PATHFINDER 2ND EDITION BEGINNER'S GUIDE: Archetypes

I dive in and explain exactly how to take an archetype in Pathfinder 2e, as well as mention how it affects the growth of your character! I hope I'm able to clear up the system for anyone who was confused by it!
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[@Mewzard]

The way I like looking at Multiclassing in 2e is this: If you were to Multiclass Fighter/Wizard in 1e, at an even split, by level 20, you would have a BAB of +15 (like you were a Bard), would peak at 5th level spells, and would be suffering HP wise. Now, 2e? A Fighter taking a Wizard dedication could spend five of their eleven Class Feats to get spells up to 8th level casting, and take a feat to let them have an additional spell per level up to sixth level, have full Fighter level HP and offensive proficiencies, and still have six entire feats to dedicate to their Fighter abilities so they can still shine decently in melee (though not quite as good as a dedicated Fighter who would have more options martial wise). It feels like a marked improvement in my book, though some single level dips in 1e are super beastly compared to a Dedication feat (my Sorcerer taking a single level dip into Scaled Fist Unchained Monk for the Charisma to AC comes to mind).

[@Ryan_Winter]

Underrated comment.

[@StabYourBrain]

I honestly prefer Multiclassing to reward dedication over dipping.

[@michaelturner2806]

Watching this Beginner's Guide playlist eight months later as a completely new player. I'm sure there's a later video that explains the "new" archetype options, I just gotta keep watching. Thanks for the content! A friend is thinking of running a pf2 game so I'm trying to bone up on the basics.

[@Olimar92]

Other Archetypes have already been released. The Lost Omens books, and the Adventure Paths have released Archetypes.

[@Nonat1s]

Fair point! I still need to give those a read-through! I try to keep things for these basic guides to just the core rulebook to make it easy to understand. I'll be sure to cover different archetypes in the near future!

[@Olimar92]

@@Nonat1s I'm just pointing out that they exist. In the video it seems like only the multiclass archetypes exist until next month.

[@Lechteron]

@@Nonat1s Just wait until you see the exploding dwarves.There's a heritage in Lost Omens that lets dwarves fire a blast of elemental energy around them. They can take feats to shape it, make it stronger, and IIRC do it more often. Can't play it because DM but I thought that would be good for a Champion or some other front liner in case you get surrounded or have to deal with a swarm.

[@camillemerkt7134]

It makes sense in a way to do it PF2 way. Traditionally you basically become completely skilled and proficient in classes that you have no experience in simply by leveling up. Most of the time for benefit in combat. Look at me I studied magic my whole life to become a first level wizard. Now watch me become a 1st level fighter within an extremely short time after sitting on my ass for an extremely long period of my life due to my studies. Meanwhile we assume a 1st lvl character that is a fighter had to live either a rough life or got trained for a considerable amount of time to get to where they are at level 1. Then again this is fantasy, so the question is, is it fun??

[@Nonat1s]

Exactly!! The multiclassing feature (while CRAZY fun in gameplay) is always a bit strange in context. I enjoy the dedication being a weak feat that represents the struggle and study of a character learning a new class. I'm excited to see what the APG brings to the table next month!

[@Ryan_Winter]

Mind you, It's the first level that costs 0 xp. Anyway, I think the notion that you can't learn something different while or after you attain/ed a certain level of expertise in a given field of interest, seems rather artificial to me. OK, I guess if we think it through then the whole concept of classes itself is an artifical pigeonhole. Just because you take classes in engineering doesn't mean that you can't receive training in fencing. Besides "most of one's life" is a rather short time for 1st level characters and the combat capabilities of a level 1 Fighter do not represent or imply long time experience, it's not the result of "having lived through a rough life".

[@Lechteron]

One of the PCs in one of my games is an ancient half-elf imperial sorcerer with a champion dedication from ancient elf. He's a champion of Torag and mostly has telekinetic spells that he uses to pretend that he's throwing weapons in combat while running around in full plate.

[@Nonat1s]

lol I love it! Get freaking creative! Though something about a Sorcerer in Full Plate fills me with dread...

[@Lechteron]

@@Nonat1s He also knows magic weapon and the other sorcerer (fire elemental) knows enlarge and the party has an 18 int half-orc giant barbarian (he took the trade off to boost int so has 8 dex and cha). Raging enlarged barbarian with a magic, huge (after enlarge) war flail is no one's idea of fun to be against. Oh and the barbarian recites relevant haikus while raging.

[@Nonat1s]

@@Lechteron MAN, I'm getting some Zer0 from Borderlands vibes from that! That's absolutely terrifying! But I love seeing people make use of the flaw system to gain an extra boost! Hell yeah, Orc Man! Swing that flail!

[@xezzee]

Regardless if this is a good or bad idea, Example and Question: Level 2 Monk could take Druid Archetypes which grants him? + Prepare 2 Primal Cantrips (Wisdom) + Druidic Language + Trained in Natural and Athletic (or other if already trained) - Anathema from Order of your choosing. Level 4 Monk could then take Basic Wild combined with chosen order you could pick Animal Companion? Now Questions are did I get that correct and if one were to meta game Archetypes how is the balance?

[@aruanamic8766]

Thank you. Made this alot clearer to me.

[@JacksonOwex]

I think I like this better than the way D&D deals with multiclassing! I'd have to actual put this in practice to know for sure but it SOUNDS like it is more interesting and when you actually get the grasp of it easier to handle!

[@greenhillmario]

I just like archetypes because I can make interesting copies of fighting game characters now... well under night characters. Wild winds Monk with fighter dedication to get me a nanase sword car baby

[@Nonat1s]

I love getting creative with character concepts. I've had the plan of a druid/barbarian multiclass for a while. Some crazy cool synergy between Animal Instinct and some druid spells.

[@K.J.Saunders]

Well done I like the content

[@Nonat1s]

Glad you enjoyed it!!

[@DivideAConquer]

I want to go with the avatar the last Airbender archetype Master of all four elements XD good video man!

[@entheo302]

Thanks 🙏🏽

[@ingridplata2411]

I'm relatively new to 2e, are there alignment restrictions with class? Could you take champion dedication without being lawful, for example?

[@kevinerbs2778]

I believe it is now, Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good. Each one changes what the character can do too.

[@jacobjett5783]

sorry for the vid necromancy but I have a question. do you have a discord where questions can be asked (or is it hidden behind a paywall like Patreon)? At any rate, I'm finally upgrading my elderly setting from D&D 3.5 to something new -- Pathfinder 2e in this case. I'm doing some redesign work with the Fight class (adding sub-classes). (Digression: You are right, the expert weapon proficiencies really narrow the design space.) I'm looking at the Medic Archetype as a possible option for one of my fighter sub-classes but, I'm wondering at what point you could actually select Medic at Level 2 since it requires Battle Medicine already be known to the character? Granted, it's a level 1 general feat...but no one gets general feat access until level 3...or have I missed something important? (and again, let me know if there's a more appropriate venue for this convo)

[@jamiedorsey4167]

Is there also a free archetype optional rule, where the dedication feats are in addition to the regular class feats?

[@dave80c]

So how would you handle the situation where your racial and class selection both give you a dedication to start? Ancient elf + eldrich trickster both give you a dedication at 1st level and specifically say ignores level requirements. Normally you cant select a new dedication without having selected a few feats from your first dedication. But this is a racial and class feature.

[@James-zr8vi]

You're still locked out of taking new dedication feats throug feats, but not through class features.

[@JamesTillmanjimthegray]

The lost omens character guide and world guide have several archtypes

[@kaijukoopa1248]

I wonder how you would make Conan or King Kull, maybe Subotai in pathfinder 2

[@killingkat7198]

If I was playing with the free archetype feature from game Master's guide could I take an archetype from the same class I'm in? For instance if I was playing a monk could I jump into the monk dedication and get the feet that increases my movement?

[@francoiscolin6692]

Sooooooo i don't get why it's better than 3.5 multiclassing since you're losing the extras from one class in the dedication feat.

[@Kingdomkey123678]

Basically you get to keep your core class features, HP, and other bonus while still gaining some features of another class

[@wingedhussar2909]

I miss 3.5.

[@blackfox2973]

Food --> Machine

[@How_Do_I_Set_a_Username]

I really wish I watched this before buying in. I'm much more hesitant to launch this at my party now. I liked the way 1e sounded MUCH more.