Like the previous edition of Pathfinder the Advanced Player's Guide introduces some new classes to the Pathfinder game, and like the previous edition, one of those classes introduced is the Witch.
Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide
As before I am considering the hardcover Special Edition version of this book. The book is 272 pages and has full-color interior art.
This book is Player focused and shares a lot in common with its predecessor. It also follows the format of the Second Edition Core rules.
Introduction
This introduces us to the book and gives us an overview of what we can expect.
Ancestries & Backgrounds
Now here are some neat ideas. We get five new Ancestries here. They are Catfolk, Kobolds, Orcs, Ratfolk, and Tengus.
The Catfolk are fun and comparable to the D&D Tabaxi and Rakasta (not Rakasha). Likewise, the Tengus are like the D&D Kenku. Orcs are orcs, but I like what they are doing with them. Orcs has always been the "Klingons" of D&D. Someone to fight in the TOS ("The Original Series" or "The Old School") but that changed later on. We have Klingons in Starfleet in TNG and beyond and now we can have Orcs as a player race. Orcs are still described as being mostly chaotic (which I like) and even, maybe just a little bit evil. Player Character Orcs don't have to be. Also like Klingons, these Orcs seem to see their gods as something they should strive to kill. A little John Wick influence here? (The game designer, not the character). These orcs would be interesting to play. We also get Ratfolk (anthropomorphic rats) and Kobolds. Now I will admit, I really don't like Pathfinder's ultra-reptilian Kobolds. I am certain they have their fans, but if I am going to play a small annoying creature why would I choose anything but a goblin?
Each ancestry gets a set of ancestry feats to choose at 1st, 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.
There are new heritages as well including the new versatile heritage which gives you lineage feats as well. I know the "feat haters" are already screaming. Yeah, that might be justified. The lineages are Changeling, Dhampir, and Planar Scions which include Aasimar, Duskwalker, and Tiefling. These feats are also taken at 1st, 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.
More feats are given for the Core Rules ancestries as well. I think the next goblin I play is going to need the "Extra Squishy" feat.
There are more backgrounds as well including Common and Rare backgrounds.
Classes
Ah. The real reason I bought this book!
In addition to the four new classes, Investigator, Oracle, Swashbuckler, and Witch, there are new features for the twelve Core Rules classes.
The Investigator is an interesting class and one I can see working well in an FRPG. Basically is Sherlock Holme could fit into your game then this class has a place too. The Oracle is a staple of classic mythology and is a divine-powered class. A nice alternative to the cleric. The Swashbuckler is neat and all but I didn't "get it" until I started thinking of them as a DEX-based fighter as opposed to the normal STR-based one. That leaves just one more class.
The Witch has been a great addition to Pathfinder since 1st Edition and I rather like this one too. This witch is an Intelligence-based spellcaster. Like many interpretations of the witch she gets a Patron and Familiar. This is how she learns her spells. Now for me this points more to Charisma, but there are a lot of Charisma-based casters in Pathfinder. Wisdom would have also been a good choice. These witches also get Hexes which are powers they can use that are not spells but spell-like.
While clerics are clearly divine spellcasters and wizards are arcane, witches as a class can move about these distinctions. So depending on their Patron Theme, they can be Arcane, Divine, Occult, or Primal. A Rune Witch is arcane, but a Winter Witch is primal. This time also grants a skill, a cantrip and a spell.
In addition to spells, hexes, patrons, and loads of feats, witches also get Lessons, each lesson gives the witch a hex and their familiar a spell. Witches don't use spell books here, just their familiars. There is so much customization I could make 1000s of witches and no two would be the same.
Witches in Pathfinder fill the same ecological niche that Warlocks do in D&D 5.
Following the witch we get new feats for the twelve core rules classes. Typically a two- or four-page spread continues with PF2e's design aesthetic. Sorcerers, I should note get new bloodlines as well.
There is also a section on animal companions (largely stats) and familiars.
Like the Core Rules of PF2e this has several archetypes that can be applied to classes via the applications of various feats and skills. I do see where some of the 3.x Prestige Classes are now living on here as archetypes. There are also the multi-class archetypes for all the new classes. One of these new archetypes is the Cavalier. I can complete my "Dragon 114" duo with a human witch and an elven cavalier! Some of these archetypes can be be taken as early as 2nd level, others (typically the former Prestige Classes) need more requirements and have to be taken at higher levels. I would need to compare and contrast the archetypes to the old Prestige Classes to see how they work out. I can see where you can build your own Batman now with the monk class, the investigator multi-class feat, and vigilante archetype.
One thing though. I can see these archetype being adapted to D&D5 or even OSR D&D with some care and attention.
Feats
Feats are either the boon or bane of Pathfinder. This chapter has more of them.
Spells
New spell casting classes mean a need for new spells.
Items
New magic items.
All in all this book is a lot of fun. The art is great, and the layout and design is fantastic. There are a lot of great ideas here and I would love to try them out. Hell. I would be content in making a different PF2e witch a day just to see how many I could do. But don't worry, I am not going to that except maybe for myself.
There is a lot here I would love to see find a home in some way for D&D, maybe for D&D6.
No comments:
Post a Comment