Pathfinder Player Companion: Antihero's Handbook (PFRPG)

Announced for September! Image and description are not final and subject to change.

So, 'How to Roleplay Harry Flashman in Golarion'? Sign me up for a copy!

Eric,

I thought it was more like playing "Dirty Harry with a Crossbow" but that works too.

This will get some serious use at all of my tables.

Eric,

I thought it was more like playing "Dirty Harry with a Crossbow" but that works too.

"I know what you're thinking. Did he fire five bolts or only four? Truth to tell, in all this excitement I kinda lost count. This is a Chelish repeating crossbow. The most powerful crossbow on the planet. It can put a bolt right through your skull. So now you have to ask yourself a question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?"

I always did prefer an anti-hero to a straight up mister shiny. Looking forward to this.

Eric,

I approve of your Dirty Harry from Absalom. :)

Very nice. And not far from my birthday. Hmm....

me: this is fine.
inner me:TIME MOVE FASTER! I WANT THIS SO MUCH!!!
wallet:...You are going to be so broke.

But yes i am looking forward to this.

Cool idea!

Nice

Doesn't sound that interesting to me.

I very much want this.

Doesn't sound that interesting to me.

Not a Dirty Harry fan then?

Helllllllllllloooo my little delectableness...

I am looking forward for this.

I hope it won't be delayed.

That sounds cool

finally some support for us!

Mildly interested...

finally some support for us!

*waves hands above head*

Testify!

We've gotten an evil book, a bunch of books on how to be good. So is this a book on how to be a dick?

This is the book for those players who do randomly cruel things and then when challenged on it, say "hey, my character's Chaotic Neutral--I'm an antihero!"

I would prefer this book to be for actual Antiheroes than... that.

or at least the book on how to play the kind of middle ground hero nobody asked for, nor necessarily wanted to come along, but still make for interesting characters. Being an anti-hero doesn't always mean playing a dick, or an aloof brooding loner. Sometimes it could be the Fighter that talks big and tough, but is almost always the first to run for cover or flee when things seem out of his favor, or is rattled by even the most humble of monstrous creatures. Or the cleric of the gods of law, that will be ardent to the faith up until either money or personal stakes are involved, upon which no measure is unjustified, no matter how heinous of selfish.

Having the option to be able to play good anti-heroes helps to give more texture and even offer ways for an adventurers biggest challenges to be not sure the traps and foes ahead of them, but the personal flaws and character traits that make them distinctly flawed human beings. even when they aren't always human.

"new character archetypes for fallen characters"

I would kill for some well designed archetypes for fallen Paladins that are not Antipaladin nor ex-Paladin. Ditto for Clerics, Druids and other classes with an "ex-" clause

I hope it has stuff for Vigilantes

Being an anti-hero doesn't always mean playing a dick, or an aloof brooding loner. Sometimes it could be the Fighter that talks big and tough, but is almost always the first to run for cover or flee when things seem out of his favor, or is rattled by even the most humble of monstrous creatures.

I love this idea. Kind of reminds me of Fraser's Flashman novels.

I hope it has stuff for Vigilantes

I will be sorely disappointed if it doesn't.

However this could be very useful, since part of my group has a lot of designated protagonists show up. Might be nice to help them see where they can be good and heroes but not the shiney knight. Also might help me expand my play style a bit too.

Having some fallen Monks in here would be super hot too <3

Interesting take on that, though I am surprised they have not gone with the "Mechanics to play some of our Pathfinder Tales characters." Since those tend to lean towards the damaged and less than morally pure.

"Play damaged adventurers". I hope that will be more than just a person with lingering injuries and more like ptsd or has triggers that make him less invincably heroic and more heroic though continuing forward in spite of the flaws.

Example: the normally competent, confident barbarian is engaged in battle. It's a pretty standard brawl where a bunch of nare-do-wells, when out of the blue, the wizard unleashes a gout of fire from his hands, the flames consume the rogues, catching them ablaze. The barbarian need only strike them down. Except as he hears the sound of the burning men, screaming and crying out in pain, he fails a will save against his ptsd. And he is brought back to when the red dragon attacked and burned down his village while he was but a boy. He freezes up, his body refusing to move til he is brought back to reality by a knife to the chest. How long has it been, he doesn't know. All he can do is cut down the rogue in front of him.

Updated with final product image and description!

Sweet! Thank you Chris! *reads* A vigilant that has radical changes?! What, he become a mutant ninja turtle!? ;)

Seriously though good to get more info on this. *pauses* NEW CORRRUPTION!!? Sweet! :D

I wonder what the new bloodrager bloodline and phantom emotion focus will be.

Best guess on focus? Probably darkness. Or maybe Madness.

New archetypes, including a vigilante who changes identities even more radically than most

Oh nice, glad to see that finally exists now! Would have been better if it was part of the class from the beginning, but at least it's a thing. Hopefully it's less like neutral Paladins and more like neutral Antipaladins.

A new bloodrager bloodline and Phantom sounds cool.

I'm just waiting to see what the stuff for cowards is. More bloodrager bloodlines and phantom focuses are good, though!

I didn't notice the cowardly character options, that sounds interesting.

I hope its a Gremlin bloodline!!!

(Unlikely, I know, but a man can dream, can't he?)

I hope its a Gremlin bloodline!!!

(Unlikely, I know, but a man can dream, can't he?)

I like the cut of his jib!

Cthulhudrew wrote:

I hope its a Gremlin bloodline!!!

(Unlikely, I know, but a man can dream, can't he?)

I like the cut of his jib!

It's a ginsu Gremsu™ jib. They stay sharp for years! {demonstrates cutting aluminum can, then a tomato with the "jib"}

I'm just waiting to see what the stuff for cowards is.

Part of me hopes this makes it possible to play a cowardly barbarian, whose berserk rages aren't driven by fury but by pure screaming panic.

And of course, everyone thinks he's a hero (hey, he always wins his fights), so they keep sending him out after even bigger and nastier enemies...

Barbarian in panic filled Rage: "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!." As he smashed an dragons skull in with an axe.
Party: great job, now let's go get its hide and treasure.
Barbarian: under breath "meanies. making me fight scary things even though I tell them it's scary."

Oh god what happens if he gets a phobia of the dark. You now have an ogryn-esk barbarian.

Imagine having to wrangle a rage/panic fueld barbarian as it tries to back peddle or run away.

"NOT IN THE FACE", "NOT IN THE FACE";)

"a rogue who handles jobs discreetly" wait...don't rogues already do that in a number of ways?

"a rogue who handles jobs discreetly" wait...don't rogues already do that in a number of ways?

This one allows substituting Stealth for Profession (Barrister), Profession (Merchant), and Profession (Actuarial Accountant) rolls.

New bloodrager bloodline? Sold. (Assuming it's not super niche)

I admit, I'm more into the new corruption and Phantom Emotion focus part, but this does seem to hit the right notes.