Mechanical, Trap       Hazard -1
Complexity Simple
Stealth DC 15 (trained) (-4 penalty to locate if Fatigued)
Description This bare bedframe has been positioned in such a way that the siderail where you’d expect the head or foot of the bed sticks out beyond the mattress pad.

Disable Athletics DC 15 (trained) to turn the bedframe around so the siderail extension faces the wall.
AC 16, Fort +10, Ref +0
Hardness 4, HP 14 (BT 7); Immunities critical hits, object immunities, precision damage
Shin Slam Trigger A creature walks adjacent to the bed. Effect The creature risks slamming their shins into the siderail of the bed. The triggering creature takes 2d4+1 bludgeoning damage (DC 15 basic Reflex save, with a -2 status penalty if the creature is fatigued).

Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature becomes clumsy 1 for 1 round.
Failure The creatures becomes clumsy 2 for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The creatures becomes clumsy 2 for 1 hour. If the creature was fatigued or resting, they lose 1 hour of rest.

Reset Instant

General Advice

It’s up to you to gauge whether or not suggestions like this are right for your group and how integrated into the campaign you want them to be. Do you want characters making skill checks to apply special benefits? Do you want people “in character” while they are ordering at the bar? Or is this just a casual trapping and you’ll see how things progress as the night goes on? Will this take up a whole session? Or is this just something to do pre-session or during your regularly scheduled break? In some cases, these activities are best when you are missing one or more players and want to kind of expand on what you’d normally do during your Downtime. Other times they can help set up or resolve important plot points, perhaps in ways players won’t completely comprehend until further down the road. There is no silver-bullet solution for using meta-session activities like sub-games because it will vary greatly from group to group, and if you aren’t sure the best way to check is by being open with your communications and perhaps testing it out with something low-stakes and quick: such as a single hand of cards or passing drinks around the table!

Eat

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Travel Guide has some fun recipes inspired by Golarion cuisine that you can cook and serve at your table before, during, or after your gaming session. This is especially fun if you have a chef character or a between-adventure session taking place in a bar, around a campfire, or during a feast! There are quite a few resources for the discerning culinary-gamer out there, including Baba Yaga’s Guide to Golarion Gastronomy and the bars in Queerfinder Issue 1: Bars of Absalom on Pathfinder Infinite. There’s an official Dungeons and Dragons inspired cookbook, numerous cooking fantasy-anime that can help inspire your cuisine, and, of course, countless cooking sites and youtube channels to help teach you how to whip up your favorite dish (my personal favorite being Cooking with Dog). You can even play in-character at a restaurant or bar (especially if you live near a nerdy gastro-pub or your game-shop has a restaurant attached to it); This can be especially immersive if you are running an adventure that starts in a tavern and you want an extended introduction; You can even do it in Pathfinder Society! Just make sure you know everyone’s allergies in advance, and warn people so they know not to eat before game-time.

Play

Games are an important part of the human experience. Pathfinder Lost Omens: Travel Guide and Inner Sea Taverns gave us a peak into the games enjoyed by the people of the Lost Omens setting. But how many of your characters play these games? Introducing meta-games you can play “in character” is nothing new to tabletop RPGs; Both the Harrow Deck and Three Dragon Ante are examples of almost two decades old. And since most of the games in Pathfinder are based on real world games like Chess and Go, it’s pretty easy to adapt real world game accessories for use at your table. Now I am biased here, having made the in-character game Starstone: the Ascension, but having both run and played different integrated games in-character at game tables I can assure you it’s a great way to learn about our characters: Our play-styles, how serious or silly we get with the games, whether or not our characters try to “cheat” or get some other “meta-advantage”, and whether or not we are even interested in playing in the first place can say volumes about a character’s personality and style. They can even be used in lieu of subsystems, such as using the game Mysterium to help guide an actual occult murder investigation, giving players bonus cards (perhaps even Harrow cards) if they can get a Critical Success on select skill checks! You can even use Video Games, especially in Starfinder, and try to toggle handicaps for specific players who roll better in Profession (VidGamer). Of course, if your party’s technomancer is already the best gamer in the group that might not be necessary. Now it can be odd when the character with the lowest dex score is getting all the bullseyes when you get together to play darts, but that happens with dice-rolls too and can help add to an unforgettable night of mirthful storytelling!

Love

Celebrating in-character achievements with a party can be an exciting and fun way to celebrate your friendship at the game table. Earlier this year during a session of my Where There’s Smoke campaign I planned a session around a character’s 18th birthday party. I wrote notes for the character from each NPC who attended the party, and then asked each of the PCs to write notes themselves. While we are a remote group, one of the players lives close enough that they were able to print out the notes and deliver them in person, along with some crafty decorations representing some of the gifts the character received, like a rare harrow card! The PCs went out and crafted or bought the character a gift, mostly minor consumable items, and the party received liquor and food and hero-points a plenty, in addition to some items I knew the player wanted that helped keep them within the same wealth range as the rest of the party. This can be made even more immersive if you time the session with the player’s actual birthday, in addition, to help giving a character who might be feeling a little left out of the spotlight some much-needed attention! You can throw similar parties for festivals, especially given how many holidays in Golarion have real world equivalents. For example, you can run Halloween scenarios in October and even bring pumpkins and markers so players can pretend they are carving pumpkins “in character” to help celebrate the harvest!

So for those of you who don’t keep on top of Pathfinder Infinite, NPC Index: Warriors and NPC Index: Spellcasters are monster creation tools that allow you to quickly create NPCs with standard ancestries and class levels in a quick four step process. Basically, you pick a class and the book gives you one ability the class always gets and a list of carefully tuned abilities you can pick depending on the NPC’s level range. Pick an appropriate number of abilities depending on the NPC’s level, throw in some bonus abilities for the NPC’s ancestry, and you have yourself a brand-spankin’ new NPC! In many cases you are just applying the class feats, which makes making NPC stats for your favorite PCs super easy. Which brought me to the Case Files on Reflections in Paizo’s newest hardcover release: Dark Archives.

I love mirror hazards. The Pathfinder Core Rulebook gives us the Darkside Mirror. I made a lower level variant of the hazard in an older article. And I’m going to go ahead and plagiarize myself in this fun little sample “encounter”: Broken Reflections.

Broken Reflections                    Severe 1*

Broken Mirror of Divergent Paths    Hazard 2
Complex, Magical, Trap
Stealth +18 (expert) to notice it isn’t a regular mirror
Description A shattered magic mirror reflects characters from a parallel timeline
Disable Thievery DC 20 (trained) to permanently disable the mirror once all mirror duplicates (and/or originals) are dead, or DC 21 Occultism (trained) to suppress the mirror’s power by smudging each shard with blood in the proper order
AC 10; Fort +11, Ref +5
Hardness 1, HP 4 (BT 2), the mirror can’t be damaged while any mirror duplicate (or their original) is alive
Parallel Reflection [Reaction] (arcane, conjuration, teleportation); Trigger One or more creatures are reflected in the mirror. Effect Duplicates of each creature steps out of the mirror and rolls initiative. A creature reflected by the mirror is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Routine (1 action) The reflections tend to have almost the same personality, goals, and alignment as the original, but are overwhelmed by the mirror’s magic for 1 minute and obsessed with killing the original (as long as the original is alive). Whether the reflection or original is slain, the soul of the first individual to die is captured by the mirror; If this occurs, the reflection is no longer connected to the mirror. If both survive, the reflection disappears after 1 minute.
Reset The mirror is always ready to create one or more reflections.

Reflections are not exact mechanical copies of whomever looked into the mirror. That would easily make this an extreme encounter and should be beyond the capabilities of the mirror. Note that a reflection loses that drive to kill and should be pretty easy to convince to join the rest of the party if they have it in their hearts to forgive them, which should be pretty easy if you present the PCs with an explanation of how the mirror works during or immediately following the fight. This is a wonderful opportunity for your PCs to reveal something about themselves, specifically if you let them role-play what their characters ‘see’ when they look into the mirror and the dialogue of their reflections. This can be a challenge, but it’s one my players would love!

After the encounters PCs can likely sell the mirror to their local adventuring guild for a quick coin, even if it fizzles out by the end of the encounter to prevent PCs from using it on enemies. Alternatively, the mirror could break and their clones could die by their hands, leaving them with a moral quandary and double their starting gear.

But, mechanically speaking, what are the mirror reflections? Creatures equal to the party level -1! And while the best way to make these creatures is using NPC Index: Warriors and NPC Index: Spellcasters, the fact the players are level 1 makes it pretty easy to slap-together an NPC even if you don’t know what your players are playing until 2 minutes before game time. Remember if you are using NPC Index to build the creatures as level 1 and then apply the weak template! So load up your favorite NPC creation app, my favorite still being Monster Tools, and make a level 0 monster. Or, if you want to make things even easier for you, take some of the following level -1 creatures from the Gamemastery Guide and replace their special ability with one of the following abilities depending on your PC’s class (with your own adjustments depending on the PC’s own choices; these are guidelines meant for an on the fly emergencies and should be adjusted; Shout-out to the article if you want to see more thorough stat-blocks):

Alchemist: Apothecary + Quick Bomber (+3 additional Acid Flasks)
Barbarian: Weakened Dockhand (no Heft Crate or Swing; Give Weapon using base die for damage) + “Rage” (+2 Damage, -1 AC) + Sudden Charge
Bard: Harrow Reader (Replace Fortune-Telling Lore with Diplomacy +8, No fated Doom) + Inspire Courage + Occult Spells DC 13, attack +7: Colorspray, Fear, Soothe + Cantrips: Daze, Guidance, Haunting Hymn, Shield
Champion:  Weakened Dockhand (+1 AC, -2 Reflex, +2 Will, no Heft Crate or Swing; Give Weapon using base die for damage) + Retributive Strike (2 resistance) + Lay on Hands (1 focus point)
Cleric: Judge (Replace skills with Religion +7 and the deity’s divine skill +5; No Group Impression; give deity’s weapon) + Domain (1 Focus Point/1 Focus Spell) + Divine Spells DC 13, attack +7: Bless (or Bane), Heal (or Harm) x3, Divine Weapon + Cantrips: Daze, Divine Lance, Guidance, Shield
Druid: Judge (Replace skills with Nature +7 and Survival +6; No Group Impression) + Companion (see ranger) or Wild Form (see below) + Divine Spells DC 13, attack +7: Heal, Hydraulic Push, Mudpit + Cantrips: Acid Splash, Electric Arc, Guidance, Tanglefoot
Wildform: 30 feet; 5 Temp HP; Attack: +6; 1d6+2 Piercing (Jaws)|
Fighter: Abberton Ruffian (+1 to Attack, Replace Weapon, No Opening Threat) + Sudden Charge
Monk:  Weakened Dockhand (+3 HP, +2 Will, no Heft Crate or Swing; Fist deals 1d6+1) + Flurry of Blows + a level 1 Stance feat of your choice
Ranger: Weakened Burning Mammoth Hunters (No Spurred by Death or Muscle Slicer) + Companion (see below)
Companion: Small, +5 Perception, +6 Acrobatics, +5 Athletics, 14 AC, +4 Fort, +4 Ref, +3 Will, HP 12; Speed: 40 feet; Melee: Jaws +5; Damage: 1d6 piercing
Rogue: Street Urchin + Sneak Attack +1d4
Sorcerer/Wizard: Adept (Adjust for Spellcasting) + 1 Focus Point (School or Bloodline Focus Spell) + Spellcasting DC 14, attack +8 (three level-1 spells; four cantrips)

What Are Cost Adjusted Bonus Feats?

Much like the beloved and lauded Free Archetype system, Cost Adjusted Bonus Feats are feats your character gains above and beyond those you gain through normal character progression. However Cost Adjusted Bonus feats can be any type of feat: Ancestry, Archetype, Class, General, Skill, and more! The system can be used to manage powers ranging from Deviant Abilities to Relics and beyond! The idea behind the system is simply to give your players the versatility to choose what are usually campaign-specific buffs, and give GMs a tool to evaluate the relative power level of bonus features their characters have to try to balance and gauge characters using different abilities. Instead of gaining bonus feats as characters level, characters instead gain Bonus Points (BP) that they can spend on these feats and powers.

How Do Characters Gain Bonus Points?

It is up to the GM how bonus points are awarded, but generally most characters should earn 4 bonus points per level, starting with 4 points at level 1. This is designed to put a character at around the same level of power as a character built using the free archetype system, but the added versatility and potential to gain abilities at odd-levels will mean there are times where some players might have more abilities than others at certain levels. Concerned GMs should feel free to award these points in a way that will keep the party balanced, awarding points over time rather than all at once or in clumps designed to maximize when players can purchase their bonus feats. GMs should feel free to experiment with how many bonus points are awarded each level, perhaps awarding fewer points at future levels or slowing down the progression if the character’s feel too strong, or giving more bonus points for significant campaign milestones and achievements.

So Every Category Costs the Same?

No two feats are the same, and not all feats are as useful for the same characters! Be wary of feats that add additional offensive capabilities to characters from classes that already have built-in features that improve their power, as there are few ways for non-martial characters to “catch-up” to martial characters who can more organically stack the benefits of multiple feats into their “Strike” action. These feats should either be restricted or cost an additional 1-2 BP. Likewise, feats that are taken almost entirely for flavor and provide few synergistic bonuses may be eligible for discounts, especially class feats that on multiple lists that can’t be used at the same time such as metamagic feats and abilities that can be replicated by spending gold, such as lesser relics. If a player wants a feat that you don’t think will come in handy very often, you should warn the player but recommend that the feat be taken at a 2 point discount; This includes situational reactions for players who already have powerful reactions they tend to use every round, such as Fighters and Champions. You should also limit the efficacy of feats such as Resilience that gain bonuses depending on how many feats a character has, as this system will give a character more than the recommended number of feats!

There is no silver-bullet solution for how to budget every feat with every player in every party! Some parties prioritize combat-encounters to the point that you could argue that a bunch of skill feats should cost less. Other parties may hate the idea of a Barbarian or Fighter potentially getting more skill feats than a standard Rogue. The way the system is set up allows for GMs to adjust the points players earn over time and thus scale the campaign appropriately as they test the system over time. Are players too strong at level 2? Try awarding only 1 point over the course of level 3, effectively giving your players 3 points per level. You may even want to award less points at even levels when players already receive class points!

Then How Much Do Bonus Feats Cost?

My personal suggestions for the cost of bonus feats are as follows, but I highly recommend and encourage people to modify it to fit their table. Note that situational feats are those that as a GM you think may only come up once every four or five levels such as a crafting feat in a campaign with very little downtime, and extremely situational feats are those that you don’t plan on ever being useful except in extremely niche situations that the character’s other options already cover, such as a Criminal Connections in a wilderness campaign.

Core Feats

Base Class Feats: 8 Points
Lesser Class Feat: 6-7 Points (Most Level 1 Feats, Situational Feats)
Least Class Feats: 5-6 Points (Level 1 Metamagic Feats, Extremely Situational Feats)
Archetype Dedication Feats: 5 Points
Base Archetype Feats: 6 Points
Lesser Archetype Feats: 5 Points (Situational Feats)
Least Archetype Feats: 4 Points (Extremely Situational Feats)
Additional Archetype Feats: 8 Points (Feats from Base Classes)
Base Ancestry Feats: 5 Points
Lesser Ancestry Feats: 4 Points (Level 1 Ancestry Feats, Situational Feats)
Least Ancestry Feats: 3 Points (Extremely Situational Feats)
Base General Feats: 5 Points (Fleet, Toughness, Improved Initiative)
Lesser General Feats: 4 Points (Situational Feats)
Least General Feats: 3 Points (Extremely Situational Feats)
Base Skill Feats: 4 Points (Intimidate and Athletics feats)
Lesser Skill Feats: 3 Points (Situational Feats, Archetype Skill Feats)
Least Skill Feats: 2 Points (Extremely Situational Feats)

Additional Feats

Multi-Class Feats: 6-7 Points (Feats that can be taken by multiple classes)
Deviant Feats: 6 Points
Aftermath Feats: 5 Points
Spell Tricks: 4 Points (See the Sidebar in Grand Bazaar)

In Conclusion

So what do you think about this idea? Could it be combined with my other variant rules? Should the numbers be adjusted? I’d love to hear what you have to say over any form of social media, but I most readily respond to twitter and the Know Direction discord server! Please let me know if you use this in your campaign, as I’d love to hear how it goes! And feel free to try to change my mind about the above prices, as I’d love to edit this post with feedback from my fans!

Existential mid-life crisis aside, I’m here to talk to you about feats! Specifically, I want to share a four lessons I’ve learned about feats in Pathfinder Second Edition that you might want to keep in mind next time you sit down to decide what feat you’re going to take next.

Lesson 1: Higher Level≠(Much) Higher Power

Taking the highest level feat is not always the best choice for a character. I too tend to look at my highest level options because I want to make sure there isn’t some power that I might not ever get to use again, and that kind of fear-of-missing-out is a perfectly valid way to choose your feats; If you’ve always wanted to fulfill a certain fantasy and it requires an 18th level class feat, go ahead and pick the feat. After all, you may never reach 18th level with this class again! That being said, there is nothing wrong with picking a lower level feat using a higher level feat slot! Most level 1 feats are just as useful at level 20 as they are level 10! In fact, there are many lower level feats that are better at higher levels, like certain metamagic feats you might want paired with higher level spells, or trapfinding (seriously, higher level hazards can be way more dangerous). Feats having specific levels helps quickly generate characters taking standard paths of progression as many classes have semi-clear “paths” and having the feats at different levels helps players see the optimal progression for that style of play with that class. For example, a Ranger using a bow might notice that there is exactly one feat at every level that specifically works with archery: Hunted Shot at level 1, Hunter’s Aim at level 2, Far Shot at level 4, Snap Shot at level 6, etc… and starting with that load-out of feats when using that style of character and then deciding which feats just don’t quite work for you is a perfectly valid way of building a character…but don’t worry if you want both Hazard Finder and Deadly Aim at level 8 in a hazard-heavy campaign: You can just take one of them at level 10!

Now this general rule has tons of exceptions, and naturally feats that would irrevocably alter how the game is played at lower levels are regulated to higher level slots. Likewise there are some very powerful feats at higher levels, especially those capstone feats. But the best way to remember that lower level feats are still worth it is noting how many solid Multiclass Dedication builds want those “half your character level” feats!

Lesson 2: More Feats≠(Much) More Power

I’ve played and run tons of games using the core rules, free archetype variant rules, and even a new variant rule I’ve been testing that adds both a free archetype and a number of other bonus feats based on a character’s background. And guess what? The same level threats are just as threatening! Pathfinder 2e characters go “wide”, meaning feats give them more things they can do much more often than they give them things they can do better. While it’s possible to min-max on feats that only give you more and more bonus damage, ultimately you’ll do better and are way more likely to be picking feats that instead offer you a wider variety of answers to common threats and different actions you can choose each round. I’ve even heard of games where characters get every ancestry feat they qualify for and apparently it hasn’t affected the balance of the game because ultimately feats rarely bump numbers too far beyond expected parameters.

Another great example of this is the Spell Trickster archetype. Go ahead and read the third paragraph of the “The Fruits of Research” sidebar. Feats can be offered as a reward or story element to a dedicated character, a reward for an adventure, a gift from a notable power, or just influence from a magic plane. Now Spell Tricks are an outlier in that the nature of the dedication feat proves they tend to be worth “half-a-feat” (at least the level 4 ones), but the truth is this can apply to a multitude of feats depending on the character, the party, and the campaign! I’m not saying that every player should have access to every feat they qualify for…I’m just saying you shouldn’t expect that party to suddenly be able to breeze past Level+4 encounters, given…

Lesson 3: Wide Power=(Much) More Depth

Almost every feat in Pathfinder 2e is valid. Some people disagree, but even the worst class feats are way better than the worst 1e feats or 3e feats or 5e feats. And that’s because very few 2e feats add stacking bonuses and while some will reduce penalties there are fewer penalties in general for your typical adventurer than in most older game systems. What this means is you can pick whatever feat you qualify for that would “fit your character” and still (probably) have the same odds of contributing to the defeat of a threat of the same level. Now this isn’t always the case in every campaign: Recently Hiyori in my Where There’s Smoke firefighter’s of Absalom campaign got a feat that let them convert their Foxfire to cold damage, which has been immensely useful in a dungeon full of enemies who are immune to fire! And some people would argue that not being able to stack lots of bonuses to always be better than anyone else at one specific specialization makes specializing as a character impossible, to which I will always point them to the Wrestler archetype! Sure, getting five feats that say “+2 to Athletics when using Grab” sounds great; You’ll be able to Grab anything! But isn’t it more fun to instead get 5 different moves you can use with Grab? After all, if you don’t like a chance of failure why are you playing a game with dice? And if you ask me, the grappler who has 5 interesting ways to grapple has more depth than the grappler who is 50% more likely to successfully grapple someone.

Lesson 4: Skill Feats≠(Much) Fewer Options

Back in the day I used to hear from people who’d claim Battle Medicine, Intimidate, and Athletics were the only skill feats worth investing in. I didn’t buy it then, and I’m seriously not buying that now. Incase you didn’t know, there’s been lots of new skill feats release since the Core Rulebook. You can find the Secrets of Magic and Advanced Player’s Guide skill feats on the Archives of Nethys skill feat page, but you should also check out the 72+ incredible Archetype Skill feats, as they are nothing to sneeze at and more than just “easy ways to bypass a dedication requirement”. There are also plenty of great skill feats from Third-Party sources, including Pathfinder Infinite and Everybody Games (shameless plug to my own work here). Skill feats can even be a great source for early level Reactions for classes that don’t always get them.

Lesson 5: Feats≠(Much) More Permanent

For the first two decades of d20 “builds” were absolutely critical. You had to qualify for your prestige classes and higher level feats by taking “taxes” of lower level feats, and once you picked a feat it was often a permanent choice. There were spells and optional sub-systems that let you change your feats, but they were considered “broken” and banned at most tables as they let you pick powerful feats at lower levels and switch those to “tax” feats to qualify for higher level powers. This is far less of a thing now, and the wider margin of power in 2e makes retraining feats not only balanced, but a core mechanic of the game. I myself run a fairly tight ship with how I track my downtime, using an in-character calendar that tracks each player’s activities, and yet I still don’t really care when a player wants to change around their load-out of feats. It honestly makes sense that a character should be allowed to try a feat before they “buy it” anyway, and oftentimes they can find that something they learned how to do might just not work the way they thought it would on paper. How often have you crammed to learn something for a new job only to learn you didn’t actually need to use it? Do you still know how to do that thing without needing a refresher? You may or may not, but you’ll probably agree with me that it’s not crazy that some people can’t. Now if you’d rather have a system in place to let players try feats before they commit, I do have a full set of variant rules on incremental advancement. But even using that, I wouldn’t outlaw retraining!

Now my initial thought was something along the lines of the 3.5e Mindspy prestige class, which could use detect thoughts in combat to dodge attacks and anticipate peril. Unfortunately there is no psychic that specializes in mind reading, which makes sense given it’s a third level uncommon spell! So how do we improvise using the new tools in Dark Archive? Note that none of these assumes you want to play an actual Psychic, but rather something like a Monk, Fighter, Rogue, or Investigator that later multi-classes into fighter. Heck, maybe even a Ranger if you want Bond. Of course Anya herself would prefer Gunslinger or Alchemist, but let’s just shelve those ideas until she’s older… so let’s just analyze archetypes!

Note: These will be updated with Archives of Nethys links as soon as Dark Archives is added to the Archives. Until then, I’m going to work off my subscriber copy!

Waku 1: Psychic Dedication

The Infinite Eye is the way to go to play a mind-reading psychic. Guidance can represent that slight edge you have by reading the minds of those around you, with the Amp being hints you throw at your teammates as you read what they are thinking and help correct that way of thinking with an outsider’s perspective. For your Basic Thoughtform at level 4, Psychic Rapport is probably your best bet, but you won’t be able to use it well until you pick up a mental cantrip from somewhere (as Guidance wouldn’t apply). If you really like the feat, you could make Anya as a Silent Whisper psychic and pick up Daze, but using that outside of combat is tricky. Mental Balm would probably fit better, as you could be reading your ally’s mind just enough to know exactly what to say (which will, of course, be “waku waku!”). Basic Psychic Spellcasting can pick up 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spell; I recommend Anticipate Peril or Truestrike for 1st, Mind Games or Status for 2nd, and Mind Reading for 3rd. At level 6 Psi Development nets you Glimpse Weakness to help guide your punches right to that sore spot your enemy has been trying to hide from you in the midst of combat. Finally, Advanced Thoughtform can pick up Thought Sense at level 16.

Waku 2: Psychic Duelist

So right off the bat we get an option called “Psychic Fist” that fits our concept to a tee. Entering a psychic duel fits the idea of a psychic who is always next-leveling people with her subtle mind-reading, even if it’s not exactly what Anya does in the series. The only downside? You can’t really do anything with your archetype until level 12 when you pick up Initiate Psychic Duel, so this might be best in an adventure that starts above level 10 or has a number of psychic duels. The other downside, of course, is the psychic duel can very much take the rest of the party out of the encounter, and be potentially unbalanced as you’ll be the only dedicated psychic duelist in the party.

 Waku 3: Bard Dedication

So we know Anya isn’t much of a musician, but she is entertaining, heart-wrenching, and ‘performs’ her role as a ‘regular student’ enough to make up for it. For Cantrip I’d go with Infectious Enthusiasm, but Read the Air makes sense too (even if she occasionally frequently fails at the subsequent check). Basic Bard Spellcasting gives you access to the same spells you’d pick if you chose Psychic Dedication. Your muse would be Enigma if Bard was your base class, but as an archetype you are probably better off with Maestro if you’d like to pick up Inspire Competence as your Basic Muse’s Whispers. At level 8 Advanced Muse’s Whispers can pick up Combat Reading. Of course at 8th level you’ll also want to inspire your family party to defend you with Inspiration Performance.

 Waku 4: Eldritch Trickster Rogue

Remember when I said I would only analyze archetypes? I lied. Eldritch Trickster into Psychic or Bard is probably your best route to making a mind-reading combatant. You get social skill feats you can flavor as reading subtle cues in the room. You get to use a spellcasting archetype to flavor your mystic powers. And you get fun flavor for your repertoire of rogue feats like Nimble Dodge, Overextending Feint, Clever Gambit, Underhanded Assault, and more! (Ok, maybe not Nimble Dodge.) The rogue has so many feats that can fit the idea of “I can do this well because I can kind of read your thoughts” that it’s a natural fit for a character like this. Of course, if you are making the Spy x Family party you are now a party of three rogues, but in the right campaign that can be a total blast!

Step 1: Get Your Tools

Now I personally used the Foundry Module PF2e Toolbox which includes a creature builder and NPC scaler that work beautifully with this project. But if you aren’t using Foundry, you can also check out PF2e Monster Tools which automates all the messy math to make it a breeze to adjust or create a brand new monster. Now if you just want to use pencil and paper, you can also check out your Gamemastery Guide or the Creature Creation Rules on Archives of Nethys which can give you the numbers you’ll need to adjust on your base monster.

Step 2: Find Your Base Creature

Whether you are using a Monster or NPC, selecting an existing “base” helps speed things up considerably and give your world some more consistency between monsters. Opening multiple tabs full of similar creatures can help you find the baseline that you feels best fits your vision, and tools like the PF2e Toolbox let’s you automatically scale this monster to whatever CR you need for your encounter. For example, last Saturday my PCs were helping a local alchemist who they learned was infected by spores when helping his friend fight a qlippoth almost two decades ago. He used alchemical elixirs to stave off the infection all this time as he had an innate distrust of “magic” and refused magical treatment. The PCs spent a while earning his trust until they could ask him to receive magical treatment, but by then the qlippoth’s spores had grown enough to resist the spell! So I knew when the party attempted to remove the fungus it would violently expel itself, landing in one of the herbalist’s samples, and rapidly growing a body that would fight the party. So I needed a Level 6 Fungal Qlippoth. Unfortunately, a Cythnigot is level 1 and a Shoggti is more of a tentacled horror than a fungal horror so I knew I had to create my own creature! I’ve always had a penchant for fungal-dogs (thanks, Magic), so I googled around for an illustration of a “fungus dog” and found just the right illustration for my token, which inspired me to stat up my monster using a dog or wolf-like monster for it’s base statistics, hit points, AC, etc… (Although switching Con and Dex, and thus lowering AC and Reflex, but increasing HP and Fort)

Step 3: Adjust Your Base Creature

So here I am with the base statistics of a level 1 Wolf. Easy enough to adjust to level 6. But now what? Well, the monster is a qlippoth, so let’s look at the Cynthigot and see what adjustments I need to make. So first let’s give this the CE, Fiend, and Qlippoth traits. It needs the vision and language traits of a fiend, and let’s also give it an Int score since it’s smarter than the average wolf (but a little more dumb than your typical Cythigot, given it was just born). The immunities, resistances, and weaknesses are fine given neither PC in the scene uses those damage types. We can also ignore Pack Attack and we should dump Worry so it only gets one affix/rider to its Bite attack. I’m also going to remove the Fly speed and get rid of it’s Occult Innate Spells so I can make this encounter a little more “special”…

Step 4: Add Your Special Ability

What’s neat about monsters in 2e is they don’t usually need any abilities beyond what they will use in their encounter, especially if you don’t plan on using them outside of encounter mode. In addition to simplifying their creation process, it makes it quite easy to see exactly what they are capable of before an encounter and customize them. Like in the case of our “Fungdog” it was pretty easy to see right off the bat that he wasn’t quite the fun-guy I originally envisioned. So what can I do to kick it up a notch? Well, I want fungus abilities, right? Let’s go ahead and look at Fungus monsters! I clicked around and read a few of my favorites (I love the Drakauthix), but ultimately nothing felt more “fiendish fungus” to me than the Basidirond’s Hallucinogenic Cloud. Especially knowing there were going to be NPCs in the encounter with fairly low saves (adding some fun moments when they were writhing around on the ground screaming about snakes). So what do I have to do to adjust? Honestly, I just copied and pasted the ability. I considered increasing the DC since I was taking an ability from a level 5 monster and applying it to a level 6 monster, but I was already giving this monster an extra ability beyond what it should have (albeit, for some minor trade-offs), so it felt find having a slightly lower DC on the ability it was going to use to kick-off combat (especially when there were only two PCs in the encounter). I considered maybe including a couple fungus related spells or perhaps making some Cynthigot spawn using other plants in the room in case the battle went on long-enough, but I had faith in my PCs and didn’t want to further clutter up an already complex creature.

Step 5: Reconsider the Encounter

Once I’m done designing a monster I like to look one more time at my PCs. About how many rounds does it look like it’ll take for them to clear this thing? Is it hitting more weak-points in my player’s build than I’m comfortable with? Should I maybe give it a fire weakness since one of my PCs attacks with Foxfire? (I decided against it as most fungus don’t have a fire weakness, especially fiendish/aberrant fungus.) I also wanted to take into account the circumstances by which the monster entered the encounter: It would be in an enclosed space, so everyone was guaranteed to get hit by those spores. That confirmed the lower DC was the right choice. It was also going to spawn as the result of a Remove Disease spell that I knew Aisling, my party’s witch, was going to prepare 3 times. So why not make that part of the mini-game: If she can get the counter-act on her first attempt, I’ll give it the “Weak” template. But if it takes her three attempts, I’ll give it the “elite” template and remind the PCs of some elixirs around the alchemist shop they can use in case things get ugly. Of course, they are in Absalom, so they can always call for a guard if things get too extreme…and the Qlippoth probably would prefer to infect the PCs with spores if they can knock them out…

Step 6: Done!

This monster was super easy and fun to make and the encounter was a memorable blast! In the end they defeated the Qlippoth without too much trouble, although a nasty critical bite did leave poor Aisling the Witch at Dying 2 on the very last round of combat… which, to me at least, just made it all the more dramatic when Hiyori, our dashing rogue, crit with a foxfire ball for literally more damage than the Fungdog had maximum HP! Way to go, Hiyori!

Shameless Plug

If you’d like to watch me make more monsters live, you can catch me every Tuesday at 6 PM Pacific Standard Time for Booster Bestiary, where I crack random booster packs from various TCGs to make Pathfinder 2e monsters live on stream with the help of a live audience on Twitch!

What is a Spy?

A spy is an operative who secretly gathers confidential information. It is a classic archetype that often fulfills niches in several skills many other character types tend not to excel in, functioning very much like an Investigator or Mastermind Rogue. I personally highly recommend checking out the Investigator Reforged on Pathfinder Infinite for a better tuned investigator kit that can let your spy play as flashy a combatant as the aforementioned Loidman. Or you can just check out these archetypes and tack them onto almost any other base class in order to make an instant spy!

File 1: The Lion Blade

The Good: The premiere spies in Golarion, playing a Lion Blade may grant you some level of access to the spy networks of Taldor, depending on your GM. This archetype is ideal for urban campaigns where Lost in the Crowd and Crowd Mastery can shine. Expeditious Advance is one of the easiest ways to get a permanent status bonus to speed, and Flicker is an excellent defense if you have a third action! This archetype is ideal if you are playing a Taldor campaign.

The Bad: Many of these feats feel like they should have been skill feats and the crowd feats are so circumstantial they feel wasted. Spy’s Countermeasures feels more like a campaign tool than a necessary feat given how often an effect like that will completely warp the game (or be bypassed to prevent it from doing-so). Most players will probably take this archetype for Flicker and Expeditious Advance, which don’t really feel like “spy” abilities so much as Zoomer feats.

The Fix: Bake Crowd Mastery into Lost in the Crowd (otherwise Rogues would rather just take Gang-Up). Make Spy’s Countermeasure a skill feat. Even then, it just needs more feats.

File 2: Vigilante

The Good: Having a secret identity is an excellent tool for any spy! Being able to resist zone of truth will keep you from blowing your cover. Social Purview also let’s you pick another archetype from this list you can use!

The Bad: The ability to frighten and stun probably aren’t what most people have in mind for a spy, but if it is this archetype is perfect for you.

The Fix: I have a feeling this archetype will get better and better when we get some more content like the Gray Gardeners. Maybe if Paizo publishes a Lion Blade adventure!?

File 3: Pathfinder Agent/Scrollmaster

The Good: Tons of these feats are perfect for spies! Pathfinder Agent gives you anti-trap measures, the ability to reroll Recall Knowledge checks so you can understand the information you’ve been sent out to retrieve, the ability to completely memorize an entire page of information in just 3 actions, and every spy needs a versatile and easily concealable gadget (i.e. wayfinders)! You can then easily hop on over to the Scrollmaster archetype and expand on your Thorough Reports feat, leave foolproof instructions for your allies once you’ve obtained your critical information, and even get otherwise hidden or obscured information with Lore Seeker. Masterful Obfuscation is almost necessary for fooling people with impromptu disguises (“yes, of course I’m just a cook. Listen, I can tell you all about baking…”), and what is a spy if not a Determined Lore Seeker?

The Bad: Many of these feats feel like Skill Feats. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you have a combat heavy party and want to play the phantom-thief super-spy type character that spends combat running around disabling hazards and activating wands of manifold missiles for damage. But that takes a very particular sort of character and it often means you will either have the spotlight shining on you for entire exploration mode sessions, or be completely forgotten until the encounter ends.

File 4: Dandy

The Good: Oftentimes being a spy just means knowing how to schmooze. The Dandy makes a great archetype to compliment your spy, giving you information with Gossip Lore, cover with Fabricated Connections, and the ability to infiltrate high society with Party Crasher! The best part? Most of these are skill feats!

The Bad: Party Crasher is perfect for a spy, but can oftentimes be a curveball for a GM and should be something you discuss with your GM before you even take the Dandy Dedication given oftentimes a GM will simply not be prepared for the party to attend the event, especially if running a prewritten campaign.

File 5: Alkenstar Agent/Bright Lion/Butterfly Blade

The Good: In the lore of the Golarion setting, these archetypes are for spies and thus could potentially be a way to talk your GM into giving your PC access to the spy networks associated with the archetypes, however regional they may be. If you are playing a Goka/Walkena/Alkenstar campaign, these archetypes are great for any spy! Otherwise, they are mostly combat style archetypes.

The Bad: The abilities these archetypes confer just aren’t that great for spies. Innocent Butterfly and Prepare Papers are the only exceptions, but the rest of the abilities are pretty much about shooting guns, casting light magic, or wielding daggers. It’s totally possible to be a spy that uses those three tools, but the actual abilities of these archetypes don’t scream “spy” to me.

Biased End Result

While Vigilante is good, a Pathfinder Agent/Scrollmaster is probably your best route to playing a “Spy”, which makes sense given the Pathfinder Society is about gathering information. I’d probably beg my GM to divorce the archetype from the Pathfinder Society organization, given they aren’t really about being spies so much as murder hobos archeologists. I’d consider taking the Dandy if the campaign was high-intrigue and Fabricated Connections/Party Crasher felt useful, but I’d talk to my GM about it. The others tend to be too focused on combat, or should have had a few more of their feats turned into Skill Feats. While writing this I was surprised we didn’t have a “spy” archetype, but maybe by the time you need to build a spy we will have one. I know this has inspired me to make an expanded Lion Blade archetype for Pathfinder Infinite…

Now why am I gushing about this series in a Pathfinder article? Well, to put it simply, I love the idea of this family as a three person party and it got me to thinking: What classes and archetypes would they be? There’s a number of great spy and vigilante archetypes we could go over for Loid, and for Anya we should probably wait until we get a copy of Dark Archive so we can do her psychic powers justice. But which of the various Assassin archetypes is best for Yor? There are so many great choices, and as someone who has used, build, and/or written options for most of them, I feel uniquely qualified to rate each one! I’m also going to spoil some special feats from my own Dullahan of Golarion book on sale right now on Pathfinder Infinite with this special coupon for my readers until 6/17/2022! If you want more deals like this on Pathfinder Infinite products, check out our Infinite Possibilities Mailing List!

Maybe these options will help you play in a certain highly acclaimed Red Mantis adventure…

What is an Assassin?

Strictly speaking almost any class can be an assassin, because almost every class and archetype in the game gives you tools to kill someone. But when we think of an assassin like Yor, and for the sake of this article, we are looking for a skilled operative who uses stealth, disguise, and precision damage to key in on a specific target and do as much damage as possible, as quickly as possible. We want to be dexterous, be able to do lots of single-target damage, and have some defensive measures to survive the job. We want to eliminate our targets primarily using our weapons, and we want a way to do it as stylishly as possible. They also need to use melee, so no Big Game Hunter, Archer, or Firearm classes!

Mark 1: The Assassin

The Good: The dedication alone gives Deadly and Backstabber to your weapon, effectively +4.5 damage that becomes +12.5 when you get a +3 weapon. Now if your weapon already has deadly this only increases the die-size, so I recommend finding weapons with traits similar to deadly such as fatal. The best weapon for this for Yor is probably the Karambit, although her hair-needles are more like Stiletto Pens, but getting Fatal and Deadly on the same weapon is going to give your Assassin a huge first round of damage (especially on a Rogue, which is probably your best bet for a base class). Expert Backstabber and Sneak Attacker give you an additional 3.5-5.5 damage per strike, and Poison Weapon/Improved Poison Weapon applies an extra 2.5-5 damage per strike for a grand whopping total of +23 damage per strike before you crit. And the Piece de resistance? Assassinate does a whopping 21 extra damage for an extra action and your mark automatically dies if they critically fail their saving throw!

The Bad: Unfortunately Assassinate is an incapacitation effect, and nine-times-out-of-ten you are going to want to spend your five actions setting up your Assassinate ability on a named NPC who will likely be higher level than you. Many things in the game are also resistance or immune to precision and poison damage, which the class does nothing to mitigate against. Angel of Death is extremely campaign dependent and in many cases will just ruin a fun recurring villain or be a story-based feat tax. Finally, sneak attacker and surprise attack are only really good for non-rogue characters and you’ll likely want your assassin to be a rogue.

The Fix: You will probably want to multi-archetype and will probably be using this on a non-rogue build, such as a Ranger or Fighter.

Mark 2: The Red Mantis Assassin

The Good: Sawtooth Saber is a pretty good weapon and auto-heightening your proficiency can do some interesting things with certain classes. Basic Red Mantis Magic gives you access to True Strike and the ability to cast a bevy of useful scrolls. Crimson shroud gives you some limited in-combat healing and Achaekek’s Clutch is a decent source of damage. Prayer Attack gives you 2d6 persistent bleed damage!

The Bad: There really is no bonus damage with this class. The spellcasting is prepared and largely from a list that favors utilitarianism. The mantis transformation does very little for you given your specialization in sabers. Vernai Training has the same issues as Angel fo Death. Prayer Attack and Achaekek’s Clutch are your best sources for extra damage, in addition to being able to use the Advanced Sawtooth Sabers well without being a Fighter.

The Fix: Heroes of Lost Omen: The Paradigm adds a bunch of new feats to the Red Mantis Assassin, including options to get 6th-level spells, some two-weapon fighting feats, and a Giant Mantis animal companion. Alternatively, you could multi-archetype.

Mark 3: The Gray Gardener

The Good: Harsh Judgment let’s you point at someone and get a bonus to Intimidate them. Voice of Authority let’s you get a pseudo-Surprise Attack using Intimidate, which keys very well with Battle Cry. Accurate Swing gives you +1/die to damage, and Execution is very much like the Assassin’s Assassinate except it does 28 extra damage, only requires that single action of set-up, and doesn’t have the incapacitation trait!

The Bad: Most of the feats have to do with intimidation and sense motive, not dealing extra damage to a single-target. You also have to take the Vigilante dedication, but that can help if you want to re-enact Spy x Family…

The Fix: Dullahan of Golarion (on sale with this special coupon) has two additional feats for the Dullahan Archetype that are quite easy to adapt to any Gray Gardener. Tireless Hunter (Feat 6) let’s you follow a foe who attempts to move away from you and gives you the basic undead benefits, so it pretty tied to the base Dullahan archetype, but Harsh Vengeance should work on any Gray Gardener and is worded in a way that that makes it perfect for PCs with both Attack of Opportunity and/or Opportune Backstab!

HARSH VENGEANCE [reaction] FEAT 14
ARCHETYPE
Archetype Dullahan, Gray Gardener
Prerequisites Harsh Judgment
Trigger A creature critically hits you
You condemn the creature who dared to strike you to death. You use Harsh Judgment against the creature who hit you. This does not end your condemnation of any other creature you’ve chosen with Harsh Judgment, including other creatures you’ve condemned using Harsh Vengeance.  If the condemned creature is within your reach, you gain an additional reaction this round that can be used only for a reaction that selects the condemned creature as a target.

Mark 4: Rogue Multiclass Archetype

The Good: Additional skills will help any Rogue and many Rogue class feats are extra-compatible with being an assassin. Sneak Attacker adds an extra 2.5-3.5 dice of damage.

The Bad: You probably want to play Rogue as your base class as an assassin. The non-scaling Sneak Attack and the lack of Surprise Attack is going to make it hard even if you also take the Assassin Archetype, and usually the bonus damage from Sneak Attack combined with how easy it is to make someone flat-footed with Gang-Up is going to make you want to take the base class rather than the dedication even if you are swinging for 2 less than a fighter or ranger.

Mark 5: Ranger Multiclass Archetype

The Good: Hunt Prey fits an assassin perfectly. Being able to take Twin Takedown is awesome for a Red Mantis assassin (or any Rogue, really). Skirmish Strike also helps quite a bit if you need another feat to offset your dedication, and offsets all your other assassination tricks like Hunt Prey and Harsh Judgment costing extra actions. You can even use the extra actions to apply poisons!

The Bad: There aren’t very many feats for assassins in the Ranger list, but Twin Takedown is so darned good that it’s hard to call this a major flaw.

Biased End Result

The best assassin is probably going to want to take multiple archetypes! This is natural in a free archetype game, and akk of my games are free archetype games. But even outside of a free archetype game, Rogues don’t need that many of their class feats (Opportune Backstab and Gang-Up being the two huge exceptions). I personally went Ranger and Red Mantis Assassin for flavor, but if I was asked to do it all over again I would probably consider Ranger along with both Gray Gardener and Assassin: Stacking Hunt Prey, Mark for Death, and Harsh Judgment with Battle Cry and a bunch of different sources of precision, bleed, poison, and extra damage while mitigating my relatively lower attack modifier with flat-footed and frightened? I’m loving it. But what would you pick?

Is this an appropriate venue for an embarrassing confession? If I had read this article when I first started playing roleplaying games, I likely would have rolled my eyes and called myself silly. And the idea that RPGs shouldn’t be silly is the type of cringe I now look back on in embarrassment. But earlier this week I encountered a post praising how grim dark and serious Golarion is as a setting and praising it for having that “old school role playing vibe”. Now normally this is the kind of rant I would leave for Discord, but today I couldn’t help but hoist up my old man pants, get my cane, and shake it from metaphorical front porch at my literal audience. And maybe next time you want your character to sit down at the noodle bar in Goka and just talk to the other PCs over some ramen you’ll take the initiative to go ahead and roleplay it out rather than decide it’s silly for adventurers trying to save the world to “waste time” talkin’ about noodles.

This article was largely inspired by the AD&D Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide, which still holds up to this day!

Silly is Traditional

There is this idea that Old School Roleplaying Games are somehow more serious than modern games. And there are plenty of stories of living campaigns “back in the day” where level 1 Fighters were expected to adventure in the game party as level 16 Wizards against monsters who’d roll to see how many PCs they decapitated each round. There’s this idea that only modern gamers want to play nigh-invincible high-fantasy protagonists inspired by anime and JRPGs. Well guess what? Those kinds of brutal encounters are still being played today, and those types of PCs were very much discussed in the aforementioned AD&D Campaign Sourcebook. Everything from Gelatinous Cubes to Boo the Hamster should clued you in that the idea that old-school RPGs are “more serious” is a gatekeeping-adjacent delusion meant to put down newer gamers and settings. And the best question you can ask yourself when you’re analyzing whether or not older systems were more “serious”: Why would they be? Gamers in the 70s wanted to have fun too, and humor existed before the 21st century, which brings me to my next point:

Silly is Realistic

From ancient cities to modern battlefields, humans have always been a silly species. Heck, animals have always been silly. Absurd and silly memes aren’t 21st century creations. Killroy was here shows us that even in the midst of one of the most terrifying and horrible conflicts of the modern era brave warriors kept up their morale by making memes. The truth is that we value laughter and things that make us laugh; It’s a pure expression of unbridled joy that makes creation worth fighting for. There’s nothing wrong with encountering a group of grizzled mercenaries-gone-bandit sharpening their daggers around a campfire. But why not have one telling a funny story? Maybe sticking forks in his mouth and pretending to be a dragon! Or a pair of them doing drunken slap-stick by the fire! What sounds more engaging to you: typical behavior that just screams “these characters exist only to fight”, or characters that remind the PCs why the world is worth defending in the first place! You know why someone would paint a cute bunny on the side of their sword? The same reason marines would ride around with silly drawings of Homura.

Silly is Forgiving

Once you have a realistic world set-up with the appropriate levels of silly, you’ll quickly find that both players and the GM are given a level of leeway that let’s everyone at the table relax when it comes to such overvalued concepts as canon and verisimilitude. Did you freeze during a speech and had to say “wait, give me a second, I just forgot what I was saying”? Sure, most of the time it’s an out of character blunder, but if you aren’t committed to acting like the table is some sacred space in which characters are ineffable you can go ahead and roll with it! Did you forget a bit of your own campaign canon? Or did the NPC? Oh, but maybe the NPC has to know for the plot to make sense. So maybe it was a miscommunication. Or was having an off-day. Your characters don’t all have to be these bigger than life epic figures who spews lines like a nervous fourth grader reciting Shakespeare, and it probably improves the narrative to have honest foibles! That being said, your characters are likely more invested in the details of their lives than you, playing them once every other week for three hours… so if you’re a GM reading this, “silly” doesn’t always mean “make the PCs look incompetent and never let them correct themselves”. After all, some players want those serious-as-stone characters, and there’s nothing wrong with that!

Silly is Serious

(And I don’t just mean evil clowns, but that too.) Silliness can also be used to build tension and create contrast. Recently in my Where There’s Smoke campaign Hiyori’s father Royuka was checking in on his son after Hiyori caused something of a scene at his workplace, the Bank of Abadar. The scene opened with Royuka catching Hiyori kissing his boyfriend, creating this moment of  semi-spontaneous playful banter while providing Hiyori with some sound fatherly advice related to their current political situation. And as the confident Royuka rocked back on his chair while laughing, his seat slipped out from under him and he started to fall over backwards! I gave the Hiyori an opportunity to prevent his dad from falling over, but he rolled a Natural 1 and his dad hit the ground hard. This silly moment between a father and son suddenly took a dive for the worse in a realistic way that forced a reaction of genuine panic by using dramatic contrast. The same character may very well fall out of a chair in a future session as a form of comedy, but by forcing dice rolls I was able to immediately shift the tone from silly jokes to serious medical emergency. Fortunately Hiyori was quite skilled in medicine and his boyfriend Tawson was strong and sharp enough to provide the assistance necessary to examine and patch up the injured Royuka, and the RP resolved with the wounded dragon-slayer being driven safely home. Now some players might think it’s crazy to have a character that once slayed a dragon being threatened by a wobbly chair, but by interjecting moments where the mundane hazards of everyday life become a looming threat you can emphasize how important a PCs everyday life is! Royuka could have provided further bonuses to future interactions by giving his son some more advice, but the fall cut the conversation short. And if Hiyori had critically failed that medicine check, there was a chance his dad would have been out of commission for further which would have lead to more problems between the PCs and the Church of Abadar: opportunities for success and failure hinging on an interaction that on the surface was about sneaking kisses and dad jokes!

Silly is Fun

If Starfinder has taught me anything, silly can just be plain fun. Not every adventure needs to be life-and-death. Whether it’s challenging a PC to a Trading Card Game or spending an hour of a session talking about turning the party construct into a pizza-oven, there’s no reason these moments are any less valid than rolling initiative and lobbing fireballs. Games are meant to be enjoyed. And characters can often develop far more personality going out for beers and trading fart jokes than spending entire AP volumes quietly skulking down sewers and taking out gnolls. And even if their shenanigans are completely trivial by every other metric, even if it costs them gold, if everyone at the table is having fun then you’ve run a successful game.

Summon-Dex Navigation:

Part 1: Summon Animal (arcane, primal)
Part 2: Abberations (occult)/Constructs & Dragons (arcane)/Giants & Plants (primal)
Part 3: Celestials (divine)/Fey (occult, primal)/Elementals (arcane, primal)
Part 4: Undead (arcane, divine, occult)/Fiend (divine)
Part 5: Lesser Divine Servitor/Anarch/Axiom (divine)
Part 6: Book of the Dead (undead update)

Reanimator Dedication & Feats

The Reanimator Archetype gives characters looking to cast animate dead a multitude of options that helps bolster a spell that can otherwise become quickly outclassed by other options. Note that three feats on the Reanimator Archetype page can be taken by characters without the archetype as they are also class feats for various spellcasting classes, including the Cleric, Oracle, and Wizard. Any other spellcasters, including sorcerers, will have to take the archetype to qualify for those feats!

★★★★☆ Reanimator Dedication (Feat 2) — Just by itself this is a solid feat. Usually getting an additional signature spell is half of a feat, and granting a +1 status bonus to your undead summons is solid (even if it requires carrying around bones and/or targeting recently deceased enemies). I like having a feat that encourages me to use my enemy’s remains and dungeon-dressing rather than spamming the same “best summon at this level” each combat.
★☆☆☆☆ Undying Conviction (Feat 4) — In the right type of campagin this can be useful, but most enemies don’t use positive damage and most NPCs don’t have any way to control your undead minions. Then again, you might be playing an AP that assumes everyone is undead…
★★★☆☆ Deathly Secrets (Feat 6) — Additional focus spells aren’t bad. Subjugate Undead is great for controlling undead you create with Create Undead, especially if you get a critical failure or only a success on an intelligent undead who doesn’t want to help you. Eyes of the Dead is the exploration mode option, letting you effectively scout ahead with your undead minion. I’d only give this focus spell 1 star, but would be much more useful if you could cast Final Sacrifice on the minion while controlling it, but a combination of line of effect and the focus spell saying you can’t cast spells while it is active makes that combo unviable.
★★★★★ Macabre Virtuoso (Feat 6) — Create Undead is a really good ritual and being able to get permanent minions is incredibly potent, but isn’t really a “summon”.
★★★★☆ Bonds of Death (Feat 8) — Free Sustain is great. Free sustain on two summons for a minute is excellent.
★★★☆☆ Greater Deathly Secrets (Feat 10) — malignant sustenance gives fast healing 7 to an undead, which is great on an undead PC and okay on a minion. Grasping grave only does 6d6 damage and only hits targets on the ground, but can immobilize enemies on a critical failure. Compare with elemental burst, which has different areas, damage types, and does two more dice of damage. Thematically it’s still a really cool spell!
★★★★★ Master of the Dead (Feat 12) —This spell is really boss. It effectively gives you a free minion every day as long as you spend three-actions at least every 10-minutes, depending on your refocusing actions and exploration choices. The nature of the minion will vary dramatically, but the fact you are hitting corpses that (presumably) challenged you in an encounter you will likely be able to procure minions a level higher than what you’d get casting casting Animate Dead. It can’t be used on your first encounter each day (unless you get lucky and there’s a dead body around that recently died), but the ability to tack on certain monster abilities onto your skeleton/zombie is just so much fun that I don’t mind! And since it’s a 3-action cast, you can always cast it during the first encounter on an enemy who has died!
★★★★☆ Necromancer’s Visage (Feat 12) — This is a very campaign-dependant feat and in an undead heavy campaign it is very, very good. It will depend entirely on how much undead is in your campaign.
★★★★★ Sepulchral Sublimation (Feat 14signature spell) — This spell is so much fun! The level is skewed in such a way that you will be casting much lower level spells with the minion you sacrifice, but being able to turn minions who are about to dust at the end of an encounter into spells that can help in the post-encounter clean-up is very strong! This can also let you sacrifice undead minions from Create Undead or Master of the Dead! This is especially note-worthy for Master of the Dead since it let’s you convert Focus Points into daily spell slots!

Animate Dead (Arcane, Divine, Occult)

While technically not a “summon” spell, the spell shares enough similarities that we can compare it’s minion selection alongside other conjuration spells. Note that with this review I am assuming that minions are unaffected by the Slow condition because of how they get actions, but you can effectively downgrade most minions that are permanently slowed by 1 or 2 stars.

Home Rule: I would tentatively allow casters to spend up to two actions to give a zombie minion up to two actions. Or you can allow zombies the second action if the caster summons the creature with the spell heightened above what it needs to be to summon that variety of zombie.

Spell 1:

★★★★☆ Predatory Rabbit (BD) — Good Controller. Memes aside, you are summoning this for Stench. Decent AC and  the bonus to disease spells is good too. Sense Companion has some niche but potentially delicious uses if you are tracking someone down and only have their dead pet.

Heightened (2nd):

★★★★☆ Scorned Hound (BD) — Strong Striker. Animating your enemy’s loyal companion gives you a very solid striker. Also great in exploration mode using create undead or master of death to track someone down.
★★★★☆ Skeletal Soldier (BD) — Strong Tank/Striker. Good resistances, a ranged, reach, and melee weapon. The glaive also has deadly. And you can use this to effectively summon an armory incase your fighter really needs a weapon. Set Defense isn’t really useful as a minion.
★★★☆☆ Festering Gnasher (BD) — Decent Niche Striker. Having a fly speed at this level isn’t bad. Brain rot is too slow to be viable.
★★☆☆☆ Mummified Cat (BD) — Niche Striker. The damage is okay for a Creature 0, but you probably want a Creature 1 at this spell level. Climb speed and scent are neat. Aura of Repose can be useful if you can pick this minion up for days at a time.
★☆☆☆☆ Wolf Skeleton (BD) — Poor Tank. Decent Mount (+2 stars) with Surge of Speed and Knockdown isn’t bad. The resistances and AC make it decent, if only it had Creature 1 stats.
☆☆☆☆☆ Zombie Snake (BD) — Terrible Debuffer. It’s permanently slowed. Stats are mediocre (it’ll get crit all day long). Filth Fever takes 1d4 hours to take effect.

Heightened (3rd):

★★★★★ Shredskin (BD) — Amazing Single-Target Controller. Decent damage and a constrict ability. Compression and a fly speed are a plus. Enshroud is solid. Control Body has some niche utility.
★★★★☆ Lacedon (BD) — Amazing Multi-Target Cnotroller. Paralyzing Spew is an incredible debuff. Solid swim speed and corpse scent are useful in water. Only 4 stars because the DC doesn’t scale so its only really useful for the first level and it has the incapacitation trait.
★★★☆☆ Husk Zombie (BD) — Decent Striker. It is slow, but it has a very high attack and sneak attack. If it can use sudden surge it becomes a 4-star for the single combat auto-flat-footed plus action surge, but it’s turn never really “begins” as a minion.
★★★☆☆ Decrepit Mummy (BD) — Decent Striker. The mummy we have at home. Fun for long-term disease spreading I suppose, but Crumbling Form hurts. It does have decent damage, and theoretically is great for translating stuff thanks to its language entry!

Heightened (4th):

★★★★☆ Fiddling Bones(BD) — Good Controller. Dance with Death is why you’ll summon this. Destructive Finale has a high DC for this level. Theater Lore and summoned instruments can be useful.
★★★★☆ Combusted (BD) — Good Striker: AoE and Persistant Damage plus Intense Heat means the Combusted will throw solid damage.
★★★☆☆ Deathless Acolyte of Urgathoa (BD) — Decent Spellcaster Healer. Especially for undead PCs, the fast healing and being able to cast Harm three times is really good. If you have a non-undead in the party they can benefit too using Touch of Undeath.
★★☆☆☆ Zombie Owlbear (BD) — Mediocre Debuff Tank. Stats are good, but it is slowed. Grab is good. Ground Slam will require a critical success on Grab. Horrifying Screech is a nice debuff for a single-action.

Heightened (5th):

★★★★★ Taunting Skill (BD) — Amazing Tank. Incessant Goading is everything we’ve wanted in a monster. The fact it’s a single action means the creature can goad two creatures at once (or try to goad the same creature twice), assuming reach works. How it’s worded infers that a creature will even have to strike the skull if it moves into reach, so you can tactically place your skull between yourself and your target to make them go for your minion instead. It’s Jaws damage is decent.
★★★★☆ Ghul (BD) — Good Striker Controller. High hit points, fire resistance, a climb speed, Grab, persistant bleed, and the ability to fascinate everyone within 60-foot is very nice (watch out for allies). It also comes with a planar language!
★★★★☆ Iruxi Ossature (BD) Good Controller and Iruxi Buffer. Terrain Advantage gives it a very high effective attack modifier for its level. Fossil Fury is why you summon this, letting you create a 30-foot cone of difficult terrain. 5-Stars in an Iruxi Party and Territory, where it can give everyone +1 status. Even without the status bonus, Totem of the Past will Dazzle. Technically you could build a wall using downtime if you are an Iruxi player. Swim speed and lifesense are great. Twilight Spark means you can summon it even against undead with a pesky allied cleric who spams positive energy.
★★★★☆ Priest of Kabriri (BD) — Good Caster. Touch of Undeath to two party members will let him (and you) heal more targets with Harm. Chilling Darkness and Silence are solid niche spells. Paralysis is a nice rider if you can hit any low-Fort creatures.
★★★★☆ Skeletal Mage (BD) — Good Caster. Lightning Bolt, Magic Missile, Paralyze, Acid Arrow, Enlarge and Grease are all solid spells. He has enough spells that he can cast every round and has the resistances needed to survive a couple rounds.
★☆☆☆☆ Withered (BD) — Mediocre Striker. It only does decent damage with sneak and even then it’s not the best on the list. You’ll have to talk to your GM about using Sudden Surge, but that would make it a 2-star monster.

Heightened (6th):

★☆☆☆☆ Beetle Carapace (BD) — Poor Niche Utility Controller. Grab and construct aren’t bad, but it’s weaker than a Revenant at it. The abdomen cache makes this a potential exploration mode utility minion.
★☆☆☆☆ Hungry Ghost (BD) — Poor Damage Dealer. Incorporeal and flight are fine, but Feed on the Living isn’t great. It can potentially do ‘save damage’ instead of ‘to hit damage’, but you can’t delay it for a full minute as a summoned minion.

Heightened (7th):

★★★★★ Geist (BD) — Great Niche Utility Debuffer. Being able to turn off a Haunt for a round is a fabulous unique ability and is probably the reason the Geist is banned in Organized Play. Telepathy, flight, incorporeality, and terrifying laugh are also solid.
★★★☆☆ Daqqanoenyent (BD) — Decent Controller. Grab plus Snatch is great against non-fliers (falling damage). Baleful Gaze is a solid AoE frightened effect.
★★★☆☆ Raw Nerve (BD) — Decent Utility. Electricty damage is hard to get using Animate Dead. Stopping reactions is useful. Thoughtsense, telepathy, and a +20 Lore are all useful.
★★☆☆☆  Vetalarana Emergent (BD) — Poor Niche Utility. Grab is okay and thoughtsense is neat, but the best use for this monster is draining thoughts which is very GM dependent.
★☆☆☆☆ Ghost Pirate Captain (BD) — Whiel incorporeal and capable of using Combat Current to do some decent negative damage, ultimately the only real use this monster has is for its sailing lore. Curse Ye Scallywags! might work if you have a very giving GM.
☆☆☆☆☆ Drake Skeleton (BD) — Terrible Striker. While it can attack three times the damage isn’t that great and Fragile Wings makes it a terrible mount.

Heightened (8th):

★★★★☆ Unrisen (BD) — Great Niche Utility. Death Grip gives you a way to potentially make more undead, just make sure you have a way to control them. Awful Approach throws out Sickened. Agonized Howl is a pretty good AoE. Best use of this undead is against a positive energy caster, so he is better in an undead campaign.
★★★☆☆ Corpseroot (BD) — Niche Tank. Great against plants. Branch does decent damage, but you’ll likely want to grab. Huge!
★★★☆☆ Provincial Jian-Shi (BD) — Decent Caster. Can cast harm (×7), spirit blast, vampiric exsanguination, shadow blast, enervation, ghostly tragedy (×2), bind undead, and fear (×3). Drain Qi has some uses. Can speak Tien. Breathsense (precise) is useful.
★☆☆☆☆ Zombie Mammoth (BD) — Poor Controller. Improved Grab on a huge creature with 15-foot reach is solid. Constrict and trample aren’t bad. Permanent slow is bad. -1 Star if your GM decides the trunk doesn’t move when severed.

Heightened (9th):

★★★☆☆ Vanyver (BD) — Great Niche Spellcaster. Banned in PFS. Being able to cast ten Dispel Magic-like effects with Drain Magic during the minute you have this guy is insane. The pull effect and enfeebled on entropy’s shadow is solid. Sunlight powerlessness makes the vanyvr’s environment dependent. Drain Magic can be very powerful. Can cast plane shift (to Material Plane; Negative Energy Plane; or Shadow Plane only), dispel magic (at will), harm (×3), darkness, see invisibility. Has telepathy (100 feet), Lifesense, and Negative Energy/Shadow Plane Lore!
★★☆☆☆ Silent Stalker (BD) —Decent Niche Utility. A 10-foot aura of silence that can move around the battlefield isn’t bad. The best use for this is summoning a murder victim to hunt down their murderer, which is very GM dependent.
☆☆☆☆☆ Llorona (BD) — Poor Controller. Wail can stun each living creature within 120 feet, but you are more likely to stun your party and even then it has incapacitation. Funeral Touch can drain, but that’s also underwhelming.
☆☆☆☆☆ Skeletal Titan (BD) — Bad Controller Tank. It can take a couple hits. It can create areas of difficult terrain, but it can’t use mountain slam as a summoned creature and it only affects one square per action. 20-squares of difficult terrain is not worth a 9th-level spell slot.

Heightened (10th):

★★★★☆ Sykever (BD) —Banned in PFS. Graining Gaze is a solid debuff. It can cast splent of spells including harm (×3), paralyze, plane shift (to Material Plane; Negative Energy Plane; or Shadow Plane only), true seeing, darkness (at will), invisibility (×3). Entropy’s Shadow is a nice constant AoE aura. Watch out for Sunlight Powerlessness.
★★★★☆ Tormented (BD) — Great Striker AoE. Banned in PFS. Tortured Gaze can inflict Slowed 1, negate concealment, knock enemies prone, or even do 8d4 persistent bleed damage in a 30-foot aura with a decent saving throw! Plus it can use Scream of Agony and will likely recharge it each round if it takes a crit, easily letting it stick around for 3 rounds and potentially doing 32d6 mental damage plus the triple rounds of endless suffering (assuming your opponent’s try to attack them).
★★★☆☆ Hollow Serpent (BD) — Good AoE Control Striker. Desiccation Aura is your reason fro summoning the Hollow Serpent. Slithering Strike and Improved Grab are both solid, and vampiric exsanguination is a good AoE spell.
★☆☆☆☆ Gallowdead (BD) — Poor Striker. Aura of Frightened isn’t bad, but 3d8+4d6+14 damage isn’t going to cut it. Chain Capture and Gallow Curse don’t work on summons. You can flip off Tar-Baphon when you summon them, which is fun. And +2 striking spiked chain incase your fighter loses their weapon, I guess?
★☆☆☆☆ Minister Of Tumult (BD) — Poor Striker. It can use Bone Corpse Stance to make a target potentially fall prone if they Stride after they are striked if you use Drain Qi, but that takes a full round of set-up and only lasts one round and involves an attack roll and a save.

Well, I’ve listed a few reasons below, but first and foremost I want to highlight that what makes these spells great is they are the kind of abilities that will create moments. You won’t always have a use for them, and they won’t always be useful, but when they are I guarantee they are going to facilitate priceless moments your gaming group is going to discuss for years to come!

1. “You Are Incompetent”

Being able to convince someone of something is a difficult task in a TTRPG, especially when the other person thinks your up to something. You could try a Diplomacy or Intimidate check, but those have a chance of failure and can oftentimes take multiple rounds, or make things worse. Being able to spout what you believe is true as a single action is a dangerously potent power. It’s not completely game-breaking, and will depend very much on the circumstances in which your character spouts the truth. “We are not going to hurt you!” can help resolve a dispute, but if your allies are still swinging swords it likely won’t have the same impact. An NPC is always able to simply say: “I believe that you believe that, but now I just think you are stupid.” That being said, you can always use this to throw shade and confirm that you believe without any doubt that another character is incompetent. Just remember to talk to your GM in advance about circumstance bonuses during skill contests!

2. “They have never told a lie!”

Word of Truth restricts you from using it to conduct lies of omission or half-truths, but if your cleric of Mahathallah trusts the rest of the party it can be easy for other PCs to exploit this to confirm a non-truth. This is a risky gambit and will likely only work once or twice before the cleric begins to append their truth with “according to these people, who have lied to me in the past…”.

3. “Oh, I never said I was good. Just honest.”

While lying is prohibited with Word of Truth, you are free to express less than virtuous truths. This is especially useful during Intimidation checks, and it should be noted that plenty of the deities that grant this domain allow for Evil worshipers. Remember your X-cards when your explaining in 25-words-or-less how you will pull apart some punk who isn’t letting your party through an alleyway without a bribe!

4. “Truth is…Subjective.”

Normally you cannot tell half-truths or play word games with Word of Truth, and it’s up to your GM to define those limitations. But check out the skill feat Subjective Truth. I shouldn’t have to say much more than that, but be certain that your deity is the type who doesn’t mind you having to slip into a persona who may or may not know what your other persona is up to. There’s a reason Vigilante is uncommon!

5. “Read. My. Lips.”

This tip won’t usually convey a mechanical benefit, but I do love the idea that words spoken under Word of Truth appear in the air around you (and/or your holy symbol). There are plenty of other neat ways you could convey words of truth with a little extra flavor: having the words appear on your divine armament, in a book you carry with you, or even branded on your skin!

6. “That’s okay, I’m fully healed.”

Those 10-30 minute breaks between fights can be a drag for everyone but the dedicated healer(s). Glimpse gives you an opportunity to sift through the party loot, the rooms you just cleared, and more looking for those pesky illusions!

7. “It’s around here somewhere!”

Glimpse of Truth let’s you counteract illusions within 30-feet until the end of the round, so when you cast it you can move around the room looking for any illusions, up to and including secret entrances or the identity of an enemy who you know is wearing a hat of disguise!

8. “Oh, that illusion!”

Whether or not you get to automatically disbelieve your allies illusions (or even your own illusions) is usually up to the GM. Word of Truth let’s you play nice with your illusionist without undoing their carefully constructed plans! Of course, it also let’s you smack opponent’s benefiting from effects like Blur, but that’s so obvious I didn’t feel like it needed a place on this list.

Optimiser

You have honed your martial capabilities to exceed that of any other character and refuse to be told otherwise.

Key Ability: ANY
At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to any one skill, which becomes your key ability.
Hit Points: 12 plus your Constitution modifier
You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

During combat encounters…

• You laugh off your opponent’s attacks with your mastery of both armor and opportunity attacks.
• You completely dominate the battlefield with your expertise in the most powerful gnomish weapon to have ever been forged.

During social encounters…

• You are always prepared to utter the phrase: “Trial by Combat!”
• You have more than enough skills to get the boring checks out of the way to get back to the real encounters faster.

While Exploring…

• You perform some almost mindless activity such as squats or jumping jacks incase you have a skill proficiency higher than your perception

You Might...

• Dominate and master the battlefield with your unparalleled mastery of gnomish flickmaces.

Others Probably…

• Stand in awe of your absolute mastery of all things relevant.

Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.

Perception
Expert in Perception

Saving Throws
Expert in Fortitude
Expert in Reflex
Expert in Will

Skills
Trained in Athletics, Intimidate and a number of inferior skills equal to 8 plus your Intelligence modifier

Attacks
Expert in gnome flickmace
Expert in inferior simple and martial weapons
Trained in advanced weapons
Expert in unarmed attacks

Defenses
Trained in all armor
Trained in unarmored defense

Class DC
Trained in optimizer class DC
Trained in all spell attacks and spell DCs (incase you want a handicap)

Ancestry and Background
In addition to the abilities provided by your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background.

Attack of Opportunity
You gain the Attack of Opportunity reaction.

Attack of Opportunity

Trigger A creature within your reach uses a manipulate action or a move action, makes a ranged attack, or leaves a square during a move action it’s using.Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If your attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, you disrupt that action. This Strike doesn’t count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn’t apply to this Strike.

Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level you gain a number of proficiencies, representing your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.

Shield Block
You gain the Shield Block general feat, a reaction that lets you reduce damage with your shield.

Class Feats    Level 2
At 2nd level and every even-numbered level, you can gain a class feat.

Skill Feats    Level 2
At 1st level and every level thereafter, you gain a skill feat.

Skill Increases    Level 2
At 2nd level and every level thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase to either become trained in one skill you’re untrained in, or to become an expert in one skill in which you’re already trained.
At 7th level, you can use skill increases to become a master in a skill in which you’re already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to become legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master.

General Feats    Level 3
At 3rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.

Ability Boosts    Level 5
At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you boost four different ability scores. You can use these ability boosts to increase your ability scores above 18. Boosting an ability score increases it by 1 if it’s already 18 or above, or by 2 if it starts out below 18.

Ancestry Feats    Level 5
In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.

Weapon Mastery    Level 5
Choose one weapon group. Your proficiency rank increases to master with the simple weapons, martial weapons, gnomish flick maces, and unarmed attacks in that group, and to expert with the advanced weapons in that group. You gain access to the critical specialization effects of all weapons and unarmed attacks for which you have master proficiency.

Armor Expertise    Level 7
Your proficiency ranks for light, medium, and heavy armor, as well as for unarmored defense, increase to expert. You gain the armor specialization effects of light, medium and heavy armor.

Embodiment of Perfection    Level 7
Your proficiency rank for Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throws increases to master. When you roll a success on any saving throw, you get a critical success instead.

Vigilant Senses    Level 7
Through your adventures, you’ve developed keen awareness and attention to detail. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master.

Weapon Specialization    Level 7
You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master, and to 4 if you’re legendary.

Class Expertise    Level 9
Your proficiency rank for your optimizer class DC, spell attacks, and spell DC increases to expert.

Armor Mastery    Level 13
Your proficiency ranks for light, medium, and heavy armor, as well as for unarmored defense, increase to master.

Weapon Legend    Level 13
You’ve learned fighting techniques that apply to all armaments, and you’ve developed unparalleled skill with your favorite weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, martial weapons, gnomish flick maces, and unarmed attacks increase to master. Your proficiency rank for advanced weapons increases to expert. You can select one weapon group and increase your proficiency ranks to legendary for all simple weapons, martial weapons, gnomish flick maces, and unarmed attacks in that weapon group, and to master for all advanced weapons in that weapon group.

Greater Weapon Specialization    Level 15
Your damage from weapon specialization increases to 4 with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you’re an expert, 6 if you’re a master, and 8 if you’re legendary.

Class Master    Level 17
Your proficiency rank for unarmored defense increases to legendary, and your proficiency rank for your optimizer class DC, spell attacks, and spell DC increases to master.

Also a Richard Garfield favorite.

Game-within-a-Game Campaign-within-a-Campaign

Back in the 3.5e days, I once invited my friends to help me play test a new RPG. It was an extremely simple game with rules you learn as you go along; All they knew it is used a d20 for checks and had secret modifiers. Their characters had no memory, clothes, gender, or hair. They could speak to one another and fumble around this lightless maze, but the only discernible feature in the first room was a dripping noise. After some adventuring one of them found a torch, confirming their featureless “blank” bodies. After some more exploring, they found some wish-bones inside a wall. One of my players immediately snapped a wishbone I held up and yelled “I wish I had my own torch!”: Bam! A second torch appeared! All hail the second light-bringer! The next PC tried snapping a wishbone, but when they failed their character’s rib cage snapped instead, causing them to slowly bleed to death. A minute later they reappeared in the starting room… and once the players realized they would respawn the group descended into the best kind of chaos. Teams were formed. Alliances were broken. Torches were stolen. It wasn’t until one of the “light-bringers” returned to the “spawn room” that they solved the game’s “mystery”: On the ceiling of the room was their real characters, suspended by hooks in the ceiling! Poof. All the players are back where we last left them, freeing themselves from an illusory maze with just enough time to watch the villain run off with the McGuffin!

This kind of trick only works sparingly, and only with a group who is willing to somewhat suspend their player agency for the sake of a gimmick like this. Now ultimately this is just a heavily expanded mini-game/sub-system with minimal explanation to enhance verisimilitude, but there’s nothing wrong about using a mini-TTRPG to resolve a challenge that Pathfinder 2e isn’t as well equipped to resolve. Heck, if you want to look for one TTRPGs for Trans Rights in Texas! is offering 493 RPGs for $5 (or more), with all proceeds benefiting the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) and Organización Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT). To a lesser degree, systems like Chases and Starstone: the Ascension are games within a game, although in that case you aren’t playing your character so much as playing your character playing a game. Either way, these kinds of “systems inside systems” help create memorable sessions that can serve as high-points for characters that level and help remind your players that there is more to a narrative than standard combat and skill challenges!

Intercalation can be used with themes of dreams/visions, time magic, illusions, divine intervention, or even using clones or simulacrum. It works best used as a hurdle against someone specializing in that magic, as a way to bring a party back together, as a filler-encounter when two or more members of the party can’t make a session, to resolve a solo-quest relevant to a single-player between sessions, to unlock the final power of a seed of power/relic, as a cost for bringing back as a dead PC, or resolve a TPK (very sparingly).

But what if your players only want to play Pathfinder? Well, then give them more Pathfinder! There was no reason I couldn’t have used the same system for the illusion I described earlier. I didn’t even have to “trick” my players; It could have just been a spell cast by an enemy that resolves itself based on how well the PCs perform inside a sudden dreamscape. These kinds of systems tend to only use skill checks so players don’t “forget” what happens in the primary encounter, but if the enemy uses the ability at the beginning of the encounter you can often salvage the remaining encounter without disorienting your players by making the victory or failure condition of the “mini-game” a sort of “set the players to the following status: Full/Half-HP, Buff/Debuff, Free Daily Prep/Reduced Cooldowns, etc… In that case the “subgame” functions as a “redo” out of character, while in character still being an “encounter inside of an encounter”. In which case, of course, you should also award some percentage of encounter XP for the threats they faced inside the dream.

I finally bit the bullet and made my own Discord! “Infinite Possibilities” is your one-stop shop for everything Pathfinder & Starfinder Infinite, with resources for fans, aspiring creators, publishers, freelancers and a space for fans and Pathfinder Infinite creators to connect, ask questions, or just hang-out! There you will find links to articles (such as this one) and websites that compile information that I’ve found invaluable as an author, designer, gamemaster, and player. You can even use this space to look for authors, editors, artists, and publishers on your quest to produce your very own Pathfinder Infinite product. This discord is meant to double as a hub for my own twitch channel, but don’t fret: You will only get “@here” pings when I go live if you specifically request the “Infiknight” role.

But what does that have to do with today’s article? Well, as I can scouring the archives of “Fox’s Cunning” I realized I’ve written quite a few of these “lists”, but there was no easy and convenient way to find the ones I wanted without stumbling on a bunch of random rants about new mechanics or homebrewed monsters. But no more! From now on if you want to find any of my “informative” articles, you can find the information right here! This post will be linked in the above aforementioned discord and updated whenever I post a new article. Do you know of any other Know Direction Pathfinder 2e articles that you think should join The Pipefox Archives? Hit me up in discord and I will happily add them for your convenience.

Thank you for your continued patronage of our fine Network, and here’s to many more years of awesome adventures!

Guides and Lists

(Each article also has tips and tricks for summoners of any tradition)
Part 1: Summon Animal (arcane, primal)
Part 2: Abberations (occult)/Constructs & Dragons (arcane)/Giants & Plants (primal)
Part 3: Celestials (divine)/Fey (occult, primal)/Elementals (arcane, primal)
Part 4: Undead (arcane, divine, occult)/Fiend (divine)
Part 5: Lesser Divine Servitor/Anarch/Axiom (divine)

Part 1: Weapon Runes
Part 2: Armor Runes

Part 1: Level 1-5 talismans
Part 2: Level 6-20 Talismans

Variant Rules and Campaign Tools

Part 1: Adjusting the Offense of Higher Level Opponents
Part 2: Adjusting the Defense of Higher Level Opponents

Adventure Reviews

Character Advice and Helpful Cards

Campaign and Gamemaster Advice

Other Reviews & Advice

Check out my google doc if you just want to see the effects of all the talismans in one easy to read table!

More Than a Dabbler: The Talisman Dabbler

The Talisman Dabbler archetype is super fun, especially in Free Archetype campaigns. It has no prerequisites so a martial character can benefit from the class as well as a caster. Even if you don’t find yourself on the front line where talismans are most useful, you can use the class to help support your teammates, using free talismans every day and even affixing talismans during combat! I find Monks, Champions (with shields), and Gunslingers can get a little extra mileage out of the class, if you can afford the feats! The class is especially good in campaigns with small parties of four or fewer PCs, since you’ll have fewer PCs you have to worry about outfitting with talismans!

Talisman Dabbler Dedication gives you two free talismans a day, up to half your level. This let’s you craft dispoable “niche use” talismans based on the daily needs of yourself and the rest of the party. At early levels your party will appreciate the Potency Crystals. And at higher levels you will still have access to a slew of good Talismans that still effective at level 20! I recommend using your archetype for weapon talismans, as those tend to get used more often. You will still be buying and/or crafting talismans, and don’t be shy about asking your party to chip in to help pay for their buffs.

Quick Fix is good to take at level 12 or higher, as being able to affix four talismans as a 3-action activity during breaks between “waves” (or even in combat, in some cases) will be a great boon to the party!

Deeper Dabbler gives you two additional free talismans a day; If you find that two free talismans aren’t cutting it, consider taking the class.

Talismanic Sage is a very powerful feat! Being able to enhance two attacks per round with the same talisman is extremely potent, but make sure you understand that you can’t trigger multiple abilities off the same trigger, but not all talismans use the same trigger for the same action. For example, some weapon talismans say “when you roll weapon damage”, and others say “when you make a Strike”.

Full Marks: Ranking the Talismans

Want to see a complete list of property runes? Archives of Nethys has the most up to date list, but if you want to see all the effects on a single page: check out my google doc.

The grades and opinions given below are biased. There are no “trap” options for runes in Pathfinder Second Edition. Even the lowest ranking talisman on this list serves a purpose. Most of my lower grades are assuming you are playing a campaign like Organized Play, with mixed enemy types and no particularly strong theme for your character that these talismans would otherwise enable. All talismans can be divided into one of the following categories: Offense, Defense, Skill, Tactical, and Utility. The decision on what kind of talisman you want really comes down to party composition. Talismans like fulu of the drunken monkey are substantially less useful if your party has a character who can reliable remove poisons.

Note on Proficiencies: Many talismans require certain skill proficiencies to use! Many of them offer access to abilities that usually require one or more skill feats, so these can help shore up classes that don’t receive as many skill feats as others, and might even be the deciding factor in whether or not you want a skill feat that you think might be too niche!

Level 6 Talismans:

★★★★★ Ghostbane Fulu (Weapon; Offense; Level 6; 40 gp) — The problem with ghost touch is it uses up your property rune but isn’t always super useful in every type of campaign, so carrying some ghostbane fulu can be extremely useful, especially since games very often give hints that a ghost encounter is forthcoming but, unlike balms and oils, you don’t consume this item unless there is a guaranteed target! Since resistances scale with level, this is always a useful item.
★★★★☆ Binding Coil (Weapon; Tactical/Offense; Level 6; 50 gp) — A free grapple on a hit is great. Even if the Escape DC doesn’t scale, they are still spending an action to break free!
★★☆☆☆ Iron Cube (Weapon; Tactical/Offense; Level 6; 50 gp) — There’s nothing wrong with a MAPless trip, it’s just not worth 50 gold, especially if I miss the initial strike and now I just spent two actions on a missed attack. I wish this was done like Binding Coil instead.
★☆☆☆☆ Peacemaker (Firearm; Tactical; Level 6; 35 gp) — The DC on this effect is way too low given what a subpar effect it is in the first place. This has really nice flavor and I appreciate it for that!
☆☆☆☆☆ Singing Muse (Armor; Skill; Level 6; 250 gp) — This isn’t a terrible effect, but it costs 250 GP! Orchestral Brooch only costs 100 gp and is two levels higher! I think this is a typo, but until that is fixed this is too expensive.

Level 7 Talismans:

★★★★★ Persistent Lodestone (Firearm; Utility; Level 7; 55 gp) — If you miss your gun reloads with the same ammo. This is a great way to make sure that poisoned magic ammunition you shot isn’t wasted and you get to reload your gun for free! This’ll be a good item at any level.
★★★★☆ Putrescent Glob (Weapon; Tactical/Offense; Level 7; 65 gp) — The only reason this isn’t 5-stars is because it can be hard to make someone sickened in the first place. Yes, that DC doesn’t scale, but you can use this after you check that you’ve already crit and automatically slow someone, which is fantastic for any PC who can consistently sicken an enemy.
★★★★☆ Grim Trophy (Armor; Skill; Level 7; 55 GP) — Intimidate is one of the best skills in the game. Hitting two creatures at once is great. As an added bonus, this is super fun to craft using the skull of a fallen enemy.
★★★★☆ Swift Block Cabochon (Shield; Tactical/Defense; Level 7; 70 gp) — A free reaction is really good at any level and many monsters have mutliple attacks per round.
★★★☆☆ Murderer’s Knot (Weapon; Level 7; 66 gp) — Very few talismans give you extra damage. Persistent bleed damage is really good. This makes me want to pick up Twist the Knife at higher levels, because doing 3d6 or 4d6 persistant bleed is brutal.
★☆☆☆☆ Whisper Briolette  (Armor; Skill; Level 7; 55 gp) — There are some fun out-of-combat uses for this, but if your GM isn’t letting your characters who have fought alongside each other for 6 levels kind of get the gist of how to respond to fighting on the same battlefield, your game is in hard mode and you need better talismans to stay alive anyway!

Level 8 Talismans:

★★★★★ Stormfeather (Armor; Tactical; Level 8; 100 gp) — Single-action flight is good at every level, assuming you never get permanent flight. This talisman is amazing. Get it.
★★★★☆ Detect Anathema Fulu (Armor; Utility; Level 8; 100 gp) — Has some great out of character utility for niche situations, including keeping a sketchy NPC from doing the wrong thing, and helps to keep you from falling if you are worshipping a god with awkward anathema or infiltrating a cult. Remember that you lose the talisman the first time it activates, even if it doesn’t burst into flames. I’m sure there’s some cool niche combo we will eventually find with being able to essentially light yourself on fire as a free action.
★★★☆☆ Jade Bauble (Weapon; Tactical; Level 8; 100 gp) — Takes an action but unlike Gallows Tooth it at least confers flat-footed so your allies can hit them too. Make sure to delay initiatives properly to get maximum use out of this.
★★★☆☆ Orchestral Brooch (Armor; Skill; Level 8; 100 gp) — Turning into a one-man band is a total flavor win, and sometimes you just want to critical succeed your perform check, especially when victory points are at stake.
★☆☆☆☆ Gallows Tooth (Weapon; Offense; Level 8; 100 gp) — I’m not spending 100 gp to make someone flat-footed. By level 8 your party should have figured this out. Or get a Jade Bauble.

Level 9 Talismans:

★★★☆☆ Rebound Fulu (Shield; Offense; Level 9; 125 gp) — A reliable source of damage that will technically scale as you level up, but it’s most effective around this level for an extra ~10 damage, whereas at higher levels your only looking at a tiny percentage of an opponent’s hit-points.
★★★☆☆ Basilisk Eye (Shield; Defense; Level 9; 150 gp) — Saving throw isn’t great, but slowed 1 makes this good enough until level 11.
★☆☆☆☆ Ixamè’s Eye (Headgear; Tactical/Offense; Level 9; 150 gp) — Goz Masks are only 30 GP, but they are uncommon. This has niche usefulness unless you have a party member with fog/mist spells, then it’s better, but still really expensive for a one-time trick.
★☆☆☆☆ Indomitable Keepsake (Great) (Armor; Defense; Level 9; 120 gp) — This is okay if you absolutely know you are fighitng a gunslinger? This is extremely niche, but more useful now than at later levels. It’s also super flavorful for an Alkenstar or Deadshot Lands adventure.

Level 10 Talismans:

★★★★★ Retrieval Prism (Greater) (Any Item; Tactical/Utility; Level 10; 200 GP) — Being able to quick-draw any item is extremely good at any level, especially since there are few ways to do this with non-item weapons and non-frontliners are the most likely to want a utility rune on their armor. There’s less out of combat shenanigans you can do with this compared to the other prism, but this is probably better for casters with lots of scrolls and wands, especially if its a three-action cast!
★★★★★ Lucky Rabbit’s Foot (Armor; Defense/Tactical; Level 10; 175 gp) — Rerolling saving throws is really good and will be good at any level.
★★★★☆ Iron Medallion (Armor; Defense; Level 10; 175 gp) — Pretty good in fear heavy campaigns, especially at this level and higher where fear effects have some nasty riders beyond just the frightened condition.
★★★☆☆ Mummified Bat (Weapon; Tactical; Level 10; 175 GP) — Blindsense is good and echolocation is great, but invisibility isn’t that bad. This is a helpful, but I’m just not that impressed.
★★☆☆☆ Vanishing Coin (Armor; Tactical/Offense; Level 10; 160 gp) — If you are stealthing in exploration mode you likely will begin combat unseen anyway and have ways to make opponent’s flat-footed (or just continue being concealed). Sneaky types would probably prefer defensive armor anyway. This might be good for an NPC who needs to run away the moment combat starts.
★☆☆☆☆ Shockguard Coil (Shield; Offense; Level 10; 175 GP) — A non-scaling basic save just for some damage and the flat-footed condition? It is a very high save for this level, but I’d only pick this up if I knew I’d be fighting against an enemy who was weak to electricity with a low reflex save. I’d rather use a Rebound Fulu
★☆☆☆☆ Sniper’s Bead (Greater) (Firearm/Crossbow; Tactical/Offense; Level 10; 160 gp) — There are so many better firearm/crossbow talismans that will actually come in handy. There are very few scenarios where you will need to fire further than the size of most maps, but this isn’t far enough that you should just carry it with you “just incase”.

Level 11 Talismans:

★★★★☆ Lion Claw (Weapon; Offense; Level 11; 300 gp) — Pounce is pretty good. You can avoid AoOs and you’ll catch the target flat-footed, in addition to effectively getting “sudden charge”.
★★☆☆☆ Ghostshot Wrapping (Ranged Weapon; Tactical; Level 11; 300 gp) — Being able to fire and not be seen is pretty useful if the entire party can do it, but outside of niche encounters like assassinations of low-level-but-important-NPCs, this Talisman is too expensive to outfit an entire party and there are too many other great ranged weapon talismans.

Level 12 Talismans:

★★★★★ Shrieking Skull (Firearm or Crossbow; Tactical; Level 12; 400 gp) — Being able to AoE Intimidation from practically anywhere is really powerful since you can combine it with all those delicious riders to “Demoralize” like Terrified Retreat and Agonizing Rebuke.
★★★★☆ Eye of Apprehension (Armor; Tactical; Level 12; 400 gp) — Rolling twice and taking the highest on the most common initiative in the game is really useful when you absolutely positively have to go first.
★★★★☆ Fade Band (Armor; Defense/Tactical; Level 12; 320 gp) — Going invisible when someone hits you is pretty good. Many monsters can swing multiple times in a round, oftentimes ignoring Multiple Attack Penalty.
★★★★☆ Balisse Feather (Weapon; Offense; Level 12; 400 gp) — Not as niche as it looks, since it functions against anyone you’ve seen committing an evil act, which would include “trying to murder you when you try to reason with them”. Lowering resistances is effectively +5 damage on every future hit, including hits by your allies. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is the saving throw is low.
★★☆☆☆ Iron Equalizer (Weapon; Offense; Level 12; 400 gp) — Certain Strike is pretty okay, and there are a few abilities you can combo with it, but not many since you still “missed” the attack and all added damage die are not added. You can do some neat stuff with this, but without that neat stuff this is only a two-stars.

Level 13 Talismans:

★★★★☆ Mending Lattice (Shield or Weapon; Tactical/Utility; Level 13; 525 gp) — Automatically repairing a shield is pretty darned useful for a shield-wielder; Only niche effectiveness on a weapon.
★★★☆☆ Binding Coil (Greater) (Weapon; Tactical; Level 13; 450 gp) — Free action grab isn’t bad and hte escape DC is pretty high until level 15.

Level 14 Talismans:

★★★★★ Vapor Sphere (Armor; Defense; Level 14; 900 gp)  — Resistance 25 and immunity to precision damage is really good. Also works well against Hazards. Moving back 5 feet from a single attack can potentially save you against a pounce!
★★★★☆ Grinning Pugwampi (Weapon; Tactical; Level 14; 700 gp) — Very powerful effect that will ruin a monster’s day. This is not incapacitation, but the saving throw does not scale (but is pretty high).
★★★★☆ Iron Cudgel (Weapon; Offense; Level 14; 900 gp) — Sometimes you just want to do a ton of damage. Extra weapon dice are good. Getting up to four extra weapon dice if you have the feat is great.
★★★☆☆ Viper’s Fang (Weapon; Tactical; Level 14; 850 gp) — By now you probably have an Attack of Opportunity; A free strike is really good, especially if you have the right supporting feats. I just think there are other talismans that are a little better. But this doesn’t get worse as you go up in level!
★★★☆☆ Dazing Coil (Weapon; Tactical; Level 14; 900 gp) — Stunned is really good but the Will save doesn’t scale and isn’t that high. Grinning Pugwampi is probably better.

Level 15 Talismans:

★★☆☆☆ Indomitable Keepsake (Major) (Armor; Defense; Level 15; 1200 gp) — If you are expecting a gunfight, this can be useful. Great for firearm duels or if you find yourself in Alkenstar or the Deadshot lands. Even then, there are other options around this level that are comparable (if not better). Vapore Sphere is probably better.

Level 16 Talismans:

★★★★★ Flame Navette (Armor; Defensive; Level 16; 1,800 gp) — Determination is a really powerful feat and being able to counteract a bunch of negative effects is really good.
★★★★☆ Tusk and Fang Chain (Armor; Tactical/Offense/Defense; Level 16; 1800 gp) — Great on grapplers. Good on everyone else. Even higher level monsters grab. Confusion is a brutal effect. This does have incapacitate.
★★★★☆ Ghost Dust (Armor; Tactical; Level 16; 1800 gp) — 4th-level invisibility is really good and activating this is as easy as moving, which you are probably doing anyway. Great for slipping away or entering the fray.
★★☆☆☆ Stormbreaker Fulu (Armor; Defense/Tactical; Level 16; 1900 gp) — Niche and expensive, but if you know you are going into a giant storm to fight enemies who use this energy type it’s really good. Great for high-level nautical campaigns.
★☆☆☆☆ Sniper’s Bead (Major)(Weapon; Offensive; Level 16; 1600 gp) — Extremely niche. Carry one with you if you think you might need to assassinate someone from five maps away, but it’s unlikely you’ll ever need this in a published encounter.

Level 17 Talismans:

★★★★☆ Dispelling Sliver (Weapon; Tactical; Level 17; 2400 gp) — I’m a sucker for dispeling magic with strikes. Expensive, but +29 is a super high counter-act check! I don’t know if I’d use this even if I had Dispelling Slice; I might just save it for its free-action as usually there is one powerful spell you want to end each time you attack. Probably best with ranged weapons against magic fliers.

Level 20 Talismans:

★★★☆☆ Celestial Hair (Armor; Defensive; Level 20; 12,500) — It’s a really useful effect, but it’s so expensive! 5-stars against a level 24-25 creature, as they hit super hard. In a normal encounter you are better off using cheaper talismans you can afford to lose.

Check out my google doc if you just want to see the effects of all the talismans in one easy to read table!

Simply Charming: Talismans & Fulu

Want to see a complete list of Talismans? Archive of Nethys has the most up to date list, but if you want to see all the effects on a single page, check out my google doc.

The rules for talismans are simple. You affix them to an item using the Affix a Talisman activity, which takes 10 minutes. Talismans can be activated when you satisfy the talisman’s trigger condition, usually as a free action. They are consumed once they are used, and otherwise function similar to runes. It’s a good idea to pick up a few if you have some spare silver, and they make wonderful treasures for characters in dungeons since they are so versatile and easy to apply to existing arms and armor. They are also super useful for giving enemies magic items without worrying about the PCs looting too much treasure!

Full Marks: Ranking the Talismans

Want to see a complete list of property runes? Archives of Nethys has the most up to date list, but if you want to see all the effects on a single page: check out my google doc.

The grades and opinions given below are biased. There are no “trap” options for runes in Pathfinder Second Edition. Even the lowest ranking talisman on this list serves a purpose. Most of my lower grades are assuming you are playing a campaign like Organized Play, with mixed enemy types and no particularly strong theme for your character that these talismans would otherwise enable. All talismans can be divided into one of the following categories: Offense, Defense, Skill, Tactical, and Utility. The decision on what kind of talisman you want really comes down to party composition. Talismans like fulu of the drunken monkey are substantially less useful if your party has a character who can reliable remove poisons.

Note on Proficiencies: Many talismans require certain skill proficiencies to use! Many of them offer access to abilities that usually require one or more skill feats, so these can help shore up classes that don’t receive as many skill feats as others, and might even be the deciding factor in whether or not you want a skill feat that you think might be too niche!

Level 1 Talismans:

★★★★★ Silver Tripod (Firearm; Tactical; Level 1; 3 gp) — If you use a tripod with kickback this will let you use it in midair, which is especially useful in exotic locations. It’s pretty mandatory for gunslingers using firearms with the kickback trait until you can afford an immovable tripod.
★★★★☆ Potency Crystal (Weapon; Offense; Level 1; 4 gp) — A +1 Striking Weapon is really strong at level 1, especially on characters who like to do multiple attacks in a single round. This talisman becomes next to useless once everyone in the party gets a +1 Striking weapon.
★★★☆☆ Emergency Disguise (Armor; Utility; Level 1; 3 gp) — Instant clothing is super useful, both as a disguise and for potential skill bonuses during diplomatic encounters. This is useful well beyond level 1, although eventually you may just want a hat of disguise. 3 gp worth of clothes is enough for a fine outfit plus 1 gp worth of accessories! But if you really just need an instant disguise you can always go with tear-away clothing and not use up your armor talisman slot, but this has more versatility.
★★★☆☆ Owlbear Claw (Weapon; Offense; Level 1; 3 gp) — Great once you have a +1 Striking Weapon. Critical hits are usually rare enough that you don’t mind only getting the effect once, and many of the specialization effects are quite potent. Fighters can stop using it at level 7 and give it to the Wizard, who needs it until level 13.
★★★☆☆ Slippery Ribbon (Armor; Tactical; Level 1; 12 gp) — This is undeniably niche and rather expensive, but you’ll probably be looking into these at much higher levels of play. Why? Because that’s when you start seeing Huge sized creatures! Being able to tumble diagonally through 3 squares after you’ve already moved 4 or 5 squares is pretty nice for a single action and 12 gold. It doesn’t even care if you are going through difficult terrain!
★★☆☆☆ Wolf Fang (Armor; Offense; Level 1; 4 gp) — This might net you 4 or 5 additional damage for 4 gold? I’d much rather save the money at that level for a Potency Crystal. Kind of neat having an offensive talisman that attaches to your armor. Maybe if your GM let it apply to every enemy you trip during an action that trips multiple enemies?

Level 2 Talismans:

★★★★☆ Crying Angel Pendant (Armor; Skill; Level 2; 7 gp) — Not doing damage with a critical failure using medicine is vital for parties who don’t have magical healing!
★★★★☆ Monkey Pin (Armor; Tactical; Level 2; 6 gp) — Being able to climb your land speed, even for a single action, is really helpful. A little less when you all fly.
★★★☆☆ Bronze Bull Pendant (Armor; Offense; Level 2; 7 gp) — +2 to shove is extremely potent, and shove is underrated against single melee enemies for eating up actions. Still, not the best.
★★★☆☆ Jade Cat (Armor; Tactical/Defense; Level 2; 6 gp) — Stopping falling damage and difficult terrain is both good, but  feather step and snap leaf (level 3) are better.
★★★☆☆ Onyx Panther (Armor; Defense; Level 2; 7 gp) — Being able to sneak at full speed for a turn is pretty useful for the right types of characters.
★★☆☆☆ Hunter’s Bane (Armor; Tactical; Level 2; 6 gp) — Making an invisible enemy hidden instead of detected is okay, but not great. Especially when you have to be hit for it to trigger.
★★☆☆☆ Effervescent Ampoule (Armor; Tactical; Level 2; 7 gp) — Best to carry one with you. Running over unstable surfaces (and water) is nice, but it takes an action.
★★☆☆☆ Mesmerizing Opal (Armor; Skill; Level 2; 7 gp) — Usable if you have a class that gets extra mileage out of a critical success on a feint, but there are better ways to flat-foot people.
★☆☆☆☆ Savior Spike (Armor; Defense; Level 2; 7 gp) — If this turned a failure into a success then maybe. Jade Cat is way more useful. Low rating because Grab an Edge takes a reaction.

Level 3 Talismans:

★★★★★ Feather Step Stone (Armor; Tactical; Level 3; 8 gp) — Ignoring difficult or greater difficult terrain is excellent at any level.
★★★★★ Retrieval Prism (Armor; Defense; Level 3; 12 gp) — Pulling an item without spending an action can be invaluable, but it takes some planning. Especially good for 2-action items that require you to be in a specific place, and 3-action items!
★★★★☆ Snapleaf (Armor; Defense/Tactical; Level 3; 9 gp) — Ignoring falling damage can save your life. The invisibility is neat, but it goes away once you land.
★☆☆☆☆ Indomitable Keepsake (Armor; Defense; Level 3; 12 gp) — Niche. If you know your going up against firearms, it’s good.
★☆☆☆☆ Matchmaker Fulu (Armor; Skill; Level 3; 10 gp) — Best to carry one with you for exploration mode. +2 status to diplomacy is pretty good and sometimes you can’t afford the crit fail.
★☆☆☆☆ Venomous Cure Fulu (Armor; Defense; Level 3; 10 gp) — Niche. Antidotes work on every type of poison. I’m not even sure what counts as an “injected” poison. If you absolutely know you are going up against lots of creatures to whom this applies, it’s pretty good.

Level 4 Talismans:

★★★★☆ Bloodseeker Beak (Weapon; Offense; Level 4; 20 gp) — Extra damage is pretty good. Bleed is even better.
★★★★☆ Energized Cartridge (Firearm/Crossbow; Offense; Level 4; 20 gp) — Great if you know the creature’s weakness. Persistent against weakness is brutal.
★★★☆☆ Sniper’s Bead (Firearm/Crossbow; Tactical/Offense; Level 4; 16 gp) — Can be table dependant, as many games don’t like long range sniping. Best to carry it with you since you are probably not being ambushed from that far away.
★★★☆☆ Admonishing Band (Firearm; Skill/Tactical; Level 4; 20 gp) — Warning Shot’s range is incredible. This is great for an Agonizing Rebuke build.
★★☆☆☆ Fortifying Pebble (Armor/Shield/Weapon; Utility/Defense; Level 4; 13 gp) — Niche. Most items never take damage. Good with shields. Or for Starspinners (shameless plug).
★★☆☆☆ Lion Badge (Armor; Defense; Level 4; 15 gp) — Only works when you fail a will save, not when you are intimidated. Decent in the right campaign.
★★☆☆☆ Dragonbone Arrowhead (Weapon; Tactical; Level 4; 20 gp) — Using an entire action just so you can throw your weapon isn’t very good.
★☆☆☆☆ Dragon Turtle Scale (Armor; Tactical; Level 4; 13 gp) — Nice to carry around just in case. Having a swim speed has nice benefits, but this requires Expert in Athletics which in most cases means you probably didn’t need this. I’ve run the same adventure for different groups at least a dozen times and only saw this used once due to the skill requirement.
★☆☆☆☆ Fear Gem (Weapon; Tactical; Level 4; 20 gp) — You can automatically make a target Frightened by doing a two-action strike. Probably better just using Intimidate. If you have Intimidating Strike, it can make them frightened 3 on a critical hit, which is nice for Agonizing Rebuke builds. I guess its good against things with extremely high Will saves.

Level 5 Talismans:

★★★★☆ Goblin-Eye Orb (Firearm/Crossbow; Tactical/Offense; Level 5; 24 gp) — Being able to auto-ignore concealment/hidden flat-checks can save you from automatically missing with that magic ammunition empowered multi-action super-strike.
★★★★☆ Beckoning Cat Amulet (Armor; Defense; Level 5; 26 gp) — Niche requirements. I don’t think hero points count as a feat or ability, but if you have such an ability this can help the party, especially with effects that cause everyone to be moved and/or fall in a hole! You do have to fail to use it, but if you picked one of these abilities your reflex is probably not your high save.
★★★☆☆ Shark Tooth Charm (Armor; Tactical; Level 5; 23 gp) —The piercing damage is fun, but you’ll be using this because you want to get out. It’s not bad, as many things grab/grapple. -1 star because you have to declare you use it before you see your die roll and the damage gets paltry pretty fast.
★★★☆☆ Eye of Enlightenment (Weapon; Tactical; Level 5; 25 gp) —This is great for characters who can benefit from a free Recall Knowledge check.
★★★☆☆ Rhino Hide Brooch (Armor; Defense; Level 5; 28 gp) — Resistance 5 to physical damage is swell against creatures with tons of attacks. You will level out of it fast, but you’ll use it. It does use your reaction, though, which is why its not 4 stars.
★★★☆☆ Tiger Menuki (Weapon; Offense; Level 5; 30 gp) — Sweep is pretty good and it’s hard to get a +1 circumstance bonus to attack from an item.
★★☆☆☆ Emerald Grasshopper (Armor; Skill/Tactical; Level 5; 30 gp) — 60 foot high jump is fun, but you are getting close to Fly levels.
★★☆☆☆ Fulu of the Drunken Monkey (Armor; Defense; Level 5; 25 gp) — Niche. Bonuses against ingested poison and strong alcohol are nice in the right place. Carry it with you just in case.
★★☆☆☆ Fulu of the Stoic Ox (Armor; Defense; Level 5; 25 gp) — Niche. Bonuses against disease are nice in the right place. Carry it with you just in case.
★☆☆☆☆ Oily Button (Armor; Tactical; Level 5; 30 gp) — This just reminds people how hard it is to disarm without a dedicated build. +4 is nice, but you’ll still take a -5. Should be lv 1-2 item.
☆☆☆☆☆ Sneaky Key (Armor; Skill; Level 5; 22 gp) — Extremely niche. There’s some value, but in most cases you’ll just use extra picks.

Check out my google doc if you just want to see the effects of all the runes in one easy to read table!

Fundamentals of Runes: The Fundamental Runes

The most basic rune is the Fundamental Rune. These include the Potency Runes (+1, +2, and +3) and Resilient Runes that increase your saving throws. Despite the name fundamental, they are rather boring; They increase your AC and Saves. But they are important and powerful, and if these weren’t essentially mandatory, players would likely shirk property runes altogether for these incredible bonuses. The other big thing you have to know is the number of property runes a weapon can have is equal to the value of its potency rune. So a +1 or +1 Resilient armor can have one property rune, a +2 Armor, +2 Resiliency Armor or +2 Greater Resilient Armor can have two property runes, etc…

Property Runes: The Art of Armor

Want to see a complete list of property runes? Archives of Nethys has the most up to date list, but if you want to see all the effects on a single page: check out my google doc.

The grades and opinions given below are biased. There are no “trap” options for runes in Pathfinder Second Edition. Even the lowest ranking rune on this list serves a purpose. Most of my lower grades are assuming you are playing a campaign like Organized Play, with mixed enemy types and no particularly strong theme for your character that these runes would otherwise enable. All property runes can be divided into one of the following categories: Defense, Skill, Tactical, and Utility. The decision on what kind of property run you want really comes down to party composition. Runes like soaring are substantially less useful if your party has a character using Mass Fly all the time.

Level 5 Property Runes:

★★★★★ Stanching (Defense; Level 5; 130 gp) — Don’t underestimate this ability. Persistent damage is extremely deadly and any advantage to your flat-check is welcome.
★★★★☆ Glamered (Utility; Level 5; 140 gp) — Very good rune in any kind of urban or intrigue campaign. I’m tempted to put it under “Skill” for all the circumstance penalties it’ll offset. Also great if you have the perfect miniature for your PC, but they aren’t wearing armor.
★★★☆☆ Slick (Tactical; Level 3; 50 gp) — Grapple is fairly common, so it’s not a bad investment for a front-line fighter, especially those that don’t use a reach weapon. It is still niche, and those checks aren’t that difficult.
★★★☆☆ Shadow (Skill; Level 5; 55 gp) — This one offers some decent utility out of combat, and will often confer the bonus to your initiative. But there are other ways to get an item bonus to your stealth that don’t use a rune slot, although they are more expensive and/or circumstantial.

Level 6-9 Property Runes:

★★★★★ Stanching (Greater) (Tactical; Level 9; 600 gp) — This is still really good. Bleed is totally relevant at levels 6-9.
★★★★☆ Deathless (Defense; Level 7; 330 gp) — Wounded (or Doomed) is another condition like Bleeding that risks killing your PC, making this a very useful ability.
★★★☆☆ Dread (Lesser) (Tactical; Level 6; 225 gp) — Keeping enemies frightened is pretty good, especially if you have rider effects like Agonizing Rebuke.
★★★☆☆ Energy-Resistant (Tactical; Level 8; 420 gp) — This can be very campaign dependent, but if your most common type of enemy uses a specific energy type, it’s super useful. +1 if that energy type happens to be fire, as “1d6 each round you are near the fire” is a common mechanic. Also really useful if you (or an inconsiderate party member) does lots of area damage.
★★★☆☆ Bitter (Tactical; Level 9; 135 gp) — Extremely niche. But also extremely cheap. Remember you can move runes around your armor with enough prep-time. So you could apply this before you go hunting for specific monsters. 3-stars only for tiny-sized PCs!
★★☆☆☆ Invisibility (Utility; Level 8; 500 gp) — Going invisible once a day is pretty good utility. Although with its limited combat use, in most cases, a wand or scroll is probably a better option.
★★☆☆☆ Slick (Greater) (Tactical; Level 8; 450 gp) — This gets a lower rating because there are far more useful runes you should be looking into.
★★☆☆☆ Shadow (Greater) (Tactical; Level 9; 650 gp) — This gets a lower rating because by this level there are more ways to get an item bonus to stealth.
★☆☆☆☆ Sinister Knight (Utility/Skill; Level 8; 500 gp) — Extremely niche. Totally 5-stars in an undead-heavy campaign. It’s really most useful if everyone in the party can get a set,and requires heavy armor (but that is a possible party composition). The bonus to Deception keeps this from being 0-stars.
★☆☆☆☆ Ready (Utility; Level 6; 200 gp) — Taking time to don your armor almost never comes up. Might be useful if your GM is a stickler for these rules and likes to attack sleeping PCs.

Level 10-14 Property Runes:

★★★★★ Winged (Tactical/Utility/Defense; Level 13; 2,500 gp) — Flying is really good. You can avoid being in melee range with non-flying enemies. You can reach high-up places. You can prevent yourself from falling to your death. And while characters can cast fly by level 6, most parties won’t have the resources to keep it going all day long.
★★★★☆ Fortification (Defense; Level 12; 2,000 gp) — 20% chance to avoid a critical hit is huge. This is a flat-check, so you can use a hero-point to reroll. Critical hits from higher level monsters are no-joke. But I can’t give this 5-stars knowing how many of my friends are so unlucky that they will never see it work.
★★★★☆ Stanching (Major) (Defense; Level 13; 2,500 gp) — By now you are likely encountering a more diverse suite of persistent damage, but this is still darn good.
★★★☆☆ Dread (Moderate) (Tactical; Level 12; 1,800 gp) — This is still only “good”, as most enemies will scale out of this DC pretty fast. Still, extending Frightened is great for Intimidation, which is one of the best tactical skills in the game.
★★★☆☆ Energy-Resistant (Greater) (Defense; Level 12; 1,650 gp) — Energy Resistance 10 gives you access to the tried and true tactic of “ninjas can’t touch you if you are on fire”. Again, ideal when your campaign has a prevailing energy type, or a reckless ally.
★★★☆☆ Implacable (Tactical; Level 11; 1,200 gp) — This is so much better than Slick, at least until you find yourself reliably quickened all the time. Great for front-line PCs with low Fort-saves. This assumes you are using the PFS ruling to prevent some major cheese.
★★★☆☆ Invisibility (Greater) (Tactical/Utility; Level 10; 1,000 gp) — Once you hit 3/day, invisibility becomes a viable combat option for making a single attack flat-footed, especially when it only takes a single action.
★★★☆☆ Soaring (Tactical/Utility; Level 14; 3,750 gp) — This is great if you already have a fly-speed, otherwise you should look at Winged. This can be combined with Winged if your land speed is fast enough to get a faster Fly Speed, which is neat.
★☆☆☆☆ Rock-Braced (Tactical; Level 13; 3,000 gp) — While this is a big bonus, forced movement is an extremely niche tactic for most creatures. Would be better if you could put it on L armor, since those characters will likely need it more.
☆☆☆☆☆ Ready (Greater) (Utility; Level 11; 1,200 gp) — At this level I doubt many parties are still worried about how long it takes to get dressed. Buy a squire.

Level 15-20 Property Runes:

★★★★★ Fortification (Greater) (Defense; Level 18; 24,000 gp) — A 30% chance to negate a critical hit is really good. Once you hit these high levels, many enemies are going to be beyond 20th level and this will save you.
★★★★★ Winged (Greater) (Tactical/Defense/Utility/Skill; Level 19; 35,000 gp) — Being able to fly all the time is really good, and this isn’t a terrible way to get the ability. Without it you will likely find yourself not participating in many encounters.
★★★★☆ Antimagic (Defense; Level 15; 6,500 gp) — By this level you are encountering a lot of magic. That makes this really useful. A little less useful if you have a reliable way to get a status bonus to your saving throws.
★★★★☆ Stanching (True) (Defense; Level 17; 12,500 gp) — Lots of creatures still confer bleed at this level, making this still a surprisingly solid choice. Even a little bleed is super deadly with how dying works!
★★★☆☆ Ethereal (Tactical/Utility; Level 17; 13,500 gp) — Being able to go Ethereal for a single action and return as a Free-action is super useful, both in exploration and encounter mode. But it is only once per day.
★★★☆☆ Dread (Greater) (Tactical; Level 18; 21,000 gp) — If you have certain riders and/or get this at a low enough level, it’s great. That’s a decent DC, until you start fighting stuff that is almost exclusively over level 20.
☆☆☆☆☆ Slick (Major) (Tactical; Level 16; 9,000 gp) — At this level you should be teleporting or going Ethereal to get out of grapple. Maybe if your character is a hardcore pugilist in a wrestling campaign.
☆☆☆☆☆ Shadow (Major) (Skill; Level 17; 14,000 gp) — There are so many better options by now for getting that item bonus to Stealth.

Check out my google doc if you just want to see the effects of all the runes in one easy to read table!

Fundamentals of Runes: The Fundamental Runes

The most basic rune is the Fundamental Rune. These include the Potency Runes (+1, +2, and +3) and Striking Runes (Striking, Greater Striking, and Major Striking). Despite the name fundamental, they are rather boring; They increase your attack roll and your damage. But they are important and powerful, and if these weren’t essentially mandatory, players would likely shirk property runes altogether for these incredible bonuses. The other big thing you have to know is the number of property runes a weapon can have is equal to the value of its potency rune. So a +1 or +1 Striking weapon can have one property rune, a +2 Weapon, +2 Striking Weapon or +2 Greater Striking weapon can have two property runes, etc…

Property Runes: The Art of Armaments

Want to see a complete list of property runes? Archives of Nethys has the most up to date list, but if you want to see all the effects on a single page: check out my google doc.

The grades and opinions given below are biased. There are no “trap” options for runes in Pathfinder Second Edition. Even the lowest ranking rune on this list serves a purpose. Most of my lower grades are assuming you are playing a campaign like Organized Play, with mixed enemy types and no particularly strong theme for your character that these runes would otherwise enable. All property runes can be divided into one of the following categories: Buff, Debuff, Damage, Bane, and Tactical. The decision on what kind of property run you want really comes down to party composition. Runes should be used to help fill gaps in your party, especially when it comes to Buffs and Debuffs, which can substantially lower in usefulness if you have a party member providing the same bonuses. Runes like hope and speed are substantially less useful if your party has a character using Inspire Courage or Haste all the time. Likewise, items that deal specific types of damage are often more useful when combined with abilities that give monsters specific weaknesses. Bane weapons best against specific types of monsters, so if you are in an adventure or campaign full of that type of monster you should consider picking it up. I will rate Bane weapons under the assumption that you only encounter the creature listed one in every five encounters, but they should be counted significantly higher if they are a major focus of your campaign.

Level 2-5 Property Runes:

★★★★★ Cunning (Tactical; Level 5; 140 gp) — A free Recall Knowledge once per minute is fantastic. You even get a bonus to the check ranging from +1 to +5! It’s not as good as being quickened and is only once per minute, but it also helps provide a handy little reminder to use that Recall Knowledge at least once per encounter.
★★★★☆ Crushing (Debuff; Level 3; 50 gp) — When you Crit the target becomes clumsy 1 and enfeebled 1 until the end of your next turn, effectively giving you and your allies +1 AC and +1 to hit for the rest of the round and your next turn. And it doesn’t require the use of a reaction!
★★★★☆ Returning (Tactical; Level 3; 55 gp) — You’ll want this on any thrown magic weapon. It is almost a tax.
★★★☆☆ Ghost Touch (Bane; Level 5; 75) — Incorporeal enemies are a headache. This helps immensely. It also helps at higher levels if your party gets the ability to become incorporeal.
★★☆☆☆ Disrupting (Bane; Level 5; 160 gp) — Dealing extra damage and enfeebling undead is pretty good against undead, but in an undead heavy campaign you will probably want Ghost Touch first.
★★☆☆☆ Fanged (Tactical; Level 2; 30 gp) — I want to give this a higher rating as its my favorite weapon rune, but only for flavor. It really doesn’t provide much of a combat benefit. But there is a great deal of out of combat benefit, depending on your GM.
★★☆☆☆ Kin-Warding (Buff; Level 3; 52 gp) — Spending an action to give an ally +1 AC is not that bad. The fact it requires a clan dagger is annoying. Not as useful as pacifying against a single enemy.
★★☆☆☆ Pacifying (Debuff; Level 5; 150 gp) — Using your precious reaction to possibly give your opponent a penalty on lethal attacks is extremely niche. Would be ranked higher if it made your attack nonlethal damage. But it is an untyped penalty and doesn’t require a critical hit, and many enemies will have to take a -2 penalty to attack for nonlethal damage. If only the DC scaled.
★☆☆☆☆ Bane (Bane; Level 4; 100 gp) — This choice is completely campaign dependent. It is not as good a bane as disrupting or demolishing, and the more specific banes that get published the less likely this one will see use. It’s flavorful and a great add-on when developing magic items with a backstory.
★☆☆☆☆ Fearsome (Debuff; Level 5; 160 gp) — Imparting Frightened on a Critical Hit isn’t that good. Intimidate is one of the most supported skills and makes a great third action, making this unnecessary.

Level 6-9 Property Runes:

VARIES Grievous (Tactical; Level 9; 700 gp) — ★★★★★ Axe, Brawling; ★★★★☆ Dart, Flail, Hammer & Pick; ★★★☆☆ Polearm; ★★☆☆☆ Bow, Club, & Shield; ★☆☆☆☆ Knife, Sling & Sword
★★★★★ Frost (Damage; Level 8; 500 gp) — Additional cold damage is good. The potential to make the target slowed 1 is incredible, but it will be weaker next tier due to poor scaling.
★★★★★ Shifting (Tactical; Level 6; 225 gp) — You know what’s better than shifting your grip? Shifting the entire weapon. Great for picking situational weapon traits, targeting weaknesses, switching to a weapon that can be thrown or has a ranged element (like a combination weapon). Ask your GM how much the text “similar form” matters, as some GMs will keep the weapon in the same category, despite the ability just forcing the same number of hands.
★★★★☆ Conducting (Damage; Level 7; 300 gp) — Good on spellcasters and alchemists. Great when you get attacks, rage actions, and/or stances with one of the traits necessary to activate Conduct Energy. Don’t just think of it as extra damage, but extra damage you can shift to target weaknesses and bypass resistances. Also less gold than most elemental weapons.
★★★★☆ Crushing (Greater) (Debuff; Level 9; 650 gp) — Enfeebled 2 and Clumsy 2 is incredibly debilitating.
★★★☆☆ Corrosive (Damage; Level 8; 500 gp) — Acid damage is pretty good. In a campaign with many shields, this easily becomes a 4-star.
★★★☆☆ Flaming (Damage; Level 8; 500 gp) — Fire damage is the most easy to resist, but also the most common weakness. 1d10 persistent fire damage is really good.
★★★☆☆ Shock (Damage; Level 8; 500 gp) — Electricity damage is fine, but arcing 1d6 damage to two other creatures within 10-feet feels forgettable by level 8.
★★★☆☆ Thundering (Damage; Level 8; 500 gp) —Very little resists Sonic damage, but Deafened isn’t that incredible in combat.
★★★☆☆ Wounding (Damage; Level 7; 340 gp) — Consistent persistent bleed is good. This gets even better if you combine it with abilities like Blood Drinker and/or Invoke the Crimson Oath.
★★☆☆☆ Demolishing (Bane; Level 6; 225 gp) — This is a really good bane ability, but it’s still a bane ability. Go for it in a construct heavy campaign.
★★☆☆☆ Extending (Tactical; Level 9; 700 gp) — This would be so much better if you could Trip with it to try to knock down fliers, but being its own two-action activity makes it hard to enhance.
★★☆☆☆ Fanged (Greater) (Tactical; Level 8; 425 gp) — The movement speed bonus is nice, but many players get Item bonuses to speed from Invested items. Most ancestries have Low-Light Vision.
★☆☆☆☆ Bloodbane (Bane; Level 8; 475 gp) — Less damage than wounding, even if it can potentially sicken. Only works against a specific type of creature, with very narrow examples. Only works on a clan dagger. Makes for fine treasure, or in adventures against extremely specific sorts of enemies; It does allow a bane effect against humanoids, but many people would just prefer Bleed.
★☆☆☆☆ Energizing (Damage; Level 6; 250 gp) —Using your precious reaction to get bonus damage is okay, but many enemies who do specific damage are also resistant to that damage. This is much better in a campaign where that kind of damage happens frequently in the environment and your character doesn’t have resistance to it, like a fire-fighting campaign.
★☆☆☆☆ Hauling (Tactical; Level 6; 225 gp) — Using your precious reaction to move someone 5-feet isn’t that good. It’s not terrible, and it can set up everything from flanking to forcing a target to have to spend an action to get back into melee range, but you can only use it once per hour and there is a Reflex save.

Level 10-14 Property Runes:

★★★★★ Brilliant (Tactical/Bane/Debuff/Damage; Level 12; 2,000 gp) — So it does extra damage, even more damage against two common types of foes, blinds on a critical hit, and can counteract darkness? Sign me up.
★★★★☆ Keen (Damage; Level 13; 3,000 gp) — High attack classes like Fighter and Ranger won’t need this, but for many other classes this can mean a significant increase in average damage each round that will continue to get better and better until level 20.
★★★★☆ Spell-Storing (Damage/Debuff/Tactical; Level 13; 2,700 gp) — So you can pretty much only use this once per combat, but when you do the damage should be insane. The fact it can store the spell indefinitely means you’ll probably end each day asking the caster to toss a 3rd level spell into your weapon, but even using cantrips the ability to choose when you unleash the spell and use your attack roll success for the degree of success of the spell attack roll is fantastic. Just think about how often your fighter scores a critical hit, and then apply that to magic. A 3rd-level shocking grasp will do 8d12 damage on a crit, and even a cantrip like produce flame will do 6d4! You can even use this with Debuffs like earthbind, or tactical spells like hydraulic push!
★★★★☆ Impactful (Damage/Tactical; Level 10; 1,000 gp) — Force damage is really good, and pushing people back can be great, and the push back on a crit isn’t mandatory.
★★★☆☆Anarchic (Bane; Level 11; 1,400 gp) — Lawful targets are more common than any given creature type, and many campaigns fight against lawful targets. The extra ability is naturally feast-or-famine so I love it, but results may vary.
★★★☆☆ Axiomatic (Damage; Level 11; 1,400 gp) — Chaotic targets are more common than any given creature type, and many campaigns fight against chaotic targets. The extra ability is theoretically always better than rolling dice, but to many players it will feel less fun than being able to watch shiny click-claks.
★★★☆☆ Holy (Damage; Level 11; 1,400 gp) — This ability is less memorable than the other alignment runes, but there are far more evil targets and creatures with weakness to good damage than any other type in the game, making this a solid choice to do extra damage.
★★☆☆☆ Unholy (Damage; Level 11; 1,400 gp) — Even in an evil campaign you are very unlikely to have enough good aligned enemies that this weapon is really worth it, and there are fewer creatures with explicit weakness to evil damage. Totally get it if your campaign is about fighting Heaven or Elysium or something, otherwise you should look into Anarchic or Axiomatic.
★★☆☆☆ Anchoring (Tactical; Level 10; 900 gp) — While this is a bit campaign specific, this also has some niche uses against offense teleportation, especially from hazards. It does require a critical hit at this tier. It’s almost a bane rune.
★★☆☆☆ Dancing (Damage; Level 13; 2,700 gp) — It doesn’t have a bad bonus and being able to hit flying enemies is really useful. This essentially gives you an extra attack each turn with this weapon, albeit without any of your other buffs to the attack. The flat check and the fact the attack bonus won’t scale beyond this level prevents this from getting a third star, but it’s an awesome investment if you have a bunch of extra gold and want this on your sidearm, and/or your adventure is going to end at level 13! Make sure not to combine this with any runes that require actions to activate like Spell Storing, but the Dancing weapon will still benefit from runes like Frost.
★★☆☆☆ Disrupting (Greater) (Bane; Damage; Level 14; 4,300 gp) — This is a very potent bane rune in an extremely undead heavy campaign, even with the dreaded incapacitate trait.
★★☆☆☆ Fearsome (Greater) (Debuff; Damage; Level 12; 2,000 gp) — Frightening your target on that first hit means you get to offset your Multiple Attack Penalty on your next hit! That being said, Intimidate is still a very popular skill, and many spells pass out the Frightened condition to multiple targets at once. But Frightened 2 is at least less guaranteed using those options, making this a better choice than its predecessor. Great with Agonizing Rebuke, assuming you Intimidate them first, then attack them with this to keep them Frightened.
★★☆☆☆ Hopeful (Buff; Level 11; 1,200 gp) —A free bless until the end of your next turn is great, even if it doesn’t effect you. It does only work on a crit, but it doesn’t take a reaction. It does require everyone sharing an alignment component, so consider party composition. And if anyone else is passing out status bonuses to Attack rolls, you should probably pass.
★☆☆☆☆ Bloodbane (Greater) (Damage; Level 13; 2,800 gp) — Better than the predecessor and it lets you get Bane against Humanoids, but its very campaign specific and only for clan daggers.
★☆☆☆☆ Hauling (Greater) (Damage; Level 11; 1,300 gp) — The main reason to want to push someone 10-feet instead of 5-feet is to provoke Attacks of Opportunity, but this uses your Reaction. I suppose it still helps your teammates.
★☆☆☆☆ Serrating (Damage; Level 10; 1,000 gp) — Another one of my favorite runes that is just not that good. It is cool that the action lasts indefinitely, so you can activate it during exploration mode and should have that 1d12 damage on your first hit. But it is still bonus damage without any additional effects.
☆☆☆☆☆ Extending (Greater) (Tactical; Damage; Level 13; 3,000 gp) — At 120 feet you are almost guaranteed to have situations where the GM is just going to say no because there will be stuff in the way. Still not terrible for anti-flying, but I’d rather use Dancing.

Level 15-20 Property Runes:

VARIES Ancestral Echoing (Tactical; Level 15; 9,500 gp) — This will be mandatory for the characters who need it, which is a shame since it comes online so late. Specialists like gunslingers who use both a firearm and a melee weapon will especially benefit from being able to use the same weapon proficiency for both weapons.
★★★★☆ Anchoring (Greater) (Tactical; Level 18; 22,000 gp) —At this tier many things will have teleportation “move” effects, etherealness, effects like blink, or just the desire to teleport away from the party to live for another day. Since it doesn’t require a crit, you can also use this to more effectively prevent yourself from being offensively teleported, or even get through some puzzles “guarded” by permanent gates.
★★★☆☆ Bloodthirsty (Damage/Buff/Debuff; Level 16; 8,500 gp) — Strap this on a wounding weapon and it effectively adds that critical effect, which hits the opponent for a nice chunk of damage. Drained 1 means 16 damage to a level 16 enemy, which is more than the average of 4d6 extra damage! The reaction is also one of the few I’d consider using, as it can benefit even a high level PC who kills an enemy and is now too far away to expect to react to any other enemies until they have a chance to move again.
★★★☆☆ Brilliant (Greater) (Tactical/Bane/Damage/Debuff; Level 18; 24,000 gp) — The numbers  on this is high enough to take you to 20. Being able to bypass three different resistances with your strikes also lets you apply any number of fun oils, spells, and feats to further improve this option. Countering magical darkness is a little less important at this tier, but still useful. If the damage scaled a little higher, this would get a higher rating, but it’s still a brilliant choice.
★★★☆☆ Frost (Greater) (Damage; Level 15; 6,500 gp) — Slow is still really good, and ignoring cold resistance is nice too.
★★★☆☆ Speed (Tactical; Level 16; 10,000 gp) — By level 16 you probably have someone in the party providing you with Quickened 1. And by level 16 more martial characters won’t be using a single-action strike, but rather a feat with Strike as a subordinate action. Still, there are characters where this isn’t true and being Quickened 1 as long as you have the weapon is very good. Especially great for sword-and-spell type characters who aren’t in free-archetype campaigns and need the extra action to do that precious strike. Also great for Battleform builds, so you can guarantee that you can strike after using all those actions transforming and moving into place.
★★☆☆☆ Corrosive (Greater) (Damage; Level 15; 6,500 gp) — Shields aren’t as common at this tier, but against humanoid opponent’s this is a solid choice.
★★☆☆☆ Flaming (Greater) (Damage; Level 15; 6,500 gp) —Ignoring fire resistance is really clutch, and this gets 3-stars if you wield it on a character who gets fire damage added to their weapon through other means since it applies to all fire damage dealt by this weapon, not just dealt by this rune…or you can save up and get a greater brilliant weapon.
★★☆☆☆ Impactful (Greater) (Tactical; Level 17; 15,000 gp) — Extra force damage is still cool and if you liked Impactful you’ll want the upgrade for the higher save DC, but this is very expensive and you have other options now that might be more viable, especially if your campaign is going to 20 (since the DC won’t scale further).
★★☆☆☆ Fanged (Major) (Tactical; Level 15; 6,000 gp) — This is a fairly affordable way to get scent, but you’ll probably have other items providing you with the speed bonus. It’s still flavorful!
★★☆☆☆ Vorpal (Tactical; Level 17; 15,000 gp) — Most enemies you fight at this level are going to be immune to this or have an extremely high Fortitude save. Against weaker enemies, you will probably one-shot them with a critical hit or want to use your reaction, depending on how many enemies you are fighting. Now if you are fighting the Jabberwock, go ahead and consider this a mandatory bane rune.
★☆☆☆☆ Shock (Greater) (Damage; Level 15; 6,500 gp) — The upgrade on this is pretty mediocre. It’s good if your weapon has other sources of electricity damage built in, like if you were a stassian themed character, but that’s far less common than being able to add fire damage.
★☆☆☆☆ Thundering (Greater) (Damage; Level 15; 6,500 gp) — Not much resists sonic damage and deafness isn’t all that amazing.

Extinguish

[one-action] Extinguish You attempt to extinguish a single adjacent 5-foot square of fire as an Interact action with an Athletics or Survival skill check at a DC equal to the fire’s level. This action requires the use of an item that may confer an item bonus. You can attempt to extinguish an additional square by spending [two-actions] or [three-actions] when you Extinguish, depending on the item. Certain items may be better or worse at extinguishing certain fires, especially when chemicals such as grease are involved that can combust when exposed to water.

*Cloak-like item includes but is not limited to a cloak, bedroll, tower shield, or tent.

Critical Success: You completely extinguish the square and one adjacent contiguous square for each action spent attempting to extinguish the fire.
Success: You extinguish one square of normal fire.
Failure: You fail to extinguish the square of fire.
Critical Failure: Make a DC 5 flat-check. If you succeed, the fire spreads to another square. If you fail, the fire spreads to your square and may incinerate the item you used to extinguish the fire.

Advanced Fire Fighting Gear

These fire fighting actions use no specialized fire-fighting gear, relying instead on existing equipment common to your everyday adventuring party.

Air Bladder
While not as comprehensive as a masked helmet for breathing in heavy smoke, air bladders are much easier to deploy to victims in a fire emergency, especially if they are panicking.

Axe (Tool)
Useful for clearing away rubble, chopping through obstacles, and defending yourself against arsonist brimorak demons. A leniant GM may allow a PC to use a Battleaxe despite the item’s description, but if you are looking for a weapon to double as a tool a Hatchet is a better fit.

Backpack Catapult
Filling the bucket with water or sand makes this a way to potentially douse flames from a distance. Used this way, a backpack catapult can Extinguish up to 3 squares as a single action; If used this way, the Extinguish gains the following critical failure effect:
Critical Failure You fail to engage the catapult properly, causing the water to eject onto your person or an adjacent square instead of the fire itself. You must spend a single action with the Manipulate trait to recalibrate the backpack catapult before it can be used again.

Bucket (Tool)
You can load two buckets with water or sand as a single Interact action, or load a single bucket with water or sand and pass it to an adjacent creature as a single Interact action. A bucket of water or sand can attempt to douse a single square of fire from up to 5 feet away. If the fire is not adjacent, it will never spread to you even on a critical failure.

Fire Retardant Cloth
Wearing fire retardant fabric provides resistance 3 to fire damage from hazards, which applies to all gear worn under your clothes. Clothing altered in this way has a Dexterity cap of +2, check penalty of -1, and Speed penalty of -5 feet regardless of your Strength. Fireproof cloth costs 420 gp, but confers resistance 10 to fire damage from hazards, rather than 3.

Fire-Jump Ring
While expensive, these rings can provide a firefighter with the ability to jump to an injured party or escape a collapsing building. Teams that make use of these generally wear them in pairs: one to enter the building, and one to leave.

Folding Ladder
In addition to being easier to carry into a building, experienced firefighters can more easily stack two of these ladders with a DC 10 craft check.

Fulu of Fire Suppression
While expensive, these consumables are among some of the best fireproofing and firefighting items on the market.

Grodair (Wagon)
The Grodair is a modified steam trolly, without an expensive steam engine. Instead, it uses an extra-large water tank that can be used along with a mechanical pump to spray water (see the mechanical pump for more information.). The cart does not include the price of equipment, including the pump and hose. A Grodair’s tank can handle up to 12 charges of pressure before a safety valve in the tank locks an attached pump into place. The piloting check required depends on the locomotion used; By default, the Grodair is pulled by a mule. Upgrading the Grodair into a fully mechanical Steam Trolley costs 130 GP.

Hammer (Tool)
As a Warhammer costs the same as the tool most firefighters wielding a hammer will likely wield one that can also be used for combat, just in case the source of the fire becomes hostile.

Hose (50 feet)
Made of a mesh of fireproof cloth and rubber, a hose can be used to pump water from a mechanical pump to wherever you need it to be sprayed. A firefighter can adjust the spray of a hose using a nozzle attachment at the end of the hose (switching sprays does not require a separate action). See the mechanical pump for more information.  A length of hose can be detached or reattached from the rest of the host with a single Interact action.

Healer’s Tools
Healer’s tools are an important staple in any firefighter’s arsenal, both to save victims and fellow emergency response team members.

Ladder
An invaluable tool. Ladders can be stacked on top of one another when they are being put into place with a DC 15 craft check.

Masked Helmet
Functioning as a modified Plague Mask, these use filters to keep the firefighter safe from smoke inhalation and goggles that can reduce the penalty you take to Perception checks due to smoke by 1.

Mechanical Pump
A mechanical pump can adjust the pressure in a water tank to refill or vacate its contents. A character can Interact with a water pump to give it 1 charge of pressure. Clockwork or steam powered devices (or minions such as Unseen Servants) can automatically pump at a rate of 1 charge of pressure per round (Usually costing around 75 gp). Releasing a charge (usually using a hose) creates a spray of water that covers 4 squares, either in a line or area. A creature hit with a line of this water must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or be knocked prone (+2 if you expend two charges). Releasing 2 charges at once requires an Athletics check of DC 15 to maintain control of the water:
Success You spray a 15-foot cone or 30-foot line of water.
Failure You spray the same area as if you only used 1 charge of pressure.
Critical Failure You drop the hose, which jets back 30-feet and douses the area between you and the hose. Any character within a 30-foot line behind you must succeed at a DC 15 basic Reflex save or take 1d6 Bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone on a critical failure.

Portable Ram
A portable ram is far more reliable than an axe or hammer when it comes to getting past a locked or barricaded door.

Signal Horn
Signal horns are often used by city officials and volunteers to alert a fire fighting force of a fire, especially at night when billowing smoke can be hard to see. Using an Interact action to blow these horns launches a hollow brass dodecahedron several hundred feet into the air, where it will whistle and spin in place as it produces a bright light that points downward toward the source of the horn, penetrating smoke and even magical darkness as a level 3 spell with the Light trait.

Signal Whistle
A cheap alternative to the standard signal horn, these whistles are also often carried by fire fighters to alert their teammates when they are in danger and in need of help.

Shovel (Tool)
A shovel can be used in many of the same ways as an axe, plus can scoop dirt or sand onto a fire.

Next Time: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Magic (and Alchemy)

Next time on Fox’s Cunning, we will go over some magical solutions for fire fighting and wrap things up with some new alchemical items!

Important Note: Even with these rules, the countless variables of any disaster make it impossible to make one clear-cut set of rules for any fire. These are guidelines that should be adjusted to account for the circumstances of the disaster! Even during my first fire-related emergency in the campaign, I used multiple additional hazards that added to the complexity of the encounter! The fire builds off the existing Town Hall Fire hazard rules from Age of Ashes, but expands upon them significantly to account for different blazes based on the variants you can apply to the hazard below.

Fire [Hazard 1]

Complex, Environmental, Fire
Stealth –10; Initiative Modifier is +0
Description A  single instance of fire ranging from 4-squares to 9-squares that begins burning and spreads on each of its turns.

Disable Eliminating the hazard requires dousing the flames. Water typically clears a 5-foot square if the amount is smell (such as that from create water or hydraulic push). Larger amounts of water, such as a full bucket, typically dousing 2 contiguous squares of adjacent fire. Throwing a bucket of water on flames requires an Interact action. A waterskin doesn’t contain enough water to put out even 1 square of fire. Cold can also put out fire, but only if the cold can affect an area; cold is usually less effective than water, so a frost vial typically puts out 1 square of fire, and a ray of frost is ineffective. Other abilities and actions including but not limited to spells and attacks that deal fire damage, Athletics, and Survival checks can also put out one square of fire as an Attack action (requiring you to hit an AC of 5) or 2-action Interact action (against a DC of 10). On a critical failure, you can spread the flame instead of dousing it, especially if you are using survival to smother a blaze or fire spells to try to consume the fire. Specialized equipment such as the water pump from a Grodair Firetruck can douse entire cones of flames.

Routine On its turn, the fire spreads into a number of additional squares of flammable material equal to half the number of squares the fire currently occupies, with a minimum of 1 square.  You determine the squares the fire spreads into—typically those with the most flammable materials. Any creature that ends its turn next to the flames takes 1d6 fire damage, and any creature within the flames takes 3d6 fire damage. Both of these have a DC 17 basic Reflex save. A creature can take damage from flames only once per round.

Additional Hazards [Variable]

Backdraft: A ongoing fire event being exposed to fresh air will often explode outward as it spreads violently. A backdraft is considered a separate hazard on the other side of an obstacle, often a door, that can be detected with a Perception check against an easy DC, often by checking the temperature of the surface of the object. It can be prevented using Thievery or Athletics to create a safe vent point as a Disable check. When triggered, a backdraft erupts in a 5-foot cone that deals fire damage as though the creature ended its turn inside the fire and bludgeoning damage as though the creature ended its turn adjacent to the fire (Reflex half for all damage); Increase the size of the conical blast by 5 feet for every 5 levels of the Hazard. Each creature who fails their reflex save is forcefully moved 5-feet beyond the edge of the cone; On a critical failure, they are knocked prone. The cone ignites any extremely flammable or combustible material.

Combustible Material: Combustible material, whether alchemical reagents or dust, burns as quickly as extremely flammable material (see below), but explodes when ignited dealing inside damage to all creatures within or adjacent to the combustible material (Basic Reflex save) and are subjected to being pushed away from the center of the explosion as per the rules for Backdraft. Unlike extremely flammable material, combustible material does not continue to burn after it explodes, unless there is also extremely flammable material in the same squares.

Extremely Flammable Material: Extremely flammable material does not count against the number of squares the fire can spread, allowing a spread very quickly. Creatures caught in the blaze of extremely flammable material must attempt a reflex save immediately as though they ended their turn caught within the flames.

Fire Intensity: Fuel, ventilation, and even magic can all influence the intensity of a fire. In many cases, a GM may just want to challenge their players with more difficult flames. The following guidelines can adjust a fire’s statistics. These include the damage the fire deals, the DC to avoid taking damage, the maximum, and the suggested starting size. Note that inside damage will also adjust the damage dealt by backdraft and combustable material.

Smoke: Smoke can take from 4 to 6 rounds to fill a space, dealing 1d6 nonlethal damage to all creatures in the space. Toxic materials can increase this at the same rate as fire intensity, in addition to imparting conditions such as dazzled. After 1 minute of burning, intense smoke will choke the characters within or adjacent to the fire, forcing them to hold their breath or suffocate. A wet rag tied around one’s face will halve the damage and can lessen certain conditions. A filtered mask or the air bubble spell can protect a firefighter from the effects of smoke.

Unusual Fires: Alchemical and magically influenced fires can dramatically adjust the variables of a rescue operation, imparting conditions or even dealing some of its damage as a different type to creatures unfortunate enough to find themselves surrounded by these fires. The deadliest of these chemically or magically enhanced fires causes the burning condition to anyone who fails their reflex save against the hazard, even if they are wearing fire-resistant clothing, dealing persistent damage to the creature equal to the damage they’d take if they were adjacent to the fire. Any action that would douse a fire counts as receiving helpful aid for the purposes of ending the condition.

And that’s the basics of the versatile “fire” hazard. Next time on Fox’s Cunning, we will go ahead and look at the different tools you can use to fight the fire!

Summon-Dex Navigation:

Part 1: Summon Animal (arcane, primal)
Part 2: Abberations (occult)/Constructs & Dragons (arcane)/Giants & Plants (primal)
Part 3: Celestials (divine)/Fey (occult, primal)/Elementals (arcane, primal)
Part 4: Undead (arcane, divine, occult)/Fiend (divine)
Part 5: Lesser Divine Servitor/Anarch/Axiom (divine)

Incarnate Spells

Secrets of Magic includes five new “Incarnate” spells. These spells do not summon a minion, but instead, have an “Arrive” action and “Depart” action. They perform their “arrive” action when you cast the spell, and in the next round, they can move once and then perform their “Depart” action before the spell ends. These spells are all extremely high level (7-10) and cannot be evaluated using the same metrics as a summon given the limitations imposed by the “Arrive” and “Depart” actions. They are powerful and flavorful spells, and summoner-type characters should look into picking them up, but analyzing and comparing them is another article’s worth of content! The spells are: Summon Archmage, Summon Deific Herald, Summon Draconic Legion, Summon Kaiju, Tempest of Shades.

Summon Servitor (Divine)

The summon spells in Secrets of Magic are Divine spells that allow you to summon celestials, monitors, or fiend creature of the requisite level as long as its alignment is one of your deity’s preferred alignments (or, if you don’t have a deity, is within one step of your alignment). Lesser Servitor is of particular note as it gives characters the opportunity to summon “outsiders” before level 5. And while that list may seem lacking to some, they also allow you to summon some magical animals that function as celestials (for lawful), monitors (for neutral), or fiends (for evil). It also let’s you summon Uncommon and Rare creatures, but it does limit you based on your deity (and a GM is always welcome to restrict Uncommon and Rare options, which are marked with a “U” and “R” respectively).

Summon Lesser Servitor (Divine)

Most if not all of these creatures have Darkvision (or better). I’ve included niche spells that are at or above the summon spell’s level in case you want access to the spell by heightening.

Spell 1:
★★★☆☆ Raven (B2) — Decent Utility. A solid utility summon for out of combat. Want to try to steal something, but you don’t want to initiate a fight? Gotta reach those keys on the other side of the prison without the guards noticing? GM’s usually don’t plan for Fly speeds at level 1. Caw!
★★☆☆☆ Guard Dog (B1) — Mediocre Striker. Mediocre Striker. It could have dealt a little more damage than anything else if it wasn’t for its sad attack bonus. No special movement. It does have scent and decent Athletics if pushing small or tiny enemies is your goal.
★☆☆☆☆ Eagle (B1) — Terrible Striker. Lower attack than a Raven. It does have an agile attack. +6 to Acrobatics and the Small size means it could trip a Small flying enemy down to the ground for the rest of the party.

Heightened (2nd):
★★★★★ Imp (LE) (B1) — Amazing Buff Tank. You are summoning this for Infernal Temptation, because giving the entire party advantage for the next hour is amazing. So much so that the Imp is banned in PFS. It can also change shape into a medium sized boar or spider, heal itself with a single action, and has resistance 3, making it an amazing tank for this level. It can fly, has greater darkvision, and can cast invisibility (at will, self only), charm, detect alignment (at will, good only), and detect magic.
★★★★☆ Augur (LE) (B1) —  Great Striker Debuffer. Feel the Blade is a fantastic aura for a flying creature. Whirling strike gives you 40 feet of persistent bleed that even affects creatures who succeed! It can also cast augury (×2), harm (×3), and mage hand. It has flying, regeneration, greater darkvision, and painsight.
★★★★☆ Cacodaemon (NE) (B1) —Great Versatile Niche Utility Striker. It can change shape into a scorpion or an octopus with a swim speed and Grab and poison. Telepathy and flight are useful. It can cast invisibility (at will; self only), detect alignment (at will; good only), fear; and detect magic.
★★★★☆ Ostovite (CE) (B3) — Great Striking Tank. Great AC/HP/Immunities and a +9  Strike for 1d12 plus bleed! Yes, it loses everything if it takes 15 damage, but that just makes it an attractive target which is a great use of any low level Summon spell. Not going to be worth it after level 3-4.
★★★★☆ Quasit (CE) (B1) — Great Niche Utility Striker. Shapechanginginto a Bat (echolocation), Centipede (climb), or Wolf (scent, Climb and Knockdown) are all quite good. I’m not sure why the Wolf has Climb but it makes it great for anti-Aerial enemies. Abyssal Knowledge is fun. Can cast detect alignment (at will; good only), invisibility (at will, self only), fear, and detect magic. Has Fly.
★★★★☆ Silvanshee (NG) (B3) — Good Niche Utility. Constant Speak with Animals is super useful. It can aid any skill check with Cat’s Curiosity. It has lay on hands and some cantrips. Decent attack modifiers if you can pull off that evil damage. Fly.
★★★☆☆ Cassisian (NG) (B1) — Good Niche Debuff Caster. Repository of Lore can be potentially useful. Eyebeams are a decent line attack.  It can change shape into a dog with Knockdown. As a helmet it will give you a +1 status bonus to saves and AC. It can cast detect alignment (at will, evil only), heal, know direction, and light.
★★★☆☆ Cythnigot^U (CE) (B2) — Good Debuff. Sickening display makes an emanation of flat-footed/sickened. Tangle spore might make someone clumsy (especially Plants). It can fly and has darkvision. It can cast detect alignment (at will; lawful only), paranoia, phantom pain, daze, and detect magic.
★★★☆☆ Doru (LE) (B3) — Good Niche Utility Caster. +10 to any lore is really good, since it includes extremely niche Lore that your GM might get a low DC! I love Illusory Object, and the poison isn’t that bad even if the save is low. Fly speed. Greater darkvision. +10 to any lore is really good! Can cast charm and illusory object.
★★★☆☆ Lyrakien (CG) (B1) — Good Caster. It can cast heal, illusory object, dancing lights, daze, and detect magic. Starlight Blast isn’t very good, but Starlight Ray is ok. Can Fly.
★★★☆☆ Shaukeen (LE) (B3) — Good Striker. +9 and an agile strike on a tiny body that can turn Small with Change Shape. It can’t fly or climb and has no resistances, but Fire Jackal Saliva has a decent save at this tier. It can cast charm, spider climb, and touch of idiocy.
★★☆☆☆ Arbiter (LN) (B1) — Mediocre AoE Caster. Electrical Burst makes this a pretty good AoE (in addition to everything else you can do with a casting of this spell). Decent damage against chaotic creatures. Fly speed. It can cast command, detect alignment (chaotic), and mending (x3).
★★☆☆☆ Esipil (NE) (B3) — Mediocre Striker. It has a high attack bonus and Grab (but tiny), can change the type of damage it does with Change Shape, and has access to mirror image; and fear. No fly speed.
★★☆☆☆ Lantern Archon (LG) (B1) — Mediocre Buffer. You are probably summoning this for Lantern of Hope (+1 damage rolls, Good only). Light ray deals fire and good damage. It can also cast detect alignment (at will; evil only), heal, and light. Can Fly.
★★☆☆☆ Raktavarna^U (LE) (B3) — Mediocre Striker. Its venom is okay at best, but +9 (agile) isn’t bad at this tier. It has a climb and swim speed. It can cast charm (incapacitation) and command.
★★☆☆☆ Voidworm (CN) (B1) — Niche Utility Striker. Entropy Sense let’s it detect almost anything. Confounding Lash is decent against casters, but it uses a Will save. It can cast blur (self only), obscuring mist, detect alignment (at will; lawful only), dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation. It has a fly speed and constant freedom of movement.
★☆☆☆☆ Nosoi (N) (B1) — Bad Niche Caster. Has Boneyard Lore and Library Lore +8. Haunting Melody lets it Fascinate (incapacitation). Spirit Touch means it’s damage would be okay, but it’s base attack modifier is low. Flies. Lifesense. Can cast invisibility (at will; self only) and sound burst.

Heightened (3rd):
★★★★☆ Dretch (CE) (B3) — Good Tank. Cower means it has 21 AC and 45 HP which means it can take a beating. If Sloth allows it 3 or 4 actions, this becomes a ★★★★★ summon as it can use more than 2 actions per round and can take advantage of its Frenzied Slashes ability! It can also cast fear.
★★★★☆ Giant Bat (B1) — Decent Flying Mount. Doesn’t have the swoop abilities of a Hippogriff or Pteranodon, and is a little slower. It does have echolocation, if you need it. Also has higher Athletics, if you’re looking to trip a flying creature.
★★★☆☆ Leopard (B1) — Decent Striker. A deceptively versatile combatant, the leopard can pounce and grab, grab and maul or just double claw depending on the perceived fort save of the target and how well you can set up a flank to trigger it’s sneak attack. One of the best damage dealing summons at this tier!
★★☆☆☆ Black Bear (B1) — Mediocre Control Tank. Grab isn’t bad, but other creatures do it better. It does inspire bear puns though, which is a plus or a minus pending your group.
★☆☆☆☆ Stone Lion Cub^U (NG) (B3) — Bad Striker. Whether or not you can even summon this “already bonded” is up to GM discretion. If not, you lose an entire round and need GM permission to own your Stone Lion Cub’s vessel. And even then it’s worse than a bat. It does have 60 feet of telepathy and Meteorology Lore. It can cast detect alignment (at will; evil only).

Heightened (4th):
★★★★☆ Hell Hound (LE) (B) — Mediocre Striker/Great AOE. Decent strike, but no additional effects. Breath weapon is very good if you can auto-recharge it, like summoning it in a bonfire!
★★★☆☆ Akizendri (CN) (B) — Decent Control Striker. Grab is pretty good and garbled thoughts is great against a low Will save creature. Fly and swim speed plus entropy sense.
★★☆☆☆ Esobok (N) (B) — Mediocre Striker. Pounce, Lifesense and Spirit Touch make this better than a tiger only against Incorporeal creatures. Wrench Spirit is hard to work with 2 actions.
★★☆☆☆ Tiger (B1) — Mediocre Control Tank. You can spend an action doing a grab and then wrestle to knock the target prone, but it has very low stats for this tier so it probably won’t work unless the target is flat-footed and pretty weak. It also has sneak attack, but that wasn’t quite enough to give it a third star.
★☆☆☆☆ Great White Shark (B1) — Poor Aquatic Striker. It does damage. I guess it’s better against a sharkshasa.
★☆☆☆☆ Yeth Hound (CE) (B2) — Bad Niche Striker. Air walk and knockdown makes this a potential anti-flier, but it has a low attack bonus and Sinister Bite only hits Good creatures.
★☆☆☆☆ Zebub (LE) (B2) —Bad Striker. Less damage than a Tiger, but it does fly. Telepathy, greater darkvision, and invisibility (at will, self only).

Summon Anarch (Divine)

Spell 5:
★★★★★ Azuretzi (CN) (B2) — Amazing Utility Striker. Does impressive damage and can steal spells. Flies and swims with a Grab effect. Can cast dimension door, crisis of faith, dispel magic, shatter, hideous laughter, and detect alignment (at will; lawful only). Entropy sense is great. Mimic Form is fun.
★★★★★ Brimorak (CE) (B3) — Amazing Utility Striker. This does impressive damage and comes packed with a breath weapon and fireball. It also has dimension door, dispel magic, and can produce a smokescreen every round. It can even use telepathy to help the party navigate the smoke.
★★★★☆ Gancanagh (Passion Azata) (CG) (B1) — Good Spellcaster Tank. The damage isn’t terrible, but also not great. It has suggestion, heroism, heal, and tongues. After you use heroism it can use invigorating passion to give mini-heroisms! It can use Mirror image (at will) to try to tank.
★★★☆☆ Abrikandilu (CE) (B3) — Good Niche Striker. Wreck doesn’t apply to or count MAP, so this summon gets four attacks at full MAP against an unattended object (or attended mirror) per round. It’s not often that you need to use magic to destroy an object, but when you do, summon an abrikandilu!
★☆☆☆☆ Akizendri (CN) (B2) —Poor Niche Utility Striker. Out of tier. Can still use entropy sense, but you can also summon an Azuretzi.
★☆☆☆☆ Barghest (CE) (B1) — Poor Caster. It has confusion and levitate (at will).
★☆☆☆☆ Dretch (CE) (B3) — Poor Niche Utility. It can potentially get 2.5 actions per round, if your GM lets a summoned dretch still use its Sloth ability. Most GMs will not, making it a zero star.
★☆☆☆☆ Quasit (CE) (B1) — Poor Niche Scout. It has flight, invisibility (at will, self only) and detect alignment (at will, good only).
☆☆☆☆☆ Ostovite (CE) (B3) — Terrible. Out of tier.
☆☆☆☆☆ Lyrakien (CG) (B1) — Terrible. Out of tier.
☆☆☆☆☆ Voidworm (CN) (B1) — Terrible. Out of tier.
☆☆☆☆☆ Yeth Hound (CE) (B2) — Terrible Striker.

Heightened (6th):
★★★★★ Lillend (Muse Azata) (CG) (B1) — Amazing Spellcaster. It has Counter performance, hallucinatory terrain, heal, inspire heroics, sound burst, suggestion, sleep; darkness, invisibility, inspire competence, inspire courage, tongues, speak with plants, and speak with animals! It also has a +1 longsword if your fighter loses his only weapon. 45 ft fly speed.
★★★★★ Naunet (CN) (B1) — Amazing Striker/Controller. Change shape and adaptive strike makes this a weakness fisher. Grab and confounding slam makes this a mage killer. Entropy sense is great. It flies and swims.  Has lots of great control spells including dimension door, acid arrow, solid fog, shatter (at will), obscuring mist (at will). and 1st detect alignment (at will; lawful only).
★★★★☆ Babau (Blood Demon) (CE) (B1) — Good Striker. 1d8+5d6 plus frightened 2 isn’t bad. Make sure to summon it into a flanking position for that sneak attack damage. It can cast darkness. It also has telepathy and see invisibility.
★★★★☆ Succubus (Lust Demon) (CE) (B1) — Good Control Caster. Seductive Presence actually makes the spell DC’s decent and it can inflict drained. The suggestion effect isn’t bad. It also flies and has tongues and telepathy. If you heighten the spell you can fetch dominate. It can also cast suggestion (at will), mind reading (at will), and detect alignment (at will).
★★☆☆☆ Bralani (Wind Azata) (CG) (B2) — Mediocre Niche Spellcaster. It blows. With wind. Whirlwind blast isn’t bad, but also isn’t great. Fair competition is a pretty flavorful use of this summon and a unique effect. It has heal, lightning bolt, wall of wind, calm emotions, gust of wind (at will) and tongues. 80 feet fly is really fast!
★☆☆☆☆ Invidiak (Shadow Demon) (CE) (B1) — Poor Niche Specialist. It can cast shadow blast and darkness. You need to heighten the spell to 8th to use possession which is where most of it’s stuff comes in, and at that point the saving throw is too low.

Heightened (7th):
★★★★☆ Garuda (CG) (B3)  — Great Ranged Spellcaster Striker. You will usually want to cast party-wide haste with this spell-slot, but the Garuda can still cast a single target haste, then stick around to shoot arrows, blast wind and dust, and aid the party with freedom of movement and see invisibility. At this tier the bow attack seems mediocre, but it gets true strike at will and its weapon is deadly!
★★★★☆ Nabasu (Gluttony Demon) (CE) (B1) — Good. Death-Stealing Gaze and Consume Death will let you inflict Drained very efficiently. It can also cast grim tendrils, paralyze and vampiric touch. It has telepathy and can fly.
★★☆☆☆ Vrock (Wrath Demon) (CE)  (B1) — Mediocre Aoe Control. Spore cloud and screech can occupy many lower level enemies at once. Flies and has telepathy.

Heightened (8th):
★★★☆☆ Imentesh (CN) (B2) — Amazing Caster. Decent attack bonuses, Sneak Attack, and Warpwave shenanigans with Grab! It gets entropy sense, flight, and tongues. Best of all, it can cast dimension door, dispel magic, divine wrath (chaotic), sending, creation, dimension door (at will), shatter, haste, mending, shrink item, slow, and detect alignment (at will; lawful only).
★★☆☆☆ Bebilith (CE) (B1) — Mediocre Niche Tank. Summon against demons. It can smell them and gets cold iron and good weapons. Being able to dimensional anchor is useful.
★☆☆☆☆ Einherji (CN) (B3) — Bad Niche Striker. Even against a Giant with Challenge, it’s outclassed at this tier. I guess it can provide some backup weapons to your fighter for 1 minute.
☆☆☆☆☆ Hezrou (Toad Demon) (B1) (CE) — Terrible Tank. It can grab and cast divine wrath, paranoia and abyssal plague. It has stench, which might hurt the party.

Heightened (9th):
★★★★★ Glabrezu (Treachery Demon) (CE) (B1) — Great Spellcaster. Twisted Desires is effectively Miracle using a 9th level spell slot. Can cast reverse gravity, dispel magic (at will), dimension door, confusion, telekinetic projectile, true seeing, tongues.
★★★★☆ Frost Yai (CE) (B2) — Good Control Caster Tank. Ice missile will slow even on a successful save. cone of cold and wall of ice are both solid spells. It can also fly and has regeneration.
★★★★☆ Ghaele (Crusader Azata) (CG) (B1)  — Decent Spellcaster. Great against 12th level or lower animals. It can walk through walls and use divine decree as a single action once per enemy. It can also use chromatic wall, dispel magic, heal, prismatic spray, banishment, heal (x4), invisibility (at will; self only, great while walking through walls to scout), restoration, mind reading, detect alignment (at will; evil only), illusory disguise (at will) and comes equipped with see invisibility and tongues.
★★★☆☆ Valkyrie (CN) (B3) —Decent Spellcaster. Pretty good list. Can’t make use of Recall the Fallen, sadly. Storm of Battle is a decent AoE. Mostly you’ll use this for spellcasting. Talking to ravens is fun. It can cast disrupting weapons, heal, heroism, augury, sanctified ground, status, and wanderer’s guide.

Heightened (10th): (B) —
★★★☆☆ Nalfeshnee (Boar Demon) (CE) (B1) — Good Niche Spellcaster. Light of Avarice let’s you steal four items, which can come in handy. Dispel magic (at will), divine wrath (at will), illusory object (at will) and true seeing.
★★☆☆☆ Hegessik (CN) (B-AP) — Mediocre Niche Striker. Against lower level casters it can do warpwave strike and leaching glare. Telekinetic reach means it gets three attacks per round at full BAB which makes it a decent striker, but it is still a 15th level creature in a Level 20 encounter. It has a fly and swim speed, tongues, telepathy, entropy sense and maddening whispers will make everyone around it confused (will save), so be wary of where you drop this thing if your party isn’t all Protean (they…aren’t, right?). It can cast confusion, divine aura (chaotic only), divine wrath (chaotic only), dispel magic, plane shift, baleful polymorph, slow (at will), teleport (at will; self only), dimension door.
 ★★☆☆☆ Peri (CG) (B3) — Mediocre Area of Effect Blaster. 6d6 fire damage to all adjacent with a single action 15d6 burst of fire, plus wall of fire (x3) and the GM irritating flame jump ability. It’s super strong against CR 13 and below creatures, but any 10th-level spell will be. Usable if you have no other access to fire damage and are against an army of low-level creatures.

Summon Axiom (Divine)

Spell 5:
★★★★★ Imp (LE) (B1) — Amazing Fortune Ability. Out of tier, but this effect is still totally worth a 5th level spell-slot. This is probably why the Imp is banned in PFS.
★★★★★ Ostiarius (B1) — Amazing Buff Striker. It has an aura of sickened and can inspire courage like a bard (albeit for some minimal damage). It has a potent attack for this tier and can cast enthrall, wanderer’s guide, calm emotions (at will), darkness and silence. If you are caught in the Shadow Plane, sense portal can help get you home. It also has telepathy 100 feet and painsight.
★★★★☆ Barbazu (Bearded Devil) (B1) — Great Striker. Decent bonus and infernal wound is pretty good. Reposition can help get into a flank (or in range for wriggling beard). Wriggling beard means it might actually hit with two strikes per turn.
★★★☆☆ Aghash (LG) (B3) — Good Debuffer. Can frighten or stun targets with its gaze. Can cast outcast’s curse, touch of idiocy, and illusory object.
★★★☆☆ Horned Archon (LG) (B1) — Decent Mobile Healer. It can heal 30 HP twice (or more) with a single action and 35 foot speed. Achon’s door is amusing against bosses trying to flee. It can also cast dimension door (x3), animal messenger, charm (animals only; x3),and tongues. Menacing Guardian is fun free debuff. Their melee attack has a Push.
★★☆☆☆ Hound Archon (LG) (B2) — Mediocre Striker. It gets two attacks without MAP. It can also turn into a large canid and get Knockdown. It gets dimension door and tongues and can use the dimension door to chase a fleeing boss down, but only 1/day.
★★☆☆☆ Lantern Archon (LG) (B1) — Mediocre Niche Spellcaster. Detect alignment (at will; evil only) and heal are both neat. Fusing them isn’t worth 8 level five spells from multiple characters. The +1 damage bonus isn’t bad, but not worth a 5th level spell slot.
★☆☆☆☆ Dandasuka (B1) — Out of tier. Poor Caster. It has clairvoyance, clairaudience, and mind reading (at will).
☆☆☆☆☆ Arbiter (LN) (B1) — Out of tier. Terrible AoE.
☆☆☆☆☆ Augur (B1) — Terrible Debuffer. Saves are too low for a 5th level spell.
☆☆☆☆☆ Doru (LE) (B3) — Out of tier. Terrible Spellcaster. Can cast illusory object.
☆☆☆☆☆ Hell Hound (LE) (B1) — Out of tier. Terrible AoE. The breath weapon is too weak.
☆☆☆☆☆ Lemure (LE) (B1) — Out of tier. Terrible. It’s poop.
☆☆☆☆☆ Shaukeen (LE) (B3) — Out of tier. Mediocre.
☆☆☆☆☆ Zebub (Accuser Devil) (LE) (B1) — Out of tier. Terrible Scout. It has flight and telepathy 100 feet.

Heightened (6th):
★★★★☆ Evangelist (B1) — Good Control Debuffer. The aura of frightened 2 is great. Animated chains that pin people into place is super useful too. Painsight is neat.
★★★★☆ Levaloch (B3) — Good Striker. The net and trident combination is going to deal 2d8+3d6 damage per strike, with a good attack bonus and range. Better damage than the baubau, but a little less utility.
★★★☆☆ Adhukait (B1) — Decent Striker. The attack bonus and damage isn’t bad, but it loses most of its power by being a summon who can’t use reactions. Has telepathy.
★★★☆☆ Theletos (LN) (B2) — Good Debuff Caster. Wrath of Fate is pretty good (60-foot cone is massive). Stupefied isn’t bad. It can also cast augury (at will), charm, dispel magic, enthrall, outcast’s curse, remove curse, suggestion, and touch of idiocy. It can fly and speak in memes.
★★☆☆☆ Hellcat (B1) — Mediocre Debuffer. It has a cone of frightened and telepathy, but only speaks infernal.
★★☆☆☆ Pairaka (LE) (B) — Mediocre Niche Caster. The nightmare effect is neat. It can also cast misdirection (at will; self only), outcast’s curse (at will), and suggestion (at will).
★☆☆☆☆ Legion Archon (LG) (B1) — Poor Striker. It does damage (and with True Strike). It can debuff, but unlikely. Dimension door hunter like the other archons. Tongues!

Heightened (7th):
★★★★☆ Hellwasp Swarm (LE) (B3) — Good Swarm. 8d8 piercing damage plus two doses of poison per round is really good. It can confuse lower level enemies and infest corpse is fun.
★★★★☆ Nessian Warhound (LE) (B1) — Good AoE. The recharging fire breath is pretty good if you are launching your own AoE fire spells (or can figure out a way to get multiple Warhounds breathing on one another). It has scent.
★★★☆☆ Axiomite (LN) (B) — Good Spellcaster. It can cast haste! True Strike at will while Quickened isn’t terrible, but its own strikes are nothing to write home about. It can also cast telekinetic haul, dispel magic, divine wrath (lawful), lightning bolt (x3), haste (x3), paralyze, telekinetic maneuver, and true strike (at will).
★★★☆☆ Osyluth (Bone Devil) (LE) (B1) — Decent Control Striker. Tail sweep can knock multiple enemies prone. Can cast phantom pain, dimensional anchor (×2), discern lies and zone of truth. Its venom can inflict enfeebled.
★★★☆☆ Zelekhut (LN) (B) — Good Control Striker. It has knockdown and can swing at two enemies at once. It has true seeing and truespeech. It can cast locate, clairaudience, clairvoyance, dimensional anchor, dispel magic, and paralyze.
★★☆☆☆ Onidoshi (LE) (B1) — Mediocre Caster. cone of cold, charm, gaseous form, sleep, fear and darkness. Regeneration makes it tamly, but it’s only casting each of those once. It can fly.
★☆☆☆☆ Sarglagon (Drowning Devil) (LE) (B1) — Poor Aquatic Specialist. It gets control water, freedom of movement, and hydraulic torrent. The venom isn’t bad and drowning can induce sickened on success. Swim speed, flies and has see invisibility. It’s aura can also make people encumbered, but it’s incapacitation so it’s only “useful” against a mob of weak enemies.
★☆☆☆☆ Erinys (Fury Devil) (LE) (B1) — Poor Striker. It gets true seeing, flies and can reduce speed with a rope.

Heightened (8th):
★★★★★ Sacristan (LE) (B1) — Amazing Control. That aura of Stunned 1 is not incapacitation! Being able to focus your gaze is just free real estate. chilling darkness isn’t a bad spell and it can trip with it’s chain.
★★★★★ Shield Archon (LG) (B1) — Amazing Tank. So good! It’s a summon that can use shield block to defend its allies unlimited times per round! It also gets shield other (3x) with it’s pool of 125 HP. True strike means it might actually do some damage, but you’ll likely use the actions for courageous switch instead, letting it switch places with allies as dimension door. It can also follow fleeing enemies with dimension door and has tongues. Menacing guardian is a free debuff.
★★★★☆ Phistophilus (Contract Devil) (LE) (B1) — Good Spellcaster Striker. 3d6 bleed on a grab attack is really useful. It can cast fireball, illusory scene, lightning bolt, locate (at will), mind probe and sending (at will).
★★★★☆ Raja Rakshasa (LE) (B1) — Good Spellcaster. A caster in your pocket! It can do an aura of sickened that buffs evil allies, but that’s not relevant for most parties. It can cast dispel magic, hallucination, shadow blast (3 slots), clairvoyance, dispel magic, fly, suggestion (4 slots), clairaudience, dispel magic, nondetection, vampiric touch (4 slots), blur, hideous laughter, invisibility (4 slots), charm, illusory object, item facade (4 slots), and detect magic, ghost sound, mage hand, read aura and sigil.
★★★☆☆ Hamatula (Barbed Devil) (LE) (B1) — Good Control Striker. It can inflict frightened, bleeding and immobilize an enemy! It can cast harm and paralyze (×2).
★★★☆☆ Munagola (LE) (B3) — Good Evil Utility Striker. It can use both actions to give every Evil character in the party +40 feet fly speed each round. It can also strike pretty well.
★★☆☆☆ Soul Skelm (LE) (B3) — Mediocre Niche Controller. Knockdown and Grab are both good. Isolating Lash has some fun niche utility against certain enemy buffers. Bully the Departed can make him a pretty good tank. They can cast harm, illusory creature, mind probe, and modify memory.

Heightened (9th):
★★★★★ Gelugon (Ice Devil) (LE) (B1) — Great Buff Spellcaster. Where is your balanced action economy system now?! Tactician of Cocytus effectively let’s your entire party get a free stride, and can be used multiple times per round! Slowing frost isn’t bad, but he probably won’t hit with it at this tier.It can also cast cone of cold (x2), illusory scene, wall of ice (x3) and ray of frost;
★★★★★ Interlocutor (B1) — Great Spellcaster. The aura of stun is brutal. Focus gaze is great. It can also cast breath of life, heal (×2), and restoration (×2).
★★☆☆☆ Japalisura (LE) (B3) — Niche Utility Striker. It can produce arrows that do an extra 4d6 mental damage, which can help if you have a party of archers I suppose. It can cast some illusion spells, but nothing worth a 9th level slot. It can turn enemies against each other, but it’s an incapacitation effect that requires a skill check.
★☆☆☆☆ Kolyarut (LN) (B1) —Bad…Striker? I mean it has Truespeech and some forgettable spells. Leave.

Heightened (10th):
★★★★☆ Fire Yai — Powerful Striker Caster. Impaling push can grab and push creatures. Smoke form can sicken 3. It has a plethora of useful spells including fireball, flame strike, and wall of fire.
★☆☆☆☆ Gylou (Handmaiden Devil) (B1) — Bad Spellcaster Controller. It can grab and swallow whole, but probably not as good as a Fire Yai for melee. It also comes with dispel magic, dominate, black tentacles, dimension door, illusory object (at will), and true seeing.
★☆☆☆☆ Nikaramsa (B3) — Bad Spellcaster Tank. It has reach and improved knockdown, but becomes medium and debuffed against most enemies who can see through illusions or have decent will saves. Sap Mind might work since it’s not incapacitation. The best use I can see is as a healer, as it can cast heal, neutralize poison, remove disease, remove curse, and restore senses. It comes with constant detect alignment, telepathy, and see invisibility.
★☆☆☆☆ Sepid (B3) — Bad Spellcaster Striker. The best use of a 10th level spell slot, just check out that first ability! In all seriousness, it has an AoE and cast dispel magic and paralyze.★☆☆☆☆ Trumpet Archon (B2) — Poor Controller. Not worth the 10th level spell. Trumpet Blast can stun everyone, but affects allies too. The DC is so low no one is going to be failing against it unless they weren’t a threat. Kind word has some niche value against emotion effects. It can cast heal, sound burst, heroism, zealous conviction, banishment; 3rd circle of protection (against evil only; ×2), and has tongues. Note that it cannot use breath of life since that is a reaction and this a summon.
★★★☆☆ Marut (LN) (B2) — Powerful Niche Striker Caster. It does more damage than a Fire Yai. It has truespeech and truesight. Final end makes it lethal against undead, bypassing all resistances and triggering all weaknesses. It can cast chain lightning, dispel magic, earthquake, harm, fear, plane shift, wall of force, command, locate, and dimension door (at will).

Before we begin, I feel it’s professional to thank Alexander Augunas for his friendship and guidance these last two years. In the interest of full disclosure, I have no financial interest in the success of any product I review. The words written here is an expression of pure gratitude for Nathan Senteni and Alexander Augunas’ product. I’d also like to thank Propagandalf for the awesome pipe fox drawing I’m using for this banner!

Three years ago the network’s own Alexander Augunas introduced the world of Starfinder to the Zoomer, and I was an instant fan. The idea of an entire base class themed around “Super Speed”  filled a niche so well that I was shocked it hadn’t been tackled before. Oh sure, we’ve seen the occasional prestige class or archetype, but even then you were still largely defined by your attack actions, not your movement. And I’ve been thinking for a while now about how Everybody Games was going to convert the Zoomer to 2e. Would it be a versatile multi-path base class? Or maybe just an archetype like the cavalier?

The answer? Yes.

A few days before Gencon, Everybody Games dropped The Zoomer Archetype for Pathfinder 2e! And let me tell you: This product is a game-changer for Pathfinder Second Edition Design!

What is the Zoomer?

The zoomer is a 20-level branching archetype that allows a character to further their speed, agility, and mobile skirmishing. With 3 methods, 39 archetype feats, and 16 additional feats, it provides the depth and customizability of dozens of different archetypes all within a single modular chassis. The breadth of options is wide enough to allow a PC to take nothing but zoomer class feats from level 2 to 20. Even using the “Free Archetype” system and getting twice as many class feats, you can take nothing but Zoomer feats for every level (except level 2), assuming you don’t mind using levels 18 and 20 for lower level feats.

The dedication feat lets you choose one of four “methods”: Clockwork, Mystic, Gear, or Training. Each method has its own unique benefits, in addition to giving you bonus movement speed and access to a few different feats at higher levels. A clockwork zoomer has mechanical limbs (or augmentations) and can jump, haul more bulk, and get some bonuses against magic. A mystic zoomer gets focus spells that allow it to turn into lightning, manipulate space-time, and even run so fast that it generates tornadoes. A gear zoomer drives a custom vehicle and can play loose and fast with the default vehicle rules. And a training zoomer can learn zoomer feats sooner than any other zoomer, and pick up temporary zoomer feats similar to the 1e brawler’s “martial flexibility”.

So what feats jump out at you?

So with over 50 feats there is no way I can analyze the entire archetype, so I’m just going to compile a quick list of my favorite feats that aren’t restricted to a single method. Devastating Momentum lets you punch harder when you move at least 10 feet. It has a number of feats for a “feint” build like Zoomer’s Advance, letting you stride twice and strike, or stride, feint, and strike for two-actions. Racing Attack lets you substitute any “Strike as a subordinate action” from a zoomer feat with some combat maneuvers, which is some crazy new design space I love to see explored in PF2e! Stride-By Strike lets you play out your iaijutsu/anime-style-slash fantasies running past an enemy, drawing a weapon, and striking during a stride without triggering reactions. Splintered Time lets you optimize readying actions.

Many of these feats let you move so fast you have supernatural effects, even if you aren’t a mystic! Blazing Trail ignites your footfalls into a one-round wall of fire. Displaced Motion has you move so fast you leave behind mirror images. Tail Wind allows you to leave behind a gust of wind. And Phase Dash lets you move through matter!

Many of the class feats the zoomer gets are like “skill feats, but better”, such as Fast Crawl (giving you Nimble Crawl, and letting you stand as a free action if you crawl less than half your speed). I was surprised these weren’t done as skill feats, but after giving it some more thought I think this was a responsible way to approach the design of the archetype. These feats are all very well balanced as “stronger than a skill feat”, and the first four zoomer feats you take all contribute to the Dedication ability that nets you +5 feet of movement speed for every two other zoomer feats you have. There are also some feats that function as existing class features, like Surprise Attacker that gives you the rogue’s surprise attacker class feature.

In Conclusion

The zoomer archetype has a ton of great stuff going for it that can help you live out your speedster dreams. It has the flexibility to work with almost any class, only requiring that you have a Speed of 30 feet or faster to take it. The 20-level chassis means it can completely replace an existing character, or simply be taken at low, mid, or higher levels to pick up the select feats you want for your PC. I can’t wait to see more independent designers take advantage of this sort of product; 11-pages of awesome ideas that help customize your character without any word count wasted repeating the same necessary but boring class features you’ve seen again and again on every base class. The zoomer will naturally shine in “Free Archetype” games, giving players an opportunity to pick a flavorful archetype without having to pick a new one ~8 levels into their adventuring career simply because they ran out of archetype feats. It also makes for an awesome supporting NPC, as players will be sure to make use of someone who can zip around the battlefield and, well, zoom.

Before we begin, I want to note that different flavors of Evocation are going to be the quickest and most obvious Roiling Incant you can design. Pick some solid damage spells, maybe some area of denial, and you’re good to go! But I believe there’s room for every school of magic with this wonderful creature, and I’d love to see what we can get when we try! So, please, feel free to make your own and post them!

Arcane Abjuration (Bubbles!)

The abjuration roiling incant resembling a sphere of force the most defenses of any other, able to spam shield and shattering gem to at least try to offset its loss of hit points as it uses unstable magic. It can try to catch enemies in the resilient sphere, but its primary tactic is to destroy magic. This enemy is best used when there is a sensitive ongoing spell effect or ongoing ritual that would be heavily disrupted by dispel magic, and keeping the roil from the ritual should be the player’s primary focus while this roil is causing chaos. Alternatively, you could set the monster in a room that begins to fall apart when hit by dispel magic, such as a valley flooded with “resilient spheres” produced by the ritual that spawned the roil, capable of quickly becoming “pits” as the roil begins to spam selective dispel magics (which requires some GM fiat, but it makes for a fun encounter).

Arcane Conjuration (Coral!)

This conjuration roiling incant is themed all about water and looks like a ball of coral. It has the aquatic trait and a swim speed. It can slow enemies down with a mud-pit and even dash them away with an aqueous orb, setting up the battlefield for painful coral eruptions. I love the idea of this as the result of an arcane ritual that was attempting to extract power from a ravaged coastline or coral reef.

Occult Divination (Eyes!)

This ball of eyeballs is the most reliant on their melee strikes, as it wants to spam true strike. It can also throw ill omen on a creature who might actually pose a threat. It seems dead-set on heading in a single cardinal direction, even if that means destroying structures that lay between it and its unknown situation!

Occult Enchantment (Fear!)

This sphere of uttermost fear looks to each creature like a warped lens into their own nightmares. It runs around sewing confusion and chaos as it spreads fear across the land, probably attracting a will-o-wisp or two whose anti-magic properties would leave it practically invisible to the rampaging roil.

Occult Illusion (Ritualists!)

This shimmering banner of colors is always accompanied by a number of mysterious robed spellcasters, chanting in some familiar and yet completely indiscernible tongue. A wonderful manifestation of a ritual gone awry, this incant can replicate the ritualists to protect itself as it slowly roils across the countryside, perhaps looking to use its cacophonic sounds to recreate the potentially destructive ritual that gave it life!

Divine Necromancy (Blood!)

This roiling blood sphere makes a great set-piece for a failed attempt to rid a dhampir of its vampiric heritage, or even become a vampire without one’s assistance. The roiling sphere can suck up blood, although if you want to remove its healing restriction and let it slurp back up that blood to reform that would make it a considerably more challenging threat!

Primal Transmutation (Clay!)

And last, but certainly not least, we have our transmutation roiling incant! I feel like this ball of clay has the potential for the most heart-wrenching backstory, given its cantrip probably infers that it was originally a failed attempt at healing, whether it was a person or an entire field of dying crops! It also has the most potential for collateral damage, rolling around towns or farms completely reshaping the landscape as it goes, potentially leaving crude statues of the creatures it was unable to save!

The Problem

The first chart uses the core rules. The others are variants I will present below.

Higher-level enemies require a ton of hits to take out. While you get 3-attacks per round, you should rarely attempt a third attack, especially when higher-level threats hit that much harder and therefore require more tactics beyond pure damage. The above charts assume you are dealing above-average (but not optimal) damage against a monster with average AC and above-average HP (to account for resistances and higher-level defensive abilities than your offensive abilities). The math in these fights heavily favors the monsters, especially in severe- and extreme-level threats where your normal tactical advantages are minimized as you rarely score a critical hit on a 19 even with additional buffs!

ECL+1 threats aren’t too bad. A four-person party can usually take them out in a little more than 3 rounds, but it takes 6 Strikes from that monster to take a PC to 0 HP. While this will extend the combat to a solid 4 rounds, that is the median average of how long most game groups want their combat to last. ECL+2 threats take around 6 rounds, and ECL+3 threats take around 8 rounds (and require some luck). But ECL+4 threats are nigh impossible, taking >29 strikes and dispatching a PC every 3.5 attacks. This means you will need a party of 8 PCs to reliably take down this monster, and you will very likely end the fight with only 1 PC standing!

Solo enemies need extra defense. A party still has more combined actions per round than the solo enemy. While you statistically need 8 PCs to take out an ECL+4 enemy, in actual play class features that offset MAP and pure action economy can easily offset this number. The increased defenses give your monster the ability to survive the first ~2 rounds of combat so they can use more engaging tactics than spewing out raw damage.

But an impossible challenge invites a negative play experience. Even if you aren’t playing a fighter, missing above a 15 feels bad. While high AC is a valid way to improve the defenses of a monster, against large solo threats it makes parties feel nigh-useless even if they were able to take out the monster on action-economy alone. Every extra round a battle lasts is another opportunity for a monster to score a dangerous critical hit, and fewer opportunities for the PCs to turn the battle around as the monster knocks out more PCs.

The Solutions

These Solutions Aren’t for Everyone. Use the above charts as a tool and keep in mind how many damage-dealing strikers are in your party. Consider whether or not your party is the type that tries for multiple attacks or tries to win using battlefield control and action manipulation strategies. If your PCs rely more on saving throws than AC, you will need to take a different approach to balance your encounters. Try a “test run” using a PCs mentor or an exhibition match to get a feel for your party’s strengths and weaknesses in an arena in town before your PCs are out in the wilderness hunting down their first dragon.

Optional Rule 1: Weak Adjustment.

Apply the weak adjustment, applying a permanent -2 penalty and lowering a monster’s base Hit Points.

Advantages: This is easy to apply using Archives of Nethys’ built-in monster adjustment tool and can easily turn a 6-8 round slog into a 4-5 round combat.

Disadvantages: This can make some monsters too easy, especially those that already have low AC and/or are reliant on defensive abilities that they might not be able to fully implement before they get completely crushed by a well-prepared or lucky party.  This can make what was meant to be an important battle feel somewhat lackluster. You probably shouldn’t apply the weakened template if you are already adjusting a monster’s critical hits to be less deadly using my other article! (See: Exceptions.)

-2 Armor Class Exception: Try just lowering a monster’s Armor Class without any other adjustments (chart 2). This will give player’s the opportunity to score critical hits by using tactical buffs, and may be just the adjustment you need against high-AC monsters.

Double Hit Points Exception: I’ve heard good things about groups that give solo-threats the weak adjustment, then double their HP. It makes the monster last long enough to use some less-optimal full-round actions knowing it has those extra hit-points, while still lowering its AC enough that the PCs can feel like great big heroes rolling all those damage dice!

Variable Hit Points Exception: I find this variation on the “Double Hit Point” exception a good middle ground that scales ECL+3/+4 encounters better. With this rule, make the following adjustments to your monsters:
• ECL+1: -2 to AC, Weaken then Double Hit Points
• ECL+2: -2 to AC, Weaken then 1.6 x Hit Points
• ECL+3: -2 to AC, Weaken then 1.3 x Hit Points
• ECL+4: -2 to AC, Weaken (Use Standard Weakened Hit Points)

Optional Rule 2: Weak Spot Adjustment.

This rule makes a monster more vulnerable as it fights by weakening its armor each time it is hit. Whenever a PC hits a monster with a Natural 15 or higher on the die but fails to score a critical hit, the monster increases its Weakness value by 1. If the PC has any Multiple Attack Penalty, they must roll a 19 or higher. PCs score a critical hit against a monster if the result of their attack exceeds the target’s AC by 10 minus the monster’s Weakness.

Advantages: This makes it more likely that surviving PCs can still defeat a monster, especially once the more powerful front-line fighters are knocked unconscious. It makes buffs more powerful by allowing for critical hits against powerful enemies without having to roll a 20. It also adds a level of verisimilitude as players thematically attack the same point again and again on a well-armored monster until it falls.

Disadvantages: This adds additional paperwork for a GM who has to manually adjust a monster’s AC and check for PCs rolls on each attack. Since it only applies to critical hits, it can also be skewed by parties using effects like Deadly and Fatal and may require further adjustment.

Combat Maneuver Variation: With this variation, a PC can attempt a Skill Check against the monster. On a success, the next attack that hits the monster until the end of your next turn increases its Weakness value by 1. The nature of the check will vary but should target the Fortitude or Perception DC of a monster and provoke an Attack of Opportunity on a Critical Failure. If you want to make it a Secret Check, it can even decrease the Wounded Condition of a monster (as the PC points out an area where the monster isn’t vulnerable). This variation will require adjustment depending on the type of monster and nature of the campaign, and should only be considered in specific circumstances (such as skill-heavy parties) and not as a general campaign rule.

Conclusion

No solution is perfect. Like with my other suggestions, use these charts when designing the comfort level of your solo encounters, but realize that party preference, party composition, and monster specifics will cause all this data to go awry.

Watch for the Breakpoints: Monsters are slightly more bulky than you’d expect at certain breakpoints, especially level 8, 12, 16 & 20. Check the charts and look for sudden spikes in those numbers!

This still doesn’t account for saving throws: Casters are going to need their own article that will be forthcoming, as this doesn’t account for a monster’s vulnerabilities or weaknesses to magic. The fewer damage-dealing strikes a party does, the less useful this information will be for your table and the more you need to look into adjusting saving throws and resistances instead of AC!

In Conclusion. Pathfinder is about making the game your own and you should be eager and willing to adjust the rules if you find your group has more fun. I feel as though this rule alone doesn’t resolve all the problems my players have with severe- or extreme-threat encounters, but I’m going to leave that for my next article in this series where we conclude the series with tips on mooks, hazards, and adjusting for your party’s spellcasters!

The Problem

The first chart uses the core rules. The others are variants I will present below. You can double-check my data here.

Higher-level enemies crit often and hit hard. Extreme- and severe-threat creatures will crit between 30% and 50% of their Strikes. A critical hit following a normal strike is often enough to completely take a player out of the encounter. Healing an unconscious PC in battle is a huge risk if the boss is still engaging them in melee. While hero points can help a player survive, that’s not always an option and some players don’t appreciate their role in a party being rag-dolled just to use up a creature’s actions while the rest of the party gets to continue actively participating in the encounter.

Solo enemies need critical hits. A party has way more combined actions per round than a solo enemy. Each round this variance in the action economy gets progressively worse. Critical hits help even the odds by effectively giving a monster a bonus strike without affecting their multiple attack penalty, removing a player character from the encounter, and thus evening out that progressive deluge of actions.

But players are no longer players if they can’t play. Some players may enjoy knowing they kept a monster busy for two rounds before they were reduced to set dressing. But many players will quickly lose interest in an encounter if their character is no longer conscious. This can have wide-ranging effects on both sides of the screen, including players feeling like their contributions are inadequate, and GMs pulling too many punches for a game to feel like a challenge.

The Solutions

These Solutions Aren’t for Everyone. Some campaigns can work fine using the default critical hit or weak/elite adjustment rules. Which rule you use can and should change from table to table and level to level. See “No Solution is Static” in the Conclusion below.

Optional Rule 1: Maximize Damage Die.

When a monster scores a critical hit with a Strike, it deals damage as though all variable numeric effects of the attack that would normally be doubled on a crit are instead maximized.

Advantages: This lowers the average damage of a critical hit by removing additional static damage. It also makes critical hits more consistent, which makes explosions of damage easier for players to manage.
Disadvantages: Some groups may feel the game’s verisimilitude slipping if every monster has a set number that healers can prepare to counter. The natural 20 exception can mitigate this.

Natural 20 Exception: You can still double the damage normally on a Natural 20. As you can see comparing Chart 2 and Chart 3 belows, this doesn’t significantly impact average damage, but can still cause moments tables may not appreciate.

Optional Rule 2: Critical Specialization

When a monster scores a critical hit with a Strike, it does not deal extra damage. Instead, the monster applies a critical specialization effect. In addition to these effects, Strikes with different weapons may have unique effects depending on the nature of the encounter and the weapon in question, such as improving a monster’s “Grab” to “Improved Grab” on a Critical Hit.

Advantages: This adds a layer of thematic flavor to a monster’s attacks and can help offset the otherwise overwhelming advantage of a party’s action economy against a solo boss without relying on raw damage, especially with effects that use up actions such as knocking targets prone, moving them, slowing them, and/or stunning them.
Disadvantages: This is extra work for a GM, especially if they use monsters with unique natural attacks. Not all the critical specializations are as useful for solving our problem and may induce additional problems, especially the Spear and Sword. Some battles could get boring if a monster doesn’t deal the extra damage on a critical hit, so you might want to try to two exceptions to this rule to help players on their toes.

Natural 20 Exception: The monster still deals double damage with a Strike on a Natural 20. You have to decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not the creature should also get the Critical Specialization effect, but usually the extra damage is enough.

Maximize Damage Die Natural 20 Exception: When a creature hits with a Strike on a Natural 20, it deals damage as though all variable numeric effects of the attack that would normally be doubled on a crit are instead maximized.  You have to decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not the creature should also get the Critical Specialization effect, but usually the extra damage is enough.

Conclusion

No solution is perfect. Use these charts when designing the comfort level of your solo encounters, but realize that player preference, party composition, and monster specifics will cause all this data to go awry. This is meant to help you gauge encounters vaguely, so when keeping track of your campaign’s past encounters using “Strikes Per PC” to determine your player’s comfort level, try to note when encounters were thrown due to a unique ability or unfortunate streak of bad dice rolls. You can even use one rule against ECL+2 encounters and a completely different rule in an ECL+4 encounter!

There are many factors at play that I can ignore, but your table cannot. No two campaigns are the same and the data here is intentionally oversimplified. The charts account for critical hits and assume average stats all around. So be warier of monsters with above-average offensive capabilities and PCs with below-average defenses! A GM has to adjust, and that often means learning your party’s strengths and weaknesses by watching their encounters against moderate threats first.

When uncertain, don’t forget Weak/Elite adjustments. This is especially true for physical combatants using high damage strikes. Archives of Nethys makes this extremely easy if you are using published creatures!

The first 3 levels are the most dangerous. Low-level characters have fewer reactions, action choices, consumables, and debilitation effects against mid-level monsters with more buffs and MAP mitigation. The math also suggests that most PCs at levels 1~4 can be easily taken out by a severe or extreme threat in a single round! But this also suggests the first three levels are the best time for a GM to learn a party’s strengths and weaknesses before subjecting them to a higher level threat!

In Conclusion. Pathfinder is about making the game your own and you should be eager and willing to adjust the rules if you find your group has more fun. I feel as though this rule alone doesn’t resolve all the problems my players have with severe- or extreme-threat encounters, but I’m going to leave that for my next article as we tackle the issue of monster defense in severe- and extreme-threat level encounters!

Bubble Blowing [one-action]

General, Skill, Hybrid
Prerequisites trained in Performance and Crafting
Requirements A blowgun, staff, or two-wands

You can create and control fantastical bubbles in mesmerizing performances. The bubble moves in a single direction of your choice at a rate of 10-feet per round. Wind and other conditions can affect a bubble’s direction and velocity. A bubble is destroyed when it takes any damage or becomes the target of an Interact action or Strike (AC 5). When you blow a bubble, you can choose to make it destroy itself when it comes into contact with any solid surface (including solid creatures).

If you’re an expert in Performance, you can increase the speed of your bubble to 15-feet per round and can change the direction of your bubble with an Interact action using the same item you used to blow the bubble. If you’re a master in Performance, you can increase the speed of your bubble to 20-feet per round and can change the direction of any bubble in any square you move through during a Move action. If you’re legendary in Performance, you can split a bubble with an Interact action, causing it to move in two different directions. If a bubble combined with an alchemical item or spell is split only one of the split bubbles retains the effect.

If you’re an expert in Crafting, you can make more potent bubbles that no longer pop when it becomes the target of an Interact action. If you’re a master in Crafting, you can make larger bubbles that fill a 5-foot-by-5-foot space. Larger bubbles do not hinder movement and are moved to a random adjacent square if they would otherwise block the path of a creature moving or being moved through their square. If you’re legendary in Crafting, you can make giant bubbles that fill a 10-foot-by-10-foot-space and you can choose to give them a special coating that allows creatures to move through them without moving the bubble itself.

Note Soap and alchemist tool’s can be used to make the fluid for Alchemical Soap Bubbles in 10-minutes. Normally having this fluid available and the method by which the bubble blower applies it to their instrument(s) of choice is up to the character in question and does not change the requirements of the Bubbling Blowing action.

Lesson of Bubbles [Witch Basic Lesson]

This lesson exposes the witch’s mind to the idea that reality is an ephemeral bubble sustained only by the whims of fate. Depending on that witch’s patron the bubbles could represent planes, multiverses, or even timelines. Once a witch’s perspective shifts to this model, a witch is able to impart their own reality in self-contained bubbles. Using a physical bubble as a focus, a so-called “bubble witch” can release this magical energy when this otherwise mundane bubble pops. Most bubble witches tend to have aquatic familiars, who can freely float alongside them by taking the Flier familiar ability.

Lesson Type: Basic
You gain the bubble spell hex, and your familiar learns air bubble. You gain the Bubble Blowing skill feat and become trained in Performance.

Bubble Spell [Focus 1]

Uncommon, Abjuration, Hex, Metamagic, Witch
Lesson lesson of bubbles
Cast Free-Action
Duration 10 minutes (see below)
You encase your spell in a bubble, ready to unleash its power when popped. Blow a bubble. If the next action you use is to Cast a Spell with the conjuration or illusion trait that summons a creature or creates an illusion, that spell has no effect when cast and becomes contained in the bubble you blew instead. You can only have one such contained spell at a time, and using this metamagic a second time causes the first bubble to pop without discharging any spell. When your bubble is destroyed, the spell discharges as though it were cast from the bubble’s current square.
Exploration A witch may keep its bubble in exploration mode for up to 10-minutes before it is destroyed, but cannot move faster than the bubble (10-feet per round if trained in performance).
Special You may cast a second spell with the hex trait on the same turn you cast this hex spell if the second hex spell is modified with the bubble spell metamagic. If you do, reduce the focus point cost of that hex spell by 1.

Paflomancy [Wizard Thesis]

A paflomancer is a wizard who has mastered the art of blowing magic-infused bubbles using modified staves. You gain the Bubbling Blowing skill feat and are trained in Crafting. You begin play with a makeshift hooped staff of your own invention. It can be used for the Blow Bubbles skill feat and generates soap on its own whenever the staff is used to blow bubbles. It contains one cantrip and one 1st-level spell that targets creature(s) or an area, both from your spellbook, but it gains no charges normally during your preparations; you must expend a spell slot to grant it charges in the same way you would add additional charges to a normal staff. You can Craft your makeshift staff into any other type of staff for the new staff’s usual cost, adding the two spells you originally chose to the staff you Craft.

Only Paflomancers can use your staff. You may only cast spells from your staff targetting one or more creatures, or affecting creatures in an area (such as a cone or burst). Spells cast using your staff are imbued in bubbles that shimmer with scintillating runes, blowing a bubble with the Bubble Blowing skill feat as part of the same action as casting the spell. The spell has no effect until your bubble is destroyed, at which point it discharges as though it were just cast. A spell with an area effect discharges from one corner of the bubble’s square. A spell that targets one or more creatures targets the most adjacent creature first then goes in a direction of the caster’s choosing until it exceeds the spell’s original range or the number of targets. A paflomancer may keep its bubble in exploration mode for up to 10-minutes before it is destroyed, but cannot move faster than the bubble (10-feet per round if trained in performance).

At 8th level, you can expend two spells instead of one when preparing your staff, adding additional charges equal to the combined levels of the expended spells. At 16th level, you can expend up to a total of three spells to add charges to the staff, adding additional charges equal to the combined levels of all three spells.

Bubble Blowing [one-action]

General, Skill, Hybrid
Prerequisites trained in Performance and Crafting
Requirements A blowgun, staff, or two-wands

You can create and control fantastical bubbles in mesmerizing performances. The bubble moves in a single direction of your choice at a rate of 10-feet per round. Wind and other conditions can affect a bubble’s direction and velocity. A bubble is destroyed when it takes any damage or becomes the target of an Interact action or Strike (AC 5). When you blow a bubble, you can choose to make it destroy itself when it comes into contact with any solid surface (including solid creatures).

If you’re an expert in Performance, you can increase the speed of your bubble to 15-feet per round and can change the direction of your bubble with an Interact action using the same item you used to blow the bubble. If you’re a master in Performance, you can increase the speed of your bubble to 20-feet per round and can change the direction of any bubble in any square you move through during a Move action. If you’re legendary in Performance, you can split a bubble with an Interact action, causing it to move in two different directions. If a bubble combined with an alchemical item or spell is split only one of the split bubbles retains the effect.

If you’re an expert in Crafting, you can make more potent bubbles that no longer pop when it becomes the target of an Interact action. If you’re a master in Crafting, you can make larger bubbles that fill a 5-foot-by-5-foot space. Larger bubbles do not hinder movement and are moved to a random adjacent square if they would otherwise block the path of a creature moving or being moved through their square. If you’re legendary in Crafting, you can make giant bubbles that fill a 10-foot-by-10-foot-space and you can choose to give them a special coating that allows creatures to move through them without moving the bubble itself.

Note Soap and alchemist tool’s can be used to make the fluid for Alchemical Soap Bubbles in 10-minutes. Normally having this fluid available and the method by which the bubble blower applies it to their instrument(s) of choice is up to the character in question and does not change the requirements of the Bubbling Blowing action.

The Bubble Alchemist [Alchemist Research Field]

As whimsical as they are ephemeral, few things in the world are as universally mesmerizing as the delightful dance of the iridescent soap bubble. Yet despite the deceptively simple nature of the humble bubble, controlling these spheres takes a sophisticated technique that blends the magic of the muse with the art of alchemical perfection. Many have lost a laboratory bursting too volatile a bubble. But with enough dedication, those few who master the bubble can control an enemy on the battlefield as readily as the hearts of an audience.

When you craft an alchemical item, you can use some of the reagents of the crafting process to combine the item with bubble fluid. Alchemical items combined with bubble fluid can only be activated using the Bubble Blowing skill feat. Bubbles combined with alchemical items affect one target when popped as though they were the target of the alchemical item. Targets are usually the same adjacent creature who used an action to destroy the bubble, but in some circumstances can be a creature below or downwind of a bubble. Items that affect multiple squares, such as bombs with splash damage, still function normally. Some items may require specific non-creature targets and may even affect the weapon used to strike the bubble, such as a weapon blanch.

You are trained in Performance and gain the Bubble Blowing skill feat.

Field Discovery [Level 5]
When using advanced alchemy to make alchemical items combined with bubble fluid during your daily preparations, you can spend one batch of reagents to create three items instead of two.

Perpetual Infusions [Level 7]
Choose any two formulas when combined with bubble fluid.

Perpetual Potency [Level 11]
The moderate versions of the formula you chose for perpetual infusions.

Greater Field Discovery [Level 13]
You can create long-lasting bubbles that can encase or shroud a creature for 1 minute by using an alchemical item combined with bubble fluid. If you encase a creature in a giant bubble, the bubble is destroyed when the creature uses or is the target of a Strike or Interact action, and the creature in the bubble is affected by the alchemical item as if it were the target of the alchemical item. If you shroud a creature, the bubbles are destroyed when the shrouded creature is the target of a Strike or Interact action, and the creature who triggered the action becomes the target of the alchemical item. Encasing or shrouding a non-willing target requires a successful melee attack roll using your Alchemical Bomb proficiency.

Perpetual Perfection [Level 17]
The greater versions of the formulas you chose for perpetual infusions.

Bubbology [Investigator Methology]

There are several theories as to the origins of this esoteric methodology. Some claim a world-famous detective once solved an infamous case by following bubbles spewing from their pipe to discover a secret passageway. Others point to an eccentric bubble alchemist who used a bubble wand like an oversized magnifying glass. Whatever the case, this methodology is a little more versatile than traditional alchemical sciences, albeit relying on bubble fluid as a catalyst for even its most explosive tinctures.

You’re trained in Crafting and Performance and gain the Bubble Blowing and Alchemical Crafting skill feats. In addition, you gain a standard formula book for free and learn the formulas for two additional common 1-st level alchemical items. Each time you gain a level, you learn the formula for one common alchemical item of any level of the item you can create.

During your daily preparations, you can create a number of versatile bubble fluids—alchemical concoctions that can quickly be turned into alchemical items—equal to your Intelligence modifier. Bubbles combined with alchemical items affect one target when popped as though they were the target of the alchemical item. Targets are usually the same adjacent creature who used an action to destroy the bubble, but in some circumstances can be a creature below or downwind of a bubble. Items that affect multiple squares, such as bombs with splash damage, still function normally. Some items may require specific non-creature targets and may even affect the weapon used to strike the bubble, such as a weapon blanch. You can use the Quick Bubble Tincture action to turn one of these vials into an alchemical tool combined with bubble fluid for which you know the formula.

Quick Bubble Tincture [one-action]

Investigator, Manipulate
Cost 1 versatile bubble fluid
Requirements You know the formula for the alchemical time you’re creating, you are holding or wearing alchemist’s tools, and you have your staff, wand, or blowgun.
You quickly create a single alchemical item combined with bubble fluid without having to spend the normal monetary cost in alchemical reagents or needing to attempt a Crafting check. This item has the infused trait, but it remains potent for only 1 minute and can only be activated using the Bubble Blowing skill feat.

Your Campaign is a Business

This metaphor feels so heavy-handed that I’m tempted to just end the article here, but first I have to clear up some misconceptions. Your initial instinct might be to see the GM as the owner-manager and the players as the customers. There’s nothing wrong with that relationship, but it’s not the only one. There are as many ways to run campaigns as there are ways to run businesses, and if you learn anything from this article it should be: The relationship you have with your fellow players and the amount of time and energy you can invest in the game is the only two things that really matter when deciding how to organize a campaign!

So what’s the point? Using a business model to help organize your campaign is not about making permanent resolutions. Rather, it allows you to contextualize logistics decisions in a way that makes it easy to test new methods of campaign management while minimizing the risk of permanent damage to your game. Just like businesses need to adapt to survive shifts in the market, campaigns will often find themselves having to adapt to both shifting player interests and real-world circumstances. While it can be tempting to just shutter a campaign with minimal player interest and start something new, in my experience being able to rekindle that shared nostalgia and reorganize the campaign will deliver a more satisfying game.

Players & Gamemasters: from Recipients to Co-Owners

Players as Recipients — A charity is an organization that raises money from donors to help recipients. Both the charity and recipients have very little input on the product, but this is not a strictly inferior business model. The GM and PCs having less input minimizes pressure as both the product and guidelines are developed and managed by a third-party. This model also opens up unique organization platforms, up to and including huge multi-table specials at conventions! This is also the ideal model for playtesting published adventures.
Example — Your favorite Organized Play has an awesome sea devil-themed adventure you want to run using their guidelines.

Players as Consumers — Many GMs plan their campaigns before they even know who is playing. There are advantages to this approach, especially if you want to minimize potentially alienating some of your players with perceived bias. This relationship can be useful for GMs who don’t know the preferences of their current group. This method can also be ideal for managing a sandbox-style living world that prioritizes verisimilitude over individual character’s stories.
Example — You have made the aforementioned sea devil adventure your own, adding in custom encounters.

Players as Guests — Guests are provided an ongoing service instead of a finished product. Like an architect designing a hotel, the campaign itself is still developed independent of the players, but the GM can adjust details of the game as it progresses to suit their player’s tastes. It often serves as a bridge between models, especially if you want to transition between published and home games.
Example – You have further adjusted the aforementioned sea devil adventure to suit your friends.

Players as Investors — A patron is someone who funds a project with minimal interference. In this style of campaign, the players give the GM some initial input, but then step back and let the GM take full control. This most often takes the form of character biographies, which can then be used by the GM to exploit a character’s weaknesses draw in an invested player. If a player loses interest in their initial investment, the campaign is likely to treat the player as a guest instead. And if a player’s investment accrues more interest over time, an investor can easily become a shareholder instead.
Example — Your friends want to play as sea devils! You know of a great sea devil adventure and want to use it as a starting point for your amazing sahuagin adventure!

Players as Shareholders — Shareholders play an active and ongoing role in the development and progress of a campaign. This will often develop out of a “players as investors” model. This does not mean that players have full control of the campaign, but rather that the GM actively seeks their player’s preferences and gives them more free reign over the setting. While some groups might find it inorganic, others appreciate using this model to explore themes that involve more than a single character. This model helps facilitate between-session roleplay without a GM having to micro-manage each session.
Example — You’ve decided to take a survey and it turns out your players want less aquatic combat encounters, but still want to play as sea devils. Let the coastal raids begin!

Players as Managers — Managers are not owners, but rather a person responsible for administering a division within a company. Many groups can thrive when players help run a campaign. Now, this can range from players tracking initiative to outright deciding what kind of adventure the party is going on next. A manager doesn’t just fill out an occasional survey, they outright tell the GM what they want to do. This is an exciting prospect for both GMs who love to adlib and those who enjoy sandbox games with a less cohesive story. This is also a common model with leadership and mercantile campaigns where players have to manage extensive subsystems that the GM might not have the time or energy to manage themselves.
Example — Your sea devil party wants to take over the world! One friend is going to help use various sourcebooks to help map out the oceans and coasts. Another wants to use a troop management system they found from an awesome third-party publisher. They’ll make some Recall Knowledge checks and use what information they have to decide where to invade first!

Players as Co-Owners — Oftentimes groups will take turns GMing the same campaign. While this can shift a story’s focus, it can help prevent one GM from experiencing complete burnout. It can help if one player is the defacto GM for the primary story, allowing players to interweave their character’s own substories in with the main plot. It makes it hard to interweave certain secrets into the campaign, but different players can frequently collaborate to try to surprise the rest of the group.
Example — One of your players wants to run the other sea devils through a raid of Sandpoint. They invite you to play your favorite NPC as your PC and you revel at the chance to exact sharky justice in the name of Kelizandri.

Session Organization: From One-Shots to Franchises

Campaigns as Pop-up Shops — Some adventures aren’t intended to be long-running campaigns. This model thrives when everyone playing understands from the outset that this is a one-shot deal. It gives players the opportunity to use radical character concepts and GMs the opportunity to test dangerous encounter ideas. There is a possibility that a pop-up shop might stick around and become a long-running campaign, but if you try focusing too much on that as a goal you’ll lose sight of what makes this model successful.
Example — You want to run an adventure you found where PCs fight off an invading force of Sea Devils. That’ll be a great chance to playtest those new classes from Secrets of Pastries!

Campaigns as Outlets — In manga there is a term called “omake”. These comics are essentially non-canonical “bonus comics” intended to give the audience some extra content often structured as bloopers, outtakes, and “what if” scenarios. Campaigns can use the same characters and/or setting to introduce radical new ideas and themes without disrupting the “primary campaign” by using the outlet model. They can even be done semi-canon, often involving elements like traveling to the plane of dreams, or being abducted by the fey. This category is very popular when using the “Players as Co-Owners” model. It can also apply to groups who enjoy playing short campaigns inspired by or parodying pop culture.
Example — What if our Rise of the Runelords PCs took a day to relax at the beach when the Sea Devils attacked?

Campaigns as Specialty Stores — Campaigns using the specialty store model focus on one specific theme and story. This model is very common with campaigns based on existing IP. It also works great when faced with player fluctuation, as it’s much easier to get returning players caught up. A specialty store campaign often uses a pretty formulaic approach, with parties taking on the same jobs from the same base of operations while a grander scheme unfolds from the same antagonistic force.
Example — This campaign will be focused on playing sea devils invading different coastal cities around Golarion.

Campaigns as General Stores — The general store model is ideal for classic campaigns that don’t want the confines of a specialty store but want to reign things in more than a department store. I see this as a sort of default or “middle-ground” campaign, and most of you have probably played in or run a campaign like this. The general store model likely has an ongoing story, but is probably sub-divided into dungeon adventures that let the GM explore a variety of classic staples for their genre. They are going to have some restrictions on character choice, often only “banning” certain unthematic options. These campaigns tend to shy away from complex subsystems that will only be used once or twice, such as investigations and verbal duels.
Example — This campaign will start off defending Sandpoint from Sea Devils, but from there the adventurers will begin to travel across Varisia. Also one of the PCs wanted to be a sea devil, but they agreed to instead play a malenti, a type of mutant sea devil that looks like an elf.

Campaigns as Department Stores — A department store has anything and everything, both in terms of mechanical options and narrative freedom. This versatility means it has the potential to run for a long time, often with multiple casts of characters coming into the same world in waves. These campaigns are more open to sudden thematic shifts than a general store and tend to use more diverse sources of rules than any other, employing more subsystems and uncommon options. These campaigns tend to be run by and for those who enjoy throwing different ideas at the wall to see what sticks. These work great for kitchen-sink campaigns that want to use as much material as possible.
Example —  After traveling across Varisia, your sea devil-slaying heroes wind up in Numeria and have to get a number of technological augmentations to offset those limbs they lost fighting a particularly sharkshasa who has come from a far off world to invade Golarion!

Campaigns as Chains — The chain business model prioritizes consistency across multiple venues. A campaign using this model is one that can be picked up by multiple groups but retains the same core elements regardless of who is running it. These groups do not exist completely independent of one another, but rather as a part of an ongoing campaign that can theoretically go on for years. The advantage of this system is that even if a group falls apart, you can continue playing the same campaign even if you have moved halfway across the world.
Example — Pathfinder Society has a great scenario about battling sea devils, and you can always find players who want to play it at local or online conventions.

Campaigns as Franchises — The difference between a franchise and a chain is ownership. A franchise happens when a campaign evolves beyond the control of a single person or group. This is most common when a campaign becomes a published setting. It can happen organically within a group when the canon, roleplay, and games played within and as part of the campaign go beyond the GM’s control, becoming a multi-campaign franchise. It is extraordinarily difficult to get a franchise to stick, but it’s not hard to find games like as publishers like setting their work in an established setting.
Example — After live-streaming your sea devil campaign for a year you’ve decided to write up a campaign guide so other people can enjoy all the sharky goodness. You’ve started to stumble on sea devil fanart clearly set in your continuity, and now people are asking about a conspiracy theory regarding the sahuagin queen in an AmA and you were certain you never actually gave the queen a name…

In Conclusion

There are countless business models in the world, and just trying to find a comparison between the most popular business models and how a GM treats their players isn’t going to be as useful as making your own that fits your playgroup. The best way to easily illustrate the models described in this article is by tracking player and GM investments (the x-axis) and the campaign’s longevity and scale (y-axis). I’d love to hear where your favorite campaigns lie on these two scales, and where your ideal campaign lies.

“Am I gonna run into more electricity resistance than fire? Or is fire still the most common in PF2?”

A good friend asked me that this week, and I found myself a little stumped. My instincts told me that fire resistance was more common, but after a quick browse of the Bestiary, it became obvious that it was also a way more prolific weakness. PF2e players tend to forget just how many monsters have immunities, weaknesses, and resistances. It can be easy to overlook, especially if you don’t use Recall Knowledge as much as you should. But like any over-achiever, I wanted to know the exact numbers in all three Bestiaries. And what I found were some fascinating insights into how the proliferation of these game elements spoke to the nature of each of the eight energy types.

Quick Disclosure about this Data

You should pick the energy type that fits your character. But you should also pick the character that best fits the campaign. Nine times out of ten a campaign setting’s environment and the featured enemy is a much better indication of which element to wield. And each element has its own pros and cons: I’d much rather have a fire mage on my journey to the Crown of the World, but someone specializing in Mental damage is probably more useful in an intrigue campaign! Knowing there are slightly more monsters with cold resistance and immunities than acid doesn’t mean acid is always better. After all, this data doesn’t account for monster rarity, blanket type-immunities, or just the fact many of these resistances and weaknesses are only higher and lower because these numbers scale with the creature’s levels. Some players have a character that has whittled down their spell choices from 30 to 2. Others are GMs or even monster designers looking to see which resistances and weaknesses need a little more love. I’ve compiled the data here strictly because I’ve seen it asked more than once, so it’d be convenient to have it all listed here!

Also Note: All energy types are valid! There are 1072 monsters in Bestiary 1, 2, & 3. Even the most commonly resisted energy type only applies to 20% of the monsters in the book, and about half of those are extremely rare and high-level monsters! And, of course, many GMs will also be pulling threats not accounted for in this data, including monsters unique to published adventures or your own campaign!

Methodology

For this data, I looked at the eight energy types, the four alignments, and checked Mental and Poison. Many monsters also have weaknesses and resistances to the three types of weapon damage, all physical damage, and specific materials (especially cold iron). Since martial characters can carry an arsenal capable of switching between these, I found it more important to focus on energy types that can’t be as easily swapped during an encounter. I didn’t count monsters that could resist everything, but I did count monsters who could switch resistances.

Energy Analysis

Acid, Cold, Electricity & Fire: Fire has almost twice as many immune and resistant monsters as Acid, Cold, or Electricity. But it also has the most monsters who are weak to it out of those four energy types. Cold and Electricity almost tie for resistances, but far more creatures are weak to cold. Of course, Electricity has probably the best damage dealing cantrip in the game, and Cold has the least number of practical applications in exploration mode. Acid has less resistant monsters than Electricity or Cold, but only by 20%. And there are almost no monsters weak to Acid Damage!

Force & Sonic Energy: As to be expected, the two classic black-sheep of the energy damage family have the least number of resistances and weaknesses in the game. They remain a solid and consistent source of damage in this edition, especially with Force damage being able to hit incorporeal creatures who are otherwise resistant to almost everything else!

Positive & Negative Energy: These affect pretty much every living and/or undead creature as you’d expect. Note that there are many monsters I didn’t count in this data with immunity to “Necromancy”, which make them immune to the most common spells and effects that deal positive and negative energy damage.

Alignment Damage: Everything that isn’t of an opposing alignment is effectively immune to alignment damage. This hasn’t been accounted for in the data. Good damage is one of the best in the game, as most enemies are evil, very few creatures resist Good damage, and many evil creatures have it as a weakness! But, if you have a choice, you should try to pick an alignment that best matches the most common foe you are likely to encounter in the campaign.

Mental & Poison Damage: Most of the immunity here is from creatures like Constructs, Oozes, and Plants that you’d expect to be immune to Mental damage in the first place. Poison has the most immunities, including Constructs, Elementals, and Undead. The advantage of these types of damage is innate to the effects that grant them. Mental damage tends to be subtle and flexible, usually targeting the saving throw that is easiest to reduce. Poison effectively provides martial characters with an extra boost in damage without a major impact on their action economy and/or multiple attack penalty.

The Data

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How to Familiarize Yourself with a Familiar

Base Classes

Alchemist: The Alchemical Familiar feat grants you a familiar with 2 familiar abilities.
Druid: Leaf druids get the Leshy Familiar feat for free, granting you a plant familiar with 2 familiar abilities. You can improve your Leshy with Leshy Familiar Secrets and Enhanced Familiar. In Pathfinder Society, characters liked by the Verdant Wheel can select the Leshy Familiar feat regardless of class. You can improve your familiar with Enhanced Familiar.
Sorcerer/Wizard The Familiar feat grants you a Tiny animal with 2 familiar abilities. Wizards with the Improved Familiar Attunement Arcane Thesis get extra abilities as you level. You can improve your familiar with Enhanced Familiar.
Witch: All Witches have a familiar with 3 abilities. They can be objects if your patron is Baba Yaga. They gain further abilities as you level and can improve their familiar with Enhanced Familiar and Incredible Familiar. They have a number of other feats and a focus spell that uses their familiar, and use their familiar to prepare spells each day. It is replaced the next day if killed.

Archetypes

Alchemist/Druid/Sorcerer/Wizard/Witch Multiclass: These multiclass archetypes confer access to feats that grant a familiar. The witch archetype grants a familiar with 1 ability. You can improve your Witch Multiclass archetype familiar with Basic Witchcraft (and any other Witch feat).
Familiar Master: This archetype dedication feat grants you a familiar with 2 abilities, or the Enhanced Familiar feat if you already have a familiar. You can improve your familiar with Enhanced Familiar and Incredible Familiar, cast spells through your familiar with Familiar Conduit, aid allies with master abilities using Familiar Mascot, get a more powerful specific familiar with Improved Familiar, and change around certain familiar abilities with Mutable Familiar.
Magaambyan Attendant: You can get a mask familiar with access to the Mask Freeze ability using Mask Familiar. You can improve your familiar with Adaptive Mask Familiar.

Ancestry Feats

Azarketi: You can get a familiar with 1 ability and the swim or amphibious familiar ability with Marine Ally.
Dhampir: You can improve an existing familiar with the undead trait and negative healing with Undead Companion.
Gnome: You can get an animal familiar with 2 abilities with Animal Accomplice.
Kitsune: You can get a spherical stone with 2 abilities, including the innate surge master ability, but no movement speed, with Star Orb.
Ratfolk: You can get a rat familiar with 2 abilities with Rat Familiar.
Sprite: You can get a Small sized corgi familiar with 1 ability and scent with Corgi Mount. It has 1 ability and scent. You can use it as a mount unless you are a pixie.

Familiar Capabilities

The basic rules for familiars can be found here. They aren’t intended to fight alongside the party like eidolons and animal companions. But they can greatly improve a character’s action economy by providing one additional action each round, so long as those actions are simple (or covered by a familiar ability). This is especially useful for characters who use lots of equipment during an encounter and don’t want to spend the actions drawing and preparing new consumables. They can also provide a higher bonus than many low-level characters using Perception, although they are not trained in Perception so it only applies if the difference between your spellcasting modifier and Wisdom modifier is greater than your proficiency rank in Perception.

Familiar Abilities

The rules state that a familiar must choose one familiar ability if it makes sense for that creature, such as an owl with a Fly speed. But Raccoon fans rejoice: this doesn’t mean you have to spend all your abilities on familiar abilities if you want an animal capable of multiple animal abilities! Most GMs will also not limit you to real-world animals, so feel free to take Fly on that winged housecat! There are tons of familiar abilities you can find here, but I’m going to take a second to highlight four of particular interest.

Darkvision: This is perhaps the most overlooked familiar ability. Not all campaigns want the human in the party holding a lantern, and because you can switch out familiar abilities every day this means you can choose when you want the benefits of at least having a little buddy on your shoulder telling you what you see (hopefully with telepathic touch).
Independent: If you don’t command your familiar, it still gains 1 action each round. This is by far one of the most potent familiar abilities in the game, allowing your favorite buddy the freedom to poison a weapon, pass a potion, or even search for a hidden enemy without using up one of its master’s actions. There is quite a bit of GM fiat that goes into what a trained familiar with do during a battle, and many tactics will also require the Manual Dexterity ability (or being a Specific Familiar).
Lab Assistant: Your little buddy can brew a potion for you. Requires Manual Dexterity. Since Quick Alchemy is a single-action ability, this pairs very well with Independent.
Master’s Form: Your familiar can turn into a copy of you. There are so many different things you can do with this, and it looks super fun to use on a flavor level! Especially cool for Witches as a means to manifest their patron for a short conversation, assuming your campaign needs such a trick. Heck, I’d give full control of my familiar to my GM just for the roleplay opportunity!

Master Abilities

Master abilities represent a manifestation of the supernatural bond between you and you’re familiar. A familiar doesn’t need a master ability, but most I’ve seen use at least one. If you aren’t the type of player who is looking to exploit the movement and action economy of a familiar but still want a little fuzzy-buddy, I highly recommend looking into master abilities for more direct ways to benefit from your new best friend. I’ll go ahead and highlight three:

Cantrip Connection: Cantrips are really good. Many spellcasters feel like they wish they could just cast one more, and we are sure to see even more cantrips in future releases.
Familiar Focus: The most commonly used master ability in my experience, this lets your familiar restore a focus point to your character even in the midst of encounter mode. This power is excellent at high and low levels for focus-power-centered characters, especially before you get the ability to restore more than 1 focus point at a time.
Innate Surge: This lets you replenish the use of an expended innate spell gained from an ancestry feat. While it doesn’t let you choose a different spell, those spells are often very potent and many ancestries and heritages have spells worth being able to cast multiple times per day.

Specific Familiars:

Specific familiars are a sort of improved familiar that has additional unique abilities. They can replace or represent an evolution of an existing familiar and require no special feat, item, ritual, or downtime to obtain. They do require a certain number of familiar abilities, essentially locking in the unique abilities of that familiar in lieu of being able to pick your own familiar and master abilities. If you have more abilities than are necessary for that specific familiar, you can select additional familiar and master abilities and go even further beyond! Note that you will likely want to pick up Improved Familiar as a Witch or Familiar Master to effectively get two extra powers (and this is a necessary step to obtain an Imp).

★★★★★ Imp (APG) — 8 Abilities. Darkvision and touch telepathy are great for humans who want to stealth. Manual dexterity is great with flight for grabbing those hard-to-reach items. The invisibility paired with flight means it can smuggle items, scout ahead, or even run away to live another day. But the real kicker here is the infernal temptation, giving your PC an advantaged roll once per day! The back draw is practically non-existant if you planned on your character’s death being permanent. In many campaigns, you might even find the “once per day” becoming multiple times per session, but in other games, it might be one of those things you have to track having used between sessions.
★★★★☆ Faerie Dragon (APG) — 6 Abilities. Darkvision and touch telepathy are great for humans who want to stealth. Manual dexterity pairs great with flight and amphibious for grabbing those hard-to-reach items. The breath weapon is awesome considering the master is only using a single action; It can confer slowed 1 on a failure and doesn’t have the incapacitation trait!
★★★☆☆ Calligraphy Wyrm (PFSG) — 6 Abilities. A living dragon pen. Six abilities mean there’s no room for further powers, but it confers eight notable bonuses! Recall Knowledge is a valid use of a familiar even if you have those skills yourself, as you won’t share the penalties for repeated attempts. Manual dexterity and flying are great together. Being able to spray a 10-foot blinding/invisibility-exposing cone is a great “third action” for all those spellcasters who don’t know what to do after using a two-action spell in close quarters.
★★★☆☆ Poppet (PFSG) — 1 Ability. The most versatile specific familiar, you are essentially using up a single ability to pick up the constructed ability, at the risk of being extra flammable. I have a feeling this is going to improve if we get more repair options in Guns & Gears. Extra cool because you can pick one up at level 1!
★★☆☆☆ Aeon Wyrd (PFSG) — 3 Abilities. A tiny flying stone. This lets you resonate with two aeon stones. It has a huge list of immunities, which is fabulous if you plan on using area of effects that confer those negative effects (probably from a summoned creature). It’s not terrible, but I’m not that impressed. You have to use repair to heal it, so it might get better in Guns & Gears?
★★☆☆☆ Dweomercat Cub (PFSG) — 4 Abilities. It’s adorable. But most of the effects of alter dweomer are pretty forgettable. Evocation is nice, if the kitty can survive getting hit by fireball. And conjuration has some niche applications, but the random status bonuses to your little friend just don’t like they’ll see much use when you have to use four abilities to get your kitten in the first place. I suppose it’s not bad if you know you are going against an evocation mage or monster with lots of evocation innate spells, especially since the feedback has no limit on range! Detect magic makes me suspect this is best used for a non-spellcaster who picked up the familiar master archetype.
★☆☆☆☆ Spellslime (APG) — 4 Abilities. Flavor-wise, I love the ooze. Ability-wise? Not so much. Immunity to critical hits means it can even survive against end-bosses. Plus it has toughness and focused rejuvination. But it still won’t last long in a battle, can’t be easily replaced, and is the most limited in that you can only pick it up if you cast spells using spell slots. No one wants to see their familiar die, but at the same time, the idea of only letting your familiar soak a hit or two makes me think spellslimes will end up more likely to die than a familiar who just hangs out in your backpack managing your potions and scrolls.

Specific Familiar — Pipefox

Illustration by Brynn Metheney, Bestiary 4

Pipefox
Beast
Required Number of Abilities 8
Granted Abilities climber, darkvision, skilled (arcana, crafting, nature, occultism, religion, society), speech, touch telepathy

Loremaster The pipefox may only use skills from the skilled granted ability to perform a Recall Knowledge check. For purposes of checks requiring a specific proficiency, pipefoxes are considered to have a proficiency in any skill used to Recall Knowledge equal to their master’s spellcasting or class proficiency, whichever is higher.
Independent Polymath The pipefox is an enthusiastic repository of knowledge and learning, often divulging facts to their master even in the midst of danger. In an encounter, if the pipefox’s master doesn’t Command it, it still gains l action. The only action the Pipefox will take is Recall Knowledge. They are likely to immediately divulging anything they recall verbally without warning. It can’t select the independent ability.
Malleable The pipefox treats any tight space it can barely fit its head in or wider as difficult terrain and doesn’t need to Squeeze to move through it.

The pipefox, or Kuda-gitsune, is a familiar inspired by classic Japanese folklore with appearances throughout Pathfinder First Edition. Its entry was one of the previews for Bestiary 4 and it was a popular choice for spellcasters with the Improved Familiar feat. The creatures are said to live in pipes, billowing out like smoke to answer the questions of the master whom it serves. As of writing this article, there are no official stats for a Pipefox specific familiar. You could make one yourself by just applying many of the granted abilities listed below, especially Climber and Skilled. They make especially good familiars for characters who don’t like having extra miniatures, as they tend to stay wrapped around an arm or staff, or even stuffed into a pipe! The specific familiar below tries to capture the spirit of the original mythology at the expense of some of the more powerful or disruptive features the familiar had in the prior edition of Pathfinder, such as divination, mind reading, and invisibility.

Important Note: I have been made aware that summoned creatures do not trigger abilities that trigger when a summoned creature dies. Summons cease to exist immediately when banished, and are banished when reduced to 0 HP. This has changed the rating of several creatures from past Bestiaries!

Summon-Dex Navigation:

Part 1: Summon Animal (arcane, primal) (Updated!)
Part 2: Abberations (occult)/Constructs & Dragons (arcane)/Giants & Plants (primal) (Updated!)
Part 3: Celestials (divine)/Fey (occult, primal)/Elementals (arcane, primal) (Updated!)
Part 4: Undead (arcane, divine, occult)/Fiend (divine) (Updated!)

Bestiary 2 Errata

Make sure to check out the errata for bestiary 2, as many of our favorite monsters have been tweaked.  The biggest change? A number of monsters have become uncommon! The Culdawen, Drainberry Bush, Denizen of Leng, Stygira can no longer be summoned. In addition, the Specter has lost 1-star due to errata. Other monsters have been buffed and nerfed, but not enough to deserve a significant change in rank.

Dustin’s Personal Picks

There are so many good monsters in Bestiary 3 that it can be a challenge to pick only one from each summoning spell to highlight. These choices are not the “best”. They are merely entries that caught my eye that I wanted to bring attention to. Many of these monsters are too high level to be effective combatants at the tier in which they can be summoned, but still offer a niche utility that can make them the cornerstone of a very memorable story!

Summon Celestial: Vulpinal
It has a feature called Fox’s Cunning! In all seriousness, I love the vulpinal in this edition. Being able to call upon an extra to attempt some recall knowledge checks is super helpful, since it won’t be incurring the cumulative penalties GMs are welcome to implement on multiple attempts. It’s a pretty decent caster, rocking both lay on hands for defense and divine wrath for offense.

Summon Fey: Millindemalion
So the lampad is probably the stronger summon, but the millindemalion is way more fun. It’s a haberdasher. That throws two hats a round. Some will argue it’s not worth the high level spell slot. To which I will say “catch” and begin throwing hats at them!

Summon Elementals: Ledalusca
Having a monster that can turn into a copy of whatever it sees is by definition a niche utility summon, but the ledalusca is just so darned cool! Repositioning enemies around the battlefield gives it some combat utility. And I just love the idea of summoning this to confirm whether or not your target is a vampire.

Animate Dead: Clacking Skull Swarm
I’m happy to see a high-level swarm and a high-level undead. Being able to confer the frightened and confused condition as a swarm is just a fantastic way to deal with a group of mooks who threaten to clutter your high-level battlefield. I also love the aesthetics of a swarm of clattering, shrieking skulls!

Summon Fiend: Abrikandilu
I love niche utility summons, and this one fits the bill. Need a bunch of things destroyed? Summon an abrikandilu, and just let it go to town. Four claw strikes per round without multiple attack penalty that only look at Hardness every-other-strike should be enough to destroy most everything in the room. Absolutely great for a distraction in a room full of valuables!

Summon Celestial (Divine)

Since the lowest level this spell can be cast is 5th level, many of the lowest level creatures you can summon are too weak to be helpful at the earliest tier they can be cast. They would only be useful in extremely niche situations.

Spell 5:
★★☆☆☆ Silvanshee (B3) — Terrible Niche Spellcaster. Can cast speak with animals, lay on hands, and gaseous form (x3). You are probably using this to give three party members gaseous form. It can also do any skill check trained, but their modifier isn’t that fabulous. The kitties do fly.

Heightened (6th):
★★★☆☆ Vulpinal (B3) — Good Support Spellcaster. Fox’s Cunning lets it make a free Recall Knowledge check each turn. Can cast speak with animals, tongues, lay on hands, calm emotions, remove disease, divine wrath, and detect alignment.

Heightened (7th):
★★★★☆ Garuda (B3)  — Great Ranged Spellcaster Striker. You will usually want to cast a party-wide haste with this spell-slot, but the Garuda can still cast a single target haste, then stick around to shoot arrows, blast wind and dust, and aid the party with freedom of movement and see invisibility. At this tier the bow attack seems mediocre, but it gets true strike at will and it’s weapon is deadly!
★★★☆☆ Procyal (B3)  — Niche Social Spellcaster. Has speak with animals and tongues. Can cast calm emotions, dispel magic, illusory creature, magic aura, suggestion, heroism, invisibility (including on others), and lay on hands. It can change shape to disguise itself as any medium or small humanoid its met, letting you potentially summon a “copy of yourself” for 1 minute.

Heightened (10th):
★★☆☆☆ Peri (B3) — Mediocre Area of Effect Blaster. 6d6 fire damage to all adjacent with a single action 15d6 burst of fire, plus wall of fire (x3) and the GM irritating flame jump ability. It’s super strong against CR 13 and below creatures, but any 10th-level spell will be. Usable if you have no other access to fire damage and are against an army of low level creatures.

Summon Elemental (Arcane, Primal)

Spell 2:
★★☆☆☆ Air/Earth/Fire/Water Wisp (B3) — Decent Very Niche Buff. If you use elemental form, these little fellas gives you +1 status bonus to attack and damage. Remember you need the elemental and the planar trait. It can’t use its reaction since it’s a summon. Water swims and drenches. Air flies. Earth burrows. Fire can see through smoke.

Heightened (3rd):
★★☆☆☆ Ledalusca (B3) — Mediocre Niche Specialist Controller. The push attack can help reposition enemies and it is immune to Ice damage. Also useful if you need an ice sculpture of someone for 1 minute, or a vampire detector.
★★★☆☆ Azer (B3) — Good Debuff Striker. Decent fire damage and fire immunity with a 20-foot line attack it can unleash every round. Heat of the Forge is the real reason for its third star, making foes within 10 feet fatigued unless they make a save each round.

Summon Fey (Occult, Primal)

Spell 1:
★★★☆☆ Haniver (B3) — Decent Niche Specialist. Need to steal from a low-level enemy in combat? Want to use some pre-combat rounds re-arranging people’s stuff to burn their Interact actions when they draw their weapons? Summon a Haniver. They can fly and swim too, and if you heighten they can cast fear.
★★★☆☆ Nyktera (B3) — Decent Niche Specialist. You will mostly summon this to communicate with bats. Does some decent damage if you can get an opponent to refuse it’s hospitality (i.e. ask the fey to invite them to discuss a truce over tea). Casts heal if summoned with a 2nd level spell. Flies.
★★☆☆☆ Grimple (B3) — Mediocre Niche Debuffer. Lice can potentially let you stupify and vomit gives you a line of sickened. It has climb and fly. If you heighten the spell, it can cast grease.

Heightened (2nd):
★★★☆☆ Melixie (B3) — Decent Niche Specialist. Casts ant haul. It can communicate with arthropods, which is a huge number of creatures at this level. Sugar Rush is useless on a summon. Flies.
★★☆☆☆ Tooth Fairy (B3) — Decent Striker. Persistent bleed damage is good. It can fly. The pliers can be used to attempt to disarm. Would be a 3-star if summons got death throes.
★★☆☆☆ Fuath (B3) — Mediocre Niche Controller. It can choke a target with a range. The target can get rid of the choke by spending three actions, but will likely just keep fighting despite drowning (or make the save). If this wasn’t once per day it would be pretty good. It can swim. Casts sleep.

Heightened (3rd):
★☆☆☆☆ Domovoi (B3) — Bad Spellcaster. Would be great if they were attuned to a home. Otherwise, they get mending at will, a broom, and household lore.

Heightened (4th):
★★★☆☆ Tooth Fairy Swarm (B3) — Decent Swarm. Pinch and Plaque Burst attempts to Sicken. It has good resistances and flies. It cannot use pry.
★★☆☆☆ Draxi (B3) — Specialist Area of Effect Caster. The breath weapon would be great without incapacitate, so it’s only useful against lots of lower-level enemies. It can cast faerie fire and invisibility. It can fly and has telepathy.
★☆☆☆☆ Dvorovoi (B3) — Bad Spellcaster. Can cast speak with animals, entangle (lower DC than Dryad), and some enchantment spells (animal only).

Heightened (5th):
★★☆☆☆ Ovinnik (B3) — Mediocre Niche Spellcaster. Ever heard of a dust explosion? Sadly this ability isn’t accessible for a one-minute summon, but the Ovinnik can cast burning hands, flaming sphere, and purify food and drink. It also has a climb speed, and household lore.

Heightened (6th):
★★★★★ Lampad (B3) — Amazing Spellcaster Controller. Weep means you have to position it behind enemy lines, but they will feel that Slowed 1. They can cast shape stone, meld into stone, pummeling rubble, faerie fire, and heal. Will probably be sickened 1.

Heightened (7th):
★★☆☆☆ Hesperid (B3) — Mediocre Spellcaster. It can cast 5th level heal and searing light, faerie fire, illusory disguise and does fire plus positive damage. It’s always drained 1 and can’t use its best ability outside of it’s specific area. Does more damage than a Kishi, but Kishi still has Grab!
★★☆☆☆ Kishi (B3) — Mediocre Strike Controller. Has some decent social skills. Mostly getting it for the grab ability. Vicelike Jaws makes it decent against lower level casters.

Heightened (9th):
★★★☆☆ Millindemalion (B3) — Decent Control Striker. Beefier and able to do more damage than the Rusalka thanks to Sneak Attack. It can try to throw two hats a round which can give the slowed 1 condition (among others) against a decent saving throw. Unsettling Minds is fun against a creature with one or more aura mental effects. Millinery Lore.

Animate Dead (Arcane, Divine, Occult)

While technically not a “summon” spell, the spell shares enough similarities that we can compare it’s minion selection alongside other conjuration spells. Note that with this review I am assuming that minions are unaffected by the Slow condition because of how they get actions, but you can effectively downgrade most minions that are permanently slowed by 1 or 2 stars.

Spell 1:
★★★★☆ Festrog (B3) — Strong Striker. Strong and consistent base damage with automatic damage (and healing) using Feast. Diseased Pustules means you want to position it away from the party, but close to other enemies, making it a great flank partner.
★★☆☆☆ Severed Head (B3) — Mediocre Striker. +1 Star as a Debuffer if your GM let’s you use the Fiendish or Entangling Beheaded ability. Being able to make someone bleed if you succeed at two attack rolls involving MAP is pretty lame. Doesn’t have resistances like the Skeleton Guard. But it can Fly!

Heightened (3rd):
★★★★☆ Squirming Swill (B3) — Amazing Debuffer Niche Utility. Malodorous Smoke plus Slippery Grease means you get to sicken and trip. Motion sense and swim speed are both useful. Magical Brother probably can’t be used since summons disappear when destroyed.
★★★☆☆ Flaming Skull (B3)  — Decent Striker. The persistent fire damage is okay. It can light stuff on fire and fly. Might hurt your party when they die!

Heightened (4th):
★★★☆☆ Trailgaunt (B3) — Decent Debuffer. It can lower movement speed and cause frightened. Burrow speeds are useful. Tremorsense.

Heightened (5th):
★★★★☆ Harpy Skeleton (B3)  — Good Striking Tank. The AoE has a DC 26 save! It also does pretty good damage with its alon and can fly. Good resistances, AC and HP
★★★★☆ Namorrodor(B3)  — Good Debuff Niche Striker. Causes most enemies to become frightened 1 and, if you are playing a fear build, forces enemies to stay frightened as long as they are within 30 feet. It can Lifesense from the Shadow Plane to Material Plane. It also has a decent Grab. In a chase, it can stride twice and bite (with 40 ft speed).

Heightened (6th):
★★★☆☆ Abandoned Zealot (B3) — Decent Niche Controller. Will wreck lower level divine casters. Will annoy same or higher level divine casters. Can automatically detect “false priests”, fly, lifesense, and cast crisis of faith and zealous conviction (self only).
★☆☆☆☆Sulfur Zombie (B3) — Poor Debuffer. The slowed condition makes this bad. It’s 4 stars if your GM let’s you give it both actions, as Blinding Sulfur is pretty good.

Heightened (7th):
★☆☆☆☆ Baykok (B3)  — Poor Striker. It flies and can deal damage. It can potentially paralyze, but will most likely only slow if you are lucky, since it’s an incapacitate effect on a 9th level summon.

Heightened (8th):
★★★★☆ Clacking Skull Swarm (B3) — Great Controller AoE. Drop it into a group and watch them deal with the AoE damage, frightened, and confusion conditions each round as the swarm tears them apart. Would be better if it got death-throes, but summons do not.

Summon Fiend (Divine)

Since the lowest level this spell can be cast is 5th level, many of the lowest level creatures you can summon are too weak to be helpful at the earliest tier they can be cast. They would only be useful in extremely niche situations.

Spell 5:
★★★★☆ Brimorak (B3) — Great Utility Striker. Even with low stats for this tier, they do impressive damage and comes packed with a breath weapon and fireball. It also has dimension door, dispel magic, and can produce a smokescreen every round. It can even use telepathy to help the party navigate the smoke.
★★★☆☆ Abrikandilu (B3) — Good Niche Striker. Wreck doesn’t apply to or count MAP, so this summon gets four attacks at full MAP against an unattended object (or attended mirror) per round. It’s not often that you need to use magic to destroy an object, but when you do, summon an abrikandilu!
★★★☆☆ Aghash (B3) — Good Debuffer. Can frighten or stun targets with its gaze. Can cast outcast’s curse, touch of idiocy, and illusory object.
★★★☆☆ Nucol (B3) — Decent Striker. It does okay damage, but no extra relevant effects. It does have the highest Athletics in this tier. Has scent and telepathy.
★★☆☆☆ Ostovite (B3) — Poor Niche Tank. You might fight an enemy who can only deal damage that this is immune to, but that’s very unlikely at this tier. This would be amazing if you could summon it with a first level spell.
★☆☆☆☆ Dretch (B3) — Poor Niche Utility. It can potentially get 2.5 actions per round, if your GM let’s a summoned dretch still use it’s Sloth ability. Most GMs will not, making it a zero star.
☆☆☆☆☆ Doru (B3) — Terrible Spellcaster. Can cast illusory object.
☆☆☆☆☆ Esipil (B3) — Terrible Debuffer. Can cast fear and turn into a small domestic animal.

Heightened (6th):
★★★★☆ Levaloch (B3) — Good Striker. The net and trident combination is going to deal 2d8+3d6 damage per strike, with a good attack bonus and range. Better damage than the baubau, but a little less utility.
★★★☆☆ Wihsaak (B3) — Decent Niche Controller. The confusion aura is fantastic against lower level enemies (incapacitation). Immune to swams. Telepathy and flight. It can cast fear, vomit swarm, suggestion, and see invisibility.
★★☆☆☆ Pairaka (B3) — Mediocre Niche Caster. Flying caster with charm, suggestion and nightmare (2-action cast). Might take damage each round if an ally is wearing red.

Heightened (7th):
★★★★☆ Hellwasp Swarm (B3) — Good Swarm. 8d8 piercing damage plus two doses of poison per round is really good. It can confuse lower level enemies and infest corpse is fun.
★★★★☆ Pakalchi (B3) — Good Control Debuffer. Betrayal Toxin will ruin enemy buffs and are amazing against enemies with AoE effects that exclude allies. Has tongues, telepathy, and true seeing. If heightened it can cast dominate. It can cast suggestion and calm emotions.

Heightened (8th):
★★★☆☆ Munagola (B3) — Good (Evil) Utility Striker. It can use both actions to give every Evil character in the party +40 feet fly speed each round. It can also strike pretty well.

Heightened (9th):
★★☆☆☆ Japalisura (B3) — Niche Utility Striker. It can produce arrows that do an extra 4d6 mental damage, which can help if you have a party of archers I suppose. It can cast some illusion spells, but nothing worth a 9th level slot. It can turn enemies against each other, but it’s an incapacitation effect that requires a skill check.

Heightened (10th):
★☆☆☆☆ Nikaramsa (B3) — Bad Spellcaster Tank. It has reach and improved knockdown, but becomes medium and debuffed against most enemies who can see through illusions or have decent will saves. Sap Mind might work since its not incapacitation. Best use I can see is as a healer, as it can cast heal, neutralize poison, remove disease, remove curse, and restore senses. It comes with constant detect alignment, telepathy, and see invisibility.

Summon-Dex Navigation:

Part 1: Summon Animal (arcane, primal) (Updated!)
Part 2: Abberations (occult)/Constructs & Dragons (arcane)/Giants & Plants (primal) (Updated!)
Part 3: Celestials (divine)/Fey (occult, primal)/Elementals (arcane, primal)
Part 4: Undead (arcane, divine, occult)/Fiend (divine)

Bestiary 2 Errata

Make sure to check out the errata for bestiary 2, as many of our favorite monsters have been tweaked.  The biggest change? A number of monsters have become uncommon! The Culdawen, Drainberry Bush, Denizen of Leng, Stygira can no longer be summoned. In addition, the Specter has lost 1-star due to errata. Other monsters have been buffed and nerfed, but not enough to deserve a significant change in rank.

Dustin’s Personal Picks

There are so many good monsters in Bestiary 3 that it can be a challenge to pick only one from each summoning spell to highlight. These choices are not the “best”. They are merely entries that caught my eye that I wanted to bring attention to. Many of these monsters are too high level to be effective combatants at the tier in which they can be summoned, but still offer a niche utility that can make them the cornerstone of a very memorable story!

Summon Animal: Empress Bore Worm
First appearing in Ironfang Invasion, the worm isn’t going to tip the scales of any combat encounters like the Skunk or Squirrel Swarm at level 1 & 2. But higher-level summons like this are made for utility, and the bore ability is an absolute game-changer. Whether it’s sneaking past an encounter, or looking to set up an ambush behind enemy lines, being able to tunnel the entire party beneath the earth is such a powerful ability that I’d recommend you bring it up with your gamemaster at least a level in advance so they can be prepared for your shenanigans. Special shoutout to the Fading Fox for being both a decent single-target striker and, you know, a fox!

Summon Construct: Animated Trebuchet
Why would you summon anything else when a trebuchet can launch a 90kg stone projectile over 300 meters? In all seriousness, being able to yeet creatures across the battlefield makes this entry incredible. I hate that I had to give it only two stars. But that is common for summons requiring a 9th-level spell slot.

Summon Dragon: House Drake
The only common dragon in Bestiary 3 is too low of a level for most players to want to summon with a 5th-level spell. But it’s such a cute monster that I couldn’t just leave them out! And the little guys are perfect if you are trying to befriend or distract a dragon-inclined creature without initiating a fight!

Summon Entity: Blood Painter
The Blood Painter is one of the few minions that can “summon” other creatures since illusory creature is not itself a summon spell! The fact you get a single-action “Dab” is just icing on the cake. Illusory creature is one of my personal favorite spells since it’s so fun to personalize. Giant nine-tailed foxes? Copies of your opponents? A talking clam!? One spell. Unlimited possibilities. Now with blood!

Summon Giant: Tomb Giant
A large striking scythe and the ability to spam harm isn’t the worst. The combination of a relatively high stealth score and throw rock is my favorite part about the only giant in Bestiary 3.

Summon Plant: Cactus Leshy
A 2nd-level summon with an AoE burst isn’t anything to write home about. But it’s a cactus leshy! I have to include it somewhere on the list. It might not be the most powerful summon in its tier, but it’s low-level enough that you aren’t jeopardizing the party picking it over a slime mold. And if the party has a couple of plants, you’ll still benefit from that verdant burst! Special shoutout to the Arboreal Reaper for giving us a powerful 7th level summon to replace our errata stricken Drainberry Bush.

Summon Animal (Arcane, Primal)

Spell 1:
★★★★☆ Monkey (B3) — Good Specialist. Attack isn’t bad. Grab and Go makes it an excellent specialist at Stealing. Climb speed.
★★★★☆ Skunk (B3) — Good Striker Debuffer. Spray Musk is quite effective and can be attempted each round. Great high attack and damage for this tier. Scent.
★★★☆☆ Common Eurypterid (B3) — Decent Striker. Attack bonus and Poison DC are low, but it is medium sized with Grab. Swim speed and wavesense.
★★★☆☆ Pufferfish (B3) — Decent Aquatic Tank. Toxic Body and Inflating Rush means it can envenom multiple opponents in the same round. The save is pretty low, but the effects are excellent (flat-footed and paralyzed).
★★★☆☆ Three-Toed Sloth (B3) — Decent Striker. Attack and damage are pretty good, and Rend is great. But if the opponent moves even a little the Sloth will be spending entire rounds trying to catch up. Scent and (slow) climb speed.
★★★☆☆ Weasel (B3) — Decent Niche Controller. It can squeeze, grab and constrict, but it’s only grabbing tiny creatures. That’s really good against tiny creatures, though! Scent.
★★☆☆☆ Red Fox (B3) — Mediocre Striker. I wish I could rate it higher, but it’s just barely better than the guard dog if you are looking for scent, and even that is debatable. Scent.
★★☆☆☆ Trilobite (B3) — Mediocre Aquatic Striker. It can run away and hide. The attack bonus and damage aren’t bad, but there are better aquatic options.

Heightened (2nd):
★★★★☆ Giant Skunk (B3) — Good Debuffer. Strikes aren’t bad, but you’ll be using this for the 15-foot cone of Sickened 3 that it can spray every round. It’s large, so theoretically you could ride it I guess? Scent.
★★★★☆ Squirrel Swarm (B3) — Decent Debuff Swarm. Each round you get to attempt to make all enemies in the swarm Clumsy 1 or take 1d6 damage. Resistances aren’t as good and it’s not doing as much damage as the vampire bats, but don’t discount clumsy. Climbs. Scent. SQUIRREL!
★★★☆☆ Camel (B3) — Decent Tank Mount. Large size and high athletics make this a beefy boy. Not as fast as a horse at only 80 feet per round, but it can spit to make someone dazzled (and even sickened).
★★☆☆☆ Kangaroo (B3) — Mediocre Striker. It can Push, but the attack bonus is lower than most and the damage is nothing to write home about. I wish Claw were agile.
★☆☆☆☆ Ringhorn Ram (B3) — Poor Striker. Low stats. Charge isn’t as useful on a summon. Can move on difficult terrain caused by ledges, so maybe as a mount for small PCs?

Heightened (3rd):
★★★★☆ Giant Opossum (B3) — Good Control. It can grab and carry away Tiny creatures like the Giant Ant.
★★★★☆ Giant Porcupine (B3) — Good Bleed Striker. Passive bleed damage against unarmed attackers is great. Rearward Rush with good stats means it can easily quill at least once per round.
★★★★☆ Monkey Swarm (B3) — Good Swarm Specialist. The way monster blocks are written makes taking a “random item of negligible Bulk” often “take that one McGuffin the party needs” or “take something the monster needs to function”. Large swarms with passive anti-auditory effects are great. Climbs.
★★★★☆ Terror Bird (B3) — Good Striker Mount. Fast with reach, bleed damage, and a Knockdown attack. 50-foot speed!
★★★☆☆ Fading Fox (B3) — Decent Specialist Striker. It can stealth really well and gets sneak attack damage, but its stats aren’t great for combat. Great stealth. Scent.
★★★☆☆ Giant Flying Squirrel (B3) — Decent Striker. Very high attack bonus and decent damage. Can fly and glide.
★★★☆☆ Rat Snake Swarm (B3) — Decent Striking Swarm. Bites twice a turn. Scent. Climbs and Swims.
★★★☆☆ Rosethorn Ram (B3) — Decent Striker Mount. Can deal persistent damage with a high attack bonus and a climb speed.

Heightened (4th):
★★★★☆ Narwhal (B3) — Good Aquatic Mount. 60 foot swim speed and an impaling grab with great stats. It also has precise echolocation.
★★★★☆ Platecarpus (B3) — Good Controller. Not Aquatic, but needs water or only two stars. Good stats. Aquatic Drag lets you pull those pesky air-breathers away from the party. Strafing chomp eats attacks of opportunity. Swallow whole is icing on the cake. Good athletics and stealth. Swim speed. Scent.
★★★☆☆ Giant Vulture (B3) — Decent Debuff Mount. It flies. It beaks. It vomits and sickens (once). It’s large enough to ride too.
★★★☆☆ Megalictis (B3) — Decent Control Striker. I love my giant weasels! Grabs. Lower attack than a Giant Mantis, but Constrict makes up for that. Can squeeze and scent.
★★★☆☆ Moose (B3) — Decent Striker Debuff Mount. Moose are super scary. Thundering Charge can very easily Stun. It has great stats. Kick Back is okay; You’ll probably want to use it after a combat maneuver with that high athletics skill. Scent.
★★★☆☆ Piranah Swarm (B3) — Decent Swarm Striker. Deals damage twice a round with bleed. Causing that already decent Reflex save to lower on a fail makes this a very potent summon. Blood scent.
★★★☆☆ Wolliped (B3) — Decent Niche Debuff Mount. It flies. It can throw up like a vulture, but it moves across ice really well instead of flying. Scent.
★★☆☆☆ Giant Seahorse (B3) — Mediocre Aquatic Tank. Not as good as a Bunyip. Camouflage can help you disguise the fact you are mounted. Anchor has some niche utility, such as severe weather or a tsunami.
★★☆☆☆ Trilobite Swarm (B3) — Mediocre Aquatic Swarm. They bite. It’s hard to give a swarm a lower score than this. Wavesense is neat.

Heightened (5th):
★★★★☆ Terror Shrike (B3) — Good Deuff Striker Mount. Would be a 5-star if it had Creature 5 stats. The screech can stun multiple enemies and doesn’t have the incapacitate trait, but watch out since it’ll affect the party. Sudden charge is great on a mount.
★★★☆☆ Amphisbaena (B3) — Decent Deuff Striker. Would be a 4-star if it had Creature 5 stats. Being able to strike two creatures without suffering MAP, inflict enfeebling poison, and blind on a critical hit makes this a pretty good summon. It also climbs, swims, and has tremorsense. But the DC on the poison and attack bonus isn’t the best.
★★★☆☆ Bore Worm Swarm (B3) — Decent Debuff Swarm. Sickened 1 and acid damage. Also a burrow speed and tremorsense.
★★★☆☆ Giant Hermit Crab (B3) — Decent Amphibious Control Tank. Grab and constrict. Pretty good stats, but that’s not too useful at this tier. Grab can be deadly on an amphibious creature, though. Retract is only worth it if enemies are focused on the crab since it can’t react as a summon.
★★★☆☆ Giant Pangolin (B3) — Decent Debuff Niche Tank. Summon this against swarms. Emite Musk is a decent sickened aura. Roll Up could let it survive an extra hit if you can get an enemy to focus on it. But you will mostly summon this for a devourer of swarms. Burrow and climb.
★★★☆☆ Megatherium (B3) — Decent Debuff.  A cloud of sickened isn’t bad. Knockdown is great too. Climbs and has scent. Isn’t so slow that enemies can just run away like against the sloth, and it has reach which works great with knockdown.
★★★☆☆ Spiny Eurypterid (B3) — Decent Control Striker. It grabs and uses enfeebled poison. It swims and has wavesense. Chitinous Spines means it will damage each round it can keep something grabbed, and amphibious grabbers are super effective against air-breathers when you have a source of water.
★★☆☆☆ Hermit Crab Swarm (B3) — Mediocre Amphibious Swarm. You shouldn’t be summoning for damage at this tier. Even with persistent damage, tremorsense and a swim speed.
★★☆☆☆ Viper Swarm (B3) — Mediocre Swarm. You shouldn’t be summoning for damage at this tier and the stats of the creature aren’t good enough to expect the poison to reliably go beyond stage 1. The spritz is pretty neat if you can enhance the venom somehow. Climbs and swims.

Heightened (6th):
★★★★☆ Empress Bore Worm (B3) — Good Niche Debuff. It deals acid damage and sickens. So why four stars? Because it can create tunnels with its 40 foot burrow speed, potentially digging a 800-foot tunnel your party can use that will without a doubt stay behind after the empress leaves. Tremorsense.
★★★★☆ Zetogeki (B3) — Good Tank. It can grab and mangle. It can get resistance to all physical damage while it chews on enemies. Probably not worth a spell-slot unless you’re facing multiple enemies trying to deal physical damage that you can block using a large lizard. Climb speed.

Heightened (7th):
★★★★☆ Khravgodon (B3) — Good Niche Controller. Solid stats. Can reduce AC with Crush Chitin. Grasping Tail is the MVP here, letting you haul away bothersome opponents (or allies who don’t want to be rescued for some reason). Has a burrow and climb speed, so can theoretically use its tail to drag people underground with it.
★★★☆☆ Tylosaurus (B3) — Decent Amphibious Controller. Gargantuan creature with grab and aquatic grab. A little less effective at this tier, but has use against lower level enemies you want to drag under a sizable body of water.

Summon Construct (Arcane)

Heightened (2nd):
★★★★☆ Animated Silverware Swarm (B3) — Good Control Striker. It’s a large swarm with construct immunities and hardness. Stick a fork in your enemies and keep them from moving, then snipe them from a distance.

Heightened (6th):
★★★★☆ Levaloch (B3) — Good Striker. The net and trident combination is going to deal 2d8+3d6 damage per strike, with a good attack bonus and range.
★★★☆☆ Tupilaq (B3) — Decent Area of Effect Controller. It’s basically three 3rd level fireball spells as a 6th level spell. When it runs out, it can claw and grab small creatures.
★☆☆☆☆ Terra-Cotta Soldier (B3)  — Bad Tank. Without attack of opportunity or shield block, the terra-cotta soldier just comes up short. It does have some arrow sand can shoot from rather far away, but isn’t doing anywhere near the damage of the giant animated statue, and range generally isn’t an issue for most summons. The common weakness is pretty bad too.

Heightened (7th):
★★★☆☆ Animated Furnace (B3) —Decent Area of Effect Controller. It can sprew fire each round, or grab and swallow whole.

Heightened (9th):
★★☆☆☆ Animated Trebuchet (B3) — Mediocre Niche Controller. I can’t in good conscience give a single-star rating to an animated trebuchet that grabs and yeets people. It will only be flinging minions (or very brave allies), but they will effectively be out of the combat for a good two or three rounds. The damage isn’t that good. The range eisn’t even that effective. But it’s such a memorable summon that I’m sure someone will find the perfect use for it.

Heightened (10th):
★★☆☆☆ Animated Colossus (B3) — Mediocre Niche Controller. Okay so probably not worth a tenth level slot for most creatures, but being able to grab two creatures and still move with Improved Grab and Constrict is pretty cool.

Summon Dragon (Arcane)

Since the lowest level this spell can be cast is 5th level, many of the lowest level creatures you can summon are too weak to be helpful at the earliest tier they can be cast. They would only be useful in extremely niche situations.

Spell 5:
★★☆☆☆ House Drake (B3) — Mediocre Caster.  Too low of a level. I’d only summon to cast obscuring mist, see invisibility, alarm, or soothe.

Summon Entity (Occult)

Since the lowest level this spell can be cast is 5th level, many of the lowest level creatures you can summon are too weak to be helpful at the earliest tier they can be cast. They would only be useful in extremely niche situations.

Spell 5:
★★★☆☆ Penanggalan (B3) — Decent Control. It can grab and give someone a disease that will be a problem in a week. Fly 40 feet. Spewing bile is a one-time area damage when it takes slashing damage.
★★★☆☆ Scalescribe (B3) — Decent Spellcaster. Lvl 3. The poison isn’t bad against a low level caster. It can cast secret page, comprehend language (x3), and dispel magic.
★☆☆☆☆ Cobbleswarm (B3) — Poor Swarm Controller Lvl 2. It can knock everyone in it’s squares prone, burrow, and has tremorsense.
☆☆☆☆☆ Flumph (B3) — Terrible Debuff Lvl 1. Flies. It wants to do its best!

Heightened (7th):
★★★★☆ Blood Painter (B3) — Good Spellcaster. It can deal bleed damage. It can use blood to charge up some potent illusion spells that it effectively casts a separate single action, which makes using the spells far more doable since you will probably cause bleed damage and #dab in the first round, freeing you up to spend each following round casting one of these spells again and again and again. Especially potent if you have any other way to make anyone else in the battle bleed, or if a party member is already bleeding! Remember the painter does have to spend an action to sustain illusory creature, but because of how it “casts”, even with only two actions per round it can have two illusory creatures attacking the third round! Bloodsense.

Summon Plant or Fungus (Primal)

Heightened (2nd):
★★☆☆☆ Vine Lasher(B3) — Mediocre striker. Does a little more damage than anything else at this level, except yellow musk thrall. The more plants in your party, the more powerful leshies become thanks to verdant burst.

Heightened (3rd):
★★☆☆☆ Cactus Leshy (B3) — Mediocre Area of Effect Striker. It can only use prickly burst once a day. Spiny Body is good against creatures desperate to grab. The more plants in your party, the more powerful leshies become thanks to verdant burst.

Heightened (4th):
★★★☆☆ Seaweed Leshy (B3) — Niche Amphibious Debuffer. Dazzled isn’t bad. Blinded isn’t too likely, but possible when Sea Spray is only a single action. It’s nice to have a plant you can use underwater, and seaweed is super common in aquatic environments so that speak with plants can be useful. The more plants in your party, the more powerful leshies become thanks to verdant burst.

Heightened (5th):
★★☆☆☆ Myceloid (B3) — Poor Controller. If you want to spend multiple spell-slots, you can potentially use some combination of illusion magic and spore domination to take control of a target’s mind affected by purple pox, but the pox itself has a 1 minute onset and spore domination has the incapacitation trait. It’s also potentially an evil act.

Heightened (6th):
★★★★★ Arboreal Reaper (B3) — Amazing Striker Tank. Great defensive stats, decent damage, a knockdown or bleed effect, plus the leech moisture ability potentially doing 10d6 every couple of rounds. It can also catch vampiric touch.

Summon Giant (Primal)

Heightened (9th):
★★☆☆☆ Tomb Giant (B3)  — Decent Striker. The claw giving doom each time it strikes isn’t terrible. Catch rock is very niche. It is large with reach and has lifesense. It can cast bind undead and harm as 5th level spells (x3 each).

Do you enjoy the idea of Prestige Classes but feel like they are either overpowered or interfere in normal character progression? Have you ever wanted a campaign where everyone was a part of the same organization, but knew it was asking too much that everyone takes at least one level in a prestige class? Or do you just find your players jonesing for more character options and a bit more crunch in Pathfinder 2e?

I’ve found myself personally using the rule in every non-organized play campaign I’m in and will continue to promote them whether I’m the GM, player, or a random ranting fox in your local discord serve. The extra feats help bring a new level of depth to your characters and campaign, without upsetting the delicate balance of Second Edition’s tight math. They give a certain amount of breathing room to players looking to take “fun feats” that they are afraid might impact their character’s normal efficacy while allowing the use of flavorful archetypes and class combinations that wouldn’t otherwise be advised.

But one thing that is so cool about this variant rule is how many different ways you can implement it and make it your own. Below are a few additional variants of this popular variant rule you can consider for your next campaign:

Campaign Specific Archetypes

Pathfinders? Hellknights? Masked Heroes?! Everyone taking levels of the same prestige class was always a pipe-dream campaign for me in Pathfinder 1e, but I knew it would never work with 96% of the prestige classes in the game without locking the entire group into the same basic role. But in Pathfinder 2e it’s totally possible to mix and match almost any archetype with almost any base class. Each player using one specific archetype helps cement the campaign’s theme, while also locking the characters into the theme of the campaign itself. You can start the game at level 1 (or level 0) and watch them earn that dedication feat in an initiation!

Campaign Specific Base Classes

Want a magic school adventure? You could give everyone the Magaambyan Attendant or Wizard Dedication archetypes… But why not make everyone a Wizard with free Multiclass Dedication Feats! This works best for campaigns that start after level 5, to make sure everyone has the opportunity to take options that make them “different”.

Odd-Level Archetype Feats

Offering players the opportunity to take archetype feats at odd-levels means your players get the opportunity to grab a new feat every level, rather than getting two feats every even level. This works best if the players earn that dedication feat at level 3, since most archetype feats start at level 4. It also works great for campaigns that want to start at level 3. (Or use that level to initiate the PCs into their permanent roles.)

Warning: I’ve found that the extra feats rarely make a character that much more powerful. But there have been a small handful of balance issues, mostly when a character uses a martial multiclass archetype on a martial character to combine offensive abilities such as Sneak Attack and Flurry of Blows. There are also certain archetype feats that I’d consider restricting to a character’s “normal feats”, but these can be analyzed during your session zero. These include the Combat Style archetypes that grant base class feats, such as the Martial Artist. You should also watch out for archetypes that grant extraordinary bonuses to allies, such as the Marshal, as multiple players taking them can cycle these bonuses and get out of hand. As a rule of thumb, you should restrict the bonus a character receives based on the number of archetype feats a character has to half their level, such as Ranger Resiliency or Disturbing Defense. Keep an eye out for ancestry feats that confer free dedication feats. And you should always benchpress your campaign!

There are numerous ways to go about this build, most involving archetype feats that make it far easier to accomplish when using the Free Archetype variant rule. The monk will have higher weapon proficiency and be better equipped to stay on the front lines, whereas the Witch gets to play with demoralize actions and can cast spells. As usual, I only put what I consider to be the “necessary” elements of these builds. And more than usual, you should feel free to play around with the concept, mixing and matching the feats and classes that you will have the most fun with to make this character your own!

Build Concept: Monk of the Fluffy Tails

• Ancestry: Kitsune
• Heritage: Ganzi
• Class: Monk
• Class Feats: Gorilla Stance (1st), Crushing Grab (2nd), Fighter Dedication (4th), Whirling Throw (6th), Basic Maneuver (Combat Grab) (8th), Sleeper Hold (10th), Advanced Maneuver (Dazing Blow) (12th)
• Ancestry Feats: Smashing Tail (1st), Skillful Tail (5th), Larcenous Tail (9th), Mischievous Tail (13th)
• Skill Feats: Titan Wrestler

This build is about grabbing your target with your tail and squeezing the life out of them with either Sleeper Hold or Dazing Blow, or throwing them aside with Whirling Throw! You get the offensive and defensive capabilities of a monk, including decent weapon proficiencies and armor class. This build is otherwise a potent front-line martial. If you find you don’t want any of these feats, I highly recommend looking at Flurry of Maneuvers to take full advantage of your Mischievous Tail (or Living Hair).

Build Concept: Fluffy Tailed Witch

• Ancestry: Kitsune
• Heritage: Dark Fields
• Class: Witch (Curse Theme for Evil Eye)
• Class Feats: Living Hair (2nd), Monk Multiclass Dedication (1st), Basic Kata (Gorilla Stance) (4th), Advanced Kata (Crushing Grab) (6th), Advanced Kata (Gorilla Pound) (12th)
• Skill Feats: Titan Wrestler, Battle Cry, Terrified Retreat
• General/Ancestry Feats: Adopted Ancestry (Hobgoblin for Agonizing Rebuke or Ganzi for the Tail Feats) (3rd)
• Spells: Grim Tendrils

This build focuses on Grab and Intimidation, striking fear into the hearts of your targets before you grab them and slowly squeeze the life out of them. That being said, you won’t be able to “grab with your hair” until level 4, but you will be able to disarm and trip with your hair starting at level 2, whereas the Monk has to wait until level 13 with Mischievous Tail. While your attacks with your tail will have a lower attack bonus, you are still grabbing using the Athletics skill. And don’t forget your familiar, which may or may not be a Star Orb depending on how your GM wants to rule stacking two abilities that grant a familiar.

Teamwork and Metagaming

I want to save the bulk of this topic for its own article, but writing this I noticed the best thing about combat maneuvers is how much they play into party dynamics. And whether it’s tripping a flying enemy so the barbarian can reach it, or shoving an enemy into the range of a spell, there will come times when you might feel nervous about whether or not your excessive table-talk is “metagaming”. Now it’s up to each group (and each Game Master) to determine how much is too much when it comes to this. But I feel compelled to make the case that your characters are trained combatants who have lived, fought, trained, and practiced together on the field of battle in ways most players have never experienced. Humans have more than five senses, and intuition is said to play a bigger role during a life-and-death encounter than any game can accurately simulate. Sometimes it’s okay to have your barbarian think it’s a good idea to shove that goblin toward the wizard, even if their character doesn’t know the exact dimensions of the wizard’s burning hands. That sort of teamwork is built into the system to help players overcome challenges, and is key to making combat maneuvers relevant and encounters more engaging than a series of attack rolls.

Bon Mot

Bon mot is different from any other combat maneuver. It requires a skill feat and does nothing by itself to lower an enemy’s offensive combat efficacy. It’s the premiere ability of the Wit swashbuckler style. But the only abilities Swashbuckler gets are intended for the battledancer, who should consider investing in the skill. But Bon Mot is not exclusive to the Swashbuckler! In fact, I’d argue Bon Mot is best paired with a spellcaster who is targeting Will DCs, such as a Bard, Cleric, Oracle, Sorcerer, Wizard, or Witch. That doesn’t make it bad for a swashbuckler; On the contrary, it helps facilitate teamwork! But a spellcaster can make great use of it themselves, especially since so many of their spells are two actions.

Demoralize

Intimidation is one of the most stacked skills in Pathfinder 2e for martial characters. The penalty lowers attack and defense, increasing the efficacy of all player characters regardless of combat style. It has some of the best skill feats in the game. You can pick up a bonus from your strength, pick up an extra bonus against spellcasters, get a free intimidate check when you roll initiative, send opponent’s fleeing, or even kill them outright. These abilities play well together, letting you potentially take an opponent out of combat for the first round while rolling initiative. (Although Scare to Death is its own action, so it won’t function with feats that let you use intimidation as a free action, reaction, or part of another action.)

Almost every martial class gets further bonuses against frightening creatures. The Braggart Swashbuckler has a couple of feats to improve their fear, and can remove temporary immunity which can let you inflict all these conditions twice during the same encounter. Fighters can make them flat-footed with Shatter Defenses, or get bonuses to damage with Fearsome Brute. Rogues with Brutal Beating treat them as flat-footed. And Monk’s get to Intimidate and Attack for bonus damage with Gorilla Pound. Hobgoblins get the incredibly fun Agonizing Rebuke, letting you damage opponents with a skill check!

Many abilities can prevent a creature from lowering its Frightened condition, potentially causing abilities like Agonizing Rebuke to last longer. This includes the fighter’s Shatter Defenses, Swashbuckler’s Antagonize, Martial Artist’s Dragon Roar, and the summon-eligible Scarecrow. Hobgoblins can even lock someone into the condition with Remorseless Lash.

You can improve your check with the Demon Mask, Gorget of the Primal Roar, or Mask of the Banshee, and if you are against a higher level opponent I recommend activating your Grim Trophy talisman to try to overcome the difference in power. Eventually, you can save up for a Dread Blindfold, but expect at least one person at the table to keep repeating “you are not prepared!”

Disarm

Disarm is one of the most underrated maneuvers in 2e. Yes, it’s only effective against creatures that use weapons. Which in most campaigns is roughly the same percentage of creatures affected by all the various traits in Intimidation. And, yes, it requires a critical hit to “disarm”. But you have to remember that a critical success here is going to mean you’ve probably just eliminated an enemy’s offensive capabilities… assuming you or an ally have the extra action to pick up the weapon before your opponent.

The success condition of Disarm requires some effort to make effective. The -2 penalty is good, but it goes away at the start of the opponent’s turn so theoretically, it will only impede reactions (unless you are a swashbuckler or using an oily button). So you are either left readying an action to disarm when the opponent attempts to attack or picking up one of several feats that let you attempt to disarm an opponent when they attack you (such as the Bastion’s Disarming Block, Aldori Duelist’s Aldori Riposte, Duelist/Fighter’s Dueling Riposte, Fighter’s Twin Riposte, or Barbarian’s Embrace the Pain. Fighters can use Disarming Twist and Barbarians can use Disarming Assault to get a free Disarm attempt when they land an attack. And Ifrit get Scorching Disarm, which lets you deal damage to a target once per day when you succeed at a Disarm attempt (unless they drop their weapon).

Feint

Feint gets overlooked in 2e with how many other ways there are to make an opponent flat-footed, such as flanking or tripping. It only counts your next attack, (unless you are a Scoundrel Rogue). Fencer and Goading Feint aren’t the most exciting options for a swashbuckler, but they can multi-class to pick up some more feint tricks and, unlike Scare to Death, Goading Feint looks like it functions with abilities that give you a free Feint attempt. The afforemented rogue is going to be your go-to class for feinting, penalizing Reflex saves with Distracting Feint to help set up spells or other combat maneuvers, and debuffing the opponent even further with Overextending Feint and Deny Support. Rogues can also feint from far away with Ricochet Feint. Monks can feint for free during a flurry of blows with Stumbling Feint. And Scouts can use Scout’s Charge to move, feint and strike for two actions using Stealth instead of Deception. The highest level feint feat is the iconic Red Mantis Assassin’s Prayer Attack, which adds 2d6 bleed damage in addition to locking in a ranged feint turn after turn! Ancestry options include the Kobold’s hilarious Grovel feat, letting them feint at a range, and Gnomes can use Vibrant Display to Feint against all adjacent creatures once every 10 minutes instead of just one creature within reach.

Grapple

Formerly the king of combat maneuvers, grapple remains a powerful option in 2e! While it does give the opponent a baked-in way to eliminate the condition, it still takes up an action! There are three classes that can best take advantage of the combat maneuver: Barbarians, Fighters, and Monks. Barbarians get free damage with Brutal Bully. Then more free damage with Thrash (that later hits their friends with Collateral Thrash). Barbarisn can initiate grapples as a reaction with Embrace the Pain, as part of an attack with Furious Grab, or without even needing the athletics check using Impaling Thrust (and get a bonus with Furious Bully). Fighters can grapple as part of an attack using Combat Grab, and then stun using Dazing Blow (which you can read about in detail here). Monks can get bonus damage with Crushing Grab, use Mixed Maneuver to combine the grapple with other maneuvers, use Whirling Throw to toss a grappled opponent, or knock them out with Sleeper Hold. A dedicated grappler can take the Rain of Embers Stance which lets them eventually grab and cause an enemy to detonate in an Explosive Death Drop! Monks can also grapple as a reaction with Tangle of Battle.

If you want to use an archetype look no further than Hellknights, who can use the lesser benefit from the Order of the Chain to attack and grapple with a flail without having to worry about multiple attack penalty (without the disadvantages of using Assurance). Bounty Hunters can use Opportunistic Grapple when an enemy misses them. And Provocators can use Pin to the Spot to restrain a target without having to roll an Athletics check! In early levels I recommend looking into a Net if you want a way to grapple creatures up to 10 feet away from you, but the set DC check means it’s not as useful at higher tiers.

Shove

Shove is one of the most useful combat maneuvers in the game. It can be used to push enemies into hazardous terrain, negative effects, or just eat up their actions moving back into melee range. Fighters can use Aggressive Block to shove when they Shield Block or Brutish Shove to shove when they hit with a two-handed weapon. They Shove foes even further with Flinging Shove and doing bonus damage with Powerful Shove. Barbarians can effectively Shove without having to roll an Athletics check using Knockback, later tripping them for free with Awesome Blow, Shove three enemies using Unblaancing Sweep, and racking up free damage using Brutal Bully. If you love the idea of eating up an enemy’s actions with a Shove-Trip combo, check out the Rogue’s Stay Down reaction. Meanwhile the monk is pushing people further with Improved Knockback, or abusing the action economy/ignoring MAP with Mixed Maneuver, Flurry of Maneuvers, and Knockback Strike.

The Mauler Archetype lets you shove up to five creatures and Stride for 2 actions using Clear the Way, or Shove a creature leaving a square within your reach using Shoving Sweep, potentially costing it too much movement to reach an ally, or knocking it off the slide of a cliff. The Staff Acrobat can Shove using its quarterstaff, getting bonuses using Shove with Levering Strike, using Shove against two enemies at once with Staff Sweep, and doing bonus damage when you Leap, Strike, and Shove using Pivot Strike. The new Azarketi ancestry can even let you Shove u to 15 feet away using Hydraulic Maneuver, potentially knocking ranged enemies off their precarious sniping positions.

Trip

Have I repeated enough that you can Trip flying creatures? I just love that melee characters can do more with those readied attacks against lower-level flying enemies who seem to love flyby attacks. You can even use an aklys or bola to ranged trip! There are many feats that help you trip, and I highly recommend reading the Shove section since most of those feats either work with trip, or let you trip as a free action and won’t be repeated here for the sake of brevity. Even without any of these feats, Trip is a potent combat maneuver for making a foe unable to easily move without spending an additional action, and giving them the flat-footed condition!

Fighters can use Knockdown to ignore MAP and Improved Knockdown to just auto-crit your Trip attempt. In addition to getting a free Trip when they Shove using Stay Down, a Rogue gets bonus damage using The Harder They Fall (which combines so well with Improved Knockdown). Monks automatically knock foes down using Wolf Drag. In addition to being Shoving experts, Maulers can Trip multiple foes using Hammer Quake. The king of teamwork, Marshals can trip the target of an ally’s attack using Topple Foe.  And once per minute when an Acrobat uses Tumble Through with Tumbling Opportunist, it gets a free Trip attempt!

Tumble Through

You might get some raised eyebrows if you announce to the table that your character is built around the Tumble Through maneuver, but let me assure you it’s a valid and fun combat maneuver that lets you play an effective and highly mobile character who can help position themselves to assist the rest of the party, especially when it comes to fighting in tight corridors. Ever have that problem where multiple melee characters want to hit the same monster, but the dungeon tunnel is only 5 feet wide? Tumble past and set up that wonderful flank train! Right off the bat you’re going to just want to check out the Acrobat archetype, which specializes in running through enemy squares to make them flat-footed. Any Swashbuckler regardless of style can use Tumble Through to regain panache, and get +1 to using Tumble Through while they are in panache. They can roll twice and take the better using Derring-Do and their Vexing Tumble and Tumble Behind feats let them make foes flat-footed similar to the acrobat. Rogues can also pick up Tumble Behind, using the flat-footed condition in conjunction with their sneak attack.  If you are looking for an ideal ancestry to scurry around the battlefield, Shoony get a bonus with Scamper Underfoot and can continue to move even if they critically fail their check so long as they have Tough Tumbler. If you are looking for a more common heritage, Goblins also get a bonus if they are especially Bouncy.

As usual, I’m going to link to the Hazard Creation Rules from the Dungeon Masters Guides and encourage everyone to check them out, because it makes creating hazards super fun and easy, even on the fly!

1.) Hazards are (Usually) not Single-Answer Puzzles

GM: “Your Trap Finder ability detects that the door ahead of you has a falling rock trap.”
Rogue: “I have an idea! Can I r-”
GM: “Roll a thievery check on the spring mechanism or attack it to try to break it.”

Players have their own ideas. You probably thought of how the players could defeat the trap in your adventure. And they probably thought of every possible solution except the three you expected. And that’s fine. Award the creativity with a circumstance bonus. Or even allowing a different skill check to be used instead. It will make your hazard that much more memorable, especially if something goes wrong and a nat-1 ruins their plans. You can even do a secret perception check to see if the character knows whether or not their plan worked and the trap is disabled!

2.) Hazards are (Usually) not just Timesinks

Fighter: “Just use Thievery to disable. I have two more rounds of haste!”
Paladin: “Yeah. Besides, if you fail, we can just spend ten minutes and I can heal you.”

If players have enough time to recover from the effects of a hazard, even if they rolled poorly and took the full brunt of the hazard, the hazard was a timesink. These should be avoided, especially if they are something like pits that players might spend thirty minutes drawing up engineering plans for a rope-bridge when their Athletics is high enough that they could have just climbed down one-side and up the other. Now there are reasons to put hazards like this in a dungeon. They can run the clock on buff and summon spells. They can be flavorful inclusions hinting at a dungeon’s true nature, such as traps intended to keep out weaker creatures. But random timesink traps will only serve to slow down the game! Doubly so if players feel like traps are just placed semi-randomly rather than coupled with a more interactive encounter; Do you really want your players checking every five-foot square for pressure plates?

3.) Hazards are (Usually) not Major Encounters

Rogue: “Fine! Oops, I rolled a 1 on my disable device.”
GM: “The scythe comes down for…wow, 88 damage.”
Rogue: “And with my Doomed condition, I guess I’m dead.”
Fighter: “…does the Trap reset?”

No one has a good time dying to a hazard*. Traps should supplement other encounters. And healing is abundant enough in Second Edition that, unless the trap is part of a more complex encounter with other monsters, the damage is rarely a relevant penalty unless it’s enough to kill you. So make sure the trap confers a condition the players can’t remove by just taking a 10-minute rest. Now you might notice that asterisk in the first sentence? That’s because complex hazards can be a completely different animal, functioning very much like monsters that can make up a major encounter. This is especially true for things like haunts or “larger-than-life” monster hazards. But setting out a pit-trap in the middle of a dungeon is either going to be forgettable (if the damage isn’t enough to kill someone) or unfun (if someone is honestly taken out by a hole in the ground).

4.) Hazards are (Usually) not Random

GM: “Raised from the dead, the rogue finally disables the trap and opens the door…”
Rogue: “Is it a treasure vault? A tome? Oh, can I have my rapier drawn in case we see-”
GM: “-fifteen foot corridor leading back to the room you guys already cleared.”

Hazards exist for a reason. They aren’t filler for an otherwise empty hall. A hazard’s design should speak to its function. Always keep in mind who designed the hazard, how it got to where it is, how the creature who built it uses it without hurting themselves, and what the intended function of the hazard is in your own encounter! A haunt is made far more memorable if the spirit’s deaths are relevant to the adventure, and not just an afterthought. That being said, they can serve as red-herrings in investigative scenarios. They can even serve as flavorful backdrops or comic relief, but you should always keep your specific gaming group in mind when designing your hazards. And even though I’ve used traditional traps as the example here, the rules in Second Edition are such that it’s super easy to design more complex and fantastical hazards that your players will have trouble even recognizing as such!

5.) Hazards are (Usually) not Worthless

Rogue: “…Does the Scythe at least have a rune on it?”

Hazards confer experience points. Players need gold as they level to maintain a certain level of power. There’s nothing wrong with the loot from a hazard being a prior adventurer, but it can greatly improve verisimilitude if the trap itself could be disassembled in some way, shape, or form to provide the reward for the treasure. Since traps are best used to supplement fights against monsters or complex hazards, hazards-as-treasure can even help give players adequate rewards against enemies who traditionally have little more than loin-clothes. Now even this rule can and should be subverted at times. There’s no reason an active cult should leave the valuables of would-be intruders lying around. Haunts usually don’t have corporeal gear to leave behind. And mechanical hazards can’t always be salvaged and a great deal of their cost is in installation.

In Summary…

All these “rules” are merely suggestions, and it’s up to every Game Master to learn what their players enjoy and what works for their table. Don’t write-off hazards because you’ve used them before. At the same time, don’t just throw in a random poisoned lock to a lone treasure chest because you realized last minute you didn’t put any hazards in the adventure. The best way to learn when and how to include a hazard is to get out there and play some games! I highly recommend checking out your local Pathfinder Society lodge online for some games, as there are some wonderful examples of flavorful, memorable, and impactful hazards that you can experience as a player or gamemaster. And some examples you might find don’t quite mesh with your group’s preferred style of adventuring, which is fine! Ultimately what makes our hobby great is learning how to make it your own, and I’d love to hear about the creative and successful hazards you’ve encountered over the years!

A “combat maneuver” was a special type of martial attack in Pathfinder (First Edition) that allowed a character to weaken, move, or even outright disable enemies in combat. They included abilities such as trip, disarm, and the infamous grapple. While any character could do them back in First Edition, they were generally only used when a character was built around utilizing a specific maneuver, or when a magical effect called for them. This was largely because you had to dedicate two feats (and often two ability scores) just to attempt the maneuver without soaking an attack of opportunity. That being said, characters built around the maneuvers could completely dominate certain opponents. Do they rely on a weapon? Disarm it. Do they use somatic components or two-handed weapons? Grapple. And you can read about just one of the crazier Trip builds on my old blog! But this is a new system, and I’m pleased to say that the martial options are easier to use, more accessible for every character, less frustrating to play against, and don’t require a flowchart!

Combat Maneuvers in Pathfinder Second Edition

Combat maneuvers in Pathfinder Second Edition are a fantastic way to give martial characters the ability to help support the rest of the party against more powerful opponents, or even use the Assurance feat to get an edge over a less threatening opponent despite your Multiple Attack Penalty. All of the actions that use Athletics have the Attack trait and your Multiple Attack Penalty will apply to your check unless you use the Assurance feat. Part 2 will get into the nitty gritty of what feats will help support these options.

Almost everything you need to know can be found in the rules for the Athletics skill. Roll a skill check. Compare the result to a DC. Apply a condition. Pretty simple. You don’t even need training in the skill, unless you are attempting to Disarm. But unless you’ve been playing a martial character for some time, it can be easy to forget certain specifics, especially what DC the maneuver targets. So I’ve made this handy-dandy playing-card sized chart for everyone.

I’ve included a few non-Athletics based combat actions in the card, but feel free to cross those out if you don’t think you’ll use them. Bon Mot uses Diplomacy and requires a skill feat. Demoralize uses Intimidation. Feint uses Deception. And Tumble uses Acrobatics.The Critical Failure effect always applies to the character who attempted the check. And if you don’t always remember the different conditions, you can use the following reference card for the other end of the card. I recommend using clear sleeves and a playing card, or even one of the filler cards from the Pathfinder Feat Cards for Everybody.

The last thing I want to stress is to note how different these maneuvers are to their prior incarnations. Grapple no longer shuts down spellcasters. Disarm provides a nice penalty without outright crippling a weapon-dependant opponent. You can now Trip flying creatures to make them fall. And none of these maneuvers provoke attacks of opportunity. Want to learn more? Come back in two weeks when I go over each of the combat maneuvers in more detail, including a look at character options for players who want to focus on one or more of these options!

There is nothing wrong with not wanting an element in your campaign. Firearms changed the world. They are “older than you think”, but fantasy’s verisimilitude can still be broken regardless of factual anachronism. But many players are going to read these new classes and go: “by golly, these look fun! I want to experience these mechanics at my next game!” And that kind of enthusiasm shouldn’t be quashed with a heavy-handed “banning” of the entire book. But it also doesn’t mean you have to give up agency of your precious world. Like I said in my  “Bench-Pressing Your Campaign” article, players and GMs should work together to compromise during session-zero and determine what they want to play. And much like when designing a game mechanic, this can be approached in one of two ways: top-down, or bottom-up.

First, I want to confess that I am a pushover when it comes to integrating what my players want. Do you want guns? Awesome. Guns exist. Why are there still countries that don’t use firearms? We will handle that on a case-by-case basis. Maybe gunpowder is a state secret. Maybe the raw materials are region-locked and my player has a connection that resupplies them during downtime. Heck, maybe they are just plain illegal.

I also want to note that this advice is not strictly about gunslingers. Everything from inventors to clerics can find themselves struggling to integrate into a campaign setting that didn’t expect a player to go down that particular route. The best general advice I can give is to remember that your setting exists to facilitate a game for four-to-six players, not a world for millions that will be scrutinized down to the last detail. PCs are the exception. They can do things most characters in a setting cannot. And the painful truth for many GMs is most players will be more engaged with their characters than in your setting. And positive engagement in what interests a player is critical to the success of a campaign! There is no strict right-or-wrong way to approach this so long as everyone is happy.

Top-Down Compromise

“Top-Down” means to look at the flavor and story first when deciding how to adapt certain content. This approach is best used when a player wants to enjoy the traditional fantasy of an element that may not perfectly mesh with your existing campaign setting. The most common approach is to say that firearm technology is region-locked, such as Alkenstar. But what if the campaign is such that all the characters are from the same region? Well, maybe the character found a cache of inventions from a ship-wreck and is now the only person in the country with their own construct friend. Or perhaps you go full Planescape and just admit there are other worlds and settings connected to this one that could export technology, magic, or even an entire character into your setting. In some cases, this does mean sitting down with the player and examining the reason why their character is different. And in many cases that can mean intentionally shelving the question by hiding the answer from the players until it’s revealed who was really behind the otherwise problematic element. Just make sure to explain to your players in advance what agency you are taking with your players to make sure they understand what themes to expect to arise during gameplay, or else they could feel like nothing they did matter since it was all a part of some outsiders master plan. I find one way to do this without spoiling your campaign is to simply get into a long conversation with the player about game theory and bring it up sandwiched and hidden with other ideas to gauge their enthusiasm. But it’s often best to just be forthright and discuss things openly before the first session to make sure everyone is on the same page!

Bottom-Up Compromise

“Bottom-Up” means to look at the mechanics of something first and potentially tweak things to match the setting. An inventor’s construct could easily be flavored as a golem or even mechanical outsider. The Guns & Gears playtest allows the gunslinger to work with a crossbow. Heck, the chassis of a gunslinger could very well be used to make an Iaijutsu-style samurai who wants to strike for tons of damage at the start of a fight but is more martial than a rogue. You might cringe when a player brings up a class you don’t think will fit your setting, but hold back your expression and engage your player until you understand what it is about the class they enjoy. There’s a good chance that what you consider a problematic element isn’t something that interests the player in the slightest; They very well might just enjoy the mechanics of a game element, which should resolve most of your issues incorporating it into your campaign!

Firearms Overview:

Firearms are ranged weapons that do a fair amount of damage, especially with the potent fatal ability that changes their damage die on a critical hit. They have the potent critical specialization effect of giving the target stunned 1 unless they succeed on a Fortitude save. The arquebus deals an extra 1 or 2 points of damage against flat-footed targets, but requires you to set it up with a tripod, or taking an interact action to aim before firing it. The blunderbuss can attack a cone of creatures, dealing splash damage even if it misses. Firearms need to be cleaned every day during exploration mode or they will misfire 20% of the time (DC 5 flat-check), causing them to jam. Certain feats will also cause a misfire on a failure.

Class Basics:

The Gunslinger has the Armor of a Rogue, Perception of a Ranger, and Weapon Proficiency of a Fighter (with Firearms/Crossbows). It has a low will save, but unlike Fighter who gets bonuses against Fear, the Gunslinger gets bonuses after the far less common Controlled Condition. This is made up for with the powerful Grit & Determination class feat.

The “big deal” here is Gunslinger is the only other class to get that awesome Legendary proficiency in any weapon that up until now many thought was the sole territory of the Fighter. This is extra important for the Gunslinger given Firearms all have the Fatal weapon trait. And, of course, using their firearm to strike is fundamentally the one thing the Gunslinger should be able to do better than anyone else, since almost every feature the class gets revolves around that action in one way or another.

Note that the class can use a crossbow instead of a firearm, to help those campaigns that don’t want black powder technology. During this article I’m going to use the word “firearm” for simplicity’s sake, but know that the crossbow works for most of the gunslinger’s feats and abilities.

Gunslinger Ways

These three class paths are going to define your particular style of gunslinger. Each gives you an additional skill you are trained in, acces to a unique 6th level class feat with the Flourish trait, and an ability at level 1, 9, and 15. The first level ability is a free action that triggers when you roll initiative, letting you draw one or more weapons and giving you a bonus to your first round of combat.

The ways can be best thought of in terms of your range in combat: Short Range, Long Range, or Mid-Range. The Drifter uses a melee weapon with their firearm and focuses on movement and making multiple attacks. The sniper stays as far away as possible from enemies and tries to do maximum damage without being engaged in melee. The pistolero can try to do a bit of both, focusing on consistent damage using two firearms or a firearm and a melee weapon.

Drifter:
Into the Fray gives you a free Stride toward an enemy during the first round of combat, but limits your free weapon draws to a firearm and a melee weapon. The 6th-level class feat Reloading Strike lets you attack and then reload your gun as a single action. It’ll be essential for the Drifter, since it also let’s you reload even when you have a melee weapon in your other hand. The 9th-level Rebounding Assault lets you effectively combine a melee and ranged attack into a single ranged attack to reduce multiple-attack penalty, combine the damage against monsters with resistance, and adding 1d6 precision damage if both attacks hit. The powerful 15th-level Drifter’s Wake lets you strike and make three attacks with no multiple attack penalty!

Pistolero:
Ten Paces gives you +2 to initiative, let’s you draw a single weapon, and gives you a free action Step up 10 feet during your first round, getting some distance to or from enemies without provoking Attacks of Opportunity. The 6th-level class feat Pistolero’s Challenge let’s you challenge a target with Deception or Intimidation, giving you both a status bonus on damage rolls against one another. The 9th-level Pistolero’s Retort let’s you Strike a foe who critically failed an attack roll against you. And the 15th-level Finish the Job gives you a free Strike with your other hand if your last action was a failed Strike.

Sniper:
One Shot, One Kill lets you draw your firearm, and gives you some precision damage on your first attack (at a slower advancement than a rogue’s sneak attack). The 6th-level class feat Shattering Shot let’s you blast a bomb over your enemies, doing your One Shot, One Kill damage as splash damage in a 15-foot burst using the same type of damage as the bomb. This will do less damage than the target of an alchemical bomb, but way more splash damage at a wider area. The 9th-level Vital Shot gives you an extra die of weapon damage, and the target of your One Shot, One Kill takes persistent bleed damage. The 15th-level Ghost Shot makes it so you are not automatically observed after your first attack using One Shot, One Kill.

Class Feats:

1st-level Feats:
Cover Fire let’s you negate a cover bonus, unless the creature wants a greater cover bonus and a penalty to ranged attacks next turn. Hit the Dirt! Is nimble dodge with a free Leap action that improves at 8th level. Firearm Ace gives guns you reload +2 to damage on their next attack. It also increases the damage die of your simple firearms, making it great if your GM decides the tech level of the campaign is such that only simple firearms exist. Sword and Pistol enables the Drifter to consistently make target’s Flat-Footed (similar to Twin Feint), and prevent reactions from shooting while in melee.

2nd-level Feats:
Assisting Shot seems deceptively useful. Blast Lock seems odd for a Dexterity class, but you might not want to invest in Thievery. But I still can’t remember the last time I wished I could pick a lock as a single action. Pistol Twirl lets you ranged feint and makes the target flat-footed against all your attacks that round on a success! We all knew Quick Draw was going to be in the class, but it is a little unnecessary with the Gunslinger Way free-actions, unless you want to be Derringer Meryl. Many Gunslingers will pick up Risky Reload, only to retrain out of it when they get another reload option or Flourish feat. Warning Shot enables a nice fear build by opening up Intimidate to a range of 480 feet! Hilarious with Terrified Retreat.

4th-level Feats:
Alchemical Shot lets you add more d6s to your attack as persistent damage, which is going to make snipers especially happy. It might be the strongest 4th-level feat! Black Powder Boost is as hilariously memorable as it is flavorful, making it want it despite my doubts as to its potency. Running Reload gives you your first opportunity to retrain Risky Reload, and pairs nicely with the flourish reload feats if you want to reload more than once per round since it doesn’t have the flourish trait.

6th-level:
Cauterize is amazing, as bleed damage is incredibly lethal. Pistolero’s Challenge is going to make some great campaign moments, and cause debates as to whether or not it can be used in Exploration mode, or if it is used as the first action in an encounter (which becomes more confusing when the Gunslinger Way gives you abilities to use when you roll initiative). I feel like many heavily armored classes want a feat like this to help them “generate threat”. Scatter Blast is pretty niche, but remember that creatures in PF2 have Weakness. Shattering Shot is way better for exploiting weakness and confirms the efficacy of an alchemist sniper I suspected reading Alchemical Shot.

8th-level:
Grit and Tenacity is a very good survival feat that I could see some higher-level characters taking using a multiclass dedication. Paired Shots let you ignore Multiple Attack Penalty and minimize Resistance, but the caveats about precision damage ensure it isn’t an auto-include. Return Fire actually makes Hit the Dirt! a darn good feat. Shooter’s Aim is a darn good feat that feels like an auto-include for snipers, despite the attractiveness of Smoke Curtain for giving you concealed after you take your long-range shot (which your party might hate if you are in close-range when you use it and suddenly there’s a visual obstruction in the battlefield). It also makes those “see-through smoke” abilities are looking that much spicier.

10th-level:
The 10th-level feats are largely support themed, leaving the players to decide what kind of support they want to offer. Debilitating Shot will cripple one enemy, and is especially useful in long-range battles and knocking down “indoor flyers”. Deflecting Shot and Redirecting Shot are two sides of the same coin: one lets you potentially save an ally from getting hit (in a way that fixes the nimble dodge problem), whereas the other gives an ally a reroll on a ranged attack using your bonus, which is probably higher since you have the highest weapon proficiency of any class in the game. Trick Shot is going to be one of the more controversial feats in the book, as many GMs will feel like it should be something that only comes up when they say it should come up and shouldn’t require a feat, but in terms of utility, it will both save the party from a potential failure and let the Gunslinger take center stage. I love seeing utility like this for martial characters.

12th-level:
Glancing Shot gives something for players who desperately want to make that third attack roll. Incredible Ricochet is probably a better option for those players, offsetting your Multiple Attack Penalty by removing bonuses due to concealment and cover. Penetrating Fire let’s you front-load your offset of MAP and shoot like a beam weapon from Starfinder. For Gunslingers who aren’t looking for more ways to offset MAP, Shooter’s Camouflage gives us a traditional Snipe ability, and True Grit enhances the efficacy of the already excellent Grit and Tenacity ability.

14th-level:
Dance of Thunder is the flashiest Gunslinger feat, letting you move, attack, and reload over and over until you miss an attack (up to three times). It’s not going to be very useful against solo boss monsters, but against large groups of mooks, it’s going to create some memorable moments (especially with blunderbuss cones). Remember there are plenty of single-round buffs out there your party can confer to help exploit this ability. I think my favorite use will be attacking tons of inanimate objects in a room as part of a skill challenge. Showstopper lets you Feint multiple people at once, which makes me want to find a feat that triggers when you Feint a creature. Two-Weapon Flurry lets you attack twice for a single action, but it is a press and flourish so the attack will have a multiple-attack penalty and can’t be used with another flourish.

16th-level:
Fatal Bullet adds extra deadly damage. Hair Trigger lets you attack as part of rolling initiative. I think it’s funny that the sniper doesn’t get their precision damage on that first attack (but it does flat-foot the enemy), and the drifter appears to be the only Gunslinger that can draw and fire using the special ability of this feat. Instant Return is one of the most campaign dependent feat in the book, letting you catch ammunition and fire it back if you have the same type of weapon ready.

18th-level:
I’m not sure how effective Piercing Critical is unless you’re frequently shooting with penalties, being you’re an 18th-level PC with a very high weapon proficiency. Unerring Shot will be a very popular choice, as ignoring range penalties and cover is fantastic.

20th-level:
Perfect Readiness gives you permanent quicken, which is great if the caster in the party is tired of spending their first spell each combat casting haste. If your spellcaster is still up to the task, Slinger’s Reflexes gives you an extra reaction each round, which makes Redirecting Shot, Deflecting Shot, and Grit and Tenacity even better.

My Two Tails Cents:

The Drifter has some amazing ways to minimize Multiple Attack Penalty, and being able to exploit the critical specialization and weaknesses of monsters by picking a complementary melee weapon is going to make it something of a blender.

The Sniper looks like it’ll be fantastic fun for anyone who likes rolling lots of damage dice. Fatal d12 plus precision damage on a character with as high a Weapon Proficiency as the Gunslinger is going to make the Sniper a critical hit machine! Imagine only being level 9 and rolling 2d12+6d6+6 with your fiery arquebus…and then throwing in 2d6+1d10 persistent damage!

I’m not as confident about Pistolero. Ten Paces gives you the additional survivability of not having to use your actions to run closer to the enemy, but retort only triggers on a critical failure and you don’t have high enough armor to see that very consistently. Furthermore, by that level you’ll qualify for Return Fire which gives you both the survivability of an AC boost and getting out of melee range, but lets you attack back even if your opponent hit you. Yes, it does take two precious class feats to get that ability, but a Drifter would rather pick that up than Paired Shots or Shooter’s Aim (which they don’t need given their 6th level ability), and you still only get three actions and one reaction per round. That being said, Finish the Job is deceptively cool once you look at all the nice 2-action Class Feats and realize it can be used after two other attacks and with an unarmed strike. So even if you are left holding two pistols, you can still go ahead and kick them in the teeth.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the class and can’t wait to play it. It can be best compared to a fighter, sacrificing some of its defense for the Gunslinger Way abilities, and that high Perception to help boost its initiative. It is a ranged striker class and it looks on paper like it will dish out plenty of damage.

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Advanced Version:

Basic Version: The map is pre-sized for a 28 (width) by 25 (height) sized Roll20 map. You can see it in action in my public test game here!

What is a Hero Point?

A hero point is a tactical meta-reward that allows your character to reroll a failed check or avoid death. Pathfinder Society players are probably most familiar with the idea of a single once-per-session reroll (also commonly called a “t-shirt reroll” or “folio reroll”). On paper, they help ensure players won’t be completely removed from the game just because of a moment of carelessness. It gives a cushion to inexperienced players while allowing experienced players the leeway they need to go ahead and try something stupid knowing they have an “out”. They help distinguish player characters from mere NPCs: A sort of narrative currency that helps reflect your character’s importance in the setting’s narrative. Back in 1st edition, it was easy to argue that they weren’t for every game. But with how tight the math is in Second Edition, and how deadly monsters can be (especially at CR+2 and higher), hero points become something of a necessity to make up for the challenging tactical acumen sometimes required to get over the otherwise career-ending specter of plain old bad luck.

And don’t get me wrong: Some campaigns have stories where players are more disposable than others. And that’s why the Hero Point system has a lot of wiggle room. Specifically in…

How do you Award Hero Points?

The Core Rulebook suggests awarding about 1 Hero Point each hour of play. But it also notes that a game against more incredible odds and where players are showing immense bravery could award up to 1 Hero Point every 30 minutes. It really depends on your group and requires some level of adjunction given that players who speed through encounters are often less likely to give the breathing space most GMs need to remember to award the points in the first place, and yet are exactly the sort of campaigns that need more Hero Points per hour of play (as more dice are being rolled). You should also note that the rules assume there are only four players at the table, so giving our three points in a 4-hour session means everyone has an opportunity to get one…which doesn’t work out if you have a table of 6 players. It can take some time for a GM to figure out how often they should give out Hero Points, so I have some suggestions:

1.) Award Players Having Fun: Originally I was going to write “award roleplay and staying in character”, but that’s not why all players (or even all groups) play Pathfinder. Even awarding “creative solutions that save the day” is a good guideline, but other groups will appreciate a character attempting something ridiculous that utterly fails (assuming it didn’t cause any friction between players or characters in the party.) The truth is, how you award a hero point depends entirely on what your group most thoroughly enjoys, which is why I highly recommend…

2.) Running A Test Dungeon: Running a pre-made dungeon can give you time to watch your players interact, and figure out why each player plays Pathfinder. This should be something you ask during Session Zero, but players don’t always have an answer. As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, there are several great Pathfinder Society scenarios in your home game as “generic adventures” to bridge the party’s travels, or even assemble them in the first place. And doing so can help you pace how many encounters the party gets through, which Pathfinder Society Scenarios will assume you have access to 3 hero points per session (excluding those gained through GM credits). Which brings me to…

3.) Bonus Hero Points: If you’ve ever run a convention full of Venture-Captains, you’ll notice pretty early on experienced Society players starts the game with not one, but two hero points! That’s because experienced GMs get bonus hero points they can keep or hand out to other players at the start of the game. Certain conventions can also hand out Hero Points for awards like bringing canned food or donating blood. And, if the table agrees, there’s nothing wrong with giving a Hero Points to the player who brought the pizza, or the player celebrating their birthday. The second Hero Point doesn’t confer as much power as you think, and will oftentimes lead a player to spend their Hero Points more frivolously than usual. Plus, giving players a hero point they must give to another player will show you pretty early on that…

4.) Player Assigned Hero Points: You are tracking 16 different kobolds initiatives. Two of them are confused. Three have fear. Did you remember to roll that flat-check against persistent damage? Oh, man, the fighter just said a cool speech before that power attack. But didn’t you give them a hero point already in this game? If this sounds familiar, you might want to consider just tasking your players with dolling out those hero points. Give each player a hero point to award one another with every 2 hours, or keep a jackpot at the center of the table they can use to acknowledge one another. Players naturally have fewer characters to manage, so they are more likely to be engaged with one another and notice subtler acts of heroism deserving of an award. It also actively encourages your players to pay more attention to each others heroics!

But I Just Keep Forgetting About Them!

Yeah. I know. I tend to forget too. There are some helpful reminders I can give you, though:

1.) Playing Online: Roll20 has a “card” system you can use to award hero points in a way that is much easier to remember. It only takes a minute to set up, and Chris Manning has a great 90 second Youtube tutorial! Or you can just add a purple dot to each character’s token.

2.) Playing With Paper: The Pathfinder Second Edtion Hero Points Tokens from Campaign Coins are nifty, but I find that cards more useful. Paizo has a Hero Point Deck coming out February 2021. But if you have a playgroup in your safety bubble and want to try something earlier, I have a template you can use below. The bubble in the center is transparent so you can open them in most photo-editing software to easily add your character portraits or favorite spicy memes to the center! Heck, share your favorites on social media.

3.) Let Players Hand Them Out: I’m repeating my point from above and pointing out that using cards with character’s portraits on them lets players easily track which cards belong to them (i.e. if it is their characters, it’s their card to hand out, not their card to use).

Note: All hardware is different. All settings are different. Your webcam might work better than my DSLR. Your document camera may make my cellphone look like the latest flagship model. Testing is what is important, but you can’t even begin to test without knowing your options. You’ll want to read the text to these to understand the difference, as these are still images and we are discussing video!

Camlink:

Pros: Highest Resolution; Uses Existing DSLR; Camlinks can be cheap (but watch out)
Cons: Cameras are Expensive; Requires Newer DSLR; Can Overheat; Variable FPS

A Camlink is a USB dongle that lets you connect a digital camera to your PC. If you have a newer digital camera, this is a valid option. Many DSLR models don’t even need the USB dongle, which can range in price from $20 to $200 depending on features and compatibility. This naturally is the highest resolution option. But I’ve read that certain cameras can overheat, as most DSLR cameras are not intended to be used as video cameras. The heat from doing this can damage your camera permanently, so I’d check the model and look up reviews. I suggest you don’t cheap out on the camlink if you value your camera. And not all cameras are compatible: My 4 year old Nikon was designed to stay in gallery mode whenever connected via USB to prevent it from being taxed as a camcorder in certain jurisdictions. There are third party firmware hacks that can “fix this”, but you risk bricking your camera!

Cellphone:

Pros: Cheap (if you own one); Decent Focus
Cons: Connectivity; Awkward Resolution, Bad Auto-Focus; Phone Calls; Overheating

You already have a phone with a camera, right? There are a few apps and tutorials out there for turning it into a webcam, but unless you have a flagship phone I wouldn’t recommend it. While the first photo above looks ok, it took two attempts before the auto-focus kicked in. The connectivity of your phone over wifi can be spotty (although there are ways to potentially jerry-rig a solution using a USB cable). And, worst of all, someone can call you while you are mid-stream and ruin your video. You can go airplane mode, but then you risk missing out on an important phone call.

Webcam:

Pros: Plug-and-Play; Good FPS
Cons: Usually Bad Resolution/Focus; High-Demand/Short-Supply

This is the most obvious solution and can work if you have a really good webcam. They are still in high demand and hard to find this year, but after everything settles down I wouldn’t be surprised if a glut of used webcams makes it a buyer’s market. But most webcams are designed for video conferences, not photographing tiny detail. If you have an expensive webcam with zoom and focus features, give it a shot. Personally, I like having a webcam for my face alongside another option. Becuase if you want a dedicated set-up, I will still recommend…

Document Camera:

Pros: High Resolution; Adjustable Neck; Built in Lighting; Amazing FPS
Cons: New Models are Pricy; Used Have Old Drivers

A document is a real-time image capturing device intended for use in presentations, usually with large screens or projectors. They can also be used to scan quickly pages of a book or binder quickly, making them ideal for PFS players that want backups of paper boons and chronicle sheets. They have some great additional features like zoom, auto-focus, pan, adjustable necks, and LED lighting. They are usually around $500, but you can find them on the secondary market between $100 and $150 since used ones are frequent when schools and conference centers upgrade their old cameras. Make sure to check the manufacturer’s website for drivers compatible with your OS before you buy a used document camera. While most are Windows 10 compatible, many older models are not compatible. I also found that trying different USB ports helped.

In every case, make sure you prepare the scenarios in such a way as to give your players plenty of time to roleplay out their investigations. Take your time talking to villagers, throw in additional sounds, or leads the PCs can investigate just to find little creepy ambient easter eggs. Horror is built around the idea that something is off, but that requires some level of normalcy as an established base to crank up the unease. As always, make sure you know your audience, how to adjust the horror tone, and that you understand the basics of the x-card.

For more information about Organized Play (with a focus on 2e), you can see my post from August right here.

Pathfinder Society 1e Scenario #8-06: Reaping What We Sow

This is a ridiculously fun scenario that has adjustments to crank the horror dial from 1 to 11, making it a great story for any audience (check out the sidebar on page 8). You have a pumpkin carving contest that you can make a little more real with some permanent markers and prop pumpkins. There’s a mysterious curse afflicting a village, jack-o-lanterns, and a special featuring of leshies! The scenario is tier 1-5, so even friends who have never played PFS can roll up a character or play a pregen and get in on the action. This scenario really shines when the GM let’s the players explore the town and get heavy into roleplaying their interactions.

Starfinder Society Scenario #1-04: Cries from the Drift

Just take a second to look at that cover. Glorious, isn’t it? This one features body horror, gore, and suspense. There is starship combat, but it’s one of the least cumbersome I’ve experienced. The environmental effects and atmosphere of the ship is perfect for that science-horror vibe, and the encounters are well balanced. The ship can feel a little rail-roady, and be prepared for certain players who might try to “out-smart” the scenario (“let’s just tow the ship…”). I recommend using the haunted nature of the vessel to further the horror vibes by having something “go wrong” when they try these solutions. Again, this is a low-tier scenario so you can play with anyone and everyone!

Pathfinder Society 2e: Scenario 1-02: The Mosquito Witch

Ever seen the Blair Witch Project? This atmosphere cryptid hunt is perfect for a table who is into intense investigative roleplay. It’s easy to play up the creepy factor in this scenario, with images like horses being eaten alive by giant mosquitos and NPC villagers randomly disappearing as though they were snatched up by the mysterious “mosquito witch”. Print out a few copies of the doll to pass around the table and hide among your player’s goods when they leave to get snacks, cranking up the idea that something is happening despite the player’s desperate castings of “detect magic” coming up empty.

Pathfinder Society 2e: Scenario 1-25: Grim Symphony

This scenario features some of the best gothic horror tropes blended seamlessly into a “creepy” music themed haunted mansion right in the heart of Ustalav. This is ideal for an experienced PFS group (being tier 5-8) who especially enjoys a little spooky background music for this year’s halloween celebrations. You can easily stretch this game out to 5 or 6 hours by expanding on the cosmetic aesthetics around the house and encouraging your players to fiddle around with the wonderfully put together atmosphere.

Pathfinder Society 2e: Bounty #3: Shadows and Scarecrows

And for 2020 we are given a spooky bounty! Bounties are one-hour organized play adventures that represent non-Society sponsored adventures, such as hunting down the spooky menace terrorizing the streets of Nidal! While this particular product isn’t available until Thursday, the author has written for numerous other successful products and I don’t doubt for a minute that this will be another fabulous addition to our spooky repertoire! And since this is a bounty, it’s perfect for introducing new players into PFS!

The “Glimpse of Power” rule allows players to use abilities they have yet to unlock, adding to the idea that your players are growing over time and practicing on using future abilities. The pair can be used together to give your party a little extra power or to make things more challenging in a lower-powered rags-to-riches campaign in which your players have to earn their abilities after leveling.

Incremental Advancement

Player characters gain new abilities and Hit Points every 100 XP, instead of every 1000 XP when they would normally earn a level. A character’s level is still adjusted after they earn the requisite 1000 XP for purposes such as proficiencies. The abilities you unlock still require all the same requirements, except you qualify for abilities as though you were one level higher than usual.

Abilities should be divided up in such a way as to complete the primary class features at a steady pace until they get their full retinue at 1000 XP. More powerful abilities should be unlocked toward the end of a character’s advancement each level. Class feats are generally more powerful than ancestry feats and general feats, which are generally stronger than skill feats. You should work with your players to determine how their characters would prioritize their proficiencies, potentially moving around when a character learns a new ability based on how the characters are roleplayed and what opportunities for training and advancement they receive in character. Try to keep the abilities split up so players get as many abilities per increment as possible, and make sure powerful abilities like Archwizard’s Spellcraft and the 20th level capstone feat stay at 1000 XP.

I have provided advancement sheets for the fighter, cleric, and wizard. Please DM me on the Know Direction Discord if you want more, and I will add them to this article! And, as always, remember The First Rule: this game is yours. Adjust everything as necessary for your story and group.

Note: Some abilities can be further divided into multiple increments. For example, “Skill Increase” is earned twice. “Skill Increase 1” gives you a +1 bonus to a single skill, as though you earned “half-a-proficiency-rank”. You don’t actually increase the skill’s proficiency until you earn “Skill Increase (Full)”, giving you both the +2 bonus and the benefits of increased proficiency. Spellcasters earn the slot to cast higher level spells before they earn the ability to cast those spells, giving them the ability to cast a single spell heightened to that level, but not heighten their cantrips or prepare spells of that level (without using Glimpse of Power).

Special: In a low-power or “rags to riches” campaign, you can also use this variant to slow down the advancement of character abilities, forcing players to gradually learn abilities after they gain a character level. This would especially benefit a campaign using the “Level 0 Characters” rule.

Glimpse of Power

The “Glimpse of Power” variant rule gives player characters the ability to access powers they don’t yet have. A player simply selects an ability they don’t yet have and makes a flat-check. The DC is equal to triple the number of 100-XP increments the PC needs to unlock the feature. So if you would unlock a feat at 700 XP and you have 300 XP, it would be DC 12. Spellcasters must use their highest level spell slot available to attempt to cast a spell higher than their highest level spell they can cast. Prepared casters still need to prepare the higher level spell, but don’t use this action until they attempt to cast the spell. This ability takes the same number of actions to activate as the ability you are trying to copy. If the ability doesn’t take actions, such as Weapon Expertise, it instead takes a single action and the improvements last until the beginning of your next turn.

Critical Success: You use the ability successfully. You can attempt this check using the same ability in this session!
Success: You use the ability successfully.
Failure: You fail to use your ability.
Critical Failure: You fail to use your new ability. You suffer the critical failure effect of the ability you attempted.

Special: Gamemasters may require the use of a Hero Point to attempt to use this ability. We recommend giving this action the Heroic trait in that case.

Ew…Experience Points

Most of my gamemasters don’t use experience points, and this system works very easily without it! Pathfinder Second Edition takes 1,000 XP to level each time, so it’s pretty easy to adapt this to any game simply by dividing up your campaign into tenths, quarters, or halves. I still do recommend that even veterans who don’t like XP check out the Pathfinder Second Edition encounter XP-budgeting rules, because it really is well calculated and can help you find exactly how many NPCs make up a challenging encounter.

Last Fox’s Cunning I presented an outline of all the Year of the Open Road Scenarios for Pathfinder Society. This week we are going to look over the complete catalog of quests available in Pathfinder Society! Quests are shorter adventures that usually take an hour and often consist of only a single major encounter. They have some incredible stories and are perfect for quick-game nights, as supplemental PFS games, or even as sources of some amazing encounters for your next home-game!

Quests, like Bounties, provide 1 XP and a set amount of gold. This makes them ideal for characters who took on a scenario using slower advancement rules, or who played a couple of bounties and have an odd amount of XP. Having that odd amount of XP isn’t a detriment, since it means you’ll have slightly more gold than any other character of your level.

Unlike Bounties, Quests are still missions assigned by the Pathfinder Society. This makes them ideal starting points for new players, especially if you are hosting a Character Creation Day, Free RPG Day, or similar Seminar to get people invested in the Pathfinder Society. Many of the quests also have direct tie-ins to existing adventures, letting you run longer-than-usual sessions. They can also be used if a party finishes a scenario earlier than expected (whether it was a success or a failure).

They are also wonderful for GMs who aren’t quite up to running a full scenario yet. Quests are a perfect way to dip your toe in the pool before diving in, whether you are nervous about running online, new to Pathfinder Second Edition, or completely new to Organized Play.

Useful Documents:

• Pathfinder Second Edition Guide to Organized Play: The official guide! This will explain what PFS is all about!
• Pathfinder Society Character Options: This lists what you can and cannot use.
• Faction & Adventure Boon Cards: Originally posted as a Fox’s Cunning Article.
• Pathfinder Training and Boon Slot Information: A condensed list of boon slot rules and the free consumables players get thanks to their training.
• Retail Incentive Program Benefits
• Year 1 Boon Cards (Scenario Spoilers)

Google Spreadsheets:
• GM Challenge Point and Downtime Calculator: Hit File>Make a Copy to use it. Critical for the first 2 quests when challenge points weren’t listed clearly.
• Pathfinder Society Master Index: This spreadsheet has tons of information about each scenario, including maps, items, hazards, and monsters.

The rest of the article is full of spoilers and is intended for Game Masters!

Keyword Index:

I’ve included keywords to help give you a quick idea of what each quest is about. You can use the “Find” feature on your browser to look for certain keywords, and I’ve listed them below:

• Atmosphere: Urban, Desert, Dungeon, Wilderness, Sewers, Ruins, Naval, Extraplanar, Dungeon, Darklands,
• Creatures: Undead, Constructs, Monks, Aquatic, Ooze, Aberrations, Robots, Wyrwood, Undead, Kobolds, Pirates, Dragon, Outsiders, Undead, Humanoids, Duergar
• Themes: Exploration, Intrigue, Investigation, Journey, Marital Arts, Technology, Eagle Knights, (Pathfinder) Society, Slavery, Naval

These are pretty self-explanatory and help give you an idea of what you might find in each adventure. Some creatures listed are intended to be allies, some enemies, and others can be allies or enemies depending on how the PCs interact with them. It is not an extensive list of all creature-types used in the season, but rather those that are most memorable in each scenario. A Journey scenario is one that can end away from where it began.

• Systems: Hazards, Skill Challenges, Infiltration, Chase, Investigations

Scenarios tagged with these systems heavily feature memorable uses of these systems. Most are self-explanatory. Performances often include opportunities for characters with the perform skill to shine, and can include scenarios where PCs are expected to perform at the table. Downtime includes scenarios where players spend multiple days completing a task. Escort missions are those where you have an NPC who follows the party.

• Additional Tags: Heavy Roleplay, Rival Party, Somwhat/Possibly/Very Deadly

Scenarios tagged with “Roleplay” include numerous NPCs that the GM is expected to use in extended dialogue with the PCs. Rival Party means there is another group of adventurers or explorers the PCs interact with. Most scenarios marked “deadly” have a single encounter that is especially troublesome for certain party members and should be investigated before the scenario is chosen. Oftentimes it means waiting until the players are higher level before running the scenario.

Quest 1: The Sandstone Secret

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Repeatable Location: Osiria
Keywords: Dungeon, Desert, Hazards, Intrigue, Undead, Constructs, Society
Description: When the Pathfinder Society receives word of a promising, unexplored ruin in Osirion, the PCs set out to uncover the site’s secrets. Yet upon arriving, the PCs learn that a different group of Pathfinders has already entered the ruins. Has there been some mistake, is the site’s magic playing tricks on everyone, or is there something more nefarious afoot?
Review: This is a great way to introduce players to PFS. It gives players a sense of what being a Pathfinder is all about while divulging what each character should already know about the organization simply by being a Pathfinder Agent. It rewards creative roleplaying, let’s the GM choose what kind of enemies will most challenge the party, and provides some wonderful roleplaying opportunity.
Home-Game Integration: This quest works best as a way to introduce players into the Pathfinder Society.
Time Considerations: You should have no problem finishing this in an hour. You can let players explore the other rooms of the ruins and expand on the roleplay with the guard if you have a little more time.
Warning: This uses the old rules for Challenge Points. Use the Organized Play Guide to convert and be careful!
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 2: The Unforgiving Fire

Levels: 1-4 Location: Jalmeray
Keywords: Intrigue, Martial Arts, Skill Challenges, Heavy Roleplay, Investigation, Journey
Description: Venture-Captain Rashmivati Melipdra has called for a group of Pathfinders to travel to Jalmeray and assist her in retrieving a stolen relic. A former member of the Monastery of Unblinking Flame, Melipdra was in the process of negotiating with the monastery for custody of some of their most ancient and historically significant training devices. Before the deal could be completed, a rogue monk stole one of the relics and fled the monastery for the island of Veedesha. There, the monk seeks to use her training and the stolen devices to create a new competing monastery. As the PCs travel to a lawless island controlled by bandits and martial artists, they must find a way to retrieve the stolen goods from the new master of the Monastery of Unforgiving Fire.
Review: Easily the best quest ever written! The challenges are exciting and fulfilling and the antagonists are so well written I’ve had players who wanted to quit the Society and join them! There’s tons of room here for improvising and expanding on the base story without deviating from what the author has provided. If you only get a chance to play one quest, play this one!
Home-Game Integration: This would work great as a prequel adventure to the upcoming Ruby Phoenix Tournament AP.
Time Considerations: It can be completed in an hour, but I’ve personally seen groups take upwards of 3 hours because they really got into the roleplay.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 3: Grehunde’s Gorget

Levels: 1-4 Related: Tarnbreaker’s Trail Location: Land of the Linnorm Kings
Keywords: Aquatic, Naval, Hazard
Description: Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen calls the PCs north to the town of Iceferry in the frigid Land of the Linnorm Kings. There, Bjersig informs the Pathfinders that he has a request from the family of a storied and long-dead Linnorm King. The family’s patriarch, the warrior Hlavard Grenskuldr, appears to have perished in a shipwreck while wearing the family’s heirloom, the gorget of the Linnorm King Grehunde the Sunchaser. For one hundred generations the family has passed this heirloom down from parent to child, until Hlavard sought to wear it on a journey to Valenhall as Grehunde herself had intended to do before perishing with the task unfinished. Unwilling to leave the relic to rust away in a watery grave, Hlavard’s family has requested the Pathfinder Society’s assistance in locating the shipwreck and retrieving the family treasure.
Review: It’s always fun watching a group of players react to the dead sea serpent under the deck. Some people have called it anti-climatic, but I feel it helps set the tone for exploring the legends of the locals and prepare you for the sequel scenario this is meant to be paired with. The fight has some great tactical decisions you can make to keep your players on their toes. The hazard is almost non-existent as I’ve never seen a player fall for it.
Home-Game Integration: Want a high seas viking adventure? This works best for Pathfinders, but anyone can use it.
Time Considerations: This will likely just take an hour. It works best when paired with Tarnbreaker’s Trail, so you should consider using this with that scenario for a solid 5 hour slot. Because of the boon in this scenario, I recommend running this for 4th level PCs so they can take advantage of that discount after the race.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 4: Port Peril Pub Crawl

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Repeatable Related: The Lost Legend (Metaplot) Location: Port Peril, The Shackles
Keywords: Urban, Games, Pirates, Naval
Description: Venture-Captain Calisro Bennary has arranged for the PC’s transport to the pirate haven of Port Peril to make contact with Free Captain Stella Fane and negotiate a contract with her, facilitating Society movements through the pirate blockades in the area. The job seems simple: track down the the pirate captain, secure the agreement, and then return to Absalom. But few things are simple when a den of villainous pirates is involved, and it’s unlikely the PCs will be able to leave Port Peril without throwing a few punches in a proper pub brawl!
Review: This scenario is a total hoot to run or play. The NPCs are memorable and the encounters are engaging. It’s one of the first PFS products without much “box text”, allowing the GM room to ad-lib the journey to and throughout the city (and when describing the bars themselves). The encounters are distinct, inspired by the diverse establishments. This scenario would be perfect for a pre-convention game in a bar, given both the theme of the scenario and the lack of  “box text” in case it’s too noisy in the establishment. You could even do the venture-captain briefing on the way to the bar, letting your PCs roleplay their characters on the sand dune until you get seated.
Home-Game Integration: The encounters here can be used for any bar fight. Having three distinct bars makes this a solid product even if you never plan on playing PFS.
Time Considerations: This will likely just take an hour. It works best when paired with The Lost Legend, so you should consider using this with that scenario for a solid 5-hour slot.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 5: The Dragon Who Stole Evoking Day

Levels: 3-6 Location: Sothis, Osiria
Keywords: Urban, Intrigue, Investigation, Dragon, Outsider
Description: The sage Ameopheus has a long history with the Pathfinder Society and he has called upon his allies to assist with an unusual task: tracking down a missing supply of wands and fireworks intended for use in the city of Sothis’s annual Evoking Day celebration! The PCs will have to investigate a crowded city and track down the missing pyrotechnics, but the current owner of the explosive ordnance might not be so willing to simply turn it over.
Review: Perfectly themed for a holiday weekend involving fireworks. Memorable NPC, but it can be challenging to make him shine if you have especially blood-thirsty PCs. It’s a fairly straight forward adventure, but I could see places where an ambitious GM could expand upon it.
Home-Game Integration: Anyone could be hired to find the missing fireworks, although I’d change the mission briefing to be with the mayor or guard. If you change the locale and festival, it’d make for a great prequel to Age of Ashes.
Time Considerations: You’ll easily resolve this in an hour.
Additional Resources: GM Discussion Thread (Treasure Correction!)

Quest 6: Archaeology in Aspenthar

Levels: 1-4 Related: PFS 2-02 Location: Aspenthar, Thuvia
Keywords: Journey, Exploration, Construct, Potentially Deadly
Description: The Ruby Prince has banned much of the archaeology that once took place in the nation of Osirion. Rather than quelling the demand for access to the mysteries of ancient Osirion, this created a new market among Osirion’s neighbors. Prince Zinlo, ruler of the city-state of Aspenthar, has offered several potentially interesting contracts to explore and document ancient sites within his holdings. As the PCs are sent to secure one of these sites, will they uncover new secrets long lost to modern recollection, or will they find that the Prince Zinlo’s offer truly is too good to be true?
Review: A skill challenge, some dungeon exploration, and a fight. The enemy isn’t impossible, but it be very challenging with all those immunities, especially for a party of offensive spellcasters.
Home-Game Integration: You could use the challenges and the encounter as the start of a larger dungeon.
Potential X-Card Warnings: The enemy uses needles to inject the PCs.
Time Considerations: It shouldn’t take longer than an hour. Maybe 75 minutes if the PCs spend too long exploring the dungeon.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 7: A Curious Claim

Levels: 3-6 Location: Druma & Lake Encarthan
Keywords: Intrigue, Rival Party, “Undead”, Infiltration/Chase
Description: Money is power in the land of Druma and those who know how best to manipulate the economics of the land have the most of both. The PCs are sent to Druma to investigate a missing ship and the particulars of an insurance claim related to its disappearance, though both ravenous undead and agents of one of the Pathfinder Society’s fiercest rival organizations seek to keep them from the truth behind the ship’s sad end.
Review: You get ambushed by an enemy party, sneak on-board a ship, and flee from a tide of undead that is way above the party’s paygrade. Could be played alongside Escaping the Grave, but they do take place on opposite sides of the lake. Don’t play this with a party who will want to fight the undead, or it will be disappointing since there are no stats for the undead in the adventure.
Home-Game Integration: That being said, if you wanted an intro that segues into “fighting through swathes of undead”, this works great.
Time Considerations: It shouldn’t take longer than an hour.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards

Quest 8: Shadows of the Black Sovereign

Levels: 3-6 Related: Lightning Strikes Stars Fall Location: Hajoth Hakados, Numeria
Keywords: Investigation, Heavy Roleplay, Intrigue, Robotic Undead, Technology
Description: On the edge of the land known as Numeria, the Pathfinder Society has operated in secret under threat of death from the region’s ruler, the cruel Black Sovereign. Venture-Captain Dagur Hawksight hopes that a meeting with the recently-sober monarch will allow the Pathfinder Society to operate openly and study the alien technology contained within Numeria’s borders, but other forces have their own plans for the region. The PCs must ensure that the meeting between Dagur and the Black Sovereign goes off without a hitch, thwarting acts of treachery and sabotage.
Review: There is a ton of room for fun roleplay here. Pay attention to the NPCs the PCs will question and find a tone for each of them. The investigation can take a while, but it’s worth it. There is a radio in the warehouse that I like to put inside one of the corpses used by the antagonists. The fight is pretty fun, but not that challenging.
Home-Game Integration: This works best for PFS.
Time Considerations: This is a prequel to another scenario, so works best as a “5-hour slot” with that scenario. The boon also makes this ideal to run before Wayfinder Origins.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 9: Wayfinder Origins

Levels: 3-6 Tags: Repeatable Location: Ruins of Azlant, Steaming Sea
Keywords: Hazards, Potentially Deadly, Ruins, Wyrwood, Technology, Journey, Dungeon
Description: The Pathfinder Society has sent an expedition to a previously uncharted island! The island contains a door sealed with a type of magical technology thought lost with the ancient Azlanti empire. What secrets lie behind the door, and what dangers may lurk beneath the island’s surface? To find out, the PCs will first have to solve the magical “puzzle” sealing the door and preventing contact with whatever lies beyond.
Review: The PCs get to explore some Azlanti ruins and uncover this secret Wayfinder factory run by an insane construct who has been taking apart his coworkers to try to become “perfect”. Give your PCs an opportunity to solve the “puzzle” using alternative creative solutions. Failing isn’t too big of a deal, but it can really put PCs on edge knowing there is some sort of time counting down, inadvertently using up their hero points they’d otherwise spend in the quest’s only encounter. The story best unfolds having your players play all three routes, or at least the blue and red routes. The blue route can be extremely deadly if the PCs don’t have a high reflex save. This takes the PCs from any port to the Steaming Sea, so is a great prequel for Grehundt’s Gorget and Tarnbreaker’s Trail.
Home-Game Integration: You can easily make this a 2-3 hour dungeon by running all three encounters at once.
Time Considerations: This shouldn’t ever take longer than an hour.
Note: For the sake of full disclosure: I wrote this. I’m always willing to run it with some notice!
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Update by Campaign Leadership, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 10: The Broken Scales

Levels: 1-4 Related: True Dragons of Absalom (PFS 1e Pregen Special), Sewer Dragons of Absalom (PFS 1e) Location: Absalom, Isle of Kortos
Keywords: Ooze, Kobolds, Underground, Abberation, Hazards, Society
Description: It’s often debated whether Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng is dangerously erratic or simply uncannily unpredictable, but wherever he appears, chaos is sure to follow. When Dreng calls for a group of Pathfinders to help him check on the Society’s kobold allies, the Sewer Dragons, what should have been a simple rendevous turns into a chase through the sewers of Absalom to save the Society’s scaley associates.
Review: The sewer dragons are fan favorites for a reason, and this quest is super fun. The encounter is challenging, albeit nothing unique. Any chance to interact with Drendell Drenng is welcome. And the boon is memorable and fun. If you have any players interested in playing kobolds, run this for them first!
Home-Game Integration: Works best for PFS, but anyone could hire an adventurer to explore the sewers.
Additional Resources: GM Discussion Thread

Quest 11: A Parchment Tree

Levels: 1-4 Location: Katheer, Qadira
Keywords: Urban, Investigations, Humanoids, Intrigue, Heavy Roleplay
Description: In the nation of Qadira, Esmayl ibn Qaradi calls for Pathfinders to assist in what should be a simple genealogy verification. Multiple parties are heavily invested in the results that might be revealed by this family tree, however, and things won’t be as simple as sifting through some old family records. As thieves and nobles vie to control history itself, the PCs will need to fend off violence and deceptions as they follow the branches of an ancient family tree.
Review: You’ll want to play up each of the NPCs, but be careful not to go over your time limit. There’s lots of opportunities here to provide your own set-dressing and personalities for these interactions, and you should always remember to allow PCs to use creative solutions when resolving these skill challenges. The charlatan and ruffians combined can be a potentially deadly encounter depending on how well they roll initiative, so try not to focus-fire on a single NPC.
Time Considerations: You can easily go over an hour if you roleplay out each favor, but you probably won’t go over 90 minutes.
Home-Game Integration: Does your party owe some hot-shot merchant a favor? Here you go!
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards

Quest 12: Putrid Seeds

Levels: 3-6 Location: Mechitar, Geb
Keywords: Urban, Intrigue, Investigation, Construct, Undead (NPCs, not Monsters)
Description: Geb is a nation well-known for being ruled by the undead, but many are surprised to find that it is also the primary source of exported fruits and vegetables for the nations bordering the Obari Ocean. While its zombie laborers have long and successfully tended to its fields, creating produce that is essential to Geb’s political standing with its neighbors, some of these shipments haven’t been making it to their intended destinations, and the Pathfinders have been asked to serve as neutral arbiters during an investigation that will take place near the docks of Geb’s greatest port.
Review: Just going to Geb makes this a fun opportunity for most PCs. This is best run for NPCs who don’t just smite any undead they come across since, you know, Geb is a nation of undead. The fight will throw your PCs for a loop, using a golem that looks undead instead of actual undead. It will be very difficult for a caster-heavy party that relies on offensive magic. The skill challenge is fairly open-ended with lots of ways to overcome each obstacle, but as usual, let your PCs engage in some creativity.
Home-Game Integration: Anyone could have been hired to inspect the mystery of Geb’s produce!
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Cheat Sheet, GM Discussion Thread

Quest 13: Falcons’ Descent

Levels: 1-4 Location: Darklands under Andoran & Isger
Keywords: Survival, Underground, Darklands, Duergar, Eagle Knights, Slavery
Description: On the border between Isger and Andoran, the Pathfinder Society is called to action! Venture-Captain Brackett’s allies in the Eagle Knights of Andoran have requested aid with defeating a group of duergar slavers. Before these duergar can cause any more pain and suffering, Brackett hopes that the PCs and Lieutenant Evanno Pratt of the Eagle Knights’ Steel Falcons division can mount a pincer attack that will defeat the villains without allowing them to escape into the Darklands with their victims.
Review: A solid finale to the Quest line of products. The author did a great job fitting such a vast cave exploration scene into a neat little package. The penalty to initiative isn’t that big of a deal given how far away the PCs are from the initial combat, but you wouldn’t want to overtly punish your PCs just for not having the right skills. As usual, remember to remind your PCs that they can use creative solutions in lieu of listed skill checks.
Home-Game Integration: Going into a cave to hunt down Duerger works for any adventuring group. There’s really no reason this has to be Pathfinders.
Time Considerations: Easy to complete in an hour, but you can expand on the cave exploration if you want to flesh things out.
X-Card Considerations: This scenario is about stopping slavers, but there are no depictions of actual slaves so it is an easy fix if need be.
Additional Resources: GM Discussion Thread

Pathfinder Society scenarios are great 4-hour adventures released every month. You can play them in any order, but a handful of adventures (tagged: Metaplot) are intended to be played in a specific order as they follow the over-arching “metaplot” of that year of scenarios. While many GMs will run the scenarios “as written”, there are tons of opportunities to expand on what’s written or even just use the scenarios in your ongoing campaigns. Many provide loose frameworks with lots of room for growth, letting you easily pick and choose how to order these scenarios and quests to make your own metaplot! And getting 2 scenarios a month where you are expected to play globe-trotting adventurers means the scenarios have a vast range of different locales and cultures (without the line becoming completely bogged down into a single meta-region in the Lost Omens setting).

But Society isn’t just great for GMs! It also gives players neat boons! These flavorful boosts of power help remind players of their past adventures and give them unique character options that fit the flavor of the “Pathfinder Society Global Campaign”. I even make free little cards that can help you organize your boons, which have been updated to include every boon from Season 1 and can be found in links below, or at pfsprep.com!

Next week I’ll look at the one-hour “quests” in Pathfinder Society and explain how to play or GM in online conventions!

Useful Documents:

• Pathfinder Second Edition Guide to Organized Play: The official guide! This will explain what PFS is all about!
• Pathfinder Society Character Options: This lists what you can and cannot use.
• Faction & Adventure Boon Cards: Originally posted as a Fox’s Cunning Article.
• Pathfinder Training and Boon Slot Information: A condensed list of boon slot rules and the free consumables players get thanks to their training.
• Retail Incentive Program Benefits
• Year 1 Boon Cards (Scenario Spoilers)

Google Spreadsheets:
• GM Challenge Point and Downtime Calculator: Hit File>Make a Copy to use it. Critical for the first 5 scenarios when challenge points weren’t listed clearly.
• Pathfinder Society Master Index: This spreadsheet has tons of information about each scenario, including maps, items, hazards, and monsters.

The rest of the article is full of spoilers and is intended for Game Masters!

Keyword Index:

I’ve included keywords to help give you a quick idea of what each scenario is about. You can use the “Find” feature on your browser to look for certain keywords, and I’ve listed them below:

• Atmosphere: Urban, Wilderness, Snow, Sewers, Ruins, Naval, Extraplanar
• Creatures: Oozes, Undead, Fiends, Insects, Animals, Orcs, Kitsune, Kami, Ghost, Goblins, Iruxi, Kobolds, Devil, Leshies, Centaur, Demon, Fey, Hobgoblin, Boggards, Outsiders
• Themes: Exploration, Horror, Intrigue, Survival, Journey, Revolution

These are pretty self-explanatory and help give you an idea of what you might find in each adventure. Some creatures listed are intended to be allies, some enemies, and others can be allies or enemies depending on how the PCs interact with them. It is not an extensive list of all creature-types used in the season, but rather those that are most memorable in each scenario. A Journey scenario is one that can end away from where it began.

• Systems: Hazards, Ritual, Research, Performance, Race, Downtime, Chase, Mass Combat, Escort

Scenarios tagged with these systems heavily feature memorable uses of these systems. Most are self-explanatory. Performances often include opportunities for characters with the perform skill to shine, and can include scenarios where PCs are expected to perform at the table. Downtime includes scenarios where players spend multiple days completing a task. Escort missions are those where you have an NPC who follows the party.

• Animals: Horse!, Goats!, Kitty!

These scenarios include animals that can be tamed, or at least played with by PCs who may love to use the creatures as potential long-term companions.

• Additional Tags: Heavy Roleplay, Rival Party, Very Deadly

Scenarios tagged with “Roleplay” include numerous NPCs that the GM is expected to use in extended dialogue with the PCs. Rival Party means there is another group of adventurers or explorers the PCs interact with. Most scenarios marked “deadly” have a single encounter that is especially troublesome for certain party members and should be investigated before the scenario is chosen. Oftentimes it means waiting until the players are higher level before running the scenario.

1-00: Origin of the Open Road

Levels: 5 (Pregen) Tags: None Related: Metaplot Location: Quantium, Nex
Keywords: Urban, Oozes, Research, Hazards, Very Deadly, Intrigue
Description: Over recent decades, numerous incidents at the Pathfinder Society’s Grand Lodge in Absalom have damaged the priceless collections, destroying many documents outright. The Society has sent the PCs to Nexus House in the arcane metropolis of Quantium, hoping that the second oldest Pathfinder lodge might contain duplicates of the lost texts to copy and study. Yet the PCs are not the only ones interested in the secrets preserved in Nexus House, and the PCs find themselves on the trail of unlikely criminals.
Review: Introduces the Season 1 Metaplot. Has to be run with 5th level Pregenerated Characters that are not the best for this adventure. The Black Pudding encounter is extremely deadly. Many players are disinterested in the library. I feel like this is best suited for more experienced players after they get some other scenarios in, but before they begin the season 1 metaplot. Tie the pregens to new PC numbers because it’s very possible to TPK in this scenario. I can also see it as a fun game to play if you finish your last session of The Slithering early since it also has an ooze theme.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Missing Monster Stat Blocks, GM Discussion Thread

1-01: Absalom Initiation

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Repeatable Related: PF1e Faction Heads Location: Absalom, Isle of Kortos
Keywords: Urban, Some Undead & Fiends, Deadly Hazards, Deadly Ritual, Mild Horror, Moderately Deadly
Description: A new era is beginning for the Pathfinder Society, with new recruits and new factions all excited to build connections and embark on grand adventures. The PCs are among these recruits invited to attend a welcoming party where they can meet both the old guard as well as the up-and-coming leaders. But the party’s not all talk; the PCs learn of four exciting escapades in Absalom, through which they can kick off their adventuring careers! This adventure’s individual missions include numerous variations that make each play-through exciting and different.
Review: Lots of great role-play opportunities and a variety of solid adventures. Your characters may be novice pathfinders but this scenario does not pull punches, so remind your players it can be difficult. Don’t run this if none of your players have ever played Second Edition before. This does give a good overview of the heads of each faction. Ask your former 1e players who their favorite faction leaders were for part 1. Most players will resolve the golem encounter peacefully and it provides a fun role-play opportunity. The ritual can be extremely deadly if players don’t have the right skills, so feel free to remind them it only takes 1 action to try to repair the ritual. Give hints and read the trigger of the trap in the mansion very carefully and be careful since it can TPK the entire table in a very unsatisfying way.
Home-Game Integration: This is very much a Pathfinder Society themed scenario, but the society could be paying free-agents to help them out.
Time Considerations: Make sure the PCs don’t spend too long at the party. You can have them catch up with their faction leaders after the last mission if the group has time.
Potential X-Card Warning: The protestors in Westgate.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Tracking Sheet, Progress Tracker and Random Element Organizer, Loot Reference, GM Discussion Thread

1-02: The Mosquito Witch

Levels: 1-4 Tags: None Location: Shimmorford, River Kingdoms
Keywords: Heavy Investigation, Insects and Fey, Heavy Roleplay, Moderate Horror
Description: Decades ago, witnesses reported a fearsome cryptid outside of the quiet River Kingdoms town of Shimmerford. Dubbed the Mosquito Witch, it was rarely seen since and quickly became a beloved local legend that the town celebrates and promotes to attract visitors. But when recent attacks began savaging livestock and townsfolk alike, many have started believing the Mosquito Witch was real all along. The PCs travel to Shimmerford to unravel the cryptid mystery, but might they just become the witch’s next victim?
Review: This atmospheric cryptic hunt comes with a colorful cast and a wonderful atmosphere. I recommend finding quick little portraits for all your NPCs and laying out a map of the town for everyone to move around during the investigation. Print out the doll and pass it around the table. Bring a couple of print-outs and tell your players they are free to rip it off if they destroy the doll in character. Remember you can modify scenarios if they would make your table uncomfortable, such as the mosquitoes crawling out of the body near the swamp. I recommend doing the carriage chase just outside of town or right outside of the inn to maximize verisimilitude.
Home-Game Integration: Highly adaptable and easy to use in your own game. The true nature of the Mosquito Witch can be a continued element.
Time Considerations: This usually takes a little more than 4 hours. Let them enjoy the investigation.
Potential X-Card Warning: This is a horror-themed scenario. It has many insects and mosquitos, including a gruesome scene in the woods.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Order of Operations Tracker & Guide, GM Discussion Thread

1-03: Escaping the Grave

Levels: 1-4 Tags: None Related: PFS 1e 10-98 Location: Lastwall/Gravelands
Keywords: Heavy Undead, Horse!, Moderate Investigation, (Abandoned) Urban, Moderate Horror, Sometimes Deadly
Description: The Whispering Tyrant has escaped Gallowspire and ravaged the lands of Lastwall. Although the nation managed to evacuate many civilians, there are still refugees, Pathfinders, and irreplaceable cultural treasures trapped in this undead-ridden realm known as the Gravelands. The PCs are part of the Society’s efforts to infiltrate these dangerous lands, rescue the Pathfinders missing in action, and recover what historical texts and treasures they can. Just be quick! Every hour behind enemy lines increases the chance a nearby army learns of the PCs’ mission.
Review: Visiting Lastwall can be a hoot and cautious players will appreciate skulking past an army of undead to search for bodies and relics. Note that a player will not have fun if they pick the option to become fatigued in the first part of the game, so remind a player that they are on a time limit, will not have time to rest and will not be able to investigate the town if they pick that option during the initial obstacles. Some players will miss the bar-sign as a relic, so play it up as a potentially valuable artifact. The house can be deadly if the group splits up and someone gets hit by that centipede trap without any help. And players might want to take on the “undead goliaths” at the end (but that is supposed to be a Bad Idea). Players tend to love the horse, but see X-card warning if you have a squeamish equestrian. Roleplaying the frightened agent is pretty fun. Uses the same haunted house and village square map as other scenarios this season, so I don’t like to run those scenarios back-to-back.
Home-Game Integration: Recovering artifacts is pretty PFS centric, but you can easily replace them with other McGuffins.
Time Considerations: This usually takes less than 4 hours.
Potential X-Card Warning: An undead horse and firebombed church.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Tracking sheet, GM Discussion Thread

1-04: Bandits of Immenwood

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Grand Archive Location: Isle of Kortos
Keywords: Escort Mission, Survival, Wilderness, Animals, Journey, Low Story, Unexpectedly Deadly
Description: The Pathfinders are sent forth to aid their own! A Pathfinder mission returning from a long sea voyage ran aground on the Isle of Kortos and were forced to leave behind many of their discoveries so they could press on to Absalom and receive much-needed medical care. The PCs are sent to the site of the wreck to retrieve the relics and charts their peers were forced to leave but the relics have drawn the attention of some of the Immenwood’s most volatile inhabitants. Will the PCs be able to return the documents and relics to Zarta Dralneen, the Grand Lodge’s Chief Archivist? Or will they fall prey to the unusual bandits dwelling within the coastal reaches of one of Kortos’s most infamous forests?
Review: Escorting a caravan is a classic, but I wasn’t blown away with this scenario. Most of the story is hidden from the players, which actually makes this a good adventure to integrate into a longer campaign that plays off the McGuffin. The combats are either forgettable or frustratingly difficult. I find that players are lulled into a false sense of security and then underestimate how deadly the final fight can be.
Home-Game Integration: Do you have to move a treasure from one place to another? That’s all it takes.
Time Considerations: Fast. Most groups finish this one in 3 to 3.5 hours.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Wagon and Horse Tracking Statistics, GM Cheat Sheet, GM Discussion Thread

1-05: Trailblazers’ Bounty

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Horizon Hunters Location: Isger & Molthune
Keywords: Survival, Journey, (Low) Rival Party, Animals, Orcs (Potential Friendly), Hazards, Goats!, Snow
Description: The powerful nation of Cheliax has posted a public bounty that would richly reward the first team of explorers to chart a viable route across the Menador Mountains, linking the nations of Isger and Molthune (all to bypass the economic powerhouse of Druma, which has recently imposed higher taxes on key goods crossing its borders). Yet the Menador Mountains are an imposing obstacle, replete with steep slopes, snowy peaks, and territorial orcs. Even so, there are no finer explorers than the Pathfinders, and the Society has dispatched a team to collect the prize. Are the PCs ready to not only explore the foreboding mountains but also to compete with the rival teams and local inhabitants?
Home-Game Integration: Anyone could want that bounty. You can also the scenario for any wilderness journey, but most of the objectives are about making a trade route.
Review: Play it for any friends you have who love camping, hiking, and wilderness survival! Man-versus-Nature scenarios are pretty rare and this one does a great job showing what 2e can do with the genre. Don’t sweat roleplaying the nobles. The goats have become something of a meme. This also gives your players an opportunity to make friends with orcs.
Time Considerations: If you spend an hour roleplaying the nobles you might go over time, but it’s unlikely.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Progress Tracker Spreadsheet, GM Cheat Sheet, GM Discussion Thread

1-06: Lost on the Spirit Road

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Repeatable Related: PFS 2-02 Location: Forest of Spirits, Tian-Xia
Keywords: Journey, Investigation, Kami, Kitsune, Heavy Roleplay, Ghost (Friendly), Snow, Wilderness
Description: A shipment of relics on its way to Minkai vanished somewhere in the Forest of Spirits, a dense woodland home to kami and spirits of all sorts. In search of the missing shipment, Pathfinder agents travel to a remote village, where they uncover the secrets of this enigmatic forest. This scenario features a wide variety of options for encounters and reasons for the vanishing, making for a fresh experience on multiple playthroughs.
Review: I’m obviously biased when it comes to reviewing this scenario, but I loved it. This scenario is a dream for ad-lib GMs, given the flexibility, it gives you in defining the village and ghosts. You’ll want to consider during your prep what kind of village you want, such as the names of NPCs your PCs will talk to, what they are doing when the PCs enter the village, and whatnot. Check snow maps for an example of a village map you can use to engage the PCs. The prep can look overwhelming, but just take it one step at a time. This is a great learning opportunity for a group with an only a passing understanding of traditional animism and Lost Omen’s Tamashigo. Have your friends watch Princess Mononoke together if they want to get the mood for this scenario.
Home-Game Integration: Any adventurer could be hired to find the mission caravan. Could also take place headed into or out of Minkai through the Forest of Spirits.
Potential X-Card Warnings: Be considerate with the ghosts. Be respectful of the animistic cultural traditions in the adventure, such as describing the relationship between humans and kami.
Time Considerations: Very unlikely to go over 4 hours, as long as you make your route choices during your prep.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Snow Maps, Progress tracker spreadsheet, Forest Tile Layouts, GM Discussion Thread

1-07: Flooded King’s Court

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Vigilant Seal Location: Absalom, Isle of Kortos
Keywords: Urban, Investigation, Rival Party, Friendly Goblins, Friendly Undead, Performance, Sewers, (Abandoned) Cults
Description: From a ruined theater in the run-down Puddles district of Absalom, a goblin hero and self-styled king rules over the nearby goblins. Shifting foundations beneath the playhouse have revealed ruins from Absalom’s early history, and the goblin king has put out a call for explorers to search the area and clear out its dangers. The Pathfinder Society has answered the call. They aren’t the only group that is interested, however, and they must prove themselves to earn the right to enter these lost chambers.
Review: This scenario is really fun. First, you get a performance piece where each PC is given a role in a goblin play. Then you get to best a rival adventuring group! The wish depicted in the scenario delivers a memorable twist. This can cause some party conflict if you have an adamant “all undead must die” player in your party, but a flexible undead slayer will see the value in allowing the undead one final act of redemption.
Home-Game Integration: You don’t have to be Pathfinders to be the group chosen by Zusgut. Great way to introduce goblins or Absalom. Could work to help introduce an Edgewatch group into PFS.
Time Considerations: Let your players enjoy the play. It doesn’t take that long.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Goblin Play Folio, GM Discussion Thread

1-08: Revolution on the Riverside

Levels: 1-4 Tags: None Related: River Kingdoms Location: Artume, River Kingdoms
Keywords: Investigation, Revolution (or Counter-Revolution), Heavy Roleplay, Intrigue
Description: In the heart of the River Kingdoms, revolution and turmoil boil just beneath the surface. The PCs are called to investigate rumors of an old, abandoned Pathfinder Lodge, but discover that their investigation leads them into a firestorm of danger and intrigue. What starts as a simple task becomes a revolution sweeping a nation, and the PCs’ actions will inevitably shape the future of an entire kingdom.
Review: I love scenarios that split into multiple routes and this one does it very well. Heavy intrigue where the PCs can choose to back a revolution, or try to undermine it. This can be a doozy to prep as there are those multiple routes. It’s a very well done scenario tackling a difficult issue to successfully resolve in 4 hours, so the combats are understandably not that complex or memorable.
Home-Game Integration: Great for any players who got into the hobby thanks to Kingmaker. Need a quick revolution? If you read the unused route, you’ll see it’s pretty easy to play off the consequences of the revolution for years.
Time Considerations: If your group is the type to argue for one side or the other, this might take a while. The Venture-Captain might want to weigh in, or even set a time-limit if your players spend too long choosing one side or the other. An odd number of voting players will help here.
X-Card Considerations: Spiders. Pretty easy to replace.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Notes, GM Discussion Thread

1-09: Star-Crossed Voyages

Levels: 3-6 Tags: Horizon Hunters Related: PFS 1-23 Location: Athusis to Kihirat, Mwangi Expanse
Keywords: Potentially Deadly, Wilderness, Ruins, Exploration, Naval (1 Encounter), Iruxi
Description: The Pathfinder Society is called upon to aid the fledgling nation of Vidrian! As the PCs sail beyond the edge of the Inner Sea and into the waters off the coast of southern Garund searching for new trade routes to connect Vidrian with new allies, the PCs find themselves amongst the iruxi, a civilization of lizardfolk astrologists. While the iruxi themselves seem to be likely allies, other forces stir in the nearby jungles, and if the PCs hope to return north with news of a newly charted route, they will need to first face an ancient evil whose presence complicates navigating the treacherous ocean ways.
Review: This felt like a hodgepodge of encounters and the reviews tell me I’m not the only one who get that impression. It’s pretty rail-roady, but it does lead into another adventure and if the players enjoy a good string of challenging combats this can be a fun scenario. The last encounter can be extremely deadly if the players don’t have a way of dealing with a flying enemy, so I recommend looking at playing this in high-tier if your party doesn’t have a lot of ranged attacks that can take out that final boss.
Home-Game Integration: Have a party of wanderers? Get attacked by sea devils, stumble on an iruxi village and help save them.
Time Considerations: That first and last battle took our party a long time due to the creature’s defenses.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

1-10: Tarnbreaker’s Trail

Levels: 1-4 Tags: None Related: Quest 3 Location: Lands of the Linnorm Kings
Keywords: Race, Rival Party, Wilderness, Survival, Journey, Snow
Description: Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen has set out the call for a group of Pathfinders to compete in a race known as the Balgirdtrek. Taking place in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, this race is an annual event that includes participants from both the Varki and Ulfen people of the region. Bjersig hopes that by having the PCs participate, they might not only bolster the Society’s reputation in the Saga Lands, but also document this exciting event. Although the Society has the organizers’ official permission, some of the Ulfen competitors in particular see the Pathfinders’ participation as an intrusion on their time-honored pastime. The true challenge of this race is not monsters or villains, but the harsh nature of the grueling marathon itself.
Review: I love the build-up to the scenario and using a quest as a prequel to potentially make this part of a 5-hour slot. If your players played the quest, give them time after the race to buy items with that boon since they won’t have many future opportunities to shop in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. Don’t let your players get distracted by the bear unless you are willing to break the scenario and have them fight the final boss early. The folklore of the game is pretty fantastic and you can have some fun roleplaying with the other teams. Don’t worry about not having maps, as many of the challenges really don’t require them unless you are playing up “the beast stalking you in the race”. Even though I own the maps, I feel like the non-combat challenges would go smoother without them.
Home-Game Integration: This really wants that quest to get the invite to the race, since being “outsiders” plays such a big part in participating. It’s also very Lost Omens lore heavy.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Cheat Sheet, GM Discussion Thread

1-11: Flames of Rebellion

Levels: 1-4 Tags: None Related: Metaplot, PFS 1e 5-04 Location: Sauerton, Andoran
Keywords: Dungeon, Kobolds (Enemies), Ghost (Potential Friend), Hazards, Research, Potentially Deadly
Description: Following the trail of one of the first Pathfinders, the PCs travel to the town of Sauerton where an old ally helps them find important clues. These clues lead the PCs into a dangerous wilderness to an old tower whose history goes back even farther than the Pathfinder Society itself. As the PCs navigate numerous threats with opposing interests, will they find the hidden keys to unlock the secrets of the Open Road Pact, or just another trail obscured by the passage of centuries?
Review: This is a super fun classic dungeon crawl. First and foremost, do not play this one with a group that will require challenge point adjustments. The final fight becomes extremely deadly in certain tiers. That being said, this one is a blast to play or GM. The kobolds use such perfect kobold-like tactics, the hazards are clever and the final boss is super memorable. The boon is super memorable too, even if not the most useful.
Home-Game Integration: Does your party want a keep? Does it want a soul bound devil ally? Or do you just want a classic dungeon-crawl? Look no further!
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Selfmade Maps, GM Discussion Thread

1-12: The Burden of Envy

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Radiant Location: Xin-Edasseril, New Thassilon
Keywords: Urban, Intrigue, Heavy Roleplay, Investigation, Downtime
Description: Swindler, rogue, and occasional Pathfinder ally Guaril Karela has approached the Society with an opportunity that Valais Durant, the leader of the Society’s Radiant Oath faction, can’t refuse. Guaril has been charging refugees to sneak them out of Xin-Edasseril, a city ruled by the Runelord of Envy, and now it looks like Guaril won’t be able to fulfill his contracts. Society agents are charged with sneaking into the dangerous city and sneaking out with a handful of its citizens before their absence is noticed so that the Radiant Oath can help them find new lives beyond their current ruler’s tyrannical reach.
Review: This scenario is amazing! It plays as an open-ended but related series of balanced and engaging skill challenges that are easy to resolve but can be roleplayed out to your heart’s content. Let your players talk about what solutions they want to pursue before you start throwing suggestions at them, and encourage creative problem solving because you’ll be surprised at how well the author was able to predict how to resolve certain ideas.
Home-Game Integration: I could see this used as an adventure where players had to escape a city like this and could only afford passage by helping paying customers get out.
Time Considerations: It’s very well-paced so there shouldn’t be a problem. You can easily play this out to be a 6 or 7-hour session, but you shouldn’t have to worry unless your players really want to roleplay out every day spent in the city exploring the ins and outs of Xin-Edasseril.
X-Card Considerations: Human smuggling and illegal immigration.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, NPC DCs and Time Cheatsheet, GM Cheat Sheet, GM Discussion Thread

1-13: Devil at the Crossroads

Levels: 3-6 Tags: Vigilant Seal Location: Sarkoris Scar
Keywords: Mystery, Horror, Devils, Hazard, Undead, Investigation, Heavy Roleplay, Challenging Combat
Description: The Sarkoris Scar still aches from the recently closed Worldwound, but that hasn’t stopped the Pathfinder Society and their allies in the Farheavens Clan from maintaining their efforts to reclaim the Sarkorians’ ancestral homelands. At a trading post near the southern border of the Sarkoris Scar, the PCs meet their contact from the Farheavens but not all is as it seems. The PCs and their allies will need to unravel the twisted skeins of an infernal plot if they have any hope of avoiding becoming the next victims of a fiendish spirit. This adventure was concepted at Paizo’s Adventure Design Workshop panel during GenCon 2019.
Review: A wonderful classic murder mystery. The classic theme of being stuck in an inn is given the twist of a devil trying to ascend to god-hood. This scenario (and it’s boon) is perfect for a local lodge prepping to go to a convention. Note the time-considerations. You’ll want the NPC portraits and minis for all the NPCs in this scenario, so players can keep track of everyone. Investigators are going to love this scenario!
Home-Game Integration: Can work in any game. Does your game have an inn? Pow. Murder mystery time!
Time Considerations: It can be hard to complete this in 4 hours, and you will want 6 hours or more to fully appreciate everything this scenario has to offer. Don’t rush it. Let this be a special night before the convention where everyone can get together with whatever characters they plan on using and really build some connections as they investigate and interrogate.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Cheat Sheet, GM Discussion Thread

1-14: Lions of Katapesh

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Repeatable Location: Katapesh
Keywords: Animal, Goblins, Performance
Description: Goblin patriarch, merchant, and Pathfinder Society ally Yigrig Moneymaker needs help! The cunning goblin merchant has big plans to build a bridge that will connect two promising trade partners, but something is stirring up the local wildlife and convincing the lions and other predators of the Katapeshi plains that goblins are more tasty than can possibly be true. The PCs must find out who’s responsible for the trials Yigrig’s family faces before the lions of Katapesh devour the entire goblin clan and end the chance for trade between two desert cities.
Review: This scenario runs the risk of becoming fairly forgettable and “easy”. The encounters are considered “non-threatening” to most players, but there is an opportunity here for creative GMs and players to spice up the scenario, especially with regards to the preparations that can take place before the night raid. There is also some fun RP potential with the goblins, but it has been reported as “non-threatening”.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

1-15: The Blooming Catastrophe

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Verdant Wheel; Related: PFS1e 10-12, Metaplot (Season 2), Location: Iobaria
Keywords: Leshies, Centaur, Demon(ic Energy), Horror-lite, Wilderness
Description: The Pathfinders travel to Iobaria, where elven druids and centaur warriors are united against an unlikely threat: a self-propogating horde of corrupted leshys! The source of the Abyssal corruption may be tied to a previous trip to Iobaria by the Pathfinder Society, so it falls to the PCs to seek out the source of the leshy incursion and restore balance to the woodlands.
Review: Everyone I know loves this scenario. The NPCs are memorable. The encounters are well-balanced. Just read the encounters very carefully, as some of them have enemies engage round-after-round rather than all-at-once, which can make the difference between a challenging encounter and an impossible onslaught. This one also makes a nice segue into season 2, which has a metaplot centered in Iobaria.
Home-Game Integration: Investigating a demon-infested Forest? Here you go.
Time Considerations: This one will run long. Probably 5 or 6 hours, depending on how much roleplay your party does.
X-Card Considerations: Leshies covered in inside out animals and other demonic squick. Spiders.
Additional Resources:Digital Miniatures (Leshys), GM Discussion Thread

1-16: The Perennial Crown Part 1, Opal of Bhopan

Levels: 3-6 Tags: Metaplot; Related: PFS 1-17, PFS 2-00 Location: Bhopan
Keywords: Fey, Intrigue, Urban, Social, Heavy Roleplay, Investigation
Description: In part 1 of the two-part Perennial Crown adventure, the Pathfinders journey to the island of Bhopan for the first time in over four centuries! On the forested island where founding Pathfinder Selmius Foster met his demise, the PCs will meet the fey-descended Bhopanese people. Not all diplomatic negotiations take place in a stuffy meeting hall, however. In order to navigate the complex, fey-influenced customs of Bhopanese court and establish a relationship with the rulers of Bhopan, the PCs must find their way through a masquerade ball filled with complex dance steps and hidden agendas.
Review: This scenario is jam-packed with fantastical fey goodness. The author did a great job letting us explore the atmosphere of the whimsical Bhopanese culture. It has lots of skill contests that can devolve into everyone just rolling a bunch of d20s if you don’t tell your group in advance that there are bonuses for creative solutions and roleplay.
Home-Game Integration: This works best running both parts and works best for the PFS metaplot, but could be used by any group of adventurers looking to grab the Perennial Crown.
Time Considerations: This scenario works best if you set aside enough time for players to react to and explore all the fantastical elements their characters will encounter. I recommend a 5-hour slot, especially if players like to spend time describing and discussing how they will overcome various skill challenges.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

1-17: The Perennial Crown Part 2, The Thorned Monarch

Levels: 3-6 Tags: Metaplot; Related: PFS 1-16, PFS 2-00 Location: Bhopan
Keywords: Fey, Intrigue, Urban, Naval, Chas, Deadly
Description: In part 2 of The Perennial Crown, the PCs must evade the fearsome fey known as the Thorned Monarch. This unrelenting tyrant will stop at nothing to hunt down the PCs and claim their discoveries for themself, bringing to bear not only their awesome physical and magical power, but also manipulating the innocent Bhopanese citizens in their desperate attempts to stop the PCs from fleeing Bhopan with the one item that could put an end to the evil fey’s ambitions.
Review: This entire scenario is effectively a giant chase scene followed by a memorable end-boss. It really has to be played as a sequel to Part 1, or you’re missing out on the full experience. That being said, the final fight is very hard. There are options for characters without ranged weapons, but if you don’t have a good balance of AoE and ranged damage the encounter may be too challenging for certain groups. Benchpress your local group and consider if they are up to this challenge. There are criticisms about the “donating your treasure to the island”, so try to remind people of what the venture-captain said in part 1 and that you are archaeologists (partially) on a good-will mission, not murder-hobos.
Home-Game Integration: This only works if you include Part 1. It works best as a metaplot scenario for PFS.
Time Considerations: This will go quickly since it’s one big chase scene, so feel free to flesh out the roleplaying. I’d set aside 7 hours to do part 1 and part 2 on the same day, or even let the final encounter of Part 1 bleed over to your Part 2 session after letting your PC’s really roleplay out all the scenes at the party in Part 1.
Additional Resources: Chase Map for VTT Games, GM Discussion Thread

1-18: Lodge of the Living God

Levels: 1-4 Tags: Envoy’s Alliance Location: Xer, Razmiran
Keywords: Undead, Urban, Downtime, Mass Combat, Intrigue, Roleplay Heavy (potentially), Hazards
Description: An unexpected alliance begins! The masked priest Narsen invites the Pathfinders to the city of Xer in Razmiran, a closed nation dedicated to Razmir, the Living God. Normally insular and isolated, access to Razmiran represents a unique opportunity for the Pathfinder Society. Narsen has even sweetened the pot by offering to fund the repair of an old keep to serve as the Society’s new lodge. As the first Pathfinders arrive to oversee repairs on the lodge-to-be, will this mark the historic first moment in an unlikely partnership, or will it trigger a disaster of unmitigated proporitions?
Home-Game Integration: Another scenario if you wanted to give your PCs a home-base they can fix up. The siege was really fun.
Review: You rebuild a fort and defend it in a siege. Use the flowchart in Additional Resources. The rebuilding part of things can take hours and can get a little tedious, but players who enjoy Kingmaker or the downtime system in Age of Ashes will love this. In a way, I wish the scenario was printed with twice the page count. Being able to place hazards and describing how they are thwarting the hordes of undead is fun for both players and GMs, and I highly recommend loading some trap tokens and/or print out some traps you can lay out for your PCs. Bring your Bag O’ Zombies and let your players have a Razmiran “recommend” that the casters ready their most powerful magic in case any undead get past the hazards (wink-wink). The intrigue half of the scenario will let you play multiple townsfolk and, as always, I recommend bringing portraits to help the PCs remember who is who if they are the sort who want to talk to each and every NPC.
Time Considerations: I’ve heard stories of this game taking two 4 hour sessions. The construction subsystem can take hours to resolve.
X-Card Considerations: There are some Potemkin village themes.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Flowchart of Repairs and Townsfolk, Tracking Spreadsheet for Players and GM, GM Discussion Thread

1-19: Iolite Squad Alpha

Levels: 3-6 Tags: None Location: Kaer Maga/Korvosa, Varisia
Keywords: Hobgoblin, Journey
Description: The newly formed hobgoblin nation of Oprak has reached out to the Pathfinder Society in the name of diplomacy. Mindful of the aid Oprak could provide against the threat of the Whispering Tyrant, the Society has dispatched the PCs to escort a trial squad of hobgoblin recruits and run them through some in-the-field Pathfinder training. Will the Iolite Squad be the first in a new wave of Pathfinders, or are Oprak’s attempts at diplomacy doomed to go up in smoke?.
Review: This scenario gives us some fun NPCs and plenty of time to engage the PCs in some tom-foolery (or else you will end early). This will be especially enjoyed by stylish martial characters who like showing off their skills! Run this if you have the kind of group who enjoys explaining in vivid detail how they swing their sword or what shape and color their fireball is this month.
Time Considerations: You might end the scenario early if you don’t stretch out the roleplay, so it’s smart to bring along a quest or bounty to fill out the session.
Home-Game Integration:
X-Card Considerations: There are strong military themes. Spiders.
Additional Resources: GM Notes, GM Discussion Thread

1-20: The Lost Legend

Levels: 3-6 Tags: Metaplot Location: Mwangi Expanse
Keywords: Boggards, Undead, Wilderness, Investigation, Journey
Description: The Pathfinder Society begins a perilous trek through the swamps and jungles of the Mwangi Expanse, searching for the location where the founding members of their organization formed the Open Road Pact. The clues the Pathfinders must follow are centuries old, however, and their best lead is the final logs of an ancient Pathfinder whose true fate may be markedly different than the world has been led to believe.
Home-Game Integration: This is best used as part of the seasonal metaplot.
Review: This is a great “metaplot” scenario that really helps tie together the story spun through year 1. It’s a number of solid, challenging, but balanced encounters, split up with a fun investigation, that culminates in a memorable finale. I’d bring along some portraits for the NPCs in the investigation just to help get into character. Some PCs might have trouble with the flying Zephyr hawks, and the boggard’s hazard will thoroughly punish any characters fool-hearty enough to charge into the water but I still think it was fun despite almost drowning.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

1-21: Mistress of the Maze

Levels: 5-8 Tags: None Location: Maze of the Open Road
Keywords: Outsiders, Intrigue, Investigation, Extraplanar, Escort
Description: Open Decemvirate member Eliza Petulengro is looking for a handful of intrepid Pathfinders to accompany her on an interdimensional journey throught the Maze of the Open Road! Eliza is traveling from the Grand Lodge in Absalom to the Woodsedge Lodge in Galt, but the Maze of the Open Road has become unstable and unpredictable in recent years. Eliza hopes that with help of her fellow Pathfinders, she can secure the road and prepare it for regular use by the Society once more.
Review: The best thing I can say is the challenges and locations are kind of exotic. Overall this feels like a hodgepodge of encounters against random outsiders that might actually tick off a player who ran Eyes of the Ten in Season 1 since it has almost no call-backs to that classic adventure. None of the fights are challenging. None of the puzzles are that engaging. The “twist” betrayal was so painfully obvious when we first met the NPC that we OOC decided to just secretly go along to make our GM feel better and not metagame.
Home-Game Integration: You could use this as a way to fast-travel from one side of the setting to another via the maze, but it’s pretty Pathfinder integrated in terms of Lost Omens canon.
Time Considerations: This probably won’t go over. Players could spend forever looking through the maze, but most of the sub-sections of the maze aren’t fleshed out well enough to provide much interest, and Eliza will hurry the party along.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

1-22: Doom of Cassomir

Levels: 1-4 Tags: None Location: Cassomir, Taldor
Keywords: Investigation, Urban, Intrigue
Description: Doom stalks the streets of Cassomir! The people of Admiral’s Fen have long been doughty pioneers and sailors, but time and tribulations both natural and economic have worn down their spirits. Amid this widespread gloom and general depression, dark forces have begun pulling strings to begin a societal collapse that could take the entire city under. Venture-Captain Hestia Themis calls on her allies in the Pathfinder Society to try and help her unravel the twisting skeins of manipulation and deceit before Cassomir’s final doom is assured.
Review: Moon! Groetus is a very popular deity. This has a fabulously integrated investigation mechanic. Using a map is highly recommended. There is a chance PCs will skip the first two encounters if they are good enough investigators, so you can gauge as time goes on how much extra time your group has for more in-depth roleplay.
Time Considerations: As with any investigation scenario, you could stretch this out if you wanted, but there are no reports of this taking longer than a standard scenario.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, Admiral’s Fen Maps, Cultist’s Pamphlet, GM Discussion Thread

1-23: The Star-Crossed Court

Levels: 3-6 Tags: Repeatable Location: Ekkeshikaar, Mwangi Expanse
Keywords: Intrigue, Investigation, Diplomacy, Ritual, Iruxi, Potentially Deadly(-ish)
Description: On an idyllic island of the western coast of Garund, the PCs arrive at the iruxi city of Ekkeshikaar. Seeking to establish new trade relations between the lizardfolk of Ekkeshikaar and the people of Vidrian, the Pathfinder Society must navigate a delicate political landscape while thwarting the efforts of nefarious forces who seek to stop the proposed alliance by any means necessary.
Review: The first encounter can be very challenging and many parties have fallen to it, but will likely not be deadly due to the intervention of the guards. But many players don’t like losing encounters even if they aren’t deadly, so consider your group’s preferences. If you are worried it will spoil the evening, many GMs recommend saving this until the 6th level, since 6th level PCs will get that bonus against the incapacitation effect. The ritual is generally well-received and there is a great deal of good roleplay potential throughout the second half of the scenario. And iruxi are still really cool!
Home-Game Integration: Want to debate trade negotiations in an Iruxi country? Here ya go.
X-Card Considerations: There is some debate about “allowing outsider interference” that can get potentially political.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

1-24: Lightning Strikes, Stars Fall

Levels: 5-8 Tags: None; Related: Quest 8 Location: Numeria
Keywords: Wilderness, Technology, Survival, Hazard, Journey
Description: The Pathfinder Society is called to action once more! Venture-Captain Dagur Hawksight needs a skilled group of experienced adventurers to scout ahead of a caravan crossing the Numerian wastes. Only the most skilled explorers can be entrusted with such a mission, for deadly pools of poison, fearsome mutants, and robots of all sizes are only the best-known dangers to plague the wastes. Lurking in the shadows, a gang of criminals armed with advanced technology seek to stop the PCs from completing their mission. Can the PCs overcome the many challenges before them, or will Hawksight’s mission end in deadly failure?
Review: Numeria means technology! The final encounter is reportedly challenging, but the hardness/resistance mechanic falls apart to a critical hit. Keep the cover hidden from your players, as it spoils an awesome “twist”! Exploring the Numerian wilderness is a treat and the atmosphere in this scenario is superb. Pay attention to how the traveling is abstracted as it can be confusing the first time you read the scenario. The party should be fine if the party has a speed of 25ft and at least one PC who is decent at Survival. Or a certain travel spell from Gods & Magic…
Home-Game Integration: Very easy to integrate into an ongoing game. Good transition into a Numeria adventure.
Additional Resources: GM Discussion Thread

1-25: Grim Symphony

Levels: 5-8 Tags: Grand Archive Location: Ustalav
Keywords: Horror, Undead, Kitty!, Performance(ish), Dungeon, Potentially Deadly
Description: In the depths of Ustalav, a nefarious doctor conducts foul experiments on creatures both living and dead from his stolen abode in an ancient keep. Now, the parliament of citizens who own the land the keep is built on wish to be free of the grim shadow that waits just beyond their doorstep, and they’ve offered the Pathfinder Society the ancient library in the keep’s vaults as payments for removing its current occupant. Will the Pathfinders liberate the keep and protect the townsfolk from the terrors lurking within its corridors, or will they join the ranks of the undead dancing to Dr. Velshen’s grim symphony?
Review: You want a haunted house? You got a haunted house. This scenario is amazing! The atmosphere and level of detail crammed into this one scenario make it a thrill to play or run. Tons of classic “gothic horror” elements with an overarching theme of “music” throughout. This is perfect for GMs who want to play with music at their tables. Make sure you read the last encounter very carefully (especially the tactics during the first round of combat), and double-check how all the stairways and trap-doors connect to the lower level of the map since that can get tricky.
Home-Game Integration: Any campaign can use a spooky-mansion. I’d proudly use this in my home-game.
Time Considerations: It is possible to spend “too long” on purely cosmetic doo-dads in the adventure, and you might want the venture-captain to tell a group of PCs known for this sort of thing that it might be best to save some fiddling in the mansion for after you clear it of any threats if you are concerned about ending on time. I’d rather just save the scenario for a solid 4-hour slot.
X-Card Considerations: This is a horror adventure, so there are gruesome elements like the cat eating human flesh.
Additional Resources: Illustrated Boon Cards, GM Discussion Thread

Dazing Blow Feat 6
[Fighter][Press]
Source Advanced Player’s Guide pg. 126
Requirements You have a creature grabbed.
You pummel a held foe, hoping to stagger them. Make a melee Strike against a creature you have grabbed. The weapon damage from this Strike is bludgeoning damage. If the Strike hits, the creature must attempt a Fortitude save against your class DC; this is an incapacitation effect.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature is stunned 1.
Failure The creature is stunned 2.
Critical Failure The creature is stunned 3.

When I first saw this feat my initial gut reaction was to start bemoaning it as overpowered. You get to do your strike damage normally and potentially stun a target?! I understood that it has press, but attacking someone after you grab them isn’t exactly a steep requirement, and the grabbed condition helps offset the press trait. Now, mind you, I’m the type of player who is wary around stunning effects, especially in Pathfinder 2e. So I built a fighter and test ran them through a couple of Pathfinder Society scenarios and found my fears weren’t entirely unfounded. I was able to grab, strike, and stun at close to 70% efficiency. But after some headed discord discussions with some fellow Venture Officers and the wonderful community at the Arcane Mark Discord Server, I decided my initial tests were fundamentally flawed. The monsters in those scenarios had low fortitude saves, and I hadn’t accounted for playing in a higher tier game. So I opened up the old Gamemastery Guide: Monster & Hazard Creation PDF and went to work looking for the odds of successfully using this feat.

And I got my data. The results? You have a 73% chance to hit a creature your level or lower with a 52% chance of the target becoming Stunned 1 (or greater).

Huh. Turns out the feat isn’t “broken”, but it is very good! It’s a free potential stun on top of the damage you’d already be doing during a strike. It can be used unlimited times per day on the same enemy and still inflicts a debuff on success. But the fact the fighter’s class DC has such a slow progression helps keep the feat in check. Now, this doesn’t account for any buffs or debuffs, except for the flat-footed condition the target will have because you grabbed it. You might also be tempted to ask “what about failing the grapple check?”, but the odds are in your favor (around 70%) and you can reliably use Assurance on most targets in PFS.

But What About Incapacitation?!

So this feat does become pretty useless against higher level creatures. But I’d argue that doesn’t matter as much. While stunning a lone enemy is absolutely brutal, I would argue it makes the feat “un-fun” and might cause some self-conscious players to shy away from wanting to use it. More importantly: most encounters do not use monsters of a higher level. I checked every scenario a 6th level fighter could go through out of the currently released Pathfinder Society scenarios, and only found 5 out of 100 enemies you can face were level 7 or higher! And almost every time you fight a higher level enemy? They have lower-level monsters you could still successfully stun to help the encounter (especially since many of those mooks have 2-action or 3-action abilities to help augment or that complement the higher level boss). So you will have targets for your feat. Probably more targets per encounter than the Champion’s Oaths or even the Wizard’s elemental spells. And even if they only fail the save on a “1”, you don’t lose anything since you still deal your strike damage!

So What Kind of Character Would You Build?

One of the core strengths of Pathfinder 2e is the ability to use modular feats like these without having to make a dedicated “Build”. Many feats have other complementary feats that can help, but none are strictly “better” than any other build. So let’s go for style and try to make ourselves a proper pit-fighter in preparation for the upcoming Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Adventure Path!

• Ancestry: changeling
• Background: Ruby Phoenix enthusiast
• Class: fighter
  • Class Feats: Sudden Charge (1st), Combat Grab (2nd), {Player’s Choice} (4th), Dazing Blow (6th), {Player’s Choice} (8th), Agile Grace (10th)
  • Other Feats:
    • Ancestry Feats: Slag May (1st); {Player’s Choice} (5th); Accursed Claws (9th)
    • General Feats: {Player’s Choice} (3rd); {Player’s Choice} (7th)
    • Skill Feats: Combat Climber (Background; 1st); Titan Wrestler (2nd); Intimidating Prowess (4th); Assurance (Athletics) (6th); Battle Cry (8th); Wall Jump (10th)

The bread & butter of this build is using your claws from Slag May to grab your target, then striking them with a Dazing Blow using whatever agile weapon you have on hand. Intimidation will give you an action that doesn’t involve your Multiple Attack Penalty and lower the save against Dazing Blow. You can multiclass Barbarian or Monk to pick up some feats that let you grab as a reaction, freeing you up to use feats like Intimidating Strike. You could also pick up the Fighter Dedication as a Barbarian, Monk, or even Gymnast Swashbuckler if those base classes more strike your fancy. There are also grapple options for Hellknight and Martial Artist. I picked the hag for those claws since they have the grapple trait, but the dhampir’s fangs have them too and will free up your hands for a shield. The grapple trait is pretty unnecessary if you plan on picking up the appropriate worn items since the two item bonuses to your athletics won’t stack. The worn items also give other nifty bonuses above and beyond more damage with a weapon you won’t be striking with if you can help it.

And there you have it! I think I’ve finally said everything I have to say about Dazing Blow! I’d like to thank everyone who has had to put up with me talking about this feat since I first saw it, and I promise it won’t come up until the next time Paizo publishes a fighter feat that includes the word “grab”. I am not ashamed to admit I was a little afraid when the APG was announced that we’d see the beginning of the end for our balanced system, but I after crunching the numbers I’m relieved and impressed that the Pathfinder Second Edition is able to provide us with so many tempting new options without disrupting the careful balance of this amazing game!

Summon-Dex Navigation:
Part 1: Summon Animal (arcane, primal)
Part 2: Abberations (occult)/Constructs & Dragons (arcane)/Giants & Plants (primal)
Part 3: Celestials (divine)/Fey (occult, primal)/Elementals (arcane, primal)
Part 4: Undead (arcane, divine, occult)/Fiend (divine)
Part 5: Lesser Divine Servitor/Anarch/Axiom (divine)

Advanced Player’s Guide Character Options

While I love summoning, it isn’t the-all-end-all of character options. It has some limitations and backdraws that you need to be aware of if you want to play an effective summoner. Note that you can get some of the class-specific feats listed below with multiclass devotions!

• Final Sacrifice: This spell is incredible and can be used by any of the four traditions! It’s basically a 2nd level fireball (meaning it heightens better than a normal fireball too) that requires you destroy one of your summons to cast it. It’s perfect for those summons you bring out just to use a single area of effect attack, debuff or spell. It’s especially potent with an exploration mode Unseen Servant.

• Witch/Druid: Using Rites of Convocation or Elemental Summons you can spend 10 minutes to replace any prepared spell with a summon spell. This is really nice, as a summoner will want a summon spell prepared at all times but will rarely have to cast their summon more than once per encounter. You might want to spend some downtime retraining Rites of Convocation as you level depending on which summon monster spell is best at that tier.

• Aasimar/Tiefling: Summon Celestial/Fiendish Kin are ancestry feats that let you cast Summon Celestial/Fiend once per day. But they limit you based on your heritage and the spells do not heighten. Plus since these are 13th level feats, you are using this spell 3 or 4 levels after the 5th level monsters were really relevant.

• Dust of Corpse Animation/Oil of Object Animation: Basically a one use Summon. It can only summon creatures up to level 3 and costs around 3x more than a scroll, but not everyone can use those. They also require having a corpse or object around to use.

Sources Note: Going by Pathfinder Society guidelines, I’ve only included monsters from the Bestiary, not from Adventures. Bestiary 2 is not yet sanctioned, so there is a chance options marked B2 may not be legal for Society, but they are still more likely to be allowed by most GMs.

Animate Dead (Arcane, Divine, Occult)

While technically not a “summon” spell, the spell shares enough similarities that we can compare it’s minion selection alongside other conjuration spells. Note that with this review I am assuming that minions are unaffected by the Slow condition because of how they get actions, but you can effectively downgrade most minions that are permanently slowed by 1 or 2 stars.

Home Rule: I would tentatively allow casters to spend up to two actions to give a zombie minion up to two actions. Or you can allow zombies the second action if the caster summons the creature with the spell heightened above what it needs to be to summon that variety of zombie.

Spell 1:

★★★★★ Crawling Hand (B1) — Amazing Controller. It can grab very well and has lifesense and tremorsense.
★★★★☆ Predatory Rabbit (BD) — Good Controller. Memes aside, you are summoning this for Stench. Decent AC and  the bonus to disease spells is good too. Sense Companion has some niche but potentially delicious uses if you are tracking someone down and only have their dead pet.
★★★☆☆ Skeleton Guard (B1) — Decent Tank. It has low hit-points but some decent resistances. It can hold someone back for a couple actions at level 1.
★★☆☆☆ Severed Head (B3) — Mediocre Striker. +1 Star as a Debuffer if your GM let’s you use the Fiendish or Entangling Beheaded ability. Being able to make someone bleed if you succeed at two attack rolls involving MAP is pretty lame. Doesn’t have resistances like the Skeleton Guard. But it can Fly!
★★☆☆☆ Zombie Shambler (B1) — Mediocre Striker. If it get’s two actions per round, it’s the strongest undead as it’s a better grabber, tank and striker than anything else on this list. With one action? It’s worse than the skeleton.

Heightened (2nd):

★★★★☆ Festrog (B3) — Strong Striker. Strong and consistent base damage with automatic damage (and healing) using Feast. Diseased Pustules means you want to position it away from the party, but close to other enemies, making it a great flank partner.
★★★★☆ Scorned Hound (BD) — Strong Striker. Animating your enemy’s loyal companion gives you a very solid striker. Also great in exploration mode using create undead or master of death to track someone down.
★★★★☆ Skeletal Soldier (BD) — Strong Tank/Striker. Good resistances, a ranged, reach, and melee weapon. The glaive also has deadly. And you can use this to effectively summon an armory incase your fighter really needs a weapon. Set Defense isn’t really useful as a minion.
★★★☆☆ Festering Gnasher (BD) — Decent Niche Striker. Having a fly speed at this level isn’t bad. Brain rot is too slow to be viable.
★★☆☆☆ Ghoul (B1) — Mediocre Niche Controller. The paralysis probably isn’t going to work, since it’s incapacitation. But it is intelligent and has a burrow speed.
★★☆☆☆ Mummified Cat (BD) — Niche Striker. The damage is okay for a Creature 0, but you probably want a Creature 1 at this spell level. Climb speed and scent are neat. Aura of Repose can be useful if you can pick this minion up for days at a time.
★☆☆☆☆ Plague Zombie (B1) — Poor Controller. If it gets two actions per round it can use that grab and becomes a four or five star monster.
★☆☆☆☆ Wolf Skeleton (BD) — Poor Tank. Decent Mount (+2 stars) with Surge of Speed and Knockdown isn’t bad. The resistances and AC make it decent, if only it had Creature 1 stats.
☆☆☆☆☆ Zombie Snake (BD) — Terrible Debuffer. It’s permanently slowed. Stats are mediocre (it’ll get crit all day long). Filth Fever takes 1d4 hours to take effect.

Heightened (3rd):

★★★★★ Draugr (B1) — Amazing Debuffer. It can sicken on hit or when destroyed. It has a swim speed and can hit multiple enemies.
★★★★★ Shredskin (BD) — Amazing Single-Target Controller. Decent damage and a constrict ability. Compression and a fly speed are a plus. Enshroud is solid. Control Body has some niche utility.
★★★★☆ Lacedon (BD) — Amazing Multi-Target Cnotroller. Paralyzing Spew is an incredible debuff. Solid swim speed and corpse scent are useful in water. Only 4 stars because the DC doesn’t scale so its only really useful for the first level and it has the incapacitation trait.
★★★★☆ Squirming Swill (B3) — Good Debuffer Niche Utility. Malodorous Smoke plus Slippery Grease means you get to sicken and trip. Motion sense and swim speed are both useful. Magical Brother doesn’t work on a summon.
★★★☆☆ Flaming Skull (B3)  — Decent Striker. The persistent fire damage is okay. It can light stuff on fire and fly. Might hurt your party when they die!
★★★☆☆ Ghast (B1) — Decent Niche Debuffer. It has a stench that can make people sickened and can paralyze like a ghoul (although that’s even less likely to be useful at this tier, since it’s incapacitation).  You’ll be summoning this for the sickening stench.
★★★☆☆ Husk Zombie (BD) — Decent Striker. It is slow, but it has a very high attack and sneak attack. If it can use sudden surge it becomes a 4-star for the single combat auto-flat-footed plus action surge, but it’s turn never really “begins” as a minion.
★★★☆☆ Decrepit Mummy (BD) — Decent Striker. The mummy we have at home. Fun for long-term disease spreading I suppose, but Crumbling Form hurts. It does have decent damage, and theoretically is great for translating stuff thanks to its language entry!
★★★☆☆ Skeletal Horse (B1) — Decent Mount. A horse is probably cheaper, but there are some cool points to having an undead pokehorse, and those resistances are nice. Just don’t beat it.
★★☆☆☆ Zombie Brute (B1) — Mediocre Striker. Becomes five star with two actions. Even with just one action per turn it has push and it’s large size with reach.
★☆☆☆☆ Skeletal Champion (B1) — Poor Tank. It does damage. It has reach. Without reactions, this isn’t that good. AC isn’t bad, but also isn’t great. I suppose it comes with a back up Steel Shield, Longsword and Lance if your fighter needs it.

Heightened (4th):

★★★★☆ Fiddling Bones(BD) — Good Controller. Dance with Death is why you’ll summon this. Destructive Finale has a high DC for this level. Theater Lore and summoned instruments can be useful.
★★★★☆ Combusted (BD) — Good Striker: AoE and Persistant Damage plus Intense Heat means the Combusted will throw solid damage.
★★★☆☆ Deathless Acolyte of Urgathoa (BD) — Decent Spellcaster Healer. Especially for undead PCs, the fast healing and being able to cast Harm three times is really good. If you have a non-undead in the party they can benefit too using Touch of Undeath.
★★★☆☆ Trailgaunt (B3) — Decent Debuffer. It can lower movement speed and cause frightened. Burrow speeds are useful. Tremorsense.
★★★☆☆ Wight (B1) — Decent Debuffer. It can inflict drained.
★★☆☆☆ Zombie Owlbear (BD) — Mediocre Debuff Tank. Stats are good, but it is slowed. Grab is good. Ground Slam will require a critical success on Grab. Horrifying Screech is a nice debuff for a single-action.
★★☆☆☆ Skeletal Giant (B1) — Mediocre Niche Tank. It can try to attack two creatures, or charge and try to demoralize. It does have 15-foot reach on a large body, so it can occupy space?

Heightened (5th):

★★★★★ Shadow (B1) — Amazing Niche Debuffer. It has a fly speed, incorporeality and intelligence, so it makes a great scout. It can also inflict enfeebled. Creating spawn is really nice, but remember that they disappear when the summoned monster leaves. Negative energy melee attacks are useful too!
★★★★★ Taunting Skill (BD) — Amazing Tank. Incessant Goading is everything we’ve wanted in a monster. The fact it’s a single action means the creature can goad two creatures at once (or try to goad the same creature twice), assuming reach works. How it’s worded infers that a creature will even have to strike the skull if it moves into reach, so you can tactically place your skull between yourself and your target to make them go for your minion instead. It’s Jaws damage is decent.
★★★★☆ Ghul (BD) — Good Striker Controller. High hit points, fire resistance, a climb speed, Grab, persistant bleed, and the ability to fascinate everyone within 60-foot is very nice (watch out for allies). It also comes with a planar language!
★★★★☆ Harpy Skeleton (B3)  — Good Striking Tank. The AoE has a DC 26 save! It also does pretty good damage with its alon and can fly. Good resistances, AC and HP.
★★★★☆ Iruxi Ossature (BD) Good Controller and Iruxi Buffer. Terrain Advantage gives it a very high effective attack modifier for its level. Fossil Fury is why you summon this, letting you create a 30-foot cone of difficult terrain. 5-Stars in an Iruxi Party and Territory, where it can give everyone +1 status. Even without the status bonus, Totem of the Past will Dazzle. Technically you could build a wall using downtime if you are an Iruxi player. Swim speed and lifesense are great. Twilight Spark means you can summon it even against undead with a pesky allied cleric who spams positive energy.
★★★★☆ Namorrodor (B3)  — Good Debuff Niche Striker. Causes most enemies to become frightened 1 and, if you are playing a fear build, forces enemies to stay frightened as long as they are within 30 feet. It can Lifesense from the Shadow Plane to Material Plane. It also has a decent Grab. In a chase, it can stride twice and bite (with 40 ft speed).
★★★★☆ Poltergeist (B1) — Good Niche Caster. Incorporeal and flies. Casts telekinetic maneuver (at will). Can effectively AoE with telekinetic swarm. Natural invisibility and incorporeality make it an amazing scout (plus it’s intelligent and can speak common).
★★★★☆ Priest of Kabriri (BD) — Good Caster. Touch of Undeath to two party members will let him (and you) heal more targets with Harm. Chilling Darkness and Silence are solid niche spells. Paralysis is a nice rider if you can hit any low-Fort creatures.
★★★★☆ Skeletal Mage (BD) — Good Caster. Lightning Bolt, Magic Missile, Paralyze, Acid Arrow, Enlarge and Grease are all solid spells. He has enough spells that he can cast every round and has the resistances needed to survive a couple rounds.
★★★☆☆ Attic Whisperer (B1) — Decent Niche Debuffer. It’s aura causes stupefied and Steal Voice let’s it silence a target, so it can ruin the day of a caster. It’s not likely to work against the named final boss given this is a 4th level creature, but it has its niches.
★★★☆☆ Skaveling (B1) — Decent Debuffer. It has a feat AoE and it’s paralysis bite can slow even on a successful save. They have a 30-foot fly speed and echolocation.
★★★☆☆ Vampire Spawn Rogue (B1) — Decent Niche Debuffer. It can grab, fly and inflict drain. It’s also likely to know whatever regional language you’re in and is intelligent.
★☆☆☆☆ Ghost Commoner (B1) — Poor Debuffer. It can cause frightened, flies and is a decent scout since it’s incorporeal. But it’s not as good as a poltergeist.
★☆☆☆☆ Giant Crawling Hand (B1) — Poor Controller. It can grab. That’s basically it.
★☆☆☆☆ Withered (BD) — Mediocre Striker. It only does decent damage with sneak and even then it’s not the best on the list. You’ll have to talk to your GM about using Sudden Surge, but that would make it a 2-star monster.

Heightened (6th):

★★★★★ Greater Shadow (B1) — Amazing Niche Debuff. Incorporeal, flight and still able to create spawn. It also gets darkness (at will) and can inflict enfebbled 2.
★★★★★ Specter (B1) — Amazing Debuff Striker. Incorporeal flier with telepathy. It has a frightful presence and can auto-win combat with it’s incapacitation effect, or at least inflict stupefied 2 if they make the save. 6d6 negative damage on hit isn’t bad either.
★★★☆☆ Abandoned Zealot (B3) — Decent Niche Controller. Will wreck lower level divine casters. Will annoy same or higher level divine casters. Can automatically detect “false priests”, fly, lifesense, and cast crisis of faith and zealous conviction (self only).
★★★☆☆ Mummy Guardian (B1) — Decent Debuff. It can inflict frightened 1 without a saving throw.
★★★☆☆ Vampire Count (B1) — Decent Niche Caster. It can grab and inflict drained. It can cast dominate (at will). But it’s best use is controlling certain swarms and other animals with Children of the Night (no save, but table variation). It also has a +1 rapier, in case you are desperate for a backup weapon for a minute.
★☆☆☆☆ Beetle Carapace (BD) — Poor Niche Utility Controller. Grab and construct aren’t bad, but it’s weaker than a Revenant at it. The abdomen cache makes this a potential exploration mode utility minion.
★☆☆☆☆ Hungry Ghost (BD) — Poor Damage Dealer. Incorporeal and flight are fine, but Feed on the Living isn’t great. It can potentially do ‘save damage’ instead of ‘to hit damage’, but you can’t delay it for a full minute as a summoned minion.
★☆☆☆☆ Revenant (B1) — Poor Niche Controller. It can grab and cause frightened. It can constrict. Sense murderer can break a campaign depending on how your GM rules you “dredging up a body” with the use of this spell (unlikely).
★☆☆☆☆ Vrykolakas Spawn (B1) — Poor Niche Controller. It can grab and inflict drain, but not as well as the Vampire Count. You might be able to get some creative solution leverage out of feral possession, but probably not.
★☆☆☆☆ Wraith (B1) — Poor Debuffer. It’s an incorporeal flier that can inflict drained. It can potentially create spawn, but probably not with the 1d4 round timer. Lifesense isn’t bad.
★☆☆☆☆ Sulfur Zombie (B3) — Poor Debuffer. The slowed condition makes this bad. It’s 4 stars if your GM let’s you give it both actions, as Blinding Sulfur is pretty good, and Death Throes are a fun plus.
☆☆☆☆☆ Skeletal Hulk (B1) — Terrible Striker. It does damage.
☆☆☆☆☆ Totenmaske (B1) — Terrible Niche. The only reason to summon this is to use shape flesh, and it’s such a niche ability I just can’t think of when I’d want to use it.
☆☆☆☆☆ Zombie Hulk (B1) — Terrible Striker. It does damage.

Heightened (7th):

★★★★★ Geist (BD) — Great Niche Utility Debuffer. Being able to turn off a Haunt for a round is a fabulous unique ability and is probably the reason the Geist is banned in Organized Play. Telepathy, flight, incorporeality, and terrifying laugh are also solid.
★★★☆☆ Daqqanoenyent (BD) — Decent Controller. Grab plus Snatch is great against non-fliers (falling damage). Baleful Gaze is a solid AoE frightened effect.
★★★☆☆ Raw Nerve (BD) — Decent Utility. Electricty damage is hard to get using Animate Dead. Stopping reactions is useful. Thoughtsense, telepathy, and a +20 Lore are all useful.
★★☆☆☆ Tyrannosaurus Skeleton (B1) — Poor Controller. It has decent immunities but is pretty fragile for this tier. It can grab and rib skewer is a decent use of a second action, but there’s not enough versatility to make this an adequate choice for a 7th level spell slot.
★★☆☆☆  Vetalarana Emergent (BD) — Poor Niche Utility. Grab is okay and thoughtsense is neat, but the best use for this monster is draining thoughts which is very GM dependent.
★☆☆☆☆ Baykok (B3)  — Poor Striker. It flies and can deal damage. It can potentially paralyze, but will most likely only slow if you are lucky, since it’s an incapacitate effect on a 9th level summon.
★☆☆☆☆ Ghost Pirate Captain (BD) — Whiel incorporeal and capable of using Combat Current to do some decent negative damage, ultimately the only real use this monster has is for its sailing lore. Curse Ye Scallywags! might work if you have a very giving GM.
★☆☆☆☆ Dread Wraith (B1) —Poor Niche Debuffer. Flying incorporeal creature that inflicts drained in an aura and can create spawn. Destroying it’s spawn to do damage in a line is a neat trick,especially if there are other wraiths in the room already. Lifesense.
★☆☆☆☆ Mohrg (B1) — Poor Controller. It grabs and creates spawn. The paralysis is unlikely to ever work at this tier.
☆☆☆☆☆ Drake Skeleton (BD) — Terrible Striker. While it can attack three times the damage isn’t that great and Fragile Wings makes it a terrible mount.
☆☆☆☆☆ Zombie Dragon (B1) — Terrible Striker. It does damage and is slow. It has an AoE and can fly.

Heightened (8th):

★★★★☆ Clacking Skull Swarm (B3) — Great Controller AoE. Drop it into a group and watch them deal with the AoE damage, frightened, and confusion conditions each round as the swarm tears them apart. The death throes are icing on the cake.
★★★★☆ Unrisen (BD) — Great Niche Utility. Death Grip gives you a way to potentially make more undead, just make sure you have a way to control them. Awful Approach throws out Sickened. Agonized Howl is a pretty good AoE. Best use of this undead is against a positive energy caster, so he is better in an undead campaign.
★★★☆☆ Bhuta (B1) — Decent Niche Caster. Has access to neat primal spells and effect, including speak with animals, summon animal, command (animals only), charm (animals only), and animal vision. Possess Animal and Primal Corruption make this an excellent choice against an animal. Ask your GM abount bound.
★★★☆☆ Corpseroot (BD) — Niche Tank. Great against plants. Branch does decent damage, but you’ll likely want to grab. Huge!
★★★☆☆ Provincial Jian-Shi (BD) — Decent Caster. Can cast harm (×7), spirit blast, vampiric exsanguination, shadow blast, enervation, ghostly tragedy (×2), bind undead, and fear (×3). Drain Qi has some uses. Can speak Tien. Breathsense (precise) is useful.
★★★☆☆ Vrykolakas Master (B1) — Decent Niche Caster. Can cast vampiric touch (×3) and fear (×3). Can inflict drained and dominate animals. You are summoning this for Children of the Night to control werewolves and similar creatures, but ask your GM before you try it.
★★☆☆☆ Ghost Mage (B1) — Poor Caster. An incorporeal flier that can cause fear, has ranks in Arcana and can cast cone of cold, hallucination, phantasmal killer, suggestion, blindness, dispel magic, nondetection, telekinetic maneuver  and ray of enfeeblement. The DCs are really low by the time you can cast this, so it’s probably not worth it since these are mostly offensive spells.
★★☆☆☆ Graveknight (B1) — Poor Niche Control AoE. Devastating blast does some fair damage if you are lucky on that 1d4. You’ll mostly use this against enemies using positive energy, which is more niche than usual for your typical good aligned adventurers, but it does happen. It has ranks in Warfare Lore.
★☆☆☆☆ Zombie Mammoth (BD) — Poor Controller. Improved Grab on a huge creature with 15-foot reach is solid. Constrict and trample aren’t bad. Permanent slow is bad. -1 Star if your GM decides the trunk doesn’t move when severed.

Heightened (9th):

★★★☆☆ Vanyver (BD) — Great Niche Spellcaster. Banned in PFS. Being able to cast ten Dispel Magic-like effects with Drain Magic during the minute you have this guy is insane. The pull effect and enfeebled on entropy’s shadow is solid. Sunlight powerlessness makes the vanyvr’s environment dependent. Drain Magic can be very powerful. Can cast plane shift (to Material Plane; Negative Energy Plane; or Shadow Plane only), dispel magic (at will), harm (×3), darkness, see invisibility. Has telepathy (100 feet), Lifesense, and Negative Energy/Shadow Plane Lore!
★★☆☆☆ Silent Stalker (BD) —Decent Niche Utility. A 10-foot aura of silence that can move around the battlefield isn’t bad. The best use for this is summoning a murder victim to hunt down their murderer, which is very GM dependent.
☆☆☆☆☆ Llorona (BD) — Poor Controller. Wail can stun each living creature within 120 feet, but you are more likely to stun your party and even then it has incapacitation. Funeral Touch can drain, but that’s also underwhelming.
☆☆☆☆☆ Skeletal Titan (BD) — Bad Controller Tank. It can take a couple hits. It can create areas of difficult terrain, but it can’t use mountain slam as a summoned creature and it only affects one square per action. 20-squares of difficult terrain is not worth a 9th-level spell slot.

Heightened (10th):

★★★★☆ Sykever (BD) —Banned in PFS. Graining Gaze is a solid debuff. It can cast splent of spells including harm (×3), paralyze, plane shift (to Material Plane; Negative Energy Plane; or Shadow Plane only), true seeing, darkness (at will), invisibility (×3). Entropy’s Shadow is a nice constant AoE aura. Watch out for Sunlight Powerlessness.
★★★★☆ Tormented (BD) — Great Striker AoE. Banned in PFS. Tortured Gaze can inflict Slowed 1, negate concealment, knock enemies prone, or even do 8d4 persistent bleed damage in a 30-foot aura with a decent saving throw! Plus it can use Scream of Agony and will likely recharge it each round if it takes a crit, easily letting it stick around for 3 rounds and potentially doing 32d6 mental damage plus the triple rounds of endless suffering (assuming your opponent’s try to attack them).
★★★☆☆ Hollow Serpent (BD) — Good AoE Control Striker. Desiccation Aura is your reason fro summoning the Hollow Serpent. Slithering Strike and Improved Grab are both solid, and vampiric exsanguination is a good AoE spell.
★☆☆☆☆ Gallowdead (BD) — Poor Striker. Aura of Frightened isn’t bad, but 3d8+4d6+14 damage isn’t going to cut it. Chain Capture and Gallow Curse don’t work on summons. You can flip off Tar-Baphon when you summon them, which is fun. And +2 striking spiked chain incase your fighter loses their weapon, I guess?
★☆☆☆☆ Minister Of Tumult (BD) — Poor Striker. It can use Bone Corpse Stance to make a target potentially fall prone if they Stride after they are striked if you use Drain Qi, but that takes a full round of set-up and only lasts one round and involves an attack roll and a save.

Summon Fiend (Divine)

Since the lowest level this spell can be cast is 5th level, many of the lowest level creatures you can summon are too weak to be helpful at the earliest tier they can be cast. They would only be useful in extremely niche situations.

Spell 5:

★★★★★ Brimorak (B3) — Amazing Utility Striker. This guy does impressive damage and comes packed with a breath weapon and fireball. It also has dimension door, dispel magic, and can produce a smokescreen every round. It can even use telepathy to help the party navigate the smoke.
★★★★★ Ostiarius (B1) — Amazing Buff Striker. It has an aura of sickened and can inspire courage like a bard (albeit for some minimal damage). It has a potent attack for this tier and can cast enthrall, wanderer’s guide, calm emotions (at will), darkness and silence. If you are caught in the Shadow Plane, sense portal can help get you home. It also has telepathy 100 feet and painsight.
★★★★☆ Barbazu (Bearded Devil) (B1) — Great Striker. Decent bonus and infernal wound is pretty good. Reposition can help get into a flank (or in range for wriggling beard). Wriggling beard means it might actually hit with two strikes per turn.
★★★☆☆ Abrikandilu (B3) — Good Niche Striker. Wreck doesn’t apply to or count MAP, so this summon gets four attacks at full MAP against an unattended object (or attended mirror) per round. It’s not often that you need to use magic to destroy an object, but when you do, summon an abrikandilu!
★★★☆☆ Aghash (B3) — Good Debuffer. Can frighten or stun targets with its gaze. Can cast outcast’s curse, touch of idiocy, and illusory object.
★★★☆☆ Nucol (B3) — Decent Striker. It does okay damage, but no extra relevant effects. It does have the highest Athletics in this tier. Has scent and telepathy.
★★☆☆☆ Ostiarius (B3) — Poor Niche Tank. You might fight an enemy who can only deal damage that this is immune to, but that’s very unlikely at this tier. This would be amazing if you could summon it with a first-level spell.
★☆☆☆☆ Barghest (B1) — Poor Caster. It has confusion and levitate (at will).
★☆☆☆☆ Dandasuka (B1) — Poor Caster. It has clairvoyance, clairaudience, and mind reading (at will).
★☆☆☆☆ Imp (B1) — Poor Niche Scout. Infernal Temptation isn’t bad, but not worth a 5th level spell. It has flight, invisibility (at will, self only) and detect alignment (at will, good only).
★☆☆☆☆ Quasit (B1) — Poor Niche Scout.It has flight, invisibility (at will, self only) and detect alignment (at will, good only).
★☆☆☆☆ Dretch (B3) — Poor Niche Utility. It can potentially get 2.5 actions per round, if your GM lets a summoned dretch still use its Sloth ability. Most GMs will not, making it a zero star.
☆☆☆☆☆ Augur (B1) — Terrible Debuffer. Saves are too low for a 5th level spell.
☆☆☆☆☆ Cacodaemon (Harvester Daemon) (B1) — Terrible Scout. It has detect alignment (at will; good only), Telepathy and Flight. It can go invisible at will.
☆☆☆☆☆ Doru (B3) — Terrible Spellcaster. Can cast illusory object.
☆☆☆☆☆ Esipil (B3) — Terrible Debuffer. Can cast fear and turn into a small domestic animal.
☆☆☆☆☆ Hell Hound (B1) — Terrible AoE. The breath weapon is too weak.
☆☆☆☆☆ Lemure (B1) — Terrible. It’s poop.
☆☆☆☆☆ Yeth Hound (B1) — Terrible Striker.
☆☆☆☆☆ Zebub (Accuser Devil) (B1) — Terrible Scout. It has, summon animal (swarm creatures only), flight and telepathy 100 feet.

Heightened (6th):

★★★★☆ Babau (Blood Demon) (B1) — Good Striker. 1d8+5d6 plus frightened 2 isn’t bad. Make sure to summon it into a flanking position for that sneak attack damage. It can cast darkness. It also has telepathy and see invisibility.
★★★★☆ Evangelist (B1) — Good Control Debuffer. The aura of frightened 2 is great. Animated chains that pin people into place is super useful too. Painsight is neat.
★★★★☆ Levaloch (B3) — Good Striker. The net and trident combination is going to deal 2d8+3d6 damage per strike, with a good attack bonus and range. Better damage than the baubau, but a little less utility.
★★★★☆ Nightmare (B1) — Good Mount. A one-sided smoke effect is always a plus. You can heighten the spell to grab plane shift (self and rider only). And it has a 90 ft fly speed.
★★★★☆ Succubus (Lust Demon) (B1) — Good Control Caster. Seductive Presence actually makes the spell DC’s decent and it can inflict drained. The suggestion effect isn’t bad. It also flies and has tongues and telepathy. If you heighten the spell you can fetch dominate. It can also cast suggestion (at will), mind reading (at will), and detect alignment (at will).
★★★☆☆ Adhukait (B1) — Decent Striker. The attack bonus and damage isn’t bad, but it loses most of its power by being a summon who can’t use reactions. Has telepathy.
★★★☆☆ Wihsaak (B3) — Decent Niche Controller. The confusion aura is fantastic against lower level enemies (incapacitation). Immune to swams. Telepathy and flight. It can cast fear, vomit swarm, suggestion, and see invisibility.
★★☆☆☆ Ceustodaemon (Guardian Daemon) (B1) — Mediocre AoE Striker. It hurts itself with most of it’s attacks including its breath weapon, but at this tier even this beefy summon won’t last too long. So it’s a little better if you are in a position to spam AoE heals, but not much. It has dispel magic (x2), paralyze and detect alignment (at will; good only). It can see invisibility and has telepathy.
★★☆☆☆ Hellcat (B1) — Mediocre Debuffer. It has a cone of frightened and telepathy, but only speaks infernal.
★☆☆☆☆ Invidiak (Shadow Demon) (B1) — Poor Niche Specialist. It can cast shadow blast and darkness. You need to heighten the spell to 8th to use possession which is where most of it’s stuff comes in, and at that point the saving throw is too low.

Heightened (7th):

★★★★☆ Hellwasp Swarm (B3) — Good Swarm. 8d8 piercing damage plus two doses of poison per round is really good. It can confuse lower level enemies and infest corpse is fun.
★★★★☆ Nabasu (Gluttony Demon) (B1) — Good. Death-Stealing Gaze and Consume Death will let you inflict Drained very efficiently. It can also cast grim tendrils, paralyze and vampiric touch. It has telepathy and can fly.
★★★★☆ Nessian Warhound (B1) — Good AoE. The recharging fire breath is pretty good if you are launching your own AoE fire spells (or can figure out a way to get multiple Warhounds breathing on one another). It has scent.
★★★☆☆ Leukodaemon (Pestilence Daemon) (B1) — Decent Niche AoE. It can use the breath weapon every round and quicken pestilence has some niche synergy with disease users. Lowering DC against disease is nice. And it can cast dispel magic (x2) and detect alignment (at will; good only). Plaguesense is kind of neat, and it flies.
★★★☆☆ Osyluth (Bone Devil) (B1) — Decent Control Striker. Tail sweep can knock multiple enemies prone. Can cast phantom pain, dimensional anchor (×2), discern lies and zone of truth. Its venom can inflict enfeebled.
★★☆☆☆ Night Hag (B1) — Mediocre Niche Caster. Can cast shadow blast (x2),, magic missile (at will), invisibility (at will), ray of enfeeblement (at will), and detect alignment (all alignments simultaneously). If you want to burn a heightened slot, it can also cast ethereal jaunt (at will).
★★☆☆☆ Onidoshi (B1) — Mediocre Caster. cone of cold, charm, gaseous form, sleep, fear and darkness. Regeneration makes it tamly, but it’s only casting each of those once. It can fly.
★★☆☆☆ Vrock (Wrath Demon) (B1) — Mediocre Aoe Control. Spore cloud and screech can occupy many lower level enemies at once. Flies and has telepathy.
★☆☆☆☆ Sarglagon (Drowning Devil) (B1) — Poor Aquatic Specialist. It gets control water, freedom of movement, and hydraulic torrent. The venom isn’t bad and drowning can induce sickened on success. Swim speed, flies and has see invisibility. It’s aura can also make people encumbered, but it’s incapacitation so it’s only “useful” against a mob of weak enemies.
★☆☆☆☆ Erinys (Fury Devil) (B1) — Poor Striker. It gets true seeing, flies and can reduce speed with a rope.