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First Look At The Pathfinder RPG's Occult Adventures Sourcebook

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Occult Adventures looks like the perfect guidebook to take your Pathfinder adventures in a much weirder direction. It includes new classes, spells, guides on occult rituals and psychic powers... let’s be honest, we probably had some of you at “occult.” For the rest, enjoy this preview!

We have details on some of the new additions Occult Adventures will be bringing to your Pathfinder game, but also a look at a lot of the beautiful art that fills the book. The top image (my favorite), is by Tomasz Chistowski and depicts the effects of the dream voyage spell. It allows the caster and her allies to traverse the Dimension of Dreams within a fantastic vessel that glides among dreamscapes.

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Here’s the cover image from Pathfinder stalwart Wayne Reynolds, and that’s totally a naga. The PR copy reads “Uncovering hidden knowledge is the major theme of the book.” Word. Occult Adventures will be officially available later this summer.

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Now, check out this excerpt on Auras. Lead designer Jason Bulmahn gave us the lowdown:

You can teach your characters to open up their chakras, engage in psychic duels, or even leave their bodies behind and let their minds wander through the dimension of dreams. These rules can serve as the hook for an adventure or even an entire campaign set in the realm of the occult.

Take auras for example. With these rules at your disposal, you can grant your player characters a new way to interact with the characters and monsters around them. Is the wolf giving off a bright red aura, then it is best to leave it alone or prepare for a fight. Is the merchant radiating an oily green aura, then it might be a good idea to reconsider the value of that sword you were about to buy. Occult Adventures is designed to give you new ways to explore the world around you, giving you all the rules you need to uncover the truth!

Click to read this at full size.

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In this illustration by Igor Grechanyi, dark cultists scatter at the sight of our adventures. While the half-orc warpriest is fierce, he’s not what’s spooking the cultist. The small guy net to him is a mesmerist, possessing the power to manipulate the mind with a glance.

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Within a binary mindscape, the psychic and a duergar spellcaster square off in psychic combat; each has summoned their own thought-form creatures to serve them in this battle of powerful minds. Illustration by Tomasz Chistowski.

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The occultist class is a master of channeling powers and gaining knowledge from occult objects. In this illustration by Tomasz Chistowski, the iconic occultist is using the object reading spell to unlock the secrets of an ancient civilization by reading the psychic impressions on one of its artifacts.

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This battle, illustrated by Caio Maciel Monteiro, features a manipulative dybbuk is using psychic magic to possess the swashbuckler. Under the dybbuk’s sway, the swashbuckler is forced to fight against her allies.

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In this illustration by Alexandru Sabo, the spiritualist has cast a spell that transforms her simple cane into a terrifying spirit-bound weapon.

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Dark cultists scatter at the sight of the adventurers. While the half-orc warpriest is fierce, he’s not what’s spooking the cultist. The small guy net to him is a mesmerist, possessing the power to manipulate the mind with a glance. Illustration by Igor Grechanyi.

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The spiritualist is the possessor of a powerful phantom ally. This illustration by Subroto Bhaumik depicts a geist channeler, a spiritualist who controls a powerful incorporeal ally.

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Occult characters gain esoteric knowledge a number of ways. In this illustration by Tomasz Chistowski, the occultist plays with madness in the effort to unlock the secrets of an occult ritual.