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I'm working on a major NPC that will be the main nemesis for a long-spanning subplot: a lizardfolk stalking the descendants of the adventuring group that more than a century before disrupted the reptilian empire of his tribe, and helped the humans reclaim the swamplands by draining them with canals and landscaping works to gain a large swath of useful soil for agriculture.
It lives in the canals and the sewers of the sprawling city, stalking his prey like a methodical yet savage serial killer, and emerges to strike while moving unseen among the populace.
I thought of it as a Urban Ranger (APG archetype) with an evil twist, and it seemed to me that both the Skirmisher and Spirit Ranger archetypes would be fitting too - with no overlapping class features substitutions.
However, the Skirmisher archetype
Hunter's Tricks: [CUT] This ability replaces the ranger's spells class feature. Skirmishers do not gain any spells or spellcasting ability, do not have a caster level, and cannot use spell trigger and spell completion magic items.
while the Spirit Ranger archetype
Spirit Bond (Ex): At 4th level, instead of forming a bond with his hunting companions or an animal companion, the spirit ranger forms a bond with the spirits of nature themselves. Each day, as long as he is within one of his favored terrains, the ranger can cast augury (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 245) as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to his ranger level. In addition, he can call upon these spirits to cast any one ranger spell that he is capable of casting, without having to prepare the spell. At 8th level, and every four levels thereafter, he can cast an additional spell in this way.
Does the Spirit Bond spell-like ability ignore the limits of Hunter's Trick (I'd say yes, as the latter says nothing about spell-like abilities)? And that extra spell cast by the spirit is inhibited too (I'd say yes, as the Skirmisher ranger can't cast any spell)?
Any other advice on how to build a better soft-skins (humans) hunter?
Yep, you got the right of it.
My suggestion? Give him levels of anti-paladin. Favored enemy stacks well with smite good. Especially for a BBEG. Perhaps even just a few levels.
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OK, thanks.
Good hint on the anti-paladin; however it kinda conflicts with the "tribal avenger" concept I had in mind - it's too much blasphemous power and not enough primitive savage - even though it would give the lizardfolk that extra oomph to make it really memorable.
Maybe I'll build both versions, just to see a comparison in numbers rather than in theory. ;-)
I'd allow allow the Spirits to provide the ranger with another trick in place of spell. That's just how I'd house rule it. Combining Archetypes can lead to odd situations like this. Even taking archetypes can cause this kind of issue with feats.