Is there a black blade (or comparable) archetype out there in any Paizo source for divine casters? I haven't seen one, but I recognize that I don't know everything or own every possible source.
Sorry for the multi-post. Cleaned up.
There is no equivalent for bladebound for divine classes. A bladebound paladin or warpriest would be kinda cool, though.
The phantom blade spiritualist is a psychic black blade, and could be re flavored as divine with little effort. I can't think of anything that is actually divine though.
I'll look it up. That probably is the answer I was looking for. Thanks!
There is no equivalent for bladebound for divine classes. A bladebound paladin or warpriest would be kinda cool, though.
That's kinda what I was thinking... The intelligent blade is actually a minor celestial or something.
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I actually don't think the "this camp of character type has this thingie, let's make an equivalent thingie for this perceived-to-be-opposite camp" approach is a good one for class/archetype/magic design. It's certainly not the most creative. There may be some situations where it works out, but for the most part (Oracles as "divine Sorcerers," for example), why not let each "camp" be MORE unique and quirky and different rather than less?
Paladin
The first type of bond allows the paladin to enhance her weapon as a standard action by calling upon the aid of a celestial spirit for 1 minute per paladin level. When called, the spirit causes the weapon to shed light as a torch. At 5th level, this spirit grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. For every three levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: axiomatic, brilliant energy, defending, disruption, flaming, flaming burst, holy, keen, merciful, and speed. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost (see Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities). These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the spirit are determined when the spirit is called and cannot be changed until the spirit is called again. The celestial spirit imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than the paladin but resumes giving bonuses if returned to the paladin. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. A paladin can use this ability once per day at 5th level, and one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 5th, to a total of four times per day at 17th level.
It depends what the black blades are. There's hints that there's some metaplot associated with them, with their unknown purpose that they may collectively be working towards. Maybe that's compatible with the touch of the divine, maybe not. At the mo it's only the Paizo team that might know.
I actually don't think the "this camp of character type has this thingie, let's make an equivalent thingie for this perceived-to-be-opposite camp" approach is a good one for class/archetype/magic design. It's certainly not the most creative. There may be some situations where it works out, but for the most part (Oracles as "divine Sorcerers," for example), why not let each "camp" be MORE unique and quirky and different rather than less?
I generally agree with your assessment, but thematically - as Helpful Harry seems to be alluding to, and avr is referencing specifically - the metaplot of "What exactly *is* the Black Blade?" fits very well, potentially even *better*, to the divine than the arcane.
The only Black Blade character I've run to date was the Arcanist one, and we storied the Black Blade as an elven ancestral reliquary. Similarly, a divine character with a weapon that's a divine servitor seems pretty smooth to me.
The phantom blade spiritualist is a psychic black blade, and could be re flavored as divine with little effort. I can't think of anything that is actually divine though.
I hadn't seen this archetype until just now. I'm surprised it made it into any source given the toe-stepping it does all over the Ectoplasmist archetype for Spiritualist.