Universal Archetypes for Pathfinder 1st Ed (Patreon)

One of the great things about Pf 2nd ed is that multiclassing and adding archetypes is so easy, balanced, fun, and unrestricted. But if you don't like PF2 overall, that doesn't do you much good. Now I DO like PF2 (very much), but I ALSO like PF1 (very much!). So, I think about these things. and I wonder...

Can I backport that cool thing from another game to PF1?

So, what would it take to make "universal" archetypes for Pathfinder 1st edition. (If we can do that we can create multiclass archetypes later, and already have support for adding them to any class.) It seems like a system that gave every class a set of class features they could swap out, then defined each archetype as new class features that could be swapped in you allow you to add any of these revised archetypes to any class you've defined with our new rules.

Well, let's try that for one archetype and one class, and see if we can add a barbarian archetype (the breaker) to a wizard, and think about how that would work more broadly as we do so. Then, we can try to add more archetypes and write the rules for them to apply to more classes, and maybe eventually we'll have universality.

These are DRAFT rules. It's a starting point, and an effort to make a revised set of Pathfinder 1e rules that are still 100% backwards-compatible with existing PF1 rules.

(Art by Lobard)

UNIVERSAL ARCHETYPES

Universal archetypes are rewrites of the standard Pathfinder 1st edition archetype rules so any archetype can be added to any class.

Gaining Archetypes

Any archetype the GM allows in you campaign can be added to a class when you gain a new level in that class. Once you have added an archetype to a class you have levels in, you cannot add any more archetypes to that class until you have taken either half the total archetype class features, or at least two class features from the archetype (for archetypes with six or more class features). You cannot take the same archetype more than once unless it says otherwise.

If an archetype class feature grants you something you already have, you can treat it as an archetype class feature you have taken for purposes of determining if you can add another archetype to your supporting lass. For example, a player's character is a fighter 3/wizard 2, and they have added the sword caster archetype to their wizard. One class feature of the sword caster is proficiency with all martial weapons. Since the character already gains that from their fighter levels, when determining how many sword caster class features they have taken, the player can include the sword caster's martial weapon proficiency, even though it was gained through the character's levels in fighter.

(Design Notes -- When redefining archetypes, we'll need to make sure each selection is balanced. Not an issue with the breaker, but a possible pain point for the universal archetype system as it expands.)

Supporting Class

You add an archetype to a supporting class, and use that supporting class's level for any class level calculations. For example, if you take a level of the wizard class and add the breaker archetype to it, for you wizard is now the supporting

Prerequisites: Though it is uncommon, some archetypes have prerequisites. You must meet these prerequisites to take such archetypes.

(Design notes - if this 'universal archetype' system works, we may be able to turn a lot of prestige classes into archetypes with prerequisites... but we'll worry about that later.)

Archetype Class Features

Each archetype has one or more archetype class features. You gain these features by swapping them for class features of the supporting class. Once this decision is made it cannot be changed.

When you gain a new level in a supporting class, you can choose to swap out a new class feature you gain from the supporting class for a class feature of the archetype. You class level must be at least the level listed with the archetype class feature. You may exchange a primary supporting class feature for a primary or secondary archetype class feature. You can exchange a secondary supporting class feature only for a secondary archetype class feature. This decision must be made when you gain a new level in the supporting class. An archetype class feature cannot be taken more than once unless it states otherwise.

The Archetypes 

I've only adapted one archetype to this new system so far, the breaker, which is the very first archetype in the first book the official Pathfinder publisher book with archetypes -- Advanced Class Guide.

Breaker

Common Classes: Barbarian, Bloodrager, Brawler, Fighter, Monk, Shifter, Skald, Vigilante, Warpriest.

While most adventurers are skilled at breaking things, some find the need to destroy their surroundings an almost uncontrollable urge when in the middle of a combat. These adventurers are a danger not only to their foes, but also to the very environment around them. A breaker exchanges the following class features for supporting class features.

Destructive (Ex)(Secondary)[1st Level]: Whenever the breaker makes an attack that targets an unattended object or makes a sunder combat maneuver, they adds half their supporting class level (minimum +1) on the damage roll.

Battle Scavenger (Ex)(Secondary)[3rd Level]: The breaker suffers no penalty on attack rolls when using an improvised weapon or a weapon with the broken condition. In addition, they gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls with improvised or broken weapons for every three supporting class levels beyond 3rd.

ARCHETYPE FEATURE SWAPS BY CLASS

These are the class features each class can give up to gain an archetype's class features.

Wizard

A wizard can swap the following class features to gain the class features of an archetype.

Primary: Arcane bond. Bonus feat (each bonus feat can be swapped out as its own class feature.). Scribe Scroll.

Special: Reduce the number of spell slots gained of the wizard's highest spell level by 1. If this reduced the number of spell slots gained (before any bonus slots, such as from a high ability score) to 0, the wizard cannot cast any spells of that level or gain any bonus spell slots for that level. Each time the character gains a level in wizard, recalculate what their highest level spell slots are. (This feature swap can only be taken once.)

Secondary:  The power gained from the wizard's specialization at 1st, 6th, or 8th level.

Special: Take an additional opposed magic school. (This feature swap can only be taken once.)

Continuing the Series: Obviously if this idea and rough execution is popular, I can continue the series by adding a new archetype and supporting class rules in new entries, eventually covering every official and Rogue Genius Games archetype and class.

SUPPORT

Sadly, my cancer debts continue to pile up. If you want to offer extra support, here are two easy ways to do so. And if you are willing, please consider sharing these links on your social media. It's hard to spread word about my fight with cancer, and people can;t choose to help unless they know there's an need.

GoFundMe -Every bit helps.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-owen-kc-stephens-fight-cancer

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