All Archetypes
Artifact | Class | Combat Style | Core | Faction | Multiclass | Mystical | Profession | Undead


Combat Style Archetypes

These archetypes focus around a physical means to fight.

PFS StandardAldori DuelistDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source World Guide pg. 35 2.0
Prerequisites trained in Aldori dueling swords
You have sworn the Aldori swordpact and study the art of Aldori dueling, a famed school of bladecraft which has been passed down for over a millennium from the teachings of Baron Sirian Aldori. One day, you hope to demonstrate your skill at swordplay in order to become acknowledged as a true swordlord.

PFS StandardArcherDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 185
Bows of all types are powerful weapons. Generals and hunters alike recognize the power in dealing death from a distance, and from behind safe cover. Those dedicated to the bow—from mysterious cloaked strangers to heartless snipers—are often viewed with a mixture of respect and fear. Like any weapons adept, the archer's skill is forged through experience and constant practice. A true archer becomes one with their bow and is able to make incredible shots with their weapon that most would consider impossible, or at the very least magical.

PFS StandardAssassinDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 186
Prerequisites trained in Deception and Stealth
Targeted killing through stealth and subterfuge is the expertise of an assassin. While assassins are skilled in ending lives and many are evil, some live by a moral code, preying on the wicked, the cruel, or those who revel in unchecked aggression or power.

PFS StandardBastionDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 187
Prerequisites Shield Block
Some say that a good offense is the best defense, but you find such boasting smacks of overconfidence. In your experience, the best defense is a good, solid shield between you and your enemies. You've focused your training on how best to use a shield to protect yourself and those around you. Darting around in search of cover isn't necessary when you carry your cover with you. With a shield in your hand, you are akin to a mobile fortress. You repel assaults and stand strong against the tide of enemies, secure in the knowledge that you have your most trusted companion at your side: your shield. This long-lasting fighting style has existed for ages due to its practicality and propensity for survival among its practitioners. While some prefer the nimbleness of a free hand or the power of a larger weapon, a bastion knows that surviving a little bit longer is worth more than a quicker or stronger attack.

PFS StandardBullet DancerDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Guns & Gears pg. 132 2.0
Prerequisites expert in unarmored defense and trained in unarmed attack
While most monastic orders and traditional fighting schools shun firearms as loud and unreliable technology for unskilled conscripts, you fuse flourishing feints and ricocheting gunplay into a whirling ballet of bullets. As a bullet dancer, you might become the target of brash duelists and gladiators looking to make a name for themselves. But you tend to welcome the attention and might have proven your reputation while dancing your deadly ballet in tournaments from Tymon to Goka. You've found your fluid motions and explosive attacks to be surefire crowd-pleasers, even as they serve to confound and shock your foes.

PFS LimitedButterfly BladeDedication Feat 4

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Pathfinder #166: Despair on Danger Island pg. 78
Prerequisites trained in butterfly swords
You've trained in one of Goka's oldest traditions of espionage, intimidation, and combat mastery. You use your skills to learn about your enemies and cut them down with your mastery of the butterfly sword.

PFS StandardClawdancerDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 68 2.0
Prerequisites permanent unarmed claw or talon attack (such as one granted by your ancestry or a graft)
Nature provides many creatures weapons for hunting and defense, but few are as common and simple as the claw. Whether for climbing, catching, or rending, claws are an indispensable tool for any limbed denizen of the wild. Humanoid species with these weapons often take pride in such a gift, developing clawed combat into an art.

Catfolk of southern Tian Xia are particularly adept at fighting with their claws. They call their style the Knives of Valash and prioritize rapid strikes mixed with sharp grapples to pin a foe in place. The style’s practitioners, sometimes called Knives themselves, patrol the wilds honing their skills against the many dangers there. Once an acolyte rises sufficiently in rank, they’re sent out across Golarion to explore and “sharpen their claws.” Those who perfect their art over the years often return to Tian Xia to teach the next generation of the style.

PFS RestrictedDemolitionistDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Guns & Gears pg. 133 2.0
As rippling explosions bring a castle's walls tumbling down, you grin and wipe the stone dust of your handiwork from your face. Brute force might work for others, but applying science to place the right explosives in just the right spot is essential to your craft.

PFS LimitedDrow ShootistDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Pathfinder #165: Eyes of Empty Death pg. 77
Prerequisites trained in the hand crossbow
Some drow take skill with the hand crossbow to new heights. You've learned the secrets of these fabled drow shootists. With fearlessness and swagger, you can accomplish amazing deeds with hand crossbows.

PFS StandardDual-Weapon WarriorDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 196
You're able to effortlessly fight with multiple weapons simultaneously, weaving your weapons together into a storm of quick attacks. To you, continual offense is the best form of defense, and you leave little room for your foes to avoid your whirlwind of weapons. Your unconventional fighting style still manages to weave in a unique kind of defense, blocking blade with blade, all without sacrificing power. Speed is your friend, and stagnation can mean ruin. Your attacks come fast and from unexpected angles. Become one with the blur of weapons and find victory.

PFS StandardDuelistDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 197
Prerequisites trained in light armor and simple weapons
All across the world, students in fencing academies practice with their weapons to master one-on-one combat. The libraries of these schools contain troves of information, detailing hundreds of combat techniques, battle stances, and honorable rules of engagement. Those who gain admission to such training classes might duel in formalized settings.and that's certainly the more genteel route to take. However, others assert that there's no better training ground for duels than the chaotic life of an adventurer. In such situations, a flexible, single-handed fighting style is invaluable. You never know when youfll need an extra hand to shove a foe, haul open a door, or grab valuable loot. You can accomplish such deeds with style and grace. Regardless of your method, fighters such as you are feared across the land.

PFS StandardEldritch ArcherDedication Feat 6

Source Player Core 2 pg. 198
Prerequisites expert in at least one weapon from the or bow or crossbow weapon group
While many archers see their craft as an art form as much as a means of battle, a small number of archers seek to perfect their skills through magic, and you are among their number. Bolstering your athletic and martial abilities with mystical talents, you achieve rare heights with the bow or crossbow-transforming arrows or bolts into eldritch ammunition, sending projectiles zig-zagging unerringly to their targets, and manifesting arrows that can deliver spells or even instant death. The imbuing of raw magic into the point of an arrow is no easy feat. Eldritch archers are respected and feared for their prowess and make valuable members for any party of adventurers.

While having some spellcasting ability increases your flexibility and power as an eldritch archer, you might learn the secrets of these arts without being independently skilled in spellcasting, instead learning the magic of the bow for its own sake. In fact, many eldritch archers begin as archers first and spellcasters second. That is not to say that the occasional spellcaster has not picked up archery. In fact, many wizards, wise in the art of war, have studied the bow, particularly to master this art. Ultimately, what matters is a perfect combination of martial skill and magical ability; the order you go about obtaining them matters little.

PFS StandardJalmeri HeavenseekerDedication Feat 4

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Impossible Lands pg. 224
Prerequisites Student of Perfection Dedication, or you've trained with a champion of the Challenge of Sky and Heaven
Certain martial artists dedicate themselves to fighting in Jalmeray's Challenge of Sky and Heaven. These individuals devote themselves to the esoteric mysteries of the sky.

You can select the dedication feat for the Jalmeri Heavenseeker archetype even if you haven't yet gained three feats from the Student of Perfection archetype.

PFS StandardMagic WarriorDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source World Guide pg. 95 2.0
Prerequisites ability to cast focus spells
You mix magic and martial prowess, following in the tradition of the Ten Magic Warriors of Old-Mage Jatembe.

PFS StandardMartial ArtistDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 206
You have trained in the martial arts, making your unarmed strikes lethal. You seek neither mysticism nor enlightenment, and you don't view this training as some greater path to wisdom. Yours is the way of the fist striking flesh, the hand turning aside the blade, and the devastating kick taking your enemy down. Your training is focused and practical, and since you have turned every part of your body into a weapon, you never find yourself without one. While you might have learned your techniques in a dojo or school focused on training the body, you might just as easily have learned them in street brawls and bar fights, combining instincts with intense athleticism for a deadly combination.

Regardless of your origins, your path is one of iron, transforming your body into a deadly weapon. The techniques available are many, but the results are all the same. Whether you attack with your fist, fang, or foot, your prowess is undeniable. Many martial artists seek to master a stance to put form to their flurry of attacks. Such techniques allow one to channel their strength. However, some prefer freedom in form and reject stances altogether. You may find your own style or master one of the forms used by legendary martial artists.

PFS StandardMaulerDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 207
Prerequisites Strength +2
You shove your way through legions of foes, knock enemies on all sides to the ground, and deal massive blows to anyone or anything that comes near. You know that when it comes to taking down an enemy, it never hurts to have a bigger weapon.

PFS StandardOverwatchDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Guns & Gears pg. 50 2.0
Prerequisites expert in Perception
With a stalwart mind and sharp eyes, you observe the battlefield as though you and your allies are pieces on a chessboard. By predicting dangers and hazards and offering your insights to your comrades, you win battles through keen observation and teamwork. Whenever there's a threat or opening, you're the first to point it out, and you're ready to help your allies directly when necessary.

As a group's overwatch, you might let the position go to your head. In such cases, you might think of yourself as the mastermind behind the chessboard and feel detached from your allies, thinking of them as little more than pawns on the field.

But more likely your role allows you to feel a deeper connection to your allies, and your coordination and heroics stand out most when you subsume your individual ego to serve the group's needs. In that case, you might think of yourself as a part of a functional whole—if your party was a single living body, you serve as the eyes, but that doesn't mean you're the brain, the heart, or other vital organs. Everyone has a crucial role to play.

PFS StandardPistol PhenomDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Guns & Gears pg. 136 2.0
Prerequisites trained in at least one type of one-handed firearm; trained in Deception and Performance
You treat combat as an art and your pistol as an extension of your performance. You might wield a single pistol, a pair of pistols, or a pistol paired with a melee weapon to pull off showy maneuvers. However you slice it, though, the use of pistols or other one-handed firearms is crucial to your technique and style.

To you, everything is a show, and you use your gun as a prop and instrument, not just to kill opponents but to trick, mislead, hinder, and even bully them into doing what you want them to do. While others tend to focus on delivering as much devastation downrange as possible, your style is all about control. By controlling a foe's attention and actions, you can bolster your own attacks and mitigate the foe's potential for mayhem. You control the tempo of the battle much as you would a staged performance, carefully ensuring your foe's actions don't fall outside of your intended script. You're both the director and the star of this show, and your enemies dance to the tune you play with your pistol... sometimes quite literally!

ProvocatorDedication Feat 10

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Pathfinder #159: All or Nothing pg. 79
Prerequisites Strength 14; Charisma 14
The provocator is a gladiator who mixes brilliant performance with mastery of weapons.

Sixth PillarDedication Feat 10

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Pathfinder #167: Ready? Fight! pg. 77
Prerequisites Dexterity 14; expert in Acrobatics; ability to cast spells
The Sixth Pillar follows a tradition that blends martial arts with magic. Traditionally, this is a way to better focus and harness innate or bloodline magic, but it can be used by anyone who can cast spells.

PFS StandardSniping DuoDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Source Guns & Gears pg. 138 2.0
Prerequisites trained in at least one type of weapon in the bow or firearm groups; trained in Stealth
Skilled shooters who don't let their egos get in the way of their efficacy are likely to say that sniping is a two-person job. Taking down a target without giving away your position or giving the opponent a window for reprisal is difficult work that requires teamwork and coordination, as well as a tight-knit bond and shared perspective. Sniping duos live and die by the credo “two heads are better than one,” focusing their skills and strategies toward deadly efficiency. Whether your spotter and partner is a fellow ranged combatant or a melee enthusiast, you've learned how to use the openings they provide to devastating effect.

PFS LimitedStaff AcrobatDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Pathfinder #151: The Show Must Go On pg. 75
Prerequisites Dexterity 16; trained in Acrobatics and Athletics; trained with at least one of the following weapons: staff, bo staff, halfling sling staff, or any weapon in the spear or polearm group (referred to in this archetype as “your staff”)
You can perform amazing acts in and out of combat when you have a spear, staff, or polearm.

PFS StandardStalwart DefenderDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Highhelm pg. 110
Prerequisites trained in light armor
The military history of the dwarves is a story of largely defensive combat and tactics, whether it be as simple as guarding a camp during the Quest for Sky or a protracted siege, such as at the Sky Citadel of Kraggodan. The martial discipline of the stalwart defender arose over the course of centuries to become an iconic dwarven warrior, capable of holding their ground against overwhelming odds and not ceding an inch of stone.

To be a stalwart defender is to stand with the resilience of a mountain. When danger arrives you face it unflinchingly, allowing your enemy's blows to glance off you like wind whistling past granite. This mindset comes naturally to dwarves, while other ancestries typically need specialized training to attain the determination needed for such a style.

PFS StandardSterling DynamoDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Guns & Gears pg. 52 2.0
While many people across Golarion use prosthetic devices, you've acquired and outfitted yourself with a particularly advanced combat model of clockwork prosthesis: a piece of cutting edge technology called a sterling dynamo. You know how to maintain your dynamo and how to customize it to suit your needs and style, incorporating any promising new technologies you encounter into its design.

There's a significant distinction, however, between someone who merely has a sterling dynamo prosthesis and someone like you who is a true sterling dynamo. With their recent invention, people in Absalom and Dongun Hold with access to the technology have begun to adopt sterling dynamos as their prostheses of choice, among the wide variety of amazing options already available in both markets. However, not everyone who chooses to use sterling dynamo technology is a member of the sterling dynamo archetype.

With the sterling dynamo archetype, you both use a sterling dynamo prosthesis and truly understand its advantages, limitations, and limitless potential. You don't have to literally be your own mechanic, as there's no requirement for a sterling dynamo to be particularly skilled at crafting, but even if you aren't, you can still “feel” what's right when it comes to adjusting and optimizing your dynamo. Whether you implement these improvements yourself or present your mechanic with ideas and insights that allow them to achieve something special on your behalf, your strength and ingenuity are what make you a sterling dynamo.

As you train to use your dynamo in all sorts of adventures, you may become capable of feats its original inventors never dreamed possible. In fact, as you progress in the archetype and explore the possibilities, you might find that these inventors want to interview you in order to apply your insights and help them create a new generation of the technology with even greater capabilities. The sterling dynamo's adaptability grants it vast potential, so the sky's the limit!

PFS LimitedStone BrawlerDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Pathfinder #195: Heavy is the Crown pg. 82
Prerequisites Constitution 14
Stone brawlers learn to encase themselves in temporary, magical rock that empowers their unarmed strikes and defends their bodies. Their relationship to stone is often transactional, and they call on the resilient material for utilitarian purposes. Most stone brawlers view rock as a tool to be utilized in the heat of battle, much as a fencer values their sword or a wizard their magic.

The practice of conjuring stone is most common where resources are scarce, such as Belkzen, the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, or within the Darklands, where the value and resilience of stone is well known.

PFS StandardSwarmkeeperDedication Feat 2

Uncommon 
Source Howl of the Wild pg. 72 2.0
Prerequisites trained in Nature
Many civilizations throughout history have benefited from a symbiotic relationship with insects. A community might raise insects for certain byproducts, such as a bee’s honey or a spider’s silk, or tame larger versions of common species as mounts. Some even take this harmony to the extreme and willingly host a swarm of insects inside their bodies. Because of their unusual arrangement, swarmkeepers tend to live solitary lives, or at least as solitary as you can be as a host of thousands. When dealing with those who might be squeamish of their abilities, some swarmkeepers wear straw skeps, backpack-like boxes often employed by beekeepers as a kind of social camouflage. Such items might even be used to house additional insects if their swarm grows too big to fit inside their body.

Swarmkeepers can add new capabilities to their swarms. For some, this means incorporating many different species of insects into their swarm, making even mortal enemies in nature work together. Others selectively cultivate one kind of insect precious to them into various morphs that give the swarm new capabilities.

PFS StandardTrapsmithDedication Feat 4

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Guns & Gears pg. 54 2.0
Prerequisites Snarecrafter Dedication, or Snare Specialist ranger class feat
Wielding a wrench or blowtorch, you manufacture snares that whir and tick with delicate precision. Your best work requires the right materials—a glorious set of brass fittings and cogwheels—with which you create snares that are as elegantly lethal as they are subtle. As a trapsmith, you're always improving your snares: adjusting timing, tweaking triggers, and finding new ways to hide them from foes.

You can select the dedication feat for the trapsmith archetype even if you haven't yet gained three feats from the snarecrafter archetype.

PFS RestrictedUndead MasterDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Book of the Dead pg. 41
Prerequisites evil alignment
Not everyone with an interest in the undead raises a vast army of faceless, disposable minions. You prefer to cultivate a more personal relationship with a small number of undead companions, personalized to your needs and expectations. Those companions with minds trust you implicitly; those without are extensions of your will. Perhaps they see you as a teacher or caretaker, shepherding them on the path to peace and passing on, or perhaps they are your protectors, bound to aid you by negotiation and magical spells. Whatever the case, they will fight for and alongside you without question, throwing themselves into danger without hesitation if it will provide a means to your desired end.

This archetype works well for a necromancer capable of raising undead but isn't exclusive to them. You could be a warrior who befriended an undead, an evil champion granted an undead companion by your deity, or an undead bloodline sorcerer undead are drawn to. The additional feats below are found in the beastmaster archetype. Whenever one of these additional feats refers to an animal companion, as an undead master, you apply it to your undead companion instead.

PFS StandardUndead SlayerDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Source Book of the Dead pg. 28
Prerequisites trained in Religion
Anywhere undead prey upon the living, some brave souls make it their mission to destroy the monsters. Many adventurers are skilled at dispatching undead, but you go a step further. You study them, learn their weaknesses, and master the tools to end them quickly and cleanly. An undead slayer doesn't simply kill monsters; they become what even monsters fear. Leave it to others to be a shield—you become the blade that strikes evil at its heart. You can identify the common types of undead by sight. You drill and practice with the special gear necessary to destroy some of the more complicated undead, like vampires; train in their strengths and weaknesses; and learn how to create safe houses to stash your arsenal and hide from undead.

Some undead slayers work at the behest of an organization to exterminate the undead of a particular region, but many act independently, or in a group of like-minded adventurers. Were you called by a higher power? Are you on a personal quest for vengeance? Whatever the reason, you now walk a path that will take you to the vilest dens of rot and decay

PFS StandardUnexpected SharpshooterDedication Feat 2

Legacy Content

Uncommon 
Source Guns & Gears pg. 142 2.0
Some people say you must be the luckiest soul in all of Golarion to still be alive and kicking after all the dangers you've seen. Others say that, given the circumstances and the number of foes who you've defeated seemingly by accident, that there's no way you can really be as incompetent as you seem. These critics claim there has to be some kind of angle, some racket you're running. Either way, you sure don't look or act dangerous, except possibly to yourself.

Somehow, despite your apparent clumsiness, professed confusion, and known propensity to incite calamity, you find yourself standing after every battle. The same can't often be said for your enemies. Funny how that works out, isn't it?

PFS StandardWeapon ImproviserDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 221
Prerequisites trained in martial weapons
As far as you're concerned, the best weapon to wield is the one that your opponents never see coming. By knowing how to fight effectively with whatever is at hand, you ensure that you're never caught unarmed, and you often get the drop on opponents who mistakenly think they've caught you unprepared. Whether you're smashing someone over the head with a barstool, tossing a mug of ale in their face to blind them, or stabbing your foes with a broken bottle, you can find weapons anywhere and employ them creatively whenever a brawl breaks out. Because you fight with disposable weapons, you don't need handle them with care as other warriors do, and you can break them when needed to win a fight without feeling any regrets later.

Improvised Weapon Ideas: Use these for inspiration. Cavern: broken stalagmite, large mushroom, old bones; Docks: barrel, crate, hook; Forest: branch, needles, or thorns; Market: box, fruit, scale, sign; Courtroom or Study: gavel, goblet, quill, lectern; Tavern: bottle, mug, serving tray, stool

GM Advice: For a GM setting damage, typically a one-handed improvised weapon's damage is 1d4, 1d6, or 1d8; one that needs two hands is 1d8, 1d10, or occasionally 1d12, and an extremely ineffective one might deal 1 damage. Improvised weapons typically have zero, one, or two traits, and often have the nonlethal trait. Agile improvised weapons usually have a smaller die size. It's extremely rare for an improvised weapon to deal more than one die of damage, but powerful magical objects might. Improvised weapons should be fun and don't last long, so feel free to experiment!

PFS StandardWinged WarriorDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 82 2.0
Prerequisites you have permanent wings (such as from an ancestry or graft)
Nature provided wings to certain creatures to help them soar above predators or reach food hanging from tall trees or the side of a cliff. When those graced with wings no longer have to depend on flight for survival, their appendages can be turned to a different use: combat. In addition to granting strategic elevation over foes, wings provide a variety of combat advantages.

Winged warriors are found independently among several ancestries. While awakened animals seem able to use these techniques as if by instinct, tengu of the Inner Sea region are the most commonly seen practitioners of this fighting style. Naval and pirate crews in the Shackles particularly value a tengu’s skill at boarding actions. Warriors able to take flight, even temporarily, can often name their price when joining a crew on the Fever Sea. Despite the ranged armaments available on most ships, many sailors are hard-pressed to defend against skilled aerial assailants.

Even those who develop wings later in life, like certain surkis and those with grafted wings, can learn the fighting style of a winged warrior. Although it’s a long path, many of the techniques involved are reinvented, rediscovered, and even updated by individual warriors.

PFS StandardWrestlerDedication Feat 2

Source Player Core 2 pg. 222
Prerequisites trained in Athletics
Wrestlers are athletes who pit their strength and skill against powerful foes. Specializing in a variety of grabs, holds, and strikes, wrestlers are dangerous opponents whose techniques can leave a foe broken and defeated without taking their life. Though it appears brutal, wrestling is considered a respectable and innocuous art.

The wrestling tradition is common all over Golarion. Gladiators and other warriors who fight for entertainment use wrestling techniques in combat. The discipline's focus on grappling is also useful in non-gladiatorial matches, as many foes are unable to contend with an opponent's hold. Grappling is particularly effective against spellcasters, who have a difficult time completing the gestures for their spells while grabbed. However, with the right technique, a seasoned wrestler can hold down just about any foe standing in their way. Such wrestlers are feared by their foes and respected by their allies.

Wrestlers have storied traditions in the Hold of Belkzen, where orcs employ specialized grappling techniques to subdue the large animals they ride as mounts. Orcs prefer wrestling these creatures partially to minimize harm to them, but also because they believe that the process of subduing them in this manner creates a stronger bond between mount and rider.

Outside of the Inner Sea, wrestlers are common in Iblydos and Arcadia. Iblydan wrestlers focus on powerful grappling techniques to make sure theyfre never left without a means to fight on the battlefield, even if their weapons are destroyed. Arcadian wrestlers engage in matches designed to retell stories of ancient gods and their past battles. These matches prominently feature impressive acrobatic feats as well as highly technical grappling maneuvers.