This is a continuation of my main Pathfinder page, where I am documenting all of the changes to the classes, archetypes and Prestige Classes from the tabletop to the video game. If a feature or ability is the same as the tabletop game I will not list it here–assume it is present and unchanged. Any new archetypes or abilities will be denoted by an asterisk (*). So, to begin the W’s:
Warpriest: The aura ability is removed. The abilities a WP can use for the game to enhance his weapon are anarchic, axiomatic, brilliant energy, flaming, frost, holy, keen, shock, and unholy. There are 32 blessings available. One significant change across multiple blessings is, if they deal any kind of extra elemental or other damage it does stack with similar damage. For example if you gain 1d4 fire damage, it stacks with a flaming weapon. The base class is a great pick. Minor spoiler: depending on your choices, you may gain a companion with this class later on the game. I note only the changes to blessings below:
UPDATE: There is a major new update coming from Owlcat within the next few weeks that will introduce the Scalykind Blessing. Read more about it here.
- Air: At level 10 you do not gain the gift of flight. Instead they touch an ally for them to gain the Wings ability (+3 bonus to AC vs melee attacks, immunity to difficult terrain)
- Animal: This blessing grants claw attacks but not a bite
- Fire: At level 10 instead of gaining fire shield your ally gains cold resistance equal to your warpriest level
- Good: The level 10 blessing is removed, apparently
- Law: The level 10 blessing is removed, apparently
- Luck: The level 1 blessing only lasts for one round
- Nobility: The level 10 blessing is broadened, as they gain the +4 morale bonus regardless of what they do
- Repose: At 10th level, undead do not get a saving throw
- Travel: At 10th level, the 20 ft teleport cannot be increased in range
- Water: At 10th level, instead of fire shield you gain fire resistance equal to your warpriest level
- Weather: The level 10 blessing is changed. Now enemy ranged attacks have a chance to miss equal to twice your warpriest level
Champion of the Faith: Detect Alignment is removed, as one might expect. Smite no longer gains the +2 damage per warpriest level if the enemy is an outsider
Cult Leader: Enthrall is altered a bit, as it’s treated like a mass fascinate, for a number of rounds equal to your wisdom modifier. Other than that, this archetype is unchanged.
Disenchanter: Bonus feats are altered: the feats usually available at level 6 are now available at level 9. The level 12 bonus feats include Destructive Dispel and Ray Shield. Otherwise this archetype is unchanged.
Feral Champion: Sacred Claws is removed. Wild shape is a bit altered: at level 7 you transform into a wolf, at level 10 into a leopard, level 13 adds a smilodon option.
Mantis Zealot *DLC only*: This is a fun, well-designed archetype. MZ’s are allowed to be LN and NE in alignment now, not just LE. Sneak attack and sacred reflexes are removed but they now get to keep Sacred Weapon and gain new abilities:
- 1st level: Red Shroud. A key ability, this grants +1 to AC which scales every 4 levels, and fast healing equal to BAB. This can be used for a number of minutes = to Dex modifier. At 7th level it activates as a swift action, and 13th it’s a free action
- 1st level: Saber Fighting. Gain WF Sawtooth Sabre for free. At 4th he gains Weapon Spec SS, at 8th Greater WF SS, and at 12th Greater Weapon Spec SS
- 3rd level: Deadly Fascination. Whenever he kills an enemy with a SS, enemies are fascinated unless they make a Will save (DC=10+1/2 class level +Dex). The DC is +2 if he is dual-wielding, and +2 again if Red Shroud is in effect
- 4th level: Mantis Swarm. An MZ can now direct the Red Shroud. If enemies fail their Fort save they take 1d6 bleed damage every round. Damage increases at 11th and 18th levels
- 7th level: Fading. Using Red Shroud causes an MZ to gain a 20% chance to evade an attack or spell, which scales up 10% every 3 levels
- 20th level capstone: Aspect of the Mantis. Once per day as a swift action an MZ’s BAB is = level, gains DR 10/good, and a 2d6 bite attack. Every bite attack inflicts a negative level. He also deals bleed damage = Dex modifier, and when he kills someone he teleports near another enemy and gets a free attack. Finally, any blessings used in this form don’t count as a use of that blessing, and the form lasts 1 minute
Proclaimer: Righteous Oath is removed, otherwise this archetype is unchanged.
Shieldbearer: Shield Adept is altered, in that you no longer gain Improved Shield Bash. This is still a good archetype if you want to go the shield bashing route, with some built-in nice abilities.
Witch: This class is essentially unchanged, which is rare for me to report. The base class is a very good way to go.
- Hexes: These include Ameliorating, Aura of Purity, Cackle, Evil Eye, Fortune, Healing, Iceplant, Misfortune, Nails, Protective Luck, Slumber, Ward and a new hex:
- Vulnerability Curse: The witch can make enemies vulnerable to energy. This hex lasts for a number of rounds equal to the witch’s level, during which any energy resistance or energy immunities on the target are suppressed. A successful Will save reduces this to just 1 round.
- Major Hexes: These include agony, animal servant, animal skin, beast’s gift, delicious fright, hoarfrost, major ameliorating, major healing, regenerative sinew, restless slumber
- Grand Hexes: these include animal servant, death curse, lay to rest, life giver
PATRONS
- Agility: 2nd — jump is now expeditious retreat, 14th — ethereal jaunt is now greater polymorph, 16th and 18th spells are removed for some reason. If anyone has info about this please contact me
- Ancestors: 8th — blessing of fervor is now shield of dawn, 10th — commune is now burst of glory, 14th — refuge is now bestow grace of the champion 16th — euphoric tranquility is now greater angelic aspect
- Deception: 2nd — ventriloquism is now vanish, 6th — blink is now displacement, 10th — passwall is now phantasmal web, 12th — programmed image is now serenity, 16th — scintillating pattern is now greater angelic aspect, 18th — time stop is now weird
- Devotion: 2nd — divine favor, 4th — martyr’s bargain is now invisibility, 8th — greater magic weapon is now confusion
- Elements: 4th — flaming sphere is now acid arrow, 8th — wall of ice is now dragon’s breath, 12th — freezing sphere is now acid fog, 14th — vortex is now caustic eruption, 16th — fire storm is now polar ray, 18th — meteor swarm is now mass icy prison
- Endurance: 2nd — endure elements is now stunning barrier, 8th — spell immunity is now thorn body, 16th — iron body is now polar ray, 18th — miracle is now seamantle
- Healing: 18th — true resurrection is now mass heal
- Insanity: 2nd — memory lapse is now color spray, 6th — distracting cacophony is now hold person, 12th — envious urge is now serenity, 16th — symbol of insanity is now mass cure critical wounds
- Mercy: 2nd — cure light wounds is now shocking grasp, 12th — heroes’ feast is now inspiring recovery, 14th — foe to friend is now resurrection, 18th — true resurrection is now mass heal
- Shadow: 2nd — silent image is now vanish, 4th — darkness is now blur, 6th — deeper darkness is now displacement, 12th — shadow walk is now phantasmal putrefaction
- Strength: 6th — greater magic weapon is now heroism, 14th — giant form I is now legendary proportions, 16th — giant form II is now frightful aspect, 18th — shapechange is now heroic invocation
- Transformation: 2nd — jump is now longstrider
- Winter: 2nd — unshakable chill is now snowball, 4th — resist energy (cold only) is now resist fire, 6th — ice storm is now protection from fire, 8th — wall of ice is now ice storm, 10th — cone of cold is now icy prison, 12th — freezing sphere is now cold ice strike, 14th — control weather is now ice body
ARCHETYPES
*Elemental Witch: This is a new archetype for the game. The description says, “Witches sometimes dive deep into elemental energies, allowing to evoke destructive powers upon their enemies.” An EW has five less hexes in exchange for the following abilities:
- Elemental Patron: you may choose only the Elements or Winter patron
- 1st level: Elemental Ray. An EW selects one type of energy. She gains the ability to use this energy to create a ray of destruction, dealing 1d6 Energy Damage plus 1d6 for every 3 Witch levels as a ranged touch attack. At 11th level, she selects one more energy type
Hag of Gyronna *DLC only*: Curdle Thoughts is more powerful than in the tabletop–there is no limit on daily uses. Sunder Hope is slightly altered: now after hitting an enemy with a mind-affecting hex or spell, the creature gets greater dispel magic cast on it. Hag Crony is more powerful: the Night Hag doesn’t leave, and in fact gains levels faster than the PC, topping out at 23! It gains additional spell abilities every level, and can cast them infinitely. She can be buffed and given gear also
- Dark Pact spells are: doom, invisibility, blink, shout, serenity, disintegrate, repulsion, seamantle, implosion
Hagbound: Must select either a Deception, Shadow, Strength or Winter patron. The alignment restriction is removed. Vain glamour is removed. Hag Transformation is slightly altered, she does not gain darkvision, and is immune to charm and fear effects. She still gains SR 31 at level 20.
Hex Channeler: This archetype is unchanged.
*Keen-Eyed Adventurer *free DLC only*: This a new archetype with Visitors from Morta. It’s free, so download it. This is keyed toward a more ‘blaster caster’ style. A K-EA loses three hexes for the following benefits:
- 1st level: Improved Cantrips. Cantrips that deal damage by a ranged touch attack (Ignition, Ray of Frost, Acid Splash, Jolt) increase their damage die for every two witch levels
- 6th level: Elemental Vortex. Once per combat you summon it, it lasts 1 round for every 6 class levels. Attempt a combat maneuver (BAB=witch level, Int instead of Str). If successful, vortex pulls in all enemies within 10′, and deals 1d8 slashing dmg for every for every two witch levels. Reflex save halves the damage (DC=10+1/2 witch level+Int)
- 20th level capstone: Cantrip Mastery. When casting any spell with a ranged touch attack, it deals additional damage = Int modifier. This is great combined with spells like Hellfire Ray
Ley Line Guardian: This archetype is unchanged. This is a way to become a spontaneous casater as a witch.
*Stigmatized Witch: This is a new archetype for the game. The description reads in part, “Some witches think of their magic not as a gift, but as a curse. Her body is tarnished with a mark of her ill fate… Instead of the regular powers granted by a patron, such a witch gets a curse like an oracle, and she casts her spell spontaneously–like a sorcerer rather than a wizard.” Mild spoiler: depending on your choices in-game, you may gain a companion with this archetype. An SW gives up a patron for the following abilities:
- Oracle’s Curse: Identical to the oracle ability
- A Stigmatized Witch’s Hex ability uses her charisma for the DC instead of intelligence
*Witch of the Veil: This appears to be another new archetype for the game. The description reads, “Secrets, mysteries and shrouds are the ever-changing backbone of the witch of the veil. She always strives to discover new arcane knowledge of this universe, while guarding their secrecy.” In exchange for three less hexes and being forced to choose the Deception patron, a WotV gains the following benefits:
- 1st level: Secrecy. WotV gains Steal and Trickery as class skills
- 2nd level: Shrouded Step. Gains the ability to become invisible for a number of rounds equal to her intelligence bonus as a swift action. At 8th level, she also can teleport 30 feet and then become invisible. At 16th level, she gains the benefits of Greater Invisibility spell instead
That’s it for warpriests and witches. The further I go, the less reliable the wikis are regarding the game. I hope this is helpful as a quick reference for those familiar with the Pathfinder tabletop system, I’ve certainly learned a lot in doing it. My next post will cover the final class, wizard.