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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
So many negative Nellys wanna step on my underpowered, completely not thought out character concept.
Well, clearly, the thing to do is to homebrew a prestige class that advances all class abilities. Maybe it advances caster level, but not actual spellcasting (new spells per day, spells known/prepared)? And adds full BAB?
So many negative Nellys wanna step on my underpowered, completely not thought out character concept.
Well, clearly, the thing to do is to homebrew a prestige class that advances all class abilities. Maybe it advances caster level, but not actual spellcasting (new spells per day, spells known/prepared)? And adds full BAB?
I'm hoping for a Slayer that can get favored enemy back. So many Demons in Wrath of the Righteous and I gotta use a move action to get a less good bonus!
I'm hoping for a Slayer that can get favored enemy back. So many Demons in Wrath of the Righteous and I gotta use a move action to get a less good bonus!
I'm hoping for a Slayer that can get favored enemy back. So many Demons in Wrath of the Righteous and I gotta use a move action to get a less good bonus!
Our archer slayer has been ROCKING those demons. Even when it was a move action to use Favored Target.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
I really want to like this book, but I've been reading the blog previews and I wonder if a lot of the classes were written with a different play style in mind than my own. Or maybe that's how the previews are written/geared toward. I didn't get that feeling from APG, UM or UC or their previews. But something in these previews makes it feel different to me and that is making it harder for me to really like or get into this book right now.
I really want to like this book, but I've been reading the blog previews and I wonder if a lot of the classes were written with a different play style in mind than my own. Or maybe that's how the previews are written/geared toward. I didn't get that feeling from APG, UM or UC or their previews. But something in these previews makes it feel different to me and that is making it harder for me to really like or get into this book right now.
Previews only show a small portion of the book—if you're hesitant, wait until you have a chance to see the book in its entirety through your FLGS and then make a decision. :D
To be honest, a power-gamer is going to find a way to make a crazy combination with any one of these classes, just like all the current classes. You can always find ways of breaking the game.
As far as ones that the AVERAGE gamer will scare their GM with? I don't know. Perhaps the Brawler, since switching out feats willy-nilly can definitely make for some strong combinations.
I really don't think the arcanist is going to blow people away, especially at low levels. But I know there are people on these forums who think it's going to completely render both the Wizard and Sorcerer useless. I just don't see it. Maybe at level 20 it will be hands-down better than both of those two, but at early levels it really won't, IMHO.
So any thoughts on which of the new classes the powergamers are going to gravitate towards? Which ones are going to give GMs the biggest headaches?
Three of them, actually: the Arcanist, the Arcanist, and especially the Arcanist.
Unless they changed the arcanist to use the wizard's spell progression, I find it unlikely they are going to unseat the wizard as the power-gamer's favored arcane class. This is true even with things like Quick Study.
If I preorder this, is there any way to pick it up at GenCon?
Why not just buy it at GenCon, instead of preordering?
Ah, went and reread the post that had me confused and worried about this. When I first read this post, made me think that unless you had the subscription or the pre-order you wouldn't be able to get one at Gen-Con (which seemed weird to me). but now that I read through it again. I see that I can just buy it there.
Waiting to see what changes I'll have to make for my PFS character (Halfling Bloodrager 1[Celestial] Warpriest 5 [Iomedae]).
Got a tad attached to him as a fun Tank -hope the changes won't nerf him too much
Well, we know that the warpriest won't have a full base attack bonus with his deity's favored weapon anymore, so you're base attack bonus probably going to drop a point, maybe two if you're 5th level or higher.
We also know that blessings got a retune and are both stronger and Wisdom-based.
That's about all we've gotten so far for your character, though.
I think out of all the classes that were mentioned, the class I've seen the least excitement for was the Hunter. I personally like my rangers without spells and with less focus on nature, so it is safe to say the concept of the Hunter never interested me either.
I think out of all the classes that were mentioned, the class I've seen the least excitement for was the Hunter. I personally like my rangers without spells and with less focus on nature, so it is safe to say the concept of the Hunter never interested me either.
Same here, along with the Brawler - though a few of the mentioned archetypes have turned my head the other way.
I'm hoping the Hunter feels a bit more distinct in the final product.
I think out of all the classes that were mentioned, the class I've seen the least excitement for was the Hunter. I personally like my rangers without spells and with less focus on nature, so it is safe to say the concept of the Hunter never interested me either.
Same here, along with the Brawler - though a few of the mentioned archetypes have turned my head the other way.
I'm hoping the Hunter feels a bit more distinct in the final product.
I have to admit--as a playtester before working here, I wasn't feeling the hunter as much as some of the others. I will just say that the hunter got something in the final that changed the way I thought about the class and that I plan to share it when the hunter class blog post goes up. Other than tantalizing you like that, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the preview.
Same here, along with the Brawler - though a few of the mentioned archetypes have turned my head the other way.
I'm hoping the Hunter feels a bit more distinct in the final product.
I have to admit--as a playtester before working here, I wasn't feeling the hunter as much as some of the others. I will just say that the hunter got something in the final that changed the way I thought about the class and that I plan to share it when the hunter class blog post goes up. Other than tantalizing you like that, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the preview.
Good to hear! I'm trying to keep an open mind about the classes until I see them in full.
Same here, along with the Brawler - though a few of the mentioned archetypes have turned my head the other way.
I'm hoping the Hunter feels a bit more distinct in the final product.
I have to admit--as a playtester before working here, I wasn't feeling the hunter as much as some of the others. I will just say that the hunter got something in the final that changed the way I thought about the class and that I plan to share it when the hunter class blog post goes up. Other than tantalizing you like that, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the preview.
Good to hear! I'm trying to keep an open mind about the classes until I see them in full.
me too, i keep thinking they are keeping the hunter blog for last so they a can blow our minds with the big reveal.
Same here, along with the Brawler - though a few of the mentioned archetypes have turned my head the other way.
I'm hoping the Hunter feels a bit more distinct in the final product.
I have to admit--as a playtester before working here, I wasn't feeling the hunter as much as some of the others. I will just say that the hunter got something in the final that changed the way I thought about the class and that I plan to share it when the hunter class blog post goes up. Other than tantalizing you like that, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the preview.
Good to hear! I'm trying to keep an open mind about the classes until I see them in full.
me too, i keep thinking they are keeping the hunter blog for last so they a can blow our minds with the big reveal.
Here I thought the shaman was going to be the last class to be previewed.
Same here, along with the Brawler - though a few of the mentioned archetypes have turned my head the other way.
I'm hoping the Hunter feels a bit more distinct in the final product.
I have to admit--as a playtester before working here, I wasn't feeling the hunter as much as some of the others. I will just say that the hunter got something in the final that changed the way I thought about the class and that I plan to share it when the hunter class blog post goes up. Other than tantalizing you like that, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the preview.
Good to hear! I'm trying to keep an open mind about the classes until I see them in full.
me too, i keep thinking they are keeping the hunter blog for last so they a can blow our minds with the big reveal.
Here I thought the shaman was going to be the last class to be previewed.