Player character

Thoros Reefbinder (2e)

Thoros Reefbinder

Male Half‑Orc Ranger 1 · Inland Tracker with Monitor Lizard Companion

N Medium Humanoid Half‑Orc

Thoros Reefbinder is not from the sea. He was raised far inland among dry ridges, scrub valleys, caravan trails, and hard country where water is measured, not wasted. He came west as a monster‑tracker and hired expedition scout, expecting brigands, desert predators, and ruined roads. Instead, he found the Castrovin Sea, the Razored Labyrinth, and a mystery dragging the campaign from river sinkholes to black‑water ruins beneath the world.

His companion, Grask, is a scarred monitor lizard trained for scent‑tracking, ambush fighting, and tunnel pursuit. Grask is not an aquatic companion, and that is the point: Thoros and Grask begin the campaign as landlocked outsiders forced to adapt to ships, flooded ruins, and eventually the dry volcanic Darklands where they become terrifyingly effective.

Level 1 Character Sheet — Pathfinder 2e

Defense

AC 17

HP 18 (10 + Con 2 + 6)

Perception +5 (expert) · darkvision

Fort +5 (trained) · Ref +6 (expert) · Will +3 (trained)

Leather armor · Dex +3 · level 1

Offense

Speed 25 ft.

Melee falchion +5 (1d10+2 S, forceful, sweep)

Ranged longbow +6 (1d8 P, deadly d10, range 100 ft., reload 0)

Ranged shortbow +6 (1d6 P, deadly d8, range 60 ft.)

Hunt Prey · Focus Spell gravity weapon

Statistics

Str 14 (+2) · Dex 16 (+3) · Con 14 (+2)

Int 10 (+0) · Wis 14 (+2) · Cha 8 (-1)

Class DC 17

Languages Common, Orcish

Ancestry Half‑Orc · Heritage Hold‑scarred

Background Inland Tracker (custom)

Skills (Trained)

  • Athletics +5
  • Heal +5
  • Intimidation +2
  • Lore: Tracking +3
  • Nature +5
  • Perception +5
  • Stealth +6
  • Survival +7
  • Swim +5

+3 trained · +4 expert (Perception, Reflex)

Feats & Features

Ancestry: Orc Ferocity (once per day, avoid dying)

Class: Hunter's Edge (Precision), Hunt Prey

Class Feat: Animal Companion

Skill Feat: Terrain Stalker (Rubble)

Custom Background: Inland Tracker — ability boosts: Str, Wis; trained in Survival and Athletics; Skill Feat: Terrain Stalker; Lore: Tracking

Class Features & Key Abilities

Hunter's Edge (Precision): When you hit your prey with a Strike, you deal an extra 1d8 precision damage (increases at higher levels). This replaces the PF1e hunter's bonus damage and is more reliable.

Hunt Prey: As a single action, designate a creature as your prey. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to find them and to Survival checks to track them. Your Edge applies against your prey.

Animal Companion (Grask): A monitor lizard (reflavoured as a lizard companion). It gains the benefits of your Hunter's Edge when you both attack the same prey.

Focus Spell — Gravity Weapon: (1 action) For 1 minute, your weapon Strikes with the weapon you are holding deal an additional 2 damage per weapon damage die. This is a single‑action focus spell, giving a damage boost comparable to the PF1e gravity bow.

Orc Ferocity: Once per day, when you would be reduced to 0 HP, you can instead remain at 1 HP and gain 1d4+1 temporary HP.

Terrain Stalker (Rubble): You can move at half speed while Avoiding Notice in rubble terrain (which suits ruined bridges and Darklands tunnels).

How to Play Thoros at Level 1

Let Grask engage first. Grask is the better melee body at low level. Send the lizard to threaten, flank, and block enemies while Thoros uses the bow or steps in with the falchion.
Use Gravity Weapon every fight. It's a single action that lasts a minute, giving +2 damage per die (so +2 on a falchion, or +2 on a bow) – a reliable damage boost.
Thoros is the land answer to a sea campaign. He may struggle emotionally and tactically during fully aquatic scenes, but he shines in riverbanks, ports, caves, volcanic tunnels, ruined bridges, and the dry Darklands.
Do not build him as an aquatic‑only PC. The locathah NPCs and submersibles cover many underwater problems. Thoros should remain a tracker, monster‑handler, and tunnel fighter.

Animal Companion: Grask

Monitor Lizard Companion · Landlocked Predator Built for Ruins and Tunnels

Grask — Monitor Lizard (Lizard, Medium)

N Medium animal
Init +3; Senses low‑light vision, scent (imprecise 30 ft.); Perception +5

AC 17; HP 16; Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +3

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

Melee jaws +5 (1d8+2 P, grapple)

Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6

Support Benefit: When you hit a creature that your lizard has in its jaws, it deals an extra 1d6 persistent bleed damage.

Advanced Maneuver: (Level 4) Powerful Jaws — your lizard's jaws attack deals 1d10 damage instead of 1d8.

Why Monitor Lizard Works

Campaign Phase Usefulness
Kridorfrost Bridge Climbs rubble, tracks workers and smugglers, squeezes through collapsed tunnel edges.
Kridorn / Port Intrigue Intimidating bodyguard animal; useful for scent trails through warehouses and docks.
Maritime Acts Not a sea creature, but can swim enough for emergencies, shipboard chaos, and coastal pursuit.
Vladmirr / Salvage Excellent in flooded basements, ruined foundations, warehouses, and half‑submerged wrecks.
Darklands Acts Comes fully online as a tunnel predator in dry volcanic caverns and excavation zones.

Support Benefit Strategy

Grask's Support Benefit deals 1d6 persistent bleed damage when Thoros hits a creature in Grask's jaws. This encourages the party to focus fire on a grappled target.

  • Grask grapples: uses its jaws (grapple trait).
  • Thoros Strikes: triggers the bleed.
  • Bleed continues: up to the GM's ruling, but it's a solid synergy.

How to Use Grask

  • Flank with Thoros. Grask creates the pressure; Thoros finishes enemies with falchion or bow.
  • Scout by scent. Use scent trails for missing workers, smugglers, pirate saboteurs, and strange Darklands creatures.
  • Climb and ambush. Grask can cling to ruined stone, bridge supports, volcanic ridges, and broken masonry.
  • Guard the backline. When the witch, bard, or gunslinger is threatened, Grask can intercept.
  • Be careful underwater. Grask can swim, but he is not a deep‑sea predator.

Ranger Focus Spells

Instead of spell slots, Rangers use focus spells – renewable after a 10‑minute refocus.

Focus Points: 1 (can regain after refocus)

Focus Spell (Level 1): Gravity Weapon (1 action) – For 1 minute, your weapon Strikes deal an additional 2 damage per weapon damage die. This works for both the falchion and the bow.

Future Focus Spells (via feats): Heal Animal (2nd‑level feat), Soothing Mist (4th‑level feat), etc.

Recommended Class Feat Progression

This build keeps Thoros effective on land, aboard ships, in ruins, and finally in the dry abyssal Darklands. He does not over‑invest in aquatic‑only options because the locathah allies and submersibles carry the specialized underwater burden.

Level Feat / Feature Recommended Choice Reason
1 Class Feat Animal Companion Grask is central to his identity.
2 Class Feat Heal Animal Keep Grask alive in tough fights.
3 Skill Feat Continual Recovery (or another) Out‑of‑combat healing for the party.
4 Class Feat Mature Animal Companion Grask gains an extra action per turn.
5 Ability Boosts +Str, +Dex, +Con, +Wis Boost key combat and survival stats.
6 Class Feat Far Shot or Quick Draw Range or action economy.
7 Skill Feat Legendary Survival Master tracking and wilderness survival.
8 Class Feat Incredible Companion Grask gains more abilities and scaling.
9 Ancestry Feat Orc Ferocity (improved) Extra durability.
10 Class Feat Penetrating Shot or Snap Shot Damage or control.
11 Skill Feat Quick Climb or Quick Swim Mobility in ruins and shipboard.
12 Class Feat Specialized Companion Grask gains a specialized ability (e.g., increased damage or defenses).
13 General Feat Toughness or Fleet More HP or speed.
14 Class Feat Side by Side (or similar) Improved flanking with companion.

Preferred Gear

  • Composite longbow – main ranged weapon (adds Str to damage).
  • Falchion – half‑orc flavour and strong melee backup.
  • Leather armor – light, mobile, fits a tracker.
  • Barding for Grask – light barding (e.g., studded leather) to boost AC without slowing him.
  • Amulet of mighty fists (later) – to enhance Grask's attacks.
  • Rope, climbing kit, antitoxin, and tracker's tools – essential for ruins and tunnels.