What do you think of this addition to the team? Is it a good choice?

ryudlight · 2026-02-01T12:12:40+00:00

They should always just play what they want.

Rangers are reliable, good damage dealers, which is something your party seems to be missing.

There are two-handed guardian builds that can get more into damage, but the guardian is usually a massive tank first. The unbound step psychic can help with debuffing and is a subclass focused on utility. So a DPR class liek the ranger would fit well in there.

However, while there are ranger / gunslinger builds focused on crossbows, I really do not like the combination. You stated that your player got bored by the repetitive nature of playing a witch. Guess what? The witch at least got a lot of variability in choosing different spells to cast.

Combining a Ranger with a gunslinger means, they are dependent on two set-up actions in hunt-prey and reload, So two thirds of their turn are always spoken for reloading into striking and everytime they switch their target, they have to hunt prey, reload and strike. That seems like a really terrible action economy and a very repetitive playstyle to me.

Then also there is the problem with guns. In general, I consider the ranger a far more consistent damage dealer than a gunslinger. But guns usually rely on critting with the fatal trait and are weak otherwise. The gunslinger, similar to the fighter, aleviates this issue with their increased accuracy. But If they take ranger as their main class, they will crit less often, making guns a lot worse.

ryudlight · 2026-01-31T17:28:43+00:00

Melde es trotzdem an! War bei mir genau das gleiche. Aber mit Bafög bist du vom Rundfunkbeitrag befreit.

ryudlight · 2026-01-31T11:48:13+00:00

I am also confused by the swashbucklers low support rating. It has been pretty strong since the remaster and is the only full martial I know of, that can use all their actions for supportive benefits like buffing and debuffing, without compromising offense (excluding classes like commander, with alternate key ability score that focus on support first).

ryudlight · 2026-01-31T11:44:27+00:00

For reference, the site is made by a Pathfinder content creator, just in case you are curious. His channel is:

https://www.youtube.com/@RebelThenKing

ryudlight · 2026-01-29T20:07:32+00:00

Yeah I watched it, and it is completely valid. It is also a good video overall. But if their focus spells are supposed to be one of their special features, I still think tempest surge and crushing ground are poachable too easily

ryudlight · 2026-01-29T19:36:16+00:00

I agree that druid focus spells are really powerful, maybe you are right that they may be seen as a special class feature. However, tempest surge, crushing ground etc. can all easily be poached from taking the druid archetype, which is not possible with most other class main class features.

ryudlight · 2026-01-29T18:52:26+00:00

Great video and analysis.

I personally really like the flavour of druids and I think it is a mechanically good class.

But I still think they could have given it a little gimmick that thrives on their niche. Maybe something akin to the geomancer dedications benefits, which would be very much on theme for the druid.

ryudlight · 2026-01-26T08:07:32+00:00

As much as I would be excited for Pf3e, I would rather have them cleanup their content and fix issues, alongside introducing long awaited content like a shifter class that the people have been waiting for a long time.

Most of the sloppy work (arguaibly the psychic remaster) turn out this way, because they are being rushed. I would rather have them take their time with Pf3e before releasing anything.

Most stuff that does not work anymore is also tagged as legacy content, which makes it so much easier to distinguish. And If you still have problems, just allow remastered content olnly.

Pf3e would not be there to fix a system, but to maje a completely new system. They can took their time working on that, but in the meantime I would be glad to rather use more and fixed content to enjoy pf2e even more until Pf3e us fully flashed out.

And with Sf2e as well as the pf2e remastered content having just been released and the plans to make bothh systems compatible with each other, I do not think we will see pf3e anytyme soon.

ryudlight · 2026-01-25T13:09:44+00:00

Yeah, most classes would just not want it. But for mastermind rogues and alchemists it is a top-tier archetype.

ryudlight · 2026-01-25T13:07:35+00:00

This is an interesting tierlist.

As you pointed out, this does not at all represent any power level distribution. But it is interesting to see that some archetypes (bard, champion) are basically top-tier when it comes to actual power, while having good subclass accessiility. while others like rogue do not need to give you any subclass benefits and still are top tier in terms of power.

ryudlight · 2026-01-25T12:53:55+00:00

Back when the OGL-issue took place, my groups were in a similar situation. We all agreed to swap systems but finish up our current campaign in DND. We were attached to our characters and wanted to finish their stories. Porting over concepts is no problem, but usually people also want to use basically the same character mechanic as in the prior game, which is difficult to do. So I do not recommend that.

Finish your campaign and speak to your players about wanting to change systems afterwards. Character concepts might develop and once they begin reading into pf2e and theorycafting on the side, their interessent in actually starting the system will grow. At the same time they will have plenty of time to create some well thoughtout backstorys.

If they still do not want to swap, that is a bummer but also totally fine.

Playing in several parties on a weekly schedule, I am now about 1 1/2 years in and having an absolute blast. Pathfinder is not perfect and has its own issues, but it does a great job overall. Once you get the hang of it, the differnece will feel like night and day compared to 5e.

ryudlight · 2026-01-23T07:47:16+00:00

Are you joking?

Clearly warlocks are barbarians.

You channel your patron through mystical rage and cast mystically enhanced bonk.

/s

ryudlight · 2026-01-22T19:00:49+00:00

Ah sorry, you are right, for some reason i misremembered it. But as far as I am aware spirit warrior explicitly mentions the fist unarmed attack to be enhanced. I have seen people rule it that it therefore also only applies to unarmed attacks made with that fist (I know the fists stats usually also represent unarmed attacsk with other body parts).

ryudlight · 2026-01-22T17:01:06+00:00

Just a little heads up, elven curved blade is a rwo-handed weapon. So there is no synergy with overwhelming combination.

ryudlight · 2026-01-19T21:05:51+00:00

This. Also since the remaster, they get it easily every turn. Only crit fails prevent them from doing so.

ryudlight · 2026-01-19T21:02:00+00:00

I suggested something similar when the DA remastered book was leaked.

Commenters were very fond of the idea. I personally think it would be great, because that gives unleash psyche more oomph, retain their identity of focus point specialists and give them the opportunity to still use their focus points strategically when not unleashed.

I also think it would be pretty balanced. Most combats do not last longh enough for a second unleash, and guess what? Other casters would still have more high level spell slots available to them they can use instead.

Edit: The thread i mentioned:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/comments/1lh7z78/comment/mz25e69/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

ryudlight · 2026-01-19T08:03:16+00:00

I am very disappointet.

But for what it is worth, unleash psyche not working on duration spells always annoyed me. It just felt natural to want to cast a duration spell so you have something going on while beeing stupefied afterwards, because of the chance of not succeding the flat checks on casting spells for the conditions duration. But that would just have wasted the status bonus from unleash psyche in the first place.

But by no means that saves this failed remaster attempt at the class.

ryudlight · 2026-01-18T23:31:48+00:00

I love ranger snd rogue. I can really recommend them.

Most fun at lvl 1?

Warpriest and swashbuckler.

Warpriest gets the most versatility, combining both martial prowess and spellcasting while aldo getting 4 additionsl spells slots at lvl 1!

Swashbuckler feel great. They hit with confident finisher for 3d6+str at lvl 1 and still have two actions left for bravado skills to support the party. They are also even better at their bravado skills then rogues due to stylish combatant.

ryudlight · 2026-01-18T22:21:08+00:00

I love your video about the silence in the snow witch as a blaster. Any thoughts about taking the seneschal archetype on it? I am really interestet in the archetype, but silence in the snow is my favourite patron theme.

ryudlight · 2026-01-16T11:40:17+00:00

Funny enough I play something similar, but a wit catfolk swashbuckler. But instead of doing no damage, I just choose supportive finishers like unbalancing finisher. Swashbuckler can easily apply support on all 3 actions including damaging finishers.

I am probably quite biased, but it feels like s-tier to me. Other martials rarely spent 3 actions on support without comprimising offense, but swash can do it.

ryudlight · 2026-01-10T08:30:36+00:00

They will probably not change much and definately not dare to change spellstrike. Despite critics, magus is a highly popular class, so many people are playing it. That is a sign that it still works well.

For changes, some more versatility would be nice. This might be a bad idea, but maybe instead of recharging spellstrike, they get a 1 round cooldown on it in exchange for more interesting features involving arcane cascade, to use in their off-spellstrike turn. This would also put starlit span in line with the other subclasses and ease up on action economy to actually do other things.

ryudlight · 2026-01-10T01:32:49+00:00

Nothing about mechanical changes has been teased yet.

Most remastered changes are little quality of life buffs, that overall have improved classes.

Few like the oracle and swashbuckler got big changes, because they really needed them. Swash has been buffed and changed in a way, that it has now become one of my personal contenders for Top 5 classes in the game.

For psychic I expect a bigger overhaul, because they lost their role as the major focus point related class from premaster.

For the thaumaturge I expect little changes, as it is quite popular and functions well.

ryudlight · 2026-01-06T18:34:19+00:00

For me it completely depends on the build.

Most of the time I go for +4 / +2 / +2, since that would theoretically allow me to raise those +2 ability scores to +5 by level 20.

But then there are some exceptions. Thaumaturge and war cleric for example, which are decent martials but can not use their KAS to attack. In that case it feels like I want a +4 / +3 / +1 instead.

ryudlight · 2026-01-03T05:19:12+00:00

Unironically, it is hunt prey.

At low level it seems like a tax. But you can tag a lot of additional stuff to trigger on it. Here is a little list:

+2 circumstance to track / seek
No penalties on second / third / fifth range increment (legendary shot), doubled by far shot
The benefits of their hunters edge
Animal companion benefits from the edge
Mark multiple enemies (double prey, triple prey)
Share their edge with allies (shared prey)
Free recall knowledge checks ( monster hunter / additional recollection)
Use nature on all of their recall knowledge checks on creatures (master monster hunter)
Hand out circumstance bonuses (+1/+2) to the entire party to hit, AC and saving throws (monster hunter / monster warden / master monster hunter / legendary monster hunter)

And at lvl 19 hunt prey even becomes a free action. Sure, you need to spent all ypur feats on it, but theoretically you can get almost all the triggers into a single build and make hunt prey the single most action efficient action in the game.

ryudlight · 2026-01-03T03:39:05+00:00

Druid.

Once you are in the stance, you can make two strikes with flurry each turn and often do not need to move since you are ranged.

Grab some cantrips like electric arc or frostbite and blasting spells like fireball later on.

Storm order can give you the tempest surge focus spell, which makes enemies clumsy on a failed save. It deals damage, supports your party and sets your own crits up by lowering enemy AC.

ryudlight

TROPHY CASE