Ultimate Combat Preview #1

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Time slips by so quickly during the summer months that it seems like a new rulebook is just around the corner. As it turns out, Ultimate Combat is due to release in just a few weeks. From now until Gen Con, we will be showing off some of the exciting new options for characters and GMs alike that hide inside this blood-drenched tome.

To kick things off, I can think of no better way than to take a look at the classes chapter of Ultimate Combat. This book features one brand-new class, the gunslinger, as well as two alternate classes, the ninja and the samurai. In addition, all of the classes that focus on melee or ranged combat get a host of new archetypes in this book. Take a look a this list.

Illustration by Mauricio Herrera

Alchemist: This section presents the beastmorph and ragechemist archetypes.
Barbarian: This section includes the armored hulk, scarred rager, sea reaver, titan mauler, true primitive, urban barbarian, and wild rager.
Bard: This section includes the archaeologist, daredevil, and dervish dancer.
Cavalier: This section includes the beast rider, emissary, gendarme, honor guard, luring cavalier, musketeer, standard bearer, and strategist.
Cleric: This section includes the crusader, divine strategist, evangelist, and merciful healer.
Druid: This section includes the ape shaman, bat shaman, and boar shaman, as well as the world walker.
Fighter: This section includes the armor master, brawler, cad, dragoon, gladiator, tactician, thunderstriker, tower shield specialist, unarmed fighter, and unbreakable.
Gunslinger: This section includes the gun tank, musket master, mysterious stranger, and pistolero.
Inquisitor: This section includes the iconoclast, spellbreaker, and witch hunter.
Magus: This section includes the kensai, myrmidarch, skirnir, and soul forger.
Monk: This section includes the flowing monk, maneuver master, martial artist, master of many styles, sensei, sohei, and tetori.
Paladin: This section includes the divine hunter, empyreal knight, holy gun, holy tactician, knight of the sepulcher, and sacred shield.
Ranger: This section includes the battle scout, deep walker, falconer, trophy hunter, warden, and wild stalker.
Rogue: This section includes new rogue talents, plus the bandit, chameleon, charlatan, driver, knife master, pirate, roof runner, sanctified rogue, and survivalist.
Wizard: This section includes the arcane bomber, siege mage, and spellslinger.

Of course, some of these classes get other new rules as well, such as rage powers, rogue talents, and the like. Some of these archetypes can make for some versatile and powerful characters. I myself am playing with one of these archetypes in a campaign being run by our illustrious publisher, Erik Mona. Take a look at the Maneuver Master.

Maneuver Master (Archetype)
The maneuver master specializes in more complicated moves than simple damage-dealing strikes.
Bonus Feat: In addition to normal monk bonus feats, a maneuver master may select any Improved combat maneuver feat (such as Improved Overrun) as a bonus feat. At 6th level and above, he may select any Greater combat maneuver feat (such as Greater Grapple) as a bonus feat. At 10th level and above, he may select any maneuver Strike feat (such as Tripping Strike) as a bonus feat.
Flurry of Maneuvers (Ex): At 1st level, as part of a full-attack action, a maneuver master can make one additional combat maneuver, regardless of whether the maneuver normally replaces a melee attack or requires a standard action. The maneuver master uses his monk level in place of his base attack bonus to determine his CMB for the bonus maneuvers, though all combat maneuver checks suffer a –2 penalty when using a flurry. At 8th level, a maneuver master may attempt a second additional combat maneuver, with an additional –3 penalty on combat maneuver checks. At 15th level, a maneuver master may attempt a third additional combat maneuver, with an additional –7 penalty on combat maneuver checks. This ability replaces flurry of blows.
Maneuver Defense (Ex): At 3rd level, if a maneuver master has an Improved combat maneuver feat, any creature attempting that maneuver against the maneuver master provokes an attack of opportunity, even if it would not normally do so. This ability replaces still mind.
Reliable Maneuver (Ex): At 4th level, as a swift action, a maneuver master may spend 1 point from his ki pool before attempting a combat maneuver. He can roll his combat maneuver check for that maneuver twice and use the better result. This ability replaces slow fall.
Meditative Maneuver (Ex): At 5th level, as a swift action, a maneuver master can add his Wisdom modifier on any combat maneuver check he makes before the beginning of his next turn. He must choose which combat maneuver check to grant the bonus to before making the combat maneuver check. This ability replaces purity of body.
Sweeping Maneuver (Ex): At 11th level, a maneuver master can make two combat maneuvers as a standard action, as long as neither maneuver requires the maneuver master to move. He may perform two identical maneuvers against two adjacent enemies, or he may perform two different combat maneuvers against the same target. This ability replaces diamond body.
Whirlwind Maneuver (Ex): At 15th level, once per day as a full-round action, a maneuver master can attempt a single combat maneuver against every opponent he threatens, as long as the combat maneuver does not require movement. He makes a single combat maneuver check, and it applies to all targets. This ability replaces quivering palm.

After the first session, I can tell you that this archetype has been a blast to play. We will be looking at some of the fun toys for the monk in more detail next week, but let me close out with one last list of class-filled fun. Here is the revised and expanded list of fighter weapon groups. Weapons marked with one asterisk (*) can be found in the Advanced Player's Guide, while those with two asterisks (**) are from Ultimate Combat. Enjoy and see you all next week.

Axes: bardiche*, battleaxe, dwarven waraxe, greataxe, handaxe, heavy pick, hooked axe**, knuckle axe**, light pick, mattock**, orc double axe, pata**, and throwing axe
Blades, Heavy: bastard sword, chakram*, double chicken saber**, double walking stick katana**, elven curve blade, falcata*, falchion, greatsword, great terbutje**, katana**, khopesh*, longsword, nine-ring broadsword**, nodachi**, scimitar, scythe, seven-branched sword**, shotel**, temple sword*, terbutje**, and two-bladed sword
Blades, Light: bayonet*, butterfly sword**, dagger, gladius**, kama, kerambit**, kukri, pata**, quadrens**, rapier, short sword, sica**, sickle, starknife, swordbreaker dagger*, sword cane*, and wakizashi**
Bows: composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow, and shortbow
Close: bayonet*, brass knuckles*, cestus**, dan bong**, emei piercer**, fighting fan**, gauntlet, heavy shield, iron brush**, light shield, madu**, mere club**, punching dagger, sap, scizore**, spiked armor, spiked gauntlet, spiked shield, tekko-kagi**, tonfa**, unarmed strike, wooden stake*, and wushu dart**
Crossbows: double crossbow*, hand crossbow, heavy crossbow, heavy repeating crossbow, light crossbow, light repeating crossbow, and tube arrow shooter**
Double: dire flail, dwarven urgrosh, gnome hooked hammer, orc double axe, quarterstaff, and two-bladed sword
Firearms: all one-handed**, two-handed**, and siege firearms**
Flails: chain spear*, dire flail, double chained kama**, flail, flying blade**, heavy flail, kusarigama**, kyoketsu shoge**, meteor hammer**, morningstar, nine-section whip**, nunchaku, sansetsukon**, scorpion whip**, spiked chain, urumi**, and whip
Hammers: aklys**, battle aspergillum*, club, greatclub, heavy mace, light hammer, light mace, mere club**, taiaha**, tetsubo**, wahaika**, and warhammer
Monk: bo staff**, brass knuckles**, butterfly sword**, cestus*, dan bong**, double chained kama**, double chicken saber**, emei piercer**, fighting fan**, jutte**, kama, kusarigama**, kyoketsu shoge**, lungshuan tamo**, monk's spade**, nine-ring broadsword**, nine-section whip**, nunchaku, quarterstaff, rope dart**, sai, sansetsukon**, seven-branched sword**, shang gou**, shuriken, siangham, tiger fork**, tonfa**, tri-point double-edged sword**, unarmed strike, urumi**, wushu dart**
Natural: unarmed strike and all natural weapons, such as bite, claw, gore, tail, and wing
Polearms: bardiche*, bec de corbin*, bill*, glaive, glaive-guisarme*, guisarme, halberd, hooked lance**, lucerne hammer*, mancatcher*, monk's spade**, naginata**, nodachi**, ranseur, rohomphaia**,tepoztopili**, and tiger fork**
Spears: amentum**, boar spear*, javelin, harpoon**, lance, longspear, pilum*, shortspear, sibat**, spear, tiger fork**, and trident
Thrown: aklys**, amentum**, atlatl**, blowgun, bolas, boomerang*, chakram*, club, dagger, dart, halfling sling staff, harpoon**, javelin, lasso*, kestros**, light hammer, net, poisoned sand tube**, rope dart**, shortspear, shuriken, sling, spear, starknife, throwing axe, throwing shield**, trident, and wushu dart**
Siege Engines: all siege engines**


Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

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Tags: Design Tuesdays Mauricio Herrera Paladins Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
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Awesome!

A fighter specializing in Siege Engines? Sweet.

A bit sad about the lack of gunmage :(

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Panzer Dragoon!

Liberty's Edge

....

DO. WANT.

blink blink

...wait. What happened to the gunmage?

Dark Archive

BREATH!!!! OMG, I've been waiting for this checking the blog everyday!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!

---- Not knocking or seeming ungrateful in anyway but what happened to the sorcerer?

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Ok, like a few others have asked... where is the Gun Mage?

Sovereign Court

Throwing Shield is back! Yay! Also, Double Chicken Saber! KFC monk time? I know it's a cane sword, but a man can dream can't he? Also...

Shisumo wrote:
...wait. What happened to the gunmage?


Dragnmoon wrote:
Ok, like a few others have asked... where is the Gun Mage?

Became lawful good and a paladin to be a "holy gun" perhaps?

I'm very excited to for the release of this expansion!

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Fighting fans... Great! I can finally bring out my inner Kiyoshi Warrior!

RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8

I bet that "gun mage" got its name changed to "spellslinger".

Also, that list of weapons delights me. Especially the "flying blade", which I can only imagine isn't called a flying guillotine because guillotines aren't common enough in-game.

So, anyone going to run an all-monk game after this comes out?

Contributor

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Gun Mage is the spellslinger archetype, under wizard.

Dragoon is delicious...I'm havin' flashbacks to Kain in Final Fantasy IV! Squee!

Scarab Sages

/me starts hoping that one of those Cavalier Archetypes is a mount-less. PLEASE PLEASE have a mount-less...

Strategist sounds promising...


AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dark Archive

Has Gunslinger been made into its own class? Am I late on this?!


Wow so no sorcerer love?

Liberty's Edge

Lots of very cool sounding archetypes.

Please say one of the ones available to barbarians, fighters, or rangers makes grappling viable against other physical combatants!

Sovereign Court

Gunner-Recall wrote:
Has Gunslinger been made into its own class? Am I late on this?!

This was done in Playtest: Round Two.

Also, thanks for the info, Liz.

Paizo Employee Director of Game Design

Gignere wrote:
Wow so no sorcerer love?

Worry not, there is plenty in this book for Sorcerers, just not in the way of archetypes. There are spells and feats, not to mention a bunch of different combat systems that might benefit a sorcerer (and all the other classes that did not get archetypes).

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Gignere wrote:
Wow so no sorcerer love?

I was kinda curious when the "wha no magic stuff in martial book" complaint creeps up.

Coming up next: "Cleric/Wizard archetypes are depressing, another sign of how weak both classes are"...

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Gunner-Recall wrote:
Has Gunslinger been made into its own class? Am I late on this?!

Yes, and Yes.


Jason Bulmahn wrote:
Gignere wrote:
Wow so no sorcerer love?

Worry not, there is plenty in this book for Sorcerers, just not in the way of archetypes. There are spells and feats, not to mention a bunch of different combat systems that might benefit a sorcerer (and all the other classes that did not get archetypes).

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

I find it odd that there isn't a Battle Sorcerer archetype like from UA.

Also, I'm calling that there's a feat that lets sorcerers channel their level 1 abilities through their weapons :)

Grand Lodge

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

THE ARCANE BOMBER WHAT BOMBS AT MIDNIGHT.

... couldn't resist. :)

Sovereign Court

Gunner-Recall wrote:
Has Gunslinger been made into its own class? Am I late on this?!

Playtest 2 revealed that.

The artwork is... a bit too anime for me, in fact it just seems to be your typical mecha suit recolored and detailed for a fantasy setting.

I do like the attention to maneuvers with Maneuver Master, though it still suffers the problem of making the martial character head down the path of specialization, rather than versatility. It would have been great if the Maneuver Master had been able to do any maneuver without suffering an attack of opportunity. That would have given a nice shot of versatility into the class.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Connects psychically to Marks and Hyrums minds
After getting over the initial horror of those minds passes along this message

Please make spellslinger and holy gun legal for PFS play.

Please make spellslinger and holy gun legal for PFS play.

Please make spellslinger and holy gun legal for PFS play.


heh..Mysterious Stranger Archetype, that sounds..mysterious..and awesome, does it come with a poncho (or trench coat) and fedora? Also

Soul Forger Magus sounds cool as well. Looks Like I have to add to the list of characters I may never get to play.....


That looks really promising. I like everything about the maneuver master.

Just one question, Jason, will UC introduce new maneuvers as well? Or some new things that utilize the maneuver mechanics (perhaps styles)?

Dark Archive

it seems that weapons from Adventurer's Armory are not in the weapons groups, I don't see the rhoka anywhere.

Liberty's Edge

So... unbreakable fighters. Played by Bruce Willis?

More seriously, though, that some innate DR for our non-barbarian buddies? Maybe a means by which an unarmored fighter might become a valid choice?


There's lots of interesting things here, though I'm mildly disappointed there is no Hound Master archetype for the Cavalier.

Contributor

Mok wrote:
The artwork is... a bit too anime for me, in fact it just seems to be your typical mecha suit recolored and detailed for a fantasy setting.

Please note that it is just one art preview of the book...there's a lot more new art in Ultimate Combat that might be more to your tastes!


Dragoons!?!? AWESOME! I love infantry who ride into battle on horseback!!

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
chopswil wrote:
it seems that weapons from Adventurer's Armory are not in the weapons groups, I don't see the rhoka anywhere.

A lot of those weapons have not been in a Pathfinder RPG book, only the campaign books, so addressing them in UC would only confuse those that do not get the Campaign books.

Liberty's Edge

Dragnmoon wrote:

Connects psychically to Marks and Hyrums minds

After getting over the initial horror of those minds passes along this message

Please make spellslinger and holy gun legal for PFS play.

Please make spellslinger and holy gun legal for PFS play.

Please make spellslinger and holy gun legal for PFS play.

Probably need to add musketeer and dragoon to that list as well...

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Shisumo wrote:


Probably need to add musketeer and dragoon to that list as well...

True that on the Dragoon, though I could care less on about any archetypes of Cavalier. ;)

If I am connecting to those horrific minds I will pass along what I want! ;)


Seems I have more questions after all, been looking through the weapon groups (double chicken saber? what??). I noticed that

"brass knuckles**"

are noted as items from UC, since that was already in APG, are the knuckles redefined in some way?


I am so excited for this.


As much as I go on about sorcerer's I'm not worried about them here -- after all this is ultimate combat, I'm not expecting too much for them in it.

The archetype selection looks rather impressive to me, and interesting as well. The maneuver master as presented is certainly something I would consider playing and the idea of mixing grappling with other maneuvers has my mind doing laps right now.

Usually I have a negative point I want to go over when I post on the blogs but today I do not.


LoreKeeper wrote:

(double chicken saber? what??).

I had the same question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CSS-6.jpg


Heres hoping the musketeer and pirate archetypes live up to their names, as I imagine they will see a lot of use when the Skull and Shackles AP comes around.

Liberty's Edge

I've recently been kicking around the idea of a monk with glaive proficiency to represent the traditional sohei use of the naginata... I wonder what the sohei archetype might give me instead?


Blog wrote:


Urban Barbarian

That archetype name makes my teeth hurt and my eyes itch just seeing it. Please, please, please tell me that it's really more of a gladiator or pit fighter archetype, and not the crazy drug addict psycho archetype.

Glad to see the Gunslinger is a complete class now, I just hope they made the base logic for it be 'guns are common' rather than 'guns are uber rare and we had to put in a bunch of exceptions so that it reads like the summoner and most rules do not work they way you expect'. Let the sidebars cover what to do with rare/very common guns, and how to modify the class, rather than the class being a bunch of exceptions on top of each other (like the last playtest version, where you started playing a gunslinger, and your fellow adventurer's killed you for your gun).

Interested to see what all the archetypes do. Especially the Dragoon (and especially given Liz Courts comments about FF!). I've always liked the idea of armored pikemen being good at combat, it's hard to do that with Fighter right now (or at least, one that doesn't feel like you have to survive 5 levels to become decent, and another 5 to become nasty).

Dark Archive

Uhmm... Where's the Hound Master archetype for Cavaliers???

We've been dreaming and begging for that since we first saw it.

WE WANTS IT !!!


LoreKeeper wrote:

Seems I have more questions after all, been looking through the weapon groups (double chicken saber? what??). I noticed that

"brass knuckles**"

are noted as items from UC, since that was already in APG, are the knuckles redefined in some way?

Maybe they decided to settle the conflicting responses about how they work with monks and flurry and unarmed damage.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Wait... what exactly is meant by "alternate" classes (samurai and ninja)? Is that different than a normal class or archetype?


<redundant>What happened to the Gun Mage?</redundant>
EDIT: Nevermind, saw it has been renamed to Spellslinger.

Archaeologist is definitely gonna see use in one of my games, my players are currently working with one right now.

And I can't wait to see all the Monk lovin in the book. Monks are the only Lawful characters I ever play anymore :D


Liz Courts wrote:

Gun Mage is the spellslinger archetype, under wizard.

Dragoon is delicious...I'm havin' flashbacks to Kain in Final Fantasy IV! Squee!

Don't want to be all rainin' on your parade, but I'm pretty sure they're reffering to the horse-riding type of dragoons and not the jumping-with-a-spear type.


Abraham spalding wrote:

As much as I go on about sorcerer's I'm not worried about them here -- after all this is ultimate combat, I'm not expecting too much for them in it.

The archetype selection looks rather impressive to me, and interesting as well. The maneuver master as presented is certainly something I would consider playing and the idea of mixing grappling with other maneuvers has my mind doing laps right now.

Usually I have a negative point I want to go over when I post on the blogs but today I do not.

Although this is ultimate combat. It just seemed odd that the only core class to not get an archetype was the sorcerer. Even wizards got a few new archetypes.

Dark Archive

Dragnmoon wrote:
chopswil wrote:
it seems that weapons from Adventurer's Armory are not in the weapons groups, I don't see the rhoka anywhere.
A lot of those weapons have not been in a Pathfinder RPG book, only the campaign books, so addressing them in UC would only confuse those that do not get the Campaign books.

but I thought it was called Ultimate Combat :)

and the rhoka was used in Bestiary 2

Contributor

Ainslan wrote:
Don't want to be all rainin' on your parade, but I'm pretty sure they're reffering to the horse-riding type of dragoons and not the jumping-with-a-spear type.

Oh, I'll be pleased either way, I'm sure. :) (Just means my plans for a Final Fantasy Pathfinder game at PaizoCon next year are coming together quite nicely.)

Scarab Sages

It looks like there's a lot of fun stuff here, although I'm starting to feel the same way about archetypes in Pathfinder as I did about prestige classes in 3.5.

(which is to say, there's a huge glut of them)


Gignere wrote:
Abraham spalding wrote:

As much as I go on about sorcerer's I'm not worried about them here -- after all this is ultimate combat, I'm not expecting too much for them in it.

The archetype selection looks rather impressive to me, and interesting as well. The maneuver master as presented is certainly something I would consider playing and the idea of mixing grappling with other maneuvers has my mind doing laps right now.

Usually I have a negative point I want to go over when I post on the blogs but today I do not.

Although this is ultimate combat. It just seemed odd that the only core class to not get an archetype was the sorcerer. Even wizards got a few new archetypes.

I think it was mentioned in the past that it is more difficult to add archetypes to classes like Wizards, Sorcerers, or Clerics due to the lack of class features (it is a bit more true with Clerics, wizards are doing fine.) Also, since Bloodlines are already almost archetypes in all but name.

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