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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Chapter 3: Classes

Archetypes

Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0
Character concepts come in infinite possibilities, but you might find that the feats and skill choices from a single class aren't sufficient to fully realize your character. Archetypes allow you to expand the scope of your character's class.

You gain an archetype by selecting archetype feats instead of your normal feats. First, find the archetype that best fits your character concept. Then select that archetype's dedication feat, using one of your class feat choices. Once you've taken the dedication feat, you can select any feat from that archetype, as long as you meet its prerequisites. Most archetype feats are taken in place of class feats, and so these are called archetype class feats.

An archetype feat is subject to any restrictions on the class feat it replaces. For example, if you had an ability at 6th level that granted you a bonus class feat, but that class feat had to be 4th level or lower and have the dwarf trait, you could use that class feat to take an archetype class feat, but only one of 4th level or lower with the dwarf trait.

Dedication Details

Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0
Each archetype’s dedication feat represents your character’s dedicated effort learning a new set of abilities, making it impossible to split your focus and pursue another archetype at the same time. Once you take a dedication feat, you can’t select a different dedication feat until you complete your dedication by taking two other feats from your current archetype. You can’t retrain a dedication feat as long as you have any other feats from that archetype.

Multiclass Dedications

Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0
All archetypes in this book have the multiclass trait. These allow you to diversify your training into another class’s specialties. You can’t select a multiclass archetype’s dedication feat if you are already a member of that class.

Additional Feats

Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0
Some archetypes include a list of “Additional Feats” that appear in other sources. The list includes each feat’s level, which might be different than normal when gained from the archetype. You can take the feat as an archetype feat of that level, meaning it counts toward the number of feats required by the archetype’s dedication feat. When selected this way, a feat that normally has a class’s trait (such as the fighter trait) doesn’t have that class trait.

Feats that Grant Feats

Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0
Sometimes an archetype feat lets you select another feat, such as a class feat of a lower level. You must always meet any prerequisites of the feat you gain in this way. These always count as only one feat for the purposes of your dedication; for example, taking the cleric archetype’s Basic Dogma feat to gain the Healing Hands class feat counts as only one feat, not two.

Spellcasting Archetypes

Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0
PFS Note Gaining the basic spellcasting feats from a spellcasting archetype counts as having a spellcasting class feature for the purpose of activating an item with a Cast a Spell activation.

Some archetypes grant you a substantial degree of spellcasting, albeit delayed compared to a character from a spellcasting class. A spellcasting archetype allows you to use scrolls, staves, and wands in the same way that a member of a spellcasting class can.

Spellcasting archetypes always grant the ability to cast cantrips in their dedication, and then they have a basic spellcasting feat, an expert spellcasting feat, and a master spellcasting feat. These feats share their name with the archetype; for instance, the druid's master spellcasting feat is called Master Druid Spellcasting. All spell slots you gain from spellcasting archetypes are subject to the restrictions within the archetype. For instance, the witch archetype allows you to pick a patron when you take its dedication feat. If you pick patron granting occult spells, the archetype then grants you spell slots you can use only to cast occult spells you prepare as a witch, even if you are a bard with occult spells in your repertoire.

Basic Spellcasting Feat: Usually available at 4th level, these feats grant a 1st-rank spell slot. At 6th level, they grant you a 2nd-rank spell slot, and if you have a spell repertoire, you can select one spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. At 8th level, they grant you a 3rd-rank spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “basic spellcasting benefits.”

Expert Spellcasting Feat: Typically taken at 12th level, these feats make you an expert in spell attack modifiers and spell DCs and grant you a 4th-rank spell slot. If you have a spell repertoire, you can select a second spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. At 14th level, they grant you a 5th-rank spell slot, and at 16th level, they grant you a 6th-rank spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “expert spellcasting benefits.”

Master Spellcasting Feat: Usually found at 18th level, these feats make you a master in spell attack modifiers and spell DCs and grant you a 7th-rank spell slot. If you have a spell repertoire, you can select a third spell from your repertoire as a signature spell. At 20th level, they grant you an 8th-rank spell slot. Archetypes refer to these benefits as the “master spellcasting benefits.”

Special Archetypes

Source Player Core pg. 215 2.0
Some archetype feats in other books have the skill trait, allowing you to take them in place of a skill feat rather than a class feat. A skill feat still counts to satisfy the requirement of the dedication. There are also class archetypes that can modify your class’s abilities as soon as 1st level. You can never have more than one class archetype.