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Retold Rajah Archetypes

Masked Noble (Retold Rajah Archetype)

For some nobility is a mask, one put on to spare them the pain of rule. For others, a mask is freedom from the consequences of their birth allowing them to act untethered from responsibility. A masked noble dons this mask with ease.

Masked Noble: At 1st level, the masked noble gains Masquerade as a bonus heraldry.

This replaces the rajah’s heraldry class feature.

Limited Heraldries: At 2nd level, the masked noble is treated as if they had the heraldry ability for the purposes of the Extra Heraldry feat, but they can only use it to select heraldries from the following list: Faceless Lord, Hidden Lord, Masquerade, Monarch of Many Styles, and The Emperor’s New Clothes. This restriction only applies if they only meet the prerequisites for Extra Heraldry using this class feature. They may also select one of the above heraldries in place of a vigilante talent or social talent granted by this archetype (see below).

Social Talents: At 3rd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the masked noble gains a vigilante social talent of their choice that they meet the prerequisites for. They use their rajah level as their vigilante level when determining the effects of these talents and for meeting their prerequisites.

Vigilante Talents: At 5th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the masked noble gains a vigilante talent of their choice that they meet the prerequisites for. They use their rajah level as their vigilante level when determining the effects of these talents and for meeting their prerequisites.

Supernatural Mask

At 1st level, the masked noble can choose to utilize their supernatural abilities to facilitate their mask, granting them additional abilities and restrictions. Once this choice has been made it cannot be changed. 

Transformation Sequence (Su): At 1st level, the masked noble gains Transformation Sequence as a bonus vigilante talent. They can only change between their social and vigilante identities using Transformation Sequence. Whenever they change their identity, they may reinvest their essence.

Masked Veils (Su): When the masked noble shapes their veils for the day, they select two loadouts of veils; one for their social identity, and one for their vigilante identity. These are known as their masked veils. Each loadout of veils must be a valid group of veils for the masked noble to shape, and the masked noble binds each loadout of veils individually using their empowered titles class feature or by using their chakra binds (if they can bind one Title using empowered titles, they may bind one Title in each of these loadouts). The veil loadout matching their current identity is their primary loadout, and the other is their reserve loadout. Their reserved veils are considered to be unshaped for all purposes and cannot be interacted with in any way. Only veil slots granted by rajah class features can be shaped in these loadouts, and this ability does not stack with any other ability that would allow the masked noble to fold their veils or otherwise place them in loadouts.

When the masked noble switches their identity, their primary loadout of masked veils is unshaped and their reserve loadout of masked veils is shaped in its place. The reserved veils become their new primary veils, and their primary veils become their reserved veils. Veils shaped in this way are bound if the masked noble bound them as part of shaping the loadout. The ongoing effects of any veils unshaped in this way end (including the ongoing effects of any spells or other features granted by those veils). Any choices made as part of initially shaping their veils for the day and any daily use abilities of veils they shape in this way are maintained every time they change their loadout of masked veils.

This modifies the rajah’s veilweaving class feature.

Subtle Veils (Su): At 4th level, the masked noble’s veils become particularly easy to disguise. Whenever the masked noble or a creature they have entitled makes a Disguise check to hide one of the masked noble’s veils, if that veil is invested with 0 points of essence they add the masked noble’s seamless disguise bonus to their check rather than the normal +5 circumstance bonus. Veils disguised in this way cannot be detected by detect magic, true seeing, or similar effects. Investing a disguised veil immediately reveals their magical nature, and allows them to be detected by the above effects, as normal. 

This replaces the rajah’s warrior of the court class feature.

Shielded Mask (Su): At 10th level, the masked noble has learned to shield their veils and their social identity by using their essence. Their veils do not have their magical nature revealed by detect magic, true seeing, or similar magic effects, even while invested with essence, and whenever the masked noble invests essence into their veils they can choose for that veil to still appear as a mundane object, though attempts to disguise them when doing so only receive half the benefit from their seamless disguise (rounded down). 

This replaces the rajah’s regality class feature.

Soulsower (Retold Rajah Archetype)

Ensouled Skills: The soulsower gains 2 fewer skill ranks at each level; if one of their paths would increase their skill ranks, this reduction is applied after any increases granted by their path. 

This modifies the rajah’s skill ranks per level.

Sower of Souls: At 1st level, whenever the soulsower prepares their veils for the day they forge a single soul, as per the soulforge’s soul forging class feature. They use their Charisma in place of their Wisdom and their rajah level in place of their soulforge level when determining the abilities of their forged soul. They do not gain the soul veil slots granted by their forged soul, and their forged soul cannot be invested with essence. They choose whether to replace their souls with expanded or obscure souls at 1st level, just like a soulforge does. 

The class features this ability replaces and modifies are determined by one of the following two choices, chosen at 1st level. Once this choice has been made, it cannot be changed.

• Reap Regality: This class feature replaces the rajah’s warrior of the court, indomitable, regality, divine mandate, and symbol of authority class features.

• Reap Servants: This class feature replaces the rajah’s house of servants class feature, modifies their heraldry class feature, and replaces their heraldries gained at 2nd, 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. If the soulsower would select a heraldry that grants their servants an ability, the soulsower gains that ability instead (unless that ability explicitly applies only to their unseen servants created by their house of servants class feature, such as with the Subtle Servants heraldry). Heraldries gained from other sources, such as the Envoy of the Lord veil, function as normal.

Soulveils: The soulsower does not shape veils from the rajah veil list, instead, they shape veils drawn from their soul’s associated veils. Whenever they shape a veil from their soul’s associated veil list, referred to hereafter as a soul veil, they can choose to grant that veil the Title descriptor as part of shaping it. They can shape the same soul veil multiple times if only one of them lacks the Title descriptor.

This modifies the rajah’s veilweaving class feature.

Ensouled Vassal: The soulsower can treat themself as their own vassal for the purposes of their rajah class features if they have a soul veil shaped without the Title descriptor. 

Low Chakra Binding: At 3rd level, the soulsower gains access to a low chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Feet or Hands slot. At 6th level, they can choose a second slot and add the Head slot to the list of chakra binds they can choose from.

This replaces the rajah’s empowered titles class feature.

Middle Chakra Binding: At 9th level, the soulsower gains access to a middle chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Wrists or Shoulders slot. At 12th level, they can choose a second slot and add the Headband slot to the list of chakra binds they can choose from.

High Chakra Binding: At 15th level, the soulsower gains access to a high chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Neck or Belt slot. 

Pinnacle Chakra Binding: At 18th level, the soulsower gains access to a pinnacle chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Chest or Body slot. 

Twinsouled Sower

At 1st level, the soulsower can choose to give up both lists of class features with their sower of souls class feature. If they do so, they gain the following ability:

Twinsowed Soul: At 5th level, the soulsower may forge a second soul each day each day as part of shaping their veils. For the purposes of this soul, their class level is treated as 4 levels lower when determining the abilities that soul grants them, and they gain only 1 temporary skill point per class level to assign to the second forged soul's associated skills. This soul otherwise functions as per their sower of souls class feature, and they treat all of the associated veils of both their forged souls as their soul veils they can shape using their soulveils class feature.

At 10th level, the soulsower treats their class level as only 2 levels lower when determining the effects of their second soul. At 15th level, they no longer suffer a penalty to their class level with their second soul. 

Liege of War (Retold Rajah Archetype)

These lieges maneuver and politic through war itself, commanding elite squadrons of troops to fight alongside and guide to victory both on and off the battlefield.

Proficiencies: Lieges of war are proficient with simple weapons, as well as light armor and bucklers. In addition, if this is this character's first level in any class, they may select a martial tradition of their choice.

This modifies the rajah's armor and weapon proficiencies.

Combat Training: A liege of war may combine combat spheres and talents to create powerful martial techniques. Lieges of war are considered Adept combatants and use Charisma as their practitioner modifier. 

This replaces the rajah's veilweaving, essence pool, empowered titles, and improved essence capacity class features.

Commanding Liege: At 1st level, the liege of war gains the Warleader sphere as a bonus talent. If they already have this sphere, they gain a bonus combat talent of their choice in its place. Additionally, they gain their choice of one of the following feats (they must meet the feat’s prerequisites): Lord Commander or Troop Commander.

Liege of Vassals (Su): The liege of war treats all members of their squadron within range of their vassalage feature as their vassals (other than themself), rather than creatures they have entitled with their veils.

In addition, the liege of war can use combat sphere abilities that require an action to activate through their vassals. The liege of war uses that ally's space as if it were their own for those abilities. If the liege of war uses an ability through a vassal that has additional effects on the liege of war (such as allowing movement, or granting bonuses), the liege of war is the one who gains such effects. 

This ability otherwise functions as per normal for the rahah's vassalage class feature. 

This modifies the rajah’s vassalage class feature.

Limited Paths: A liege of war cannot select the following paths of the ruler: Batal. 

Commander’s Heraldry: The liege of war may select Squadron feats in place of heraldries they gain from rajah class levels. They cannot select them in place of heraldries gained from any other source, or in place of specific heraldries granted by a rajah class feature.

Extended Command: At 10th level, the liege of war’s vassalage ability is treated as having Medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per class level) when determining the range they treat their squadron members as vassals.

At 18th level, this increases to Long range (400 feet + 40 feet per class level). 

This replaces the rajah’s regality class feature.

Liege of War Archetype Paths

Kshatriya

If the liege of war selects the kshatriya path, instead of the normal talents granted by this archetype's combat training class feature and the combat talents granted by this path, the liege of war is instead treated as an Expert combatant, and gain a bonus combat talent at 2nd level, and every 2 levels thereafter.

This modifies the liege of war’s combat training class feature and replaces the kshatriya's combat training class feature.

Nasiri

If the liege of war selects the nasiri path, at 1st level they choose whether they use their Charisma or their casting ability modifier as their practitioner modifier; once their choice is made it cannot be changed. Additionally, instead of the normal talents granted by this archetype's combat training class feature and the blended training granted by the nasiri path, the liege of war is instead treated as a Proficient combatant, and their blended training instead grants them 1 bonus combat or magic talent at each class level.

This modifies the liege of war’s combat training class feature and modifies the nasiri's blended talents class feature.

Rajah Retold Heraldries

Crestform Family (Sp)

Your noble crest features a common animal, one that those of your family can often take the form of. When you choose this heraldry, choose a single Tiny-sized or larger animal featured on your noble house’s crest, or a single Tiny-sized or larger animal of your choice associated with either you or your family. You can transform into that animal three times per day, as per beast shape I, using your rajah level as your caster level. When turning into a Tiny animal, you use the stats of a Small creature as described by that spell (save that you are Tiny-sized). If the chosen animal has a fly speed you can use the form to fly, but you must end your turn on the ground or immediately fall. If your crest’s animal is normally larger than Small-sized, you turn into a Small-sized version of it (whether or not you appear as a younger version of the animal or a scaled-down version of the animal is determined by you upon gaining this heraldry). You always turn into the same animal each time you transform using this ability (its fur, skin, or feather patterns are the same, its eye colors are the same, it is always the same size, and so on).

At 10th level, you may use this ability an unlimited number of times per day, and its duration becomes permanent until dismissed.

You can select this heraldry a second time starting at 5th level. If you do so, the flight provided by your transformation now functions normally (rather than causing you to fall at the end of your turn while airborne), and if your crest animal is larger than Medium-sized, you turn into a Medium-sized version of it. At 7th level, this heraldry now functions as per beast shape II, and if your crest animal is larger than Large-sized you turn into a Large-sized version of it, and you use the stats for a Tiny creature when turning into a Tiny-sized animal (as per beast shape II), rather than Small. 

Loyal Courier (Su)

Prerequisites: house of servants

You can command one of your unseen servants created by your house of servants to deliver a message or object to a specific creature at your behest. They can deliver a verbal message that is 1 minute or less in length, repeating your words in a neutral voice, or they can deliver a single object that is less than a light load for the servant’s Strength score. The target of this delivery must be a creature you know of and can either describe or have met personally, you must know their current rough location, and that location must be within 1 mile per rajah level of you. Once the servant has been given the delivery, its target, and the target’s location, it sets off to seek that creature to deliver its message. When delivering using this heraldry it is not dismissed if it leaves your line of sight or the range of your house of servants until it successfully delivers the message or object. It still counts against the maximum number of servants you can have conjured at once, but you can dismiss it early to end the delivery (dropping any object it is carrying in its space). You know if the servant successfully delivered its message or package, if it is obstructed, if its package is stolen from it, or if it is destroyed. Once the servant successfully delivers the message or package, or if its package is stolen from it, if it is not within the range of your house of servants it is instantly dismissed. If it is still within range, it can continue to act as directed by you after the delivery is completed.

If the servant has not found the target of its delivery within 24 hours, it attempts to return to you if it was delivering an object, or it instantly dismisses itself if it was sent to deliver a spoken message. If it does not find its way back to you within an additional 24 hours, it is instantly dismissed leaving the object it was carrying behind

This heraldry improves starting at 10th level: the range of this ability becomes unlimited (but limited to the same plane as you), and the servant moves at quadruple its speed to deliver its package, gains a fly speed with perfect maneuverability equal to your speed while traveling in this way, does not have a time limit for its delivery, and the servant seeks out the distance and direction to the target through the use of divination magics; if the target is unwilling, they gain a Will save to resist this effect (DC 10 + your Charisma modifier + 1/2 your rajah level). On a successful save, your servant must track down the target mundanely, as per above. The target of the delivery gains a bonus or penalty to their Will save based on your knowledge of the subject and what sort of physical connection you have (if any) to the target, as per the scrying spell. This is a divination effect.

Special: If you have the Subtle Servants heraldry, you can choose to have an invisible and formless servant deliver the message. The object it is delivering becomes unseen and formless as well, and it returns to its normal visible form when it reaches the target of its delivery. They are not returned to their normal visible forms by leaving Medium range of you, as described in the Entitled Empire feat and similar abilities.

Masquerade

You gain the dual identity and seamless guise abilities of a vigilante. Your current identity becomes your choice of either your social or vigilante identity. As is often for nobility, the requirements of rule may often require them to mask their true feelings. Thus, sometimes a rajah’s current identity as a noble may become their mask as their vigilante identity, whereas their social identity is where they forgo their wealth and crown to live hidden among those they rule.

Whenever you change your identity, the servants created by your house of servants and the appearance of the veils you have shaped change as well. Each identity has distinct appearances for each. 

If you have The Emperor’s New Clothes heraldry, you can have your servants create and alter your outfit as part of changing your identity (even if you do so faster than the 1 minute normally required for your servants to alter your outfit). 

If you have the Monarch of Many Styles heraldry, you can use it to alter your clothing and items you are holding as part of changing your identity.

If you have the Faceless Lord heraldry, you can expend a daily use of this heraldry to alter your appearance using the heraldry as part of changing your identity. If you also have the Transformation Sequence social talent, you can alter the appearances of both of your identities as part of an hour spent meditating using the Faceless Lord heraldry, and you swap between those altered appearances whenever you use Transformation Sequence to change your identity (if you spend a standard action to change your appearance using this Faceless Lord while your appearance is altered using Transformation Sequence, you only change the appearance of your current identity).

You may select this heraldry multiple times, granting you one of the following vigilante social talents of your choice each time you select it: Immediate Change, Quick Change, Transformation Sequence. You must meet the prerequisites of the chosen talent, using your rajah level as your effective vigilante level. If you do not meet the prerequisites for any of these talents, you cannot take this heraldry again.

Special: You can use the Extra Heraldry feat to select this heraldry even if you do not have the heraldry class feature; you can do so to take this heraldry at 1st level, or even if your rajah levels do not grant you heraldries. 

Of Note (Su)

You are a particularly notable and memorable person, and you can enforce your notability upon those who perceive you. Creatures gain a +2 bonus to Knowledge (local) (and Knowledge (nobility), if you are a noble) checks to identify you and your deeds, and may make those checks untrained. In locations where you commonly frequent or have become notable within, such as your hometown, a settlement in which you have a base of within, or a settlement in which you have completed notable tasks, creatures automatically succeed on Knowledge checks to recognize you and your accomplishments. 

Finally, you can choose to emit a passive aura of notability. You can activate or deactivate this ability as a standard action. While it is active, the first time a creature with 2 or more Intelligence sees you they immediately realize that you are an individual that is particularly notable, as well as any names or titles that you identify as and wish to share with them. You choose which names and/or titles you provide as part of activating this aura, and those names and/or titles need to be truly believed as true by you to choose them. The entitled can choose to share no names or titles using this ability, if you wish. This is a mind-affecting effect. 

Treasures from the Vault

Prerequisites: ability to shape veils

You gain Adorn Akashic Treasure as a bonus feat and you can use the active abilities of your akashic treasures using your vassalage class feature, using a vassal’s space to determine their effects much like an attack made using your vassalage class feature.

You can select this heraldry multiple times, granting Adorn Akashic Treasure as a bonus feat for each time it is selected.

OGL

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Open Game License v 1.0 © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

System Reference Document. © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors: Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

Patreon Drop: Nobility on the Battlefield © 2025 Studio M—, Authors Hal Kennette.

Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, © 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.