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So I have found myself in a new place, with no players. I have found a few people whom are willing to learn Pathfinder, but have no experience with any table top RPGs at all. They have asked me to teach them, and I have decided that the best way to do it would be to create a small module with some pre-made characters for them and run them through it.

Folks all start at level 1

The party will be the four "default" classes (Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue) and will be of my own making (not the iconics)

I plan on using my own setting (it has a lot of standard elements, and doesn't have any huge differences from what is to be expected, it just means that there's no way for my own plotlines to be spoiled by people looking up things on a wiki)

I will be using the official pathfinder standard character sheets

So far I have decided to only fill in their skills, ability scores, and spells (for the wizard and cleric). The cleric and wizard will have their spells pre-memorized so I know what they have. I will give all the players gear before hand so that they don't need to figure that out either.

I plan on getting the players to fill in the stats that are blank for two reasons:
1) it will teach how the stats are calculated
2) my handwriting is terrible

I'm not using the pathfinder starter set because I'd prefer to control everything, and possibly use the outcomes of this module in the main campaign

Questions:

Should I switch the Wizard to a Sorcerer for ease of spell selection explanations?

I'm thinking that a small simple dungeon would be the best way to explain what is going on. What sort of dungeon should I use? Actually does it really matter?

Should I make all the characters human for simplicity? Or should I showcase the benefits of the other races (Fighter is a dwarf, Wizard is an elf, Rogue is a halfling, Cleric is a human)?

Should I introduce a villain that will re-appear when we do a "real" campaign?

Should I kill the pre-generated characters at the end of the module and have the new players make their own characters for a plot line?

Should I attempt to explain Treantmonk's roles of combat?

Should I have them level up at any point?

One of my friends has come up with an interesting (and sleightly power gamey) way of making it near impossible to get out of bonds at low level. Fit the character in armor before they're tied up.

If you've knocked out a boss, go get one of their minions and have them put on the minion's half plate or splint mail on them. THEN tie them up (taking 20 on the combat maneuver). Suddenly they have a +7 bonus to their tying up. Since this is so circumstantial I can't really see it being a problem, but I was wondering if it was part of the RAI or RAW.

Any thoughts?

A while ago I stated it out and made it here. And until now I was wondering if you'd have comments or constructive criticism about it.

I've never actually used it since we generally have more serious campaigns than this, but I think it works mechanically like the beast from the holy grail.

Is usually thought of as a horribly underpowered feat, and I would like to give players a reason to take it without making it incredibly overpowered. My first thought is this:

Two-Weapon Defense (Combat)
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Two weapon fighting
Benefit: After making a full round attack with two weapons (not including unarmed strikes, natural weapons or shields), you gain a +1 shield bonus to AC. When your base attack bonus reaches +4 and every four points thereafter, you gain an additional +1 shield bonus to AC.

Have any of you modified this feat?
Thoughts?
Reactions?

edit: spelling mistake

So I was about to go to bed when I read a few posts about ability scores and rolling vs. point buy, and it got me thinking.

People who like point buy love the fact that it allows you a guarantee that you will have appropriate ability scores for your character.

People who like rolling love that it generates characters that are more random, or seem off the wall.

People who don't like point buy complain that it creates "cookie cutter" characters that are the same

People who don't like rolling complain that it makes it possible for a great variation in the power level of the characters. (I rolled three 18s! Look at me go!)

I often have heard people forcing characters to have a certain order of ability scores based on the way they rolled (roll STR first then DEX, CON etc.) So I thought of a new way to get that randomness the dice rolling character generators love.

You want odd characters with certain random stats, but you don't like throwing caution to the wind with the dice and possibly having horribly over powered or under powered characters.

Why don't you get a point buy array, and then randomly select which ability score goes where? For a little more randomness you could have multiple arrays and randomly select the array you get.
This would make the cookie cutter feeling go away, and would make the characters determine the class they choose based on their ability scores and not the other way around. It makes the character an individual, without the risk that the player rolls a whole bunch of 8s or a bunch of 16-18s.

Has this idea been used elsewhere? (google searching it didn't reveal anything)

Would you use this method?

Did anyone think it was odd that the dwarven racial trait: slow but steady was not mentioned at all?

You would think that would cost 2 RP or something.

I only noticed this because I was trying to make a dwarf race variant that favors being a paladin (since dwarfs are often LG I felt it fit), and noticed that it wasn't mentioned anywhere in the guide.

I was reading Treantmonk's guide to bards and it briefly mentioned that the archer bard would always be inferior to the rogue archer. This struck me as odd because I was under the impression that the best rogue would always be a melee rogue, due to sneak attack requiring the rogue to be stupid close (30 feet, unless you take the proper archetype) and that archer rogues don't get sneak attack because they cannot flank. Essentially this means that an archer rogue only is really good in the surprise round, and after that goes back to being a mediocre archer who is vastly inferior to a fighter or ranger archer.

I suppose you could make a good archer rogue if you had a party member with enough bluff ranks to feint at an opponent successfully each round, but that just doesn't seem sniperish.

So my overall question is: How would one go about building an archer rogue that could perform well without relying on another party member's feinting techniques?

Does the fact that an item made of mithral is also masterwork stack?

In the section on masterwork armor, the Core Rulebook says that the suit of armor costs an extra 150, but this reduces armor check penalties by 1. In the section on materials, the Core Rulebook says that Mithral armor has the armor check penalty reduced by 3, and the cost increased by the table. It also says that the cost for the masterwork is included in the table. What it does NOT say is whether or not the masterwork quality stacks with the fact it is made of mithral.

I think this would be most important when considering mithral breastplate. Breastplate has an armor check penalty of -4. If it is made out of mithral the check penalty decreases by 3, putting it at -1. However mithral breastplate is also masterwork, if this stacks with the bonus from being made of mithral, the armor has a check penalty of 0 meaning rogues, bards, and Duelists without levels in fighter can wear it without penalty.

So which is it? -1 check penalty or 0?

When I think Paladin I think a warrior in heavy armor either wielding sword and board or a two-handed weapon with the change in mechanics to smite evil, paladins seem to be able to effectively duel wield and use ranged weapons, in fact the choice of duel wielding or using a ranged weapon (with rapid shot) is many times a better build than a two handed weapon or a sword and shield.

My question is how could I modify the rules for my gaming session to encourage players to use a two handed weapon or sword and shield, and discourage them from using duel wielding without making the paladin over-powered or underpowered?

So I made up a version of the ninja, it's an archetype for the monk. I also posted it here, but haven't updated it yet.

http://www.pathfinderdb.com/character-options/class-options/1193-monk-arche type-ninja

Ninja (monk variant)

Sneak Attack (Ex): The ninja gains sneak attack in the same way a rogue does. This replaces Fury of blows, Unarmed strike, Stunning fist.

Deadly Striker (Ex): the ninja gains a rogue talent when he would normally gain a bonus feat, but can only take talents that affect his sneak attack, at level 10 the monk may take advanced talents, but only advanced talents that affect the monk's sneak attack. This replaces the monk's bonus feats.

A ninja's ki pool does not grant him ki strike.

Poison Use (Ex): at 3rd level the ninja is trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison himself when applying poison to a blade. This ability replaces still mind.

Swift poisoner: At 11th level the ninja may apply poison as a swift action.

Master Strike (Ex): upon 20th level, the ninja gains the master strike trait like a rogue would. (see the 20th level ability). This replaces perfect self.

Ok so those familiar with Warcraft will understand this class, it's an archetype for the anti-paladin, I was thinking having a Warcraft campaign and thought that an archetype would be more appropriate than a new class. Tell me what you guys think.

Rune blade: At first level, the death knight designates one melee weapon in his possession as his rune blade. Should this weapon become lost or sundered, the death knight must spend 8 hours concentrating on a new weapon to become his rune blade. These hours need not be consecutive. Without his rune blade, a death knight cannot cast spells, make runic strikes, use his corrupting touch, or call upon his unholy bond. In addition he must have the rune blade in hand to use his class abilities and it serves as his divine focus.

Code of conduct: The death knight must be of evil alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if he willingly and altruistically commits good acts. This does not mean that a death knight cannot take actions someone else might qualify as good, only that such actions must always be in service to his own dark ends. A death knight’s code requires that he place the interests of the lich king (or similar power) above all else, as well as creating undead, wreaking mayhem whenever possible, and punishing those who are good and just, provided such actions don’t interfere with his goals.

Alignment: unlike the anti-paladin, the death knight may be any evil alignment (lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil).

Runic strikes: At 1st level the death knight can empower his weapon with unholy runes, he gains a bonus to hit and extra damage equal to his charisma modifier. He may empower his weapon in this manner a number rounds per day equal to his charisma modifier.
This power replaces smite good

Disease Mastery: At 4th level the death knight gains a +1 profane bonus to attack and damage against any target suffering from a disease. This increases by another +1 every 3 levels after 4th to a maximum of +6 at level 19

Unholy bond: At 5th level the death knight gains a bond with undeath. This bond has two benefits, a fierce and loyal mount, and an unholy companion.
The mount functions identically to the paladin’s mount, however it gains the Skeleton template, and at level 11 it gains the fiendish template instead of the celestial template.
The unholy companion functions exactly like the anti-paladin’s fiendish companion, except it gains the zombie template. This replaces the fiendish bond class feature.

The following diseases exist as well and can be inflicted with the contagion spell

Frost fever
Type disease, injury or inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 16
Onset 1 day Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d4 str and 1 con; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Blood plague
Type disease, injury or inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 13
Onset 1d6 days Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d4 Con damage; Cure 3 consecutive saves

Scarlet fever
Type disease, contact; Save Fortitude DC 15
Onset 1d3 days Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d6 Str danage; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Extra feats: There are a few other feats that the Death knight may take

Bloody mount
Your mount gains a disgusting layer of blood and gore that helps it regenerate at a supernatural rate.
Prerequisites: Unholy bond, Cha 13
Benefit: your mount gains the bloody skeleton template

Burning mount
Your mount catches on fire and becomes an incredible unholy terror to beset the world
Prerequisites: Unholy bond, Cha 13
Benefit: your mount gains the burning skeleton template; you and your undead companion are immune to its fiery aura.

Fast companion
Your unholy companion now moves with incredible speed
Prerequisites: Unholy bond, Cha 13
Benefit: your unholy companion gains the fast zombie template

Plague companion
Your unholy companion now contains a zombie plague that causes other zombies to rise from the dead.
Prerequisites: Unholy bond, Cha 13
Benefit: your unholy companion gains the plague zombie template

Winged steed
You gain the famed winged steed your order boasts.
Prerequisites: Unholy bond, Cha 13, Death knight 11
Benefit: your mount turns into a griffon with the skeleton template; the mount’s fly speed becomes a magical affect.
Special: if you have the Bloody mount, or Burning mount feats the griffon gains the associated template as well.

Note: I made a few spells for the guy too, but I feel that they're too long to post.

My main concern is that he gains both the companion and the steed. Does the fact that they have the skeleton and zombie template inhibit them enough to justify giving him both? If I should only give him one, how would I power up the other ones?