I am planning a small adventure for my current Pathfinder group that is going to delve a bit more into horror. They are currently running on a pretty standard fantasy style but they are soon going to take a ship to get to a neighboring city but it will be hit by a storm and they will be marooned on a deserted island, but it turns out it isn't so deserted after all. I plan on it being inhabited by this maniacal but cunning man I'm not giving an in-game name but for the sake of this post I'll just refer to him as Gnasher as the Feral Gnasher archetype gave me the idea for this character and adventure.
Initially I want the group to seem pretty set but simply low on supplies. None of the characters are a ranger or druid so their survival checks are not as good as they could be. The first day will be relatively normal but when night falls they start to get a sense of being watched and possibly hear some strange noises. The Gnasher will observe them for two days before he starts setting up traps for them all over his island by water and food sources. I want him to barely be seen but when they do see him it will be terrifying. Now what I need is help on how to make him a hunter and I admit I am not well versed in hunter or ranger type characters.
For now my idea was to have the Feral Gnasher archetype as his main class but I want to add something to really give him an edge in the stealth and traps department. He doesn't wear armor as he doesn't have any for being stranded on that island for an unknown how many years or decades but he does have a weapon. His weapon is statistically a great club that was fashioned out of iron and seemingly appears to have originally been meant to be a sword or large machete but is now so blunt that it can do nothing but smash and occasionally stab. It will be a magical great club that has been stained with the blood of so many adventuring castaways that it has become a cursed magical item for anyone but Gnasher. Gnasher is also absolutely insane and absolutely feral but he is also extraordinarily cunning. He has had to survive on this island for a long time and has had more than his share of experience hunting and murdering castaways, including adventurers.
However the party has a paladin, a fighter, and a pretty hardy gnome alchemist so he won't likely be taking them on directly and that is where I need the help. The party is around level 9 and I'm making this guy about a level 12. His style of combat will be very hit and run on isolated or sleeping players but he has a colossal amount of hit points which make him very difficult to take down before he vanishes into the shadows with another corpse in hand for dinner. I have the Feral Gnasher idea pretty well set as this guy is a cannibal but I really could use advice on the other class, again preferably something stealth and trap based so he can split the party up or trap someone and force the party to look for them. The odds are kind of in the party's favor and I want a smart villain that can even the odds in devious and horrifying ways. I'm not against giving the Gnasher more magical abilities but I'd prefer it to be a tainted kind of magic that has been earned through insanity and eating magical beings like Sorcerers or Clerics.
Occult Adventures has a barbarian archetype called the flesh-eater where the barbarian can gain various abilities (as per the beast shape spells) depending on a creature that was consumed recently by the barbarian if you wanted to double down on the eating creatures. Flesh-eater
Otherwise, you could multiclass barbarian and the trapper ranger archetype from Ultimate Magic. It replaces spellcasting with the ability to create non-magical traps without cost. Trapper ranger
Unnamed Hero CR 11
XP 12,800
Goblin barbarian (feral gnasher) 12 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Race Guide 116, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 156)
CE Small humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +13
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Defense
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AC 8, touch 8, flat-footed 5 (+3 Dex, +1 size, -6 untyped penalty)
hp 154 (12d12+71)
Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +5; +5 morale bonus vs. spells, supernatural abilities, and spell-like abilities but must resist all spells, even allies'
Defensive Abilities uncanny dodge; DR 2/—
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee +2 greatclub +22/+17/+12 (1d8+24) or
bite +15 (1d6+8/×3 plus grab)
Special Attacks grab (Large), greater rage (28 rounds/day), rage powers (bloody fist, reckless abandon[APG], savage intuition, scent, superstition +5)
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Statistics
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Str 24, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 7, Cha 5
Base Atk +12; CMB +18 (+22 grapple); CMD 25
Feats Hellcat Stealth, Improved Initiative, Improved Learn Ranger Trap, Improvised Weapon Mastery, Learn Ranger Trap[UM], Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Throw Anything
Skills Acrobatics +18, Climb +11, Craft (traps) +17, Knowledge (nature) +16, Perception +13, Ride +7, Stealth +32, Survival +13, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Ride, +4 Stealth
Languages Goblin
SQ impromptu armament, lockjaw, swarm, tripwire, wicked improvisation
Other Gear +2 greatclub
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Special Abilities
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Bloody Fist (1/rage, DC 23) (Ex) Unarmed/natural attack confirmed crit: Target Fort. save or take 1d4 Con. Dmg.
Damage Reduction (2/-) You have Damage Reduction against all attacks.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Grab: Bite (Large) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Hellcat Stealth You may make Stealth checks in normal or bright light even when observed, but at a -10 penalty.
Impromptu Armament (Ex) Can pick up an unattended object you can wield in one hand as free action.
Improved Learn Ranger Trap Can use both Ex and Su versions of any ranger traps.
Improved Lockjaw (Ex) You are not grappled when grappling with your bite attack.
Improvised Weapon Mastery Proficient with all improvised weapons, increase their damage category 1 step, and grant them a threat range of 19-20.
Learn Ranger Trap (1/day, DC 14) Learn a single ranger trap
Power Attack -4/+8 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Rage (28 rounds/day) (Ex) +6 Str, +6 Con, +3 to Will saves, -2 to AC when enraged.
Reckless Abandon (+/-4) (Ex) Trade AC penalty for to hit bonus while raging.
Savage Intuition You may enter a rage at the beginning of combat without using an an action.
Scent (Ex) While raging, you gain the scent ability.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Superstition +5 (Ex) While raging, gain bonus to save vs. magic, but must resist all spells, even allies'.
Swarm Trap (Ex) (Su) Effect The trap releases a bat swarm, rat swarm, or spider swarm that attacks all creatures in the area. The swarm remains in the general area for no longer than 1 round per ranger level, after which it disperses. If the trap is an extraordina
Throw Anything Proficient with improvised ranged weapons. +1 to hit with thrown splash weapons.
Tripwire (Ex) (Su) Target knocked prone by taut wire, -6 to save if running/charging (Ref neg).
Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Retain Dex bonus to AC when flat-footed.
Wicked Improvisation +1 (Ex) Bonus on dmg rolls when using nat attks or imp weaps while raging.
This guy is pretty nasty. I only gave him one magic item but his stealth is +32. Thats pretty good. He can also stealth even while being observed because of hellcat stealth. Sweet!
