Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Wilderness

Kalindlara wrote:

Which Know Direction was that? I've been meaning to listen to more of those...

Kalindlara,

I think he's talking bout Know Direction 154, right David?

The shifter officially isn't a spell caster, but it seems to have an awesome set of abilities. At least that's what Mr. Jacobs has revealed.

A YouTube link for those interested.

The way James describes the Shifter, it is like they are the martial nature defender for Druidic groups, basically a nature version of Paladins.

OMG! If that's the case, then my wildest dream of a Pathfinder version of the 4e Warden class seems like it might finally be coming! SQUEEE!!!

Also, re: wilderness-themed AP, seems like Ironfang Invasion, the current AP, is kinda fulfilling that role, especially in the first couple books. Guess the release of all these wilderness books gives me an excuse to wait on trying to get into a group or starting one up myself.

The Gold Sovereign wrote:

Kalindlara wrote:

Which Know Direction was that? I've been meaning to listen to more of those...

Kalindlara,

I think he's talking bout Know Direction 154, right David?

The shifter officially isn't a spell caster, but it seems to have an awesome set of abilities. At least that's what Mr. Jacobs has revealed.

A YouTube link for those interested.

That's the one!

The mp3 file probably won't show up at 35privatesancturary.com for a couple of weeks.

The way James describes the Shifter, it is like they are the martial nature defender for Druidic groups, basically a nature version of Paladins.

Speaking of, I'd like something along the lines of 5e's oath of the ancients paladin.

Nature paladins you say?! *starts to scribble up an idea for a nature paladin of Gozreh*

Well the Shifter fills a similar role for nature or nature based groups that the paladin does for the church.

Well the Shifter fills a similar role for nature or nature based groups that the paladin does for the church.

Lawful Good-compatible church only alas

Likely the Shifter is the godless Warpriest of Nature

Now I finally get to play this guy!

I hope there will be an archetype that allows you to play an Shifter who isn't limited to just animals. I'd like something closer to a doppelganger in that they can shift into the shape of humanoids as well.

SM

Yeah, we'll have to see what the end product is like. With the nature theme, it might only be able to turn into animals, plants, and vermin, though I'd say humanoids are possible since they're also more 'natural' creatures, though I would love something less restrictive, but if it is, I hope for archetypes or feats or other potential options that would allow aberrations, magical beasts, dragons, monstrous humanoids, oozes, and other such, as well as other 'out there' options like constructs, fey, outsiders, and undead, whether in this book or future expansions, but we will just have to see.

I want something very like a spell-less synthesist, possibly with all the various polymorph chains as spell-likes. Someone who can both become an elephant and just randomly grow wings, a barbed tail, and tusks because they feel like it.

I'm really eager to see what people think of the shifter. I had the opportunity to write the class' archetypes, and I tried to cover a pretty board gamut of concepts—some of which people are asking for in this thread!—so it'll be interesting to see what people think once this beast is in their hands.

That said, November is a long way off. If I was a betting man, I'd wager there'll probably be more official news at Paizocon. So, keep an eye out for that!

I'm really eager to see what people think of the shifter. I had the opportunity to write the class' archetypes, and I tried to cover a pretty board gamut of concepts—some of which people are asking for in this thread!—so it'll be interesting to see what people think once this beast is in their hands.

AHA!! I knew it!

I'm really eager to see what people think of the shifter. I had the opportunity to write the class' archetypes, and I tried to cover a pretty board gamut of concepts—some of which people are asking for in this thread!—so it'll be interesting to see what people think once this beast is in their hands.

That said, November is a long way off. If I was a betting man, I'd wager there'll probably be more official news at Paizocon. So, keep an eye out for that!

Even if it's not my ideas that got written up, I'm really happy to hear that the archetypes aim to cover a wide range of options!

Some nature based bard archetypes do sound nice, hopefully at least one of them gets wild empathy.

I am guessing that the mesmerists archetype deals with effecting animals and/or plants.

Very interested in this mesmerist archetype!
I’ve wanted to create a mysterious, mesmerist in the woods type character for a while, but never thought I’d have an archetype specific enough to help put it together. I hope the archetype is more based on nature-focused tricks, and fey-like enchantments than it is on controlling animals, or gaining an animal companion. There are already so many druid/ranger/hunter options to do the latter.

Very interested in this mesmerist archetype!

I’ve wanted to create a mysterious, mesmerist in the woods type character for a while, but never thought I’d have an archetype specific enough to help put it together. I hope the archetype is more based on nature-focused tricks, and fey-like enchantments than it is on controlling animals, or gaining an animal companion. There are already so many druid/ranger/hunter options to do the latter.

Hmm, the fey trickster from Ultimate Intrigue sounds somewhat like what you describe?

Joe Hex wrote:

Very interested in this mesmerist archetype!

I’ve wanted to create a mysterious, mesmerist in the woods type character for a while, but never thought I’d have an archetype specific enough to help put it together. I hope the archetype is more based on nature-focused tricks, and fey-like enchantments than it is on controlling animals, or gaining an animal companion. There are already so many druid/ranger/hunter options to do the latter.

Hmm, the fey trickster from Ultimate Intrigue sounds somewhat like what you describe?

I am actually very fond of that archetype, but would like something more focused on fey-like enchantments. The fey trickster is almost completely illusion based with its “fey veils”. A real problem with the fey trickster I came across when I ran one as an NPC, is that the druid spell list does not work very well with any of the other mesmerist class features- Hypnotic Stare, and Mental Potency lost much of its usefulness with a spell list with so relatively very few will-save spells on it. The mesmerist’s spell list was always very important to making that class work. Still, fey trickster is cool, just not very effective overall.

Luthorne wrote:

Joe Hex wrote:

Very interested in this mesmerist archetype!

I’ve wanted to create a mysterious, mesmerist in the woods type character for a while, but never thought I’d have an archetype specific enough to help put it together. I hope the archetype is more based on nature-focused tricks, and fey-like enchantments than it is on controlling animals, or gaining an animal companion. There are already so many druid/ranger/hunter options to do the latter.

Hmm, the fey trickster from Ultimate Intrigue sounds somewhat like what you describe?

I am actually very fond of that archetype, but would like something more focused on fey-like enchantments. The fey trickster is almost completely illusion based with its “fey veils”. A real problem with the fey trickster I came across when I ran one as an NPC, is that the druid spell list does not work very well with any of the other mesmerist class features- Hypnotic Stare, and Mental Potency lost much of its usefulness with a spell list with so relatively very few will-save spells on it. The mesmerist’s spell list was always very important to making that class work. Still, fey trickster is cool, just not very effective overall.

I don't know about that, I think it works pretty well. If you take the infiltration bold stare (from Occult Realms) or the Sluggishness bold stare, you can target CMD or Reflex saves, and the hunter spell list has a number of spells that target these, and one could argue that both getting a larger number of spells that target other saves and aren't mind-affecting, as well as a number of spells that ignore spell resistance, has a lot of advantages over a normal mesmerist. As for mental potency, I'll be honest, I think it's a pretty useless ability for a mesmerist...most of the spells it applies to are - at least in my opinion - pretty terrible, except at lower levels...

But still, interesting to hear your perspective! I think the vanilla mesmerist is pretty good at focusing on fey-like enchantments, they get most of the spells already, and their other class abilities can definitely help there, so I'm not sure what more you would from an archetype?

A mesmerist with an animal companion would be nice, basically an animal trainer who uses hypnotism.

Luthorne wrote:

Joe Hex wrote:

Very interested in this mesmerist archetype!

I’ve wanted to create a mysterious, mesmerist in the woods type character for a while, but never thought I’d have an archetype specific enough to help put it together. I hope the archetype is more based on nature-focused tricks, and fey-like enchantments than it is on controlling animals, or gaining an animal companion. There are already so many druid/ranger/hunter options to do the latter.

Hmm, the fey trickster from Ultimate Intrigue sounds somewhat like what you describe?

I am actually very fond of that archetype, but would like something more focused on fey-like enchantments. The fey trickster is almost completely illusion based with its “fey veils”. A real problem with the fey trickster I came across when I ran one as an NPC, is that the druid spell list does not work very well with any of the other mesmerist class features- Hypnotic Stare, and Mental Potency lost much of its usefulness with a spell list with so relatively very few will-save spells on it. The mesmerist’s spell list was always very important to making that class work. Still, fey trickster is cool, just not very effective overall.

My experience was the same....I'm planning a Gnome/Vexing Trickster for Iron Fang.....hoping that will work more to my liking :P

I hope we will find out more about this book during Paizo Con.

I would love to see a Druid archetype that switches out Wild Shape for something like the Oracle's Mysteries.

That would be interesting but it would have to loose more then just wild shape to get it.

I tried to cover a pretty board gamut of concepts—some of which people are asking for in this thread!—

Casually slips Robert 20 gp

Bribery wil get you everywhere.

Bribery wil get you everywhere.

Noooooo! The secrets, Robert! Don't you know that Norgerber is watching?!

I am very interested to see what the Shifter end's up looking like. I would like to see both an Urban version/Archetype that is more of a Mystique/Doppelganger type, as well as a an Archetype that allowed for swarm forms right out the gate (with increasing sizes/types of swarms as they level).

Eagerly watching this one....

As far as archetypes for the Shifter, I hope we see an elemental archetype. I want to turn into a rock dude and punch guys.

archetypes could totally be all after different monster sub types.

I think turning into a fiend would be cool, especially if there's some mechanic that slowly corrupts you, or could result in the "Beast" taking over.
Turning into demons is already pretty well established as a thing that happens in Golarion, so fingers crossed.

Since the shifter is a nature based shape shifter then animal, plant, and vermin forms makes sense. It might also get elemental and fey(if they make up those spells) as well.

As for archetypes, I hope to see a dragon based one, a humanoid(humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant) based one, a magical beast based one, and maybe even an aberration based one.

They need to retroactively add aberration shifter to ultimate horror.

Since the shifter is a nature based shape shifter then animal, plant, and vermin forms makes sense. It might also get elemental and fey(if they make up those spells) as well.

As for archetypes, I hope to see a dragon based one, a humanoid(humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant) based one, a magical beast based one, and maybe even an aberration based one.

I'm kinda hoping for something that runs the gamut and gets weirder and weirder as it levels up until eventually it can shift into anything in the Bestiary, robots included.

I wish Ultimate Horror got a new class, something fun that would have fit the focus of the book. Like a non-spell casting class that gained monster abilities were could choose a path to one specific creature type/subtype or combine the traits and abilities into something really weird.

As far as archetypes for the Shifter, I hope we see an elemental archetype. I want to turn into a rock dude and punch guys.

A person after my own heart.

Yeah I hope that either the base class or archetypes allow for vast arrays of what types you can become.

QuidEst wrote:

cartmanbeck wrote:

QuidEst wrote:

Dean HS Jones wrote:

Xethik wrote:

Would be interested in seeing an archetype that transforms into a pack of animals (represented by breaking swarm rules?). Though that's mostly coming from Malazan love. Could never build proper D'ivers.

You could play both a crazy cat lady AND her swarm of furbabies!

That is certainly an option.

Can't believe I've never seen this archetype! I'm gonna have to play one of these!

Yeah! Probably my favorite 2016 archetype. The book is really good as a whole- check it out and make sure you didn't miss the other cool stuff, like ancestor eidolons.

That is an awesome archetype.

Well dang, that is pretty sweet. I've been falling behind on options, thanks for pointing that out.

Still, it would be AWESOME to turn into a small pack of wolves rather than one supped up Dire Wolf or what have you. But this definitely gets you 95% of the way there.

I can't wait to see what the final cover looks like and wich iconics made the cover.

I'm sure the shifter isn't one of the iconics in the cover. ;)

I would love if the shifter resembled the animal lord from bestiary 3.

The Shifter may or may not make the cover, you never know;)

HE may or may not be on every cover sir.

How do you know it is a he;)

I'm hoping it isn't a he, but a she, and a human she.

I'm counting for a male elf, about time.

I'm counting for a male elf, about time.

The Alchemist is a male elf.

Gorbacz wrote:

I'm counting for a male elf, about time.

The Alchemist is a male elf.

I really need to throw the thought that he's a half-elf out of my head, thanks.

I'm hoping it's a female Astomoi - really confuse ppl

I hope this book is better than Ultimate Intrigue or Horror Adventures - it certainly has the potential.

Something else that I would like to see in Ultimate Wilderness is a new spell descriptor such as 'Plant' or 'Wood', including a list of previously published spells that would have such a descriptor including: blight, entangle, spike growth, and warp wood.

There are a number of reasons why I want a 'Plant' or 'Wood' spell descriptor including: Simplifies the 'Resist Nature's Lure' class feature to simply state that it grants the save bonus against anything with such and such spell descriptor. It simplifies the creation of feats or traits for individuals who specialize in Plant-magic. With Phytokinesis as a new Element for Kineticists, I think it is about due.

I'm sure the shifter isn't one of the iconics in the cover. ;)

it's a shifter. Don't be so sure..