Pathfinder Society (second edition) Character Options

Greetings, Society Members!
Earlier today, we revealed the next round of sanctioning for Starfinder Society—including the Attack of the Swarm! and Threefold Conspiracy Adventure Paths Chronicle Sheets. If you missed that blog, you can catch up here!

Now it’s Pathfinder’s turn. The team finished their review of the products and consulted with our community’s Additional Resource team about what best fit the Organized Play environment. Instead of waiting for an updated web page with formatting, we decided to get everything into our players’ hands. That doesn’t mean a new site with better layout isn’t coming, we just didn’t want to hold things up any longer waiting our turn in the web queue. All the rulebooks and Lost Omens products, up to and including Pathfinder Lost Omens Gods & Magic, appear in this update, so there is plenty to choose from. Apologies for the length—If you want to find a particular section, we suggest using control + F and the name of the book you’re looking for.

We made a few changes to the layout and structure of the character options, as well as how we look at what we include in the campaign. To help players understand what goes into character options, as well as the parameters and criteria in how we address concepts, we included a new section at the top of this document. Some of the items in this section include core assumptions, table policy, and access. This information is being migrated to the guide and will appear there with the next update.

You’ve waited long enough, so without further ado, here is the first batch of Pathfinder Society (Second Edition) character options!

I’ll see you next week for our beginning of the month update on Society!

Until then – Explore, Report, Cooperate!

Tonya Woldridge
Organized Play Manager

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Character Options

Legal Sources and Table Policy

Character options from the following books can be used in Pathfinder Society.

• Rulebooks Line
  • Pathfinder Core Rulebook
  • Pathfinder Bestiary
  • Gamemastery Guide
  • Advanced Player's Guide
• Lost Omens Line
• Lost Omens World Guide
• Lost Omens Character Guide
• Lost Omens Gods & Magic
• Lost Omens Legends
• Lost Omens Pathfinder Society Guide

To use an option from any source other than the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, the Pathfinder Bestiary, or the Lost Omens World Guide in Pathfinder Society play, you must bring any one of the following to your game table:

• A physical copy of the book you wish to use
• A name-watermarked PDF copy of the book
• Name-watermarked printouts of all relevant pages you wish to use from the PDF
• Access to the rules you wish to use in the form of either electronic access to the Pathfinder Reference Document (paizo.com/prd) or a photocopy of the relevant pages, along with proof of purchase, such as a receipt from a game store or a screenshot of your My Downloads page on paizo.com.

The following do not satisfy this requirement:

• A photocopy of a physical book with no proof of purchase
• Printouts from electronic character builders such as Hero Lab
• Content reproduced in other sources under the Open Gaming License (such as an online reference document or a homemade omnibus)

Family members, significant others, or other members of the same household (such as roommates) can share resources if they are playing at the same table, rather than requiring a separate copy of the same book for each person. A group of friends that always plays together at the same table fulfills this requirement, as long as all the necessary materials for each character's options are present. Members playing at separate tables must each supply their own materials as normal.

In addition to the copy of the rules themselves, you must be able to provide an electronic or physical copy of the below Additional Resources page for that source to show that the options you have selected for your character are legal for play.

Rarity, Access, and Availability

Character options for Pathfinder Society play have one of three levels of availability: standard, limited, or restricted.

Standard: These options follow the standard rules as printed in their respective sourcebooks. If a character wants to take this option, they must meet all its prerequisites as usual. If the option is uncommon or rarer, they must also have access to the option. Characters can gain access in a variety of ways. They can gain access by virtue of their origin, religion, or their membership in certain organizations (see below sections). Selecting certain common character options can give you access to other, rarer ones; for instance, a gnome who takes the Gnome Weapon Familiarity ancestry feat gains access to uncommon gnome weapons. Specific boons—such as from the Achievement Points system or Chronicle Sheets—can also grant access to these options.

Limited: A limited option is rarer in Society play, but not unheard of. A limited option can be selected only if specifically allowed by a boon—whether from the Achievement Points system, a Chronicle Sheet, or another other option from a Pathfinder Society source—even if the option is common or if the character meets the normal prerequisites or access requirements printed in the option’s source.

Restricted: A restricted option is one that is not generally appropriate for all tables or conducive to the Pathfinder Society's shared campaign setting, such as a one-of-a-kind weapon, a horrific spell used by only the most evil magic-users, or player options that require high degrees of GM adjudication. Such options will generally be made available for Society Play in only a very few special cases, such as via boons given out as part of charity events, if at all.

Character Origin

When you create a character, you can choose their origin, including their ethnicity and nationality/region of origin. These choices might allow your character to take certain character options. For instance, humans of Jadwiga ethnicity descend from the witch-queens of Irrisen, and they can take the Irriseni Ice-Witch feat to represent this connection. Similarly, characters from the Broken Lands have access to the Aldori dueling swords that are iconic to that region.

If your character is of mixed ethnicity or comes from multiple regions of origin, then for the purposes of game balance, you choose one ethnicity and one region of origin that your character can use to satisfy prerequisite and access conditions for character options. This affects only the character options you can select, and in no way limits your character’s identity or story.

Certain boons, such as Home Region or Multicultural Training, can allow you to change or expand your character’s origin for the purpose of qualifying for character options, to reflect their life experiences.

Religion

When you create a character, you can choose their religion or philosophy. If your character is of a class that directly interacts with the divine, such as a cleric or a champion, you must make this choice at first level as part of gaining your class abilities. However, characters of any class might be allowed to certain character options based on the deity they follow. For instance, all followers of Abadar gain access to Abadar’s flawless scale, a magic item considered holy by the faith.

Characters can worship and gain mechanical benefits from any deity listed in the table of gods on page 437 of the Core Rulebook or detailed in Lost Omens Gods & Magic, so long as their alignment matches one of the deity’s listed follower alignments. Note that some deities, such as Rovagug or Urgathoa, allow only evil followers; as Society characters cannot be lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil, these deities cannot be worshiped to gain benefits in Society play. Characters can also be agnostic, atheist, or can follow the tenets of philosophies (Lost Omens Gods & Magic 94–101) rather than deities.

Your character can participate in the rituals and cultural aspects of a deity’s faith without being a worshipper of that deity; for instance, citizens of the diabolic nation of Cheliax might participate in state holidays revering Asmodeus, the Prince of Darkness, but only lawful evil followers are true worshippers of his faith.

If your character worships multiple deities, then for the purposes of game balance, you choose one deity that your character can use to satisfy prerequisite and access conditions for character options. This affects only the character options you can select, and in no way limits your character’s identity or story.

Pantheons

Characters can also follow pantheons (Lost Omens Gods & Magic 92) instead of specific deities, in which case they gain the benefits of the pantheon as a whole. Characters in Society play must choose a patron deity when following a pantheon. They can use both their patron deity and the pantheon as a whole to satisfy access and prerequisites, but not any other deities in the pantheon individually. For instance, a lawful neutral cleric could worship the Godclaw, with Iomedae as her patron deity, in which case she could take options related to both Iomedae and the Godclaw, but this wouldn’t automatically allow her to take options related to Torag, Irori, Abadar, or Asmodeus.

Edicts and Anathema in Society Play

Several characters, such as clerics or champions, must abide by the edicts and anathema of their deity to receive divine powers from that deity. To allow a wide variety of characters in Society play, the rules around edicts and anathema are slightly relaxed. It is generally assumed that all characters can participate in Pathfinder Society adventures without running afoul of their deity’s edicts and anathema—attempting to perform the primary objective of an official Pathfinder Society mission by itself will not cause a character to fall out of favor with their deity. For example, Pharasma prohibits robbing tombs, but a cleric of Pharasma can accept a Society mission to retrieve an artifact from a pyramid, confident that the Society has gone through the proper channels to secure the right to retrieve the artifact.

While edicts are valorous actions praised by a deity, a character does not need to perform their deity’s edicts to the exclusion of other activities, or if doing so would prevent the smooth progression of play at the table. When considering anathema, note that a character must actively and personally commit an anathemic act in Society play to incur consequences with their deity, and is not liable for the actions of their party members. For instance, a champion of Sarenrae could not personally lie to a guard when infiltrating a city, but they do not need to force the party’s rogue to tell the truth (though they might look on disapprovingly)

Remember that edicts and anathema exist to create roleplaying opportunities at the table for your character, and should not be used by the GM to pressure PCs, or by PCs to pressure other members of the table toward specific styles of play.

Uncommon Ancestries

Because your ancestry is the first thing you pick about your character and it is not possible to retrain your ancestry as you might retrain other options, the only way to select uncommon or rarer ancestries is with a boon that allows you to create a new character of this ancestry.

Organization Membership

Through the course of your character’s adventures, you might meet influential members of other organizations and have the opportunity to learn from them. The Secondary Initiation boon can be used to gain membership in an organization and access to its character options.

Books

Pathfinder Core Rulebook

Rarity and Access Adjustments

Please use these rarity and access adjustments in Society Play, instead of the rarity and access printed in the original source.

Languages:	Note that the adjustment to regional languages (page 432) detailed in the Rulings and Clarifications section below expands some characters' access to Erutaki and Varki.
Items:	All characters have access to the scholarly journal, scholarly journal compendium, survey map, and survey map atlas (page 291). All characters have access to the wayfinder (page 617).
Spells:	All characters have access to raise dead (page 362).
Rituals:	All characters have access to atone (page 409) and resurrect (page 415).

Option Availability

Standard

All options are of standard availability unless specifically noted otherwise.

Limited

General Feats: Connections (page 260).

Restricted

None

Rulings and Clarifications

Please follow these rulings and clarifications specific to Pathfinder Society play wherever they conflict with the language printed in the original source.

• The level 1 version of summon plant or fungus (page 376) can be used to summon a leaf leshy (Pathfinder Bestiary page 218) that has the weak adjustment (Pathfinder Bestiary page 6). This is an exception to the rule that summon spells do not normally allow you to adjust the level of the summoned monsters by applying adjustments or templates to them
• The Experienced Smuggler skill feat (page 261) allows you to Earn Income using Underworld Lore with tasks of your level –1, instead of the normal level –2.
• Add the following regional languages to the options listed on page 432. As with other regional languages, a character hailing from the region listed below automatically has access to these languages.
• Erutaki: Saga Lands
• Varki: Saga Lands

Gamemastery Guide

As the Gamemastery Guide primarily contains tools for GMs, new subsystems, and rules variants rather than direct player options, all content from this book is of limited availability. However, Organized Play will be drawing from the rules options in this book in creating future adventures, boons, and other content.

Lost Omens World Guide

Note that your ethnicity, area of origin (nationality), or membership in certain factions might grant you access to options in this book. See the Character Origin and Organization Membership sections above.

Rarity and Access Adjustments

Please use these rarity and access adjustments in Society Play, instead of the rarity and access printed in the original source.

Archetypes:

[Updated Feb 7] All characters have access to Pathfinder Agent Dedication and all Pathfinder Agent feats (page 21). Characters with the Living Monolith Dedication feat have access to Ka Stone Ritual (page 59). Characters from the Mwangi Expanse have access to the Magic Warrior Dedication feat (page 95). This feat should be uncommon (see Rulings and Clarifications, below) All uncommon organization options are available to members of the associated organization.

Items:

All characters have access to the archaic wayfinder (page 17). Characters from the Broken Lands have access to the Aldori dueling sword (page 28). All characters of 10th level or higher who are from the High Seas have access to black pearl aeon stones (page 63). Orcs and half-orcs from the Mwangi Expanse have access to blessed tattoos (page 92).

Option Availability

Standard

All options are of standard availability unless specifically noted otherwise.

Limited

Feats:	Eye of the Arclords (page 81)
Items:	Golden Legion epaulet (page 124)

Restricted

Archetypes:	Red Mantis Assassin Dedication and all Red Mantis assassin archetype feats (page 71).
Items:	Pesh (refined) (page 52).

Rulings and Clarifications

The following rulings and clarifications are based on upcoming errata for this product.

• The Aldori dueling sword’s (page 28) price should be 2 gp, not 20 gp.
• Magic Warrior Dedication (page 95) should have the uncommon trait.

Additionally, please follow these rulings and clarifications specific to Pathfinder Society play wherever they conflict with the language printed in the original source.

• The Prerequisites entry for Living Monolith Dedication (page 59) is “Osiriani language, trained in Crafting” rather than “Ancient Osiriani and Sphinx languages, trained in Crafting.”
• The Prerequisites entry for Ka Stone Ritual (page 59) is “Living Monolith Dedication” rather than “Living Monolith Dedication, a sphinx or living monolith with this feat performs a ritual with you”.

Lost Omens Character Guide

Note that your ethnicity, area of origin (nationality), or membership in certain factions might grant you access to options in this book. See the Character Origin and Organization Membership sections above.

Rarity and Access Adjustments

None

Option Availability

Standard

Ancestries:

All ancestry options are of standard availability. As the hobgoblin, leshy, and lizardfolk ancestries are uncommon, this means they are limited to boon access through Chronicle Sheets or the Achievement Point system (See Uncommon Ancestries above).

All options are of standard availability unless specifically noted otherwise.

Limited

None

Restricted

Ancestries:

Chosen of Lamashtu (page 38).

Rulings and Clarifications

The following rulings and clarifications are based on upcoming errata for this product.

• [Updated Mar 05] The design and development teams have clarified that the ancient elf heritage (page 25) requires an elven lifespan (a feature that half-elves do not have) and thus cannot be selected by half-elves using the Elf Atavism feat (Core Rulebook 58), only by full elves. Clarifying text has been added to the errata for this book.
• Eclectic Obsession (page 33) should be a single action and have the one-action symbol accordingly.
• Hobgoblin Weapon Familiarity (page 50) should contain fewer weapons. The updated text should read “You are trained with composite longbows, composite shortbows, glaives, longbows, longswords, and shortbows
• Leshys with the fungus leshy heritage (page 53) do not have the plant trait listed in the leshy base statistics sidebar, but have the fungus trait instead.
• [Updated Jan 31] The seedpod ranged unarmed attack granted by the Seedpod feat (page 54) has a range increment (not a flat range) of 10 feet.
• Add Amurrun to the list in the lizardfolk base statistics sidebar (page 57) of additional languages you can choose if you have a positive Intelligence modifier.
• Impassable Wall Stance (page 90) should have the stance trait.
• The key spellcasting ability for the spells granted by Invoke the Crimson Oath (page 95) is Charisma.

Lost Omens Gods & Magic

Remember that your religion might grant you access to options in this book, even if you are not a cleric or champion. See the Religion section above for more information.

Rarity and Access Adjustments

Dieties:	The Pillars of Knowledge, Prismatic Ray, and Wards of the Pharaoh pantheons that originally appeared in the January 21, 2020 Paizo Blog entry, “Friends in High Places” are available for Society play and can be selected following the normal rules for pantheons.
Items:	Characters from Numeria have access to the polytool (page 121).

Option Availability

Standard

All options are of standard availability unless specifically noted otherwise.

Limited

Deities:	Achaekek (page 52).
Spells:	Time beacon (page 111)

Restricted

Deities:	All archdevils (page 124). All demon lords (page 124). All outer gods and great old ones (page 130). Walkena (130). All queens of the night (page 132).
Feats:	Splinter Faith (page 8).

Rulings and Clarifications

Please follow these rulings and clarifications specific to Pathfinder Society play wherever they conflict with the language printed in the original source.

• GMs cannot enact divine intercessions.
• Remove the final sentence of Syncretism (page 105) that specifies the feat’s benefit if your cleric doctrine is not cloistered cleric or warpriest. Organized Play will reexamine this feat when additional cleric doctrines are released.
• For the purposes of Society play, remove the final clause of Evangelize (page 105) that states “at the GM’s discretion, a target that genuinely changes its perspective to support your faith as a result of the argument is also otherwise unaffected.”
• As Mortal Healing (page 105) requires you to specifically use the Treat Wounds action, it does not apply when used with other actions related to medicine or healing, such as Battle Medicine.
• When using Sanctify Water (page 105) use your proficiency with simple weapons to determine your attack bonus when throwing the blessed container of water. If you give the container to another character for them to throw, they use their proficiency with improvised weapons instead.
• For the purposes of Society play, remove the Prerequisites of Numb to Death (page 105) that states “you have died at least once.''
• The temporary tool spell (page 111) can be used to create only simple tools, and therefore cannot create kits, which are complex objects made of multiple pieces, or objects made of any specific precious material.
• The Targets entry for winter bolt (page 112) should be “1 creature”, not “1 creature or object.” This change is based on upcoming errata for the Pathfinder Core Rulebook
• The Targets entry for withering grasp (page 112) should be “1 creature or unattended object”, not “1 creature or object.” When used on an unattended object, the object takes persistent damage on your next turn.
• For the purposes of Society play, remove the final sentence of remember the lost (page 119) which states “A creature that truly knows no one who died with any sort of grievance to that creature is immune to this effect.”

Lost Omens Legends

Note that many of the options in this book are uncommon or rarer, as they represent the signature teachings, items, and ability of legendary figures.

Rarity and Access Adjustments

None.

Option Availability

Standard

All options are of standard availability unless specifically noted otherwise.

Limited

None.

Restricted

Items:	All infernal contracts (page 10). Addiction suppressant (page 72). Hype, diluted hype, and plasma hype (page 81).
Archetypes:	All rare Red Mantis assassin archetype feats (Achaekek’s Grip, Fading, and Vernai Training) (page 58).

Rulings and Clarifications

Please follow these rulings and clarifications specific to Pathfinder Society play wherever they conflict with the language printed in the original source.

• Spare wax cylinders for a clockwork recorder (page 24) cost 3 gp each and are the same rarity as the recorder itself (rare).
• Spare bolts for a palm crossbow (page 25) cost 2 sp for 10 bolts and are the same rarity as the crossbow itself (rare).
• For the purposes of Society play, the Azaersi’s Roads feat (page 28) can be used twice per Society adventure—once to travel from the Material Plane to the Plane of Earth, once to travel from the Plane of Earth to the Material Plane.
• For the purposes of Society play, the telepathic link created by a deepdread claw (page 28) ends when a Society adventure ends.
• Per design team clarification, an item animated by the spirit object (page 32) hex uses the spellcaster’s spell DC as its AC. Its Hardness and Hit Points remain unchanged from their normal values as listed on page 577 of the Core Rulebook.
• If a target of all is one, one is all (page 64) does not consent to the allocation of Hit Points resulting from this spell, they become an unwilling target and they (and their Hit Points) are removed from the spell’s effect. The spell can continue with any remaining targets.

Advanced Player’s Guide

Rarity and Access Adjustments

Ancestries:	Due to years of successful Pathfinder Society activities, all characters have access to the kobold ancestry (page 12).
Archetypes:	All characters have access to the vigilante archetype (page 196).

Option Availability

Standard

Ancestries:

All ancestry and versatile heritage options, other than kobolds, are of standard availability. As the catfolk, orc, ratfolk, and tengu ancestries and the aasimar, changeling, dhampir, duskwalker, and tiefling versatile heritages are uncommon, this means they are limited to boon access through Chronicle Sheets or the Achievement Point system (See Uncommon Ancestries above). Orc feats can continue to be taken by half-orc characters who meet the prerequisites or access requirements, as normal.

All options are of standard availability unless specifically noted otherwise.

Limited

Ancestries:	Defy the Darkness (page 42)
Items:	earthsight box (page 260)
Feats:	A Home in Every Port (page 202) Biographical Eye (page 203) Consult the Spirits (page 204) Criminal Connections (page 204) Underground Network (page 209)

Restricted

Classes:	Connect the Dots (page 62) Whodunnit? (page 63) Plot the Future (page 64)
Spells:	ghostly tragedy (page 220)

Rulings and Clarifications

Please follow these rulings and clarifications specific to Pathfinder Society play wherever they conflict with the language printed in the original source.

• The snares created with the Snare Genius kobold ancestry feat (page 15) are temporary items and become unusable after 24 hours or during your next daily preparations, whichever comes first.
• The Tusks orc ancestry feat (page 18) requires the character to file down their tusks or perform a similar action to retrain; this is part of the normal retraining process and does not take any additional time.
• The temporary Hit Points granted by the Spell Devourer orc ancestry feat (page 19) are applied as soon as the character succeeds at their saving throw; for an effect that causes Hit Point damage on a successful save, such as a fireball, this means that the character gains the temporary Hit Points before taking damage.
• Unless specifically noted otherwise, most wands and scrolls are less than 1 foot long and can fit into a ratfolk’s Cheek Pouches (page 22).
• Per design team clarification, the Homeward Bound gnome feat (page 44) should be of uncommon rarity.
• Per design team clarification, the Speed penalty inflicted by the Kneecap feat (page 45) has a duration of 1 round.
• GMs should provide a character with the That’s Odd investigator feat (page 60) a hint whenever the character enters a room with hidden aspects, specifically with regard to hidden passageways (such as scuff marks near a bookcase that’s actually a swinging door), creatures or hazards (such as drippage on the floor from an unseen fungus growing on the rafters), or valuables (such as bunched carpet over a secret compartment in the floor that contains a bag of coins). The GM does not need to provide clues for rooms that have no significant secret or hidden features. These clues should indicate only that the character should investigate a given section of the room, not let them automatically uncover the hidden element or provide any additional information beyond signaling its presence.
• GMs should let a character with the Sense the Unseen investigator feat (page 64) know when the trigger for the ability has been met so they can use the feat if they so choose.
• Given the slightly relaxed rules around edicts and anathema in Society play, a barbarian with the superstition instinct (page 108) can benefit from spells and magic items if they are an unavoidable part of a Society adventure, such as if a scenario assumes the PCs are transported to their mission location via a teleport spell, or if an adventure requires that all PCs participate in a magical ritual.
• Per design team clarification, when a barbarian uses the Sunder Spell feat (page 111) against a spell like wall of fire that does not have a listed AC, the Strike hits automatically—the barbarian simply rolls the counteract check.
• A cavalier (page 184) can pledge to a legal deity, religion, or pantheon, an organization they have access to, or the Pathfinder Society. The edicts and anathema of the Pathfinder Society are as follows:
  Edicts: Explore important sites, report and record your discoveries, and cooperate with fellow Pathfinders
  Anathema: Fail to explore, report and cooperate; defy the will of a venture-captain or the Decemvirate
• A vigilante’s Safe House (page 196), can be located in any city or near any lodge they have received a Pathfinder briefing. A vigilante can use their downtime to relocate their safe house. A vigilante can use their safe house only if it is in the town or location where their current adventure is taking place.
• The DCs for the Armor Assist feat (page 203) are not subject to GM adjudication. Rather, simply use the default DCs listed in the feat: 15 for common armor, 20 for uncommon armor, and 25 for rare armor.
• For the purposes of Society play, the Targets entry for the claim undead (page 230) oracle revelation spell is “1 mindless undead creature”, not “1 undead creature.” The intent of this change is to reduce the prevalence of domination magic on sapient creatures in Society play.
• Strikes made by a malicious shadow (page 238) use the spellcaster’s spell attack roll.

Lost Omens Pathfinder Society Guide

Note that players have automatic access as members of the Pathfinder Society to many of the uncommon options in this book, and they can gain access to several others through free Chronicle Boons, which can be acquired once a character completes a related adventure. See our October 15th blog.

Rarity and Access Adjustments

Items:	Characters from the High Seas have access to the boarding pike and combat grapnel (page 81). All characters have access to the everyneed pack (page 85). As stated in the section introduction, all characters have access to the magic items in the Magic Items section on page 117.
Feats:	As stated in the section introduction, all characters have access to the uncommon (but not rare) options in the Academy Instructors section on pages 118–119.

Option Availability

Standard

All options are of standard availability unless specifically noted otherwise.

Limited

Faction Gear:	All faction-specific gear (Envoy’s Alliance, page 26; Horizon Hunters, pages 29–30; Grand Archive, page 34; Vigilant Seal, pages 37–38). Players can gain access to each set of gear by taking the corresponding Faction Gear Access Game Reward, available when they reach 20 reputation with the respective faction.
Items:	Razmiri wayfinder (page 72–73)

Restricted

None.

Rulings and Clarifications

Please follow these rulings and clarifications specific to Pathfinder Society play wherever they conflict with the language printed in the original source.

• The blade within a stiletto pen (page 30) is a simple weapon.
• All versions of metalmist spheres in this book (page 38) contain either cold iron or silver.
• The trigger for Master’s Counterspell (page 48) should begin with “A creature Casts a Spell that you have prepared or is in your repertoire...” to provide a trigger for spontaneous spellcasters as well as prepared spellcasters.
• A character with the Fane’s Fourberie feat (page 118) can etch their deck of cards with weapon runes themself or have this service provided by a third party. The deck can also be targeted by weapon-modifying effects such as a magic weapon spell.
• The saving throw for the calligraphy wyrm’s Ink Spray ability (page 122) should have a DC equal to the master’s spell DC or class DC, whichever is higher.