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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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Artanthos wrote:
Melkiador wrote:
I am assuming there is nothing summoner related in this book; and if there is, it will be banned from Pathfinder Society.
I believe only one of the summoner archetypes was banned.

i wonder if the guys in the design office ever talk to the guys in the society office. Why come out with so much stuff that is immediately banned.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
1 person marked this as a favorite.

There are things that don't belong in PFS that are fine in home games.

For instance, the Forgepriest archetype is banned because it focuses on crafting, which isn't allowed in an organized play campaign outside of very specific limits.

Likewise, for a lot of the summoner things, it's because that is a complicated class with some abusable corner cases that in a home game your GM can work with you to resolve, but can prove to be a problem in an organized play setting. (For instance, outside of power level problems, the 'eidolon can look like anything' bit can be used to troll other players. In a home game with your friends they might be in on the joke, or they can stop playing with you. At a PFS table, with the desire for everyone to play, it can be used to make strangers uncomfortable.)
The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, Contributor
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Melkiador wrote:
Artanthos wrote:
Melkiador wrote:
I am assuming there is nothing summoner related in this book; and if there is, it will be banned from Pathfinder Society.
I believe only one of the summoner archetypes was banned.
i wonder if the guys in the design office ever talk to the guys in the society office. Why come out with so much stuff that is immediately banned.

Because PFS isn't Pathfinder. Not every class or concept that fits the game system fits PFS well.

I suspect even if all of the archetypes/ feats/ items/ spells were run by the PFS team in advance (they aren't), many of them would still be in the book.

Overall, very little of the book is held back from PFS. A few archetypes with firearms, a couple archetypes that summon lots of things, and one or two evil oriented archetypes is about it; some feats that do similar things; and a few magic items. Out of the 290+ pages in the book, maybe 1% is not allowed.

I guess it's just really frustrating because I really like the summoner concept but most of the things that come out for him are banned on sight. And society play is the only kind of play I find since my old group broke up after college.

Got my copy today! Huzzah! (Wasn't expecting it would get here until tomorrow or Friday!)

Just barely cracked the cover, but I wanted to say how excitedly happy I am to see that the Redirect Spell exploit- allowing the Arcanist to attempt to take control of an opposing spellcaster's spell- made it into the final version of the class! Awesome!

(The Alter Enhancements one is another cool idea that had cropped up in the Arcanist playtest thread that I thought sounded fun.)
Melkiador wrote:
I guess it's just really frustrating because I really like the summoner concept but most of the things that come out for him are banned on sight. And society play is the only kind of play I find since my old group broke up after college.

Roll20 - lotsa pathfinder non-PFS going on there.

Now back to topic - anyone else anxious to see what they've done with Swashbuckler?
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Have all the subscribers already received their PDF or just some? I don't have mine yet ...
hoborider wrote:


Roll20 - lotsa pathfinder non-PFS going on there.

What's roll20? Some sort of online thing?

Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

roll20.net virtual table top

Edit: Just fixed the link.

I use roll20 for face-to-face games. I project the maps on tables and use the dynamic lighting features of roll20. I still use miniatures on the map .. cuz I like miniatures.

I think it was mentioned upthread, but the 20th level capstone on Martial Flexibility for the Brawler is pretty awesome. Definitely worthy of a 20th level character. I think it was described somewhere as being a "death blossom?"

Does anyone know when Amazon is going to be getting this? They keep telling me that Paizo hasn't updated any shipping info so it might not be til sep 2nd. Anyone else have any updates?
The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, Contributor
Azreal423 wrote:
Does anyone know when Amazon is going to be getting this? They keep telling me that Paizo hasn't updated any shipping info so it might not be til sep 2nd. Anyone else have any updates?

There have been issues with Amazon for a Very Long Time the short answer is if you want predictable delivery of new releases from Paizo, Amazon isn't the best online source.

Does anyone know roughly how long it takes for the SRD's to get updated? Want to read stuff while waiting.. lol
SpiritWolfFenris wrote:
Does anyone know roughly how long it takes for the SRD's to get updated? Want to read stuff while waiting.. lol

The ACG will be out sometime in September.

Tels wrote:
SpiritWolfFenris wrote:
Does anyone know roughly how long it takes for the SRD's to get updated? Want to read stuff while waiting.. lol
The ACG will be out sometime in September.

Oh wow, so no time soon. T_T Bummer, guess I just have to wait then. Thanks for the quick response!

Commence screaming at the computer screen.
Joe M. wrote:
Melkiador wrote:
I am assuming there is nothing summoner related in this book; and if there is, it will be banned from Pathfinder Society.

No need to make guesses. The PFS Additional Resources list has already been updated.

One of the two Summoner archetypes is legal for play.

All the options to give the Hunter some evolution points for his animal companion are gone. That is hilarious.

AVAILABLE TODAY WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ARGH! MY GUT FLORA IS FEEDING ON MY FLESH.
Lantern Lodge
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Desnos wrote:
AVAILABLE TODAY WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ARGH! MY GUT FLORA IS FEEDING ON MY FLESH.

Paizo is west coast, my friend. Sleep it off. It'll be there in the morning.

Scarab Sages
Desnos wrote:
AVAILABLE TODAY WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ARGH! MY GUT FLORA IS FEEDING ON MY FLESH.

3 hours... It's available at 12:00 PST.

Wait a minute. Paizo Publishing is on Pacific Time. OH. That's probably it. Good job, self, you're just a consummate investigator. OH SWEET NADERI IT HURTS.
Grand Lodge
Desnos wrote:
AVAILABLE TODAY WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ARGH! MY GUT FLORA IS FEEDING ON MY FLESH.

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE!?!

Thank you dear friends. I'll be watching a 3-hour long podcast since I can't sleep it off because my sleep schedule is atrocious/lovely.
Lantern Lodge

The consummate investigator fails his Knowledge (Geography) and Perception checks respectively. I would throw those dice out the window.
4 people marked this as a favorite.

YES. YES. THE TEARS OF PATHFINDERS MAKE A FINE WINE.

I TAKE GREAT JOY IN WATCHING YOUR AGONY.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

I just wanna say.. to the person who posted the 'review'.. You can't review something you haven't read... Jus' sayin' <.<;
SpiritWolfFenris wrote:
I just wanna say.. to the person who posted the 'review'.. You can't review something you haven't read... Jus' sayin' <.<;

To further add to this, "kinda" is a slang contraction for 'kind of' so saying "Kinda of" is incorrect.

Shadow Lodge

So close and so far, lets hope they update it soom
Shadow Lodge

What are the chances that the Paizo website is going to crash once this becomes released?
RyanH wrote:
Have all the subscribers already received their PDF or just some? I don't have mine yet ...

I dont have mine, and I got email about my order on August 4th... Not sure what the delay is. I will be very disappointed if it is for sale in the paizo store, and I cant download it yet...

Adam B. 135 wrote:
Joe M. wrote:
Melkiador wrote:
I am assuming there is nothing summoner related in this book; and if there is, it will be banned from Pathfinder Society.

No need to make guesses. The PFS Additional Resources list has already been updated.

One of the two Summoner archetypes is legal for play.

All the options to give the Hunter some evolution points for his animal companion are gone. That is hilarious.

Because the best Hunter is the one that has no Animal Companion :)

Can't go letting an Animal Companion have nice options!

This would be the time to post the picture of the lemur with it's hand out saying "Everyone Chill the F out"
Liberty's Edge
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kamuri wrote:
This would be the time to post the picture of the lemur with it's hand out saying "Everyone Chill the F out"

I've been saying that for a while now...though admittedly not mostly in this thread.

Grand Lodge

We're all a bunch of crunch addicts Skerek, based on that I am pretty sure the site is going to go down when we all go to get our fix (Hopefully at 3:01 AM EDT when it is actually the release date in Seattle.

It says the PDF is available today D: whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

I'm sitting at gencon, and I literally cannot even wait until the dealer hall opens.

There isn't too much to the class design section; just some broad overviews, but combined with the various archetypes on display in this book and the hybrid classes themselves, I think the book as a whole is a really useful tool as a basis for trying to formulate new classes.

Some interesting feats, too. I like Dueling Cape (use cape as buckler and possibly entangle), Esoteric Linguistics (Linguistics in place of UMD to use scrolls), and Canny Tumble (bonus to hit opponent whose space you successfully moved tumbled through) and some of the other "swashbucklery" feats particularly.

I always feel a little leery when I see feats that negate an ability/feat that was previously published that itself negated an ability/feat in-game (Anticipate Dodge and Counter Reflexes here are two). It seems like a neverending arms race in some ways, though I concede that- if a character is willing to devote the feats to them (and basically make themselves a niche sort of character), then they should get something for it. Ultimately, that sort of customization is why I enjoy this game, even if some specific applications of it don't necessarily sit well with me.

Anticipate Dodge and Counter reflexes?

Please don't tell me those feats negate dodge and mobility.

"PDF available today" teases me so...

Any good Druid stuff in the book? I'd love to see a devoted(lv1 and on) shapeshifter. If it's good enough I'd even give up spells.
Insain Dragoon wrote:

Anticipate Dodge and Counter reflexes?

Please don't tell me those feats negate dodge and mobility.

Effectively, yes. They will negate the dodge bonus received from Dodge and the AC bonus from Mobility.

Next thing you know they'll hand out class features as feats!

Oh, wait... ;)
Grand Lodge

Next thing you know Azten, they'll be handing out class features as traits!

Oh, wait . . .
Cthulhudrew wrote:
Insain Dragoon wrote:

Anticipate Dodge and Counter reflexes?

Please don't tell me those feats negate dodge and mobility.

Effectively, yes. They will negate the dodge bonus received from Dodge and the AC bonus from Mobility.

Those are probably the saddest feats I ever heard of....

Seriously? This in the same book as Divine Grace for Oracles and Cha Clerics?
Silver Crusade
1 person marked this as a favorite.

They sound like the kind of feats that purely exist for GMs to give NPCs to throw a curveball at a PC with a very specific build.
1 person marked this as a favorite.
SpiritWolfFenris wrote:
Jus' sayin' <.<;

People still type "jus' sayin" to end their post? I thought snarkiness would have evolved by now.

Cthulhudrew wrote:
Insain Dragoon wrote:

Anticipate Dodge and Counter reflexes?

Please don't tell me those feats negate dodge and mobility.

Effectively, yes. They will negate the dodge bonus received from Dodge and the AC bonus from Mobility.

[hypothetical]I can't wait for the feats Powered Defense and Moving Target! Powered Defense negates the bonus damage from Power Attack/Piranha Strike while leaving the penalty and Moving Target does likewise for Deadly Aim.

Build a troll with Anticipate Dodge, Counter Reflexes, Powered Defense and Moving Target, and wear this mask for the entire session![/hypothetical]
Grand Lodge

Officially bought the PDF and downloaded it! Thank you Paizo! Enjoy the feeding frenzy my friends.

It's live for everyone to buy!

Purchased ✓
Downloading...

IT'S MIIIIIIIIINE!
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I can't download for some reason, every time it says wait ten seconds, I wait and count to ten, then it just refreshes the page.

is anyone else having that problem?
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Bah ... not showing up as available, and I subscribed weeks ago ...
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