Pathfinder Player Companion: Weapon Master's Handbook (PFRPG)

Missed one melee style:
Spear Dancing style lets you treat any spear or polearm as a double weapon, with off-hand a light mace, losing reach and brace. Next feat lets you finesse it, and treat it as a quarterstaff for feats and abilities. Last feat gives you back reach as a swift action.

Oh, that's cool!

Am currently running Giantslayer for an dwarf-heavy party. Is there a patron deity thing for Torag?

Traits are mostly bonuses to attack, damage, or AC under various conditions. Some notable exceptions include

Am currently running Giantslayer for an dwarf-heavy party. Is there a patron deity thing for Torag?

Nope. Abadar, Calistria, Cayden, Gorum, Iomedae, and Zon-Kuthon only.

Only read select parts of my pdf so far (like ADVANCED WEAPON TRAINING) but looks like this is everything I hoped for & more.

Thank you Owen, Alex & everyone else who helped to make this one of the BEST player companions, hands down. :D

Empty quiver style lets you treat your ranged weapon as mace (heavy or light depends on weapon), and alternate melee/ranged attacks with it freely. Also lets you ignore elf racial requirement of stabbing shot. Next feat lets you use ranged attack feats that modify attack and damage rolls with your weapon in melee. You now threaten with the weapon as well. Last feat, after you hit a foe with a melee attack, your ranged attacks no longer provoke, and hitting with a melee attack lets you load a xbow or firearm if you have rapid reload.

Oh, a Bolt Ace would LOVE this.

That spear dancing style sounds like it will fit perfectly for my cleric of Shelyn.

That spear dancing style sounds like it will fit perfectly for my cleric of Shelyn.

I *think* it might be a little feat intensive for a cleric; you might need to multiclass to pull it off decently.

Only read select parts of my pdf so far (like ADVANCED WEAPON TRAINING) but looks like this is everything I hoped for & more.

Thank you Owen, Alex & everyone else who helped to make this one of the BEST player companions, hands down. :D

David Ross was the other contributing author. In addition to critiquing my work (we had a lot of idea bouncing), he wrote all of the archetypes, the divine combat techniques and traits, and the magic item focus rules (as well as some stuff I'm probably forgetting).

That said, you can see his touches on my work in some places and vice verse if you know where to look. For example, I wanted to make sure that a halfling could take both Startoss Style and the Sling combat style at the same time, so I asked Dave to find a way to give fighters a way to mix styles. The Varisian archetype was the result of that request. Likewise, a few of the Weapon Mastery feats were directly inspired by abilities that Dave requested of me.

And of course, Owen applied his trademark Rogue Genius Ronin Half-Golem polish to bring the whole product together!

I'm pretty much disappointed in what I read.

Racial style feats don't even include human.
Fighter archetype is pretty much a brawler and a monk master of many styles. The other archetype uses magic item feats. Neither archetype gets more skill points, or class skills in perception or acrobatics.

So humans don't get a racial style for a few reasons. First, human versatility really hurts them here; they have no iconic, traditional weapons they use, nor do they have any racial traits that really define their attitude in combat. Take a look at the racial styles: Orc is based on Orc weapons, dwarf on the hatred trait, and halflings on the warslinger trait.

If you wanted more skill ranks, I'm surprised that the versatile training advanced training doesn't interest you more; it's worth +2 skills per level per selection.

zergtitan wrote:

That spear dancing style sounds like it will fit perfectly for my cleric of Shelyn.

I *think* it might be a little feat intensive for a cleric; you might need to multiclass to pull it off decently.

Maybe a good fit for a Warpriest?

All I know is my next paladin is totally going to be a Tempered Champion of Saraneare. :)

Than thou shalt learn to write her name, lest thou be smitten.

Is the initial benefit of a Divine Fighting technique required to take the advanced benefit? e.g. Could a Paladin of Iomedae give up her 9th level mercy and gain the advanced benefit without having received the initial benefit?

Would someone be able to tell me which class features exactly are being altered or replaced by the Ilsurian Archer Ranger archetype?

Thanks in advance to anyone who might answer!

Would someone be able to tell me which class features exactly are being altered or replaced by the Ilsurian Archer Ranger archetype?

Thanks in advance to anyone who might answer!

Sure:

I've been pretty impressed reading through this, but when I got to Versatile Training I had to comment. This book is great. I'm glad for a lot of these options and reading through this has inspired me to go back and spruce up an elven fighter I've been neglecting.

dnoisette wrote:

Would someone be able to tell me which class features exactly are being altered or replaced by the Ilsurian Archer Ranger archetype?

Thanks in advance to anyone who might answer!

Sure:

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you very much!

Going to go ahead and post the weapon mastery feats, since those are one of the few things that haven't been mention yet. Overall, some are incredibly good (Burrowing Shot, Difficult Swings), some are meh. Feats require weapon training with either ranged or melee weapon and only apply to your weapon training group. There is a combat feat that lets you count as having weapon training in a single group for mastery feats and gives +1 damage to weapons of the group you selected.

Overall, I would say the ranged masteries are significantly better than the melee, and I would be hard pressed to take a melee mastery if I didn't already have weapon training.

Is the initial benefit of a Divine Fighting technique required to take the advanced benefit? e.g. Could a Paladin of Iomedae give up her 9th level mercy and gain the advanced benefit without having received the initial benefit?

If you have a way to ignore prerequisites, like a Paladin of Iomedae, then yes, you can get the advanced benefit without the initial.

Feats require weapon training with either ranged or melee weapon and only apply to your weapon training group. There is a combat feat that lets you count as having weapon training in a single group for mastery feats and gives +1 damage to weapons of the group you selected.

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **...

Yet another reason why Archer fighter sucks at archery compared to a core fighter... They don't qualify as having weapon training, and thus need a feat tax to take the ranged mastery feats.

Calth wrote:

Feats require weapon training with either ranged or melee weapon and only apply to your weapon training group. There is a combat feat that lets you count as having weapon training in a single group for mastery feats and gives +1 damage to weapons of the group you selected.

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **...

Yet another reason why Archer fighter sucks at archery compared to a core fighter... They don't qualify as having weapon training, and thus need a feat tax to take the ranged mastery feats.

Devil's advocate: Standard fighter needs to take Targeting feats in order to do ranged combat maneuvers. Nothing in the game can feint in range with the lone exception of the Gun Twirling feat.

Hmm...

Definitely going to have to see if my half elf bard will take a couple of levels of Swashbuckler for his Falcata (and finally have a PC who uses Multitalented.)

And I was going to rebuild one of my legacy tieflings out of Lore Warden... hmm...

This is for me one of the better recent player companions. The new feats and archetypes give me ideas for several new characters or better ways of implementing existing ideas.

This is for me one of the better recent player companions. The new feats and archetypes give me ideas for several new characters or better ways of implementing existing ideas.

I agree, I think this companion was really well done. It does a very nice job of increasing the viability of a huge number of concepts without increasing the overall power level of the game.

So can anyone describe the non-magical, non-weaboo flight in this book?

So can anyone describe the non-magical, non-weaboo flight in this book?

It was mentioned earlier under the magic item mastery. If you are wearing a magic item made using a transmutation spell, a feat grants a number of uses a day of the flight spell. So its pseudo-magic. The book says you are using your force of will to manipulate existing magic rather than generating new magic.

Insain Dragoon wrote:

So can anyone describe the non-magical, non-weaboo flight in this book?

It was mentioned earlier under the magic item mastery. If you are wearing a magic item made using a transmutation spell, a feat grants a number of uses a day of the flight spell. So its pseudo-magic. The book says you are using your force of will to manipulate existing magic rather than generating new magic.

So say I am playing a class that isn't a fighter, how many feats do I need to invest?

Calth wrote:

Insain Dragoon wrote:

So can anyone describe the non-magical, non-weaboo flight in this book?

It was mentioned earlier under the magic item mastery. If you are wearing a magic item made using a transmutation spell, a feat grants a number of uses a day of the flight spell. So its pseudo-magic. The book says you are using your force of will to manipulate existing magic rather than generating new magic.

So say I am playing a class that isn't a fighter, how many feats do I need to invest?

1

Oh, ok that's exciting!

Human Fighter wrote:

I'm pretty much disappointed in what I read.

Racial style feats don't even include human.
Fighter archetype is pretty much a brawler and a monk master of many styles. The other archetype uses magic item feats. Neither archetype gets more skill points, or class skills in perception or acrobatics.

So humans don't get a racial style for a few reasons. First, human versatility really hurts them here; they have no iconic, traditional weapons they use, nor do they have any racial traits that really define their attitude in combat. Take a look at the racial styles: Orc is based on Orc weapons, dwarf on the hatred trait, and halflings on the warslinger trait.

If you wanted more skill ranks, I'm surprised that the versatile training advanced training doesn't interest you more; it's worth +2 skills per level per selection.

Dumb question, does that versatile training skill bonus stack with the new skill points per level you gave fighters in Everyman Unchained: Skills and Options?

Alexander Augunas wrote:

Human Fighter wrote:

I'm pretty much disappointed in what I read.

Racial style feats don't even include human.
Fighter archetype is pretty much a brawler and a monk master of many styles. The other archetype uses magic item feats. Neither archetype gets more skill points, or class skills in perception or acrobatics.

So humans don't get a racial style for a few reasons. First, human versatility really hurts them here; they have no iconic, traditional weapons they use, nor do they have any racial traits that really define their attitude in combat. Take a look at the racial styles: Orc is based on Orc weapons, dwarf on the hatred trait, and halflings on the warslinger trait.

If you wanted more skill ranks, I'm surprised that the versatile training advanced training doesn't interest you more; it's worth +2 skills per level per selection.

Dumb question, does that versatile training skill bonus stack with the new skill points per level you gave fighters in Everyman Unchained: Skills and Options?

Each weapon group has two skills associated with it. You can take Versatile Training to count those as class skills and use your BAB in place of skill ranks for those. (Any skill ranks you do have in them are retrained for free.) In addition, instead of picking the weapon group's two skills, you can instead get Intimidate and Bluff. Since you can take Versatile Training twice, that also means that you can do both with only one weapon group.

Last thing that hasn't been covered are the weapon tricks. I covered the SnB tricks earlier, but Ill get to the rest now. A combat feat grants access to one category of tricks, can be taken multiple times for different tricks. Each trick has its own additional prerequisites, typically a combat feat, BAB, skill ranks, or some combination.

Some of the tricks are pretty meh, but some (take 10 on demoralize checks yes please) are definitely worth the entry feat.

Alexander Augunas wrote:

Human Fighter wrote:

I'm pretty much disappointed in what I read.

Racial style feats don't even include human.
Fighter archetype is pretty much a brawler and a monk master of many styles. The other archetype uses magic item feats. Neither archetype gets more skill points, or class skills in perception or acrobatics.

So humans don't get a racial style for a few reasons. First, human versatility really hurts them here; they have no iconic, traditional weapons they use, nor do they have any racial traits that really define their attitude in combat. Take a look at the racial styles: Orc is based on Orc weapons, dwarf on the hatred trait, and halflings on the warslinger trait.

If you wanted more skill ranks, I'm surprised that the versatile training advanced training doesn't interest you more; it's worth +2 skills per level per selection.

Dumb question, does that versatile training skill bonus stack with the new skill points per level you gave fighters in Everyman Unchained: Skills and Options?

This'd be a better question for my 3PP's product page, and ultimately that's up to your GM.

That said, if a bard is allowed to have 6 + Int skill ranks AND multiple versatile performances (easily putting it equal to or above the effective skill ranks of the rogue, depending on the bard's selections), then I don't think its a problem for the fighter to have both. As a matter of fact, the skill rank boost is STILL good for fighters who can't pick that advanced training.

Last thing that hasn't been covered are the weapon tricks. I covered the SnB tricks earlier, but Ill get to the rest now. A combat feat grants access to one category of tricks, can be taken multiple times for different tricks. Each trick has its own additional prerequisites, typically a combat feat, BAB, skill ranks, or some combination.

** spoiler omitted **...

Is there anything in this book that will help me make an effective "martial scholar" type, who utilizes high int and knowledge checks?

Is there anything in this book that will help me make an effective "martial scholar" type, who utilizes high int and knowledge checks?

Elven Battle Focus: Int to damage instead of any other score with Longsword, Rapier, or any weapon with "elven" in it's name while using Elven Battle Style feat.

Synergises very will with a Lore Warden and Elven Branched Spear.

Is there anything in this book that will help me make an effective "martial scholar" type, who utilizes high int and knowledge checks?

Isn´t the Investigator already this ?

... okay so someone tell me I'm reading Empty Quiver Flexibility wrong because as written I can Power Attack, Deadly Aim and Rapid Shot on a melee attack, and as a Mysterious Stranger gunslinger also add Charisma and Charisma to damage in addition to my Strength and pay a grit to get half even if I miss.

Sumutherguy wrote:

Is there anything in this book that will help me make an effective "martial scholar" type, who utilizes high int and knowledge checks?

Isn´t the Investigator already this ?

Only partially. The "knowledge to combat effectiveness" talent they get is very limited, and they utilize intelligence in a clearly magical way that goes beyond "martial scholar" into "magician-scholar" territory. I'm thinking something more like the Student of War PrC.

Elven Battle Focus: Int to damage instead of any other score with Longsword, Rapier, or any weapon with "elven" in it's name while using Elven Battle Style feat.

Synergises very will with a Lore Warden and Elven Branched Spear.

Oh, excellent! I've been wanting to make a smarty-pants spear fighter for awhile.

... okay so someone tell me I'm reading Empty Quiver Flexibility wrong because as written I can Power Attack, Deadly Aim and Rapid Shot on a melee attack, and as a Mysterious Stranger gunslinger also add Charisma and Charisma to damage in addition to my Strength and pay a grit to get half even if I miss.

Mysterious stranger abilities do not apply, as you are not making firearm attacks if you are using it as a mace. But yes you could power attack, deadly aim, and rapid shot in melee with huge attack penalties from them and a really bad base weapon.

Can a warpriest of Gorum replace a bonus feat to gain Gorum's Swordmanship? WP bonus feats count as Fighter feats, so I would say yes, but RAW, it appears to be only Fighters or Barbarians.

FedoraFerret wrote:

... okay so someone tell me I'm reading Empty Quiver Flexibility wrong because as written I can Power Attack, Deadly Aim and Rapid Shot on a melee attack, and as a Mysterious Stranger gunslinger also add Charisma and Charisma to damage in addition to my Strength and pay a grit to get half even if I miss.

Mysterious stranger abilities do not apply, as you are not making firearm attacks if you are using it as a mace. But yes you could power attack, deadly aim, and rapid shot in melee with huge attack penalties from them and a really bad base weapon.

Yeah, so in order to do all of this you'll need the following feats:

So that's eight feats, meaning a 6th-level human fighter could pull it off. Or a 9th-level human ranger.

So yeah, its not particularly easy to do and you're rewarded for your troubles with a –6 penalty on attack rolls in order to deal +12 damage with your now-mace. (Or +14 if you use the ranged weapon in two hands.)

Its certainly a lot of damage, but a –6 penalty is also a pretty noteworthy penalty at Level 10. Especially on a melee attack.

Can a warpriest of Gorum replace a bonus feat to gain Gorum's Swordmanship? WP bonus feats count as Fighter feats, so I would say yes, but RAW, it appears to be only Fighters or Barbarians.

Anyone can take a feat to get a divine fighting style. They just have to meet the prerequisites to get the advanced ability. Warpriests can trade blessings to get the abilities while ignoring prerequisites.

Imbicatus wrote:

Can a warpriest of Gorum replace a bonus feat to gain Gorum's Swordmanship? WP bonus feats count as Fighter feats, so I would say yes, but RAW, it appears to be only Fighters or Barbarians.

Anyone can take a feat to get a divine fighting style. They just have to meet the prerequisites to get the advanced ability. Warpriests can trade blessings to get the abilities while ignoring prerequisites.

Nice, I missed that on first read-through. It looks like there will be a Gorumite Molthuni Arsenal Champion in my future.

I gotta say, this book has given me more new ideas than any this far with the possible exception of Occult Origins. Those two have really knocked the ball out of the park- great job Paizo!

I don't believe there's a single style chain in the book that I don't like and have immediately started coming up with ideas for. The weapon training sections are great and really give fighters some great stuff. The weapon masteries allowing you to cut spells out of the air? Pure gold.

Spear dancing warpriests..maybe even monks? Overwatch Style crossbowman fighter? Startoss Shield Champion brawler? Gnome Vexing Devil Mesmerist?

This here is why I already have so many PFS characters

Wow, there is so much to digest in here. The bland, gritty feeling I had in my mouth after reading "Black Markets" has been replaced by savory, mouth-watering pleasure.

I'm not sure I'm seeing the sword-and-shield support I was hoping for, but there are so many things that I would have never expected. I recently started a Bloodrager/Lore-Warden and I can't wait to recalculate what I might be capable of with that character now.

Is there anything in this book that will help me make an effective "martial scholar" type, who utilizes high int and knowledge checks?

Have you considered Lore Warden Fighter going into Duelist? It gives you a very smart fighter with extra skill points who gets an AC bonus from his intelligence later on.

So, Advanced Weapon Training has been mentioned to have an option:

So, Advanced Weapon Training has been mentioned to have an option:

** spoiler omitted **

It's one of two ways. Finesse Training is the easier way, but it's fighter only. Spear Dancer style can do it too and be take by anyone, but it is much more feat intensive.

I'm not sure I'm seeing the sword-and-shield support I was hoping for, but there are so many things that I would have never expected.

Check out the Weapon and Shield weapon tricks. Those are awesome for a sword and board character. Always take 10 on Feint checks, trigger an AoO bash on a successful feint, and the ability to move through threatened squares without provoking?

Sign me up!

Xethik wrote:

So, Advanced Weapon Training has been mentioned to have an option:

** spoiler omitted **

It's one of two ways. Finesse Training is the easier way, but it's fighter only. Spear Dancer style can do it too and be take by anyone, but it is much more feat intensive.

By 'fighter only' do you mean it requires weapon training or effective levels in fighter for feat prerequisites or actual levels in fighter?