Forging Your Character for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

Welcome to the exciting world of Pathfinder, where you will forge a destiny for yourself and become the hero of your story (or perhaps not)! Either way, your first step is to write yourself into the lore.

This Instructable will guide you through the process of generating a player character (PC) to be used as your avatar within the dangerous and thrilling world of Pathfinder.

This process can take some time to conduct research and make choices, but that's okay! Character creation is a very personal process and you will be happier playing the game with a character you took the time to tailor to your preferences, so don't sweat it if it takes you a while.

Note: While there are many supplemental books within the Pathfinder library, this guide offers an introduction to character building using only the Core Rulebook for simplicity.

Supplies

To begin creating your PC, you'll need the following:

Pathfinder - Core Rulebook
Pathfinder Character Sheet
Pencil
Six-sided dice x 4 (4d6)
A blank notebook for recording additional character and adventure information.

Consult with your dungeon master (DM) about whether they would prefer a digital copy or a printed hand-filled copy of your character sheet (some desire both). These will be indispensable during your adventures, as they are a literal record of who your character is and what they become.

Step 1: Determine Your Ability Scores

The first step is perhaps the most important as it determines almost every other aspect of your character.

To determine your ability scores:

Roll 4d6 and discard the lowest die result.
Add the three remaining results and record the total.
Repeat this process until you have generated six numbers.

Note: This method is considered the standard for generating ability scores, but your DM may have a different method that they prefer. Be sure to consult with them before casting your numbers.

Step 2: Choose Your Race

The next step is to choose your character's race. The Core Race options are Dwarf, Halfling, Elf, Human, Gnome, Half-orc, and Half-elf. Each race has unique abilities and modifiers, pay careful attention to them when deciding what sort of character you'd like to play.

To choose your race:

Refer to Chapter 2: Races (beginning on p. 20 of the Core Rulebook).
Read each description and get to know the races.
Make a selection that you feel fits the type of character you'd like to play. If you see yourself playing a powerful warrior, for example, consider the half-orc or dwarf races.
Record your selection in the Race area in the character description section at the top of your character sheet.
Record any ability score modifiers specific to your race of choice in your notebook.
Record any Racial Traits specific to the race of your choice in your notebook.
Record your race's Languages in the Languages section of your character sheet.

Tip: Many players make this choice in conjunction with Step 3: Choose Your Class in order to optimize their character's strengths and minimize weaknesses.

Step 3: Choose Your Class

Now you'll choose your class, which will determine your role in the adventuring party. The Core Class options are Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard.

Think about where you'd like to be in the thick of the action. Do you see yourself out front, slaying your enemies and protecting your friends? Or perhaps further back, casting spells at a safe distance? Your class will determine how you deal with the challenges and conflicts over the course of your adventure, so it is wise to take your time when making this decision.

Also, consider what race you chose in the previous step - some are more suitable for certain classes than others!

Example: Gnomes inherently take a -2 penalty to their Strength attribute, making them poor choices for frontline warriors such as barbarians, but their +2 bonuses to Dexterity and Charisma make excellent candidates for classes such as Bards and Sorcerers.

To choose your class:

Refer to Chapter 3: Classes (beginning on p. 30 of the Core Rulebook).
Read each description and get to know each class.
Make a selection that you feel will fit the type of character you'd like to play. If you see yourself as a powerful warrior, for example, consider the fighter or barbarian classes.
Record your selection in your notebook.
Make note of alignment requirements (such as "any nonlawful") in your notebook.
Record your Class Skills in the Skills column of your character sheet by ticking the boxes of those that are listed in the class description.

Step 4: Assign Your Ability Scores

In this step, it is finally time to make use of the scores that you came up with in Step 1. Now that you've picked a race and a class, your ability scores will be used to determine the effectiveness of your character's most basic abilities. These stats are Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha).

Each race and class has strengths and weaknesses that can be amplified or made up for by using your ability scores wisely. As a general rule of thumb, you want to assign your highest scores to your most important attributes. The Barbarian, for example, requires high Strength and Constitution to be most effective.

Be certain when you assign these scores, they cannot be changed (except by leveling up or special in-game items).

To assign your ability scores:

Read your class description carefully to determine what your most important stats are and assign your highest scores to those first.
Consider your character's racial traits. (Gnomes get bonuses to Charisma and Dexterity but take a penalty to Strength. To make up for this weakness, a player might use a higher score to wash out the penalty and a lower one on a bonus stat to make their base stats more even.)
Read the ability score descriptions in the Core Rulebook (pp. 15 - 17) to learn what functions each stat serves.
Think about the ways you'd like to play your character outside of combat when deciding on where to assign the lowest stats.
Record your choices in the Ability Score column at the top left side of your character sheet.
Record your modifiers (Core Rulebook p. 17, Table 1-3: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells) in the Ability Modifier column on your character sheet.

Pro Tip: Characters typically have a "dump stat", which is the stat that makes the least difference in your abilities. The Barbarian has minimal use for high Intelligence or Charisma scores (unless you're going for a very specific type of character) so you can assign your lowest ability score to one of these.

Step 5: Allocate Your Skill Ranks

Each class has a number of favored skills, called class skills. They represent your character's most proficient skills as part of their professional training and constant practice. These skills are important and will determine how well your character performs actions and survives in the world. A character without training in Climb will have trouble finding a path to ascend a cliff, but one with ranks in the same skill would do so with ease.

A character's class skills can be found in the class description of their choosing in Chapter 3: Classes of the Core Rulebook.

To allocate your skill ranks:

Refer to your class description to determine the number of skill ranks your character gets (such as 4 + Int modifier) and any other bonuses awarded by class or race.
Read the descriptions for your class skills in Chapter 4: Skills (beginning on p. 87 of the Core Rulebook) to understand what each skill will be used for in-game.
Allocate your awarded ranks as you see fit, keeping in mind that your skill rank cannot exceed your character's level (A 1st level character cannot have more than 1 rank in any given skill, for example).

Note: You gain a +3 bonus on all class skills that you put ranks into.

Step 6: Select Your Feats

Now it is time to determine what your character can really do. Feats are abilities that aren't tied to class, race, or skill - they represent skills that a character can perform outside of those constraints. Some have prerequisites or restrictions, but feats are generally utility skills available to anyone. In selecting feats, you can customize and craft a character that is uniquely yours.

To select feats:

Determine how many feats you can select based on your level, class, and race.
Refer to Chapter 5: Feats (beginning on pg. 112 of the Core Rulebook) for a full list of feats, their descriptions, and their rules.
Consider which feats may enhance your desired play style. Choose combat feats to make yourself more dangerous in battle, or choose crafting feats to give yourself some mechanical utility perhaps.
Record your desired feats in the Feats area on the back/second page of your character sheet.

Pro Tip: Jot down the description of your feats in your notebook, including any ability bonuses, length of effects, and so on. This will become your personal quick reference guide for remembering the rules of your abilities.

Step 7: Determine Your Starting Hit Points

Hit Points (HP) are one of your most important scores - it is a numerical representation of your character's life. Taking damage reduces this number, and when it runs out your character will die. Don't worry though, there are plenty of ways to prevent that from happening, and to restore your HP as you play.

To determine your starting HP:

Refer to your class description for your Hit Dice (such as d12).
Add your Constitution modifier to your maximum Hit Dice value (such as 12 + 3).
Record this total in the Total HP field at the top of your character sheet.

Note: Some DMs prefer you to roll your Hit Dice and use that result + your Con modifier rather than giving you the highest starting value of the dice. Make sure to ask your DM what they prefer.

Step 8: Determine Your Other Mechanical Values

The last few mechanical values to fill in are important numbers that will determine your character's ability to handle themselves in combat. Using your ability score modifiers and information located in your character's class description, these values can be generated by filling in the formula blocks located in your character sheet.

To determine other mechanical values:

Record your Base Attack Bonus (BAB) found in your character description.
Using the formula on your character sheet, record your Initiative.
Using the formula on your character sheet, record your Fortitude (Fort) Save in the Base Save column of the Saving Throws section.
Using the formula on your character sheet, record your Reflex (Ref) Save in the Base Save column of the Saving Throws section.
Using the formula on your character sheet, record your Will (Will) Save in the Base Save column of the Saving Throws section.
Using the formula on your character sheet, record your Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB) and Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD).

Step 9: Craft Your Description and Personality

Here is where you will really flex your creative muscles. Create a physical description of your character and craft their personality. Envision the kind of person you see yourself playing in the world your DM has built.

Work closely with your DM when crafting your character's story; note where your character will begin the game, decide their backgrounds and heritage, and make them as interesting or plain as you'd like. This is where you have near total freedom.

Once you're done, make sure to have your DM approve your character and that's it.

Now, buckle on your swordbelt and get ready to embark on your quest, adventurer!