Wow, I REALLY love the Skulking Slayer archetype for the Half-Orc!
I'd really like to see more of the common races being played ( other than humans, which always seem like the "to-go" race with many. Strange that. ^^ ).Too many adventuring groups these days resemble the Tattooine Cantina at chucking-out time...
The ARG wasn't the cheese-fest I feared it would be, but it still feels like 'Pathfinder: Furries Edition!'...
And still nothing to replace Multi-Talented for a single-class half-elf (unless he's an arcane caster)?
I have only picked up on two sides of this: Tattooine Cantina parties, and nothing but Core parties.
My group rarely plays anything outside of humans. Not to say they don't play other races, just rarely. I'm guilty of this as well. This book is going to be awesome for me. I am dying to find something that spices up the old hum-drum human-centric everything.
I try to stay away from things like catfolk because of the "furry" stigma, but truth is, sometimes it's fun to play something that's part animal. That's why there's so much effort put into making lycanthrope templates player friendly.
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Since all three are archetypes, they don't get racial favored options or archetypes.
But they're not really. They're alternate classes which aren't the same thing. As mentioned earlier, the drow DO get an antipaladin favored class reward, but they're the only ones.
True, the antipaladin was originally introduced amongst the listings of the paladin's archetypes in the APG, but it was because he was the only one of these alternate classes at the time. Even then, though, he stood out as "not-just-an-archetype" since 1) he didn't appear alphabetically in the list of archetypes for the paladin in this book and 2) he got his own mention in the table of contents.
When UC came out, Samurai and Ninja got their own layouts similar to all the other classes.
Really the only proof I need that they aren't archetypes is the Knight of the Sepulcher archetype, which is an antipaladin archetype in Ultimate Combat.
When UC came out, Samurai and Ninja got their own layouts similar to all the other classes.
They have their own iconics and everything too.
(except the antipaladin, which I don't think was really intended as a PC class anyway)
Wow, I REALLY love the Skulking Slayer archetype for the Half-Orc!
Agreed! The best part is that it's compatible with the Scout archetype, so you can get d8 sneak attacks by charging with your great-axe.
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We have entered the triptastic realm of archetypes of archetypes my friend. It only gets more wild from here.
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I'm really wondering about the Tiefling/Aasimar change as well. Having the base age start at 60 clearly contradicts setting material such as Blood of Fiends (as mentioned above) and also their signature low level big bad Nualia (who would still be in adolescence according to the table in ARG.
I understand that this book is setting neutral, but why such a discrepancy with Golarion setting, which like 90% of your books tie into. I'm just wondering from a developer's POV why that decision was made.
I guess I need to throw out the Tiefling/Aasimar lines from the age tables. I stick with Human ages. Will Paizo address the ages of Tieflings and Aasimars in the Golarion setting in the future?
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Boo every book store I went to yesterday tells me they won't have any until July 1st at the earliest.
Sneaky but strategically played Paizo.
That wasn't us. The release date has always been June 20th. Not sure why the book stores are saying the 1st of July, but it is worth looking into from our end. But there is no cunning strategic plan on our part—I really wish the bookstores were selling it TODAY. But alas, when you deal with distribution chains where things are taken out of your hands, you get situations like this. Which, trust me, don't benefit us in the least. I would rather that EVERYBODY was releasing the book on the same exact day. That is what we are shooting for.
-Lisa
Distributors are usually the problem. My local FLGS store preorders all of my Paizo stuff for me and they usually do not get the books until Thursday or Friday after they come out. As a local PFS Coordinator it really makes my life harder because I have a couple of the hardcore players who always ask me about stuff in the books the week after they come out and my response is usually, "Haven't had a chance to look it over yet."
My friend just dropped by and gave me my copy. I had authorized the store owner to give it to him. So far it looks great and gives some wonderful options to play with. I'll probably juggle some and shift things around to fit my homebrew setting. Some of the stuff would be wonderful on the races there.
I may adjust the tables to suit my purposes though and mimic them for my races. As apparently one of my players prefers random age, height and weight.
Since all three are archetypes, they don't get racial favored options or archetypes.
Yeah, I assumed the same. A Rogue favored class bonus of 1/6th Rogue talent sounds like 1/6th Ninja Trick to me. Which, given the missing "Extra Ninja Trick" feat, is pretty neat.
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James Jacobs commented on the age thing for tiefling and aasimar here.
Awesome, that's exactly what I wanted know. Thanks!
What are the kobold facored class bonuses? And how do the summoner archetypes look in general?
They range from "oh that's a cool archetype" to "What."
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Kobold Favored Race Bonuses
ALC +1/2 bombs/day
BRD +1/2 bard level for purposes of Fascinate Bardic Performance
CAV +5ft spd of mount during charge/withdraw
CLR + channel energy dmg to creatures denied DEX bonus
DRD +1/2 wild empathy bonus
FIG +1/2 dmg to flanking creatures or those denied DEX bonus
GUN +1/4 bonus to AC from nimble class feature
MAG +1/2 concentration check during cast defensively
MNK +1/3 AC bonus
ORE +1/4 armor/natural armor from spells cast on self
RAN +1/4 number of creatures selected with hunter's bond bonus to allies
ROG +1/2 trap sense AC bonus
SOR +1/2 dmg with energy(choose acid,cold, electricity or fire)
SUM +1/4 shield ally bonus(max +2)
WIT +5ft familiar distance with alertness (max +20ft)
Thanks!
Sorry for the repetition but can anyone give details on the following:
Alternative Racial Traits, Favored Class Alternatives, the Paladin Archetype, and any Feats for the Aasimar?
Any Alternative Racial Traits in this book that allows Elves to replace their Weapon Familiarity (and if so what do they do also)?
Many thanks in advance for those that do.
@Berselius
Arcane Focus replaces Weapon Familiarity
+2 to concentration checks when casting defensively
Fleet-Footed replaces Weapon Familiarity & Keen Senses
Gain Run as a bonus feat
+2 to Initiative
Spirit of the Waters replaces Weapon Familiarity & Elven Magic
+4 to Swim checks and able to take 10 on swim
Add Aquan to your bonus languages
Gain Longspear, Trident, & Net weapon Profiencies
You are correct that there is no way it actually works, but if you drop the second half of mixed weakness it does work. That is the closest I come to fix on that with the Strix.
Well, glad I didn't have a session in on my PFS character yet so I could replace the bonus feat AND skilled to create an even better Diplomancer. :-p
rather than being generalists, tend to specialize in a
handful of skills. At 1st, 8th, and 16th level, such humans
gain Skill Focus in a skill of their choice as a bonus feat.
This racial trait replaces the bonus feat trait.
Silver Tongued: Human are often adept at subtle
manipulation and putting even sworn foes at ease. Humans
with this trait gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Bluff
checks. In addition, when they use Diplomacy to shift a
creature’s attitude, they can shift up to three steps up rather
than just two. This racial trait replaces skilled.
Sorry for the repetition but can anyone give details on the following:
Alternative Racial Traits, Favored Class Alternatives, the Paladin Archetype, and any Feats for the Aasimar?
Any Alternative Racial Traits in this book that allows Elves to replace their Weapon Familiarity (and if so what do they do also)?
Many thanks in advance for those that do.
I'm enjoying this new toy too much to be systematic, so this will be incomplete, but I have an aasimar character and looked at that section some.
The only Favored Class Option that jumped out at me was the summoner's +1/2 DR/evil to the eidolon.
The Tranquil Guardian is mostly based around the Touch of Serenity feat feat from the APG (which they get as a bonus feat), so if that doesn't tickle your fancy, then the archetype probably won't either.
OMG there are some great feats!!
Angelic Blood: Underwhelming to me, but totally worth it for what it gives access to.
-> Angel Wings: Wings and a fly speed!!
and
-> Angelic Flesh: Metallic skin is hard to hide, but it has its benefits (depending on the metal). You're a bronze-skinned Taldan, and that isn't just a metaphor? Fire resistance 5 and +2 to saves vs. fire effects, baby.
-> -> Metallic Wings: Two wing attacks... I'm sure that there's a build out there that can make good use of secondary natural attacks; I just don't know what it is.
Celestial Servant: Your animal companion, familiar, or mount class feature is now a magical beast with the celestial template. This is quite awesome: darkvision, DR, energy resistance, SR, and smite evil.
Channel Force: Push or pull a creature if it fails its save against your channel energy damage, but you can only target one.
-> Improved Channel Force: affects a line or cone.
-> -> Greater Channel Force: comes full circle and affects the usual radius.
Heavenly Radiance: get 1 more use of daylight per day, and the option to use a different SLA in its place. The higher-level you are when you take the feat, the better your options, like searing light at 5th or sunbeam at 9th.
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Just got a chance to look at a copy. There seems to be some pretty interesting things in here. I do especially like the Aasimar and Sylph stuff.
However, there was a lot of disappointment in this book for me. I was hoping to find some good options for the Tiefling Cleric I am currently playing- but sadly there was nothing at all useful for me (not even a Tiefling Cleric spell :/ ). And while there are a lot of neat ideas in the race builder, the point costs still are still a joke to the point that they are a worthless feature.
Skill Bonus (Climb): +2 racial bonus to Climb checks. Costs 2 RP.
Movement Type (Climb): +8 racial bonus to Climb checks and a 20 foot Climb speed. Costs 1 RP.
Wat... That doesn't make any sense.
Climb costs 2 RP, not 1. Skill Bonus is a generalist bonus that...
1. Stacks with everything.
2. Can be placed on highly desirable skills (Perception, UMD, etc)
3. Is not linked to a specific individual thing.
Climb is specialized. Skill bonus is not. Comparing them is silly, at best. Moreover, you have to consider concept adherence just as much as mechanical advantage when looking at these things.
Well, you are kind of right about the cost being 2 instead of 1. The Movement Racial Trait section lists Climb Movement as 2- but the Gripplis and Vanaras examples list the cost as being 1. Yay, editing!
Still, even if we assume it is 2, the point still stands. +2 bonus to a single skill is no where near as good as a +8 to a skill on top of SPECIAL MOVEMENT. Even in comparison to highly desirable skills. Go ask your players what they would rather have a +2 bonus to Perception or the to quickly climb anything.
Well, you are kind of right about the cost being 2 instead of 1. The Movement Racial Trait section lists Climb Movement as 2- but the Gripplis and Vanaras examples list the cost as being 1. Yay, editing!
Still, even if we assume it is 2, the point still stands. +2 bonus to a single skill is no where near as good as a +8 to a skill on top of SPECIAL MOVEMENT. Even in comparison to highly desirable skills. Go ask your players what they would rather have a +2 bonus to Perception or the to quickly climb anything.
I'm not disputing that there is a power level difference. What I am saying is that they are very different traits with very different conceptual flavor. I could build any number of ridiculously overpowered races if I was allowed to completely ignore concept. The playtest showed that.
Until a player could tell me why a race should have that and have it be a coherent reason, I would disallow it. After all, that whole chapter is homebrew GM fiat anyway.
Just got done reading my copy and I'm going through it again.
I love this book.
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Just picked up this book earlier today and have been obsessing over it since. One thing that occurs to me is that many a DM will not allow the custom races. It would be sad to see all this amazing content lost on them and ultimately robs me of the opportunity to use it. I think a 9th level spell that allows the caster to customize a targets race would be great and it would allow for slightly more use of these awesome additions.
Honestly, custom races should not be a player tool at all except in a very strange campaign. It's a rule-of-thumb GM tool for designing new races for homebrew settings.
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Serisan: I understand that you can't ignore fluff. I also understand that if you go out of your way to abuse the system you can make overpowered races on a budget. Keeping things balanced and costed for all possible combinations is impossible. But that's not the point.
The point is that RPs are supposed to be there for a reason. They are supposed to give a decent guideline for measuring the strength of different abilities so that a GM can make sure races are roughly balanced the way he wants. But if RPs fail to at least be a decent measurement on a one to one basis, for even the most similar of traits, how is the system useful?
Here's another example:
Water Child (4 RP)- +4 bonus to swim, can take 10 on swim, can select Aquan as a bonus language
Movement: Swim (2 RP)- +8 bonus to swim, 30 foot swim speed (so can take 10 or even take the run action)
This is a very clear cut example. They both fill a very similar niche: races that have a strong affinity with water. These two traits are tiers of that affinity, with Movement: Swim being clearly on top- yet it is the cheaper of the two. This 4 RP trait is always better than a similar 2 RP trait. Why? What does this do other than diminish the worth of the RP system?
You see, I like all the flavors and options posted in the guide, and I will use them. Its just that when I make a new race, I am going to completely ignore RP costs and just pick what fits the concept. But, now I have to rely on my own judgments for measuring relative power without any worthwhile tool to do so.
That was my point.
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Re: Aasimar
Metalic skin. Oh yes I now really want to play an Aasimar Sorcerer.
Metalic Wings. I don't know if anyone else thought of Archangel, but you could make a pretty interesting fighter now.
Sounds like a perfect excuse to revisit your golden-skinned Egyptian aasimar character, eh? :)
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Wow. Talk about a lack of love for the vishkanya. It's practically a single page if you removed the Bestiary stuff for what the race itself gives you. Three favored options, a rogue archetype, two alternate racial traits, a feat, one piece of equipment, and a spell. I was hoping for something a lot more elaborate than that. Something like alternate ability scores, or different racial traits to replace the skills you gained, or at least something to replace your resistance to poison. Maybe even alternate equipment instead of what you get. I'm a rather underwhelmed by this. I probably wouldn't care so much if it weren't for the fact that I've got players who are VERY interested in this race, and already got one playing this race now.
BTW, since dwarves cost more RP than a human does, and almost as much as a tiefling, does this mean that they're up there for level adjustment characters? That we should go by the chart of them being more than 10 RP so they should be considered a +1?
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Re: Aasimar
Metalic skin. Oh yes I now really want to play an Aasimar Sorcerer.
Metalic Wings. I don't know if anyone else thought of Archangel, but you could make a pretty interesting fighter now.Sounds like a perfect excuse to revisit your golden-skinned Egyptian aasimar character, eh? :)
Yup that was me. :-)
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Am I correct in my review of the material, that it does not actually say how Racial Points affect CR for creatures which are built using more than standard RP amount used for other races?
For example, if I wanted to make a lizardfolk sorcerer (8 RP), and a drider (35 RP), is it still safe to say I could simply use their own base creature CR with the addition of PC levels, and if so, what about new critter races, such as the Trox (28 RP, unique - no CR in a bestiary to compare)?
Lastly, who did the freelance on the catfolk? :D Very helpful on my front. ;)
Looks great in PDF - I am excited to have mine come in the mail soon. Thank you, Paizo! Lisa, another round of successes - additional XP for everyone! ;) :P
-will
Kevin_video, no. Stop being ridiculous. Dwarves should not have a level adjustment.
I swear that this build-your-own-race thing is going to do a fair amount of harm. Already there are a ton of erroneous beliefs based off of it. I guess that's what happens when you retroactively try to fit a line to the data.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Tiyet
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Tiyet
** spoiler omitted **
Ha, thanks! :D
I hear ya on the difficulties of being a bit squicked out by your own characters though. I've run into that here and there, with PCs and NPCs. That weird feeling of trying to get into character while keeping some aspects at arm's length. Heh. Those ancient Pharaohnic dynasties! ;)
Picked up the book last night. All in all, I'm thoroughly impressed with the artwork and the amount of content in the book. If I had one complaint it would be that most of the art surrounding the smaller races (dwarf, gnome, halfling) was pretty unimpressive. Granted that puts it on par with the fantasy art in the rest of the industry, but one of the things I was most impressed with by Pathfinder when I first picked up the CRB was that they actually gave distinction and definition to these races.
The gnomes, outside of having blue hair, ignore everything in their description that make them unique. The first halfling in the book wears shoes, which just seems odd to ignore the most distinguishable aspect of the race. And the only picture of a female dwarf I've seen in Pathfinder looks like Dolph Lundgren.
Sorry, I don't mean this as a rant, and it is certainly nitpicking, but I suppose I was expecting a follow up to the absolutely superb art of of the CRB.
I guess it's sort of a pet peeve of mine when the art for a race ignores it's own description (see also Samsaran)
Tiyet
** spoiler omitted **Ha, thanks! :D
** spoiler omitted **
Problem was for me my main villain for the first big arc was tying to create a super Tiefling with the help of a dark cult so he would have a super powerful heir who he could then switch bodies with. The basic idea was that he did experiments on himself and family then tried to tie it all together into a child to be his heir and his next body.
I just had a bit of a problem actually writing that villain, but hopefully it should give the PC's a chance to really fundamentally oppose him as well as a chance to start using a Tiefling with some tweak from the race builder :D
Picked up the book last night. All in all, I'm thoroughly impressed with the artwork and the amount of content in the book. If I had one complaint it would be that most of the art surrounding the smaller races (dwarf, gnome, halfling) was pretty unimpressive. Granted that puts it on par with the fantasy art in the rest of the industry, but one of the things I was most impressed with by Pathfinder when I first picked up the CRB was that they actually gave distinction and definition to these races.
The gnomes, outside of having blue hair, ignore everything in their description that make them unique. The first halfling in the book wears shoes, which just seems odd to ignore the most distinguishable aspect of the race. And the only picture of a female dwarf I've seen in Pathfinder looks like Dolph Lundgren.
Sorry, I don't mean this as a rant, and it is certainly nitpicking, but I suppose I was expecting a follow up to the absolutely superb art of of the CRB.
I guess it's sort of a pet peeve of mine when the art for a race ignores it's own description (see also Samsaran)
I don't know what you're talking about. Most of the races seemed to be totally in line with their descriptions. And occasionally Halflings simply have to wear shoes. Mine did when he was going into battle. Don't want to step on a broken sword or anything.
I loved the art for the experimental gunsmith.
I don't know what you're talking about. Most of the races seemed to be totally in line with their descriptions. And occasionally Halflings simply have to wear shoes. Mine did when he was going into battle. Don't want to step on a broken sword or anything.
Samsarans have "dark hair", was the point I was making at the end. Not a big deal, but it does seem to be an oversight on the part of the artist.
Gnomes hair fall across a wide range of vibrant colors, as well as their skin tones. And their facial features are "highly mutable", and many have "overly large mouths and eyes". And the women wear "elaborate and eccentric" hairstyles. In they book they're all white with blue hair in all three pictures. None of these are "bad" per-say, but they do a pretty poor job of expressing the wildness of the little fey.
Don't have a problem with a halfling wearing shoes if needed, but the book is clear that is not their preference and the picture hardly presents any present danger to his feets.
Again, I loved most of the art, but I was disappointed with those sections.
EDIT: @Cheapy: I also liked the experimental gunsmith. Wish the other two showed some variety though...
EDIT: Incomplete sentence