A magical practitioner in Pathfinder 2e is a character who utilizes arcane or divine powers to cast spells and perform mystical abilities. They are masters of the arcane arts, channeling magical energy to manipulate the fabric of reality. **These practitioners can come in a variety of forms, including wizards, sorcerers, clerics, and druids**, each with their own unique abilities and spellcasting methods. Wizards are learned spellcasters who meticulously study ancient tomes and scrolls to gain knowledge of spells. They have a wide range of spells at their disposal and can specialize in specific schools of magic. **Wizards rely on their Intelligence score to cast spells and use their vast knowledge to solve problems through magical means**.
With a connection to the world of Pathfinder itself, Primal spellcasters are nature casters. The cycle of life and death, predator and prey, day and night are played out in their spell selection list. Theirs is also probably the most diverse and utilitarian. At their pinnacle, the primal spellcasters can transform a group of people into a herd of mammoths. Turning a group of pitchfork-wielding angry farmers into a group of huge, battle-ready mammoths to stampede your enemies is one way to make your point about pollution.
It s also so full of so many amazing options for magic you ll have to toss it all in the kitchen sink if you want to give everything it s time to shine in your lifetime. Besides Eberron, I haven t seen this integration of rules and setting since Dragonlance, where they justified the minimal weapon and armor choices for Magic-users with in-game reasons.
**Wizards rely on their Intelligence score to cast spells and use their vast knowledge to solve problems through magical means**. Sorcerers, on the other hand, have an innate connection to magic and can cast spells naturally without the need for study or preparation. **They draw their magic from their bloodline, which can be of draconic, fey, or infernal origins**, among others.
RPG Reviews – Pathfinder 2E: Secrets of Magic (Paizo)
I love magic. Despite that, I don’t often play magic-users in RPGs unless I’m playing Ars Magica or Mage. Honestly, I think it’s because I like swords/weapons and having them be an integral part of the character (my Ars character is basically a fighter-mage type.) Thankfully, Pathfinder: Secrets of Magic comes to my rescue with the Magus, a core class that is devoted to spells AND a weapon, giving Freud the opportunity to run amok in my psyche.
Hilarity aside, Secrets of Magic is the best book I’ve ever read on magic for any game that is, or has ever been, descended from D&D. Hands-down, no contest. I think I realized that about page 8, because after the lovely Introduction begins the in-character treatises on the nature of magic in the Pathfinder universe. Four characters, each representing the different traditions of magic, give a firsthand look at what it is to see the universe through their eyes and, in doing so, present all the rules and mechanics of Pathfinder magic as actual parts of the setting – for example: the Arcane Tradition actually divides spells up into Levels and Schools in-setting. This means you’ve got Wizards running around discussing their “4th-level incendiary” spells – which I don’t think I’ve ever come across as an in-character discussion topic. Besides Eberron, I haven’t seen this integration of rules and setting since Dragonlance, where they justified the minimal weapon and armor choices for Magic-users with in-game reasons.
Each entry is written evocatively and with so much flavor, with the Divine Tradition reading like a religious treatise and the Occult Tradition including the hilarious “Why does flawed occultism always involve tentacles?” When discussing the Essences of Magic: Matter, Mind, Spirit, and Life – which combine in pairs to create the Traditions, the essay goes so far as to discuss the morality of negative energy and the undead – specifically what makes them “evil.”
The Essentials of Magic chapter then goes into the eight Schools and we get a really nice rundown of what practitioners of those Schools are like and what the School of magic can accomplish – its merits and flaws. Honestly, if there was a way to hook me on this book, opening with a philosophical treatise on F20 magic was it. I had so much fun reading it and, though by default it’s for Golarion, it adds so much to any setting because at the era in which most FRPs are set, magic should have been studied. It should have been analyzed and taken apart and put back together and have all sorts of theories flying around about it and how it works. So often you just get a set of rules and a rough idea of how they work in the cosmology, but there’s no academia. I absolutely love it. Oh yeah, and there are some new Backgrounds for magical types, like Academy Dropout, False Medium, and Occult Librarian, all of which are fun and I’d love to use, and then Rare Magical Backgrounds which I’d also love to use, because who doesn’t want to be a Magical Experiment, Chosen One, or Time-Traveler?? Before I read this book I started to brainstorm a dungeon crawl setting that my gut wanted to use Pathfinder 2E for, and I idly thought, “maybe I’d like to include time-travel…” Well gut, good thinkin’
You know how I just said I loved the academic tone of this book? It doesn’t stop with the introduction but continues into the new Classes, as their description talks about their role in a group in such a way you’d imagine hearing from an instructor at a lectern, not an overenthusiastic rules-shepherd. The two new Classes are the Magus, a martial spellcaster that infuses their weapon or body with arcane energy to fight the enemy, and the Summoner, who calls upon and summons an “Eidolon”, an otherworldly entity with whom it acts in harmony to achieve their goals.
Both these classes are really cool. The Magus combines martial ability with Arcane spellcasting, using their Spellstrike ability to deliver Touch range spell attacks. If they hit, they discharge the spell effect and inflict weapon damage. While it does take Actions to recharge the Spellstrike, this can be made easier through the casting of Conflux spells – Focus spells that recharge the Spellstrike. Whether you want to fight sword and board, with a staff, ranged weapon, or just fists, the Magus will suit you well.
The Summoner is Pathfinder’s shoutout to Final Fantasy. They are spellcasters who have a deep connection to an Eidolon – an otherworldly entity that channels magical energy to the Summoner. When summoned, the two pair up for their Actions and can combine their efforts as levels increase. The Eidolon can be a pretty hefty companion, with strong natural attacks – just don’t let it get too far away from the Summoner or it will return to its home plane. Eidolons belong to each of the four magical traditions, so you’ll have Angels and demons for Divine casters, phantoms for Occult, constructs and dragons for Arcane, and elementals and fairy for Primal. I briefly wondered if Demons might also be Arcane or Occult, on account of the wizard/cultist summoning demons thing, but it actually makes less sense for the Summoner class, as the nature of their relationship is different than a wizards casting a summoning spell. Though it might make for an overall weaker Eidolon, I really want to try out the Archetype rules for the Summoner and attach a martial class to this, taking the phantom of an ancient warrior as my Eidolon, as I think the roleplay opportunities and “cool factor” are pretty high for that concept!
I’m never certain how exactly to critique new spells (unless there’s only a handful), so I’ll at least say that Secrets of Magic has a ton of new spells with some pretty fun effects. I particularly like the ones with “utility” effects like “Restyle”, which changes your clothing, “Magic Mailbox”, which connects two containers dimensionally, “Read the Air”, which helps with societal cues, or “Shift Blame”, where you alter the target’s memories to think someone else was responsible for a particular attack or skill check. There are spells that enhance Eidolons and assist the Magus in doing what it does best as well.
In the same fashion I won’t list all the new magic items, but some of my favorites include the Grimoire “Instructions for Lasting Agony”, causing the target of one of your harmful necromancy spells to become sickened; the “Shortbread Spy”, a cookie that comes to life, runs away and then returns before falling down immobile, granting the ingested knowledge of everything the cookie saw (if you gave it eyes.) There’s also the exceedingly cool section on creating “personal staves.” You get to design a staff and imbue it with a variety of spells it can cast. I’m always a fan of customizable items and this is perfect for Wizard characters who enjoy a powerful walking stick.
Reading the Book of Unlimited Magic, the final chapter which presents a huge variety of alternative styles of magic, was an absolute delight. While still designed in Golarion, each style could totally alter a cosmology in your home setting and make for a very unique experience – I haven’t seen so many different magical variants I wanted to use since Fantasy HERO. Lots of them are acquired through picking up a new Class Archetype, showcasing the flexibility and diversity of the “multiclass” rules. In other cases they’re just new class feats and spells or larger changes to the world. My two favorites are “Pervasive Magic”, where everything is magical – including the land, so a stream can “charm” you and everyone’s got a little spellpower, and the other is “Soulforged Armaments”, where you bind arms and armor to your soul through a ritual, granting the ability to summon and dismiss the item, as well as bestow special abilities upon them. However, this is only possibly if you set yourself upon a Soul Path – a great cause that compels you to act and put yourself in danger. Should you stray though, you risk corrupting your soul and introducing flaws to you and your armaments.
This is an incredible book. The presentation is excellent, with copious amounts of in-character narration and analysis, great art, and an easy-to-read style. It’s also so full of so many amazing options for magic you’ll have to toss it all in the kitchen sink if you want to give everything it’s time to shine in your lifetime. Besides the two new fun-looking classes, I’m most enamored with the alternate magic styles and am really excited to try them out. Secrets of Magic will be an absolute asset to your table.
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Sorcerers use their Charisma score to cast spells and often have unique bloodline powers that set them apart from other practitioners. Clerics are devout individuals who channel divine energy granted to them by their deity. **They can heal wounds, banish undead, and call upon their god for guidance and assistance**. Clerics use their Wisdom score to cast spells and have access to a wide range of divine magic, making them versatile and valuable members of any adventuring party. Druids are mystics who have a deep connection to nature and the primal forces of the world. They can call upon the power of animals, plants, and the elements to cast spells and shape-shift into different forms. **Druids use their Wisdom score to cast spells and can take on the appearance and abilities of animals through their Wild Shape ability**. All magical practitioners in Pathfinder 2e have access to a spellcasting system that uses spell slots. **These slots represent the amount of magical energy a character can expend to cast spells**. As they increase in level, practitioners gain more powerful spells and additional spell slots to utilize in their adventures. In addition to spells, magical practitioners often have class features and abilities that further enhance their magical abilities. **These can include familiars, metamagic feats, domain or bloodline powers, and wild shape forms**, among others. These features help differentiate and define each class's unique playstyle and role within the game. Overall, magical practitioners in Pathfinder 2e are versatile and powerful characters capable of shaping the course of a battle or solving intricate puzzles through their mastery of magic. Whether they are wizards, sorcerers, clerics, or druids, these characters bring a touch of the supernatural to the world of Pathfinder..
Reviews for "Exploring the Magical Practitioner Archetypes in Pathfinder 2e"
1. John - 1/5 - I was really disappointed with the magical practitioner system in Pathfinder 2e. It felt convoluted and overly complicated, with too many rules and restrictions. The spellcasting system was confusing, and it seemed like I had to constantly refer back to the rulebook just to understand how to cast a simple spell. Overall, I found it to be an unnecessary and frustrating addition to the game.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - As an experienced player, I found the magical practitioner class in Pathfinder 2e to be underwhelming. The spells were lackluster and didn't have the same impact or variety as in previous editions. The limited spell slots and rigid spell progression made it feel like playing a watered-down version of a full caster. I was hoping for something more dynamic and exciting, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.
3. Mark - 2/5 - I did not enjoy playing a magical practitioner in Pathfinder 2e. The class lacked versatility and options compared to other spellcasting classes. The spell list felt limited, and the abilities didn't offer many opportunities for creative play. Overall, I found it to be a lackluster and underwhelming class choice in the game.
4. Emily - 3/5 - While I appreciate the attempt at introducing a new magical practitioner class in Pathfinder 2e, I found it to be overly complicated. The class mechanics were difficult to grasp, and the spellcasting system felt restrictive and confusing. It took away from the enjoyment of playing a magic user, and I would have preferred a simpler and more streamlined approach to spellcasting in the game.