I've spent a lot of time on Arrakis since the official MMO launch, and if there is one class I wish I had unlocked earlier, it is the Planetologist. It does not make combat flashier. It quietly transforms how you gather, travel, and survive. The catch is that you cannot select this class during character creation. I made that mistake too. You have to find a specific trainer named Derek Chinara, complete his contracts, and then return to him to learn skills.

Where to find the Planetologist

Derek Chinara is waiting in a small camp above Imperial Testing Station No. 2, in the middle of Hagga Basin South. I recommend not rushing there immediately. You will naturally reach Imperial Testing Station No. 2 during the first few hours of the story, so I left my conversation with Derek until that point. It saved me a lot of back-and-forth. Speak to him and enquire about his training. That triggers the "Minimic Film Recovery" contract. He wants you to retrieve an item from inside Imperial Testing Station No. 2.

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The item is the Imperial Testing Station Records. You will find it at the end of Imperial Testing Station No. 2. Specifically, the records are hidden behind a secret bookcase in the dead-end room at the end of the station. I missed this at first because the bookcase does not scream "secret passage." Search the chests on the table in the middle of the secret room behind the bookcase to grab the records.

Once you have the records, return to Derek. Hand them over and ask to learn from him again. That unlocks the Planetologist skill tree. The first tier already includes material gathering bonuses, vehicle management perks, and useful survival improvements. It is worth doing early, but I did not feel overpowered. It just made the early game less tedious.

Advanced Planetologist location

The Advanced Planetologist is not a new character. Surprise: it is Derek again. He moves to the start of Imperial Testing Station No. 197 in the southwestern area of Western Vermillius Gap. Before you set out, make sure you have completed his first contract at Imperial Testing Station No. 2. Without that progress, you cannot access his Level 2 skills.

I traveled to the bottom of the huge gap that acts as the entrance to Imperial Testing Station No. 197. It is easier to describe than to navigate. Once you are safely down there, speak to Derek and pick up the "Buried Archives" contract. This time he asks you to retrieve more Imperial Testing Station Records, but thankfully they are located close to the entrance. I appreciated that after the earlier trek.

To get the records, continue taking the right turns. You will eventually enter a room containing three enemies and an Identification Band. Clear the room, then look for a small room to the right of the Identification Band. The records are in a chest inside that small room. It is a compact combat encounter, but the enemies hit hard if you are underleveled. I went in with a rifle and plenty of water, which made it straightforward.

Take the records back to Derek and hand them over. Now here is the part that confused me: you must travel back to his camp above Imperial Testing Station No. 2 to actually learn the Level 2 Planetologist skills. Derek does not teach the advanced tier at No. 197. Once you return to the original camp, you can spend points in the new perks.

How to unlock more Planetologist levels

To unlock more levels, you need to advance through all of Derek's quests. The pattern is simple once you notice it. Complete a contract, exhaust all of his new dialogue options, then return to the camp above Testing Station No. 2 to learn new skills and pick up the next quest. If you ever find yourself stuck, do not wander the deep desert. Just return to Derek at Testing Station No. 2. That fixed the quest loop for me more than once.

Quick checklist

  • Find Derek above Imperial Testing Station No. 2 in Hagga Basin South.

  • Complete "Minimic Film Recovery" to unlock the Planetologist tree.

  • Find the records behind the secret bookcase at the end of No. 2.

  • Meet Derek again at Imperial Testing Station No. 197 in Western Vermillius Gap.

  • Complete "Buried Archives" by taking right turns to the room with three enemies and an Identification Band.

  • Return to the original camp above No. 2 to learn Level 2 skills.

  • Repeat his quests and return to No. 2 whenever you are stuck.

Final thoughts

I think the Planetologist is the most important early unlock in Dune Awakening. Its passive benefits are not glamorous, but they reduce friction in gathering, driving, and staying alive. The quest chain around Derek Chinara is also a good introduction to how exploration works on Arrakis. You are not following a glowing waypoint all the time. You are navigating stations, reading rooms, and learning that some archives are hidden behind furniture. That is exactly why I like this questline. It rewards attention without being punishing. If you are starting a new character in 2026, do not skip Derek. Stop at his camp, get the first contract, and unlock the Planetologist before you push too far into Hagga Basin South. It will make the rest of your journey easier.