With Origins kicking off today, the clatter of dice is deafening. The roar of gaming swells in my heart. Thousands of like-minded gamers gather here in Columbus under one banner to draw steel, hurl eldritch might, call down the fury of the gods, and maybe pick a pocket or two.
And this is just the beginning. In only a few short weeks, Gen Con shall be upon us, as well as the inauguration of Season 0 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The torches of the Pathfinder Lodge Hall shall blaze to life and hundreds of heroes, scoundrels and vagabonds will gather to begin their epic adventures. Their legends may change the face of Golarion.
But first, they have to be born of your wild imaginations. Creating a character for Pathfinder Society is not much different from creating a PC for your regular home campaign, with a few minor alterations. Here's a quick preview of what you'll see in the Pathfinder Society's Player's Guide for Season 0:
Faction: Every Faction has its own unique history, culture, style and specialty. Each has their own modus operandi in the ongoing shadow war for control of Absalom, and each offers the Pathfinders in their service different boons. Choosing your Faction is as important as choosing your character class or race; it defines your character in the campaign, and ties your Pathfinder to one particular nation's destiny. Before you choose your Faction, peruse each carefully and pick the most exciting one. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed until the end of Season 0 (after next year's Origins in June of 2009), so choose wisely.
Are you born and bred in Cheliax and a firm devotee to the cause of Asmodeus, or are you a former slave of the Chelish regime who escaped to Andoran and now you serve your adopted homeland in their struggle for freedom? You don't necessarily have to be from a nation to be a member of their faction (for example you may play an Ulfen barbarian from the Land of the Linnorm Kings in the service of Taldor's empire). The majority of loyal faction members are most likely patriots born and raised in their homeland with family ties and at least some sense of nationalism, but anything is possible.
Race and Class: All of the core races and classes in the PHB are available in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Yes, even gnomes.
Abilities: In Pathfinder Society Organized Play, all characters are created equal. No dice are used to generate your Pathfinder. Instead, every character's ability scores are generated using a point-buy system similar to the one featured in the Pathfinder RPG Alpha Release. You shall tailor your PC's abilities to best suit your vision of who they are, and to best fulfill your favorite tactical combinations.
Skills: All of the skills in the PHB are available to your character—even the Craft and Profession skills.
Feats: All of the Feats in the PHB are available to your PC with one notable exception: Item creation does not exist in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, therefore the item creation feats are not available. In place of Scribe Scroll at first level, wizard PCs may choose Spell Focus instead.
In addition to the feats in the PHB, characters in Pathfinder Society Organized Play also have access to special Faction Feats that further tie them to their nation of choice and offer them unique abilities catering to the flavor of these diverse cultures.
Alignment: You cannot play an evil character in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 gp. All good and neutral alignments are allowed though (EXCEPT NEUTRAL EVIL... nice try, buddy).
Character Background, Physical Features, and Beliefs: Above we've crafted the mechanical skeleton of your character. Now it's time to flesh them out. Let's give your character some personality and some fun quirks to roleplay. Make them a real person with motivations, distinctive physical and emotional traits, and a unique and interesting personal history.
Items and Equipment: After completing all of the above, your Pathfinder is alive! He or she is a whole person dedicated to a faction hailing from a distinct racial background, with a chosen class, abilities, skills, and feats, not to mention a rich character background, distinctive physical traits and personal beliefs. The only thing missing is their clothes. That's right. Your character is naked right now! They are also completely unarmed and have no food.
Every character in Pathfinder Society Organized Play begins the campaign with 150 gp of spending cash. All the armor, weapons and equipment in Chapter Seven of the PHB are available for purchase as well as a bevy of items and special weapons from the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting hardcover. (Sorry, folks, no firearms for now.)
Is your appetite suitably whetted? Have any character ideas yet? If so, drop by the messageboards and tell us all about your Pathfinder. No, really, tell us about your character! I, for one, can't wait to meet them. See you at Gen Con. You bring the dice, I'll bring the Mountain Dew.
