Weekly Wonders - Archetypes of the Afterlife Volume II - The Saved

Blessed Be!

Adventurers have a special relationship with death in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. While for many, death is one of the few things in this world that is both certain and final, for an adventurer, especially at higher levels, it is more of an inconvenience than anything else. Some characters may even find themselves dying and being brought back to life with magic multiple times in a single fight. The Weekly Wonders: Archetypes of the Afterlife series explores some of the ways that a brush with death might affect PCs, with a variety of new afterlife-themed archetypes.

For this book, we focus on the saved, those blessed souls who know for a certainty that their soul is fated for one of the upper planes once they finally die and stay dead. Some characters might react to this revelation by trying to spread the good word of the Heavens, attempting to help others share in the rich rewards awaiting them in the hereafter. Others know that their salvation is a reward for heroic acts and deeds that they have not yet done, and dedicate themselves all the more to fulfilling their heroic destinies. This book includes the following archetypes:

The seeker of salvation, an inquisitor archetype who chooses to focus on redeeming those that she finds, rather than condemning them.

The destined martyr, a paladin archetype whose heroic and valiant sacrifice is foretold, and who spends her life in preparation of one final act of heroism.

The slayer of heathens, a ranger archetype whose salvation comes from the war he wages against infidels and heretics.

The salvation spirit, for shamans, which grants a number of salvation-themed powers and abilities.

The holy vessel, a summoner archetype that is the manifestation of a powerful good-aligned outsider, taking humanoid form, who can call on the remainder of his own spiritual essence in the form of his eidolon.

The Saved, a new emotional focus for spiritualist phantoms, representing phantoms who have been granted paradise in the afterlife, but choose to remain to aid those left behind.

Whether you're about to embark on a campaign where the afterlife features prominently (such as the official Paizo Adventure Path featuring an undead tyrant), or you just want to play a character touched by the grave, this book has lots of tantalizing options to offer. Even GMs can get in on the fun, as several of the archetypes here are perfect for deathly NPCs as well, and can make for exciting and memorable encounters.