Brand new rpg group starts this weekend!

[Radu the Wanderer]

Hey Paizo boards!

I'm starting up what I call "session .5" this weekend for a new Abomination Vaults campaign. I grabbed everything I could from the amazing Humble Bundle sale, and it's allowed me to start up a new gaming crew to hopefully turn co-workers into "friends and co-workers."

This weekend, we're doing group character generation. So far, the crew has expressed interest in playing a Catfolk Rogue (probably Thief?), an Android Alchemist (maybe Bomber?), a Half-Orc Dragon Barbarian, a Gnome of some sort, and a class with access to a Turtle pet somehow, either familiar or animal companion.

I have extensive RPG experience, but none with PF2. Any advice on which rules I should have down before I try to walk us all through character generation and the first few sessions? We all committed to this game as a learning game, so mistakes will be made all around, but if there's any particular land mines I should look out for, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

And before I go, I'd like to say thanks for being one of the best gaming communities out there. It means a lot to me that I'm still here 12+ years down the road and that's still true.

[breithauptclan]

For character creation, I would recommend using a digital tool like Pathbuilder2e or Wanderer's Guide. That will walk you through the process fairly well and will prevent you from making math mistakes such as forgetting to add level to proficiency.

For running the game, just be aware that the tactics that work have changed from previous editions. If you try doing PF1 things in PF2 you will have a bad time. Use teamwork and attack more than just the enemy's HP - attack their actions and their bonus numbers too.

For bomber alchemist specifically, just be aware that at low levels the number of reagents is somewhat limited. A bomber that is out of bombs is a sad alchemist.

[Leomund "Leo" Velinznrarikovich]

I will definitely echo the tools that take you step by step through the process of character creation. I tend to use the simplified,
Ancestry (base > heritage > feat)
Background
Class
4 stats

making the decisions for one before moving on to the next.

Next, for their first characters, make sure they understand the how the crit success and crit fail system works. And then how that relates to AC.

Finally, for you as the GM, understand how you can change the difficulty of the encounters if the crew is struggling. The game is built so that such changes can be made easily. For your players' sake please be familiar with it.

[The Raven Black]

Understand the Conditions well. For example, Fear gives a malus to everything except damage rolls : skill checks, attacks, but also saves and AC.

[Radu the Wanderer]

Thank you!!

I've been building a system cheat sheet that really helped me understand the skill system better, and it looks like I should do the same for the conditions and actions.

Explaining the 3 action economy, critical hits/failures, and multi-attack penalty will be the priority for this first session once characters are made.