Trying to create a survivalist class, any thoughts?

[Pumanca]

Any suggestions on how to flesh out a survivalist class for IK? I?m just not familiar with D&D?s classes , feats, and skill advancement enough to quite work it out. Or am I missing something in the available classes, perhaps a Monster Hunter/(something) multiclass?
I?m trying to create a character that is able to be self-sufficient; living off the land (i.e. can expertly hunt/forage for food, build temporary lodging, and fashion his own tools, weapons, and clothing). Making some coin on the side by selling hides, pelts, bones, n? whatnot. I?m planning on having him and a troupe venture into Eastern Immoren tracking and bringing down great exotic beasts, and over the course of a good few sessions, encounter the titans, rhinodons, Chimera/spawn, perhaps ally with Idrian resistance fighters, Efaarit, and maybe even giants.

[FrankJaeger]

Ranger, pretty much. Thats exactly what you want. You can take a couple of prestige classes too, to further support the theme.

[PG_Cloud-Gatherer]

Totally Ranger, especially with the IK adjustments that remove the nature magic aspects of the D&D class.

[jdripley]

You might look into the Complete Adventurer book from 3.5 (that is, if you're playing 3.5) to find the Scout class. It's similar to a Ranger but without the nature magic and without the animal companion. It's got a slight tilt towards ranged combat over melee combat but is efficient enough with both. Its bonus to damage doesn't come from hated enemies, but rather from battlefield positioning - if you move at least 10 feet (I think) you get bonus die on your damage roll. I think you have to be within 30 feet, which usually isn't too tough to do.

Could be another option to stand beside Ranger.

And if you're willing to monkey with the classes, Fighter seems like it would work well too, honestly. Maybe sack every other bonus feat for extra skills or something so you can reasonably get things like Survival up high enough to matter.

[Whimper]

Really, IK Ranger is all you need. The Survival skill, the Track and Endurance feats, the favoured terrains and enemies pretty much cover everything- for trekking beyond the Stormlands, I'd recommend specializing in desert terrain and beast-killing. And as far as crafting your own tools? Try Craft (Tools), which is a class skill for rangers.

Another option that works surprisingly well as a trailblazer is the Marshal class from the Miniatures Handbook. Grab 2 levels of Ranger first for some BAB and the favoured stuff, then have a look at this: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b

Give yourself strong CHA, and above average DEX and WIS. Choose "Motivate DEX" and "Motivate WIS" as your first two minor auras, and your whole party will be sneaking, spotting, and survivaling with the best of them. Yes, survivaling.


Also, just discovered that the most powerful magic-free pure warrior we've seen stats for is not Vinter IV, but in fact an Iosan ranger guarding the Gate of Mists. Paelyth Rhyslyrr (male Iosan Rgr17/Ftr6) must be one kickass gatewarden....

[Pumanca]

Thank you all for your input, dunno how I missed the relevance of the Ranger, guess I'd just find the key in a prestige class rather than base, but you're all very right.

Anybody aware of any fluff on the more exotic races (Satyxis, Efaarit, Letheans, Giants, Anura, and people of Zu) mentioned in No Quarter and WarmaHordes books?

[Nerdynick]

Satyxis, Efaarit, Letheans, and Giants are all detailed in the Monsternomicons (For Bloodstone Marches, get #II). I don't recall if the Anura are in them, and the people of Zu are mentioned in MNI under the Totem Hunter article, but it pretty much just says that the humans are slaves to the Totem Hunters and toil endlessly etc...

[Pumanca]

I was fortunate enough to get a copy of all the IKRPG books before they went out of print (except for Lock & Load and the Witchfire Trilogy) and I love how the books present little webs of intrigue. I'm just curious if there's more info out there in the WarmaHordes books and No Quarter...
Some of my favorite plot threads are:
* The warping of the Satyxis and the mystique of their lost homeland and their origins as pirate witches even before Toruk
* The Efaarit just seem cool to me, but why in Thmar's realm of Urcaen would they stay in the stormlands and near the romping grounds of the Chimera?
* Pendrakes account of the Alchierian subcontinent and the seemingly Menite ziggurat; implications to the age of the Menite faith is astounding...
* What race is responsible for the ruins in the Stattered Spine Islands?
* The possibility of an unknown Tordoran colony in the East or South (related to question above?). Could Zu have allowed them immigration?
* Fabled history of the Giants/Guardian Giant of Rhul

More explanations on the above would be part of my wishlist from the new books.
Another big interesst of mine in the game is the Kal Pautim (Idrian freedom fighters). Has there been any fluff concerning them and the more obscure human races (Radiz, Arjun, etc.) outside of the IKCG and Five Fingers?