Harsk is an uncommon dwarf. He enjoys the wide skies of the open plains more than claustrophobic tunnels, prefers the taste of tea to alcohol, and handles his battles at range rather than in melee. As a young dwarf, he eschewed the company of his fellows, finding that few things made him happier than crouching in a tree stand with his bow, listening to the wind through the forest leaves and waiting for prey to wander by.
That all changed twenty years ago when his elder brother, a captain named Sigur, led a dwarven war band from Janderhoff against a small party of raiding giants. Out of affection, Sigur offered his less-experienced sibling the chance to come and prove himself as chief scout and second-in-command. Calm and peaceful by nature, Harsk turned him down, failing to see the honor his brother was doing him until several days after the company had departed. Traveling light and fast, Harsk caught up with his brother quickly—but not quickly enough. Misjudging the size and skill of the raiding party, Sigur had led his band into an ambush, where it was slaughtered to the last dwarf.
With his brother's blood still fresh on his hands, Harsk went mad with rage. That night, he stalked through the giants' camp like a vengeful wraith, slaughtering giant after giant with his crossbow before melting back into the forest, only to reappear elsewhere and take another victim. When the last giant was left gurgling in the dust, Harsk took up his brother's axe and slipped off into the trees, vowing to forever be the voice of justice in the wild places, to keep balance and prevent the sacrifices of noble warriors like his brother.
Harsk, like many of his kind, is gruff and taciturn, but there ends most of his connection to dwarven society. Something of a loner, he prefers to spend his time outdoors, communing with nature, though he occasionally travels alongside others whose goals match his own. Uninterested in the beer and ale so strongly associated with dwarves in the minds of human society, Harsk instead drinks pot after pot of strong tea to keep his senses sharp. While he never lets his brother's axe out of his sight, he wields it only as a last resort, knowing his true skills lie in the hunt and striking from darkness.
Harsk CR 1
XP 400
Dwarf ranger 1
LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
Defense
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 12 (1d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +2; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
Defensive Abilities defensive training (+4 dodge bonus to AC vs. giants)
Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee battleaxe +3 (1d8+2/×3)
Ranged heavy crossbow +4 (1d10/19–20)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids, favored enemy (humanoids [giants] +2)
Tactics
During Combat Harsk prefers fighting with his crossbow over his battleaxe. His hatred for giants often motivates him to target creatures of that subtype to the exclusion of others.
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 16 (20 vs. bull rush, 20 vs. trip)
Feats Rapid Reload
Skills Handle Animal +3, Heal +6, Knowledge (geography, nature) +4, Perception +6 (+8 to notice unusual stonework), Stealth +6, Survival +6
Languages Common, Dwarven
SQ track +1, wild empathy +0
Gear studded leather, battleaxe, heavy crossbow with 30 bolts, antitoxin, backpack, smokestick, trail rations (4), signal whistle, tea pot, 11 gp
Harsk CR 7
XP 3,200
Dwarf ranger 7
LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12
Defense
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +3 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 64 (7d10+21)
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +8; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
Defensive Abilities defensive training (+4 dodge bonus to AC vs. giants)
Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee +1 battleaxe +10/+5 (1d8+3/×3)
Ranged +2 heavy crossbow +12 (1d10+2/19–20)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids, favored enemy (fey +2, humanoids [giants] +4)
Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +6)
2nd—barkskin
1st—entangle (DC 13), resist energy
Tactics
During Combat Harsk prefers fighting with his crossbow over his battleaxe but isn't afraid to get dirty in melee if the situation calls for it. His hatred for giants often motivates him to target creatures of that subtype to the exclusion of others.
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +7; CMB +9; CMD 22 (26 vs. bull rush, 26 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Far Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload
Skills Handle Animal +9, Heal +12, Knowledge (geography, nature) +10, Perception +12 (+14 to notice unusual stonework), Stealth +13, Survival +12
Languages Common, Dwarven
SQ favored terrain (mountain +2), hunter's bond (animal, badger named Biter)*, track +3, wild empathy +6, woodland stride
Combat Gear potions of cure moderate wounds (3), potions of pass without trace (2), screaming bolts (4), tanglefoot bag; Other Gear +2 studded leather, +1 battleaxe, +2 heavy crossbow with 30 bolts, amulet of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +2, antitoxin, backpack, signal whistle, smokestick, tea pot, trail rations (4), 468 gp
*See the appendix for Harsk's animal companion's statistics.
Harsk CR 12
XP 19,200
Dwarf ranger 12
LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
Defense
AC 26, touch 17, flat-footed 21 (+7 armor, +2 deflection, +5 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 106 (12d10+36)
Fort +13, Ref +16, Will +10; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
Defensive Abilities defensive training (+4 dodge bonus to AC vs. giants), evasion
Offense
Speed 20 ft.
Melee +2 battleaxe +16/+11/+6 (1d8+4/×3)
Ranged +3 flaming heavy crossbow +22 (1d10+3/17–20 plus 1d6 fire)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids, favored enemy (fey +2, humanoids [giants] +6, humanoids [humans] +2), quarry
Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 9th; concentration +11)
2nd—barkskin, bear's endurance, cure light wounds
1st—entangle (DC 13), longstrider, resist energy
Tactics
During Combat Harsk prefers fighting with his crossbow over his battleaxe but isn't afraid to get dirty in melee if the situation calls for it. His hatred for giants often motivates him to target creatures of that subtype to the exclusion of others, and to choose one as his quarry. If tracking a giant, he casts resist energy against an energy type that giant uses before engaging.
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 22, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +12; CMB +14; CMD 32 (36 vs. bull rush, 36 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Far Shot, Improved Critical (heavy crossbow), Improved Precise Shot, Iron Will, Pinpoint Targeting, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload, Weapon Focus (heavy crossbow)
Skills Handle Animal +14, Heal +17, Knowledge (geography, nature) +15, Perception +17 (+19 to notice unusual stonework), Stealth +21, Survival +17
Languages Common, Dwarven
SQ camouflage, evasion, favored terrain (forest +2, mountain +4), hunter's bond (animal, badger named Biter)*, swift tracker, track +6, wild empathy +11, woodland stride
Combat Gear seeking bolts (20), potions of pass without trace (2), wand of cure moderate wounds (35 charges), tanglefoot bag; Other Gear +4 studded leather, +2 battleaxe, +3 flaming heavy crossbow with 30 bolts, amulet of natural armor +2, belt of incredible dexterity +4, boots of speed, cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +2, antitoxin, backpack, signal whistle, smokestick, tea pot, trail rations (4), 464 gp
*See the appendix for Harsk's animal companion's statistics.