Guerilla (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)
(art by deskridge on DeviantArt)
Fighting any force that outmatches you in sheer numbers and firepower head-on is an exercise in suicidal insanity, which is of course why such powerful forces prefer those fights. After all, why fight fair when you can just crush your opponent utterly and then rationalize that it was a fair and honorable fight later because it happened to be on flat, open ground where everyone could see each other, regardless of any other factors? (assuming they bother to justify it at all.)
Against such foes, whether it is a massive army or a mighty dragon or other terrible beast, the smart move is to instead not give such overwhelming foes the fight they are looking for. Instead, a wise warrior strikes from the shadows, uses the terrain against their foe, and otherwise fights as dirty as possible and punishes foes for their unfamiliarity with the terrain, their overconfidence in their might, and the sluggishness with which they move.
In other words, dear readers. They engage in guerilla warfare.
And yes, their powerful foes may condemn them as sneaky, duplicitous backbiters and sneaks for such tactics for years to come, but the goal of the guerilla isn’t to earn their foe’s respect, it is to survive the campaign of attrition against them. This has historically worked out pretty well. Seriously, name any conflict in human history where one side with superior numbers and supplies invades an unfamiliar country or terrain and doesn’t embarrass themselves struggling with the terrain, the defenders, or both. Napoleon going into Russia, the US against Vietnam and Korea… Exploratory invasions do not work, but world leaders have yet to learn that lesson.
In any case, today’s subject focuses on those who have received the training needed to be one of these underdog defenders, to be the thorns that bleed and slow ponderous foes until the survivors have no choice but to turn back because it simply has become too expensive.
With that in mind, let’s get right into it! (Though as an aside, the fact that the art for this archetype is a leshy resembling a humanoid bush, like a living ghillie suit is hilarious to me)
The base dedication of this archetype offers stealth and survival training, and designates a single locale as the guerilla’s home turf, letting them to take advantage of the familiar terrain to sneak around with ease, even getting especially close to unaware foes.
Some of these warriors master blowdarts, often taking advantage of the local poisonous flora or fauna to do so, and master the art of firing them from stealth to avoid being pinpointed afterwards and also effectively delivering the poison to even physically tough foes.
Some also train to improve the harm they can do with blowguns, as well as fire and disappear with darts and sling bullets to confuse foes where such attacks came from.
More patient guerillas learn how to make and set snares, and can adjust them as needed to make them harder to avoid and more punishing overall.
Even when seen, these warriors can dash from the shadows, strike or shoot, and dash back into the jungle in hit and run tactics, disappearing while foes are still reeling.
Even sling bullets are a viable conduit for their poisons, being carved carefully to be able to hold poisons in the grooves. Additionally, they can learn to prepare a few basic poisons each day, though without further training they are only meant to be used with a sling.
While the local populace might not be able to openly support guerillas due to occupying forces, they can still do so surreptitiously on occasion, providing supplies and services.
Regular use of poisons have tainted the weapons of these sneaks so thoroughly that trace amounts can affect foes even when a fresh dose has not been applied.
It’s not all poisons and stealth tactics, for these guerillas are also quite adept at sabotage, letting them set up failures in enemy siege weapons and vehicles. What’s more, they can also sabotage held weapons mid-fight. A small leather loop on a sword crossguard throwing off aim, a knife tearing a bowstring half in twain, and so on.
Seeing their allies be cut down with no clear effective reprisal can strike fear into the hearts of foes that had relied on those numbers for courage, causing many to panic as their number thin.
With a surge of subtle movement, a single guerilla can attack and move repeatedly from stealth, striking from multiple angles to confuse foes and make them think they face a much larger coordinated force. However, the energy required to establish this ruse can tire them out quickly.
A blowgun or sling is a humble weapon, often considered a toy by those that use larger and more overtly dangerous weapons. However, with the right aim and time to set up, such humble weaponry can still be lethal, dropping a foe before anyone even realizes there is an attack.
The most skilled guerillas are so much so they learn minor magic (or are just that good) that conceals their tracks entirely, making them extremely difficult to track.
This archetype is fun as a way to empower a character in a campaign that centers on defending one location from a powerful oppressive enemy. Naturally, many of it’s abilities and feat options are outright useless in campaigns where the party travels around a lot. However, in the right game it can be quite powerful. Ranger and rogue are the natural choices here, but you can make it work with a lot of different classes, though primary spellcasters will at best only dip in a few feats to round out their build and make themselves easier to hide and sneak.
Guerilla combat, much like all warfare, is a pretty heavily loaded topic, but especially so since you can see the mental gymnastics taking place in real time when people demonize enemy forces that use underhanded tactics to when because direct shows of force cannot work. Suddenly people are playing up how horrible such tactics and weapons are for the boys while conspicuously ignoring the atrocities that said boys are doing under orders. Truly, the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter is more often than not dependent on who is describing them. On the other hand, some groups are also just as bad for the locals as the invaders too…
Apologies, this is a heavy topic, and I haven’t even talked about notes on roleplaying them. Whether they are honest defenders of their homes or extremists whose beliefs will shape their home for the worse, one thing that remains true for them is that they fight with determination and conviction, because to hesitate means death. In any case, you as the GM and the players get to decide how deep you want to go into the complexities of warfare, as always.
The Infernal Legion lives up to it’s name, supplementing mortal forces with conjured devils of all descriptions. However, for all their fiendish blight, some are easier to deal with than others. Hordes of ort devils, also known as lemures, can be quite effective at swarming foes on open terrain, but lack the cleverness to react to a changing and complex battlefield, a lesson the rebels have taken to heart.
More and more, the invaders take territory in the city of Bosinev, but the defenders still persist. Indeed, the party is given a mission to ambush a troop and siege weapon team as they move through the golden district, originally full of amusement halls and the like. It is painful to see it in such disrepair, but a poetic place to halt the enemy advance.
Most outsiders think of orcs as brutal and straightforward warriors, but they do not realize that orcs fight not just for honor and glory, but to survive. During the Tempest Incursion, orcs battled alongside their allies, often slipping like shadows into the trees, their presence announced by enemy soldiers clutching poisoned needles in their necks.
