Classes and Archetypes II: Advanced Class Guide Part 1

As is probably not surprising, the Advanced Class Guide has tons of class material, and therefore can't be done in a single post.  I envision it'll probably end up being three before I do all of the archetypes listed therein.

Because this is alphabetical, I'm going to be reviewing archetypes for classes that hadn't even debuted yet; i.e., I've only done the Core Rulebook, where as a class like the Alchemist comes from a book that's further down the line in the PRD.  While this is maybe a little bit awkward, it's not really so bad for my purposes, because I'm exploring archetypes by name and brief description, not really digging into the mechanics of such.
Advanced Class Guide
Hybrid classes  (This is more a mechanical conceit than an archetype conceit; it's all about putting two core classes' archetypes together in a blended form.  But sometimes the concept is itself a viable archetype, so I'll go through them.  There are archetypes (in the Paizo mechanical sense) of these hybrid classes too, so we'll see more of them as we go.)

• Arcanist: Blending the power of the sorcerer with the versatility of the wizard, the arcanist draws upon a reservoir of power to bend magic to her will. — Because I already have no distinction between sorcerer and wizard, this is not something I can use.  It's not an archetype, it's a mechanical stunt.
• Bloodrager: Fusing the frenzy of the barbarian with the bloodline might of the sorcerer, the bloodrager calls upon innate power to give himself extraordinary abilities. — a character that uses extreme emotion and an accident of genetics to fight with magical powers... I dunno.  That seems way too specific to be considered any kind of archetype.  But I can see an interesting character being built around that concept. 
• Brawler: Focusing on hand-to-hand combat, the brawler mixes the martial artistry of the monk with the specialist training of the fighter. — This is basically just an attempt to make a fighter capable while unarmed.  This is more of an Eastern tradition than a Western tradition, but I can see where it maybe has a place.
• Hunter: Though both the druid and ranger can have animal companions, the hunter takes this bond to the next level, forming a deadly duo with her savage ally. — a martial character who really focuses on an animal companion.  I like that concept.  I don't really have a great way to model that in FANTASY HACK other than the existing animal companion rules, so it would have to be more of a roleplaying gig; create an Outdoorsman or someone else who has an animal companion and fighting type skills, and maybe pick up a few spells to augment your animal companion a lot or something.
• Investigator: With the rogue's cunning complemented by the alchemist's magical talent, the investigator is a peerless problem solver. — I actually have an example of this archetype as my very first DARK•HERITAGE m20 iconic character; not that I've looked at them in a long time, but he would work just as well as a FANTASY HACK iconic; he's an older human 3rd level Expert with a few spells.
• Shaman: Calling on the divine power of the oracle and the hexes of a witch, the shaman communes with her spirit animal to unleash doom upon her foes. — This is another mechanical stunt class that combines two archetypes that aren't archetypal; they're just different mechanical takes on the same archetype.  Now, granted, one could make the case that the witch and the oracle aren't really the same archetype when it comes to mythology and folklore, but in terms of fantasy as we know it, it'd be pretty tough to distinguish them.
• Skald: Sharing fury through song and deed, the skald takes the rage that lives in the heart of the barbarian and inspires it in others using the performances of the bard. — The skald is really a specific cultural archetype; the viking historian/bard character.  It seems very narrow to me.  Interpreting that as a hybrid of the barbarian and bard classes is even more weird; but again, I don't think the bard makes much sense in an adventuring milieu anyway.  I'd create a skald by merely making a Viking character who has some extra ranks in a skill that would make him a historian and/or performer.
• Slayer: Mixing the precise strikes of the rogue with the special training of the ranger, the slayer hunts down his foes with ruthless efficiency. — This could be addressed by my Appendix II stuff; give the major bonus of the Rogue's sneak attack along with a minor bonus that is outdoorsy, or something.  Really, the more I think about it, the more I think the Sneak Attack is too narrow itself, though.  Not that I have an alternative, but I sometimes wish that I did.
• Swashbuckler: Combining the prowess of the fighter with the determination of the gunslinger, the swashbuckler is an acrobatic melee combatant. — Combining the fighter with ... the gunslinger?  That's odd.  Almost everyone sees the swashbuckler as an archetype that straddles the line between fighter and rogue in the normal D&D class architecture.
• Warpriest: Blending the cleric's divine might and the fighter's martial skills, the warpriest brings the fight to the enemies of his faith. — Sounds like the same mechanical niche as the paladin, but without the lawful goody-two-shoes restrictions.

Archetypes

• Alchemist
• Inspired Chemist: Akin to a mindchemist, inspired chemists use a type of cognatogen that, instead of increasing their mental ability scores, grants them an inspiration pool like that of an investigator. This inspiration provides an inspired chemist amazing powers to avoid danger, but takes a toll on both physical power and health. — I have to admit that I have no idea what this is even talking about, but I never really got involved in the specifics of the alchemist class in Pathfinder.  This sounds suspiciously like a mechanical stunt specialist than an actual archetype, though.
• Arcanist
• Blade Adept: A small number of arcanists learn to use blades as part of their spellcasting and in combat. While these blade adepts are not as capable with a sword as a true master duelist, their combination of swordplay and arcane power makes them quite deadly. — D&D related games seem like they're always after the Holy Grail of a class that combines martial skill with magical ability. The concept, in my opinion, is flawed from the get-go, though.  What people want when they crave this "archetype" is the Mary Sue who can do everything and is just better and more capable than everyone else.  Which... isn't really a problem, I guess.  That's a common theme in many fantasy stories.  But it's a poor fit for a game like D&D.  Rather than try to create it in a balanced way through the rules, it's probably better left for something like what you do when you have a smaller group, and you create Gestalt characters.  Using something derived from the old Unearthed Arcana rules.  Well, not the old, old Unearthed Arcana, but the 3.5 version of it, anyway. Just go into it boldly, accepting that such a character has all of the abilities of two classes and is thus better than any other class option, and structure your game around the idea of being able to do that, is my recommendation.
• Blood Arcanist: Though most arcanists possess only a rudimentary innate arcane gift, the blood arcanist has the full power of a bloodline to draw upon. — So it sounds like the class that's already a hybrid of wizard and sorcerer is leaning more towards sorcerer, with more of a dash of wizard.  This is too finely grained separation of mechanics for me.  Who cares?  I mean, I see why players of a highly mechanized and tactical game would want mechanical and tactical variety, but this simply doesn't translate at all into the exercise that I'm doing.
• Brown-fur Transmuter: Frequently called "brown-furs," these transmutation-focused arcanists are known for transforming themselves into animals. What few realize is that these specialized arcanists excel at turning themselves—and others—into all kinds of creatures. — Wow, I actually really like this idea!  Kind of a werewolf who's more of a magical werewolf, and not tied to the specifics of lycanthropy, etc.  I mean, if Harry Freakin' Potter can do something similar, why not us, right? I think this archetype is merely best modeled in my system with spell selection and roleplaying, but what an interesting character concept!  I really like it.
• Eldritch Font: For some arcanists, the power bubbling up from within is nearly too much to contain. They become adept at shaping this magical energy without needing to bind it up in spells. — It also occurs to me that many alternate classes, and based on the description, this sounds like it applies here, are really an attempt to model a different type of magic system than D&D normally has.  Maybe something that resembles the magic system in some specific novel, for instance, or something like that.  That doesn't actually make it a different archetype, exactly, but I can see the point.  However—I tend to believe that a setting should have a magic system, and other settings should have other magic systems.  More than one active magic system in the same setting is... weird.
• Elemental Master: Arcanists with an affinity for elemental forces sometimes focus on one and display its power in everything they do. — I'd simply do this with spell-selection, description and roleplaying.
• Occultist: Not all arcanists peer inward to discern the deepest secrets of magic. Some look outward, connecting with extraplanar creatures and bartering for secrets, power, and favor. — The same could be said for this.  I like this whole idea of magic, though, that it's a fundamentally inhuman process and requires bargaining or exploiting some kind of entity from outside.
• School Savant: Some arcanists specialize in a school of magic and trade flexibility for focus. School savants are able to prepare more spells per day than typical arcanists, but their selection is more limited. — This isn't an archetype; it's a tactical variant.
• Spell Specialist: Where most arcanists are broad in their study of magic, a spell specialist has her power focused in a few spells. Spell specialists are able to warp and twist the magic of their signature spells in ways other casters cannot. — The same is true here.
• Unlettered Arcanist: Some arcanists store their spells as whispered secrets within familiars instead of on paper. — While this may make a colorful character concept, I can't imagine dedicating even a mechanical variation to this idea, much less pretend like it's an archetype.
• White Mage: A white mage is an arcanist touched by a divine power and gifted with the ability to heal others. — Aaaaannddd... again.  Most of these archetypes simply aren't "archetypes" in the normal sense; they are merely mechanical skins that play up a specific concept, turning it into a stunt that becomes that character's specialty.  I actually think that offering that kind of thing in a rules-heavy system is not at all a bad idea, but for my purposes, where I'm going through these looking for character concepts that can be used in another system, they are too esoteric and metagamey to actually be of much use. I actually expected exactly as much with regards to much of the magical class archetypes, classes and prestige classes, but still—it's one thing to expect something, and another to see it actually unfold before your eyes.
• Bard — given that I don't even like the bard class at all, I doubt I'll find much to like in the archetypes that it has, but I'll dutifully review them all anyway.
• Flame Dancer: A flame dancer studies the movements of fire, adding its grace to his repertoire. He seeks truth in fire's burning essence, and uses his performance to unleash the power of fire against those who dare oppose him. — A singing, dancing wizard who casts fireballs against his foes.  Coming soon to Dungeons & Dragons: The Musical.  WTF is this?  Seriously?
• Voice of the Wild: Most bards are inspired by the art of civilization, yet the voice of the wild's muse is the grandeur of nature. The voice of the wild has discovered nature's magical secrets, and can use his performance to bring out the bestial side in his allies. — While I kinda sympathize with the core conceit, being an avid outdoorsman of sorts myself (who's coming up on a year since my last big hiking trip, and I really could stand to get away and not have to see anybody for a week right now, believe you me) I don't see how singing John Denver songs to your adventuring party to make them perform better is a concept that works for anything at all that I envision good fantasy to be.
• Bloodrager
• Blood Conduit: Blood conduits learn to channel their arcane might directly through their flesh, without the need for mystical words or gestures. — I don't find the notion of "a fighting sorcerer who doesn't need to use words or gestures" a sufficiently compelling idea by itself.  Again, it's so highly dependent on the standard D&D magic system that it only works—maybe—in that system.
• Bloodrider: In the world's wild lands, a mount is an advantage in both everyday life and the dealing of death. In many barbarian tribes, the true stature of a warrior is determined by his skill and ferocity when fighting astride his mount. A number of bloodragers not only are skilled in the art of mounted combat, but have learned to channel their arcane energies directly into their mounts. — Magical pony emotional warriors.  D&D for little girls, it sounds like to me.
• Crossblooded Rager: While most bloodragers manifest only one bloodline, there are some who, through some quirk of heredity or the conjunction of other powers, manifest two. This combination of two distinct bloodlines can create a versatile and powerful rager who stands out among the horde. — This concept is meaningless without the specifics of the sorcerer class magic system.  So, no—no can use.
• Greenrager: Typically, nature finds its greatest harmony with divine magic, but sometimes a connection with the natural world manifests itself through the arcane current in the veins of the bloodragers called greenragers. These bloodragers funnel their eldritch heritage into abilities that allow them to call powerful allies from nature and empower them with their bloodrage. — While mechanically this is nothing like a druid (I presume) in reality, the concept is exactly the same.
• Metamagic Rager: While metamagic is difficult for many bloodragers to utilize, a talented few are able to channel their bloodrage in ways that push their spells to impressive ends. — Use one class to get a handful of abilities that normally belong to another class!  Sigh.  Not a usable archetype.
• Primalist: While bloodline powers come from the very essence of a bloodrager's being and are often strict and immutable, some bloodragers tap into ancient traditions and primitive wisdom to enhance their rages with something more primal. The primalist mixes his bloodline with more traditional rage powers. — What in the world does any of that even mean?  It sounds like the barbarian/sorcerer hybrid class that actually gets to lean towards barbarian a bit more than the other variants.  O.... K....
• Rageshaper: All bloodragers blend the unpredictable surge of arcane power with the savage fury of battle lust. For most, their rage is a conduit for the eldritch power locked in their heritage, but for a rageshaper, the latent magical energies in his blood bring about physical transformations and facilitate the blending of arcana and aggression into a deadly synthesis that few other barbarians (or even other bloodragers) can match. — I think most people would simply call that a variation on the "werewolf" archetype.
• Spelleater: Where other bloodragers learn to avoid or shrug off minor damage of all sorts, spelleaters tap into the power of their bloodline in order to heal damage as it comes, and can even cannibalize their own magical energy to heal more damage and continue taking the fight to the enemy. — This one I can actually see as being a unique concept or idea.  I could probably find some way to come up with a "convert magic into healing" stunt for m20.
• Steelblood: Most bloodragers prefer light armor, but some learn the secret of using heavy armor. These steelbloods plod around the battlefield inspiring fear and delivering carnage from within a steel shell. — A barbarian and sorcerer hybrid, but... get this, get this!  He WEARS ARMOR!  Sigh. Since the only reason that neither barbarians nor sorcerers wear armor anyway is an esoteric detail of how it works in D&D that bears no resemblance to real life (and thus not to many other fantasy settings either).  How creative.
• Untouchable Rager: While most bloodragers are known for their inexplicable ability to focus their bloodline into a horrifying mix of martial terror and spellcasting fury, from time to time a bloodrager's bloodline acts differently. Instead of empowering the bloodrager, it shields the bloodrager from magic of all types, often keeping the bloodrager untouched within the midst of magical effects. — This seems like a VERY narrow character concept.  It's not terrible as far as character concepts go, but I really have to wonder how often it matters in most campaigns.
• Brawler
• Exemplar: A versatile soldier who inspires her companions with her fighting prowess, an exemplar is at home on the front lines of battles anywhere. — I presume that if I read the specifics there's more to this concept than the description seems to imply, because... that's not much of a concept by itself.
• Mutagenic Mauler: Not content with perfecting her body through natural methods, a mutagenic mauler resorts to alchemy to unlock the primal beast within. — It kind of sounds like a watered down version of The Hulk archetype.  Not a bad archetype, I suppose, but "mutagenic mauler" isn't exactly a name that rolls off the tongue.
• Shield Champion: Stalwart in battle, a shield champion has perfected an entire martial discipline relying only on her hand-to-hand fighting skills and her ever-present shield. What she forgoes in weapon versatility and improved combat maneuvering, she makes up for in her ability to turn her defense into a weapon. — Speaking of archetypes that come from Marvel Comics, is it just me, or does this sound like Captain America?
• Snakebite Striker: With her lightning quickness and guile, a snakebite striker keeps her foes' attention focused on her, because any one of her feints might be an actual attack. By giving up some of a brawler's versatility, she increases her damage potential and exposes her opponents to deadly and unexpected strikes. — This sounds more like a tactical specialty than anything else.  I'm not quite sure how else to characterize it just based on the description, so I don't know what I could do with it.
• Steel-breaker: The steel-breaker studies destruction and practices it as an art form. She knows every defense has a breaking point, and can shatter those defenses with carefully planned strikes.
• Strangler: A strangler is trained to choke the life out of her victims with her vise-like grip. Some stranglers are self-taught and are little more than brutish murderers, unhinged sociopaths, or opportunistic alley-bashers. Others are members of murder cults or specialized schools of assassination, trained since childhood to kill with their bare hands. — While in fiction, I can see this as a workable archetype, I'm not sure what to do with it in game.  Most likely, this concept is to force the mechanics to make the concept viable.
• Wild Child: The wild child works with his sworn animal friend to conquer the challenges that lay before them. This kinship could come from being lost in the wilderness and raised by animals or growing up with an exotic pet. — The name has always been a pet peeve of mine, but the concept is fine.  Is it really going to resemble Tarzan, though, because if not, then what's the point?