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Pathfinder Player Companion: Melee Tactics Toolbox (PFRPG)

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Pathfinder Player Companion: Melee Tactics Toolbox (PFRPG)
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Look Your Enemies in the Eye!

Get up close and personal with Melee Tactics Toolbox! The new tips, tricks, and tactics in this volume enable your Pathfinder Roleplaying Game character to perform a huge variety of daring deeds in hand-to-hand combat, whether you’re dashing around a foe to flank it by yourself or inspiring allies to hold the line on a castle wall.

Melee Tactics Toolbox is a player-focused manual that makes the most of in-your-face abilities, spells, and weapons, in addition to providing a plethora of new rules options to make you even more formidable in combat. Each Pathfinder Player Companion includes new options and tools for every Pathfinder RPG player. Inside this book, you’ll find:

  • Tips on how best to fight in melee, including suggestions for rules options that can give you an edge, as well as general tactics available to all characters.
  • Dozens of new kinds of magic armor and melee weapons, weapon special abilities, and wondrous items to hinder your foes or protect you from close-combat attackers.
  • Thirty new feats to bolster your staying power in close combat, including combat, style, and teamwork feats.
  • An illustrated guide comparing more than 20 different styles of swords, including the falchion, katana, and urumi.
  • Tons of new spells, equipment, weapons, class archetypes, and character options, including a new bardic masterpiece.
This Pathfinder Player Companion is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder campaign setting, but can easily be incorporated into any fantasy world.

Written by Paris Crenshaw, Ron Lundeen, and David Schwartz.
Cover Art by Milivoj Ceran.

Each monthly 32-page Pathfinder Player Companion contains several player-focused articles exploring the volume’s theme as well as short articles with innovative new rules for all types of characters, as well as traits to better anchor the player to the campaign.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-732-1

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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A Real Grab-Bag of Stuff

3/5 —

You don't have to guess what sort of stuff is in the Melee Tactics Toolbox. If you like mixing it up face-to-face, there's a reasonable chance the assortment of feats, equipment, spells, and more will have something that piques your interest. The book also contains some general tips on tactics, useful for newer players to the game. Like most books in the Pathfinder Player Companion line, this is a 32-page, full-colour offering, divided into two-page sections. The interior artwork is really impressive, and I have to particularly call out the great shot of the Iconic Brawler punching out a troll on page 3. You can judge the front cover art yourself. The inside front-cover has capsule descriptions of four fighting schools and war colleges in the Inner Sea region of Golarion: the Aldori Academy, the Crusader War College, the Grand Coliseum, and the Tempering Hall. I thought it was a useful shortcut for coming up with a background for a character. Maybe someday I'll do a "graduate students" campaign where every PC has to be a student at a fighting school, wizard's academy, or bardic college! The inside back cover is a "Combat Options Overview" that has a chart of what type of action various things (like combat maneuvers and combat feats) require, along with basic definitions. I really should print it out for new players. Anyway, now onto the content.

The first five pages are the table of contents, a "For Your Character" page that summarizes what sort of stuff you'll find in the book, a "Rules Index," and a two-page Introduction. I guess this would be useful if I were deciding whether or not to buy the book, but the book is short enough that I would rather have more content than multiple pages describing that content. The Introduction does contain some reasonably good advice for different types of melee encounters, and a useful sidebar that I haven't seen elsewhere summarising the *seventeen* different types of feats in Pathfinder! Okay, maybe those PF2 fans have a point about bloat . . .

"Up Close and Personal" contains some good advice on offensive melee tactics along with suggestions of which feats to take to support various builds. It introduces seven new feats for close-combat, some of which have become pretty common with certain builds, like Artful Dodge and Circling Mongoose. On the whole, the new feats look pretty well-written and fairly powerful.

"On the Defensive" is the flip-side: advice for protecting yourself in melee combat (such as the benefits of different types of armor, whether or not to use a shield, etc.). There are three new feats, with one ("Just out of Reach") something that would come in very useful in certain APs like Rise of the Runelords. There's also a new Cavalier archetype called the Castellan; there aren't a lot of Cavalier archetypes, but this one is really only useful in a very niche sort of campaign centered around fortifying and protecting a castle.

"Mass Melee" contains some advice (again, with specific suggestions for feats and class options) for when the battlefield is crawling with multiple combatants on each side. When I ran homebrew campaigns, I used to love tossing twenty or thirty low-CR mooks on the battlefield, but a few years of playing exclusively APs and PFS have gotten me used to the PCs outnumbering the enemies. This section contains five new feats; I used Harrying Partners (making Aid Another last for an entire round) to good effect for one PC, and I know Phalanx Formation (eliminating soft cover for reach weapons) is really useful for a lot of builds. There's a new bardic masterpiece ("Battle Song of the People's Revolt") that looks pretty great, and a bland Fighter archetype called the "Drill Sergeant" (basically, it gives them the Cavarlier's tactician class feature).

"Unarmed and Dangerous" is really designed for monks and brawlers. It contains six new Style feats (3 for "Cudgeler Style" and 3 for "Kraken Style") and a very brief Bloodrager archetype ("Bloody-Knuckled Rowdy"). I've never gotten into Style feats so I don't really have an opinion, and the Bloodrager archetype pays a heavy price (one fewer spell known per spell level) to get better at unarmed combat.

"Melee in a Pinch" was a clever idea: what to do when you weren't expecting a fight (or, at least, when a fight slides into a situation you're not ready for--like underwater, while grappled, etc.). I know I've taken the "Aquatic Combatant" feat (no penalties on melee attacks underwater, and your weapons do full damage), for example. There are eight more feats in this vein. There's also a "Makeshift Scrapper" archetype for Rogues that are about improvised weapons, and it looks okay but not amazing.

"Anatomy of Melee Weapons" is something very different: poor drawings of several different types of swords and very basic diagrams of the different parts of an axe, mace, and sword. For most of this stuff, Wikipedia and Google Image search would be better.

"Melee Weapons" introduces sixteen new weapons. At this stage in the development of Pathfinder, I'm not really sure they're necessary. The only new one here I've ever seen someone use was the Elven Branched Spear just because it was an elven weapon that had reach and a x3 Crit modifier.

"Tools and Equipment", on the other hand, contained loads of good stuff. An armor truss is almost a must-have for solo adventurers who want to wear heavy armor, while "exemplar weapon salve" allows you to turn that story-based background weapon into a masterwork weapon suitable for enchantment. I would like to scare a player so much that they start regularly using Sunderblock, but it hasn't happened yet.

"Magic Armor" contains a good assortment. Advocate's Armor is really clever (getting hit by a crit has a chance to put a lesser geas on the attacker), an Alchemist's Suit could be great fun (get hit by a crit and automatically apply the effects of one of eight vials stored within it), and my caveman shaman really needs to get the Mammoth Hide armor.

"Magic Weapons" didn't do as much for me. I liked the Diplomat's Traveling Stick and could imagine characters it would be perfect for. One of the weapons, the Pirate's Arm, is just bizarre.

"Armor and Weapon Special Abilities" presents some pretty niche material, but it's an interesting array.

"Wondrous Items" has a mostly unremarkable selection. I do really like the Anchoring Bracers, and would love to see the surprise on a gamer's face when they try to have their character teleport away from a tough battle.

"Melee Spells" finishes the book, containing ten new spells. Most spells are assigned to four or five different classes, but I'd guess magus and bloodrager would get the most out of the selection. Some of the spells are cast by swift actions, which is particularly useful.

Overall, Player Companions like the Melee Tactics Toolbox are just a big grab-bag of stuff. Some of it's great, some of it's dumb, and most is mediocre. Having this book is excellent for something like PFS, as sooner or later you'll almost surely want an option that appears somewhere within these pages. I also think the advice given on melee combat is reasonably useful, even if it's rather concise.

Interesting Read with Un-interesting Options

3/5 —

Basics: This book is all about the aspects of melee combat and on that premise it delivers.

Mechanics: There are some fantastic options mixed in with a lot of poor options that will not fare well. Feats are important choices and most of these feel like they are better suited for an NPC.

Theme: This is where it shines giving you ways to bring melee combat alive if you don't mind toning down the power level or taking niche options. The new weapons inside are my favorite part especially the Orc Skull Ram.

Execution: It was unbalanced but shined in some examples with weapons and combat styles.

Summary: If you know there is content in this book you want your character to use pick it up. Choices can be sub-optimal or niche so diving in to explore may result in a less than stellar experience with this thematic piece.

Decent book, but little that stands out

3/5 —

Read my full review on Of Dice and Pen.

Like Ranged Tactics Toolbox, Melee Tactics Toolbox is primarily a book of character options, this time focusing on mêlée combat. Like its companion, it doesn't actually spend a great deal of time on the tactics of its title, but does have scores of new feats, weapons, magic items, and more. Also like its companion, it seems to be desperately trying to create new things for something that doesn't really need any new things added to it. By itself or in conjunction with Ranged Tactics Toolbox, Melee Tactics Toolbox will likely be a useful resource for players, but in conjunction with the scores of other books out there, it will likely be mostly forgettable. It's not a bad book; it just doesn't really stand out.

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Pathfinder Player Companion: Melee Tactics Toolb

3/5 —

Originally posted at Throat Punch Games, a new idea everyday!

Product-Pathfinder Player Companion: Melee Tactics Toolbox
System- Pathfinder
Producer- Paizo
Price- $12
TL; DR- a one-feat-book 77%

Basics-Why do it from afar when you can hurt them up close! Melee Tactics Toolbox provides every up close and personal character with several new options ranging from spells, items, feats, class options, and even new archetypes much live every other player companion product.

Mechanics or Crunch-This is a major crunch book for players, but I wasn’t amazed. There are several new options, but nothing here immediately made me want to build a character based around that theme. Some of the new options seem like new expectations just for expansion sake as the archetypes underwhelmed me like the rogue archetype that strips out all the rogue powers that make a rogue a rogue. Nothing here is objectively bad, but it’s not as amazing as I expected. 4/5

Theme or Fluff-This book has a bit of theme, but not as much as I wanted. You get a few bits and pieces but not near as much as the world books the Paizo puts out. It feels light. 3.5/5

Execution- This book has a ton it it, but it feels a bit overstuffed. There are many things in the book, but it feels a bit like things were thrown in because of the melee thing and that was the sole reason that they made the cut. So, things didn’t flow as well as other books. Also, much of the execution was a bit off as there were a few too many walls of text to really draw me into and through the book. But, as a counterpoint, the book does have a nice font, decent layout aside from a few too many text walls, and some nice art. However, as a counterpoint to that, the book still has the standard Paizo price for its splatbooks which is a little high anyway. 4/5

Summary-This is my least favorite Paizo Pathfinder book to date. Overall, it’s not a horrible book, but compared to Paizo’s other products, I wouldn’t suggest you start with this one. Honestly, this is a one-feat-book meaning that you will find exactly one thing from this book that might, sometimes, help you PFS character. And, you will buy it so you can show your PFS GM the feat/spell/item, so you can legally use it in your game. But, truth be told, you can pass this book by and be ok even if you are a greatsword only fighter. Too many options that are not worth the price, little world and character story, and a less than stellar execution make this a book that won’t find its way into many Pathfinder collections. 77%

MMMMM crunchy

5/5 —

Amazing, useful, thematic and clever feats and abilities for those who like it mix it up hand to tentacle with golarions nasties.

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Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Major_Blackhart wrote:
Cudgeler Style sounds like it would work with a bounty hunter slayer or a skulking slayer rogue real well. How many feats is it?

Three all told. The second and third feats can be acquired at 5th and 9th levels respectively.

Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Alexander Augunas wrote:
I'm surprised that no one's begun swooning over the new bardic masterpiece in this book. Absolutely, unquestionably, incredibly amazing.

Battle Song of the People’s Revolt is very cool and really fits in with Andoran. Very useful in making the bard a great party enhancer.

So, what can we expect from the castellan cavalier? I'd assume that it would give up the mount? Does it still make use of the tactician feature?
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Tonlim wrote:
So, what can we expect from the castellan cavalier? I'd assume that it would give up the mount? Does it still make use of the tactician feature?

Castellan:
Yes, he gives up all mount and mount related abilities while keeping the tactician features and increasing his defensive abilities. He gains an animal companion like a ranger at 4th, better defensive abilities on higher ground with cover, and better offensive and skill capabilities in an urban environment.

Needz moneyz for PDF... wants Makeshift Scrapper...

Could you give a little info about what the bloody-knuckled rowdy gets and gives up? I've been pondering a bloodrager who dips brawler, but I'd rather not dip if I could get away without doing so...
Glutton wrote:
Another weapon with "orc" in the name /swoon.

Yeah, isn't this the first new one in like five years?

Scarab Sages Modules Overlord
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The bloody-knuckled rowdy gives up DR, gets one less spells known/spell level, and gives up uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge.

They gain Improved Unarmed Strike, a bonus style feat at 2nd, Combat Style Master at 5th, and count their bloodrager levels as monk levels when qualifying for and calculating the effects of style feats and feats that have style feats as prerequisites.

From 3rd on, they deal unarmed damage as a monk of their bloodrager level -2.

Sounds really cool. Too bad they don't get something like brawler's cunning from what you said, but it definitely sounds like something that would work for my concept...and a lot of others.
Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

What are the general descriptions of the teamwork feats (planning out a hunter, more teamwork the better!)
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:

The bloody-knuckled rowdy gives up DR, gets one less spells known/spell level, and gives up uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge.

They gain Improved Unarmed Strike, a bonus style feat at 2nd, Combat Style Master at 5th, and count their bloodrager levels as monk levels when qualifying for and calculating the effects of style feats and feats that have style feats as prerequisites.

From 3rd on, they deal unarmed damage as a monk of their bloodrager level -2.

Only glanced over my pdf so far, but I really like this archetype. Methinks it's time to rebuild my playtest bloodrager and sic him on my "Way Of The Wicked" player. :D

I see Grappling gets some attention here, what does Deadly Grappler do?

Paladin doesn't get Instant Weapon?!
Shadow Lodge

I'm kind of wondering why it wasn't Cleric only, or maybe Cleric & Magus/Paladin? It seemed like it would fit together with Instant Armor.

Is it more similar to Instant Armor or Spiritual Weapon, (if either)?
Silver Crusade

I'm excited about the new elven spear. It makes a concept I've had in the back of my mind become feasible :)
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
rayous brightblade wrote:
What are the general descriptions of the teamwork feats (planning out a hunter, more teamwork the better!)

Got Your Back:
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise.

Help protect an ally from being flanked when using aid another in combat to improve his AC.

Harrying Partners:
Prerequisites: Any teamwork feat, base attack bonus +6.

Extend the benefit of aid another in combat to the start of your next turn instead of just the next attack.

Open Up:
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise.

Use aid another to increase attack bonus and deny target their shield bonus.

Stick Together:
When an ally moves, you move as an immediate action to stay with them.
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Lanowar wrote:
I see Grappling gets some attention here, what does Deadly Grappler do?

Deadly Grappler:
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike.

While grappled your attacks against the grappler using armor spikes, a light or one-handed weapon, a natural weapon, or an unarmed strike deal damage as if the strike or weapon were one size category larger.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
deuxhero wrote:
Paladin doesn't get Instant Weapon?!

Nope.

What about Grappled caster and reactive arcane shield?
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
DM Beckett wrote:

I'm kind of wondering why it wasn't Cleric only, or maybe Cleric & Magus/Paladin? It seemed like it would fit together with Instant Armor.

Is it more similar to Instant Armor or Spiritual Weapon, (if either)?

Closer to instant armor than spiritual weapon, though it forms into any weapon you desire and are proficient with.

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Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Nicos wrote:
What about Grappled caster and reactive arcane shield?

Grappled Caster:
Prerequisite: Combat Casting.

A +4 bonus on concentration checks to cast spells while grappled that stacks with Combat Casting.

Reactive Arcane Shield:
Prerequisites: Arcane Shield, arcane spellcaster, caster level 12th.

Arcane Shield used as an immediate action against an attack you are aware of resolves before the incoming attack roll instead of after, and all allies nearby get the AC deflection bonus for a round.

Are any of the new spells usable by the Alchemist?
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Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Lanowar wrote:
Are any of the new spells usable by the Alchemist?

Alchemist Spells:

Fiery Runes
Rubberskin
Vine Strike

Could I get some info on the Makeshift Scrapper archetype? I'm always excited to hear about Rogue archetypes that may make the class more playable... Crossing fingers to hear it gives up Trap Sense for a scaling +attack bonus with improvised weapons...

Also, interested in the following feats, if you have extra time!
Armored Athlete - Lowers ACP, reduces movement speed penalty, or both?
Artful Dodge - Befriend Oliver Twist?
Juke, Leaping Evasion, Shrug On and Steadfast Slayer sound promising too...
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Secret Wizard wrote:

Could I get some info on the Makeshift Scrapper archetype? I'm always excited to hear about Rogue archetypes that may make the class more playable... Crossing fingers to hear it gives up Trap Sense for a scaling +attack bonus with improvised weapons...

Also, interested in the following feats, if you have extra time!
Armored Athlete - Lowers ACP, reduces movement speed penalty, or both?
Artful Dodge - Befriend Oliver Twist?
Juke, Leaping Evasion, Shrug On and Steadfast Slayer sound promising too...

Makeshift Scrapper:
Replaces trapfinding, trap sense, and the level 12 rogue talent to get the Catch Off-Guard and Throw Anything feats at 1st level, use a form of minor magic to enhance an object so it can be used as either a magic weapon or shield (this scales and is usable a number of rounds per day equal to rogue level)), and eventually gets the Improvised Weapon Mastery feat.

Armored Athlete:
Prerequisites: Light armor proficiency, medium armor proficiency, 3 ranks in any Dexterity- or Strength-based skill.

You lower the armor check by 3 for one Dexterity- or Strength-based skill of your choice. It goes up to 6 if ten ranks are in the skill and armor training two allows it for heavy armors as well.

Artful Dodge:
Prerequisite: Int 13.

You get a dodge bonus when you are the only one threatening an opponent. You also can use this as Dodge for prerequisites and can thereafter use Int instead of Dex to qualify for any feat that has a Dex score as a prerequisite.

:D

Juke:
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Mobility, Sidestep

You get a dodge bonus vs. charge attacks, and when the charge attack misses and the attacker ends up next to you, you swap places with him as an immediate action and are considered to be flanking him.

Leaping Evasion:
Prerequisites: Lightning Reflexes, evasion class feature.

When you succeed on a Reflex save vs. an area effect spell, you can make an immediate Acrobatics check to leap out of the area of effect.

Shrug On:
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, medium armor proficiency.

You can shrug on the biggest part of your armor as a full-round action so that you have at least some protection.

Steadfast Slayer:
You get a +2 bonus on damage for each size category your target is larger than you when you hit with a two handed weapon and are the only opponent threatening that target.

Oooh! Is Artful Dodge Pathfinder first "this feat counts as ___ for prerequisites" (I know 3.5 had a few latter in life and I think PF had some class abilities that do that, but no feats to my memory)?

Not many dex requiring feats that aren't ranged attack/TWF related though and many of the ones that do aren't great. I guess casters could get some mileage out of Wind Stance as it requires dodge anyways.

What's the AC bonus on it?
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
deuxhero wrote:

Oooh! Is Artful Dodge Pathfinder first "this feat counts as ___ for prerequisites" (I know 3.5 had a few latter in life)?

Not many dex requiring feats that aren't ranged attack/TWF related though and many of the ones that do aren't great. I guess casters could get some mileage out of Wind Stance as it requires dodge anyways.

What's the AC bonus on it?

Don't know if it is the first, but it is the first I have seen. The AC bonus is only +1 (same as Dodge), but obviously more limited. Still, you could take Dodge after taking this feat and it would stack, even if your Dex wasn't high enough.

Silver Crusade
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DM Sothal wrote:

Don't know as much about the rest of the companion, but I LOVE the back inside cover: "Combat options overview"!

Detailing what is what type of action, and detailing the differences between those: Free action, swift action, attack action, melee action, standard action, and full-round action.

That page alone is a heaven-sent.

Printing out this one for my players and myself...

Damn, that actually sounds terrific.

Is it possible to expand a little on the Kraken Style feats?
Scarab Sages Modules Overlord
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Sebastian Hirsch wrote:
DM Sothal wrote:

Don't know as much about the rest of the companion, but I LOVE the back inside cover: "Combat options overview"!

Detailing what is what type of action, and detailing the differences between those: Free action, swift action, attack action, melee action, standard action, and full-round action.

That page alone is a heaven-sent.

Printing out this one for my players and myself...

Damn, that actually sounds terrific.

Goodness I hope so. Writing that took forever.

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Lanowar wrote:
Is it possible to expand a little on the Kraken Style feats?

Hmmf. By spreading it our I'm detailing A LOT of these feats, but since it isn't all at once...

Kraken Style:
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +3 or monk level 3rd.

When you successfully make a grapple check on a target, it takes additional damage equal to your Wis modifier.

Kraken Throttle:
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Kraken Style, base attack bonus +5 or monk level 5th.

+2 to the damage done by Kraken Style and you can choke instead of damage, move, pin, or tie up.

Kraken Wrack:
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Kraken Style, base attack bonus +7 or monk level 7th.

+4 to the damage done by Kraken Style and you can crush your opponent, doing damage to armor or item held by that opponent, bypassing half the hardness and doing the same damage as an unarmed strike or natural weapon.

Is there any intentional* catch on Steadfast Slayer beyond the only one threatening it?

*Creatures threaten themselves and their allies, but the same oversight is in one of the cavalier abilities and nobody cares about it
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
deuxhero wrote:

Is there any intentional* catch on Steadfast Slayer beyond the only one threatening it?

*Creatures threaten themselves and their allies, but the same oversight is in one of the cavalier abilities and nobody cares about it

Not that I can see.

Silver Crusade
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
Sebastian Hirsch wrote:
DM Sothal wrote:

Don't know as much about the rest of the companion, but I LOVE the back inside cover: "Combat options overview"!

Detailing what is what type of action, and detailing the differences between those: Free action, swift action, attack action, melee action, standard action, and full-round action.

That page alone is a heaven-sent.

Printing out this one for my players and myself...

Damn, that actually sounds terrific.
Goodness I hope so. Writing that took forever.

Oh I am not saying that you and Paizo don't produce an appealing product, great even. I am just a bit unhappy when we get options that enable some pretty awesome concepts with appealing mechanics attached to them.... but they just end up so damn powerful that PFS and many GMs out there end up banning them (or the wording is so unclear, that table variation makes it impossible).

Before I started PFS, concerns like these literally never bothered me to that extend (but since I actually got to play Pathfinder outside of PFS a grand total of 4 times since the CRB was released, and now get to play at least once per week, I am a very happy man) but it just becomes annoying to see this situation.

I know that tremendous effort and love go into these products, but that makes it even harder to stomach, that softcovers like these apparently don't even have the chance to get a FAQ, not to mention Paizo's stance on errata.

For what it it's worth I am going to buy it, since the ranged pendant was quite a nice read, however the FAQ/errata issue still bothers me (It is not as bad as Wotc in the 3.5 era, but still a serious concern).

Artful Dodge sounds tasty. Reminds me of the old 3.X feats that did similar things (qualifying as another, commonly needed feat, but giving a different benefit). The Int-instead-of-Dex bonus is really nice to have as well.

We need more stuff like that.

Got Your Back seems like it'll be a good addition to those 'mega buff your buddy' builds. If there's room. Harrying Partners and Open Up too, even if they're likely to only be used by Cavaliers.

Gonna have to wait on the other stuff to see. If that Channeling shield ability is a flat +GP, it'll be totally worth it. Questionable if it takes a 'plus'.

Shaping up to be interesting, too bad I have to wait for a hard copy version around here. Still think the Ranged Tactics Toolbox had more options I like, but can't wait to see this!
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Arturius Fischer wrote:
Gonna have to wait on the other stuff to see. If that Channeling shield ability is a flat +GP, it'll be totally worth it. Questionable if it takes a 'plus'.

It's a flat +GP. No 'plus' involved! :D

A) What the heck is a Planson?

B) What's the Elven Branched Spear like?

Whats is:
Phalanx Formation
Press to the Wall
Redirect Attack ?
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Mythraine wrote:

Whats is:

Phalanx Formation
Press to the Wall
Redirect Attack ?

I don't recall the others, but Press to the Wall lets you treat an opponent as being flanked if you are the only one threatening them & they are immediately between you & a wall.

What's the wording on Stick Together? Trying to determine if it would be useful for my Inquisitor. Does it require you to begin adjacent to the ally? Do you have to end adjacent to the ally? etc etc.

Also, what are "Circling Mongoose" and "Mirror Move?" Thanks in advance.
Axial wrote:
A) What the heck is a Planson?

The plançon à picot, or simply plançon (also spelled planson).

According to Medieval Armor & Weapons, it looked like this...but no idea how reliable the website is.
Scarab Sages Modules Overlord
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Axial wrote:
A) What the heck is a Planson?

Planson is the simple spelling of "plançon à picot," which is a weapon a lot like a slightly long club with a big spike sticking out of the top so it can also be used as a short, broad-hafted spear.

Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
Axial wrote:
A) What the heck is a Planson?
Plansonis the simple spelling of "plançon à picot," which is a weapon a lot like a slightly long club with a big spike sticking out of the top so it can also be used as a short, broad-hafted spear.

That sounds a lot like a goedendag if I'm spelling it right. I remember that they were used by local militias against knights by the Flemings at the Battle of the Golden Spurs.

Feros wrote:
It's a flat +GP. No 'plus' involved! :D

WOOOO! Thanks, buddy! :D Totally happy with that, I loves me some Channelin goodness!

Wait, Artful Dodge lets you take ANY feat that asks for Dex but you can use Int instead, or is it only feats that have Dodge as a prerequisite?
Shadow Lodge

What's the machete get and the racial weapons?

I don't understand Shrug On can you explain it a bit more?
Barachiel Shina wrote:
Wait, Artful Dodge lets you take ANY feat that asks for Dex but you can use Int instead, or is it only feats that have Dodge as a prerequisite?

Note there are only 5 feats with a dex requirement and dodge prerequisite, and several of those have follow up feats.

Dex with Int is probably the least useful (After all 5 replacing con anyways) prerequisite replacement possible. There isn't a single non-caster class in first party PF with an int focus, and the only other characters who really like a high int are dex focused. Most feats with a dex requirement are ranged combat (still uses dex to hit), using you dex modifier for stuff, TWF (Requires the user be in combat. Alchemist is better off using mutagen for natural attacks. Maybe there are some investigators out there who could use it. Shame its yet another feat on a feat heavy build option) and some monk feats.
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Well, Brawler's Cunning + Artful Dodger seems like a nice option to get a few early abilities I guess, i.e. the ones requiring 13 dex? Or maybe a strength-based swashbuckler 1/paladin X or the like to take dexterity feats based off of your charisma?

It's really good for sword and board fighters who want to get all the shield and TWF feats, but also want to wear heavy armor. Switching to INT means you suddenly have skill points, and DEX isn't wasted because of your armor.

Also don't forget that you can key your Diplo, bluff, disable device and UMD off of INT. You could make a TWF fighter (Lore Warden?) with a huge amount of skills, very good bonuses everywhere, and still quite combat capable.

You can also grab some lower level utility feats (deflect arrows) with it.

Also, STR vivisectionist alchemists are going to love the hell out of that, if they want to go the TWF route instead of the natural attack route (or want to combine the two, that works too).

High INT STR rogue types can also TWF if they want now.

So it's a solid buff for a number of sub-par archetypes, at first glance.

Also, Wind stance FTW!
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