After a long hiatus, Ascension Games is back, with our next product in the “Path” series, Path of the Wilds!
As with the rest of the Path series, Path of the Wilds focuses on a specific area of magic, in this case, nature. Harnessing elemental spells, plants, animals, weather, terrain, you name it. Spells that chain foes with living storms, erode away artifice, and conjure toxic blooms are just a sampling of what's in store for Path of the Wilds. And just like with Path of Shadows and Path of Iron, this book will cover all aspects of Pathfinder: archetypes, class features, feats, magic items, you name it: we want to make sure there’s plenty of options for any master of the wilds.
Here's an overview of what you can expect in Path of the Wilds:
The elementalist base class, a spellsword that has mastered the forces of air, earth, fire, and water. They can absorb latent energy from their spells to form a powerful planar aegis, letting them switch between spell focus and combat focus at a moment’s notice. They can also convert elemental spells into simplified “twists” for more utility, or combine their spell slots together to reach greater heights of arcane potency.
The invoker base class, a mystical warrior that bonds with the spirits of nature. Unlike most “pet” classes like the druid or summoner, the roles for the invoker and his spirit companion are reversed: the invoker players the front-line combatant while his companion casts spells to support him from afar. He can also invoke over a dozen lesser spirits like Tempests Herald and Oncoming Storm and Depths Beckon With Silent Murmurs to grant him unparalleled adaptability in his approach to combat.
The warden base class, a verdant protector of nature. The warden is the first line of defense for both nature and his companions, gaining a slew of defensive and support oriented abilities. He creates magical wards that shield allies from harm, and can improve them with natural facets like summer’s heat or river of life to shield against specific threats. His remedy feature grants him a slow-but-steady healing stream, while his mastery of nature’s close-kept secrets gives him new methods of support and further control over his enviroment.
New archetypes and options for existing classes. Play archetypes like the Animist barbarian to summon ancestral totems, or an Elemental Savant sorcerer to learn a wide selection of elemental spells from other classes. Options include new kineticist talents and a new selection of six “primal spirits” for the medium class.
Spells for casters that want to evoke nature’s benevolence - or its fury. Turn into a being of light with the solar body spell, or tap into your wild side with the primal fury spell. Gather foes together with a watery vortex, then poison them with a toxic nettle burst.
Feats that let you truly master the wilds. Use wild empathy to impart magical suggestion effects on creatures with the Mystic Empathy feat, and track down impossible quarries with the Skilled Tracker feat. Call out your foe’s weaknesses with the Spotter’s Call and take them down with a single Mountain Strike. There of course will be feats to support the new classes, as well, such as Latent Remedy to let wardens grant contingent healing effects and Aegis Strike to give elementalists and extra arcane edge while using their aegis form.
A plethora of new magic items and equipment properties. Always have the right element at hand with the cycling weapon property, and entangle foes that attack you with miring armor. Fly upon the wind with the stormlord’s raiment and freeze foes solid with the rimeflower bow.
Kickstarter and Playtest for Path of the Wilds
As with Path of Iron, we want to ensure the best quality for the Path series. Ascension Games always uses commissioned art in our books, and we take a painstakingly long time to ensure the rules text is clear, balanced, and - most importantly - fun. In order to make this book come to life, we’re excited to announce that we are launching a Kickstarter for the book today! The campaign will run from October 16th until November 15th. You can find the Kickstarter here.
To go along with the Kickstarter, we are also simultaneously releasing a playtest for the three new classes (elementalist, invoker, and warden). These classes have many atypical mechanics, so thorough testing is a must. You can download the playtest from:
Discussion threads will be made available on both Paizo.com’s Third-Party forum and the Giant in the Playground forums. You can also send us feedback directly through the contact form of the Ascension Games website.
Thank you for your support, and I hope you are as excited as I am for Path of the Wilds!
Christopher Moore,
Ascension Games, LLC
