Need help with new archetypes

[Ironic Hero]

I'm developing a campaign setting in which the only spellcasters are Sorcerers, with only one of each bloodline in existence at any time. The Sorcerers of the world have established a tyrannical ruler-ship over the populace, and will be the primary villains of the campaign. As such, all spellcasting classes will be off-limits to PCs. However, I would like to still allow Bards, Inquisitors, Paladins, and Rangers. All Rangers will have the Skirmisher archetype, so as to allow them without spellcasting. I would like help in developing similar archetypes for Bards, Inquisitors, and Paladins, so that the classes are still viable, albeit lacking spellcasting capabilities. Developing class archetypes is not my strong suit, so any thoughts/suggestions, no matter how bizarre, are welcome.

Note: Alchemists are not considered spellcasters for this purpose and will be completely allowed.

[LazarX]

The Trapster Archetype for Rangers also eliminates spellcasting.

If you want to be consistent with your world flow, I'd eliminate the Alchemist class as well, and leave alchemy for Experts.

[Thorkull]

I have one question that will become an issue if you haven't address edit yet:

How will you handle healing with no magic?

[Ironic Hero]

@LazarX: I realize that the Trapper Archetype replaces spells, however, I will be using Maxximilius's version of the Trapper Archetype, as I would like to allow the two to overlap. Also, Alchemists represent scientific advancement in this campaign setting, not magic.

@Thorkull: The Alchemists take care of healing. Also, potions will be much cheaper.

[LazarX]

Ironic Hero wrote:

@LazarX: I realize that the Trapper Archetype replaces spells, however, I will be using Maxximilius's version of the Trapper Archetype, as I would like to allow the two to overlap. Also, Alchemists represent scientific advancement in this campaign setting, not magic.

@Thorkull: The Alchemists take care of healing. Also, potions will be much cheaper.

If you understand history, you'd realise that Alchemy predates science... it doesn't use anything like the scientific method. It belongs more with magic, that's why it emulates it so closely.

[Cheapy]

And if you studied the history of science, you'd know that the above statement is bunk ;-)

[Ironic Hero]

I have to agree with Cheapy. While most of the basic principles behind alchemy weren't based on the modern scientific method, modern chemistry developed directly out of alchemy. Incidentally, being that science is simply knowledge of the physical world developed through observation, no recorded human history predates science.

[Maxximilius]

Ironic Hero wrote:

@LazarX: I realize that the Trapper Archetype replaces spells, however, I will be using Maxximilius's version of the Trapper Archetype, as I would like to allow the two to overlap.

*Manly tears*

[Azten]

It's not what you're looking for, but The Genius Guide to Feats of Battle has several feats that require a caster level of 0 to take, and state in the Special that if you do get a caster level after taking the feat, you can choose to forgo having that caster level.

[Ironic Hero]

I've been focusing mostly on Bards so far, and feel that the best route is to pump Bardic Performance. Ideas I have started to play with include more versatility, more rounds, and Performance Meta-Effects, a la Cheapy. Thoughts?

[1Mac]

Minor thread-necromancy, as I just found this via SmiloDan's class thread. Here's a spell-less Bard variant I put together several months ago and shared at ENWorld. It's a Sendspace link and is a little heavy on the sketchy ads, so sorry about that. Just click the "click here to start download from Sendspace" link, not the duplicitous "Download!" button ads. Anyway, let me know what you all think.

Also on topic, the Warrior of Holy Light and Skirmisher are APG archetypes that are great spell-less paladins and rangers, respectively. Here are some good 3rd party sources for other spell-less variants:

The Expanded Spell-less Ranger (Open Design: Expansion of the class featured in Kobold Quarterly 11)
Alchemists' Discoveries (Super Genius Games: can swap extracts for one of two nifty alternate abilities)
Inquisitor's Judgements (SGG: features the Justicar variant class as a spell-less Inquisitor)

[The Leaping Gnome]

Here's another option for the rangers:

Guileful Hunter (Ranger)

Rogue Talent (Ex): At 4th level and every two levels thereafter, a guileful hunter may select a rogue talent. The guileful hunter must meet the prerequisites of these talents. This replaces spell casting.

If you want, you can allow your players to take Advanced Talents starting at 10th level as well, if your rogues don't mind getting their toes stepped on a bit. And if you feel that's a bit unbalanced you could take camouflage, hide in plain sight, and improved evasion off of the ranger class list and allow the players to select them as talents.

I suppose you could do something similar with paladins or even inquisitors (they'd need a bit more than that though), but the flavor works much better with rangers.