#advanced player's guide

[dailycharacteroption]

Vigilante (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

(art by Zachanarious on DeviantArt)

Ah yes, the vigilante, a late addition to the classes of First Edition, and like the cavalier, reduced to an archetype in Second.

Admittedly, that can feel a bit like a demotion, but for the vigilante specifically, it honestly makes sense.

The vigilante class from the get-go in 1E always felt like it was trying to apply other classes to the core concept of “have two identities and have abilities meant only to work in one or the other. Heck, the class basically started with the options of “that but fighter” and “that, but rogue”, with archetypes (some derived from the beta version of the class, some not) that were basically “that, but wizard, or cleric, or witch with a blood magic vibe, or magical girl with the worst spell list in the game for some reason”.

With than in mind, it kinda makes sense in the “any class can take any archetype as long as they meet the prerequisites” paradigm of Second Edition that vigilante would be available as an archetype rather than a full class, as a way for you to apply the dual identity of being a masked figure to any skillset.

Whether they are freedom fighters, masked protectors of those that official channels will not protect, or just master thieves and criminals hiding their identities, the one unifying factor between motives and methods is that a vigilante wants to keep their identity a secret for protection, either theirs, or those that they care for.

So let’s get into it!

The base dedication for the archetype grants the dual identities associated with it, as well as sets the guidelines like maybe don’t use abilities associated with your vigilante identity while in the social identity, but also how difficult it is to discern that they are one and the same, even via magic.

Signature magic items might normally give a vigilante away if they wear them in both identities, so many learn to mask their power while in their civilian identity, making them appear to be ordinary jewelry or other adornments.

Those that have creature companions, familiars, or the like often work to disguise them as well so they cannot be recognized across identities either.

Oftentimes one must draw a weapon and strike in the same motion, and so vigilantes train to do just that.

Many superheroes in comics have hidden sanctums to return to, safe to switch between identities and plot their maneuvers in secret, and so vigilantes do the same, establishing lairs so well-hidden that not even magic can find them, at least most of the time.

Not every vigilante can be an unskilled fop in their social lives, and so, some develop cross training to help solidify their cover in their social identity, gaining another archetype even if they normally couldn’t due to dedication.

The rumor of a vigilante helps spread the fear of them long before they actually arrive on the scene, and so they can leverage this when they attack from the shadows, their appearance striking fear into their target as their pain gives way to the horrified realization of who has come for them.

Through cleverly hidden clothing, a bit of minor magic, and the like, some vigilantes train to be able to switch identities on the fly.

By using the divide between the two identities to their advantage, many can fool even truthtelling magic. After all, it was not Sir Daniel who raided Thieves Guild, but the Iron Mask.

The skill some vigilantes have at concealing their identity goes beyond the social and vigilante identities, allowing them to create a slew of minor cover identities that are equally impossible to discern.

Fear is relative, and a vigilante’s presence and stern glare can keep an ally, temporary or not grounded, as the vigilante is scarier than whatever is trying to scare them.

With greater mastery, their own frightening appearance affects all who see them, not just the one they directly startled.

Similarly, they might learn to frighten a single foe so badly that they are paralyzed with fear, slowing their reactions.

As a small aside, the AoN article on this archetype does have a feat in the legacy version shared with the alter ego archetype where the vigilante could reveal their true identity to leave a foe open to attack from the shocking reveal… and I can kinda see why that feat isn’t listed in the remastered version, as it is too risky of the vigilante rendering their abilities obsolete if they end up revealing themselves to far more than just that one target.

A very solid archetype and way to bring the old class over in it’s own way. You can go in heavy or just take what you need, but there are as many possible builds here as there are classes, and much more, so have fun with it!

I’ve gone over various thoughts about roleplaying vigilantes as I’ve covered the original and its archetypes, but I think it’s important to consider how your character interacts with and thinks of their vigilante identity. Is it merely a practical mask to hide themselves from a dangerous and persecutive world? A symbol of hope? Of punishment for the wicked? Or perhaps it is a convenient mask for them to indulge in base desires? All are possible and worth exploring.

Calling upon the power of chaos, a cult seeks to call forth a powerful beast called a lophiithu, whose devouring mouth leads to realms chaotic. Ready to fight and stop the ritual is The Arbiter, a warrior who wears mechanical armor inspired by the various inevitable guardians of law and order.

While most of his kind try to distance themselves from their lookalike god Sun Wukong, the vanara Yuhn seems some merit in the monkey king’s antics. And so, while during the day he is a peaceful monastic ascetic, at night he blends his martial arts with elemental primal magic as The Great Sage.

In the vampire-ruled land of Delginoth, few dare to stand against the blood-thirsting overlords of the nation, but among the rebels is the Midnight Dawn, a warrior magus wearing a golden sun mask. None suspect that this warrior maiden is none other than the dhampir daughter of Overlord Grigori, the Dark Dragon himself.

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Pathfinder: Advanced Player's Guide - Goblin Ambush by Alexey Aparin (Belibr)

[dr-archeville]

Pathfinder 2E Presents a New Take on Kobolds

Pathfinder is getting ready to explore kobolds in a totally different light. Kobolds are one of [...]

Pathfinder is getting ready to explore kobolds in a totally different light.  Kobolds are one of five new ancestries set to debut in the Advanced Player's Guide, a new rulebook for Pathfinder's Second Edition that serves as the first major expansion for the new edition of the popular high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game.  Although these new kobolds are still diminutive descendants of dragons, they've gotten a major redesign both in terms of their looks, attitude, and abilities, giving players tons of new options when creating their new character.

Kobolds have a long history as ingenious but cowardly creatures, a stereotype that originated in Dungeons & Dragons and persisted into Pathfinder's original edition.  The Advanced Player's Guide does away with most of the negative stereotypes, instead presenting kobolds as "resourceful survivors" with a keen eye towards using their surroundings to their advantage along with a natural understanding of group dynamics.  Pathfinder's kobolds also retain at least one characteristic of their draconic ancestors, which can include horns, sharp teeth, or even draconic breath or wings.  A kobold's scale color might also vary wildly, although they usually reflect the kobold's "draconic exemplar" -- the dragon from which a kobold derives its power.

When players first create a kobold character, they can choose from five different heritages, each of which provides a different base ability.  For example, cavern kobolds have a natural affinity for climbing natural stone walls, while spellscale kobolds have a trace of draconic magic that manifests itself through a free cantrip.  As with other ancestries, players will gain ancestry feats as they level up, giving their kobold character more abilities.  At Level 1, these feats include kobold breath and snare making, and at higher levels they include everything from the ability to use an adjacent ally's saving throw modifier as their own to adding more innate spells traditionally known by dragons.

You can check out two preview pages showing the new Pathfinder kobolds in action.  The Advanced Player's Guide will go on sale on July 30th.

[npc-guy]

Elf Alchemist

Alchemy is often the hot new thing in terms of magic, a strange and often underestimated arcane practice. Entrenched customs will likely not want to give alchemists the same respect that clerics, wizards, and other spell-casters receive. After all, generally these practices have centuries or even millennia of tradition to legitimize them. Therefore, an elf taking up this pseudo-science is likely to turn heads.

Given their long life spans, an elf alchemist may take their time in developing their formulae and crafting their concoctions. Years of experimentation, decades of refinement, centuries of expanding their knowledge. Of course, they are likely still going against tradition, but that may be the point. Perhaps these elves are engaging in a new branch of research in order to adapt to changing conditions, very in line with their chosen profession. They could also be fed up with how static elven magical practices have become, wanting to make discoveries and explore concepts traditional casters won’t pursue. There might even be some foresight in this, using their many previous years of experience to see trends and conditions coalescing into an advantageous position for alchemists in the future. No matter what, these elves are likely to make good use of their natural advantage of time to ensure their experiments are successful.

Xolani Mandla Amahle Maningi

Out past the outskirts can be found the territory of the elves, and on the far fringes of that you can find an isolated island in a little-known lake. On that island stands a tower surrounded by a high wall. Rumors say it is the home of an elderly elven wizard, but in fact its sole inhabitant is relatively young alchemist. Xolani’s family is wealthy even among elves, and they invested in the tower to give the cripplingly shy young prodigy a place to feel at ease. Although he isn’t far into his second century, Xolani has accomplished multiple breakthroughs in the field of alchemy, but the sometimes pyrotechnic results have led to the rumors about his tower. If someone tries to entreat the “mysterious mage,” Xolani sends his homunculus to send them away. If they insist, he’ll try and give them various potions to make them leave. And in case of trespassers, numerous alchemical traps have been set around and inside the tower.

Zorion Salazar

The elves have watched other races go to war many times, and often the signs are the same. So, some of the more entrepreneurial elves start to watch for those signs and then invest into related industries. Zorion set up shop in a historically neutral city-state that borders on three historically feuding nations. From there, they can keep their ears open to news and rumors pointing towards growing conflicts. Though their primary stock and trade is healing potions, “bottled strength” and alchemist’s fire are also quite popular. If approached by adventurers during the lead up to or during a conflict, Zorion will have limited supplies but be willing to offer completed product in exchange for gathering resources or transporting orders to the front lines. Whether this makes them targets of the belligerents is not of great concern.

Zoie Remington

A new continent is discovered, and colonists head to unknown shores. But when they arrive, a shocking complication is found: magic here works in strange and sometimes unpredictable ways. The only thing that seems unaffected are potions, so the demand for alchemists surges in the colony. Zoie Remington finds herself thrust into a public leadership position as both her settlement’s head healer and arcane scholar, which she views as a double-edged sword. Yes, she’s got authority, respect, and pay like she’s never seen, but other elves centuries her seniors are glaring at her from afar. These clerics and wizards, used to being on top in matters of magic, are generally quite unhappy with being displaced from what they assumed to be easy seats of power. Zoie’s feeling the pressure, but she’s too concerned with her official duties and ongoing experiments, for which requests are often found on the town work board to gather both known and newly discovered components.

[dailycharacteroption]

Strategist Expansion for the Marshal Archetype (Pathfinder Second Edition Options)

(art by LeAndraDawn on DeviantArt)

Today’s a bit unusual in that we’re only taking a look at part of an archetype today, specifically the feats added to the Marshal archetype from Tian Xia Character Guide, colloquially known as the Strategist feats.

I probably won’t make a habit of this, but I thought they were neat enough in what they added to the archetype that I thought it was worth including.

So anyway, the strategist feats take the marshal, which is heavily focused on commanding and inspiring allies, and adds a tactical edge to it, reflecting the mastery of the art of war.

Not that the base marshal isn’t already a strategist in it’s own right, but let’s have a look at what it has to offer!

These options start with a special stance feat for the marshall, as they open their minds and try to enter a mental state where they can absorb and process the information of the surrounding battle quickly. If successful, they can recall knowledge and analyze a foe, potentially picking up on gaps in their defenses that they or their allies can exploit.

Many strategists are willing to accept information from qualified sources, allowing them to ask nearby allies to help them read and identify foes.

Like a true military commander, many know all about the advantages of formations, and can expect allies to jump to when the command comes to form ranks.

Imposing and threatening, marshals that are also Five-Breath Vanguards can choose to step forward, away from the protection of allies as bait or an imposing threat, drawing attention away from their allies.

The Marshal archetype is already about supporting and guiding allies in an organized and military way, but this addition provides a fun new stance and some options for moving and protecting allies as need be, good for both front-line and back-line marshals.

Marshals can be of any sort of background as long as they’ve got leadership skills, but these feats do imply an actual background in the military, so that should probably shape how your character acts.

I think since this is a minor expansion to an existing archetype, I don’t think there’s any need for me to post adventure hooks, since those in my original Marshal entry are just as applicable here. Look forward to another entry tomorrow though!

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Superstition Instinct (Pathfinder Second Edition Barbarian Instinct)

(art by MissChroma on DeviantArt)

With witches cursing those that slight them or are just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and powerful wizards acting as though the laws of the land and common decency do not apply to them, it’s no surprise that some folk are rightfully suspicious of magic in general.

This goes doubly in wild, untamed places, where there are often no laws except what the powerful can enforce, and education on magic and it’s capabilities are at a premium, causing the locals to develop assumptions about how magic works and how spellcasters are likely to behave, coloring their reaction to the use of magic.

And that is where we get today’s archetype, representing barbarian warriors that distrust all magic and avoid it whenever possible. If they use magical at all, it is purely in the form of equipment that needs little to no direction to work. A potion can simply be drank. A magic sword still swings like a normal sword, and so on, allowing them to be tolerated since such armaments are unlikely to do anything unexpected. (Insert joke about tech-savvy people keeping a gun by the printer to shoot it in case it makes a sound they don’t like).

This barbarian instinct evolved out of 1e’s Superstitious rage power and various associated mage-hunting rage power options, which were apparently popular enough back in the day to warrant being included in 2e as a whole major character option. (I didn’t play much barbarian, but I can see the appeal)

Unlike other instincts, the barbarians in this case are not trying to emulate anything with their rage, but instead simply labor on the baseline belief that magic is scary and dangerous and that a wise warrior focuses on the mages first, and in general never willingly allows spells to be cast upon them.

This of course has the downside that an ally getting the barbarian to accept beneficial magic even when it’s for their own good is like pulling teeth, leading to the occasional headache. Still, this instinct has a lot to offer, so let’s take a look.

As a baseline, these barbarians find the casting or learning of magic, even from items that cast spells, to be anathema. However, that aversion also makes them fight harder to resist magic cast on them, and their bonus damage is increased on spellcasters. Additionally, while they might be convinced to allow beneficial spells to be cast on them while calm, the heightened state of their emotions during a battle rage means willingly choosing to do so while raging unnerves them deeply. They do make up for it with a determination to not rely on magical healing, letting them fight longer when they rage.

Their specialization further bolsters their might against spellcasters, as you might expect.

Finally, these warriors begin to consider two particular magic traditions to be especially unpleasant, and gain further benefits in resisting those two traditions, warding themselves against any damage caused by them.

Additionally, the following feats are associated with this instinct, including Mage Hunter to give them an edge against spellcasters; Sunder Spell to allow them to dispel magic with physical might alone; and Sunder Enchantment to do the same temporarily to magic items.

Other feats they might benefit from include Sudden Charge, Shake it Off, Inured to Alchemy, Pain Tolerance, Reactive Strike, Disarming Assault, Instinctive Strike, Tangle of Battle, Impaling Thrust, Perfect Clarity, as well as any others that suit your particular build.

With their aversion to spellcasters and several abilities tied to targeting mages and those that benefit from spellcasting, this instinct seems perfect for a mage-hunting build that punishes and seeks to eliminate spellcaster threats.

The dynamics between party members in regards to this instinct can be interesting, but should be given some limits. It’s one thing for a barbarian to be nervous around an allied spellcaster at first. Not so much if they spend every interaction insulting them. Use discretion and common sense.

Merfolk are often associated with water magic and enchanting songs, but the Black Crack tribe that dwells in an undersea trench on the edge of light and darkness barely as any magical traditions at all, instead focusing on warding themselves against it thanks to their encounters with a dark magical power in the deepest, lightless depths.

Bovados Forest is notorious for it’s fey population, ranging from sprites to yaganty to the Wild Hunt itself. Small wonder then that the Bovada people living on it’s outskirts distrust magic as fey trickery, and carry cold iron weapons with them at all times.

Deeply distrustful of magic on principle, Molgradd the Sword has a sour opinion indeed of most spellcasters. He would never admit, however, that he is alive today thanks to the celestial sorceress that insists on making sure he doesn’t end up dead with an arrow in his belly somewhere.

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Antipaladin/Iniquity Cause (Pathfinder Second Edition Champion Cause)

(art by DanielClasquin on DeviantArt)

It’s time for our second to last champion cause, and the last one that had a presence pre-remaster.

Originally called Antipaladins given their chaotic evil nature as a direct opposite of paladins, champions of this cause are meant to be everything a paladin is not. In fact this option is worth noting for the fact that is was in part the First Edition alternate class that shared the same name with this option that paved the way for the champion to evolve out of the paladin, creating powerful divinely-empowered knights that were not all good and just.

But with the remaster came the end of alignment, and with it, the baggage of such holy warriors being divided along that strict system of morality. Instead, champions are now divided based on what they value and what they vow to uphold. And in the case of today’s archetype, these warriors values Iniquity.

Champions of Iniquity are selfish, impulsive, indulgent, and independent. They do exactly what they want when they want, answering only to the divine power that gave them this power in the first place. Even without an alignment system, it’s clear that these figures are the polar opposite of Justice champions (formerly paladins), since they reject any concept of accountability for their actions.

These unholy warriors are not necessarily insane murder-hobos, but their impulses are their guide. If they ever do anything that helps another it is because it also benefits them in some way, most usually in the form of payment, but any agreement they make only holds as long as these iniquitous champions find the benefits outweighing any inconvenience they experience.

At their best, they are pitiless and cruel mercenaries, at their worst, they are petty tyrants with a cosmic benefactor that will do nothing to reign them in because setting them loose is the entire point.

Indeed, unlike other causes, the powers that grant the path of iniquity do not choose someone for their dedication to the concepts, but because of a lack of discipline. They choose their champions because they know that setting them loose will bring about more violence and iniquity as a consequence of their actions, and if any antipaladin expresses any sort of fervor for the cause, it is because they have the brains at least to see that they are making the world more like what they want to see: might making right, whims being indulged, and power seized by those unfettered by the weakness of mercy or hesitation. If the powers granting this might ever tug on the leash, it is when they have a very specific interest in the situation, and then the champion might find their collar much too tight for their liking.

So let’s see what they get!

Like all causes, these champions get a reaction ability, theirs being a punishing aspect of their aura that rewards violence against them with more violence. Foes that strike them within their aura risk their very spirit being shredded by feedback damage. Additionally, the champion’s own reprisal against the offending party becomes more lethal as well. As they grow in power, the damaging effect lingers on such assailants, and even bystanders are not safe as they also take feedback damage.

There is also a feat specifically for this cause. Vicious Vengeance improves the damage caused by their aura, making them all the deadlier to even stand near.

Meanwhile, other feats fit with the tenets of evil and otherwise are just useful for them, such as Conceited Mindset, Aura of Despair, Cruelty, Corrupted Shield, Expand Aura, Smite, Greater Cruelty, Litany of Self-Interest, Gruesome Strike, Pale Horse, Divine Reflexes, Litany of Depravity, Instrument of Slaughter, Fiendish Form, Swift Retribution, and others that fit your build.

This cause loves getting into the thick of things and butchering foes, not just because it’s where a melee class thrives, but also because their reaction makes hitting them back a painful process. With that in mind, this option is begging for a tanky build that can absorb a lot of punishment.

There is no denying that these champions are evil, but with alignments out of the way, replaced by edicts and personal values, it can be less of a headache to justify playing one of these in a non-villain campaign. After all, a champion of iniquity is entirely self-motivated, so being motivated by the prospect of treasure and payment is perfectly viable even if they tend to leave a mess and things worse than they left. It could be the setup for an interesting foil for the rest of the party or a possible redemption arch, especially if the champion doesn’t mind waiting a bit ot achieve their selfish goals on occasion.

Doreji the Blightblooded refuses to hide like the rest of his kin, the vishkanya seeing the tendency of his people to hide their true nature as a weakness and act of supplication. After all, humans cannot punish attackers with the lethal toxicity of their blood. Why should they rule? And who cares if the rest of his kind shun them. They’ve already proven themselves too weak.

To most, Ulrich the Slayer is as he always has been, a cruel man and leader of an especially savage warband. However, in truth he has been dead for some time, his body being now ridden by a xoarian, also known as a corpse rider or intellect devourer. The creature has evaded detection fairly easily since the host was known for drunken forgetfulness and a complete lack of loyalty anyway. Worse still, the horrible aberration has pleased the dark god Ulrich worshipped, transferring his power to the creature.

The party happens upon a mysterious girl clutching an amulet, who begs them to help her escape. The reason or her distress becomes clear when a figure clad in sinister black armor appears with a coterie of similarly-dressed troops. Though the figure claims something has been stolen from him, it’s clear that the amulet is not his to keep and his intentions for the girl are not motivated by justice.

[dailycharacteroption]

Retrograde Revision 7: Blight Druid

(art by Istrandar on DeviantArt)

Looking back on these early entries, it’s pretty clear that I can sometimes be a bit crass for all my love of fancy words and mixing different eras of English vernacular the same way that a child combines all their toys for a truly mashed up narrative.

I bring this up because the initial opening of the original entry for today’s subject came off as a bit dismissive and mocking of druids and the love of nature in general. Berevity truly is the enemy of nuance. But you know this is the sort of thing we’re meant to rectify with these retrospective entries.

In any case, today we’re looking at blight druids, those primal mages that tap into areas of desolation for their power.

It can sometimes be hard to remember that the natural world isn’t all forests and rolling plains and everything being in perfect harmony and balance. Despite all it’s mysticism, Nature is ultimately governed by laws of physics and chemistry, and sometimes that means that a region gets devastated by disasters both natural and unnatural. Floods wash out soil and drown the native fauna, wildfires leave little but ash int heir wake, pollution poisons the land, air and water, and so on. And from this devastation and death, things tend to get worse before they get better. Species of bacteria and fungus meant to consume dead animals and plants run rampant in the sudden glut of decaying matter to feast upon, entire ecosystems of die as a lake drains thanks to rifts from an earthquake, and a single rainfall after a wildfire swallows up animals and houses in ash-choked mudslides, and so on.

But all of this suffering, that too is nature in it’s own way, and sometimes these changes are temporary on the geological scale, others semi-permanent until the next great change.

And so we get the blight druids, the mystics that watch over these areas of destruction and draw power from them. Some may wish to slow and mitigate the damage so that the land can, over time, heal. Others, however, view such wastelands and barrens as the ultimate test for hardy life forms, and either do nothing to stop the spread or continuation of such blights, or seek to exacerbate them, though the latter are surely the most bitter individuals.

I have to imagine, though, that no matter their opinions, both would right to end totally unnatural blights, such as the taint of undeath, industrial pollution, or corrupting forces like magical plagues or even the infamous corrupt oozes known as blights. Even the most dark and callous blight druids know that a blight should be a natural thing, to grow or shrink as natural forces dictate, not twisted by things that do not belong, though I imagine there are exceptions to that too.

So with that in mind, let’s talk about what makes blight druids so unique!

Most wastelands cannot support larger animal life, so instead of a companion, these druids can choose familiars instead. Alternatively, they gain access to the Darkness, Death, and Destruction domains in addition to the normal choices available to them.

These mystics tap into a more primal, instinctual, chemical form of empathy with their power, allowing them to commune with vermin creatures. They can still do so with animals, and even with undead that were formerly animals, but it is awkward by comparison. The exception to this is creatures that carry infectious diseases, in which case the blight druid can actually use the microbes within the creature as a vector for befriending such creatures.

As a defense mechanism, these druids wrap themselves in the foul air of rot and decay, sickening foes that linger too close to them, with an even stronger effect on animals, fey, and plants.

With the blessings of the toxic parts of nature, these druids become immune to all diseases and the effects of nausea, able to withstand the foulest environments.

Which isn’t to say that these druid can’t inflict disease on others. Indeed, in reaction to an enemy making contact with them, they can choose to magically expose them to a disease, giving them a lingering punishment for attacking or manhandling the mystic.

Having the option to deliver touch spells and gain other familiar benefits is fun, as is the expanded domain list. The ability to not just commune with vermin but even calm down undead animals by speaking to their former selves is very flavorful as well. The archetype does expect you to be up close to benefit from the miasma aura, but the ability to inflict diseases is probably only going to be relevant for villains and NPCs, because most foes will die before they ever have to save against the actual penalties and damage of the disease itself.

The dichotomy of this archetype is between nihilism and hope, and whether your character wishes to spread devastation or control it will inform a lot about your character’s behavior and characterization.

Barrin Espersong is a druid gone mad. He reasons that if the civilized races choose to pollute the world, then a world of poison and death is all they’ll have. For weeks, he has been reducing the lands around several nations to lifelessness, hoping to starve away the humanoid settlements, so that nature can reclaim them.

Cricketsong is a forest of crawling things, named for the deafening chirping that can be heard for miles around the wood. Inside, a cult of kobold druids have not only mastered living alongside the giant vermin of the wood, but even going beyond the normal limitations of the archetype, taking giant vermin companions.

Few individuals choose to live outdoors in the wastelands of the mana apocalypse, but there are those who walk among the giant insects and magically-mutated degenerates. These druids whisper of a time when the land will be reborn, but that may just be the ravings of minds addled by years in the magical fallout of the doomsday past.