Advanced Players Guide Pathfinder PDF⁚ A Comprehensive Guide
The Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide is a must-have companion volume to the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. This imaginative tabletop game builds upon more than 10 years of system development and an Open Playtest featuring more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy roleplaying game rules to a new generation of players.
Introduction
Pathfinder is a game of imagination where you can bring nearly any idea to life. The Core Rulebook provides classic options to play a countless variety of customizable characters. This book expands those core options, giving you even more ways to play the character you want! The Advanced Players Guide expands upon the options for player characters provided in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. Along with the new ancestries and classes summarized on the following page, there are also expanded rules for the existing ancestries and classes.
Ancestries
Expand beyond the populous ancestries found in the Core Rulebook. The ancestry entry format is described on page 33 of the Core Rulebook. Catfolk (page 8), or amurruns, are humanoid felines who believe they were created to protect the wilderness from great danger. Kobolds (page 12) are small reptiles connected to dragons and fond of traps. Orcs (page 16) are warlike and honest people who respect strength, toughness, and survival above all. Ratfolk (page 20), or ysoki, pack into tight spaces and are markedly industrious and fastidious. Tengus (page 24) are corvid-like humanoids with an affinity for blades and the rumored mystical ability to absorb bad luck.
Classes
The investigator uses knowledge to uncover mysteries and best their foes. The oracle balances powerful divine magic with a supernatural curse. The swashbuckler earns panache through showy acts and leverages this flair to thwart their foes. The witch casts spells and hexes learned through a powerful familiar from a mysterious patron. A character receives an ability boost to their class’s key ability score.
Archetypes
This chapter delves into the exciting world of archetypes, offering players a wealth of unique paths for their characters to take. It presents a range of options, including those that cater to specific class combinations, allowing characters to explore multiclassing in innovative ways. Additionally, the chapter provides general archetypes that can be chosen by any character, regardless of their class, opening up a world of customization and unique playstyles.
Feats
The Advanced Players Guide introduces a plethora of new feats, expanding the character customization options beyond what was previously available. These feats cover a wide range of skills and abilities, offering unique ways to enhance a character’s strengths, overcome weaknesses, and develop specialized abilities. The book also presents tables that organize feats by category, making it easier for players to find the perfect fit for their characters and their playstyle.
Spells
The Advanced Players Guide provides a treasure trove of new spells for both spellcasters and those seeking to master the arcane arts. This expansion includes a comprehensive list of spell descriptions, encompassing various schools of magic and covering a broad range of effects. The book also features specialized spell lists tailored to specific classes and archetypes, allowing players to delve deeper into their chosen path and unlock unique magical abilities.
Items
The Advanced Players Guide introduces an array of new items, ranging from mundane tools to powerful magical artifacts. It delves into the realm of alchemical items, providing players with a diverse selection of concoctions and mixtures that can be used for various purposes. Additionally, the guide expands the inventory of snares, offering cunning traps and devices to ensnare adversaries.
Glossary
The Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide features a comprehensive glossary that serves as a valuable resource for players and Game Masters alike. This glossary defines essential terms, concepts, and rules, providing a concise and readily accessible reference for navigating the intricacies of the game. Whether you’re seeking clarification on a specific mechanic or exploring new aspects of the Pathfinder universe, the glossary offers a reliable guide to understanding the nuances of the game.
Index
The Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide provides a detailed index that acts as a navigational tool for players and Game Masters. This index meticulously organizes and cross-references the vast array of information within the guide, enabling users to quickly locate specific rules, mechanics, spells, items, and other elements. The index serves as an invaluable reference for navigating the guide’s comprehensive content, allowing players and Game Masters to efficiently find the information they need to enhance their gameplay experience.
New Ancestries
The Advanced Players Guide introduces a diverse range of new ancestries, expanding the player character options beyond those presented in the Core Rulebook. These ancestries offer unique abilities, traits, and cultural backgrounds, enriching the game’s world and providing players with more options for character creation. The new ancestries include Catfolk, Kobolds, Orcs, Ratfolk, and Tengus, each bringing their own distinctive flavor to the Pathfinder universe.
Catfolk
Catfolk, also known as amurruns, are humanoid felines who believe they were created to protect the wilderness from great danger. They are highly social creatures known for their curiosity and wandering nature. With a natural affinity for stealth and agility, Catfolk excel in roles that require quick reflexes and cunning. They possess a unique bond with the natural world, often finding themselves drawn to the mysteries and dangers of the wild.
Kobold
Kobolds are small, reptilian creatures with outsized personalities and a love of dragons. They are known for their cunning and resourcefulness, often employing traps and ambushes to overcome their larger foes. Kobolds are fiercely loyal to their dragon patrons, serving them with unwavering devotion. They possess a keen sense of smell and a natural affinity for subterfuge, making them adept at stealth and exploration.
Orc
Orcs are proud, strong people with hardened physiques who value physical might and glory in combat. They are known for their ferocity and resilience, often engaging in brutal warfare with their enemies. Orcs have a strong sense of community and loyalty, often forming close-knit tribes and clans. Despite their reputation for savagery, orcs are also capable of great compassion and loyalty, particularly towards their family and friends.
Ratfolk
Ratfolk, also known as ysoki, are small, clever, and adaptable humanoids with ratlike features and a love of community. They are known for their industriousness, fastidiousness, and ingenuity, often creating intricate networks of tunnels and burrows. Ratfolk have a strong sense of family and community, often forming close-knit groups that work together to achieve common goals. Despite their small size, ratfolk are resourceful and tenacious, often outsmarting their enemies with cunning and guile.
Tengu
Tengus are gregarious and resourceful avian humanoids known for their sharp minds and keen senses. With a natural affinity for blades, they are often found as skilled warriors and adventurers. Their connection to the natural world grants them an understanding of the flow of luck, and some believe they have a mystical ability to absorb bad luck. Tengus value knowledge and treasures, often collecting both with equal passion. Their society is diverse, with individuals specializing in various skills and crafts, contributing to their collective wisdom and ingenuity.
Versatile Heritages
While the Core Rulebook presented heritages as subgroups of a particular ancestry, certain heritages can occur across all ancestries. For instance, if your mother was a hag, you could be a changeling whether you’re a human, orc, or catfolk. Rules for versatile heritages are found on page 28. Changelings, the children of hags, are left as foundlings and subject to the danger of their mothers tempting call. Dhampirs are part vampires due to an early connection to vampire blood. Planar Scions are descendants of creatures from other planes of existence, gaining unique abilities and a connection to their ancestral plane.
Changeling
Changelings are the children of hags, left as foundlings and subject to the danger of their mothers’ tempting call. Their heritage grants them the ability to alter their appearance, blending into any crowd and shifting their features to suit their needs. Changelings are often curious and observant, with a keen eye for detail and a knack for deception. Their adaptability makes them valuable assets in any group, capable of assuming a variety of roles and navigating complex social situations with ease.
Dhampir
Dhampirs are part vampires due to an early connection to vampire blood. This lineage grants them a unique blend of human and undead traits, including enhanced senses, a resistance to diseases, and a natural affinity for the dark. They often struggle with their dual nature, caught between the human world and the seductive darkness of their vampiric heritage. Dhampirs are often ostracized and misunderstood, but their resilience and strength make them formidable allies in the face of adversity.
Planar Scions
Planar Scions are individuals who have a strong connection to a specific plane of existence, often due to a parent or ancestor hailing from that plane. They inherit unique traits and abilities reflecting their plane of origin, such as fire resistance for those connected to the plane of fire or a natural affinity for magic for those connected to the plane of dreams. These individuals are often seen as outsiders, but their unique abilities and perspectives make them valuable allies in the face of interplanar threats.
New Classes
The Advanced Players Guide introduces four new classes to Pathfinder, each offering unique gameplay experiences and roleplaying opportunities. These classes include the Investigator, who uses knowledge and deduction to uncover mysteries and bring criminals to justice; the Oracle, who draws on divine magic and a supernatural curse to shape their destiny; the Swashbuckler, who combines agility and charisma to perform daring feats and inspire those around them; and the Witch, who learns spells and hexes from a powerful familiar and a mysterious patron.
Investigator
The Investigator is a master of deduction, observation, and knowledge, using their skills to unravel mysteries and uncover hidden truths. They rely on their intellect and intuition to gather clues, interrogate suspects, and solve puzzles, often working behind the scenes to expose the guilty and bring justice to those who deserve it. Investigators are versatile characters who can adapt to various situations, using their knowledge to gain an advantage in combat, diplomacy, and social situations alike. They are masters of investigation, using their skills to gather evidence, analyze clues, and ultimately bring their targets to justice.
Oracle
The Oracle is a powerful spellcaster who channels divine magic, wielding the raw power of the gods to protect the innocent and vanquish evil. While blessed with extraordinary abilities, they are also bound by a curse, a supernatural flaw that grants them unique powers but may also impose a burden or limitation. Oracles are versatile characters, capable of wielding both offensive and defensive spells, and their curses can grant them unique and powerful abilities, making them formidable allies in any fight. They are the chosen of the gods, wielding divine power and supernatural curses to protect the innocent and bring justice to the wicked.
Swashbuckler
The Swashbuckler is a charismatic and agile fighter who relies on quick reflexes and cunning tactics to outmaneuver their opponents. They are masters of swordplay, capable of delivering swift and deadly blows, and their ability to gain panache through daring actions and flashy maneuvers adds a unique flair to their combat style. Swashbucklers are often found at the forefront of battle, inspiring their allies with their bravery and dazzling their enemies with their skill. They are the embodiment of daring and panache, using their agility and charisma to outwit and outmaneuver their foes.
Witch
The Witch is a spellcaster who draws power from a mysterious patron, often a powerful entity from another plane of existence. They are masters of arcane magic, with a focus on hexes, curses, and other dark arts. Their connection to their patron grants them unique abilities, such as the ability to summon and command familiars, creatures that serve as their eyes and ears in the world. Witches are often seen as enigmatic and dangerous figures, capable of wielding powerful magic for good or evil. They are often solitary figures, seeking knowledge and power in secluded corners of the world.
New Archetypes
The Advanced Players Guide introduces a plethora of new archetypes, expanding the options for character customization and allowing players to create truly unique and diverse characters. These archetypes offer new ways to play existing classes, introducing new abilities, skills, and specializations. From the cunning investigator who unravels mysteries to the charismatic bard who captivates audiences, these archetypes provide a wealth of possibilities for players to explore their characters’ potential and create truly memorable stories.
Multiclass Archetypes
The Advanced Players Guide introduces exciting multiclass archetypes, specifically tailored for the four new classes⁚ Investigator, Oracle, Swashbuckler, and Witch; These archetypes allow players to seamlessly combine the strengths of these new classes with existing ones, creating unique hybrid characters with powerful abilities. These multiclass archetypes offer a diverse range of options, from the cunning investigator who utilizes arcane magic to the charismatic swashbuckler who wields divine power, providing players with a myriad of exciting possibilities to explore.
General Archetypes
The Advanced Players Guide presents a wealth of general archetypes, designed to enhance the versatility of any character class. These archetypes provide players with a plethora of options to customize their characters, tailoring their abilities and playstyle to fit their specific role in the game. From the cunning shadowdancer who blends into the shadows, to the powerful dragon disciple who channels the might of ancient dragons, these archetypes offer a wide range of choices for players to create truly unique and memorable characters.
Expanded Rules
The Advanced Players Guide delves deeper into the core rules of Pathfinder, offering a wealth of expanded options for players and Game Masters alike. This section provides a comprehensive look at the enhanced rules for various aspects of the game, including ancestries, classes, feats, spells, and equipment. These expanded rules aim to provide greater depth and flexibility to the game, allowing players to create even more nuanced and powerful characters while enriching the overall gaming experience.
Ancestries
The Advanced Players Guide introduces a fascinating array of new ancestries, enriching the world of Pathfinder with diverse and captivating characters. These ancestries offer unique abilities, traits, and cultural backgrounds, allowing players to explore a wider range of roleplaying possibilities. From the enigmatic catfolk to the cunning ratfolk, these new ancestries provide players with exciting opportunities to create characters that are both distinct and engaging.