I know this is probably clearly written someplace but I can't find it. What's the official stand on the Unchained classes and existing archetypes? Can they be taken as before or not? Are some allowed and others not? If so, which? Thanks.
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Rogue, barbarian, and summoner can take archetypes that don't change the same features modified in the unchained class. For example, invulnerable rager is OK but urban barbarian is not because rage has been changed. Remember danger sense still counts as trap sense.
The unchained monk has been changed too much to apply archetypes using this rule, but it's actually not hard to adjust archetypes in a home game such that archetype powers replace ki powers at the appropriate levels, or even turning archetype abilities into ki powers so you can mix and match.
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Pathfinder Unchained, pg. 8 (Introduction): "Finally, with the exception of the monk, these classes should work with any of the archetypes from previous books as long as the classes still have the appropriate class features to replace."
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Actually, that's a subtle difference from being able to take archetypes as long as the unchained class hasn't altered the replaced features.
That would mean that you could take an urban unchained barbarian, and get back the ability to increase ability scores directly, but still get the new danger sense and rage powers (some of which are very nice and thematically appropriate for an urban barbarian).
On the other hand, I can see some archetypes that would be problematic if used in this way. The First Worlder for example summons a fey eidolon, but there's no fey base form for the unchained eidolon. Similarly the Wild Caller's plant eidolon doesn't fit with the unchained eidolon. You could maybe overlay it with the base forms to get some kind of fey-agathion or plant-demon but it would be weird.
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The PFS Ruling has been:
- The unchained barbarian qualifies for any archetype that does not modify how the rage class feature operates (such as the urban barbarian archetype), and she is limited to any barbarian rage power that appears in Chapter 1 (including the rage powers on page 13)
- The unchained monk does not qualify for any archetypes, save those in future publications that specifically cite their compatibility with the unchained monk class.
- The unchained rogue qualifies for all existing rogue archetypes, but she is limited to any rogue talents listed in Chapter 1 (including the sidebar on page 24).
- The unchained summoner qualifies for all existing summoner archetypes, save those that modify the eidolon's type or base form.
Now, obviously, these are PFS rules and have no 'official' status outside of the PFS Organized Campaign, but they are one rules interpretation to keep in mind.
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So that's my initial "don't change the same abilities" take (which could also be described as treating the unchained versions as archetypes of their own classes). Stricter but doesn't create potential problems - appropriate for PFS. Home GMs might allow some archetypes that replace or alter rage or eidolons depending on whether the result is sensible.
Unchained is, after all, the houserules book.
The dead have risen to tell you that apparently Unchained Monks can't pick archetypes, because. See above.
