Nobody Expects the... Oh, Wait—You *Are* Expecting the Inquisitor Deck Preview?

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

I'm back with a peek at the May Class Deck release, the Inquisitor Class Deck. The iconic inquisitor, Imrijka, is a bad-ass half-orc with a heart of gold who debuted in the Wrath of the Righteous Base Set. She's lethal with a bow and, as a melange of ranger and cleric, Imrijka takes pleasure in smiting the unfaithful from a distance.

She really can attack the darkness.

As you can see, Wrath Imrijka was about the monster vending, while Class Deck Imrijka is all about those ranged weapons. She fuels her engine by defeating monsters, sure, but she can also use her weapons for their powerful discard/bury effects without losing them to the discard pile. The last power on her character card is an adaptation of the RPG inquisitor's judgement class feature. It's initially usable only on combat at another location. Never has a bad first impression mattered so much.

I've chosen to preview her Fate's Shepherd role because it features an unusual way to cheat death. The final power allows Imrijka to drastically mitigate danger for characters whose decks are low on cards. With feat investment, she can even make the cost to herself minimal! Then, with the last feat on the first power, she can defeat an Undead monster to heal that cost right back into her deck.

The Inquisitor Class Deck deck also has a treat for Pathfinder Tales fans: Salim Ghadafar, the protagonist of James Sutter's Death's Heretic and The Redemption Engine, makes his PACG debut in this deck.

A mysterious weapon for a mysterious man.

Salim focuses on Finesse weapons, which are a staple of this deck. He's a reluctant servant of Pharasma, but he will call upon her power when he really needs it. As you can see from his sweet sword, we enjoyed playing with mechanics for signature weapons, and this one has a potent scaling bonus. His roles, Death's Heretic and Reluctant Priest, explore facets of his connections to swordplay and the Lady of Graves.

The third and final character in the Inquisitor Class Deck is an inquisitor of Shelyn, the goddess of love and beauty. After tossing around ideas about game show hosts and hotness judges, I eventually came around to the idea of Sherlock Holmes for the lovelorn, and Varril was born.

Why, yes, Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch were reference art for this character. Can you tell?

He's got the limited heals. He's got the power of Shelyn backing him up when he attempts a check. He's even got that looking-for-love explore-again power. (In case you can't tell, I have a bit of a thing for our boy Varril.)

His Knight of the Rose role is all about making people feel good about themselves. He doesn't like to be lonely, and he's eager to spread Shelyn's message when it's her turn on the blessings deck. Note that this inquisitor has no Melee or Ranged skill; he's a lover, not a fighter. (I promised myself I wouldn't make that joke. Oh well.) His other role, Incorruptible, is about rewarding devotion to faith.

The new cards in this deck run the gamut. New weapons, new spells, new allies, and even a new blessing. Here's a sampling.

We tried to do a lot in this deck, as you can see from the font size. There's a fair bit of scaling on the new boons, which should be interesting in play. We certainly hope you enjoy the Inquisitor Class Deck, which you can still preorder this week!

Ooh, and the return of Recurring Art Thing:

Illustration by Mattias Fahlberg

Until next time, Pathfinders!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

Illustration by Mattias Fahlberg

Hey, Who Turned Out the Lights?

Thursday, February 18, 2016

It had been a few years since we returned the classic "Revisited" line of Pathfinder Campaign Setting sourcebooks, so we were really excited to delve into the depths beneath the Inner Sea in Darklands Revisited. All we had to do was narrow down what ten monsters we were going to feature in the book—a scary proposition indeed!

In the end, we left out some favorites, in part because they're all our favorites, but also because we love them so much that they might get books of their own someday. What we landed on was a nice mix of classic subterranean foes like drow and duergar; pillars of the science fiction and fantasy genres like morlocks and gugs; icons from the game's history like intellect devourers, neothelids, and vegepygmies; and two monsters introduced to the game in Pathfinder—daemon-worshiping urdefhans and their good-aligned nemeses, the psychic munavri.

It's rare that a single author tackles an entire 64-page Pathfinder Campaign Setting book, but we were lucky to get the veteran Canadian, Thurston Hillman, to put down his poutine and curling broom long enough to breathe life and adventurous inspiration into all ten creatures detailed in Darklands Revisited. The result is one of the most exciting Pathfinder Campaign Setting books I've had the pleasure of working on. I think Game Masters and players alike are going to love this book.

Illustrations by Jon Neimeister, Daniel Lopez, and Dave Allsop

Check out some of the awesome art that brings the Darklands and their deep-dwelling denizens to life! Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Darklands Revisited invades the surface world next Wednesday.

Mark Moreland
Developer

Inner Sea Races: Rules for Every Race

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Illustration by Mattias Fahlberg

In previous previews of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Races we've highlighted the cultures, heritages, art, and secrets you'll find in this massive hardcover. But what we haven't said much about are the rules—and there certainly are a ton of them. A whole chapter, in fact, heaped with new feats, spells, magic items, alternate racial traits, and plenty more! Regardless of your race, you'll find new tricks and tools that are perfect for your character and that make your rooting in the Inner Sea's lore more meaningful than ever before.

For example, check these out:

Child of Two Fates

You have learned to make the most of your torn existence.

Prerequisites: Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, half-elf.

Benefit: Once per day, you can select a teamwork feat that a human or elf ally within 30 feet possesses. You can ignore any race, ethnicity, or racial trait prerequisites, but you must still meet any other prerequisites for that feat to gain this benefit. You're treated as if you possess that feat for up to 1 minute, as long as you stay within 30 feet of the ally whose teamwork feat you have chosen to emulate.

Champion's Bout (Shoanti)

School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 3, cleric 3, mesmerist 3

Casting Time 1 round

Components V, S

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Targets two creatures

Duration 1 round/level

Saving Throw Will negates (see text); Spell Resistance yes (see text)

You allow two chosen champions to fight without interference. The two creatures must be willing in order for the spell to work. After you cast this spell, any creature attempting to aid or hinder either of the two targets in any way must succeed at a Will save or lose its action instead (spell resistance applies). A creature that fails its Will save against champion's bout cannot attempt to interfere again. If a creature successfully interferes with the bout, the spell ends immediately.

Duplicitous (Kitsune)

Many kitsune prefer to avoid the attention they often attract from human neighbors and attempt to convince all around them that they are human. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. This racial trait replaces kitsune magic.

And there's plenty more where those came from. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Races hits store shelves next week! Have you figured out where you're getting your copy?

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief

Magic Items Unchained

Thursday, April 16, 2015

We've all been there. We've faced the sad crossroads when we realized that our favorite magic item just wasn't cutting it, and we couldn't justify keeping it instead of equipping the new and shinier item the party just found instead. But what about the blacksmith who becomes a hero fighting with her father's sword? Or the halfling who found a strange item early in his career that turned out to be more than it seemed? That's where the scaling magic items from Pathfinder Unchained come in. These items scale as you level, allowing them to be an important part of your character (these sorts of items are called wonders) or a small and handy tool throughout your career (these are called baubles) or something in between. The math is all worked out to allow GMs to use a few different systems for the advancement, including automatic advancement (in which case, it's recommended to dole out less treasure if you want to keep the party at about the same power level) or advancement using rituals and gold (the easier method for someone running a published adventure). Scaling items have starting and ending levels for scaling, so I've included two of the most wondrous of the wonders: wonders that scale all the way up to 20th level!

Robe of the Faerie Queen

Price 4,800 gp
Slot body; CL 6th; Weight 1 lb.
Aura strong transmutation; Scaling wonder

When donned, this sheer, sleeved cape fades to near invisibility. It grants the wearer a +4 competence bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks against fey. On command, the mantle glows in delicate faerie fire of any color, and a second command word ceases its glow.

8th Level: The mantle magnifies and sharpens the wearer's beauty such that her +4 competence bonus now applies to all Charisma checks, Charisma-based skill checks, and Sense Motive checks against creatures. Against fey, the bonus increases to +6.

10th Level: The mantle's wearer becomes manipulative and eloquent in social situations. Whenever she converses with creatures, she can insert a suggestion (DC 14 Will save negates) for every 10 minutes of conversation by succeeding at a DC 14 Perform (oratory) check. If she ever fails the Perform (oratory) check to use this ability, all creatures who witnessed her misstep are immune to this ability for 24 hours.

12th Level: Once per day, the wearer can release the glow within the mantle in a single coruscating burst of color. This blinds creatures in a 10-foot radius (Reflex DC 19 negates) for 1d4 rounds and completely dispels any darkness spells of 6th level or lower whose source is within its area.

14th Level: The wearer grows a pair of gossamer wings. The wings are delicate and weak, carrying the wearer only with difficulty. She gains a fly speed of 30 feet (poor maneuverability).

16th Level: The wearer's wings grow stronger, more agile, and more beautiful, as iridescent patterns trace along them. Her fly speed increases to 60 feet (good maneuverability), and she gains a +5 competence bonus to Fly checks.

18th Level: The wearer gains a small domain in the fey realm. She can access her domain from any location, creating a silvery gateway. Treat her domain as a mage's magnificent mansion except that its size is equal to 20 10-ft. cubes/level, the domain appears as a natural wilderness instead of a mansion, and the servants are tiny fey instead of nearly-transparent liveried servants.

20th Level: The wearer's type changes to fey, and she gains DR 10/cold iron. If the wearer's type was already fey and she already possessed DR/cold iron, her DR increases by 10 and magic weapons with enhancement bonuses of +3 or greater do not count as cold iron for the purpose of bypassing her DR.

Construction

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, eagle's splendor, faerie fire, fly, mage's magnificent mansion, sunburst, suggestion, creator must be fey; Cost 132,000 gp

Crystal Tiara

Price 1,000 GP
Slot head; CL 3rd; Weight –
Aura moderate conjuration; Scaling wonder

Despite its fragile appearance, this intricate ice crystal tiara has hardness 12 and 10 hp. Its wearer gains the effects of endure elements against cold conditions only.

5th Level: Once per day, the wearer can summon a small ice elemental as summon monster II.

7th Level: As a standard action, the wearer can launch an icicle at a foe within 30 ft. as a ranged attack. On a hit, the icicle deals 1d6 points of piercing damage and 1d6 points of cold damage. The wearer can walk across icy ground without slipping.

10th Level: As part of her move action, the wearer can step into the air, creating crystalline stairs beneath her feat, adding new steps in whichever direction she travels, and melting away behind her. If another tries to climb the steps, they crumble away, leaving only the portions beneath the wearer's feet intact. This otherwise acts as the air walk spell. She can use this ability each day for 10 minutes per level, divided any way she chooses in 10 minute intervals.

12th Level: Once per day, the wearer can call forth an ice storm. When she uses the tiara to summon ice elementals, she can either summon 1d4 small ice elementals or 1 medium ice elemental as summon monster IV.

14th Level: Once per day, the wearer can travel to a safe, very familiar location, as if she had cast ice crystal teleport on herself. When she uses the tiara to summon ice elementals, she can also choose to summon 1d3 medium ice elementals or 1 large ice elemental as summon monster V.

16th Level: The wearer can use the tiara to call up a tower of ice, exactly as an instant fortress except that the tiara does not transform into the tower, the tower takes 1 minute to rise instead of 1 round, the walls of the tower only have 12 hardness, like the tiara, and damage to the tower does not carry over upon multiple uses of this ability.

18th Level: When the wearer calls forth a tower of ice, if there is enough open space, she can also choose to call forth a small palace instead, 100 feet square at the base with 20 foot tall rooms, with a central tower 20 feet square and 100 feet high. At will, she can spend 5 rounds to transform into a flurry of snowflakes that can move at incredible speed. Treat this as wind walk except she gains vulnerability to fire. It normally takes 5 rounds to transform back into her normal shape. However, she can revert to her original form early as a standard action. If she does so, she cannot transform into snowflakes again for 24 hours. When she uses the tiara to summon ice elements, she can also choose to summon 1d4+1 medium ice elementals, 1d3 large ice elementals, or 1 huge ice elemental as summon monster VI.

20th Level: The wearer gains cold resistance 30. When she uses the tiara to summon ice elementals, she can also choose to summon 1d4+1 huge ice elementals, 1d3 greater ice elementals, or 1 elder ice elemental as summon monster VIII. She can create ice stairs without a daily limit, and if she wishes, they last for 1 minute before melting, even if another creature tries to climb them. If she chooses to make them last longer, she can dismiss the stairs behind her as a swift action, potentially causing creatures climbing the stairs to fall.

Construction

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, air walk, ice crystal teleport, ice storm, summon monster VIII, wind walk; Cost 132,000 gp

The magic chapter has even more surprises, including one of my personal favorite sections in the book, a narrative variant of magic item creation, complete with strange quirks that your item might develop ("My sword is sprouting tentacles!? Aberrant bloodrager, I knew we shouldn't have listened to your gut!" "Hey, the tentacles are helping, man!) Tune in next week for our final preview of Pathfinder Unchained!

Mark Seifter
Designer

Illustrations by Mattias Fahlberg.

Little Bunny Fufu

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Greetings, loyal subjects!

I hope you have been well since I addressed you last. I come to you bearing good news—my influence has spread through the hallowed halls of Paizo. Using my mother (Editorial Intern Cassidy) as a puppet for my machinations, I have guaranteed that my legacy will prevail through the ages by immortalizing myself in the upcoming tome Bestiary 4. Feast your eyes upon my likeness:

Illustration by Mattias Fahlberg

Almiraj

This oversized rabbit has a single long, pearlescent horn protruding from its crown.

Almiraj CR 1

XP 400
N Small magical beast
Init +2 Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +4

DEFENSE

AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +0; –2 vs. witch hexes

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
Melee +1 gore +6 (2d4–1)
Special Attacks magic horn

STATISTICS

Str 6, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB –1; CMD 11 (15 vs. trip)
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +6 (+14 when jumping), Perception +4, Stealth +14; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics when jumping, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
Languages Sylvan (can't speak)
SQ hex-prone

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate hills, plains, or forests
Organization solitary
Treasure incidental (magic horn)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Hex-Prone (Su) An almiraj takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws against harmful witch hexes. The duration of any beneficial hexes longer than 1 round that affect an almiraj is increased by 50%.

Magic Horn (Su) While on the creature's head, an almiraj's horn is treated as a +1 weapon. Any living creature slain by an almiraj's gore attack immediately turns to stone (as if by the flesh to stone spell, with no saving throw, and the creature is still dead). A severed almiraj horn retains a wisp of its former magic, and counts as a masterwork weapon if used to create a magical dagger or similar small piercing weapon.

The almiraj is a surprisingly dangerous predator. Almirajes' strong affinity with witches, magical gore attacks, and susceptibility to hexes suggest they have arcane origins, perhaps the result of experiments by witches seeking to deliberately create a new kind of familiar.

Reminiscent of a unicorn horn, an almiraj's most prominent feature serves as both a deterrent and deadly weapon. The almiraj uses its horn to hunt, stalking and spearing prey on the brutal appendage. The horn's unique magical properties have the gruesome side effect of forcing the almiraj to consume its prey while it still lives, before it turns to stone—when hunting smaller creatures, the almiraj strikes to slow its prey through blood loss and to disable it by maiming its limbs. Occasionally, an enterprising individual will hunt an almiraj for its horn, but success is limited since almirajes are exceptionally vicious, stealthy, and athletic targets—their acrobatic leaps bring their horns within reach of the vital organs of much larger creatures.

Almirajes are fiercely territorial, although they flee if unable to fight on their terms, only to return later to defend their territory. They demonstrate their territorial claims to others of their kind with acrobatic displays and mock horn battles rather than fighting in earnest. Other intruders are met with aggressive posturing and warning calls, though almirajes prefer not to fight. If an interloper refuses to withdraw, however, the almiraj will fight to the death to defend its claim.

It's unclear how almirajes reproduce, since females are rare and the creatures are always encountered alone. Records indicate that they live for 40 to 60 years and some communities are able to build respectful, if wary, relationships with them.

Almirajes are particularly popular with witches as familiars. Spellcasters of any alignment with the Improved Familiar feat can gain an almiraj as a familiar at 5th level.

"But, Emperor Aslan," some might say, "I don't remember you having a horn... or bloodstained fur." To these people, I say: just wait to see what happens if my carrot supply ever dries up. In the meantime, I encourage you all to take an almiraj as your familiar and see what bunnies can really do.

Until next time, my minions.

Aslan

Emperor of Livingroom

Nibbler of Dragons

Lord and Master of all He Surveys