Pathfinder Launches New Classes – Necromancer And Runesmith – In ‘Impossible Playtest’
Pathfinder players can take two brand-new classes out for a test drive. Check out the Necromancer and Runesmith in The Impossible Playtest.
It is time to take two new classes for a test drive. Paizo has just launched “The Impossible Playtest” for an upcoming, as-yet-unannounced new book. But that’s not the exciting part here. The exciting part is that you, the player, can try out two brand-new classes.
The Necromancer and the Runesmith are both at the heart of the new playtest. These are two magic-using classes that take their use of the arcane arts in two wildly different directions. How do they play? That’s kind of up to you.
Pathfinder’s New Necromancer Playtest – No Bones About It, This One’s Fun
I am excited to see how these new classes play. For one, I think that one of Pathfinder’s biggest strengths is the depth of character options. It can be one of its weaknesses as well, unfortunately. Anyone who’s ever channeled the power of their dwarven ancestors for a +1 Circumstance bonus to saves vs. poison knows that the game is undoubtedly filled with choices that are just there to be choices rather than exciting things that make your game fun and cool.
But the Necromancer is all about making big swings.
“The Necromancer is an occult spellcaster who raises undead thralls to power their grave magic. While thralls lack the speed or cunning to fight on their own, what they can offer is their life… or unlife, that is. Necromancers have all kinds of ways to sacrifice their thralls for their own gain, whether that’s bby devouring their essence to replenish a Focus Point using the Consume Thrall ability, or by detonating one into a deadly spray of phalanges with the bony barrage grave spell.”
That last part feels especially exciting. I love the idea of being a necromancer who does cool stuff with their living corpses rather than a goth math nerd surrounded by a pack of skeletons that will make some measly attacks that steadily raise the amount of damage per round you do.
The idea of turning your thralls into bombs, bridges, or whatever is very much what a necromancer should do. It feels very in tune with the cool kind of necromancy you get in The Locked Tomb series. So, hopefully, they lean more into that.
Pathfinder Runesmith Playtest – This Baby Can Fit So Many Mystical Symbols
The Runesmith, meanwhile, is all about martial combat and party support. These are both good and necessary concepts to have at a party. Especially when you can inscribe runes in the heat of combat:
“These support-focused martial combatants diligently etch runes of every magical tradition onto their (and their allies’) gear, or even directly onto their foes. These runes can be applied even in the heat of combat: use feats like Engraving Strike to stamp ranshu, rune of thunder onto an enemy before Invoking it to call down lightning, or Trace zohk, rune of homecoming in light onto an ally’s boots to ensure their path back to you is always a little shorter.
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You’ll have eight weeks to take these classes for a spin. The playtest will run through January 31st. You can also try them out with a free character builder over at Demiplane. And, of course, be sure to answer the feedback surveys to help shape the future of these classes.
