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Dark Archive (sourcebook)

From PathfinderWiki
Pathfinder Dark Archive
Cover Image
Book - Core
Authors
Publishers
Pages
224
Rule set
PF2
Series
Follows
Precedes
Errata
Web enhancement
Releases
Hardcover
Date
July 27, 2022
ISBN
Price
$54.99
PDF
Date
July 27, 2022
ISBN
Price
$19.99
Pocket Edition Softcover
Date
July 27, 2022
ISBN
Price
$26.99
Special Edition Hardcover
Date
July 27, 2022
ISBN
Price
$74.99
This article is about the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rulebook. For the in-world faction, see Dark Archive (faction) and for the in-world location, see Dark Archive.

Dark Archive, a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Second Edition rulebook by James Case, Mikhail Rekun, Mark Seifter, Rigby Bendele, Logan Bonner, Dan Cascone, Jessica Catalan, Banana Chan, Kay Hashimoto, Sen.H.H.S., Patrick Hurley, Joshua Kim, Avi Kool, Daniel Kwan, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Liane Merciel, Jacob W. Michaels, Andrew Mullen, Quinn Murphy, k. tessa newton, Patrick Renie, Michael Sayre, Shay Snow, Alex Speidel, Solomon St. John, Geoffrey Suthers, Ruvaid Virk, Jabari Weathers, and Isis Wozniakowska, was released on July 27, 2022.

From the fringes, the unknown beckons. Pathfinder Dark Archive contains secrets that any player or GM can use to reveal the paranormal lurking in their Pathfinder games! This spine-tinglingly secretive 224-page hardcover rulebook presents two new character classes perfect for delving into the unexplained: Unleash the untold power of your mind as the psychic or leverage supernatural secrets and mystic implements as the thaumaturge!

Beyond these new classes, eight secret case files each provide player options, GM tools, and lore into a different paranormal topic, including:

  • Strange cryptids glimpsed in the night, gear to track them, and the powers you might gain by surviving an encounter with one
  • Cults and esoteric belief, with apocryphal divine magic and the secret of becoming a living vessel for an eldritch being
  • Temporal anomalies, with archetypes that skim along the surface of time and a new mystery for oracles unbound from causality

Each file concludes with a short adventure to immerse players in the paranormal, spanning across Golarion—play all eight to uncover the inexplicable phenomena of the Age of Lost Omens!

Contents

Introduction
pp. 4–5
The Archivist's Training Manual
pp. 6–49
The Stolen Casefiles
pp. 50–215
pp. 52–73
  • Eyes in the Forest, Tracks in the Mud
    • Creature Aftermath Feats
    • Experimental Adjustment
    • Mutant Adjustment
    • Primeval Adjustment
    • Rumored Adjustment
    • Cryptid Gear
    • Cryptid Feats
    • The Beast of Birchfrost
  • Incident Report: Swirls in the Sand
  • Incident Report: On the Topic of the Twin Village
Secret Societies
pp. 74–93
  • A Web of Connections
    • Occult Skill Feats
    • Secret Society Adjustment
    • Secret Society Gear
    • Membership Services
    • Shaking the Helping Hand
  • Incident Report: The Empty Vale
  • Incident Report: The Anvil and the Duck
Deviant Abilities
pp. 94–115
  • Spontaneous Ignition of Supernatural Might
    • Deviant Abilities
    • Deviant Spells
    • A Song of Making and Unmaking
  • Incident Report: The Inn of Healing
  • Incident Report: Sounds of Violence
Mirrors and Imposters
pp. 116–135
  • Doors into the Echoing Pale
    • Reflection Versatile Heritage
    • Hazards of Perception
    • Alter Ego Archetype
    • Lady of the Harvest
  • Incident Report: Village of the Lost
  • Incident Report: The Criminal Hammer
Cults
pp. 136–155
  • Prayers Uttered in Darkness
    • Living Vessel Archetype
    • Apocryphal Domain Spells
    • Cult Rituals
    • The Verdure of Iblydos
  • Incident Report: The Missing Moment
  • Incident Report: The Wood Pile
Curses and Pacts
pp. 156–177
  • A Chain of Consequences to Bind the Soul
    • Pacts Witch Patron
    • Cursed Items
    • Tempting Curses
    • Bargained Contracts
    • Pactbinder Archetype
    • Curse Maelstrom Archetype
    • Wishes in Krasnoprudny
  • Incident Report: Land of Second Souls
  • Incident Report: The Sacral King
Temporal Abnormalities
pp. 178–195
  • Twists in the Endless River
    • Temporal Spells
    • Time Mage Archetype
    • Chronoskimmer Archetype
    • Time Oracle Mystery
    • Tomorrow's Feast
pp. 196–215
  • Lands of Thought and Imagination
    • Mindscapes Statistics
    • Psychic Duels
    • Psychic Duelist Archetype
    • Mind Smith Archetype
    • Sleepwalker Archetype
    • The Last Dream
Spell & Item Lists, Glossary & Index
p. 216

Scattered in the downloads pages of some buyers were the twenty-two Lost Pages of the Dark Archive.12 When all 22 pages were collected, page 0 was posted on the Product Discussion thread on the Paizo messageboards.3 Deciphering page 0 leads to the hidden Ninth Casefile, which was eventually added to the product page as a web supplement.4

Adventure overview: The Stolen Casefiles

The Beast of Birchfrost

Level
Location(s)

The Beast of Birchfrost is a 6-page mini-adventure that features cryptids.

Shaking the Helping Hand

Level
Location(s)

Shaking the Helping Hand is a 6-page mini-adventure that features secret societies.

A Song of Making and Unmaking

Level
Location(s)

A Song of Making and Unmaking is a 6-page mini-adventure that features deviant abilities.

Lady of the Harvest

Level
Location(s)

Lady of the Harvest is a 6-page mini-adventure that deals with themes of reflection.

The Verdure of Iblydos

Level
Location(s)

The Verdure of Iblydos is a 6-page mini-adventure that handles the theme of cults.

Wishes in Krasnoprudny

Level
Location(s)

Wishes in Krasnoprudny is a 6-page mini-adventure that features dealing with curses.

Tomorrow's Feast

Level
Location(s)

Tomorrow's Feast is a 6-page mini-adventure that features elements of time.

The Last Dream

Level
Location(s)

The Last Dream is an 8-page mini-adventure that features mindscapes.

In Darkness

Level
Location(s)

In Darkness is an 8-page mini-adventure, featured in the ninth casefile (available as a web enhancement), that concludes the story of the Lone Archivist and his stolen casefiles.

Prior to its release, Paizo reporting systems referred to this scenario as "Default Analytic Reporting Key".

References

  1. Necrodancer400. (August 23, 2022). Weird thing showing up in my downloads?, Pathfinder Second Edition General Discussion.
  2. Christian Hoffer. (August 25, 2022). Pathfinder Hides Secret Message Within Newest Rulebook, ComicBook.com.
  3. Archivist_KHW. (August 31, 2022). Page 0/22, Product discussion.
  4. James Case. (September 9, 2022). Regarding the Lost Pages of the Dark Archive, Paizo Blog.