Gaming Discussion > D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder

PF Archetype Ratings?

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zook1shoe:
Beyond the traditional class handbooks and one archetype tier list, is there anywhere that has archetypes rated based on power (or whatever)?

There's quite a few archetypes that are missed on many of the handbooks, because they haven't been touched in a half decade. And I was curious as to other peoples' views on their power levels.

akalsaris:
I don't think so. There's an interesting thread in the 2nd ed forum where the designers asked players to list their top 5 fav archetypes, which is a useful metric for seeing which ones are ahead of the curve.

With original PF on track to stop new content releases in a year or so, it should be feasible to start this sort of large-scale tier/rating. I'm not sure what the value of such a resource would be outside of the class handbooks though.

My vote for strongest archetype is probably master summoner.

Versatility_Nut:

--- Quote from: akalsaris on March 26, 2018, 12:19:03 AM ---My vote for strongest archetype is probably master summoner.

--- End quote ---
For the ceiling, probably. For the floor, Synthesist is leagues better, which is why its banned from the "official" campaigns. Kind of hard to actually be screwed as a Synthesist, all things considered, because too many Eidolon capabilities stack up.

zook1shoe:
The good Pact Wizard, Jinx Witch, Death Druid, Razmiran Priest Sorcerer, and Bladebound Magus are probably my top 5.

Master Summoner got banned too, probably ground the combats out with multiple summons. PFS GMs are now allowed to remove buddies that cause too many problems with a particular combat.

Edit: found that thread

Power:
Don't really see the point. Major tier shifts in archetypes are usually already listed in tier lists. If you want to know the top archetypes for each class, I can crank some out quickly:

Alchemist: Gun Chemist, Preservationist (esp. with Planar Preservationist feat - mostly predicated on action economy abuse with extracts), Promethean Alchemist, Toxicant, Winged Marauder
Antipaladin: Tyrant (At level 15+ with Summon Monster VIII the Fiendish Boon opens up Contract Devils or Cabal Devils if you worship Mephistopheles or Mahathallah respectively, but at lower levels you're looking at either a fiendish pouncing cat or Erinyes for fear abuse)
Arcanist: Eldritch Font, Occultist
Barbarian: Invulnerable Rager
Bard: Studious Librarian, Voice of the Wild, Magician (if cheesing the non-unchained Summoner spell list; also, you can use it to stack multiple bardic performances by sacrificing spell slots), Fey Courtier (depending on how well you use the fey summons' abilities), Faith Singer, Chelish Diva (Instant no save frighten as a performance, why not, plus armor proficiencies), Sandman (depending on your party's spellcasters), Negotiator (if used to break the economy or to take advantage of enemies' lowered saves), Brazen Deceiver (especially if you have the Pageant of the Peacock masterpiece).
Brawler: Exemplar, Venomfist, Wild Child
Bloodrager: Bloodrider (especially if you use the Monstrous Mount feat to get a Griffon as your mount and Boon Companion feat to remove the level penalty), Crossblooded Rager (depending on your selection and ability to cover will saves, as you do eat -4 will - you may want the Deathtouched race trait, which conveniently works for any race, for +2 vs mind-affecting saves), Metamagic Rager (easily beats Improved Uncanny Dodge), Primalist, Urban Bloodrager
Cavalier: Constable (if paired with Padma Blossom or Indomitable Jewel)
Cleric: Ecclesitheurge, Divine Paragon, Evangelist (if you are going for Summon Monster abuse, especially with a Feather subdomain and Boon Companion for an animal companion - note that it works as bardic performance in all respects, which includes the shift from standard action to move and swift action)
Druid: Nature Fang (Not really better than Wild Shape unless you take advantage of the DC bonuses with Studied Target, since Spells are in fact a class ability of the Druid), Nature Priest, Halcyon Druid, Pack Lord (esp. with multiple Boon Companion feats), Lion Shaman
Fighter: Eldritch Guardian, Gloomblade, Martial Master, Mutation Warrior, Viking
Gunslinger: Bolt Ace (with dwarven pelletbows or double crossbows), Pistolero, Musket Master (if playing as Kasatha race to dual-wield muskets)
Hunter: Divine Hunter, Primal Companion Hunter
Inquisitor: Ravener Hunter, Sacred Huntmaster, Sanctified Slayer, Monster Tactician
Investigator: Antiquarian (if you want to craft magic items, use lesser metamagic rods of quicken spell, use Samsaran race for mystic past life, or use spellcaster prestige classes), Toxin Codexer (poison a lot of weapons out of combat with modified mundane poisons and you can ensure anything is exhausted and later suffering 30% arcane spell failure chance, best of all these modifications apply regardless of whether or not someone saves against the poison itself)
Magus: Beastblade (if abusing action economy), Bladebound (if not abusing action economy with familiars or using spell-storing weapons), Eldritch Archer, Hexcrafter
Medium: Uda Wendo, Fiend Keeper, Spirit Dancer, Rivethun Spirit Channeler
Mesmerist: Material Manipulator (especially with Half-Elf race for Paragon Surge, but you should really get Logical Spell and/or a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Logical Spell now that you can no longer remove shaken from yourself as a swift action)
Monk: Sohei, Zen Archer, Nimble Guardian, Qinggong Monk (if we are even treating that as an archetype), Invested Regent (get Divine Favor as a SLA and combine it with the Fate's Favored faith trait)
Monk, Unchained: Invested Regent (as above)
Ninja: Hunting Serpent (unless you are in a party with a Bard), Petal Ninja
Occultist: Haunt Collector, Reliquarian
Oracle: Spirit Guide, Cyclopean Seer if you want to abuse flash of insight, like with randomized spell/item effects or a Heart-Piercing bow (or arrow).
Paladin: Sacred Servant (with Oath of Vengeance and a good domain selection; also, a good planar ally can make this T2 or even T1), Oath of Vengeance, Oath against Fiends (mostly for the great spell list, although being able to split a divine bond with your shield is a neat perk), Oath of the Skyseeker (Mostly Stalwart and Smite Evil Hordes are very good abilities & you could use Perfect Style with Tea of Transference since you can't get Oath of Vengeance), Gray Paladin (if you use it to get Diverse Obedience with Deific Obedience (Shelyn) for an extremely powerful and more versatile smite evil)
Psychic: Amnesiac, Esoteric Starseeker (if your psychic discipline's 1st-level powers aren't worth having), Magaambyan Telepath, Psychic Duelist (if you abuse its ability to extend spell-inflicted conditions, which, being an extension of the duration of the condition and not the spell itself, can even be used with instantaneous duration spells, metamagic-inflicted conditions, or the Debilitating Pain spell for a lengthy no save daze)
Ranger: Beast Master (with multiple Boon Companion feats), Nirmathi Irregular (if you can expect enemies to be predominantly of a single type, like an undead campaign)
Rogue: Eldritch Scoundrel, Sylvan Trickster
Samurai: Ironbound Sword (if you dip 1 level of Fighter or 3 levels of Weapon Master Fighter, since Bonus Feats is a level-scaling class feature of the Fighter class)
Shifter: Adaptive Shifter, Weretouched Shifter
Skald: Red Tongue
Sorcerer: Razmiran Priest, Mongrel Mage
Spiritualist: Involutionist, Onmyoji, Priest of the Fallen, Totem Spiritualist
Summoner: Master Summoner, Morphic Savant
Summoner (Unchained): Blood Summoner, Master Summoner, Morphic Savant, Twinned Summoner
Vigilante: Pick a spellcasting archetype, really. Zealot and Magical Child probably are best.
Witch: Beast-Bonded (esp. from level 10 onwards), Dimensional Occultist (for high level campaigns where the planar binding spells, gate, and perfect dimensional travel are useful), Pact Witch (planar ally, early plane shift, and gate, plus Improved Familiar is a good trade for a hex), Scarred Witch Doctor (Even post-errata, it effectively permits a Half-Orc or Racial Heritage (Orc) character to start with 22 int before age modifiers, and it's easier to protect a mask than a familiar, especially if you use one or more Fortifying Stones, and the massive enhancement bonus to natural armor also helps a Witch obtain high AC)
Wizard: Exploiter Wizard (DC abuse and exploits), Spellslinger (bigger DC abuse), Runesage, Thassilonian Specialist (more spells), Spell Sage (for CL abuse and (early) spell access, esp. potent if abusing necromancy), Pact Wizard (Haunted Heroes Handbook version, get Witch patron spells which can be cast spontaneously, get Oracle curse, get much better initiative, caster level checks, and saves, and get -1 metamagic reduction to patron and oracle curse spells)

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