Classes and Archetypes III: Advanced Players Guide part 1

Base classes

• Alchemist: The alchemist is the master of alchemy, using extracts to grant him great power, mutagens to enhance his form, and bombs to destroy his enemies. — This is an odd, tactical class with a weird steampunk vibe; a magic-user who brews potions and makes chemical bombs and weird stuff like that.  While it is, admittedly, kind of a clever idea, it's a very esoteric one that hardly fits well with "traditional" fantasy, and I'm not quite sure that I see a place for it except in a setting that specifically makes a point of integrating the idea.
• Cavalier: Mounted upon his mighty steed, the cavalier is a brave warrior, using his wit, charm, and strength at arms to rally his companions and achieve his goals. — This is, of course, the mounted knight archetype; a subset of the fighter or paladin in normal D&D terms that is a bit specialized.  My own games would never actually have a separate class for such a character, but might well include one as a concept.  Maybe.  I don't really do the Late Medieval thing where the mounted knight reached its zenith; I consider "standard" fantasy to be late Early or High middle ages, and I consider much of the rest of what I do to not necessarily map well to the middle ages at all.
• Order of the Cockatrice: A cavalier who belongs to this order serves only himself, working to further his own aims and increase his own prestige. Cavaliers of this order tend to be selfish and concerned only with personal goals and objectives. — I'd venture to guess, before I even go through these, that most of these orders would be fine as character or even group concepts in a FRPG game that had traditional mounted knights.  I'll not comment on most unless I have something unusual to say about it until we get to the next broader base class or the prestige classes.
• Order of the Dragon: Cavaliers belonging to the order of the dragon dedicate themselves to a group of like-minded individuals, be it a mercenary company or a small band of adventurers. These cavaliers believe in loyalty and friendship, and are willing to lay down their lives to protect their allies.
• Order of the Lion: A cavalier who belongs to this order has pledged himself to a sovereign; be it a king, queen, or even the local warlord. Cavaliers of this order are stalwart and dedicated to their cause, willing to go any length to ensure the safety of their lord and his domain.
• Order of the Shield: Cavaliers who join the order of the shield devote their lives to protecting the common folk, from the simple farmer to the honest craftsman. These cavaliers stand before the tide, protecting the innocent from roving marauders and hungry monsters.
• Order of the Star: Cavaliers who join the order of the star dedicate themselves to the protection and service of a faith and its members. Cavaliers belonging to this order tend to follow many of the tenets and guides of the religion that they serve. When a cavalier joins this order, he should select a single religion to serve.
• Order of the Sword: Cavaliers who join the order of the sword dedicate their lives to the code of chivalry, living a life of honor, valor, and fairness. Cavaliers of this order tend to swear service to a lord or a lady. Of all the orders, the order of the sword is perhaps the broadest in terms of its focus and ideals.
• Inquisitor: Scourge of the unfaithful and hunter of horrors, the inquisitor roots out the enemies of her faith with grim conviction and an array of divine blessings. — In general, I'm not a huge fan of character classes that take one class and add a few cleric like magical/holy benefits to it, but the Inquisitor is, however, one case where it actually makes some sense to do so.  I still prefer the holy supernatural to be more plot devicey and somewhat mysterious in meta terms rather than mechanical and especially character based, but the idea of an Inquisitor is a classic one that I normally would make use of in almost any setting, quite honestly.  Heck, even AD ASTRA has room for inquisitors.  Because of the propaganda we've all been subjected to, Inquisitors are often seen as anti-heroes at best and outright villains most of the time, but I see the proper role of an inquisitor as actually being the good guy.
• Oracle: Drawing upon divine mysteries, the oracle channels divine power through her body and soul, but at a terrible price. — By its nature, the oracle is a plot device or NPC.  I think making an oracle a player character was a mistake.  That said, oracles tend to be more pagan, or at least wildly superstitious, whereas I'm heading more towards an overtly Christian paradigm in most of my fantasy. While an oracle plays a major role in, for example, 300, there really aren't any in The Lord of the Rings, as an example.
• Summoner: Bonded to a mysterious creature called an eidolon, the summoner focuses his power on strengthing that connection and enhancing his strange, otherworldy companion. — This is another interesting, although probably really quite unique idea that I'm not sure what to do with except in a setting that specifically uses the idea.  Mine mostly will not.
• Witch: Lurking on the fringe of civilization, the witch makes a powerful connection with a patron that grants her strange and mysterious powers through a special familiar. — I think the witch, especially the heroic yet shunned witch of modern pseudo-pagan liberalism writers, is a post modern archetype that I have no use for.  Otherwise, I see the Witch as merely a villainous take on the same archetype as the sorcerer—which I tend to see are more sword & sorcery-like villains rather than good-natured heroes anyway.

Prestige classes

• Battle Herald: A veteran whose masterful tactics and air of command inspire allies to greater feats of heroism. — a charismatic veteran.  I see too many indistinguishable takes on this same concept already.
• Holy Vindicator: A pious warrior who spreads religion at the edge of a sword. — Sigh.  Need I say more?
• Horizon Walker: A scout and wanderer comfortable in even the strangest terrain. — So, how is this different than the ranger that we already have?
• Master Chymist: An alchemist whose mutagens create an alternate, brutish personality. — Jekyll and Hyde, it sounds like.  Not bad.
• Master Spy: An espionage expert specializing in disguises and striking swiftly from the shadows. — Only certain types of games would make this archetype useful, but I like it nonetheless.  I'd be tempted to run (or play in) the type of game that specifically catered to its use, honestly.
• Nature Warden: A master of the wilderness bonded spiritually to a fearsome animal companion. — Sounds like a ranger already, although probably with a stronger dose of the bizarre Green Cult that infects much of our society.  Especially the PNW where Paizo is located.
• Rage Prophet: A bold and barbaric champion who embraces otherworldly powers in order to perfect the art of combat. — A barbarian that's more supernatural, I guess.  I dunno.  I'd have a hard time finding anything useful to do with this concept.
• Stalwart Defender: A master of defending territory and holding the line at all costs. — A fighter with a very specific tactical focus that would only occasionally be useful.  No thanks.

Archetypes

• Barbarian
• Breaker: While most barbarians are skilled at breaking things, some find the need to destroy their surroundings an almost uncontrollable urge when in the middle of a rage. These barbarians are a danger not only to their foes, but also to the very environment around them. — What a strange concept.  No, no player character or protagonist character of any type is likely to found this concept useful.
• Brutal Pugilist: Some barbarians focus on using their bare hands to tear their opponents limb from limb. These brutal pugilists also learn a great deal about various combat maneuvers, using them to cripple or crush their foes. — Yes, I suppose.  The MMA master as a fantasy class, or something.  OK.
• Drunken Brute: Barbarians are known for their ability to consume potent drink, but drunken brutes turn drinking into a combat tactic, using the potent liquor to fuel their rage and grant them additional powers. — The Drunken Master is a pretty well-known archetype after the Jackie Chan movies of the same name.  But the idea of using a barbarian to build such a character is an odd one.
• Elemental Kin: Some barbarian tribes have strong ties to the elemental forces of nature. Their shamans anoint the warriors at birth, tying them to the patron element of the tribe and granting them lasting boons against such forces. — D&D in general likes to do elemental this and that almost as much as it likes to do holy this and that.  While I understand that the four elements isn't exactly a D&D thing, since it has its origin in Classical and Medieval views on science, I still find little use for the concept of elemental as an adjective or focus for anything.  I have elementals in the FANTASY HACK monster list more as nod to the fact that you need to to emulate D&D than because I have any actual interest in them.
• Hurler: A raging barbarian is frightening enough in melee, but some become skilled at throwing objects at their foes before closing in for the kill. — This is a silly idea.  I doubt I'd ever have any use for it.  If it's based on the nominal historical idea of the Frankish "barbarians" throwing their franciscas before charging into melee, that'd be one thing, but I'm pretty sure that's not it.  And making a whole concept around that one tactic is the definition of the tail wagging the dog.
• Invulnerable Rager: Some barbarians learn to take whatever comes their way, shrugging off mortal wounds with ease. These barbarians invite their enemies to attack them, and use pain to fuel their rage. — In general, the hit points mechanic kind of works like this anyway.  I guess maybe this emulates some aspects of your typical martial arts action movie... maybe... but it's otherwise not something that I'd base a character concept around.
• Mounted Fury: Many barbarian tribes are masters of the horse, teaching their members how to ride from a young age. As a result, barbarians from such tribes are even more terrifying when mounted, using their steeds' speed and strength to great advantage. — Of course, there are many historical analogs to this idea, from the Scythians to the Huns to the Mongols to the Comanche.  I think it works.
• Savage Barbarian: Some barbarians are truly savage, having little training in modern arms. These savage barbarians learn to avoid blows and toughen up their skin. — I don't know what to make of this either.  A barbarian that has really tough skin instead of armor?  Huh?  Weird.
• Superstitious Barbarian: Many barbarians distrust magic. While most just shy away from magic, others focus their rage on users of such foul arts. These barbarians are naturally distrusting, and develop keen senses to protect them from harm. — In general, I'd suggest barbarians are more superstitious than most already.  I guess maybe my idea of what a barbarian is is a little different than Paizo's.
• Totem Warrior: A barbarian often has a special totem that is the patron of her tribe. While individual totems vary, those in the tribe that call upon a totem receive similar abilities. — This seems like mere tactical variation in the class rather than a concept that I could use.
• Bard
• Arcane Duelist: A master of the martial applications of steel and spell, the arcane duelist blends both into a lethal combination. — I like the idea of a fencer, or duelist or spadassasin, or whatever you want to call it, with a few magical tricks up his sleeve.  That's actually not far from the Gray Mouser idea, honestly, although he's more frequently represented as a rogue rather than a duelist in D&D terms.
• Archivist: Some bards greatly prefer academic pursuits to the drama (and sometimes melodrama) of their artistic brethren. — In which case, he'd be neither a bard, nor an adventure, nor just about anything suitable as a PC class.  A librarian isn't exactly a pulpish, action archetype.
• Court Bard: Spending years studying all of the finer points of erudition and etiquette, the court bard takes up the role of resplendent proclaimer and artist-in-residence at the hand of nobility, royalty, and the well-moneyed elite who aspire to join their ranks. — It would be the rare game where such a character would be appropriate, but I dunno.  Maybe you can make it work.  Have you ever seen Danny Kaye's The Court Jester?
• Detective: Piecing together clues and catching the guilty with sheer cleverness, the detective is skilled at divining the truth.  — Given that there's already an Investigator class, this seems superfluous.
• Magician: A magician dabbles in performance, but sees it as a means to tap into universal energies and channel them. — A tactical variation that offers little if anything in terms of actual concept.
• Sandman: Combining performance with stealth, trickery, and guile, the sandman uses cleverness to keep others off-balance. — I dunno; that sounds like pretty much any vaguely sneaky character ever.
• Savage Skald: Far from civilization, furious tribes have their own war-singers, work-chanters, and lore-keepers, savaging enemies with song and sword alike. — A duplicate.  The skald is already a class we've explored at length.
• Sea Singer: The sea singer calls the blue waters his home, and is much in demand among sea captains wishing good fortune for their crew and hull as they ply the tradewinds far and wide. — Tacking an environment on top of a class usually isn't sufficient to make it very interesting as a concept.
• Street Performer: Whether acrobat, troubadour, or thespian, the street performer mixes with the masses, singing for his supper. — This isn't really different than the concept for the bard in the first place.
• Druid
• Aquatic Druid: Shepherds of the lakes and seas, aquatic druids guard ecosystems ranging from shallows streams to deep ocean trenches, ministering to their residents and communing with the tides. — As I said, tacking an environment in front of a class isn't enough to make it interesting.
• Arctic Druid: An arctic druid watches over the stark landscape of the far frozen reaches of the world, tending the stunted and rugged life that ekes out its survival in the least habitable climes. — Aaaaand... again.
• Blight Druid: The devoted servants of nature corrupted, ruined, and destroyed, blight druids are the caretakers of lands ravaged by natural disaster. While some are devoted to reforming and reclaiming lands despoiled by the ravages of civilization, others seek out the more rapacious violence inherent in nature and feed the creeping rot and decay that brings an end to all things. — Aaaaanndd.... when your environment isn't even really an environment, then you really are in trouble.
• Cave Druid: Far from the green fields of the world above lies a lightless expanse beneath the surface. This darkling fairyland is not without beauty and natural wonders of its own, and a few druids seek to preserve this hidden realm and purge it of the fell horrors that creep up from below.
• Desert Druid: Not all climates are verdant paradises, but even in the sere deserts there is life—though often hidden from the sun and rarely friendly—and raw, desolate beauty. Here desert druids come to pay homage, protect and maintain the few habitable locales, and witness nature's majesty in all its burning, merciless glory.
• Jungle Druid: The fecund jungles of the equatorial regions are rich in life and ancient tradition; druidical guardians of sacred pools, elder trees, and trembling volcanoes watch over crumbling temples and the inevitable reclamation of lost civilizations by the beating heart of nature untamed.
• Mountain Druid: As more and more of the soft, easy lands become cultivated and civilized, many druids look for refuge and solitude among the eternal peaks of the highest mountains.
• Plains Druid: Out upon the wide and rolling prairies and savannahs, plains druids stand guard over the grasslands. These druids range far and wide, watching over nomadic tribes and wandering herds and preserving the sometimes fragile ecosystem of the wide open spaces. [sic in the original.  Savanna is an ecological region in Africa.  Savannah is a city in Georgia.]
• Swamp Druid: Some druids eschew pleasant glades and groves and instead seek out dank marshes, misty bogs and heaths, and trackless swamps as the place they call home and watch over with care, finding beauty and life in abundance in places few others would willingly enter.
• Urban Druid: While many druids keep to the wilderness, some make their way within settlements, communing with the animals and vermin who live there and speaking for the nature that runs rampant in civilization's very cradle. — This is another weird one, where they take an environment that is antithetical to the class concept in the first place and try to shoehorn it in.
• Animal Shaman: Some druids form a close bond with one type of animal. The following animal shamans represent just some of the possibilities, exploring the unique bond between a druid and her totem. These shamans all possess similar powers, which are explained fully in the bear shaman description. — This is a good archetype for a druidic type character, I suppose, although the list below even Paizo acknowledges differs little from each other besides the animal named.  In general, I struggle with the concept of the druid class at all.  It has nothing to do with the historical druids, and everything to do with Green Cult nonsense.  I don't really like the class very much, and if I used them, I'd do so quite differently.
• Bear Shaman: A shaman with this focus calls upon the mighty bear, titan of the woodlands and mountains, a paragon of strength and ferocity, and yet also a quiet protector rich in wisdom.
• Eagle Shaman: A shaman with this totem calls upon the noble eagle, stern and proud, soaring high above the world with keen and pitiless eyes that miss nothing.
• Lion Shaman: A shaman with this totem calls upon the proud lion, imposing and majestic, the mighty leader of deadly hunters.
• Serpent Shaman: A shaman with this totem calls upon the cunning serpent, the stealthy deceiver who draws the weak minded in and strikes while they are unaware. Some hate its treacherous nature, while others praise its thoughtful pragmatism.
• Wolf Shaman: A shaman with this totem calls upon the clever wolf, capable of roaming alone yet wise enough to run with a pack when facing dangers too great for one alone.