Character Creation

[wally.west]

I have been researching Pathfinder lately. I only ever really played the Beginner Box. So I need some assistance. Is there a helpful site or post that goes through the character creation steps? I know the basics, but with all the additional rule books you now have background creation, traits, archetypes, etc. that are not outlined in the core book. When are these various steps factored in? Is there a place that details when these different options are selected? A compiled list of all the various options and reference to what book each is located in? Also, I love the background tables in the Ultimate Campaign, were their ever tables like this made for the non core races like the tieflings and such? Any help appreciated, since I will be the GM and the only person who really will know the rules in my group if we switch from D&D 5th Edition.

[Chess Pwn]

Guides

That link is a list to tons of guides for each class. Most will explain the different ways to play that class, and give good suggestions on feats and stuff too. Read through those.

info
This link has all the info you'll need on most your questions. It has the rules for things and often lists which book that comes from.

[Jiggy]

Remember that anything outside the Core Rulebook is optional (well, except possibly traits, if those are being required for your campaign).

For your first non-Beginner-Box character, I recommend sticking with just the Core Rulebook. You can make a perfectly serviceable character with just that, and then once you've got a better handle on the full rules, you can always branch out. :)

[Chess Pwn]

Now to answer some questions.
Traits are optional, if you're running them then players get 2 traits at character creation, aka lv1. Traits have to come from different lists, you can't have two magic traits. Might be a good idea to not allow them for the first game, keeping things more simple for everyone.

Background is just recommendation to have a story for your character, explaining who he is and what he's done before the games starts. This would be done as well at lv1, but isn't needed and doesn't need to be detailed.

Archetypes are variations of classes. You have fighter and Two-Handed fighter archetype. The two-handed trades some of the fighter's normally abilities, like it's bravery ability, and gives them something more aligned with the theme of the archetype. They are used to give a way to specialize into something. This still is the class, so in the example they are still a fighter and can't multi-class to a different fighter archetype. You can have multiple archetypes if they don't change the same abilities. Archetypes aren't needed for play, you can do great with just the normal classes. Might be a good idea to not allow them for the first game, keeping things more simple for everyone.

[wally.west]

Thanks for the replies, I was planning on allowing my players to use traits simply because I wanted to use the background tables to help the players develop a backstory for their characters. Plus I am running the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition, which is why I am looking to convert from 5th Edition. So I think I will not worry about archetypes and just use the background tables with that determining what traits a player can select being those in background or ROTRL related. My only issue then is the tiefling druid player and converting them. I guess they could technically be from human parents with their tainted bloodline manifesting for them at birth or adolescence.

[Chess Pwn]

Tieflings are a race, I don't know what issue you'll have having one in the game

[gamer-printer]

You can look at the PRD or d20pfsrd.com - both have all the PF rules currently published posted on them, though the latter has a search engine to help find obscure rules, the former does not.

[The Indescribable]

Chess Pwn wrote:

Tieflings are a race, I don't know what issue you'll have having one in the game

I think it's the conversion process, I don't think they're their own race in D&D

[Akerlof]

wally.west wrote:

Thanks for the replies, I was planning on allowing my players to use traits simply because I wanted to use the background tables to help the players develop a backstory for their characters. ... My only issue then is the tiefling druid player and converting them. I guess they could technically be from human parents with their tainted bloodline manifesting for them at birth or adolescence.

That's generally how Tieflings come about, there really isn't a separate Tiefling society, at least not in anywhere that a PC qualified to fit into a RotRL group would fit into.

Also, it depends on your player, but you could just let them come up with their own backstory. The background generator in Ultimate Campaign can be handy, if the player is good at taking cues and filling in the blanks to create a story. (If you're good at playing the game "Once Upon a Time," the random background generator is a goldmine.) But other players are better at coming up with their own story to tell, and don't gain much from the structure. Yet other players aren't very good at coming up with ideas at all, so the background generator at least gives them something, even if they never flesh it out. Finally, you don't have to use the tables randomly, you can look at them and just pick out the options you like. (Even if they don't match your race: You can always adjust them to make a good background story.)

[Brother Fen]

Use the Hero Lab character generator (or one of the others) as it makes rolling up your character quite easy. It made it easy for me when I first started Pathfinder despite being an experienced gamer, because it ensures you make all of the choices you are supposed to make. Going on your own, you may forget a thing or two until you are more familiar with all of the rules.

[Westphalian_Musketeer]

The closest thing approximating a Tiefling society in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting of Golarion is the Puddles District in Absalom. It's a slum community, but this is where distinct cultural phenomenon such as mass marriages (that is, multiple couples married at the same time the style of some Asian countries) and a few select other ideas.

Being rejects of society for most races, tieflings often come to reject those societies right back, seldom even considering religious ramifications of their own futures.

If you're looking for a good resource on tieflings, the Player Companion "Blood of Fiends" is an excellent book.

As for background tables for non-core races. I don't think I know of any. But now I want to correct that.