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Hey guys, I've just convinced a couple of friends to give Pathfinder a try and I would like to pick the brains of more experienced players/GMs on the best place to start the game. I've only got 2 players right now, so I don't want to start any APs. So far as I know, they will be playing a Gnome Rogue and a Human Fighter, although characters haven't been created yet so that may change.

What I'd like advice on is where in the world to place them? The players know little to nothing about Golarion and I don't want to have to do a massive info-dump on them. Any ideas on what part of the world would make a good "starting zone?" Any other advice would also be appreciated.


Hey guys, so I created an Alchemist for a (now defunct) Age of Ashes game and though I’d post it here to see if you guys think he is actually viable. Please note he is not ultra-optimized, because I’m not that much of a system master.

The concept: Rand Costu is a Varisian by way of Ustalav. Son of an alchemical doctor who used dragon’s blood in his treatments, Rand had always been fascinated by the power of dragons; not just their magic but their physical power as well. Turning to what he knew; what his father taught him, he began to experiment with mutagenic compounds, that could alter his body to give him the traits he desired, or as close as he could achieve with his current knowledge at any rate. After learning everything he could from his father, Rand left to travel the world, looking for any opportunity to improve his skills.

Character Creation: I chose Human for Ancestry, Dragon Scholar (from the A0A Player’s Guide) for Background, and Alchemist (naturally) for Class.

For Heritage I took Versatile and chose the Armor Proficiency general Feat.
My Ancestry Feat is Arcane Tattoos. I chose Abjuration to gain the Shield spell.
My background gives me the Intimidating Glare Feat for free
For my class choices I took Mutagenist as my Research Field and Alchemical Familiar as my class Feat. The Familiar (named Gustav) has Manual Dexterity and Lab Assistant

After choosing my Ability Boosts I end up with the Following stats. Str: 14, Dex: 12, Con: 12, Int: 18, Wis: 10, Cha: 12

My trained skills are: Arcana, Athletics, Crafting, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Lore: Dragons, Nature, Society, Stealth, and Survival

My Formula Book includes: Bestial Mutation, Bottled Lightning, Cheetah Elixir, Cognative Mutagen, Juggernaut Mutagen, Serene Mutagen, Silvertongue Mutagen; all Lesser. He also has Minor Elixir of Life.

Gear includes: an Alchemist Kit, his Formula Book, Scale Mail, Steel Shield, Dagger and Mace. I also bought 3 more Formulas (Lesser Antidote, Lesser Eagle Eye Elixir, and Giant Centipede Venom).

His basic approach to combat is to spend the first round deciding whether his opponents are going to use attacks that require saves and have his Gustav feed him the appropriate Mutagen while hitting things with his Mace. If appropriate he may have Gustav apply the poison to his weapon if the situation warrants it. If an opponent is particularly lucky or difficult, he’ll try to demoralize it with his intimidating glare or hit it with a bottled lightning to make it flat-footed. Another tactic I considered was having Gustav throw the bomb, but I don’t know if Familiars can attack like that. Also, do physical shields and the shield spell stack?

Anyways, I think he could be a lot of fun. I realize Mutagenists aren’t as “good” as bombers but I still think he can be effective and contribute to the group. Naturally I’ll take any advice on how to tweak him to improve him or answer any questions about him. I’ve also mapped out Attribute, Skill Raises and Feat choices up to level 10 if anyone is interested.


I am working on some homebrew Ancestries and I am considering making one of them Large and one of them Tiny but I am not comfortable or familiar enough with the rules to know what problems, if any, that would cause. I am already aware of the potential for abuse with Large creatures and the Giant Instinct Barbarian ability to use weapons of a higher size category, but what else should I be concerned with.