Weekly Wonders - Archetypes of War Volume I - Footsoldiers

Every Day is a Good Day to Die

There is battle, and then there is warfare. Many adventurers are familiar with wading into combat against monsters and small groups of enemies, but this is nothing next to the glory and chaos and carnage that is true war. More than simply a change in scale, the difference between war and other combat can be profound. In a war, the characters are part of something larger than themselves, contributing to the efforts of their armies, or perhaps leading those armies themselves. The priorities of a soldier are different from those of an adventurer, and often the challenges that they face are, as well. While many characters can translate their talents as adventurers to the battlefield, one who specifically focuses on warfare and battlefield tactics will have the edge on others when it comes to true war. Each installment of Weekly Wonders: Archetypes of War provides six new war-themed archetypes for a variety of classes.

For this book, we focus on archetypes of the common soldier. These brave men and women comprise the bulk of every army, and it is through their hard work, courage, and determination that an army is able to accomplish anything at all. While it may not be glamorous to be one of the grunts, these tough-as-nails soldiers are nonetheless each a hero in their own right. This book includes the following archetypes:

• The military bloodline, for bloodragers with a long ancestry of soldiering and war, who find unnatural combat instincts and training seem to come to them suddenly in the haze of battle.
• The versatile combatant, a brawler archetype that retains its incredible flexibility in combat, while focusing on fighting with more traditional arms and armor, rather than unarmed strikes.
• The career soldier, a fighter archetype that replaces bravery with a series of minor benefits, allowing them to march, take cover, flank, and charge more effectively.
• The battle mage, a magus archetype that specializes in the manipulation of raw arcane energy to blast foes, or create barriers to help hold the line.
• The military discipline, a psychic discipline for those whose psychic abilities come from military programs to create psychic soldiers.
• The warmonger, a warpriest archetype for those that worship battle above all, and trade out some of their healing powers for the ability to better make war.

Whether you're about to embark on a campaign of military exploits (such as the official Paizo adventure path dealing with invading forces), or you just want to play a more military character, 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 militarily-inclined NPCs as well, and can make for exciting and memorable encounters.