When titling this book, we had to find an appropriate phrase, and “gonzo” was the only one that gave us a perfect fit. This book looks at the Pathfinder system as being more malleable in terms of inspiration and tone; that is to say, designers and players can use this book to inject a heavy dose of other genres and aesthetics into what would normally be a traditional (somewhat Tolkien-inspired) fantasy game. That being said, these classes are a bit “out there.”
This Kickstarter funded, extensively playtested, and lovingly put together book is the result of over a year of work. This book represents the weirdest, most out of the box, stuff you can find in Pathfinder.
Not sure? Check out our 40 page preview PDF!
Included:
A section on improvisational roleplaying and GMing.
This book clocks in at 419 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 3 pages of SRD, leaving us with...414 pages of content.
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WTF, 419-pages?? Seriously, I had various iterations of the playtest-doc since last year. It's the only reason you're seeing this review NOW. This has been moved forward on my review-queue as a prioritized review...and doing so was smart, for this book has been in circulation among playtest classes for more than a few months This is seriously the biggest book of CRUNCH I have ever reviewed, even taking the one-column layout into account...and it would completely break my format. So how to review this?
All right, let's establish some standards, shall we? I am not going to go into an in-depth analysis break-down of each ability, since that would bloat this review to an extent that helps no one. Instead, I will give you a brief class-by-class breakdown and then provide my general assessment of it, all right? Great!
The architect is a 3/4 BAB-progression class with a good Will saving-throw, d8 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. These guys let you create towers based on environments present, with a scaling number of active towers at a given time. He may also choose to summon improved versions at 5th level - these count as two towers active. Towers are created as a standard actions and have different base stats depending on resources used in construction. Beyond that, they have a mobile weapon's platform. Gravity-towers, elemental towers...quite a lot of types are provided and the class has 3 capstone super-towers...though presentation here is slightly inconsistent - the table erroneously calls these "citadel cannon" instead of grand tower and one of them has a somewhat not really required reference to a tower being only a possible choice at 20th level - which already is the case for the whole category and makes the presentation slightly more confusing. The titan archetype is a full BAB one and uses towers to supplement his increasingly mechanical body and gaining size and towers to be added to the body - complex and unique.
The atomic adept is a 3/4 BAB class with a good Fortitude saving throw, d8 HD, 4 + Int skill points, and 6th level casting - with a unique twist: While the class has an extremely small Int-governed spell list, they are defined by radiation: These guys are kinda like warlock-y type of blasters, with scaling rays that inflict radiation damage (treated like negative energy, minus option to heal undead). Here's the interesting component, though: These blasts can only be performed safely a number of times per day; any blast thereafter inflicts double the amount of rads on the atomic adept. Spells also influence the rad count with a somewhat chaotic chance of incurring a meltdown against himself. The higher the rad count a creature has, the more severe the negative conditions incurred, with rest, spells etc. being capable of reducing rad-count. Sufficient natural or regular armor also reduces rads incurred. This class is odd - there are VERY powerful talents that let you gain full progression for the blasts, for example...but at the same time, you may inflict this damage upon yourself when suffering a meltdown...and while the class has not the finesse of e.g. the Interjection Games ethermagic-system, the overall balancing of the class is interesting in that it can pull off a lot of powerful blasts, but is very limited in their function. Personally, I gravitate to more customization, though I do believe that the rad-system has a lot to offer - via other classes and expansions, there is a ton of potential here. That, and I do like the chaotic nature of spellcasting here. The mad bomber replaces nuclear strike with radiation damage dealing bombs as an alchemist - which may, due to the daily limit of bombs, be more suitable for less high-powered games...though there is some issue regarding blowing all bombs at once. If the bombs were intended to not have a daily cap, then this needs some balance-finetuning - unlimited bombs = better damage output than the base class. Overall my least favorite class in the book and the one I can see having the most issues.
The battle butler (or battle maid) is a full BAB class with good Reflex- and Will- saves, d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points that treats expensive clothes as armor. They specialize in Dex-based and are somewhat bodygaurd-ish, choosing a creature as their contract and defending them. More become available at higher levels they can select more people. Unlike many full BAB-classes, they have a bunch of non-combat utility tricks, including massages that can get rid of exhaustion/heal attribute damage. And yes, the ability has anti-abuse caveats. What about perfect memory? The interesting component with the class would be the service meter - this meter fluctuates when the master is struck and oscillates between providing bonuses (or penalty) to critical hit confirmation rolls and damage bonuses - the interesting component here is that the class gets damage-bonuses when they also have penalties to critical confirmation rolls. The table and system are simple and play rather interestingly. The class also features the new butler weapon group and several appropriately-themed weapons. This will make a whole lot of Otakus very happy! If you haven't noticed, btw.: The battle butler does undergo a rigid conditioning - and sometimes, something goes wrong - cue in the rapscallion archetype, who begin with empty service meters, but may exert more control over them.
The chessmaster gets 3/4 BAB-progression with good Reflex and Will saves, d8 HD, and 8 + Int skill points. They utilize edge points gained in combat and skill challenges and providing advice to allies actually yields results - the perfect class for all the "I know better than you where to place your character on the grid"-type of players...and providing bonuses makes listening, for once, viable and also gain edge points when their suggestion is carried out. These points they can use to return the favor by giving that action a boost via edge points- and yes, this may actually result in proper teamwork. They also get the option to set-up gambits, with prereqs, costs, triggers and effects - higher levels unlock new gambits and allow for new customizations of old ones. Interesting: At higher levels, the chessmaster can provvide advice to the enemies - when the enemy follows the advice, the chessmaster gains edge points; if not, the chessmaster can penalize him. Very interesting mastermind/tactician-style class. The trickster archetype swaps two abilities and replaces plans and coordination with a limited spell list.
The chimney sweep is a full BAB class with good Fortitude- and Reflex-saves, d10 HD and 4 + Int skills per level. They gain soot points via chimney sweeping, which they can use to create concealment at first, and gain other benefits at higher levels. They can see through fog, mist, and soot without penalty, and gain various tricks based on soot - generally, think of these guys as polearm/concealment fighters and soot-point based bonus precision damage. Okay, but very limited specialist.
The croupier gets full BAB-progression with a good Reflex and Will save, d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. The croupier receives the Sense, which makes hostile attacks of ever-increasing natural attack rolls fail - e.g. natural 2s. When a foe misses him, he gains Sense points, which may then be expended to modify e.g. d20 rolls: Think of the mechanic as somewhat akin to a Charisma-based version of grit, but based on being missed. Additionally, weapons like pool cues and cards are part of the deal - and important: The class can conjure forth cards and throw them at foes, with the suits becoming relevant when chosen via one of the class's talents - with e.g. hearts offering healing, clubs debuffs, etc. Billiard-based combat tricks and chaotic firearm use or limited bardic abilities complement a chaotic, but interesting class. Archetype-wise, the cheater can use his tricks to influence the rolls of others - basically, the more misfortune-themed variant of the class. The second archetype, the pool shark, would be the specialist who manifests a cue ball of force energy, usable in conjunction with a couple of unique rounder talents...including a mechanically novel crazy eight ball that may suddenly change course...
The davatti gains full BAB-progression and good Fortitude- and Reflex-save-progression, d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. The interesting point here being that they can move 4-dimensionally - in the directions of ana and kata - to illustrate the concept for 3D-thinking: Imagine you're a denizen of Flatland (2D) and can move into the depth or height of your world - 4D-movement works similarly, but obviously lacks as poignant an illustration since our own perception is attuned to 3D. Mechanics-wise, this class can be summed up as the perfect skirmisher - since they can short-burst teleport/4D-move to just about any space, they are supremely agile and make hit and run tactics pretty awesome; since their4D-movement is still restricted by movement-type, this movement can't be cheesed. Also truly intriguing: Non-4D movement charges their "manabar", i.e. the points they can expend to modify their tricks via talents and the like. That's not all, however - the class also sports a highly customizable "nth blade", which interacts in some instances with these mechanics - basically, we get a skirmisher with a highly customizable blade type. Pretty impressive class! The archetype for this class provided would be the deja-vin - instead of using their powers to phase around, these guys can try to force creatures to repeat their previous actions to the best of their abilities, including, obviously, modified warp talents.
The dynamancer gets full BAB-progression and a good Will saving throw, d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. Inspired by Gurren Lagann et al., they can fire beams of love...that deal love damage. Evil foes take more damage from this, but have an easier time saving against it. The interesting component, here, is momentum - being hit (or hitting a foe) grants the class momentum, while it also may expend said points...and even go negative, incurring penalties for doing so. And no, can't be cheesed/kitten'd. In combat, the class has a BAB that is different from the listed amount, clocking in at CR of the opponent, with class level +3 (later: class level +5) being the caps. Aforementioned love ray can be supplemented and expanded upon over the levels to result in compulsions and signature styles (including gender fluidity of those hit or breakdancing). Additionally, the gain handicaps, which allow for different uses of momentum - blind dynamancers can spend momentum to gain blindsight for a limited time-frame, for example. They also get an aura at higher levels that prevents creatures with a low Charisma from approaching them and a sufficiently whacky capstone. Archetype-wise, there is a somewhat tactician-y one, the greaser, who may lend signature styles to allies, for example.
The guide has 1/2 BAB-progression, good Reflex and Will saves, d4 HD (no, you have not misread!), and 8 + Int skill points. Have you seen the infamously stupid D&D cartoon and thought the GM as a character was a good idea? Have you ever played Ocarina of Time and NOT wanted to bash Navi's wispy bauble to smithereens? Well, there are guides. Guides serve the Storyteller, who prefers happy endings and thus sends out these fellows to guide heroes. Hence the name. These guides can change into tiny bubbles (with elemental traits) - even though the text confusingly once states that their form is diminutive and can basically provide all those support tricks: Mage Hand, Knock, high-level limited wishes, 1/day raise dead at the cost of being reduced to -1 HP, swift/immediate action cures - think of these guys as the support globe that hopefully isn't as annoying as the more infamous rendition in video games. Balance-wise, these guys are very fragile and their limited offense capabilities make them an uncommon playing experience. Unassisted flight at 1st level may prove to be problematic for some campaigns, though admittedly, the fragility of the class does help here a bit - a few well-placed arrows and you had a guide... One note: At 2nd level, these guys may cast magic missile at will, providing an easy and convenient way for very reliable damage. Depending on the precise nature of your campaign, this could prove to be an issue, thought it won't be in most. Fairy godmothers replace bauble form and some tricks with Cha-based spellcasting from the cleric's list and generally is a significant change of the feeling of the class.
The henchling gets full BAB-progression and good Fortitude saves, as well as d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points per level. The class is pretty ingenious in that it takes the old "who carries the loot"-discussion and puts an end to it: These guys do. Not penalized by encumbrance, they are superb at carrying huge amounts of gear...and actually benefit from it: You see, the primary weapon of these guys is the pack - basically, they can enchant their back packs, bags or the like and are particularly adept at bludgeoning foes to death with all the loot gathered. Interesting: Melee splash damage...and yes, you actually WANT to carry around increasing amounts of gear, since the higher your level, the higher the bonus damage for progressively higher weights carried around will be. Damn cool idea and uncomplicated, easy to grasp execution. Archetype-wise, the merchant, a rather complex one, can provide a significant number of quality of life improvements and the option to ferret out rewards for things/foes defeated is interesting as well.
The henshin hero is a full BAB class and has good Fortitude- and Will-save-progression, d10 HD, and gets 4 + Int skill points per level. These guys have a trinket à la Power Rangers that allows them to assume a special form a limited amount of rounds per day; while thus transformed, they gain tension points for passing rounds and defeated foes. These points act as a resource to power special tricks, including enhancers to the bonus damage-dealing finishers. The talents of the class include mounts, better action economy, explosive finishers and transformations - the whole array of tricks you know from the genre. Beyond the modularity this framework offers, the henshin hero also may choose one from a metric ton of leitmotifs, which cover bases from space to the alignment axes - these basically act as somewhat order-like/bloodline-like ability-suites that unlock new tricks at higher levels and provide modifications of the aforementioned finisher moves. Morph rangers are, obviously, more teamwork focused.
The magical girl gets 3/4-BAB-progression, good Fortitude- and Will-saves, d8 HD, 4 + Int skill points, and 6th level Cha-based spontaneous spellcasting. Magical girls are a hybrid between the henshin hero and the magus classes, and thus also gain a transformation as well the ability to gain and use tension, with finishers being untyped damage-blasts. Her motif acts more like a witch's patron, essentially a list of bonus spells. They also gain spell combat and some magical girl powers that blend magus arcana and hero powers and may expend transformation rounds to power spellcasting or dispel effects. Interesting: They can modify their finisher to work as AoE- basically, Sailor Moon, the class. The magical girl and henshin hero may btw. modify their trinkets via the empathetic device archetype to make their defining trinkets slightly sentient. Fused heroes, in the meantime, do not have such trinkets at all, working via different attributes and gaining a unique overdrive state, which can prove to be rather risky.
Part II of my massive review can be found in the product discussion. See you there!
I can't find the preview pdf, has it not been posted yet?
On an unrelated note, this product sounds awesome! I've been looking for a way to incorporate DragonMech into pathfinder and/or play Pacific Rim in pathfinder, and this could be a potential answer!
The architect is a 3/4 BAB class with a good Will save, a d8 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They specialize in summoning magical towers in various squares that either create special effects and/or the architect can use to attack enemies with.
The atomic adept is a 3/4 BAB class with a good Fortitude save, a d8 HD, 4 + Int skill points, and 6th level casting. They have an extremely small spell list as well as allowing them to fire off nuclear blasts and other atomic-themed abilities, however instead of spells per day, they instead take 'rads', which are also inflicted on their targets, which become increasingly debilitating depending on how many rads they have.
The battle butler (or sometimes battle maid) is a full BAB class with a good Reflex and Will save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They specialize in Dex-based combat while in fancy outfits, choosing a character as their contract and defending them, though at higher levels they can select more people. They also have a number of minor but flavorful abilities to reflect their butler/maid abilities. Comes with some butler-themed weapons.
The chessmaster is a 3/4 BAB class with a good Reflex and Will save, a d8 HD, and 8 + Int skill points. They utilize edge points gained in battle - and sometimes very intensive skill checks - to perform various gambits. They can suggest courses of actions to their allies, gaining edge points when their suggestion if carried out, and can return the favor by giving that action a boost by spending an edge point. They also get a number of attacks of opportunity and can grant more to others, as well as gaining various talents and other thematic abilities.
The chimney sweep is a full BAB class with a good Fortitude and Reflex save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They gain soot points via chimney sweeping, which they can use to create concealment at first, and gain other benefits at higher levels. They can see through fog, mist, and soot without penalty, and gain various tricks. In general they specialize in attacking with reach weapons out of concealment.
The croupier is a full BAB class with a good Reflex and Will save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They're essentially gamblers who utilize luck and chance to boost themselves or others, allowing them to be useful in a support role as well as potentially in battle...they're a bit complicated to explain, but that's the gist.
The davatti is a full BAB class with a good Fortitude and Reflex save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They can teleport short distances at-will, but not while wearing heavier than light armor or a buckler or when denied their Dexterity bonus to AC or while restrained. However, they gain points by moving around normally (without teleporting) and lose them if they stay still for too long. They can create a blade out of distorted space, which they can learn to customize via various talents, as well as gaining various talents related to warping space.
The dynamancer is a full BAB class with a good Will save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They thrive on challenge, using their momentum to rise to almost any challenge in or out of combat, able to use that momentum to compel other people to act in certain ways, fire beams of pure love at them, using various styles and handicaps, slapping some sense into someone, and other such...essentially, a class all about being hot-blooded.
The guide is a 1/2 BAB class with a good Reflex and Will save, a d4 HD (yes...d4), and 8 + Int skill points. They are essentially Navi from Ocarina of Time...empowered by an enigmatic fairy king known as The Storyteller, to go out and make events more dramatic, sometimes even to both sides, though he prefers happy endings. They can transform into a tiny flying bauble that grants various defensive abilities, while losing almost all offensive ability, and many of their abilities can only be used in this form. While in this form they can also aid others in various (magical) ways, such as granting them bonuses, stabilizing creatures, locking or unlocking doors, and similar abilities, which they gain more of as they level up. They do get the ability to fire magical bolts while in their bauble form, so they do have some offensive ability. Essentially the ultimate support character.
The henchling is a full BAB class with a good Fortitude save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They can carry far more than an average person, and are never slowed down by armor or encumberance. They can stuff far more than a non-henchling into packs, and even use them as improvised weapons, which they gain special bonuses to use, and eventually they're massive enough to hit multiple targets nearby with the same attack. They also gain a number of appropriately henchling-type abilities as they level up.
The henshin hero is a full BAB class with a good Fortitude and Will save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They gain a transformation trinket that they can use to assume an armored form for a limited number of rounds per day. While transformed, he can build tension, beginning by transforming and adding by taking down his foes, spending it all in one fell swoop with a finishing move. As they level up, they gain hero powers that can add more ways to gain and spend tension, as well as other various abilities. Each henshin hero has a motif, such as Chaos, Dragon, Luck, Space, Speed, and plenty more, which modifies their finishing move and grants additional abilities, rather like a sorcerer or bloodrager's bloodline.
The magical girl is a 3/4 BAB class with a good Fortitude and Will save, a d8 HD, 4 + Int skill points, and 6th level casting. They are a hybrid between the henshin hero and the magus, gaining a transformation trinket and a more magically-themed finishing move, as well the ability to gain and use tension. Her motif acts more like a witch's patron, essentially a list of bonus spells. They also gain spell combat and some magical girl powers that blend magus arcana and hero powers.
The monster cowboy is a full BAB class with a good Fortitude and Reflex save, a d10 HD, and 6 + Int skill points. They gain the gunslinger's gunsmith ability, a monstrous companion that acts like an animal companion, and gain the ability to ride pretty much anything except a humanoid (though monstrous humanoids are okay), even if they're not willing, though initially they can't control them...later on, however, they can attempt to force it to do as he wants with a Handle Animal check, though it is a mind-affecting effect. They also gain the ability to do extra tricks with lassos, get an ability similar to grit, and the ability to brand creatures to make it harder for them to resist him.
The multiman is a 3/4 BAB class with a good Reflex save, a d8 HD, and 2 + Int skill points. Their main ability is creating clones, which they can do a limited number of times per day, and can only have one at a time out to begin with. As they level up, they can have more clones. The clones are fragile, fairly limited in what they can do, and easily dismissed to begin with, but as the multiman levels up, they become sturdier and gain more abilities, while the multiman and his clones learn to work with each other more efficiently, as well as learning how to create customized clones with special abilities.
The phantom thief is a 3/4 BAB class with good Reflex and Will saves, a d8 HD, 6 + Int skill points, and 6th-level spellcasting. They are a hybrid of the rogue and the bard, gaining a pool of panache, the ability to fight more effectively in light or no armor, and the ability to spend panache to sneak attack. They later gain a number of tricks to allow them to steal various non-physical things, amongst other abilities.
The sparkle princess is a 3/4 BAB class with good Fortitude and Will save, a d10 HD, 2 + Int skill points, and 4th-level spellcasting. They are savage killers who have gained their powers by fighting devils in a demiplane of Hell called Candyland ruled by the Chocolate King, where everything is sweet and the devils assume cute forms, tempting children into the plane where most are either devoured or pressed into hard labor. They utilize the power of 'sparkles' to utilize special snowflake powers and perform atrocities. They also gain an animal companion or can establish a bond with their allies. Information on the demiplane is provided.
The thread maiden is a 3/4 BAB class with a good Will save, a d8 HD, 6 + Int skill points, and 6th-level spellcasting. They can see the threads of fate, which they can tug, snip, or knit together to perform various feats, altering objects, magic, creatures, space, and even fate itself. Their ability to deal damage normally is low, but they're very good at controlling combat and helping set up their allies.
Finally, the undermaw is a full BAB class with a good Fortitude save, a d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. They are ruled by gluttony and hunger, and gain a powerful bite attack as well as the ability to inhale so hard it draws people towards their gnashing maw, but their hunger is never truly satisfied...even magic cannot help. They gain a number of other abilities as they progress, making their bite more deadly, allowing them to exhale to push people away, and and even the ability to devour magic itself.
Grabbed this the other day and I have to say, just on a skim through these classes look like quite a bit of fun. I can't wait to take a nice hard look at them.
Just to clarify, as I understand it, the multiman's clones can never use a supernatural ability, only a spell or spell-like ability, as well as the other initial concepts listed? I was considering a kitsune multiman, using the concept for bunshin associated with many yokai for flavor, but realized the clones wouldn't be able to make use of the change shape ability on closer inspection. On the other hand, I would speculate that a clone is a duplicate of the multiman as he currently is? So, if a hypothetical kitsune (or reptoid or what have you) character made a clone in their human form, then transformed into their kitsune form, the clone would still look like their human form? Or would their clone always be of their true form regardless of their current appearance?
Though I suppose this also leads to weird niche interactions with the disguise skill and possibly even what happens if the multiman is under a polymorph effects when creating clones (since change shape functions as a polymorph spell). After all, many polymorph spells are buffs, so it seems odd to allow that to continue to the clone, but then you get into a multiman who gets hit with a baleful polymorph, so if that was outside of the effect, then could he attack normally with clones while hiding as a squirrel/hamster/what have you? Presuming he made his second save, of course. Should duration matter?
Bit of an oddball niche, I know, but certainly curious about the intent here, even if I'm sure most people won't be playing a multiman with change shape.
As far as I understand, the clone's appearance when it duplicates corresponds to that you sport when creating the clone.
Yeah, that would definitely be my guess based on what's said, but I figured it can't hurt to ask if that's the intent. I'm a big fan of the multiman concept, and really want to try one out. Well. I'm a big fan of a lot of the classes in this book!
I playtested the hell out of multiman...and it actually proved to be one of the more unique concepts in the book...and worked surprisingly smooth in play.
I playtested the hell out of multiman...and it actually proved to be one of the more unique concepts in the book...and worked surprisingly smooth in play.
Glad to hear it...and yeah, can definitely imagine, given action economy it's hard to nail a concept like this, but it's great they managed it. It's definitely one of my favorites, conceptually, and looks like a blast to play.
Endzeitgeist is correct. (From the text) "Only a single spell, spell-like ability, or spell completion item may be completed or activated per round. It may originate from the prime multiman or one of his clones." So technically, yes a close could activate a SU/SP change shape ability- though it would be only one per round.
Endzeitgeist is correct. (From the text) "Only a single spell, spell-like ability, or spell completion item may be completed or activated per round. It may originate from the prime multiman or one of his clones." So technically, yes a close could activate a SU/SP change shape ability- though it would be only one per round.
Well, a supernatural ability isn't a spell, spell-like ability, or a spell completion item, nor is it an attack, movement, or using an item, which is why I got the impression that they can't use supernatural abilities, though since they gain the multiman's statistics I presumed that they could benefit from passive ones. However, I'm certainly happy to hear otherwise!
Edit: I was also assuming they can't use style feats, since it takes a swift action to enter one, and that's not listed as one of the actions you can take each turn...was that a correct assumption?
The prime multiman could use a style feat. The clones could not as it's not a listed action they can take (as you stated- those are the ONLY actions they can take).
For some reason I read SP and put SP/SU. Yeah, if it's SU you couldn't. It's not one of the listed actons.
The prime multiman could use a style feat. The clones could not as it's not a listed action they can take (as you stated- those are the ONLY actions they can take).
For some reason I read SP and put SP/SU. Yeah, if it's SU you couldn't. It's not one of the listed actions.
Ah, okay, that's what I had thought, based on the entry. And yeah, Change Shape is a supernatural ability, even though it emulates a spell in some ways. I definitely like the idea of a kitsune multiman for pure flavor.
The monster cowboy gets full BAB and good Fortitude- and Reflex-saves, d10 HD, and 6 + Int skill points. They gain the gunslinger's gunsmith ability and, more importantly, a monstrous companion that acts like an animal companion (though the list is expanded to include e.g. gorgons, hydras or shambling mounds...), and gain the ability to ride pretty much anything you can imagine: With the exception of humanoids, incorporeal undead and oozes - even if they're not willing. While initially, this is done mainly to hassle the foes and gain advantages over them, things change once steel points enter the fray; these can be used to attempt to force creatures into submission via Handle Animal checks, though it is a mind-affecting effect. Beyond SPs gained by brands and the subversion of the will of branded foes, these guys They also have the ability to perform extra tricks with lassos and nets. Monstrous mount-choices, obviously, are part of the class presentation, though I really would have loved to see a pseudo-Chocobo here...oh well...riding owlbears is pretty awesome. And FYI: Since riding fellow adventurers doesn't really help the class, it thankfully steers clear of the minefield that is one PC riding another...
The multiman gets 3/4 BAB-progression and a good Reflex save, d8 HD, and measly 2 + Int skill points. Their main ability is creating clones - at first 1 at a given time, later up to 4. Clones are created as a swift action 4/day, +1/day for each class level, lasting for class level rounds, minimum 3. Clones are restricted in the actions they can perform and observant adversaries may pick out the prime multiman. Clones are rather fragile to begin with and draw upon a collective pool of resources. Impressive: The disarm/item-duplication-cheese options are covered. The class becomes more interesting pretty fast, with customizable clones (e.g. remote-detonation clones or ones that fly/are invisible) providing options via two separate suits of talents. Oh, and obviously, the class also gets some serious teamwork-vibes going on. Archetype-wise, the mitotic man is similar yet different, splitting off clones by mitosis, with consecutively powerful ooze traits gained instead of mirror manipulations. I am a bit weary of these guys, but then again, the visuals are glorious.
Class number 15, The phantom thief, gets 3/4 BAB-progression with good Reflex- and Will- saves, d8 HD, 6 + Int skill points, and 6th-level spontaneous Cha-based spellcasting. Billed as a hybrid of the rogue and the bard they also get a pool of panache, the ability to fight more effectively in light or no armor, and the ability to spend panache to sneak attack. They later gain a number of tricks to allow them to steal various non-physical things, amongst other abilities. The class has the crazy prepared option among the talents (which works well and can't be cheesed, though it lacks the "no-specific-key" caveat)...and can steal abstract concepts - from memories to attitudes, these guys come off as the mythic tricksters with a slight touch of the magical. If you're familiar with a lot of 3pp-books: Think of these guys as a pretty powerful take on the Abstract Thief that works much better than the class of the same name. My favorite version of the concept so far - kudos! The bagman archetype of the class is the gift-giving specialist, just fyi - and yes, you could make conceivably battle santa with this one.
The sparkle princess has a 3/4 BAB-progression and good Fortitude- and Will-saves, d10 HD, 2 + Int skill points, and Charisma-governed spontaneous spellcasting of up to 4th level, though spells may be cast alternatively via sparkle power. Sparkle princesses are ruthless, savage killers, honed by fighting devils in a nightmarish demiplane of Hell, dread Candyland ruled by the Chocolate King, where everything is tooth-achingly sweet and the devils assume cutesy-wootsy forms, tempting children into the plane where most are either devoured or pressed into slave labor. They utilize special snowflake powers that can be powered by their sparkles...or they perform atrocities, which are sparkle-powered modifications of their respective attacks. Including the severing of limbs. Obviously. (Yes, rules included.) They also gain an animal companion or can establish a bond with their allies. Information on the demiplane is provided, as is the +2 Cha and Con, -2 Int half-construct teddybear race. ...the sparkle princess may not be mechanically the most novel of options herein...but oh boy do I love the class and its notion. Oh, and there is the mother archetype who can reselect all mommy powers it comes with at 16th level - via the aptly-named "Best Mom Ever"-ability.
The thread maiden is similarly a 3/4 BAB class with a good Will save, d8 HD, 6 + Int skill points, and 6th-level Wisdom-based prepared spellcasting. They can see the threads of fate, which results in a rather unique perspective on the world and creatures - think of her seeing things basically as though we all were sackboys/girls from Little Big Planet. Depending on the specialization chosen, they can unweave magic, take away the qualities (or types) of creatures or objects. Additionally, special attacks, so-called snips, allow for the expenditure of unused spell slots to provide pretty nasty debuffs.
Finally, the ungermaw gets full BAB, plus a good Fortitude-save, d10 HD, and 4 + Int skill points. These people can draw in air with such force it delivers targets closer to his gnashing teeth. They get a bite (proper primary/secondary codification provided) and are defined by hunger - they must eat twice as much as a regular character and still are never sated. They gain a number of talents, mostly focused on consumption as they progress, making their bite more deadly, allowing them to exhale to push people away, and even the ability to feast on magic itself...and yes, swallow whole. The cannibal archetype of this class, while technically not correctly named, gets abilities depending on the creature eaten.
The pdf also sports archetypes beyond the aforementioned ones:
Abductee clerics replace channel energy with the option to deal nonlethal damage...however, there is a chance that the target is abducted and subject to alien experimentation. Interesting one. Broodmother summoners are the harbingers of insectoid or otherwise weird symbiotes - instead of an eidolon, they can caused touched creatures to be infected and then mutate. They get less creatures to be summoned, but may cause damage versus those infected, as a capstone even providing a killswitch. The Comrade paladin...is a holy warrior of the ideals of Marxism, devoted to bringing down nobility and bourgeoisie. The coward rogue is permanently shaken and deals minimum sneak attack damage - but may inflict its cowardice on others and even learns to modify his levels of fear - a lot of unique talents included. Interesting archetype-concept.
Pretty cool, particularly for all interested in modern-style gaming, the ranger-archetype of first responder, with paramedic, firefighter and police officers being represented. The folken barbarian hails from a strange land and has a blend of superstition-style abilities (yep, hex) and signature weapons as well as the option to stir the hearts of those that listen to him using his native tongue.
Glitch sorcerors are interesting enough to be almost considered their own class and rank as one of my favorite sorceror archetypes EVER - getting rid of the defining bloodline and all that's associated with it, these beings regard reality as a simulation and may tamper with in, hacking the world itself: This allows them to swap creatures with other creatures, for example. Modifying DR or hacking resistance also are...interesting. The significant, potentially game-changing power comes at a price, though: Each time the glitch hacks reality, reality recoils. The GM has an assortment of options, from problematic objects to worsened starting attitudes...and yes, this can lead to very unique situations. I really like this one, though it does require a quick-thinking GM. Still, a campaign with these guys and Rite Publishing's Metadventurers could be absolutely hilarious! Goblin rogues may elect to become battle clowns (including an assortment of goblin jokes) and harpy witches replace hexes with belittling, vile insults.
The impersonator PrC gets d8, 6+Int skills per level, 3/4 BAB-progression, good Fort- and Will-saves and 7/10 spellcasting progression, a bonus feat at 1st and every 3 levels thereafter...and generally, has the fine-tuning depending on the persona he impersonates: A Schwarzenegger impersonator gets different class skills, applies better weapon training to different weapons than a Bruce Lee impersonator, for example. 6 sample icons are provided. The Slimelord PrC gets d8, 4+Int skills per level, 1/2 spell/extract-progression, 1/2 BAB-progression, 1/2 Fort-progression - by studying oozes, they can lob oozy bomb-like globs at foes, get different slime forms and progressively take on ever more oozy traits...but at the cost of progressively losing Charisma. Oh, and yes, there is a new deity: Baygorth, the elderslime, whose favorite weapon...is green and needs to smell like peaches. That's it. provided you can make a weapon adhere to these criteria and do so...well, you got it. And yes, you can take Weapon Focus (Green and Smells Like Peaches). This section also introduces us to the humanoid oozes called Rezumar, who get 2 Dex and Wis, -2 Int and have a couple, but thankfully not all ooz-y traits...and make for an overall balanced race, though I wished it had more space to shine.
One of the oddest archetypes I have ever seen would be the Master Familiar - a familiar who gets a wizard thrall. Kinda awesome! The Nascent deity oracle archetype selects a dominion from a list of cleric domains, with provides a prerogative and a list of class skills, replacing the mystery and mystery bonus spells. Not a big fan of this one, mainly since I've seen the concept done better. The negotiator inquisitor is a slick, silver-tongued guy with some battle-butler-synergy and ooze chemist alchemists get a symbiotic ooze (erroneously, he's called "mad experimentalist" once here) - basically an ooze companion that can be enhanced by extracts, but the alchemist does lose bombs. Unfortunately, I've seen that one done before in a bit more unique manner by Flying Pincushion Games. Pacifist fighters are perhaps not perfectly named, but they do provide a solid means of depicting a face-fighter that does not kill his foes. Pyrotechnicians are bomb-specialist-alchemists with full BAB and Ex bombs as well as no spellcasting - mainly useful for non-magical settings; in the fantastic context, I've seen this trope done better.
On a high note: Rancer cavaliers get orthellas - magical motor-cycles. Awesome, though I wished there were more than the two sample ones provided here. Speedster monks increase their damage, the more they have moved and become progressively faster (think Flash or Quicksilver, light edition), while starchild druids gain a psychedelic outsider companion and the option to animate dreams. The take on the Storyteller archetype, here provided for the bard, has weaponized books and can conjure forth legends of old.
Of course, in a book of this size, one should not be surprised to see feats - and indeed, from Dance-Fu fighting style to Percussive Maintenance Style or Sissy Slap style, there are quite a few rather funny ones. The feat-section also provides a lot of options for the huge array of classes (and archetypes) herein - e.g. the harpy does get a couple of feats. Nice, btw.: You see the associated class at one glance - in optional brackets behind the feat-name. Very helpful! Firing a bow with your feet? Possible. Also cool: Elemental Phobia: it nets you resistance versus the element, but makes you react with dread when faced by it...and yes, upgradeable. A fascination-inducing Puppy-Dog gaze, a personal theme song-feat...this book earns its title.
The book also sports new gear - metal jaws, cloudpress and darksteel, nacreous silver...quite a bunch of new materials can be found...oh, and yeah, there even are a couple (5) cool combat drugs. Books of lewd desires or bullets that talk with you while sticking in your body...have I mentioned the "Oh Dear Mother of God why would you do this"-chain that can discorporate into a spider swarm on command?
Sooo, and right now I come to a chapter that may single-handedly make some people buy this book, even those that don't care at all for a single class herein: Mecha-construction rules. You get build points, various frames, engines, weapons, defense systems, movement systems, special systems - in one word: Easy to grasp-rules (with Build Point-progression rules for Mecha-XP, if you will - slow, normal and fast progression...), different sizes, different generators - the set-up is simple, yet works...and may well be a great start for a whole book of mecha...the system's relative simplicity certainly would allow for a lot of expansion beyond the ~20 pages devoted to it! I love this chapter and its rules, but on a nitpicky side, explaining how the system works in detail would have been didactically smart - while it becomes evident upon reading what the components do, clearly explaining all components, not just the basics before going into the system would have made it a tad bit more user-friendly. Then again, it's so easy to grasp, you won't have any issues.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are...honestly much better than I expected. In a book of this significant size, there are surprisingly few glitches herein. Kudos to Morgan Boehringer, Christina Johnson and Rahul Kanojia. Layout adheres to a 1-column full-color standard and there is a LOT of playful, original full-color art herein. On the downside, I don't really like the one-column standard for books like this (more page-flipping) and I'm no fan of the font. Both are subjective points and thus will not enter the equation regarding my final verdict. The pdf comes fully bookmarked and a second b/w printer-friendly version -great to see that one!
Scott Gladstein, Dayton Johnson, Ian Sisson, Sasha Hall, Mark Nordheim, Christos Gurd - congratulations. This book is the biggest crunch-book I have ever reviewed. It took me forever to get done and I honestly expected the reviewing process to devolve into pure pain somewhere along the way. It didn't. This is due to several facts:
1) This book opts to go the high road: You won't see any lackluster combinations of old class mechanics herein; even in hybrid type classes, the results are unique and have their own unique schtick.
2) Almost all of the classes feature some kind of very distinct and novel mechanic - granted, I dislike some of them personally, but I have to applaud their creativity and said dislike stems universally from personal tastes. You can e.g. reduce rads via magic pretty easily; in my games, this would be a problem; in others, it may be required for the mechanic to be considered worthwhile - bug or feature? You decide.
3) Overall, there are no downright broken components herein. There are some strong options herein, but they universally are circumstantial in their power and focus: Obviously, the glowing Navi-thing must fly...is that an issue in your low-level game? It can be, but it doesn't have to be.
4) This book, honestly, is great for serious games as well. The davatti, for example, will certainly see use in my games, no matter the tone.
5) This book is never, ever BORING. I have seen A LOT of different crunch books and quite a few...well, feel somewhat redundant to me at this point. This one, for the staggering majority of its vast page-count, managed to keep me entertained while reading and analyzing it.
How to rate this colossus, then? See, this is where it gets tricky for me - I have encountered a couple of instances where the rules-language or presentation could have been a bit clearer. I didn't like everything...but on the other hand, this is pretty much a colossal grab-bag of options, a scavenger's toolkit that allows you to play basically Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, use tropes like the battle maid, skirmish through space or play a friggin' fairy godmother...or a psychotic sparkle princess. Not all options or power-levels will be appropriate for every campaign. Not all classes will be to your liking...but chances are, you'll find a lot of damn cool material (or rules-inspirations) in this book. Ever wanted to play Ghostrider? There's an option for that. And then there's the bang-for-buck ratio. ~$0.04 per page. You'll be pretty hard-pressed to find a book of this imaginative potential with such an impressive bang-for-buck ratio. While there are some hiccups herein, the totality of the book deserves praise and hence, my final verdict will clock in at 4.5 stars...and since I loved a lot of the imaginative and innovative options herein, I'll round up and while not all components inside deserve it, I will still slap my seal of approval on this massive book for the multitude of components inside that I do love. If you want to see something radically different, take a look at this tome - there is so much to love here, even if you end up loathing some components, it's well worth the investment!
Reviewed first on endzeitgeist.com, then submitted to Nerdtrek and GMS magazine and posted on Lou Agresta's RPGaggression, here and OBS.
Picked this up a while ago. I'll leave a review when I get around to playing the classes solo class. So far I've loved everything I've read in this book, which is cover to cover. Currently only have 2 players in my games so we gestalt it up. Currently, Giantslayer gets my Dynomancer//Godhand Hasa, with rocket-punches galore (love that boosting gear)
Picked this up a while ago. I'll leave a review when I get around to playing the classes solo class. So far I've loved everything I've read in this book, which is cover to cover. Currently only have 2 players in my games so we gestalt it up. Currently, Giantslayer gets my Dynomancer//Godhand Hasa, with rocket-punches galore (love that boosting gear)
Fantastic to hear! We will have a small update going out when we finish up the hard copy version of the book.
Question on magical girl's "Finishing Move." I'm confused on the wording. Is it supposed to be an attack with a weapon that becomes a touch attack and deals +2d6 damage? Or a touch attack for 2d6 damage that can be used in melee or range? And if the latter, what is its range?
Question on magical girl's "Finishing Move." I'm confused on the wording. Is it supposed to be an attack with a weapon that becomes a touch attack and deals +2d6 damage? Or a touch attack for 2d6 damage that can be used in melee or range? And if the latter, what is its range?
Sorry guys- lost track of this.
From the designer:
"That's an oversight it is it's own attack that deals +2d6 damage. It's range should be medium (100 feet +10 feet per level)."
Doctor Verbosus wrote:
This book is amazing!
I have a quick question. The davatti's soldier of the mind ability says:
davatti wrote:
At 4th level, the the davatti counts his davatti level as his BAB for the purposes of qualifying for combat feats.
But the davatti is already a full BAB class. Am I missing something here, or is this a mistake?
That's copy/pasta. We will remove. At one point davatti was 3/4ths.
Question about the Magical Girl and Tension. They gain tension if their Finishing Move reduces a foe to 0 HP, and can spend tension for more damage with their finishing move, but upon using the finishing move they lose all tension. Does this reduce them to 0 tension, or only to the value of a defeated foe?
Question about the Magical Girl and Tension. They gain tension if their Finishing Move reduces a foe to 0 HP, and can spend tension for more damage with their finishing move, but upon using the finishing move they lose all tension. Does this reduce them to 0 tension, or only to the value of a defeated foe?
The designer poked me and said, "When you reduce the creature to 0 you are, in effect reduced to the value of the defeated foe. By default spending tension (and losing tension that you didn’t spend) happens before the attack, while gaining it back if you reduce the target to 0hp happens after the attack."
If a henchling is a large quadrupedal creature, does the packmule ability get multiplied as well?
It wouldn't be super problematic either way, but as written I'd say no. (It modifies the strength score and this adds to the carrying capacity on top of that). It could be a really fun character concept though and it wouldn't break anything too badly. At higher levels the numbers are basically absurd anyway, so it's really just what order of magnitude. We had a large side henchling stealing a massive statue and beating people with it in some of our high levels playtests.
Keep in mind that the pack bonus damage would not increase (as that's restricted by level).
If a henchling is a large quadrupedal creature, does the packmule ability get multiplied as well?
It wouldn't be super problematic either way, but as written I'd say no. (It modifies the strength score and this adds to the carrying capacity on top of that). It could be a really fun character concept though and it wouldn't break anything too badly. At higher levels the numbers are basically absurd anyway, so it's really just what order of magnitude. We had a large side henchling stealing a massive statue and beating people with it in some of our high levels playtests.
Keep in mind that the pack bonus damage would not increase (as that's restricted by level).
Aye, was mostly looking to it to see if I'd get to the point where I'd be able to start carrying around a tavern on my back as a light load.
Sparkle Princesses gain their Sparkles pool at 1st level but can't use them until 2nd. Is their only class feature at that level unusable until later, or is there some other use for Sparkles, perhapsone that fills in the blank levels at 7th, 13th and 19th as well?
There is something weird on some of the PDFs.
Did you buy it on Paizo? (I am trying to figure out where the issue pops up so we can fix it)
It should read:
Potent Tension (Su):
Once per round, when a creature with a number of HD equal or greater than ½ her character level fails a saving throw against one of her spells the magical girl may gain an amount of tension equal to 1/4th that creature's HD, up to a maximum of the spell's level.
