Expedition Chronicler (Starfinder Archetype)
(art by vimark on DeviantArt)
It always seems to happen without fail. You get ready to go out on an errand, and too late you realize that something was missing. Your wallet, the thing you were meant to bring somewhere, or something you should have picked up while you were out but it didn’t cross your mind.
So too is it in a lot of ttrpg games you’ll find yourself a long distance from any chance to resupply and you realize that there would be one item that would make the current challenge a cakewalk. You never think you’ll need a 10-foot pole until you find yourself needing that especially long stick, or potions of restoration to make the next few days of adventuring after raiding an undead-infested barrow tolerable, or what have you.
And with the reliance on gadgets in the far future of Starfinder, the struggle is that much more noticeable.
Today’s archetype, however, seeks to remedy that.
Much like errands, quests and expeditions require a lot of planning and preparation, and one mistake can be a major setback, anything from forgetting the climbing gear to the rations to remembering that someone needs to be documenting everything for science. However, expedition chroniclers make it their life’s mission to remember these things so that when hardships arise, the party will have an answer.
Is the party in need of a respirator for diving? They have you covered. Have they forgotten the details of a conversation? The chronicler wrote it all down. Are the locals being obstructionist? They already got all the permissions in triplicate with copies.
Some are poets at heart that embellish their reports with emotional language and expository text to turn their exploits into as much adventures to read as they are to have experienced, while others might be more clinical and dry, focused only on the factual details.
While they certainly didn’t invent the prepared researcher gig, a lot of the best practices of this career path were developed by the osharu, and even military organizations like the Veskarium military or the Hellknights sometimes send their quartermasters to learn at universities on the osharu homeworld of Pabaq because their organizational skills and preparations are simply second to none.
So yes, whether they are actual researchers or simply make use of the skillset of this archetype, there’s a lot of potential here, so let’s see what they offer!
These researchers are never seen without their trusty datapad, which they use to keep record of everything they experience on the journey. Not only that, but they can also use infosphere access to get in touch with colleagues and contacts that can help them with information they might otherwise struggle with.
Their understanding of prose allows them to better convey their ideas in writing, allowing them to use written missives or notes during a face to face conversation to better convince others with their words.
Additionally, these characters have the classic cinematic power of being able to spend credits on vague “supplies” in order to pull out a single item that is perfect for the situation when needed. Naturally though, they have to spend credits to “restock” before doing so again, but as they grow in skill, the limits of what they can procure this way expand.
Their meticulous note-taking comes in handy as they can review and brief allies while resting to better guide their actions when they go back into the fray, improving their odds of success.
Constantly prepared for sudden changes in the situation, they are rarely surprised, able to react quickly even in an ambush, and even guide another to react as well.
This archetype can be a fun addition to any party, providing a unique way to provide skill and equipment utility to the adventure. Naturally, characters with a high intelligence and/or wisdom benefit a lot here, but technically anyone can make use of this archetype, whether they are martial, spellcasters, or skilled in nature.
You can use this archetype freely with whatever institutes that exist in your own personal setting, but it will never not be funny to me that Hellknights sometimes go to Pabaq to train to be quartermasters using the techniques of Osharu. You know, the species that culturally believe that scientific pursuit of knowledge is an outright spiritual pursuit. I mean, I get that the osharu would never deny anyone the opportunity to learn, but for a group of organizations that at least see the appeal of information control even if the Order of the Rack doesn’t exist anymore (thank the heavens), there is a level of patent absurdity to it.
To actually speak of playing the archetype though, I have to imagine that these figures are often serious-minded and/or chronic overthinkers. Some might be the team mom or even a smart leader figure, but all take some level of responsibility over those in their charge.
Drethag had been planning the expedition for months, readying every possible contingency against every possible hiccup, checking and checking the portal generator time and again and making sure the expedition team was prepared for any environment that might be on the other side. What he could not have prepared for was a yithian elder slithering out the moment the portal was opened.
If you need something on base, the quartermaster Gilbras is the person to see, both for supplies and for comforts from home. The bleachling has a reputation for being strict with troopers that waste supplies, but those who’ve known the old gnome for years know he can party with the best of them.
A fighting tournament on an alien planet that only recently joined the galactic stage sounds like a wonderful idea to learn a bit more about the culture of the world, but the diplomatic manager insisted that the group focus on what they came here for… that is until they saw what the grand prize was.
