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Pathfinder Player Companion: Elemental Master's Handbook (PFRPG)

3.40/5 (based on 5 ratings)
Pathfinder Player Companion: Elemental Master's Handbook (PFRPG)
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Seize Primal Power!

The earth, flames, waves, and wind that make up all natural landscapes might seem like mere backgrounds for characters' heroics, but those who understand the fundamental makeup of nature know that these core elements can lend incredible power. Learn how to harness the building blocks of existence with breathtaking feats, magic items, spells, and much more. Plus, characters with an affinity for the elements can train in one of the many archetypes and other character options presented in Pathfinder Player Companion: Elemental Master's Handbook.

Inside this book, you'll find:

  • The genie binder prestige class, which grants elemental maestros a pool of charismatic gumption when cowing genies to their will and allows them to create elemental seals of power.
  • New archetypes, from the weapon-enhancing flamesinger bard and the breathless Abendego diver ranger to the mystical stone-wielding earthshadow rogue and the hurricane-punching windstep master monk.
  • New kineticist feats, infusions, and utility wild talents that coalesce the power of the elements, including those that harness the esoteric void and wood elements.

This Pathfinder Player Companion is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder campaign setting, but it can easily be incorporated into any fantasy world.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-965-3

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
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Great options, need more kineticist

4/5 —

This book is full of crunchy, interesting options, including options to "cyborg" yourself with elemental matter. Almost all of them are pretty well written and worth considering.

However, I have to remove one star from the lack of kineticist options. The community has a large demand for more kineticist talents. Many elements have a crippling lack of talents at various levels, and people hoped this volume would help solve that. Unfortunately, the book only got two pages of content.

3/5 —

The Elemental Master’s Handbook has some great concepts and good executions that look into some interesting design space, but suffers from a few options that feel like they needed another editing pass after rewrites.

The first half of this book, divided in four, covers what the Player Companion calls the Masters of the elements (Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Each of these sub-sections contain a different mix of Archetypes, character rules elements and feats, as well as four locations within the Golarion setting that ties thematically with that element, and a rules element associated with that location.

Masters of Fire is first, giving us the Firebrand Gunslinger and Flamesinger Bard. The Firebrand is a bomb-throwing, fire spitting gunslinger, that runs it’s grit pool and bombs of it’s charisma score. They can also can add their Charisma to the DCs of dragon’s breath cartridges. They also count direct hits with bombs as firearm shots with regard to grit regeneration.

The Flamesinger gains Fire Music as a bonus feat, and automatically gains summon monster spells as she levels up, and replaces her ability to inspire courage to add stacking fire damage to her allies weapons, toasty!

Masters of Fire also includes the Salamander bloodline for both Sorcerers and Bloodragers. Both bloodlines gain transformational augments that make them more akin to their Salamander ancestors. Bloodragers can enhance their weapons and armor when they bloodrage, while Sorcerers focus on crafting and augmenting magical items.

The last standout in Masters of Flame is Sunblade, which lets Paladins with Word of Healing spend uses of lay on hands to use the blast of flame as a kineticist! (although at a reduced effective kineticist level), opening up a weapons-free ranged attack for Paladins.

The Earthshadow rogue was the first entry in Masters of Stone that caught my eye. It’s a subterranean-themed rogue archetype that gains a pseudo-ki pool, named Earthcraft points which allows an Earthshadow to cast spell-like abilities, including stone tell and dimension door, replacing half you rogue talents. One thing to note is that it doesn’t list whether or not Unchained Rogue’s can take this archetype.

This section also includes some very nice rogue/investigator/slayer talents: ‘Fortified position’ lets you apply cover bonuses to fortitude saves, ‘castling’ improves cover granted by enemies, and Unbalancing trick gives you the Improved trip feat AND qualifies you for Greater Trip once you’ve hit sixth level!

Masters of the Water gives us the Abendego Diver, which drops out their wild empathy of greater breath holding, locks them into aquatic favored terrain. Instead of woodland stride they gain a natural a natural swim speed, and swift tracker goes in favor of scent while underwater. While it’s very niche, it doesn’t give up much you’d miss. Benthic spell lets you add one to the spell level to either replace, or split a damaging spells damage with bludgeoning via torrents of water.

Moving on past the four classical elements, the book goes on to expand on Wizard schools in Masters of the Esoteric Elements, introducing the Aether elemental school, and the Ice, Magma, Mud, and Smoke focused elemental arcane schools, which provide alternative school powers for elemtal school wizards.

Wielders of Elemental power provides seven blast infusions, talents wild talents, as well as two feats. One allows a kineticist to counter spells with a certain subset of keywords (Generally those that correspond with elemental damage types), and the other provides some mobility while gathering power.

Next up, Elemental Augmentations are a new type of slotless magical item, sort of like an elemental magic prostheses. These are all very interesting, but also quite expensive, and successful or not, Inflicts of constitution damage when integrated (which also requires a fortitude save.

Next up is the Genie Binder Prestige Class. The Genie Binder is a five level, that advances spell-casting three levels out of five. The meat and potatoes of this class are elemental seals, a multi-purpose spell-like ability creating a rune on an object or creature. Each ‘classical’ element has seal, and each seal acts differently when placed on an object, a genie, or a creature other than a genie. Placing a seal costs 1 point from the Genie Binder’s Binding Pool (which contains two times her level, and refreshes daily. It can also be used to give +1d6 on a charisma check or skill against a genie), and the Genie Binder can maintain one seal per day at first level, a second at 3rd level, and a third at 5th. Placing a seal on a genie forces it to save versus charm monster, and if it fails it is affected as long as the seal remains in effect. (Seals remain in effect for 24 hours, and can be refreshed every day by spending a further point from the binding pool). When placed on a non-genie creature, it offers 10 points of energy resistance corresponding with the seal’s element, and a constant spell like ability associated with that element. Finally, when placed on an object, it acts as a blasting Glyph of Warding, dealing damage corresponding with the elemental type. The seals available to the Genie Binder are spaced out across levels, and the more powerful Spell-like abilities are tied to higher level seals. Lastly, a fifth level Genie Binder can raise the DC of their Seals by spending an additional binding point.

The Genie Binder also adds the common types of genie to the list of available summon monster spells. The caveat is that summoning them this way costs points from her binding pool, and the summoned creature cannot cast wish, a perfectly reasonable caveat, preventing Efreeti wishes from [/i]Summon Monster VI. Sadly, the last two features are where things come apart at the seams, a little, and I suspect this archetype may have had some growing pains through development, editing and/or copyfitting. At first level the Genie Binder gains Genie Mastery , at which point the Genie Binder must choose to pursue spellcasting power or bind a genie minion. Choosing spellcasting results her ‘gain[ing] the benefits of her alignment spellcasting class feature at 3rd level, in addition to other indicated levels). Unfortunately the Aligned spellcasting feature is absent from the class entry. Alternatively, the Genie binder may gain a Genie Unchained Eidolon, with an effective summoner level equal to her Genie Binder level plus any other summoner levels they may have, meaning while it’s certainly a possibility to choose for Wizard (for example), a wizard is getting very little from this choice. Overall, I do like this prestige class, though it seems to have suffered some growing pains between writing and publishing.

As mentioned, Elemental master’s handbook also offers the Genie Eidolon subtype. Genie Eidolons are proficient with martial weapons, and as their master increases in level, they can increase their size, gain a movement mode based on their type, gain an array of Spell-like abilities. Overall a decent addition, and the fills a space that was in retrospect waiting to be filled.

Oracles get both a new Mystery and a new Curse: The Elemental Mystery and the Elemental Imbalance Curse. Elemental Imbalance afflicts you with energy vulnerability to one element and bonus spells known based on that elements opposite. Elemental Mystery Oracles gain powers from a variety of different elements, and their bonus spells are suitably broad elemental spells. such as the [i]elemental body line of spells, and they gain a nice mix of familiar and new revelations, with plenty of interesting and useful twists.

Finally, Elemental Alchemy is touch upon. The Energy Scientist is an archetype for the Alchemist which attunes to an element every day, and gains save bonuses against spells with the matching keyword. In addition, his bombs automatically deal that type of damage (discoveries can still alter this on the fly, but the bomb die size is reduced). Lastly, the Energy Scientist is also able to turn dead elementals into alchemical items, although they cannot be sold and become inert after 24 hours.

Development lead for Elemental Master’s Handbook were Amanda Hamon Kunz and Ron Lundeen. John Compton, Eleanor Ferron, Mikko Kallio, Jason Keeley, Isabelle Lee, and Christopher Wasko are credited as authors. The Cover art is by Igor Grechanyi, and the interior art is by Alyssa Davis, Graey Erb, and Kent Hamilton.

Elemental Fun

4/5 —

I found this book to be a good product, not great, but still solid.

Good stuff

4/5 —

This book has a lot of options, as most Player Companion books do. Reading through it, I liked most of the options from a flavor and mechanical standpoint. While nothing stood out as 'NEW OP MUST HAVE', I thought a lot of it was fairly good and not totally useless.

As an example, there is an advanced rogue talent that gives DR 2/Adamantium and can be taken multiple times. While not the best rogue talent of all time, it certainly has its uses, especially for enemy NPC rogues.

Overall, this book is a solid entry.

Lot of elemental flavors

2/5 —

Good points: Lots of different character options that are elemental flavored for most classes. (Ranger, Rogue, Alchemist, Gunslinger, Bard, Cleric, Summoner, Monk, Wizard/Sorcerer, Oracle and Kineticist. It really feels like this book is a perfect Companion for PFS groups that are just starting Season 8 a year late.

BAD points: I think most people (including myself) expected a lot of options for the Kineticist class - the masters of the elements. It is very regretfully only ~1 page of talents. (7 infusions and 3 utilities, only 1 is universal)

Positive thing for Kineticist is a feat that allows you to move half speed while gathering power.

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3 people marked this as a favorite.
Dragon78 wrote:
Since this is a players companion book the likely hood of getting monster stats is very low.

This is generally correct. Familiar stats aren't out of the question for Player Companions, however. ^_^

Well, Familiars are regularly in Player Companions.

[edit] too slow...

I only remember one or two books that did have familiar stats.
Liberty's Edge

Regardless of how often they appear, I do think that familiars are more appropriate for the Player Companion line than...pretty much any other line.
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Samy wrote:
Regardless of how often they appear, I do think that familiars are more appropriate for the Player Companion line than...pretty much any other line.

Aaaand that's why we got one-and-a-half of Player Companions for familiars (Familiar Folio and Animal Archive) aaand that's why the former one has a perfect solution for "I don't want to hang around with a rat before I get my elemental" people in form of Ioun Wyrd...

Liberty's Edge
Gorbacz wrote:
that's why the former one has a perfect solution for "I don't want to hang around with a rat before I get my elemental" people in form of Ioun Wyrd...

I would call that a kludge rather than anywhere near a "perfect solution". Better than having a chicken who transforms into an elemental at level 5, sure. But especially for water and air elementals, still not a very good transition.

Paizo Employee Pathfinder Society Lead Developer
3 people marked this as a favorite.

Regarding Tiny elemental familiars:
Simply reducing the size of the elemental does not necessarily make it an appropriate 1st-level familiar. Not only does the elemental subtype provide a bundle of immunities, but several of the elementals carry significant utility benefits beyond that (e.g. darkvision, earth glide, and unmatched fly speed/maneuverability), noteably beyond what an animal familar could manage. From a design perspective, those advantages are worrisome.

A tiny elemental familiar might be appropriate if accessed through the Improved Familiar feat and not provided any skill boost to the master. It would require more investigation that I am not pursuing at this time.
Liberty's Edge

Whatever the solution would be, it would be nice to have one that didn't require having your frog evolve into a fire elemental at level 5. I don't care if all the elemental subtype utility benefits are stripped away, the level 1-4 standin can be a 1hp 10AC no special qualities whatsoever creature as long as it makes fluff sense for it to move on to a fire elemental at level 5.
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Samy wrote:
Whatever the solution would be, it would be nice to have one that didn't require having your frog evolve into a fire elemental at level 5. I don't care if all the elemental subtype utility benefits are stripped away, the level 1-4 standin can be a 1hp 10AC no special qualities whatsoever creature as long as it makes fluff sense for it to move on to a fire elemental at level 5.

OK so this is how it works:

You: GM, I have a question. Since I don't want to have a slimy croaking frog that suddenly turns into an elemental at level 5, can we have, for purely FLAVOUR purposes, have that frog be made of fire? I mean, no stat changes, no advantages over a normal frog, just a cosmetic change. The fire would be magically cold and at level 5 the familiar would evolve into a normal elemental. How about that?
A Reasonable GM: Sure buddy, maybe we'll have some laughs out of this as we go.
You: Thanks, Reasonable GM!
A Reasonable GM: ^^
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

For a home game, I would probably talk with your GM about allowing the aerial, aqueous, chthonic, or fiery creature templates (from Monster Summoner's Handbook) as being a 3rd level Improved Familiar option, much like axiomiatic, celestial, entropic, and fiendish creature templates are options at 3rd level, since they're approximately the same in power level, then upgrade to a small elemental in the form of your original familiar at 5th level. Thus, you could begin with something appropriate for your element at 1st level (such as a hawk or thrush for air, an armadillo or mole for earth, a fox or a rabbit for fire, a blue-ringed octopus or otter for water) who slowly transforms into an elemental...or an elemental trapped in the form of an elemental whose true form is slowly unlocked.

A feat or trait that lets you have the standard familiar bonus ability of the familiar you start with (or any standard familiar of your choice) after you take improved familiar would be cool.

Maybe this book will have a way for you to get the element infused creature template added to your familiar, animal companion, and/or mount.

I can see getting those elemental based simple templates that Luthorne mentioned added to a familiar with the improved familiar feat.
Liberty's Edge
5 people marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
OK so this is how it works:

Dude, I know I can always make a special deal with the DM. That's what I've done so far. That's an answer that can be given to *any* rule request. Always just make a special deal with the DM. That basically invalidates any requests for rules content ever. Fine, I'll never buy any rules ever again because I can always just make deals with the DM.

If you don't need this rule, fine. You don't need to request it. You don't need to come and tell me that I don't need it because I can just make house rules.
Silver Crusade
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Samy wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
OK so this is how it works:

Dude, I know I can always make a special deal with the DM. That's what I've done so far. That's an answer that can be given to *any* rule request. Always just make a special deal with the DM. That basically invalidates any requests for rules content ever. Fine, I'll never buy any rules ever again because I can always just make deals with the DM.

If you don't need this rule, fine. You don't need to request it. You don't need to come and tell me that I don't need it because I can just make house rules.

I ... ah, screw it. Good luck and have fun.

Interesting, the product description doesn't even mention new feats or archetypes.
Silver Crusade

... it doesn't come out till August.
Rysky wrote:
... it doesn't come out till August.

Oh Rysky he just gets excited leave him be.

Silver Crusade

>_>

What you haven't noticed? Its like his thing. Especially for kineticist stuff.
5 people marked this as a favorite.

I don't know why anyone would assume that this book would have kineticist material. I mean, come on. ^_^

I know right, it's not like the concept of the book has anything related to kineticist;)
Silver Crusade
6 people marked this as a favorite.

Well it has mental in the title so I'm guessing it has to do with Psychics.
8 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Dragon78 wrote:
I know right, it's not like the concept of the book has anything related to kineticist;)

Obviously, investigators will feature heavily, though. Why, you ask...?

Why, it's elementary, my dear Dragon!
Silver Crusade
Luthorne wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:
I know right, it's not like the concept of the book has anything related to kineticist;)

Obviously, investigators will feature heavily, though. Why, you ask...?

Why, it's elementary, my dear Dragon!

Valid point!

I don't think I have seen them say "incredible abilities" before, interesting.
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Well if you write marketing blurbs in this hobby there's only so many times you can get away with "AND MUCH MUCH MORE!".

That is true, they do use that one a lot.
Sovereign Court
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Rysky wrote:
Well it has mental in the title so I'm guessing it has to do with Psychics.

It also has "mast" in the title, so I'm going to assume that it's a book entirely about ships.

Silver Crusade
Iammars wrote:
Rysky wrote:
Well it has mental in the title so I'm guessing it has to do with Psychics.
It also has "mast" in the title, so I'm going to assume that it's a book entirely about ships.

Oooo, we need one of those. It'd go nicely with Ships of the Inner Sea.

Contributor

When're we getting the Palmist's Handbook? This line of titles needs to fulfill its pun potential.

Well since elemental master is in the title we can assume it will be about wizards;)

This looks like it will have many great options!
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Iammars wrote:
Rysky wrote:
Well it has mental in the title so I'm guessing it has to do with Psychics.
It also has "mast" in the title, so I'm going to assume that it's a book entirely about ships.

It also has "Master' Hand", so clearly it's a martial arts focused book.

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Well, I certainly wouldn't mind an elemental archetype for unchained monks...whether it's an updated version of monk of the four winds or something completely new and unique that offers some extra bonuses when using elemental flurry or elemental burst, or even access to some kineticist powers, perhaps using ki instead of taking burn? Elemental-based martial arts sounds cool.

Still a little sad the elemental ascetic doesn't get to count as a monk for qualifying for style feats...though perhaps a feat might change that for them? Though might be a little niche unless it offers things to non elemental ascetics...
deuxhero wrote:
Iammars wrote:
Rysky wrote:
Well it has mental in the title so I'm guessing it has to do with Psychics.
It also has "mast" in the title, so I'm going to assume that it's a book entirely about ships.
It also has "Master' Hand", so clearly it's a martial arts focused book.

It also has "Lem" in the title, so it's obviously about halfling bards.

I'd like to see a variant of Hydraulic Push that comes from under the target instead of from you
Liberty's Edge
deuxhero wrote:
I'd like to see a variant of Hydraulic Push that comes from under the target instead of from you

Like a gyser like effect that launches people into the air? Possibly could be fun. Of course launching enemies(or allies) into the air cones with some potential for things to get combos going. Just remember how far the jet launches and how long it can persist. Fall damage is a thing that can kill people.

Silver Crusade
10 people marked this as a favorite.
Andrew Mullen wrote:
When're we getting the Palmist's Handbook? This line of titles needs to fulfill its pun potential.

I propose the Unarmed Combat one be called the Hand to Handbook.

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
deuxhero wrote:
I'd like to see a variant of Hydraulic Push that comes from under the target instead of from you

So a water-based version of air geyser? Or even just regular geyser?

Forgot about those.

I hope the following classes get some love in this one.

Alchemist
Druid
Hunter
Kineticist
Monk
Oracle
Psychic
Ranger
Sorcerer
Witch

Would also like to see stuff for Bard, Brawler, Fighter, Rogue, and Swashbuckler but I think they will be unlikely choices.

So what classes does everyone else want to see get some love in this product?
Silver Crusade
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Wizard, Cleric.

Kineticist for sure
Alchemist, Occultist, Magus, and Investigator are always on my list for wanting options.
An elemental based Medium archetype similar to the outter channeler from psychic anthology could be cool.
Dragon78 wrote:
I don't think I have seen them say "incredible abilities" before, interesting.

Incredible; difficult to believe; extraordinary. So the book has a lot of Extraordinary abilities in it instead of Spell Like abilities. good to know.

An elemental themed medium would be interesting.

elemental themed + Investigator = environmentalist?
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Dragon78 wrote:
So what classes does everyone else want to see get some love in this product?

Ninja and Samurai. Because why not?

Leg o' Lamb wrote:
Vidmaster7 wrote:
elemental cleric would be cool like the Shujenja (may of spelled that wrong) from 3rd edition.
The shugenja is a tengu oracle Archetype in Adv Race Guide, so unlikely to make an appearance here.

Aside that the Tengu Oracle is specifically spelled as Shigenjo, it wouldnt be the first time there are archetypes with the same name (Divine Hunter both for Hunter and Paladin), even for the same class (First Worlder Summoner)

Xethik wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:
So what classes does everyone else want to see get some love in this product?
Ninja and Samurai. Because why not?

Is Unchained Ninja officially legal yet?

"Elemental Ninja" is a pretty old concept and could work though.

Elemental themed ninja and samurai archetypes and other options would be cool.
Dark Archive
1 person marked this as a favorite.
DM Beckett wrote:
Elemental Clerics please.

Yes! Some sort of elemental 'purist' Cleric that chooses that one Domain, and gets some extra elemental spells, the ability to use 'domain' spells in non-domain slots and / or the ability to use abilities from sub-Domains of their single elemental Domain could be fun.

And specific-element-focused Druids, for that matter, with more spells of that elemental type, and better able to turn into and / or summon elementals of their chosen type, but less able to turn into and / or summon elementals of their opposed type!
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