Frontier
At the edge of civilization, grim individuals scrape a harsh life from unforgiving lands. These masters of the wilderness learn the ways of their chosen lands, forgoing the comforts of cities and cultured company for peace and simplicity among beasts and nature. While some are mere visitors to frontier lands, guiding others or hunting for resources, others are true denizens of the wilds, as at home in nature as any untamed beast—and in many ways, just as dangerous.
Trapper CR 3
XP 800
Human ranger 4
N Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Perception +7
Defense
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 shield)
hp 30 (4d10+8)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk battleaxe +7 (1d8+2/×3) or handaxe +6 (1d6+2/×3)
Ranged mwk composite longbow +7 (1d8+1/×3) or throwing axe +6 (1d6+2)
Special Attacks favored enemy (animals +2)
Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +2)
1st—charm animal (DC 12)
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 19
Feats Deadly Aim, Dodge, Endurance, Mobility, Point Blank Shot
Skills Climb +10, Craft (traps) +9, Handle Animal +6, Heal +8, Perception +7, Profession (trapper) +8, Ride +6, Stealth +8, Survival +8 (+10 to follow tracks), Swim +6
Languages Common
SQ favored terrain (woods +2), hunter's bond (badger animal companion), track +2, wild empathy +4
Combat Gear black adder venom (1 dose), scrolls of cure light wounds (2), scrolls of speak with animals (2); Other Gear masterwork studded leather, masterwork buckler, masterwork battleaxe, masterwork composite longbow (+1 Str) with 20 arrows, throwing axes (2), climber's kit, healer's kit, masterwork trapmaking tools
Boon Trappers can provide food for the PCs for 1 week and can tell them secrets of the wild lands where they live, granting a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks within a 20-mile radius.
Trappers are roving hunters who wander the woods. They take any animal they can safely hunt or trap, but they are best known as the heart of the fur trade, making a variety of handcrafted but deadly effective traps to catch the unwary beasts of the forest. Trappers could be used as royal game wardens, as scouts, or as hunters for a nomadic tribe.
Trappers are typically loners but will sometimes pair up with another trapper (CR 5), a monster hunter (CR 6), or a beast master (CR 7) for companionship.
Hermit CR 6
XP 2,400
Human druid 7
N Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Perception +10
Defense
AC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor)
hp 38 (7d8+7)
Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +10; +4 vs. fey and plant–targeted effects
Defensive Abilities resist nature's lure
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff +4 (1d6–1)
Special Attacks wild shape 2/day
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 7th; concentration +11)
4th—air walk, flame strike (DC 18)
3rd—call lightning (DC 18), speak with plants, stone shape
2nd—flaming sphere (DC 18), hold animal (DC 18), resist energy, tree shape
1st—cure light wounds, endure elements, hide from animals, longstrider, produce flame
0 (at will)—create water, guidance, mending, purify food and drink
Statistics
Str 8, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Natural Spell, Self-Sufficient
Skills Fly +10, Handle Animal +11, Heal +18, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (geography) +10, Knowledge (nature) +12, Linguistics +5, Perception +10, Profession (gardener) +10, Profession (herbalist) +10, Spellcraft +6, Survival +18, Swim +4
Languages Aquan, Auran, Common, Ignan, Sylvan, Terran
SQ nature bond (owl animal companion), nature sense, trackless step, wild empathy +8, woodland stride
Combat Gear wands of cure light wounds, detect animals or plants, faerie fire, lesser restoration, speak with animals (50 charges each); Other Gear quarterstaff, bracers of armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, antitoxin (2), healer's kit, wooden holy symbol
Boon A hermit can offer healing, food, and shelter for up to a week. A hermit can also arrange a meeting with a sentient creature or wilderness NPC with a +5 bonus on related Diplomacy checks due to the hermit's reputation.
Hermits are lonely dwellers in the wilderness, eking out an existence in harmony with nature and delighting in their solitude, far from the noise and bustle of civilization. Hermits can act as woodland sentinels, spying on trespassers. Hermits rarely have companions other than animals, but they may occasionally have a pilgrim or a pair of vagabonds as guests (CR 7) or take counsel with a shaman and beast master (CR 9) whose tribe lives nearby.
Guide CR 7
XP 3,200
Human expert 9
N Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Perception +14
Defense
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 40 (9d8)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +8
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk shortspear +7/+2 (1d6) or dagger +6/+1 (1d4/19–20)
Ranged +1 light crossbow +9 (1d8+1/19–20) or mwk shortspear +9 (1d6) or dagger +8 (1d4/19–20)
Statistics
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 18
Feats Animal Affinity, Endurance, Far Shot, Mounted Combat, Point Blank Shot, Skill Focus (Survival)
Skills Climb +8, Handle Animal +12, Knowledge (geography) +12, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Linguistics +9, Perception +14, Ride +15, Stealth +13, Survival +17, Swim +4
Languages Common, Elven, Gnoll, Gnome, Halfling, Orc, Sylvan
Combat Gear potion of spider climb, smokestick, tanglefoot bags (2); Other Gear +1 chain shirt, +1 light crossbow with 20 bolts, dagger, mwk shortspear, climber's kit, heavy horse (combat trained) with studded leather barding and horseshoes of speed, tindertwigs (5), 5 gp
Boon A guide can track a particular creature or lead the PCs safely through a wilderness area for up to 3 days.
Guides are trailblazers and pathfinders, master trackers and experts at finding their way through the wilderness. They are outriders and scouts par excellence, but they leave the heavy fighting to others, preferring to snipe from long range while keeping well out of harm's way.
Guides might also be used as highly-skilled long-range messengers, or perhaps members of a specially trained royal courier corps. Guides might also serve as elite dragoons or mounted infantry in a powerful army.
A single guide may be encountered escorting two pilgrims (CR 8) or a pair of traveling merchants and their sellsword bodyguard (CR 10), or she might lead an entire caravan, with eight caravan guards and eight vagabonds (CR 10). A guide might also partner with a monster hunter or minstrel (CR 8) or two knights hunting evil in the wilderness (CR 9). A wise guide frequently works with a pair of trappers who are intimately familiar with an area (CR 8).
