Your very first character to make it to level 20

[Sphynx]

I was going through some old notes and found my first level-20 character (Not quite my 1st character... don't remember that one). It was made sometime around 2010 I think, before the Qinggong archetype came out (I remember this because it was a big deal to get that archetype :P), and we played at least 6 years I think...

Syrinx Zen Archer Monk.

Without boring you with the details of the sheet, he ended up with the following attacks according to my notes:

+32/+32/+32/+27/+27/+22/+22/+17 1d8+32+1d6(Electricity) [Clustered Shots]

He had exactly 4 possessions by game's end... and rarely had more than a couple, having taken a Vow of Poverty when Ultimate Magic came out..

• Ring of Sustenance
• Ring of Chameleon Power
• Coat of Mist (though it was a Robe of Mist in our game)
• +5 Composite Longbow with Adaptive, Endless Ammunition, Guided, Shock, and Greater Sniping weapon properties.

Skills of note (higher than 15):

• +23 Escape Artist
• +30 Fly
• +23 Knowledge (Religion)
• +35 Perception
• +35 Sense Motive
• +38 Stealth
• +23 Survival

Absolutely nothing like what I play these days (Kineticist). :P

[DeathlessOne]

My very first character to reach 'max' level was a multiclassed half-elf ranger/cleric back in the AD&D 2E days. Good times. I also had a handful of 3.5e characters that got up there too, and a small few that reached beyond to the epic levels (Level 21+).

But, if we are talking just about Pathfinder 1e, my first level 20 character would be the one I took through the Rise of the Runelords adventure path (and a little beyond), a Sylvan Sorcerer 6/ Feyspeaker Druid 4 / Mystic Theurge 10. None of his stats or skills were of high enough significance to really stand out. His only real expertise was his spellcasting, and while diminished due to the multiclassing, he never had issues holding his own during fights. The GM allowed me to take Boon Companion twice to keep his animal companion leveled properly, and tossing buffs around was his role.

[Arkat]

First: Paladin of Iomedae 20th

Wrath of the Righteous AP

Notes: Redeemed Arushelae and fathered a half-succubus daughter with her who grew up to be an Oracle (Life Mystery). The daughter's goal is to heal the land in and around the worldwound scar.

Second: Oracle (Time Mystery) 20th

Return of the Runelords AP

Notes: Became Eurythnia's Minister of State (Head Diplomat). His main job is to keep the peace between Sorshen and Belimarius.

[TxSam88]

Rise of the Runelords: Human, Rogue 5, Wizard 5, Arcane Trickster 10.

[Sysryke]

Sadly, never, not once. Had a 3.5 character artificially level into the upper teens, but that was with a crap GM who did a massive time pass and then took over completely to force a story he wanted to finish from his childhood. Not a good time.

Highest legit character I've ever played made it to either 11th or 13th level. Gestalt Mammoth Spirit Shaman/Horn Herald Skald Orc. Fun character, great campaign.

Despite not having ever made it to the upper levels, I still build every character with level 20 in mind :/

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Closest thing I ever got to 20th as a player was around 16th, IIRC. A werebear Barbarian/Fighter/Warshaper with level buy-off.

AS a GM I've had at least 4 proper and a couple temporary PCs under me. It took seven or eight years before they reached 20th.

Ranya Elliander
Cleric 20 of Valerias. Ridiculous social skills and very fond of blasting when she wasn't spec'd for it. Became a god later on.

Tomokato Katamura
Divine Hunter Paladin 20. Samurai from the invisible moon of the planet that rode flying sabertooth tigers in his youth. Currently a god.

Arlynith Tirielle Drachenflamme
Sorcerer 16 Red Dragon Disciple 4. Runaway princess, became a baron of a viceroy, then took over her original home domain. Likes burning things and haughty AF. Hopefully a god soon.

Othariel Ainamar of the Silver Arm
Paladin 18, Ranger 2
Grew up with Ranya, turned her home valley into her personal domain with equality and justice for all. A continual headache of trying to force ten different races with generations of internal strife into a peaceful and unified place. Centuries later it mostly worked. Working on becoming a god.

[TxSam88]

Bjørn Røyrvik wrote:

Closest thing I ever got to 20th as a player was around 16th, IIRC. A werebear Barbarian/Fighter/Warshaper with level buy-off.

AS a GM I've had at least 4 proper and a couple temporary PCs under me. It took seven or eight years before they reached 20th.

7 or 8 years? Good lord, do you only play once a month, or are you that super stingy with XP??

We're playing the APs, but expand them go 1-20th level and they take on average 18 months.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

We play about once a week, slow progression, with a few breaks for other games. The campaign is in its 12th year now (a couple years as 20th level characters, a couple of supporting campaigns). It doesn't help that my players are not the most...effective... of players. Lots of time is wasted during a session, and sessions are necessarily short.

[Oli Ironbar]

The Professor and Maryanne will forever be 1XP short of this glory since we switched tracks to end our PFS Eyes group with Passing the Torch I and II!

One level away from even more shenanigans forevermore!

[glass]

Oooh, good question.

Sadly I have only been involved in four APs that made it to completion so far (although several more are on the way). Of those, Rise of the Runelords and Shattered Star stopped just short of 20th (as PF1 APs often do), and Age of Worms went to 20th and beyond but I was the GM.

Which just leaves War of the Burning Sky, which went to 30th in 4e (which is kinda equivalent to 20th in PF1). So my only 20th level character by any either metric was Harman Samm, my 4e Bard.

Of the campaigns I am currently involved with, I think Savage Tide gets to 20th level, and AFAIK Curse of the Crimson Throne does not (not sure about Return of the Runelords, but that one's parked until after CotCT anyway). There is also the Sunless Citadel adventure path, but again I am the GM of that one.