So I'm creating a Ranger who is a courier by trade, I figured the Ranger class fit this best, though it lacks some of the skills I'd like to see in a courier. (Diplomacy... here I come affable trait!)
20 point buy, thinking I might want a race with a CHA bonus for flavour. (A courier gathering information is common idea I want to roll with) I'm making him as a switch hitter and I'd like him to still be semi-optimized for combat while making him as flavourful as possible.
What would be some really flavourful choices for a courier? Hopefully choices that are also useful.
Just realized I probably want to get linguistics in there somewhere as well! I think affable is probably better than world traveler though, gives both diplomacy and knowledge (local).
Cosmopolitan would be a good feat though... Hmmm.
I've considered going Bard as he really does help with the skill selection, but a Ranger feels like he suits the wanderlust and survival skills of a courier.
My GM did say he'd like the next game to spend more time in cities, so I could see Urban Ranger working out well, and Guide is also something to consider. I'm liking where this is going!
Still not certain on my race and ability score layout.
Anything Paizo.
So I'm creating a Ranger who is a courier by trade, I figured the Ranger class fit this best, though it lacks some of the skills I'd like to see in a courier. (Diplomacy... here I come affable trait!)Cool concept.
I might want a race with a CHA bonus for flavour.
Gnomes get +2 CON & CHA, -2 STR
Halflings get +2 DEX & CHA, -2 STRDrow get +2 DEX & CHA, –2 CON
Irfit get +2 DEX & CHA, –2 WIS
Then Human, Half-Elf, Half-Orc get those floating +2 which can be put into CHA. My favorite would be Human just for the bonus feat and that they aren't likely to attract attention just being there.
I'm making him as a switch hitter and I'd like him to still be semi-optimized for combat while making him as flavourful as possible.
Then STR will probably matter more to you than it ordinarily would. Treantmonk's Ranger Guide recommended this spread for the switch hitter; STR>DEX>WIS>CON>INT>CHA. Since you don't want to dump CHA, and aren't likely to want to dump INT either, those stats aren't going to be pretty.
STR 16/DEX 14/CON 12/INT 11/WIS 12/CHA 10
Before racial modifiers, maybe? Drop the +2 in STR, per the build guide. I think I'd dump INT & CHA and try to make up for the skill points & Diplomacy check elsewhere than sink it into stats that won't do too much else. Even if you tank CHA you can probably raise diplomacy a bit through traits, spells, & equipment to be decent. If you feel a courier needs to be excellent at diplomacy then you may just want to be some sort of Bard or Rouge. The Driver Rouge is about as close an archetype to a courier I think I've seen, but I'm not familiar with vehicle combat and I'm sure that's going to be tough for dungeon crawling combat.
What would be some really flavourful choices for a courier? Hopefully choices that are also useful.
If it were me I'd probably steer away from any archetype that misses out on an animal companion. As a courier you'd probably want to ride a horse. You could go the carrier pigeon route, but I imagine that takes the fun out of delivering messages yourself.
Depending on how you feel about spell casting you can trade in your divine spells for Hunter's Tricks as a Skirmisher Ranger. You get to use them 1/2 level + Wisdom modifier per day. They're mostly move, free, & swift actions to activate. The benefits aren't great though and only a few stick out as being reliably useful. I think the spells are better, but if it's out of place for your courier to be a spellcaster this isn't too bad.
I was thinking STR 16 DEX 14 CON 12 INT 10 WIS 13 CHA 10, I don't really like dumping stats if I don't have to, and the layout isn't too bad, put a level up point into WIS to get the 4th level spells. If I went Human or Half-elf I'd say it isn't so bad at all, and I might not be the BEST at diplomacy, but I think it could work.
It would definitely make sense for a courier's animal companion to be a mount as well, though I suppose it doesn't necessarily need to be a horse.
I'd prefer Hunter's Tricks to spells if the Tricks weren't so... meh.
I wouldn't mind the Hunter's Tricks if the GM is willing to house rule them a bit, I'll talk to him and see, otherwise I'll probably just try to flavour the spells somehow. Urban Skirmisher Guide seems to fit really well thematically but I'm not impressed with Guide replacing Animal Companion with how useful they are.
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You thought about Cavalier with the Emissary Archetype from Ultimate Combat?
You get your mount; mount related feats and some bonus feats.
They seem to be perfect for a courier.
You are losing out on the Ranger benefits but you do get diplomacy as a class skill. Then Depending on the Order you choose you could get all sorts of other interesting things.
You could go Order of the Seal and say that your package is the secret you are sworn to protect (with the GM’s approval) this gains you Linguistics and Disable Device. Would need a little tweaking to make it work with a package though.
But Order of the Tome would also give you Linguistics along with Know Arcana or Religion and that is protecting dangerous knowledge which could also relate to your package. Also allows you to use scrolls of either arcane or divine nature at 8th level.
Seems like it could work nicely.
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A cavalier is something to consider for sure, but every time I've played one I've found myself frustrated with how reliant I felt on my mount that always ended up staying outside.
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Very true, they are somewhat tied to their mount. As you were going to be in cities it may not be your best choice. Without a mount they are slightly better than a warrior :) Very much your poor mans fighter.
However on a horse (or any other mount for the little people) They are pretty awesome.
How about a ratfolf Cavalier called Didymus riding a dog? ... jk :)
Shame there is no small doglike races ... suppose you could have a furry kobold?
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Not that this is relevant to a character build, but I was honestly going to suggest that if this was an NPC you just make an awakened blink dog. That would make a great courier being able to at will dimension door a minimum of 440 ft per 6 seconds.
Hrmm....ask you're GM if you can play a blink dog ranger?
Or take Leadership at level 7 and get a blink dog companion and then "convince" the companion to allow you to ride them to make youre deliveries.