Soulforger (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)
(art by Marvin Walford on Artstation)
A running theme with a lot of fantasy fiction, particularly anime, is the power of the will and determination, which cuts through opposition and hardship like a fine blade.
Normally this is metaphorical or indirect, with said fighting spirit allowing them to endure and recover from the hardships before them with shocking proficiency… but sometimes it also means literally cutting through the opposition.
Indeed, sometimes what you get is a character that can literally manifest a weapon (or armor or shield or whatever) from their very soul, turning their determination and resolve into a literal armament for them to use to defend themselves and/or destroy their enemies.
Pathfinder and Starfinder really like this concept. From the gloomblade fighter and spellblade/mindblade magus archetypes of First Edition to the Solarian being a whole class in Starfinder, so it only makes sense that they’d carry forward the concept into Second Edition as well, with some unique twists.
Because yes, your character can create such an armament purely from their soul, upgrading it over time, or they can basically have their soul eat a real weapon and then manifest it later. Either one is functionally the same mechanically.
So let’s see what’s in their metaphysical arsenal, shall we?
This archetype does have a whole subsystem associated with it, so let’s go over that first. Essentially, a soulforger can either create or consume a weapon, shield, or armor set, and can later summon it at will. There is some leeway for having a pair of one handed weapons, a supply of ammo, having a specific magical item, or even weapons that attach to other equipment like shield bosses, so you have some flexibility.
From there, each weapon gains a special essence power, such as shaping the armor to grant a special movement speed, turning a melee weapon into a returning thrown weapon, giving the item an aura of fear, reducing the effect of debilitating conditions on the wearer, sapping the life force of foes, healing the wielder, magically guiding strikes, protection from hostile magic, resistance to elements, empowering the weapon with elemental power, slowing foes, bouncing projectiles back, and increasing the durability of a shield.
However, these items are partially maintained by the wielder’s force of will and conviction. As such, breaking one’s own personal code, set down when you forge the spiritual construct, can weaken and even invert the powers granted by essences. Repeated violations without repentance can even permanently destroy the magical construct, requiring them to create a new one and re-evaluate what they’re willing to live up to.
No matter if the weapon was consumed or created from the wielder’s soul, however, it can still be reshaped and upgraded in the same way as other items.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the archetype itself, starting with the dedication. This essentially gives you the entire ability to soulforge and summon your armament in the first place, plus the ability to reshape it and change the essence power once a week.
In a desperate bid, some soulforgers can unleash a surge of energy to briefly empower their armament in a pinch, increasing the accuracy of their weapon or the protection of their armor or shield, however, it has a chance to destabilize the armament, causing it to dematerialize.
Others learn to reflexively summon their spiritual construct when the battle is joined or they find themselves at the mercy of a hazard.
Masters of the art eventually learn to create multiple such armaments, and prove able to manifest their essences all at once, but this can also lead to compounded corruption if their resolve has been wavering in recent history.
If you want to play a character that is never truly unarmed, this archetype might appeal to you. It’s certainly the best option for emulating several first edition archetypes that manifest weapons or armor from magic and spiritual power. However, any class can make use of it in the right situation, though some casters might have to take some feats to really make it work. However, for the character that really wants to be all magic all the time and never bother with weapons, having a crossbow or backup melee weapon that is crafted from raw magic can be a good compromise.
The one thing that might vex some players is that this archetype basically invokes an additional code of conduct on the character with very real consequences regarding the archetype if they fail. However, folks that are used to playing characters with such codes likely won’t have too much trouble with this.
Inspired by tales he had heard of a pistol that shoots sunlight as a weapon against vampires and the undead, Telgrin the inventor has been trying to create his own elemental weapon. While he has succeeded in creating a crossbow that arcs electricity from it’s loaded bolts, the true marvel of the weapon is that he stores it within the blueprints he has memorized… inside his head.
The memories are dim now, but Defender-18 can recall a few fragments of being a guardian of some sort, wielding a powerful shield of light to protect… someone, something. The only thing the android can remember clearly now is the shield, every single detail of it. While it is long gone now, he can still manifest the idea of it when needed.
While her typical day to day is as a diplomate and legate, Nahaya is still a champion at her core, taught how to manifest her determination and righteousness into literal armor by a planetar angel. She proves that she is no mere pencil-pusher.
