Character concept: River rat

[treeplanter]

Hello; Was creating a NPC for a future game. For those who have not read Hyboria fiercest, River rat is the Nomad/Pirate archetype. I think it is a quite strong archetype actually.

- you get uncanny dodge from the pirate.
- You get the mobility chain from both class, meaning you could possibly acheive Greater mobility by level 10 (you take dodge and mobility before reaching level 5 in either class).
- You can take feat like Improved bull rush and Drive your ennemies before you. Combined with Ferocious attack and nomad charge, this will neat you a +9/+7 bonus while charging. By level 10th, with greater mob., you can charge with 2 weapon figthing for a total onslaught.

Now enough crunch, what race would be well suited for this combinaison? No much is said in H. fiercest....

- Hyrkanian or Turanian: Nomad if a favoured class, and they have the Vilayet sea, so this is a natural choose I think. The free bow proficiency is nice, but not having the pirate as a favoured class suck a bit, as you're going to get low on feat.

- Hyborian? Well having both class favoured would be really nice but what nation would fit? Argossean have Pirate, but are not really nomadic. Aquilonia don't sponsor many pirate, and even less nomads. Same thing for Nemedia. Corinthia is more mountains, don't know about Brythunia or Koth, but do not seem to fit.

So I guess it's Hyrkanian/Turanian...

 

[Jeffreywns]

Alot depends on the role of this NPC. Sounds as if your going for a combat monster (judging by your feat examples) as opposed to the "wise river Gypsy with a secret".
Same goes for the enviroment you are going to introduce him to the party in. On water/boats or in the pub/island ruins/etc.
The Brythunian/Border Kingdom style Gypsy (Hyborian) gives you extra feats sooner, so I guess his level would be an issue also.
And of course you could damn the number crunching, stat-spitting mob and pick the nearest river to the adventure and create him accordingly. Would allow you to spend all the time saved on the rest of the story.

 

[treeplanter]

Hum did not tough of the river-gypsy type, might be cool. The problem I've with gypsy is that while they are "nomadic", the nomad class archetype really represent the desert brute on his horse. a gypsy look more like a thief who travel too me. Nomad are powerful warrior, almost barbarian, from harsh environmment, who move from place to place a for survival purpose, while a Gypsy is more like a parasite, dunno...