Welcome to the best guide on How to Unlock Planetologist Trainers and Locations in Dune Awakening.  The Planetologist is the only class in Dune Awakening you cannot choose at the start and therefore everyone must complete the quest to Unlock the Planetologist Trainer.  The Planetologist has a wide array of survivalist passives that will make most of your traveling and collecting more efficient in Dune Awakening.

Make sure to check out our other Dune Awakening Class Unlock Guides and Class Builds.

All Planetologist Quest Starting Locations Reference Guide: 

All Planetologist Quest Starting Locations

Assistance Needed – Quest (Optional)

How to Unlock Skills at Planetologist Trainer in Dune Awakening

This optional quest will be offered to you amongst other contracts early on in the game when visiting this outpost in Dune Awakening. The first step will have you visit Derek Chinara who is located above Testing Station No. 2, East of Griffin’s Reach. You do not need to do this quest, but can earn an extra 150 XP in doing so.

Minimic Film Recovery – Quest 1 to Unlock The Planetologist Class

The Planetologist trainer is Derek Chinara, who is located above Imperial Testing Station No.2 in Hagga Basin South in Dune Awakening.  Derek will request that you enter Testing Station No. 2 and retrieve a manifest to return to him. Testing Station No. 2 entrance is just below where Derek is located.

Planetologist Trainer in Dune Awakening

You’ll need to clear your way through this facility towards the end to retrieve the minimic reels. When you go down a winding staircase to a lower floor, there will be a bookcase on a right wall in the next room that has a yellow glowing sliver. This is a secret door, which will lead you to a room containing a case with the reel.

Quest Unlock Skills at Planetologist Trainer in Dune Awakening Beware of an ambush after you recover the item. Once you’ve recovered it, finish clearing the dungeon as you are almost done and could also acquire Emperor’s Wing Mk1, a very useful suspensor item. Head back to Derek ontop of the mountain once you are finished.

This will now unlock the Planetologist Skill tree for you in Dune Awakening.

Buried Archives – Quest 2

The next location we will find Derek Chinara is at Imperial Testing Station No. 197 in West Vermilius in Dune Awakening. This testing station will be a large hole in the ground we have to descend.

At the bottom, Derek will be available to give us our next task. He will ask us to recover Minimic Film from a Testing Station again.

Go down the ramp inside the station and stay to the right. This will take you directly to the location for the Minimic Film in Testing Station No. 197. Once you’ve aquired it, you can return to Derek and give him the film to receive your training.

This will Unlock Skills at Advanced Planetologist Trainer to 2, allowing you to put up to 2 points in all but your non-Capstone skills.

Adhering to Hierarchy – Quest 3

Upon finishing your quest in Western Vermilius Gap you must now fly back to the first meeting spot in South Haga Basin, above Testing Facility No. 2. Derek will ask you to find Cyprian Io at the Salusan Bull, which is the bar located in Arrakeen.

When you arrive at Arrakeen, stay to the right and the bar is the first doorway on your right. As you enter the bar, there is a staircase leading to an upstairs portion of the bar, this is where Cyprian Io is located. He will be in the far back corner.

Upon requesting Cyprian for Kyne’s Research, he will deny you and send you back to meet with Derek. Derek can be located again in South Haga Basin above Testing Station No. 2. Speak with him to complete this quest.

Science Unlocked – Quest 4

Next, we will head North to Jabal Eifrit to Imperial Testing Station No 76 in Dune Awakening. Derek will be in a cage inside and difficult to see. When you enter the facility, go down the ramps and stay to your left.

When you first see a penta shield, you are in the room where Derek is caged. He is just in front of this penta shielded area. Speak with him and he will ask you to fetch him keys and Minimic Film as usual.

The keys can be located just ahead of where he is now down a staircase. You will see a book on a table that will have a set of keys.

The film will be located deeper in the facility and require you to clear through as you have in previous facilities. Once you complete the facility, return to Derek and hand him the film and unlock the cage. Afterwards, you will fly back south to Station No. 2 again.

This will Unlock Skills at Advanced Planetologist Trainer to 3, allowing you to put up to 3 points in all but your non-Capstone skills.

The Search for Kynes – Quest 5

Once you have arrived at Testing Station No 2 again, speak with Derek and he will ask you to talk with Thufir Hawat about Kynes. Thufir is located in Arrakeen.

After speaking with Thufir Hawat, we will be directed to the Western Shield wall to the entrance of Sietch Tarl.  At the end of this canyon there will be a tablet to interact with and a note recovered.  We will return this note to Derek who is at Imperial Testing Station No. 2.

If you are aligned with Harkonnen, you will instead be directed to Piter de Vries in Harko Village.  He is located just to the right as you arrive, and is the Harkonnen counter-part of Thufir.

This won’t unlock any skills but will progress us to the next quest in the Planetologist class unlock series.

A Reasonable Routine – Quest 6

Derek Chinara will be located in another Imperial Testing Station, No. 29 in Northern Hagga Rift for this quest in Dune Awakening.

He will be located down the first set of steps ramping down into the facility.  Once again he will request us to find the Minimic Film inside.

You will clear through the facility beyond the boss room and enter the loot room.  There will be a purple ID bracelet in the back and another secret door in the back.  Access this room to acquire the Minimic Film.

Once you’ve returned the Minimic Film to Derek at the entrance, you will also need to fly back to his original spot at Station No. 2 in Hagga Basin.  Once you’ve completed discussions with him, he will train you.

This will Unlock Skills at Advanced Planetologist Trainer to 4, allowing you access to the Spice Surveryor skill.

Clues From The Past – Quest 7

Derek Chinara will be located in another Imperial Testing Station, No. 71 in The O’odham for this quest in Dune Awakening.

Once you arrive, you will find Derek just inside the doorway and asking you to retrieve Kyne’s Notes located within the Testing Station.

You’ll have to start going inside to the left and acquiring 2 ID band colors before making it to the cultists sacrificial room.  The first room with the Blue ID Band will have a secret room again containing minimic film.

After you get the 2nd ID band you’ll find your way to the last room and after clearing the enemies, Kyne’s Research will be on the right side with the books.

Once you’ve returned the Minimic Film and Kyne’s Research to Derek at the entrance, you will also need to fly back to his original spot at Station No. 2 in Hagga Basin.  Once you’ve completed discussions with him, he will train you.

This will Unlock Skills at Advanced Planetologist Trainer to 5, allowing you access to the Conservation of Energy skill.

The Planetologist Report – Quest 8

Derek will be requesting us to travel to Arrakeen to speak with Cyprian Io once again.

Once we deliver our report we will see Cyprian Io has betrayed Derek.  We will be returning to Hagga Basin South at Testing Station No. 2 where Derek normally is at.

Once we return there, Derek will not be in his spot, but we will have a quest update.  There is a sniper team of 2 to kill just outside.  Then to our west, there will be another 2 to kill.  Once dispatched, return to Derek’s location and read a document on his table.

This won’t unlock any skills, but open up the last quest for Planetologist.

The Final Piece – Quest 9 to unlock the Planetologist Class

Derek Chinara will be located in another Imperial Testing Station, No. 163 in The O’odham for this quest.

Once you arrive, you will find Derek just inside the doorway and asking you to retrieve a recording of Kyne’s lecture located within the Testing Station.

You’ll have to move through to the end of the dungeon to find a room filled with a hologram of Kyne filled with plants.  Interact with this recording to retrieve the recording of Kyne for Derek.  Derek will be in the next room past the hex shield.

You will receive the final teaching from Derek and unlock the final capstone skill.  Additionally, he will reward you with a unique stillsuit.

This will Unlock Skills at Advanced Planetologist Trainer to 6, allowing you access to the Heat Management skill.