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For those reviewers who are spending $10 (pdf) or $45 (hard copy) for just a class and are only judging the book based on that one item, are missing the whole premise of the book. For those that run nature campaigns or want story ideas, or planet races, this book is a valued resource.

This is probably the first hardback Pathfinder Corebook of the main product line that I have bought in a long time. I usually play the bard or a druid, and was excited to see the many options of nature focused archetypes for almost all the other classes as well.

Chapter 1 includes 4 races, Gathlains are my stand out favorite for the fact we get a race with wings, finally. I don't like that they are a small race. My only down side to it. Ghorans are your humanoid living plant race, I like to compare them to the android version of plants. Then you have vine leshys, which I can say are simply druid created baby Groots. Then of course the shifter class. It is everything they said it would be. In Paizo's blog they mentioned that it would focus on animal aspects. Our introduction to aspects were the totems for barbarians. This in consideration is the outline of the class, throw in wild shape (works slightly different than the druid), and make the aspects like blood lines. I am 100% curious who actually had input on the class design, as it looks somewhat familiar to others I have seen. Add in wild shape, and treat your main aspects a bloodlines. Overall it is not a bad class, it’s not for everyone. I think the biggest complaint is the natural claw damage dice progression, but with a few feats, it can become powerful. The claws start at a d4 and you earn d6 at 7th level, but it keeps in line with monsters (see Mi-Go, bestiary 4). The first issue many people will have, but they do get to bypass damage reduction. So there is a trade off. Again, take a feat or two and wammy, it can get awesome.

Chapter 2 is the big meat and potatoes of the stew. It covers 18 class, not including the shifter with a min of 3 archetypes each. Too much for me to cover to be honest, I don’t care for all of them (just my preference), but the vast majority are excellent. From my personal experience as a 3PP and a design fanboy, looking at the cover credits of authors for the book, I again can make some guesses as to what author may have written each one. It’s a good solid mix of mechanics, some decent flavor, 100% worth the look if you like options. Don’t worry kineticist lovers (which I do not like that class), you have your earth benders. Monks can also become water kineticist with an archetype.

Chapter 3: Feats. At the time of this review I have not read the feats, so I can’t include a review.

Chapter 4: Mastering the Wild – the flavor oozes from the spine. Can someone at Paizo tell me the authors of who contributed to this chapter? Round of applause on this block. Green faith, herbalism, weather, *clap clap clap*. This is the reason I bought the hardcover.

Chapter 5: didn’t read yet. Companions and Familiars

Chapter 6: Spells – meh didn’t read yet.

Chapter 7: I did read. Magic plants and adventuring gear. Dang, magic plants are pricey. Plant and harvest for more…okay, decent balance for the price. This chapter is useful for any adventurer.

Summary:
Many people are so hung up on the shifter class that they haven’t looked at the rest of the book. Crack it open and give it a read. There are a few people huffing and puffing about the compiled and reprinted material from other supplements and APs in the Paizo product lines contained in this book. Well for those of you, like myself, who don’t have the extra cash to throw around on the other supplements, we look forward to the core book line were the material is revised and gathered. This is not a problem for me, so get over it.

- If you liked the 3.x version of AEG toolbox supplement “Wilds”, you will enjoy this book.
- Want nature focused archetypes for a crap ton of classes, you will enjoy this book.
- If you want to expand your exploration rules provided in Ultimate Campaign, this book has a couple of pages for you.
- Want mechanics and flavor, some new gear, revised and ready to play material from other product lines, than this is the book for you.
- Consolidated section on familiars and companions, it’s for you.
- Want to spend $10 (pdf) just for a new class, probably not for you.

For me: the druid and bard class playing person, who wanted a nature focused book ever since Faiths & Philosophies, this is the book for me. 4/5

So today is 6/1/17 and I downloaded this, just to see what the good kids of Wayfinder have done. Because of this Bestiary, I went out and got the other wayfinders that I didn't have.

Went through and read every entry in the last few hours.

Art is on the good scale. Some I don't care for, but that's just an art style choice.

Most of the writing and the monsters are pretty good. Edit here and there, but nothing distracted from my reading.

The layout. (there is a scene from High Fidelity where Jack Black is listening to a demo tape of the band, cringes and says) "It's really freaking good."
I'm sure there was some guidance/permission and help on font choice etc because it's pretty close to likeness rights. It's good. Like really good.

These kids are alright in my book.
Well done.

Note: I was given a free copy of the product and I am a 3PP. I look at other things (such as OGL, and PI designations) and also calculate that into my review. I'm a little harsh in words, but they ain't fightin words.

Tides of War: Volley Fire Teamwork Archery Feats shoots a little left for me as a player. It includes 6 simple feats that build upon Volley Fire or Group Fire. Only one of these is included in this book, that would be Group Fire.

Rant: It’s fine to mention Volley Fire as a prerequisite, but if it's not in your product, I have no idea where it is. It's sure not listed in the OGL section of the book. Which is missing "Tides of War: Volley Fire Teamwork Feats" from it and Ranged Tactics Toolkit (which by the way is where Volley Fire Feat comes from). So in order to use this book you have to locate where Volley Fire comes from.

Unless this book is referring to its own special rules they call Volley Fire...which is found at the very last page of the feat section in a little grey box. This arrangement should be placed in the beginning, and it should indicate that it is using these rules. Or players, such as myself might think it’s the Volley Fire teamwork feat.

Again, if it is not the feat of the same name, and it uses these special rules, the feats that have the prerequisite that list Volley Fire, should be "Volley fire rules", or some such.

PS. on the OGL "Into the Breach: Cavalier" has its authors double listed... Are these feats from ItB: Cavalier - if there was a note about that it is, it should state that it was a part of it? I might pick it up. Again I digress.
/end rant.

So what is Volley Fire rules?
Volley Fire Rules require that all characters using a teamwork feat that requires volley fire RULES, “must be within 5 ft. of another ally also using or being granted the use of the same teamwork feat.” I still think you need the Volley Fire Feat. I think.

Basically be within 5 feet of your buddy.

Let’s start with the heart of Volley Fire Feats. It’s Group Fire. By calling commands as a free action to your buddies, you all decided to shoot on the same initiative. This is a full-round action to use the feat. But you net yourself a +1 to damage and +1 for every 3 archers after the second. I think you get a +2 at 5 archers…

Group Fire is a full-round action, not “part of a full round action”. If you have other attacks, toss them out the door, because you can only get 1 shot. But I guess it adds a little balance if your buddies hope in on the shot.

Improved Group Fire: This isn’t where the fix is, but the next logical step up. It address those with multiple ranged attacks. You can the benefit of Group Fire when using a full attack action, even though you are not using group shot (which you shouldn’t). This is a nice step up. Good thought when writing this one, and even identifying that Group Fire only nets you the 1 shot. Clears up any GM/Player feat stacking arguments. Well done.

Since it’s on the same page let us talk about Pincushion. The wording is short and I hate it. “Causes flyers to make….” Flyers. Clearly this means creatures that are flying. Can flyers refer to flying vehicles? Your guess is as good as mine. The phrase; “Flyers just take damage unless….” The language of this feat erks my inflated sense of self of my own knowledge of literature. I think it’s just simple and lazy. Again, I think I know more then I actually do, so take it for what it is.

The feat causes the “flyer” to suffer a cumulative penalty of a -1 to its Fly (skill) check, that it must make once it is it successfully. To what DC I am unsure of, I assume the creatures fly speed check? If the creature fails this check it falls. How far the “flyer” fall? How long does it fall? Does it get a chance to recover? Are the penalties cumulative for the round, combat, life time? As you notice, there is some ambiguous questions that arise from this feet. I’m going to state that this feat falls flat. Love the idea, but the execution needs a review board.

Let us jump to the Arcing Fire feat. This feat is suppose too reduce the target’s AC and Reflex bonus received from cover by half. Again the verbiage of this feat bothers me and feels like there should be a period placed somewhere. Minus the language, it’s a fine feat.

Call the Firing Line: You use a standard action to call commands and grant half your CHA mod to their attack roll.

“The number of attacks that can be modified in this manner are limited to your Profession (soldier) skill modifier…” What? My total skill bonus right? My ability score modifier+ skill ranks + what have you? Not sure how I feel on this one. I’ll let the language slide on this one. I get what the designers are doing. We’ll tag this as okay.

Clustering Volley: Here it mentions the Volley Fire Feat…. See beginning of review…. I cringe when I read this feat. “…..Total the damage in the round before applying damage reduction……” from all shots in the round or just on this initiative? So person A B C and D all shoot. But if E and F decided to shoot later in the turn, does that count towards this feat? I think the language again is the problem. I know what the feat does, because it states, those benefiting from this feat all act on the same initiative (see Special Note of the feat). Feat is okay.

Dodge This: is a little confusing. I like idea behind the feat, but I’m not sure I care for execution. I can’t attempt to go into this. “Special Note: Action is performed on the caller’s initiative.” What caller?

Gauging Shot: Person A fires the first shot. If they hit, everyone else who shoots gets a bonus. This is a fine and simple feat. I like the flavor text in this one.

Conclusion:
Two column layout that spaces after each paragraph. I hate this layout. Creative Commons classic public domain stock art fits the bill of this PDF, and I like it. Pretty green page art.

I want to like this PDF, I really do. It’s just average. It is a 2.5 round to a 3. The price is good at just under a dolla. I get the initial ideas behind it, but I think mechanic language got to me. The publisher in me calls for an overhaul of this PDF. But I am look at the weird things like the OGL and credits page, etc.

My thoughts are my own and may be overlooked by those that are not me, but the PDF does have movements of “Cool idea”, but need to be polished. A good GM can make out the wording and can clean up the questionable questions, and this would be a fine group of feats for NPCs on the field of battle. Give it to a bandit group.

Not really useful to PCs, unless you have at least 2 PCs who are focused on ranged attacks.

Maybe I just have a different thought.

1. Pre-generated characters: They fit the theme of the module and offer a look at the new classes, if you role play it right. Investigator, "Let's go check this out". Swashbuckler, "Adventure? Yes, please." Warpriest, "Ancient god-king? Heck ya.." - 2.5 round to a 3.

2. Combat: Every room is a mosh pit. Taxing but that's what I expect for a free module that is meant to show you the class abilities and highlights. Meat grinder, yes. Flavor, wish there is more back story, but enough is there. Again, it is a free "one-shot" module that can be slotted into any desert theme, or 2 of the APs Paizo has. (LoF & Mummy's Curse) - 2, I wanted more mystery.

3. Challenge: A lot of reviews complained about party wipes with pregens. Didn't have the issue. It's new classes and probably most didn't get to "power game" or build it to break the module.
~Personally I like a challenge and sometimes you don't beat every module. ~
Some are just harder than others, and a good GM will know how to level the module. Free doesn't mean you should win, nor does it mean it should be a kill fest. BUT gamers should think outside the sword and shield. So it was a tough balance. - 3, average challenge for experienced players maybe 4 for the non-experienced.

4. Art and Maps: My issue is the cover with the swashbuckler swinging in on a rope. I get it, it's a swashbuckler, but that part bugs the crap out of me. Maps of the pyramid, I think I'm just going to say Temple.... Good. I like it. - 3.5 round up to a 4.

5. Overall: Not great, but not bad. You can morph this to suit your home games really easily. I am a bit of a traditionalist for Paizo and Free RPG day together. I wanted goblins, but received an Egypt adventure. I’ll still take it.

Final Rating: 3

So when Kevin was writing the swashbuckler class, our archetype writer Ryan handed us this figure. "I want a swashbuckler that looks like this." So he set about the write up.

This is the first time I had actually seen anything from Cipher Studios to be honest. I was impressed. The facial detail, with the raised eyebrow, to the simple outfit design.

He can not only fill the role of a swashbuckler or buccaneer for say a Razor Coast game, but makes a great character mini for Iron Kingdoms.

So I hand it a 4 star.
-Greg (Amora Game)

1 cover, 1 credits, 2 table of contents, 2 OGL, 1 back cover. 64 – 7 = 57 pages of content. 2 column layout. bookmarked.

I’m fairly biased on the Arabian settings. I love them and expect BIG things from these types of books. Legacy of Fire is my favorite AP, and I feel could be adapted to the themes of this book to make it better.

1. The artwork is b&w sketch art, that fits the feel of the theme. Think of it as reading a journal of an Arabic adventurer, traveling the deserts in search of well….adventure. As they say, art makes the book. This book has the right art. With pencil sketches there are sometimes issues capturing the right image. Page 39, guy on the cliff, A. Face of the dijinni….C-. This is a personal taste and should not influence your judgment. Overall I’ll had this out as a 4/5.

2. Introduction section: Gives a basic overly of the book. Can’t really complain here, except for the map of the land pg 9 of pdf…Take it for what it is. A sketch in a journal. I’m a huge map guy and I really wanted more texture. BUT I’m not sure it would fit the feel of the book. But it’s just a few lines with dots for cities, as you would find in say a pathfinder journal. It does a good job of saying “here is your day travel in distance from city to city”. No real scale measuring, so it’s nice to have a “foot path” to follow. It’s an introduction section that is on par but not above. I’ll give it a 3/5.
(Note: it has a good into setting story (The “tale of the merchant”, but I wish it was before the chapter to pull you in. Give me a little BAM, then here is your details. Takes away and doesn’t give a lead in compared to what is picked.)

3. The Mythos section: Intro gives a good story of the 3 different types of perspectives you might find herein. A brief history of the things to set the mood. I really wish there was a little more umpf in the lonely paragraph covering 1001 nights, (once again personal choice, do not let that distract you). This section is 100% fluff and ideas that generate the setting and themes which I think Aetheric Dreams is trying to get across. The idea of giving samples for further reading (like the old White Wolf days) I really appreciate in games. It lets me know as a player, what can help get more ideas across to my players. In my gaming group we have character creation night, where we watch a movie with the theme and ideas and eat “food” that we try to get across to give the feel of the setting. This section I’m just going to give to my players and say read it. 4/5.

NOTE: This is a “gritty, low fantasy setting”. Keep that into account when reading the below.

4. Conjuring a character section: Yes please. Two pages of names ranging from English, Byzantine, to Mesopotamian and Persian, both male and female. Cool. Gives questions to help round out your characters. Then gives an idea for “allegiances” or factions to play (Franj, Byzantines, and Saracens) with brief descriptions. Covers brief section of the religions of the era, (brief as in 3 to 4 sentences. Which is since it’s real world and you can search those on the hyperweb for further reading).
Then there is Attitude which is a nice change of wording for Alignment. Alignment just wouldn’t make sense in this time. However a Fanatic with quotes “I follow God’s law, not those of men” to the Skeptic “Not revelation, nor authority, nor tradition tells me the truth – but observation and evidence” set great feels for how your character may interrupt the world, better than an alignment would. It’s good, I like it.
The character portion of this section has its ups and downs. Lets gander.
So there is the caravan merchant. D6, 6+Int skills, med BAB, good Fort/Will. First he gets a “caravan”. Starting with a chest and gaining an elephant. This “caravan” is your pack mule. I like it, this is where you put your “wares”. Wares you say? Yes your wares, which are your merchandise, your wondrous items that basically are your spells for this class. (This is where the flavor text makes me not just say, it’s a caster, but instead sit down and say where is my pen and paper.) So it’s just a spell caster? Mechanically fine, yes. But the FLAVOR of this class for the wares is what I love.

I’m blatantly copying and pasting the first two paragraphs on wares:
Wares: A caravan merchant has a number of items available in her chest, accumulated from her adventures. Merchant wares need to be drawn from the chest and activated, and the wares available can be found in the list below. A caravan merchant must choose and prepare which wares can be easily accessed from her chest before the day begins.
Merchant wares are all found items and damaged goods, so cannot be sold. They have also been jostled around the caravan merchant’s chest for so long that they are easily ruined – so once drawn, a piece of merchant ware may be carried by any character until the caravan merchant next packs her chest or until it is activated and destroyed.

If this doesn’t explain and make the flavor for the setting, then I can’t explain to you this setting. This gets me and gives me the feel. I think it’s a good flavor and gives a balance (not the right word) fluff wise as to only the caravan merchant can use these items (spells). I dig it.
This class also gains improved aid, a guard (lackey), and a couple other social abilities. I don’t care, I fell in love with wares. SO for my love of the caravan merchant, I like this class. It’s a good way to have magic, but not.

Next is the Orator, which is a good spell-less bard variant focused on speeches. He gets abilities to manipulate crowds, encourage his allies, and act as a good supporting roles/face for any group. He could be your religious fanatic that is leading a nasty could of elders. Cool.

Than we have the Scholar. Very interesting take of your wizard. At first level and ever other level he gets “new mastery level” (chose one of 3 categories to focus on: Lore, medicine, Invention) which gives him some nice bonuses to assist and make the average wizard a little more interesting to play at the expense of a slower capacity. Lower spell capacity? You get up to 9th level spells but at 20th level the number of spells per day across the board is 4. (IE, 4 Zero level, 4 first level, etc.) But the ideas for the Mastery Level at each level are a great balance and addition. I enjoyed the take of this class.
Lore: This gives you a focus to become a skill junkie. Which is kind of cool.
Medicine: This is a chance to play your arcane based healer. Give it a read.
Invention: gizmos and Automaton familiar. (they get point enhancements like a summoner for these guys.)

Then you do the rest of character reaction based on PF standard.
Chapter rank 4/5

5. Weaving a tale section: GM Section: Goes over human sizes, monster types, technology level, magic items (remember low magic, has restrictions), then a little in brief of Combat Trauma and chart. Combat trauma is for characters that suffer from being in combat all the time. I will probably steal this for other games. Kind of neat, adds grit to the game, but not a necessity. Followed by advice on things to help GMs with the setting. Gives neat examples of character motives. Good section on more for running the game, such as weather, managing stories, etc. Ie more GM advice, BUT full of ideas.
Then a small article on women. I’m happy they have this and they address women’s role in the era. Worth a read.
3.5/5 Average GM section. +for an article of women of the times and a lot of cool ideas.

6. Appendix 1: Bestiary featuring two beast for your desert adventures. Bestial Ghul (CR 1) and a Cavern Wrym (CR 3). I didn’t check crunch on the monsters, I’m not good at that. But 2 monsters are better than none. Section 3/5

7. Appendix 2: A 5 page mini adventure that I felt hit the setting. It’s short, and gives a premise overall. 4/5

Overall I’ll give it a 3.5 rounded up 4 for flavor, and price for content. I really like the classes and how they were developed. The fluff and text I thought were enjoyable and sold me (while several sections are brief and I would love more expansion).