The Class Acts PDFs introduce new class options for the base classes and core classes featured in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Every PDF contains two full pages of high quality content (no fluff or filler)!
Class Acts: Cleric Archetypes includes two new cleric archetypes: the Miracle Worker and the Voodoo Priest.
Product Availability
Fulfilled immediately.
Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at
store@paizo.com.
Disclaimer: This is a review of a complimentary review copy of the product.
The Miracle Worker strays from traditional archetypes a bit, but that's what archetypes can be, unique. The miracle worker is complex, as it gives up channeling for the ability to add secondary spell effects when certain conditions are met. Such as adding a prepared shatter spell to a 5th level or higher spell cast with the air or sound descriptor as a swift action. Interesting, and very complex. It's complex enough that I can't really go into it without reprinting the entire description.
The Voodoo Priest is great. I think it captures the essence of the Voodoo priest very well. The class gives up medium armor, shield and has a very limited selection of weapons. The channeling works differently as they channel loa, rather than a god's power, making it very useful for NPCs and not as useful as a character class. They gain a Loa Patron instead of a deity, which grants them two sets of domain choices, however they don't gain domain powers, just the spell slots, which makes them similar to a divine witch.
I think I would only use the Voodoo priest personally, it would make an interesting PF Goblin Spiritual Leader. I think the Miracle Worker is more player oriented, but the loss of Channeling is very painful to a small party, as a secondary healer, awesome. (Though it might have been a better Oracle). Ruinous Belief is a powerful ability, allowing the priest to add meta-magic feats to their spells which can only be cast on those previously scared by either a priests' spell (shaken, panicked or frightened), or intimidated by the priest (aka give your NPC Voodoo priests high intimidation skills.) Finally the Voodoo Priest gain Voodoo Poppet, to create Voodoo dolls, oh yeah, awesome.
Overall it's a unique, well-written supplement with two archetypes of limited use. Cehck out more reviews at Epic RPG Blog
Aaaaalmost Makes Me Want to Play A Cleric... Almost...
As always, I just want make it known I was offered on the EnWorld forums (and did accept, obviously) a review copy of this product, if anyone finds that relevant. Now on to the review.
.
.
.
Well! I definately have some mixed feelings about this PDF. First of all, the formatting, layout, spelling and grammar, and overall appeal are all spot-on, as all the Class Acts PDFs typically are.
This is my second Class Acts archetype review, and it'll be the most conflicted one. There are only two archetypes presented here (which is fine, because they are both fairly wordy). The first is the Miracle Worker, and the second is the Voodoo Priest. Now I've said this before (in my review of the last cleric-themed Abandoned Arts product)... I hate the cleric class. I don't like the concept (something about my real-world aversion to religion as a whole) and I don't like the mechanics. The cleric class is full of dead-or-dull levels. It's boring, and there isn't much that an archetype can do to fix that.
What an archetype can do is make the class feel interesting. A little reskinning goes a long way. Before we talk about that, let's get the miracle worker out of the way.
The miracle worker is a decent archetype. It consists of only one alternate feature (which is fine, since the damned cleric class only really HAS one class feature), and that alternate feature is fairly neat and very balanced. Also, it really requires you to think carefully about your domain - and not for the lame domain powers, but for the spells granted. I like that. Overall, though, the miracle worker could have used more... well... just, more.
But the voodoo priest - oh boy. This doesn't even feel like a cleric anymore - and I'm glad for it. This is the power of reskinning wielded properly. The voodoo priest is a fantastic and flavorful archetype - even the fact that it feels slightly underpowered doesn't really bother me. It communes with voodoo spirits, never with gods, and it's beneficial class features have a "catch" that makes the voodoo priest really feel... voodoo-ey. Promises of power and benefit that bite you in the butt later. Also, the archetype gains a feature called ruinous belief that is super-awesome... it's a simple mechanic that punishes the voodoo priest's enemies for fearing and believing in the power of his magic.
From the swapped proficiencies to the variant channeling of possessing voodoo spirits to ruinous belief to the little poppet doll that it pushes pins into (classic!), this archetype really shines, and gives the stupid old cleric a whole new feel.
In conclusion: Class Acts: Cleric Archetypes is slightly genius and very solid. It might even be the best of the first four archetype products. Four and a half stars (and it would've been five if the miracle worker had wowed me half as much as the voodoo priest). *****
- Sara McLean
Interesting archetypes, especially the voodoo priest is uncommon
This pdf is 4 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page SRD, leaving 2 pages of content, so let's check this out!
This pdf includes two different archetypes of the cleric-class, the first being the miracle worker, which replaces the cleric's channel energy ability with the option to cast miracle spells. At low levels, the miracle worker gets spells like pyrotechnics and heroism added to their spell-lists. The interesting options start at higher levels, though: Whenever a miracle worker casts spells with the [fire] and[light] or [air] or [sound]-descriptors, he/she can add specific spells as swift actions to the cast, provided they've been prepared. For example, when casting an[air]- or [sound]-spell of 3rd level or lower, they may cast guidance as a swift action, while casting a [fire] or[light]-descriptor-spell enables the miracle worker to add dancing lights to the cast. Higher level swift-casts get available as well, enabling e.g. Generally, I enjoy this idea, as economy of actions is rather important and powerful, balanced by the fact that the options to cast only include a very limited selection of spells which additionally have to be prepared in advance. Mechanically rather interesting, though I wish, the archetype would have a tad bit more versatility. Still, an interesting and flavorful choice.
The second archetype herein is the Vodoo Priest, who gets access to intimidate and bluff as class-skills, a limited selection of proficiencies and channel loa spirits instead of positive energy, which is rather interesting: The loa priest channels negative energy and living beings are healed nevertheless - due to gaining the negative energy affinity special quality. Which also, of course, means that they are damaged by positive energy. Worse, being healed by a loa-spirit saps vitality, imposing the fatigued condition on the healed and making gaining luck bonuses impossible. Instead of domains, the voodoo priest also gets two loa patrons, each of which is associated at least 2 different domains. Spontaneous casting is replaced by my favorite ability herein, "Ruinous Belief" lets the voodoo priest prepare up to wis-mod spells with metamagic spells and reduce the spell-level adjustment by -1. However, the spells prepared like this need to target enemies frightened, shaken, panicked or demoralized by the priest. Cool idea! The priest can also create voodoo poppets to create focuses for scrying, better inflict curses and harms etc. and even create juju zombies.
The voodoo priest archetype is just awesome - cool innovative abilities make this one work very well - however, I would have loved to see the archetype expanded even further, perhaps with more poppet-options or some unique curses.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are very good, though I would have enjoyed the descriptors include their brackets. Layout adheres to a no-frills, 2-column standard and the pdf has no bookmarks, but needs none at this length.
The two archetypes are mechanically interesting and especially the voodoo-priest is a rather cool option that makes for a deadly debuffer and unconventional tactical options. The archetypes are sound, sufficiently cool to be considered valid options and add something to one's game. However, they also can both be considered rather weak for their benefits - some additional options would have made this pdf truly stand out. As written, I'll settle for a solid verdict of 4 stars - well done!
