About this episode
What do Pathfinder classes, Muppet horror, and himbo culture have in common? Absolutely nothing—so obviously we made a whole episode about it. Big thanks to Dungeon Master Adamantine for sponsoring this episode—if you want to roll dice in Greece with a professional GM who can out-roleplay Zeus himself, summon Nick at dungeonmasteradamantine.com or book him Startplaying: https://startplaying.games/gm/dmadamantine (but maybe not during a boss fight). In the third (and arguably most chaotic) installment of our deep dive into Pathfinder classes, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew goes full gremlin. Join Ash, Randall, and Tyler as they discuss the remastering of Pathfinder, family hijinks, the unexpected depth of 'himbo' culture, the musical Wicked , and how to reimagine Sesame Street as a TTRPG murder mystery. Also, yes—we talk about actual Pathfinder classes. Probably more than you'd expect given how much time we spend dunking on action economy and imagining eldritch Elmo. This episode features critical evaluations of the Animist, Exemplar, Gunslinger, Inventor, Kineticist, Magus, Psychic, Summoner, and Thaumaturge classes. Which ones are too complex for beginners? Which are secretly brilliant? Which would Kermit play? All this and more in an episode that sounds like it was brainstormed on a sticky note found in a Waffle House parking lot. Archives of Nethys ( affiliate link ) Sesame Street Content from RPGBOT.news PF2 Character Optimization RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes PF2 Starting Classes Part 1 PF2 Starting Classes Part 2 Dark Archive Review Guns and Gears Remastered Review Rage of Elements Review War of Immortals Review Key Takeaways The Vibes: Podcasting is hard. Podcasting while discussing Muppet horror fiction? Harder. Humor is a necessary survival skill—especially in family life and game design. Yes, you can enjoy Wicked without knowing the entire Wizard of Oz lore tree. Himbo culture is more than just muscles and charm—it's a way of life. Classy Evaluations: Animist – "What if your divine caster was also a spirit medium with an emotional support ghost?" Surprisingly elegant. Exemplar – A mythic powerhouse designed for epic-level play. Great if you like spreadsheets and divine empowerment. Gunslinger – Surprisingly tactical. Better than expected. Imagine Yosemite Sam, but with feat optimization. Inventor – Simple. Straightforward. Hits things with science. Ideal for players who want to cosplay as Iron Goblin. Kineticist – Offers power and flavor, but the mechanical complexity is dense. Approach with coffee and patience. Magus – Action economy is a problem. Looks amazing on paper, but in practice, it's like juggling flaming swords while solving a Rubik's Cube. Psychic – Big flavor, intimidating mechanics. Could be brilliant, could be brain-melting. Much like psychic powers, really. Summoner – You share HP with your pet kaiju. It's a relationship built on trust, trauma, and tactical retreat. Thaumaturge – A fan favorite. Big bag of tricks, satisfying mechanics, and good for players who like yelling "Your weakness is friendship!" Creative Chaos: Elmo as an unknowable horror from the Darkest House? Canon. Kermit the Frog: bard? gunslinger? morally neutral cleric? All viable builds. You can adapt Sesame Street to a Pathfinder game, but you probably shouldn't. But if you do, please invite us. Meta Moments: Some Paizo devs are probably listening. Hi! We love you. Please don't smite us. Podcast guests matter. Good ones make everything better. Bad ones get reincarnated as spellcasters with 3-action teleports and no way to cast them. The community continues to influence Paizo's design—your feedback does matter. Listener Homework Build a Thaumaturge with a Sesame Street theme. Bonus points for cursed items shaped like puppets. Try Wicked . Then stat out Elphaba as a Witch with the Hex trait. Ask yourself: Are you the himbo in your party? Complain about Magus' action economy online. It's tradition. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts , Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon , where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale ( affiliate link ) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati