Please critique my Archetype.(Sketch)
So, currently i´m thinking up a new Ranger Archetype primarly for NPC- Troops for a Kingmaker Campaign. I am trying to built up Marine- Raider-Type, light assault troops for landing operations, ship-to-ship fight, fighting in difficult terrain like forest, swamps, cities...
I´m doing this on the premisses that its easier to train a ranger to use a shield properly and make a shield-wall, than to teach a fighter how to sneak, live in the woods and get a favoured enemy.
As a rolemodel i´m using the Hidden Sniper Archetype, since he looses Wild Empathy to get AIM in second level, which i want the "Raider" to have. The Hidden Sniper trades his fav. enemy for sneak-attack, which i´m not interested in. But as i see those guys, they don´t need Track either, so i´d trade this for ShieldFocus or ShieldWall.
We´re talking about NPC mostly so going from a 15 or rather 13- Point buy, i want them to have STR 14 and DEX 15, so the front-line can shieldbash at higher Levels. Not having a functioning Herolab, i´m not sure if they´d have enough WIS to cast spells, if they´re to have a decent Con.
Tactically they´ll work in teams of at least three:
3 Guys Front: with Tridents/ThrowingAxes + Hvy. Shields with ShieldWall
3 Guys Flanks: with Javelins/Scimitars + LightShields
3 Guys Back: Crossbow and Buckler
Mostly Wooden Armor
Level Proggression:
1- Shield Focus + ShieldWall/Fav. enemy: Raider´s (Guide´s) Target or Human
2- Aim + CombatStyle Crossbow Feat: Deadly Aim
3- 1/2 Missile Shield/ Fav. Terrain: ???
4- ....Bond?/ Spells ?
Here i´m groping. I want them to be as versatile as possible. I like the Skirmisher, but i´m loath to loose the spells, as a unit with gravitybow or lead blades would be too great. I´m trying to sell my DM some sort of Homebrew TeamBonus, Favourite Terrain: difficult and dangerous, like the one for mass-combat in the RiverNationsBook, but first i wanted to run this by the comunity ( exspecially those that have read UC): Have i overlooked an obvious feat,archetype or tactic ?
Edit:
PS: I know that MissileShield doesnt work with Bucklers, the Troops that come up as far will probably get a rapid reload: large heavy crossbow, or exotic proficiency: repeating heavy or launching crossbow, those will be the companies fire support;)harharhar...
PPS: And please don´t see any of this as an insult to either Malazan Marines nor exspecially real world marines...
with your STR and DEX requirements, you will have enough to buy up one more stat to 14 or so without dumping, then you can adjust for racial bonus.
So a human marine in your kingdom will probably look like this:
STR 14 (5)
DEX 15 (3) +2 Racial
CON 14 (5)
INT 10 (0)
WIS 12 (2)
CHA 10 (0)
Oddly, you can buy up Dex and put the bonus in WIS and it works out the same.
Thanks BrambleMAN, sure looks good to me.
Where's the hidden sniper?
In the "Book of the River Nations, Complete Reference Guide Kingdom Building" by JBE ( really nice one btw).
Basically already i wrote most of the changes:
Wild emphathy for Aim, that is: move action: +2 circ. bonus for next shot, full-round: no Dex AC for the target
Fav. enemy for SneakAttack
Only CombatStyle: Archery or Crossbow
PoisonUse for Hunters Bond