They could be clones, or twins, or if you want it to be a single entity, they could have multiple personalities or be possessed by a spirit. Tulpas are good too.
Then I would say that it could be something like an alternate personality, or maybe two souls were accidentally placed in a single body and they have to agree on things to be able to do them, making every decision a conversation.
I'm confused. How are you envisioning this OP? Like does the character have two heads?
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Two-headed Ogre
Each head has it's own class.
They share physical stats, but have individual mental stats (if using 20pt buy, allow 10 points for the physical stats, and 10 points for each head (they each can use up to 5 of their head points on more physical stats, and/or lend the other head up to 5 points))
If they have conflicting ideas of what they want to do, they make opposed Charisma checks - the winner does what he wants (if one of the heads is a Cha-based class, this could turn into a problem if they're not prepared to roleplay such a relationship)
Their skill ranks and checks are separate.
Take the better Armor proficiency from either Class
Weapon Proficiency isn't shared
Arcane spell failure chance still applies
Use higher HP total
Use higher CMD
Use higher base Fort and Ref saves
Failed Will saves don't effect the other head
They each count as 1 creature when calculating the number of creatures that can be targeted by a spell/ability (such as Haste) unless the spell/ability affects one of their shared statistics above, or unless it came from one of them; in either case, they count as 1 creature.
In Combat:
Both roll initiative; they go on the higher result
They each get their own Standard action, but share a Move action (use opposed Charisma checks if they can't decide on what to do with their Move action)
Multiple Personalities?
I have to ask WHY are you doing this?
I've played games where I share a character (to teach someone for example) and the character was a normal character, but we discussed actions and decided on them as a group (technically the smallest group).
Or do you actually want something with 2 heads/personalities?
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Master chemist PRC, mutagen on and off?
Mutagenic Form (Ex): A master chymist's mutagenic form is an alter ego that has a different personality than her normal form, an outgrowth of the mental changes caused by the mutagenic potions she has consumed over the course of her career. The mutagenic form shares memories and basic goals with the chymist's normal personality but goes about meeting those goals in a different manner. The mutagenic form is often ugly and monstrous and may even appear to be a different race or gender than her normal form; they may look as different as two unrelated people. Indeed, the mutagenic form often has his or her own name, and may attempt to maintain independent relationships and strongholds (though the alter ego's limited time in existence often makes this difficult). The mutagenic form even has his or her own alignment (which is selected by the player, but must be different from the master chymist's normal alignment). The change in alignment only affects the master chymist while in her mutagenic form.
Though mutagen off person will have more screen time.
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One rolls attack, the other rolls damage. Or one is the skill person, the other is combat.
If they are the playing the character as the same personality, I can not imagine this being much fun, as they are participating half as much though.
If the character doesn't have two distinct personalities, then essentially you have no valid way for both players to meaningfully interact with the group. They are two but they only share one voice, one agency. When they disagree on how to act you'll need a system to determine who's choice takes precedence.
Essentially the way to do what you ask is to simply make one character and come up with a system of rules for when and how the two players direct it. Like a talking stick and an egg timer?
The character will just come across as a slightly erratic normal character.
The players will be dissapointed, but I guess just playing two characters who have a special bond will be more fun and less trouble.
You could let them share a character sheet, and if it causes too much trouble have some kind of deus-ex-machina split their character into 2 halves or something.
This lets them try their idea, and hey it just might work. If it doesn't work you have a session or 2 to come up with their new character sheets.
Essentially the problem is going to be if they can't agree on what to do. But some people can, so who knows
The players will be dissapointed, but I guess just playing two characters who have a special bond will be more fun and less trouble.
Don't take the skepticism of the boards stop you from analyzing the issue further if your players are genuinely interested. It's best if they participate in the brainstorming that comes up with problems with implementing a PC with multiple players and decides whether or not the concept is workable. I think it probably isn't particularly workable to have one PC be played by multiple players at the same time unless the players are able to play very different roles - perhaps an ID and an Ego or other aspects of their personality like a roleplaying Herman's Head.
I've done this sort of thing, and it's kind of better suited to games where the point is "experience a story and explore a person" than games where the point is to complete the objective. Pathfinder is much more organized around a "get to the bottom of the dungeon/thwart the villain" model so one person undermining the character they share with another person is more likely to cause bad feelings.
I'm reminded of the old White Wolf game "Wraith: the Oblivion" where the PCs played ghosts, and every player also played somebody else's self-destructive dark side (their "shadow") that could sometimes get control of the PC's character and attempt to ruin everything. This is a complicated roleplaying dynamic, since player is the antagonist of at least one other player, but this can be really, really fun with the right group.
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Have them play two characters, but they can fuse and unfuse at will, using the rules for a synthesist summoner. Should work well with a caster and a martial, or any two very different characters. Maybe give them each a matching earring, and a special dance they have to do.
EDIT: this reminds me of the game Everyone is John.
Why? This is a horrible idea. In the game, everyone gets their own character to play.
I understand the desire to say yes to your players but I would urge you to consider simply disallowing this and move on to the usual single PC per player model. I agree with PossibleCabbage that even though the concept is fun it isn't really supported by Pathfinder. Sceptic as I am of these experimental endeavours in roleplaying in this system I must also add that I believe that even at its best it probably still isn't worth the hassle. And I think 'at its best'is unlikely to happen and you'll just end up disappointing yourself and your players...
Now that I've said my piece lets completely ignore it for a moment and indulge anyway! You've mentioned before that your players like the concept in response to the question 'why do this?'. That answer isn't satisfactory for the simple reason that it should be the baseline of every concept anyway. We need to know why this appeals to them. Similarly, you've been asked how you envision this but, even though you are certainly integral to the answer, theirs also carries weight and we know nothing about that either. As is I simply don't see the point. Maybe if we came to an actual understanding we could be far more helpful to you, instead of giving you ideas you don't like or simply advizing against it. I'd like to see my original statement to be false as much for your sake as mine!
Is vigilante an option? You could have one player act in the social identity and the other in the vigilante identity.
It might work as Master Chymist, one person playing as the mutagenic form and the other playing as the normal form.
From Horror Adventures, there's the Possessed corruption. Have one player be the spirit, and one the character. Speed up the corruption by a lot, and they'll basically be switching off with each other and vying for control.
EDIT: Fixed corruption name
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Not exactly what you're looking for, but they might like the Blood Brothers archetype I wrote for Kobold Quarterly #22, a single archetype shared by two (rogue) characters, based on the trope of Those Two Guys.
Perhaps a pair of characters, who act as individuals and are 2 levels behind the party. As a full-round action, they can become a single entity, with the following mods;
- This entity has a level equal to that of the party average (excluding these players)
- This entity has it's own gear, non-magical, only appearing when the players merge to form the entity. The gear is only what is necessary for battle (arms, armor, spell components/foci and a single set of clothes).
- It is decidedly unnatural in appearance, perhaps appearing to made of mist, fire, crackling energy, or swirling colors.
- This entity benefits from the automatic bonus progression.
- The entity gains a double initiative (2 turns per a round) each played by a different player.
- The entity has hit points equal to that of the two players combined current hit points, and any damage it takes is split between the players when the entity splits. The entity gains any conditions either player had when they merged, and when it splits, the players both have any currently ongoing conditions or effects applied to both of them. The exception to this is that ability damage (but not penalties to abilities) does not carry over from one form to the other (though if a player has taken ability damage in their separated form, they retain that damage when they split. Lastly, the merged entity cannot heal naturally.
What about a Black Blade Magus? (of some sort) One player plays the Magus and the other plays a version of the Black Blade. The blade and the Magus have to be like minded. The Magus attacks/defends with spells and the Blade attacks in melee. You can change how the Black Blade works two suit their situation. The Blade could share the Magus skills for social situations and you could have them mentally working as a unit. It can get complex or be very simple.
More simply, magus in general. One controls the physical attacks, the other the spells.