Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide (OGL)

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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide (OGL)
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A New Breed of Hero

Adventure like never before with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide! Explore new heights of heroism with 10 new base classes, each with 20 levels of amazing abilities. Incredible powers also await existing characters, with more than a hundred new archetypes and class options. Prepare characters for their most legendary adventure ever with massive selections of never-before-seen spells, magic items, and more!

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide is a must-have companion volume to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. This imaginative tabletop game builds upon more than 15 years of system development and an open playtest featuring more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy rules into the new millennium.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide includes:

  • Ten new base classes—the magic-twisting arcanist, the ferocious bloodrager, the cunning investigator, the daring swashbuckler, the formidable warpriest, and others.
  • Variant class abilities and thematic archetypes for all 29 base classes, such as the counterfeit mage and the mutagenic mauler.
  • Nearly a hundred new feats for characters of all classes, including style feats, teamwork feats like Coordinated Shot, and more.
  • Hundreds of new spells and magic items, such as feast on fear and skullcrusher gauntlets.
  • An entire armory of amazing equipment, from vital new adventuring gear to deadly alchemical weapons.
  • ... and much, much more!

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-671-3

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Last Updated - 7/22/2015

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A Great (if errata-filled) Book for Players

4/5

This book has gotten a lot of flack for two reasons: (1) A number of people were upset by the large amount of errata posted after the book came out. (2) A number of people were upset by the perceived power-creep that this book carried with it, especially in the archetype section.

Both of these are reasonable complaints that I largely agree with.

That said, this book also contains a cornucopia of player options that are great fun. A number of the classes it introduced are now mainstream: it’s hard to imagine playing the game without options like the Brawler, the Investigator, the Slayer, the Bloodrager, the Hunter, or the Warpriest. Or to play without archetypes like the Bolt Ace (Gunslinger), Mutation Warrior or Martial Master (Fighter).

Moreover, the book introduced a number of feats that improve on the available build options available to most players (Extra Hex! Slashing Grace!). Likewise, although the spells in this book seem to have flown under the radar, there are a lot of nice and interesting spells are introduced in this book (Glue Seal, Communal Align Weapon, Wall of Blindness/Deafness, Wall of Nausea, Anti-Incorporeal Shell, Adjustable Disguise, Adjustable Polymorph, Investigative Mind, etc).

Easily 5 stars worth of good material here. Given the unusually large amount of errata, I feel compelled to deduct a star. But all that said, it’s hard to imagine playing Pathfinder without this book -- after the Core Rulebook and Advanced Players Guide, it’s probably the best book for players to pick up.


Unbalanced, uninspired and rushed.

1/5

This book still sticks out as one of Paizo's biggest missteps. It was extremely rushed and it shows.

At least half of the new classes don't even need to exist as anything other than archetypes. Even among the ones that actually work, most feel very uninspired.

There are a few good things in it, but not really enough to justify buying it. It's not worth your money and it's best not to encourage sloppy work.

Hopefully Paizo learns from this and prioritizes quality over quantity and speed from now on.


A continuing disappointment

1/5

The ACG had problems. Many problems. And it continues to have problems.

From concept ("Let's make ten classes as complicated and broken as the magus, or more so!"), to out-of-whack game design, to simply poor editing, the ACG is a mess. The book's philosophy seems to be "create a new utterly unbalanced mechanic, and proliferate it as far as possible." The (quickly issued) errata pulled some of it a bit more into line, but it just doesn't come close to correcting it.

Even something as simple as alchemical items are way out there. Holy Weapon Balm costs 5gp more than holy water, and does 1400% more damage. And that doesn't even include increasing damage to incorporeal creatures.

Even two years after it was released, I continue to be impressed with the complete disregard for balance and sense in this book. If power creep had happened this much every year, we'd be looking at 9999 damage caps by now. The ACG stands out for its insanity.

Perhaps pulping it for the cover error would have been the better move.


The first real dud in my Pathfinder collection

1/5

I am extremely disappointed in this product, and glad I only purchased the PDF version. As other reviewers have pointed out, the new classes are poorly balanced when compared to the preexisting ones, and would be a better fit for a book like Unchained, much like Unearthed Arcana's gestalt characters.

There's far too many feats and toys dedicated to these new classes, which drastically lessens this book's universal appeal, and even though some contrivances are provided to make some of said feats accessible to other classes, it ends up painting the book's title as a misnomer - it isn't an "advanced class guide" any more than it is a guide mostly about ten new classes, that are "advanced" only in the sense that they're more powerful than the others.

It's my fault for not properly researching the book before buying it, so buyer beware if you're expecting to find a literal advanced class guide, as opposed to a lengthy introduction to ten new ones.


Overall disappointing

2/5

Okay, there's a lot here that's just terribly rushed and it shows, like the editing here is painful at points. The classes themselves range wildly in value, and there's a lot of examples of Paizo's classic retro nerfing of things to help make options here look better. This was an obvious rush to gencon book, and it shows. While not everything in it is bad, and there's some salvageable content, you could easily continue to play the game without this book and miss out on absolutely nohthing.


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Himokl wrote:
Ok, I have to ask. Divine Protection peaked my interest earlier when it was mentioned as a good option for a paladin. Then PFS banned it for organized play (1 of 4 feats in this book, one being evolved companion). What sort of crazy stuff does Divine Protection do?

It, for some reason, adds your Charisma modifier to all saves.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

It's actually not as good for paladins, since it only gives a +1 if you already add your Cha to saves.


TriOmegaZero wrote:
It's actually not as good for paladins, since it only gives a +1 if you already add your Cha to saves.

[cheese] Technically, Paladins don't add Charisma to saved; they get a bonus equal to their charisma to saves, so they would get to double-dip Charisma to saves.[/cheese]

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

Analysis wrote:
Ross Byers wrote:
I'm surprised no one has said anything about the unlettered arcanist.

Still waiting for the book, but is this the witch spell list on an Arcanist chassis? If so that seems incredibly awesome.

Even if it does not explicitly have a patron, does it still make sense, as for the witch, to treat it as having a pact or communion with some outside source? In other words, would it make sense to have an unlettered arcanist as e.g. an Old Cults priestess in the same way as a standard witch can be seen like that?

It wouldn't gain any mechanical benefit from such a patronage (like spell list changes), but you could pair it with the Occultist archetype to play up getting aid from outside sources.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber
Tels wrote:


[cheese] Technically, Paladins don't add Charisma to saved; they get a bonus equal to their charisma to saves, so they would get to double-dip Charisma to saves.[/cheese]

I don't remember the exact wording, but it specifically says if you are a paladin you just get a +1 instead.


TriOmegaZero wrote:
Tels wrote:


[cheese] Technically, Paladins don't add Charisma to saved; they get a bonus equal to their charisma to saves, so they would get to double-dip Charisma to saves.[/cheese]
I don't remember the exact wording, but it specifically says if you are a paladin you just get a +1 instead.

Ah! Ok, specific limitation in the feat then. That's cool. Otherwise, I was kind of worried about a Paladin with Divine Grace that also regularly uses the Bestow Grace spell. Triple-Dip Charisma to saves!


Davic The Grey wrote:
Can anyone tell me what the favored class bonus is for human investigators? Please and thank you.

Add one investigator Formula to your formula book. It must be at least 1 level lower than the highest formula you can do.


I guess I'll post the question one last time.

What does the Spell Warrior archetype for Skald do? Between the Totemic Skald's beast shaping, the Fated Champion's foresight, and the herald of the horn's amazing Nordic vibes, I must know the last of the four!


Battle Cupcake wrote:

I guess I'll post the question one last time.

What does the Spell Warrior archetype for Skald do? Between the Totemic Skald's beast shaping, the Fated Champion's foresight, and the herald of the horn's amazing Nordic vibes, I must know the last of the four!

I've been dumping a bit of info here and answered your first question on the third page.

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, Contributor

nighttree wrote:

Can we get a rundown on the Blade Adept ?

Gains a weapon as a bonded item at 1st level, it grows intelligence at 3rd level as Blade Bound Magus' black blade. Deliver touch spells through the blade. Other abilities that revolve around that along with some exploits it can take. The most notable being one which allows the blade to progress based on caster level so the arcanist can switch to eldritch knight.


Necromancer wrote:
Battle Cupcake wrote:

I guess I'll post the question one last time.

What does the Spell Warrior archetype for Skald do? Between the Totemic Skald's beast shaping, the Fated Champion's foresight, and the herald of the horn's amazing Nordic vibes, I must know the last of the four!

I've been dumping a bit of info here and answered your first question on the third page.

Thank you!

EDIT: A counterspell Skald? Yes. Beautiful.

Dark Archive

Dennis Baker wrote:
nighttree wrote:

Can we get a rundown on the Blade Adept ?

Gains a weapon as a bonded item at 1st level, it grows intelligence at 3rd level as Blade Bound Magus' black blade. Deliver touch spells through the blade. Other abilities that revolve around that along with some exploits it can take. The most notable being one which allows the blade to progress based on caster level so the arcanist can switch to eldritch knight.

That sounds cool. Man they need to hurrry and send my stuff!


I am super keen for this.

So, the feat "Blessed Striker" for Paladins - what does it do?

Contributor

Blessed Striker:
Blessed Striker
You attacks are augmented by the strength of your and your deity’s shared alignment.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +11, ability to cast divine spells, alignment must be within one step of your deity’s.
Benefit: All of your attacks are treated as having whatever alignment components you and your deity share for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Special: If you grossly violate the code of conduct required by your deity or no longer worship your deity, you lose access to this feat.
You can regain it once you atone for your misdeeds to your deity (see the atonement spell on page 245 of the Core Rulebook).

Sovereign Court

Aleron wrote:
It's neither actually nor does it actually replace your wisdom. Grants an insight bonus equal to charisma mod vs 'mind-affecting' basically. So probably better and worse in ways than what has been said thus far.

Ah, thanks again.

Now to decide whether my Bard wants Steadfast Personality or Additional Traits to get Irrepressible plus one other. Decisions, decisions.

Shadow Lodge

is hardcover being delivered?

Shadow Lodge

do arcanists use spellbooks

Dark Archive

equinoxmaster wrote:
do arcanists use spellbooks

Yes they use spellbooks

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 4

Battle Cupcake wrote:

Thank you!

EDIT: A counterspell Skald? Yes. Beautiful.

Glad you liked it!


TriOmegaZero wrote:
It's actually not as good for paladins, since it only gives a +1 if you already add your Cha to saves.

Just take an archetype taht replace divine grace and then recover it via a sngle feat.


Does anyone know when this is expected to go up on the PRD? I assume there's some lag to encourage PDF and Hardcopy purchase, but when can we expect to see the digital version posted?


brad2411 wrote:
equinoxmaster wrote:
do arcanists use spellbooks
Yes they use spellbooks

The unlettered archetype lets the arcanist grab a familiar and store spells (from the witch list) inside it. It doesn't gain any patron access, but it's still a nice option for those that hate dealing with spellbooks. Not to mention having a really cool way to (through mechanics alone) roleplay an arcanist who's never seen the inside of a library.

Silver Crusade

DocShock wrote:
Does anyone know when this is expected to go up on the PRD? I assume there's some lag to encourage PDF and Hardcopy purchase, but when can we expect to see the digital version posted?
Joe M. wrote:
Artemis Moonstar wrote:

I've seen no one reference this yet (using the search function)...

When can we expect to see this on the SRD or PRD?!

I MUST KNOW EVERY FINAL DETAIL ABOUT MY ARCANIST AND MY BRAWLER!

Answer HERE:

Chris Lambertz wrote:
The Advanced Class Guide will hit the PRD sometime in September.
:-)


Thanks Joe

Shadow Lodge

Is hardcover out and being delivered yet?


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Nicos wrote:
TriOmegaZero wrote:
It's actually not as good for paladins, since it only gives a +1 if you already add your Cha to saves.
Just take an archetype taht replace divine grace and then recover it via a sngle feat.

Assuming that you do not engage in SLA shenanigans, that would mean that you would be doing without Divine Grace through level 6, since level 7 is the earliest level at which you can get 2nd level paladin spells. But this feat does make paladin archetypes that replace Divine Grace not totally out ot the question.

Dark Archive

David knott 242 wrote:
Nicos wrote:
TriOmegaZero wrote:
It's actually not as good for paladins, since it only gives a +1 if you already add your Cha to saves.
Just take an archetype taht replace divine grace and then recover it via a sngle feat.

Assuming that you do not engage in SLA shenanigans, that would mean that you would be doing without Divine Grace through level 6, since level 7 is the earliest level at which you can get 2nd level paladin spells. But this feat does make paladin archetypes that replace Divine Grace not totally out ot the question.

Empyreal Knight loses Dvinie Grace and is one of the main reasons I have not played one yet but with being able to get this new feat it makes that paladin much better.


I thought I saw someone mention a feat called amateur swashbuckler. If it exists, could someone post a brief description?

Contributor

Gisher wrote:
I thought I saw someone mention a feat called amateur swashbuckler. If it exists, could someone post a brief description?

Open Ultimate Combat. Flip to the Amateur Gunslinger feat. Replaces "Wisdom" with "Charisma." Replace "gunslinger" with "swashbuckler." Replaces "grit" with "panache."

That's Amateur Swashbuckler.

Shadow Lodge

do arcanists have the same class skills as wizards?


equinoxmaster wrote:
do arcanists have the same class skills as wizards?

Everything plus use magic device.


Is there some sort of feat to gain a ki pool the way there is panache or grit?


Wolfism wrote:
Is there some sort of feat to gain a ki pool the way there is panache or grit?

The sacred fist warpriest archetype is the only way available in the ACG (no feat option to access a ki pool).

Scarab Sages

Well, there is also the rogue talent. Only useful if you can take rogue talents though.


How about feats that add different ways to use a ki pool?


Wolfism wrote:
How about feats that add different ways to use a ki pool?

Nothing in the feats chapter mentions ki pool. On the other hand, there's a lot of new unarmed strike goodies. Many new feats allow the user to inflict conditions with unarmed strike, for example.

Scarab Sages

Can any of the new unarmed feats be taken as Monk bonus feats?


Those sound really cool, do you mind talking a bit about what they can do and how they work?


Imbicatus wrote:
Can any of the new unarmed feats be taken as Monk bonus feats?

None of the feats have it spelled out that they're bonus feats and only combat bonus feats are mentioned in the first part of the chapter.

Wolfism wrote:
Those sound really cool, do you mind talking a bit about what they can do and how they work?

Befuddling Strike confuses an opponent with unarmed strike with a WIS-based DC.

Counterpunch has steep requirements, but provokes an AoO on an opponent if they miss all their unarmed attacks.

Dazing fist dazes an an opponent with unarmed strike with a WIS-based DC.

Draining strike causes fatigue/exhaustion with unarmed strike with a WIS-based DC.

Paralyzing strike paralyzes with unarmed strike with a WIS-based DC.

Staggering fist staggers with unarmed strike with a WIS-based DC.

Then there's trees for grabbing, jabbing, and pummeling styles with monk/brawler requirements.


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Necromancer wrote:
-flurry of blows-

Is there a cap on all these punches? Number of uses per day, one per round, etc.? If a limit, does each one come with its own "pool" so that you can pounce on somebody with a magical painbow of different conditions, each on a different strike?


QuidEst wrote:
...magical painbow...

That's gold right there.


QuidEst wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
-flurry of blows-
Is there a cap on all these punches? Number of uses per day, one per round, etc.? If a limit, does each one come with its own "pool" so that you can pounce on somebody with a magical painbow of different conditions, each on a different strike?

Yeah, the limit's once per day for every four character levels and no more than once a round. This is per feat, so there's not an overarching limit on how many separate conditions a monk can attempt. Also, the target doesn't get immunity for the day on a successful save.


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Tels wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
...magical painbow...
That's gold right there.

Painbows are one of the harshmallows you find in Lucky Harms. They're tragically malicious!

Necromancer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
-flurry of blows-
Is there a cap on all these punches? Number of uses per day, one per round, etc.? If a limit, does each one come with its own "pool" so that you can pounce on somebody with a magical painbow of different conditions, each on a different strike?
Yeah, the limit's once per day for every four character levels and no more than once a round. This is per feat, so there's not an overarching limit on how many separate conditions a monk can attempt. Also, the target doesn't get immunity for the day on a successful save.

Cool! That seems like a fun build right there.

Oh goodness… it doesn't even have to be a build. Brawler can pick them up for free during the day whenever he needs.


Necromancer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
-flurry of blows-
Is there a cap on all these punches? Number of uses per day, one per round, etc.? If a limit, does each one come with its own "pool" so that you can pounce on somebody with a magical painbow of different conditions, each on a different strike?
Yeah, the limit's once per day for every four character levels and no more than once a round. This is per feat, so there's not an overarching limit on how many separate conditions a monk can attempt. Also, the target doesn't get immunity for the day on a successful save.

Do Monks get that special text which allows them to use them once per Monk level, or is it just once per 4 levels, regardless of class?


Tels wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
-flurry of blows-
Is there a cap on all these punches? Number of uses per day, one per round, etc.? If a limit, does each one come with its own "pool" so that you can pounce on somebody with a magical painbow of different conditions, each on a different strike?
Yeah, the limit's once per day for every four character levels and no more than once a round. This is per feat, so there's not an overarching limit on how many separate conditions a monk can attempt. Also, the target doesn't get immunity for the day on a successful save.
Do Monks get that special text which allows them to use them once per Monk level, or is it just once per 4 levels, regardless of class?

No class limit, that's why I italicized "character". rereads question

No special treatment, just 1/day per every four character levels.

Scarab Sages

Necromancer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
-flurry of blows-
Is there a cap on all these punches? Number of uses per day, one per round, etc.? If a limit, does each one come with its own "pool" so that you can pounce on somebody with a magical painbow of different conditions, each on a different strike?
Yeah, the limit's once per day for every four character levels and no more than once a round. This is per feat, so there's not an overarching limit on how many separate conditions a monk can attempt. Also, the target doesn't get immunity for the day on a successful save.

Do they have the same kind of special line that stunning fist/elemental fist/punishing kick/touch of serenity/perfect strike have? Those are all one per day per four levels or once per monk level.


Imbicatus wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
QuidEst wrote:
Necromancer wrote:
-flurry of blows-
Is there a cap on all these punches? Number of uses per day, one per round, etc.? If a limit, does each one come with its own "pool" so that you can pounce on somebody with a magical painbow of different conditions, each on a different strike?
Yeah, the limit's once per day for every four character levels and no more than once a round. This is per feat, so there's not an overarching limit on how many separate conditions a monk can attempt. Also, the target doesn't get immunity for the day on a successful save.
Do they have the same kind of special line that stunning fist/elemental fist/punishing kick/touch of serenity/perfect strike have? Those are all one per day per four levels or once per monk level.

The daily limit's the same, but there's no monk-can-take-this-without-prerequisites or "A monk may attempt a [feat name] attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk."


By the way, thanks Necromancer for all the answers you've been giving. Really appreciate it! Would you mind giving us some of the juicy details on Primal Companion Hunter?


That's really disappointing about the special undarmed condition feats. Still, I guess it was primarily to stop a class like the Monk from unleashing painbows (I'm so stealing this line).


QuidEst wrote:
By the way, thanks Necromancer for all the answers you've been giving. Really appreciate it! Would you mind giving us some of the juicy details on Primal Companion Hunter?

Animal companion gets an evolution point pool and can take on the evolutions as if it were an eidolon for a short time. If the companion dies, the hunter can take the evolutions in the same way.

Archetypes thread link; lots of questions answered here.

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