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Also with wands, you need only one formula, “magic wand” to craft endless, reasonably priced items that can grant every spell in the game.

I was under the impression that you needed a separate formula for each level of an item that has multiple versions at different levels. So that would be 1 formula per level for "magic wand" - which is still efficient compared to 1 formula per specific wand.

You still need a casting of the exact spell on the wand to be able to craft the wand, and you can only use a wand if you have the spell on your spell list (or Trick it), limiting their utility somewhat. Wands are still great, though.

I'm probably the only one who cares about this, but anyway...

I came up with 7 archetypes for the warrior class. The first 3 are supposed to be roughly balanced with the base class, while the last 4 are significantly more powerful, but not nearly up to the standard of a 3rd edition core class (much less a PF core class).

#1: the Bowman (ranged weapon focused-warrior)

Changes: Hit die is reduced to d8, weapon and armor proficiencies changed to [simple weapons, light & ranged martial weapons, light armor, medium armor & bucklers], class skills changed (add Perception and remove Intimidate)

Additions: at 1st level, the bowman chooses either the archery or crossbow combat style (as the Ranger). At 1st, 6th, 12th, and 18th level, he gets one combat style feat (chosen from those available to a Ranger with their combat style at 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th levels, respectively)

#2: the Bravo (lightly-armored sword-focused street tough)

Changes: Hit die is reduced to d8, save progression changed (Fortitude to poor, Reflex to good), weapon and armor proficiencies changed to [simple weapons, light & one-handed martial melee weapons, light armor & shields (except tower shields)], class skills changed (add Acrobatics & Bluff, remove Handle Animal & Ride)

Additions: at 1st level, the bowman chooses either the two-weapon combat or weapon and shield combat style (as the Ranger). At 1st, 6th, 12th, and 18th level, he gets one combat style feat (chosen from those available to a Ranger with their combat style at 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th levels, respectively)

#3: the Guard (garrison soldier or city watchman)

Changes: BAB progression changed to 3/4 (as the Rogue), skill ranks changed to 4+Int, class skills changed (add Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Perception, and Sense Motive)

#4: the Berserker (barbaric warrior or storm trooper)

Changes: armor proficiencies changed to [light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields)], class skills changed (add Perception and Survival, remove Profession)

Additions: Rage (1st level) - as Barbarian class ability except it lasts for [2+Con modifier+1 per 2 berserker levels] rounds per day. For multiclassing and other rage features/prerequisites, add (berserker levels /2, rounded down) to Barbarian levels.

Rage Powers (2nd level and every 4th additional level) - berserker may choose any exceptional (Ex) Barbarian rage power subject to prerequisites (see above for berserker to Barbarian level conversion), but may never choose a supernatural (Su) or spell-like (Sp) rage power.

Greater Rage (20th level) - as Barbarian class ability

#5: the Hunter (beast hunter or bounty hunter)

Changes: armor proficiencies changed to [light armor and shields (except tower shields)], skill ranks changed to 4+Int, class skills changed (add Knowledge (nature), Perception, Stealth, and Survival)

Additions: Track (1st level) - as Ranger class ability

Favored Enemy (3rd level and every 5th additional level) - as Ranger class ability, except that everything is delayed two levels. For multiclassing and favored enemy features, add (hunter levels -2) to Ranger levels.

#6: the Legionary (disciplined soldier trained to fight in formation)

Additions: Bonus Feat (1st level, 4th level and every 4th additional level) - the legionary may choose a combat teamwork feat as a bonus feat if he meets the prerequisites (that is, a feat that is both a combat feat AND a teamwork feat).

Stand Firm (2nd level, incrementing every 4th additional level) - as the Phalanx Fighter archetype class ability (from APG)

#7: the Partisan (guerilla fighter or bandit)

Changes: Hit die is reduced to d8, save progression changed (Fortitude save to poor, Reflex save to good), armor proficiencies changed to [light armor and shields (except tower shields)], skill ranks changed to 4+Int, class skills changed (add Acrobatics, Bluff, Escape Artist, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local), Perception, Stealth, and Survival)

Additions: Favored Terrain (1st level, incrementing at 5th level and every 5th additional level) - as Ranger class ability, except that the partisan chooses only one favored terrain and increases the bonus at level 5+. For multiclassing and favored terrain features, add partisan levels to ranger levels.

Sneak Attack (3rd level, incrementing every 5th additional level) - as Rogue class ability, except that it increments more slowly. For multiclassing, add the bonuses from each class with sneak attack together.

So the guy mentions Asperger's once and he's "playing the Aseprger's card"? I'm pretty sure I have something like Asperger's, and I had no idea there was such a thing. Can I have one, please? What does it get me? Oh, just a lot of strange (and occasionally pitying) looks? I already get that, never mind.

Seriously, I think people are starting to get a little over-sensitive in this thread. Questioner posted a few reviews, ruffled a few feathers unintentionally, and has apologized for the tone (but not the substance) of his reviews, as is proper. Let's move on, shall we?

Maybe a discussion on how the (long-forgotten) product in question might be improved, or how any mistakes might be avoided in future? Can we avoid the "meta" for a while, please?

Questioner,

I found Epic Meepo's thread. It is entitled Epic Meepo Presents: Archetypes and is located in the Homebrew portion of the messageboards.
There are some very interesting ideas there.

The NPC archetypes basically "power-up" the classes to approximately PC-class level, which is great if you want to actually play these classes. I was thinking more along the lines of variant NPC classes that are no more powerful than the Warrior or Adept, this giving us more options for creating NPCs.

First, apologies. The sage NPC class was in Rite Publishing's free Pathways e-zine (issue 17), not Kobold Quarterly.

As for commoner archetypes, I can think of a few. Note that the commoner class, as written, is just about the worst class imaginable. Even Paizo (with their sample NPCs in the Gamemastery Guide) uses other classes to represent "commoner" type characters. A commoner archetype would add certain features to the class, while still leaving it inferior to the other NPC classes.

Examples:
the Laborer - change hit die to d8 and give a good Fortitude save (representing a tough but unimaginative worker or serf).

the Yeoman - add 2 skill points and give a good Will save (representing the free farmer, stubborn and skilled in his profession) - for verisimilitude, change weapon proficiency to "any one simple weapon or martial ranged weapon" to represent the English bow-trained yeoman.

the Vagabond - add 2 skill points, change class skills to represent a more "urban" skillset, and give a good Reflex save (representing the urban homeless / street urchin, skilled at staying alive).

the Militiaman - change proficiencies to all simple weapons + light armor, change BAB to 3/4 progression, and hit die to d8. All saves remain poor (representing the peasant conscript, given rudimentary weapon training, but whose poor morale is represented by the poor saves).

Is anyone planning to do anything regarding the poor, neglected NPC classes? The only thing I can think of now is the Sage class from Kobold Quarterly.

NPC class archetypes would work as well. There are basically no class abilities to modify, so you would just be modifying BAB, saves, skills and proficiencies. There's still plenty of options there.

For instance, consider an Arcane Adept archetype that replaces its spell list with a limited arcane spell list (perhaps only divination, enchantment & necromancy spells or similar) or a Ritual Adept (limited to arcane & divine summoning spells). Or contemplate a Scout Warrior archetype that removes heavy & medium armor & tower shield proficiency and adds 2 skill points and some outdoors-y class skills (ranger-lite). Then there is the Diplomatic Aristocrat archetype, who loses a bunch of proficiencies and gains 2 skill points and perhaps a minor class ability related to negotiation.

Any thoughts?

Questioner,

I'm assuming you do not own the Genius Guide to the Dragonrider (since you have only reviewed free products). I must question (excuse the pun) the utility of a review for a product obviously intended for those who own another product from a reviewer with no familiarity with the base product.

Also, quite frankly, the price point must be a factor in a review. If a product is free, the only cost is the time it takes to download it (miniscule) and the hard drive space to store it (ditto). So if the free product contains anything of any value whatsoever, it is worth downloading. Only if the thing infected my computer would I consider a 1-star review appropriate.

The Vanguard has been updated since then. The three bonus feats and the abilities Spell Block, Spell Grapple, and Spell Sunder were all subsumed under the Spell Maneuvers ability. So the Vanguard archetype should replace all 6 Spell Maneuvers. (This confused me initially, until I noticed all of the above abilities as options under Spell Maneuvers).

The Celestial Retribution's special ability is missing (most of the text seems to have been chopped off).

I noticed an apparent anomaly in the spell point charts for all 9-level casters. The points for level 16 go up by only 5 from level 15, which is about 10 (for prepared) or 20 (for spontaneous) points lower than the increases to 15th and 17th level. This doesn't seem to match up with a similar lack of increase in spell slots at level 16 for these classes, so I was wondering if there was a reason for this. Thanks.

I have a few questions.

The level 20 capstone ability is listed as Immortal Knowledge, but there is no write-up for this ability. Should we treat this as another Enlightened Knowledge pick?

The downloadable Folk Magic tables show spell progressions from class level 1-20, but the Folk Magic ability cannot be selected until level 5, due to prerequisites. At level 5, the class starts with 1st and 2nd level spells, which is a bit unusual.

Several of the Enlightened Knowledge ability descriptions seem to have text chopped out of them (Divert the Negative Course & Sweeping Exorcism). Also, the Enlightened Knowledge table's prerequisite skill ranks are still in AE form (3 ranks too high).

All in all, I found this a very flavorful and flexible class, though I have a feeling the Folk Magic ability is a no-brainer at level 5.

Edit: Oh, and does this class cast spells as arcane spells or divine spells (with respect to spell failure, prestige class prerequisites, and other areas where this makes a difference)? My default assumption is arcane.

I notice the Investigator has a good Fortitude save progression and a poor Will save progression. I would have thought it would be the opposite.

Cavalier archetype Luring Cavalier:

The Versatile Challenge (12th level) ability does not list an ability it replaces. Should it not replace Demanding Challenge (12th level)?

Cavalier archetype Emissary:

The ability Erratic Charge (17th level) replaces Supreme Charge (20th level), leaving the Emissary without a capstone ability at level 20. Is this intentional, or was the ability supposed to replace Master Tactician at 17th level?

Bard Archetype Dervish Dancer:

It sure seems like the Battle Dance ability is supposed to replace Bardic Performance, but the rules don't exactly SAY this. If Bardic Performance remained, it would only have countersong, distraction, fascinate, and inspire competence available, but still...

I had a thought on the Animal Speaker suggestion issue.

To recap, the Bard's Animal Speaker archetype replaces fascinate, but does nothing to suggestion or mass suggestion.

The general rules on archetypes are that when one of a sequence of linked abilities gets replaced, the sequence is altered rather than broken. i.e., if there is a sequence A (1st level) -> B (6th level) -> C (18th level), and A gets replaced, then the new sequence is A (6th level) -> B (18th level).

It seems to me that fascinate, suggestion, and mass suggestion are a linked sequence, and so the Animal Speaker should get fascinate at 6th level (instead of 1st) and suggestion at 18th level (instead of 6th).

The Bard Animal Speaker archetype gets a new Bardic Performance called Soothing Performance at 3rd level that acts like Wild Empathy. Unfortunately, the normal Bard already has a performance called Soothing Performance, gained at 12th level, that does something completely different, and the Animal Speaker does not replace that performance.

This could be a bit confusing. Couldn't this new one be named Soothe Animal(s) or something?