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).