Starting Out

Starting your Character out in Golarion in Dan’s Game

1. Purchase your stats based on page 16 of the core handbook, or with the Pathfinder Ability Score Calculator, with a 20-point total. Pathfinder modules are written to the 20 point PCs.

Cohorts use a 20-point buy. Other NPCs will use a 18 point buy. Monsters will use the standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8).

I will be allowing single class characters from the standard books; the Core Rulebook, Advanced Player’s Guide, Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Magic, Wilderness Adventures, I will also allow the hybrid classes from Advanced Classes, the classes from Occult Adventures, Ultimate Intrigue, Pathfinder Unchained and the Psionics Unleased, Psionics Expanded and Psionics Augmented. I am less likely to allow 3rd party material since there exists no counter for it in Pathfinder. The exception is the psionics system with magic transparency rules where spell resistance equals psionic resistance and vice versa.

2. Select a Race from the Playable Races article that exist on Golarion. Make any stat modifications required by the race. If your character is not normally native to the Inner Sea Region you must have a reason for their being in there like travel through a portal or travel through a caravan, or descended from ancestors who traveled. Kathasa will not be allowed at this time, although in the future they will be allowed.

3. Write down the stats, modified by your race. Calculate the stat Bonuses, then record them. Those using the automatic character sheet PDF will have these values calculated for them (those character sheets, and the ones I prefer you use can be found under Dan's Game > Blank Character Sheets use either the PF_Abe_Character_Sheet_V1_0_2012_2_pages.pdf and for those with caster classes PF_Abe_Character_Sheet_V1_0_2012_6_pages.pdf).

4. Select one Character Classes (you may later multiclass by taking a different character class if you so wish), denote the saving rolls bonuses, the BAB, record what your favored class is, and decide if you want to gain the hit point per level or skill point per level. Once chosen at first level that same choice will be assumed for all other levels unless otherwise recorded on your character sheet at the level at which the alternate choice is made, including the standard alternates allowed for specific races and character classes. Hybrid characters may choose among the base classes from which their character class comes from and humans may take a feat to give them choices from another race. Once chosen that race remains the human's primary race and they may not change it again with the selection of another feat or with retraining, the same holds true for half-elves.

5. Select your Gender and record it. Name your character see the "What's in a Name" article. Work on character motivation and develop a background history for your character.

6. Select an alignment and record it (it must be approved by the DM and explained in your background story). Good alignments are encouraged, all alignments will be allowed.

7. Select a Deity or Faith as described among the Pathfinder Gods, use the domains listed for those gods. All the deities presented in the books and the game in general are represented in this section, You can worship the general alignments law, chaos, neutral or good, a pantheon (most nondivine casters do) or a faith like the druidic Green Faith (see acceptable religions), or whatever. If you get divine spells from the general alignment this is covered in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. Those who select a general alignment will not be eligible to pray direct to their god for divine intervention. Oracles and Shamans do not require the selection of gods, but are encouraged. to select a god, any faith selections must be approved by the DM. In turn you don't have to worship a god if you don't want to, but in a world where miracles are a daily occurance, I think you would be a fool not to at least worship something.

8. Roll up a birthday; roll 1d12, for the month, roll 1d4, for the week, and roll 1d8 (rerolling on any result of 8), for the day. Consult the Golarian Calendar and if the date does not exist then reroll all dice. Record the date (1d12 equals the month, 1d8 equals the day, 1d4 equal the first, second, third, or fourth week, and 1d8 for the day of the week; generating a number between 1 and 31 in a specific month).

9. Calculate your Base Attack Bonus (BAB) with your weapons, then calculate your Combat Maneuver Bonuses (CMB) and Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD). Those using the fillable sheets will find the later is done automatically for them.

10. Determine how many feats you will have (humans get a bonus feat) and select them. Don't forget to check the prerequisites for feats. In return for taking one flaw you may gain a bonus feat. Those flaws can be found in the Flaws I and Flaws II books under either Dan's PDFs. You may take a second flaw and gain 3 skill points (as a one-time bonus) however you can't have more skill points than your level invested in any one skill. Most flaws are designed to be bought off eventually and usually can only be bought off at 4th level or higher.

11. Determine if your character has taken militia training (taking 1 year and spent during your first year of adulthood) or not and gain the free feat mentioned in the militia training article, otherwise take the alternative two traits (including a diplomatic trait to account for you not having to go through militia training).

12. Determine your saving rolls and record them with the proper modifiers. Select two traits, note that you cannot take a campaign trait, unless the DM says you are in that campaign, nor can you take 2 traits from the same grouping (like 2 social traits or 2 combat traits).

13. You will start at 1st level with an experience point total of zero. I will be using the Medium Experience Chart. Players must keep a journal of their experience points, listing the date awarded, how they earned the experience points, the amount awarded and the level that they are after that experience is earned.

14. Record your vital statistics (Age, Size, speed, initiative modifier, etc.), hair color etc. Note your class skills. You may select your age or roll it up.

15 Calculate your skill points; and buy your skills. You get your native language(s) and Common for free (unless your race description says otherwise) plus one language for each intelligence bonus point. The choice of those languages is typically determined by your race. All Arcane casters, who read their spells (or formulas), can learn Draconic, the root tongue of magic. Languages cost one skill point; therefore, taking a pick in Linguistics to learn. See the article on languages for the various versions of Common and what languages are spoken in the world. Remember that you can't put more than your level of skill points into a skill and you get a +4 bonus for selecting a class skill. Make sure to allow for your armor penalty and for the skills that can be used untrained. If you are using the automated character sheet, then it will track most of this automatically for you. I am removing the skill Spellcraft from the game, instead of Spellcraft use the appropriate Knowledge skill: Knowledge (Arcane), Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Psionics) and Knowledge (Religion), you will not be getting extra class skills since all classes normally get the class skill associated with the type of magic that they cast.

16. Roll your chance to see Octorange (the color of magic) based on your favored class:

Psionic Classes like: Aegis, Cryptics, Dreads, Kineticists, Marksman, Psions, Psychic Warriors, Soulknives, Tacticians, Vitalists, and Wilders = 01%-20%

Combatants like: Antipalidans, Barbarians, Brawlers, Cavaliers, Fighters, Gunslingers, Monks, Ninjas, Occultists, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues, Samurai, Shifters,

Swashbucklers and Vigilantes = 01%-25%

Divine Casters like: Bloodragers, Clerics, Druids, Hunters, Inquisitors, Mediums, Mesmerists, Monks, Ninjas, Oracles, Shamans, Spiritualis, and Warpriests = 01%-35%

Arcane Casters like: Alchemists, Arcanists, Bards, Investigators, Magus, Psychics, Skalds, Slayers, Sorcerers, Summoners, Witches, Wizards = 01%-45%

Other Classes = 01%-20%.

Characters only roll once for their chance to see magic, that is ONLY done at character creation. Octorange Vision acts like a Detect Magic spell with a requirement for the character to make a concentration check DC 15, in normal situations a character can take 10 and usually get it.

17. Characters start with the average starting gold amount, for their character class, if they have a backstory then they get 100 extra gold pieces, if they have a reason to be adventuring with each other, in their backstory, then they start with one masterwork item or weapon (that cannot be valued at more than 1,300 gp and cannot have any unusual adjustments like strength bonuses) and one potion of healing (heals 1d8+1). The intent is for one masterwork item in the players starting inventory, at most. Check the Pathfinder Core Rule book, the Ultimate Equipment Guide, Aurora's Whole Realms Guide and other books. Then record your equipment purchases. You can buy scrolls or any magic items if you can afford them (say by taking the rich parents trait). Determine your carry capacities and the weight of your items. All equipment and magic items are at standard price. You may not sell your masterwork item; however, you can choose to buy another masterwork item such as a masterwork backpack. Casters who need to read and study their spells get a free spellbook with all their cantrips and the spells that they are able to learn at first level in them, they may forego their masterwork item for a backup traveling spellbook with a copy of their spells. After 1st level they will need to pay the standard fees to record their spells in both spellbooks, as per page 219 in the Core Rulebook (Materials and costs to write a new spell in a spellbook).

18. Calculate your Armor Class, based on your feats and the armor you wear, and record it.

19. Calculate your attacks with each weapon you purchased and record it., don't forget to purchase ammo for projectile weapons. Primitive guns are allowed.

20. Select your spells and record those you learn. If you fail to learn a spell you can try again in 1 week (7 days). You must have a primary casting stat of 10+ the level of the spell to learn it. You need to pass a Knowledge (Arcane) check to learn a arcane spell. Spontaneous casters don't need to pass this check, they just know their spells, most divine casters also just know their spells. In the case of clerics and druids’ they are granted by their divine power source (typically deities).

21. The DM will allow two flaws, but you must clear them with the DM first. This can only be done at character creation. The flaw(s) and bonus feat should be explained in your character history. You may only take one bonus feat for one flaw; the second flaw grants you 3 extra skill points at the start of character creation only.

22. Spellcasters must choose their spells from their respective spell lists. Oracles can freely select divine spells, but are limited in the number of spells they can learn. Clerics and Druids get access to the entire list. Spells are limited to those found in the Core Rulebook, the Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Intrigue, Occult Adventures and any supplements allowed by the DM (see texts allowed in the game). The DM will have access to spells from D&D 3.5, other supplements, and other possible 3rd party resources. If the characters gain access to these spells through scrolls, spellbooks or other sources they may then learn these spells themselves, even divine spells (for divine casters).

23. I will be using the Medium Experience Chart, based on the creatures you kill, defeat or outwit, traps you disable, and adventure milestones you reach. You don't have to kill a creature to necessarily defeat it, outwitting them or causing them to avoid you are all fair tactics. You will not be awarded experience points for retreating unless the DM considers that to be the most reasonable response to the situation (for example first level characters running from an ancient red dragon might be the best recourse).

After the first session, and before the second session, any character choices made can be changed, but by 10:00 pm of Friday of the next week any new choices must be finalized. When characters advance a level, changes must be finalized at that same time. Character sheets will be stored in the Dan's Game folder under your player name. Viewing of these sheets by any but the DM and that player is not recommended. Please don't use abbreviations on your character sheet unless you know the DM will know them. It is also suggested that you have a copy of your primary character advanced to the next level and that you create a sub-folder for that character under that character's name in your primary character's folder.

After the first gaming session, with a new character, a player may make any changes to their character prior to the next session, and must have those changes approved by the DM, prior to game time.