Archetypes-From Where?

[DGRM44]

Did Pathfinder invent Archetypes? If not, where did they come from? I think it is such a great idea to customize a Class-Based system such as D&D/Pathfinder.

[Seldriss]

You can see them in the line of the class variants or racial substitution levels of D&D 3rd Edition.
If you go further, you can see them as the old kits of AD&D 2nd Edition.
The system is different but the idea is similar: Customization.

[Derek Vande Brake]

Well, when a mommy archetype and a daddy archetype love each other very much...

Sorry, it had to be done.

[Thraxital]

DGRM44 wrote:

Did Pathfinder invent Archetypes? If not, where did they come from? I think it is such a great idea to customize a Class-Based system such as D&D/Pathfinder.

Ya, even in first ed you had sub-class, for example in the original Unearthed Arcana for 1st ed AD@D Paladin was a sub-class of the Cavalier, Illusionist for Mage, Acrobat/Assassin for thief ect.

[Sean Mahoney]

They also seem to be Paizo's answer to the Prestige Class. Yes, there is such thing as a Prestige Class in Pathfinder, but very few and they seem to coming up with Archetypes to customize your character rather than a bunch of Prestige Classes. Which has it's ups and downs.

For what it is worth, I think I enjoyed Alternate Class Features and Prestige Classes more.

Sean Mahoney

[Helaman]

I love the concept - Fighters were JUST fighters, it was their feats choices that made them different before, now? You can get a LOT of variety (even with sticking to one Archetype) even within the one class.

I think the only class that sort of lost out was the Sorcerer - they have more bloodlines than you can shake a stick at but mechanically its much of a muchness - but some of the UM feats allowed for more customisation within that framework.