[Types]

Archer

You’re a War Arrow, a Hawkeye, a Death Whisper—or, as they sometimes call those like you, an Archer.

You down your foes from afar with whistling bolts, one shot after another, before they have a chance to close. Even when foes bite, hew, and curse you in turn, your steady hand and long experience wielding a bow in combat allow your aim to remain true.

You excel at ranged support for your allies, or sometimes downing foes from afar before hostilities have a chance to truly begin. You’re also adept at watching over an area for your next target, protecting others in your band with the threat of your nocked arrow.

Background Options

• You bow-hunted as a child to feed your family when your single parent was hurt by raiders— raiders who later burned your family’s home to the ground, killing all but you.
• You won an archery contest a month ago despite allegations of cheating.
• You were stranded in a forlorn desert keep for years until rescued two months ago.
• You poached game from the royal forest to feed the starving (including yourself) until you were caught and served years in the dungeon. Recently, you escaped.
• You were part of an expedition to retrieve a sacred artifact that went missing here a year ago.
• A barbarian host saved your homeland from a dragon about six months earlier.
• Every year a famed archery contest is held. One day you hope to enter and win it.
• You found a weird arrow in a swamp-choked ruin a couple of weeks ago.

Archer Abilities

You gain all of the following benefits:

• Able to take two more minor wounds and one more moderate wound
• Add +4 to Speed Pool
• Add +1 Edge in Pool of your choice
• Freely use light and medium weapons
• Freely use light armor
• Gain one weapon of your choice
• At tier 3 and tier 6, choose an ability from the Fantasy Genre Abilities list

To know what the details in an ability description mean, see see Understanding Character Abilities

Expert Combatant Enabler

You are trained in a specific weapon attack of your choice, such as swords, axes, or bows; or in a broader category of attacks such as light bashing weapons, light bladed weapons, light ranged weapons, medium bashing weapons, medium bladed weapons, medium ranged weapons, and so on.

At tier 2, you can choose to become specialized in the same attack method you chose at tier 1, but you must gain the skill normally.

At tier 6, you can become an expert in a specific attack method (either the one you chose at tier 1 or another weapon skill you're already specialized in), but you must gain the skill normally.

Overwatch (2 Speed) Action

You use a ranged weapon to target a limited area (such as a doorway, a hallway, or the eastern side of the clearing you’re in); as soon as a viable target enters the area, you can attack them. This works like delaying, but you also negate any benefit the target would have from cover, position, surprise, range, illumination, or visibility. Your attack inflicts +1 damage. You can remain on overwatch as long as you wish, within reason. Alternatively, you can use this ability against a target already in the limited area on your turn.

Quick Draw (2 Speed) Enabler

If you take down a foe with your medium or heavy ranged attack, you can immediately make another attack on that same turn against a new foe within short range as an extra action on your turn.

Archer Equipment Bundle

Choose the following equipment bundle to quickly outfit your character, or assemble your own starting equipment

A bow and quiver of 24 arrows, appropriate clothing, a bag of light tools (which include tools for fletching arrows and extra bowstrings), a backpack, a bedroll, 50 feet (16 m) of rope, a tent, a hand mirror, three torches, rations and water for three days, a tinderbox, and enough extra currency to buy a moderately priced item.