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Pathfinder Player Companion: Martial Arts Handbook

4.50/5 (based on 4 ratings)
Pathfinder Player Companion: Martial Arts Handbook
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Combat is a way of life on Golarion—warriors across the world are constantly in search of the next fight, powerful technique, or weapon in order to improve their skills. Pathfinder Player Companion: Martial Arts Handbook offers new archetypes, feats, and equipment for adventurers of all kinds who rely on their physical prowess in combat, whether they turn themselves into living weapons with their punches and kicks or unleash their mastery with nunchaku and swords.

Inside this book you'll find:

  • Fighting styles from across Golarion, including battle dancers, who use impressive maneuvers to dance around foes, and the black powder vaulters of Alkenstar, who use acrobatics to leap across the battlefield!
  • Dozens of new feats for all kinds of martial artists, including feats to improve combat maneuvers and improvised combat, combination feats, and style feats like the high-flying dragonfly style!
  • New abilities that draw upon the innate power of the body, including ki abilities for both qinggong monks and unchained monks, ninja tricks, and kineticist talents!

This Pathfinder Player Companion is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Campaign Setting, but it can easily be incorporated into any fantasy world.

ISBN-13: 978-1-64078-092-7

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

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4.50/5 (based on 4 ratings)

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Website ate the review so you'll never ever know why I'm giving this 5 stars.

5/5 —

Everyone's Kung Fu Fighting

3/5 —

Good solid book with some useful stuff but I am disappointed in the lack of unarmored AC options. Also the kineticist wild talents have ridiculous requirements. I could have thought of wild talents that that fit the martial art theme and didn't need to have multi-class, archetypes, feats, etc.

More than Monks

5/5 —

Honestly, I had low expectations for this book. I mean, with the Brawler and the Monk and a plethora of unarmed options for other classes already existent, where could they go from here?

Boy was I wrong.

This book is A+ material, not only opening up martial arts to even more classes but providing all sorts of truly inspiring character options.
Never before have I given serious thought to being a luchador...

One of the best martial player companions

5/5 —

This book adds a plethora of new martial options for quite a number of classes, even unusual ones. From Occultist and Medium, to the good old Monk and Brawler, 12 classes get new and interesting archetypes to choose from.

Even more exciting is the new feats that add something more important than simply +1 to hit or an increase in damage dice, they add options. Options make combat exciting and let your imagination have a field day envisioning a halfling monk grappling and slamming a dragon into the ground so hard that it scares everyone else nearby. There are new actions you can take for nearly all the core maneuvers that allow for specialists to have quite a few different tools under their belt that are more than simply succeeding at their maneuver check.

In addition, the UnMonk (monk compatible) gets its first grappling focused archetype that lets you literally throw enemies multiple feet away from you while still dealing damage. Combine this with a couple of feats and you'll make them shaken and staggered from the experience!

Want to use that fish-tank as a weapon? What about that loose brick on the ground? Disappointed that improvised weapons are sub-optimal and typically not able to be enchanted? Well this is the book for you! The occultist archetype is entirely based around picking up a frying pan and swinging it around while there are also feats and even a style chain that lets you wield any magical item as an enchanted improvised weapon while also treating them as many steps larger and giving them special weapon qualities.

Always wanted to do a Samurai skilled at the art of the blade and the fist? Pick this book up and become a true master of weaving the two together in a concert of two-weapon fighting destruction.

A new style feat chain allows you to take the simplest of weapons, a stick, and turn it into a deadly and versatile weapon, especially when fighting defensively.

New options also exist for people that just like to roll attack and damage rolls in the form of combination feats. Hitting someone with a piercing weapon? Lower their SR or resistances for each hit. Hitting someone with a blunt weapon? Lower their DR for each hit. Not quite as exciting as the options for maneuvers, but it does allow for some interesting riders on basic attacks.

When they said there were new Qinggong ki powers, they were not kidding. The number of options for Qinggong powers has essentially doubled with this book!

Anyone remember the Chakra system? Well Luis Loza does and boy did he rework the concept to be way more useful. Instead of opening your own chakras, how about you close your opponents and give them some extremely brutal penalties because of it. From removing a creatures flying speed to negating all healing for 1min, to finally making it roll 2d20 for all rolls and take the lowest.

Want your kinetic fist or elemental ascetic kineticist to go PLUS ULTRA!? Pick up Gather Might to buff all your physical ability scores instead of reducing burn cost. Take some new infusions to learn a style strike or some other various House of Perfection influenced abilities.

You might have noticed that this is, as far as I know, the first Paizo book that allows characters other than UnMonks to learn style strikes!

Finally, Unarmed characters have a new alternative to the Amulet of Mighty Fists and the Bodywrap of Mighty Strikes that we actually want. Handwraps. Let's be real, this has taken far too long, but I'm glad to finally see these. Basically, these are just brass knuckles that let you use your unarmed strikes damage dice. This is huge, monks before this item were better at using weapons than unarmed strikes because it costed half as much to enchant them even though you had the same number of attacks with either.

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Scarab Sages Webstore Coordinator
5 people marked this as a favorite.

Announced for November! Image and description are provisional and subject to change prior to release.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16
2 people marked this as a favorite.

His eyes grow big and makes grabby hands at.
Verdant Wheel
7 people marked this as a favorite.

There is hope for non-asian martial arts ? Still have hope for a Luchador or a Capoeirist.

Long overdue, perhaps? ;)
Silver Crusade

Ooooo...
3 people marked this as a favorite.

If there ever is Capoeira, it should be open to Bards, IMO.
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Fourshadow wrote:
If there ever is Capoeira, it should be open to Bards, IMO.

Acrobatics, Escape Artist and Perform (dance, percussion or stringed instruments) are all part and parcel of both culture and style around Capoeira. Funny part is the classification in game terms of the berimbau - is it a percussion instrument or a stringed instrument?

Martial Arts should not be class-exclusive. Not the styles and physical combat elements, at least.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

["tire screeching" sound effect]

I may have to renew my subscription for this one! A surprising percentage of my characters have been monks, brawlers, and/or archetypes that get scaling unarmed damage. :D
Liberty's Edge

YAY. More Martial stuff. Hope we can get some cool varient Ki style attacks/utility, as well as stuff to give Ki moves or powers to other martial classes than just ninjas and monks. Though more cool stuff is always fine with me.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

These Player Companions better be JAMMED with game material since PF1 is almost out the door
2 people marked this as a favorite.

I am hoping we a get a "Gunslinger's Handbook" before PF2 is here. I doubt it though, Paizo doesn't care.

Cool. *tries Red Mantis Style* ;)
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Better late then never.
Scarab Sages

Yes! Bring on the crazy kung-fu!

Hopefully we will get martial art options for many classes. Maybe ninjas will actually get some love in this one.

I'm definitely looking forward to this one. Maybe we'll get some information on unarmed styles for nonhumans?
6 people marked this as a favorite.

Maybe there will be unarmored AC options for many classes in this one.
Grand Lodge
2 people marked this as a favorite.

Archetype Bonanza. A Shifter who maters the Animal Styles of Kung Fu.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

I'd like to see Unchained Monk get access to the pre-Unchained Monk archetypes that are currently not available to it.
Dragon78 wrote:
Maybe there will be unarmored AC options for many classes in this one.

I hope so too, and that it is super-easy to 'export' to PF2e.

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Some ki based feats and archetypes for non-ki using classes would be nice.
Radiant Oath
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Oh, wow will this expand on melekatha?! WILL THIS EXPAND ON MELEKATHA?!
Silver Crusade
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Oh, wow will this expand on melekatha?! WILL THIS EXPAND ON MELEKATHA?!

Given that Melek Taus is being faded away due to stepping way too far into actual real life religion related territory, I wouldn't hold my breath for anything related to him popping up. He's gone the way of Darklight Sisterhood and Paladins of Asmodeus.

1 person marked this as a favorite.
The Mad Comrade wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:
Maybe there will be unarmored AC options for many classes in this one.
I hope so too, and that it is super-easy to 'export' to PF2e.

If you look at ENWorld's compilation of PF2e ruleset, NOTHING will be easy to export to PF1. It is its own RPG system barely based on the old.

Silver Crusade
11 people marked this as a favorite.
Barachiel Shina wrote:
The Mad Comrade wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:
Maybe there will be unarmored AC options for many classes in this one.
I hope so too, and that it is super-easy to 'export' to PF2e.
If you look at ENWorld's compilation of PF2e ruleset, NOTHING will be easy to export to PF1. It is its own RPG system barely based on the old.

*gasp* ENWorld got a copy of the Second Edition rules before they're even made? I wonder how they managed that...

1 person marked this as a favorite.

"Compilation" being the operative word there, I believe! :)

Between the podcasts, playtests, Paizo blog previews, and other stuff, I'm sure that dedicated fans can put together a good compilation of a lot of the playtest material.
Silver Crusade
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Bellona wrote:

"Compilation" being the operative word there, I believe! :)

Between the podcasts, playtests, Paizo blog previews, and other stuff, I'm sure that dedicated fans can put together a good compilation of a lot of the playtest material.

You can compile what's been revealed thus far, certainly. That means absolutely nothing in regards to how portable the rules of each Edition are to each other though, or to Second Edition's rules as a whole, as what's been revealed are droplets amidst the rain.

Radiant Oath
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Gorbacz wrote:
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Oh, wow will this expand on melekatha?! WILL THIS EXPAND ON MELEKATHA?!
Given that Melek Taus is being faded away due to stepping way too far into actual real life religion related territory, I wouldn't hold my breath for anything related to him popping up. He's gone the way of Darklight Sisterhood and Paladins of Asmodeus.

Awww...I'll have to think of a new tiefling idea for Council of Thieves...

Bellona wrote:

"Compilation" being the operative word there, I believe! :)

Between the podcasts, playtests, Paizo blog previews, and other stuff, I'm sure that dedicated fans can put together a good compilation of a lot of the playtest material.

Rysky wrote:

You can compile what's been revealed thus far, certainly. That means absolutely nothing in regards to how portable the rules of each Edition are to each other though, or to Second Edition's rules as a whole, as what's been revealed are droplets amidst the rain.

Apparently I forgot to add an important qualifier: "... a good compilation of the playtest material revealed so far." I most certainly was not making any statement about the portability of the the two rule sets! (Even though I suspect that there won't be a lot of portability.)

I do agree that it would be impossible for even the most dedicated of normal readers to get the whole picture of PF2's playtest material. That said though, certain patterns seem to be emerging.
4 people marked this as a favorite.

I'd love to see an update to the old Dragon Magazine article on "How to Design Your Own Martial Arts Styles".
Fourshadow wrote:
If there ever is Capoeira, it should be open to Bards, IMO.

Capoeria was developed by slaves with hands in chains, so they had no options but to kick. Something similar should develop the same way.

My Jackie Chan inspired Sacred Fist War Priest of Cayden Cailean, Gina Carano inspired Brawler, Ronda Rousey inspired Barbarian, and Conor McGregor inspired Asmodeus Hellcat Monk is deeply pleased to see this book.

What, no drunken master:)
Dragon78 wrote:
What, no drunken master:)

I wanted to play a Drunken Master but then I'd have to play a Core Pathfinder Monk and....I really didn't want to do that. For obvious reasons.

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Barachiel Shina wrote:
The Mad Comrade wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:
Maybe there will be unarmored AC options for many classes in this one.
I hope so too, and that it is super-easy to 'export' to PF2e.
If you look at ENWorld's compilation of PF2e ruleset, NOTHING will be easy to export to PF1. It is its own RPG system barely based on the old.

Yeah. PF1 and PF2 are going to be completely separate. Erik Mona literally said he's not interested in backwards compatibility any more and rightly so. Ten years of carrying the 3.75 banner is as much as one could ask for, I suppose.

So grab all the PF and 3.5 you can, as it becomes a closed system now and forever. Do with it what you will.
Brother Fen wrote:
Barachiel Shina wrote:
The Mad Comrade wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:
Maybe there will be unarmored AC options for many classes in this one.
I hope so too, and that it is super-easy to 'export' to PF2e.
If you look at ENWorld's compilation of PF2e ruleset, NOTHING will be easy to export to PF1. It is its own RPG system barely based on the old.

Yeah. PF1 and PF2 are going to be completely separate. Erik Mona literally said he's not interested in backwards compatibility any more and rightly so. Ten years of carrying the 3.75 banner is as much as one could ask for, I suppose.

So grab all the PF and 3.5 you can, as it becomes a closed system now and forever. Do with it what you will.

Never was a fan of systems doing that.

Nor am I, but even as I complain about it, I am running out of ideas for new books or supplements. With Cthulhu Mythos coming out, The Planar Adventures book was literally the last one I was waiting for. I just want more adventures that I don't have to convert.

I figure with a good ten years of Pathfinder and third party material to dig through, I will keep my campaigns going for a good while.

Please, please let there be a system for designing one's own martial arts in this book.

Oh, you are using the unchained monk.

I haven't tried Unchained monk yet. I still run a classic monk.

Sorry, meant to put "thecursor" in that sentence, my bad.

Anyway Brother Fen, I do hope that there will be a few more books then this after Planar Adventures that will spark my interest before 2e takes over.
Dragon78 wrote:
Oh, you are using the unchained monk.

Yup! Love unchained Monk, especially when they created that Asmodeus themed Monk Archetype that was Unchained compatible.

Liberty's Edge

Dot

What do you guys like about the Unchained monk over the classic monk?
Brother Fen wrote:
What do you guys like about the Unchained monk over the classic monk?

Almost everything.

Almost everything!? Then what do you like better about the core monk?

Not getting its base Will save tanked?
Dragon78 wrote:
Almost everything!? Then what do you like better about the core monk?

...Hummm...you're right.

I like NOTHING about the Core Monk.
Brother Fen wrote:
What do you guys like about the Unchained monk over the classic monk?

The UC Monk is better before it takes any feats, so I’m more free to pick the feats I want. I can pick a style I want as well, because flying kick helps patch mobility issues. The d10 saves me three points in point buy.

The main advantage of the core monk over the unchained monk is that it has far more official archetypes that are available from Paizo rather than a 3rd party product, so that might be a reason to play a core monk in PFS. Otherwise, I would take a full BAB class that does not apply any attack penalties during a flurry of blows over the core version any time.
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Yeah, archetypes are the only redeeming feature of Core Monk next to uMonk.
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