Archetype

[paulvmenz]

Greetings,

New player here, and I am confused about Archetypes. How can I select an archetype for characters I build here? The books don't seem to be clear on how that can be done. Thanks in advance.

[breithauptclan]

There are two types of archetypes.

The most common are the standard archetypes. Those you can get simply by spending your class feats on them. The first feat from the archetype that you have to take is the Dedication feat.

For example, the Archer Archetype. At level 2 any character that wants to can spend their level 2 class feat on Archer Dedication instead of picking one of their normal class feats. Then at level 4 they again have a choice of picking a level 4 class feat or a level 4 Archer feat.

Once you have 3 feats (including the Dedication feat as one of them) from an Archetype, you can pick a different archetype Dedication feat if you want.

There are some archetype Dedication feats that have requirements that you have to meet before you can take the Dedication. For example, the Bastion archetype requires that you have Shield Block - either from a class feature like Fighter or Champion, or from the general feat Shield Block. Other common prerequisites are minimum skill proficiency ranks or ability scores.

The other type of archetype is a Class Archetype. To get one of those, you have to be of a particular class or type of class, and you choose the archetype at level 1. You get the benefits of the class archetype immediately, and generally have to take the Dedication feat at level 2.

[Errenor]

I think books are more or less clear, you can read it on the page 219 of Core Rulebook or there AoN
If you have access (common are always available) and meet requirements you just take an archetype’s dedication feat instead of a class feat. Then you take feats of this archetype as much as you like and at the levels you like (though not lesser than a feat's level and meeting all requirements, as always). Most dedication feats are taken instead class feats, but some are skill feats, you should seach for the 'skill' trait.
You can't take another archetype's dedication feat until you've taken at least two archetype feats (so three in full with the dedication feat). You can always take class feats of course.

[breithauptclan]

Also, the level requirement is a minimum. You don't have to take the archetype feats at that level, but you can't take them earlier.

So a character could take Archer Dedication at level 6 if they wanted to. But it still has to be the first feat from the archetype since it is the Dedication feat.

However, even if you take Archer Dedication at level 2 you still can't take Double Shot at level 4 - you have to take it at level 6 at the earliest. Because from the archetype, the feat is listed at level 6. You could take Double Shot at level 8 though if you want if there is some really important class feat at level 6 that you want instead.