Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player's Guide

338 Pages·2010·40.09 MB·English

by  Jason Bulmahn

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Explore new and uncharted depths of roleplaying with the Pathfinder RPG
Advanced Player’s Guide! Empower your existing characters with expanded
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rules for all 11 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game core classes and seven core
races, or build a new one from the ground up with one of six brand-new, vvv
20-level base classes. Whether you’re designing your own monstrous
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helpers as an enigmatic summoner, brewing up trouble with a grimy
urban alchemist, or simply teaching an old rogue
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make your heroes more heroic.
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The Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide is a
must-have companion volume to the Pathfinder eee
RPG Core Rulebook. This imaginative tabletop
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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
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experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of
fantasy rules into the new millennium.
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The Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide includes: aaa
► Six new base classes: the monster-hunting inquisitor, the explosive
alchemist, the noble cavalier, the prophecy-haunted oracle, the monster- yyy
crafting summoner, and the hex-weaving witch
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► More than a hundred innovative new feats and combat abilities for
characters of all classes, including Steal, Point-Blank Master, and Bouncing Spell rrr
► Variant class abilities, rules subsystems, and thematic archetypes for all 11 core
classes, such as the antipaladin, the hungry ghost monk, and the urban ranger ’’’
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► Hundreds of new spells and magic items, from phantasmal revenge to the Storm
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► A wealth of fantastic equipment, such as fireblast rods and fortune-tellers’ cards GGG
► New prestige classes like the Master Chymist and the Battle Herald
► AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
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Credits
Lead Designer: Jason Bulmahn
Designers: James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal Maclean, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson,
Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, Owen Stephens, and Russ Taylor
Cover Artist: Wayne Reynolds
Interior Artists: Alex Aparin, Eric Belisle, Concept Art House, Vincent Dutrait, Jesper Ejsing, Gonzalo Flores, Chuck Lukacs,
Steve Prescott, Wayne Reynolds, Fransisco Rico Torres, Craig J Spearing, Tyler Walpole, Svetlin Velinov, and Kevin Yan
Creative Director: James Jacobs
Senior Art Director: Sarah E. Robinson
Managing Editor: F. Wesley Schneider
Editing and Development: Judy Bauer, Christopher Carey, Rob McCreary,
Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, Lisa Stevens, James L. Sutter, and Vic Wertz
Editorial Interns: Tyler Clark, Matthew Lund, and Patrick Renie
Production Assistant: Crystal Frasier
Publisher: Erik Mona
Paizo CEO: Lisa Stevens
Vice President of Operations: Jeffrey Alvarez
Corporate Accountant: Dave Erickson
Director of Sales: Pierce Watters
Financial Analyst: Christopher Self
Technical Director: Vic Wertz
Events Manager: Joshua J. Frost
Special Thanks: The Paizo Customer Service, Warehouse, and Website Teams, Ryan Dancey, Clark Peterson,
and the proud participants of the Open Gaming Movement.
This game is dedicated to Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Based on the original roleplaying game rules designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and inspired by the third edition of the
game designed by Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.
Paizo Publishing, LLC
This game would not be possible without the passion and 7120 185th Ave NE
dedication of the thousands of gamers who helped playtest Ste 120
and develop it. Thank you for all of your time and effort. Redmond, WA 98052-0577
paizo.com
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open
Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.
(Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content,
as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be
reproduced in any form without written permission.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide is published by Paizo Publishing, LLC under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of
the Coast, Inc. Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathfinder Adventure
Path, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo
Publishing, LLC. © 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC.
First printing August 2010.
Printed in China.
taBle oF Contents
introduCtion 4
Antipaladin 118
Ranger 124
Chapter 1: raCes 6
Rogue 130
Racial Customization Rules 8
Sorcerer 136
Dwarves 10
Wizard 142
Elves 12
Gnomes 14 Chapter 3: Feats 148
Half-Elves 16 Types of Feats 150
Half-Orcs 18 Feat Descriptions 150
Halflings 20
Humans 22 Chapter 4: equipment 174
Weapons 176
Chapter 2: Classes 24 Armor 179
Base Classes 26 Goods and Services 181
Starting Wealth 26
Chapter 5: spells 188
Alchemist 26 Spell Lists 190
Alchemist Formulae 32 Spell Descriptions 200

Cavalier 32 Chapter 6: prestige Classes 258
Cavalier Orders 34 Battle Herald 260
Holy Vindicator 263
Inquisitor 38 Horizon Walker 265
Inquisitor Spells 41 Master Chymist 267
Master Spy 270
Oracle 42 Nature Warden 272
Mysteries 45 Rage Prophet 275
Stalwart Defender 277
Summoner 54
Eidolons 58 Chapter 7: magiC items 280
Evolutions 60 Armor 283
Summoner Spells 64 Weapons 286
Rings 292
Witch 65
Rods 294
Witch’s Familiar 69 Staves 296
New Familiars 69 Wondrous Items 300
Patron Spells 70 Cursed Items 310
Witch Spells 70 Minor Artifacts 313
Major Artifacts 316
Core Classes 72
Barbarian 74 Chapter 8: new rules 318
Bard 80 Combat Maneuvers 320
Cleric 86 Hero Points 322
Druid 98 Traits 326
Fighter 104

Monk 110 index 334
Paladin 116 Open Game License 335
Introduction
The greatest beauty of roleplaying is its complete lack this book is both a launch pad for hundreds of brand
of limitations. If you can imagine it—or if any of your new characters and a chance to upgrade and customize
friends can—you can do it, and magic, strange worlds, existing ones, with new rules to more closely realize
supernatural monsters, and legendary heroics are its stock your creative visions. Yet Game Masters can gain just
in trade. In the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, all of these as much, and not just from creating more innovative
elements combine to weave a tapestry of fantasy gaming and interesting NPCs—here also are numerous new ways
that is at once classic and new. to challenge and bedevil your players or, if you’re feeling
Yet this lack of limitations also means that no single magnanimous, reward them with new magic items and
book can serve every possible variation. At 576 pages, the never-before-seen spells, or perhaps valuable hero points
Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook is an expertly distilled guide that they can use to swing an encounter in their favor.
to playing the classic fantasy characters that have thrived Don’t let the name fool you: while this book may be
for decades around gaming tables everywhere. But there titled the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide, the rules
are still new ideas waiting in the wings, new characters contained herein have been rigorously designed and
waiting to burst free and take the stage. tested to be both fun and simple to use, a toolkit that can
Packed full of new classes, feats, spells, magic items, be combed through at length or flipped open casually at
prestige classes, and much more, every page of this book the gaming table for inspiration. Even novice players will
bursts with inventive new subsystems and customization find things in here to customize their characters or spark
techniques to add to the game and help you best utilize the ideas for a brand new hero, whether it’s feats to help them
rules already presented in the Core Rulebook. For players, play a deadly longbow sniper or variant class archetypes
44
IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn
to effectively model a monk from a favorite martial arts which offer characters powerful new effects—provided
film. Experienced players should also appreciate both the they can work together. Many of the new classes and core
six new classes and the wealth of options that give a fresh class expansions presented in Chapter 2 make extensive
take on the classic 11 adventuring roles. use of the new feats found in this chapter.
Chapter 4—Gear: Spells are expensive, and sometimes
Navigating This Book all you need is a really well-made tool. Presented here is
This book is organized in much the same way as the Core a wide variety of nonmagical equipment designed to help
Rulebook, with each chapter containing rules grouped characters survive out in the dangerous world, including
together by theme for ease of reference. Presented below is new weapons, armor, and specialized tools. This chapter
a brief overview of each chapter and a taste of the new rules also includes a large assortment of new alchemical items,
and options you can expect to find within. Additionally, such as liquid ice and weapon blanche.
the index located on page 334 should assist you in locating Chapter 5—Spells: This massive chapter contains a
specific topics quickly and easily. treasure trove of new spells for every magical adventurer in
Chapter 1—Races: This chapter takes an in-depth look the game—whether of the core classes or the new base classes
at all 7 of the base races from the Core Rulebook: dwarves, presented in Chapter 2—as well as new spell lists for all of the
elves, gnomes, halflings, half-elves, half-orcs, and humans. classes and some of the new variant options.
Each race section includes alternate racial traits, allowing Chapter 6—Prestige Classes: Included in this chapter
you to customize your characters’ abilities to reflect their are eight bold new prestige classes to help characters
individual heritage, as well as new favored class bonuses focus their advancement: the battle herald, the holy
and specific ideas to help get you started playing a character vindicator, the horizon walker, the master chymist, the
of any given race and class combination. master spy, the nature warden, the rage prophet, and
Chapter 2—Classes: This chapter presents six new the stalwart defender. Some of these prestige classes are
base classes. These base classes are just as powerful as the designed to work specifically with the new classes from
core classes found in the Core Rulebook, though they are Chapter 2, while others can be taken by any character that
generally assumed to be less common in the world (unless meets the prerequisites.
a Game Master decides otherwise). Each of the six new Chapter 7—Magic Items: New magic items of every type
classes is fully compatible with the existing class system, fill this chapter, from weapons, armors, rings, rods, staves,
and features both new abilities and new approaches to and wondrous items to cursed items and artifacts. Each
game play and interparty dynamics. The alchemist uses item comes complete with rules for using it in the game,
special potions called extracts to cast spells and a variety tables for random generation, information on how to
of other concoctions to grant him special powers. The construct it, and more.
cavalier is a mounted hero, using his skill with a sword, Chapter 8—New Rules: This chapter explodes with new
keen grasp of tactics, and commanding presence to achieve rules for use with your game, beginning with four new
his goals. The inquisitor is a canny soldier of faith, rooting combat maneuvers that any character can attempt. Dirty
out a religion’s enemies from both without and within. trick allows you to impose a penalty on your foe, while
The oracle is a reluctant pawn of strange powers, using drag allows you to pull a character behind you, reposition
her divine gifts toward ends even she may not understand, lets you shift enemies around on the battlefield, and steal
while the summoner binds himself to a powerful outsider lets you take a small item from your enemy in the middle
called an eidolon, lured in from across the gulf of worlds. of a fight. Following these combat maneuvers are complete
Finally, the witch is a daring bargainer granted a wide rules for using hero points, an optional subsystem which
variety of spells and hexes from a mysterious patron. allows characters to gain an edge when they need it most.
In addition to these new classes, this chapter also includes Finally, this chapter includes rules for traits —minor
a host of new features and variant rules for the 11 core classes bonuses that players can select during character creation
from the Core Rulebook, helping players and Game Masters to reflect their background and history—as well as a
to use these classes in new and exciting ways, from the thorough list of sample base traits that characters can
urban ranger and the shining knight paladin to the acrobat choose from.
rogue and the elementalist wizard. Many of these options No matter how experienced you are with the game,
can easily be incorporated into existing characters or used whether you’re a player or a Game Master, the Advanced
as the basis for entirely new heroes. Player’s Guide has something for you. From gear and spells
Chapter 3—Feats: This chapter contains new feats that to entirely new classes, the following pages hold a wealth of
can be taken by any character, including new combat new options to explore—and in turn, to use to inspire your
feats, metamagic feats that give spellcasters unusual and game and continue expanding the horizons of your world.
exciting ways to cast their spells, and teamwork feats After all, the possibilities are limitless.
55
Races
1
ilthy runts,” Harsk
F
grunted, fending off
the wild swing of a goblin
wearing a grass skirt.
“Look who’s talking,”
Merisiel countered. All
around them, screeching,
wide-mouthed terrors
were bursting in from side
caverns or crawling out from
underneath boxes and tables.
“I don’t think they’re so bad,”
Lini offered cheerfully. “Just
misunderstood.” In one hand,
her scythe glowed with a swirl
of colors that held three more
goblins transfixed, enraptured
by the show. With her free
hand, she calmly plucked one
of Merisiel’s throwing knives
and slit a goblin’s throat.
Races Pathfinder products). Those traits are effectively half-
feats, intended to tie characters to the specific nations,
cultures, regions, and races of the Golarion campaign
The choice of character race is foundational to designing world. Racial traits, on the other hand, are those racial
a character, whether you want to work within established abilities described at the bottom of each race’s descriptive
archetypes for that race or to intentionally play against page in Chapter 2 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook.
them. Working with racial archetypes can be achieved Some races have few racial traits, like half-orcs and
with a bit of roleplaying—whether developing a unique humans. Others, like dwarves and gnomes, have many.
personality and style for every character or adopting one All of these racial traits represent typical members of
as clichéd as a surly dwarf fighter with a huge axe and a the race and the kinds of special abilities they gain from
tankard of ale. The seven player character races in the their heritage, whether from biology, racial attitudes, or
Pathfinder RPG—dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, otherwise.
half-orcs, halflings, and humans—are no more uniform This chapter also contains a list of alternate class
than are humans in the real world. This chapter is meant features for each race. Some of them play on racial
to offer game rules and options for how to reflect that archetypes not reflected in the standard racial traits, like
diversity of attitude, heritage, and experience and how a gnome’s love of languages or tinkering or a halfling’s
it affects the way the races interact with the various mastery of thrown items or of slipping through a
adventuring careers presented in the Pathfinder RPG battlefield under the feet of larger races. In order to choose
core rules. one of these racial traits, you must exchange one or more
of the existing racial traits available to your character.
Racial attitudes These racial traits replace a character’s normal racial
The following race discussions describe the general traits; they are not abilities gained in addition to them. In
attitudes held by each race toward the 11 base classes in the many cases, racial abilities are exchanged on a one-to-one
Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and the six new base classes basis; you give up one racial ability from the Core Rulebook
introduced here in the Advanced Player’s Guide. Humans to gain one presented in this book. In other cases, you
tend to fit easily into every class, while other races favor may have to exchange more than one racial trait to take
some occupations much more highly than others, with a one of these alternate racial traits. For example, a gnome
handful of classes earning the contempt and suspicion may eschew the militant path and exchange defensive
of certain races. These expanded looks at racial attitudes training and hatred for the gift of tongues, while other
can help give definition and depth to each race and spark magic-using gnomes might forgo the traditional gnome
ideas for how and why members of that race might be specialty of illusion magic to become a magical linguist
inclined to pursue one class rather than another, or what or even a pyromaniac.
challenges they might face in adopting a career that goes You can exchange one or several of your character’s
against the grain of their society. normal racial traits, but of course you cannot exchange
These attitudes should never be considered restrictions the same racial trait more than once. If a human
on what classes players may choose, regardless of their exchanges the skilled trait to become either a child of the
characters’ race, nor are they a prescription that demands fields or a child of the street, she cannot exchange it twice
player characters think or act a certain way toward to take both new traits. However, she could choose one of
members of a class described as being highly favored (or those as an alternate racial trait while also exchanging
highly disfavored) by members of their race. As always, her bonus feat racial trait to gain an eye for talent.
players are the ones in charge of their own characters. As with any alternate or optional rule, you must first
These attitudes instead describe the common attitudes get the permission of your GM to exchange any of your
of typical NPC members of their race and the values and character’s normal racial traits for those in this chapter.
attitudes their characters may have been raised with.
Characters can learn these typical attitudes about their Racial FavoRed classes
class with a DC 10 Knowledge (local) check (DC 5 for The final section for each racial discussion describes
attitudes of their own race). alternative benefits for members of that race taking certain
classes as a favored class. The normal benefit of having a
Racial tRaits favored class is simple and effective: your character gains
The following race discussions also describe alternate one extra hit point or one extra skill rank each time she
racial traits for each character race. It is important to note gains a level in that class (or in either of two classes, if she
that these racial traits are not the same as the trait rules is a half-elf). The alternate favored class abilities listed
found in Chapter 8 of this book (and originating in other here may not have as broad an appeal as the standard
88
RRaacceess
1
choices. They are designed to reflect flavorful options each time the benefit is selected; when applying this result
that might be less useful in general but prove handy in to the die roll, round down (minimum 0). For example, a
the right situations or for a character with the right focus. dwarf with rogue as his favored class adds +1/2 to his trap
Most of them play off racial archetypes, like a half-orc’s sense ability regarding stone traps each time he selects the
toughness and proclivity for breaking things or elven alternate rogue favored class benefit; though this means
grace and finesse. the net effect is +0 after selecting it once (because +1/2
In most cases, these benefits are gained on a level-by- rounds down to +0), after 20 levels this benefit gives the
level basis—your character gains the specified incremental dwarf a +10 bonus to his trap sense (in addition to the base
benefit each time she gains a level. Unless otherwise value from being a 20th-level rogue).
noted, these benefits always stack with themselves. For As in the previous section, what is presented here is a
example, a human with paladin as a favored class may set of alternative benefits that characters of each race may
choose to gain 1 point of energy resistance each time she choose instead of the normal benefits for their favored
gains a level; choosing this benefit twice increases this class. Thus, rather than taking an extra hit point or an
resistance bonus to 2 per level, 10 times raises it to 10 per extra skill rank, players may choose for their characters
level, and so on. to gain the benefit listed here. This is not a permanent
In some cases this benefit may eventually hit a fixed or irrevocable choice; just as characters could alternate
numerical limit, after which selecting that favored class between taking skill ranks and hit points when they gain
benefit has no effect. Of course, you can still select the levels in their favored class, these benefits provide a third
bonus hit point or skill rank as your favored class benefit, option, and characters may freely alternate between them.
so there is always a reward for sticking with a favored class. As with any alternate or optional rule, consult with your
Finally, some of these alternate favored class benefits GM to determine whether exchanging normal favored
only add +1/2, +1/3, +1/4, or +1/6 to a roll (rather than +1) class benefits for those in this chapter will be allowed.
99