I have to admit I'm excited to try some of the new classes in society play. Check your email folks.
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Dear Derek,
As many of you are aware, we have a playtest coming up for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide, an exciting new rulebook due out next August. This book contains 10 all new classes that we like to call "hybrids". Each one takes rules elements from two existing classes and blends them together to create a new concept. To date, we have announced 7 of the 10 new classes, but since you are some of our most dedicated fans, I thought it only fitting that Pathfinder Society members get the scoop on the 8th class.
Before I get into the new class, I want to tell you a bit about the upcoming playtest. Starting on Tuesday, November 19th, you will be able to download the Advanced Class Guide Playtest PDF from paizo.com. This document will contain rules for all 10 of the classes slated to appear in the Advanced Class Guide. We want you to read over the classes and use them in your game. We want your feedback on how they perform at the table, what works and what needs work. Your thoughts and feedback will help shape these classes before they take their final form. You will be able to contribute through a number of special playtest messageboards.
Best of all, these classes are available for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play immediately upon the release of the playtest document! You'll need to have a print or PDF copy of the playtest document with your character, and you'll need to incorporate any changes established by the design team or campaign staff during the playtest as well as once the final versions of the class are released in August 2014. the Additional Resources list will have specific details about what is allowed in the campaign and should be referenced when creating a character that uses any of these classes.
Now that you know when to expect the playtest, on to the new class. Up to this point, we have talked about 7 of the 10 classes: the Arcanist (a mix of sorcerer and wizard), the Bloodrager (a mix of barbarian and sorcerer), the Hunter (a mix of druid and ranger), the Shaman (a combination of oracle and witch), the Slayer (a blending of ranger and rogue), the Swashbuckler (a mix of gunslinger and fighter), and the Warpriest (mixing the cleric and fighter). The 8th class is...
The Investigator. This class blends together elements of the alchemist and the rogue to make for the ultimate sleuth. Using extracts, sneak attack, and a new mechanic called inspiration, the investigator is skilled at putting together clues, finding hidden foes, and striking enemies with precision. Think of him as part Sherlock Holmes, part Doctor Jekyll. Using inspiration, the investigator can add a bonus to certain skill checks, saving throws, and even attack rolls.
The design team here at Paizo is looking forward to getting this playtest started and we can't wait to see your feedback. We know that you are some of our most diehard players and we want to hear what you have to say.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
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Other two ACG classes:
Brawler: This class blends the fighter and the monk, creating a warrior whose sole focus is unarmed combat and martial maneuvers, without any of the mysticism of the monk. This class is designed specifically to beat up monsters, with a full base attack bonus progression (like a fighter) and improved unarmed strike damage (like a monk). To top it off, the class is also very skilled at making combat maneuvers.
Skald: Taking parts of the bard and the barbarian, this class can rage and inspire rage in its allies (we initially called it the “bard-barian” in-house). Instead of inspiring speeches and words of encouragement, the skald incites fury and anger in his allies, allowing them all to go on a murderous rampage.
Looking forward to this play test!
I wonder if they'll have any premades of the new classes so that you can jump into various levels of play.
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Other two ACG classes:
Brawler: This class blends the fighter and the monk, creating a warrior whose sole focus is unarmed combat and martial maneuvers, without any of the mysticism of the monk. This class is designed specifically to beat up monsters, with a full base attack bonus progression (like a fighter) and improved unarmed strike damage (like a monk). To top it off, the class is also very skilled at making combat maneuvers.
THIS +5. 1/2 the reason I'll buy the book (well, pdf). I've been wanting to play a linebacker/German airplane mechanic type character!
The other 1/2 is swashbuckler.
Can't wait to try this stuff out!
If these are classes does that mean if you like one part more you could take levels in that class. Like an investigator (a mix of alchemist and rogue) take levels in ninja? Or would this not work.
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If these are classes does that mean if you like one part more you could take levels in that class. Like an investigator (a mix of alchemist and rogue) take levels in ninja? Or would this not work.
As of the current rules, you cannot take levels from either of the classes that we used to build the hybrid class. This gave us a great deal more flexibility when designing the classes, because we did not have to worry about a character getting duplicate abilities. Remember, each one of these classes contains elements of its "parent" classes along with new mechanics to create a new play experience.
This rule is not set in stone, but once you see the classes, I think it will become a more clear why we made the decision. As always, we will be looking for your feedback on the issue when the playtest goes live on Tuesday.
As Ninja is an alternate class of Rogue, which means that a Rogue cannot take levels of Ninja, or vice versa, I think that would extend to an Investigator being unable to take levels of Ninja.
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Does anyone know if the playtest document, or the actual book, is going to include archetypes for the new classes?
Or will you be able to apply existing archetypes from the base classes for the hybrid classes, if they have the appropriate mechanics?
The actual book will contain archetypes for the hybrids. As for the playtest documents they have not announced any of the contents yet. Patience!
When today will this be out?
Where do I go to down load this?
First time play tester.
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Where is my email? I have a PFS character registered on this site.
:(
My guess is your My Account settings don't have a box checkmarked that you'd like to receive emails from Paizo. Or its in a spam folder somewhere.
These types of things don't usually hit the site until 8 or 9pm EST.
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Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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Does anyone know if the playtest document, or the actual book, is going to include archetypes for the new classes?
Or will you be able to apply existing archetypes from the base classes for the hybrid classes, if they have the appropriate mechanics?
So far they've playtested all the classes from the APG as well as the magus, gunslinger, samurai, and ninja. They've never open playtested archetypes with any of these classes. They're looking for how the base classes play, and introducing archetypes would probably just muddle the results.
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These types of things don't usually hit the site until 8 or 9pm EST.
The mythic playtest hit paizo's website at 11am PST: link to verify timestamp for mythic.
Where do you need to go to download the playtest doc once it is released?
But that's tomorrow for us! Unless I wait up until 2am. Hmm...
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My guess is your My Account settings don't have a box checkmarked that you'd like to receive emails from Paizo. Or its in a spam folder somewhere.Where is my email? I have a PFS character registered on this site.
:(
Another possibility:
The default settings for the Windows 8.1 mail program create a "Newsletters" folder and place email from some orgs and companies there. You can turn that off from the app settings on the charms menu.Also, my copy arrived a day or so after my husband's did, just to make me sad, I guess. (Oh, Internet, you're soooooo funny!)
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:enormous siege gate rumbles, terrific force pounding behind it:
:dark sky rumbles as red lightning flashes across the sky:
:ambrus valsin crawls under his desk whimpering:
:wood splinters from the ruined gate that barely holds:
:gate is sundered!:
:ten thousand bloodragers pour forth into grand lodge absalom!:
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Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant
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Can you only play these classes during the playtest dates? After December, do they go away, or do you update them as changes are made to the class?
The way the other playtests worked is you keep your character updated with the latest changes, and its good to play until the book comes out. Then if you want to continue playing the character, you have to buy the book.
