Continue your journey into the rituals, power, and dangers of pactmaking. You can scribe a few seals, but are you ready to bargain with devilish Forash, the Prince of Spirits? Call upon Kaylos, genie Master of Wishes? Or tangle with Jörmungandr, He Who Circles the World? You will surely need their aid to defy inquisitors, battle spirit-touched monstrosities, and shake off pact maladies that warp the soul. Your reward is your sanity and perhaps some scraps of lore, occult spells, and rare magic items made for intrepid binders like you.
Inside this 104-page guide, you will discover:
Thirty-two more spirits to bind, from 1st through 9th level, including more favorites drawn from the original Secrets of Pact Magic and Villains of Pact Magic.
More options for occultists.
Eight archetypes for non-core base classes such as the alchemist, gunslinger, and inquisitor, a powerful binder foe.
New uses for skills and more occult feats.
Spells, cleric domains, and subschools for binders and their foes, including exorcists.
Magic items such as occult armaments and wondrous items.
Esoterica: pact maladies, character traits, and the spirit-touched template
For use in your Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Requires the use of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, published by Paizo Publishing LLC, and Pact Magic Unbound Vol. 1, published by Radiance House. Benefits from other Pathfinder RPG products by Paizo Publishing LLC.
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The second Pact Magic-book is a whopping 107 pages long, 1 page front cover, 2 pages editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 blank page, 1 page SRD and 1 page back cover, leaving us with 100 pages of content - so let's take a look!
So, how do we start? Well, essentially with class options for all non-core classes - from exorcizing bombs to spirits in a bottle (i.e. poor pacts via mutagens), we get two damn cool discoveries for the alchemist as well as the occult chymist archetype - who gets diminished alchemy to pay for access to spirits. As a cool drawback, the alchemist develops an addiction to one chosen constellation, getting penalties when not bound with a spirit of said constellation - it should be noted that slowly, the penalties of this addiction can be overcome. Cavaliers may choose from two new orders - the order of the Occult Eye and the Order of Saelendrios - whereas the former would be dabbler in the occult, teh former are devoted to the eradication of pact magic, following in the footsteps of a particular order from Tome of Magic - only with vastly superior rules and proper benefits! Of course, Cavaliers also get a new archetype, the Pactsworn Knight - essentially a cavalier with binder capabilities - here the synergy between bound spirits and cavalier abilities is formidable, allowing the cavalier to e.g. challenge a foe and treat it as the favored enemy of his bound spirit(s). Occult Avengers are Gunslingers that live only for revenge - and thus use pact magic to hunt down their respective marks - while bound to spirits, their two exclusive deeds allow them to act as superb trackers of adversaries.
No other class is as predisposed fluff-wise to opposing pact magic as the inquisitor and hence the class gets a new anti-spirit inquisition. The occult abolisher is hence also a specialist of combat against pact magic - whereas the occult sadist pays for binding spirits and a painful touch (i.e. an antipaladin's touch of corruption -PLUS cruelty later!) with slightly diminished spellcasting, while the Pact Protector is just the opposite - a protector of spirits and occultists that has a glorious idea - instead of solo tactics, it allows for teamwork-feat synergy between practitioners of pact magic instead of the regular solo tactics! Glorious and elegant! The Magus may now opt for the Sibyl archetype - using essentially a pact magic's equivalent of spell combat, these beings can also use arcane strike to replenish the expended abilities of spirits and later even quickly exchange spirits!
Of course, Occultists also get a new archetype, the Occult Scholar - these scholars get access to a revelation from the lore mystery, but also are barred permanently from one constellation, unlike the other archetypes, which more often than not choose a particular constellation alignment and prohibit the respective binding character from binding opposed spirits. We also are introduced to new binder secrets - for example one that allows you to redirect abilities that have been saved against to other eligible targets! Echoing abilities (for increased cool-down), affecting incorporeal creatures, a spirit alarm-system, particular efficiency against favored foes and even a way to heal oneself by temporarily suppressing spirits. The occultist also gets favored class options - including ones for all those ARG-races! Oracles of the Spirit Realm mystery can learn via a revelation to bend targets into greyish mockeries of themselves, cloak you and your allies from the unwitting eyes of mortals and whisper maddening, confusing whispers, reincarnate those perished by virtue of your connection to the spirit realm and even untether your very soul from your body! The Spirit Medium comes with a custom curse that represents the continuous onslaught of spirits, worrying away the medium's will and subjecting them always to the influence of spirits. Have I mentioned that they may bind spirits (d'unhhhh) and also gets an actually functioning Ouija-board.
Summoners may now add minor granted abilities to their eidolons or have them steal minor abilities! Archetype-wise, summoners may now opt for the Spirit Caller - these beings essentially replace their eidolon with vestigial spirit companions that can easily be suppressed and further enhances said companions - damn cool! The Spirit Drudge Witch has the familiar exhibit/suppress the sign, making for a rather unique situation roleplaying-wise - depending on the constellation chosen, the archetype also gets a neat array of different bonus spells, but also prohibited constellations.
Chapter 2 kicks off with new uses for established skills and new feat: Ability-sharing via teamwork-feats, increasing binding DC for a higher effective level, minor access to low level domain powers, occult spells modified with metamagic that automatically succeed at their concentration-checks for +2 levels, having a reserve spirit, partially ignoring DR of favored foes via the expenditure of grit, more control on monstrous aspects - these feats are surprisingly, all killer, no filler!
Next up would be new spirits - 31 of them! Fans of the original "Secrets of Pact Magic" will rejoice here - for not only do we now get full legends for more of the respective spirits! Forash the mule-headed demon and e.g. Marat, who may have been either an intelligent construct with a story that is an interesting twist on the old Pinocchio/Gaining of sentience-trope, the first of the gearforged or a similar case would be two of the old favorites that have been updated here - much like the first Pact Magic Unleashed, the mechanics and their application to Pathfinder are vastly superior to the original D&D 3.X-iteration - Alexander Augunas is having a roll here. Even Milo of Clyde, the cynical detective, originally appeared in Villains of Pact Magic, makes a return here - and awesomely so: You may as an immediate action convert regular damage into non-lethal damage, but only if you're not immune against the former: Awesome to survive uncommon threats and possibly even survive what otherwise would be a TPK! Other favorites like Lord Foxglove IV, the exchequer of the stole purse or Cornelius Button, the dual-minded gardener of dreams or the grisly tale of Ethaniel Midnight, the sadistic torturer that not even hell wanted to accept - all of these and many more can be found herein.
To my delight, the rather complex "spirit" of Circe's 32 runes has also been upgraded - in a rather interesting way: instead o simply gaining access to some spells depending on the runes chosen (in addition to the other benefits), the spirit now makes a distinction between upper case and lower case runes and the spell-like abilities they grant, adding another dimension of tactics to the fray when choosing runes. As a minor fly in the ointment, I would have loved to see the visual depictions of the original runes in this book as well - but that's just me being obsessive about runes and symbols, I guess. The Primordial Titans, Merickel, Hero of False Destiny - many of these have been updated, but it should be noted that unlike most updates from 3.X, these often come with new, revised and thoroughly changed/streamlined abilities, often not even being the same level as their original iterations - so yeah, even if you do own the original books, this one provides so much more than even a diy-conversion in line with PU 1 would offer - and that is what makes a great update, at least for me! Now originally, the spirit known as Overmind was rather broken - it is my utmost pleasure to report that the spirit's power to jump forward through time is still there, though now balanced by a higher level! The tomb of the immortal god-king Septigenius Maximus is featured fully mapped - by the way, this one allows you to gain a gaze attack that can transform adversaries into salt, granite...and even gold!
Not all spirits herein are simply conversions, though - take Al'akra. Also known as the Tall Man. if you're not shuddering at least slightly by now, go watch "marble Hornets" on youtube. I'll be waiting.
....
....
...
Back? Yeah. Want paranoia-inducing powers, terror and spatial blending at your disposal? All possible! Damn cool! Speaking of which: Especially Midgard-aficionados should have a very wide grin upon reading of the option to bind FRIGGIN' JÖRMUNGANDR as a level 7 spirit! Synchronizing wounds with foes, control water, raining poison from the skies - this is incredibly awesome and makes for a damn cool addition to the plethora of spirits available! Now what happens when Alexander Augunas' preference for Kitsune meets with Lovecraftiana? Yith' Anu, a trickster/body-snatcher kitsune/Great race of Yith-hybrid that not only allows you to emulate the mind-swapping gambits of said kitsune and erase the memories of others - instead of vestigial companions, you can get extra bodies into which to swap! What about making a pact in what is essentially Lamashtu in all but name, allowing you to summon deadly, powerful spirit-touched monsters and even heal yourself by drinking the blood of the freshly slain. As an adversary, the wolf-headed, extremely potent Worglord, first of the Hero constellation, is also tied in a rather interesting way to aforementioned mother of monsters.
Next up would be new spells - but first we are introduced to the new [occult]-descriptor as well as the aging-necromancy subschool as well as 3 new cleric subdomains - since this review already is rather lengthy, I'll skim over these and just say: Awesome, cool - no complaints. Among the magical items, we get new qualities, exorcism bells - and thoroughly unique items like lenses that may store and copy information - or what about the orb of soul binding, which is a massive 100 pounds heavy!- oh, and we get gnostic tomes, which include the information to bind spirits - nice to offer them as treasure!
Chapter 5 is titled as esoterica and adds an "occult" background to... *drum-roll* the easy character background generator from ultimate Campaign! Hell yeah! Now that is not only useful, it's awesome! Of course, we thus also require new traits, of which we get 16 and yes, we even get 4 new drawbacks to accompany these! Finally, we get Pact Magic's spellblights, so-called pact maladies - essentially supernatural afflictions that can result from Pact Magic.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are excellent, I didn't notice significant glitches, only minor ones and few to boot. Layout adheres to a 2-column b/w-standard that is both elegant and nice to look at. The b/w-artworks are raw and convey well the unique feeling of pact magic and the respective spirits all come with depictions of their seals, which is something I consider thoroughly awesome - having players draw the seals themselves is a fun means of immersion, by the way. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience.
Pact Magic Unbound 2...is essentially Pact Magic's APG - not only in support of the non-core-classes, but in the vast array of new options, the smart conversions, the quality of the new material - this is a completely non-optional expansion for the awesomeness that is Pact Magic - not only do the respective rules go beyond lame spell-like abilities and instead offer some truly unique things to do that no other class covers, it also irons out many of the glitches old spirits had in their former incarnation and simply adds so much more to the fray. While not all spirits have legends, we get more of them than in PU 1 and the tie-in with Ultimate Campaign's char-generator is a blessing indeed. Mechanically more than solid and creative and expanding the lore of Pact Magic with thoroughly awesome new spirits and options, Pact Magic Unleashed Vol. 2 is a superb book in just about every way, with great production values and awesome content - If you're looking to introduce Pact Magic into your game, get it along Pact Magic Vol. 1 - the two books combine to give you a much richer experience that allows you to make Pact Magic a vital, cool component in your gaming world - so bring a sense of the occult to the table and bind the friggin' Tall Man/Slender Man/Operator! Final verdict? 5 stars + seal of approval + candidate for my top ten of 2014 since I didn't get review done in 2013!
I'm happy to see that there are archetypes that are both pro and anti pact magic within the same classes (eg. cavalier, inquisitor).
There are occasional editing errors, BUT: the only real drawback IMO is that with the increase in the number of spirits, it's getting harder to decide which are my absolute favourites (which will only increase in difficulty when volume 3 is released)! Shakes fist in good-humoured fashion! ;-)
Seriously, well done Alexander and Dario. I very much look forward to volume 3!
Perusing the previous edition, it looks like there's about 32 spirits left to convert -- would those all go in the next one?
Will the epic spirits get a conversion to mythic spirits?
I did a poll over in our Pact Magic Facebook Group in regards to how many spirits people would like to see in Vol 3. By a landslide, the most popular option was 55+. Just sayin'. :-)
I haven't decided what I am going to do with the Epic Spirits from the original books because right now, I'm planning on having Mythic Granted Abilities for each spirit.
I guess we'll have to wait and see how inspiration strikes me!
In an effort to keep all of our loyal fans and customers (old and new alike) informed about Vol 2, I'm sad to report that we're going to need another week or two to sort out the print copy of Pact Magic Unbound, Vol 2.
When Dario arrived home today, he discovered the print proof of Vol 2 on his doorstep. Like any good publisher, Dario opened up the package to check the proof before ordering copies of the book. I haven't seen the pictures of what he found yet, but from what I understand, the book's first proof was absolutely horrendous. The front cover's artwork was off by about two inches, so there was this big white gash down the side of the book and a large chunk of our interior artwork came out smudged and blurry. Naturally we (and this time I mean 'he') needs to work through this technical difficulty before we can stock ourselves and Paizo with the print book.
Sorry for the inconvenience; this bums us out just as much as it likely annoys you! I'll do my best to keep you all informed as I get more information to share.
I'd like an Ultimate Pact Magic book at some point.
Me too, Jadeite. Me too. But one hurdle at a time! It took Dreamscarred Press YEARS before they could cultivate a fan base large enough to pull of a kickstarter on the scale of their Psionics Unleashed project. As optimistic as I try to be, I simply don't think we could manage the level of success needed to print a book like 'Ultimate Pact Magic'.
Well, you could always do a hardcover compilation of the first three books.
Could you make the books available in europe, especially germany, either through Amazon, a distributors like Ulisses Spiele or OBS PoD?
And Pact Magic Unbound Vol 1 used the d20 logo, you should probably avoid that.
I thought it'd be handy to provide a compiled list of the spirits from PMU vols 1 and 2. Here you are:
Spirit List by Spirit Level
Spoiler:
Spirit Bind Page
Level DC No. Const. Name
1___17 ___1/44___Dragon___Aza’zati, the Green Wyrmling
1___15 ___1/45___Mage___Cave Mother, Sorceress of Secrets
1___17 ___2/29___Fiend___Forash, Prince of Spirits
1___16 ___1/47___Noble___General Hessant, Patron of Lost Soldiers
1___15 ___2/31___Hero___Marat, Guardian of Shields
1___14 ___2/33___Scholar___ Milo of Clyde, Detective of Despair
1___16 ___1/48___Beast___Sevnoir, the Meandering Mastiff
2___16___2/34___Dark B. ___Al’kra, the Operated
2___20 ___2/35___Scholar___Humble Obhai, Servant of the Elements
2___19 ___1/49___Thief___Lady Jarah, Mistress of Many Faces
2___17 ___2/36___Dragon___Lord Foxglove IV, Exchequer of Stolen Purse
2___17 ___1/51___Tree___Mute Sylvus, Sole Survivor
2___18 ___1/52___Hero___Tyrant Cromwell, the Black Knight
2___17 ___1/53___Angel___Uhro, the Blind Hospitaller
3___18___2/38___Tree___Cornelius Button, Gardener of Dreams
3___19___1/54___Seer___Mute Istago, Painter of Paradox
3___20___1/56___Skull___N’aylia, the First Vampire
3___19___2/42___Thief___Obba, Ella, Atasha, the Dark Sisters Three
3___17/22___2/43___Beast___The Nivea Nieces, Venemous Vixens
3___20___1/57___Dark B.___Vandrae, Drowess Poisontouch
3___21___1/58___Scholar___Xalen d’Marek, Archivist of Fell Secrets
4___21___2/45___Fiend___Ethaniel Midnight, The Inquisitive Torturer
4___23___1/59___Tree___Fey Baraddu, the Beast in the Woods
4___22___1/60___Noble___Gulguthriana, the Glutton
4___21___1/61___Skull___Hexus, the Living Curse
4___21___2/47___Angel___Johotek, the Throne of Heaven
4___22___2/48___Seer___Kandisha, The Desert’s Revenge
4___23___1/62___Mage___Loh’moi, the Mad Geometer
5___23___1/64___Hero___Arturius, the Sleeping King
5___23___2/49___Scholar___Circe’s Runes, Refuge of Pacts
5___25___1/65___Dark B.___Dagon, Tentacles from the Deeps
5___24___1/67___Fiend___Dark Blood, the Rakshasa Princes
5___23___2/51___Tree___Green Glomairah, the World Tree
5___22___2/53___Skull___Noble Marius, Psychic Vampire
5___25___1/68___Beast___Vodavox, the Hive Mind
6___21___2/54___Beast___Death Howls, Knights of the Ghostlands
6___27___1/69___Thief___Demos Kalagos, Sworn Enemy of Time
6___26___1/70___Scholar___Jayna Warlock, Traveler of Worlds
6___23___2/55___Hero___Merickel, Hero of False Destiny
6___27___2/57___Noble___Primordial Titans, Martyrs of the Betrayed
6___26___2/58___Seer___Rasputin, The Bleeding Ringmaster
6___25___1/72___Angel___Serapith, the Scouring Light
7___29___2/61___Tree___Jormungandr, He Who Circles the World
7___27___2/62___Dragon___Lord Saruga, Soul Eater
7___27___1/73___Mage___Mare Loviatha, Ice Queen
7___27___1/75___Skull___Musha ‘Vadu, the Shadow-Bones Emperor
7___28___1/76___Seer___Portenta, Seer of the Orphic Eye
7___27___2/60___Angel___The Elysium Choir, Innocence Slain
7___27___2/64___Dark B.___Yith’anu, The Body Snatched
8___29___1/77___Dragon___Essek Avix, the Twins Rejoined
8___28___1/78___Dark B.___Evening Star, Bloody Mist of the Hills
8___30___2/65___Mage___Mana, Observer of Lost Magic
8___28___2/67___Scholar___Overmind, Seneschal of Far Travels
8___35___2/68___Fiend___Rajah Amajaloma, Devourer of Souls
8___33___2/70___Skull___Septigenius Maximus, Immortal God-King
8___29___1/80___Thief___Young Kiros, Author of Sedation
9___33___2/74___Angel___Brother Calvis, The Undying Monk
9___30___1/81___Mage___Daeminthos, Crystal Eye of the Mind
9___30___2/75___Fiend___Kaylos, Master of Wishes
9___32___1/82___Noble___King Mutaros, Vengeance Unfulfilled
9___33___1/83___Fiend___Malebolge Moors, 13 Traitors of Hell
9___35___2/72___Beast___The Beast that Births, Matron of Monsters
9___33___2/77___Hero___The Worglord, First Among Heroes
Spirits by Constellation Type and Level
Spoiler:
2___17___1/53___Angel___Uhro, the Blind Hospitaller
4___21___2/47___Angel___Johotek, the Throne of Heaven
6___25___1/72___Angel___Serapith, the Scouring Light
7___27___2/60___Angel___The Elysium Choir, Innocence Slain
9___33___2/74___Angel___Brother Calvis, The Undying Monk
1___16___1/48___Beast___Sevnoir, the Meandering Mastiff
3___17/22___2/43___Beast___The Nivea Nieces, Venemous Vixens
5___25___1/68___Beast___Vodavox, the Hive Mind
6___21___2/54___Beast___Death Howls, Knights of the Ghostlands
9___35___2/72___Beast___The Beast that Births, Matron of Monsters
2___16___2/34___Dark B.___Al’kra, the Operated
3___20___1/57___Dark B.___Vandrae, Drowess Poisontouch
5___25___1/65___Dark B.___Dagon, Tentacles from the Deeps
7___27___2/64___Dark B.___Yith’anu, The Body Snatched
8___28___1/78___Dark B.___Evening Star, Bloody Mist of the Hills
1___17___1/44___Dragon___Aza’zati, the Green Wyrmling
2___17___2/36___Dragon___Lord Foxglove IV, Exchequer of Stolen Purse
7___27___2/62___Dragon___Lord Saruga, Soul Eater
8___29___1/77___Dragon___Essek Avix, the Twins Rejoined
1___17___2/29___Fiend___Forash, Prince of Spirits
4___21___2/45___Fiend___Ethaniel Midnight, The Inquisitive Torturer
5___24___1/67___Fiend___Dark Blood, the Rakshasa Princes
8___35___2/68___Fiend___Rajah Amajaloma, Devourer of Souls
9___30___2/75___Fiend___Kaylos, Master of Wishes
9___33___1/83___Fiend___Malebolge Moors, 13 Traitors of Hell
1___15___2/31___Hero___Marat, Guardian of Shields
2___18___1/52___Hero___Tyrant Cromwell, the Black Knight
5___23___1/64___Hero___Arturius, the Sleeping King
6___23___2/55___Hero___Merickel, Hero of False Destiny
9___33___2/77___Hero___The Worglord, First Among Heroes
1___15___1/45___Mage___Cave Mother, Sorceress of Secrets
4___23___1/62___Mage___Loh’moi, the Mad Geometer
7___27___1/73___Mage___Mare Loviatha, Ice Queen
8___30___2/65___Mage___Mana, Observer of Lost Magic
9___30___1/81___Mage___Daeminthos, Crystal Eye of the Mind
1___16___1/47___Noble___General Hessant, Patron of Lost Soldiers
4___22___1/60___Noble___Gulguthriana, the Glutton
6___27___2/57___Noble___Primordial Titans, Martyrs of the Betrayed
9___32___1/82___Noble___King Mutaros, Vengeance Unfulfilled
1___14___2/33___Scholar___Milo of Clyde, Detective of Despair
2___20___2/35___Scholar___Humble Obhai, Servant of the Elements
3___21___1/58___Scholar___Xalen d’Marek, Archivist of Fell Secrets
5___23___2/49___Scholar___Circe’s Runes, Refuge of Pacts
6___26___1/70___Scholar___Jayna Warlock, Traveler of Worlds
8___28___2/67___Scholar___Overmind, Seneschal of Far Travels
3___19___1/54___Seer___Mute Istago, Painter of Paradox
4___22___2/48___Seer___Kandisha, The Desert’s Revenge
6___26___2/58___Seer___Rasputin, The Bleeding Ringmaster
7___28___1/76___Seer___Portenta, Seer of the Orphic Eye
3___20___1/56___Skull___N’aylia, the First Vampire
4___21___1/61___Skull___Hexus, the Living Curse
5___22___2/53___Skull___Noble Marius, Psychic Vampire
7___27___1/75___Skull___Musha ‘Vadu, the Shadow-Bones Emperor
8___33___2/70___Skull___Septigenius Maximus, Immortal God-King
2___19___1/49___Thief___Lady Jarah, Mistress of Many Faces
3___19___2/42___Thief___Obba, Ella, Atasha, the Dark Sisters Three
6___27___1/69___Thief___Demos Kalagos, Sworn Enemy of Time
8___29___1/80___Thief___Young Kiros, Author of Sedation
2___17___1/51___Tree___Mute Sylvus, Sole Survivor
3___18___2/38___Tree___Cornelius Button, Gardener of Dreams
4___23___1/59___Tree___Fey Baraddu, the Beast in the Woods
5___23___2/51___Tree___Green Glomairah, the World Tree
7___29___2/61___Tree___Jormungandr, He Who Circles the World
(This can also be used to identify gaps to fill by Alexander!)
Thanks for the kind words and the five stars, ericthecleric!
You'd be right in saying that it is only going to get HARDER to choose your favorite spirits in Vol 3. I have a lot of cool stuff planned for Vol 3; in addition to having more spirits than ANY product before it, it will also include an alternative spirit binding system, what amounts to a "universal" constellation, and I am hoping to get mythic rules into the book.
Because of the printing delays, that little Trait change that I mentioned at the bottom of the previous page made it into the book! Huzzah!
Also, I was just informed today that Volume 2 has no Bookmarks. Is anyone else suffering this problem? Regardless, we're going to try to correct this glitch/oversight/CosmoProblem as soon as possible.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder LO Special Edition, PF Special Edition Subscriber
Any possibility of herolab files? Our group have really taken to using herolab and I'd love to introduce some of this for them to use, herolab would make it much easier.
Any possibility of herolab files? Our group have really taken to using herolab and I'd love to introduce some of this for them to use, herolab would make it much easier.
Not unless Dario and I can find someone versed in writing them to do it for us.. Every single publisher I've talked to has told me that they're a pain in the butt to write and neither Dario nor I use HeroLab. Trying to figure out how to write HeroLab files would detract from me working on other, more important things. Like Volume 3 or the Volume 1 errata.
I believe in giving credit where credit is due. My primary goal in criticizing pdfs is to improve them, to help make sure the wording is precise etc. Books like this, where my automatic "try to tear it asunder"-reflex finds next to nothing to latch on to, and that also have compelling fluff to entertain...yeah. Believe it or not, being able to once in a time write a review like this is a blessing and soothes the soul. So...thanks for making such a great book! Also for the fun it brings to my table!
Believe I noticed a few errors here and there (mostly minor):
Spoiler:
In the Skills and Feats section, Yielding Gambit's flavor texts reads, "You can in to a spirit’s demands in exchange for power," which seems to be lacking a 'give' or something similar between the 'can' and the 'in'.
Humble Ohbai has a Favored Ally Elemental (Any); one of the changes when hopping from Pathfinder to 3.5 was making Elemental a subtype of Outsider, thus, it should probably be Outsider (Elemental).
Lord Foxtrot's flavor text reads, "His is the treasury that fills itself on the nativity of others. Moreover, Lord Foxglove gifts inquisitive binders with his suave." Barring the possibility of him being a Christmas-themed villain (as amusing as binding the Grinch would be), or the niche interpretation of him somehow benefiting from the birth of others, I think you probably meant naivete. I also think suave is normally an adjective, and suaveness or suavity is the noun form, but I might be behind the times there.
For Cornelius Button, under Insect Tattoo it states that summon swarm is in Ultimate Magic, but it's actually from the Core Rulebook.
For the Dark Sisters Three, their manifestation reads, "The questions come ever faster until you scream in frustration, scarring away all but one sister, whom you seal a pact," and I'm pretty sure you meant 'scaring'.
In the index of spirits, Jehotek's name is spelled Johotek.
Jehotek's 'Blessings of Jehotek' granted ability references purify food and water; the spell is purify food and drink.
In Kandisha's curse, the sun foe curse reads, "as the sun’s wrath bares down upon it," which should be 'bears'. Unless you were going for an 'as the sun's wrath is bared'.
In Circe's Runes' legend, it reads, "One day, Circe fell in love with a sailor she had lured to her island and he in turn." I presume there should have been something like 'returned her feelings' or something similar at the end?
In the list of Circe's Runes' runes, lesser simulacrum should have a † by it, because while simulacrum came from Core Rulebook, the lesser version was introduced in Ultimate Magic, which might confuse someone hunting through their books.
Also in the list of Circe's Runes' runes, it has the 'Drowser' rune; judging by the spells it offers, I imagine it should have been 'Dowser'?
Also also in the list of Circe's Runes' runes, for a very minor nitpick, the Feather rune lists whispering winds, which is, of course, whispering wind. Similarly, the Hand rune lists pilfering hands. The Tongue rune lists arcane mouth, which I presume is magic mouth.
This really isn't an error, I guess, but...for Green Glomairah, 'a botanist's worth of lore' is really weird phrasing in the Totems section, and I find it weird that in the legend presented in the main entry, it doesn't actually mention Golmairah by name at any point, and at first I was trying to figure out if Japh turned into Glomairah or if the tree was a dryad or it was a fusion or something before I scrolled down and read the more fleshed out version...it just seemed like Japh's legend, not Glomairah's.
Also for Green Glomairah, her Nature's Health ability reads, "You are immune to all types of poison and diseased while bound to the spirit." I at least certainly hope that that's diseases...though if you do automatically become diseased, you should probably mention which one!
Also also for Green Glomairah, you refer to the plantsinger archetype, which is actually the treesinger archetype.
For Death Howls, the Ether Sight ability says it functions as detect invisibility, which to my knowledge does not exist; should be see invisibility. Also, in the signs and influences section, I believe it should be minimal layers of clothing, not minimum.
For Merickel's legend, while 'dabber' is a word, I think you were going for 'drabber'?
Also high in nitpick power, the legend for the primordial titans should probably read, "an ancient council of titans that led the people that would become the Elysium titans," not lead, unless the vestiges were still called upon to rule on things for them, I suppose...
Ridiculously minor: Rasputin's flavor text has a second period after it for some reason. ("A vengeful spirit filled with bitter blood, Rasputin grants power and wealth to those who will continue to place his talents in the spotlight..") Also, in Rasputin's legend, it reads, "One such act belongs to a beautiful fire-breather, and Rasputin became smitten with the woman," and should be belonged for proper tenses.
In the Siphon Sands spell, under Siphon Experience, it reads, "If you use siphon sands to siphon a creature’s youth, you immediately loose any inherent bonuses you attained from siphon experience." Should be 'lose', of course.
The Dedicated Vest has a prerequisite of 'capstone spellcaster', which I can't seem to find in either volume of Pact Magic Unbound...there's a Capstone Binder feat, and a Capstone Surge spell, so I would presume the intention was for it to be one of these?
Very nitpicky: Gnostic Tome in the Magic Item section is listed as Aura Faint; Occult; instead of Aura Faint Occult;.
Typo, Orb of Soul Binding says, "During this time, any binder whose maximum spirit level is sufficent enough to seal a pact with the spirit," should be sufficient.
Another typo, Skull of Questioning reads, "A skull of questioning will answer 3 questions for every point of Constiution fed into it," which should of course be Constitution.
Down in the Pact Malady section (and my, some of those are truly nasty), the 'Return to Nature Samples', one of the ones for 'Human to Wolf' lists gaining claws...but wolves don't have claw attacks, they have a bite attack, thus, this seems like an error that should have Bite (as size) instead?
Hope this is helpful to you.
Also, some questions:
Spoiler:
Is Forash's ability to summon fiends a 1 round action, as per the spell it emulates? Most of the time it mentions what kind of action a major granted ability is, so wasn't sure if that was an oversight or if it was just supposed to be understood that it's as the spell, or if it's supposed to be understood that as a supernatural ability, it's a standard action since it's not defined otherwise?
It's stated Humble Ohbai gets an air, earth, fire, or water elemental as a familiar; I presume this is supposed to be a small elemental as per Improved Familiar? And the same for Kandisha? Rather than granting you the ability to, say, make an elder elemental your familiar, which might be a tad broken.
For the Dark Sisters Three, their temptation ability notes that, "If the suggestion or geas is against your target’s nature, it receives a +4 bonus on its saving throw. Likewise, if the temptation is not against the creature’s nature, it suffers a –4 penalty on its saving throw." Does this imply that at 15th level, when it becomes geas, it still offers a saving throw, or does this apply specifically to the suggestion and lesser geas versions? Also, as it upgrades, can you use the previous versions if you want to? I can think of instances where a suggestion at least seems like it would be subtler than an out-and-out geas, for example...
For Circe's Runes, it states that, "Each rune may be used twice per pact. At 10th level and every 4 binder levels thereafter, you may use each spell-like ability obtained from one of Circe’s Runes one additional time per pact." Given that the lower case runes offer multiple spell-like abilities, my initial presumption was that using a lower-case rune meant that you could use any of the two to three spell-like abilities offered, but only twice, as opposed to being able to use each of them twice. However, saying that you can use each spell-like ability, not each rune, additional times as you level up makes me wonder if I'm misreading it. Can you clarify as to whether:
a) You get a number of uses of the rune which lets you use any of the spell-like abilities listed, and the number of times you can use the rune in any combination increases...
b) You can use each spell-like ability granted by the rune twice initially, and each individual spell-like ability granted by the rune gains additional uses...
c) Despite this not being mentioned, when binding Circe you're supposed to pick a single one of the spell-like abilities for a lower case rune, rather than potentially being able to use all of them...
d) Something else I've missed?
And as a side note, I'm also presuming that the caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to your binder level? And that you use your Charisma modifier for concentration checks? For that matter, since it says, "Granted abilities always use the granted ability saving throw DC listed above, even when they replicate spells and similar effects that would normally use a different DC," does it use the usual 10 + 1/2 binder level + Charisma modifier formula, or does it not since it's already being a specific instance of breaking the, "Granted abilities are always supernatural, even when they replicate extraordinary or spell-like abilities," rule?
Spelling / Grammar: I appreciate the detailed look, but this is something we're not going to correct via errata / FAQ unless it impacts the ability's game mechanics. I'm embarrassed it slipped through, sure, but folks'll be annoyed if we waste space in whatever errata we issue correcting grammatical errors. Most players don't care about grammar, surprisingly.
Humble Ohbai's Vestigial Companion: It says, "as Improved Familiar." I don't think I could be much clearer then that. :-)
Forsah: It functions in all ways as the spell, including it's casting time. If a granted ability like this doesn't specifically say it changes an aspect of the spell's description, use it exactly as printed.
Dark Sisters: I wanted there to be a saving throw against the gaes effect, but because gaes doesn't have one, that line about "or gaes" should be omitted. If you (as a GM) want to weaken the spirit by allowing a save, I support that.
Circe's Lower Case Runes: Each spell-like ability can be used twice each.
They're specifically spell-like abilities, so they calculate their saving throw DC as spell-like abilities do. (10 + spell level + ability modifier)
Use your binder level + Charisma modifiers (or Int for Soulweavers and so forth) to determine concentration checks and caster levels and such.
Alright, thanks for the quick responses. I've been going over things to try and get everything straight in my head since I've got a game coming up that the DM agreed to let me try an occultist for, and he wants to make sure he understands exactly how my character will function...and the more I've been going over them, the more I want to try playing one. Definitely looking forward to future products with more spirits to bind and more stuff to flesh out a world where pact magic is a part of it.
Make sure you ask your about what the rarity level of Pact Magic is in his campaign world (see Chapter 3 of Volume 1) and whether or not you'll have to use Knowledge Tasks to uncover occult lore (Chapter 2 of Volume 2).
Friends! Developers! Paizonians! Lend me your wallets!
Dario and I foresaw the calamity that shall forever be known as "the unavailability of forgotten lore" and have ordered replacement volumes with due haste. They should be in stock at Paizo by the end of next week at latest.
Good luck, and may the stars be forever at your whims.
Only level 5 so far, using both Pact Magic 1 and 2. We are really interested in seeing how the class changes with multiple spirits at 6th.
Balance wise, we haven't noticed any issues, everything has meshed in with the rest of the party flawlessly.
I'll post a more complete summary of my experience running an Occultist in an adventure path this weekend. .. I'm at work now, and wearing gloves makes typing difficult lol.
My experience running an Occultist in a published Adventure Path, Skull and Shackles (So Far).
Minor Skull and Shackles Spoilers:
We are running a common 15 point buy, so my starting stats ended up as 14, 14, 12, 8, 10, 14 (+2 Racial). Fairly straight forward, My bonus skill point for being human made up for the -1 from Int. And I wanted to play a kinda thick headed character after playing a wizard in the last Path. Considering I'm also the ships Siege Engine expert, that -1 Int is downright funny.
At the Start of the Adventure Path, we only had Pact Magic Vol. 1, I got Pact Magic Vol 2 around level 2. I wish I had Vol 2 when we started, as there are some really nice 1st level Spirits available, but the first book has a nice assortment of options. I started play knowing 4 Spirits, and gain 1 per level (Pact Magic is Rare). This has (So far) been a nice balance. I need to choose carefully what spirits to learn, but I feel as if I have enough options/variety.
In the first part of the adventure path, when the party was press-ganged, I found General Hessant an ideal spirit (with the flavor of the Campaign being pirates, the DM allowed me to re-flavor Hessant to a "Dread Pirate", swapping the Longsword for a Cutlass, but keeping everything else the same). Combined with a bonus to Intimidate and Sense Motive (two very important skills in this AP), being able to call up a weapon when needed was handy (especially early on).
Even more then a Wizard, a low level Occultist needs some idea of what he's going to be facing, or the role he's expected to fill, at the start of the adventuring day. In one instance, while exploring an Island, I bound to a Spirit from Vol 2 (Marat). This Spirit gave me an impressive amount of defensive abilities... which was great, until we had to perform underwater combat... and I was in Plate-mail... (I need to make a DC what swim check?). Had I known swimming was needed, I could have bound Aza'zati (And had a way to deal with swarms to boot!). Situations like this are welcome however, because they do in-fact help balance the strengths the Occultist has.
Each spirit's personality is fun to role-play, I feel this is a big part of the classes flavor and should not be hand waved or ignored; to be honest, I sometimes look forward to the occasional Poor Pact, using them as opportunities to really stress the difference between my characters personality and some of the spirit's. Unfortunately, you need a Good Pact to get you're Pact Augmentations, and those gems are worth trying to get you're totem bonus for, let alone some of the Capstone Empowerment's.
Many of the Spirits, even the 1st and 2nd Level Spirits, provide powerful (if limited) abilities. When Bound to Marat (The first level spirit mentioned above), my 2nd Level Occultist had an AC of 24, requiring low level opponents in the adventure path to roll 19-20 to have a hope of hitting him. At first, this might seem a bit too powerful, but this spirit provides no offensive options, leaving you a 3/4 BAB Class with simple weapons.
As we leveled, I continued to gain more options. Adding the Spirits Tyrant Cromwell, Forash, and eventually Cornelius Button, I now have a number of roles I can fill on any given day. Whatever roll I choose, the party can rest assured I'll do my part competently. If they want me as a Heavy Melee Hitter, I can easily deliver the highest 1 shot damage in the party. If we need someone to provide Summoning Support, I can bring the equivalent of our highest level spell to every encounter. If we need more magic, I can open Pandora's box and reach for the grab bag of goodies that is Mr. Button.
Unlike traditional Spell Casters, the Occultist doesn't lose effectiveness as the day goes on (for the most part). While you're major granted abilities have a 5 round cool-down (Meaning you will likely only get to use each one once in a given encounter), they are generally ready for use again in the next encounter. This hasn't caused any issues in the current adventure.
The addition of Pact Augmentations (and the Feat Extra Pact Augmentation), gives you additional customization options, and really makes the Occultist less reliant on gear in my view. I'm less worried about getting that Cloak of Resistance, if I can choose to just apply a +1 Insight Bonus to all my saves. I'm hoping Pact Magic 3 has some New Pact Augmentations (Hint Hint), maybe one that raises you're effective Binder Level (sort of like Commanding Facade does), or one that increase the damage of you're Supernatural abilities by +1 per die (or even just +2 like Vicious Augment).
All in All, I'm really enjoying the change of pace. Having just a few potent and flexible abilities allows me to spend more time playing my character and less time looking up rules/spells.
Good day.
Got both vol.1 and vol.2, have some thoughts...
First, I totally love binders in 3.5 and seek a way to incorporate the pact magic system into Pathfinder too - so thank you a lot for your work.
About the books:
1. The Occultist class is a bit incomlete in comparison with other classes - after lvl 14 it is totally nothing to do there. No additional spirits, no interesting new abilities, many abilities do not scale with level. Only 4 spirits at once at 20 lvl is extremely few, as they have to be selected for 1-2 useful abilities each, leaving away another great abilities of other spirits - and a Wizard, for example, will have like 40+ spells, and EVERY one of them would be useful. Same with the high level spirits power - just few of them could be compared to spells of the same level. The fact the Occultist could spam low-level spell effects all day long costs notning as at higher levels all battles are won in few power moves. There could be doaens of low-level summons - they all would be killed with just one high level spell. Far better to have one limited uses but high level summon - for at least it will survive the first round. Not mentioning the lack of abilities that would be equivalent to high-level condition spells and spells that alter the realty - they usually makes the day. Again, the possibility of spamming it all day long plays a little role, first because Occultist can use it just one time in battle due to cooldown (and Wizard can cast his strongest spells every round), and second because an Occultist can't have all his strongies abilities at once, just as Wizard do.
2. The True Augmentation final ability is a bit broken - it says "when an occultist makes a good pact with a spirit, that spirit's granted abilities ... continue to function while in an antimagic zone unless the antimagic spell's caster level ... is equal to or greater than the occultist's level." For year playing RPG games I've never incountered a situation when enemies have CL LESS then PC. It is always either equal or greater. So this ability is useless - it won't work ever. May be a CL/EBL check here?
3. I love that Pack Maladies, great idea. But it appears that just everyone could cast bestow and remove malady - except the Occultist himself! Such a thematical thing - and is beyond the reach of the first character who should bestow it. Really want a spirit with pact malady abilities.
4. Every casting class can get additional spells/spell slots/spell-like/supernatural abilities above their maximum through feats and magic items. Something for an Occultist too, may be?
5. Prestige classes. Want them badly. Some. Any. Please)
That's all about "what I really want to see in the book 3". Again, I really love you work, thank you for it.
P.S. I'm not native English-speaker, so there may be mistakes in my text, I apologize in advance for that.
1. The Occultist class is a bit incomlete in comparison with other classes - after lvl 14 it is totally nothing to do there. No additional spirits, no interesting new abilities, many abilities do not scale with level.
Except gain access to higher-level spirits? I'd also argue against "many abilities do not scale with level," as all spirits, even ones that only mimic spells, scale better than spells do. All granted abilities use the granted ability save DC, for example.
That said, I think the idea of the occultist lacking interesting options past 14th level is a fair one. It is a complaint that I am looking to rectify with binder secrets, so if you stick with occultist you can take options no other class has access to. But those are still in the formulation stages of my brain and won't be in Volume 3.
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Only 4 spirits at once at 20 lvl is extremely few, as they have to be selected for 1-2 useful abilities each, leaving away another great abilities of other spirits - and a Wizard, for example, will have like 40+ spells, and EVERY one of them would be useful.
One thing to point out is that Tome of Magic's binder capped out at 4 spirits at 20th level too, except in the Tome of Magic getting your 4th spirit was the class's capstone ability. We dropped that because it didn't seem right to make the pinnacle of your pact magic prowess appear at the final level of the game. Its just like how wizards don't learn their 9th level spell at 20th level. And arguably, a wizard's 40 spells will not always be useful all the time. You'll have a hard time convincing me that many 1st level spells remain relevant at 17th level. Mage armor is a good example of one that does, but at 17th level it lasts for 17 hours. You don't really need to prepare or cast it more than once. Also, the occultist has many advantages over the wizard. He doesn't need to use verbal or somatic components and his abilities don't normally provoke attacks of opportunity. They can't be interrupted, lost, or fizzle from wearing armor. Finally, I don't think that the wizard should be the golden standard of class design.
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Same with the high level spirits power - just few of them could be compared to spells of the same level. The fact the Occultist could spam low-level spell effects all day long costs notning as at higher levels all battles are won in few power moves.
So why does it matter that the wizard can cast 40 spells per day when one of those are one-shot effects that are below 6th level? Just trying to understand what you're arguing for.
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There could be doaens of low-level summons - they all would be killed with just one high level spell. Far better to have one limited uses but high level summon - for at least it will survive the first round.
That's one high-level spell that isn't aimed at you and your party, then. I'd rather have a bunch of summons take oodles of damage and die instead of that same amount of damage get inflicted upon characters who aren't expendable. (Aka PCs)
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Not mentioning the lack of abilities that would be equivalent to high-level condition spells and spells that alter the realty - they usually makes the day.
Not sure what your point is. You want spirits that alter reality? Well, luckily Volume 2 contains Kaylos, an evil genie that allows you to use wish.
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Again, the possibility of spamming it all day long plays a little role, first because Occultist can use it just one time in battle due to cooldown (and Wizard can cast his strongest spells every round), and second because an Occultist can't have all his strongies abilities at once, just as Wizard do.
If you play in a campaign where your GM allows you to fight one combat and then end the day, sure. Wizards will beat you every time. If you wanted to put classes on the Nova scale, that scale would likely be Psion < Wizard < Occultist. Psions can blast through power points quickly and deliver massive effects in a short period of time. Occultists are designed to be the opposite: they play for the long-term instead of the short-term. They excel in situations where the party is forced to keep trekking for long periods of time and can't stop to rest. That is by design.
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2. The True Augmentation final ability is a bit broken - it says "when an occultist makes a good pact with a spirit, that spirit's granted abilities ... continue to function while in an antimagic zone unless the antimagic spell's caster level ... is equal to or greater than the occultist's level."
I *think* in our upcoming Volume 1 errata we address that and the occultist gets blanket protection from antimagic instead of dealing with all those contingencies. That said, I'm curious as to why you're listing problems with the Occultist class in the Volume 2 thread? The occultist class isn't in this product.
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3. I love that Pack Maladies, great idea. But it appears that just everyone could cast bestow and remove malady - except the Occultist himself! Such a thematical thing - and is beyond the reach of the first character who should bestow it. Really want a spirit with pact malady abilities.
I agree completely. In an upcoming product that I'm producing separately from Radiance House I am adding a binder secret that allows an occultist to use bestow pact malady on his own.
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Every casting class can get additional spells/spell slots/spell-like/supernatural abilities above their maximum through feats and magic items. Something for an Occultist too, may be?
Most classes can take feats to gain additional spells known, yes, but not spell slots. The game's pretty stingy about spell slots. But considering we added a robust skill system for giving players access to spirits whenever they can uncover the forgotten lore, I'm not sure if taking a feat is worth it. It would be like taking a feat to use the demoralize action when said action is already a baseline thing that anyone can do. Maybe a binder secret that grants a bonus on checks made to discover new spirits?
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5. Prestige classes. Want them badly. Some. Any. Please)
Us too! But our printer's size restrictions keeps pushing the Prestige Classes back. There was actually supposed to be a few in this book, but then the magic item and spell sections pushed them back to Volume 3, and then our focus on new spirits for Volume 3 pushed them back again ....
I'll see what I can do to get them out sooner rather than later. ;-)
"That said, I'm curious as to why you're listing problems with the Occultist class in the Volume 2 thread? The occultist class isn't in this product." - sorry, I've just got te two products simultaneously, and wrote everything in one place. Already divided it, wrote all about vol.1 here:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pvu1?Pact-Magic-Unbound-Vol-1-FAQ-Submit-Your# 43
"In an upcoming product that I'm producing separately from Radiance House I am adding a binder secret that allows an occultist to use bestow pact malady on his own." - waiting for it)
"Most classes can take feats to gain additional spells known, yes, but not spell slots. The game's pretty stingy about spell slots." - why, there is some: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/r-z/runes tone-of-power - the first I recall, plus whole system of bonus spells for high ability scores - and items that help here. May be someting with ability simular to Reserve Spirit..
"I'll see what I can do to get them out sooner rather than later. ;-)" - you most kind)
+ questions:
1.Could the feat Reserve Spirit be taken more that one time?
2.Kaylos Twisted Wish: does making a good pact means you cast wish absolutely freely (with mat. components), without all that restractions in two first sentences - as a spell? Does material components still needed during the poor pact?
1.Could the feat Reserve Spirit be taken more that one time?
Feats can never be taken multiple times unless they state they can be.
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2.Kaylos Twisted Wish: does making a good pact means you cast wish absolutely freely (with mat. components), without all that restractions in two first sentences - as a spell? Does material components still needed during the poor pact?
Good Pact: No restrictions on how you use the wish.
Poor Pact: Kaylos's influences force you to use your wish in a specific manner.
Both Types: You need to pay that 25,000 gp material component. Wish is too powerful without it.
