Venture beyond mere survival and learn to command Arrakis’s desert with this Dune: Awakening Explorer Planetologist Build Guide. Unveil this class’s secrets and learn to master a build dedicated not to combat, but to optimize resource efficiency and terrain traversal. So, continue reading to start learning how to use this build to its full potential.

Dune: Awakening Planetologist Overview

The Planetologist in Dune: Awakening is unlike other classes in Dune: Awakening, as it heavily focuses on resource gathering and inventory management rather than combat. Nonetheless, this class can be touted as the quintessential survivalist, as mastering its abilities and skills is a must for traversing Arrakis’s unforgiving expanse. As the class steers away from direct combat, it takes advantage of skills that focus on superior mobility and resource management. This expertise can transform hazardous sands into a profitable harvest, enabling the player to optimize resource yields and sustain exploration.

How to Become a Planetologist in Dune: Awakening

Unlocking the Planetologist skill tree in Dune: Awakening requires completing a series of quests. In particular, you must find the Palentologist trainer, Derek Chinara, throughout the game’s map. Interacting with the NPC at specific locations demands that you complete a quest before proceeding to the next step. The locations of Derek Chinara and the quests to complete are as follows:

Hagga Basin South

Travel west of this region to find Derek Chinara above the Imperial Testing Station No. 2. He’s in a cavern, surrounded by his structures reminiscent of a campsite. After interacting with Derek Chinara, proceed to enter the Imperial Testing Station No. 2 to start your first quest. Here, search for the Minimic Film, which is in a hidden room behind a bookcase. Once retrieved, return to Derek Chinara to complete the quest. Note: Completing the first quest unlocks the first tier of the Planetologist skill tree.

West Vermilius Gap

Next, travel to West Vermilius Gap, specifically to the Imperial Testing Station No. 197. Look for a hole that you need to jump into to find Derek Chinara. Talk to him to start the second quest. This time, you must deliver Derek’s report to his boss, Cyprian Io. Find this leader in Arrakean, particularly in the Salusan Bull. Talk to Cyprian Io and deliver Derek’s report. Then, return to Derek to complete the quest and unlock Tier 2 of the Planetologist skill tree.

Jabal Eifrit

This time, head to Imperial Testing Station No. 76 in Jabal Eifrit al-janub. However, the challenge lies in locating Derek, as he’s imprisoned in a cage near the spiral staircase that descends into the lab. He can be easily overlooked if you scan the area hastily. So, ensure you check before going down the staircase, or you might miss him entirely. Talk to Derek, and then search the testing station for the Minimic Film records and the keys to his cage. Return to the NPC to deliver the Minimic Film and also to free him. Once freed, you must return to Derek’s camp in Hagga Basin and talk to him to complete the quest.

Hagga Rift

Derek Chinara’s fourth location is in the northwest of Hagga Rift at Imperial Testing Station No. 29. Navigate through tunnels or use a ‘thopter to reach this lab at the bottom of the rift. Once again, Derek asks you to find a Minimic Film. So, enter the Imperial Testing Station No. 29. However, prepare yourself as the area is littered with enemies. Clear the area and enter the hidden office by interacting with a bookshelf. Return to Derek to deliver the Film and complete this quest.

The O’odham

Derek’s fifth and final location is in the southern lab, Imperial Testing Station No. 71. Again, search for the Minimic Film, but this time you must also find Kynes’s Research Notes. These items are, again, located in a hidden room behind a bookshelf in the Blue ID band room. Acquire the items and return to Derek to complete the final part of this questline, along with unlocking one of the Planetologist Capstone skills.

Planetologist Skills & Abilities

Scientist

• Cutteray Mining: Your understanding of structural and mineral composition leads to an increase in the resource yield when using a Cutteray.
• Dew Gathering: Careful manipulation of the Holtzman field on the dew reaper allows you to increase the water yield.
• Rerouting: Tinkering with your power pack allows you to increase the recharge rate.
• Deep Analysis: You develop an understanding of analysis mode mining with the Cutteray. Your bonus yields are increased.
• Compaction: You've made minor adjustments to the way you use the compactor that improve the efficiency of its resource yields.
• Overcharge: You have learned to push your power pack beyond its limits, allowing you to increase the maximum power capacity.
• Conservation of Energy: When you focus your efforts, you can reduce the power drain of every action you take.

Explorer

• Suspensor Pad: Drop a suspensor device that launches yourself (and targets) into the air. Useful for navigation and traversal.
• Cartographer: You can now create sinkcharts of the areas revealed by your surveys. Create sinkcharts from the Map Screen, but you will require a blank sinkchart in your inventory.
• Mountaineer: You are better at finding the handholds and footholds while climbing, reducing your stamina drain.
• Scanner Mastery: You have become proficient with the hand scanner - improving the range of detection.
• Stillsuit Seals: Though you have no formal training with the stillsuit, you have adjusted several seals and tabs that must be properly fitted for the suit to act with optimal efficiency. Your water reclamation while wearing a stillsuit is improved.
• Spice Surveyor: Through research and field experience, you have learned to recognize the density of a spice bed from surveys. This ability is of most use in the Deep Desert.

Mechanic

• Vehicle Repair: Your field training as a mechanic reduces the maximum durability loss of vehicle components when performing repairs.
• Fuel Efficient Driver: Driving groundcars has taught you several techniques for fuel conservation while exploring. This applies to all types of ground vehicles.
• Vehicle Mining: Applying your understanding of structural and mineral composition to heavier vehicle machinery results in a larger resource yield.
• Vehicle Scanning: You have become proficient with vehicle-mounted scanners - improving the range of detection.
• Fuel Efficient Pilot: Piloting ornithopters has taught you several techniques for fuel conservation while exploring. This applies to all types of ornithopters.
• Sandcrawler Yield: Your understanding of sand and the vacuum static action of the sandcrawler allows you to harvest spice more efficiently.
• Heat Management: While under the influence of large amounts of melange, you can instinctively sense where and how to shift a vehicle to reduce heat buildup.

Planetologist Best Skills & Abilities

Scientist

• Cuttery Mining
• Dew Gathering
• Deep Analysis
• Compaction

Survival is measured in resource efficiency for the Explorer Planetologist in Dune: Awakening. Although you’ll typically focus on abilities in the Explorer skill tree, don’t forget about the Scientist skills. In particular, start this tree with the Cutteray Mining to efficiently extract the planet's mineral wealth. Combine that with Deep Analysis to help pinpoint high-yield deposits. As for Compaction and Dew Gathering, these abilities ensure that no valuable resource is lost or left behind.

Explorer

• Suspensor Pad
• Stillsuit Seals
• Scanner Mastery
• Spice Surveyor

As an Explorer Planetologist in Dune: Awakening, you’re a master of terrain and survival. Take advantage of the benefits provided by the skills in the Explorer tree to turn Arrakis’s deadliest challenges into a personal advantage. For instance, the Suspensor Pad provided enhanced vertical mobility, allowing you to conquer cliffs and escape threats. Alternatively, the Stillsuit Seals skill allows you to expertly fine-tune water recovery, preventing heat stroke and outlasting the scorching sun.

Mechanic

• Vehicle Mining
• Vehicle Scanning
• Sandcrawler Yield
• Heat Management

These skills in the Mechanic tree are your indispensable abilities while traversing the vast sands of Arrakis. Use these skills to ensure your vehicle-mounted scanners extend your sight across the dunes, as you search for the planet’s most precious resource – Spice. After finding a rich Spice bed, use the Sandcrawler Yield skill to ensure not a grain of this valuable item is wasted.

Best Weapon

While the Explorer Planetologist in Dune: Awakening is a fairly versatile class, many players would do well in using the unique rifle, Mendek’s Rattle. Find this weapon’s schematics in the Imperial Testing Station No. 37 of the Deep Desert. As with other unique gear, the Mendek’s Rattle schematics aren't guaranteed to appear in a chest in this location. If it doesn’t appear, wait about 45 minutes for the chests to respawn and try again. Once acquired, craft this weapon using the following materials at a Weapons Fabricator:

• 340x Water
• 30x Silicone Block
• 30x Duraluminum Ingot
• 13x Mechanical Parts
• 33x Gun Parts
• 6x Light Caliber Compressor
• 9x Spice-Infused Duraluminum Dust

Once acquired, equip it to take advantage of this weapon’s stats:

• Fire Mode: Burst
• Damage: 39.5 per shot
• Weight: 2V

Best Armor

Unlike other classes in Dune: Awakening, the best armor for the Explorer Planetologist isn’t an armor set. Instead, aim to use a combination of various armor pieces to enhance your abilities as an Explorer Planetologist further. The armor components you want to go for are:

• Wayfinder Helm: +15% Scanner Range Increase
• Shaddam’s Bladder: 1,500 Catchpocket Size
• Syndicate Boots: +3.8% Energy Mitigation and +6.0% Poison Mitigation
• Advanced Reaper Gloves: +10% Dew Reaper Yield

As for the Shield, the Holtzman Shield Mk5 is a great choice. Additionally, aim to use the Full Suspensor Belt in the Belt slot to enhance vertical traversal, which is further improved when combined with the Suspensor Pad.

Explorer Planetologist Build Tips & Tricks

Remember, your success isn’t generally determined by becoming victorious in combat as an Explorer Planetologist in Dune: Awakening. Instead, focus on improving your mastery over the desert itself. So, here are some essential tips and tricks to help guide your journey:

Optimize Your Vehicle

Apart from the skills in the Explorer tree, don’t forget to focus on the Mechanic tree’s abilities, particularly Vehicle Mining and Sandcrawler Yield. These skills enhance resource and spice collection, transforming your vehicle into an efficient, high-yield harvesting command center.

Survey Before Harvest

Impulse hinders efficiency. Take advantage of your enhanced scanning abilities, particularly when powered by skills like Scanner Mastery, to survey the area before deploying to gather resources. Identify the density of Spice beds or mineral nodes, ensuring optimal resource harvesting while minimizing risks in the perilous open desert, especially when playing in a PvP-heavy Dune: Awakening server.

Choose Your Battles Wisely

Remember, focus on environmental mastery rather than improving combat prowess as an Explorer Planetologist. Use tools like the Suspensor Pad and Shigawire Claw to avoid conflicts instead of seeking them out. On the other hand, use defensive skills from other character classes to help with your escape when absolutely necessary.