Hopefully we will be getting an official announcement for the "Impossible" book at Gencon.
Most playtest typically are set a year before the book release. I really hoping that this will be our 1st Quarter 2026 release.
What are your hopes and theories for the books release as well as content?
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I personally hope this is a Secrets of Magic remaster with the addition of the new playtest classes and some more content. The Summoner and especially the Magus could use some remaster touch-ups, and remastering them under a brand-new book would allow them to receive all the attention they'd need without the same formatting constraints as the Guns & Gears remaster. All the better if the inclusion of Geb means we get remastered undead archetypes from Book of the Dead as well.
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I definitely feel that Book of the Dead will be remastered after Dark Archive.(Which was spoiled/leaked by Barnes & Noble)
But I definitely can see Impossible used to remaster what's left in Secrets of Magic as well as add some new things.
I think the Impossible Playtest was for next Gencon's release, probably pushed up to allow the SF2 Tech playtest to happen before launch.
I don't forsee a lot of Book of the Dead content when the original is easy enough to remaster. Secrets of Magic stuff... Maybe, but I think they'd prefer to release mostly new stuff in sich a release. I wouldn't be surprised to see some spells or archetypes reprinted (Per previews, Battlecry has emastered Aldori Duelist and Drow Shootist archetypes), but the classes would eat up a lot of page space.
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Obviously the name conjures the impossible lands, so it's possible the framing device of this book will be a looming war between nex and geb, or an actual war between the two.
This would certainly explain the necromancer. If you're doing a book about Geb, you put in necromatic options.
The real snag to this theory is runesmith. If necromancer represents geb, runesmith would represent nex, which doesn't make much sense. Dougun hold if you squint, sure, but that's not much of a match anyway.
So it could be a red herring and it's just a more generic book about magic or something.
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I will be disappointed if there is not a vague Kim Possible allusion somewhere.
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Obviously the name conjures the impossible lands, so it's possible the framing device of this book will be a looming war between nex and geb, or an actual war between the two.
This would certainly explain the necromancer. If you're doing a book about Geb, you put in necromatic options.
The real snag to this theory is runesmith. If necromancer represents geb, runesmith would represent nex, which doesn't make much sense. Dougun hold if you squint, sure, but that's not much of a match anyway.
So it could be a red herring and it's just a more generic book about magic or something.
Sure, but at the same time... what would both fit Nex better and be new? We already have Wizard, Alchemist, and Summoner covering some of the biggest things Nex is known for, and there's not a ton of space left for a new "class with a construct companion" after Inventor and Construct Eidolon Summoner. Fleshforging is still absent, sure, but I have a hard time seeing it make a better class than archetype.
Sure, but at the same time... what would both fit Nex better and be new?
Well it's an old class, but it would be new to PF2: the Arcanist. If memory serves, Arcanists were very common in Nex.
But I'm personally much happier about the Runesmith than I would be for a new version of the Arcanist. I haven't been this excited for a new class since the Occultist.
Sure, but at the same time... what would both fit Nex better and be new?Well it's an old class, but it would be new to PF2: the Arcanist. If memory serves, Arcanists were very common in Nex.
But I'm personally much happier about the Runesmith than I would be for a new version of the Arcanist. I haven't been this excited for a new class since the Occultist.
I am fairly certain that the flexible spellcaster represents most arcanist like character in PF2e. This is anathema to many people because of the lack of the exploits, but I doubt that there is really design space for a retread of the class.
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They've said that the Godsrain/Hellfire Crisis is a multi-year affair, so Impossible looping some of Garund into the wartime spirit (with Geb's return to active rule and Nex's seemingly-imminent return) makes good sense to me. Being a book about magical conflict across Golarion could tie the Runesmith into potential hostilities between Runelords in New Thassilon, too.
I'm really hoping we can hear about Heyopan, in Arcadia, in this book - it seems to be a similarly high magic place, and I love the teases we got in Guns & Gears.
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(Arrives in a puff of smoke. Tilts conical hat, pulling from under it a pouch labeled "COPIUM" in an ancient elvish script. Fills pipe.)
Hmm, yes. I have divined that the Impossible tome shall be one covering magic in general. Thus, I have concluded that there will be more content for the wizard class. Yes, that is most probable.
(Takes whiff from pipe.)
I say there must be new low to mid level wizard feats. Powerful ones! Ones that inspire apprentices with flavorful effects!
(Takes another whiff.)
Perhaps there shall even be thesis-specifc feats that will help bring the weaker theses up to par? After all, young apprentices should not be discouraged from choosing such esoteric lines of study. Why, this must all be part of the great Paizo's plan!
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I'm liking the idea that this is the Hellfire crisis spreading, kind of like WWI did. I also think it would be ironic, and make some sense, if Nex came in on the side of Cheliax (Who to their mind value magical knowledge more since they don't taboo demon summoning) and Geb came in on the side of Andoran because they want legitimacy as a country and they have strong trade ties, which could lead to loosening/improving the Quick Laws.
But I would love to see what kind of necromantic and aetherpunk options are included in this book.
I'm really liking some of these theories.
I am fairly certain that the flexible spellcaster represents most arcanist like character in PF2e. This is anathema to many people because of the lack of the exploits, but I doubt that there is really design space for a retread of the class.Sure, but at the same time... what would both fit Nex better and be new?Well it's an old class, but it would be new to PF2: the Arcanist. If memory serves, Arcanists were very common in Nex.
But I'm personally much happier about the Runesmith than I would be for a new version of the Arcanist. I haven't been this excited for a new class since the Occultist.
I completely agree that a PF2 Arcanist class won't be a thing. But it did seem to fit QuidEst's criteria of a class which would fit in well in PF2 Nex, so I just threw it out.
In my head space, the Runesmith is a full-class expansion of the Runescarred archetype concept so it feels like more of a Saga Lands thing to me.
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The Andoran unit was pinned down in their small seaside port. The hammering cannons and arcane blasts from the Cheliax ships had meant they couldn't get any of their ships out of the harbor. And the demonic forces assailing their gate could well spell their doom. Some where praying to Pharasma, others summoning every last ounce of their courage, ready to lay down their lives for the cause of their experiment of a nation... when the sea bombardment stopped.
Even the forces outside their gates seemed to notice this. The Cheliax ships had stopped hammering their sea walls, and seemed to be wheeling around to face another fleet. this one flying black sales, in opposition to the red sales of House Thrune. New cannon fire opened up as the two fleets engaged one another. The Andoran soldiers were glad of the relief though, as they were able to start getting their ships underway when the new ships fired five shots in their direction.
four shots, dark masses that flew by too quickly for the soldiers to identify landed on the enemy side of the gates, with the fifth landing among them.
What landed in their court yard scattered and clattered across the pavers, a strange collection of bones. no sooner had they identified the bones than the bones rattled, and flew together into a walking skeleton. "Oh, good," came the grating voice of the skeleton. "I landed in the fort. and..." strange fresh screams came from beyond the gate. "Those didn't."
The skeleton offered to base commander a salute. "Commander Baruhesh," it introduced itself. "Dead Legion, here to provide aide, compliments of his majesty the eternal Geb."
"We won't submit ourselves to your undead king," an cleric of Iomedae, and officer, stated. "I don't know what your game is."
"No game," the skeleton replied as it made it's way to the wall. "My orders are to use any means you will allow me to aid you. I'm going to assume you don't want me raising your fallen... so I'm going to go to the wall, so I can work the Cheliax soldiers you and our ghasts have downed."
Honestly, I don't think it makes as much sense for the Impossible playtest to actually be about the Impossible Lands, mostly because we just got an Impossible Lands Lost Omens book not long ago.
More realistically, I lean on it being a book on magic in genera; and a successor toward Secrets of Magic. And the addition of Necromancer leaves room for it to include a lot of Book of the Dead content.
this ispretty much what I expect for the impossible magic reveal
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I also really hope we get the remasterization of the SoM classes.
If I recall the only classes that haven't gotten that kind of pass are the SoM and Dark Archives ones ?
For the love of Nethys I hope for magus rework, been thinking about options for that so darn much. (and again, it was tons of fun to do, thanks everyone who was in those threads :D)
Dark Archive is coming next year, so we're only waiting on Magus and Summoner.
Thanks, I had missed on DA getting its reprint.
So yeah only those two missing, from a book that likely can't "just" get a reprint given all the lore stuff that would need to be rewrote (spell schools and stuff)
So really hoping for stuff
I'm curious about a lot of the stuff said in this thread, but I'm mostly wondering about the release date. If it is next year's gencon release, it's going to be a really long time until our next play test classes come out which is a bit of a bummer.
I still feel(and Hope) that Impossible will be an early 2026 release. Just based on how previous playtests corresponded to the release of the book.
And at GenCon they've always announced a new book with a playtest after the con.
The Light of Sarenrae shall reveal the truth at GenCon.
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Personally, I'm hoping for the return of the impossible bloodline sorcerer. Maybe with focus spells that cause confusion and can create temporary items.
I still feel(and Hope) that Impossible will be an early 2026 release. Just based on how previous playtests corresponded to the release of the book.
And at GenCon they've always announced a new book with a playtest after the con.
This is my hope too but I'm not sure how realistic it is. It's been a while since we've had a year with two books with new classes, and I'd be surprised if production started ramping up at this point in 2e's career. More likely the opposite, really, with starfinder in the mix now too.
Have we ever had a class book get published outside of Gencon release?I still feel(and Hope) that Impossible will be an early 2026 release. Just based on how previous playtests corresponded to the release of the book.
And at GenCon they've always announced a new book with a playtest after the con.
Yes the most recent one was War of Immortals which released in October.
Dark Archive is coming next year, so we're only waiting on Magus and Summoner.Huh. I thought it was going to get rolled into sosmething else given WoI reprinted its oracle and witch mysteries.
I wonder if they'll double reprint or remove them to make space for rejigging things.
With the way DA is organized, making space during the folio adventures doesn't make more room for the classes unless you remove entire pages. I'd guess reprints. Maybe if we're really lucky we'll get new stuff in their place.
SoM reprint where the useless pages are just filled with bunch of new stuff for the two classes....
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SoM reprint where the useless pages are just filled with bunch of new stuff for the two classes....
Kinda what I'm thinking... Wondering if that's why the book's title hasn't even been announced. I can see them being hesitant on how to announce the book. Is it a remastered SoM? Is it a new book? Meh...kinda both (?)
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It's worth saying out loud: the mahajanapadas of Vudra are colloquially known as the Impossible Kingdoms.
While there seemed to be a lot of momentum building towards an Arcadia book for a while, it honestly now seems like there's been a surprising amount of momentum towards Casmaron instead (which would do some nice work linking the Inner Sea with Tian Xia, both already featured in PF2) with things like Howl of the Wild's Ancestries and the Myth-Speaker AP being set in Iblydos.
Of course, it's almost certainly about the Impossible Lands instead, what with Nex's overdue return and a certain ghost king wanting to necromancer it up on the battlefield again... but I wouldn't be shocked if we learned more Casmaron stuff in this, despite it being a rulebook.
SoM reprint where the useless pages are just filled with bunch of new stuff for the two classes....Kinda what I'm thinking... Wondering if that's why the book's title hasn't even been announced. I can see them being hesitant on how to announce the book. Is it a remastered SoM? Is it a new book? Meh...kinda both (?)
Honestly I kind of doubt it wil be a reprint of it since if they do that it'll be so much new content for free for those who already have the pdf.
And getting the exact same page count would be a pain, it'd be a full on new book at that point.And some of the original SoM content was already remastered in other books, so more than likely to continue like this and the remastered versions of the rest will be in a new book (or over several)
I'd kind of wish that there'd be mini-pdfs where some of the big parts of those books that are obviously remastered would be given to those who owned the original. Like at least the magus and summoner pages for example.
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As long as most of thr content of SoM has been remastered, that'd make sense but I have a feeling a lot of the archetypes and alternate magic rules haven't been. Are these something Paizo would find the need to remaster or are they not significant enough and can just be errata’d down the line when necessary?
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Several of the Secrets of Magic options have already been updated: Elementalist archetype in Rage of Elements and the runelord wizard class archetype in LO: Rival Academies are two that I can think of off the top of my head. I doubt that the entire book will get a remastered version, because of how heavily parts of it relied on OGL IP.
Is there specific content that you are looking for an updated version of?
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Is there specific content that you are looking for an updated version of?
If you're asking me, no, but I've heard other people speculate that the impossible playtest classes will be added to fill the space that will get dropped in the remaster due to the OGL issues. It seemed reasonable. I'd personally prefer all new content but I am very curious why the book for the necromancer and runesmith hasn't been announced yet.
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I am very curious why the book for the necromancer and runesmith hasn't been announced yet.
Gencon, in a couple weeks, if I had to guess.
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Is there specific content that you are looking for an updated version of?If you're asking me, no, but I've heard other people speculate that the impossible playtest classes will be added to fill the space that will get dropped in the remaster due to the OGL issues. It seemed reasonable. I'd personally prefer all new content but I am very curious why the book for the necromancer and runesmith hasn't been announced yet.
My WAG is that the big reveal will come at Gen Con.
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My crackpot theory is that they're calling it the impossible playtest, because the new book they're releasing has been posed as impossible by much of the fandom. And by that I mean it will actually be a remaster of secrets of magic combined with a bunch of new content into a brand new book. That is something that has been speculated for a while, and every time a large part of the fandom basically says that isn't something that will ever happen. I.e impossible
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My one-upmanship crackpot theory is that the book is actually a surprise crossover with 2002-2007 Disney show Kim Possible. We'll know for sure if GenCon announces the Unstoppable Playtest.
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And the Drakken Inventor Class Archtype.