#pfs guide

(art by NecroTechno on DeviantArt)

While at their core, the Pathfinder Society is a collection of historians, archaeologists, and the like, the work of studying the past can be fraught with peril in a fantasy setting. Not only are there many monsters and hazards one must contend with, but there are rival explorers out there that are in it for the money and power rather than a need to understand the past.

Which is why the College of Swords branch of the society exists to teach members to defend themselves and others with martial mastery, which is where today’s archetype comes into play.

Despite the name, Pathfinder swordmasters need not specifically wield a sword, but the fact that this archetype has connections to the society means that it interacts with the Pathfinder agent archetype, being able to dip into both without necessarily following the normal rule of taking multiple feats in a single archetype before moving onto the next, and swordmaster feats also count towards that limitation for the agent, meaning you can go into other archetypes faster should you wish.

But let’s see what special training the martial arm of the Society offers to its members!

The base dedication of the archetype is training to avoid being disarmed in a fight, but in addition to this, those also trained in benefiting from cooperation even as they help their allies get a better bonus when attacking after aiding their allies in their attacks.

Emergency repairs in the field are very important to those that rely on equipment, and some learn to do so even without proper tools, and even while travelling, despite not necessarily having a proper work area.

Their regimen also likely includes a lot of athletic or acrobatic maneuvers, improving their mastery.

Protecting allies is part of the goal of the College of Swords, and so many learn to extend their guard to adjacent allies as needed.

Situations can change quickly, and as such, many swordmasters learn to switch what equipment they are holding quickly to better react to the situation.

Some have a grip so good that they don’t even lose their weapons when knocked unconscious.

Sometimes being ready at a moments notice means going to bed in armor, but these warriors have learned to do this in relative comfort, not being fatigued by doing so.

As a defender of others, making sure your foe can’t run off to attack your allies is important, so these warriors often learn how to strike for the legs to slow down their foes, keeping them within reach so they can’t get away.

Like I said before, swordmasters need not use swords specifically, but it can be healthy to diversify one’s arsenal. As such, many swordmasters choose one weapon type to train with, mastering it alongside others they train with from other sources.

Normally keeping a shield raised all the time while exploring is tiring and slows you down, but those swordmasters that use shields have learned to keep up the pace, being defensively ready while moving at full speed alongside comrades.

Protecting allies means sometimes dealing with things that threaten to kill them slowly, so some train to better neutralize sources of persistent harm. Patting out fires, stopping bleeding, and so on.

Despite being bodyguards, these warriors are still Pathfinders, and so they learn to quickly apply their knowledge, recalling weaknesses and resistances with priority and regularity.

Many also learn survival skills so that they and their allies can live off the land while exploring.

A single precise strike can spell disaster, but some swordmasters are willing to leap in front to shoulder some of the burden, dealing regular damage to both rather than massive damage to one.

Not every fight needs to end in bloodshed, and the more charismatic among them know how to not make things worse when contributing to a negotiation.

Naturally, some also train with armor to better move and make use of it’s protection.

Whether they are simply too brave, dedicated, or foolish to die, or they’ve trained to boost their pain tolerance, some swordsmasters have an uncanny talent for remaining standing after taking a blow that would fell others.

Those that favored ranged combat have a knack for knocking foes back with a well-placed shot.

A swordsmaster’s presence can be a bolstering and centering thing, helping allies better resist incoming effects.

Whether they’re absolutely devoted or just have a death wish, some that would shoulder part of a critical blow on an ally choose to take the entire blow, instead being the ones that take the full, grievous injury.

With its various abilities for supporting squishier allies and getting better weapon and armor proficiencies, this archetype really is geared towards martial classes. While it’s technically possible to use with full spellcasters or skill classes, your mileage may vary. You probably won’t be taking more than a handful of feats from it though, particularly the ones that favor whatever build you’re going for.

This archetype is pretty solidly tied to the Pathfinder Society, to the point that many of it’s feats are from the PFS Guide book. I could see it having some use as a more broad “bodyguard” concept as well, with a little adjusting.

According to the tablet, the Eye of Fortune is guarded by “Burning angels”, but the descriptor is so poetic that this is a very vague description. It turns out to be quite literal when the expedition finds the treasure and are accosted by a trio of peris, their flaming wings blazing with righteous heat.

With his particularly strong empathic skills, Voluun the kashrishi was a natural pick as a bodyguard, able to pick up on not just the malevolent intent of others but also on the moods of his client as well. However, it would be a mistake to write him off as just a hired sword, for his mind is just as swift.

[art by Tim McBurnie on Artstation]

It’s time for another Pathfinder Society archetype, this one being associated with the School of Spells, which focuses on training members in the ways of magic, not just to help investigate magical relics and sites of ancient empires, but also to recognize the dangers and useful aspects of such ancient magics.

While not all spellmasters need necessarily the ability to cast proper spells, they at least should have some magical ability under their belt.

In a world of fantasy and magic, it only makes sense that an archaeological society focused on recovering the secrets of past civilizations to better the present would have magic specialists in their ranks, not only to better investigate, but also to fight off magical and mundane threats as well. Beyond that, there’s a lot of variety to be had here depending on the nature of their skillset, and the spellmasters themselves have some unique tricks of their own up their sleeves.

This archetype has no direct counterpart in 1st edition, but as we’ll see, it does offer some tricks that do remind me of some of the exploits used by the arcanist class back in the day.

The base dedication for this archetype, which requires a high enough mental attribute and the ability to cast at least focus spells, gives them a leg up on identifying magic items, and even let them switch up the minor magic they gain from tinkering with wayfinders, should they know how to do that.

Many learn how to take on a “familiar form”, that is to say, transform into a small creature commonly used as the familiars of some spellcasters, with the added ability to still make use of some of their lesser spells in this form.

Those that go out into the field often learn to recognize the runes of magical traps very quickly, as well as how to disable them if they re lucky, or avoid them if they are not.

Even with the general good intentions of the Pathfinder Society, they aren’t always welcome, so some learn to cast their spells more stealthily when necessary and things are on the verge of turning ugly.

Few things are more vexing to a caster that having a spell disrupted, especially in life or death situations. As such, if they have the time or focus, some spellmasters learn the art of recapturing the expended magical energies within seconds of it’s failure and reconstituting the spell to get it to go off anyway.

To protect themselves from hostile magic, spellmasters have developed a unique ward, allowing them to set up multiple abjuration runes around themselves that absorb and negate oncoming magical damage.

They also develop failsafes to help protect their magic from being disrupted, engaging them to stabilize a spell when needed.

Those of a more supportive aspect often learn how to shoulder the burden of concentrating on sustained spells for their allies, freeing them up to act in other ways.

Many learn how to better resist the power of a specific magical tradition they’ve had a lot of experience fighting against, be it arcane, divine, occult, or primal.

Perhaps one of their most impressive techniques lets them harness spells they resist exceptionally well, using their own energy to use that spell against their foe in kind, though normally only once, and it must be cast soon after or lost.

When in greater danger, more defensive spellmasters can channel defensive power to better resist spells they would normally fully succumb to. This has the added benefit of increasing the potency of their defensive wards for a short time.

By expending magic, they are especially good at countering the magic of foes, particularly when they have magic in their arsenal which matches or naturally counters said spells, for a bit of old-school counterspell action without being a wizard or necessarily a prepared caster.

Those skilled in melee combat can move and attack with the same action, freeing up time to cast spells or perform more other activities.

Those who truly master absorbing enemy magic can learn to cast the stolen spell more often, expending spontaneous slots or overwriting more prepared spells to do so, and choose to retain said magics for much longer.

This archetype is great for playing a more defensive casters, particularly those that want their spells to go off without any problem, but inhibit the casting of others or turn it against them. There is, however, potential for less magically-inclined classes to dabble as well though, gaining better protection against magic. However, only classes that have focus pools can get it, so fully nonmagical classes (and thaumaturge, unfortunately) can’t benefit from it. Don’t forget some of the utility options too. They can be fun.

Roleplaying and character-wise, this archetype is fun for those either wanting a tomb-delving specialist or some sort of master abjurer. (heck, I find more useful for depicting a defense-focused wizard than the focus spells granted by the abjurer wizard or the school of Ars Grammatica). However, it’s also useful for non-mages with just enough magic and a desire to resist and unmake hostile magic against them. So even if you’re not going the Pathfinder Society route in your setting, it is quite useful for tomb explorers, anti-mages, and more alike.

Lurking in his crumbling castle far beyond the edges of modern civilization, the nosferatu overlord King Kolgac rules over his forgotten kingdom, his monsters preying on those living near the edge. Now, young Owinn, a champion of the North Star, seeks to depose this last remnant of a dark era, and he is coming equipped not just with holy power, but training to resist and turn aside the magic of the undead sorcerer-king.

Though she doesn’t remember the full details and what notes would have been left behind are lost, Nahah is certain that her past life was as an enslaved crafter of magical traps for a great palace temple of a wicked emperor. Leveraging her half-remembered incarnation and her own skill, the samsaran is well-equipped to return to the palace and take back what she once guarded long ago, but she will need a team to aid her.

(art by Sucdeportocale on DeviantArt)

With how vast the Pathfinder setting is, it can sometimes be hard to remember that an important detail of it is the titular Pathfinder Society from which the system gets it’s name.

Focused on archeological and heroic motivations over desires for wealth, the society seeks to recover the secrets and relics of the past and make sure that the more dangerous entities and artifacts are dealt with properly and responsibly. They might not always succeed, but by and large their hearts are in the right place.

It only makes sense then that there would be training regimen to help the agents of the society survive and do well in the ancient wonders and ruins they seek and explore.

Indeed, this archetype is a nod and draws plenty of inspiration from the various Pathfinder prestige classes of the previous edition, such as chroniclers, field agents, delvers, and savants, with the majority of its focus being on the middle two of those. This makes sense given the role this modern archetype is meant to embody.

So let’s take a moment and look at what these agents have to offer, shall we?

The base dedication of the archetype improves the agent’s skills as they learn multiple things to help diversify their abilities, including bolstering their otherwise untrained skills. Additionally, they gain access to the signature wayfinders carried by all agents.

Tombs and ruins are often laden with traps, and many agents train to notice them even when performing other activities.

Said complexes are often very complicated, and some learn to keep careful track of their own movements in order to keep track of their sense of direction.

Teamwork keeps the whole expedition alive, and so many train to aid their allies so well that they gain some of the same benefits too, improving their own aim, defensive ability, or follow-up actions as a result.

Some also learn to reflexively look out for more broad environmental hazards, not just actively malicious traps.

This can also be trained to apply to hidden creatures as well, helping them notice ambushes before they happen.

They are also often trained in bestiary studies, to better know what they are up against when facing down various monsters.

Haunts too are not safe from their perceptive notice.

Thorough note-taking comes in handy, especially when facing certain types of monsters repeatedly, allowing them to notice or recall additional facts later.

Seeing an expert in action is a very useful skill to have in dangerous situations, and these explorers often learn to perfectly imitate the actions of a more skilled individual when performing the same task, such as where to step while moving over narrow ledges, and so on.

Some of the more mystical and curious among them tinker with their wayfinder, unlocking a bit of magic in the form of a cantrip of their choice and the ability to disguise their wayfinder as an unassuming accessory.

When danger is imminent, many reflexively act to warn others, getting them ready for the impending conflict.

Sometimes the work of acquiring a lost relic means making a quick replacement to fool casual inspection. Stealing an item from a treasure vault, tossing the fake somewhere where the bad guy will be fully occupied trying to get it, or simply handing it over to the bad guy to buy time to get the real way safely away. However, these fakes rarely stand up to close examination.

Many also learn not just the nature of many monsters but also their vital areas, letting them strike with the intent of bleeding said foes.

While any brute can force a door open, stronger pathfinder agents often learn to break open doors with precise application of force to just the right area.

Some learn to use their wayfinders to store a little extra magic, giving them an extra casting of one of their minor spells.

Honing their powers of recollection and information processing, some can recall information about multiple foes at once.

They can even recall information in the blink of an eye, which can mean life or death against certain foes.

There are many dangerous effects that can leave allies reeling and unable to act at their fullest when it’s needed most, so some learn to quickly refocus their allies to bring them back to their senses.

The more magical often learn to use the magic of their wayfinders to change their appearance and disguise the item itself as another badge of office.

Whether it’s an ancient text while monsters batter down the door, a bas relief threatening to crumble into the sea, or a similar situation, sometimes an archaeologist needs to memorize a lot of information quickly. So, some agents learn to hone their recollection to replicate the information later in a more portable medium.

When they realize they’re about to accidentally set off a trap, many Pathfinders have the wherewithal to warn their allies so that they can better avoid or resist the effects.

More battle-savvy members learn how to analyze their foes to pinpoint their greatest vulnerabilities and resistances.

Inevitably, most Pathfinders acquire a lot of different magical items, but the nature of magical investure means that one can normally only make use of so many at once. However, in an emergency, some of these agents can quickly swap out and re-invest a new item on the fly, giving them some more flexibility.

There are a lot of abilities to choose from here, so there’s something for everyone. Everything from improving knowledge checks against enemies to trap utility to some bonus magic and trickery. You definitely won’t be able to take it all, but if any of these abilities appeal to you and you want to play up your character’s connection to the society, this archetype may be for you. Be warned though, if you’re looking to view this archetype in it’s original written form, all of these abilities are split between three books, with two of them adding to the original. The drawbacks of adding to pre-existing content.

With such diverse abilities ranging from scholarly to practical, it’s clear that the Pathfinder Society actively encourages it’s members to pursue their own individual paths to mastery at their own pace and goal, which is pretty neat. Of course, you can use this archetype for any sort of adventuring or archaeological organization just fine with some tweaking.

After being refused access to the magistrate’s vault to reference a tablet within, the party is forced to use their talents to break in and study it directly. However, the party ends up encountering a group of ninja while on the heist. Are they guardians hired to protect the vault, or assassins with a mission of their own? There is little time to ponder such questions, as the fight threatens to alert the other guardians.

Normally content to explore alone, the android scholar Analysis-707 occassionally returns to civilization to recruit adventurers for larger expeditions. This time, however, he seems even more withdrawn than usual about what it is that he’s discovered and wants to explore, putting the rest of the crew on edge.