The world is full of mysteries. Truths hidden in plain sight, obscured to further secret goals and nefarious agendas. Some dare to uncover these secrets, venturing into the shadow to learn about these strange forces, and now you can be one of them.
Welcome to the playtest of Occult Adventures, a book filled with mysteries and secrets due out in summer 2015. This hardcover Pathfinder RPG rulebook will contain a mountain of new material for your game, from mysterious orders to strange powers, not to mention new archetypes, feats, spells, and magic items. As with our previous playtests, we want to make sure this book is the best it can be, and that's where you come in. Occult Adventures includes 6 new base classes to add to your game, each one focusing on one aspect of psychic magic. Similar in some ways to arcane and divine magic, psychic magic ventures into new territory, utilizing the power of the mind, body, and soul. Each of the classes in this playtest uses psychic magic in different ways, from the raw power of the kineticist to the subtle manipulations of the mesmerist.
You can download the Occult Adventures Playtest document now! The PDF contains a brief discussion on the nature of the occult in Pathfinder, all 6 of the new classes, and a selection of psychic spells. Give these classes a read, build a character, and most importantly, use them in your games. Once you've had a chance to give them a try, go to our messageboards and post up your thoughts and feedback. We are eager to hear what you think works with these new rules and what still needs work. This playtest will remain open until November 25th (although we will keep it open for an additional round of playtesting if feedback warrants any significant revisions).
In addition, starting next week, there will be a survey for each one of the classes, allowing us to gain some basic insight on your opinions about these classes. These will be available on Tuesday, November 4th, and remain open until the end of the playtest. Please share your input before then!
You can even play these classes in Pathfinder Society. For this playtest, we have added a special boon for those who make a character and play them during the playtest. We're excited to see how these classes work in PFS!
Finally, I want to take a moment to talk about the playtest process itself. Although we find all feedback useful, thoughts and comments based on actual play experience is by far the most valuable. Please try to fit these classes into your game, or even just run a few mock encounters. When posting to the playtest forums, look for existing threads on your topic before starting a new one—this will help us to better absorb and respond to feedback. While discussions can become heated, remember that every game is different and every poster is trying to make the game better for everyone. Be polite and respectful of the ideas others' posts.
Well, that about wraps it up for now. Grab the PDF and uncover the occult secrets that lie within. We will be waiting for you on the boards, looking for your feedback and ideas. Thank you for participating and helping us playtest Occult Adventures.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
P.S.: Our regularly scheduled Adventure Card Game blog will return next week!
