Following in the tradition of the most popular Pathfinder Player Companion of all time, Adventurer's Armory 2 is a comprehensive guide to equipment of all sorts. Containing a wide array of new adventuring gear, alchemical items, armor, clothing options, magic items,poisons, tools, traps, and weapons to outfit any character, this guide is a welcome addition to any armory. Whether you're looking to gain the edge in combat or fit in to a social situation, Pathfinder Player Companion: Adventurer's Armory 2 has you covered!
Inside this book you'll find:
New feats, spells, and skill tricks to allow any adventurer to get the most out of the equipment they already own.
Armor and weapon modifications, allowing smiths or skilled adventurers to customize equipment on the fly to meet specific needs.
New construct familiars known as poppets—stuffed or wicker dolls crafted to carry out simple tasks at their masters' bidding.
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.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-945-5
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
I first read "Adventurer´s Armory" and then this book. The first one is superior in every single way.
GOOD:
-The Spider-Silk Bodysuit is very useful if you are a drow with high dex and not enough money for bracers of armor.
-The Dwarven war shield is nice if you always wanted to play a dwarf with two shields.
-The Drow Razor is great for sneak attacks and criticals.
-The Sanpkhang is a poison-users weapon of choice.
-Gnome Piston Maul & Gnome Ripsaw Glaive are both fun and useful.
-The Orc Hornbow is very powerful, but it´s an exotic weapon for everyone without orc-blood.
-The tools and kits are good as are the poisons.
-The six spells are all very flavorful and useful.
-The Alchemical Wares.
-Concoctions are fun, especially if you drink too many.
BAD:
-The traits are all much too specialized.
20 out of the 25 new weapons are bad.
-The Ladder, Lantern, Lamp, Mirror and Pole Equipment tricks are very special and far away from the usefulness of the Heavy Blade Scabbard and Shield tricks from AA.
-The new Clothing, magic items and Alchemical Equipment tricks are of very limited use or costly.
-The Equipment from Abroad items are underwhelming.
UGLY:
-Equipment Packages are clearly overpowered for 1st level characters. For instance, the "Holy Warrior Package" is worth 1245 gold pieces - more than a 2nd level player character has!
-Armor Modifications give very minor special boni but impose larger penalties.
-The Butchering Axe is way overpowered, i wouldn´t allow it in my games.
-The Weapon modifications are very pricy, give minor boni and often may need a feat to use.
-The nine feats are all bad.
-Out of the 18 Adventuring Gear items, 17 are very special and one is overpowered (Spring loaded scroll case).
-Nalinivati´s kiss got cut from the book but is still listed on the interior back cover.
-Poppets, while being a nice idea, are too cheap and easy to construct, their capabilities are held too vague. Their whole existence undermines the craft construct feat and would change the way manual labor is done on Golarion significantly. This is not well thought out.
To me 21 of 30 pages are useless, 9 are interesting.
While i am used to the fact that most of the Player Companions have 50% good and 50% bad content, this one is weaker than most.
Following the recent trend of compiling, repackaging, and nerfing of material from other books this product also adds a lot more unnecessary and very niche gear to further contribute to Pathfinder bloat. This is compounded further with the fact that every interesting item features a drawback and Feat tax to avoid said drawback. The only standout items in this book are the Equipment Packages and the Poppets, but these aren't really enough to justify the cost and further game bloat.
For the most part this is a very solid book. The equipment packages are a great idea for players who want to get started fast without hunting through pages of items for the prices of cheap equipment (and are a good value to boot), I want one of those waifu body pillows for the Butchering Axe, the Poppets are a great idea as cheap, easy-to-build, handy constructs, and I absolutely adore the new equipment tricks. There are also a number of reprinted items, but at least there's enough new material that it doesn't feel as egregious as when the Adventurer's Guide did it.
However, a bunch of the stuff seems like it was toned down or otherwise weakened in the interest of playing it safe. The biggest examples of this are probably the Armor/Weapon Modifications that were included. The basic idea is great, giving some customization options to players who want to add new effects or shiny bells to their equipment, but the system needed more room to grow and display what it could do rather than two pages overall. Most of the armor modifications aren't worth the price for the modification because the effects seem almost nerfed by committee, like the modification which dazzles a creature once per day if they fail a (admittedly good) DC, or the one which has a chance of sickening a creature if they happen to be using power attack and their mother just called last night and complained about how much better their brother is doing as a monster in The Dragon's Crypt, and have they met any nice goblin girls yet? The weapon modifications are a bit better off, but most of the modifications are miniscule bonuses that could have been boiled down to some additions to the Weapon Design Rules (from Weapon Master's Handbook) and a note on how to attach those additions to already existing weapons. As much as I'd want those rules to be expanded and refined into something really worthwhile, they're most likely just going to be forgotten as a bunch of weak non-magical weapon "enchantments".
It just feels... too toned down, in a way that's kind of hard to voice properly. Like the entire book was restrained, or the writers couldn't make a bunch of cool weird items for one reason or another. The first book had the feeling of being a treasure box of items that made your mind spin with the possibilities for each one. This one feels like a store shelf, where everything's been placed out for display in a very specific way, and you're just browsing for something that you want.
tl;dr Not the best book, but it's still fairly solid and has some good ideas and new tricks.
It seems a bit weird that the waveblade is a monk special weapon but isn't in the monk fighter weapon group. It's not unprecedented since the knuckle axe, bich'hwa, and temple sword alsohave this issue, but those also seem weird to me.
Thank you for the reply King :), but that's if I want the Modified Weapon Proficiency feat. I'm asking about Exotic Weapon Proficiency, as follows:
Adventurer's Armory 2 wrote:
After being modified, a weapon’s category (simple, martial, or exotic) increases by one step. While a character proficient with all martial weapons can use a modified simple weapon without additional training, modified martial weapons require the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat to use without taking penalties.
I think you answered your own question. Only a modified earthbreaker is considered exotic, so Exotic(modified earthbreaker) only applies to modified versions. You would need Martial Weapon Proficiency to be proficient in regular earthbreakers.
KingOfAnything has a pretty good handle on the modified weapons' proficiency system, it looks like. ^_^
Gisher wrote:
It seems a bit weird that the waveblade is a monk special weapon but isn't in the monk fighter weapon group. It's not unprecedented since the knuckle axe, bich'hwa, and temple sword alsohave this issue, but those also seem weird to me.
The waveblade is just an updated bich'hwa, if it helps.
KingOfAnything has a pretty good handle on the modified weapons' proficiency system, it looks like. ^_^
Gisher wrote:
It seems a bit weird that the waveblade is a monk special weapon but isn't in the monk fighter weapon group. It's not unprecedented since the knuckle axe, bich'hwa, and temple sword alsohave this issue, but those also seem weird to me.
The waveblade is just an updated bich'hwa, if it helps.
That does help. :)
Edit: Looks like the only difference is the increased threat range.
I think the biggest issue I have AA2 is the lost potential with weapon and armour modifications for mundane crafters.
As is it's already a laborious process for Master Smiths to get access to creating Magical equipment and the like and, when I first heard of the new mundane modifications, I thought that Craft (Xsmith) would finally have somewhere to shine.
Sure if you throw down a pair of feats you can, eventually, grant some modified equipment to the rest of your party and not just yourself and even then only temporarily. I'm curious why there wasn't the option to actually craft these modifications yourself, permanently, with the various Craft skills while the "Creative Xsmith" feats instead serving as ways to remove the drawbacks and add additional modifications, which admittedly Modification Mastery does temporarily.
Honestly it's just a bloody sad waste of potential and I hate trumpeting the "Martials don't get nice things" line of thought but this all just feels like a fun flavorful option let down by awful mechanics.
Beyond that the book seems fun, I like the different weapons and armours introduced as well as the new, and old, alchemical items.
Hi guys, I have two questions to ask. I hope someone can help me, thank you very much!
1.
Quote:
SPIDER-SILK BODYSUIT
This exotic form-fitting garment is woven entirely from alchemically treated silk harvested from giant spiders or other arachnid creatures. If you have the drow's weapon familiarity racial trait, you treat the spider-silk bodysuit's maximum Dexterity bonus as 2 higher.
Can I make the SPIDER-SILK BODYSUIT with any special materials? Such as darkleaf cloth, mithral..etc, or because it's made of silk, so it can't be made of any special materials?
2.
Quote:
Versatile design
Cost +500 gp Weight —
Description
A weapon with the versatile design modification is easier to wield for those skilled with other weapon groups. When versatile design is added to a weapon, choose a fighter weapon group. The modified weapon is considered to be a weapon of that weapon group (such as for the fighter's weapon training class feature). A melee weapon cannot be considered part of a weapon group for ranged weapons, and vice versa.
If I use the versatile design to modify a weapon(any weapon, such as Machine Gun, Greatsword, Butchering Axe..etc) to a monk weapon group, so I can use the modified weapon to perform flurry of blows?
If the answer to the question is yes, isn't it too powerful? Because versatile design modification is so cheap.
In regards to number two, being part of the monk weapon group does not give it the monk special weapon quality, which is what allows you to use it with a flurry of blows.
Blast! I was about to make a flurrying Machine Gun Unchained Monk.
Also you can't switch Machine Gun to the monk weapon group, 'cause you can't shoehorn ranged weapon into melee groups and vice-versa... unless someone finds a loophole, in which case I'm going to come back to this concept... somehow..
Blast! I was about to make a flurrying Machine Gun Unchained Monk.
Also you can't switch Machine Gun to the monk weapon group, 'cause you can't shoehorn ranged weapon into melee groups and vice-versa... unless someone finds a loophole, in which case I'm going to come back to this concept... somehow..
With that said, the Brawler's flurry is based on weapon group. If you can get your weapon of choice into the Close group, it can be used.
With Ascetic Style into Ascetic Form though, you can flurry with any weapon from the Monk group, provided you are at least Monk 5. This includes Versatile Design (Monk) weapons.
Blast! I was about to make a flurrying Machine Gun Unchained Monk.
Also you can't switch Machine Gun to the monk weapon group, 'cause you can't shoehorn ranged weapon into melee groups and vice-versa... unless someone finds a loophole, in which case I'm going to come back to this concept... somehow..
With that said, the Brawler's flurry is based on weapon group. If you can get your weapon of choice into the Close group, it can be used.
With Ascetic Style into Ascetic Form though, you can flurry with any weapon from the Monk group, provided you are at least Monk 5. This includes Versatile Design (Monk) weapons.
Yeah, it's possible to make some interesting builds with it, but it's going to require more investment than just spending 500 gp to modify your weapon...at least several feats. So I don't really have a problem with it off the top of my head, at least...
Also you can't switch Machine Gun to the monk weapon group, 'cause you can't shoehorn ranged weapon into melee groups and vice-versa... unless someone finds a loophole, in which case I'm going to come back to this concept... somehow..
The line about "melee weapon groups" and "ranged weapon groups" confuses this somewhat, what with the presence of shuriken in the monk weapon group. I can't say one way or another.
Good time to practice your gun-kata, though, I suppose. ^_^
As always, I am just a writer, and have no actual rules authority.
All I can do is discuss intent and study the existing rules. ^_^
Ziegfeld wrote:
1.
Quote:
SPIDER-SILK BODYSUIT
This exotic form-fitting garment is woven entirely from alchemically treated silk harvested from giant spiders or other arachnid creatures. If you have the drow's weapon familiarity racial trait, you treat the spider-silk bodysuit's maximum Dexterity bonus as 2 higher.
Can I make the SPIDER-SILK BODYSUIT with any special materials? Such as darkleaf cloth, mithral..etc, or because it's made of silk, so it can't be made of any special materials?
It should be ineligible for special materials, unless you can find one that modifies silk.
Ziegfeld wrote:
2.
Quote:
Versatile design
Cost +500 gp Weight —
Description
A weapon with the versatile design modification is easier to wield for those skilled with other weapon groups. When versatile design is added to a weapon, choose a fighter weapon group. The modified weapon is considered to be a weapon of that weapon group (such as for the fighter's weapon training class feature). A melee weapon cannot be considered part of a weapon group for ranged weapons, and vice versa.
If I use the versatile design to modify a weapon(any weapon, such as Machine Gun, Greatsword, Butchering Axe..etc) to a monk weapon group, so I can use the modified weapon to perform flurry of blows?
If the answer to the question is yes, isn't it too powerful? Because versatile design modification is so cheap.
As others have noted: the gp cost isn't the full cost of entry, unless you're a member of the right class; also, the monk weapon quality is what determines eligibility for a flurry of blows. Monk would have to be part of the tactically adapted modification. (Brawlers are a different story. It appears to work just fine for them.
As always, I am just a writer, and have no actual rules authority.
All I can do is discuss intent and study the existing rules. ^_^
Ziegfeld wrote:
2.
Quote:
Versatile design
Cost +500 gp Weight —
Description
A weapon with the versatile design modification is easier to wield for those skilled with other weapon groups. When versatile design is added to a weapon, choose a fighter weapon group. The modified weapon is considered to be a weapon of that weapon group (such as for the fighter's weapon training class feature). A melee weapon cannot be considered part of a weapon group for ranged weapons, and vice versa.
If I use the versatile design to modify a weapon(any weapon, such as Machine Gun, Greatsword, Butchering Axe..etc) to a monk weapon group, so I can use the modified weapon to perform flurry of blows?
If the answer to the question is yes, isn't it too powerful? Because versatile design modification is so cheap.
As others have noted: the gp cost isn't the full cost of entry, unless you're a member of the right class; also, the monk weapon quality is what determines eligibility for a flurry of blows. Monk would have to be part of the tactically adapted modification. (Brawlers are a different story. It appears to work just fine for them.
The list of qualities available through the Tactically Adapted modification doesn't include the monk quality, so that one doesn't work either.
So, here's my question. Armor Adept lets you ignore two armor modification drawbacks. Great. However, it specifically states that "A suit of armor can bear only one modification." So, why two drawbacks? If I can pick two, why can't the armor have two? Is it in case one suit of plate armor is nimble and I also decide to sink gold into a burnished set of plate? This is like having 12 hot dog buns in a bag and a 8 wieners in another package. They don't mesh. That's a total waste of a feat. This makes even less sense when you read the Modification Mastery feat which lets you add a modification to armor that already has a modification.
Please someone explain to me how this is actually supposed to work?
