Rico Nature’s Blade/Wayfarer

 This is the spell-less, guile-heavy version of Rico, as opposed to the spell-using, guile-light one I posted before. Which one do you like more?

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Rico Vulfsson Skadein, the Generous

Male dwarf ranger (Nature’s Blade/Wayfarer) 1

NG Medium humanoid (dwarf)

Init +3; Senses Perception +5/+7

Defense

AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +3 Dex). +4 dodge against monsters of the giant subtype

hp 14 (1d10+4)

Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5. +2 racial bonus vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities

Defensive Abilities defensive training

Offense

Speed 20 ft.

Melee throwing axe +4 (1d6+3)

Ranged throwing axe +4 (1d6+3)

Guile

Skill Leverage 1; Trade Tradition Keeper; OAM Wis (+5)

Herbalism Sphere - Skill Heal 1 rank, Profession (herbalist) 1 rank; Talents none; Utility Talents Efficient Healer, Medical Know-How

Vocation Sphere - Utility Talents Farmer, Guide, Handler, Racer

Martial
Tradition Canny Hunter (Equipment sphere: Dwarven Heritage, Huntsman Training; Scout sphere; Sniper sphere); PAM Wis

Barrage sphere - DC 15, Talents none, Drawbacks none

- barrage (make two ranged attacks at your full base attack bonus -2 as a special attack action)

- melee archer (+1 on attack and damage with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 ft.)

Equipment sphere - DC 15, Talents Dwarven Heritage, Huntsman Training, Drawbacks none

- dwarven heritage (discipline) (proficiency with the battleaxe, dwarven boulder helmet, earthbreaker, greataxe, greatclub, hand axe, heavy pick, light hammer, light pick, pickaxe, throwing axe, and warhammer)

- huntsman training ( proficiency with the atlatl, bolas, boomerang, handaxe, harpoon, longbow, net, shortbow, throwing axe, and tube arrow shooter; only suffer a –1 penalty per full range increment between you and your target when using a ranged weapon)

Scout sphere - DC 15, Talents none, Drawbacks none
- scout (swift action, identify creature's weaknesses)

Sniper sphere - DC 13, Talents none, Drawbacks none

- deadly shot (attack with a ranged weapon; expend martial focus to deal 1d10/1d6 damage)

Statistics

Str 16, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 20, Cha 12

Base Atk +1, CMB +4, CMD 17 (21 vs. bull rush or trip while standing on the ground)

Traits Artisan, Caretaker

Feats Extra Combat Talent

Skills Craft (alchemy) +7, Craft (smith) +7, Diplomacy +5, Handle Animal +6, Heal +10, Knowledge (nature) +6, Profession (herbalist) +9/+13, Profession (smith) +11/+15, Stealth +4, Survival +10

Languages Common, Dwarven, Undercommon

SQ craftsman, industrious urbanite, surface survivalist, stonecunning, weapon familiarity

Gear healer’s kit (50 gp), lamellar armor (horn) (100 gp), ranger’s kit (9 gp), throwing axe (8 gp), 8 gp.

Special Abilities

Barrage Sphere Barrage practitioners specialize in using ranged weapons to make fast shots, often from the middle of the melee itself.

All practitioners of the Barrage sphere gain the following abilities:

Barrage: Melee Archer You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 ft. Associated Feat: Point-Blank Shot.

Barrage: Barrage As a special attack action, you may make two ranged attacks at your full base attack bonus -2. Beginning at 6 base attack bonus, you may expend your martial focus to make an additional extra attack, increasing the penalty to all your attacks from -2 to -4. For every 5 points of base attack bonus you possess beyond 6, when expending your martial focus you may increase this penalty by an additional -2 to make an additional extra attack.

Some talents are marked (blitz). You may apply a maximum of one (blitz) per extra attack to a barrage, but only if the barrage meets the prerequisites, including that attack (for example, if a (blitz) requires a target be struck twice, you can only apply that (blitz) to a target that has been struck twice. If he is struck a third time, you could apply a second (blitz) that requires at least two attacks to that target). Associated Feat: Rapid Shot

Equipment: Dwarven Heritage (discipline) You gain proficiency with the battleaxe, dwarven boulder helmet, earthbreaker, greataxe, greatclub, hand axe, heavy pick, light hammer, light pick, pickaxe, throwing axe, and warhammer. You may take this talent a total of twice. If taken a second time, you also gain proficiency with the dwarven dorn-dergar, dwarven double waraxe, dwarven longaxe, dwarven longhammer, dwarven maulaxe, dwarven urgrosh, and dwarven waraxe.

Equipment: Huntsman Training (discipline) You gain proficiency with the atlatl, bolas, boomerang, handaxe, harpoon, longbow, net, shortbow, throwing axe, and tube arrow shooter. In addition, you only suffer a –1 penalty per full range increment between you and your target when using a ranged weapon. Associated Feat: Far Shot.

Herbalism Sphere Operatives of the Herbalism sphere are able to utilize their knowledge of herbal lore and remedies to bolster their allies, as well as restore them from many of the afflictions that befall adventurers in the field.

Associated Skill: Profession (herbalist).

When you gain the Herbalism sphere, you gain 5 ranks in Profession (herbalist), plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Herbalism sphere (maximum ranks equal to your Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in Profession (herbalist), you may immediately retrain them.

Skill Leverage: You unlock skill leverage with the Profession (herbalist) and your choice of the Heal or Knowledge (nature) skill.

You also acquire the Herbal Lore and Naturalist's Eye abilities.

Herbalism: Herbal Lore (Ex) Choose two of the following herb types. You learn the practical applications of these herbs, and where they can be found in the wild. Gathering a batch of herbs requires 1 hour, and may be done during the same period of time required to prepare spells or other daily abilities. You may gather an additional batch of herbs at any time by spending 1 hour gathering herbs. Herbs may be gathered anywhere that plants or fungi grow, including caves or densely packed cities but not a lifeless demiplane.

A single batch of herbs contains a number of herbs equal to your ranks in the associated skill + your operative ability modifier, and contains any combination of herbs you can gather. A gathered herb loses its potency after 24 hours. You may only gather a number of batches per day equal to your operative ability modifier.

Unless otherwise specified, consuming a herb is a standard action, and grants its benefits for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your ranks in the associated skill + your operative ability modifier, or until the user benefits from the herb, whichever comes first, unless otherwise indicated.

Bitter Herbs: Known for their restorative properties, a bitter herb can be consumed to heal 1 point of ability damage after 10 minutes has elapsed.

Bland Herbs: Used to slow or hasten natural bodily processes, a bland herb can be consumed to reduce the next instance of weapon damage received by an amount equal to your operative ability modifier. Alternatively you may reduce the value of the next instance of bleed damage you would suffer by an equal amount.

Cool Herbs: Used to boost cognitive functions, a cool herb can be consumed to gain a +2 competence bonus to the next Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based ability check or skill check the user attempts within the herb’s duration.

Dry Herbs: Utilized to protect the body and mind, a dry herb can be consumed to allow the user to reroll the next saving throw they attempt within 1 round. The user can spend a swift action chewing the herb to extend the duration for an additional round (to a maximum number of rounds equal to the herb’s duration).

Spicy Herbs: Used to enhance and alter physical abilities, a spicy herb can be consumed to gain a +2 competence bonus to the next Strength-, Dexterity-, or Constitution-based ability check or skill check the user attempts within the herb’s duration.

Sweet Herbs: Known to encourage natural healing processes, a sweet herb can be consumed to gain fast healing 1 for a number of rounds equal to your operative ability modifier.

Herbalism: Naturalist’s Eye [approach] (Ex) You may adopt this approach as a swift action. While you maintain this approach, you gain a +1 insight bonus to Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks, increasing by 1 per 4 ranks in the associated skill you possess.

Additionally, you can always determine the condition of plants that you can see, such as if they are healthy, damaged or wilting, poisoned, etc. This includes plant creatures, as if you had succeeded at a Heal check to assess its health (page 50). If you attempt a check to determine the source of damage or anomalous conditions on a plant, you can spend 1 use of skill leverage to treat the check as though you had rolled a 15 on the die.

Finally, you regain 1 skill leverage when you successfully identify a plant or plant type creature that you have never encountered before.

Herbalism: Efficient Healer [utility] You can use a sweet herb as if it were a healer's kit with a single use. Also, you do not take a penalty when treating deadly wounds without a healer’s kit. When you use a healer's kit, you can use a sweet herb alongside it, increasing the circumstance bonus granted by the healer’s kit by 2.

Additionally, whenever you provide long-term care to a creature, they are treated as if they had a complete day of rest when determining the benefits of their rest, in addition to healing 2 points of ability drain to all ability scores after their rest. If they were already receiving complete bed rest, they treat their character level as being an amount higher equal to your operative ability modifier (minimum 1) when determining the amount of healing gained from rest.

Finally, you can tend to an additional patient at a time when providing long-term care for every rank in Heal you possess.

Herbalism: Medical Know-How [utility] You gain Heal as an additional associated skill for this sphere.

Scout Sphere Training in the Scout sphere teaches you how to hide from danger, identify potential threats and hazards, track opponents through almost any environment, and identify a creature’s key weaknesses. When you gain the Scout sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the Stealth skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Scout sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Stealth skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.

All practitioners of the Scout sphere gain the following ability:

Scout: Scout As a swift action, you may identify a creature’s weaknesses (DC 10 + creature’s CR) as described under the Knowledge skill, but may substitute a Perception check for the appropriate Knowledge check at a -5 penalty. This only reveals the target’s weaknesses, or lack thereof, (such as damage reduction types and vulnerabilities), and does not reveal any additional information about the target. Once you have succeeded at a scout attempt or Knowledge check against a target, any talents or effects that require you to scout a target may be used against the target for the next 24 hours; after this period you must successfully use the scout ability against the target again to continue benefiting from related effects.

Sniper Sphere Snipers specialize in making single, deadly shots, often over great distances. Practitioners of the Sniper sphere can shoot or throw ranged weapons at a creature engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on their attack roll. Associated Feat: Precise Shot.

All practitioners of the Sniper sphere gain the following ability:

Sniper: Deadly Shot As a special attack action, you may make an attack with a ranged weapon. You may add any one (snipe) talent you know to this attack.

In addition, you may expend your martial focus to increase the damage dealt by the attack by 1d10, or 1d6 if the attack targets touch AC or is made with a scatter weapon. You must choose whether or not to use this ability before making your attack roll. These extra damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total. For every 4 points of base attack bonus you possess, you deal an additional 1d10 damage, or an additional 1d6 if the attack targets touch AC or is made with a scatter weapon.

Some talents are marked (snipe). These talents add additional effects when you perform a deadly shot. You may only apply the effects of one (snipe) talent to each deadly shot.

Vocation: Farmer (trade) [utility] You gain Appraise, Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Ride as class skills. You receive a +1 competence bonus when taking 10 or 20 on skill checks.

Vocation: Guide (trade) [utility] You gain Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Ride, and Survival as class skills. You can attempt a Ride check in place of a Handle Animal check to interact with a mount that is helpful to you while you are touching it.

Vocation: Handler (trade) [utility] You gain Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Ride, and Survival as class skills. You may spend 1 use of skill leverage to take 10 with one of these skills even in combat if you have unlocked skill leverage with that skill.

Vocation: Racer (trade) [utility] You gain Fly, Handle Animal, Ride, and Swim as class skills. All of your movement speeds or those of any mount you are riding increase by 5 feet whenever you or they take a run action.

Build

Rico is built with a 4d6 roll, discard lower system and 175 gp starting wealth. Favored Class Bonus is +1 hit point. If using a lower point buy, you can lower Intelligence and Charisma. If using a higher point buy (or rolling really well), your most important attribute is Wisdom. Wisdom is your practitioner and operative statistic and affects the save DCs of all your skill and martial talents, increases your Will saving throws, and bolsters your survival, profession, and healing skills. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are important too, to have a better attack and damage roll and more hit points.

Playing Rico
Rico is gentle, wise, and peaceful. Dedicated to his arts, he keeps to himself in the forest’s heart, cures ill animals, creates tools for the villagers and helps wounded travelers. As a surface dwarf, he lacks the rudeness and greed of his subterranean kin, and often offers his advice and work for free.

Future Abilities

Combat Talents Animal Empathy, Balanced Blows, Beastmastery sphere (Handle Animal), Covering Fire, Crushing Thrower, Dual Wielding sphere, Identify Structural Hazards, Mixed Assault, Mixed Defense, Paired Proficiency, Retaliating Fire, Steady Shot, Targeted Assault, Throwing Mastery, Weapon Shot

Skill Talents Artifice sphere (Gear), Battlefield Medic*, Expanded Artifice (Fabrication), Field Repair, Healing Poultice*, Impressive Weaponry, Navigation sphere* (Wilderness), Physician’s Efficacy*, Soothing Draught, Utility: Apothecary’s Appraisal, Area Mapping, Confident Craftsmanship, Discreet Travel, Favorite Tools, Fleet Movement, Impressive Tools, Lay of the Land, Resilience Training*, Tracking Expert

Feats Close–Quarters Thrower, Distance Thrower, Dodge, Improved Precise Shot, Pinpoint Targeting, Quick Draw, Toxic Recovery, Weapon Focus (light hammer), Weapon Focus (throwing axe)

Skills Craft, Heal, Profession (herbalist), and Survival are the most useful skills for you. Put some ranks in Appraise, Diplomacy, Perception, and Sense Motive too.

Take Resilience Training instead of Endurance at 3rd level. Choose Live off the Land as your hunter’s bond at 4th level. Aberrations, monstrous humanoids, evil outsiders, and undead are good favored enemies. Forest, mountain, plains, and underground are good favored terrains.