While many legendary heroes of Golarion fit easily into the core classes of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game—the sword-swinging fighters, fireball-flinging wizards, backstabbing rogues, and others—there are some who specialize in unique styles and techniques, perfectly customizing themselves for their roles. For these characters, there are prestige classes. From the undead-hunting Knights of Ozem to the revolutionary Gray Gardeners of Galt, this book collects 30 of the most prominent faiths and factions from around the Inner Sea and transforms them into prestige classes designed to help you take advantage of the tricks and tactics of some of Golarion’s most famous (and infamous) groups, all while rooting your character firmly in the lore and societies of the Pathfinder campaign setting.
Within this 64-page book, you’ll find new prestige class options for every character class in the Pathfinder RPG, including:
The Aldori swordlord, world-renowned dueling master of the turbulent north.
The Hellknight signifer, an armored spellcaster who uses magic to pursue the perfect, iron-fisted law of Hell.
The gun-toting shieldmarshal, whose bright badge brings order to the chaos of the Mana Wastes.
The mammoth rider, savage megafauna cavalry expert.
The Sleepless detective, uniquely suited to solving mysteries both magical and mundane in haunted Ustalav.
The winter witch, whose ice magic keeps a whole nation in thrall.
...and 24 more!
Paths of Prestige is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder campaign setting, but can easily be used in any fantasy game setting.
By Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Matt Goodall, and Jason Nelson
September 13, 2012 The Winter Witch prestige class has been updated and is available for download. (1.2MB zip/PDF)
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-451-1
DriveThruRPG: This product is available as print-on-demand from DriveThruRPG:
Final Score & Thoughts: Crunch: 4/5 Stars
Flavor: 5/5 Stars
Texture: 4/5 Stars
Final Score: 13/15 Stars, or 4/5 Stars
Paths of Prestige is an awesome Paizo Product; it’s one of the very best by a long shot. That said, it isn’t without it’s flaws. Paizo hadn’t perfected the spellcaster prestige class by this point and honestly, maybe they never will; almost all spellcasting classes are dreadfully ill-designed for multiclassing because of the lack of a character-wide statistic like base attack bonus. Prestige Class flavor is awesome in this book, but don’t expect to be learning anything new about the organizations that they represent. That’s one of the curious things about these classes, as a matter of fact. The prestige classes that tend to be the most mechanically powerful are the ones that have campaign-neutral themes that are attached to specific organizations: for example, Bellflower Tiller is essentially “Harriet Tubman the Prestige Class,” Knight of Ozen is essentially “Undead-Slaying Knight,” and “Mammoth Rider” is less of an organization and more of a hobby-turned prestige class. This is coming from someone who is obviously biased on the topic, but I think Paths of Prestige proves that while prestige classes might be conceptually easier to design if they’re assigned to an organization, mechanically they’re more interesting and viable options if their themes are extend beyond that specific organization.
Pathfinder is better known for it’s complete and ‘go for 20 level’ base classes than it’s Prestige Classes. After all, the Archetypes make many PrC’s obsolete.
But here we have another thirty prestige classes for your use and reading pleasure. One I thought was great but might be a better base class is Noble Scion, which is Aristocrat done at a playable (but not power gamed) level.
Fun classes include the Mammoth Rider!
I have two quibbles- at least three of the PrC’s depend upon non-Core material, such as a feat found only in a sourcebook. The writers should have repeated the feat here. True, Core rulebook stuff doesn’t need to be, but this does. A more minor quibble is that some of these classes here are very region dependant.
A extra bonus is the table of where to find another three dozen Prestige classes, including some very basic info on each. Nice!
This slim 64 page addition for the Pathfinder Campaign Setting adds 30 new prestige classes to your favorite Fantasy role-playing game.
Section One, "Arcana", has 8 new mage prestige classes, including the Arclord of Nex, the Blackfire Adept, the Magaambyan Arcanist, the Razmiran Priest, the Riftwarden, the Tattooed Mystic, the Veiled Illusionist, and the Winter Witch.
Section Two, "Brawn", has 9 new fighter prestige classes, including the Aldori Swordlord, the Brother of the Seal, the Golden Legionnaire, the Knight of Ozem, the Lantern Bearer, the Mammoth Rider, the Pit Fighter, the Shieldmarshal, and the Skyseeker.
Section Three, "Guile", has 6 new rogue prestige classes, including the Aspis Agent, the Bellflower Tiller, the Daggermark Poisoner, the Gray Gardener, the Noble Scion, and the Sleepless Detective.
Section Four, "Piety", has 7 new clerical prestige classes, including the Champion of Irori, the Dawnflower Dissident, the Green Faith Acolyte, the Hellknight Signifier, the Prophet of Kalistrade, the Storm Kindler, and the Umbral Court Agent.
There's also a chart showing where to find 36 other prestige classes. The classes in the book are presented in alphabetical order. A canny GM would look to see if any of these classes would be more appropriate for NPC's. There are two pages for each class, and the necessary chart, as well as a sample picture of what a generic member of that class would look like. All new prestige classes in this volume, and references to the prestige classes in other Pathfinder products, make this just about a must-have for GM's. Highly recommended.
If this book had come out during the time of 3.5, I probably would have groaned and ignored it. Over the years, I have had very few players ever take a prestige class (I’m pretty sure I could count the total number on one hand), and so this just would have been more bloat that would probably never get used. However, with recent emphasis being away from prestige classes, my reaction to this was one of interest. The scattered prestige classes that have appeared in other Golarion sources have all been very flavourful, so there was every reason to believe Paizo could keep it up with a book full of them. To be honest, most of the classes in this book will still likely never see use in any of my games; however, I would consider it very likely that some will get used, if only for NPCs. With only a couple of exceptions (that seem strangely generic), all the classes are extremely flavourful and help to add more options and life to the world of Golarion.
I'm not nearly as fond as PrCs as I used to be since Pathfinder redid all the base classes. But coming from this company? They'll be great. I'll get it when it comes out.
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Ummm. sounds really, really cool. but send me a few of the presige classes so we can test their brokeness... I'd hate to see the thread "OMG the Technomancer prestige class is so OP". Just telling you before it happens..
I've been wondering when a book like this would come out. I actually wanted it when the CRB was release, but it makes even more sense now, as we have a lot more base (8) and alternate classes. I wouldn't be surprised, if it sells well, that in 2-3 years we have an expanded, hard cover, generalized version in the core line.
Wishlist (which is probably already too late, **sigh**):
1. Update the prestige classes in the 3.5 products. Especially, the Brightness Seeker, and the Liberator.
2. Concentration on player classes, i.e., only a few Book of the Damned style evil prestige classes. (The Grey Gardener's don't bother me, we'll see how they are differentiated from "regular" necromancers.)
Random thought: I like the Aldori swordsman as a concept. (Actually, I like the original Aldori a lot, with so many epic mages, its nice to have an epic fighter.) I'm just not sure a prestige class is necessary after the archetype and feats. Hopefully they will name the Aldori Swordlord prestige class something different from the Aldori Swordlord archetype (from the Inner Sea Primer), and provide different features.
Still awaiting a chance to play some PFS; hopefully the vast majority of this book will be legal.
Some of the prestige classes in this book are SPECIFICALLY named after archetypes, becasue they might require taking that archetype in order to qualify for the prestige class. Not sure that's what the Aldori Duelst or whatever it ends up being called will do... but it's absolutely what's going on with the Winter Witch prestige class.
I love the books of paizo, I just hope that the prestige classes in this book will let you make a diferent character(and concepts) not just a more powerful one.
*sees the line about Arclords of Nex, and babbles incoheretly for 20 minutes* THAT'S what my life's been missing! Now, to talk the webmasters into setting up an option to just directly deposit my income tax refund with Paizo up front and eliminate the middleman...
D&D 3.5 had a real glut of PrCs, I think, to the point that a lot of people just didn't want to play base classes because of how much more powerful and interesting a lot of PrCs were.
I think Pathfinder has done a great job addressing this problem by putting a lot of work into beefing up the base classes and giving us lots of customizations options with archetypes, so the time is definitely ripe to fill in the relative lack of PrC options.
Tl;dr - this is coming out at the perfect time and I'm quite excited.
Paizo has put the Prestige back into PrC. I didn't like 3.5 PrC's that you could plop into almost any campaign. I like the original 3.0 blue DMG concept that these classes were intimately tied to the campaign world. You don't become a Winter Witch in Thuvia! Bravo!
1. My only claim to improving Golarion is starting a thread which helped result in changing "Skull and Bones" to the much improved "Skull and Shackles." Along the same lines I would suggest any of the following for a Winter Witch fed prestige class: White Witch (which is what the Inner Sea World Guide uses), Judwiga Witch, Whitethrone Witch (too specific, but nicely alliterative).
2. I don't like having duplicate game terms, even when one feeds into another. It just adds confusion, especially for new players.
3. Also, 7 level Witch (Winter Witch archetype)/ 7 level Winter Witch just doesn't have a. . . ring to it. Diviner/Loremaster works; even Fighter/Wizard/Arcane Archer works; Winter Witch/Winter Witch doesn't.
I'm assuming, true to the "Paizo style," that a 7 level Witch (Winter Witch archetype)/ 7 level Winter Witch is different from, but not generally, mechanically, better than a 14 level Witch (Winter Witch archetype). In other words, the prestige class is a choice, not a no-brainer like 3.5's Wizard into Archmage.
Minor, and hopefully constructive, criticism aside, "Paths of Prestige" is the Golarion book I'm most looking forward to in the next six months.
Just to spare people some pain, it's pretty clear that since this book is coming out in August, there is no time for playtesting or revisions to names of things or whatnot. This has likely already been sent off to the printers.
Just to spare people some pain, it's pretty clear that since this book is coming out in August, there is no time for playtesting or revisions to names of things or whatnot. This has likely already been sent off to the printers.
You may be right. From James's comment above: "Not sure that's what the Aldori Duelst or whatever it ends up being called will do... but it's absolutely what's going on with the Winter Witch prestige class." I have hope that they have time to make some minor changes; "winter" to "white", for example. It's reasonable (but maybe inaccurate) to assume they're past the copy editing but haven't reached the final proof reading.
Are there going to be any generic, combinational prestige classes that let you merge two classes? Things like the Mystic Theurge, Arcane Trickster, Battle Herald, or Rage Prophet?
Just to spare people some pain, it's pretty clear that since this book is coming out in August, there is no time for playtesting or revisions to names of things or whatnot. This has likely already been sent off to the printers.
It actually has NOT been sent to the printers. It's actually still being written.
But no... we will not be doing a public playtest of this book.
At this point, if we can't pull off a book of prestige classes that are flavorful and well balanced and fun without needing a hardcover's level of work and playtest and refinement and extra TLC... we might as well just print novels is my opinion.
Are there going to be any generic, combinational prestige classes that let you merge two classes? Things like the Mystic Theurge, Arcane Trickster, Battle Herald, or Rage Prophet?
Just one. The Paladin of Irori will, I hope, be a good paladin/monk combo. I also hope it'll have Paladin of Irori code stuff, and some more flavor stuff. Classes like those mentioned above exist primarily in a world-flavor-vacuum, and are mostly of interest purely on a mechanical level for multiclassing. That's not what these prestige classes in "Paths of Prestige" are doing, for the most part.
There's a reason this book is in the Campaign Setting line, folks... my philosophy is that prestige classes are MUCH BETTER when they are used to present world-specific stuff. Like Hellknights, harrowers, red mantis assassins, and low templars. ALL of the prestige classes in this book are built to support Golarion-specific organizations and options. Several of them will work not only as PC options, but as prestige classes you can put onto monsters (something Pathfinder is SORELY missing at this point). And they'll all bring with them some new flavor to 30 different organizations and philosophies and faiths and factions and whatevers that need more info, in many cases.
Will the prestige classes be usable outside of Golarion? Absolutely—just as you can use Hellknights and harrowers and Red Mantis Assassins and Low Templars in other settings. You might need to fiddle a bit with flavor here and there, but they'll work.
1. My only claim to improving Golarion is starting a thread which helped result in changing "Skull and Bones" to the much improved "Skull and Shackles." Along the same lines I would suggest any of the following for a Winter Witch fed prestige class: White Witch (which is what the Inner Sea World Guide uses), Judwiga Witch, Whitethrone Witch (too specific, but nicely alliterative).
2. I don't like having duplicate game terms, even when one feeds into another. It just adds confusion, especially for new players.
3. Also, 7 level Witch (Winter Witch archetype)/ 7 level Winter Witch just doesn't have a. . . ring to it. Diviner/Loremaster works; even Fighter/Wizard/Arcane Archer works; Winter Witch/Winter Witch doesn't.
I'm assuming, true to the "Paizo style," that a 7 level Witch (Winter Witch archetype)/ 7 level Winter Witch is different from, but not generally, mechanically, better than a 14 level Witch (Winter Witch archetype). In other words, the prestige class is a choice, not a no-brainer like 3.5's Wizard into Archmage.
Minor, and hopefully constructive, criticism aside, "Paths of Prestige" is the Golarion book I'm most looking forward to in the next six months.
My take: you're not a REAL Winter Witch unless you have levels in the prestige class. If you're a witch with the winter witch archetype... you're "in training."
Since the winter witch prestige class will require that archetype as a prereq, I suspect that we'd refer to statted up winter witches as:
Human female witch 7/winter witch 7 or whatever. And the character herself would regard herself first and formost as a "winter witch."
We'll see. As I said in a previous post, the book's still being written.
Just to spare people some pain, it's pretty clear that since this book is coming out in August, there is no time for playtesting or revisions to names of things or whatnot. This has likely already been sent off to the printers.
You may be right. From James's comment above: "Not sure that's what the Aldori Duelst or whatever it ends up being called will do... but it's absolutely what's going on with the Winter Witch prestige class." I have hope that they have time to make some minor changes; "winter" to "white", for example. It's reasonable (but maybe inaccurate) to assume they're past the copy editing but haven't reached the final proof reading.
The problem there is that a "Winter Witch" is not the same thing as a "White Witch."
Just to spare people some pain, it's pretty clear that since this book is coming out in August, there is no time for playtesting or revisions to names of things or whatnot. This has likely already been sent off to the printers.
It actually has NOT been sent to the printers. It's actually still being written.
But no... we will not be doing a public playtest of this book.
At this point, if we can't pull off a book of prestige classes that are flavorful and well balanced and fun without needing a hardcover's level of work and playtest and refinement and extra TLC... we might as well just print novels is my opinion.
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
This would be a rare Golarion book you can add Gunslinger support...
I just hope many of them are better than the new Inner Sea Pirate PrC we just got (yuck).
Swordlords, Gray Gardeners, Mammoth Riders, Arclords, and Shield Marshals all sound awesome. The only thing that concerns me is the use of archetypes as prerequisites. One or two here and there would be fine, but if 5 or 10 of these new PrCs have archetype prereqs then I am going to be sorely disappointed. The fact that you can accidentally bar your entry into certain PrCs during character creation just seems ludicrous. I can just see it now: "Sorry Joe, no you can't take the Awesome Bandit Lord™ PrC because when we made characters six months ago you just made a Rogue with a bunch of banditry related skills and tendencies, but you didn't make a Bandit archetype Rogue. Too bad."
And on top of that, having archetype requirements are extremely limiting. How many different ways are there to go into the Dragon Disciple PrC? Probably a hundred. How many ways are there to get into the Winter Witch PrC? One.
Like I said, a few of these are fine. A Winter Witch PrC sounds pretty awesome, actually. But I will get more use and more mileage out of the more flexible PrCs.
Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Joseph Wilson wrote:
Dragnmoon wrote:
This would be a rare Golarion book you can add Gunslinger support...
Any Chances?
I suggest reading the description of the product.
Got it... Thanks!
Quote:
Looking for some respect and power for your gunslinger? Join the ranks of Alkenstar's Shield Marshals!
There's a reason this book is in the Campaign Setting line, folks... my philosophy is that prestige classes are MUCH BETTER when they are used to present world-specific stuff. Like Hellknights, harrowers, red mantis assassins, and low templars. ALL of the prestige classes in this book are built to support Golarion-specific organizations and options. Several of them will work not only as PC options, but as prestige classes you can put onto monsters (something Pathfinder is SORELY missing at this point). And they'll all bring with them some new flavor to 30 different organizations and philosophies and faiths and factions and whatevers that need more info, in many cases.
I have a significant amount of antipathy towards prestige classes, but this comment goes an enormous way towards nullifying that.