descendants. |
| 3 | Fortune. Do you have any idea how much the king will pay for this artefact of his people? Well, I aim to find out! |
| 4 | Posterity. These things should be in a public location for the viewing and enlightenment of the masses. |
| 5 | Protection. If I find it first, I can protect it from others and lock it away in my private collection. |
| 6 | Power. Piece by piece, I am constructing a wellspring of immense arcane might. |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have a close friend who sometimes helps me on my quests but who isn't suited to the rigours of adventuring. |
| 2 | My people have lost much throughout their history. I would love to restore some of it to them. |
| 3 | I am responsible for a great secret entrusted to me by my dying mentor. |
| 4 | My parents died searching for an ancient magical relic. I honour them by trying to find what they could not. |
| 5 | An incomplete riddle is all I have left of my dead teacher's notes. |
| 6 | My diary keeps me sane... sort-of. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I refuse, under any circumstances, to fly. |
| 2 | I insist I know the right way to go, even when everyone else says it's the wrong way. |
| 3 | I use pointless aphorisms... a lot. |
| 4 | Talking to myself is the only intelligent conversation I can have. |
| 5 | I. Must. Search. Every. Nook. And. Cranny. Dammit! |
| 6 | [Insert beast name here]? Why'd it have to be [Insert beast name here]?! |
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