The Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide is a comprehensive expansion for Pathfinder Second Edition, offering new classes, ancestries, archetypes, and rules to enhance player creativity and depth in gameplay.
Overview of the Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide
The Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide is a 272-page rulebook that expands Pathfinder Second Edition with new character options, rules, and enhancements. It introduces four new classes: the Investigator, Oracle, Swashbuckler, and Witch, each offering unique playstyles. Additionally, it provides five new ancestries—Catfolk, Kobolds, Orcs, Ratfolk, and Tengu—and versatile heritages for customization. The guide also includes 40 archetypes, new feats, spells, and equipment, allowing players to deepen their characters’ backgrounds and abilities. This book is a must-have for players and GMs seeking to enrich their Pathfinder experience with creative and balanced options.
Significance in the Pathfinder Second Edition
The Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide holds a pivotal role in the Second Edition by significantly expanding character customization and gameplay depth. It introduces fresh mechanics and content that enhance the core system, offering players a wider array of choices to craft unique characters. This guide underscores Paizo’s commitment to enriching the game with substantial, balanced additions, ensuring that both new and veteran players can explore new dimensions of the Pathfinder universe. Its release highlights the game’s adaptability and capacity for growth, solidifying its place as a cornerstone of the Second Edition experience.
New Classes in the Advanced Players Guide
The Advanced Players Guide introduces four new classes: the Investigator, Oracle, Swashbuckler, and Witch, each offering unique playstyles and mechanics to diversify character creation and gameplay experiences.
The Investigator Class
The Investigator is a shrewd, analytical class excelling at solving mysteries and uncovering hidden truths. With a focus on investigation and alchemy, investigators use their trained eye and alchemist’s tools to craft potent concoctions and decipher clues. Their ability to combine insight with ingenuity makes them versatile problem-solvers, capable of unraveling mysteries and outwitting foes. Whether uncovering criminal plots or deciphering ancient texts, the Investigator brings a unique blend of intellect and resourcefulness to any adventuring party, making them indispensable in both combat and non-combat scenarios.
The Oracle Class
The Oracle is a divine spellcaster who channels the power of mysterious forces known as Mysteries. Drawing inspiration from prophecy and fate, oracles wield potent spells to heal, protect, or smite their enemies. Their class features include Revelations, which grant unique abilities tied to their chosen Mystery, and a Curse that adds a layer of complexity to their role. Whether guiding allies or unraveling divine secrets, the Oracle brings a blend of mysticism and versatility to the party, making them a compelling and dynamic character to play.
The Swashbuckler Class
The Swashbuckler is a charismatic and agile warrior, excelling in precision and finesse. They use their Panache class feature to perform daring feats, combining martial prowess with theatrical flair. Swashbucklers rely on Charisma and Dexterity to outmaneuver foes, employing Flourish attacks and Tricks to gain an edge in combat. Their versatility allows them to excel in both melee and social scenarios, making them a dynamic and entertaining addition to any party. With a focus on style and precision, the Swashbuckler brings a unique blend of artistry and combat mastery to the battlefield.
The Witch Class
The Witch is a mysterious spellcaster who channels dark, arcane power through a familiar, a supernatural companion. Witches gain access to a wide range of hexes, which are powerful, theme-based abilities that can curse enemies or aid allies. Their magic is tied to their patron, a mysterious force granting them power, and they progress in spellcasting up to 10th level. Witches can manipulate the battlefield with debilitating curses and summon creatures to do their bidding, making them versatile and formidable in both combat and out-of-combat situations.
Expanded Options for Core Classes
The Advanced Players Guide enhances core classes with new archetypes, feats, and abilities, offering deeper customization and versatility for players to craft unique characters.
Archetypes and Multiclassing
The Advanced Players Guide introduces 40 new archetypes, including multiclass options, allowing players to blend abilities from multiple classes seamlessly. Archetypes like the Familiar Master and Iron Wall offer fresh playstyles, while favorites such as the Cavalier and Vigilante return with enhanced features. Multiclassing archetypes enable characters to combine diverse class abilities, creating unique and dynamic builds. These options provide unparalleled flexibility, letting players craft characters that truly reflect their creative vision, whether focusing on combat, exploration, or social intrigue.
New Feats and Combat Abilities
The Advanced Players Guide introduces a wide array of new feats and combat abilities, enhancing character customization and tactical options. Players can explore investigative skill feats for problem-solving, combat maneuvers for battlefield control, and rituals like Reincarnate and Create Demiplane. These additions provide depth and flexibility, allowing characters to excel in specific roles or adapt to diverse scenarios. Whether focusing on precision, magic, or brute strength, these feats and abilities offer something for every playstyle, enriching gameplay and storytelling alike.
New Ancestries and Heritages
The Advanced Players Guide expands character customization with five new ancestries, including Catfolk, Kobolds, Orcs, Ratfolk, and Tengu, alongside versatile heritages for diverse character backgrounds and lore.
Catfolk, Kobolds, Orcs, Ratfolk, and Tengu
The Advanced Players Guide introduces five unique ancestries, each with distinct traits and backgrounds. Catfolk are agile and curious, excelling at stealth and acrobatics. Kobolds are resourceful and inventive, often mastering alchemy and trap-making. Orcs embody brute strength and resilience, making them formidable warriors. Ratfolk are cunning and adaptable, thriving in urban environments. Lastly, Tengu are bird-like humanoids with a focus on flight and keen perception. Each ancestry offers rich lore and mechanical advantages, adding depth to character creation.
Heritages and Versatile Heritages
The Advanced Players Guide expands character customization with Heritages and versatile heritages, offering deeper cultural and biological ties. Heritages provide unique traits and abilities tied to specific ancestries, such as celestial aasimar, hagspawned changelings, or vampiric dhampirs. Versatile heritages allow players to mix and match traits from different backgrounds, creating hybrid characters like fiendish tieflings or fate-touched duskwalkers. This system enhances character diversity, enabling players to craft unique identities that blend heritage, culture, and personal backstory seamlessly.
Magic, Spells, and Rituals
The Advanced Players Guide introduces new spells like Reincarnate and Create Demiplane, along with innovative rituals and magical items, expanding the mystical possibilities for players and spellcasters.
New Spells and Rituals
The Advanced Players Guide enriches Pathfinder Second Edition with a wide array of new spells and rituals, such as Reincarnate and Create Demiplane. These additions expand the magical repertoire, offering fresh strategies for spellcasters. Rituals provide unique ways to shape the game world, while new magical items, including special wands and potions, add versatility to character builds. This section enhances both combat and role-playing experiences, giving players and GMs alike more tools to craft dynamic and memorable stories.
Equipment and Magic Items
The Advanced Players Guide introduces an array of new equipment and magic items, enhancing character customization and gameplay. Players can discover unique wands with unusual effects, potent potions, and other magical items that add depth to their arsenals. These additions provide fresh opportunities for creative problem-solving and strategic combat. The guide also expands on item versatility, offering rare and imaginative gear that complements both new and existing classes, making it a treasure trove for players seeking to elevate their characters’ capabilities.
Playtest and Design History
The Advanced Players Guide underwent an extensive playtest involving over 50,000 participants. Feedback shaped its final design, led by Logan Bonner and Mark Seifter, ensuring balanced and innovative content.
The Playtest Process
The Advanced Players Guide playtest ran from November 6 to December 2, 2019, engaging over 50,000 players. This massive feedback loop refined new classes, ancestries, and mechanics, ensuring balance and fun. Players tested four new classes, ancestries, and archetypes, providing detailed insights. The playtest document was free, fostering community involvement. Designer Logan Bonner led the process, incorporating feedback to polish the final content, making it a cornerstone of Pathfinder Second Edition’s evolution.
Community Feedback and Final Design
Community feedback played a crucial role in shaping the Advanced Players Guide. Over 50,000 players participated in the playtest, providing insights on new classes, ancestries, and mechanics. Designers like Logan Bonner, Lyz Liddell, and Mark Seifter refined the content based on this feedback, ensuring balance and fun. The final design reflects a collaborative effort, incorporating player suggestions to enhance gameplay depth and diversity, culminating in a polished release on August 11, 2020.