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Hello, question from a player: How much will the backgrounds from the Player's Guide come up? Like, is it worth it for a Cleric to pick the "Banished Brighite" background? Will there be interaction with Brigh-centric themes, or is it just flavor? Will I miss out if I just take Sarenrae or something?

What is your favorite piece of lore regarding a deity? I am currently searching one for my Cleric. :D

I randomly rolled on backstory options in a DnD book (heretical, I know) and got "You are a reincarnated being from another plane of existence." That is where my Sorcerer powers come from. I am an Ifrit and an Elemental Fire Sorcerer. Base ancestry is Gnome.

I saw that the "Reincarnate" ritual doesn't specify the creature type. That is pretty dope. What are some creatures that that could be funny to RP? I thought about a Devil or something, who could finally be free from the evil of the Hells, but I don't know if that is possible, from a lore-standpoint. Also, how do I do this without being an edgy special snowflake?

that should work well as long as they are okay with taking on the extra load of playing said companion, Harrim, Ekundayo, and Nok-Nok could work as well though if your players feel like they don't have many options. If not having a quest for the companion makes you unsure you can always pull some of thier "quests" from the crpg, all the companions have some good story from there.

Pulling quests from the video-game is a good idea, thanks! DO you think it would be better if I play the NPC? I am a bit worried that it turns into too much of a DMPC

Hey fellow GMs . I was wondering about something: My party has a Nymphblood Sorcerer and two Bards. One Maestro, one Enigma.

I wanted to give them one of the companions that they can then run in combat, in order to round out the party. I was hesitant though, because they managed pretty well until now ( I fear once it gets tougher they will get problems though). We are still in the first chapter. Thoughts about giving them a frontliner? Pitfalls/ things to consider? Or should I just roll with it?

I would let them choose between Amiri and Valerie. (Jaethal that is also a possibility, but she doesn’t have a quest) thoughts/suggestions ?

I am making a character for Agents of Edgewatch. He is a Fighter and served in the Sally Guard (Ancestry is not sure). But I am utterly stuck on the backstory. Do you guys have ideas on why he would have joined the city watch? Other than for money or out of a sense of duty. I would be grateful for any ideas

Hi, I have the Absalom book and going through the big noble Houses, I couldn't find where house Tevineg resides. I found their residences, for most of the other Noble houses, but not for House Tevineg. There is the Chelish Embassy, but do they live there? Maybe there is no info, I'll make something up then. But I thought I check with you guys first :-)

I ran into that situation in my PF1 Iron Gods campaign, Iron Gods among Scientists. The party had only three PCs: a half-elf high-Intelligence magus, a strix skald, and a dwarven Experimental Gunsmith gunslinger. The town Torch was recruiting adventuring parties to go into the caves below town to find their missing wizard, and two of the party members were residents of Torch, so the town council was helpful toward them. They offered that they could send a town guard with the party. Really, I as the GM was offering a 1st-level NPC party member, such as a town guard fighter or an acolyte of Brigh cleric. They chose the wizard's daughter, Val Baine, as their 4th party member. I statted her up as a bloodrager to be the party's muscle. I recently converted Val Baine to PF2 rules, so you can see her build at PF1 Bloodrager Val Baine Converted to PF2.

I was lucky that Val had been designed as an extremely sympathetic character. Her plot role was to encourage and offer support to the party's search for her father. An NPC who joins the party as a full member rather than as a follower is automatically a GMPC, and GMPCs can be very annoying. We GMs have to constantly remember that the game is not about our character, that our GMPC is only an NPC who should not steal any glory from the player characters, despite being an equal. I roleplayed Val as an eager assistant who hero-worshipped her more decisive comrades. And I treated her like an NPC, such as having her flatter her way into servitude to protect another party member in a bad random encounter in Lords of Rust. Val missed two game sessions while in captivity, which I would never do to a PC.

And despite Val being designed as a frontliner, she did served that role only at 1st level. We...

Thanks for the advice! I will follow that and let them meet the npcs, then they can decide if they want them and who they want. The second edition AP gives guidance for building them. Jaethal would be an evil champion instead of an inquisitor.

Just ask your group if they want one. It's certainly easy to have one of the NPC companions adventure with the group.

If you're worried about potentially overshadowing the PCs then keep the NPC companion one level lower than the party.

Keeping the npc one level below the party is a good idea, thanks.

I know it isn't recommended letting the NPCs adventure with the characters. But I have a Bow-focused Ranger, 2 Bards and a Sorcerer in the party, so I thought of giving them Jaethal or Valerie as a Tank. They can control her in combat, while I would RP her. Idk if that is too heavy-handed or even necessary? thoughts?

What are you using to play? Pen and paper? VTT? If so which one? There's various tools but without knowing how you're playing it's hard to make suggestions.

Just classic pen and paper :-)

Hi! I am currently reading through the Kingmaker AP (a bit overwhelming, xD) and I have a question: How do I keep track of the hexes and the quests that are connected to them? The rest is pretty self-explanatory but that chapter is a bit of a headache. there is no way I can remember all that and Idk how to go about taking notes for it, because how can my nots be more extensive than what I already have in the book?

Bard it is then, thanks

What kind of character would be good to round out this party of three. The two other players play a swashbuckler (battle dancer) and a Rogue (thief). The Rouge is geared a bit towards healing, if that is relevant.

So... your basic issue, as I read it, is that you're finding it hard to get engaged. That's happening because you previously had been engaged, and then you died, and died, and died, and having your character die out from under you while you're engaged *sucks*. It's an emotional hit. Right now, there's some part of your psyche that seriously expects that you're going to *keep* dying again and again and again, and is trying to keep you from getting engaged in order to protect you, emotionally.

And, you know, it might have a point.

So the first step is to figure out how to make sure that your characters don't die so much. Figure out why they've been dying. From the sounds of things, it's not the rest of the party. It's mostly you. How can you adjust things so that you die less? Possibly play characters that are more durable, tend to be more back-line, possibly have meaningful built-in self-heals? If your major issue was that you'd charge out in front, get surrounded, and die that way, then try playing a ranged build who'd never want to charge out in front in the first place. If your major issue was that you were playing fragile characters who got quickly overwhelmed when things went bad, then possibly play something a bit tougher and/or make sure that you invest properly in defensive and escape options. Possibly carry around some healing consumables?

Consider discussing with the GM and/or your fellow players in case they noticed things that you were doing (or not doing) that you didn't.

After you get yourself to the point where you honestly believe that it actually will be different this time (and have *reason* to believe this - lying to yourself on things like this is bad policy) I suspect that you'll find that it's easier to get engaged again.

that is some den good advice. I hadn't looked at it from that angle, thanks :D

So, what is happening to your characters that is getting them killed more than anyone else's?

First one died in a hard fight. Second one got killed by a boss and I didn’t care as much for the 3rd one anymore and was reckless.

Having just looked in to the 6 part series I have to ask what adventure are you trying to play in with a 1st level character.

The first adventure Devil at the Dreaming Palace is the starter at 1st level. How ever the second adventure Sixty Feet Under is a 4-5th level adventure. All or Nothing is a 9th level Assault on Hunting Lodge Seven is 12th level Belly of the Black Whale is 15th level Ruins of the Radiant Siege is 18th level!

I can see your not going to have any chance of playing along if you are in the deep end of the pool with a beginner character at level 1.

I am not a lowerLevel than the other players. I have never been in a game were one player is lower level than the others. Other characters beside mine crossed the rainbow bridge, but that was earlier int he campaign.

My first question is why do you think you need to keep playing in it? Not every game or table is for every person, and that is ok. Is this a friend group you're especially attached to playing with?

This is my standard group, all very close friends. And I find the campaign per se interesting, the concept and everything and that it goes to level 20. But as I said, I definitely want to keep playing but have struggle engaging with everything.Sounds a bit paradox, I know.

So, we are playing Agents of Edgewatch since the end of September. But I don't feel it anymore. I had a lot of character deaths and am currently at the 4th character. No joke. Mainly due to bad luck and us being new, the rest of the party is fine though. But now I feel burnt out on character ideas on ideas how to RP, etc. My character has no investment and, most importantly, I have no investment in the campaign. I stopped taking notes and I struggle to role-play. The plot feels disjointed to me, because it is to my char and the city of Absalom doesn't excite me that much anymore.Everything feels disconected form em and my character. I am burnt out on the setting too, because of all he characters that aren't there anymore and that I had fitted into the world.

Everybody else is enjoying every sessiona nd they look forward to it and I feel bad when I am not super enthusiastic anymore. I want to keep playing, but I feel my thoughts drifting off.

It isn't about being burnt out on TTRPGs. We recently tried another system for a short adventure and it was awesome! It felt fresh and most importantly, I suddenly had new character ideas, the role-play was easy, etc. I love Pathfinder very much, but the way it currently is I don't know how to continue the AP. What to do? I talked a bit with my DM about it over text, but until we speak about it in person, do you guys have any advice? Thanks :-)

I had this Idea for a Bard who focuses on time-altering spells and takes the Time mage archetype. Is that a Bad Idea, how would I go about that?

I am playing a Cleric of Sarenrae in an Agents of Edgewatch campaign, but I am struggling. Honestly, I don't have a clue how to Roleplay him properly and my anathemas collide with the group and the campaign. For example, as strange as it sounds, the inability to lie has proven problematic in a campaign about cops. I chose Sarenrae, because I never played a Cleric of such a compassionate deity, but as I said I am struggling a bit to role-play him and in turn, I don't enjoy playing him much. Any tips?

Currently Playing an Elemental Gnome Sorcerer. The feats don't excite me that much, and I thought about getting an archetype. What is a good/fun archetype for a Sorcerer? I heard that Rogue is pretty good. Anything else? Apart from the 18 cha, I have 14 int and 14 dex, if that matters :-)

The only order that wouldn't let you stay in a city is Wild Order. Most of the others can be flavored just fine.

You could have an Animal druid who cares for the stray dogs, cats, and rats of the city, or a Leaf druid who helps to manage the local park, or a Wave druid who spends most of their time hired out on ships but is between jobs, or a Flame druid fire-marshal.

Okay, I think I'm sold, xD Thanks! I have some ideas already!

I would highly recommend Druid with that group!

Your spell list has healing to supplement the paladin's, as well as blasting spells that your party completely lacks. You can also tailor your druid to fit most any group, and have the option to get an animal companion to help set up flanks, benefit from marshal buffs, and give your paladin more chances to use their reaction.

The problem is, that it is an Urban campaign. Do Druids do well when there isn't much nature exploration in the game?

Hey guys, thank you for all of the helpful replies! The Swashbuckler just decided to rather play a Monk, Idk why, so now Bard or Sorcerer wouldn't be so redundant anymore, right?

Sounds like you probably want a caster. Druid, bard, and cleric could handle healing if you need it. Wizard and witch can handle crafting and other int skills. Bard is probably the best choice even considering the charisma redundancy at least when it comes to combat. That might just be because bard is the best class in general though. Do you have a concept in mind or just trying to fill a party role?

Thais for the tips! I actually played a Bard before the TPK and it was fun. I will definitely consider it. atm I don't have a concept in mind. I will decide which class to play first and then develop a concept I think. :)

Hi, we sadly had our first Pathfinder TPK and now everyones making new characters. We have a Fighter with the Marshall archetype, a Champion with the Paladin archetype and a Swashbuckler. Which class could compliment this? I thought of going Bard, but we already have 2 charismatic characters.

Also, please make suggestions from either the CRB or the APG. Because those are the books we have and it is easier for me, if I don't have to juggle between English and my native language. Thanks :-)

You are correct.

You need the first feat to get an Archetype and take further feats (the first feat is in the prerequisites of all the archetype feats).
Archetype feats are class feats. So if you take an Archetype feat at level 2 you don't take a class feat at that level.
And like for your class feats you are not forced to take any Archetype feat. Still, you need 3 Archetype feats before being able to take another Archetype. That's the only limitation that may push you to take Archetype feats.

As a side note, the most common variant of the rules is the Free Archetype one: https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=1333
Check with your GM if they use it as they change the availability of Archetype feats.

thank you! :-)

Hi, I have some quick questions: 1. If you want to get an archetype, you always need to take the first feat of that archetype. Correct?

2. The way archetypes work is, that when you get a class feat, you can take an archetype feat instead. For example a level 2 Bard with the Polymath muse could take (for example) either the "Esoteric Polymath" Bard feat, or the first feat of an archetype for which he meets the requirements. Correct?

You don't need to take every feat of the archetype you chose. you could for example take the first archetype feat on level 2 and only Bard feats from there on. Or evenly split between archetype feats and class feats. Correct?

Sorry if this are basic questions, but the archetype concept is new for me in an RPG.

Hello! I am new to Pathfinder and after long pondering on which class to play (And a lot of superb help and advice from this forum!) , I settled on Bard, Polymath Muse. I am not sure about ancestry yet, maybe a Halfling?
I stumbled upon the Lion Blade archetype from the LOWG and I really like the flavor. Plus, it is going to be an urban adventure and Lion Blade seems to compliment that!

Any tips on how to approach this character concept? are there any things I should watch out for, if I go for this build? any suggestions for the build? Is Bard a good idea for this archetype, or should I use a different class/no archetype at all?

Lion Blade on archives of Nethys.

there is the frozen sick adventure On Dndbeyond. 5E, Obviously. that is the only more or less obscure module I can think of right now. We played it, it was good. not the greatest, but not bad either. Be aware that it revolves around a misterious disease, so maybe that thematic it isn't for everyone.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/wa/frozen-sick

My PF2-converted Ironfang Invasion party started with two rogues.

The halfling rogue had the scoundrel racket and specialized in Diplomacy and Deception. At 2nd level he took a Sorcerer Multiclass Dedication and at 4th level he took Magical Trickster. He is viewed as the party expert in Arcane and Occult knowledge and usually attacks with cantrips.

The gnome rogue had the thief racket and specialized in Stealth and Thievery. She became an expert in Stealth at 2nd level and learned Quiet Allies to lead the party in Avoid Notice during exploration. She catches her targets flat-footed with her shortbow by Hiding before the first shot and then using Precise Debilitation to render them flat-footed longer. The rest of the party appreciates the -2 to AC for everyone, especially the halfling rogue who then can add sneak attack damage to his cantrips via Magical Trickster.

The rogue class had enough customization that the two rogues fill different niches. Two investigators could split niches, too. For example, a investigator with Alchemical Sciences or Forensic Medicine could be the party healer and an investigator with Empiricism or Interrogation could be the information expert.

What about one Investigator with Alchemical Sciences and one with Forensic Medicine?

For example two investigators. Would they step on each other toes too much or is there enough variety for each one to find his niche? Would you advise against something like that?

Hey, thanks so much for all the replies guys! I decided to go with a ruffian Rogue. I have some cool utility and skills without stepping on the Investigators toes too much. Any suggestions on a background? I am struggling a bit with the backstory, soI figured I start with a background. Any recommendations on which backgrounds are good for a STR Rogue?

You'd probably be well-served with something melee, yes, and you don't want anything that's *too* complicated. Still, there's a bunch of options out there for you.

- Fighter: Well-beloved of white-room theorists everywhere. Simplest and most straightforward theming. Also has the least utility of any class, to balance out the combat advantages. This is the classic "does one thing and does it very well" class, where the "one thing" is "stab them until they die".

- Barbarian: Big, beefy rager. Doesn't hit quite as often as the fighter (because no one hits as often as the fighter) but makes up for it by hitting harder. The way you can tell if you ought to play a barbarian is you go to https://2e.aonprd.com/Instincts.aspx, you look down the list of instincts, and if any of them look *really awesome*, then seriously consider playing that. Worth noting that if you take the right feats, the Animal Instinct can eventually turn all the way into a beast when raging, the Dragon Instinct can turn all the way into a dragon, and the Giant Instinct can get very large indeed. Spirit Instinct gets some cool semi-magical stuff about spirits helping you out. The Superstition Instinct is a bit of a trap, though, and should be avoided. If you look at Rage and the instinct list and Big Numbers Loud Noises and you don't think it's awesome, then Barbarian is not for you.

- Ranger: Ranger can be cool, if you know what you're doing, but it's kind of all over the place. Want to be a trapmaster? Want to fight alongside your animal companion? Want to use a bow? Want to be a murderblender that fights with two weapons? The ranger can do any one of those things, and maybe any two, but you kind of have to pick and choose. Still... thematically, this is basically the same "Aragorn: the class" that all rangers are everywhere, and you already know if that excites you. If it does't, pick another.

- Rogue: You've got a champion out there, so you've got a designated flanking buddy, which means that...

That is super helpful! Thanks! After looking a bit more at the Rouge, I am pretty intrigued by it. Damage and out of combat utility? Hell yeah. But I also took a look at the archetypes and I have to say, they look very cool. Would you recommend taking an archetype for a new player? Or should I just go pure Rogue? Which archetypes are cool for Rogues? I found bastion to look pretty sick, but I guess that archetype is better for a Fighter?

Is the investigator melee or ranged?

Because the champion needs a melee ally to properly shine.

If the investigator is already melee, you can go with several options.

Starlit span magus, for example, with psychic dedication would make you feel great, dealing a massive amount of damage, while saving supportive spells for your front line.

Thansk for the advice! The Investigator isn't melee. He avoids close combat as good as he can. So we ideally need another melee character? Idk if I want to play a magus. Any other suggestions?

(I am new here, so forgive me if this is the wrong forum.)

So, my first character just died. Yey. I need a new one, but I don't know that much about the different classes. what class would be a good fit for this party composition: We have an Investigator, an undeath Sorcerer and a Champion. My last character was a battle oracle and I felt a bit redundant. The Champion hits harder than me and the Sorcerer solves all the charisma-based stuff. Also, I kept forgetting my curses effects, etc. So, any recommendations on what class to play? Without multi classing?

Hey guys, thanks so much for your replies! They helped a lot.

Hi, my group is very new to Pathfinder. My character got petrified by some sort of miniature chicken-dinosaur last session. How do I get out of that? My GM told me that I can make a saving throw every 24 hours, but is there another method? Are we missing something?