What is Your Character Creation Process?


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

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So I know different people make characters differently. Since I have some free time and am curious, I thought I’d put down my usual process. Then ask what you folks do.

  • 1) It usually starts with one tiny thing. This fall I’m starting a witch that came about because one of the players said that hero points aren’t that great and he’d rather trade them in for a feat. So I made a human witch that is taking all the hero point feats, spells, and special abilities I can find just to prove him wrong. A year ago, I noticed the wand wielder magus arcane and tried to make a build that used it effectively. Now I have a kensai magus that uses a whip and wand of true strike to trip/disarm virtually anything.
  • 2) Usually that tiny thing is a mechanic or rule based thing, though not always. I know some people start with the character personality or backstory and build from there. That doesn’t usually work for me. When I do it that way, I usually end up with a very boring unfun though still useful character.
  • 3) Then I start looking through the books for all the stuff I can find with a quick scan through that seem to relate to my initial tiny thing. “Ohhh teiflings have the perfect FCB for this, Wow an abyssal bloodrager is always enlarged when raging, Hey I didn’t know there was a spell for temporary hero points, etc…”
  • 4) Next I look at my rough list of stuff. Usually most of the good ones will quickly narrow down my choice of race and class (though not always).
    It is at this point that I usually start seriously thinking about my personality and/or backstory. “Why would a nagaji naga aspirant leave Tien Xa and join the Pathfinder Society?” “Yeah, a tiefling abyssal bloodrager has got to have some issues with controlling his temper.” “This guy is definitely going to be crazily optimistic when up against undead and a depressing fatalist the rest of the time.”
  • 5) I check to see if there is guide that applies for what I am trying to do (there usually is).
  • 6) I slap together a rough build (sometimes really rough) using my list of stuff and the guide then post it on the forums for comments.
  • 7) Discussions/arguments may rage back and forth for a couple of days. While that is happening, I think more about the back story and personality. Which may or may not also influence the build. A while ago I decide I really wanted my guy to have been thrown out of the church, so he needed a level of cleric. Was not at all optimal, but it fit. My gnome is convinced he’s a tactical genius, so he will always be giving orders to everyone. OoC I will tell everyone to obey his orders at their own risk.
  • 8) Build is usually final at this point. Note: it almost never exactly matches what the forumites suggested. They almost always want me to dump 2 or more stats and usually give little thought to defense or out of combat utility (both of which are important to me).
  • 9) Personality and backstory are not usually final until I’ve actually been playing the character for at least a few sessions to see how it goes. (Ex: The ’depressing fatalist’ aspect annoyed even me, so I dropped it.)

I have some personal default ‘almost rules’ for my PC’s. I will occasionally violate these rules but not often.

  • Don’t like to play the ‘Face’ character. Unless I really concentrate and work at it, I just don’t feel like a do a good job of it. I don't usually want to work that hard. I have played them before and I’m sure I will again. But it isn’t my preference.
  • Almost every character has to have magic or some ‘weird’ ability like eldritch heritage or a decent racial SLA. I’m playing a game with magic. I just can’t see not having some of it.
  • Almost never dump more than 1 mental OR 1 physical stat.
  • I can’t stand having only 1 or 2 skill points each level. I just feel like the character is too one dimensionally focused on combat if I don’t have several things I can contribute. If I don’t have a decent intelligence I will pick a class that has more than 2 skill points per level.
  • I am growing to hate failing will saves. All the recent characters I’ve made have at least a pretty good will save.
  • I really like the Forge of Combat guide. I try to figure out where my PC’s fit in that pattern and how they can better contribute to the chosen role(s).
  • I try to make sure every PC has at least 1 primary and 1 secondary thing he can contribute to most combats and 1 primary and 1 secondary thing he can contribute outside of combat.
  • Almost never specialize to the point where I can’t contribute to either a social or combat encounter. My whip trip magus can still use spell combat to do a fair amount of damage if an opponent can’t be tripped.
  • I don’t usually like to dip or multiclass very much. It usually has to be very necessary to the build for me to take a level or 2 of some other class. I rarely like the builds that have 3+ classes. Note: I think about PrC’s differently. There I feel like whatever I have to do to qualify for the PrC is still part of the PrC.
  • I rarely go very far into the ‘glass cannon’ territory. A lot of people just concentrate on offense. It seems like they are just assuming they will get initiative and never roll low on an important save. Several months ago I saw a martial character that at 7th level had a +1 to will saves. He ended up failing vs confusion and almost TPK’ing the rest of us. I often play with a guy who’s wizard only memorizes offensive spells, has only offensive feats and traits, and almost only offensive magic items. He is constantly on the verge of death and irritated about it. {shrug} I don’t find that fun.
  • I like the fluff and spells better for arcane casters, but I like the mechanics of the builds better for divine casters.
  • I have come to dislike dealing with the hassle of the spellbook aspect of wizards, magi, arcanists, and witches. I have to really like the other parts of the build to go with one of them.

So what about you, what is your creative process and do you have any personal character rules?


I usually go one of two ways

First is if there is something that caught my eye recently that I'm in the mood to try out. My current character is like that I wanted to try out the Huntsman archtype for the Cavalier, combined with my entire group decided to play Aasimars and I remembered the Celestial Servant feat looked neat.
Net result - Muse Touched Huntsman Cavalier of the Dragon with pack of Celestial Dogs.

The other way is I write down a concept and rough background first. Then figure out 3 or 4 different ways I could reprisent that using the rules.

EX: Character I'm thinking of For Mummy's Mask - Xanjiuhar the Mad; Half insane heretic and mystic who has taken a forbidden path to power that got him exiled from his homeland.
Possible ways to make him; Seperatist Cleric Sarenrae, Dark Tapestry Oracle, Summoner with a Tentacle laiden Eidolon or if the DM is willing to let me dip into 3rd party stuff Ritualist or Occultist.


Dotting. Be back later with my reply.

Dark Archive

Generally, it starts with either finding a really cool character art or coming up with an idea for something that sounds like it'd be fun to play. From there I try to optimize the character to be good at something specific (melee, supporting, socializing, etc.) and then at least okay at everything else so that the character is never without options.

I generally don't think up backstory until after I've built the character's crunch, because then I have a clear reference for "this is what he could do, so I know what he was capable of before this point."


1. Come up with concept and vague backstory, motivation, goals, etc.
2. Look for the class(es) that mostly closely reflect the abilities for the concept, or at least enable them, make a list, and determine which ones I'm willing to play.
3. Start building, using the pfsrd as primary resource, checking for guides and other online advice.

My personal character preferences:
1. No prep casting. Hate it, totally unlike any way I can envision magic working.
2. I like skill points. fortunately, every GM I know houserules to 4 skill points minimum for all classes.
3. I prefer characters who have a definable 'schtick' they specialize in. Partly to avoid stepping on other toes, partly because such characters seem more memorable, partially because PF rewards specialization.
4. If possible, I want a stereotype to buck, usually in the class (since I never play the Tolkien races). A Gnoll Barbarian trained in Diplomacy who's quite polite and pleased to avoid violence whenever possible, for example.
5. No familiars, mounts, or animal companions. Summons kept to a bare minimum.


I usually get my inspiration from a piece of art or I'll roughly base my character on someone from a book or movie. Then I'll work out a backstory for my character. After I get a story I'm happy with I'll select the race, class, skills, feats and traits that best fit my concept. I tend not play pure casters, not because I don't like to but because I'm not good at it and the rest of the party tends to start giving me the stink eye after a few combat sessions. I tend to get the face role so I always try to have a few skill points in the social skills. If I have my choice I tend to play ranger, rogue or paladin and my preferred races are ratfolk, human and dwarf.

Grand Lodge

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Either I build on a concept I've had for a while, or I pick a piece of character art I like out of a book and generate a character from it.

-Skeld


Triphoppenskip wrote:
I usually get my inspiration from a piece of art ...
Skeld wrote:
... or I pick a piece of character art I like out of a book and generate a character from it. ...

I've heard that before. The closest I've ever come, is that I have a figurine that I think is really cool looking but have never really had a chance to use. So I'm trying to come up with a character to match it. Unfortunately it isn't going too well.

Sovereign Court

I see something cool and I twist it to make it my own. The end.


I can't believe I forgot my new most important character creation rule. (This is kinda new for me. My early PC's don't have it.)
I try to put something I find humorous or engaging in each character, even (or especially) if I'm the only one that will ever notice.

Examples:
- My inquisitor always has a silence ready. Just because I think it is hilarious when the dwarf in full plate sneaks up on someone.
- My arcane trickster carries a maul, because it amuses me to say I sneak attack with a sledge hammer.
- My undead blasting life oracle is so overconfident when fighting undead, that the rest of the party now ignores the undead expert when making plans vs undead.
- My gnome witch constantly talks to his scorpion familiar named Fluffy Cuddle's.


For me creating a character is based upon my desire to explore some facet of my own beliefs or personality traits. Once I have something I want to explore, or these days - if, I use that as the core of the character targeting a class that feels right. Race doesn't really come into the picture.


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Gendo wrote:
For me creating a character is based upon my desire to explore some facet of my own beliefs or personality traits. ...

I have heard this from some other people.

I'm usually the opposite. If I focus a build on a belief or personality trait, I try to make it one that I don't have much connection to in RL. For me this is an escape from the worries and stresses of RL. If it starts to become too much like RL it stops feeling like an escape to me.


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Triphoppenskip wrote:
... I tend not play pure casters, not because I don't like to but because I'm not good at it and the rest of the party tends to start giving me the stink eye after a few combat sessions. ...

As one of our group keeps telling me, "You'll never get better if you don't try to get better!"

About half the time I reply, "I don't want to get better cause then all you posers will leave me stuck with it all the time!"


Pathfinder Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I generally start with a 'trick' or 'hook'.

Some examples (some of them not D&D style game systems) include things like:
* Rogue who was a follower of a nature deity
* Diviner because someone said they weren't any good
* New Age psionic who didn't understand how her powers worked -- assumed it was that the New Age stuff worked rather than that she was a Psi
* Wizard who was the valet to another PC.
* Pair of spies with another PC
* Pair of religious followers
* Paladin for PFS who didn't take the Silver Crusade and had a religious reason for doing so

I'm usually fairly far into the design process before I determine which gender the character is.

I do tend to avoid tech characters since my day job is in tech.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

My process is eerily similar to that of Kydeem de'Morcaine.

That's how I've been able to create over 100 interesting characters and concepts in my Crazy Character Gallery.


Start with a concept. Usually, this a rather advanced concept that cannot be achieved with a starting character. Frequently, I developed the concept all the way out to an end state, a point where I would consider the character's story complete.

I then identify the bare minimum required to make a character that mechanically fits the concept.

I then identify how quickly the bare minimum can be achieved and how quickly I want to achieve it. Sometimes, want to play the character as fitting concept ASAP, other times I want to grow into it over the course of 20 levels.

Next I develop a plan for reaching that minimum required state at the rate I hope to accomplish it in. This tells me how much extra to stuff I have to play with to further flesh out the character or make it mechanically viable for combat or whatever.

Depending on what i want for the character I either plan out what I'm going to do with the extras and use the extra as an opportunity to further develop history and personality, or I leave the extras blank to allow for more organic growth.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

Mine goes like this:

1. Who else is in the party? Find classes that would compliment them.
2. Do any of them not cast spells? Scratch them out.
3. Come up with a mechanical concept that will also benefit party (ex: no animal companion when there's already 4 melee people)
4. Build it!
5. Look at final product for glaring holes in usefulness at various levels.
6. Rebuild if necessary.
7. Come up with vague backstory and motivation.

Dark Archive

I like to have something to layer the rest of my character around.

1. An impersonator/infiltrator (taldan arcane trickster)
2. A public defender (chelaxian halfling cleric of Asmodeus) (no sense motive score)
3. An aldori specialist studying immortality (by testing who cant die)
4. A man of peace (through horizontal blindness)
5. A fight promoter (with his Eidolon wrestler). The eidolon is trying to save his soul.
6. A calistrian druid who stays at the temple in a room labeled furry.

Then I choose a class, race, faction, and mechanical method.
Then I plan out 20 levels on excel.
I usually make a magic item preference table.
Then a half page background.
Then a list of catch phrases & command words.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

Concept first. Concept in this case can be anything from a personality/background idea to "I'd like to try this class/race/feat tree." Often I have multiple concepts ready and pick something that will compliment the rest of the party. Sometimes I'm dead set on my one thing and the group needs to work around my idea. We're pretty mature and flexible so no one person monopolizes the "must have" idea over and over.

Whether I started with a personality/background or a vague build idea, next step is to have the other one.

Once I have an outline of a personality, background, and race/class, then the actual number begin. By this point how I want my stats to go is pretty much determined by my concept. In fact I find most of the rest of my decisions at this point follow smoothly from the overarching concept.

My personal "guidelines":
-Any stat can be dumped if it fits the concept. A Con penalty would certainly be outside my comfort zone but I wouldn't rule it out. I often play characters who are foolish and have Wis penalties.
-a 15 in a score is a very good stat. 12 is above average. This informs my point buy priorities. Similarly an 8 is noticeably below average and a 5 is pretty terrible. If I have a 5 Cha dwarf you'd better believe that being in some way unlikeable or repulsive is built into his personality.
-No female characters for me (I'm a guy). I've seen it done poorly way too often and I don't want to be one of "those guys."
-Traits are picked for flavor not mechanics. I'll pick the two traits whose names and descriptions best match my concept and whatever mechanics they give I get.
-I'm perfectly okay with 1 skill point per level if I'm playing a dumb brick. That said, I try to build most characters with at least a 12 Int as it's tough for me to roleplay not being smart at all.
-I prefer spellcasters generally, but it's not a strict rule. I've had tons of fun with a fighter. I like both prepared and spontaneous casters.
-Optimization is nice to a point, but concept is more important. As long as my character is reasonably competent at what he does, he's fine. I don't have to play the best of the best of the best(unless that's the concept). A martial who full attacks for 90 at level 12 is fine; I don't need to do 200. Spellcasters don't need a 20 in their casting stat at 1st level; a 16 is sufficient.
-All classes are viable. Races are limited to the core book ones unless the specific campaign/AP indicates that others are appropriate. My personalities and actions make my characters special, not my oddball race choice.


I usually think of a class and a race and then spend days and days thinking of what I think of as a really cool name for said character.

Then build and fluff come later on.


I first learn about the setting, or in some cases the actual adventure (such as a Pathfinder Adventure Path). From there I roll my stats and then I begin to concept my character. Who they are, their name, some important information about their past, etc. From their I then determine what class they should be based on their history and coupled with the setting/adventure.

Once that is done I throw myself into their fluff, describing why they are where they are, sometimes giving a little hook in their own backstory that the GM can flesh out as a side-quest perhaps. Then cones the nitty-gritty: crunch. Align the stats, choose the feats and skills, the equipment, etc., keeping their backstory in mind. Why does my character use a flail over a sword? A pickaxe vs a maul?


Concept first, such as archer, mounted archer, negative energy channeler, raging alcoholic natural weapon using melee monster, etc.

Then try to optimize as much as possible. Plan to level 11. Plan magic item purchases.

When that's done look at what I have then plan a back story, personality and such around that.

Maybe make a few tweaks to the build to make the fluff more believable at the cost of optimization.

Find a great character image for his Paizo profile and print out for the table.

Research a proper name based on gender, ethnicity and country of origin.

Step 3: Profit.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I don't have a process. It's most just disorganized picking of rules and concepts that sometimes gel into a real character.


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My character creation checklist:

1. What's the campaign world like?
2. How does my character fit into the campaign world?
3. Character history (race is usually chosen here)
4. Physical description
5. Motivations
6. Personality
6.5 Friends, enemies, and other associations
7. What is my character's general approach to solving problems/achieving goals?
8. What character class or class combination is a good fit for the character themewise? (class is usually chosen here)
9. Does the character have any conceits, properties, or favored behaviors with mechanical representations (e.g., a gunslinger that prefers the gravitas of a single carefully-placed bullet over the reckless abandon of TWF double-pistols).
10. What skills, feats, and other mechanical options exist to represent parts 5 and 7-9?
11. What skills, feats, and other mechanical options round out the character, representing parts 2-4 and 6-6.5?
12. What does the character wear/carry from day to day, including non-adventuring days (if any)?


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there is no process


Lamontius wrote:
there is no process

Hey! I know you're lying!

You're made of lies! And cheap whisky! You told... me... sowait.

(This is my 'dot' for later.)


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Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person who finds it MUCH easier to give a story to some stats than it is to give stats to a story.


you are not


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Lamontius wrote:
you are not

Ah, but if I were to phrase my statement "I pick a class and race combo, I make it as powerful as I can, and then I double back and come up with a story that explains said combo" I would be derided as a rollplayer, power gamer, etc.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

As am I, even as my rollplayed character has stats no higher than 16 and no lower than 10.

Sovereign Court

thegreenteagamer wrote:
Lamontius wrote:
you are not
Ah, but if I were to phrase my statement "I pick a class and race combo, I make it as powerful as I can, and then I double back and come up with a story that explains said combo" I would be derided as a rollplayer, power gamer, etc.

Perhaps by folks on the forums. Who cares?


thegreenteagamer wrote:
Lamontius wrote:
you are not
Ah, but if I were to phrase my statement "I pick a class and race combo, I make it as powerful as I can, and then I double back and come up with a story that explains said combo" I would be derided as a rollplayer, power gamer, etc.

by who

thread people?
as above, who cares?


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1. Ask the DM about our next campaign.
2. Pick out 2-3 classes I'm interested in trying.
3. Check with other party members what they are playing and revise/narrow my list based on that.
4. Check the Guide to X class for the class I pick and extrapolate what my character will look like mechanically.
5. Select a race that compliments my class.
6. Create a rudimentary character outline for my character.
7. Fill in background details using the Ultimate Campaign character generator.
8. Iron out my character background and personality based on UC details.
9. Flesh out my character during gameplay and give him quirks/flaws.


Oh, inevitably it doesn't bother me any more than to stop and say "Seriously?"

But that doesn't stop me from taking the time to point out the ridiculousness of it.

It admittedly is kind of annoying that the trend seems to be anyone who doesn't organically create their characters is some kind of horrible min maxer....or that min-maxing is inherently horrible, even. But lots of things are annoying. That doesn't mean they really affect me any more than to shake my head at the state of others.


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Lamontius wrote:
thegreenteagamer wrote:
Lamontius wrote:
you are not
Ah, but if I were to phrase my statement "I pick a class and race combo, I make it as powerful as I can, and then I double back and come up with a story that explains said combo" I would be derided as a rollplayer, power gamer, etc.

by who

thread people?
as above, who cares?

Yup. If you check up top I have most of my build at least partially fleshed out before I even start working on the personality. Then I have most of the personality before I try to figure out what happened in his backstory to make him the way he is.

And yeah. I've had people tell me I'm not role playing that way. They're full of something smelly and unpleasant.

I have fun playing my character. He's nothing like me. he's almost always quite memorable. Rarely has a group not liked my PC's inclusion. (The few times that were otherwise it was because some mechanical build aspect did not work as well as I thought it would.)

I've tried doing it the way some people insist is 'the one true way' of backstory, personality, then build. I just get a boring, unmemorable, soldier number six type of PC that I grow to hate. It just doesn't work for me.


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1. What's the setting and story for the campaign? What kind of campaign is it going to be? Is it more story and social focused or more combat and dungeon focused?
2. Come up with some knee-jerk reactions and ideas for characters, usually things I want to play or try.
3. Check what everyone else is playing. How much casting is covered? Do we have divine or arcane? Do we have ranged and melee effectiveness? Do we have the skills covered?
4. Narrow down my character concept to fill gaps if there are any and compliment the party. Do we need something more arcane or divine focused? Do we need a skill monkey or a frontliner?
5.1. Start looking at classes to best mechanically represent my concept while also being effective, useful, and fun to play. What mechanics will allow me to do what I want my character to do, and do it well?
5.2. Start coming up with a background and personality parallel to deciding on mechanics. How can I make the rollplay and roleplay compliment eachother?
6. Plan out feats, skills, and choices as far ahead as possible, but allow for modification as the campaign progresses. Where do I want to be and how fast do I want to get there?
7. Crunch the numbers. Where can I expect to be at X level assuming A, B, and C?
8. Once everything is settled, let the character evolve with the campaign and story.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16

Generally, three different inspirations might strike.

Mechanics: I notice some cool rules and I want to use them.
Concept: I get a character concept stuck in my head, or the setting inspires me.
Art: I see some rad art/or hear a rad song, and I just have to make a character to use it.

Sovereign Court

Kydeem de'Morcaine wrote:
Lamontius wrote:
thegreenteagamer wrote:
Lamontius wrote:
you are not
Ah, but if I were to phrase my statement "I pick a class and race combo, I make it as powerful as I can, and then I double back and come up with a story that explains said combo" I would be derided as a rollplayer, power gamer, etc.

by who

thread people?
as above, who cares?

Yup. If you check up top I have most of my build at least partially fleshed out before I even start working on the personality. Then I have most of the personality before I try to figure out what happened in his backstory to make him the way he is.

And yeah. I've had people tell me I'm not role playing that way. They're full of something smelly and unpleasant.

I have fun playing my character. He's nothing like me. he's almost always quite memorable. Rarely has a group not liked my PC's inclusion. (The few times that were otherwise it was because some mechanical build aspect did not work as well as I thought it would.)

I've tried doing it the way some people insist is 'the one true way' of backstory, personality, then build. I just get a boring, unmemorable, soldier number six type of PC that I grow to hate. It just doesn't work for me.

Weird. Character concept and build are completely different scales for me. It doesn't matter which comes first.


One that I've used in the past is to make a playlist of three songs.

The first is the character's past.
The second is what led them to become an adventurer.
The third is something that ties them to the current adventure.

It can get a little complicated, looking for a fit, but it's pretty neat when it works out. Not to mention, if you ever lose your way, just play the tracks and get re-psyched!

Otherwise, what I normally do is build a backstory/concept then work with mechanics from there.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

Pan wrote:
Weird. Character concept and build are completely different scales for me. It doesn't matter which comes first.

Exactly. In a hobby that's about creativity and fun, why would you limit yourself to "one true way" of character generation? Sometimes I want to play a "smart guy who pretends to be dumb to trick people" and sometimes I want to play "a warpriest because I've never tried it." Neither approach is wrong, as long as your idea is fun for yourself and others.


oh man, yeah, music generally plays a factor


I did forget to mention that before I even do anything, I generally find out what the other party members are playing. I absolutely loathe playing the same thing as someone else in my party, primarily class, but even race to a degree. It just seems to me with the more than two dozen classes and over fifty playable races there's no reason I should double up with someone else.

I once had a fellow player die in our campaign only to roll up the exact same race/class combo as my character for his new character. I wanted to smack him. Hard.

Sovereign Court

thegreenteagamer wrote:


I once had a fellow player die in our campaign only to roll up the exact same race/class combo as my character for his new character. I wanted to smack him. Hard.

Yeah that's bad.


I imagine the character in action. If the character is a more social/roleplaying character, I imagine their attitude, behavior, hobbies, goals, etc. If the character is more combat-oriented, I imagine what role they play in combat, how they move, etc.

Think of the background that fits best with the imagined character. What happened in that character's life that gave them the abilities and behavior that they have today? This is the step where I usually pick out the race and the general class descriptor (martial class, arcane caster, divine caster, etc).

Experiment, experiment, experiment. Tinker with different classes, weapons, feats, archetypes, etc. to find the most flavorful and fun-to-play fit. This is usually the "First Draft Build"

Optimize if necessary. Tweak the "First Draft Build" to a power-level that's comparable to other PCs and the expected level of system-mastery of the GM.


I generally come up with an idea for a character, then go looking for an appropriate class and set of abilities to best approximate it.


James Langley wrote:

One that I've used in the past is to make a playlist of three songs.

The first is the character's past.
The second is what led them to become an adventurer.
The third is something that ties them to the current adventure.

It can get a little complicated, looking for a fit, but it's pretty neat when it works out. Not to mention, if you ever lose your way, just play the tracks and get re-psyched!

Otherwise, what I normally do is build a backstory/concept then work with mechanics from there.

I've never heard anything like this one before.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

For me, concept comes before stats.

1. Character concept (anywhere from "I wanna be Indiana Jones" to "son of retired adventurer parents who rebels and desires a life of scholarly pursuits rather than risky adventures, yet is compelled to do so in order to keep his childhood friends safe once they begin adventuring" or "delusional warrior type that believes he is actually a mage. Starts fighting by casting fireballs, with the material component being a thrown lantern").

2. Choose a race and class that closely fits my concept.

3. Develop stats, feats, etc.

4. Flesh out background, motivations, family, etc.

I find this works for me very well as I have a character with a strong motivation and identity right from the start. I tend to make very memorable NPCs on the fly when I GM as well. No one may remember the name, class, or ability of the NPC years later, yet they remember things that motivated the NPCs (remember the mayor that was secretly taking bribes from the thieves guild? Or the necromancer that betrayed us for her girlfriend? Or the diplomat that wanted to found his own dynasty rather than accept his inheritance and hired us as his staff?)


When making/designing a new character I want to know first where the campaign takes place and what kind of surroundings there are.
Secondly I am interested which other classes the party contains. I will not think about the interest of the party only, but I won't take another warrior class if a party of 5 allready contains 3 warrior types.
When I decide on a class/race I will assign stats in order to make sure my characters does not have extreme weak spots (no dump stats) and I want at least 1 extra skill point from intelligence.
Feats are chosen according to the role of a character. Combat feats for front line fighters and supporting feats for others.
I will generally choose a trait(s) to make a skill available as a class skill, that was no class skill to the character.

I prefer to choose at least one skill that is either a craft or a profession.
Even as a front line fighter I will choose a skill point as my favourite class point.
I like to be able to fight in the saddle and that why I hope that Paizo to fix some mounted combat rules issues (no pressure*).
I am also a mule that loves to own a caddy handing me all kinds of tools neccasary for any situation.
When leveling I will make sure all usefull class (swim, acrobatics, climb, appraise, knowledge) skills will eventually have at least 1 skill point. Skills I deem vital (perception, heal, ride, survival, spellcraft) will be assigned specifically and more often.

*which of course means incredible pressure

Sovereign Court

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I tend to come up with an unusual fighting style or character concept, often with a substantial disadvantage. And then I optimize the crap out of it.

Because - I enjoy the optimizing aspect of Pathfinder. I enjoy mixing and matching from different splat books. But I don't want to be THAT GUY.

And besides - everyone knows how to optimize the standard fighting styles. (they can look in one of the many guides) People don't bother to write up guides for the oddball styles etc, so I can feel like I'm actually inventing it.

Dark Archive

1 - Think about the campaign world and the inhabitants thereof. Gather images, moods etc.

2 - Write a fascinating story about an interesting inhabitant.

3 - With this in mind, holistically create a character based on that concept, probably unoptimised but with feats and traits to match.

4 - Realise the GM has only given us 15 point buy

5 - Realise that yet again and for unfathomable reasons every other party member has made Monks and Rogues with maybe one Barbarian

6 - Say screw it and roll up some min maxed 9th level caster monstrosity in an effort to have at least one useful party member who can get through encounters

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