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Alternate Paths: Martial Magic (PFRPG) PDF

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Alternate Paths: Martial Magic (PFRPG) PDF

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Free Your Mages!
Alternate Paths: Martial Magic is all about mixing magic and martial! We’ve got new magic/martial classes, feats to allow mages to have more fun, and so much more!

Overview: 8 new classes (6 base, 2 hybrid),13 subsystems/alternate rules, 9 support feats, 8 general feats (including a style for mages!), and 4 metamagic feats.

New Classes:
Beast: Magical soldiers who gain permanent spells as “augmentations” as they level up.
Cannoneer: Magical field artillery with disgustingly powerful arcane field cannons!
Curse-Wielder: Flip the script on a cursed item! Turn your pestilence into a pleasure!
Esper: Empathic champions who can hear the collective unconscious! Part psychic-paladin, part support character, but all front-line combatant!
Inquisitorial Scholar: An inquisitor / alchemist hybrid that focuses on monster hunting, bypassing enemy weaknesses, and studying creatures! Uses extracts and extracts sweet revenge on foes they’ve crossed before!
Maghamir: Cavalier / magi who fly on magic carpets, belong to great fleets, and are daring, acrobatic explorers!
Sagebeast: Magic users who seal powerful monstrous humanoids (and related creatures) within themselves. Half the time they are mages but once they run out of magic... the beast gets unleashes and they become full on feral fighters!
Shujaa: Martial mages who can only cast abjuration magic due to a process known as “cresting”. So in tune with abjuration magics are they that they manifest a powerful magical shield!

Alternate Rules:
Each section has rules for adding new things to the game or allowing mages new options. Each section comes with rules on how to implement it, balance concerns, and to keep things balanced.
Battle Mages
Charging Spells
Component Bypass
Cosmic Magic
Critical Spells
Frankenspells
Gestalt Play & Magic Knights
Metamagic Weapons
Spells as Attacks of Opportunity
Spellblades
GM Advice on Swapping Spell Lists
Physical Casting Modifiers
Universal Spell Combat
Mana System: An extensive system for reducing the complexity of spellcasting.

Technical
Page Count: 82 pages (1 cover, 1 credit, 1 OGL, 80 content)
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4/5 —

First of all, let me say that I was given a free book for reviewing, but I don't think it will affect my review.

So this book has an unusual niche- It's for improving the martial abilities of spellcasters, with several optional rules and multiple warrior classes with exotic abilities, called "exotic classes," and feats.

So the first chapter is optional rules.

Battle Mages discusses alternatives to arcane spell failure for armor, for those who want to get away from the squishy wizard stereotype, either permanently or as temporary methods to avoid it, depending on your comfort level.

Charging spells is a rule for empowering spells by taking longer, could go with a dragonball z dynamic to it, or making the magic more ritualistic. Definitely won't be appropriate for some campaigns I imagine.

Component bypass, what you'd think. Another way to avoid squishy wizards by avoiding somatic components among other things.

Cosmic magic, now this rule is a little bit of an odd man out, it doesn't really increase the battle prowess of spellcasters, although it reduces spell failure for armor if you were an arcane caster to begin with.

Cosmic magic, for those who haven't bought other books that have discussed it, is the primal universal source of magic that arcane, divine, and psychic magic all flows.

By the rules presented, just change the name of the spellcasting class to "cosmic sorcerer," or "cosmic paladin," whatever.

This could easily be expanded. Some classes wouldn't change too much by changing their source of magic, but conceptually some classes would change conceptually a lot. I could easily see archetypes for cosmic sorcerers, druids, paladins, and the like.

Critical spells, not that exciting on it's own, but neither are critical hits. I imagine someone will use this to let spellcasters
have fun by plugging into the Laying Waste system by TPK games.

Frankenspells casting two spells at the same time combining them into one. Can be used to say throw a lightning bolt and a fireball at the same time at someone, or take advantage of spell interactions. Like say combining a harm and a heal spell to deal nonlethal damage, as a given example.

Magic Knights, this rule suggests gestalt play in pathfinder to allow someone to be a full bab warrior and a nine level caster at the same time.

Metamagic weapons is a fun idea I feel. Allows someone using a magic weapon to add a metamagic feat to their attacks. Since most metamagic feats don't have prereqs that non spellcasters can't meet, this rule could benefit noncasters too, if you want archers with seeking arrows or fighters beating up ghosts with ectoplasmic sword strikes.

Spell as attacks of opportunity, what it says on the tin there.

Spellblade is an interesting rule. It allows spellcasters to temporarily invest a spell into making a sword out of magic. I could definitely see some archetypes based on this one. A paladin or inquisitor with a divine blade, or a magus specializing in spellblades.

Swapping spell lists, not really about enhancing the martial power of spellcasters, but I'm sure someone somewhere would want to play a Paladin of Nature with the ranger spell list, as a example.

Physical casting modifers involves using Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution, with suggested downsides to balance things.

Universal spell combat, magus spell combat for everyone.

The next optional rule is a mana system to get rid of spell slots, with a "spell stress system" as an additional limiting factor, with two further optional rules to alter the cost of individual spells as desired.

Next is the classes.

The first is the Beast, a different take on the magical warrior. They don't cast spells, rather they have permament spell effects on them, up to 6th lvl. Full BAB, proficient with all armor and shields and simple and martial weapons. They use their class level for caster level when appropriate, and Con as their caster modifier. Spells that end when triggered normally recover in one minute.

Beasts have three paths to choose from for costumization- Government sponsored soldiers, the independent mercenaries, and the mutants. Mercenaries can change their permanent spells but have to pay for it like a scroll, or make spells cast on them last like their augmentations. Mutants can have more augmentations, but suffer a penalty, and can gain extra senses, natural attacks, or counting as a different type of creature as their mutation takes hold. Soldiers are the fighter like option with extra combat feats, but they don't choose their augmentations.

Further adding to customization they gain access to Beast talents, things like spell like abilities, gaining enhancement bonus to their natural or unarmed attacks, or recharging their augmentations when they save against a spell or spell like ability.

Lots of options for expansion that I can see. Alchemical supersoldiers, psionic Beasts who have implanted psionic powers, Androids who magically tinker with their own bodies, Beasts who gain their powers from a Sorcerer like heritage, racial archetypes for those who tap into their dhampir/skinwalker/kitsune/planar heritage, etc.

Cannoneers, dexterity based medium BAB class that specializes in firearms, and the magic cannon they wheel around. Instead of spells, their magic manifests as different types of shells they can fire from their magic cannon. I'm sure it'll appeal to others who want to be heavy artillery.

Next is the Curse-Wielder. Elric. Bilbo Baggins. Witchblade. Powers work off building stress, when stress gets too high the cursed item takes over, but resting 8 hours a day or rampaging (letting the cursed item take over) reduces it. Their main attack power is adding negative energy damage to their attacks with which they can also add curse effects. A major choice for this class is to whether fight or give in to the curse, another one is what kind of item they are stuck with, and the third is the personality of their cursed item.

Espers, champions of the collective unconscious. Full BAB limited casters like paladins, they gain an aura of calmness, bonuses from having allies around, can add nonlethal damage to attacks, Commune with the collective unconscious, a psychic shield, among other class benefits.

Inquisitorial Scholar. I think I would have reversed that name myself, but moving on. Hybrid class of Alchemist and Inquisitor. They use their knowledge of their nonhumanoid opponents to combat them, often through the application of alchemy. Think the Men of Letters from Supernatural or the Watchers from Buffy.

Maghamar, hybrid class of magus and cavalier. Magic carpet riding air force. They can channel spells through charge attacks. And join "fleets' instead of orders. One fleet turns this into a unicorn rider instead, though.

Sagebeasts. Spellcasters who can Hulk out thanks to a powerful monster within them. Proficient with light and medium armor and shields (except tower shields), but only ignore spell failure from light armor, and all simple and martial weapons. Intelligence based 6th level spontaneous casters. In monster form they are full BAB, an alignment shift, and abilities depending on what specific monster they turn into. While as written they are focused on goblins, monstrous humanoids, and giants, I imagine someone is going to want to expand that. Lycanthropes? Demons? Undead?

Shujaa, magical warrior tank class who are denied all magic but abjuration. Personal forcefield that provides a shield bonus, gain armor proficiency as they level up, they learn to shape their force field to share it with allies or attack with it, gain attack bonuses with it or add magical enhancements, etc.

Last is feats. There's the new metamagic feats and class feature dependent feats, including one that allows sagebeasts to maintain their alignment. but wow.

They have a style that allow one to use their caster level for weapon attacks., and at its pinnacle qualify for fighter feats and use their caster modifier for attack rolls.

Now all these options aren't for everyone, I imagine a campaign that pushes the envelope with some of the more powerful classes out there will be more receptive than vanilla pathfinder games, but there is lots of fun stuff in here, that I imagine will inspire some of the readers. So 4 out of 5 from me.

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Cool. Looks like another alternative to Path of War and Spheres of Might/Power.
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Brother Fen wrote:
Cool. Looks like another alternative to Path of War and Spheres of Might/Power.

I wouldn't say that.

While I'm sadly too too broke to buy this magnificent product right now, I did check out the preview on rpgnow which includes the optional rules.

Path of war and spheres of might are about enhancing the abilities of warriors, this book's alternate rules are about enhancing the martial power of spellcasters, which is a bit different.

That said, the optional rule "metamagic weapons" could be used to allow warriors to have essentially metaweapon feats, it's not like most metamagic feats have prerequisites non spellcasters can't meet in pathfinder.

So a fighter with bouncing arrows, monks beating up ghosts with ectoplasmic fist strikes, archers firing seeking arrows, etc.

While that sounds fun and gives warriors some help, I wouldn't call it a rival to SoM or PoW without adding a whole lot of metamagic feats.

Unless you mean a replacement as in adding more fighty classes with exotic abilities, which if Beasts are any indication this book does have covered.

Love Beasts by the way, I read about them and I just couldn't help but see lots of ways to expand it- Beasts who gain their powers by sorcerer like heritage, android Beasts whose powers are technomagical tinkering, alchemical beasts, racial paths/archetypes for Beasts who draw upon their kitsune/dhampir/skinwalker/elemental heritage, etc.
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StSword wrote:
Brother Fen wrote:
Cool. Looks like another alternative to Path of War and Spheres of Might/Power.

I wouldn't say that.

While I'm sadly too too broke to buy this magnificent product right now, I did check out the preview on rpgnow which includes the optional rules.

Path of war and spheres of might are about enhancing the abilities of warriors, this book's alternate rules are about enhancing the martial power of spellcasters, which is a bit different.

That said, the optional rule "metamagic weapons" could be used to allow warriors to have essentially metaweapon feats, it's not like most metamagic feats have prerequisites non spellcasters can't meet in pathfinder.

So a fighter with bouncing arrows, monks beating up ghosts with ectoplasmic fist strikes, archers firing seeking arrows, etc.

While that sounds fun and gives warriors some help, I wouldn't call it a rival to SoM or PoW without adding a whole lot of metamagic feats.

Unless you mean a replacement as in adding more fighty classes with exotic abilities, which if Beasts are any indication this book does have covered.

Love Beasts by the way, I read about them and I just couldn't help but see lots of ways to expand it- Beasts who gain their powers by sorcerer like heritage, android Beasts whose powers are technomagical tinkering, alchemical beasts, racial paths/archetypes for Beasts who draw upon their kitsune/dhampir/skinwalker/elemental heritage, etc.

We love the Spheres books and Path of War too but like Brother Fen said this book's systems are less extensive/invasive systems that gives martial and magic characters the ability to blend together a bit using modifications to the existing system.

And I really like your ideas for expanding the content of Beast Fen, very creative! Classes generally have a general page range and while we have lots of ideas on how to expand it; that was where it ended up at. We'd love to do an expansion on it if it gets enough traction to warrant it!
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Thanks for the clarification.

StSword had the good ideas. I'm the confused one. lol
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Well can't blame you, just looking at the names of the optional rules- universal spell combat, spellblade, magic knight, battle mages, cosmic magic, any of those, going by the names, could have been about magic enhanced combat along the lines of SoM, PoW, or Necromancer's Book of Martial Action 1&2's improved combat options.
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Little Red Goblin Games wrote:
Classes generally have a general page range and while we have lots of ideas on how to expand it; that was where it ended up at. We'd love to do an expansion on it if it gets enough traction to warrant it!

Oh, I want this. I don't know how well Tome of Tomes did back in the day, but I would definetly buy an Alternate Paths: Alternate Archetypes. I would love archetypes for the Undying, Guardian, Thane, Warmonger, Lantern, Templar, Avatar, Calculator and Sapper.

Maybe add in archetypes for some of the standalone classes like Godhand, Vector and Steel Guard. Or more archetypes for Gonzo classes, I know my group would love more archetypes for Henshin Hero/Magical Girl so every one at the table can play a Henshin Hero of a different archetype while still being a group of Power Rangers.
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Picked this up and as usual I am liking what I have read so far. However, one gripe that I have is the Curse-Wielder with it's limited proficiencies and only one good save. For a class that has one shtick going for it (debuffing) it's lacking a bit of versatility. As they have to inflict their debuffing via an attack I would think the class would have a few decent proficiencies baked into it, as well, being that the class is rather combat focused I would have thought a decent fortitude save and medium armor proficiency makes sense. As it stands now I am unable to craft anything that really makes sense from a player perspective (that is 4 players, each filling a specific role) without having to expend feats to shore up some of the issues I have outlined. In a nutshell, I am finding it difficult to pinpoint exactly what the class is useful for. To me it seems like it's another "5th" wheel class that is nice to have if you are running a larger group.

Cheers
Volf
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As is normal for the LRGG alternate path books, this has some interesting class concepts in it.

Thanks to the preview I already know about the Beasts. Heck, I've already thought up two more possible expansions- A psionic equivalent, someone implanted with crystals to absorb psychic powers, and a blue mage trick of copying powers you see used.

But would anyone be kind enough to give a rundown of the Sagebeasts?

Not that they are the only other class that interests me, but that is the one that I really don't want to wait until I become unbroke enough to buy this to learn more about.

@Volvogg
So one thing you need to keep in mind for the Curse-Wielder is that they ARE a spotlight class (like the bard, or as you say “5th wheel”). They often find themselves in the (unchained) Rogue position where, while they are a debuffer, they “can do the thing”.

Weapons
Your proficiency is generally going to be determined by what you take as your cursed bond. If light armor is unsuited to you, a heavy curse bound armor is a great idea for you. Weapons are a little rougher; obviously selecting a cursed weapon gives you proficiency with any one weapon you want, but what happens when you select armor or a wondrous item? Well, you will lack a bit in the damage provided by your weapon but your damage is not going to come from your weapon’s damage dice. It’s mostly from power surge and, as a medium BAB (+15 @20th) class you’re probably not a damage beast anyway (except maybe with a cursed weapon). Your big contribution on that front is gonna be your cursed strike and the debuffs it inflicts.

Playing One
Think of this more like an anti-bard. They are probably going to hit you, maybe do some damage, but then the target is going to be totally hobled. To get that boost to hit (typically 1/4th level to hit) an armor user can take weaponized armor and a weapon user gets that off the bat. A wondrous item user is a little more “spellcastery” (perhaps “utility-focused” is a better phrase) than a straight damage dealer; their mystic curse can be devastating if you select the correct spell. They also are not hugely in need to a weapon in many instances. Taking something like power blast (which is a ranged touch @ 60 ft) that can instill a debuff (via cursed blast) more or less negates your need in that regards (medium BAB vs touch for a huge debuff like bestow curse, even with an associated Will save, is awesome).

Builds
You can totally play the “I am a cursed sword dude” if you pick a weapon as your cursed bond. You’ll end up playing something like a debuff rogue, though they are not generally “martial, I hit you with a stick” kinda dudes. If you pick your evolutions correctly they can end up a ranged shutdown character (ala the cursed blast line), a skill monkey (cursed wondrous item, Piercing Insight, Scholar Of Old, Ancient Whispers, etc).

(Btw legitimately appreciate the feedback)

@StSword
Sagebeast is a little weird (but what isn’t?)
On the most basic level it’s a class that says, “I’m a wizard until I run out of my spells per day, then I become a fighter”.
This doesn’t really cover everything as they are not “full on wizards” (less spells per day and the like) and they don’t really become a “fighter”. Their fighter side ends up being “so I let the troll spirit I have sealed within me out. I get some troll abilities”. You also have ways to burn spell slots on some of your monstrous abilities before you run out of spells (and to help you burn them down quick when/if you need to).

And we always have a standing offer of, “Hey, we’ll send you a copy if you do a review for us.” We don’t require it to be a positive review so long as it’s fair and well thought out.

@ Little Red Goblin Games ... thanks for the response! Your summary is pretty much spot on to my own thoughts. However, it's also frustrating the bloat that has occurred due to the number of "5th wheel" type classes. Don't get me wrong though, the classes are always interesting and/or unique and flavorful I just wish that more of them could be considered for a "core" group of players. In light of this, if one wanted to make the curse-wielder a candidate for your standard 4 man adventuring crew, what changes could be made to accomplish this? Possibly a tweak to weapon proficiencies, good fortitude save progression and an additional 2 skill points per level? Optionally, what would be really interesting is if there were options available to the curse-wielder similar in affect to the vigilante's specializations. Any thoughts on this?

Cheers
Volf

In the introduction of the alt path series it always talks about the fact that the classes in the book are generally aimed at advanced players who are already familiar with the classes/options available to them and want to play something new/unexpected. With that in mind, I wouldn’t advocate for a curse-wielder in your standard 4 person party. If you’re using Alt. Path material, there shouldn’t be anything standard about your party.

That having been said, if you wish to fit them in there you can, as described in the preceding post, fit them more into that skill monkey/bard/party face role. You can end up with solid skills via the aforementioned feats, I’d probably recommend going wondrous item / blast build. A lot of your “buffs” come from the fact that your foes will end up with debuffs (Your target’s AC isn’t higher but their foes attack roll is proportionally lower).
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Review up.

If anyone has any question my review didn't cover, feel free to ask.
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