I have discovered another hope within myself.
I hope that the metal druid class archetype is actually cool. I hope that it's a reasonable choice that's actually worth considering, that isn't necessarily any weaker than any other druid. I hope that whatever payoff it offers is worth approximately as much as both the feats that it demands *and* whatever drawback it comes packaged with.
I don't actually care about metal druids per se, but it would be nice if Paizo could crack the code on how to put together satisfying class archetypes that don't wreck game balance but are still worth playing some times. There are a number of character concepts out there that seem like they ought to be class archetypes, but there's no way to get satisfying versions of same until satisfying class archetypes are a thing in general.
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I do not expect class archetypes or new classes to be more powerful that the CRB options. As powerful will already be pretty rare IMO.
I wouldn't either. I'd hope that they're not. I don't even mind a slight overall down-tune. I just don't want it to be strictly or blatantly worse.
Like, a lot of the PF1 class variant features were such that you were losing a bit overall on the exchange, but it was more like the merchant taking their cut. If you didn't particularly like whatever it was that you were giving up, and you did like whatever it was you were getting, then it was still worth it. I'd be happy with something like that.
That hasn't really been my experience so far with class archetypes in PF2.
Is it a class archetype ? I thought it was just an order, like stone was
It's a class archetype. There was an interview about the book, which is where we know about the metal druid from. I would assume that it needs to do some tinkering with proficiencies and restrictions, and this ended up as a class archetype instead.
WILD GUESS HERE
How about a "Solarian" archetype? That... would be fitting for the Kineticist, as well as for any spellcaster.
I presume one of the first, big thing about metal druid is wearing metal armor, and probably a slightly switched up spell list that may borrow a tinge of arcane magic to get some of the magnetic spells here or there, mayhaps? Probably quite a few different edicts and anathema compared to the typical universal Druid ones
WILD GUESS HERE
How about a "Solarian" archetype? That... would be fitting for the Kineticist, as well as for any spellcaster.
Probably not?
I'm not going to say that we'll never see a Solarian in PF2. Certainly, having the Kineticist will make it a lot easier. (I suspect that you could produce non-terrible "void" and "energy" elements for the kineticist that would handle the Solarian fantasy pretty well. Adding two more elements to an existing structure is going to be a lot less work than putting together an entire new class.) It's just that it's not fire, water, air, earth, wood, or metal, so it's not really in-theme for RotE itself.
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I mean the Solarian is just a trimmed down kineticist for Starfinder.
So I think the key component (other than getting better elemental support and new elements) are making sure things like elemental weapon are good and that there are fun options for melee kineticists.