I have some questions about Archetypes

[Lorkan]

Hi, I have some quick questions: 1. If you want to get an archetype, you always need to take the first feat of that archetype. Correct?

2. The way archetypes work is, that when you get a class feat, you can take an archetype feat instead. For example a level 2 Bard with the Polymath muse could take (for example) either the "Esoteric Polymath" Bard feat, or the first feat of an archetype for which he meets the requirements. Correct?

You don't need to take every feat of the archetype you chose. you could for example take the first archetype feat on level 2 and only Bard feats from there on. Or evenly split between archetype feats and class feats. Correct?

Sorry if this are basic questions, but the archetype concept is new for me in an RPG.

[SuperBidi]

You are correct.
You need the first feat to get an Archetype and take further feats (the first feat is in the prerequisites of all the archetype feats).
Archetype feats are class feats. So if you take an Archetype feat at level 2 you don't take a class feat at that level.
And like for your class feats you are not forced to take any Archetype feat. Still, you need 3 Archetype feats before being able to take another Archetype. That's the only limitation that may push you to take Archetype feats.

As a side note, the most common variant of the rules is the Free Archetype one: https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=1333
Check with your GM if they use it as they change the availability of Archetype feats.

[HumbleGamer]

Remember that some archetypes give also access to skill feats that count towards the archetype feats number.

The classic example is the sentinel dedication.

- You take the sentinel dedication using a class feat by lvl 2
- At lvl 4 you take steel skin, using a skill feat.
- at lvl 6 you take armor specialist, using a skill feat
- still at lvl 6 ( since there are no rules in terms of order you get feats ) you can also use a class feat to enable a second dedication/archetype.

[SuperBidi]

Armor Specialist has been errataed. It's no more a skill feat.

[HumbleGamer]

SuperBidi wrote:

Armor Specialist has been errataed. It's no more a skill feat.

So you are now stuck with the sentinel dedication if you don't want to expend class feats to just get armor proficiency scaling?

How unfortunate.

[Lorkan]

SuperBidi wrote:

You are correct.

You need the first feat to get an Archetype and take further feats (the first feat is in the prerequisites of all the archetype feats).
Archetype feats are class feats. So if you take an Archetype feat at level 2 you don't take a class feat at that level.
And like for your class feats you are not forced to take any Archetype feat. Still, you need 3 Archetype feats before being able to take another Archetype. That's the only limitation that may push you to take Archetype feats.

As a side note, the most common variant of the rules is the Free Archetype one: https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=1333
Check with your GM if they use it as they change the availability of Archetype feats.

thank you! :-)