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Why is this showing as "print edition unavailable"?

Irori really said “I put Everything on a bagel…”

The "Your First Adventure" section of the players guide makes me cry GM tears of joy! A mini, speed-run choose your own adventure story for the group to automatically create a series of past events everyone was involved in? Omg yes!

Please do this for every single adventure going forward (AP, standalone, one-shot, whatever) that starts past 1st level.
No more of this "you all start at level 15, and may or may not have been adventuring with each other before this... discuss with your group about previous adventures you've possibly had and how it affects the group dynamic going forward"

Players dont want homework, they want gameplay... and gameplay that creates a party dynamic before the real adventure even starts is amazing and wonderful

Heartfelt thank you to whoever came up with this idea!

The "Your First Adventure" section of the players guide makes me cry GM tears of joy! A mini, speed-run choose your own adventure story for the group to automatically create a series of past events everyone was involved in? Omg yes!

Please do this for every single adventure going forward (AP, standalone, one-shot, whatever) that starts past 1st level.
No more of this "you all start at level 15, and may or may not have been adventuring with each other before this... discuss with your group about previous adventures you've possibly had and how it affects the group dynamic going forward"

Players dont want homework, they want gameplay... and gameplay that creates a party dynamic before the real adventure even starts is amazing and wonderful

Heartfelt thank you to whoever came up with this idea!

How long is a "day"? All the downtime activities, particularly crafting, measure things in days, and yet it's never clarified how long a day is. Is it 24 hours of work? Is it 8 hours? If its 8, can I do two 8 hour "days' of work in a single 24 hour day?

Any ETA on errata?

RAW Drifters have been stuck with Expert on melee attacks past level 5 for 2 years now lol

Also, I'd love a clarification on if the follow-up attacks in Chain Reaction from the Unexpected Sharpshooter archetype are affected by Multiple Attack Penalty? It feels like they should be, but also it's only "one" shot followed by a sequence of wild events, so maybe flavor beats mechanics?

I need that Tarbaphon as a plushie immediately :D

Unless I'm missing some critical ruling somewhere, it seems to me that Gunslingers are kind of terrible with Combination weapons (even with their newest "way" specifically designed for their usage), due to the fact that the melee aspect of them are considered Martial melee weapons and Gunslingers never get higher than Expert.

Having the functionality to switch to another attack type, but having that attack be automatically 4 less due to proficiency differences (plus whatever disparity between STR and DEX you have) seems like the biggest trap Ive ever seen.

Is there some rule that makes the melee aspect of Combination count as firearm for weapon proficiency purposes? Or are they really just that bad?

After further research, thare are apparently dozens of changes that are NOT listed in the Errata... Why?

Crimson Throne was the first Pathfinder AP I ever played through... Can't wait to see what they've done to my precious city :D

How does Manifold Array interact with Nanocyte Knacks? Do the Knacks associated with certain arrays get reduced in effectiveness based on those arrays active array levels?

For example: If I am a level 7 Nanocyte and I create a Cloud Array as my primary array, and a Sheath Array as my secondary array, does that reduce the damage and effects of my Swarm Strike knack, since it is used off of a sheath array?

Or does Manifold Array ONLY AFFECT the base effects of the Arrays (# of clouds for Cloud, amount of insight bonus for Sheath, and amount of items I can create with Gear?

Option #2 seems too good to be true, but I'm really hoping maybe Swarm Strike doesn't lock you in to Sheath as your only primary array option.

I absolutely adore this new class. Everything about it seems incredibly fun, and the flavor of many of its abilities flows right into what I would expect. But I feel like it could have something more. ​

One of the developers (I think Mark Seifter) wrote the following about the Thaumaturge: "A thaumaturge is based on the idea that it's not just that you might know things. You are connected to things and you can manipulate those connections and create them. Part of it is like convincing the universe that this is a thing, akin to the idea of magic maybe plowing the field for future casting from SoM treatises on the nature of magic. Is this broken chain from a freed slave a good connection to damage this tyrannical king? Well he doesn't have any weaknesses normally, but you're pushing the universe to create a new bespoke weakness just for you.
You can use Cha for a special in battle Recall Knowledge to suss out existing weaknesses or make a new one. Even if you fail, you can spend another Interact action to just pull out tons of different possibilities and try them until something works. So a success is not necessary to do your thing."

I also am a huge fan of the Kingkiller Chronicles, and everything about making connections between two seemingly unrelated things reminds me of the magic found within those books. Some of my favorite parts are when Kvothe uses the properties of one object to apply new properties to something else.

So my question is this... why limit those connections to simply damage? What about our fabulous list of Conditions?

I would love to see a Thaumaturge who carries around weights with him and makes connections to enemies in order to Slow them.
Give me a Thaumaturge who uses rabbit's feet to Haste his allies.
Needles and a jar of eyeballs to Blind your enemies.
A bit of chain/manacles to Immobilize
Etc....

Now, I understand that this starts stepping on the toes of several other classes, namely Rogues and their fabulous Debilitating Strikes feature.
So here is what I propose:

Add Conditions as an additional alternative option to damage as part of Esoteric Antithesis. Then, the Thaumaturge can choose to either do extra damage, or provide crowd control and status effects. Then, Rogues still get their time in the sun (getting both bonus damage AND status effects on sneak attacks), and the Thaumaturge has options to choose from while in combat. You could even allow the Thaumaturge to make multiple connections to a single target, and do both damage and a condition at the cost of multiple actions.

Imagine being able to wrap a chain around your bow and Immobilize someone because you've convinced the universe that they are now bound to the chain... and not because you critically hit them, but because you put in the work (aka spent actions) to form connections and now can ruin their day.

Several users over on the PF2E reddit pointed out that the Lantern implement from the base class would add another +1 status bonus to the Recall Knowledge roll, further boosting your chances of a crit.

One of the biggest features of the Thaumaturge that stands out to me immediately is how focused this class is on identifying creatures, their weaknesses, and applying those weaknesses. This got me thinking about how to optimize on this, and holy cow did I find some fun stuff... So come with me on a magical journey through a combination of class and archetype feats that will leave you saying goodbye to Ranger Rick, and hello to Geralt of Rivia.

First, I will preface this concept by saying that obviously this build and idea works better with using Free Archetype (especially if your DM allows your Free Archetype to chain into a second archetype), freeing up your class feats for Thaumaturge options... but as you'll see in my feat list at the end, it's not that bad even just using CRB rules.

First lets start with the lvl 1 class ability "Find Flaws". This says that you RECALL KNOWLEDGE, using Charisma instead of whatever usual ability score; AND that you gain the additional effects of the ability AS WELL AS the "usual effects of Recall Knowledge". This tells me a few different things about the ability; but it all really boils down to one thought...

This thing stacks better than a Lego master builder.
Anything that applies to your rolls for "Recall Knowledge" as well as anything that applies to the effects on a successful "Recall Knowledge" ALL APPLY to the "Find Flaws" action.

If you succeed, or get a crit success, on "Find Flaws" you can then proceed to use Esoteric Antithesis as a free action. Esoteric Antithesis allows you to either cause your weapon attacks to deal a type of damage that matches the creatures weakness (if the creature has a weakness, and that weakness is equal or higher than 2 + 1/2 your level) OR it allows you to cause your weapon attacks to deal damage that the creature BECOMES weak to, with a weakness equal to 2 + 1/2 your level (this weakness only applies to attacks from you).

If you DONT get a success, or crit success, this ability costs an action to use
So obviously, using the "Find Flaws" ability, the goal (like all things in this game) is to get a Critical Success. So how do we do that? By adding as many additional bonuses to our possible knowledge scores as we can. Stacking bonuses in this system are few and far between, by design, but there are a few fabulous options hidden among some odd places.

Allow me to introduce, the Pathfinder Agent archetype, and it's older brother, the Scrollmaster Archetype. They are your new best friends.

The first thing you need to know is this: The Scrollmaster archetype falls under a category of very select archetypes that are allowed to be taken in conjunction with other archetypes, without having met a specific number of archetype feats first. In this case specifically, you can take Scrollmaster at the same time as Pathfinder Agent. What this means in layman's terms is that you could technically take the Pathfinder Agent Dedication, and then next class feat / free archetype feat IMMEDIATELY take Scrollmaster Dedication (assuming you met its other requirements).

Let's start with Pathfinder Agent.
Now, the Dedication itself is nothing to write home about, what we are really here for is two feats. One is a skill feat called Thorough Reports. The other is an archetype feat called Discerning Strike.

Thorough Reports allows you to "keep track of each type of creature you successfully identify with Recall Knowledge". When you attempt to Recall Knowledge against a creature you have previously identified, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the roll, and learn an additional fact about such creatures on a success.
So why is this helpful? Well, by default, "Find Flaws" only applies to the creature you used it on, and you can only have it applied to one creature at a time... so even if there are 12 of the exact same creature fighting your party, you are going to have to re-apply Find Flaws against each creature as you go. Since you are spending an action on each creature applying Find Flaws, you obviously want to get that success/crit to allow for the free action bonus damage, so what better way to attempt to get that than getting a bonus on Recall Knowledge rolls to creatures you've already "Recall Knowledge"ed?

But it gets better... Discerning Strike is a Single Action attack that you can make against a target you have successfully identified with Recall Knowledge during this combat. Remember, "Find Flaws" counts as Recall Knowledge.
If you hit with Discerning Strike, you deal an extra 1d6 precision damage. In addition, if you have succeeded on a Recall Knowledge check against the target during this combat and their creature type was previously recorded using Thorough Reports, you also deal 1 point of persistent bleed damage. The creature is then temporarily immune to Discerning Strike for 1 day.
Now, because you've succeeded at identifying the creature (you DID succeed, didn't you?) you now are able to identify its weaknesses, apply bonus damage for a free action, and then with your follow-up action make a Strike that deals additional damage on top, as well as a Bleed effect.

And folks, the fun doesn't BEGIN to stop there.

Moving along to the Scrollmaster Dedication.
You gain some fun thematic abilities, allowing you to remember various facts for extended periods of time and so on... and then one little sentence is thrown in at the end.
"If you have the Thorough Reports feat and have expert proficiency in the skill you’re using to Recall Knowledge, your circumstance bonus to Recall Knowledge about creatures from that feat increases to +4."
AMAZING. So now, our bonus to identifying creatures we've already identified goes up to +4. Crits are looking easier by the minute.

But wait, there's more! Within the Scrollmaster archetype lies another feat, just begging to be thrown on the pile... Bestiary Scholar.
Requiring only Level 10, and a Master proficiency in ONE Knowledge skill (Arcana, Crafting, Nature, Occultism, or Religion) you can get this feat that adds the following:
"When you gain this feat, choose one of the following skills in which you have attained master proficiency: Arcana, Crafting, Nature, Occultism, or Religion. You can use the chosen skill to Recall Knowledge to identify any creature normally identifiable by any of the above skills. In addition, when you critically succeed at identifying a creature, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your next attack roll or saving throw against that creature."

That's right... all those Recall Knowledge's you've been doing (using your CHA score no less!) now can be done using a SINGLE KNOWLEDGE SKILL.
And then, just for fun, when you critically succeed, you get an extra bonus against that creature (either on an attack roll, or a saving throw).

Now here's what particularly interesting about all of these feats (especially that last one)... Every single one of them gives a CIRCUMSTANCE BONUS on things they boost.

This is important looking back at the goal of this post: Stacking Bonuses.
Bonuses of the same type don't stack, you simply use the highest bonus. However, bonuses of different types DO stack.

Now, let's take a look at a lvl 2 feat for the Thaumaturge himself (thats right, we haven't even taken anything from the core class yet, and we are already making the Outwit Monster Hunter Rangers and Lore Bards look like elementary school children).

Esoteric Warden
Level 2 class feat, Thaumaturge
When you Find Flaws and succeed at your Recall Knowledge check, in addition to the normal effects, you gain a +1 status bonus to your AC against the creature’s next attack and a +1 status bonus to your next saving throw against the creature. These bonuses increase to +2 on a critical success. You can gain these bonuses only once per day against a particular creature.

Hmmm... that's interesting. At first glance this appears to be a very similar feat as Bestiary Scholar, until you look at the bonus type. That's right, the Esoteric Warden feat gives a STATUS bonus, whereas Bestiary Scholar gives a CIRCUMSTANCE bonus... stacks on stacks on stacks.

So, let's recap.

By taking the following feats:
Pathfinder Agent Dedication (archetype feat)
Thorough Reports (archetype skill feat)
Discerning Strike (archetype feat)
Scrollmaster Dedication (archetype feat)
Bestiary Scholar (archetype feat)
Esoteric Warden (class feat)

You gain the following chain reaction:
* Use the "Find Flaws" ability on an enemy you have identified previously, this counts as the Recall Knowledge action.
* You gain a +4 circumstance bonus to the Recall Knowledge roll.
* This Recall Knowledge roll can be made with your CHA stat, using whatever Knowledge skill you have at Master (whichever you chose for Bestiary Scholar)
* On a success you gain a +1 status bonus to AC against that creatures next attack, a +1 status bonus to your next saving throw against that creature, and a free action application of your Esoteric Antithesis.
* On a crit success, boost the success bonuses by +1 (to +2 total), AND you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your next attack or saving throw against that creature (the save bonuses stack for a total +3).
*Lastly, on your next action, use Discerning Strike (works with either melee or ranged) to deal an extra 1d6 precision damage, and 1 persistent bleed, ON TOP of the extra weakness damage you will be dealing from Esoteric Antithesis

And after all that... you still have a whole other action left in your turn.

Obviously, this build concept (if you can call it that) relies heavily on taking archetype feats. BUT, if your character goal is to be the Murder Pokedex for monsters, it's actually not too bad all things considered, leaving the latter half of your character build completely open for high level class feats and other shenanigans.

Lvl 1: whatever feat you want
Lvl 2: Esoteric Warden
Lvl 4: Pathfinder Agent Dedication
Lvl 4 skill feat: Thorough Reports
Lvl 6: Scrollmaster Dedication
Lvl 8: Discerning Strike
Lvl 10: Bestiary Scholar

Lemme know what you guys think :D

I think your point about "you should be at range" is exactly the point behind this design choice. The emotion based effect can hit you anywhere, and given that fear effects are quite common, will effect you a lot more. So the CHA based downside is lessened as a result of the increased frequency. Assuming you are staying at range, away from anything that has Attack of Opportunity, it is entirely possible to avoid the INT downside entirely for any fight regardless of type of creature.

Of note, it also feels like the flavor matches the mechanics... Int based Psychics SHOULD be away from combat, because they are thinking tactically. CHA based Psychics might not be thinking tactically because they are ruled by their emotions.

Pathfinder Society book... now a Lastwall book... this has interesting connotations for future faction books... Hellknights? Firebrands? Red Mantis Assassins? BRING IT ON!

Erik Mona mentioned this morning (for anyone who missed it) on Cannon Fodder (Glass Cannon's "behind the scenes" podcast) that this was "on-track and on schedule to be released this November"

I want to preface this by saying two things.
1: This is my first time running a pre-written AP (I've always just run homebrew setting/campaigns)
2: My PLAYERS want to continue the story, they are simply having trouble finding reasons for their CHARACTERS to be interested. Our group has a blast playing together, it honestly might just be the writing of this AP.... This all may come off as a lot of complaining, but as a GM I am genuinely frustrated and stymied for a way to continue the story as written without significant changes.

Yeah, its an item I wish they would errata since I don't really know whats intended. I typically just buy it for my crafters for the item bonus... and just ignore the repair bonus for now.

Yeah, I usually do the same. But unfortunately, the Inventor class now exists with it's construct companion that has to be Repaired rather than healed... so having a bonus to Repair amounts is suddenly a far more pressing need in my life.

Luis confirmed that Ganzi and Aphorite are versatile heritages, and that the unrevealed slots are one versatile heritage and one ancestry!

...and that he's working on one of the unrevealed ones, so theorize away.

He also confirmed that Kitsune are +Cha +Free, no flaws ability score bonuses; At-Will Shape Change being part of their base ancestry (no feats or heritages required), and one of the heritages allows for Shape Change to also turn you into an actual fox.

Finally, just because I like fanning fires, two of the unrevealed entries have the means to gain a fly speed. :)

Will this fly speed be all the time and available at a decent level?

After reading several of the comments here I realized, in 1e they introduced a new feat with the Gunslinger class specifically to solve this problem... Gunsmithing.

Why not do that now? Create a new skill feat, which requires trained in Crafting (which Gunslingers have at 1st level), that gives access to crafting Guns and Gun Ammunition.

You can still have ammo be crafted off of Alchemical Crafting as well, simply have it work like how Herbalists can only craft alchemical items with the healing trait, plus antidote and antiplague... Gunsmithing covers Gun Ammo as a smaller subset of Alchemical Crafting feat.

Then simply give Gunslingers the Gunsmithing feat for free (just like in 1e). This would then allow other characters who may wish to craft guns and ammo (Rangers, Im looking at you) to pick up the feat themselves, without the strange "I also can make bombs I guess?" part of it.

There is precedent for this, given that Investigator's brought with them new skill feats (so much so that they were shown in the APG playtest), as well as the aforementioned Herbalists gaining Alchemical Crafting from "basic alchemy benefits" but it only applying to certain items.

Something that has always been a staple of Pathfinder (both editions) is feats. Feats allow you to do things you wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't be able to do otherwise. As such, I've always been under the impression that if there is a feat for something, and you don't have that feat, you can't do that thing. Otherwise, go nuts and do whatever the hell your DM lets you get away with.

So with that said, why is there a feat for shooting things to make them explode? Doesn't that now, by its very existence, preclude (for example) an archer with a flaming arrow from making a "barrel of expensive rum" explode?

I understand that perhaps the main point of it is that it gives specific mechanics for what happens when the PC does that (As opposed to the DM having to make it up on the fly). But there's just something about this feat that seems counter to the freedom of character action choice that ttrpgs are known for.

Maybe its just me * shrug *

It says that in order for a Gunslinger (or anyone really) to craft ammo for guns, its requires the Alchemical Crafting skill feat. Now naturally, given that the Alchemist (and now the Inventor), has the skill feat required to craft the necessary items for their class, I assumed that Gunslingers would receive Alchemical Crafting for free at level 1. And yet, there is nothing to be found. To make matters worse, there is even a FEAT for combining Alchemical Bombs and ammunition (Alchemical Shot, lvl 4), but the class does not support this.

Is this an oversight, or are Gunslingers really intended to use up one of their precious skill feats on something required for their class? Considering the gun ammunition is an Uncommon item as well, it's not like they could just NOT take the feat and expect to be able to restock on ammo in any town they come to (like every other character can with arrows).

... Weaponized Gambling Rogue/Swashbuckler feats were really fun...

You have my attention... might this be a Gambit-style combat feat? Throwing cards as weapons? Dice as caltrops?

Is there any clarification that can be provided on what level the Fey Influence feat allows the spells to be cast at (given that half of them can be heightened)?

Didn't realize I've been doing an Absalom accent wrong all these years... clearly everyone from there speaks in a terrible cockney accent based solely on those fantastic british police officer helmets.

"Alright then govnah... whats all this then?" :D