Greetings, Pathfinders!
We’re back with part two of our article about the new archetypes in A Dance of Masks DLC, which will be available on June 13th.
You can read the first part here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1184370/view/4155211502139959812?l=english
[h2]Ranger — Sable Company Marine[/h2]
For players who wish to take to the skies, this archetype offers a unique opportunity! The Sable Company Marine and their tamed hippogriff have trained at an elite academy to hone their skills in mounted combat. This unique pet can attack foes from the sky, and wreak havoc by diving down among the enemy ranks. The hippogriff’s powerful wings can also knock back adversaries and send opponents flying. At the height of their career, the Sable Company Marine and their hippogriff are so skilled in aerial combat, they can decimate an enemy with a single attack.
Dispatch your foes with targeted precision as you soar over the battlefield with your trusty hippogriff!
[h2]Magus — Bladebound[/h2]
This archetype was heavily inspired by Alucard from the Castlevania animated series. Have you ever wished the magus could use more than one weapon while still casting magic effectively? If so, you will definitely enjoy this new archetype!
When the Bladebound makes a pact with the sentient Black Blade, they are bound together by more than a common purpose. The Black Blade is a powerful magical weapon that becomes stronger each time the magus levels up. It will eventually become so powerful that it can act on its own, and will no longer need the Bladebound’s guiding hand in battle. The magus can then send the Black Blade to attack their foes while they switch to another weapon.
The Black Blade will protect the Bladebound in battle, even if the magus loses consciousness. It is also incredibly loyal to its partner, and will always return to them at the end of a fight.
Slice your enemies to pieces with the help of a loyal and powerful blade!
[h2]Warpriest — Mantis Zealot[/h2]
Not every warpriest is a beacon of light and hope on the battlefield. The Mantis Zealot is a member of the Red Mantis, and worships the evil deity Achaekek, whom we are adding to the game. Shrouded in a purple veil, the Mantis Zealot moves swiftly across the battlefield and mesmerizes their victims with a dance of death. The serrated blades of their twin sawtooth sabres can tear an enemy to shreds when other weapons barely leave a scratch.
As the warpriest’s faith grows stronger, they will learn to invoke their deity to summon hordes of flying mantises. They can even hide in the swarm, becoming almost indistinguishable from the surrounding insects. When this archetype reaches the pinnacle of devotion, they can take on the aspect of Achaekek and become an unstoppable force of devastation.
If you hear the sound of snapping mandibles behind you, turn around — you might just find yourself face to face with a ravenous mantis!
[h2]Kineticist — Kinetic Sharpshooter[/h2]
This kineticist has the advantage of firing charges from a ranged weapon. Although the Kinetic Sharpshooter cannot build up force before attacking, they can stockpile charges in their quiver in advance. This means they do not have to waste their time building up force at the beginning of a fight. Instead, they can use their weapon to attack right away.
There are also a few new infusions that are unique to this archetype. These infusions are only applicable to ranged weapons, and can enable the Kinetic Sharpshooter’s charges to bypass resistances, break armor, or ricochet from one target to another.
Although the Kinetic Sharpshooter may seem like a simple archetype, it is very powerful on the battlefield.
Take advantage of your ranged weapon to target your opponents from afar!
[h2]Arcanist — Magic Deceiver[/h2]
Last but not least, we want to tell you about the Magic Deceiver, which is an archetype we’ve been working on for a long time.
Some learn magic to gain power, while others do so in pursuit of a higher purpose. A magic deceiver is someone who has learned how to fool magic itself, combining known spells to devise entirely new forms of manipulation.
At 1st level, a magic deceiver gains the ability to create fused spells, combining the effects of two regular spells from their spellbook. We have implemented a fused spells interface specifically for this archetype.
The Magic Deceiver doesn't receive bonus spells from ability scores and cannot add spells from other classes' spell lists to their spellbook. By combining the effects of different spells, the Magic Deceiver creates their own fused spells, names them, and writes them into their book. The magic deceiver can have up to 10 fused spells in their spellbook at a time.
A fused spell gains the effects of both initial spells.Those effects are applied in order, one after the other. A fused spell gains all the descriptors of the initial spells, has a spell level equal to the highest level of the initial spells, is always cast as a standard action, and cannot be modified using metamagic.
When creating a fused spell, the magic deceiver chooses between the corresponding properties of the initial spells. If the initial spells belong to different schools of magic, have different spell shapes, or require saves of different types to avoid their effects, the magic deceiver chooses which properties will apply to the fused spell.
The choice of the spell's shape also determines its range, targets, and whether or not it is affected by the target's spell resistance (if the initial spells have the same shape, the best options are chosen for these properties). If any effects of a fused spell require its target to make saving throws, the target always makes a single saving throw, excluding cases where it is required to make another save after a failed save (such as the phantasmal killer spell).
Keep your enemies guessing as you manipulate magic to create new spells and take control of the battlefield!
We’re so excited for you to try out these archetypes, and we hope that you’re excited too! See you in the Worldwound!
