Into the Breach: The Rogue (PFRPG) PDF

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In our latest installment of the Into the Breach line we are going Rogue. From its Core roots to its newer Unchained incarnation the rogue has been a favorite of many in part for the personality in between the lines of its crunch. We've designed a little toward both with more archetypes then we have ever put in an Into the Breach book 16 new archetypes, 1 new alternate class and a slew of new rogue talents.

From a Guild Cappo to a Honeypot, from a master of ropes to a master or crossbows, from poaching game to preparing it as a feast you will find we've put together a truly unique array of options I'll let our reviewers detail further.

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An Endzeitgeist.com review

3/5

This installment of Flying Pincushion Games' class-centric series of pdfs clocks in at 43 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page inside of front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page of SRD, leaving us with a massive 38 pages of content, so let's take a look!

This pdf was moved up in my review-queue as a prioritized review at the request of my patreons.

We begin, as always, with new archetypes for the rogue class, the first of which would be the booksmart scout, who receives a modified list of class skills and replaces trapfinding with bardic knowledge. 2nd level needs passive benefits for the scout who successfully identifies hostile creatures instead of the usual evasion gained. 3rd level replaces trap sense with a swift action reroll of a filed Knowledge check at -5.

4th level nets a slightly inelegant ability - I like the notion, though: Increase sneak attack versus successfully identified foes. Alas, the increase is tied to the number by which the DC is beaten, which, considering the ridiculous minmaxing of skills is concerned, can deliver somewhat wobbly results. Adding in a level-based maximum would streamline this one. 6th level nets bonuses to social skills when first gathering info via Knowledge (local)...which is a bit wobbly, considering that you use Diplomacy, RAW, for info-gathering - NOT Knowledge (local). Uncanny dodge is delayed to 8th level and 10th level nets 1/day cognatogen. An okay archetype, though not one that blows me all away.

The second archetype would be the descrier, once again with a modified class skill list and sneak attack's progression is slightly stunted - it's gained at 1st level and progresses by +1d6 every 3 levels thereafter. 1st level also allows for exceptional focus, which, as a move action, lets the descrier gain some bonuses versus the chosen target and deal sneak attack damage versus such a foe, even if the creature would be immune to sneak attack...however, the damage dice is decreased to d4. This signature ability increases at higher levels. Instead of trap sense, you get a bonus feat at 3rd level, 4th level nets keen eyes (sneak versus dazed, entangled, exhausted, frightened or grappled foes), more conditions unlocked at 12th level, and 8th level lets the archetype cause sneak damage versus foes with concealment and bonuses to some skills versus the focused target. The highest level ability, at 16th level, auto-focuses foes properly identified. I like this modification of the chassis - it's solid, though the focus could certainly be used in additional, creative ways.

The third archetype would be the fugitive, who are hard to track, gain Int-mod to initiative and delay sneak attack progression. Generally, I like the idea of making overcome obstacles more dangerous for pursuers, but I certainly wished this one had a bit more precision - RAW, the damage-increase thus gained can make caltrops hyper-lethal and is permanent. A timeframe or maximum number affected is certainly required here. 14th level shields versus discern location etc. Haunted Skulks begin play with an oracle curse, but replace their rogue talents with a phantom - I like the idea of a cursed spiritualist-rogue, but losing rogue talents deprives the archetype of cool teamwork set-ups, talent-shares and similar tricks. Basically, this is the minimum-option iteration of the cool concept and falls a bit short of the excellence the idea could carry. The honeypot would be an interesting face-type archetype - the baseline of this one would be that the archetype is about generating an appealing look that increases Cha, but also makes everyone notice the character more easily. Yeah, it's basically the dandy/goth-archetype. ;) Kidding aside, gender neutrality at higher level makes this a nice homme/femme fatal(e)-iteration. Solid.

The kinetic sneak would e up next and 2nd level nets elemental focus and kinetic blast, though simple blast does not scale and surprise blast allows for sneak to damage via a feint...which is generally an issue: The class needs to use two actions, win the skill check and then hit for the bonus of a signature ability...all in all, a rogue with a bit of kineticist cobbled on. Not a fan.

Okay, so far, I have not been too impressed - that changes pretty much with the master hawserier archetype; with a grappling hook and lasso instead of hand crossbow/rapier in proficiency, the also gain +1 skill point at 1st level, to be invested in Craft (rope). Yes. You read correctly. Rope. We begin with better rope-use and Equipment Tricks at low-levels, but where the archetype becomes interesting is 6th level - here, 5 ropes are chosen from a massive list (+5 at 10th and 14th) - the character may now make these. For example, Blodeuwedd Hair. Or Cavefisher Filament. Yes, these ropes can utilize unique benefits AND come with equipment stats. So yes, even if you don't want to use this cool archetype, the item-scavenging potential here is pretty amazing. So yep, this guy - winner. My one complaint is that it takes pretty long until you get to the cool special ropes. I would have added level prereqs and dispersed the rope-gains more through the levels - as written, you have 3 bumps of versatility-trick gains, which is engine-wise less satisfying than continuous growth. Still: Nice work!

The Poacher is basically a ranger/rogue hybrid with trap emphasis. Okay, I guess, but I'm not blown away by the guy. The Quarrel knave would be more interesting - the idea behind this archetype is a valid dual-hand crossbow rogue, which does have means to use Acrobatics to deal with reload-based AoOs. I *like* the archetype's concept. Alas, the precision exhibited is not 100% there - 6th level unlocks Hail of Needles, which is basically flurry with hand crossbows...got ya...just, well, flurry is usually melee and thus, this needs a slight rewrite. While Rapid Reload takes care of the iterative attack issue with crossbows, the archetype does not note how interaction with the TWF-tree works here, since the base flurry builds on aforementioned feat-array. The archetype does get cool, Green Arrow-style modification of crossbows, class level points to customize them...and I really like these modifications, though, once again, at 8th level, they are pretty late in the game and I wished these signature tricks would be gained sooner. Conceptually cool, but has some rough edges.

Okay, so the next one sounds wonky, but stay with me - the trickster chef is a cooking specialist, who gains a nonlethal, save-based version of sneak attack - snack attack. Sounds lame? It's anything but that! You see, the archetype may select various recipes and snack attacks...well, make the target HUNGRY. Thus, presenting the targets with various special recipes (available via rogue talents), these guys can provide buffs, debuffs or soft terrain control - making the playing experience pretty cool and unique. Beyond this, the archetype actually gets a trick to further modify the properties of the meals cooked by using slain magical beasts...allowing for a bit of numerical tweaking. The most rounded of the archetypes so far and a rewarding, nice experience that could have carried +10 pages, engine-wise. The walking arsenal is a rogue who can hide weapons well, stitch them in clothes etc. -solid, but not an archetype that blew me away. The wild handler gets an animal companion and stunted sneak progression, but may have the companion employ rogue tricks. Pretty powerful, but considering the base rogue's issues, I'm good with that. Solid, but not amazingly creative.

Unchained rogues also get some options, the first of which would be the brickbat striker, who gets a modified skill- and proficiency-list and d4 sneak attack dice. However, he does get ruinous assault at first level, which is basically an ability that lets you forego sneak attack damage dice in favor of inflicting various detrimental conditions, including entangling foes, sicken them or setting up higher DCs (the DC, if applicable, is btw. based on Dex and includes 1/2 class level scaling) and much like deeds, new options are unlocked at higher levels - 4th, 8th, 12th and 16th, to be more precise. Basically, a deed-like engine. The Bunk mentalist is based mostly on skill unlocks, unlocking a mentalism power alongside every skill unlock - think of these as unique, additional unlocks: Handle Animal, for example, nets you Animal Empathy at full class level. Learning one piece of info about Appraised items is a cool narrative device and a 3-round period of grace versus scrutiny when disguised similarly is nice. It should be noted that not all skills offer such powers, though. Pretty intriguing one. The Guild Capo can "add an additional +2 morale bonus to aid another actions." As what action? Sure, it becomes apparent in the follow-ups of the ability (since AoO decreases from standard to swift) but the base ability should specify the action to activate. Similarly, what's the range? Is line of sight required? Sure, the recipient must hear the capo...but you get the idea - the ability is functional, but could be clearer. 2nd level nets tactician and latter levels allow for teamwork feats instead of rogue talents. The sharpshooter is basically an archer-based rogue archetype and may inflict damage to foes unaware of the sniper...and OUTSIDE the first range increment. At short range, some penalties can be applied to foes nearby. My favorite non-complex archetype herein, though at-range sneak can be brutal - I'd most certainly add in a caveat that being hit by the first arrow constitutes being made aware of the sniper.

After all of these archetypes, the pdf also presents the Libertine variant class at d8 HD, 8+Int skills per level, 3/4 BAB-progression, good Will-saves, proficiency with simple and martial weapons and all types of armor and shield. The key ability would be intrigue, gained at first level - the ability's precise effects depend on the interpersonal relationship with another creature: The attitude of the creature to the libertine determines the type of benefits the libertine receives. When the attitude changes...well, the bonus is lost, for the ability is predicated on 48 hours of one attitude. One can be maintained at 1st level , +1 at 5th and every 5 levels thereafter. As a standard action, libertines may reveal secrets of targets gained to cause negative conditions to the subjects of her intrigue, with increasingly devastating options. The class also gets a scaling bonus versus divine spells and SPs and 2nd level unlocks so-called quirks - basically, the talents of the class. These can employ both buffs and debuffs - see, the thing is, that several of these require basically an ally to be affected by intrigue. So far, the main issue of this roleplaying-centric class would be the restrictions imposed upon the intrigue as core mechanic...and a lack of notes on what kind of action is required to determine/switch intrigues. Alas, the rules-language of this class does feature some unpleasant hiccups beyond this -take the shameless ability: "As a standard action, the libertine interrupts another creature who is casting a spell..." Read that sentence very closely. Let that stand as an example. The libertine, as a concept, is something I really like; heck, I consider myself to be at least a bit of a decadent libertine. I want to like this class and enjoy its roleplaying focus...but it needs some upgrade to its combat utility and some serious streamlining of its rules-language, which is pretty much among the weakest in this pdf. Note that I want to note that this class concept has potential galore - add in some combat-utility and streamlining and I'll really like it. As written, its primary focus lies in very low-powered games.

The pdf concludes with a ton of traits - and these run from solid bonus traits and sport teh proper categories, but also feature some issues: Iconoclasm lets you vandalize holy symbols, altars, etc. as a full-round action. You may worsen the damage with more rounds expended - the more you expend, the longer it'll take to make the item work again. Problem here: How does that interact with enchanted altars? Do the spells collapse? Apart from such minor hiccups, these are solid.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are nice on a formal level, while on a rules-level, the offering could be more concise...though honestly, it ranges as one of the best Flying Pincushion has delivered so far...good development here! Layout adheres for the most part to a 2-column full-color standard with nice artworks in full color. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.

Richard Litzkow, Andrew Hoskins, Benjamin Wilkins, David S. McCrae, Frank Gori, Jacob W. Michaels, Jeff Harris, Kris Newton, Matt Medeiros and Taylor Hubler's ItB-installment for the rogue is perhaps the most consistent the series has produced so far - this is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. There are almost no glaring issues of the "ruins everything"-variety herein and the pdf actually does feature quite a few nice tweaks for the rogue's engine. While a couple of them are none-too-inspired "mix two classes"-type of archetypes, there are also some that are truly worth getting this for, if only for scavenging - the master hawserier, trickster chef and brickbat striker, to name a few, certainly are interesting tweaks of the system.

This does not change the fact that the supplement, ultimately, is a mixed bag that contains some coolness and some more problematic options. In the end, though, I do believe that this does have some gems that can elevate it above mediocrity...which are balanced out by some of the less amazing components. Hence, ultimately, I can't get higher than 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 for the purpose of this platform.

Endzeitgeist out.


2/5 Short Term, 2.5/5 Long Term

3/5

This supplement is 43 pages, including 39 pages of content. After a brief introduction, we are presented with a barrage of archetypes. The archetypes are divided into what the author calls “Core Archetypes” and “Unchained Archetypes,” the latter of which are meant to modify the Unchained Rogue class from Paizo. This division is somewhat of an odd choice, as it leaves the product without a clear target audience. The non-unchained rogue doesn’t really have a place at the same table as the unchained rogue, except maybe as an NPC class, and even that is a stretch given that it has to sit in the thin region between the Expert, Ninja, and Unchained Rogue. If this book had contained only “Unchained Archetypes,” then it would clearly be useful to someone looking for more support for a relatively new class. If it had had only “Core Archetypes,” then it could target an audience that wanted a low-powered game with NPC-class style classes, and complement Flying Pincusion’s previous Into the Breach: Forgotten Classes as well as things like Knotty Works’ It’s an NPC World. As it is, though, anyone who gets this book is going to be ignoring one chapter or the other, which is not a good situation for a book this small.
The 12 “Core” archetypes are somewhat hit or miss. For example, the Booksmart Scout trades away Trapfinding and non-skill-related abilities to get Bardic Knowledge and some Alchemist toys. The Fugitive gains flat-out immunity to magic that determines their location, but doesn’t get it until 14th level and everything else the archetype gets is flat number boosts. The Haunted Skulk gets some Oracle and Occultist class features, which are well-implemented except that they are obviously superior to the unarchetyped rogue (maybe this one should have been an “Unchained Archetype?”) On the other hand, the excellent Master Hawserier gets a bunch of unique rope-related abilities which vary depending on the material of rope used. Examples are given from exotic “rope” types ranging from Assassin Vine to Siren Hair to Shark Skin.
Now, we move on to the four “Unchained Archetypes.” The Brickbat Striker has the option to reduce the number of damage dice they roll for Sneak Attack in exchange for applying one of several debuffs to their target, and the strength of the debuff depends on how much damage they give up. This is my favorite archetype in this book and the one I had the most fun playing with.
Moving on, the Bunk Mentalist archetype gets certain “mentalist powers” tied to skill unlocks, with one additional bonus listed for each skill. Unfortunately the abilities are too minor to work as a major class feature, and most of the rest of the archetype is just number boosts.
The two remaining archetypes are called the Guild Capo, which gains intelligence-to-damage with a single (finessable) weapon, and the Sharp Shooter, which gets a bunch of archery-oriented boosts. I haven’t gotten a chance to play or run either of these archetypes yet….
Next comes the Libertine, a full alternate class for the Unchained Rogue. The principle class feature it gets is called an “Intrigue,” which consists of special bonuses relating to (or fighting against) a specific NPC chosen when you first get the class feature. This sort of mechanic has all the pitfalls of the Ranger’s Favored Enemy cranked up to eleven: the class features are very potent as long as the subject of the Libertine’s Intrigue is closely tied to the current events of the campaign, but utterly useless as soon as that character leaves the action. You could probably make it more consistent by using another PC as your Intrigue, but many of the abilities relate to attacking the subject of your Intrigue, so you’d have to ignore those options unless you want to do pvp. The text seems to suggest that assigning the status of an Intrigue to an NPC is temporary, or that it can be swapped out for another Intrigue, but it gives now indication as to how long an Intrigue should last or the method for altering it.
The other issue with the Intrigue ability is that many granted abilities depend on the clunkier portions of the Diplomacy skill. For example, you get bonuses depending on the “attitude” of the Intrigue in relation to the Libertine. Building a class feature around something you know a large portion of your audience is going to house rule is a risky move, as it is unclear how to implement numerous Libertine class options alongside the most common Diplomacy house rules.
Starting at 2nd level, the Libertine gets “Quirks” which are mostly just Rogue Talents by another name. Advanced Quirks show up at 10th level, too.
After some more number boosts and Uncanny Dodge, the Libertine gets another new class feature at 5th level, called “Shameless,” which allows you to make a skill check to negate an enemy’s action. At 11th level, you get an ability called “Hold Court,” which is one of the weirdest class abilities I have ever read. It allows you to invite numerous NPCs to a party/event. The Libertine gets skill bonuses against NPCs who attend the event, while NPCs who reject your invitation face penalties against those who did attend (it’s unclear whether that also includes you). The ability is somewhat vague in how exactly it works, but I have to give the author credit for trying to make a truly novel class feature that doesn’t require a whole new subsystem to introduce.
As a capstone ability, you can make an Intrigue permanent, which might be nice except that I don’t know how long an Intrigue is supposed to last in the first place, and it brings back all the issues of the Ranger’s Favored Enemy.
The entire class is indicated as requiring “any non-lawful” alignment for no apparent reason. That’s either a wasted sentence if your group ignores it or an unfortunate limitation if your group enforces it. If you do want to adhere to the class’ alignment requirement, you’ll have to homebrew how it interacts with alignment changes, since the class does not contain an “Ex-Libertine” entry the way the Barbarian and Paladin classes do.
Finally comes three pages worth of traits intended for rogues, divided into combat, social, magic, and faith traits. Like the rest of the book, they are rather hit-or-miss based on my initial reading. I haven’t gotten to actually play with any of these traits, though, (my group doesn’t use traits), so take my opinion with a pinch of salt.
Short Term Use: I’ll admit, I had difficulty understanding how a few of the abilities worked the first few times I read them, which doesn’t’ happen very often. The Libertine’s Shameless ability took me a couple readings to get, as did several of the Quirks. The easiest way to use this book with minimal prep (that I can think of) might be to plop a Core-Archetype on some NPC rogues. The lack of rules clarity is the biggest impediment to short term utilization of this book. The Libertine class also has a lot of diplomacy-related abilities that don’t make sense on an NPC, so a Libertine NPC would be very difficult to run. Hence, I’ll settle on a Short Term Rating of 2/5.
Long Term Use: The most tantalizing option in this book should be the prospect of using the Libertine class either on a major NPC or a PC, but I don’t think it measures up to the competition. I could maybe envision running a low-powered campaign with mostly NPC classes, and making use of the Core Archetypes in this book (alongside Flying Pincushion’s other product for NPC class options), but several of the so-called Core Archetypes are actually quite a bit stronger and closer in power to the Unchained Rogue. There are some real gems in the Unchained Rogue archetype abilities, though. With a bit of work, some of the Libertine class features may be salvageable too. Overall, this product gets a 2.5/5 Long Term Rating, rounded up to 3 for the purpose of this platform due to the low price.


Solid Concepts, Decent Execution

3/5

Disclaimer: I did receive a free copy in exchange for a review.

Into the breach: the rogue contains about 38 pages of content. Inside there are 12 archetypes for the vanilla rogue and 4 for its unchained counterpart, the Libertine alternate class, as well as 3 pages of rogue-friendly traits.

Overall the archetypes were fairly good. Most of them took a fun, and sometimes silly, spin on the rogue which will be refreshing for those who have played rogues to death. Since another review has already gone over the contents of the book, I shall provide some further detail on what stuck out to me. First, the Master Hawserier is a master of crafting and using rope. By crafting rope I mean they create ropes out of a large variety of materials. These include assassin vine fibers, troll guts, dragonskin, mummy wrappings and more. At 8th level, they gain the ability to cast snare and animate rope, which provide some nice tricks and mitigate the need for wands of such spells. These spells are listed as supernatural abilities rather than spell-like, which came off as confusing. Regrettably, the language used is very inconsistent; in some cases bringing functionality into question. For example a rope crafted from cloaker hide “has the ability to cast upon itself the blur spell…” without a mention of caster level. Thankfully this isn’t vital to the archetype’s functionality, but this would need some additions to account for corner case scenarios where someone tries to dispel the blur effect on the rope. Other magical rope types provide less fragile rope options to help avoid needing to replace slashed ropes after every encounter. Overall a very cool concept I very much liked, but struggles with rules language.

The second archetype that deserves specific mention is the trickster chef. The signature ability of trickster chefs is snack attack. Yes, snack attack. Snack attack victims are rendered hungry, requiring them to make a Will save or else give into compulsory hunger. While this may seem useless, the trickster chef also gains the ability to create various recipes to present hungry creatures or eat themselves to receive or bestow alchemical bonuses or penalties. Some recipes may even function as items. For example, the Tangle taffy can be used as a tanglefoot bag or used as part of a dirty trick (entangle) combat maneuver to trigger further snack attacks and even force the victim to eat its way out of entanglement. Hilarious. If that wasn’t enough, trickster chefs can even add secret ingredients to bolster the alchemical bonuses or durations of their trickster recipes. This archetype is among the most unique rogue options I have read.

It should be noted that the unchained rogue archetypes specifically replace class features exclusive to the unchained rogue and therefore not compatible with the vanilla rogue. Personally I don’t see this as an issue since the unchained rogue is much than the base rogue. However if your group does not use pathfinder unchained, you will not find much use from the four archetypes presented.

My personal favorite of the unchained archetypes is the brickbat striker. The signature ability of the archetype revolves around foregoing various numbers of sneak attack damage dice to impose other effects on victims. As your level increases so do the options; allowing for different combinations of abilities to create a sneak attack effects that ultimately feel more rouge-like than simple extra damage.

Next up is the the libertine alternate class. In a nutshell, libertines are socialites that excel at manipulating others. Their signature ability, intrigue, allows libertines to form relationships with other NPCs and gain specific advantages depending on the attitude of the target. Beyond that most of the libertine’s other abilities allow them to black mail npcs, act out in public, and even betray allies (yikes). The class is very cool. The only thing I can see keeping this off of tables, is the amount of GM work it requires to produce NPC secrets and the constant arbitration of social situations. Specifically the hold court ability allows the libertine to gain advantages over npcs that they invite to a large social event, placing a lot on the GM's plate in the process.

In terms of rules language, the libertine could be more precise. The intrigue ability doesn’t specify any criteria for allowing an intrigue to be formed, leaving how or when a relationship to be considered an intrigue completely ambiguous.

Overall this installment of Into the Breach presents some fine concepts for rogue characters. I noticed instances of language inconsistencies beyond the ones I mentioned. While some of these are harmless to the functionality of the content, another pass at editing would have helped the readability of the content. In light of these issues I shall give this installment of Into the Breach 3 out of 5 stars.


5/5

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product for the purpose of this review.

This is a 43 page PDF, five of which are used for the cover, OGL, and so on. That leaves us with 38 pages of actual content. It is a full-color product, and includes several pieces of rather nice colored artwork throughout. I'm not sure if those were ordered especially for this product or not, but the quality is considerably higher than I was expecting, so props to the publisher for that. Now, let's dig into the actual content, shall we?

The majority of the book is taken up new archetypes - twelve for the Core Rogue, four for the Unchained Rogue, and an Alternate Base Class for the Unchained Rogue. Each one is briefly introduced and described below.

The Booksmart Scout is all about using knowledge to its information, and gains the Bardic Knowledge class feature, as well as some bonuses to their Sneak Attacks for creatures they identify.

The Descrier is basically all about using Sneak Attack more reliably and effectively, including on creatures it can't normally be used on. There are advantages for inflicting conditions on foes, concentrating on specific foes, and even foes that have concealment. Note that Sneak Attack's growth is reduced, and it's less powerful against creatures normally immune to it (d4's instead of d6's) - basically, the archetype trades power for reliability. Whether or not this is useful depends a lot on how your group plays.

The Fugitive is about constantly being on the move and working to thwart detection. I don't actually think this would be useful for many players (for example, their Moving Target ability foils magical attempts to locate them, but only if they've been in the area less than a week), but it might be a good choice for someone that the PCs are pursuing. It's also got value for a niche "always on the run"-themed game.

The Haunted Skulk is a sort of blend of the Rogue and the Spiritualist, and gains Mage Hand and Ghost Sound as at-will spell-like abilities. The main change is being able to summon up the Spiritualist's Phantom for a little while each day, and they get much better at cooperating as they get higher in level.

The Honeypot is about developing relationships with others, especially those that could become sexually attracted to them. (Yeah, it's for more mature players.) Notably, this is more of a social archetype than an adventuring one - good if you're staying in one place and roleplaying a lot, but not so good if you hardly ever even talk to NPCs. Again, this is something only useful for certain types of games, but GMs may find more use for it.

The Kinetic Sneak is another blended character, this time granting some powers of a Kineticist to the Rogue. Notably, the Simple Blast they get does not scale with levels in Rogue, so it remains a relatively low-level (but at-will) ability. They also get one Utility Wild Talent at 6th Level. You'll want to be very thoughtful about this class, and know what you want your build to be before you take levels in it. I don't think it's a bad archetype, but my gut feeling is that you definitely need planning and some system mastery to make good use of it.

The Master Hawserier is all about using rope (and indeed, gets proficiency with the grappling hook and the lasso to support it). They even get bonuses to skills when they're using rope, and later on, they can learn to make rope from various kinds of creatures (and imbue them with special properties), and even later craft magical ropes. This is flavorful as heck, and I like it. XD

The Poacher is a hunter of the wilderness, and gets some pretty useful bonuses to Survival. They're most capable against animal-type creatures, and later learn the ability to create various kinds of ranger traps to supplement their other activities. This seems like a decent choice for a wilderness survival game, although it would still be a bit of a challenge to use.

The Quarrel Knave uses two hand crossbows (with automatic access to the Two Weapon Fighting line of feats), and adds in the ability to use Flurry of Blows with said crossbows. Later, they can learn to create special bolts and modify their crossbow in various ways (firing sling bullets, dealing more damage, etc.), which is a nice touch. There are quite a few options here, and more than enough to support a variety of different builds.

The Trickster Chef, unsurprisingly, is about food. Their main talent is the ability to trigger a Snack Attack in their target - it's silly, yes, but it fatigues the target and deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal. Later on, they can create foods to put in front of whoever they made hungry, which may provide other interesting effects. XD I don't see this being used at an overly serious table, but it has definite potential for relaxed groups or a one-shot silly adventure.

The Walking Arsenal focuses on hiding a bunch of weapons on their body, with an added bonus for making creatures flat-footed when weapons are drawn. They also get a bonus for grappling and can deal bonus damage when that happens, which offers some interesting possibilities.

The Wild Handler focuses on an animal companion, with the added benefit of teaching it how to make sneak attacks and use rogue talents. Teamwork, ho! Very useful if the rest of your party doesn't like to provide flanking...

That's all for the Core Rogue's archetypes. As mentioned earlier, there are also four options for the Unchained Rogue, as follows.

The Brickbat Striker isn't focused on killing foes, per se. Rather, they emphasize trying to weaken strong foes so others can finish them off. They can reduce the damage from their sneak attack in order to inflict various other kinds of damage or debilitating conditions, and there are quite a few options to choose from. This really rewards being able to land a lot of blows.

The Bunk Mentalist has everyone convinced they actually have vast mental powers, and they may even believe it themselves. The main feature is a modification to the Rogue's Edge ability, which adds one skill choice (at 1st level) and an additional mentalism ability for each major type of skill. This is a pretty good choice for a skill-focused rogue.

The Guild Capo is more of an intelligent fighter (actually using Int instead of Str for its primary weapons), with added bonuses to aid another and social skill checks made against allies. They also gain the ability to learn and share Teamwork feats - pretty good choice for a commander sort of character.

The Sharpshooter emphasizes ranged attacks, adding their Dexterity to damage with a selected weapon, and is particularly talented at inflicting a debilitating condition on foes so others can move in to mop them up.

Finally, after ALL that, we've got the Libertine - an Alternate Base Class for the Unchained Rogue. The book is very clear that this is an archetype for story-focused campaigns, especially those focused on politics and relationships. Their powers include things like creating Intrigues (relationships with other characters, friend or enemy), using leverage over them for various effects, and disrupting their activities. A very interesting class overall - limited in the kind of game it's useful for, but creative all the same.

The PDF wraps up with three pages of new traits, designed to help support the kind of rogue you actually want to play. These cover everything from being better at cheating to help identifying corporeal undead. As always, traits tend to be more flavor than anything else, but there are a fair number of useful items in here.

Overall, this is a very solid product. The art is excellent, the contents are definitely usable (as long as you know what you're doing), and there were only a few minor errors throughout. This isn't a product that will be useful for every table, but if you know what your plan is and like the offerings, I think it's worth the price. I'd call it a 4.5/5 overall (stuff that's of limited use at tables is always a bit lower for me), rounded up to 5 for the art.


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Now available!


Thanks Chris, robot efficient as always ;).


As is our norm here at Fly Pincushion Games, three free copies of for grabs for the low, low cost of an honest review. Get em while they are hot and fresh from the up-loader!


I'll go for that. o wo/


First copy for GM Rednal, just send me a PM with the email you would like the download notification to go to, and I will get the interwebz to shoot the book your way sir!

Two free reviewer copies left.


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Could we get a run down of the archetype names please.

Cheers
Volf


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See my review for that, as well as descriptions of the archetypes in question. ^^


Rofl ... being that the book was so new I didn't bother checking to see if there was a review already. That right there was a lesson learned.

Thanks
Volf


In fairness, I -just- put that review up. XD


You ninja!!


Flying Pincushion Games wrote:

First copy for GM Rednal, just send me a PM with the email you would like the download notification to go to, and I will get the interwebz to shoot the book your way sir!

Two free reviewer copies left.

You know I'm up for it/good for it. I'll take a copy.


Into the Breach: The Rogue

Core archetypes:

Booksmart Scout: Because sometimes getting a good education requires bending the rules.

Descrier: This gent is the reason your fencing teacher told you to never drop your guard.

Fugitive: Like Harrison Ford, this rogue is living to run, and running to live.

Haunted Skulk: Not only mediums are in contact with the spirit realms.

Honeypot: Attraction is a powerful tool, for those willing to use it.

Kinetic Sneak: Sometimes the answer is to blast 'em with fire, from hiding.

Master Hawserier: Remember when use rope was a skill, we here at the Flying Pincushion do, and skilled at making and using ropes this fellow is.

Poacher: He dared to kill a king's deer!

Quarrel Knave: You think my hand crossbows are toys, huh, allow me to educate you...and she will, with a hail of bolts.

Trickster Chef: Master of the culinary arts, rogue style, just never ask what is IN the meatloaf.

Walking Arsenal: Sometimes you need weapons, lots of weapons....hidden but still at hand.

Wild Handler: Not every talented animal trainer is a ranger, and those little paws get in the smallest places...

Unchained archetypes

Brickbat Striker: Did someone order the brute squad, the boss, he wants to see you.

Bunk Mentalist: Sometimes the power of the mind can trick even the self.

Guild Capo: He has an offer you can't refuse, and wants you to stick to the plan.

Sharpshooter: When someone needs an arrow in the eye at 100 paces, this is the lady you call.

Alternate Base Class (Unchained rogue base)

Libertine: Wine, words, song, the ballroom is a battlefield, deadly it its own way, as is the libertine.

Plus a slew of new traits that cater to cads of all stripes.

Sovereign Court

Thanks so much for the review Rednal! It's very much appreciated! ^.^


You're welcome. ^^


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Indeed, happy to see the book well received thus far, and remember, always tip your parties Trickster Chef...or else ;)


Two copies currently still up for grabs for the low price of an honest review (Mal, you spoke with Frank, a copy will go out to you in two weeks)

Sovereign Court

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Come on, step right up! Get yer rogue options here!
Free free free to the next 2 takers!

We've got archetypes and traits of all shapes and sizes for ya'! Don't be shy, step right up!

Hmm....

Maybe they think we will steal their coin purses if they approach the stand? <.<

^_____^


I'll write a review for a free copy!


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A copy for CJ it is, PM me the email address you prefer the PDF delivery notice to Drivethru to go to, and I shall use my command of the interwebz to make that appear :)

Also, clearly we are using the old distract and crowd bump tactic here, so yes, the purse lifting, gonna be a thing ;).

We need to get you a top hat and tails Brigg, that is some good carnival barking there sir!


One last reviewer copy up for grabs, it slices, it dices, it makes mounds of julienne fries!

Sovereign Court

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Flying Pincushion Games wrote:

A copy for CJ it is, PM me the email address you prefer the PDF delivery notice to Drivethru to go to, and I shall use my command of the interwebz to make that appear :)

Also, clearly we are using the old distract and crowd bump tactic here, so yes, the purse lifting, gonna be a thing ;).

We need to get you a top hat and tails Brigg, that is some good carnival barking there sir!

Can't beat the classics! ^.^!!!


One free reviewer copy left, just a word to claim it, and such a reasonable price too, some words about the book on a page is all we ask!


No takers yet huh, free reviewer copy here, one left, comes with my undying gratitude.


I downloaded my copy today. I'll be able to really dig in and digest the material hopefully in the next few days.


Good deal!


I'd be willing to claim the third review copy.


Last copy for Ben, I should have your email as I recall. Reviewer copy on its way to your email in box, same email as previously provided.


I would if I could. Sadly I was at work when I saw this. I am a huge fan of the into the breach series thus far :)


If you would like a reviewer copy Oliver, we are more than happy to provide you one, standard drill, PM the email you would like the DL email to be sent to, and I will make that happen.


Copy on its way to you Mal, enjoy!

Sovereign Court

:O A New Review!!
*Reads*

^.^ Thanks so much for the review, Illius! It appears that I need to put more ranks in Perception and Edit-Fu. XD

Thank you for your kind words on the Trickster Chef. That archetype was a blast to design. And I couldn't have finished it with it's final polish without the help of the rest of the Flying Pincushion crew.

I'm so glad it garnered the exact reaction I was going for. Thank you. ^.^


Reviewed here and on OBS. I really wanted to like this product, but...I didn't. At least not as much as I wanted to. Better luck next time.


We appreciate the honest review Ben, thank you sir.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Reviewed first on endzeitgeist.com, then submitted to Nerdtrek and GMS magazine and posted here, on OBS, etc.


Appreciate the frank and in depth review of our work as always Sir!

Sovereign Court

Yes, Endzie, thank you very much! ^.^


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Seriously, if it weren't for the alt class falling apart, this would have scored higher. Whoever wrote the Hawserier created pure awesome and the average consistency of the other archetypes similarly was higher! You're on a very good route here!


As it so happens, I am responsible for the Master Hawserier, and I take that as high praise, thank you Endzie!

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