The
Advanced Class Guide
introduces ten new “hybrid” classes for the Pathfinder
Roleplaying Game. As hybrid classes, they combine two existing
classes together, offering a selection of abilities from both classes
as well as new abilities that fit their combined flavour. These
classes essentially provide a way of multiclassing without
multiclassing. This is the fundamental reason
why these classes mostly don't appeal to me. While they do have some
new abilities, they don't offer any new flavour. In all cases, it's
possible to create characters in the same style with the existing
multiclass rules. Now, I
should probably also confess that I like
the multiclassing rules. Yes, there are problems with them
(particularly with multiclass spellcasters), but as long as you can
get away from the idea that “class” is synonymous with
“profession”, you can create a huge variety of character types
with them—and yes, they can even be effective characters. As there
is already a way to combine the abilities of different classes, there
really doesn't seem to be a place for hybrid classes. New classes
should be exactly that—new.
I have the same problem with the magus from Ultimate Magic, to be honest.
As
well as multiclassing, the game also uses archetypes as a way of
providing characters with a smattering of abilities from other
classes. Archetypes provide ways to create characters that are just
slight variants of existing classes, so that an entirely new class
isn't necessary. The new
classes in the Advanced Class Guide
feel a lot like archetypes in many ways. In fact, in the original
playtest document, they were alternate classes of both their parent
classes. (Alternate classes are archetypes that change a large number
of things about their parent class and so get a complete write-up
while not being actual new classes.) However, this was changed in the
final book, so they are now fully separate classes. I personally
liked them better as alternate classes—though, honestly, even as
alternate classes, these classes still felt mostly unnecessary.
Nevertheless,
despite my misgivings, I did decide to get the book, feeling that
there would likely be other parts of the book (like new feats and
spells) that would be useful to me, and—who knows?—I might even
decide that I like the new classes after all. Alas,
it didn't quite work out that
way. I'm not saying that the Advanced Class Guide is
a bad book. It does what it set out to do, and it does it pretty
well. It's just going to see very little use in my games. I might use
the swashbuckler and shaman,
though.
All
that said, let's take a look at what it has to offer and examine both
its strengths and its weaknesses.