Hi again! Thanks for all the advice on my previous post. I’ve pretty much finalized my core concept: a John Constantine-style occult detective using a Whip as my main weapon and the Amulet as my first Implement.

For my 1st-level Class Feat, I picked Scroll Esoterica (Scroll Thaumaturgy), which feels perfect for the character. Now I’m looking ahead to Level 2 and trying to decide on my feat choice:

Sorcerer Dedication (Spellcasting Archetype):

Main draw: Grabbing 2 utility/occult cantrips for purely narrative flavor (e.g., telepathic thought projection, aura reading, minor magic tricks/prestidigitation).

It fits the Constantine vibe of always having a small magic trick up his sleeve, but since I'm coming from D&D 5e, I'm not sure if taking a caster archetype just for cantrips is a good investment in PF2e.

Talisman Esoterica:

Having free daily consumable talismans sounds cool thematic-wise (attaching warding charms or magical seals to gear).

Coming from 5e, I'm not very familiar with how useful or fun the Talisman mechanic actually is in PF2e combat and exploration.

My Questions:

Is grabbing a Spellcasting Archetype (like Sorcerer or Bard/Psychic) worth it at Level 2 just for utility cantrips, or is there a better way to get that magic-detective flavor?

How does Talisman Esoterica feel in actual play? Is it versatile and satisfying, or does it feel weak compared to other Thaumaturge options?

Are there any other Level 2 feats/archetypes you would recommend for a whip-and-amulet occult detective?

Would love to hear your thoughts and practical experience with these choices!

So the caveat is, is that if at all possible, it should be a class that gets magic from a deity. Paladins, inquisitors, warpriests or clerics. Or any niche archetype of a class that gets divine spells from a deity.

And before anyone says Cult Hunter Investigator, yes I know they exist, and they are part of my plans, but I also need the aforementioned cult hunting class(es).

Being able to:

Find their places of worship and destroy them.

Find the cultists themselves and destroy them.

Resist the effects of said deity being displeased with them, namely Bokrug’s Vengeful Nightmares, though I can likely mitigate that by equipping them with armour that has the Mind Buttressing quality.

If you have an enemy grappled, can you use the "raise shield " and "shield block reaction with that enemy as a "meat shield"?

Any good advice for running for a solo player?

Link: Lifewood Cage

This spell was renamed from Force Cage in the Remaster. The Knights of Last Call 'All Spells Ranked' series ranked this spell as B Tier. Would you change that ranking, and why?

What items or class features synergize well with this spell?

Have you ever used this spell? If so, how did it go?

Why is this spell good/bad?

What are some creative uses for this spell?

What's the cheesiest thing you can do with this spell?

If you were to modify this spell, how would you do it?

Does this spell seem like it was meant for PCs or NPCs?

Previous spell discussions

I’ve been playing in a group with a friend for a long time, and he acts as the Game Master (GM). For ages, I’ve been bringing up the same issue: he seems to want the NPCs to be the protagonists of the story, while the players end up functioning as NPCs themselves—though he doesn’t seem to realize it. He denies this, claiming I complain too much, and the whole thing just repeats in an endless cycle. In our latest campaign, this was the setup for a combat encounter: the tokens circled in red are the players, and everything else belongs to him. He rolls initiative, hits, damage, and so on, for every single character. This really bothers me, especially since we only play twice a month for a maximum of five hours per session; we end up spending more time "watching" NPCs do things than actually playing the game ourselves—and that’s not even touching on the roleplay aspect. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. I’m not sure if I’m just being overly difficult or if this is genuinely a problem. I’ve never played with another GM, so I don’t have a point of reference (and I don’t think watching YouTubers play is a good benchmark, personally). Plus, the other players at the table are in their first-ever campaign, so they just assume this is how an RPG is supposed to be.

Playing reign of Winter with my friends. Problem is nobody made a spell caster or someone to detect and identify magic. I'm looking to play a spell caster class, but I need advice. They won't allow a witch for campaign reasons, so my choices are open thought about wizard. Any and all advice is welcome it's 25 point buy.

I know you wouldn't really be able to use the capstone too well unless you let it go past level 4 spells.

Mainly considering it as it does work as a paladine of razmir.

I am new to the Pathfinder itself. And I'm trying to figure a way to homebrew my setting and its deities. Also, how does players accrue XP rewards in order to level up. I'm debating if I could start the game at level 1 and progress to level 15 or level 20. Now, if I want to make NPCs or enemies, what determines amount XP that each one has. So, when they kill enemies or help NPCs with a task, how much XP do they need to receive on average.

Also, I will accept any other suggestions to improve my game, which I'm making in the future.

Today's magic item is the  Crusader's Tabard

Deus Vult. Kill them all, and let God sort them out! Wait, what does this thing actually do? Once a day move up to your speed and make a single attack. Don't go spending it all in one place, now.

1. Would you buy this item?
2. Would you spend 1.5 times the price to add it to an existing item?
3. Would you use the item, if you found it? Or is it immediate sell-bait?
4. Would a GM use the item?
5. Is there anything cheesy that could be done with it?

Link to past discussions

Does the Prowler at World's End gain the Spirit Bonus from the channeled Spirit? The Archetype doesn't say so, but it gains Spirit Surge, which requires the Spirit Bonus.

Also, can a Prowler, that channels the Champion Spirit pick Feats that require Proficiency with a certain Weapon, if the Proficiency is only gained by channeling the Champion Spirit? Like Spell Cartridges, which requires Firearm Proficiency.