What are your favorite Paizo NPC side characters, and how might you stat them out as playable PC characters?
Characters like Rosie Cusswell from 1st Edition's Skull and Shackles adventure path, or Axel and his Amazing Aviary from 2nd Edition's Extinction Curse adventure path.
The former I suspect would be a gutsy halfling rogue with the Ruffian racket whereas the latter could be a skilled human rogue with the Scoundrel racket and the Beastmaster archetype (using only show bird companion creatures).
I asked two of my players about their favorite NPCs in my Ironfang Invasion campaign. They named some monsters they had befriended: the web lurker (ettercap) All-Eyes and the maenad Tromaki. I didn't need to stat out the web lurker, since they existed in PF2 Bestiary 1, but I had to convert the PF1 maenads to PF2. I changed the emphasis from bloodthristy wild women to bloodthirst servants of the gods of wine.
I suspect that intended foes don't qualify as side characters. For the players' favorite unstatted NPC in Ironfang Invasion, they suggested Rhyna, a Neutral female human adept 2 who served as an assistant to local cleric Noelen on page 16 of Trail of the Hunted. "Rhyna is an irritatingly optimistic Chelish woman with bronze skin, wavy blond hair, and pale green eyes."
I had her fetching items around the Riverwood Shrine during the first meeting with cleric Noelan and then she helped herd the villagers in the evacuation of the village. She was one of only three named characters among the refugees, still serving as an assistant to Aubrin the Green and the party members.
At the tail end of the evacuation, I decided to run Rhyna as a playtest oracle.
Rhyna, Playtest Oracle 1
ABC Progression
Ancestry Human: Skill Heritage (Diplomacy), Haughty Obstinacy feat
Background Acolyte: Wisdom and Charisma, Wisdom, Religion skill, Scribing Lore, Student of the Canon skill feat.
Class Oracle: Fire mystery.
N, Medium, Human, Humanoid
Perception +4
Languages: Common, Dwarven.
Skills: Acrobatics +5, Deception +6, Diplomacy +6, Intimidation +6, Medicine +4, Performance +6, Religion +4, Society +4
STR 10, DEX 14, CON 10, INT 12, WIS 12, CHA 16
Spells
Cantrips Disrupt Undead, Light, Prestidigitation, Shield, Stabilize
1st Level[b] (2/day) Create Water, Heal
[b]Mystery Benefit Like fire itself, you flicker and dance, avoiding effects that would quench your vitality. You have expert proficiency in Reflex saves.
Trained Skill Acrobatics and Intimidation, plus Religion plus 4 more.
Granted Cantrip produce flame
Related Domains fire, sun
Revelation Spells initial: incendiary aura;
1st level Class Feat: GLEAN LORE
Incendiary Aura focus 1
Uncommon, Evocation, Fire, Oracle
Cast [two-actions] somatic, verbal
Area 10-foot emanation
Duration 1 minute
You surround yourself with an aura of potential flame. Each time a creature within the aura takes fire damage, it catches on fire, taking 1d4 persistent fire damage.
The write-up above is fairly sketchy, more a set of notes than a stat block. When the Advanced Player's Guide came out with the finished Oracle class, I rebuilt Rhyna as a 2nd-level oracle.
Rhyna, Oracle 2
N, Medium, Human, Humanoid
Perception +5
Languages Common, Dwarven, Gnome, Goblin.
Skills Acrobatics +6, Deception +7, Diplomacy +7, Intimidation +7, Medicine +5, Performance +7, Religion +5, Scribing Lore +5, Society +5
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 16
Items Leather armor, dagger (2), crossbow (10 bolts), healer's kit, religious symbols of Asmodeus and Green Faith.
AC 15, Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +7 (haughty obstinacy)
HP 24
Speed 25
Melee [One-Action] dagger +6 (agile, finesse, thrown 10 ft., versatile S) Damage 1d4 piercing
Ranged [One-Action] crossbow +6 (range increment 120 feet, reload 1), Damage 1d8 piercing
Divine Prepared Spells DC 17, attack +7;
1st level Create Water, Heal, Purify Food and Drink
Cantrips Disrupt Undead, Light, Prestidigitation, Produce Flame, Shield, Stabilize
Revelation Spells 2 Focus Points, DC 17; incendiary aura, unimpeded stride
Mystery Flames with Curse of Engulfing Flames
Ancestry Human: Skill Heritage (Diplomacy), Haughty Obstinacy feat
Background Acolyte: Wisdom and Charisma, Religion skill, Scribing Lore, Student of the Canon skill feat.
Feats (2nd level) Domain Acumen (freedom), Multilingual (gnome, goblin)
Rhyna's expanded backstory is that she was born in Cheliax to shopkeeper parents and manifested her flame powers at age six. The local priest of Asmodeus persuaded her parents to apprentice her as an acolyte and exploited her gifts for a few years to build a reputation for his temple. The parents realized that they made a mistake yet they could not simply say no to the influential priest. Instead, they sent Rhyna to Phaendar in Nirmathis (location of the adventure) on the excuse of caring for her aged grandmother. Her grandmother did not need care, so Rhyna used her acolyte skills to help out at the Riverwood Shrine. She kept her flame abilities secret until the Ironfang Legion invaded.
