#tidehawk

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at Archives of Nethys here

[The tidehawk is a fun monster; sort of an opposite day phoenix. I appreciate how its self-resurrection ability has limitations (like that of the mythological phoenix, where it's an allegory for the rising sun/resurrection of Christ instead of a power up), and I like that the artist went out of their way to make the face actually look like a hawk, as opposed to eagle or falcon.]

Tidehawk CR 12 N Magical Beast This massive bird is blue black in color, with broad wings and a long flowing tail of feathers. It has the hooked beak and piercing eyes of a bird of prey, and water runs along its plumage.

Tidehawks are aquatic avians that are metaphysical kin to phoenixes. They nest below the water’s surface in areas with a hard protected substrate—anywhere from coral reefs to sea caves to oceanic trenches. Most tidehawks live in saltwater, as they require a lot of food, but larger lakes may be home to these creatures as well. They come to the surface to exult in rainstorms, in pursuit of migrating megafauna such as whales, or to investigate any disturbance strong enough to be felt in the depths.

A tidehawk at the surface is perhaps the most dangerous tidehawk of all, as they can exploit the interface between sea and sky. When they breach the water’s surface, a tidehawk can create a massive wave that batters enemies and swamps boats, and the elemental birds can draw water over their feathers to act as a shield. Tidehawks are always in motion when they choose to fight, swooping to attack with natural weapons, firing high-pressure blasts of water to damage and knock down foes, or casting spells. Only fire can permanently injure a tidehawk, and so they only fight cautiously if enemies have ready access to fire damage.

Tidehawks and phoenixes share the ability to bring themselves back to life, but a tidehawk’s powers are rather more limited. They can only resurrect themselves once they flow back into the sea, which can be months or years if the tidehawk is caught in combat over land, and have no ability to remove the negative levels inflicted by their brief excursions into death. This, in combination with their neutral natures, means that phoenixes see tidehawks as rather poor relations, being flighty and unreliable in the fight against evil. Tidehawks, for their part, see phoenixes as meddling busybodies. The two lineages only cooperate in cases where both their interests overlap: if a powerful evil creature threatens an aquatic environment.

(art by lordeeas on DeviantArt)

We’ve got another example of a 1st-edition archetype that made the jump to 2nd edition, and this time it’s the martial artist!

Originally an archetype for the monk, the martial artist was all about getting all the fun unarmed martial arts of the monk class without the asceticism or mystical abilities, making it sort of a predecessor to the brawler hybrid class that would appear much later.

However, while the original version was mostly about having non-mystical equivalents to various defensive monk abilities and the ability to observe foes for both offensive and defensive purposes, the Second Edition version is all about making various stance feats from the monk class and making them available to those that do not wield ki, which can range from other martial classes to mages wanting to learn to defend themselves in close quarters, and beyond.

This does make a lot of sense for how 2E handles archetypes, so I’m onboard for it. However, don’t think that this archetype is nothing but a rehash of monk feats, for it has a few tricks up it’s sleeve as well!

The base dedication for the archetype refines and grants mastery when it comes to unarmed strikes.

Naturally, most learn to further perfect their fists, close weapons, and potentially monk weapons to gain additional benefits as well.

Those from Alkenstar or other areas where black powder is common can learn to dust their handwraps with flammable powders to add a little flash of flame to their firsts or knuckle dusters.

With further mastery, they can learn to dazzle foes with a flash of light with these powders as well.

And others still can unleash a sonic clap of thunder against their foes.

Beyond that, we see the martial artist gaining many stances, such as the defensive and agile crane stance, including the counterattacks seen later.

Another two grants dragon stances mobility and intimidating roar.

There is also powerful gorilla stance, including their intimidating chest-pounding.

The immobile but defensive mountain stance, complete with stronghold technique and their mighty quake is another option.

The drunken-like stumbling stance is also a fun option, providing deceptive feints and punishing reprisals.

Slashing tiger style is also an option, with it’s lethal attacks.

Wolf stance is another option, with it’s mastery of upending foes.

The whole body is a weapon, and many martial artists prove this by learning to follow through with a missed attack into another using the same momentum, a fist strike becoming an elbow blow, and so on.

With focus and a bit of effort, these warriors can deliver a particularly mighty blow to pierce and overwhelm the defenses of a foe.

Among the most powerful of them can become a whirlwind of movement and blows, strike foes as they move past.

This archetype is a useful and powerful way to add martial arts to any class beyond the monk. With that in mind, the one class you probably won’t want to start out with is the monk for obvious reasons, but otherwise, any sort of build you might want to do that involves using martial arts either as their primary form of attack or just a backup might use it. What’s more, you can choose as many or few stances as you’ll feel you’ll need as well.

In cultures and philosophies where the perfection of the body and mind go hand in hand, I can see this archetype being very common for characters. Consider the mage that can throw a punch, or the druid that is equally powerful both in their bestial forms and their own.

On the coasts of Mijuny, tidehawks are revered as divine messengers, and many ascetic orders seek to emulate their elemental power. Braja, however, dropped out of such a school before she could truly learn such power. However, she did learn enough to be a competent fighter, and has made her way as a mercenary since then.

Metal weapons are illegal in the land of Taiju, with only the samurai and soldiers able to carry them. As such, bandits and ninja get around this one of two ways: the first is adapting various farming implements and tools into weaponry, while the second is to hone the body into a weapon, leading to a great many bandits who have stolen arts from the seven sacred schools.

(art by AgusZanetti on DeviantArt)

Ah, the phoenix. Is there any symbol of life, death, and rebirth more wondrous and inspiring? Oftentimes, including in Pathfinder, phoenixes are also associated with manipulating fire beyond self-combustion, making them especially awesome as well.

It would only make sense that there would be those who want to emulate that power, and today’s bloodline seeks to do just that!

While it is unlikely that they have any direct relation by blood, sometimes a mortal or their descendants are infused with the power of a phoenix, perhaps by directly witnesses their fiery rebirth, or having been healed from near death by their magic, or maybe experiments involving phoenix blood. Either way, there are those that channel the magics of fire and healing through their blood, making them one of the very few sorcerers that can heal.

Physically speaking, this bloodline might manifest vibrant hair colors, feathers growing from the head or body, or other signs of the immortal bird’s influence.

Given their generally benevolent nature, I can imagine that most phoenix-blooded sorcerers share a similar disposition, but just as there can be corrupted phoenixes, I imagine there are exceptions among these mages too.

As we’ll soon see, this archetype is equal parts healer and blaster.

The spells granted by this bloodline include those that unleash a multitude of colors, namely a weak stun and barriers of deadly rainbow magic, piercing invisibility, fire magic in the form of barriers, runes of flames on allies, and transforming oneself into living flame, as well as breaking enchantments and creating safe pathways using hurricane-force winds.

Meanwhile, the techniques they learn include agility training in combat, focusing on fire magic, medical training, increased willpower, and quickening metamagic.

Perhaps most integral is their bloodline arcana, however, which lets them convert fire spells into a healing warmth to heal their allies, though with only have the potency compared to the destruction the spell would normally do.

These sorcerers boast supreme magical senses, allowing them to sense magical auras with ease, as well as immediately understand most magical items, though curses may still elude them.

They can also surround themselves with flame, empowering their attacks and searing foes that stand too close to them.

Additionally, they can grow a pair of phoenix wings to carry them aloft.

Later on, they can perform greater acts of restoration once a day, infusing the recipient with magical healing and purging flame.

The most powerful of these mages invoke the true power of the phoenix, and can resurrect from death once a day, rising a minute after apparently perishing, though overtaxing this ability can still kill them permanently.

While the wings and the free identification on most items and the fire aura are nice, the bread and butter of this bloodline is the ability to turn fire spells into healing magic, letting you do things like healing fireballs and the like. As such, This is one elementally-aligned bloodline you’ll want to load up on good fiery options, though of course, leave some room for diversity both in terms of other elements, and also other types of spells depending on your build.

With the powers of both flame and healing, this bloodline is certainly set up to inherit the reputation of the beings they draw power from. As such, they may find themselves living up to a lot of expectations, both reasonable and otherwise, and that’s a lot of pressure to be put under.

They say that phoenixes are related to other powerful elementally-aligned avians, and this includes tidehawks, who have their own sorcerous inheritors. Such is the case with the merfolk Melagi, who boasts a combination of stormwracked and phoenix bloodlines as a result, a combination she is proud to display, earning the nickname Storm Singer.

Subject to divine punishment from an evil god, a pharmakos is a creature of nearly immortal suffering and death with no respite. Even finally being slain only results in the soul being brought before the dark deity they forsook. However, one scholar posits that a ritual involving an atonement spell and blood donated by a phoenix-blooded sorcerer may yet free such a creature from their torment.