The absolute pursuit of personal power was almost universal among the runelords of ancient Thassilon. In their haste to stave off death, they created personal demiplanes, embraced undeath, fashioned powerful artifacts, and created foreboding strongholds in obscure branches of reality. Using all the magical might at their disposal, they sought to cement their legacies upon future generations, even after death. The spread of generational curses, the carving of visages into mountain peaks, the creation of faux faiths and secret societies that blurred the lines between cult and religion— all of these were pursued by the runelords in their goal of creating an eternal legacy.¹

Ah those Runelords. Can’t live with them, can’t seem to get rid of them. Well, actually, I don’t mind that so much though Sorshen prefers you not think of her as a Runelord anymore. But of course Belimarius is still kicking over in Xin-Edasseril too. What’s that got to do with new mythic archetypes? Well if you downloaded the Revenge of the Runelords Player’s Guide you’d know that 4 new mythic archetypes are being introduced! Don’t worry, no path spoilers here. But carrying on our divine/mythic treatise, I wanted to dig into these new options with a bit of commentary about what they mean for us as players, for Pathfinder, and for Golarion!

Avenging Runelord

Yes, I know. One article on leylines, and I’m back on the mythic train. I think Paizo’s really cooking something here, both lore and mechanics-wise. Also I know there’s been some debate on the 3 vs 6 module paths, but I like the short focused storylines that can have larger branching ramificationsWhile the Player’s Guide teases the details, you don’t get the full details as that’s in the first adventure Lord of the Trinity Star, in the Adventure Toolbox.  The guide and first path encourage the players to go over the benefits with the GM during session 0. But again, no spoilers here so let’s just get into the mechanics. That quote above is from the first paragraph of the first presented new mythic archetype: the Avenging Runelord. The suggestion here is not that this archetype is for the returned runelords, but those descended from their machinations or influenced by the events of certain paths. What’s interesting here is that you don’t have to take the Wizard (Runelord) path to pick up this mythic dedication. You might not even be an arcane caster! But you’ll pick up a taste for one sin, proficiency in Arcana (improving to master by 16th), as well as an innate arcane spell. There’s a Runelord’s Response reaction you’ll get as well, doing force damage to someone who damages you with a spell. Oh forgot about how you get learning in the Thassilonian language and proficiency in polearms/spear weapon group. Really allows you to go down any path and then pick up that story element of dealing with a Runelord, being their descendant, a ghost, etc.

Later feats let you learn more of the magic, the sins, the runes. You could get a 7th level innate arcane spell with Expanded Runelord Magic or Shining Runes at 14th level. Shining Runes triggers whenever you cast a spell, granting yourself concealment from the brilliance or other distracting perceiving element you choose. Spells get harder to identify too, useful to avoid counterspells. 16th level has the Vindictive Thoughts feat, another reaction that allows you to spend a Mythic point before you roll a saving throw against a spell. You’ll get to use mythic proficiency with it and if you do anything but critically fail, the spellcaster of the spell you’re saving against is going to take 10d6 mental damage, possibly more as your level increases. Vengeful indeed. But friends, let me tell you about the level 20 capstone feat: Craft Runewell. Yes, it’s time y’all. Get that “measure of immortality” as the feat puts it. You get the create demiplane ritual, and you have to cast it at 10th level to create your runewell, but let’s be honest at this point if you’re taking this feat, you’re ready for epic rituals. Or should I say mythic? Yes! The physical manifestation of this ritual is an anima focus, and while on the same plane as it, your doomed location can’t go above 3. That anima focus is going to absorb the sin energy of whatever sin you chose, keeping you from aging, making you immune to effects like never mind, being confused, being stupified… And with 10 minutes of work you can bring up to 6 creatures into your runewell demiplane regardless of the distance between you and it. Exiting lets you come out right at the anima focus, so a great way to get back home as it were. Truly the culmination of so much lore and story with the Runelord activities of old.

Heroic Scion

Destiny calls to many. The Heroic Scion speaks of the struggles of good and evil, a complicated philosophical conversation. Well, sometimes. Sometimes it’s just bad, and for those who can’t see that they’re probably already on the wrong side. For this archetype, these people are called to purpose, or perhaps return from their ventures. I almost said through time, but hold up on that idea for the next archetype. These scions are tough, strong of self, and usually incorruptible. They know history, they’ve seen the struggles of others, and are dedicated to aid. I’d like to see more of that on Earth – and it rewarded – but I digress. The dedication suggest a reincarnation of a great hero, but perhaps you’re an older hero who is called to greatness again. Fantasy literature has many the risen veteran for one last great battle after all. I like the idea of making a former PC or NPC whom you’re reincarnated from; that can have amazing story details. I get Avatar the Last Airbender vibes. Imagine if the previous PC’s player is at the table so they can occasionally impart wisdom to the new PC and player? I love that! Usually there’s a share evil, the “nemesis” who has returned in some form and now must be defeated. The dedication grants you a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks related to feeling out the lies of the nemesis and their servants, as well as their attempts at escaping your notice or impersonating others. They can’t hide. A long time ago Margarest Weis (of Dragonlance fame) taught me that “Evil turns in upon itself.” It’s a lesson some real world evils should remember as the inevitably dawns. But again I digress… Recovery checks are easier by 1. Make one skill a chosen skill that gets the Mythic proficiency whenever you spend a Mythic point. Also get Additional Lore related to your Incarnation, all about past exploits and to be used for related feats. Finally there’s a free action you get to use a Mythic Point to make an Incarnation Lore check at mythic proficiency to Recall Knowledge in place of doing another lore check. That past life’s hero is here to help you!

One of the 14th level feats even builds on this with the Internal Dialogue reaction. Fail a skill check? Well every 10 minutes you can roll an Incarnation Lore check and use that result instead of the failed skill as your past live whispers words of advice or encouraging suggestions. I also love the Reincarnated Companion feat, also 14th level, which brings back that returned animal companion or familiar. Animal companions get an extra specialization while familiars grant two additional familiar abilities. A witch Scion could have a truly powerful familiar! Momentary Respite is a free action, once per day 16th level feat that lets you heal 8d8 points after you spend a Mythic Point. You also get immunity to persistent damage until the end of your next turn, removing it if you had any. Great for those dangerous bleed attacks. Vigorous Vigor speaks of this vitality too, granting you a +2 bonus to saving throws against drained, enfeebled, fatigued, sickened, or slowed. You can even spend a Mythic Point for any save like this to do so at mythic proficiency, and the bonus goes up to +3 at 18th level. This archetype’s level 20 is Eternal Hero. Perhaps the divine protects you, or it’s truly cosmic balance. Either way, recovery checks are easier, the doomed condition won’t increase to 4 or higher, and should you be about to be reduced to 0 hit points, instead you go to 1 and become immune to all damage until the end of your next turn. Now that’s only the first time each day, but still incredible. And should you die, spend a Mythic Point and you immediately reincarnate within 15’ of where you died. You will return, unless you’re out of Mythic Points anyway. That feels a bit more Dragonball Z to me than ATLA, but I love the story you can portray here. Got any ideas of Golarion or Pathfinder broad heroes that would fit with this archetype? Message me as I’m struggling to think of one.

Timewracked

I mentioned those who’ve come through time, and really that’s what the Timewracked is all about. Maybe they travel purposefully through time, they’re displaced by grand magic or even science. Play a Witchwarper with Starfinder Core rules who has come through time! Here they grant an example with Urghan, a cyclops of great renown trapped in a constant state of repetition due to decisions made ahead of the Starfall event. It’s possible also to have been impacted by runelords activities, a different divine event, or maybe even the Starstone’s fall itself! I immediately thought of the Chronoskimmer archetype but I do love the Witchwarper who’s come from the future idea as well, considering how much they play with reality and space. Of course, there’s a lovely sidebar that suggests you might be from Xin-Edasseril, having been trapped in that Groundhog day nightmare by Ruenlord Belimarius’ rather poor attempt to save herself. I appreciate that this sidebar agrees with me on a Starfinder character coming back in time is a perfect choice. There’s a lot you can do here, and I love that we’re getting these sort of mythic archetypes to support these stories. In this case I find the dedication a bit more simple. It grants an increase of speed by 5’. You can spend a Mythic Point to roll initiative with mythic proficiency. You always break ties on initiative and you gain a reaction ti Sidestep Through Time when you are about to make a Reflex save against an area effect. Teleport 10’ in any direction to avoid it, not needing to make a Reflex save at all if you get out of the area of such. 

Simple dedication benefits, maybe, but the other feats are strong. Once per minute you could use the free-action Live Off Borrowed Time to give yourself quickened for 1 round, using the extra action for any basic or speciality basic 1-action action. Now You See Me is also 14th level and is 1-action, letting you stride up to your speed without provoking reactions and making you concealed until the end of your turn. It also makes all creatures off-guard to you until the end of your turn. This is a wonderful archetype for a rogue, hence the Merisiel art! Second Sight is another 14th level 1-action. You get to make a Recall KNowledge check with mythic proficiency for 1 Mythic Point, focusing upon one creature. For a critical success, you learn all the intended actions of the creature for the next turn. Of course this is going to make the GM have to think about the outcomes but it’s very powerful information. A success on the roll gets you one piece of information, still useful. At 16th level, I like Echoing Fury. You have to have the 14th level, 2-action Temporal Fury that lets you spend a mythic point to strike, then step up 10’, then strike again at mythic proficiency and with the target offguard. The updated Echoing Fury let’s you Step 15’ and you deal an additional die of weapon damage and combine the damage for the purpose of resistance. 18th level Fracture Timeflow lets you do just that. If you get a critical success with a Strike, they have to make a Will save. Success is 1 round of slowed 1, failure is slowed 2 for 1 round, and critical failure is stunned 3, then slowed 2 for 1 round. Truly, any character class could benefit but those with sneak attack will greatly benefit. The 20th level Timelessness makes you immune to time and aging effects, slowed, and again recovery DCs are easier by 1. You can roll flat checks twice to end persistent damage and you get to influence time when others do. You gain the quickened condition when others within 60’ do. You also stop aging and can’t die of natural causes. Here’s that immortality the Runelords desired!

Warshard Warrior

Finally we get the Warshard Warrior, who have literally been struck by those falling shards of Gorum’s body during the Godsrain. Possibly a sliver of Gorum has suffused into these heroes, even as they took up the fallen metal to craft something of note. This suffused both heroic body and weapon, a sort of soul bond union that sometimes means the affected warrior’s essence travels into the weapon. This is true for the example NPC Yrrelin, a serpentfolk lich who resides in a scythe called Villainy, that when held tries to overcome (and usually succeeds) the wielder to commit great evil and wickedness, beheading Golarion’s great heroes. Thus not all Warshard Warriors need be good, pure of heart, or even dedicated to Gorum’s ideals, but possibly warped into great violent deeds. The dedication feat has you possibly wearing the warshard that hit you, but it’s not invested with power any longer. You are. Each day you get to choose one weapon to be your warshard weapon, bound to you. It can’t be intelligent or an artifact, but mundane or magical: it’s yours. You get the Mythic Strike feat with it and deal double the amount of damage you deal with weapons specialization any time you Strike with it at mythic proficiency. You also gain a 1-action ability to call your weapon to your hand if you don’t have it. It starts as working only on the same plane of existence, but by 18th level it crosses even the planes. The warshard weapon infuses you with power, exemplified by the feats you take. 

I still feel this is all perhaps Gorum’s larger plan, empowering warriors who need to be ready for the next big fight. Lightless Sight grants you darkness or greater darkvision if you have the base version already. It’s 14th level and also grants Weaponsight, a 1-action ability, letting you close your eyes and see from your weapon. It doesn’t work if your weapon is on a different plane than you, but you can spend a Mythic Point as part of this activation to make saving throws against visual effects at mythic proficiency. Truly useful is the Transmute Weapon feat, also 14th level. Each day, choose the material your weapon is made of. Standard-level if the item is at least 9th level, and high-grade if the weapon is at least 15th. Need adamantine, silver, or cold iron today? You got what you need. Incredibly useful feat. Divide And Conquer is 2-actions at 16th level and let’s you spend a Mythic Point to Step and then make two Strikes at mythic proficiency, one against each of 2 targets you threaten. Thus, reach weapons would work! You make both at base attack bonus, rather than any multiple attack penalty. If your weapon does bludgeoning, you make them off guard until the start of your next turn. Piercing? You deal 1d8 persistent bleed. Slashing? They become sickened 2. The 20th level feat is I Am The Weapon and it’s a half page long. You truly bond heart and soul to your weapon. Die? You disappear and your weapon falls. Any sentient creature picking up your weapon, causes you to reappear and if it’s a stranger, you’re at full hit points. You can also choose to bond with the weapon instead, becoming an intelligent item as per that example above. You could have another PC wield you and what an interesting campaign that could be! You also can grant the Impartial Martial Weapon ability if you do so, a 2-action ability. It lets your wielder make a Strike that ignores circumstance penalty to attacks, ignoring flat checks for concealment and being hidden too as you advise your wielder. I want to see this played out, perhaps as a powerful weapon wielded by a 1st level character in the new campaign!

I think we can expect more Mythic options woven into our paths, adventures, and various book releases. Certainly Revenge of the Runelords is of great importance to the overall lore, again won’t spoil. I can say there are some more mythic offerings in the second module, but they are more closely tied to the adventure so I’ll hold off from sharing detail. I think this all pointing at escalation, which seemed to be the concern from the Godsrain anyway, but the ramifications of certain actors coming into Pathfinder2E pointed to that. Runelords, the Whispering Tyrant, and truly even divine entities are escalating their activities. Highly suggest you review your options, keep them in mind for when you run your own or this amazing adventure! Shout out to Michelle Y. Kim for this amazing adventure by the way! Invest in this mythic story and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in your impact on this world. Be sure to share with me if you dig into this path, by the way.

Remember to support one another and much love to all!

Investing In:

I wasn’t quite sure what to name my article series when I first started but the idea of showcasing or discussing things that make me excited, that I find new and interesting, or maybe I’m otherwise passionate about seemed to fit with the idea of Investing In something like the Pathfinder 2E mechanic. To use some magic items you have to give that little bit of yourself, which helps make these things even better. I like the metaphor of the community growing and being strengthened in the same way!

I also want to hear what you’re Investing In! Leave me a comment below about what games, modules, systems, products, people, live streams, etc you enjoy! You can also hit me up on social media as silentinfinity. I want to hear what excites you and what you’re passionate about. There’s so much wonderful content, people, groups (I could go on) in this community of ours that the more we invest in and share, the better it becomes!

Sources

Banner – Lord of the Trinity Star cover, modified, Paizo

1. Avenging Runelord excerpt, Lord of the Trinity Star, Paizo
2. Avenging Runelord, Lord of the Trinity Star, Paizo
3. Heroic Scion, Lord of the Trinity Star, Paizo
4. Timewracked, Lord of the Trinity Star, Paizo
5. Warshard Warrior, Lord of the Trinity Star, Paizo