I've been making a character as I read through the Core Rulebook for 2nd edition and I'm a little confused on the skills. Specifically proficiency. A couple other things too, actually.
Question 1:
To my understanding, proficiency is (+2 trained/+4 expert/+6 master/+8 legendary). When it concerns the boxes that say "prof" on the character sheet, am I supposed to mark them as: (proficiency + current lvl)? Even for "Skills"?
Question 2:
Any time I want to put a point into a new skill, do I check off the "trained" box in proficiency? I got a little mixed up between some parts of the book. (In hindsight this seems like an obvious yes, but I want to be sure.)
Question 3:
I'm looking at clerics in the class pages, and it says "Skill Increase" is at third level and every two levels thereafter. Is it a single point per milestone bc of proficiency? If more, how do you determine the number of skills you receive in a given level?
Question 4:
On "Key Abilities", a cleric (for example) has a Wisdom boost. Is this just a +1 to Wisdom?
Question 5:
On the feat page of the character sheet, there's a 1st level "special" feat. What is this?
Question 6:
What's the difference between a "feature" feat and a normal feat?
Question 7:
I see "languages" has been removed as a skill. Is this now "social"?
Unrelated Question 8:
I came to the birthplace and nationality question and had no idea really what to pencil in. I have the advanced race book, and I looked on the Archives of Nethys site, but I'm looking for something that details the human races and cities. Is there a book that goes in depth for human nationalities? Or are these details only woven through location books?
Also, thanks in advance. Ended a little abruptly.
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Pathbuilder 2 is a great app on Android to get a grasp on character creation just to add on the previous good advice.
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Some answers from my end even if most points have already been answered:
Ad 1) The prof box is there to note down your proficiency bonus (proficiency level + character level). Some feats make use of this value instead of your total skill bonus. Take note that all 3 figures may be important at some point. Usually you will roll your checks against a set difficulty class (DC) using your total skill bonus. However sometimes you may only use your proficiency bonus, e.g. while using the Assurance skill feat. And you need to keep in mind your overall proficiency level (t/e/m/l) because sometimes you are not allowed to even attempt a skill check if you proficiency level is not high enough.
Ad 2) You don't put points into skills. You either are trained (or better) or you are not trained (or better). If you are trained you will receive a +2 bonus and your character level to the check. If you are not trained you receive neither. Your proficiency bonus (proficiency level + character level) increases by 1 for each character level and by 2 for each proficinecy level (t/e/m/l).
Ad 3) Skill increase either lets you learn a new skill at trained level, or increase an existing trained skill to expert level (or an expert to master or a master to legendary, however please mind the proficiency level limits; no master skill before level 7 and no legendary skill before level 15). If you increase an existing skill that will usually raise your total skill bonus by +3 (+1 from the new character level and +2 from the new proficiency level). If you increase a new skill to trained this may easily raise your total skill bonus by a double digit value. For example if you are character level 10, have a dexterity of 12 and you are not trained in Acrobatics your total Acrobatics skill bonus is +1 (your proficiency bonus is +0 as per 2 above and your ability bonus is +1). If you pick up Acrobatics as a new trained skill at character level 11 your Acrobatics skill bonus will jump from +1 to +14 (proficiency bonus +2 and character level +11 and ability bonus +1).
Ad 4) Every boost during character creation is +2. You will get 4 general boosts, 2 boosts for being human, 2 boosts for your background and 1 boost due to class, for a total of 9 ability boosts. So disregarding the rules for voluntary flaws as a human you will get a total of 18 points of ability raises (or +9 total bonus). Based on a starting ability of 10 a typical stat array would look like this: 10/10/12/12/16/18.
Ad 6) Usually you will get features from your class and they are not normal feats. For a cleric, divine spellcasting, divine font and doctrine are class features. Class feats are different and need to be chosen every other level.
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Unrelated Question 8:
I came to the birthplace and nationality question and had no idea really what to pencil in. I have the advanced race book, and I looked on the Archives of Nethys site, but I'm looking for something that details the human races and cities. Is there a book that goes in depth for human nationalities? Or are these details only woven through location books?
8. I'd try the Pathfinder Wiki.
+1 to using the wiki, and here is a direct link.
First of all, welcome to second edition.
I'll do my best to answer your questions one by one but I'm probably going to go in circles a bit.
1. Yep, proficiency is like that, and skills also get proficiency rather than ranks/points (I am assuming you're coming from pf1 or 3.5 or some other similar RPG because you use the term points). The 'Prof' box is where you write your proficiency bonus (level + 2, 4, 6, or 8) so you can add up the whole line.
2. You don't really put points in anything. You don't get points every level, instead everything you're proficient in increases by 1. Which leads into...
3. Yeah, every other level you can increase your proficiency one of your skills. You can pick an untrained skill and make it trained or you can increase something you're already trained (or expert or master) in up a step. Yes, this does mean becoming trained in a skill while you're, say, level 13 means you suddenly get a +15 to that skill. You become just as good in it as a skill you became trained in at level 1.
4. You add +2 to your key ability score at level 1. It also means your Class DC uses that ability score, but that is more important for martials to know since casters rarely use it.
5. The 'Special' is the thing your Ancestry gives you at the bottom of the sidebar. Darkvision for a Dwarf, Keen Eyes for a Halfling, etc. Humans get nothing but they make up for it elsewhere.
6. You have slots for Feats and you get to pick them as you want. Features, on the other hand, are given to you don't have (as much) choice in them. For a cleric, Divine Font is a feature and Healing Hands is a feat.
7. Your ancestry will tell you how many languages you get (note the errata corrects how many humans should get), which is influenced by your Intelligence. There is no feat that gives you extra languages when you increase it, but you can learn additional languages by taking the Multilingual skill feat (which is a Society skill feat).
8. I'd try the Pathfinder Wiki.
Hope this helped. I'm happy to...
Sadly, I'm technically coming from pf1, but I only played a little bit. I'm basically a new player... but it's coming together! Thank you for these answers (and the explanation post too). This is 100% what I needed to free myself of the confusion cloud. As for Wiki, thanks! I saw the link below, too, so thank you as well, Joana.
Pathbuilder 2 is a great app on Android to get a grasp on character creation just to add on the previous good advice.
Ugh. Assuming this is android only?
I have the misfortune of using an apple. It's a good idea though. I'll search the apple/pc market for something compatible.
I found something a while back called PCgen... anybody familiar? It seems a bit comprehensive but workable. *fingers crossed*
8. I'd try the Pathfinder Wiki.+1 to using the wiki, and here is a direct link.
This is PERFECT. Thanks for link! :)
Some answers from my end even if most points have already been answered:
Ad 1) The prof box is there to note down your proficiency bonus (proficiency level + character level). Some feats make use of this value instead of your total skill bonus. Take note that all 3 figures may be important at some point. Usually you will roll your checks against a set difficulty class (DC) using your total skill bonus. However sometimes you may only use your proficiency bonus, e.g. while using the Assurance skill feat. And you need to keep in mind your overall proficiency level (t/e/m/l) because sometimes you are not allowed to even attempt a skill check if you proficiency level is not high enough.
Thanks for the info! Happy to give it a read even if some of it already mentioned. Much appreciated. :)
"sometimes you are not allowed to even attempt a skill check if you proficiency level is not high enough."
Though, out of curiosity, when do situations like above appear? Is it a GM decision or a rule thing?
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"sometimes you are not allowed to even attempt a skill check if you proficiency level is not high enough."
Though, out of curiosity, when do situations like above appear? Is it a GM decision or a rule thing?
If you look at, for example, Medicine, you'll see that anyone can Administer First Aid but only those Trained in the skill can Treat Disease, Poison, or Wounds.
Many skills have some Trained actions, but others may be specified in a published adventure or designated by the GM.
You also have a PC who is Expert in a skill for the party to use the Follow the Expert exploration activity.
Hazards also tend to be gated by proficiency level: for instance, a PC must be Legendary in Thievery to Disable an armageddon orb or Expert in Survival to remove yellow mold.
Pathbuilder 2 is a great app on Android to get a grasp on character creation just to add on the previous good advice.Ugh. Assuming this is android only?
I have the misfortune of using an apple. It's a good idea though. I'll search the apple/pc market for something compatible.
I found something a while back called PCgen... anybody familiar? It seems a bit comprehensive but workable. *fingers crossed*
Oh man, I haven't thought about PC Gen in so long. I ditched it when I started using hero lab, but it served it's purpose for a while. Didn't know they had a PF2 package, or that they were still around.
Back in the day, PC Gen was solid for a free software, but not as good as what you paid for. Now Pathbuilder beats most of the paid programs for what it actually does. (Most of the paid programs do others things too, but Pathbuilder is still the best for building that I've tried.)
Pathbuilder 2 is a great app on Android to get a grasp on character creation just to add on the previous good advice.Ugh. Assuming this is android only?
I have the misfortune of using an apple. It's a good idea though. I'll search the apple/pc market for something compatible.
I found something a while back called PCgen... anybody familiar? It seems a bit comprehensive but workable. *fingers crossed*
Oh man, I haven't thought about PC Gen in so long. I ditched it when I started using hero lab, but it served it's purpose for a while. Didn't know they had a PF2 package, or that they were still around.
Back in the day, PC Gen was solid for a free software, but not as good as what you paid for. Now Pathbuilder beats most of the paid programs for what it actually does. (Most of the paid programs do others things too, but Pathbuilder is still the best for building that I've tried.)
Oh, I actually don't know if they have a pf2 version. I saw when I used it once they had a bunch of versions, some not even PF. Just sort of assumed it would have it. If it's that outdated, I guess they wouldn't?
"sometimes you are not allowed to even attempt a skill check if you proficiency level is not high enough."
Though, out of curiosity, when do situations like above appear? Is it a GM decision or a rule thing?If you look at, for example, Medicine, you'll see that anyone can Administer First Aid but only those Trained in the skill can Treat Disease, Poison, or Wounds.
Many skills have some Trained actions, but others may be specified in a published adventure or designated by the GM.
You also have a PC who is Expert in a skill for the party to use the Follow the Expert exploration activity.
Hazards also tend to be gated by proficiency level: for instance, a PC must be Legendary in Thievery to Disable an armageddon orb or Expert in Survival to remove yellow mold.
Ahh. Okay. This makes sense. Good to know. Ty again! :)
PCGen does not have its P2e version available yet. HeroLab does have a P2e version. It's a subscription-based model, but I believe it has a free demo you can use to build (but not save) a PC; you'd have to copy it down on paper.
I have heard great things about Pathbuilder, but unfortunately I don't have an Android device, either.
PCGen does not have its P2e version available yet. HeroLab does have a P2e version. It's a subscription-based model, but I believe it has a free demo you can use to build (but not save) a PC; you'd have to copy it down on paper.
I have heard great things about Pathbuilder, but unfortunately I don't have an Android device, either.
For PC there are a ton of great android emulators that can run pathbuilder. https://fossbytes.com/best-android-emulators-pc/ . I have a player using bluestacks (second on that list) to emulate pathbuilder and he loves it. The emulators designed for games (bluestacks is one) are normally super simple to setup up.