First Responder (Ranger Archetype)

When tragedy strikes, first responders serve as the vanguard of aid. Be it fire, a criminal act, or injury - they are peerless in their response time and ability to deal with the situation. They are often civil servants trained and employed to do a specific task.

Class Skills: The first responder replaces Intimidate (Cha) with Heal (Wis).

Emergency Medical Technician (Ex): A first responder adds half his level (minimum 1) to Heal checks.

This replaces track.

Vocation (Ex): At 1st level, a first responder selects of vocation to pursue: firefighter, police officer, or paramedic. Once a first responder selects a vocation, it cannot be changed.

  • Firefighter: Trained in the detection and elimination of fires, firefighters can stomp out any blaze and are skilled in providing assistance to those affected by the fire.
    • Favored Weapons: Weapons from the axe weapon group found in the fighter’s entry in Chapter 3 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.
  • Police Officer: Officers of the law trained to respond quickly and de-escalate situations. If not possible, officers combat threats and take criminals into custody.
    • Favored Weapons: Club, sap, tonfaUC, mancatcherAPG, lassoAPG, unarmed strikes, and either pistols or the light crossbow.
  • Paramedic: Emergency medical responders who are first on the scene. They are trained to evaluate and administer treatment to stabilize an injured person until help arrives. Many have more advanced medical training and can even stave off death.
    • Favored Weapons: Select one weapon group found in the fighter’s entry in Chapter 3 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. The paramedic only gains his favored weapon bonus with one-handed weapons (or weapons wielded in 1 hand) from that weapon group.

Favored Weapon (Ex): At 1st level, a first responder gains exceptional skill with weapons befitting their vocation (see the vocation training class feature for specific weapons). A first responder gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with weapons in that weapon group. This bonus improves by 1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

This replaces favored enemy.

Vocational Training (Ex): At 1st level, a first responder gains training in his selected vocation. “The first responder’s training manifests in the form of abilities from the vocation’s listed abilities or from the first responder’s list of general bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. He can choose feats from his selected vocation, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites unless they are on the list of bonus feats.

FIRST RESPONDER (GENERAL)

  • Bonus Feats: Diehard, Fleet, Skill Focus (any class skill), Toughness, Weapon Focus (any favored weapon), Weapon Specialization (any favored weapon), Iron Will, Improved Iron Will.

FIREFIGHTER
Trained in the detection and elimination of fires, firefighters can stomp out any blaze and are skilled in providing assistance to those affected by the fire.

  • Firefighter Bonus Feats: Burning spellUM, elemental spell (fire or cold only)APG, rime spellUM. If taken as a firefighter bonus feat, these metamagic feats do not impose a level increase on firefighter spells.
  • Fire Retardant (Ex): The first responder gains fire resistance equal to 5 + his first responder level. If the first responder is at least 10th level, he becomes immune to fire. In addition, he gains the smoke vision universal monster rule.
  • Suppress Fire (Su): As a standard action a first responder can select a 10 foot square that is up to 30 feet away and extinguish all fire within it, magical or otherwise. If the square targets a creature
  • The Axe That Saves: The first responder’s favored weapons ignore 10 points of hardness and deal double damage to objects.

POLICE OFFICER
Officers of the law trained to respond quickly and de-escalate situations. If not possible, officers combat threats and take criminals into custody.

  • Police Officer Bonus Feats: Improved Grapple, Greater Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflex.
  • Line of Blue: The bonus of the first responder’s favored weapon doubles when targeting a creature of the chaotic alignment.
  • Lock 'Em Up: The first responder may apply manacles of an appropriate size to a nongrappled enemy as a full round action. The first responder makes an attack roll at his full BAB against an adjacent enemy and if the attack hits the manacles are applied. In addition, when using a lasso, a police officer can slide the knot to reuse it as a free action rather than a standard.
  • Protect and Serve: The first responder takes no penalty for dealing non-lethal damage and may deal non-lethal damage with weapons that would not normally allow a character to use them non-lethally.
  • Squad Tactics: The first responder gains a teamwork feat. In addition, once per day he may grant this teamwork feat to all allies within 30 feet of him for a number of rounds equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier. He must meet the prerequisites for this teamwork feat and he may select this vocational training multiple times.
  • Throw Away The Key: The DC to escape a lasso or manacles of the first responder is equal to his CMB +10.

PARAMEDIC
Emergency medical responders who are first on the scene. They are trained to evaluate and administer treatment to stabilize an injured person until help arrives. Many have more advanced medical training and can even stave off death.

  • Paramedic Bonus Feats: Fast HealerAPG, Master Craftsman, Greater Fortitude, Improved Greater Fortitude.
  • Breathe! (Su): As a swift action, the first responder can heal a creature for his Wisdom modifier + his level in hit points by touching a creature. He may only do this a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier. He may take this multiple times and each times he takes it he adds 3 to the number of times per day he can use it.
  • Emergency Medicine (Ex): The first responder may draw any potion on his person as a free action and may administer it to an adjacent ally as a swift action. He may do this even if the creature is unconscious but not if they are unwilling.
  • Stabilize (Su): All allies within 30 feet of the first responder automatically stabilize. In addition, the first responder himself gains a +4 bonus on stabilization rolls.
  • Pulse Vision (Sp): The first responder constantly has deathwatch active as a spell-like ability. He may suppress or activate it as a swift action.
  • Strong Stomach (Ex): The first responder is immune to the sickened condition and is immune to the stretch universal monster rule. In addition, though he may be shaken, he takes no penalty while shaken (he acts normally). Higher levels of fear still retain their effects. Finally, he receives a +2 insight bonus on Will saves against fear effects.
  • Bedside Manner (Ex): A first responder can attempt a Diplomacy check (DC 10 + creature’s Will save) against a creature within 30 feet of him. If successful the creature receives the effect of a calm emotions spell. At 8th level he may make a single roll and effect all creatures within 30 feet of it. This replaces wild empathy and swift tracker.
  • Expedient Mount (Ex): At 4th level, the first responder gains a mount that can quickly deliver him to where he is most needed. This ability functions like the cavalier’s mount ability, except that the first responder’s effective cavalier level is equal to his ranger level -3 and that the mount gains a +20 foot bonus to its base movement speed.

Spells Lost: A first responder drops the following spells from his spell list but receives the bonus spells listed in their vocation:

1ST - Animal messenger, calm animals, charm animal, detect animals or plants, entangle, hide from animals, magic fang, speak with animals, summon nature’s ally I.
2ND - Hold animal, speak with plants, spike growth, summon nature’s ally II.
3RD - Command plants, diminish plants, reduce animal, repel vermin, summon nature’s ally III, tree shape
4TH - Animal growth, commune with nature, summon nature’s ally IV, tree stride

Please note that these are only spells found on the ranger’s spell list in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. The first responder should lose all spells that relate directly to their favored enemy, any “aspect” or spell that gives them dominion over animals, or any spell that gives them the ability to command nature. Spells that augment their martial abilities, boost their stats (such as Bear’s Endurance or Barkskin), or allow them to move further (such as Longstrider) should be allowed to remain.


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