Of Packages and Poppets

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Careful observers may have noted that a number of recent Pathfinder products credit a few new names as lead developer, namely Thurston Hillman and Ron Lundeen. We have since brought Thurston on as the full-time developer of our Starfinder Society organized play program, but Ron already had a full-time gig (can you believe how much he writes and now develops for us in addition to a 40-hour work week?!) so we had to settle for using his talents on what projects he had time for. Among the first I had the pleasure of working with him on was Pathfinder Player Companion: Adventurer's Armory 2—the follow-up to our most popular Pathfinder Player Companion to date. Here are a few words from Ron on his favorite parts of the book.

Oh, and many thanks to Ron for helping out when we needed it! You're a genuine hero, sir. —Mark Moreland, Developer

As Adventurer's Armory 2 is now hitting shelves and downloads everywhere, I wanted to talk about two of my favorite sections. Mark Moreland has been like my Yoda through this process, and he is going to pen a follow-up Adventurer's Armory 2 blog where he rolls up his sleeves (like on a spider-silk bodysuit, page 6) and pulls back the veil (as found in dancer's garb, page 29) on getting the most out of this book (such as any of its 8 new equipment tricks). So I won't steal his thunder (as delivered by a stormshaft javelin, page 9). Okay, no more games (like the imperial conquest board game, page 29).

First up are equipment packages. These are designed to include everything you'd need for your PC's first few adventures. These are more expansive than existing class-based kits (such as a sorcerer's kit), as they include weapons, armor, and even a few minor magic items. If you don't like the detailed accounting of purchasing starting equipment, or if you get overwhelmed by all the options, equipment packages will definitely interest you. They are designed by role or theme (such as "Daring Bravo" or "Wilderness Warrior"), and not by class, so each equipment package is attractive to a wide range of PCs. Equipment packages are expensive—each is worth around 1,000 gp—so a starting character usually obtains them as a gift from a wealthy patron (when permitted by the GM), after a big score in an early adventure, or through the Well-Provisioned Adventurer equipment trait (which lets you select any equipment package in place of your normal starting gold). Equipment packages take a lot of the detailed work out of shopping and allow a PC to quickly hit the table running. An example? Sure! The Holy Warrior equipment package provides good defense and a great selection of gear for overcoming DR, swarms, and enchantments.

Grab-and-go adventuring!
Illustration by Forrest Imel

Holy Warrior

The holy warrior is prepared to use her might and zeal to take the fight to the enemy, but she understands the importance of having the right equipment to overcome the resistances of her monstrous foes. This equipment package is well-suited to a cleric, inquisitor^APG, paladin, warpriest^ACG, or even a fighter with a religious background. It's especially suited to characters who focus on supporting their party members and making them more effective in a fight. Even more than with other equipment packages, the GM should consider substituting the masterwork longsword in this package with a masterwork melee weapon appropriate to the PC's faith. If the PC can cast spells, add a spell component pouch.

Armor: Heavy steel shield, masterwork breastplate.
Weapons: Cold iron morningstar, heavy crossbow with 10 bolts, masterwork longsword.
Combat Gear: Alchemist's fire (3), holy water (4), oil of bless weapon, potions of cure light wounds (2), potion of protection from evil, sunrods (3).
Other Gear: Backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, candles (5), chalk (5 pieces), crowbar, flint and steel, holy symbol (silver), mess kit^UE, sack, silk rope (50 ft.), trail rations (5 days), waterskin, 7 gp.
Total Weight: 102 lbs. (57-1/4 lbs. for a Small character).

My absolute favorite section in Adventurer's Armory 2—and perhaps my favorite spread in any Player Companion book—is poppets. Poppets! So loveably cute, so utterly disposable! Ahem. These simple constructs are helpful and loyal critters, but they're pretty fragile. Here's what a base poppet looks like:

Someone's ready for a hug!
Illustration by Benjamin Widdowson

Poppet CR 1/3

XP 135
N Tiny construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision;
Perception -3

DEFENSE

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 size)
hp 5 (1d10)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -3
Immune construct traits
Weaknesses vulnerable to fire

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.
Melee slam +2 (1d2-1)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 5, Cha 1
Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 10

Even low-level characters can pick up a poppet with the Craft Poppet feat (available at 1st level), the Poppet Familiar feat (available to 3rd-level casters able to take a familiar), or buying one along with its ownership token—for which you'll pay about as much as you would for a masterwork weapon. But your little poppet need not stay feeble for long! You can augment your poppets with more abilities (such as fire-resistant sealant, climbing hooks, or armor), and even get a larger poppet. Although the rules say it's "Small in size," I prefer to think of it as "the size of a toddler"—and twice as cute!

Maybe three times as cute!
Illustration by Forrest Imel

Ron Lundeen
Contributing Developer