pathfinder 2e advanced player’s guide

The Pathfinder 2e Advanced Player’s Guide offers an array of exciting new options for players seeking enhanced character customization.
Introducing fresh classes, ancestries, archetypes, and innovative mechanics, this supplement empowers players to craft unique, dynamic characters while expanding the game’s depth and versatility for experienced adventurers.

New Classes in the Advanced Players Guide

The Advanced Players Guide introduces four new classes: the Investigator, Oracle, Swashbuckler, and Witch. Each offers unique playstyles, blending skill mastery, divine inspiration, flashy combat, and arcane magic.

Investigator

The Investigator is a versatile class blending detective work with alchemical prowess. Masters of perception, diplomacy, and skill-based problem-solving, Investigators excel at uncovering clues and solving mysteries. Their key ability, Investigator’s Eye, allows them to gather and analyze information effectively. As they progress, they gain access to alchemical tools and crafting, enabling them to create potent remedies or deceptive disguises. This class is ideal for players who enjoy strategic thinking, social interactions, and a mix of combat and exploration. The Investigator brings a unique blend of brains and practicality to any adventuring party.

Oracle

The Oracle is a divine class infused with mysterious power, wielding prophecy and revelation. Charisma-based, they channel divine energy to heal, support allies, and smite foes. Their key feature, Divine Guidance, grants bonuses to key ability checks, enhancing their versatility. Oracles also access a wide range of divine spells, making them adept at both healing and dealing damage. This class excels as a supportive healer and damage dealer, perfect for players who enjoy embodying a divine vessel and serving as the party’s moral compass and enigmatic guide.

Swashbuckler

The Swashbuckler is a dexterity-based class that combines agility, charm, and precision in combat. Using panache, they perform dazzling maneuvers and feats of acrobatics. Their key ability, Dodging Panache, allows them to use their reaction to avoid attacks, making them highly evasive. Swashbucklers excel with light weapons like rapiers and swords, and their Precise Strike ability grants bonus damage when flanking. This class is perfect for players who enjoy a mix of mobility, flair, and cunning, making them both a spectacle and a formidable opponent on the battlefield.

Witch

The Witch is a spellcasting class that draws power from a mysterious patron, granting access to a wide array of magical abilities. They use their spell attacks and hexes to manipulate the battlefield and confound enemies. Witches gain a familiar, a loyal companion that aids in exploration and combat. Their spell list includes enchantments, illusions, and curses, making them versatile supporters or controllers. The Witch’s abilities emphasize clever tactics and strategic spell selection, offering a unique playstyle that rewards creativity and adaptability in both combat and roleplay scenarios.

New Ancestries and Heritages

The Advanced Players Guide introduces five new ancestries and expanded heritage options, offering diverse cultural and mechanical customization. Players can explore versatile heritages, half-elf, and half-orc traits, enhancing character depth and versatility with unique abilities and backgrounds.

New Ancestries Introduced

The Advanced Players Guide debuts five fresh ancestries, each with unique cultural backgrounds and mechanical traits. These ancestries expand the racial diversity in Pathfinder 2e, offering players new ways to craft distinctive characters. From those attuned to ancient magic to those with nomadic lifestyles, these ancestries provide rich storytelling opportunities. Each comes with its own heritages and cultural influences, allowing for deep customization. These additions enrich the game world, giving players more options to create characters that reflect diverse backgrounds and experiences, enhancing the depth of their adventures and roleplaying possibilities.

Versatile Heritages

Versatile heritages in the Advanced Players Guide introduce a new layer of customization, particularly for half-elves and half-orcs. These heritages allow characters to blend cultural and biological traits, offering unprecedented flexibility. Players can choose heritages that reflect mixed ancestry, providing unique bonuses and abilities. This system enhances character identity by allowing for diverse backgrounds without sacrificing mechanical balance. Versatile heritages expand the narrative possibilities, enabling players to craft characters with rich, nuanced histories that stand out in any campaign. This feature is a standout addition for those seeking deeper customization and storytelling potential.

Half-Elf and Half-Orc Heritages

The Advanced Players Guide introduces new heritages for half-elves and half-orcs, offering fresh customization options. Half-elves gain access to versatile heritages that blend human and elf traits, while half-orcs can embrace their mixed ancestry with unique abilities. These heritages provide balanced mechanical benefits while enriching character backgrounds. Players can now craft half-elves and half-orcs with distinct cultural identities, allowing for deeper narrative integration. This expansion enhances the versatility of these ancestries, making them more appealing for players seeking complex, nuanced characters with rich, mixed heritage stories.

Other Ancestry Options

Beyond the core ancestries, the Advanced Players Guide introduces additional options like goblins, kobolds, and gnolls, each with unique traits and cultural backgrounds. These ancestries provide fresh opportunities for character customization, blending quirky abilities with rich narrative potential. Players can now explore unconventional heritages, adding diversity to their parties. These options maintain game balance while offering creative avenues for character building, ensuring that every ancestry choice feels meaningful and mechanically distinct. This expansion enriches the game with new story hooks and mechanical possibilities, appealing to players seeking uncommon ancestry choices.

Heritage Selection Guide

The Heritage Selection Guide in the Advanced Players Guide provides a comprehensive approach to choosing heritages, ensuring they align with your character’s background and mechanical needs. This section offers balanced options, guiding players to select heritages that complement their class and ancestry choices. It simplifies complex decisions, ensuring each selection enhances character creation. The guide also includes tips for blending lore and mechanics, helping players craft unique identities. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the system, this guide streamlines the process, making character customization intuitive and enjoyable.

Archetypes in the Advanced Players Guide

The Advanced Players Guide introduces 42 diverse archetypes, offering rich customization options. These archetypes expand character possibilities, blending unique abilities with class features for dynamic playstyles.

Dragon Disciple

The Dragon Disciple archetype allows players to embrace draconic heritage, blending sorcerous might with martial prowess. This archetype, typically associated with the Sorcerer class, unlocks draconic powers, including breath weapons and resistances. Players can choose from various dragon types, each granting unique abilities. The Dragon Disciple archetype enhances spellcasting capabilities while introducing combat versatility, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a balance of magic and physical might. It exemplifies the Advanced Players Guide’s focus on deep customization and dynamic character builds.

Blessed One

The Blessed One archetype is a divine-focused option, often paired with the Champion class, allowing players to channel sacred energy for healing and protection. This archetype emphasizes divine magic, granting access to powerful spells and abilities that bolster allies and weaken foes. The Blessed One excels in support roles, offering versatility through its divine interventions. It enhances the Champion’s martial prowess with holy might, making it a popular choice for players seeking a blend of combat and divine magic. This archetype underscores the Advanced Players Guide’s commitment to diverse playstyles and synergistic character builds.

Other Notable Archetypes

Beyond the Dragon Disciple and Blessed One, the Advanced Players Guide introduces a variety of other unique archetypes. The Arcane Trickster blends magic and cunning, offering spellcasting and trickery options. The Shadowdancer excels at stealth and mobility, perfect for rogues seeking to master the shadows. The Flame Dancer brings fiery flair, combining martial prowess with elemental attacks. These archetypes, among others, provide players with diverse ways to customize their characters, ensuring a rich and dynamic experience tailored to their preferred playstyle and narrative vision.

Archetype Compatibility Guide

The Archetype Compatibility Guide in the Advanced Players Guide helps players navigate the intricate process of combining archetypes with their chosen classes. This section provides clarity on which archetypes work seamlessly with specific classes, ensuring balanced and synergistic character builds. It also offers tips for resolving conflicts between archetypes and presents strategies for creating unique, cohesive characters. By addressing compatibility concerns, this guide empowers players to experiment with diverse archetype combinations, fostering creativity while maintaining game balance and fun.

Animal Companions and Familiars

The Advanced Players Guide introduces new animal companions and expands familiar options, offering players fresh ways to enhance their characters with loyal allies and magical companions.

New Animal Companions

The Advanced Players Guide introduces a variety of new animal companions, each with unique abilities and traits.
From majestic mounts to cunning petites, these companions offer fresh tactical options for players.
With 8 new additions, including options like the fox and mastiff, players can now choose allies that fit their playstyle.
These companions come with specialized skills, such as tracking or combat prowess, adding depth to party dynamics.
Archetypes like the Dragon Disciple also interact with these companions, enhancing their capabilities.
This expansion allows for greater customization and strategic teamwork in Pathfinder 2e.

Expanded Familiar Options

The Advanced Players Guide significantly expands familiar options, offering players more versatility in their magical companions.
With new familiar types and abilities, players can tailor their familiars to suit their playstyle.
From enhanced combat capabilities to improved skill proficiencies, these options add depth to spellcasters’ arsenals.
The guide introduces fresh mechanics for familiar interactions, allowing for greater customization and strategic use in both exploration and combat.
These expanded options ensure that familiars become even more integral and unique companions in Pathfinder 2e, enriching the gameplay experience for spellcasters;

Backgrounds in the Advanced Players Guide

The Advanced Players Guide introduces new background options, offering players more customization and depth for their characters.
These backgrounds enhance both new and existing ancestries, providing fresh narratives and mechanical synergies to shape unique characters.

New Background Options

The Advanced Players Guide expands character customization with fresh background options, each offering unique skills and story hooks.
These backgrounds cater to diverse playstyles, allowing players to craft characters with rich histories and specialized abilities.
From unconventional origins to specialized training, these options enhance both roleplaying and mechanical depth, providing new ways to differentiate characters.
Players can explore uncharted territories with backgrounds that synergize seamlessly with new ancestries and classes, offering endless possibilities for character creation and development.

Background Customization Tips

Customizing backgrounds in the Advanced Players Guide allows for deeper character personalization.
Players can blend background skills with class abilities for unique synergies.
Consider pairing backgrounds with ancestries or heritages to create cohesive narratives.
Use background lore to inform roleplaying and story integration.
Experiment with unconventional combinations to craft one-of-a-kind characters.
Tailor your background to align with your campaign’s theme for optimal immersion.
Balancing flexibility with thematic consistency ensures a rewarding and memorable character experience.

Background and Ancestry Synergy

Combining backgrounds with ancestries creates rich, unique characters in Pathfinder 2e.
Select backgrounds that align with your ancestry’s cultural or thematic elements for deeper roleplaying.
For example, a Half-Elf with a Versatile Heritage might choose a background that reflects their dual identity.
Skills and lore from backgrounds can complement ancestral traits, enhancing both utility and storytelling.
This synergy allows players to craft characters with distinct personalities and abilities, making each build feel truly one-of-a-kind.
Experimenting with these combinations adds depth and versatility to your character’s narrative and gameplay.

Advanced Character Customization

Pathfinder 2e’s Advanced Player’s Guide unlocks profound customization, blending versatile heritages, archetypes, and class features.
Players can craft intricate characters with unique abilities and backgrounds, enhancing gameplay depth.

Building Complex Characters

The Advanced Player’s Guide provides extensive tools for crafting intricate characters, blending class features, ancestries, and backgrounds.
With versatile heritages and archetypes, players can create unique combinations, adding depth to their characters.
This guide encourages mixing different elements to form multi-dimensional personalities and abilities, allowing for rich, story-driven character builds.

Utilizing Versatile Heritages

Versatile heritages in the Advanced Player’s Guide offer players the flexibility to customize their characters further.
These heritages provide unique abilities and traits, allowing for more complex and personalized character builds.
By selecting versatile heritages, players can blend different ancestries, creating hybrid characters with distinct backgrounds and skills.
This system enhances character depth and encourages creative combinations, making each character truly one-of-a-kind in the world of Pathfinder 2e.

Multiclassing and Archetypes

The Advanced Player’s Guide expands character options with new archetypes and multiclassing rules,
offering players greater flexibility to combine classes and create unique builds.
These additions enhance customization and provide deeper strategic gameplay opportunities.

Multiclassing Strategies

Multiclassing in Pathfinder 2e offers players the flexibility to combine classes for unique builds. The Advanced Player’s Guide provides strategies to balance class features and archetype abilities effectively.
By carefully selecting class combinations, players can create complex, versatile characters tailored to their playstyle.
The guide emphasizes compatibility and synergy, ensuring that multiclassing enhances gameplay without compromising balance.
This approach encourages creative character design while maintaining the game’s strategic depth.

Archetype and Class Synergy

Archetypes in the Advanced Player’s Guide are designed to enhance class abilities, creating powerful synergies.
Players can combine archetypes with their chosen classes to unlock unique playstyles and abilities.
The guide provides tips for selecting archetypes that complement class features, ensuring a cohesive and balanced build.
By leveraging archetype and class synergy, players can craft characters with enhanced versatility and depth, making each build feel distinctive and impactful in gameplay.

Playtest and Community Feedback

The Advanced Player’s Guide underwent extensive playtesting until January 31st, 2025, incorporating feedback from online and in-person games to refine class balance and archetype effectiveness.

Playtest Process

The Advanced Player’s Guide underwent rigorous playtesting, running until January 31st, 2025, to ensure balanced and engaging content. Feedback was gathered from both online platforms, such as play-by-post campaigns and virtual tabletops (VTTs), and in-person games at home and local stores. This comprehensive approach allowed developers to refine classes, archetypes, and mechanics based on real-world play experiences. The playtest focused on assessing the effectiveness and fun factor of new additions, ensuring they aligned with Pathfinder 2e’s core design principles while offering fresh opportunities for character creation and advancement.

Community Involvement

The Pathfinder community played a pivotal role in shaping the Advanced Player’s Guide through active participation and feedback. Players and fans shared their experiences, suggestions, and criticisms, contributing to the refinement of new classes, ancestries, and archetypes. Online forums, social media, and organized play events served as platforms for discussion, fostering collaboration between developers and enthusiasts. This collective effort ensured that the final product reflected the community’s needs and preferences, enhancing the game’s accessibility and appeal. The involvement underscored Pathfinder’s commitment to creating content that resonates with its passionate player base.

The Advanced Player’s Guide significantly enhances Pathfinder 2e, offering fresh classes, ancestries, and customization options. It enriches the game with depth and versatility for players seeking unique character builds.

Impact on Pathfinder 2e

The Advanced Player’s Guide has significantly expanded Pathfinder 2e’s possibilities, introducing new classes, ancestries, and mechanics that enhance character customization. Its innovative approach to versatility heritages and archetypes has set a new standard for depth in player options. The guide’s focus on community feedback during playtesting ensured a balanced and engaging experience. By integrating fresh ideas while maintaining compatibility with existing content, it has become a cornerstone for players seeking complex builds. This supplement has not only enriched the game but also influenced future content, solidifying its legacy as a vital resource for Pathfinder 2e enthusiasts.