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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide (OGL)

3.20/5 (based on 51 ratings)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide (OGL)
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A New Breed of Hero

Adventure like never before with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide! Explore new heights of heroism with 10 new base classes, each with 20 levels of amazing abilities. Incredible powers also await existing characters, with more than a hundred new archetypes and class options. Prepare characters for their most legendary adventure ever with massive selections of never-before-seen spells, magic items, and more!

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide is a must-have companion volume to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. This imaginative tabletop game builds upon more than 15 years of system development and an open playtest featuring more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy rules into the new millennium.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide includes:

  • Ten new base classes—the magic-twisting arcanist, the ferocious bloodrager, the cunning investigator, the daring swashbuckler, the formidable warpriest, and others.
  • Variant class abilities and thematic archetypes for all 29 base classes, such as the counterfeit mage and the mutagenic mauler.
  • Nearly a hundred new feats for characters of all classes, including style feats, teamwork feats like Coordinated Shot, and more.
  • Hundreds of new spells and magic items, such as feast on fear and skullcrusher gauntlets.
  • An entire armory of amazing equipment, from vital new adventuring gear to deadly alchemical weapons.
  • ... and much, much more!

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-671-3

Errata
Last Updated - 7/22/2015

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

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3.20/5 (based on 51 ratings)

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A Great (if errata-filled) Book for Players

4/5 —

This book has gotten a lot of flack for two reasons: (1) A number of people were upset by the large amount of errata posted after the book came out. (2) A number of people were upset by the perceived power-creep that this book carried with it, especially in the archetype section.

Both of these are reasonable complaints that I largely agree with.

That said, this book also contains a cornucopia of player options that are great fun. A number of the classes it introduced are now mainstream: it’s hard to imagine playing the game without options like the Brawler, the Investigator, the Slayer, the Bloodrager, the Hunter, or the Warpriest. Or to play without archetypes like the Bolt Ace (Gunslinger), Mutation Warrior or Martial Master (Fighter).

Moreover, the book introduced a number of feats that improve on the available build options available to most players (Extra Hex! Slashing Grace!). Likewise, although the spells in this book seem to have flown under the radar, there are a lot of nice and interesting spells are introduced in this book (Glue Seal, Communal Align Weapon, Wall of Blindness/Deafness, Wall of Nausea, Anti-Incorporeal Shell, Adjustable Disguise, Adjustable Polymorph, Investigative Mind, etc).

Easily 5 stars worth of good material here. Given the unusually large amount of errata, I feel compelled to deduct a star. But all that said, it’s hard to imagine playing Pathfinder without this book -- after the Core Rulebook and Advanced Players Guide, it’s probably the best book for players to pick up.

Unbalanced, uninspired and rushed.

1/5 —

This book still sticks out as one of Paizo's biggest missteps. It was extremely rushed and it shows.

At least half of the new classes don't even need to exist as anything other than archetypes. Even among the ones that actually work, most feel very uninspired.

There are a few good things in it, but not really enough to justify buying it. It's not worth your money and it's best not to encourage sloppy work.

Hopefully Paizo learns from this and prioritizes quality over quantity and speed from now on.

A continuing disappointment

1/5 —

The ACG had problems. Many problems. And it continues to have problems.

From concept ("Let's make ten classes as complicated and broken as the magus, or more so!"), to out-of-whack game design, to simply poor editing, the ACG is a mess. The book's philosophy seems to be "create a new utterly unbalanced mechanic, and proliferate it as far as possible." The (quickly issued) errata pulled some of it a bit more into line, but it just doesn't come close to correcting it.

Even something as simple as alchemical items are way out there. Holy Weapon Balm costs 5gp more than holy water, and does 1400% more damage. And that doesn't even include increasing damage to incorporeal creatures.

Even two years after it was released, I continue to be impressed with the complete disregard for balance and sense in this book. If power creep had happened this much every year, we'd be looking at 9999 damage caps by now. The ACG stands out for its insanity.

Perhaps pulping it for the cover error would have been the better move.

The first real dud in my Pathfinder collection

1/5 —

I am extremely disappointed in this product, and glad I only purchased the PDF version. As other reviewers have pointed out, the new classes are poorly balanced when compared to the preexisting ones, and would be a better fit for a book like Unchained, much like Unearthed Arcana's gestalt characters.

There's far too many feats and toys dedicated to these new classes, which drastically lessens this book's universal appeal, and even though some contrivances are provided to make some of said feats accessible to other classes, it ends up painting the book's title as a misnomer - it isn't an "advanced class guide" any more than it is a guide mostly about ten new classes, that are "advanced" only in the sense that they're more powerful than the others.

It's my fault for not properly researching the book before buying it, so buyer beware if you're expecting to find a literal advanced class guide, as opposed to a lengthy introduction to ten new ones.

Overall disappointing

2/5 —

Okay, there's a lot here that's just terribly rushed and it shows, like the editing here is painful at points. The classes themselves range wildly in value, and there's a lot of examples of Paizo's classic retro nerfing of things to help make options here look better. This was an obvious rush to gencon book, and it shows. While not everything in it is bad, and there's some salvageable content, you could easily continue to play the game without this book and miss out on absolutely nohthing.

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Webstore Gninja Minion
3 people marked this as a favorite.

Announced! Cover image is a mockup and subject to change.
5 people marked this as a favorite.

I, for one, am looking forward to taking a warpriest out for a spin.
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

IT HAS COME!!!!!! *warcry*

I am so excited! :)
5 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I'm thinking that the class building advice could be used in conjunction with the Technology Guide to create Pathfinder games set in virtually any era. Really cranks up the options to eleven! :)
Liberty's Edge
2 people marked this as a favorite.

My top hope is for some more Oracle curses...it does say more options for ALL classes, not just the new ones.
Lantern Lodge

I have 2 hopes.

1.) That the arcanist will be able to do the immediate action out-of-turn counter-spelling as in the prior playtest by making a check and spending pool points. This has the potential of really shutting down enemy spell-casters.

2). The Shaman continues to improve as the hexes were kind of weak but the 2nd playtest definitely showed that the shaman has great promise.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Samy wrote:
My top hope is for some more Oracle curses...it does say more options for ALL classes, not just the new ones.

My hope there would be revisiting most of the existing, getting rid of that 1/day do 1d4*lvl/2 stuff and worse.

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I hope they've improved the damage outputs of the energy blast exploits.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

More Yay!!!

I loved the stuff in the playtest, can't wait to see the full thing.
Silver Crusade

A Must Buy! I can't wait to see some Archetypes for Shaman.
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I am thinking that the big surprises will be in the archetypes and feats -- if they are done well, they should open up some major opportunities for unusual hybrid character types.

I'm hoping some of the classes (ahem...shaman) got a major overhaul..

Really looking foreword to seeing the finale version of the Arcanist and Warpriest.
Radiant Oath
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Wait, this is coming on September 2nd?! PAIZO! YOU COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN ME A BETTER BIRTHDAY PRESENT! :D
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Wait, this is coming on September 2nd?! PAIZO! YOU COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN ME A BETTER BIRTHDAY PRESENT! :D

It'll be before that, as it'll release at Gencon in mid August. Amazon's dates are reasonably 'pick out of a hat' at the moment.

However, it'll be before your birthday, so people will be able to get it for you for your birthday...
2 people marked this as a favorite.

August? I'm going to have to get a job!
5 people marked this as a favorite.

I can't wait for this book.

I hope to see...
-New sorcerer bloodlines.
-New oracle mysteries and curses(must finish mute curse).
-New summoner evolutions and base forms.
-Dex to damage feat that anyone can get.
-Bloodline related feats
-A jester archetype for bards.
-Alternate abilities for classes.
-New Domains/Subdomains.
-New Hexes.
-A feat that grants extra skill points.
-New familairs/animal companions/mounts.
-More summoning spells.
-Polymorph spells for fey, outsiders, oozes, etc.
-Alternate rules for unarmored characters for all classes.
-Alternate rules for increasing skill points(from 2+int to 4+int) for classes like fighter, cleric, sorcerer, etc.
Silver Crusade

Antipaladin love would be appreciated.
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Rysky wrote:

Antipaladin love would be appreciated.

I think the reason we haven't seen more antipaladin love is that the class is not...player friendly, in the traditional sense.

The only place you can really play one is an evil campaign. If you're playing an antipaladin in a mostly good or neutral party, you'll find yourself rather underpowered and irrelevant unless you have lots of good-aligned adversaries to smite. Never mind the fact that the party is not likely to trust a psychopathic murderer whose powers are bestowed upon him by an evil deity.

Now don't get me wrong, I would also love to see more support for the class. Some of the AP's best villains (Such as Staunton Vhane or Malyas) are antipaladins. If nothing else, I'd like more antipaladin options to make interesting NPCs.

You can already see class details in Hero Labs.
Paizo Employee Developer
Rysky wrote:

Antipaladin love would be appreciated.

Consider checking out Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Combat.

Contributor
2 people marked this as a favorite.

My fingers are crossed for ninja, samurai, and antipaladin material. I was pleased with the ninja tricks in Champions of Balance and I'm hopeful for more!
Webstore Gninja Minion
Septhaka wrote:
You can already see class details in Hero Labs.

Those are from the Playtest.

Paizo Employee

Yay! Looking forward to picking this up at GenCon.

Cheers!
Landon
Scarab Sages
Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

I have been playing a slayer from the playtest. I cannot wait to get my hands on the real thing.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Loved a lot of the classes from the playtest,so i think i'll roll at least one char per class once i have the real thing.Totally going to buy it!
7 people marked this as a favorite.

My players told me recently I buy too many books for us to use in our games, given how little we get together these days. "Feh!" I shouted. "Feh on your 'too many books'!"

Yeah, I'm buying this. I've waited too long for this book. It must be mine.

After this one, I'm hoping for a book on demon lords, etc. in the same style as the monster entries in Bestiary 4 and the Wrath of the Righteous AP - particularly as I am not buying WotR because I'm not into running a mythic campaign.
Silver Crusade

Any chance someone from Paizo could confirm or deny that Shaman might get a JuJu Shaman archetype. I know the Oracle has one. The shaman is a combo of Oracle and Witch and the character concept in my head sees my Mwangi Shaman being able to make fetishes, throw salt to halt undead or make circles of protecton via the salt, use entrails to tell very limited glimpses of events, etc. I saw the write up for JuJu Oracle mystery in the Serpents AP and just thought it was very cool and fit a shaman better. Even in that article they called the Oracles "shaman"

Just was hoping maybe someone could give me a yes or no without giving away any of the Archetype itself. Will probably be playing my Shaman up until Iron Gods comes out and I make a new character for that AP. Thank you!

Looking forward to checking this out, can't wait to see all the iconics :)
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Rysky wrote:
Antipaladin love would be appreciated.

Then you will love the recently announced Champions of Corruption.

Otherwise, your best hope is that any special feats they provide for paladins are generic enough to work for antipaladins.
Dark Archive
David knott 242 wrote:
Rysky wrote:
Antipaladin love would be appreciated.

Then you will love the recently announced Champions of Corruption.

Otherwise, your best hope is that any special feats they provide for paladins are generic enough to work for antipaladins.

The same could be said about ninjas and samurai.

I would certainly welcome more options for my Antipaladin.

I would also like more options for Samurai and Ninjas. I would also like more character classes inspired by Asian settings and other cultures. Though I know that isn't going to happen in this book except through archetypes and feats.

I am really looking forward to getting this book!

There will be a PDF, right?
Webstore Gninja Minion
NoncompliAut wrote:
There will be a PDF, right?

Yes, but it won't be released until the end of August for non-subscribers.

I want this book so good. I haven’t been this excited since the APG or even the Core book.
Mostly interested in Arcanist, Swashbuckler and the Warpriest, but investigator could be awesome.
I’m also looking forward to bloodrager, slayer and shaman. If the Shaman has a mix of druid and cleric spell list it could very well be one of my favorite new classes.
Interested in how the brawler, hunter and skald turned out since the three was the classes I found least appealing in the play test.

Regardless Arcanist, Swashbuckler, Warpriest, Investigator, Bloodrager and Shaman are enough for me to get this book both as a hard cover and a PDF.
Awesome stuff!

@ Dragon78

I to hope to see...
-New sorcerer bloodlines.
-Bloodline related feats
-New oracle mysteries and curses
-Dex to damage feat that anyone can get.
-A jester archetype for bards.
-A feat that grants extra skill points.

I hope the bloodrager got a sensible spell list. Not the one from the second version of playtest.
Gingerbreadman wrote:
I hope the bloodrager got a sensible spell list. Not the one from the second version of playtest.

Warpriest also desperately needs a trimmed down spell list like the magus.

I am really interested in the Swashbuckler, Brawler, and Investigator.

I really wish the Shaman was that cha based spontaneous caster with the druid spell list and totem spirit animal "bloodline/mystery" that I have been wanting for ages.

I wish the hunter was a non-spellcasting martial class that focused on it's animal companion.

Bloodrager- great a barbarian with more sorcerer bloodline powers then a sorcerer.

Arcanist- Lets beat the sorcerer at being a spontaneous caster and make the wizard wish he was like me.

Warpriest- Still would have liked a martial divine class that doesn't have to be lawful good.

Skald- never really cared for this one.

Slayer- not even close to what I would have liked
Liberty's Edge

Huh. Is that a new cover? Doesn't look like a WAR piece.
Webstore Gninja Minion
Jester David wrote:
Huh. Is that a new cover? Doesn't look like a WAR piece.

The cover is a mockup—we'll update it to the final image closer to the release date. :)

Obviously, there are many fewer bloodrager bloodlines then there are for the sorcerer. Are there plans to adapt every sorcerer bloodline into a bloodrager counterpart? I guess it would be tedious to do all of them, but there are certain concepts that should really be possible: like a kuthite shackleborn tiefling shadow-rager. :D

And I hope that the bloodlines will be better balanced against each others. In the playtest there were only few I could see myself playing. And some for special circumstances.
Grand Lodge
Quote:
Plenty of advice on how to construct a new character class, archetype, or prestige class, giving the GM powerful tools to make the rules they need for their game.

Thank you, Paizo!

Liz Courts wrote:
NoncompliAut wrote:
There will be a PDF, right?
Yes, but it won't be released until the end of August for non-subscribers.

Noooo! I want it now or at least next week. Can I bribe someone? Who and what do they want?

Will we see these new "advanced classes" on the srd or d20pfsrd sites anytime soon?

I would imagine that they will be there after the book is released at the earliest.
Dark Archive
Quote:
Plenty of advice on how to construct a new character class, archetype, or prestige class, giving the GM powerful tools to make the rules they need for their game.

Can any of the devs on this project give me a page count for this specific entry in this book?

I have no interest in yet another player focused splat book and there was some chatter early on that a class building toolkit was not really being considered for this book. So is this a 10 page chapter on advice, existing class ability breakdowns, or?

Would it be possible to get some better definition on this aspect? This is the only reason why I would consider getting this book - some kind of toolkit/guidelines, even it it isn't an class ability scoring system.

Thanks
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I hope the first class iconics revealed are the Arcainist, Swashbuckler, and Investigator.
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