Paizo Publishing, LLC launches a worldwide open playtest for the forthcoming Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide hardcover rulebook.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Class Guide introduces ten new classes to the Pathfinder RPG, each offering new opportunities and abilities, and supported with a wealth of new rules, archetypes, feats, spells and magic items. The new classes include arcanist, bloodrager, brawler, hunter, investigator, shaman, skald, slaver, swashbuckler, and warpriest.

“Nothing gets Pathfinder players excited like new classes,” said Paizo Publisher Erik Mona, “but since the rules for class design touch almost every aspect of the Pathfinder rules system, it’s more important than ever that we put them through their paces with a rigorous playtest. I can’t wait to see how Pathfinder players respond to what our designers have come up with, but more importantly, I can’t wait to see how player comments and feedback make them even better!”

Participants in the playtest will be able to download and review all ten new classes, use them in their games, or pit them against monsters and other foes to test the power, balance, and overall clarity of the new classes. Via the paizo.com messageboards, playtesters can directly communicate with the Pathfinder RPG design team and other players, helping to polish and refine the classes, while also taking part in surveys and brainstorms to help make theAdvanced Class Guide a seamless addition to the Pathfinder RPG.

The playtest is now open to all via a free download from paizo.com, and will end on December 20, 2013. Pathfinder RPG: Advanced Class Guide is slated for an August 2014 release.



The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game launched 5 years ago after 10 years of system development and the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming, with more than 50,000 playtesters contributing the success of what has grown into the best-selling RPG in the world. For more information, please visit paizo.com.

It's been almost three weeks since the Advanced Class Guide Playtest kicked off. Throughout this process the design team has poured through thousands of posts containing feedback, concerns, ideas, and playtest data. First off, thank you for all of your hard work.
Now its time to see it pay off. The revised version of the playtest document is LIVE. As one of the playtesters who has already downloaded this file, you can download the updated file on your My Downloads page. In particular, here are some of the big changes you will find inside.
Arcanist: We removed the blood focus ability and replaced it with Arcane Reservoir. Now the arcanist can draw upon the pool of power to fuel arcanist exploits.
Bloodrager: We clarified how the bloodrage powers work and when you gain access to them. We also added Eschew Materials as a bonus feat.
Brawler: This class can now use all weapons from the weapons listed under the "close" fighter weapon group. We also added a new ability for 20th level!
Hunter: The hunter's companion got a power boost, gaining access to an animal focus all the time. We also added some teamwork feats specifically for the hunter.
Investigator: In place of sneak attack, the investigator can now study his foes to make deadly strikes gaining a bonus to hit and damage.
Shaman: The shaman now casts spells using the druid spell list, with a number of important additions to add the proper flavor to the spell list.
Skald: The skald now gets damage reduction as it goes up in level, and we clarified how rage works with his allies, allowing them to end the effect if they need to.
Slayer: The slayer now gets a better Hit Die and more skill points. We also added a few new slayer talents to add versatility to the class.
Swashbuckler: A number of the swashbucklers abilities got shuffled for balance and we added a feat to let you use slashing weapons with precise strike.
Warpriest: The warpriest now attacks with his level as his BAB when using his deity's weapon (or any favored weapon) and the amount of damage dealt scales up over time.
There are a lot of other changes in the document, both big and small, and you will have to download it yourself to find them all. Of course, we are not done yet. This is just one step on the path to the final version of these classes. Give these new ones and try and let us know what you think. Post your feedback on the boards in the special threads created in the Class Discussion forum. Update your survey to let us know how we are doing.
We look forward to seeing what you have to say.
The playtest closes on December 17th, so get those games going now!
Thanks again,
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

More classes are coming to Pathfinder! Paizo Publishing will release the Advanced Class Guide for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game around August 14.

In November of 2013, Paizo released playtest versions of the ten new classes the book will feature. The company solicited gamers for advice on the classes’ design, abilities, flavor and balance. In December, Paizo released a revised version of the guide. The playtest ended Dec. 17.

It’s been nearly seven months since the test ended and now the Advanced Class Guide is almost here.


Since my gaming group missed the playtest, we decided to do a quick run-through with the seven classes that appealed to us the most. I also had the chance to interview Pathfinder’s Jason Bulmahn for some updates on the guide.

The premise of the new book is hybridization as it takes two core or base classes and fuses them together in hopes of creating intriguing new character concepts. The ten classes are:

Arcanist, which combines Wizard and Sorcerer
Bloodrager (combines Sorcerer and Barbarian)
Brawler (combines Fighter and Monk)
Hunter (combines Ranger and Druid)
Investigator (combines Alchemist and Rogue)
Shaman (combines Oracle and Witch)
Skald (combines Bard and Barbarian)
Slayer (combines Ranger and Rogue)
Swashbuckler (combines Fighter and Gunslinger)
Warpriest (combines Fighter and Cleric)
My group played the Warpriest, Hunter, Bloodrager, Brawler, Swashbuckler and the Investigator. I was also able to test the Skald separately.

For the most part, the classes the book presents provide a fun and refreshing change of pace for the Pathfinder system. Some of these classes grant players access to new concepts, while others streamline concepts that previously required multiclassing. A select few classes however, feel disjointed — like two halves working independently of one another instead of a unified whole.

Bloodrager

Hit dice: d10
Base attack progression: Full
Spells: 4 levels of Bloodrager list every 3rd level beginning at 4
Good saves: Fortitude
The mighty Bloodrager is an interesting union between the unbridled fury of the Barbarian and the innate magical prowess of the Sorcerer. The class allows characters to enter rage as per standard, but with the added benefit of being able to cast spells. Their casting, however, is limited to four levels. Instead of rage powers, Bloodragers get the Sorcerer bloodline’s features including access to feats, spells and supernatural abilities.

The majority of the normal Barbarian’s rage powers made him better at smashing, trampling, hurling, charging and brutality in general. But if you were a fan of those quirky powers that allowed the Barbarian to pull off supernatural-but-frightening instances of badassery, like absorbing a fireball and breathing fire moments later, then Bloodrager is for you.

Bloodragers still have the basic battle prowess to be able Hulk out on enemies and bludgeon them into oblivion, but they can do much more: they can fly, siphon the life force of their enemies, or change into elementals. When a swarm of bandits tried to raid our encampment, our Bloodrager (played by Griffin Swartzell) killed half of them not with an axe but with his breath weapon.

The drawback is that Bloodragers are only really useful in combat, as their spells are limited to mostly offense with few magics available for utility. Outside combat, players should expect to twiddle their thumbs.

Brawler

Hit dice: d10
Base attack progression: Full
Spells: none
Good saves: Fortitude, Reflex
How many gamers have been inspired by the heroics of characters like Aragorn and Legolas, who can carve their way through a horde of orcs only to whip out a bow and put an arrow through the eye of another orc 200 yards away?

In game, the regimented nature of feat progressions and the limitations on multiclassing make creating a versatile character that excels in multiple areas a difficult prospect, especially for beginners. The Brawler tries its hand at making that process easier.

The Brawler mixes the Fighter’s physical prowess with the Monk’s mastery of combat maneuvers. The most notable feature of this class is the Brawler’s ability to switch out feats on the fly.

At 10th level, they can pick up three feats at a time, meaning that the Brawler gets the full impact of the ability only halfway through his progression. Unfortunately, the Brawler’s limited weapon proficiency with close-quarters weapons and unarmed strikes prevents players from creating versatile combatants that would be comparable to the heroes found in fantasy novels.

Disappointment aside, the Brawler is a step in the right direction. The class’s ability allows players to change their strategy based on what’s happening, which strengthens the Brawler’s role as a viable fighter who is well-versed in multiple modes of combat. It’s a nice change of pace for those who enjoy playing straight up melee warriors but want to still be useful outside their niche.

My group’s Brawler, played by Tyler Jonas Castro, found that the class synergized well with the Monk’s Style feats.

As their name implies, these feats symbolize the various fighting styles employed by Monks and inspired by creatures around the world. Each style contains 3 feats. While normal Monks might overlook the feats because they’re only situationally useful, they’re a perfect fit for the Brawler’s interchangeability.

At one point, Tyler’s Brawler was tripped by a wolf. He immediately employed Monkey Style to continue making attacks from prone position with no penalty.

One problem is that the Brawler has to meet all the prerequisites of the feats he swaps, which can be limiting. But the fact that the class grants seven of the standard Fighter’s 11 bonus feats as permanent feats, and gives three interchangeable ones, means smart players will find ways to do a lot with this class.

Summer is here and things are heating up in the world of tabletop gaming. Paizo’s Pathfinder is quickly becoming the biggest name in the business. According to Icv2.com, Pathfinder has been the best-selling roleplaying game since the second quarter of 2011.

Paizo’s Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn said that every August, his team tries to press the reset button and provide Pathfinder fans with new ways to experience the game. This year, the Advanced Class Guide introduces ten new hybrid classes that fuse some of the most iconic classes from the open game license and from Paizo’s original content.

The book is due out Aug. 14, which coincides with the first day of the Indianapolis-based Gen Con, the longest-running tabletop gaming convention in the world. My gaming group snagged a copy of the playtest and reviewed the new classes to see which ones are worthwhile.

In this next installment, we examine the wild Hunter and the intuitive Investigator.


Hunter
Hit Dice: d8
Base attack progression: ¾
Spells: 6 levels of Druid list every 3rd level, beginning at 1
Good Saves: Fortitude, Reflex
Drawn from the Ranger and Druid classes, the Hunter takes a stab at allowing players to control a true beastmaster warrior. Like its parent classes, Hunters gain an animal companion. The true beauty of this class is how it introduces innovative ways to make animal companions more relevant and effective.

Hunters can take on the aspects of certain animals to gain bonuses to abilities, skills, armor class and speed. Hunters select one of ten bonuses. Some are more worthwhile than others, for example, the bonus to armor class is a dodge bonus — which means it stacks with other bonuses out there.

What’s more is that the Hunter can share this ability with her animal companion. While the bonuses last one minute per level for the Hunter, the buffs are permanent for her animal companion until she wishes to change them. However, most of these bonuses are enchantment bonuses meaning they will not stack with some of the commonplace magic items in the game. Fortunately, the bonuses scale well with the recommended wealth by level chart: at 8th level the Hunter can select two bonuses and at 20th level she can select a permanent bonus in addition to her first two.

Another unique ability is the inclusion of teamwork feats for the Hunter and her companion. This opens up a wealth of tactical options for Hunters looking to utilize their companions in different ways. My friend Nathaniel Ohrdorf was able to make use of the Coordinated Charge teamwork feat to get his character and her animal companion within range of the enemy while still retaining some actions.

Sadly, the class slows down in a big way after receiving teamwork feats. This class has nine levels of nothing but increased spell, base attack and save progressions. Most of those levels are sandwiched between levels that offer more teamwork feats.

The Hunter class exemplifies one of the main issues with the Advanced Class Guide, though, in that some of the classes are simply a hodgepodge of auxiliary features from their parent classes. The new features those hybrids introduce feel incomplete and become less of a factor as the game goes on.

After level 8, the Hunter doesn’t get a new ability until level 20, and the capstone is mediocre at best. The Hunter has some great low-level abilities but as a standalone class it gets the worst of both worlds, losing out on the Druid’s full spell list and the Ranger’s consistency in combat. The class feels barren compared to other classes (like the Inquisitor) that have a diverse spell list and still get something new or improved with each new level.

Investigator
Hit Dice: d8
Base attack progression: ¾
Spells: All 6 levels of Alchemist list every 3rd level, beginning at 1
Good Saves: Reflex, Will
As a player who enjoys kicking down the door with little regard for what perils lie on the other side, playing an Investigator was a challenge for me. The Investigator is a detective-type, a blend of the Alchemist’s penchant for science and experimentation and the Rogue’s dedication to stealth and deception.

The class remixes an old ability from the 3rd Edition of Dungeons and Dragons: Inspiration.

Investigators are given a pool of Inspiration points equal to half their class level plus their intelligence modifier. These points can be used to augment skill checks, ability checks, attack rolls and saving throws by 1d6. This feature helps the Investigator interrogate, persuade, conceal and deduce his way through a campaign.

Every other level the class gains Investigator talents that improve the Inspiration ability or grant Alchemist Discoveries and Rogue Talents, or a whole host of other options too long to list here.

Perhaps more than any of the other new hybrid classes, the Investigator encourages focus on the character outside of combat, not relying solely on spells to do so. That means creative, resourceful players can easily find ways to turn their Investigators into the most intriguing characters in their respective parties.

However, the class falls flat on its face when it comes time to roll initiative.

I found the Investigator fun to play, but only because it forced me out of my own playing style. Unfortunately, when I took a good look and what the Rogue and Alchemist classes offer, I was hard pressed to find something new or improved that the Investigator brings to the table.

Take poison: the Investigator gets a decent and conceptually-sound version of the Alchemist’s Poison Use ability. I thought the Lasting Poison Rogue Talent was a great way to combine the knowledge of the Alchemist with the Rogue’s skill, but alas, the Alchemist already has a Discovery (which the Investigator cannot select) that allows his weapon to remain poisoned for much longer.

On the Rogue side, the Investigator introduces Studied Combat as a variant of Sneak Attack.

The Investigator can study his opponents, giving him a considerable attack boost. He can forego that boost to do extra damage on one attack for every two levels he has beyond 4th; however, he can only apply that damage bonus to a specific enemy once every 24 hours. What’s worse is that Studied Combat only works for melee attacks, which doesn’t seem very helpful (or resourceful, for that matter) for a character who only has a d8 hit die.

In essence, the Investigator simply has mediocre versions of the parent classes’ abilities.

With regard to the nature of these hybrids, I understand the designers can’t make the classes so powerful that they render the parents obsolete. At the same time, the class must be able to stand on its own two feet. That’s something I feel the Investigator, intriguing as it is, cannot do.

Look for Part Three, reviewing the historic Skald, the suave Swashbuckler and the mighty Warpriest next Tuesday!