Ultimate Antipodism - Drawn from Light and Darkness

Ultimate Antipodism - Drawn from Light and Darkness

How many roads will you walk down?

Just as at home stalking the shadows for their prey as they are bringing luminescent wrath down upon their foes in a display of pyrotechnics, those who walk the edge come across as walking paradoxes to most observers, most observers being defined as those who haven't just been shown, in excruciating detail, mind you, that both approaches are just as lethal. To walk the edge means to believe in the duality of all things. Life and death, or light and darkness, for that matter, are just two sides to the same coin. How otherwise rational creatures, such as paladins, could get so riled up about one half of a duality is quite confusing to the neophyte of this philosophical tradition, though the confusion soon passes given their philosophy's capacity to accept things as they are.

Those who walk the edge are united by their common philosophy, but are divided by the training they undertook to achieve their personal connection with the duality.

The training of an edgewalker resembles that of a martial, ascetic monk, while also resembling that of an assassin or other such stalker of the shadows. Experienced edgewalkers are just as cunning as they are wise and revel in the eventual realization that their training is a smattering of that of almost all other dexterous pursuits. By being trained in such a manner, edgewalkers understand the nature of their adversaries as extrapolated facets of themselves, granting themselves a significant advantage in battle.

The training of an edgeblade resembles that of a fighter, crusader, or other master at arms, while also containing a deep philosophical component. These warrior poets strive to submerge their own egos in the nature of the duality itself, stifling those aspects of humanoid nature that makes understanding the essential interconnectedness of the world difficult. In combat, an edgeblade is a powerhouse of longevity, recycling a small portion of the power released whenever he invokes the duality and collecting it to power unique residuum abilities that call upon the duality again and again.

The training of an antipodist focuses entirely on the philosophy of the duality, and it is for this reason that the variance from one antipodist to the next is usually greater than the variance between an edgewalker and an edgeblade. Trained to question everything, antipodists seek to solve the duality, seeking to answer "Why?" rather than simply being happy with "What?". In her attempts to solve the duality, an antipodist comes up with some very well-defined opinions and learns similarly well-defined skills; though she may deviate from her original bearing, the path she takes along her journey leaves an indelible mark. The journey is as much a part of who she is as is the destination. In combat, an antipodist draws power from a series of nine philosophies, weaving the power of the duality in displays of the deepest darkness and brightest radiance until none are able (or willing) to stand against her.

Toeing the razor's edge between many paths, the followers of the duality tend to be a source of amusement or confusion for all those they take on as traveling companions, but there is no doubting that their strange combination of gentle philosophy and violent combat prowess, light and darkness, and wisdom and naiveté are surprisingly effective when brought to bear.

This compilation contains all content from the following legacy products

The Edgewalker: Wielder of Light and Darkness

The Motebringer: An Edgewalker Archetype

The Antipodist Base Class

Product Features

Three base classes - the martial edgeblade, the monk/shadowdancer/assassin edgewalker, and the full caster antipodist

Six archetypes - two for each base class

171 antipodist loci

Over 100 edgeblade/edgewalker waypoints and greater waypoints

A collection of antipode feats

Favored class bonuses, bookmarking, and a shameless advertisement