Hunter Build

Patient killers who study their foes, seeking both weakness and opportunity with the skill to strike in melee or at range. Those who choose to be hunters embrace the concepts of predator and prey, whether at home in the wilderness or pursuing their quarry through back alleys and sewers. These characters are masters of ambush who combine mobility and surprise with multiple attack types to give themselves the greatest advantage no matter the foe.

Build Notes

Combining the Ranged Combat specialty with melee attack options through Proficiencies, hunters can adjust to dynamic situations, choosing their targets based on their strengths and their opponent’s weaknesses. The addition of the Scoutcraft specialty provides the skills to locate and pursue their quarry, with a number of related Background skills included. Scoutcraft can be traded for Guile can be traded for Guile and Ranged Combat specialty for Armed Combat, picking up ranged skills through the Proficiencies, in order to follow more of a Bounty Hunter path, based on character design. Rather than adding a third Specialty skill tree with Armed Combat, this build sacrifices potential Expert and Master level melee skills to allow for a large number of starting skills.

Background

With the Hunter role, some of the optional Background Packages work better than others, to get started, six  recommendations are listed below:

  • Adventurer
  • Explorer
  • Fortune Hunter
  • Mercenary
  • Outlaw
  • Ranger

Skill Trees

Ranged Combat
(10 + 4 skills = 14 points)
• Dodge
• Retreat
• Shoot
• Weapon Proficiency

Scoutcraft
(10 + 9 skill = 19 points)
• Climbing
• First Aide
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Hunting
• Rope Use
• Survival
• Swimming
• Trapping

Athletics
(2 skills = 2 points)
• Evade
• Hack

Cunning
(2 skill = 2 points)
• Observation
• Stab

Vigilance
(3 skills = 3 points)
• Search
• Swing
• Weapon Proficiency

Starting Gear

Hunters begin play with a suit of armor, a melee weapon, and a ranged weapon with starting ammo, the quality of which is based on the starting wealth class. Because these characters will likely carry a quiver, those who begin with an Explorer Pack may substitute a Haversack for the Backpack or spread the gear across other containers. These packs do not have a specific monetary value, rather they are designed to ensure that starting characters have the basic gear they need to begin play. Substitutes for items of a roughly equal value may be made with GM approval.

These characters are scraping by, living in communal areas when they can and sleeping on the ground when they can’t, with just enough money to manage a decent meal…on most days. Their meager possessions amount to:

  • Padded Armor (Poor)
  • Simple Melee Weapon (Poor)
  • Ranged Weapon (Poor)
  • 3 local coins

Although hardworking, these characters have little to show for it, living in a semi-private communal area. Their careworn possessions include:

  • Padded or Leather Armor (Poor)
  • Light Helm (Poor)
  • Simple Weapon (Poor)
  • Ranged Weapon (Poor)
  • Explorers Pack (Poor)
  • 25 local coins

Coming from a family of skilled tradespeople, low level civil servants, or lifelong military service, these characters have decent lodgings and a comfortable lifestyle. Their gear is fairly new and includes:

  • Padded or Leather Armor (Standard)
  • Light Helm (Standard)
  • Simple Weapon (Standard)
  • Ranged Weapon (Standard)
  • Explorers Pack (Standard)
  • 100 local coins

Coming from a family of landowners, business people, or mid level civil servants, wealth and power has long been a part of how they define themselves among their peers. This attitude shows in their gear which includes:

  • Any Light Armor (Standard)
  • Light Helm (Standard)
  • Any Melee Weapon (Standard)
  • Ranged Weapon (Masterwork)
  • Explorers Pack (Standard)
  • 250 local coins

Coming from a lifestyle of luxury beyond anything that most people can imagine, the very best is the only quality they will accept, which includes:

  • Any Light Armor (Masterwork)
  • Light Helm (Masterwork)
  • Any Melee Weapon (Masterwork)
  • Ranged Weapon (Masterwork)
  • Explorers Pack (Masterwork)
  • 750 local coins
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