One of the key elements of tabletop roleplaying games like Pathfinder is the collaborative storytelling that comes from a party of different characters all adventuring together. In many cases, the inter-party conflicts and dynamics of a campaign are as memorable as the overall plot like the villain and her motivations. In a single-player digital adaptation of such a game, capturing that same sense of disparate personalities is vital to making the final game feel like Pathfinder. Pathfinder: Kingmaker, from developers Owlcat Games emulates this cherished aspect of the genre perfectly with their wide array of supporting characters players can combine into the perfect team.
While players have the ability to create their own cast of companions after completing the game's tutorial and prologue, the eleven pre-made companions provide a wide variety of character types, both adhering to and bucking genre tropes to play with. Each has a backstory linking them to the game's overarching plot, an intricate series of side quests focusing on their character development, and interpersonal dynamics both with the player and their fellow companions sure to add hours of additional entertainment as they banter while making camp or interject their thoughts during key encounters.
Which companion is your favorite? Who are you most excited to get to know (and possibly romance)? Which ones do you see as comprising your default adventuring party?
Amiri
The kellid barbarian Amiri hails from the harsh Realm of the Mammoth Lords, where she was exiled from her nomadic tribe for daring to challenge traditional gender roles. Unwelcome in her homeland and resentful of anyone who doubts her battle prowess, Amiri is more eager to prove her worth to her new "chieftain"—you!
Ekundayo
Born in Absalom, the teeming City at the Center of the World, to a Garundi family, the reserved ranger Ekundayo sought only a peaceful family life in the River Kingdoms when raiding trolls forced him on a different path. A devoted follower of Torag, Ekun now seeks revenge for his slain loved ones and a new start, be that with decent companions he meets along the way or on his own.
Harrim
The dwarf cleric Harrim is the embodiment of the nihilistic faith of Groetus, god of the end times, which he doesn't so much as proselytize as ooze from every pore in his dour body. Ever ready to remind his companions of the futility of, well, just about everything, he may just as well adventure with them than do anything else. Everyone's going to end up dead at the end of time, anyway, so why not die in the service to the Stolen Lands' new ruler?
Amiri, Ekundayo, and Harrim
Jaethal
Elves are known throughout Golarion for their otherworldly grace and alien demeanor, but the inquisitor Jaethal takes this aloofness even further—by being a unique undead in service to Urgathoa, goddess of gluttony and undeath. On the run from her past in Kyonin—the type of murder and betrayal you'd expect from someone angling for the favor of such a fell god—Jaethal serves at her own whim, perhaps wanting nothing more of her companions than potential corpses for a future undead army of her very own.
Jubilost
Few authors in the world have as lengthy and prestigious bibliography as the esteemed gnome alchemist, Jubilost Narthropple. Hailing from the centers of learning in metropolitan Absalom, Jubilost doesn't suffer fools lightly, and he believes everyone to be a fool. Though his arrogance makes him few friends, his interest in the mysteries of the gnomes' origins in the First World and his expert knowledge on just about everything (at least in his own mind) make him a valuable resource in uncovering some of the region's most enigmatic mysteries.
Linzi
Your first and most loyal companion, Linzi was kicked out of the Academy of Grand Arts in the neighboring River Kingdom of Pitax after she wrote less-than-flattering things about the city's King Irovetti. The optimistic halfling bard has selected you to be the subject of her magnum opus, a book telling a tale of high adventure written by those involved, at the time of their exploits instead of decades later based on second-hand reports.
Jaethal, Jubilost, and Linzi
Nok-Nok
Most civilized creatures see goblins as little more than monsters, and sometimes, even goblins see their kin in much the same light. Nok-Nok, a rogue with ambitions of being "the fith gawd" (an addition to the four-member pantheon of goblin hero gods), is one such case. Bullied and tortured by his tribe, he's more than happy to work with longshanks who don't abuse him, and will gladly prove his loyalty and worthiness to you, as long as you give him plenty of things to stab along the way.
Octavia
A former slave of the Technic League mages of neighboring Numeria, the half-elf arcane trickster Octavia is a ray of sunshine despite the gloomy conditions of her life prior to meeting the game's hero. Octavia has an optimism that rivals Linzi's and a sense of compassion that's hard to ignore should you act the tyrant in her company.
Regongar
Octavia's closest and oldest friend, the half-orc magus Regongar, is decidedly less optimistic and compassionate than his partner. Cruel, hedonistic, and vengeful, Regongar would rather kill his enemies quickly and without fuss (especially his former captors among the Technic League) than delay the drinking and love-making to follow, a stark contrast to Octavia's more forgiving approach.
Nok-Nok, Octavia, and Regongar
Tristian
Soft-spoken and aloof, the human cleric Tristian hails from the Padishah Empire of Kelesh far to the east, where he was raised in the church of the sun goddess Sarenrae. With a grace becoming his celestial patron, the wandering priest spreads the word of the Dawnflower—as well as her tenets of healing, light, and redemption—into the heart of the Stolen Lands, and if he had his way, into the hearts of his companions as well.
Valerie
Bestowed by divine beauty and charm, the noble-born human, Valerie, was raised in a convent dedicated to Shelyn, goddess of art and love, set on the track of a paladin of the Eternal Rose. She wasn't interested in any of that, however. Tired of countless suitors inundating her with mediocre art the tenets of her faith prohibited her from ripping up and throwing in their faces, Valerie instead took up the life of a trained fighter, mastering the defensive and offensive applications of the tower shield. Now in the baron or baroness's employ, Valerie is staunchly loyal and invaluable on the battlefield.
Tristian and Valerie
Of the 11 companions in the game, four are romanceable—Valerie for male PCs, Tristian for female PCs, and both Octavia and Regongar for both male and female PCs. Whether you pursue a romantic relationship with any of them is your choice, but regardless of your decision, each of your companions provides endless possibilities for bringing the collaborative, party-based excitement of the Pathfinder RPG to life!
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is available for preorder on Steam and GOG.
Mark Moreland
Franchise Manager
