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 bloodlines will be denoted by an asterisk (*). So, to begin with the H’s:
Hunter: Hunters have changed a little. They now gain 4 skill points/level. There are 13 animal companions to choose from. Most of the non-combat-related features are removed. Raise Animal Companion no longer results in a negative level; in addition, at 16th level, this functions as resurrection instead of raise dead. This is a great class to take a 1-level dip into, as the Animal Focus ability is great for your pet (Str or Dex especially). The ability to cast Lead Blades/Hurricane Bow is a nice bonus. The archetypes are as follows:
Colluding Scoundrel: This archetype is essentially unchanged.
*Divine Hound: This is a brand new archetype and it’s the best choice you can make, as they get inquisitor judgments which they can also share with their pets. Combined with the mythic ability Everlasting Judgment, you’ll soon have them on for every single battle. They may only choose a dog or a wolf as an animal companion, but those are the best two anyway.
- 1st level, Judgment: Feature exactly as the Inquisitor. Additionally, he shares all the bonuses gained from Judgment with his animal companion. This replaces the Animal Focus abilities
- 8th level, Second Judgment: Same as the Inquisitor
- 16th level, Third Judgment: Same as the Inquisitor. Master Hunter is removed
Divine Hunter: This archetype is essentially unchanged
Forester: There are eight animal foci you may select from for this archetype, since you lose an animal companion. Hide in Plain Sight can now be used anywhere. There is a new ability granted at level 11:
- Terrain Expertise: You treat your favored terrain bonus as a favored enemy bonus like a ranger. This bonus doesn’t stack with bonuses gained when fighting a favored enemy. Each terrain dominance grants additional abilities. He gains another one at level 15, and a final at level 19
- Abyss: +1 to saves vs demons
- Desert: +1 to save vs fire effects
- Forest: +4 to Mobility checks
- Highlands: + 4 to Athletics checks
- Underground: +4 to Perception checks
- Urban: +4 to Persuasion checks
*Tandem Executioner *DLC only*: This is a new archetype. TE’s give up all spellcasting and the Raise Animal Companion ability. What do you get?
- 1st level: The Slayer’s Studied Target class feature, which is shared with the pet
- 4th level: Tandem Executioner Techniques. Every 3 levels TE’s gain a technique. There are four base techniques, and more advanced ones later on. For a full rundown on them, click here
Urban Hunter: UH’s may only select a dog or a horse as a companion. Captor is altered, as there is no benefit to nonlethal damage. Otherwise this archetype is unchanged.
*Wandering Marksman: This is a brand new archetype. The description is, “the wandering marksman is used to divert enemy attention from him to his animal companion and then strike from a distance.” This archetype gives up teamwork feats and hunter tactics for the following benefits:
- Level 3, Planned Distraction: “Whenever the hunter attacks the enemy who is engaged in melee combat with his animal companion, the hunter gets a +1 circumstance bonus to attack and damage. This bonus increases to +2 at 12th level and to a +3 at 18th level”
- Level 6, Self Reliance: “Whenever the animal companion is 10 feet or more away from the hunter, it gets a morale bonus to AC equal to +1 for each hunter’s 4 levels”
- Level 9, Emergency Swap: “Once per encounter level for a standard action, the wandering marksman can swap his animal companion and himself without provoking Attack Of Opportunity if they are within 30 feet range to each other”
- Level 15, Imminent Attack: Shoot an ammunition 3 times per day which marks all enemies in a 10 -foot area as prey. Against prey the animal companion gets a +3 morale bonus to attack/damage, and its attacks bypass DR and hardness. Whenever the animal companion kills a marked enemy, all its attacks’ critical range increases by 1 until the end of combat. Multiple applications of this effect stack
Inquisitor: Inquisitors now have 4 skill points/level. Inquisitions are gone, Monster Lore is removed, Track is removed, Discern Lies is removed, Slayer is removed. For complete information on domains please see my Cleric page. Inquisitor is one of the only classes where multiple archetypes are better than the base class:
Faith Hunter: She loses the Enemy Revealed and Hateful Bane features, but the Sworn Enemy Smite ability is retained.
*Judge: This is new archetype for the video game, and it’s very good. The description is, “The strength of conviction of some inquisitors is so great, that their one word can sentence an enemy to death, while increasing their allies power.” They lose teamwork feats, bane and solo tactics for the following abilities:
- 3rd level: Judgement Aura. Share your judgements with all allies in 30 feet radius. He can use this ability as a swift action once plus one time for every six levels thereafter. Again, with Everlasting Judgment this is unreal
- 5th level: Sentence. As a swift action, until the end of combat all attacks against the target made by your allies deal additional damage equal to 1 point per 3 inquisitor levels. You can use this ability once, plus one time for every 5 levels
- 12th level: Greater Sentence. Sentence ability also make all your attacks ignore target’s concealment
Living Grimoire *DLC only*: This archetype is largely intact, with one significant change to Blessed Script, the purpose of which is to encourage the player to alternate hitting with the book and casting spells:
- The tattoo element is completely removed. Instead, after hitting an enemy with his grimoire the caster level and DC of the next spell are increased by +1. At 10th and 16th levels, this total increases by an additional +1
- Additionally, whenever the LG casts a spell, his holy book gains the bane special ability for 2 rounds. At 10th level, the critical multiplier increases to x3 for 2 rounds. At 16th level each hit within the next 2 rounds after casting a spell applies the effects of the Crushing Despair spell for one minute
- 20th level capstone: Word of God is now a ranged attack. Also, if the LG cast a spell in the previous round the DC increases by +4. Even if the target makes its save, it takes 10d6 divine damage. If the LG kills an enemy with this ability, he gains a stacking +1 bonus to SR checks and damage rolls with the holy book for the rest of the day
Monster Tactician: Summon Tactics gets a slight upgrade, as “all creatures summoned by the spell are treated as if they knew all of the monster tactician’s teamwork feats.” Terrific archetype, and if any of you are sad there are no Summoners in the game, this is the closest you’ll get.
Sacred Huntsmaster: SH’s have been altered. They do get an animal companion, they keep Hunter Tactics features, but lose all of the associated Hunter features. To compensate SH’s get Favored Enemy at 5th level and every 5 levels, identical to the Ranger ability. Wonderful archetype.
Sanctified Slayer: This is terrific, and one of the most stacked archetypes in the game. Studied Target is a little changed in that it never develops into a swift action. Otherwise this archetype is unchanged, thank goodness.
Tactical Leader: Tactician is upgraded, as he grants all of his teamwork feats to companions starting at level 3. He also retains Exploit Weakness.
Kineticist: The only occult class to make it into the video game! Kineticists now gain 2 skill points/level, they lose the Gather Power feature. Aether, Wood and Void as elements are removed. Infusion Specialization and Internal Buffer are also removed. Kineticists no longer have a 20th level capstone ability. Honestly the base class is your best choice here as the archetypes give up too much for what you get.
- Form infusions include: Cloud, Cyclone, Deadly Earth, Detonation, Eruption, Extended Range, Fan of Flames, Fragmentation, Spindle, Spray, Torrent, Wall
- Substance infusions include: Bowling, Burning, Dazzling, Flash, Foxfire, Grappling, Magnetic, Pure-Flame, Pushing, Rare-Metal, Unraveling
- There aren’t dozens and dozens of utility wild talents, but there are 25 of them.
Blood Kineticist: Blood Focus, Blood Tell, Blood Throw are removed. Otherwise this archetype is unchanged.
Dark Elementalist: This archetype is essentially unchanged.
*Elemental Engine: This is a new archetype. The description says “Some kineticists use the overflowing elemental power seeping through their bodies to manifest additional powers.” The issue I have is EE’s always have to be at max burn for some bonuses; it’s not worth it. At the cost of Supercharge he has following abilities:
- 3rd level: Burnout. A kineticist’s body surges with energy from her chosen element whenever she accepts burn. In addition, she receives a bonus to kinetic blasts = to the total number of points of burn she currently has, scaling up +1 every 3 kineticist levels. She also receives a bonus to damage with kinetic blast = to double the bonus on attack rolls. EE’s at maximum burn doubles those bonuses and when using gather power she reduces the burn cost by 1 additional point
- 7th level: Elemental Burnout. An EE gains additional benefits while at maximum burn, depending on the element.
- Air: +2 saves vs spells with electricity, and immunity to ground-based spells and abilities
- Earth: +2 saves vs acid spells and +4 bonus to CMD vs trip, bull rush and pull combat maneuvers.
- Fire: +2 saves vs fire spells, and +20′ bonus to your speed.
- Water: +2 saves vs cold spells, and any enemy striking you in melee combat with a non-reach melee weapon must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Con mod) or become slowed for 1 round
- 13th level: Greater Elemental Burnout. More benefits at maximum burn
- Air: additional +2 saves vs spells with electricity descriptor and you get Freedom of Movement effect
- Earth: additional +2 saves vs acid spells, and immunity against trip, bull rush and pull combat maneuvers
- Fire: additional +2 saves vs fire spells, get a Haste effect
- Water: additional +2 saves vs cold spells, and any enemy in 10′ radius must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Con mod) every round or become slowed for 1 round
Kinetic Knight: Only Resolute and Determined are available for the Knight’s Resolve feature. She does not gain Greater Resolve. Otherwise this archetype is unchanged.
*Kinetic Sharpshooter *DLC only*: This is a new archetype. The KS delays Infusion until level 3 and removes Supercharge. Here is what they get:
- 1st level: Proficencies with all bows and crossbows, as well as bucklers, light and heavy shields
- Charged Ammunition: a KS gains all the bonuses to attack and damage from the weapon while keeping the damage and properties of her blasts
- 3rd level: Kinetic Quiver. Create a quiver that accepts a level of burn to add blasts equal to the class level + Con modifier. You can just keep doing it
- 20th level capstone: Critical Overdrive. Critical range and damage multiplier increase by 2, and a +2 to confirm crits
Overwhelming Soul: This archetype is essentially unchanged.
Psychokineticist: Mental Overflow is removed, otherwise this archetype is unchanged.
Okay that wraps up another post, this time covering the Hunter, Inquisitor and Kineticist classes. Some of this stuff is a lot of work, but I’m learning a lot. In my next post I’ll cover the next three classes including the Magus, Monk and Oracle. If anyone has feedback or requests, please let me know.