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

Core Archetypes

These archetypes are found in the Rulebook product line and are mostly setting-agnostic for games not in Golarion.

AcrobatDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 155 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Acrobatics
You have trained your body to perform incredible, seemingly superhuman feats of grace. You move in ways that leave your opponents caught off guard and fumbling for a response, turning every fight into performance art.

Alter EgoDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Dark Archive pg. 126
Prerequisites trained in Deception and Stealth
A highly guarded castle in the middle of an extravagant ball, the headquarters of a city's infamous thieves' guild, the locked room in the back of a cultist hideout—all perfect targets for you to use your expertise at blending in. Rather than skulking through the shadows, you use your training and latent supernatural abilities to become a mirror, playing on the perceptions of others and taking on whatever role necessary to get in and out of your destination before anyone has a chance to think something is amiss.

Performing an alter ego means going unregarded. Passing as just a face in the crowd is crucial, and accolades come as the gratitude from your leaders or coin from your clients, rather than the awed adoration from a crowd. This arrangement might suit you fine, as you thrive in a job well done and on the thrill of walking flagrantly past your duped adversaries. Or it might become pent up, until you can't resist a dramatic reveal or a signature calling card that shows you were there. One final word before speeding away from the castle, a gloating message left behind, or some other sign reveals your skill—usually too late for your victims to do anything about it.

ArchaeologistDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 156 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Perception; trained in Society and Thievery
Adventurers raid tombs for material gain, but true archaeologists treasure the knowledge gained from such sites. You might accomplish your goals with scholarly learning, by training to overcome the tricks and traps set by ancient peoples and rivals, through magical training, or even with a bit of inexplicable luck.

ArcherDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 157 ^2.0
Bows of all types are powerful weapons. Generals and hunters alike recognize the power in dealing death from long distances, and from behind 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 weapon adept, the archer's skill is forged through experience and constant practice. A true archer becomes one with the bow and is able to accomplish with that weapon things that most would consider impossible, or at least nearly magical.

ArtilleristDedication Feat 2

Source Guns & Gears pg. 128 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in martial weapons
The artillerist's maxim holds that while fights might be won with swords, battles are won with cannons. Or in a pinch, with trebuchets, siege towers, catapults, hwachas, and all other lethal miscellanea of a combat engineers' corp. As a true artillerist, you leave the penny-ante pistols and knives to those who only need to operate on a small scale. You're a consummate professional in the art of big guns, a maestro at merging mathematics and manpower to transform whatever castle wall, infantry battalion, or rampaging dragon offends you into a smoking crater in the ground.

You're not just some daredevil demolitionist, though. You're part of a team, accustomed to coordinating with your unit to maximize your time and effectiveness. Whether jumping in to help your crew load the next round, quickly calculating the trajectory of the engine's next shot, or taking the shot yourself, your presence on the team ensures their chances of success are maximized, creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

AssassinDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 158 ^2.0
Prerequisites Alchemical Crafting; trained in Crafting, 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.

BastionDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 159 ^2.0
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.

Beast GunnerDedication Feat 6

Uncommon
Source Guns & Gears pg. 130 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Arcana and Crafting; expert with at least one type of firearm, you own a beast gun and have slain the type of creature associated with your beast gun in a fair hunt (see above)
The art of creating the weapons most commonly referred to as “beast guns” is truly ancient, with the first iterations of the weapons created on the continent of Arcadia well over 10,000 years ago. This means that beast guns predate all other forms of firearm crafting in Arcadia, even the legendary star guns, whose secrets have been lost to the ages. The tradition of designing beast guns has persisted throughout Arcadia well into the modern era, though it has become increasingly rare as the proliferation of classic firearms and the prestige associated with star guns has allowed more people access to equivalent destructive power without the intense requirements behind crafting a beast gun. However, beast gunners remain virtually unknown outside of Arcadia.

The art of bonding to a beast gun and gaining the full magic of a beast gunner is an extended ritual with multiple steps, beginning with the hunt. A person seeking to bond to a beast gun typically does so with a brand new weapon made after they hunt down the creature themselves. This involves telling the story of the hunt, the beast, and the weapon created from the hunted creature. Finally, the weapon is carefully modified and tailored to ensure a proper bond between the beast gun and the prospective beast gunner. However, it's also possible to bond to an heirloom beast gun passed down through the generations by adding symbolic fresh components from the same kind of creature, after performing the same ritual hunt necessary to forge a new weapon with the intent of establishing a bond.

To perform the ritual the prospective beast gunner must first plan a hunt to slay the creature corresponding to the beast gun, whether they wish to bond with a brand new beast gun or establish a link to an old beast gun. Typically, these ritualized hunts can include up to five assistants plus hunting beasts like canines or birds who help corner the beast and bring it down. If the assistants are significantly more powerful than the hunted creature, or if there are so many assistants the creature never stood a chance at survival, the magic simply fails during the bonding process and the hunt and organic materials are wasted, usually much to the shame and chagrin of the hunter. The same doesn't apply if the prospective beast gunner hunts the creature alone, even if they are significantly more powerful than the creature, such that the creature never stood a chance against them in a one on one fight.

You're one of those who successfully completed the hunt and bonded with your prized weapon. Now, you seek to discover the hidden depths that others who think they know how to use beast guns can only imagine.

BeastmasterDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 160 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Nature
You attract the loyalty of animals, and as your powers increase you can command more of them, briefly inhabit their body to perceive what they perceive, and even communicate with them over vast distances. Your animals may see you as a beloved parent, teacher, and mentor, or they may consider you a poor, defenseless cub that needs protection. Regardless, they will fight for you and alongside you, even sacrificing their lives for you if necessary.

Blessed OneDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 162 ^2.0
Through luck or deed, heritage or heroics, you carry the blessing of a deity. This blessing manifests as the ability to heal wounds and remove harmful conditions, and exists independent of worship. You might offer thanks daily to the deity whose power you wield, or you might carry these blessings reluctantly, seeking to avoid responsibility or even acting to defy the deity's influence on you. You might wear the robes of the deity's order, or you might give little thought and even less reverence to the source of your powers. However you feel about these gifts, there can be no doubt that you wield a special power. Good-aligned deities are most likely to empower a blessed one. However, deities of any alignment can grant such a blessing, as long as they are capable of granting a positive divine font to their clerics. This means such deities as Lamashtu might grant a foul version of the blessed one's powers.

Bounty HunterDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 163 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Survival
Whether for coin, glory, or justice, you know how to track, defeat, and capture dangerous individuals. You're accustomed to perusing wanted posters, searching up on leads, and pursuing villains to hell and back.

Bullet DancerDedication Feat 2

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.

Cathartic MageDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Secrets of Magic pg. 194 ^1.1
Prerequisites Charisma 14, or ability to cast spells from spell slots
Emotions are powerful, and you can tap into that power to enhance your magic for a time. You learn to harness a particular emotional state under the right conditions, but be warned: emotions are volatile and destructive if left unchecked. The experience often leaves you reeling from the unhindered emotion, requiring a rest or distraction before tapping into it again.

CavalierDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 164 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Nature or Society
You are a skilled and dedicated warrior of the battlefield who specializes in fighting astride a powerful animal companion that serves as your mount. You and your mount are an unparalleled team, moving with shared intent to become a powerful force on the battlefield. You might wield a banner in the name of a greater organization, a liege, or an ideal you uphold, or you might fight solely to further enrich your own prestige, reputation, and coffers.

CelebrityDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 166 ^2.0
You're a special personality... and you know it. You're not merely comfortable in the spotlight, you crave it. While the traditional celebrity is a musician or another type of performer, you could be known for any occupation.

ChronoskimmerDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Dark Archive pg. 186
The flow of time is an unstoppable force. Most are carried downstream inexorably, like a leaf floating on a river. You, however, somehow fell out of the flow of time, if only for an instant, but in doing so gained a perspective that few others have.

Now you stand on the banks of the river, watching the flow, choosing where to dive in, or even defying the current, at least for a short while, as you skim its surface and skip from moment to moment. As a chronoskimmer, time is yours to exploit.

You have the means to see the timelines of all creatures, including your own. You can use this insight to manipulate the flow of time for creatures, much like you can pluck the leaf from the river and place it elsewhere. Manipulating timelines can be dangerous, however, and the Dimension of Time isn't wont to allow these transgressions against time to stand forever. The threat always looms of time dimensionals coming to correct your actions or of you becoming removed from time forever.

ClawdancerDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 68 ^2.0
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.

Curse MaelstromDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Dark Archive pg. 168
Prerequisites You are cursed or have previously been cursed.
Some folks are ridden with bad luck: the rations they were counting on turn out to be spoiled, the ship they were hoping to catch sinks in the harbor, or the new home they bought is destroyed by a rampaging golem. Most know that they are cursed, feeling an emptiness in their soul that weighs upon them, gnawing at their confidence and shrouding their ambitions. Sometimes, these curse maelstroms learn to control and channel their curse; you are one such unfortunate soul.

You have a powerful curse living deep within you. You might have been able to restrain your curse for the most part, but it flares up occasionally and tempts you with the power to curse your foes, should you allow it to exert itself. Why should you be the only one who has to endure a cursed life when others have so clearly earned such woe?

Living with a curse every day, you become intimately familiar with the workings of curses, getting a sense of when bad luck is about to befall those around you. You might try to avoid further bad fortune—which rarely pans out as you'd like—or you could come to terms with your lot in life and regard your curse as something akin to an old friend. Either way, fate cares little.

Misery loves company, so your curse can even be a beacon for more misfortune. You might have multiple curses all tied to you, all fighting to make your life as hellish as possible.

DandyDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 167 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Diplomacy
You are a genteel master of style, culture, and decorum, aware of even the subtlest rules of etiquette. Whether you were born into status, acquired it later in life, or merely pretend to possess it, you look and act your part to manicured perfection.

DemolitionistDedication Feat 2

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.

Dragon DiscipleDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 168 ^2.0
The rippling waves of fear, the rustling of thick scales, and the beat of immense wings signal the arrival of a great dragon. The awe-inspiring presence of these creatures makes them worthy of reverence—or even outright worship. Dragon disciples dedicate themselves to becoming like these great beasts, with each disciple striving to typify one variety of dragon. Sorcerers of draconic blood, barbarians with the dragon instinct, and many kobolds with close ties to their draconic predecessors become dragon disciples, but anyone who has encountered one of these terrifying creatures might follow this path.

As a dragon disciple, you study and learn from the example of dragons, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you admire the dragons you emulate. While most dragon disciples do indeed revere their chosen dragon, countless tales are told of dragon disciples born of great personal tragedy at the hands of boundless draconic fury. These disciples have transformed themselves into what they despise in order to gain the power to destroy their draconic tormentor and at long last earn their revenge.

Dual-Weapon WarriorDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 170 ^2.0
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.

DuelistDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 171 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in light armor and simple weapons
Across the world, students in martial academies practice with their blades to master one-on-one combat. The libraries of such schools hold deep troves of information detailing hundreds of combat techniques, battle stances, and honorable rules of engagement. Those who gain admission to such schools might train in formalized duels—and that's certainly the more genteel route to take. However, others assert that there's no better place to try out dueling techniques than in the life-and-death struggles common to an adventurer's life.

Eldritch ArcherDedication Feat 6

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 172 ^2.0
Prerequisites expert in at least one type of bow
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 arrows zig-zagging nearly unerringly to their target, and manifesting arrows that can deliver spells or even instant death.

While having some spellcasting ability increases your potential 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.

ElementalistDedication Feat 2

Source Rage of Elements pg. 58 ^2.0
Prerequisites elemental magic
You revere the elements as the building blocks of creation and the source of all life. You believe that by balancing, mixing, and rearranging these elements, magic is made. This belief has led you to eschew traditional magical theories and divisions, and you instead focus on harnessing, manipulating, and shaping the elements. There are many paths to elementalism, and many classes can become elementalists. As the most basic building blocks of matter, the elements can be shaped to your specific training and understanding. The study of elementalism expands every day.

You cast spells drawn from multiple traditions and can use the elements to alter and empower your spells, making them manifest and mixing them in unique ways. Most elementalists embrace either the philosophy of four elements common in the Inner Sea or the five-element cycle prevalent in Tian Xia. This is often a balance, but some elementalists feel a stronger connection to a singular element that they hone to great heights, utilizing the other elements to support and augment their favored.

Secrets of Magic Elementalist: This section updates and expands the elementalist class archetype originally presented on page 206 of Secrets of Magic. If you're using the version of the archetype from Secrets of Magic and are happy with it, you don't need to make any changes—that original version functions the same as using the new text and choosing Inner Sea elementalism for your elemental philosophy!

ExorcistDedication Feat 4

Source Book of the Dead pg. 22
Prerequisites trained in Occultism or Religion
You pacify restless spirits, ghosts, and haunts, capturing fragments of them and using their vengeful energies to fuel your own powers while purifying the spirit. You store these ghosts within a magical vessel called a spirit dwelling. This spirit dwelling might be a treasured family heirloom, an item you crafted expressly to help with exorcisms, or even just an odd trinket you found that happens to do the job.

While the motivations of exorcists run the gamut, most are compassionate individuals who believe that every ghost, haunt, and spirit is simply a lost soul in need of rest. They collect spirits expressly for the purposes of offering them comfort, guidance, and absolution. After an exorcist's ministrations, these spirits are freed of their burdens, emotion, and regrets and are reabsorbed into the River of Souls. Although exorcists rarely gather in one place, many different religions employ them to deal with spiritual threats.

Exorcists are most commonly found among the faithful of Ashava the True Spark (the empyreal lord of dancers), but among the major deities of the Inner Sea region, Sarenrae, Pharasma, and even Shelyn count a fair number of exorcists among their faithful. Exorcists can come from any walk of life, but many are redeemer champions, clerics, or monks. Apart from the role of the spirit dwelling, exorcism practices can vary. For example, a bard or rogue might attract spirits with trickery, charm, or empty promises. In contrast, a cleric of Pharasma could take a more severe route, demanding the spirits return to the natural order of things.

Familiar MasterDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 174 ^2.0
From the wise owl perched on the wizard's shoulder to the crafty gremlin that serves the witch for their own reasons, the ghastly homunculus in the alchemist's lab to the clever monkey that picks the lock of the thief's cell, familiars have always served. Whether through rigorous training or a preternatural connection, yours serves better than most.

Fireworks TechnicianDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Guns & Gears pg. 134 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Crafting
The brilliant display of cascading lights and flickering aerial flowers, the thunderous boom, the sizzling crackle, and piercing screech—these are the stock and trade of your craft. You know how to perfectly pair light and sound to create fireworks displays that can amaze children and adults, comfort friends, and even confound your foes.

As a fireworks technician, you might be an itinerant wanderer, roaming from town to town and developing your craft on your own. In that case, you make a living on the road, selling fireworks to the townsfolk, setting up public displays upon request and receipt of payment, and even tailoring individualized performances to those wealthy or interesting enough to be worthy of receiving their own private show.

On the other hand, you might be part of an established fireworks house from Tian Xia or Vudra and rely on teamwork to perfect your various formulas and displays. Hoping to produce the next great innovation in fireworks technology, you often send back the notes from your studies and field demonstrations to esteemed colleagues from your fireworks house, seeking their opinions on your next big idea.

Flexible SpellcasterDedication Feat 2

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 209 ^1.1
Prerequisites flexible spell preparation
You've learned how to cast spells flexibly, blending the best elements of spontaneous and prepared spellcasting at the cost of casting fewer spells each day.

Gelid ShardDedication Feat 2

Source Treasure Vault pg. 184 ^1.1
The Varki wizard T'aak Chamin once traveled from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings northward, past the Winterwall Glacier and deep into the frozen wastes of the Crown of the World. T'aak was seeking immortality without the risk of undeath, and he followed the hints and clues of ancient legends that spoke of “the frozen immortals,” and of ancient magics of ice crafting that were once commonly traded between these rumored immortals and the Erutaki people, who share ancestral roots with the Varki.

Little is known of T'aak's journeys in the northern wastes, though all accounts that record anything of the wizard and his trek indicate that the man who returned was different in many ways than the man who first traveled north. T'aak spoke of beings known as saumen kar, of a “great whale” sealed beneath the ice, and of strange corruptions. An account left by his wife mentions that T'aak often awoke screaming about “malignant sludge” and a “disease clawing at the ancient gates.” Despite all this, T'aak's primary quest did result in at least one notable accomplishment: the crafting of the first gelid shard.

Gelid shards are arcane focuses of refined magical cold in physical form. Unfortunately for their creator, gelid shards do not grant immortality, though mortal creatures bonded to them do often have slightly longer lifespans thanks to the preserving cold that inundates and surrounds them.

GeomancerDedication Feat 2

Source Secrets of Magic pg. 212 ^1.1
Prerequisites trained in Nature; ability to cast spells from spell slots; at least one spell with the air, cold, earth, fire, plant, or water trait
You know how to draw power from the land around you, no matter the terrain, by attuning your magic to match its mystical properties.

You might be a druid with an elemental focus (such as the flame, stone, or wave orders) or a naturalist with a touch of magic at your disposal. You could concentrate on a single type of terrain to wring every last drop of power from it or choose to wander the land to experience every type of terrain possible.

GhostDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Book of the Dead pg. 46
Prerequisites You died and returned as a ghost.
Your ties to the living world cling to you in death, your unfinished business reducing you to a spirit. Your soul carries on, but your body is gone. Your mind, too, may have changed: though death can impact thoughts and desires in all sorts of ways, most ghosts experience stronger, more volatile emotions and are frequently overcome by their past ties. A need to reconcile the past overwhelms other needs. Motivations can change over time but are always strong. Pragmatism, compassion, and foresight fall before a ghost's fundamental desires.

GhoulDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Book of the Dead pg. 48
Prerequisites You were killed by ghoul fever.
You died from the necrotic disease known as ghoul fever and rose anew as a ravenous ghoul, forever craving the flesh of sapient creatures. While you can temper your hunger with long-dead flesh stolen from ancient graves, you much prefer devouring those who are freshly dead, whether as a scavenger or because you killed the creature yourself to ensure a fresh meal.

Whether they stalk through the graveyards and crypts of Golarion or work together with other ghouls to build empires in the Darklands, ghouls care most about the consumption of dead flesh. The moment you become a ghoul, your existence focuses upon satisfying this endless craving. Ghouls who go more than a few days without feeding on freshly dead humanoid flesh find themselves in constant pain; those who go for more than a week might be driven to the edge of delirium, becoming bestial in their craving.

When you succumb to ghoul fever and become a ghoul, you don't lose your mind or memories. You keep your personality only to have it warped by the never-ending need to consume flesh. A brave warrior remains brave, but under the curse of the fever, that brave warrior's prime directive is to consume flesh. A rogue might go from finding clever ways to pick pockets to finding ways to waylay opponents and devour them.

Since most societies don't allow cannibalism, ghouls who wish to continue their old lives must satisfy their cravings in secret, finding a way to balance society's rules while feeding the constant gnawing hunger inside them. Some take up professions that allow them to secretly eat dead flesh or create dead bodies to feed upon. There are tales told of ghoul mercenary troops who satisfy their cravings and profit, while ghoul spellcasters can use their magic to procure and preserve flesh.

Ghouls who won't restrain themselves with rules of the living may join or establish ghoul societies. These caste systems base their hierarchy on how much flesh one has consumed and can provide for other ghouls. Hunger and ambition drive ghouls to rise through the ranks, which allows them to feed their hunger even more.

GladiatorDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 175 ^2.0
Prerequisites Impressive Performance
The roar of the crowd and thrill of competitive combat drive you to become the best—and the fame isn't bad either.

If there are sapient creatures observing a combat encounter, and these onlookers are neither engaged in the combat themselves nor allied or affiliated with either side, the combatants have spectators. The GM is the final arbiter.

Hallowed NecromancerDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Book of the Dead pg. 24
Prerequisites expert in Religion; good alignment, able to cast spells using spell slots, able to cast at least one necromancy spell
It's quite common for mages of all sorts to study necromancy—the surprisingly diverse school holds the secrets of positive and negative energy, as well as life and death. Many tap into these powers with no consideration of the morality of their use. For these unscrupulous magic users, it's simply another avenue in their never-ending pursuit of power, and the abilities learned are turned to the caster's personal ends, whatever they may be.

Others choose a different path. Through spiritual study and introspection, they have come to recognize the evil intrinsic in the existence of undead, the fundamental wrongness of using the universal energy of death to create an appearance of life. To combat this evil, these casters learn to conduct positive energy and direct it to great effect against the undead they encounter. They may also engage in ongoing study to learn of the nature of life, death, and undeath, and the precise relationship between each state. These scholars and mages are commonly known as hallowed necromancers—a slightly misrepresentative name, as many of them don't use religious methods, but a frequently used shorthand regardless.

The exact origin of hallowed necromancers' abilities may vary from one to the next. Some are granted their gifts directly by a sympathetic deity such as Sarenrae or Pharasma, while others might use their knowledge of religion and the planes to learn such abilities on their own. Though rarer, it's even possible these practitioners might discover they possess an intuitive understanding and control over abilities that manifest spontaneously as their capabilities grow. Despite this variance, all share a fundamental understanding that undeath is an aberration to be quickly remedied.

Though the majority of hallowed necromancers have similar goals and are willing to work together, they tend not to form their own organizations. More often, these necromancers attach themselves to existing groups—such as the Knights of Lastwall or Voices of the Spire—and use their powers in support of those groups' causes. Otherwise, they plan and carry out their own personal vendettas against the forces of undeath, often enlisting the help of trusted friends and allies.

HerbalistDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 176 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Nature; Natural Medicine
The plants around you can provide more remedies than the finest hospital or temple, and you are skilled in their use.

Horizon WalkerDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 177 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Survival
Many long for the open road, but you prefer the trackless wild. You can find safe passage through the most inhospitable terrain in the world—icecaps, deserts, and similar environs are where you're comfortable. Your talents open untrod paths for you and help guide others through the wilderness.

LichDedication Feat 12

Rare
Source Book of the Dead pg. 50
Prerequisites expert in Crafting; living creature, ability to cast 6th-level or higher spells from spell slots, completed ritual to become a lich and crafted a soul cage
The path to lichdom is long and winding, with many pitfalls that overcome all but the most accomplished and precise spellcasters. Despite the trials you underwent and decades spent sequestered away with magical tomes, you know with every fiber of your being that it's all been worth it. You devised a unique and incredibly evil ritual to tear your soul from your body, and you painstakingly crafted a receptacle to house your freed soul. Immortality now lies within your grasp.

Becoming a lich requires much more than just magical knowledge. It demands fierce intelligence, bold ingenuity, incredible determination, unending patience, and a strict adherence to perfection, along with incredible skill as an artisan, for each lich must create their own soul cage. A mispronounced word or flaw in the construction of your soul cage would end not in immortality but ignominious death. You have all these skills in abundance and now, with your ascension, you've proven your superiority beyond a shadow of a doubt.

As a lich, you understand better than any the power and potential of magic. Many liches strive to increase their magical skills and foil the magic of any who dare oppose them. Others delve so deeply into necromantic arts and foul rituals that their flesh can burn the living, causing biological processes to falter and filling those who behold them with uncontrollable fear.

Regardless of what paths they pursue, nearly all liches are obsessed with their soul cage, spending untold hours and a veritable fortune to protect it, surrounding it with magical and mundane hazards, and guarding it with powerful, loyal defenders. Some liches prefer to secure their soul cage through obscurity rather than force, enshrouding it in magical abjurations or illusions to hide it from prying eyes. The most gifted crafters among liches tinker and improve their soul cage over time, rendering it nigh indestructible. This is a dangerous proposition, undertaken by only the most confident and arrogant magical engineers, as physically altering one's soul cage could have unintended consequences on its function. Many wizard liches instead learn to tap into the soul cage's magical energy from afar to fuel their own spellcasting.

LinguistDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 178 ^2.0
Prerequisites you speak at least three languages
Whether you study to further your own ambitions or simply out of fascination with the intricacies of language, your way with words is unparalleled.

Living VesselDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Dark Archive pg. 140
With the dawning of a new era comes the need for a new seat of power, and what better way to show your coming master your devotion than by sacrificing your entire being for their use? You presented yourself before their altar and they answered your call, flooding your body with their power and granting you the gift of their original form. Or maybe you were abducted in the dark, on a night that the moon refused to shine, when you were taken to a profane location where a mysterious cult bound you to their master against your will. Now you have powers you didn't before and you have new features that scare (and maybe, in a small dark part of your heart, thrill) you.

You might have even become a living vessel through a strange bargain. For instance, perhaps at the brink of death, you received an offer from an entity to spare your life in exchange for inhabiting you. Or you might have offered yourself to the entity in exchange for saving a loved one, for riches, or to fulfill a lifelong dream.

Beings of any alignment can inhabit a living vessel. Evil-aligned beings, especially demons, are most likely to be interested in such an arrangement, especially if it involves forcefully taking over and changing the body and mind of a sapient being. Part of being a living vessel is learning more about your entity and finding what assuages them best and what their ultimate plans might be for your body and the world. Few vessels can fully dictate the terms of the arrangement, but the fact that you give the entity a corporeal form does give you some amount of leverage. Use it wisely.

Additional Feats: Your GM might determine that you can take a pact feat from the pactbinder archetype as an additional feat, as long as the pact is made to the entity within you. For instance, if you're hosting a fey, you could make a pact involving fey. These pact feats are at the same level as for a pactbinder.

LoremasterDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 179 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in at least one skill to Decipher Writing
Knowledge is power, and you labor in pursuit of that power. No matter the situation, you can usually procure some tidbit of knowledge to inform your actions. You specialize in secrets, both uncovering them and hiding them away, and your command of the written word borders on the supernatural. As you discover deeper secrets of lore, you might develop a power over knowledge that becomes outright magical, allowing you to understand and disguise information even more effectively.

MarshalDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 180 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in martial weapons; trained in Diplomacy or Intimidation
Marshals are leaders, first and foremost. Marshals can come from any class or background, though they all share a willingness to sacrifice their own glory for the greater good of the team. Some marshals lead from the front, sword and shield raised, while others may call instructions and encouragements from the rear while providing allied spellcasters with skilled support. Regardless of their preferred method of combat, marshals' ability to bring the best out in every ally is a valuable addition to any group.

Martial ArtistDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 182 ^2.0
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.

MaulerDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 183 ^2.0
Prerequisites Strength 14
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.

MedicDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 184 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Medicine; Battle Medicine
You've studied countless techniques for providing medical aid, making you a peerless doctor and healer.

Mind SmithDedication Feat 2

Source Dark Archive pg. 204
“The mind makes it real.” Though uttered in many parts of Golarion, nowhere is this more literal than perhaps among mind smiths—those with a mysterious mental talent that allows them to manifest their mind into a physical object. Some gain this power through magical training from an ancestor or mentor, while others earn it as a gift or reward from some greater being, or by inexplicable chance. Whatever the source, you have mastered the ability to form a mental image into a corporeal figment solid enough to affect the physical world. You trained the power to aid you in battle by shaping itself into a potent weapon, bound by only the reaches of your own imagination.

MummyDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Book of the Dead pg. 52
Prerequisites you are dead and were mummified (by natural or ritualistic means)
Mummification is a common funereal rite across the breadth of Golarion throughout the ages. Becoming a living mummy—one capable of both motion and thought—is another thing altogether.

Most of those forced into undeath as mummies are bound to tombs, temples, and vaults as guardians. Some willingly undergo the process, embracing death to live beyond it. These willing mummies become the most powerful of their kind, rising above their brethren like an emperor above their subjects.

The horrifically painful living mummification process must be performed by others—usually a team of well-trained necromancers, priests, or ritualists—upon a still-living subject. Death by mummification is gruesome, but to be kept alive for as long as possible throughout the process is a thousandfold worse. The process usually takes weeks, beginning with forced starvation, followed by the consumption of spices and tonics that desiccate the subject's internal organs.

Very rarely, mummies are created by natural processes occurring in locations that are cursed or inundated by negative energy. These mummies most often rise in deserts, bogs, swamps, at high altitudes, or in frigid locales. Although the process through which they are created is less painful and far shorter in duration, the spiritual shift from living to undead is no less traumatizing.

Mummies are most commonly found in Geb and Osirion, as well as the surrounding nations of Thuvia, Katapesh, and Qadira. They have a foothold in the Gravelands, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, and the Mwangi Expanse, particularly around Mzali. Outside the Inner Sea, mummies are found in Vudra and Arcadia, particularly in places once ruled by the Razatlani empire.

Ostilli HostDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 70 ^2.0
Ostillis are amorphous organisms that combine characteristics of both plants and animals. Typically found in subterranean environments, they can share a symbiotic arrangement with surkis. When a magic-gathering node on a surki’s body is damaged or absent, an ostilli is placed on it like a bandage, and after several weeks, the creature fully fuses with its host and becomes a makeshift node, accumulating the magical nourishment that the surki needs to survive. With training, surkis—and increasingly, members of other species—can direct these tiny symbiotes to a variety of magical feats.

OverwatchDedication Feat 2

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.

PactbinderDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Dark Archive pg. 166
Prerequisites trained in Diplomacy as well as either Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion
Some people feel that the universe is a constant struggle. Good against evil, law against chaos, civilization against nature, life against death against undeath. But why fight what you can't change? You prefer to bargain.

As a pactbinder, you make deals with strange entities, otherworldly beings, and all sorts of multiversal denizens, amiable and unapproachable alike. Over the course of your many negotiations, you've learned something important: while such beings always seek a bargain tilted in their own favor, sometimes your definition of value differs enough from theirs that you can still come out ahead. In fact, sometimes, those who don't understand pacts like you do might mistake the payment for the benefit, or vice versa. Perhaps an ancient being of nightmare demanded to consume something you sought to be rid of, like a painful memory or a negative personality trait, priding itself on how it was taking something personal from you. Little did it know, you let it win on haggling your end of the deal. Of course, this practice isn't without its own risks, as who knows what you might become without that part of you.

All these things, you can and must consider in every pact. In addition to pacts, you might also pursue magical contracts. While less of a metaphysical commitment than a pact, contracts offer similar benefits you just can't resist— and you can employ your skill set as a pactbinder to manipulate the precise wording of the bargain.

PirateDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 185 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Intimidation
You live a life of freedom, taking by force and intimidation all that you desire. You may be a privateer, raiding and plundering on behalf of a particular nation or another authority, or you may answer to no one but your own capricious whims. Either way, you rely on intimidation, wits, and combat prowess to take what you want from those you deem less deserving.

Pirates have much in common with swashbucklers, and many pirates have the swashbuckler class or archetype. Much like a swashbuckler's daring deeds, classic pirate maneuvers are often showy feats intended to impress, intimidate, and gain panache. For example, if you have the panache class feature and your Acrobatics check for a Boarding Assault exceeds the very hard DC for your level, you would gain panache.

Pistol PhenomDedication Feat 2

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!

PoisonerDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 186 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Crafting
People are so delightfully fragile when exposed to the glories of nature. The bite of a certain serpent makes the blood congeal to jelly. A particular stone, suitably powdered, causes hallucinations and delirium. The sap of a tree inflicts such pain that death seems preferable. You are a student of such dark wonders, making you a dangerous foe indeed.

Psychic DuelistDedication Feat 4

Rare
Source Dark Archive pg. 203
Prerequisites trained in Occultism; you have been in a psychic duel
The mental landscape of the psychic duel rises to meet your steps and reshapes at your touch. You understand the binary mindscape links two minds, making its foundation only as strong as the wills of those involved. Two psychic castles in a siege—patch every loose brick in your walls and single out every flaw in your foe's defenses.

ReanimatorDedication Feat 2

Source Book of the Dead pg. 34
Prerequisites able to cast animate dead with a spell slot
Most cultures revere the bodies of the deceased, laying to rest the mortal remains of their companions according to tradition formed generations before. Such customs assume a common conclusion: once the spirit that inhabited it has gone on to the Boneyard, the empty shell of a corpse has no purpose beyond its eventual return to the elements that formed it. You know differently. As the vessels that once housed immortal souls, corpses hold great power and potential, perfect construction materials for creations of unsurpassed wonder. As a reanimator, you have chosen to focus your study of the necromantic arts on the transformation of dead flesh into innumerable varieties of undead, from the lowliest shuffling corpses and brittle skeletons to abominations of ghastly splendor barely conceived of by only the most fanatical—or brilliant— mortal minds.

RitualistDedication Feat 4

Uncommon
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 187 ^2.0
Prerequisites expert in Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion
While some learn the art of ritual casting through rigorous study, other gifted individuals may find that a combination of natural talent and luck gives them surprising skill at performing rituals, whether they want that power or not.

RunelordDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Secrets of Magic pg. 240 ^1.1
Prerequisites runelord specialization
You've learned arcane magic following the path of the runelords. You unlock secrets of a chosen school of magic while forsaking lesser schools. You learn the secrets of runic magic, the building blocks of magic. But be warned: you might succumb to sin in your pursuit of power.

You also learn to use polearms, the signature weapons of the runelords, and can acquire the secrets of the mighty, ancient magic items called aeon stones, embedding them into your skin.

ScoutDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 188 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Stealth and Survival
You're an expert in espionage and reconnaissance, able to skulk silently through the wilderness to gather intelligence, sneak through enemy lines to report to your comrades, or suddenly and decisively strike your foes. Your skills ease the difficulty of travel for you and your companions and keep you all on guard when you're approaching danger.

Scroll TricksterDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 189 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Arcana, Nature, Occultism, or Religion
Magic has long been written down, and in myriad forms. From the classic rolled parchment to strings tied with a hundred intricate knots, from baked clay tablets covered with incisions to bound collections of bamboo slips, magic is everywhere. You just need to know how to read it.

ScroungerDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 190 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Crafting
You have spent countless hours disassembling and rebuilding complex items to learn how they work, giving you the skill to create just about anything from the most unlikely materials. While your improvised items don't last long, they tend to be just what you need in a pinch, and your enemies find that while they might be able to disarm you, the real challenge is keeping you that way. Locked rooms, diabolical traps, and desperate situations are each their own sort of puzzle to you, and the mundane objects around you are the pieces you use to improvise your own solution.

SentinelDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 191 ^2.0
Armor offers solid, reassuring protection in combat, and as someone who faces danger on a regular basis, you have made it your business to get the most out of your defenses. You stand solid on any battlefield, encased in the sturdiest armor you can find. When danger threatens, your solid defenses will safely get you, and possibly your companions, home again. As a sentinel, you might be a member of an order of knights or bodyguards that trained you how best to take advantage of heavy armor. On the other hand, you might just be an adventurer who took one too many scrapes and decided that enough was enough, so you trained yourself to wear the heaviest plate you could get your hands on. Some witches or sorcerers have chosen to follow the path of the sentinel to increase their survivability.

ShadowcasterDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Secrets of Magic pg. 226 ^1.1
Prerequisites ability to cast spells
The world is full of shadows, but each living creature possesses a form of inner light to ward against that ever-present darkness… all except shadowcasters. By trading away that piece of their spirit, shadowcasters have removed a limiter, allowing them to gain magical power rooted in the darkness; however, this trade also exposes them to otherworldly whispers from the realms of shadow.

ShadowdancerDedication Feat 8

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 192 ^2.0
Prerequisites expert in Performance and master in Stealth
Shadow has always been the cousin of fear. Within the darkness, monsters dwell, plans are hatched, and enemies strike with fang and dagger and dark magic. But some embrace the shadow, gain power from it, and dance within its shifting dark.

A true shadowdancer is a creature who flits on the edge of light and darkness. Moving amid the inky blackness, shadowdancers are spies, assassins, infiltrators, and emissaries. Some shadowdancers use their relationship with the dark for good, while others embrace the primordial night, its terror, and its betrayal.

Regardless of the reason why someone embraces the shadows, the shadows embrace that person in turn, gradually transforming them into something inky, nebulous, and mysterious.

SleepwalkerDedication Feat 4

Source Dark Archive pg. 206
Prerequisites expert in Occultism
Many think of mental realms and mindscapes as rare and elaborate constructions, forgetting that everyone creates their own mental realm when they sleep, one where even the strangest occurrences seem perfectly normal. Anything is possible inside these dreamscapes, but few sapient creatures have the will and insight to take control and truly explore their unconscious mind.

Sleepwalkers dedicate themselves to unlocking the secrets of the sleeping mind, taking control of their dreams and walking through the slumbering vistas of others. Some are nefarious manipulators, whispering to the slumbering for personal gain. Others use their powers for good, seeking evildoers and those who corrupt dreams to nightmares. As their power grows, a sleepwalker's appearance gradually becomes slightly indistinct, as though they were blurred around the edges, and those who encounter them find it difficult to recall exact details about their appearance.

SnarecrafterDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 194 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Crafting; Snare Crafting
You're able to take ordinary materials and use them to create deadly snares, special traps that you can rig up quickly when the situation demands. While traps might grant you less brute force to apply in a fair fight than weapons would, you rarely allow your fights to be fair. Instead, when a battle takes place at a location of your choice, you have a major advantage thanks to your well-placed snares. Once your foes come to realize that you may have trapped any location on the battlefield, their fear of walking into another trap can help you corral them toward the waiting blades of your allies, or even make them too paranoid to move at all, locking them in place.

Sniping DuoDedication Feat 2

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.

Soul WardenDedication Feat 2

Source Book of the Dead pg. 26
Prerequisites trained in Occultism or Religion; worships Pharasma or a psychopomp usher
You consider yourself an honorary psychopomp—a shepherd of spirits who ensures the cycle of souls progresses unimpeded. Although you're unable to safeguard the cycle of souls in its entirety, you strive to ensure each soul's time on the Material Plane proceeds without incident. You work to free souls from imprisonment, prevent necromancers from animating the dead, and destroy undead so their souls rejoin the cycle.

While most who hunt undead do so out of fear, vengeance, or a desire to protect the lives of others, you take a more measured and far less emotional approach; you destroy undead so their souls can continue their journey along the River of Souls, thus ensuring the continuation of existence. You understand that without the cycle of souls, the life cycle of the planes is disrupted, and all of existence could be consumed by the Maelstrom.

Nearly all soul wardens worship Pharasma or one of the psychopomp ushers, especially Barzahk the Passage, a psychopomp usher who routinely shirks their duties and needs help from mortal soul wardens. Soul wardens also often join organizations that regularly combat undead, including the Voices of the Spire and Ustalav's Ivory Reapers.

SoulforgerDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Secrets of Magic pg. 236 ^1.1
Prerequisites Wisdom 14, or ability to cast divine spells
Your devotion to a cause unifies your soul with an armament tethered to the very essence of your spirit.

SpellshotDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Guns & Gears pg. 140 ^2.0
Prerequisites way of the spellshot
Spellshots aren't ordinary gunslingers. They come from a tradition of ancient secrets and principles, which they temper with modern innovation and perspective. Spellshots combine magical power into the art of gunplay to create a distinct and mystical way known only to spellshots, enigmatic and unavailable to other gunslingers in the world at large. The first to identify themselves as spellshots tied their magical traditions to the history of the Star Code and the Crowned Regents in Arcadia. Ancient, reclusive crafters known as the Crowned Regents created star guns, the legendary magical firearms that shot white-hot blasts of energy. Wielders of star guns became bound together by the Star Code—a set of cultural expectations that defined how one should behave while using these powerful weapons. You can find more information about star guns, the Crowned Regents, and the Star Code in Guns & Gears.

Most spellshots continue to come from Arcadia, as the stories describing the relevant skills and training to become one have been passed down over the generations. Many gunslingers who grow up in this region hear of these tales early in their lives, and they develop the techniques to channel magical energy through their firearms in imitation of the Regents' arcane methods. While Arcadia is home to the vast majority of the world's spellshots, the techniques have slowly spread to other regions. However, spellshots remain particularly rare in the Inner Sea region due to the unique history of guns there and their connection to the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar, which exists in a magic-dead region of the Mana Wastes.

Sterling DynamoDedication Feat 2

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!

SwarmkeeperDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 72 ^2.0
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.

Talisman DabblerDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 195 ^2.0
The classic idea of magic is that of a hoary wizard, poring over a crumbling book of spells. But magic is so much more than that—it is thought, will, and action, and with the right talismans, you can make even the cut of a sword a deeply magical act. This all hinges on the small magical talismans you affix to your gear. You know how to make and use the perfect talismans for any job.

Thlipit ContestantDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 74 ^2.0
According to folklore, the thlipit martial art began with a wager. A group of bored tripkees looking for a little sport devised a game of using their tongues to gather fruit out of nearby trees. As the competition wore on and the bets escalated, the contestants began snatching falling fruit in midair and even using their tongues to push away the competition. While the names of the original competitors vary between tellings, all agree that the contest ended with a particularly magnificent tongue flick, landing an overripe mango squarely upon a losing bettor’s head.

No matter the origin, variants of the game and the martial art it spawned have become mainstays in tripkee society. In contrast to other fighting styles, thlipit doesn’t stand on ceremony or rigid discipline. Practitioners refer to themselves as contestants and play off the forms and moves as mere exercises or games. Despite this veneer of frivolity, thlipit can be just as dangerous in the mouth of an adept as any other weapon.

Thlipit combines fluid movements reminiscent of whip fighting with the leverage of a wrestler’s stance. It favors quick smacks, brief grabs, and short throws. Friend, foe, and the contestant themselves always remain in motion. Moves are often exaggerated to play up stylish elements for spectators or lure brash opponents into attacking early.

No formal schools exist to teach thlipit. Many tripkees are familiar with the style from childhood games, even if they haven’t developed the physicality to be considered a true contestant. Self-directed instruction remains common, though aspiring contestants will seek out veterans and ask to be taken on as apprentices. Even though this sort of self-directed instruction happens frequently, a veteran contestant will still occasionally take on a student or two to pass along particular forms or styles.

Though thlipit originated with tripkees, tripkee migration to Vidrian and other population centers has exposed other peoples to the sport. Most notably, thlipit has become popular with the recent generation of iruxi youth, who have adapted it for use with a tail rather than a tongue. Though not every move is possible with a tail, they have added their own innovations to the style.

Time MageDedication Feat 6

Uncommon
Source Dark Archive pg. 184
Prerequisites You have a spellcasting class feature.
Magic leaves its brand on those who practice it. The veteran pyromancer bears the scorch marks of lessons learned. The archdruid grows to resemble plants or animals in their domain or grove. The professional reanimator can never quite cover up the stench of their grim work.

The mark left by the practice of time magic is less obvious but no less indelible. With other disciplines, the marks of experience accumulate as magic is learned, creating an equilibrium of sorts between the exercise of power and the necessary consequences. Time magic suffers no such limitations of cause and effect. Distortions and anachronistic thoughts echo back throughout a time mage's entire life, providing a nonlinear perspective that others can find distracting or even alien. The threat of creating a paradox is ever looming. Many a reckless time mage has inadvertently erased themselves from existence, glimpsed a future they now have no choice but to enact, or attracted the attentions of temporal creatures, such as iriis or siktemporas.

For these reasons, most mages merely dabble in time magic, learning a spell or two here and there. Despite the dangers, a brave few embrace the discipline, for it offers the allure of changing what was and controlling what will be.

TrapsmithDedication Feat 4

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.

Trick DriverDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Guns & Gears pg. 55 ^2.0
While cavaliers follow an old and tired tradition of mounted combat, you take a more modern road. Through aggressive use of vehicles, you roll across the battlefield, taking down your opponents. You go beyond simply operating a vehicle, pushing it to perform stunts that its builders never intended, transforming the vehicle into something much greater than a mere conveyance.

Undead MasterDedication Feat 2

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.

Undead SlayerDedication Feat 2

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

Unexpected SharpshooterDedication Feat 2

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?

Ursine Avenger HoodDedication Feat 2

Source Treasure Vault pg. 183 ^1.1
Some items inherit their magic not through an intentional spell or ritual but through generations of use and belief, slowly accumulating power and intent from those around them. The Ursine Avenger Hood is such an item. After defeating a powerful cave bear, the Ulfen hunter Baruk shaped the bear's head and fur into a helm and cape for himself. Baruk later fell in battle against a linnorm, successfully slaying the beast before succumbing to its death curse. His helm, soaked in the blood of man and linnorm and saturated with the magic of the linnorm's curse, was claimed by Baruk's daughter, who often told stories about the helm giving her a bear's strength and ferocity, though it was unclear at the time whether this was a boast.

Over many generations, the magic of the hood was proven true, and more than that, the magic continued to grow and evolve with ever-more-ursine attributes. As the belief and power of each new wearer soaked into the hood, the artifact's potential has continued to grow. Now, those who bond with the generational artifact will discover that the Ursine Avenger Hood continues to grow in power alongside them.

VampireDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Book of the Dead pg. 58
Prerequisites You were a killed by a vampire drinking your blood.
After being exsanguinated by a vampire, you've risen again, pulling yourself from the earth as an immortal undead. You're a creature of the night, harmed by the light of day and thirsting for blood.

Vehicle MechanicDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Guns & Gears pg. 56 ^2.0
Prerequisites Intelligence 14; trained in Crafting
You have always felt that vehicles are as much works of art as they are means of transportation. It doesn't matter if it's as common as a chariot or as complex as an airship, there's always some aspect of the vehicle you can improve upon. Pilots, drivers, and sailors alike value your expertise, and many seek you out to work on their vehicles. While you can make a great profit working on custom vehicles for wealthy clients, you still keep a vehicle of your own to tinker with as your personal passion project.

You might be part of a vehicle mechanic union, working with other mechanics and engineers to find fair jobs and support each other's labor. While some vehicle mechanic unions are secular, many realize the benefits of organizing alongside a sympathetic religion, and so they typically adopt the ideals of economically-focused gods like Abadar or deities interested in crafting such as the goddess Brigh—the Whisper in Bronze—the goddess of invention. Whether religious or secular, vehicle mechanic unions take the bonds between fellow union members seriously. While this might mean your character becomes obligated to help a fellow union member who needs your help, it also means you have steadfast allies you can fall back on in your own time of need. In dire straits, such a connection can be worth its weight in gold.

VigilanteDedication Feat 2

Uncommon
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 196 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Deception
As a vigilante, you have two faces: a public persona, and a secret identity that lets you hide your extralegal actions from polite society. Your secret identity lets you adventure and carry out clandestine missions while keeping the civilians you care about safe. Whatever your purpose— fighting crime, inciting rebellion, sowing chaos—your vigilante identity makes you both hard to pin down and a mysterious, intriguing subject of gossip.

VikingDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 198 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in Athletics
To go “a-viking” is to raid by sea, and thus vikings have spread far and wide. Some have even settled in the very communities they once raided. Vikings traditionally travel in longboats; a score of these warriors might live aboard their ship for days at a time, sailing the seas (or, as they call it, the “whale-road”) to ambush coastal communities. Once they arrive at a settlement, they charge ashore, plundering all they can find and slaying anyone foolish enough to get in their way. The ferocity of viking raids is legendary.

Weapon ImproviserDedication Feat 2

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 199 ^2.0
Prerequisites trained in all 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's 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 off guard.

Whether you're smashing someone over the head with a bar stool, 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 fight breaks out. Because you fight with disposable weapons, you don't need to be as careful with your weapons as other warriors do, and you can break them when needed to win a fight without feeling any regrets later.

Wellspring MageDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Secrets of Magic pg. 248 ^1.1
Prerequisites wellspring magic
The source of your magic buckles against your control, always pressing to be released.

WerecreatureDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 76 ^2.0
You’re a werecreature, a humanoid doomed by an ancient primal curse to transform into an animal or an animalhumanoid hybrid under the light of the full moon. You might be a “true werecreature,” born to werecreature parents; you might have found yourself afflicted with the primal curse after surviving the bite of another werecreature; or you might have been transformed into a werecreature by powerful magic, perhaps even willingly. Although humanoids with the ability to transform into animals aren’t universally feared, they’re looked on with terror in many places because of a confusion with werecreatures or other threats. With the curse both spreading infectiously and robbing the afflicted control of their actions, those suspected of being werecreatures can rarely live in peace.

While many werecreatures have little control over their own transformations, formal training or an exceptionally strong will has enabled you to exert a degree of mastery over the beast that rages within you, allowing you not only to assume your bestial shape at will but also retain your own mind while doing so. In many cases, this results in being able to prevent spreading the curse as well. This mastery is more common in societies that embrace or accept werecreatures, such as Ulfen countries in northern Avistan and communities of beastkin, wherever they can be found.

Wild MimicDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 80 ^2.0
Wild beasts of all kinds can be found outside of the cities and villages of Golarion, and many possess remarkable abilities that help them survive, even thrive. From the capacity to fight through deadly wounds to the production of painful electric jolts, the multitude of the world’s beasts presents a staggering array of diversity in form. Through rigorous training of your body, the meticulous study of treatises on wildlife, or by spending a large portion of your life among them, you have learned to adopt the martial techniques of many beasts. Some of these are a matter of simple mimicry, while others are impressive displays of primal magic.

The style of wild mimicry is believed to have been created long ago in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. Hunters took on the aspects of local prehistoric beasts to better stalk and kill them for survival. In this constant struggle against nature, quick adaptation is key. In more recent decades, whether through convergent development or by adherents showcasing their techniques as they travel, wild mimicry has been found all across Golarion, from the Valashmai Jungle in Tian Xia to the coasts of Droon in southern Garund to anywhere large numbers of beasts can be encountered.

Winged WarriorDedication Feat 2

Source Howl of the Wild pg. 82 ^2.0
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.

ZombieDedication Feat 2

Rare
Source Book of the Dead pg. 60
Prerequisites You died and were animated as a husk zombie.
You are a zombie, a rotting corpse animated by necromantic magic. Although most zombies are mindless brutes, you're a husk zombie, preserved through necromantic rites and alchemical reagents. The process worked especially well on you, and you retained your intelligence and identity to a far greater degree than other husk zombies.

It's not easy being a corpse. Your body continues to rot and putrefy, and the stench is ever present. Your old self keeps slipping away, more and more as the weeks pass by. Your reflexes have slowed, you're beginning to lose your sense of touch, and your emotions are dulling. As your body continues to decay, so too, does your mind. Your memory's not perfect, and although you haven't noticed any huge gaps or flaws yet, you have a feeling they're there somewhere.

Unlike your other senses, your hunger has intensified. You ceaselessly crave the raw flesh and brains of the living—the smarter the better—and satisfying this hunger is the only thing that makes you feel alive. When you eat, you're reinvigorated; feeling returns and the constant mental torpor you live under vanishes. You feel like yourself again... for a time.

One day you might be nothing more than a walking corpse, but for now, you retain your personality and your free will. Feeding your hunger might allow you to remain that way.

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