Guide to the Class Guides

[Javaed]

Thanks for the complement Lanitril. I'll consider it "done" after the Armor Master's book comes out as it is quite possible that I'll have to reevaluate all the archetypes at that point. For now I'm writing out every combat feat with the intention of evaluating them and their related Combat Tricks.

[Secret Wizard]

Pls papa Z

[Broken Zenith]

Secret Wizard wrote:

Pls papa Z

I gotcha. Added the Monk Guide and Fighter Guide!

Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[theziggyed]

I'm new here, let me try out this "Dotting" the hip kids are speaking of.

[JakBlitz]

Anyone working on a Vigilante Guide?

[Lanitril]

I imagine the different builds are overwhelmingly too different for a guide to hit them all in a concise fashion. That said, maybe someone will do a guide about the social talents, and mini guides will show up for the different builds.

[VampByDay]

I recently created an Occultist guide:
Implementing Magic

It's still a work in progress, but I am editing/updating it constantly.

Here is the link to the thread: Right here

[Broken Zenith]

VampByDay wrote:

I recently created an Occultist guide:

Implementing Magic

It's still a work in progress, but I am editing/updating it constantly.

Here is the link to the thread: Right here

Added to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[cartmanbeck]

Hi Broken Z!
Here's a new one that probably should go in the Guide to the Builds. It's about making a Con-based caster using the Fighter and the new Item Mastery feats from Weapon Master's Handbook.
Cartmanbeck's Guide to the Iron Caster

[Caïen]

cartmanbeck wrote:

Hi Broken Z!

Here's a new one that probably should go in the Guide to the Builds. It's about making a Con-based caster using the Fighter and the new Item Mastery feats from Weapon Master's Handbook.
Cartmanbeck's Guide to the Iron Caster

I believe you are mistaken when you say that SLAs do not provoke AOO. It is when you are using the SLAs of only the Item Mastery feats. This is a specific case of these feats, not a general rule since SLAs act like spells in regard to provoking AOOs.

[Nohwear]

Does anyone know if there is a guide to Alchemist pet archetypes? There are a number of them out now.

[Broken Zenith]

Added Cartmanbeck!

Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[Darksol the Painbringer]

"Blow them to smithereens!" AKA "There WAS a Boss.": A Guide to the Master Blaster Caster

Thread Discussion

[Chess Pwn]

Darksol The Painbringer is for a build, not a guide. Still awesome, just should be put into the correct category.

[Azten]

It's pretty much a different Blockbuster wizard, so I don't see an issue.

[Broken Zenith]

Darksol the Painbringer wrote:

"Blow them to smithereens!" AKA "There WAS a Boss.": A Guide to the Master Blaster Caster

Thread Discussion

Added to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[DM Beckett]

I've begun to update my Cleric guide a bit, just as a head's up.

[ezrider23]

I'm pretty sure this is notin the guide collection but it may be of some use for newbies wishing to make their first foray into "Pathfinder Society Play". I don't know if there is a discussion page that accompanies it.

Written by Big Norse Wolf
Flutters Guide for Newbies

[Broken Zenith]

ezrider23 wrote:

I'm pretty sure this is notin the guide collection but it may be of some use for newbies wishing to make their first foray into "Pathfinder Society Play". I don't know if there is a discussion page that accompanies it.

Written by Big Norse Wolf
Flutters Guide for Newbies

Added to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[Nessa Ellenesse]

For mystic thurge I would recommend the following feats, boon companion and praticed spellcaster for both base classes. I wanted to do this for my character, but my DM won't allow 3rd party feats. He also pulled a bait and switch. Before the campaign started I asked him if I could bring in some 3.5 content.He said yes. After the game got going he refused every request I made for any 3.5 content.

[N. Jolly]

New Vigilante guide

Also I think with how my schedule is and such that I won't be able to update my guides much anymore. I know that's already been the case, for which I'm sorry, but I've had a lot of other things including a lot of things I've written (check my profile for info on that), and while I'm sad about that, I am glad that people have been enjoying them. I think I'd be cool with handing off my guides to anyone who was interested in trying to maintain them, since really, I'd like to have them continue to be useful to players. Either way, the guide community has been pretty amazing, and I'm really glad I started doing this.

[Luthorne]

N. Jolly wrote:

New Vigilante guide

Also I think with how my schedule is and such that I won't be able to update my guides much anymore. I know that's already been the case, for which I'm sorry, but I've had a lot of other things including a lot of things I've written (check my profile for info on that), and while I'm sad about that, I am glad that people have been enjoying them. I think I'd be cool with handing off my guides to anyone who was interested in trying to maintain them, since really, I'd like to have them continue to be useful to players. Either way, the guide community has been pretty amazing, and I'm really glad I started doing this.

As a minor note, according to an FAQ, the vigilante should have Knowledge (nobility) as a class skill.

[thegreenteagamer]

N. Jolly, the internet will lament the loss of your guides. They're always top-notch reads.

[miscdebris]

thegreenteagamer wrote:

N. Jolly, the internet will lament the loss of your guides. They're always top-notch reads.

Don't worry, I back them up. They won't be lost.

[Broken Zenith]

N. Jolly wrote:

New Vigilante guide

Also I think with how my schedule is and such that I won't be able to update my guides much anymore. I know that's already been the case, for which I'm sorry, but I've had a lot of other things including a lot of things I've written (check my profile for info on that), and while I'm sad about that, I am glad that people have been enjoying them. I think I'd be cool with handing off my guides to anyone who was interested in trying to maintain them, since really, I'd like to have them continue to be useful to players. Either way, the guide community has been pretty amazing, and I'm really glad I started doing this.

Added to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[Ciaran Barnes]

I would like to submit my HUNTER GUIDE. It will continue to updated during the course of the campaign I am currently playing in. It uses Animal Archive, Advanced Class Guide, Advanced Player's Guide, Advanced Race Guide, Core Rule Book, Ultimate Combat, and Ultimate Magic. HERE is the discussion.

[miscdebris]

New Fighter Guide called My brain hurts... good thing I don't need it!!! Marshmallow's guide to the fighter with a nice discussion.

[Broken Zenith]

Added both the Hunter Guide and the Fighter Guide to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[MageHunter]

Hey! I'm working on a Rage Prophet Guide. I used Google Docs to be able to keep making changes, but I"m pretty happy with it so far.

Guide Here

Discussion Here

Thanks!

[Broken Zenith]

Added to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[OneTrueBaldo]

The demoniac got a guide here.

[Broken Zenith]

OneTrueBaldo wrote:

The demoniac got a guide here.

Added to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[Meshakhad]

Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Ftagn! A Guide To The Elder Mythos Cultist

[Broken Zenith]

Meshakhad wrote:

Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Ftagn! A Guide To The Elder Mythos Cultist

Added to the Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[Stack]

The spheres of power elementalist handbook should be in third party classes, not with specific class abilities. The orrery (spheres of power handbook) Is also a magic system handbook rather than a class ability, not sure if there is a good section for that.

Not that I keep them updated these days.

[MageHunter]

Hey Broken Z,

Sorry to trouble you. I made a new guide account for privacy and lost the password. I made sure to write down the one for my new one. So I can't edit the old guide.

Here is the new guide

Here is the new discussion thread (to avoid clutter)

Thank you!

[Davia D]

Is there a recent Familiar guide? The only one I know is old enough that there's at least a half dozen new familiars and I don't think goes over the archetypes.

[Kurald Galain]

Davia D wrote:

Is there a recent Familiar guide? The only one I know is old enough that there's at least a half dozen new familiars and I don't think goes over the archetypes.

The Magus guide also covers familiars.

[Kithyrynthastrus al'Vanos]

Are there any guides for gestalt characters?

[Broken Zenith]

MageHunter wrote:

Hey Broken Z,

Sorry to trouble you. I made a new guide account for privacy and lost the password. I made sure to write down the one for my new one. So I can't edit the old guide.

Here is the new guide

Here is the new discussion thread (to avoid clutter)

Thank you!

Changed! No worries. Guide to the Guides

Guide to the Builds

[UnArcaneElection]

I wonder if we can get some community involvement in this: It would be useful to put dates on the guides linked from the Guide to the Guides. This will go faster if more eyes are on the job, and some people might be able to find things that others can't. I made a start, with Magus first by popular :-) request:

Magus

(Date information rewritten by re-hosting -- known to be before 2014 and probably before 2012; archetype-specific guide): Optimizing the Suboptimal: A (sub)Guide to the Myrmidarch
2012-02-06 and following messages in thread (last post by original author appears to be 2012-02-12; class feature-specific guide): A Guide to Touch Spells, Spellstrike, and Spell Combat
Undated, probably no later than 2013 and likely no later than 2011 (archetype-specific guide, still good even though out of date): Magus Hexcrafter Guide: The Complete Guide For Dealing With The Devil
2011-06: Walter's Guide to the Magus
(Known to be before 2014 and probably before 2012; archetype-specific guide, still good even though out of date): The Exhaustive Guide to the Kensai Magus
2017-03-22 (got exact date off your message about the latest update) (THE OVERALL MAGUS GUIDE): Myrrh, Frankincense, and Steel
(Unknown date, probably before 2015): Forger’s Supplemental Guide to the Updated Magus

And a bit of (mostly) low-hanging fruit:

Alchemist

2015-11-22 (comprehensive Alchemist guide): Zenith's Guide to the Alchemist
2015-10-16(?) (comprehensive Alchemist guide): Chasing the Philosopher's Stone: N. Jolly's Guide to the Pathfinder Alchemist
(Date information rewritten by re-hosting -- unknown date, probably before 2013): Ogre's RPG Stuff - Alchemist’s Guide

[Kurald Galain]

I think this is a very good initiative. Given that several classes have half a dozen guides (or even more), it would be very useful to players to sort these by age with the newest on top - or maybe to list the two or three most recent guides for each class (which are usually the most complete ones, too), and move everything else to a list of "old guides" at the bottom. This makes it easier for players who want info on a class, because they don't have to first figure out which guide is the most recent.

For example the Barbarian,
Lord of Rage is from 2014, and is the most comprehensive.
Anger Management is from 2013 and is still pretty good.
Barbarian Am Smash is from 2013, and is about two specific builds instead of the class as a whole.
Kcmorris's guide from 2012 is specifically about the Titan Mauler build only.
Elewan's guide is from 2011 and covers the whole class but of course doesn't have the last six years of sourcebooks.

HTH.

[Kurald Galain]

UnArcaneElection wrote:

Magus Alchemist

To add to your list,

The Exhaustive Guide to the Kensai Magus is from 2014. Forger’s Supplemental Guide is also last updated in 2014 (and explicitly covers only anything that Walter's guide doesn't). The Guide to the Myrmidarch was last updated May 2012.

Dealing With The Devil is already in the first post of the thread we're currently in, meaning it's older than April 2011. So is Ogre's Alchemist’s Guide.

I concur with the rest of the datings.

[Davia D]

Kurald Galain wrote:

Davia D wrote:

Is there a recent Familiar guide? The only one I know is old enough that there's at least a half dozen new familiars and I don't think goes over the archetypes.

The Magus guide also covers familiars.

Thanks! I think that's the only one I've seen that's got the Familiar Archetypes covered.

[miscdebris]

UnArcaneElection wrote:

I wonder if we can get some community involvement in this: It would be useful to put dates on the guides linked from the Guide to the Guides. This will go faster if more eyes are on the job, and some people might be able to find things that others can't.

Just remember, this is going to add quite a bit of checking and rechecking. It's better to add the date last edited to the beginning of the guide itself as it will save quite a bit of work.

Also, those guides that are in google docs are easy to check the dates on if you add them to your own drive.

[UnArcaneElection]

^I wish authors would do exactly that, but in a lot of cases, they didn't, and neither we nor Broken Zenith can edit the file. Still would be good to have the date in the list of guides so that you don't have to load up the document to check for it (especially painful on a phone).

But thanks for the Google Docs tip -- I'll have to check that out.

[miscdebris]

I've got all the guides in there. It makes saving lost ones easier (I back up my google drive nightly) and searching for "that one thing I remembered reading somewhere that one time 2 years go but I don't remember which guide it was in" very easy. I also download and PDF guides I find on websites.

[Kurald Galain]

After (a)lchemist and (b)arbarian, let's check the Cleric.

Tark's is from 2013, and is also comprehensive.
Rogue Eidolon is from 2010, and is comprehensive.
Beckett's is from 2010 and is rather less complete than Tark's or Eidolon's.
Axe's is from 2010, and appears to be unfinished.
Brewer's Guide, the Hangover Cleric, and Ia Chtulhu are about a specific build instead of the whole class; I think these ended up in the wrong list and should be moved to the "guide to the builds" instead.

Finally, Pupsocket's guide is an interesting case. It is the most recent (2014), but it's actually a guide for other classes to dip into cleric. So it's not actually a cleric guide. I'm not sure where to place this.

[avr]

Going back to fill in the Arcanist:

Arcanist Optimization Guide by Thelemic Noun was last updated December 2014. Incomplete & it says as much on the first line.
Dawar’s Guide to the Arcanist was last updated November 2015. Incomplete, tho' less so than Thelemic's.
"Blow Them to Smithereens" AKA "There WAS a Boss" by Darksol dates to July 2016. It's a guide to one very specific build rather than a general guide.

& the Antipaladin:

Bodhi's Guide to the Optimal Paladin & Antipaladin was last updated January 2015. Comprehensive (and pretty).
Marshmallow's Guide to Your Optimal Anti-Paladin, August 2013. Fairly comprehensive.

& the Bloodrager

Raining Blood: The Bloodrager's Guide to Pleasing the Metal Gods, by Arachnofiend, dates to September 2014 and isn't complete. It's the only bloodrager guide on Zenith's list which means there's a big opening there if someone wants to fill it.

[Broken Zenith]

Nice work fellas. Keep them coming!