Adaptation – Alter Flow

Scripts are the spells equivalent used by archivists, most of them are adaptations of existing spells, though scripts are often more versatile due to the runic charge system:
Whenever a script is cast the caster retains a runic charge of the same type as the design (school) of the script. When casting a script the caster can choose to overload it up using all the charges they have. Depending on the amount of charges used and their design, the script is then improved in various ways.
I will note for every script how runic charges are used, as that is the most notable difference to common spells.

Adaptation

The adaptation script is used to allow the caster and their allies to adapt to virtually any hostile environment. The script adapts the caster to their current environment, allowing them to breath and preventing damage taken simply from being in the environment.

Overloading the script allows targeting additional targets. Additionally creation charges protect against dangerous features of the environment. Invocation allows the targets to move through non-magical undergrowth and revelation charges add low-light vision and darkvision 60 feet.

Design alteration; Level 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw none;

Path of Iron, 117

Aegis

This script is a combination of mage armor and shield, giving a +2 bonus to AC and blocking magic missile spells. Overloading adds +1 AC per runic charge.

Design creation [force]; Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless);

Path of Iron, 117

Alter Flow

This script allows the caster to alter the flow of time around a target, either speeding it up, or slowing it down. Functions as either haste or slow except the target does not take either a bonus nor penalty to attack rolls.
Overloading the script both allows the targeting additional of creatures and increases the bonus/penalty

Design manipulation [time]; Level 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target up to three creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless);

Path of Iron, 117


Banners of the Guarded Phalanx Are powerful magical items that can shield an entire army in magical armor. Some canny dungeon builders have taken to placing one of these items into their dungeons as a way to armor even the most unusual defenders.

Routes of the Warded Traveler are the collective name for roads enchanted to allow safe passage through dangerous terrain. The form these roads take are a varied as the terrain they cross, from stone paths through deserts so hot wooden carts spontaneously ignite to canopy bridges that ward away poisonous briar. Routes are often vital trade routes, and attract both trades and bandits alike.

CrackleTocks are the smallest examples of a kind of constructs called Timeburners, that use time as fuel. In battle they latch onto larger creatures and slow them down, often allowing allies an opportunity to strike. The crafting of these constructs is often forbidden, for when massed Timeburner constructs have strange and unpredictable effects on local time.

Ability Augmentation – Armor Empowerment

The vanguard’s companion has the unique ability to share the power of it’s augmentations with nearby allies. Most of these are straightforward buffs, adding additional defenses.

Ability Augmentation

This basic augmentation improves a single ability score (except Constitution) of the construct companion by +2, becoming +4 at level 15. The resonance effect provides this same bonus to allies as an enchantment bonus.
While definitely useful for the companion, the resonance is rather less useful, as any character who benefits most from it more than likely already has an equal or greater enhancement bonus to that ability score. 

Path of Iron, 28

Ablative Shielding

A magical barrier of force surrounds the companion with this augmentation. This provides the construct with temporary hit points equal to 3 times its HD. The barrier restores 5 temporary hot points per round when below the maximum. When the resonance is activated the barrier is supercharged, increasing the temporary hit point to twice its usual maximum. In addition it extends around nearby allies, redirecting half of the hit point damage they take to the barrier instead.
The ablative shielding is pretty cool, it effectively provides regenerating health to the construct companion, as well as providing a useful ace in the hole for when the party is heavily pressured. 

Path of Iron, 28

Armor Empowerment

Whether armored with thick plates, hardening magics or predictive algorithms, this augmentation increases the AC of the construct companion. When the augmentation’s resonance is activated it further shares a part of the defense with nearby allies.
Armor empowerment is probably the most straightforward augmentation in the list. The increase in AC is typeless, so it is useful for anyone who is near the companion. 

Path of Iron, 29


The adamantine walls of Acanopolis, the City in the center of all roads, are known not just for their great size. They share their unbreakable strength with the soldiers who man them. During the Volcano Siege the besieging fire giants threw thousands of stones without ever striking a single defender from the walls.

Intruders into the Unseen Tomb of the Bursar should be careful about striking the walls. For while they are made of ablative force, many serve more functions than to delay interlopers. Breaching though the wrong walls may set off all manner of traps, monsters or worse.

The diplomat corps of the ancient Minrean thalassocracy were famously skilled in opening up ports and striking advantageous trade deals. While much of their success comes from the Minrean inclusive culture and extensive training, the advantage afforded by their magical pendants can not be underestimated. To this day any such pendants found by adventurers find eager buyers among the world’s aristocrats, merchants and even today, diplomats.

Vanguard Construct Companion

The vanguard’s construct companion is their most notable class ability, a powerful and versatile ally on the field of battle. Depending on the base form and augmentations chosen it can be a front line fighter, a spellcaster or flanking buddy, in addition to buffing nearby allies using its resonances.
A construct companion has an Intelligence score, and as such has access to feats and skill points.
All companions have the following skills as class skills: Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), and Perception (Wis).

Every companion is build from one of three base forms, the base form determines the base stats, additional class skills and gives a scaling bonus to two primary ability scores and a third secondary ability score.
The Combat Form is intended for front line combat, with a +4 armor bonus to AC and Strength and Dexterity as the highest ability scores, with Wisdom secondary. It does have only four class skills however: Climb (Str),Intimidate (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).
The Eldritch Form is intended for use with the various eldritch augmentations that give spellcasting ability. Intelligence and Charisma are its primary abilities, with Dexterity secondary. Knowledge
(arcana) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha) are the class skills.
The Scouting Form has a 40 ft. movement speed, and a +2 armor bonus. Dexterity and Intelligence are the primary ability scores with Charisma being secondary. With Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis) as class skills it is the most mobile base form.

The construct companion is not animated like a normal construct, instead it is in many ways similar to a wizard’s familiar. The vanguard shares a portion of his own magic and soul with the companion he builds. This creates a bond that allows communication and the sharing off spells in the same way as a familiar, as well as endowing the construct with intelligence.
This link does force the vanguard and companion to stay close together to keep the companion functioning, and the construct’s intelligence makes it vulnerable to mind-affecting effects.

The various augmentations that the vanguard can add range from ability score improvements, to temporary hit points to spellcasting and adding energy damage to attacks, and those are just the first two pages of four. I will be going over these in later posts.


When the party search the remains of a destroyed golem they find a strange apparatus. Closer examination reveals that it is a mechanical treasure map. As they follow the map’s trail they find instructions on the operation of the map, which in turn reveals clues and hints on the obstacles and riddles in their path.

In the Jiengian religion the handling of humanoid corpses is considered impure, as such bone golems are used to collect and bury the deceased. The bones for the golems are athered from those who directed the burial golems in life.

The players come across a temple of foreign design deep within the woods. A Knowledge (geography) check reveals that the temple is made of a kind of stone not found in the area. When they investigate inside the disassembled pieces of thousands of different constructs are found to litter the inside of the structure.

Path of Iron, 26

Vanguard Class Features

The vanguard is capable of both ranged and melee combat, but their class features are focused primarily on spellcasting and the construct companion.

A vanguard casts spells from their own spell list, which primarily consists of damaging and support spells, as well as crafting and repair related spells. The spells are cast spontaneously using Charisma.
At level 2 the vanguard’s skill in crafting magical items shows itself in their ability to imbue either weapons or themselves/their companion with their spells. These spells will then remain dormant until a specific condition occurs, much like a contingency. One spell can be imbued at a time, and it lasts until 24 hours pass or the vanguard refreshes his spells.
At higher level more and higher level spells can be imbued, and more spells to be used for imbuing are learned.

The construct companion is the most defining ability of the vanguard. They start the game with a magically animated construct of their own design. The companion is customized using augmentations, starting with mending touch and one additional customization, with one additional customization every 3 levels after.

Every customization not only enhances the companion but can also has its own associated resonance. Only one resonance can be active at a time, and the class feature can be used 1/2 lvel + cha mod times per day.
Most of the resonances emanate from the construct companion and enhance their allies with bonuses to defense, attack and spellcasting among other things. At level 20 one of the resonances can be chosen to be active for the whole day.

Lastly the vanguard gets one bonus crafting or teamwork feat every 3 levels, as well as a bonus on Craft, Disable Device, and Knowledge (engineering) checks equal to 1/2 his vanguard level at level 2 as well as speeding up the crafting of items at level 14.


Arris Boekbinder is an archivist and bookbinder who travels with their book golem in search of information about long lost brine giant languages.

Thaola Ililar is a naturalist who got tired of lugging her giant carnivorous plant around. Instead she has planted it into a clay golem of her own creation.

Verrevarous is a stocky sylph with exceptional skills in the manipulation of air, winds and lightning. His skill is such that he has created a golem out of solidified clouds and gas.

Path of Iron, 22

Vanguard Introduction

Two can do more than one, and anyone who has ever entered a dungeon knows the value of a trustworthy companion. The problem here is that many companions are far from trustworthy.
So what is an adventurer to do? Get your own personal ally, from the ranger’s animal companion to the otherwordly eidolons called forth by the summoner. From the dragonrider’s scaly steed to the mechanical bodyguard crafted by the skilled craftsman. The options for acquiring a trustworthy companion are countless.

There are plenty of third party classes that allow for building your own customized construct companion. Interjection Games’ Tinker creates legions of temporary ones, much like the drones created using the new technology sphere, and Thunderscape’s mechamage makes its own construct companion.
The vanguard’s unique selling point is a form of cooperation between vanguard and companion called resonance. Each of the augmentations build into the companion can be activated by the vanguard for a more powerful magical effect called a resonance.

With their d8 Hit Die and medium armor the vanguard can survive on the front line, but their magic and firearm proficiency allows for support from the back. The vanguard is also a charisma based caster with his own spell list up to 6th level. These spells can also be imbued into the vanguard or the companion to be automatically activated under specific circumstances. 

Role: Vanguards will send their companions forward to bash heads and expose their enemies to whichever resonance is most useful at the time. They can support their allies with magic and ranged attacks or join 

HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Fort, Will
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 4 + int mod

Morabund’s Auditorium of Gears, Bells and Whistles is a small college in the ship city of Steamdepths. It famously boasts that every graduate can craft their own golem, though critics say this has less to do with the quality of the curriculum and more with the auditorium’s insistence that all textbooks be printed on bound copper sheets.

When they first encounter him the players may be forgiven for thinking Lawtrance is an unfortunate tinker forced by the raiders to build war constructs. But in truth he is seeking to spread more and more constructs into the lawless lands until he has enough to take over and establish an empire of his own.

The gnomish mining villages in the Short-Spires are a frequent target for raiders and bandits. After losing his parents Sagwau Gearspinner build a mighty construct and swore to defend the local villages from more such tragedies.

Path of Iron, 22

Saboteur Class Features

Saboteur traps are a variation of common spellcasting, instead of memorizing and casting spells a saboteur prepares magical traps and sets these assemblies in a specific square. When someone enters the square the trap is set of and automatically targets the one who set it of, for AoE efects like lines and cones it will orient itself to target as many as possible. This will happen even if the saboteur is nowhere near.
If the saboteur is nearby however they can make all decisions about the spell as it is set of, as well as set it off prematurely with a move action.

At higher levels the saboteur learns to combine slots to create higher level slots, this is at level 7. From level 11 assemblies can be set up to 30 feet away. From level 15 traps onward last longer once set, from 10 minutes per level to 1 hour per level.

A saboteur can mark a visible target with one of four different marks as a move action. One target can be marked at once, an the target remains marked up to 24 hours. The ability is improved at level 9, at which point up to 2 targets can be marked at a time, and both marking and changing the mark of a target taking a swift action. At level 17 greater mark imroves this further, the saboteur can now mark eiter a single target with two different marks, or mark 3 target with a single mark as a swift action.

The available marks are: 

• Assassin’s mark gives a bonus to damage.
• Charlatan’s mark gives a bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks against the target and on Bluff and Disguise checks to pass herself as the marked target.
• Duelist’s mark gives a bonus on attack rolls.
• Informant’s mark gives a bonus on Knowledge, Sense Motive, and Perception checks made against or concerning the marked target.

The saboteur has access to trapfinding from level 1, allowing the disarming of magic traps and adding half her level as a bonus to skill checks for finding and disabling traps. As the saboteur becomes more skilled she gains further bonusses to finding traps and hidden doors, even passively. In addition a saboteur learns to disable traps faster.

At every even level the saboteur learns a saboteur’s trick, these talents are often supernatural and give a wide variety of new abilities, spell-like abilities and other such clever tricks.

For her capstone the level 20 saboteur can select from a list of master’s tricks. These abilities range from permanent extraordinary freedom of movement and once per day breaking out of any hindering effect, never triggering traps and passing through walls at will, to inflicting debilitating effects when marking a target.
Yes, these are proper capstones you’ll want to work towards.


The city states of the Gemtree jungles are ruled by despotic green dragons. The dragons have ruled unopposed for since they conquered the cities collectively 70 years ago. Recently however a mysterious saboteur has been robbing their hoards. This and the resulting harsh reprisals has been inspiring the people of the jungle to resist the dragons.

The proprietor of a small shop has vanished. When the shop is searched it is clear the place is trashed and floor of the shop looks like it was broken through from below. A room with trapmaker's tools is found below.

Halflings in general are notorious gossips, but even among them Gilda Sweetleaf is a particularly skilled gossip. Even though she travels widely and regularly she always seems to know everything about everyone.

Saboteur Intro

The saboteur is basically a variant to the rogue. It is a skill-monkey class with a wide variety is tricks up it’s sleeve. Where the rogue is a damage dealer, the saboteur has a wider variety of in and out of combat tricks.

The saboteur has a variant form of spellcasting that allows them to place magical traps, these are essentially spells that are placed ahead of time on a specific square, and are triggered either by the saboteur as a move action (one allowed per round) or upon a creature that walks upon that square.
The spells, or rather assemblies as they are called are prepared in slots, but this preparation takes only 1 minute per slot.
Multiple traps can be placed, up to her Intelligence modifier. This allows a saboteur to prepare a deadly battlefield is she has the time and knows where a battle will be fought. However someone skilled in disabling traps, like another saboteur for example, can disable and remove such placed assemblies.

The second major class feature is the ability to mark targets, this extraordinary ability allows the saboteur to choose a target and gain a variety of bonuses against them. Depending on the mark chosen this can be additional damage, a bonus on thieves skills, an attack bonus or a bonus on information gathering.

These two abilities, combined with an extensive list of talents allow a saboteur to prepare for and execute almost any kind of caper or infiltration.

Role: Saboteurs are skill-monkeys and problem solvers. They excel particularly if they have time to prepare for a battle. They are also excellent at solving various non-combat problems. The charlatan’s mark is useful both for diplomacy and theft, while the informant’s mark makes information gathering easy.

HD: 8
BAB: 3/4
High Saves: Ref, Will
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points: 6 + int mod


The Roots in the Stones are an order of druid saboteurs who seek to prevent the encroachment of civilization upon the wolds. The often spend years infiltrating and disrupt cities and towns. The Roots use seeds that rapidly grow into magical plants for their traps.

The mysterious Towers of Al-harshun stand lonely in the desert. Little is known about the towers as they are filled with deadly traps, but it is known that the highest floors contain many magical treasures. Those who seek to plunder or research the towers would do well to learn how to disable their traps.

The priests of the local temple of god of wealth and greed are in an uproar. Several important treasures have been taken from the vaults of several other temples. Now the priests have hurriedly started hiring aid to defend their vault from being next.

Archivist Adaptation

Using the Archivist or Rune magic in game can be an interesting and surprising variation from the Wizard. It provides clearly different abilities and descriptions while still being close to the familiar mechanics.
The Runic charge mechanic does mean that enemies should ideally last more that a few rounds to get the most out of the change. If they are unlikely to last long enough you can start them out with a few charges, or give abilities that grant the creature Runic charges from other things than casting Scripts.

Adapting a monster with spellcasting or spell-like abilities to use Rune magic is very easy. Just replace the spells with appropriate Scripts and slap a few runes on the critter to make a runic variant. If the spellcasting is secondary to the creatures encounter role adding an ability that grants Runic charges when performing its primary role will help integrating the Rune magic and make for a more interesting encounter.
A more difficult approach is using the Runic charge system to generate and pay for other custom abilities, without ever casting Scripts at all. The abilities might require charges of a specific Design/School or give different effects. While more complicated to make it gives the monster play very differently depending on how it generates and spends charges, eventually allowing the players to learn tactics for countering and exploiting the abilities over multiple encounters.

The Mirage Cage is a dungeon in the shape of a Rune of Counterspell. Anyone who sleeps in the dungeon automatically counterspells the first spell cast on them the following day.

In rare cases Guardian Scrolls that stay in close contact with powerful grimoires for extended periods can awaken. These intelligent constructs often show great affinity for rune magic.

Monster Ability: Runeguard
When the creature’s SR negates a spell the creature receives a Runic Charge of the appropriate Design. Any charges gained over the creatures maximum are lost without effect.

Archivist Multiclassing and Gestalt

The central problem of multiclassing the Archivist is that they are a full caster class, and there is little that is more valuable in Pathfinder 1e than that. Dipping Archivist might be more useful because of a particular quirk or Rune Casting: The lack of Somatic components. If you want to add some magical abilities to a martial character dipping into Archivist can get you that with less complications than Arcane Magic.

Gestalting comes with the same considerations as other full casters: It requires a lot of actions and as such works best with more passive classes. The ability to cast in heavy armor and with both hands full again opens some options that don’t work well with other full casters.
An interesting option is the Runesmith from Interjection Games, a class that uses runes to enhance theirs and other’s equipment.
Pet classes like the Summoner or Vanguard can be flavored to have their pet summoned or created with rune magic.

The broken scribes are a loose group of Scribes who use Aboleth glyphs to draw and shape Ether, a strange power from beyond reality.

Runic Spell (Metamagic)
You can cast spells in runic form.
Requirements: Ability to cast 2nd level Scripts
Advantages: A runic spell is cast with no somatic components, but with a vocal component. Once successfully cast it gives the caster a Runic Charge of an appropriate Design.
Level Increase: +1

Therkla Proudfoot often surprises her opponents with her runic enhanced strength.

Archivist Class Features

As a full caster the Archivist has relatively few class features. The Archivist has d6 HP, 2+int Skill Points and ½ BAB. His Class Skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

At first level the Archivist gains his Rune Magic, his first bonus feat chosen from a Rune Casting focused list and has to choose a specialization called a Study.
A Study is the specialization class feature of the Archivist, giving the them additional abilities at specific levels, as well as an additional bonus when overloading a Script with the right type of Runic Charge. Besides the six Studies for each of the six Designs there are 12 more specialized Study options available in the 3rd chapter.

Altered Script is gained at fourth level, allowing the Archivist to change the Design of their Runic Charges once per day.
More bonus feats, Study abilities and Altered Script uses come one by one every two levels. The capstone at level 20 is a final Study ability.

In short the class features of the Archivist can be summed up as ‘Wizard, but Rune Casting’. Most of the build choices comes from what you want to do as caster, with each Design heaving its own specialization.

The dungeon has lines of meaningless text blocking some of the corridors. Anyone going over the lines is forced to make a Will save or temporary become unable to read, as well as losing 1d6 random Runic Charges.

Mirabelle Spellpage is a renowned siege weapon enchanter, and a secret cultist of a demon lord of forbidden knowledge who uses sacrifices to power her enchantments.

Runecharged Amulet, 250 gp.
This clay amulet is inscribed with runes and holds a single runic charge of a specific Design.
A Scribe can use this Runic Charge with any abilities that use runic charges or to overload a script.  The runic charge within the amulet does not count against its users normal maximum of runic charges he can maintain at once based on his scribe level.
The scribe still cannot overload more charges into a given script than his normal maximum. If he has more runic charges available than his normal maximum, he chooses which of the ones available to him are overloaded into the script. He does not have to use the charge in the amulet if does not wish to, but must otherwise overload as many charges he can as normal.
To randomly determine what runic charge design is in the amulet, roll on the following table:
d% Charge Type
01–16 Alteration
17–33 Creation
34–50 Destruction
51–67 Invocation
68–84 Manipulation
85–100 Revelation

Rune Magic

There are many forms of magic in the Shattered Worlds, many are similar, despite the vast difference in origins, like divine and arcane magic. Other systems operate vastly differently, like Veilweaving. Rune magic is not so different in operation from the common forms as that, but there are still several notable differences.
Practitioners of Rune Magic are called Scribes, and the spells they learn are called Scripts. Scribes do not need to prepare their Scripts. Every learned Script has a certain number of uses per day, determined by the level of the script and the Scribes character level.
Scribes can also learn scripts of any level they are capable of casting, provided they know at least one script of one level lower. However because lower level scripts can be cast more often, and therefore provide more Runic Charges knowledge of sufficient lower level scripts is encouraged. The schools of Rune magic are slightly different and are called Designs. There are six Designs of Scripts as opposed to the eight Schools of Spells:

• Alteration, which changes objects or living creatures.
• Creation, which create or assemble.
• Destruction, which manipulate destructive energies.
• Invocation, which call upon the energies and creatures of nature.
• Manipulation, which alter and control fundamental forces of reality.
• Revelation, which concern the mind and knowledge.

Runic Charges are the big difference compared to the normal magic system of Pathfinder. Whenever a Scribe successfully casts a Script some residual power remains in the resulting runic scripts. The charges a Scribe has collected can be used to Overload another Script the Scribe casts. The kind of Charge gained and its effect when overloading a Script depends on the Design of the original Script it comes from.

A final notable difference is that Scripts are cast by speaking words of mystic power, whereupon runes manifest upon the Scribe’s equipment. This means that all Scripts have a verbal components, but also that none have any somatic components. Scripts can therefor be cast in heavy armor or when fully bound, so long as the Scribe in question can speak clearly.

The difference between spellcasting and rune casting are simple, but do play very differently. Casting Scripts is not only about what is needed now, but also about what you want to cast later. It also help in keeping lower level Scripts relevant at higher level.

---

Rune Magic is an ancient form of magic, some even claim all alphabets are derived from ancient Runic scripts. Many different Runic scripts have been found in the Shattered Worlds, and the modern traditions of various cultures, organizations and scribes are usually derived from one or more of these ancient sources.

Scribes are usually found as part of scholarly organizations, especially magicians guilds or the local geomancy boards. Most prefer peace and quiet for studying and applying their craft. But to many the lure of ancient and lost runic lore is enough to entice them into becoming adventurers, where their knowledge and magical powers often prove highly valuable. For many expeditions to lost lands and ancient ruins a skilled scribe is essential for dealing with the great works created by the prior inhabitants of such locales.

Rune magic can be used to enchant personal equipment, but it excels at creating large scale and long lasting effects, so called great works. Even the most rural and unlearned of geomancers know some basic runic scripts to maintain the local leylines.

Some scholars speculate that the symbols of Rune Magic are the written form of Truenaming, with a single symbol encompassing long string of True Speech. Of course established scholars of Rune Magic and Truenaming alike scoff at the idea their art is connected to the other’s fumbling efforts.

Floating ruins recently came to a stop above the city, and is now slowly lowering itself towards the ground. Skilled scholars and brave adventurers are needed to investigate the runic scripts that direct the ruins, before it lands on the city.

The geomancy workings that have controlled the flow of the river Reischir for ages are failing. The local geomancers have build upon the oldest parts for centuries, and little knowledge of them remains.

Archivist Intro

The Archivist is the full caster of Path of Iron’s new Rune Magic system. They are scholars of this ancient form of magic, much of which has been lost over time. Rune Magic is divided into six schools and the Archivist is required to specialize in one of them. The unique aspect of Rune Magic is how some of the power of a cast script remains in the runes. These Runic Charges can be used to power up other scripts cast, and the Archivist learns new methods to use this power though his specialized study.

The art of writing is ancient and diverse, and can mean very different things to different peoples and societies, though it is commonly ascribed mystical power by the illiterate masses. When creating an Archivist think about how the society they come from sees writing and how that influences the way they approach their magic. In some places the ability to write is restricted to the elite or to certain groups within society. Whether the Archivist confirms to those rules or not will tell much about them. In the warrior’s nation of Alethkar writing is seen as a feminine art and the male warriors look down on the ability to read and write. In the ancient empire of Babiros the skill of vital for the administration of the city states, and for maintaining the wards that steer the rivers though the great waterworks. As such only the rulers are allowed to learn how to write. The methods, tools and materials used in writing are often a reflection of the society that produces it, from the graceful lines of Elven poetry written in flowing inks to the sharp lines of Dwarven history carved in mile high walls. To many writing is the difference between civilization and barbarism, between learning and ignorance. And in the same way to a tribal storyteller the custom of writing their stories down shows the weak memories of city folk. To Archivists coming from such wild peoples runes might not be a method of writing, but sacred pictographs that call divine power. To them leaving the runes for longer than is needed to call upon their power would be a grave insult.

NPC Archivists can be useful sources of ancient knowledge, or for unlocking that ancient tome the party wizard cannot seem to crack. In combat they make for unusual and surprising allies and enemies. Especially for enemies it might be useful to start them with some runic charges, to make certain they get the change to unleash their scripts to full effect in the few rounds most enemies get in combat.

For the goblins of the moors Write You Down is a figure of terror. And in that terror the ascribe far greater powers to the goblin than she is likely to have.

The ancient Elven sage Folmer has not spoken or heeded a spoken word for centuries. For most people conversation with the obstinate scholar is a chore, but for the avid letter writer (DC 15 linguistics or forgery) he is a treasure trove of knowledge on ancient texts, languages and eldritch tomes.

Ordinary scripts are not sufficient for the needs of the Heavenly Bureaucracy, and indeed the planar scribes of that divine institution have mastered scripts that bend the nature of the world it is meant to describe.

The archivists of the Historians Archive seek to find and preserve all texts that enter the port city. All the writings in their archives are eventually translated and rerecorded in a specialized script whose runes carry the preserving magics meant to guard the tomes through the ages.

Dwammod is looking for allies who are willing to join an expedition into the Underdark to seek ancient texts his ancestors left in the deep cities during the Quest for the Sky.

Ascension Games’s Path of … Series

Because the third book by Ascension Games was just brought out despite a sadly failed kickstarter I though it made sense to start the blog with their books. These are some of my favorite third party books, with high production values and well designed and balanced crunch.

The three books, starting with Path of Shadows focus on a single theme, and present classes, archetypes, feats, spells and magic items build around said theme.The first book focused on Shadow magic and presented a single new class, the Nightblade. A sneaky class with highly varied specializations.

Path of Iron is the second book, focusing on metal and on artifice and has three new base classes. The Archivist who uses a new Rune Magic system where previously cast spells can empower the next spell. The Saboteur is a rogue with a lot of new tricks, from spell-like traps to rapid trap breaking to selecting marks against which she gains various bonuses. The third is a pet class with a customizable golem. Every augmentation the Vanguard builds into his golem comes with a Resonance that can be activated to gives them both powerful advantages.

And the just released Path of the Wilds is of course centered on nature, with options for characters who work with the wild parts of the world. This book again has three new base classes. Starting with the Elementer, a 6^th level caster who uses the power of cast elemental spells to temporarily become a deadly warrior. The Invoker is a sort of reverse pet class. Normally the pet is sent forward to take the hit, but in the case of the Invoker the summoned spirit of nature is the one who provides ranged support via spells and magical attacks. Last is the Warden, a defensive warrior who can place wards, areas that grant various defenses to the Warden and his allies.

Over the coming posts I’ll be going over the content of the books, beginning with the new classes. So come back tomorrow for the first of the classes: The rune casting Archivist!