Deity Drop 5: Aroggus

With today’s entry, this week’s special continues to be about the lawful evil side, but unlike yesterday this one does not seem to be any reference to any real-world mythology as far as I can tell.

Today, we are looking at our first velstrac demagogue, in fact, today’s subject is in fact the first of the demagogues, and is also the first velstrac period!

Originally called Kyton Demagogues before Paizo renamed kytons to velstracs for legal reasons and retconned kyton to a misnomer meaning “grand master”, demagogues are powerful demigods among their kind, truly worthy of the title of “kyton”

Aroggus, along with all velstracs that came after, were originally from Hell, but left it when Asmodeus and his devils colonized the plane, immigrating to the Plane of Shadow where they could hone their pursuit of blood-drenched perfection in relative peace.

According to velstrac lore, Aroggus was born from the depraved thoughts of mortals long before Asmodeus ever set foot in Hell, and when the gods realized his power, they bound him in chains and left him to rot. Eventually he tore free, but was bound again. The next time he broke free, he accepted his chains as part of himself, making them his own, unable to be bound by them again. He then created his lesser kin from the very flesh of Hell itself, and when the Asura Rana Geryon betrayed his own kin for Asmodeus, Aroggus took his kin with him into the shadows rather than be subjugated by the ruler of devils (with a little help from Doloras, one of the Queens of Night). There in the shadows, he shed his physical form to become one with the abbey fortress he built.

All of these events taught Aroggus lessons which have become central to the worldview of all velstracs, that pain is a reward, willpower makes one strong, and that perfection must be forced upon those that lack the understanding to chase it willingly. You can probably see how they became the sadistic monsters they are today.

Aroggus long ago shed his physical form to become one with his realm, the Abbey of Nevers. However, he can inhabit a suit of armor as a shadowy mass when he needs to leave for whatever reason, wielding his mighty warhammer that he took with him in the exodus from Hell.

The Abbey of Nevers itself was a shadowy parody of a temple with an ever-shifting interior that Aroggus created to hide his people from devilkind. While most velstracs have left now that they no longer fear devils, some remain, as does Aroggus, having transcended his material form to become the Abbey itself, always being a safe place that the velstracs can return to. There, he broods and plans his revenge against Asmodeus, Geryon, and all devilkind.

With his focus on revenge, the Abbey Maker attracts faithful that are consumed with thoughts of revenge to the point of being willing to use any tactic no matter how depraved. He offers protection to those seeking such revenge, giving them time to plan and plot until they are ready to enact their vengeance. As such, the only long-term cults of Aroggus are composed of member whose revenge has no clear defined goal or is targeted against entire demographics.

As the first velstrac, Aroggus hates Asmodeus and Geryon in particular, though her perhaps may have mixed feelings towards Doloras. Meanwhile, he likely holds disdain towards more chaotic gods, and malicious indifference towards goodly gods.

Futhermore, as the first of his kind, the Abbey Maker can command the loyalty of nearly every velstrac, and at least expect the other demagogues to hear him out when he requires something of them.

Naturally, Aroggus holds sway over the Evil, Law, Protection, and Trickery domains, with the Deception, Defense, Fear, and Tyranny subdomains, all reflecting his role as the father and protector of the velstracs and the cunning planner and ruler of his domain.

Aroggus hasn’t been focused on in Second Edition, so sadly his domains aren’t detailed in that system. More time is required.

As a lesser power, his obedience only grants minor powers. In this case, the devotee must list every person that ever wronged them until the page is full and then consume the page. In return, they gain resistance to magic that compels behavior. Additionally, they gain a handful of spells, namely magic to hide themselves from magical detection, trap foes in magical force, or even imprison a target within the earth.

Aroggus has been mentioned in Starfinder, as his teachings are heavily detailed as part of the Signal of Screams AP. In that era, he acts much as he always has, though his followers benefit from all sorts of technology in their plots to enact revenges reflecting the thousand fantasized revenges that Aroggus indulges in.

Deity Drop 5: Alocer

Arguably the second-highest tier of unique devils beneath Asmodeus himself, today we’re looking at our first Infernal duke.

Ascended from pit fiends and other powerful devils, these unique beings fill the hierarchy of Hell in the space between the Archdevils and the Malebranche, and serve many mighty roles, though as lesser divinities their focus is much more narrow than more powerful beings.

While hardly the only group of fiends to do so, the Infernal Dukes take lots of inspiration from the Ars Goetia and the Lesser Key of Solomon, so there’s fun references abound!

And with that, let’s get right into Alocer!

In Goetian demonology, Alocer, or Alloces, is an armored duke of hell with the head of a lion who can breathe fire, and like all demons listed in those sources, is best known for how he can benefit scholars seeking wisdom on certain subjects, specifically astronomy and the liberal sciences.

Pathfinder’s Alocer may share the same appearance (plus the talons of an eagle and no mention of his source’s horse), but instead of guiding scholarly pursuits, he instead is legendary for having been forged by the many simulated environments of Hell’s layer of Malebolge into the greatest and most loyal of Hell’s hunters, making him something of a dark patron for cruel and unscrupulous hunters.

Alocer teaches that the most satisfying prey are sapient beings, whether it be a “most dangerous game” scenario or targeting intelligent magical beasts. Furthermore, he urges his worshippers to gather like-minded hunters into lodges, where the idea that they are superior hunters who have the right to hunt as they choose without mercy or regard to the natural world around them can blossom and calcify in such remote and exclusive clannish groupings.

As mentioned above, Alocer resembles an armored humanoid with the head of a lion and the talons of a bird of prey, and favors the shortbow in combat.

No specific realm is given for Alocer, but it can be assumed that he rules over, or at least dwells in and hones his craft in Malebolge, the layer of Hell known for a wide variety of biomes, divided up into massive square sections by countless criss-crossing fortress walls, where the armies of Hell train in every conceivable environment of every plane, though Alocer himself is hardly a typical soldier, much more akin to a scout or outrider.

Alocer attracts the attention of wealthy hunters that hunt for sport with no regard for the environment, as well as poorer hunters (especially former followers of Erastil) that forgo respecting the environment in favor of proving their dominance of nature.

As one of the cogs in the infernal machine, Alocer is on good terms with other infernal beings, or as good as such relationships can be in the cruel cycle of bureaucracy and power grabs. Meanwhile, his relationship with literally every other cosmic power is probably very poor, as fiend, monitor, and celestial alike are all potential prey if Asmodeus wills it, and the Pack Lord takes particular pride in corrupting the followers of Erastil, styling himself a rival to Old Deadeye.

Unsurprisingly, the Pack Lord commands legions of devils, though they likely more resemble scouting parties and hunting parties than traditional legions. I imagine he especially favors devils with a knack for tracking and direct combat, such as bone devils and warmonger devils.

The Domains of Animal, Evil, Law, and Strength are favored by Alocer, as are the subdomains of Devil (by way of Evil or Law), Ferocity, Fur, and Resolve, which reflects his love of animals, particularly lions, as well as his survival of the fittest mentality.

Allocer also has Second Edition domains as well! Specifically might, nature, pain, and zeal, reflecting his focus on strength over nature, his cruelty towards his prey, and the relentlessness of his pursuit.

As a lesser power, Allocer grants extremely limited powers for his obedience. In exchange for ritualistically hunting another creature and dedicating the kill to him, Allocer grants protection against blows that would strike the devotee’s vitals. Additionally, he grants magical spells, namely those that conjure traps, pierce all disguises, and summon beings of nature as hunting partners.

Allocer hasn’t been mentioned in Starfinder as of yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he was still around. Most likely he would crop up anywhere unscrupulous big game hunters are found, both those that actually prowl the wilds for prey that is illegal to hunt using unsporting tactics and those that pay to have an animal brought before them to shoot. I also imagine that in keeping with his desire to corrupt the faith of Erastil, he also is a danger to frontier colonists on life-rich worlds, promising dominance over the hostie natural environment.

That does it for today, but as we’ll see tomorrow and Friday, the lawful evil train is going to keep rolling through the end of the week. Look forward to more soon!

Deity Drop 5: Chinostes

We continue our adventures in the quasi-divine with perhaps the lowest power level we can have while still being able to grant divine magic. I speak of course of the Iblydan Hero-Gods!

To explain in brief, the mythic power that was introduced in the Mythic Adventures book grants something akin to minor divinity to those whom it is bestowed, making them larger than life heroes whose feats often actually match the stories. And where there is a spark of divinity, there is the capacity for worship.

The far-off nation of Iblydos, which borrows heavily from Ancient and Mycenaean Greece, is the biggest concentration of these so-called hero-gods, in part because of the tradition of using the oracular visions of cyclops seers to help prospective heroes find their path of greatness and unlocking that mythic power within. However, like all prophecy, these visions have become unreliable in the Age of Lost Omens. As such, many prospective heroes never return from quests to slay legendary monsters of mythic power or falter in other types of heroic deeds, leaving many wondering if the previous generation of hero-gods will be the last.

However, while they remain, the current hero gods, while not able answer prayers in the traditional sense, have their share of worshippers which they grant divine power to, though since they are the least among divinities, their selection of domains is somewhat limited.

In any case, let’s get right into it with the first of these Hero-Gods, Chinostes, The Fallen Blade!

Our first hero-god is unique in that they are technically already dead! When he was a young man, Chinostes achieved hero-god status when he singlehandedly distracted a raiding force from a foreign nation to protect his fellows and slew the leader of the invaders with nothing but a knife.

Afterwards, he became the protector of his home, the city-state of Reanpharos, until the time that his duties called for him to hunt down a killer in his streets. Too late did Chinostes realize the foe was a vampire, who managed to overpower and slay the hero-god.

But this was not the end, for his body arose from where it lay in his temple as a vampire. Now, he stalks the streets of his home at night, simultaneously protecting it from threats and also preying upon it’s citizens. Many of his people have accepted him as their dangerous protector, choosing to use folk magic and precautions to protect themselves rather than destroy their legendary protector and source of national pride.

Chinostes is stuck in an interesting position though, having become a predatory monster, but also seeking to use his power both mythic and monstrous to protect the people as well, and as such, has worshippers on both sides of the moral compass, and has become a deity of tragedy and sacrifice as a result.

No official description for The Fallen Blade is given, though it can be assumed that he appears as a Iblydan man with unnaturally pale skin and other features of vampirism, and most likely wields a dagger or wooden stake, possibly both.

While he doesn’t have a true divine realm, Chinostes lairs in the city he once ruled and protected, Reanpharos, a dark guardian to the city.

Chinostes’ faithful is a divided bunch. On the one hand, his evil worshippers claim that becoming a vampire was a tragic, but necessary step to protecting the city, and choose to look favorably upon acts of personal sacrifice in the name of protecting others. Meanwhile, his goodly followers view his transformation as a tragic step too far, and train to one day become strong enough to slay him and put him to rest, a final act to honor the hero that protected them for so long.

As a mortal hero-god, Chinostes doesn’t rate that highly on the radars of true gods and demigods. However, it can be assumed that the goodly consider him a tragic figure in need of being put down, while the morally ambiguous vary depending on their personal stance, while the outright evil likely wish to corrupt him into a monster. Meanwhile, the other hero-gods likely view him as a fallen figure, one that they themselves might seek to put down if they could spare the time from protecting their own domains.

Chinostes does count a number of vampires, most created during his initial spree upon coming back from death, as his servants.

As a hero-god, Chinostes grants access to only three domains, being Luck and Nobility, along with either Good of Evil depending on the worshipper, with the Curse and Martyr subdomains as options.

The hero-gods sadly haven’t been covered in 2E yet, so we have no idea how his domains are interpreted in that edition.

Similarly, his hero-god status is not strong enough to grant the greater powers associated with Obedience, though I shudder to think that rituals a vampire would invoke in his followers, even if he is struggling to contain that dark nature.

Chinostes is unique among the hero gods in that he is an undead being, and therefore would not need to seek out any form of immortality in order to last into the era of Starfinder. So in theory he might appear again in that era, though he has yet to have been mentioned.

Deity Drop 5: Apollyon

We’re back with another special on the various deities and demideities of Pathfinder, and this time we are covering one of the rulers of the neutral-evil plane of Abaddon, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!

The Horsemen are one of the very rare references to New Testament Christianity in the game, a quartet of entities who rule over various misfortunes and who shall herald in the end times by the spread of their particular brand of malfeance over the world, or by unleashing the same when the apocalypse begins. They are Conquest (sometimes interpreted as Pestilence, which makes sense when you think about how invaders from faraway lands have often bought disease with them in addition to conquering others and bringing suffering), War, Famine, and Death.

However, while the bibilical Horsemen range in interpretations of servants of the divine bringing the end at the Christian deity’s behest, or as a metaphor for the forces that can bring an end to civilizations, the Pathfinder Horsemen are… not quite the same.

Indeed, the Horsemen are very different entities in Pathfinder, serving no deity good, evil, or otherwise, but being the rulers of Abaddon and daemon-kind, (with neutral evil deities that dwell on the plane being served either by daemons that find their ways appealing and of course by their personal creations). The Horsemen are a group of the four most powerful unique daemons, a roster that changes over time as these great daemons are either slain by outside forces or by usurpers seeking the throne for themselves (with the exception of Charon, who has ruled since the beginning and never been replaced).

Regardless of who they are, there are always four, Death, Famine, Pestilence, and War, reflecting their number when their master, the Oinodaemon, the first soul condemned to Abaddon and the now-imprisoned master of the plane only spoken of in whispers and only seen by the Horsemen when they can work up the courage to visit him in his prison.

In any case, the Horsemen are the rulers of daemonkind, and therefore, while their methods may differ they all seek to devour and rid the entirety of the cosmos of all life and light to sate their burning hatred and jealousy.

We’ve taken a lot of time to explain what the Horsemen are, but let’s get right to the meat of the matter and actually talk about Apollyon!

So yeah, Apollyon, the Horseman of Pestilence. Why pestilence and not conquest? Well, the NT texts about the four horsemen make the distinction between “war against other nations”, or Conquest and “civil war” or just plain War. However, many folks understandably think that is kinda dumb, seeing no reason to divide the two like that, and instead playing up the oft-forgotten connection to disease in Conquest and making that the forefront.

And then there’s the name: Apollyon, which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Abaddon, which is sometimes used as either a place or an entity (especially the latter in the later Christian interpretation), being either a bottomless pit in or leading to Sheol, the underworld, or an angel/demon of destruction that rules over said pit. In the latter, this entity is said to rule over a “locusts” that will one day be unleased at the end of everything. Paizo decided to split the difference by using Abaddon as the place name and Apollyon as the name of one of the Horsemen, citing the associations between insects and disease for why they applied that name to the Horseman of Pestilence.

In any case, this particular Apollyon rose to become the new Horseman when his predecessor, Yrsinius, vanished after being ambushed during a foray into the Maelstrom by a horde of proteans (which will not be the last time we hear about fiendish demideities getting their asses handed to them when walk into the protean stomping grounds, though the daemons got them back for that). Apollyon secured his position by killing as many other prospective candidate as he could during the infighting until they recognized him as their new master or otherwise fled to either other Horsemen or parts unknown.

Apollyon himself is a sadist, and while he is a powerful warrior in his own right, he loves nothing more than to see mortals succumb to the diseases he creates and mutates, getting a self-righteous kick out of watching mortals that dare to strive for happy lives of peace succumb to pain and suffering.

Despite being a deity of pestilence, Apollyon is jacked, resembling a broad-shouldered and muscular giant clad in strap upon leather strap, with the emaciated or sometimes skeletal head of a ram, with a cloak made from the flayed skin of angels draped over his shoulders. What little is seen of his flesh is pockmarked by boils and scarring. Typically he wields his signature weapon, the Usher of Black Rain, which can shift between the form of a scythe or a bow as needed. Meanwhile, swarms of insects boil up from the ground beneath his feet and surround him in a buzzing cloud.

His seat of power is the Throne of Flies, a monolithic palace built into the rotting corpse of some massive cosmic being whose exact nature and identity are unknown. The fortress rests within the Plaguemere, the largest and most foul swamp on the plane.

While there are plenty of faiths dedicated to disease and pestilence out there, Apollyon favors results over praise and devotion, and as such attracts those with the desire to spread his sicknesses far and wide. The nihilism of daemons likely means that mortals in question are those so twisted by their histories as to seek slow, painful revenge through disease and plague. Much like daemons, such cultists are blinded by their hate, jealousy, and malice to spread disease deliberately, either through tainted works or directly by becoming a carrier themselves. Of course, such cultists are not likely to last long, succumbing to the same illnesses with a curse against their enemies on their lips. I imagine the only members that survive long are those that worm themselves into higher position in the faith, letting others handle the tainted goods they utilize.

Naturally, Apollyon considers most deities of destruction and disease as allies, such as Rovagug, Urgathoa and Ghlaunder, as well as darker druidic philosophies that seek to use disease as a weapon against civilization. However, Ghlaunder, as a parasitic being, knows that eventually he will come to conflict Apollyon, as the goal of total cosmic annihilation runs counter to the mosquito god’s desire to feed forever. Of course, All other deities, especially those associated with healing, are enemies of the Prince of Locusts.

As the Horseman of Pestilence, Apollyon counts droves of daemons as his servitors, especially the deacons of pestilence, the horse-skull-headed leukodaemons. He also counts many pairaika divs among his allies as well, and true to his title, he rides the apocalypse horse Septisaeus, a white beast with a golden crown and arrows piercing it’s neck, and bearing signs of horrific infection that mar it’s initially perfect-seeming hide.

The domains of Apollyon are Air, Darkness, Destruction, and Evil, with the subdomains of Catastrophe, Daemon (by way of Evil), Loss, Night, and Plague (by way of Evil). All of which reflect his apocalyptic nature, the tendency for plague to be carried on the wind, and the general despair and darkness that he seeks to blanket reality in.

In Second Edition, he sports the air, decay, plague, and swarm domains, which better reflects his focus on disease and pestilence in all it’s form and interpretations. Meanwhile, his devotees gain the ability to conjure a minor disease, belch forth swarms from their body, and unleash lethal gasses upon foes.

The obedience of Apollyon requires the devotee to make some effort to spread disease and pestilence in a settlement, such as fouling wells, passing out tainted goods, or being a living vector for illness. Either way, such acts often require them to keep hidden and on the move, worsening the condition of a settlement until they are either driven out or it is lead to ruin. The reward, however, is to be especially resistant to disease and poison, letting many such devotees survive the horrors they unleash.

For his evangelists, the Prince of Plagues grants power over pestilence-as-disease. They start by gaining the ability to sicken with a ray, render senses unusable, or to conjure disease with a touch. Meanwhile, they also gain the ability to unleash a foul cloud of magical disease with a foul exhalation, and finally, they become immune to the effects of disease, but still allow the illness to thrive in their bodies, letting them spread it to others for much longer than others might.

The exalted instead draw upon pestilence-as-infestation, able to recognize diseases with magic, but also conjuring or shapeshifting into verminous creatures. From there, they gain the ability to exhale a swarm of biting flies similar to those that Apollyon himself uses in combat, flensing the flesh from victims. Finally, they can conjure especially copious swarms of vermin and stride among them without fear.

Sentinels, meanwhile, tap into Apollyon’s nature as a warrior and horseman. Their spells either conjure mounts or bless a mount with training for combat. Meanwhile, they can also enchant their weaponry with the power to conduct diseases, and at later levels even conjure forth a lesser but still incredibly potent replica of Apollyon’s signature weapon in either it’s scythe or bow form.

Apollyon hasn’t been mentioned yet in the far future of Starfinder, but it’s quite possible that he is still around, perhaps acting as a known or secret patron of amoral bioengineering labs that create designer diseases, or perhaps as a dark patron of evil spathinae in addition to the classic roles he plays in the distant past. Or, you know, maybe he’s been replaced by a new holder of the title of Horseman of War, who knows?

That will do for today, but I hope you’re looking forward to seeing a lot of evil demideities this week!

Class Feature Friday: Indeterminacy Aspect (Vanguard Aspect)

Ah, quantum physics, arguably the final frontier of theoretical physics. A lot of people can’t wrap their heads around it, and the metaphors used to describe it can often paint an incomplete picture. However, the gist seems to be that even smaller than protons, neutrons and electrons are quantum particles that seem constantly to change, or at least don’t have a set form until observed, and that there may be an infinite state of maybe-particles just beyond/behind/below space as we know it.

The vanguard class deals with the manipulation of how chaotic randomness creates entropy in matter and energy, so it only makes sense that some would be able to tap into the erratic nature of these quarks and bring forth for a few moments their infinite possibility.

This aspect was introduced in the Drift Crisis book, which makes sense as the galaxy was altered by the sudden crash and breakdown of the setting’s hyperspace dimension, causing either new abilities to be developed by the chaos, or at least tapped into as alternatives while an entire dimension used by every interstellar civilization was on the fritz. Thematically, quantum mechanics works very well as something to explore in this case, since victims of the crash and subsequent crisis were randomly destroyed, sent wildly off course into hostile space, or even ended up on other planes or even alternate material planes!

I could go on about how I disliked the Drift Crisis on principle, but I’ll just leave it at that for today. Suffice to say that I’ve been burned by setting-spanning events that leave the assumptions about the setting changed even after things settle down.

In any case, as we’ll soon see, these vanguards prove exactly what they can do with the chaotic energies of the quantum, which in some ways reminds me a bit of how witchwarpers tap into alternate realities and possibilities.

What is and what is not are blurry for these vanguards, making them surprisingly gifted liars. Furthermore, their focus on ever-changing states makes it easy for them to forcibly reposition foes.

Whether it is their own reactions or being forced to move or act by foes, these vanguards are changed by the interaction with other actors and observers, letting them squeeze a little more entropic power out of such acts.

The effects of quantum particles changing state on the matter that they form is not fully understood, but with an expenditure of energy or as part of a release upon being heavily injured, these vanguards can suffuse their surroundings with energy that warps reality and twists the properties of the terrain, making it difficult to traverse as the matter might break off in sheets, liquify, lose friction, and other strange effects. What’s more, the snap-back when reality reasserts itself is strong enough to throw off aim. Meanwhile, the improved version of the ability causes floors and walls to bond to those standing on or touching them, temporarily impeding movement for a few moments.

Finally, powerful vanguards that have this aspect as their primary can disentangle hostile weapons that strike them from normal reality, damaging or even breaking such weapons as they are shunted into the quantum.

A vanguard with this aspect loves their forced movement, reactions, and hindering foes, so a maneuver and battlefield control build is preferable. Definitely pick up weapons and upgrades for entropic strike that make it easier to take control of the battle and debuff foes.

As I mentioned briefly before, it would not surprise me if there was a connection between this aspect and the power of witchwarpers. Perhaps some of these warriors might have latent witchwarping powers, or studied witchwarping to develop the aspect. Either way, much like the reality-warping mages they probably share a similar worldview, having a fluid idea of what is and what might be.

It was hundreds of years of slumber in a flawed demiplane that transform the shatori into nearly immortal, but  sterile and eerie beings, their flesh altered to be nearly transluscent and their bones limned with light. Many are content to share their knowledge with others to better the universe around them. However, a shatori vanguard named. Lixos believes that by better understanding how the properties of their bodies were altered, it may be possible to reverse the process and restore their people to a more mortal, but vibrant future.

Rumors of strange sights and sounds have been reported in the abandoned housing projects of Beos Waystation. Paranormal investigators are called, but the sources of these disturbances is a young child who ran away from home after her powers over entropy and quantum mechanics awakened. Now, they are terrified of hurting someone with their newfound power.

The party’s current security detail has put them at odds with a mercenary company headed by a pahtra warrior with unusual quantum powers, supposedly granted when the feline was subjected to a vesk super soldier program. It is unknown if any of that is true, but there is no denying the way she subtly alters matter and reality around her.

Gallant (Cavalier Archetype)

(art by MM on Artstation)

While the common assumption with the cavalier class is that they are some sort of knight with a code of honor, that isn’t always the case, plenty simply have a personal code, and may be simply mounted warriors.

That is not the case with today’s entry, though, for these cavaliers, nobility or not, have a deep respect for chivalry and living honorably, and because of that, they demonstrate a canny ability to navigate the courtly intrigues while keeping their honor intact.

More than that, these gallants act as paragons of their order, formal or otherwise, which helps to inspire others to be better, be it fellow nobles in court or soldiers on the battlefield.

Now, whether or not they truly measure up to these expectations and impressions may vary, but unlike some pretenders, they genuinely are making an effort.

While the exact nature of their honor varies by the exact order they follow, there is no denying their adherence, and how it can inspire allies.

These cavaliers must maintain a morality of lawful or neutral good in order to maintain their abilities, and only a few orders truly mesh with their ideals. Namely, these orders include the pacifistic order of the blue rose, the protective order of the guard, the loyal order of the lion, and the chivalrous order of the sword. All are chivalrous in their own way, but focusing on different aspects.

Just as normal cavaliers inspire with their banners, gallants that display their personal symbol ward their allies against fear and effects that would disrupt their honor and loyalty. Furthermore, they inspire them to better take foes alive, empowering their nonlethal blows.

Additionally, they can rally allies to inspire them to stand fast in the face of wickedness, ignoring pain from all but the foulest weapons.

If you’re looking for a more defensive set of buffs to provide with your banner equivalent, this archetype may be for you, though many of the benefits are the same, they grow in power in a way the standard banner does not, which may appeal to you. Also, consider which of the four orders you’d like to take before settling on a build.

I’ve probably said this before, but chivalry has meant a lot of things throughout the years, but my favorite interpretation, and the one I believe that this archetype espouses, is that those with power should strive to be gentle and kind with it, that those with power have a responsibility to not use it selfishly. Taken literally from the name, “those with horses should not use them against those that do not”.

With that in mind, also look into courtly love, since that concept also gels nicely with the themes presented here as well.

Though they ride sharks, dolphins, and the occasional hippocampi, the outriders of the aquatic elves parallel many things seen in human knights and noble courts. In fact, some theorize that humans may have picked up on such courtly and noble behaviors from early elves before the great sundering that gave rise to their many subspecies.

Coming from the far east, a fierce atamahuta oni arrived on the borders of the kingdom and set themselves up as a bandit king. Those sent to negotiate with the fiend have not returned, so the king has ordered one of his bravest and most honorable knights to put together a band of heroes to put and end to the bloodshed and banditry.

Though they are separated by fate, it is an open secret that Ser Angela and Lady Mercei are deeply in love. However, it is courtly love, one defined by pining and secret shows of affection… However, this has attracted the attention of a cruel undead, a lovelorn that enviously seeks to twist their affection, to ruin what it failed to have in life.

Fungal Pilgrim (Druid Archetype)

(art by Eugene Horyachkin on Artstation)

Ah, fungus, an often misunderstood and strangely wondrous and fascinating form of life. They can grow miles across underground with their mycelia network, yet most individuals assume that the reproductive bits that sprout up from the ground are the main body of the organism and not a fractionally small part of a bigger whole we never see.

Indeed, there is much about fungus that even in this day and age we do not know. There’s plenty of evidence that many fungi are at least somewhat aware of their environment, and many mycelia networks appear to be functionally immortal.

It’s no surprise then, that in a fantasy setting there would be those that view fungi as the ultimate life form, and seek to become more fungus-like.

As their name suggests, these fungal pilgrims are on a quest, though not one to any specific location, but they have a destination in mind: apotheosis into a fungal being. Some might be devotees of fungal deities good or evil, some may see it as a form of immortality, and some may simply think of fungus as a superior form of life. Either way, it’s not surprising that a class that has themes of transformation and becoming one with nature would have an archetype like this. However, this archetype replaces the wild shape that we are used to with a different, more permanent form of transformation.

The abilities of this archetype vary slightly based on whether they choose a bond with a companion or a domain.

If they choose domain, it must be the plant domain. Additionally, they can infuse fungal power into their summonings a few times per day. Whenever they summon a single creature, they also summon a second creature from the next highest summon list made of fungal matter, which has it’s advantages and disadvantages.

Alternatively, if they choose to take a companion, their companion slowly is infected by the transformation that these pilgrims seek, becoming a fungal creature that slowly gains the special abilities and attacks associated with such creatures like toxic blood or clouds of poisonous spores. The most powerful of these companions can even create fungal spawn from the bodies of slain foes, though these only last a few days before rotting away.

Close to the zenith of their power, these druids also transform into true fungal creatures, gaining the advantages therein.

Interested in a character other than a sorcerer or oracle that has a sort of late-game apotheosis? This archetype may be for you. The archetype makes major improvements to either summoning or the animal companion at the cost of wild shape, so either way you’ll likely want to take a more supportive role, though you yourself and your companion will prove especially tough in your own right as well.

This archetype can either be weird but otherwise just another way to seek perfection, or it might be insidious and horrifying. After all, is the character transforming into a fungus or being overwritten and replaced, and is there a difference. Also you can have a lot of fun describing their abilities, such as secondary summons tearing their way out of giant puffballs that spontaneously grow during the casting, or the foul, rotting form of your fungal companion.

The battle for the world of Makis is lost, the heroes are dead, and the planet (and all others in the same material plane) is being stripped of it’s resources and luxuries by a multiversal tyrant for their unchecked hedonism. However, hope remains in an unlikely place, for the Enclaves Below, where reclusive druids become one with the world’s mycelia network, ready for one last counterattack.

Recently, samsarans have come up missing from their communities, accompanied by a growing sense of dread among their kin. Those that suspect kidnapping are correct, for a cabal of fungal druids have been overtaken by a mutant fungal network that seeks to find a way to achieve immortality beyond even it’s perpetual existence, seeing the perpetually reincarnating souls of these beings as a possible answer.

The Millenium War left more scars on the land than just muddy battlefields and wastelands, for many weapons technological and magical were developed and deployed during that era. Now, one of those weapons, a living fungal disease, seeks to perpetuate the war, infesting fleshcrafted warbeasts and animated tanks for form an army of monsters. What’s more, some druids have begun worshipping the fungal mass, inviting it into their bodies.

Foundation of Faith (Cleric Archetype)

(art by ThemeFinland on DeviantArt)

When it comes to the faithful, there are those whose belief is unshakable, who stand against aversity with their deity by their side through thick and thin, and inspire others with their resolute attitude.

And today we focus on an example of that with a lovely little pun of an archetype, the Foundation of Faith!

Most common among deities of earth and stone, these priests are able to draw upon the strength of the earth itself, becoming nearly unmovable and gaining vitality from the act.

Despite the association, it is possible for clerics of other deities to gain such power. Though, obviously worshippers of deities of the air might find it difficult to make use of such abilities.

There’s a certain element of the Greek myth of Antaeus, a giant whose was empowered while in contact with the earth, though it should be noted that said giant was slain by Heracles when he lifted him off the ground and squeezed the life from him. Hopefully your cleric avoids clever wrestlers.

As we will soon see, these clerics can, however, stand resolute against most any foe as long as stone is under their feet.

As long as they are in contact with the earth, their bodies and their hearts are unassailable. Indeed, they become very hard to forcibly move or intimidate.

Their focus is also impressive, as they can center themselves to concentrate upon a spell even under duress.

However, their truth strength shows when they stand upon worked or unworked stone and take a moment to draw upon it’s energies. When they do so, they slowly heal their wounds over time. Alternatively, they can bless allies on similar terrain with a lesser version of this healing as well.

A simple archetype, but one that trades the cleric’s ubiquitous channel energy for more gradual healing which can be done as a swift action. With their focus on constitution and healing over time, these clerics are definitely meant for the front lines, so a tanky combat built is a natural pick for them.

While using this archetype with any sort of earth-themed deity is a natural choice, It’s even more interesting to find justification for using this archetype with other deities? Perhaps every deity in your setting had a hand in creating the “world”, or perhaps more resolute deities draw parallels between earth and steadfastness, and so on.

Suspecting that something isn’t right with the new cult that promises “oneness with the cosmos”, Onnark the Resolute does some investigating, discovering that this supposedly peaceful group worships the tainted promises of utukku qlippoth, nightmarish outsiders and rival to demonkind that seek to bypass evil souls becoming demons by merging them with the Abyss directly. The stalwart cleric makes ready to destroy the cult’s leaders and fiendish master, but he could use help, for the most immovable rocks are shored up with good foundation, after all.

Seeking stability but being called by the teachings of the River Goddess, Folva the half-elf chooses the path of the River Stone, a branch of the faith that act like large rocks in a stream, their presence creating relatively still eddies in their wake, just as the clerics themselves provide safe places for the traveling majority of the faithful and other river travelers to rest their head at waystations, river towns, and the like. It is a humble life, but a good one, and their divine power provides protection to those in need.

With the soldiers behind the walls bolstered by priests of the Siegemaster, it seems like the people will hold out indefinitely against the invaders. However, the invaders have their own ways to try and breach the defenses, starting from within.

Fortune-Teller (Bard Archetype)

(art by SandraBelrose on DeviantArt)

I do love Paizo and how they have handled a lot of things, they haven’t always been perfect, of course, but they’ve always been improving in different ways.

Sometimes, however, you see a subject and even when it’s handled as best they can, you definitely can feel when it’s a delicate subject.

Such was the case a few times throughout the Villain Codex book, and with this archetype in particular.

Fortune-telling has been a part of civilization for a very long time, both as a way to try and make sense of the universe, and, unfortunately, as a way to grift people who seek such understanding.

Regardless whether you believe in any form of prognostication yourself, you probably ought to learn the folklore and use of such tools yourself rather than paying anyone else to.

In any case, it’s not actually the association with cons that is the delicate part of fortune telling, but rather it’s association with classist (anti-carnie) and racist (anti-roma) sensibilities, and the fact that this archetype is associated with the villainous carnival chapter doesn’t help.

Does that mean that you can’t have evil or morally bankrupt carnivals in your games? No, but you probably should try to avoid pitfalls commonly associated with it. But that’s a subject for another time.

Interestingly, the fortune-teller archetype themselves has no abilities associated with grifting, and actually does have some power of future-sight, which isn’t surprising, given the power of divination in a fantasy setting.

As we will soon see, they can be quite potent in the game.

Starting off, these bards add an array of various divination spells to the arsenal of what they might potentially learn. These range from reading auras to providing guidance to glimpsing the future and past, and piercing the veil of illusion.

These fortune-tellers naturally use speech for their performances, and can consult a divinatory tool such as cards, a crystal ball, or something similar to potentially enhance the effects as they proclaim boons for their allies or doom for their foes. However, there is an element of real divination to these prognostication, meaning that allies might be bolstered more or less depending on the result, while foes might find it harder or easier to resist their harmful performances as a result.

They can also use their divinatory focus to empower their divination spells as well, making them a bit more potent, perhaps lasting longer or providing clearer answers.

More powerful individuals are able to lay the fates of their foes bare for all to see, making it easier for others to avoid their blows. What’s more, when near the end of their rope, such foes also see their demise coming, which might strike fear into their hearts, as well as potentially reveal the nature of their doom to them.

Divination utility and powerful, but somewhat volatile buffs and debuffs are the name of the game with this archetype. I’d personally recommend a buffing and healing support build with this archetype, providing consistent buffs from spellcasting to make up for the inconsistency of the performance buffs. That being said, there’s still other ways to build with them instead, should it appeal to you.

Now, you might have noticed that this archetype doesn’t actually have anything to do with grifting in it’s abilities. So, in theory, you could take this archetype and be an actual fortune-teller or soothsayer. Whether you do one or the other or somewhere in between, however, I hope you’ll avoid some of the nastier tropes and pitfalls associated with such a profession.

What started out as a thinly-veiled extortion racket has evolved into something stranger when Chief Ikbin, leader of the White Reef grindylows, demonstrated actual prophetic ability. Now, instead of trying to bilk sailors for their money in “preventing” disaster while travelling through the shortcut in the reef, she now charges much more for genuine prophecy on the success of a ship’s ventures. There is still the protection fee to prevent raids and guide them through the reef itself, but….

Right in the middle of a normal session, the fortune-teller Masha seizes up, babbling something about “rolling destruction”. Her client and onlookers don’t know what to make of the episode, but it was a true prophecy, for a deadly weapon, a juggernaut dedicated to the Prince of Ruin, will soon be set loose upon her home city.

Every day that the carnival is in town, Xamba tells petty fortunes to most patrons, reminding them where lost objects are, giving half-hearted projections about wealth and love. He was once a prophet to a king, and twice prophesized the rise of great figures. However, the second of those two brought his home to ruin. He knows in his heart that the third will avenge it, however.

Hybrid Class Review: Brawler part 5

(art by Alejandro M. G. on Artstation)

Conclusions

And that’s the brawler! It’s a class all about fighting up close and thinking on your feet, and that’s pretty inspiring, all things considered. After all, it’s one thing to say that you faced the creatures of darkness and won, another thing entirely to say you beat them up with their bare hands.

Indeed, the ability to be a viable combat character without as many fancy magic weapons as other classes thematically shows defiance against such supernatural threats that one normally assumes are beyond the power of mortal men to deal with, and the fact that the brawler does it without any ki or other mystical power of spirit just shows how they’ve perfected themselves.

That focus on bettering themselves also ties into other tropes associated with the class, such as the desire to be the best fighter both within and without a tournament sort of environment. In this way, you might argue that there’s an element of modern athlete in the brawler as well.

So, with all we’ve seen over this week, can we say that the brawler is successful as a hybrid class? I’d say so. It combines it’s two parent classes in a way that is both thematically appropriate and mechanically interesting, while also granting abilities that give it an identity of its own and even spawned copycat archetypes.

I kinda doubt that the brawler will get revived in 2nd edition anytime soon, but it was fun and fascinating to see it come to fruition, and I have no doubt it will spawn a little more inspiration in the inheriting edition at some point.

That does it for this week, but I hope you had fun. See you next week for more archetypes and options!

Hybrid Class Review: Brawler part 4

(art by Guilherme Batista on Artstation)

Thoughts

The brawler class draws upon a lot of things, inspiration-wise. It’s one part formal martial artist, one part combat performer like a gladiator or wrestler, one part prize fighter, one part street brawler, and much more. Wherever there are unarmed or close-ranged martial artists in history or fiction, you can find elements of this class.

It’s perhaps because of this that unlike the monk, you don’t really have to stretch the imagination to throw any sort of martial artist aesthetic on them. Want to be an ancient Greek wrestler? A Victorean gentleman boxer? A capoeira-dancing freedom fighter? All are possible, while the monk, well, it kinda always has heavy connections to Shaolin monasticism and the like, and taking it out of that culture, while possible, can sometimes stick out like a sore thumb if not integrated well into the setting.

However, the brawler isn’t just defined by what it’s not. Indeed, the whole martial flexibility thing, being able to rapidly adapt to the abilities and techniques of your enemy is a very anime skill set. Pretty much any clever anime protagonist that reads their foe and either improvises a new technique or adapts an old one to even the odds against a physically superior foe definitely feels like what the martial flexibility feature does (again, which is why it appears in certain fighter archetypes).

Heck, the 2nd edition fighter kinda taps into that as well, being able to temporarily gain various fighter feats as part of daily preparations. However, I’d argue that there’s still room for brawlers to be their own thing, or at the very least, fighter feats to improve the number of temporary feats you can gain per day.

Overall, I think the brawler was a very good addition to the hybrid class roster, but we’ll spare our final thoughts for tomorrow.

Hybrid Class Review: Brawler part 3

(art by Sydney Oswald on Artstation)

Archetypes

Like all hybrid classes, brawlers didn’t get a super big list of archetypes, but there are plenty of fun options.

Some archetypes revolve around having an unusual weapon choice, such as the Shield Champion being all Captain America with a shield, while the Hinyashi specializes in turning farming implements and other improvised weapons and turning them into deadly weapons.

Others specialize in altering the body to perfect their combat style, such as the Constructed Pugilists, who turn armored prosthesis into cybernetic weaponry, or the Mutagenic Mauler, that enhance their might with alchemical mixtures. Meanwhile, Feral Shifters draw upon latent shifter or druidic power to gain beastial aspects in combat, while the Venomfist has altered themselves to conduct poison through their strikes.

The vast majority of brawler archetypes, however, focus on a particular fighting style. For example, the Strong-Side Boxer is based on the dambe fighting style of Nigeria. Meanwhile, Battle Dancers blend flowing movements with their martial arts, while Living Avalanches specialize in running over foes with unstoppable crushing force. Snakebite Strikers are all about flexibility and striking with deadly blows, while Steel Breakers use precision and unrelenting force to shatter the weaponry of their foes. Others like the Winding Path Renegades sought discipline but decided it wasn’t for them, taking their skills with them.

A few others don’t really fit into other categories. Such as Turfers specializing in turning the terrain to their advantage in a mundane way while Verdant Grapplers do the same but in a more supernatural way. Meanwhile others like Bouncer and Exemplar are more defined by the roles in society they perform, the former keeping order in places of business while the latter inspire troops with their physical might. Others are defined by their favored foe, such as Ulfen Beast-Wrestlers, and the less honorable Stranglers.

It's a relatively small batch, but being both a hybrid class and one all about flexibility on top of that, it’s not surprising the list is so short. However, it’s more than sufficient to give players a nice selection when looking at this class.

That does it for today, but this week isn’t over yet! Tune in tomorrow for more!

Hybrid Class Review: Brawler part 2

(art by Vora on Artstation)

Utility and Builds

Now that we have an idea of what the brawler is, let’s do a breakdown of what the class can do and how it can be used!

As you probably guessed, the brawler is a full combat class with the associated full attack bonus, as well as proficiency with not just their unarmed attacks, but also weapons from the close category, (so any weapon that is mounted on a gauntlet, held in the hand and punched with, or otherwise has a small, handheld design), as well as short swords and handaxes, while also favoring light armor and most shields aside from tower shields. All of which favors the class’s style of getting in nice and intimate with your foes.

Additionally, as a group that focuses on close combat and mental flexibility, these brawlers automatically qualify for certain combat feats with a minimum intelligence requirement, so you don’t have to worry so much about putting one of your moderately good ability scores towards intelligence if you don’t want to.

The most iconic ability of the brawler, however, is their martial flexibility, allowing them to temporarily gain combat feats they qualify for a few times per day. This represents them thinking outside the box in a fight and surprising foes with techniques that they might have seen before and not quite mastered yet, or even just made up on the fly. At first, they can only gain one such feat at a time, but as they grow in power, they can gain more, either splitting them up among different feat trees, or filling out a branch on a single true with a single use (assuming they meet the other prerequisites). In fact, they get so good at this that they can do it faster at the cost of not gaining as many feats, or take longer to gain more.

Naturally, as a hybrid of monk and fighter, these brawlers also qualify for feats locked behind those classes, though obviously a brawler without a ki pool can’t make use of any that require such a thing. Special techniques that are represented by feats, on the other hand, are fair game.

Like a monk, brawlers deal increased damage with their unarmed strikes, based upon their level and their size category, and they can freely choose to deal lethal or nonlethal damage with them, even when grappling.

Naturally, they also gain extra combat feats to begin with as well. What’s more, brawlers have a limited ability to retrain old combat feats that simply don’t do anything for them as they grow in skill as well, a useful feature to have, especially with a character that is constantly making temporary additions to their skill set.

While they don’t get the exact same benefits as the monk’s flurry of blows, these brawlers do get a flurry of their own, gaining extra attacks as if they were two-weapon fighting, which only grows as they do, making them able to unleash a storm of blows upon foes.

They also train to perfect various combat maneuvers, letting them pick their favorites and gain bonuses to them as they trip, grapple, disarm, or otherwise gain advantage in combat against their foes.

They also gain an equivalent to the monk’s AC bonus, which is based on level rather than wisdom, and lets them wear light armor and still gain the benefits.

Oftentimes, whether it’s a prize fight or a back alley brawl, sometimes you just need to put a foe on the ground as quickly as possible, even if they get up moments later. As such, these brawlers can declare a knockout blow, aiming their strike at the foe’s cranium or other body part with a blow that could potentially knock a foe out for several seconds if they fail to resist.

Their training also hardens their fists, letting them bypass various forms of damage reduction as they grow in power.

Additionally, if they prefer using actual close weapons rather than their fists, they also train to apply a reduced version of the increase to damage dice they grant their unarmed strikes to such weapons, ensuring those weapons remain a viable strategy for them if they prefer the benefits of the weapon type or enchantments applied to them.

The more powerful among them can deliver an incredibly potent blow that can actually send foes flying as long as they aren’t too much bigger than them.

The most powerful of them, however, can deliver this powerful blow as part of any string of attacks against foes of any size.

Of course, like all other classes, an alternate capstone ability showed up in Chronicle of Legends, in this case, becoming Perfect Warriors that are even harder to land a clean hit on than others.

Among the more generic alternate capstones, Old Dog, New Tricks gives them an expanded arsenal of combat techniques to make them true masters; Perfect Body, Flawless Mind can place their physical capabilities beyond the limits of mortals; Meanwhile, The Boss could represent them founding a training academy, running a fighting ring, being the leader of a military or a mercenary company, and so on. Additionally, With this Sword could be used to represent one of their weapons, shield, or armor becoming so legendary as to become an artifact; while Won’t Stay Dead could represent a truly unkillable warrior.

As we can see, the Brawler class has a lot to offer in terms of flexibility in combat. If there was ever a time to really experiment with the crazy things you can do with combat feats, the brawler is a perfect place to check that out. However, that flexibility is also arguably the class’s greatest weakness as well. After all, a system based on the 3.5 d20 system has a LOT of feats in it, and in order to get the most out of the class you likely have to dig create for yourself a separate list of combat feats for different situations, as well as keep track of which ones you actually have and which ones are in your separate list. As such, much like many spellcasters, it can be an intimidating class for a new player to play.

However, with proper organization and an idea of what feats work best for what situation, you can build a competent combat character that is as general or specialized as you want, and when the need for a specific feat comes up, you can grant yourself it. They only thing they really struggle with is ranged combat since they’re pretty much limited to thrown weapons unless you’re willing to spend feats or flexibility to gain weapon proficiencies, but otherwise you can be a hindering grappler, a powerhouse damage dealer, a dodging or hp tank, or even make a build specialized around the properties of your favorite close-quarters weapon, and then you can use flexibility to be even better at it, or temporarily become any of those other things!

Brawler is definitely a hybrid class that a lot of people liked, so much so that at least two fighter archetypes are centered around ripping off martial flexibility, which in my mind is a perfect measure of a successful class.

But that’s just the beginning for this hybrid class. Tomorrow, we’ll show what happens when you mix in archetypes!

Hybrid Class Review: Brawler part 1

(art by Giuseppe De Iure on Artstation)

Overview

The ability of the monk class to be able to stand up to demons, dragons, and the like with nothing more than their bare hands is a powerful indicator of the power that mortals truly possess when guided by discipline. However, maybe the trappings of spirituality are not for you. Maybe you wanna be a super-powerful martial artist without ki or a particularly monastic lifestyle. There’s certainly plenty of fictional characters out there who fit that criteria across many different types of media.

And it is that question that brings us to the hybrid class we are checking out today, a fusion of fighter and monk, I present the brawler!

While they don’t usually have time for the spiritual side of training one’s body and mind, there can be no denying that these martial artists are quite capable even without bouts of supernatural strength, speed, and the occasional teleport. In fact, in settings where monks really just don’t fit in for any reason, brawler can be quite the useful substitute for that niche in your games.

At the very least, lt lets unarmed combatant characters from a region where such disciplines have no foothold to be something other than an incongruous monk or some sort of unarmed fighter build.

But brawlers are not just “monks without ki” or anything so boring. Instead, the brawler implements unarmed and close-quarter weapon combat in a way that makes sense for them, as well as introduces a new ability that truly makes the brawler unique.

This new ability, martial improvisation, lets brawlers improvise battle tactics on the fly, essentially granting them the ability to temporarily gain combat feats based on the situation. Perhaps you need a technique which is right for the situation, or maybe you want access to a feat derived from one you already have, letting you improve or diversify an already present technique. It’s such a fun and useful ability that a few archetypes from other classes straight-up steal it to be the gimmick of the archetype.

In this way, the brawler is almost sort of like a caster whose only spell is fist, but they have the ability to gain a thousand ways to modify that, becoming an expert grappler when a foe needs to sit still, or a heavy hitter when they need to die as fast as possible.

The brawler also has different themes and aesthetics compared to your average monk as well. While some may wear the light gi or flowing robes of certain styles of martial arts without the association of spirituality, others might be barroom brawlers, pit fighters, gladiators, or even genteel boxers and wrestlers.

Such figures, bereft of the spiritual aspect of the monk, may seek to become the very best fighter in the world, or they may just be a person using their skill set to get by in the rough world in which they live. Meanwhile, others might view the living flesh as a work of art to be refined and perfected for it’s own sake. Whatever their motivations, their skill is nothing to be sneezed at.

This is just the beginning of this week’s topic, but I hope it’s got you excited for the rest of this week!

Bladebound Archetype conversion for Second Edition now on Patreon!

Anyone remember that time when pathfinder came out with a reference to a Blue Oyster Cult song about a living sword and made it a magus archetype? Well, now it's been converted to 2nd edition as a magus hybrid study on my Patreon! Check it out here!

Class Feature Friday: Bombard Fighting Style (Soldier Fighting Style)

(art by Alexander Moskalenko on Artstation)

In a wild and wooly science-fantasy setting which takes more than a little inspiration from westerns and other genres of fiction, there’s still a few things that you can only get in such a futuristic setting, and that is, looking at really big guns.

Ok, sure, you can get that in other media too, but where else but sci-fi do you get railguns built for personal use, or plasma cannons, or a rapid-fire laser cannon built to emulate the same effect as the heaviest machine guns, but in photon-laced form?

Regardless of your stance on violence, there is something awe-inspiring about seeing powerful weapons in action, a demonstration of mortal ingenuity in creating something that can leave a very literal mark on the landscape and even the odds against beings that would otherwise outmatch us.

Admittedly, there is an aspect of the “gun nut” fandom that gets a little, well, icky. But we can’t make blanket judgements on people based on what they like. That would be like judging someone for having a sword collection, or for having lurid art on the walls of their home.

In any case, today we’re looking at a fighting style for soldier which is focused on big guns and big explosions. More specifically, the bombard style is all about big guns that cause big explosions, or otherwise unleash powerful attacks. If you’re looking for one that focuses on the “relentless onslaught of constant firepower” side of big guns, you’ll probably want to look into the bullet rain style, which we’ll be covering on the next go around.

In any case, these soldiers are most likely exactly what their class name implies, actual soldiers, since those are the most likely to have access to this kind of firepower. However, mercenary companies, private contractors, and explorers in hostile regions of space can all make use of such training, to say nothing of those who retired from any of those careers and took their guns with them (or acquired new ones). Heck, some of them might even be self-trained enthusiasts, though their reasons for doing so may vary.

In any case, if you’re looking to play a soldier, and big guns are your thing, you probably have at least considered this style, for it offers some impressive and bombastic rewards.

Though most prefer heavier fare, every bombard masters the arts of thrown explosives as well, able to pitch them further than most due to an intimate familiarity with their heft. What’s more, they can improvise an explosive device from leftover materials with a few minutes of work, meaning as long as they have a little time, they always have at least one grenade on hand, albeit an unstable one that most shops would not accept.

A steady hand is needed to make best use of heavy weapons, and by leveraging that strength and focus, they can squeeze out a little bit of extra harm on foes, though naturally this only really works with automatic, explosive, or unwieldy weaponry.

The impact of these weapons can also leave foes deafened, stumbling, or otherwise debilitated as well, and these gunners can leverage that when using explosive and conical blasting weaponry.

Their knowledge of where to place an explosive to maximize harm and minimize collateral is also impressive, making it harder for foes to avoid and minimizing danger to themselves.

Finally, the most powerful of them can scatter foes with their big guns, knocking them away from themselves or an explosive central point.

If you’re considering this style, you’re likely wanting to play with the biggest, most unwieldy guns in the game. Now, due to the size of such weaponry, unless you’re using power armor you’re unlikely to be holding all of the different types of guns that can make use of this style at once, but it should be fairly obvious that this style is all about playing the role normally performed by blasty mages but with flamethrowers, rocket launchers, and other exotic weapons of considerable size and firepower. Naturally, this style pairs well with armor storm, bullet rain, mine menace, and shock and awe, and you’re probably going to be building to heap on damage and debilitating effects on your foes. Have fun.

I feel like it’s very hard to not have a smile on your face when wielding a really big weapon unless you’re going through some stuff, so I can imagine that a lot of characters with this combat style really, really like their job. That being said, it takes all types to fill a battalion, as they say, and the silent type that lets their guns do the talking is just as much an archetype as they guy whose booming laugh and lust for life is only drowned out by their weaponry.

While it’s tempting to assume that the crystal-crafting psacynoids rely entirely on magic, they have their fair share of technological marvels too, though many are hybrid devices utilizing the magically-reactive crystals as a core. Mercenaries pay well for heavy lasers crafted using these crystals, but they regulate their sale quite thoroughly. As such, when a shipment of the weapons goes missing, the party are hired on to investigate.

An insectile mantis-like predator with curious ability to put their molecules out of phase for offensive and defensive purposes, has invaded the mining colony of Ackban, preying upon the miners. It always retreats when it takes sufficient harm, so they have not been able to finish off the mordaghast. A specialize with heavy weaponry, however, might be exactly what is needed to pierce it’s phasic defenses.

The war in the Algon sector is not going well for the natives, and their forces find themselves repeatedly pinned down by withering onslaughts of heavy firepower from the invader’s fire teams. A change in tactics are in order, and if one can’t be found soon, death will come for them all.

Fortune-Finder (Ranger Archetype)

(art by Nadiah Najib on Artstation)

They say that the oldest stories of adventure are derived from the “elixir quest”, A need drives someone to abandon their home in search of something that can’t be found there. This might be a literal elixir or medicine, or it might be the need to return things to normal by stopping a war or destroying an evil artifact and the like.

However, some choose to adventure not because of a tangible need, but a desire to explore and discover.

Originating in vanara culture, these ba-sadhaks, or “fortune-finders” originate from remote vanara villages until their wanderlust blossoms and they travel far from home to see what they can find, delighting in new discoveries and adapting as they go.

Given how quiet these vanara wanderers are about their origins, it’s no surprise that the majority that follow this path remain vanaras, but the practice has indeed spread, and could theoretically appear in some form wherever a person feels the need to go out and see the world with a bit of survival skills and the like.

The result, as we shall soon see, is a ranger that can be effective not just in their favored environment and against favored foes, but against all to a limited degree.

Though these rangers gain favored enemies and terrains as normal, they are quick to adapt, and can even focus their efforts. They gain lesser benefits in unfamiliar terrain, and when facing a foe, regardless of if it is favored or not, they can study it to gain bonuses in combat against them, as well as utility bonuses as well.

Agile and used to making their way, they are quite adept at moving through terrain that would slow others, though obviously magical entrapment can still slow them.

Eventually, they can maintain their focus on multiple foes at once, and study them much faster as well.

The most powerful among them can slip away from even magically manipulated terrain. What’s more, they can study a previously studied foe further to gain even greater advantage over them.

This archetype is all about studying your foes almost the same way as a slayer or investigator might. So with that in mind, I recommend taking a decent intelligence score and charisma score to better utilize the various skills their abilities give them an advantage on. Beyond that, focus on a build that focuses on targeting a single foe at a time to take advantage of their study.

There’s a certain “everyman hero” appeal to this archetype, as if the character were a witty and clever traveller that anyone could place themselves in the shoes of and go on adventures that involve outsmarting fantastical foes through not just their skill at arms, but also their cunning minds, which is perhaps why it fits so well with the mischievous monkey people.

While wanderlust can inspire an eager mind, it can also lead to unfortunate ends, and may a wanderer never comes home. Such is the case with one Loxus Fireseed, whom the party have been hired to track down. The poor soul discovered the lair of an ancient jiang-shi master, and met his tragic end.

They say many tengu populations remain in hiding, far from the diaspora of the rest of their people. However, some seek to learn of the outside world, and are trained to do just that, preparing them as best they can to use their minds and bodies to survive within and without civilization.

Clever, but also foolhardy, Bashi the vanara has been wandering the world for years, a staff in his hands. However, playing tricks on others and getting up to mischief tends to make enemies. Now, a nagaji noble musters forces to make the playful monkey man disappear.

Forgefather’s Seeker (Paladin Archetype)

(art by Straban on DeviantArt)

Another paladin archetype today! And this one comes from… Ah, Construct Handbook again.

I’ve made my general disappointment with the book well-known, with the dearth of character options meant to make building constructs more fun and easier, and the overabundance of archetypes that are just for destroying them, so I don’t think I have to go into that again.

And yet, here we are, with another archetype centered around the destruction of constructs. It’s cool, we’ll just gird our loins and try to remember the things we actually like about the book.

The head of the dwarven pantheon, Torag, is not simply a god of the forge and of creation, but also one of righteousness and good. As such, he passes judgement upon creators for what they create, and what they use their creations for.

When someone creates constructs through vile means, such as those fueled by souls, suffering, and the like, or that are used for horrible acts such as slaughtering innocents, the Forgefather frowns upon such deeds, and his Seekers, warrior paladins that revere his aspect as a patron of artificers, may be guided by his hand to bring low such constructs.

Of course, you could theoretically use this archetype with any deity with the artifice domain that a paladin could reasonably worship, but obviously what constitutes the proper use of constructs will vary by deity.

Additionally, while the majority of these warriors in the Golarion setting may be dwarves, there is no such restriction.

Unsurprisingly, these holy beings can sense constructs, as well as any aura they might have, useful if the construct is sapient can capable of morality.

Their smite is geared towards destroying constructs as well. While it can be used on other targets, it is weaker, and has no special benefit against the classic paladin enemies.

They can also grant this special smite to allies, unsurprisingly.

The weapons that they and nearby allies wield are also blessed to pierce the durable materials that constructs are typically made from as well.

Naturally, the power these paladins wield at the zenith of their abilities is also modified. While they still gain greater protection and produce exceptional healing from their touch, instead of banishing fiends, they can attempt to unmake a smote construct with a single blow.

Constructs are a relatively rare creature type, depending on the campaign, so taking this archetype and being effective really depends on what sort of game your GM is crafting. In a traditional dungeon crawler it may see moderate use, while others might not get much out of it at all. Meanwhile, a campaign set in a region undergoing a technological revolution might benefit from their special abilities every single session. In any case, most of their abilities not tied to smiting or fighting certain foes remain intact, so you can still build them as a support combatant.

Of course, as the executioners of wayward constructs, the tools of slaughter, and their creators, we can’t help but wonder how they interact with fully sapient constructs, such as the construct-like androids and of course any construct that achieves sapience either by itself or by design. Do they quietly judge these beings, or welcome them as children of a new and wondrous form of life? How bitter must it be to have to destroy a sapient construct that refuses to see a way other than bloodshed and evil?

Dollhouse is a commune of soulbound constructs and awakened poppets that exists above the ramshackle streets of Shalan’s docks district. While people know of the community, some suspect they may harbor evil constructs in their midst, which has the Gearguard interested.

The ruins of the sunken civilization of Paradi have long been haunted by not just undead, but also the machines that once served as their primary offensive force. Among the cecaelia that also live in these ancient cities, there are those that take on the mantle of construct-hunters, empowered by their god to destroy these ancient idols of hubris and bloodshed.

A dread infection from beyond the stars has come to this world. It is a mechanical malady that slowly transforms flesh, living, dead, or undead, into mechanical equivalents, creating hybrid horrors that serve the source of this plague. What’s more, the illness has claimed many champions, such as the graveknight Brondstein and his vukoldlak steed. Specialists that can fight effectively against these mechanical horrors are needed.

Forest Preserver (Paladin Archetype)

(art by Howard Lyon from his portfolio site howardlyon.com)

The wild places of the worlds are worth preserving, many goodly deities and their followers can agree on that, but typically guardians of the natural world are druids, rangers or shifters, who may revere nature itself, or a neutral deity directly associated with nature.

But what happens when a worshipper of a deity of good and/or law also has a love of the natural world? Some may become Forest Preservers, of course!

Devoted to gods of good, likely those that also have the natural world in their portfolio, such as Erastil, Jaidi, Uskyeria, or any number of pastorial gods that rule over cultivated nature. Alternatively, they might simply have a deep personal emotional investment in nature and be granted powers to reflect that.

Unlike yesterday’s entry, these warriors have lots of magical abilities tied directly to trees and abundant plant growth, so it’s easy to assume they truly are associated with the forests exclusively.

The results, however, is a paladin that will stand against despoilers of nature in addition to those that threaten innocents, and call upon the powers of the natural world to aid them in their duty.

Much like a ranger, these paladins learn how best to survive in forests or jungles, though they don’t branch out into other terrains.

They do receive some of the divine primal protections, they and potentially their mount becoming unhindered by natural vegetation.

Blessed with dominion over nature, these holy warriors can tap into spells useful for interacting with, manipulating, and conjuring plant matter to their needs.

Unchecked fire is perhaps one of the greatest dangers to forests. As such, these warriors project an aura which wards allies and nearby plant life against flame. What’s more, they can channel the energies used to heal with a touch to attempt to counterspell fire magic.

With an expenditure of the power they normally use to smite foes, these protectors can bless the area surrounding a tree to become a sacred grove. Thick vegetation springs up which hinders foes but moves aside for allies. Meanwhile, animals, fey, and plants allied with the paladin are empowered, as is the vitality of such beings summoned within. Furthermore, all of these blessings are empowered further if the area also contains a shrine to their deity within.

Finally, these preservers of the forest project an aura that wards animals and plants against hostile magic, making it hard for vindictive foes to target them to spite the paladin, or for them to become victims of the crossfire.

Naturally, this archetype works best in campaigns where the character never leaves forested regions for long, but while you lose out on several auras that are more generally helpful to the rest of the party, this can still be quite viable with the right party setup. A druid ally or someone else that regularly conjures and communes with animals and plants. Also consider the various area control spells that these paladins add to their arsenal, making them surprisingly defensive, especially once they set up their sacred grove ability. It’s a solid fog spell that doesn’t hinder your allies, and buffs nature critters! Really, this archetype is all about supporting allies by controlling the battlefield, so find ways to mix that with traditional paladin spells and powers!

While all paladins have a devotion to protecting the innocent, perhaps none understand their role so deeply as these preservers. After all, their typical ward will never truly know or understand what the paladin has done for them So its not about gratitude or glory, even when protecting people. It’s about doing what you can to help those who need it most, and preserve places of nature’s bounty for generations to come, guiding nearby civilizations to cultivate and treat the natural world with respect and care.

While travelling through the forest, a voice calls out to the party for aid. It is a paladin of the forest, who requests their aid in defeating a cult of a dark water god that wishes to create a demon-infested inland sea by expanding a nearby lake with a portal to their dark patron’s realm! When they arrive, the portal is already opening, and in addition to shutting the portal, they must contend with the fiendish deep sea serpent that slipped through the torrent of blighted water.

The Gripbranch tribe of iruxi lizardfolk take after the geckos that live in the highest trees of their rainforest home, able to move swiftly up and down the trunks with ease. Despite their reclusiveness, however, they are surprisingly friendly with strangers, though this changes the moment visitors reveal unsavory designs on their home, and many an interloper’s bones has fertilized the soil.

Named for it’s flowering trees, Whitemantle Forest is considered sacred by elf, man, and orc, and has long been considered neutral ground, with the druids and forest-guardian paladins that dwell there serving as mediators as well as keepers of meeting places. Those who disrupt such meetings pay dearly as if they had hewn a tree without their leave.

Forester (Hunter Archetype)

(art by Aleksander Karcz on Artstation)

The hunter class is, as we have established in past entries, a class that very much revolves around the animal companion and synergizing with both. It definitely makes you take a second look whenever an archetype gets rid of the companion in favor of other gimmicks and abilities, which a handful of them do.

Today’s subject is one such archetype, being a hunter that is more in tune with nature and their surroundings than they are with the creatures that live within, though of course they still place high value upon such natural creatures.

Despite the name, a “forester” is not limited to forest terrain. More accurately, they are hunters devoted to the various terrains they watch over. In other words, this archetype is all about the ranger favored terrains plus a few other abilities to replace those normally associated with animal companions and such.

The natural world itself is full of many wonders, so I imagine that these hunters in particular have a deep appreciation for aspects both amazing and mundane within the regions they make their home. Regardless, in their home element, few can match them.

Since they don’t have a companion, these hunters keep all of their animal foci powers for themselves, gaining multiple at once.

Their primarily ability, however, is to train to work and fight in their favored terrains with ease, growing their list as they master each.

They also put the training they would normally use to fight alongside their companion towards more flexible forms of combat training.

Additionally, they put their teamwork training towards aiding those they fight with rather than their companion.

Going solo means taking care of yourself, so these hunters train their agility to help avoid dangerous blasts. Later on, this improves further.

That focus on survivability also means they master the art of camouflage to hide from foes and prey, blending in with their favored terrains.

Additionally, in an emergency they can quickly bring a recently slain ally back to life using the same energies they would normally use to revive a companion.

Finally, they become so good at hiding in their favored terrains that they can disappear even when being watched.

This archetype is a fun way to do a companion-less hunter, with favored terrains are a natural replacement. Definitely pick your spells to complement a solo fighting style, especially when they are thematic to your choice of favored terrains, but also prepare for the eventuality of having to fight outside of it.

You might have noticed that many of their replacement abilities are literally modified versions of abilities the hunter normally gets, but geared towards helping other party members. Some might disdain and archetypes like it for the implication that classes are a “part of the world” in the same way, showing the seams of this being a “game”. Others might not be bothered, so your mileage may vary.

Fleeing execution decades ago, the renegade hobgoblin Ozhan has lived the life of a hermit ever since, becoming one with the mountain above and the forest below. He shows no mercy to hobgoblins wearing military colors, but might be convinced to aid those who need a guide.

Many do not think of the underground, be it natural caverns, a dungeon, or even a sewer system beneath the city as an ecosystem, but they are in their own way. As such, certain “Deepers” train themselves to understand that environment, befriending creatures such as otyughs that most would consider monstrous.

A war under the moon is coming for two werewolf clans, the Bloody Moons, who embrace their bestial  nature, and the Ghost Wolves, who temper their monstrous side into a weapon against evil, have come to blows. Ilmac and his family are caught in the middle as a forest caretaker from the Moons who married a Ghost Wolf warrior during more peaceful times.