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Archetypes

There are infinite possible character concepts, but you might find that the feats and skill choices from a single class aren’t sufficient to fully realize your character. Archetypes allow you to expand the scope of your character’s class.

Applying an archetype requires you to select archetype feats instead of class feats. Start by finding the archetype that best fits your character concept, and select the archetype’s dedication feat using one of your class feat choices. Once you have the dedication feat, you can select any feat from that archetype in place of a class feat as long as you meet its prerequisites. The archetype feat you select is still subject to any selection restrictions on the class feat it replaces. For example, if you gained an ability at 6th level that granted you a 4th-level class feat with the dwarf trait, you could swap out that class feat only for an archetype feat of 4th level or lower with the dwarf trait. Archetype feats you gain in place of a class feat are called archetype class feats.

Occasionally, an archetype feat works like a skill feat instead of a class feat. These archetype feats have the skill trait, and you select them in place of a skill feat, otherwise following the same rules above. These are not archetype class feats (for instance, to determine the number of Hit Points you gain from the Fighter Resiliency archetype feat).

Each archetype’s dedication feat represents a certain portion of your character’s time and focus, so once you select a dedication feat for an archetype, you must satisfy its requirements before you can gain another dedication feat. Typically, you satisfy an archetype dedication feat by gaining a certain number of feats from the archetype’s list. You cannot retrain a dedication feat as long as you have any other feats from that archetype.

Sometimes an archetype feat lets you gain another feat, such as the alchemist’s basic concoction. You must always meet the prerequisites of the feat you gain in this way.

Two special kinds of archetypes are designated by the class and multiclass traits.

Class Archetypes

Archetypes with the class trait represent a fundamental divergence from your class’s specialties, but one that exists within the context of your class. You can select a class archetype only if you are a member of the class of the same name. Class archetypes always alter or replace some of a class’s static class features, in addition to any new feats they offer. It may be possible to take a class archetype at 1st level if it alters or replaces some of the class’s initial class features.

In that case, you must take that archetype’s dedication feat at 2nd level, and after that you proceed normally. You can never have more than one class archetype.

Multiclass Archetypes

Archetypes with the multiclass trait represent diversifying your training into another class’s specialties. You can’t select a multiclass archetype’s dedication feat if you are a member of the class of the same name (for instance, a fighter can’t select the Fighter Dedication feat).

Alchemical Archetypes

Some archetypes give you abilities to use alchemy in a similar manner to an alchemist and say that you get the basic alchemy benefits. This means you get the Alchemical Crafting feat, infused reagents (a pool of reagents usable to make alchemical items), and advanced alchemy (allowing you to make alchemical items during your daily preparations without the normal cost or time expenditure). The individual archetype might impose special restrictions or benefits, or adjust the number of reagents you get or your advanced alchemy level.

If you gain infused reagents from more than one source, you use the highest number of reagents to determine your pool rather than adding them together.

For instance, at 2nd level an alchemist with a +4 Intelligence modifier would normally get six batches of infused reagents per day from the class, and a character with the Herbalist Dedication feat would normally get two batches. A character who is both an alchemist and an herbalist has six batches—the higher number from alchemist—but is able to use them for abilities in the class or the archetype. Your advanced alchemy level always depends on which ability you’re using. In the example above, the herbalist’s advanced alchemy level for their herbalist abilities is 1st, though it’s 2nd for alchemist abilities.

Spellcasting Archetypes

Some archetypes grant you a substantial degree of spellcasting, albeit delayed compared to a character from a spellcasting class. Some spellcasting archetypes are bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, and wizard, the multiclass archetypes for the five main spellcasting classes, but future books might introduce spellcasting archetypes that aren’t multiclass archetypes.

A spellcasting archetype allows you to use scrolls, staves, and wands in the same way that a member of a spellcasting class can.

Spellcasting archetypes always grant the ability to cast cantrips in their dedication, and then they have a basic spellcasting feat, an expert spellcasting feat, and a master spellcasting feat. These feats share their name with the archetype; for instance, the wizard’s master spellcasting feat is called Master Wizard Spellcasting.

All spell slots you gain from spellcasting archetypes have restrictions depending on the archetype; for instance, the bard archetype grants you spell slots you can use only to cast occult spells from your bard repertoire, even if you are a sorcerer with occult spells in your sorcerer repertoire.

  • Basic Spellcasting Feat: Available at 4th level, these feats grant a 1st-level spell slot. At 6th level, they grant you a 2nd-level spell slot. At 8th level, they grant you a 3rd-level spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “basic spellcasting benefits.”
  • Expert Spellcasting Feat: Taken at 12th level, these feats make you an expert in spell attack rolls and DCs of the appropriate magical tradition and grant you a 4th-level spell slot. At 14th level, they grant you a 5th-level spell slot, and at 16th level, they grant you a 6th-level spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “expert spellcasting benefits.”
  • Master Spellcasting Feat: Upon reaching 18th level, these feats make you a master in spell attack rolls and DCs of the appropriate magical tradition and grant you a 7th-level spell slot. At 20th level, they grant you an 8th-level spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “master spellcasting benefits.”

Bounded Spellcasting Archetype

Source: PSOM

Some archetypes, such as the magus and summoner multiclass archetypes, grant you spellcasting abilities based on the way magi and summoners cast spells, albeit delayed compared to a character from those classes. In this book, both archetypes are bounded spellcasting archetypes, but future books might introduce bounded spellcasting archetypes that aren’t multiclass archetypes. A bounded spellcasting archetype allows you to use scrolls, staves, and wands in the same way that a member of a spellcasting class can, and the basic bounded spellcasting feat counts as having a spellcasting class feature.

Bounded spellcasting archetypes always have a basic bounded spellcasting feat, an expert bounded spellcasting feat, and a master bounded spellcasting feat. These feats share their name with the archetype. For instance, the magus’s master spellcasting feat is called Master Magus Spellcasting. All spell slots you gain from bounded spellcasting archetypes have restrictions depending on the archetype. For example, the summoner archetype grants you spell slots you can use only to cast spells from your summoner repertoire, even if you are a sorcerer with spells of the same tradition in your sorcerer repertoire.

  • Basic Bounded Spellcasting Feat: Usually gained at 6th level, these feats give you a 1st-level spell slot and a 2nd-level spell slot from that magical tradition. If you have a spell repertoire, you can select one spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “basic bounded spellcasting benefits.” At 10th level, you replace your 1st-level spell slot with a 3rd-level spell slot.
  • Expert Bounded Spellcasting Feat: Usually taken at 12th level, these feats make you an expert in spell attack rolls and DCs of the appropriate magical tradition. You gain an additional 3rd-level spell slot. If you have a spell repertoire, you can select a second spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. At 14th level, you replace your spell slots with two 4th-level spell slots and one 5th-level spell slot, and at 16th level, you replace your spell slots with two 5th-level spell slots and one 6th-level spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “expert bounded spellcasting benefits.”
  • Master Bounded Spellcasting Feat: Usually taken at 18th level, these feats make you a master in spell attack rolls and DCs of the appropriate magical tradition and grant you an additional 6th-level spell slot. At 20th level, they replace your two 5th-level spell slots with two 7th-level spell slots. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “master bounded spellcasting benefits.”
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Second Edition) © 2019, Paizo Inc.; Designers: Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark Seifter.

Pathfinder Lost Omens World Guide (Second Edition) © 2019, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Tanya DePass, James Jacobs, Lyz Liddell, Ron Lundeen, Liane Merciel, Erik Mona, Mark Seifter, James L. Sutter.

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