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As we’re approaching the end of Path of the Wilds’ development, it’s about time for us to get some artwork done!
We’re looking for multiple artists to do full-color artwork, ranging from single-character pieces to half-page spreads, depending on the section of the book.
If you’re interested, you can email us at contact@ascension-games.com, or use our contact form here on the website. Please include a link to an artwork portfolio, along with your commission rate/price.
Another two weeks, and another update.
Archetypes and options are almost done. All that’s left is a third warden archetype (mentioned in the last post, though I’m pretty sure I have the idea) and kineticist options. I don’t think I’ll be making an archetype for kineticist; probably just going to give a smattering of new wild talents.
Before I wrap up that chapter, I went ahead and started on the last chapter for magic items. I’m still in need of a LOT of material for this chapter (looking for at least 5 more wondrous items, a couple of rings, etc.) so I don’t have an ETA on this part yet.
The biggest challenge getting towards the end of the book is managing the page count. The print service through DriveThruRPG goes in sets of 4 pages, so it’s best to have your book be a multiple of 4 pages; otherwise, you end up with a bunch of blank paper added at the end. If I fill out the expected length of the last chapter, it should probably come out to around 104 pages, which works. But if not, that means either adding a few more pages or cutting a few, and I’d rather not have to do either of those.
As is tradition, this update ends with another content preview! Here we have the Divine Guide ranger archetype. It’s a support-focused ranger, trading away much of its offense for healing magic and defensive bonuses from the new warden class. Until next time!
Most rangers claim to understand nature, but few truly know its secrets. The divine guide eschews many traditional ranger abilities to learn the esoteric magics of the wild, channeling its verdant power to aid allies.
Favored Adversary (Ex): At 1st level, a divine guide learns how to best engage a particular foe without being harmed. This functions as and replaces favored enemy, but instead of the normal bonuses, he gains a +1 bonus on Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks, as well as a +1 bonus to AC, CMD, and saving throws against the extraordinary, spell-like, and supernatural abilities of those creatures.
Whenever the divine guide would gain a new favored enemy, he instead gains a new favored adversary. Also, rather than increasing a single adversary’s bonus by +2, all of his favored adversary bonuses (including the one just gained) increase by +1. This otherwise acts as and replaces favored enemy, and any abilities that function with favored enemy instead benefit favored adversary.
Remedy (Su): At 2nd level, the divine guide gains remedy, as the warden class feature of the same name and using his ranger level as his warden level. As he does not have wards, he must use remedy on either himself or an ally adjacent to him.
Hunter’s Bond (Ex): A divine guide must choose to bond with his companions, letting him share the benefit of his favored adversary with all allies within 30 feet, though it lasts a number of rounds equal to 1/2 his level + his Wisdom modifier, instead of the normal duration. In addition, he may use his remedy on any ally currently benefiting from his hunter’s bond, as long as they are within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). This alters hunter’s bond.
Secrets: At 4th level, the divine guide learns a single secret, as the warden feature of the same name. He must use his ranger level as his warden level to qualify for the secret. He gains an additional secret for every three levels gained after 4th. This ability replaces the divine guide’s spells. Divine guides do not gain any spells or spellcasting ability and cannot use spell trigger and spell completion magic items (without Use Magic Device).
Designate Threat (Ex): At 11th level, the divine guide can use a move action to designate one foe as a great threat to his allies. If that foe is not one of his favored adversaries, the creature is immediately treated as one of his adversaries. If it was already one of his favored adversaries, he adds his favored adversary bonus to attack and damage rolls against that foe. This bonus extends to his allies should he use his hunter’s bond to share his favored adversary bonus with them against the designated threat.
He may only have one designated threat at a time. He can dismiss the effect at any time as a free action, but cannot select a new threat for 24 hours. If the divine guide has proof the adversary is no longer a threat, he can select a new threat after 1 hour. This replaces quarry.
Imminent Threat (Ex): At 19th level, the divine guide’s ability to call out threats improves. He may use designate threat as a free action. If a threat is dismissed or otherwise ended, he can select a new one after 10 minutes have passed. This replaces imrpoved quarry.
Master Guide (Ex): At 20th level, the divine guide gains masterful insight against his foes’s attacks. He becomes immune to critical hits and sneak attacks from his favored adversaries. When he shares his favored adversary bonus with allies, they gain a 50% chance to negate critical hits and sneak attacks made by that favored adversary: this does not stack with other sources that prevent critical hits, such as fortification. This replaces master hunter.
Another month goes by, and Path of the Wilds continues forward.
I’ve been working on the Archetypes and class options chapter, which is going a little slower than I had hoped, but not by much. Barbarian, druid, elementer, hunter, invoker, and paladin are finished, though I’m thinking of updating the geomancer archetype to use specific spell lists rather than just cleric domains.
Right now I’m working on the Medium’s new “wild spirits”, and it’s being a bit of a hassle. The base medium is not exactly a great class, so making features that don’t come across as straight upgrades is kinda difficult. But then again, maybe that’s exactly what it needs. Of the six spirits, I’ve already done the new trickster (called the Beguiler) and about 50% of the abilities of the rest. It’s a fun spirit, able to inflict its spirit surge as a penalty, rather than a bonus, to other creatures, and can create dopplegangers that confuse foes that fall for the fakes.
Aside from the medium, I think the only other class that could be an issue is the warden, being that it’s one of the new ones. I already know the gist of two of them (one being a “full-tank” that trades healing for taunt effects, the other an unarmed/monk archetype), but I’m still mulling over a third. I might double-down on the support aspect of the warden for the last one, but I’m not sure it really needs it. I could consider an archetype that forgoes a major feature (like the wards) but haven’t settled on anything as of yet.
This week’s preview is the new hunter archetype, simply named as the Planar Hunter! Rather than animal aspects, it channels the aspects of different planes of existence in order to fight extraplanar threats to their homes. Until next time!
When one thinks of “the wilds”, they do not typically envision the caverns of the Plane of Earth or the serene fields of the afterlife. The planar hunter taps into the powers of the multiverse, challenging extraplanar threats to protect nature in all of its forms.
Class Skills: The hunter gains Knowledge (planes) as a class skill and loses Knowledge (dungeoneering).
Planar Focus (Su): A planar hunter can take on the aspect of a plane as a swift action. She must select one type of plane to emulate, gaining a bonus or special ability based on the type of plane emulated and her hunter level. The planar hunter can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to her level. This duration does not need to be consecutive but must be spent in 1-minute increments. She can emulate only one plane at a time.
The planar hunter can also apply one of these aspects to her animal companion. An aspect applied in this way does not count against the hunter’s minutes of duration per day—it remains in effect until she changes it. The companion’s aspect can be the same aspect the hunter has taken on or a different one. A planar hunter can select or change the planar foci on both herself and her animal companion as part of the same swift action.
Aligned Plane, Chaotic: The creature gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls when making attacks of opportunity and a +2 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity. These bonuses increase to +4 at 8th level and to +6 at 15th level.
Aligned Plane, Evil: The creature gains a +4 competence bonus on Intimidate checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.
Aligned Plane, Good: The creature gains a +1 morale bonus on saves against spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases to +2 at 8th level and +3 at 15th level.
Aligned Plane, Lawful: The creature gains a 25% chance to treat any critical hit or sneak attack as a normal hit (as the fortification armor special ability). This increases to and 50% at 8th level, and 75% at 15th level.
Astral Plane: The creature’s attacks are always treated as being magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and damaging incorporeal creatures. At 8th level, its attacks always have the ghost touch property. At 15th level, the creature’s attacks are treated as having the phase locking property.
Ethereal Plane: The creature gains evasion, as the rogue class feature. At 12th level, this increases to improved evasion, as the rogue advanced talent.
Negative Energy Plane: The creature gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, and negative energy effects. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and to +8 at 15th level.
Plane of Air: The creature gains a 5-foot enhancement bonus to its base land speed. This bonus increases to 10 feet at 8th level and 20 feet at 15th level.
Plane of Earth: The creature gains a +2 enhancement bonus to its natural armor bonus. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and to +6 at 15th level.
Plane of Fire: The creature’s attacks deal 1 point of fire damage in addition to their normal damage. At 8th level, the fire damage increases to 1d3, and at 15th level, it increases to 1d6.
Plane of Water: The creature gains a +2 competence bonus on Swim checks and can breathe underwater. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and to +6 at 15th level.
Positive Energy Plane: The creature recovers 1 additional hit point whenever it receives magical healing, and any conjuration (healing) spells cast on it gain a +1 to their caster level for the purpose of the spell’s result on the creature only. The additional healing does not apply to fast healing. This increases to 2 additional hit points and +2 caster level at 8th level, and to 3 additional hit points and +3 caster level at 15th level.
Shadow Plane: The creature gains darkvision to a range of 60 feet. At 8th level, the range increases by 30 feet. At 15th level, the creature also gains blindsense to a range of 10 feet.
This replaces animal focus.
Planar Arcana (Ex): At 2nd level, the planar hunter gains spells to defeat extraplanar foes. She adds the following spells to her list of spells known at the indicated level: see alignment (1st), align weapon (2nd), dimensional anchor (3rd), dismissal (4th), plane shift (5th), and banishment (6th). These do not count against her spells known. This replaces precise companion.
Multiverse Hunter (Ex): Starting at 5th level, the planar hunter adds half her hunter level to Knowledge (planes) checks. She and her companion gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against teleportation effects and effects that would send her from the current plane, such as dismissal. This replaces woodland stride.
Adaptation (Su): At 10th level, the planar hunter and her companion are constantly under the effect of planar adaptation when not on their native plane. This replaces raise animal companion.
Outsider’s Bane (Ex): At 17th level, outsiders have come to fear the planar hunter’s skill. The planar hunter and her companion can demoralize an outsider as a swift action, rolling 1d20 and adding the hunter’s level and her Charisma modifier to determine the Intimidate check result. This ability replaces one with the wild.