​ der ​1​E Character Creat​io

Pathf​in ​ n Gu​i​de 
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To create a Pathfinder character, you must sort through and choose from a huge 
variety of options. You’ll need to pick your character’s class, race, gear, and much more 
before they’re ready to play.  
I wrote this guide to fix two problems with the official character creation rules: 
First, I dislike the order of steps in the official rules - players rarely create characters in 
that order. My rules are organized more intuitively for new players. The second issue is 
that new players often struggle to navigate all the different options. For most steps, 
there are many, ​many​ possible choices - it’s difficult and time-consuming to determine 
what’s best for you. My guide offers plenty of tips for narrowing down your options. 
Altogether, this guide should be much more accessible for new players. 
Be aware that character creation doesn’t always follow a neat, organized 
chronology. You’ll likely go back and change previous decisions as your character 
comes together. Experienced players tend to mix up the order quite a bit, but this order 
should work best for new players. 
Throughout this guide, I frequently reference two websites. The first is ​Archives of 
Nethys​, the official online source for Pathfinder content. The second is ​d20pfsrd​. AoN 
has more content than d20 and a better ​search function​, but d20 is better organized, 
especially when it comes to game rules. Personally, I use AoN to browse options for my 
character and d20 to review the game rules. 
If you’re unfamiliar with tabletop RPGs like Pathfinder or Dungeons & Dragons, 
read through ​this page​ on how to play before you begin creating your character. You 
should also reference ​this page​ if you come across any terms or abbreviations you’re 
unfamiliar with. Throughout this guide, I’ll explain most of the rules and terms 
relevant to character creation. However, you’ll have to read plenty of other rules to 
understand how to play the game (e.g. the ​Combat​ and ​Magic​ rules). You can navigate 
d20​ and ​AoN​ to learn any game rules not covered in this guide.  
 
Step 1) Character Sheet 
You’ll need to jot down all the details about your character on a character sheet. 
The official Pathfinder character sheet can be downloaded for free ​here​ (listed as 
“Character Sheet”). I’ll reference this character sheet throughout this guide. You 
should also check out the “Basic Rules Cheat Sheet” on the same page.  
There are many alternative character sheets, including printed templates, Excel 
sheets, or even mobile apps. Many of these sheets are better organized and easier to 
navigate than the official character sheets. However, you may find it confusing to 
navigate these alternatives at this point. I recommend researching other character 
sheets at some point, but it will be easier to follow this guide if you stick with the 
official sheet for now. 
  
Here’s an example of a completed character sheet for a 4​th​ level Barbarian: 
 

Throughout the example above, there are numbers corresponding to different stats 
such as ability scores, skill bonuses, and saving throws. When your character attempts a 
task, you typically roll a 20-sided die and add one of these numbers to the result. If the 
final result is high enough, then he successfully completes the task. For example, if 
your character wants to climb a tree, you roll a d20 and add his Climb skill bonus to the 
result. If the final result meets or exceeds the Difficulty Class (DC) for climbing the 
tree, then he successfully climbs it. If the result is less than the DC, then he fails to 
climb it.  
Most actions will follow this pattern – you roll a d20, add your bonuses, and hope 
your result is high enough to be successful. Most of your decisions in character creation 
will either A) increase bonuses to perform specific tasks, or B) grant new abilities. 
 
1A) Tips to Keep in Mind 
In the following sections, I’ll describe the specific choices you’ll make about your 
character’s stats and abilities. Here are 4 concepts to keep in mind while navigating this 
process:  
1) Optimization​. If your character is very weak compared to the rest of your party, 
then he probably won’t be very fun to play. Often, we optimize our characters to 
excel at a few specific tasks. I wanted my example character to be really good at 
tripping enemies, so I gave her a bunch of abilities that improve her Trip combat 
maneuver. As you’re building your character, consider what you want him to 
excel at. You can find many other guides specifically dedicated to optimization - 
this ​guide to Pathfinder guides​ is a good place to start. 
2) Setting​. Certain abilities will be more or less useful depending on the setting of 
the campaign. If the adventure takes place in a wide variety of environments and 
situations, then it’s important to be flexible. If the setting is more specific, then 
figure out which abilities will be relevant. For example, if you’re playing a pirate 
campaign, your character should ​probably​ be a decent swimmer. Also, your GM 
may place restrictions on character creation based on the setting - ask them 
about any restrictions or requirements before making any final decisions.  
3) Narrative​. This guide tells you how to put together a character in terms of game 
mechanics, but his backstory, personality, and interests are entirely up to you. 
These ideas can influence your choices about your character’s abilities, and vice 
versa. If you want your character to be a suave smooth-talker, then you should 
give him decent bonuses to the Bluff and Diplomacy skills. Likewise, if your 
 character has a high bonus to Intimidate, then you should consider how that can 
be reflected in his personality and backstory.  
4) Mistakes.​ New players are bound to make mistakes, but there’s plenty of ways to 
fix them. The ​retraining​ rules allow you to recreate various aspects of your 
character. You can even replace your character with an entirely new one, if 
necessary. So, don’t worry too much about perfecting your character on your 
first attempt. 
 
Step 2) Class 
Of all the choices you must make, classes have the most influence on your 
character. Wizards are masters of magic and crafting, giving them a great deal of 
utility; however, they’re unskilled with weapons and quite fragile. Barbarians lack 
magic, but they can deal massive damage with their weapons, and they’re very hard to 
put down. ​This page​ contains all the classes available to you. 
A few notes about this page of classes:  
1) Four classes have “(Unchained)” versions: the Barbarian, Monk, Rogue, and 
Summoner. These are alternate versions of the class made to fix issues with the 
original versions. ​For new players, I recommend using the Unchained 
versions of these classes​. The Unchained versions are generally better 
balanced. The regular Summoner is too strong, so he often overshadows other 
members of the party. The regular Monk and Rogue are too weak. Also, the 
Unchained versions are generally easier to play. Certain builds work better with 
regular versions of these classes, but you shouldn’t worry about that until you’re 
more experienced. 
2) The line of classes starting with “Companion” is actually a list of creatures that 
adventure alongside your character, helping them with combat and other tasks. 
Certain classes gain a creature as one of their class features (Hunters gain a 
Companion, Witches gain a familiar, etc.).​ These creatures are not character 
classes.​ If your chosen class gains one of these creatures, then you’ll need to 
return to the appropriate page in ​Step 5​.  
3) The line of classes starting with “Adept” are restricted to non-player characters 
(NPCs). Your GM uses these classes to generate background characters for your 
adventure. ​You, as a player, cannot choose an NPC class for your character​. 
You likely wouldn’t want to, anyway – NPC classes are weak and boring 
compared to regular classes. 
  
2A) Navigating Class Pages 
To help you navigate each class’s description, I’ll run through the regular ​Barbarian 
class page​ as an example: 
 
Summary and Role 
 

Each class page begins with a couple paragraphs summarizing the class and its role in 
the party. ​Start with these sections to narrow down your options without having 
to read all the details. 
 
Class Features 
  

Scroll down past the large table to reach the most important part of the class – its ​Class 
Features​. Class features are abilities and bonuses that you gain with each level in the 
class. These features are very impactful and vary wildly between classes. ​After reading 
the introduction and Role sections, you should generally choose a class based on 
its Class Features. 
For example, some notable Barbarian class features include Rage, Uncanny Dodge, 
and Damage Reduction. These features make the Barbarian very durable in combat, but 
he doesn't gain much utility outside of combat. Be aware that even lengthy campaigns 
may end before your character reaches 15​th​-20​th​ level. Thus, you should usually focus 
more on the first ~10 levels of Class Features. 
 
Class Talents 

 
  
One important class feature to highlight is Rage Powers. Every 2 levels, the Barbarian 
can pick from a large list of Rage Powers that grant him special abilities while using 
Rage. There are so many Rage Powers to choose from that they have their own page, 
linked at the top next to “Barbarian Class Details.” Many classes have a similar feature, 
granting new abilities from a large list roughly every 2 levels (e.g the Slayer’s Talents or 
the Alchemist’s Discoveries). Browsing these powerful and unique abilities will often 
help inspire a direction for your character. 
 
The rest of the info on the class pages generally shouldn’t influence your decision as 
strongly as the sections above. However, you’ll still need to understand these details to 
finish creating your character. I’ll briefly explain the rest of the class page below. Note 
that most of these concepts will be explained more thoroughly later in this guide. 
 
Alignment, Hit Die, and Starting Wealth 

 
Alignment e ​ ssentially describes a character’s morality. Characters are first characterized 
as either Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic, and then as either Good, Neutral, or Evil. Some 
classes, like the Barbarian, have alignment restrictions. Barbarians must be 
“nonlawful,” meaning they can’t be Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, or Lawful Evil. As 
noted, there are significant penalties for violating alignment restrictions. However, 
some GM’s waive alignment restrictions to give their players more freedom in character 
creation.  
Hit Die​ influences your character’s hit points. Characters with a high hit die  
(max = d12) can take much more damage before dying. In contrast, characters with low 
hit die (min = d6) are much more fragile and must carefully avoid getting hit. ​Starting 
Wealth​ determines how much gold your character starts with. This number is irrelevant 
past 1​st​ level. 
 
Skills 
 

 
Class Skills​ are skills that this class excels at. ​Skill points​ are spent each level to increase 
your bonuses to various skills. Each class gains a certain number of skills points per 
level, and this number is further modified by your Intelligence and Favored Class 
Bonus. Characters with the maximum skills points per level (8+Int) tend to have extra 
utility outside of combat. 
 
Stats and Proficiencies 
 

 
This table summarizes several of the ways your character will grow stronger as he levels 
up. Each time he gains a level, he can progress forward 1 level in his original class. He 
can alternatively gain levels in multiple different classes, but I don’t recommend this 
for new players.  
His three ​Saves a
​ re defensive stats used to resist poisons, explosions, enchantments, 
and more. ​Base Attack Bonus​ ​(BAB)​ determines your character’s accuracy with weapons. 
Classes with the maximum BAB (+20/+15/+10/+5 BAB at 20​th​ level) typically rely on 
weapons in combat. Classes with the minimum BAB (+10/+5 BAB at 20​th​ level) can’t 
wield weapons very effectively, instead relying on spells. 
The ​Special​ section summarizes when you’ll gain new class features or bonuses. 
Spellcasting classes also have a section detailing how many spells they can cast. 
Finally, the​ ​Weapon and Armor Proficiency​ section details what weapons and armor your 
character can use without penalty. If your character tries to use weapons or armor he 
isn’t proficient with, they’ll be much less effective.  
 
Favored Class Options 
 

 
Finally, there are ​Favored Class Options.​ Every time your character gains a level in a 
favored class, he can gain a small numerical bonus based on his race. Alternatively, 
characters of any race can choose to gain +1 HP or +1 skill point when they level up. 
You’ll revisit these options when choosing your character’s race. 
 
2B) C
​ ategories of Classes 
With 44 class options, it can feel overwhelming to pick just one. Don’t worry too 
much about choosing the “perfect” class. Every class has its fans, and they’re all 
relatively powerful. As previously mentioned, the only classes with notable power 
issues are the regular Monk, Rogue and Summoner (use the Unchained versions 
instead). Also, if you aren’t happy with your initial decisions, you can always retrain or 
create a new character.  
To help you narrow down your options, I’ve come up with a few ways to categorize 
classes. Keep in mind that these categories rely on rough generalizations - in practice, 
these classes are extremely flexible. The decisions you make about your character 
beyond his class can drastically change the role he plays.  
For example, ​Unchained Rogues​ gain Sneak Attack damage by attacking from hiding 
spots or flanking enemies. This means most Unchained Rogues must rely on careful 
positioning in combat. In contrast, an Unchained Rogue with the ​Scout​ archetype can 
just charge straight at enemies over and over to gain their Sneak Attack damage. 
 
We can broadly categorize classes by distinguishing between ​Casters ​and ​Martials​.  
Casters ​fight with magical spells, but they cannot use weapons very effectively. 
Spells have a huge variety of effects, such as lobbing fireballs, summoning fog clouds, 
or translating languages. Thanks to their magic, Casters often have more utility outside 
of combat compared to Martials. However, Casters have a limited number of spells per 
day, so their power diminishes after consecutive encounters. Casters are also quite 
fragile, so they must often protect themselves with defensive spells. Magic can offer 
plenty of flexibility and strategic depth, but some players feel overwhelmed trying to 
keep track of all their magical abilities. 
Martials ​fight with weapons like swords, bows, fists, or claws, but they have no 
magical abilities. Martials generally have more innate durability than Casters, and 
they’re still quite effective after consecutive encounters. However, many Martial 
characters lack out-of-combat utility compared to Casters - these Martials may feel 
bored or left out when there’s nothing to beat up. 
Mixed ​classes are a middle ground between Casters and Martials, using both spells 
and weapons with moderate effectiveness. Typically, weapons are the main source of 
damage for Mixed classes. In many cases, Mixed classes use their magic to enhance 
themselves in combat, improving their damage, defenses, or mobility. Mixed classes 
offer a great combination of versatility and reliability. However, they can be 
complicated for new players because you must learn many rules concerning both 
weapons and magic. 
If one of these playstyles especially appeals to you, narrow down your options by 
referencing ​Table 1​.  
  
We can also categorize classes based on their ​complexity​.  
Some classes are very complicated and rely on many rules - new players may find 
these classes overwhelmingly confusing. In ​Table 1,​ I’ve ranked the classes based on 
how beginner-friendly they are: ​1​ marks the most beginner-friendly, and ​5​ ​marks​ ​the 
least. I recommend new players avoid classes marked with a ​4​ ​or ​5.​ Again note that 
these classes are very flexible, so these numbers are just rough estimates. A given class 
might become significantly more or less complex depending on how you design and 
play your character.   
  

Table 1: Classes Organized by Playstyle and Complexity 

Martial  Mixed  Caster   

Barbarian​ [​1​]  Bloodrager​ [​2]​   Arcanist​ [​2​]  Least  
Barbarian (Unchained)​ [​1​]  Ranger​ [​2​]  Cleric​ [​2]​   Complex 
Fighter​ [​1​]  Alchemist​ [​3​]  Mesmerist​ [​2​]  ↓↓↓ 
Rogue​ [​1​]  Antipaladin​ [​3​]  Oracle​ [​2​]  ↓↓↓ 
Slayer​ [​1​]  Hunter​ [​3​]  Sorcerer​ [​2​]  ↓↓↓ 
Ninja​ [​2​]  Investigator​ [​3​]  Witch​ [​2​]  Most  
Rogue (Unchained)​ [​2​]  Magus​ [​3​]  Bard​ [​3​]  Complex 
Gunslinger​ [​3​]  Paladin​ [​3​]  Psychic​ [​3​]   
Monk​ [​3​]  Skald​ [​3​]  Wizard​ [​3​]   
Monk (Unchained)​ [​3​]  Inquisitor​ [​4]​   Druid​ [​5​]   
Vigilante​ [​3​]  Spiritualist​ [​4​]  Occultist​ [​5​]   
Shifter​ [​3​]  Warpriest​ [​4​]  Shaman​ [​5​]   
Swashbuckler​ [​3​]  Druid​ [​5]​      
Cavalier​ [​4​]  Kineticist​ [​5​]     
Samurai​ [​4​]  Medium​ [​5]​      
Brawler​ [​5​]  Summoner​ [​5​]     
  Summoner (Unchained)​ [​5​]     
 
Finally, we can categorize classes based on ​common themes​.  
Certain classes are devoted to similar causes, create magic in similar ways, or excel 
in similar forms of martial combat. Consider if any of the following groups interest you: 
 

Divine:​ Devoted to a deity, force, or philosophy. 

❖ Antipaladin​, ​Cleric​, ​Inquisitor​, ​Oracle​, ​Paladin​, ​Shaman​, ​Warpriest 

Natural:​ Devoted to protecting and respecting nature. 

❖ Hunter​, ​Druid​, ​Ranger​, ​Shifter 

Occult:​ Create magic derived from thoughts and emotions. 

❖ Medium​, ​Mesmerist​, ​Occultist​, ​Psychic​, ​Spiritualist 

Alchemical:​ Create magic by crafting alchemical items. 

❖ Alchemist​, ​Investigator 

Artistic:​ Create magic through music, dance, or other creative performances. 

❖ Bard​, ​Skald 

Arcane:​ Create magic through different means than the above categories. 
❖ Arcanist​, ​Magus​, ​Sorcerer​, ​Summoner​, ​Summoner (Unchained)​, ​Witch​, ​Wizard 

Tanky​: Excel at tanking hits and unleashing massive damage. 

❖ Barbarian​, ​Barbarian (Unchained)​, ​Bloodrager​, ​Fighter 

Sneaky​: Excel at unleashing surprise attacks and ganging up on opponents. 

❖ Ninja​, ​Rogue​, ​Rogue (Unchained)​, ​Slayer 

Unarmed​: Excel at fighting without weapons and using combat maneuvers. 

❖ Monk​, ​Monk (Unchained)​, ​Brawler 

Mounted:​ Excel at fighting while riding animals. 

❖ Cavalier​, ​Samurai 

Other: C
​ lasses which don’t quite fit the categories above. 
❖ Gunslinger​, ​Kineticist​, ​Swashbuckler​, ​Vigilante  
 

 
2C) Multiclassing (Optional) 
Multiclassing is not recommended for new players and can be skipped without penalty. 
Every time your character gains a level, he can either gain a level in a class he 
already has or gain a level in a new class. If he gains a level in a new class, he gains the 
1​st​-level abilities associated with that class. Let’s say your character has 6 levels in 
Fighter​, and now you want him to use a gun. The next time he levels up, he can take 1 
level in ​Gunslinger​. This grants him all the 1st-level class features of a Gunslinger 
(Gunsmith, Grit, and Deeds). He also gains the Gunslingers class skills and weapon 
proficiencies. For that level, he uses the Gunslinger’s hit die and skill points per level, 
and his BAB and Saves increase as listed for a 1​st​-level Gunslinger. 
 The trade-off is that this character can’t gain a 7​th​ level in Fighter until he levels up 
again. Multiclassing ​too much c​ an make your character very weak. Class features often 
scale with the number of levels you have in that specific class, ​not​ with your overall 
character level. For example, Casters gain access to more powerful spells. If you 
multiclass too much with Caster classes, you’ll only have access to weak, low-level 
spells. Thus, characters typically only multiclass for 0-3 levels, and Casters often avoid 
it altogether. 
Effective multiclassing requires a decent amount of game knowledge, so I don’t 
recommend it for new players. It adds unnecessary complications and may result in a 
weaker character. You may consider revisiting this option after your character has 
gained a few levels and you’ve developed a better understanding of the game. Note that 
multiclassing will not be immediately relevant if you’re starting at 1​st​-level (see ​Step 4​). 
Variant Multiclassing​: There is an alternate set of multiclassing rules that doesn’t 
require you to spend entire levels. Instead, at 1​st​ level, you can choose one class for 
your character to variant multiclass into. He gives up half of his feats in exchange for 
several class features from that class. Specifically, he loses the feats gained at levels 3, 
7, 11, 15, and 19, instead gaining new class features at those levels. See ​this page​ for 
the specific class features gained from each class.  
Variant Multiclassing allows you to gain class features of another class without 
losing progress in your original class. However, some characters can’t afford to lose so 
many feats. Also, Variant Multiclassing is often underwhelming compared to regular 
Multiclassing. For example, regular Multiclassing for 1 level in Gunslinger is usually 
more optimal than Variant Multiclassing in Gunslinger. 
 
2D) Prestige Classes (Optional)  
Prestige classes are not recommended for new players and can be skipped without penalty. 
Prestige classes​ are additional classes that can only be taken if your character meets 
certain prerequisites. Your character may need certain feats, skills ranks, class features, 
and more before gaining levels in a specific prestige class. Otherwise, they function 
much like regular classes.  
Some prestige classes are considered rather weak, and they generally aren’t very 
popular (with a few exceptions). They also typically aren’t available until after your 
character has gained several levels. For these reasons, I recommend new players ignore 
prestige classes. 
 
Step 3) Archetypes (Optional) 
Archetypes are optional, but I recommend new players learn about them. 
An archetype modifies a class by replacing some of its class features with new ones. 
Sometimes, it also modifies other parts of the class like Class Skills or proficiencies. 
The first time you gain a level in a class, you can opt to use an archetype version of the 
class instead of the regular version. You can even use multiple archetypes if they don’t 
replace or alter the same class features. 
Archetypes are a very useful and popular tool for further customizing your 
character. For example, let’s say you want to play a ​Investigator​. Your GM mentioned 
that the campaign won’t involve many trap-filled dungeons, so the Investigator’s 
Trapfinding and Trap Sense class features won’t be useful. To solve this issue, go to the 
Investigator’s ​archetypes​ page and search for Trapfinding and Trap Sense in the 
“Replaces” column. You’ll find many archetypes that replace these class features, such 
as the ​Conspirator​ archetype.  
You don’t ​have​ to choose any archetypes; you can always choose to play the regular 
version of a class. However, archetypes are a fun way to further personalize your 
character. I recommend browsing the archetypes of your chosen class if you have the 
time. 
 
Step 4) Starting Level 
As your character advances through his adventure, he gains levels that increase his 
power and grant him new abilities. As he levels up, he gains access to new class 
features, feats, and more. Stats like HP, Base Attack Bonus, and Saves also gradually 
increase.  
Your character doesn’t have to start at 1​st​ level; he can start at a higher level and 
automatically gain higher-level stats, abilities, and wealth. Typically, the GM 
determines the starting level for the characters. For new players, I recommend starting 
somewhere between 1​st​ and 3​rd​ level so your character isn’t too complex at the start.  
Once your starting level, class(es), and archetype(s) are determined, you can begin 
filling out your character sheet. On the “Character Class and Level” line, you should 
write down your class(es), any archetypes modifying your class(es), and the number of 
levels you have in each class. 
 You can also fill in your character’s starting experience points. Your characters gain 
experience after every challenge, eventually allowing him to level up. 1​st​-level 
characters typically start with 0 experience, but your GM ultimately sets the starting 
experience. The table on ​this page​ has general guidelines for experience and leveling. 
Finally, you should fill in your character’s Base Attack Bonus (BAB) and Base Saves. 
To determine these values, open his class’s page and navigate to the large table under 
“Class Features.” His BAB, Base Fortitude Save, Base Reflex Save, and Base Will Save 
are given here based on his current level. If he’s multiclassing, you’ll need to add up his 
BAB and Base Saves from all his classes.  

 
 
Step 5) Class Features 
Once you’ve picked a class, you may have to make decisions about specific class 
features. A 1​st​-level ​Hunter​, for example, must choose an Animal Companion and an 
Animal Focus. Some class features depend on which deity you worship, in which case 
you should jump ahead to ​Step 14B​. As your character gains levels, you will make more 
choices about his class features. Keep in mind, future steps in character creation can 
influence your decisions about class features - you may find yourself revisiting this step 
later on. 
Like many of the options in Pathfinder, some class feature choices are generally 
stronger than others – the ​llama​ Animal Companion is cute, but he’s also weaker than a 
wolf​ in just about every way. For guidelines on optimizing your class features, you can 
reference class guides such as ​RPGBot’s Class Handbooks​. To find more guides, just 
search “pathfinder [class name] guide.” You definitely don’t have to choose the 
strongest features all the time, but your character will feel underwhelming if you 
constantly choose weak or overly situational options.  
You can write your class features in the Special Abilities section. However, be aware 
that this section usually becomes cramped and difficult to navigate after a few levels. 
For this reason, I write my Class Features, Feats, and Traits on a separate sheet. I also 
find it helpful to separate Passive Abilities (abilities that are always on) from Active 
Abilities (abilities that you must activate somehow). Other players resolve this issue by 
using alternate character sheets. If you’re making a 1​st​-level character, the regular 
sheet should be fine for now; just be aware that you’ll likely end up reorganizing after a 
few levels. 
Some features require you to write information outside of the Special Abilities 
section. If a feature grants you a bonus to a stat (skills, saves, CMB, etc.), then you 
should add that bonus to the corresponding section. If your character gains spells, 
you’ll have to add those to the Spells section (see ​Step 5A​). If his class grants a creature 
as a companion (​Companion​, ​Eidolon​, ​Familiar​, etc.), then you’ll need to fill out a 
character sheet for them, too. 
 
5A) S ​ pells Known​ (Spellcasting Classes) 
Most Casters or Mixed classes only know a certain number of spells from their spell 
list. In this case, you’ll need to choose the spells they know at the start of the 
campaign. See the Spells section of your character’s class to determine how their 
spellcasting works, including how many spells they know and which ​spell list​ they use. 
You’ll need to read most of the ​Magic​ rules to fully understand how each spell works 
Some spellcasting classes gain additional spells known based on one of their ability 
scores. If this applies for your character, you’ll need to choose additional spells known 
after calculating his ability scores in ​Step 11​. All spellcasters learn additional spells as 
they gain levels, and some can also learn spells by studying magical items like scrolls. 
A word of caution about choosing spells: Spells have plenty of powerful effects – 
healing an ally, turning you invisible, or even summoning fearsome monsters. 
However, many spells are quite situational or just plain bad (I’m looking at you, 
Poisoned Egg)​ . Class guides or spell guides can help you avoid the weakest options. 
You can write your known spells in the Spells section of your character sheet. Some 
spellcasters learn too many spells to fit here, in which case I recommend a separate 
cheat sheet. Note that the “Domains/Specialty School” section only applies to specific 
classes, as mentioned in their descriptions. 
 
Step 6) Skills (Preview) 
Skills​ are used to determine how good your character is at various tasks, like 
swimming, hiding, and identifying monsters. When a character uses a skill, he rolls a 
d20 and adds his total bonus for that skill to the result. His total bonus for a skill is 
based on the number of skill points he’s invested, the corresponding ability score, and 
any other miscellaneous bonuses. Your decisions in character creation will influence 
these bonuses, allowing your character to excel at certain skills. 
At this point, I recommend looking through the skill descriptions so you generally 
understand what each one does. For now, you don’t need to read all the rules for each 
skill; just read the short summary at the top of each skill’s page. 
Think about which skills might be most important for your character. Most ​Ninjas 
want a decent ​Stealth​ bonus so they can pull off more Sneak Attacks. ​Wizards​ gain 
magical crafting feats, so they typically invest in ​Spellcraft​. Many decisions in character 
creation can influence your skill bonuses, so it’s helpful to know which skills are most 
relevant to your character. However, nothing’s set in stone right now - you’ll likely 
change your mind about certain skills as you continue to develop your character. 
  
Step 7) Ability Scores (Preview) 
Ability scores are physical and mental stats that influence all of your character’s 
abilities. I recommend you learn about all the ability scores and try to figure out which 
ones are most important to your character. Many class features scale with a specific 
ability score, making that ability score crucial to the class. For example, a ​Witch​’s​ spells 
and hexes scale with his Intelligence modifier. Thus, a Witch needs a high Intelligence 
score to be effective. Reading through your character’s class page should help you 
identify important ability scores. 

I’ve listed brief descriptions of the 6 ability scores below. For more specific details 
on these ability scores, you can visit this ​d20 page​.    
  

Strength (Str)​: Influences your accuracy/damage with melee weapons and your 
ability to lift things. Str-based skills include ​Climb​ and ​Swim​. Crucial for anyone 
using melee weapons. Almost useless for Casters. 

Dexterity (Dex)​: Influences your accuracy with ranged weapons and your reflexes. 
Dex-based skills include ​Acrobatics​, ​Disable Device​, ​Escape Artist​, ​Fly​, ​Ride​, ​Sleight 
of Hand​, and ​Stealth​. Important for almost all classes because it influences many 
important combat stats (AC, Initiative, Reflex saves, and ranged attack rolls). 

Constitution (Con)​: Influences your hit points, stamina, and resistance to effects 
like poison and disease. There are no Con-based skills. Important for most classes 
because hit points are extremely valuable in combat, and because it influences your 
Fortitude saves. 

Intelligence (Int)​: Influences your skill points per level, languages known, and 
ability to memorize information. Int-based skills include ​Appraise​, all ​Craft​ skills, all 
Knowledge​ skills, ​Linguistics​, and ​Spellcraft​. Although skill points and the Knowledge 
skills are both very useful, this ability score is often overshadowed by more 
combat-focused scores like Dex or Con. Crucial for classes with Int-based 
spellcasting.  

Wisdom (Wis)​: Influences your intuition and willpower. Wis-based skills include 
Heal​, ​Perception​, all ​Profession​ skills, ​Sense Motive​, and ​Survival​. Wis is fairly 
important because Wis-based skills are very useful, and because it influences your 
Will saves. However, Wis is still often overshadowed by Dex or Con. Crucial for 
classes with Wis-based spellcasting. 

Charisma (Cha)​: Influences your ability to influence, impress, and deceive others. 
Cha-based skills include ​Bluff​, ​Diplomacy​, ​Disguise​, ​Handle Animal​, ​Intimidate​, all 
Perform​ skills, and ​Use Magic Device​. High Charisma is very useful in social 
situations, but often irrelevant in combat. Thus, Cha is the least useful ability score 
for many characters. Crucial for classes with Cha-based spellcasting. 
 
Step 8) Race 
Your character’s race determines what species they are (Human, Elf, Gnome, etc.). 
Race options are listed ​here​ and ​here​. Your character’s race influences several 
important characteristics beyond his appearance.  
Races significantly influence ability scores – each race grants bonuses (and often 
penalties) to specific ability scores. You should choose a race that synergizes with your 
class, boosting relevant ability scores and penalizing an irrelevant one. I recommend 
using ​this spreadsheet​ (created by ​VestofHolding​ on Reddit) to navigate each race’s 
ability score bonuses and penalties.  
Most races gain a +2 bonus to 2 ability scores and a -2 penalty to 1 ability score. 
There are a few exceptions to this rule in the “MiscAbilityBonuses” table on the 
spreadsheet. Humans, Half-Orcs, and Half-Elves gain a +2 bonus to 1 ability score and 
no penalties. These races are very versatile and commonly used. The other races under 
“MiscAbilityBonuses” are usually banned for being too powerful. 
You can further narrow down your choice of races based on their ​racial traits​. Each 
race’s page lists several abilities and stat boosts granted to members of that race. Races 
also have ​alternate racial traits​ - you can swap out standard racial traits with these 
traits. Some alternate racial traits replace a group of standard racial traits, so make sure 
you don’t accidentally replace the same trait twice. If you’re looking for racial traits 
with specific effects (e.g. a bonus to ​Sense Motive​ checks), you can use the ​AoN search 
function​. Check only the “Races” box and search for related terms. 
The final way to narrow down your decision is by reading the descriptions at the top 
of each race page. These descriptions provide info about each race’s culture. However, 
some of this info might not apply to the setting used by your GM. Be sure to ask your 
GM if your desired race works well within the campaign setting. Also, keep in mind that 
these sections describe ​typical​ members of each race - your character can definitely 
break racial stereotypes. 
Once you’ve chosen a race, add it to the Race line. Your character’s race also 
determines his size - most races are Medium (M), but some are Small (S). Small 
characters gain a size modifier that modifies several of their stats, as noted in the race’s 
description. Be sure to add your size modifier (if any) to the boxes below. In addition, 
be aware that weapons sized for Small character do less damage, as noted in each 
weapon’s description. 
  

Your character’s race also influences his speed. Every race specifies a Base Speed, 
and some races also gain Fly, Swim, Climb, or Burrow Speeds. You should note these 
speeds in the boxes below. “SQ.” refers to the numbers of squares your character can 
move on a standard game map. Each square is 5 feet wide, so divide their speed by 5 to 
convert their speed into squares. For more rules about movement, see the ​combat rules 
and ​movement rules​. 

You can add your racial traits to the “Special Abilities” section alongside your class 
features. If any of these racial traits modify specific stats, be sure to include those 
modifiers where appropriate. 
 
8A) Favored Class Bonus 
Favored Class Bonuses are small numerical bonuses that accumulate as your 
character levels up. At the start of the adventure, you designate one class as your 
character’s favored class. Any time your character gains a level in this class, he gains a 
Favored Class Bonus (FCB). ​Any character can choose to gain +1 HP or +1 skill 
point as their FCB. 
​ dditionally, each class has FCBs for specific races listed at the bottom of the class 
A
page. ​You can instead choose the FCB specific to your class and race. ​Be aware that 
some races don’t have special FCBs for some classes. Check the bottom of a race’s page 
to see what special FCBs it offers.  
Notice that some FCBs are listed as fractions. ​Half-Orc​ ​Sorcerers​, for example, can 
add +½ point of damage to their fire spells. You only benefit from fractional FCBs when 
reaching a whole number. Thus, you need to take this FCB at least twice to receive any 
benefit. 
If desired, you can choose a different FCB at each level. For example, a 4​th​-level 
Half-Orc Sorcerer could take +2 skills points, +1 HP, and +½ point of spell fire damage. 
Regardless of what you choose, I recommend writing it down somewhere (you’ll 
probably have to use the Special Abilities section again). It’s tempting to just add FCBs 
to your total HP or skill points and then forget about them, but this can cause 
confusion down the line.  
Sometimes it’s not clear what FCB to choose until after you’ve determined your 
starting HP and spent your skill points. So, you may want to wait to choose FCBs until 
after ​Step 12​.  
 
Step 9) Feats 
Feats​ grant your character new abilities or bonuses to specific actions. They grant a 
wide variety of effects, like allowing you to ​craft magical scrolls​, ​catch arrows 
mid-flight​, or ​react more quickly to combat​. ​At every odd level, your character gains 
a feat.​ Feats can also be gained from class features or racial traits. Unless otherwise 
noted, you can’t gain the same feat multiple times.  
Feats are perhaps the most difficult option to navigate due to the sheer number of 
them (over 3,400 by my count). Like spells, some feats are fantastically useful, but 
many are terrible. ​Power Attack​ is very powerful – it offers a huge damage boost for 
most melee characters. ​Monkey Lunge​ is famously useless – it increases your attack 
range, but it also essentially prevents you from attacking.  
There are a few ways to narrow down your options. First, there are plenty of feat 
guides and class guides online. For example, if you want to play an archer, just search 
“best archery feats pathfinder.” Additionally, use the ​AoN search function​ ​to search for 
keywords related to your character. Just check the “Feats” box and search for any terms 
relevant to your character. You’ll find plenty of feats to enhance various skills, class 
features, and combat maneuvers just by searching their names. Alternatively, you can 
just browse the feats manually. Most, if not all, of the feats should be listed in the 
General Feats​ section. 
In any case, you need to be mindful of feat ​prerequisites​. Many feats can’t be taken 
unless your character has met certain requirements first. To take ​Rapid Shot​, a 
powerful feat for ranged characters, you must first have the ​Point-Blank Shot​ feat and 
at least 13 Dexterity. Some feats require a ​ton​ of prerequisites - ​Spring-Heeled Reaping 
requires ​5​ prerequisite feats, +11 BAB, 17 Dex, and proficiency with light armor. To 
obtain a feat like this, you must essentially build your entire character around meeting 
those prereqs. Feat prereqs come in a variety of forms, requiring specific races, classes, 
alignments, or even worship of specific deities.  
Feat prereqs are a point of contention in the Pathfinder community. Many feel that 
they can be overly restrictive, imposing unfun limitations on character creation. If you 
feel that a specific feat preqreq is unjustified, then you can ask your GM to waive it or 
substitute it for something else. Many groups implement homebrewed rules to cut 
down on feat prereqs (​these rules​ are the most popular). However, new players may 
want to gain some experience before implementing any homebrewed changes. 
Write your selected feats in the Feats section, and make sure to update any modified 
stats. 
 
Step 10) Traits 
Like feats, ​Traits​ grants stat bonuses or new abilities. However, traits are only 
gained at level 1, and they’re weaker than feats. Many traits just offer small numerical 
bonuses 
Every character gains 2 traits. There are 15 types of traits, and you can’t have 
multiple traits of the same type. In addition to his 2 starting traits, a character can take 
1 ​Drawback​ trait to gain 1 additional trait. Drawbacks traits negatively affect your 
character. Thus, your character typically starts with either 2 or 4 traits. He can also gain 
2 more traits by taking the ​Additional Traits​ feat.  
Many traits have restrictions on who can take them. These restrictions aren’t fully 
described on either website, so I’ll describe them here:  
 Combat​, ​Faith​, ​Magic​, ​Social​, and ​Equipment​ traits typically have no requirements. 

Campaign​ traits are intended for specific ​Adventure Paths​ (official, pre-written 
campaigns). These powerful traits generally aren’t allowed outside of the 
corresponding Adventure Path. Additional rules ​here​. 

Cosmic​ traits are restricted based on your character’s birthday, using a system akin to 
zodiac signs.   

Exemplar​ traits have no requirements, but they follow ​special rules​. 

Faction​ traits are restricted to members of specific factions. ​Region​ traits are 
restricted to characters from specific areas. The ​Pathfinder Wiki​ has details about 
each faction and region. These factions or regions may not exist within the setting 
used by your GM. If so, ask if there’s an equivalent faction or region. 

Family​ traits are only beneficial in the presence of family members. In some cases, 
your family member must possess the same trait for it to work. You can select 
multiple family traits. You can choose to treat another close social unit as your 
“family” - in this case, the Family trait is treated instead as a Social trait. 

Mount​ traits require your character to have a specific mount, and they benefit either 
the rider or the mount. 

Race​ traits require your character to be a specific race. 

 

Some traits have oddly specific requirements, in which case you can ask your GM to 
alter or waive the requirements. Notice that some trait descriptions begin with flavor 
text explaining how your character acquired that trait. For example, ​Reactionary​ states 
that your character is good at anticipating fights because they were bullied as a child. 
Most players just disregard the flavor text, so don’t think of it as a strict requirement. 
You can write your traits in the Special Abilities section, again updating any stats 
they may affect. 
 
 

Step 11) Ability Scores 

Now that you’ve got a solid idea of what your character is going to do, you should 
calculate their exact ability scores. Refer to ​Step 7​ to review my descriptions of each 
ability score. 
At 1​st​-level, ability scores range from 5 to 20 at the extremes. Your character’s 
ability scores determine their ​ability score modifiers​. An ability score modifier is 
added to any stats or rolls associated with that ability score. For example, the Swim 
skill is Strength-based - if you have a +2 ability score modifier for Strength, you add +2 
to all Swim checks. 
After you determine your ability scores, you can calculate your modifiers with the 
following formula (round down): 
Ability Score − 10
Ability Score M odif ier = 2  

Alternatively, you can reference ​Table 2​ below. I added the “Effectiveness” column 
to translate the modifiers into more tangible terms. Note that 10 is an average ability 
score for non-adventurers (merchants, craftsmen, etc.). Adventurers are more capable 
than the general population, with an average ability score closer to 13. 
Table 2: Calculating Ability Score Modifiers 
Ability 
Ability 
Score  Effectiveness 
Score 
Modifier 
≤​3  ≤​-4  Barely Functional 
4-5  -3  Terrible 
6-7  -2  Poor 
8-9  -1  Below Average 
10-11  +0  Average 
12-13  +1  Above Average 
14-15  +2  Above Average 
16-17  +3  Great 
18-19  +4  Great 
20-21  +5  Exceptional 
≥​22  ≥​+6  Superhuman 
 

Notice that your ability score ​modifier​ goes up by 1 for every 2 points of ability score 
above 10. You almost always use your ​modifier​ instead of your actual ability score, so 
there’s very little difference between two ability scores with the same modifier.  
The most common method for determining ability scores is the Point Buy system 
(other methods listed ​here​). This method is preferred because it gives you the most 
control over your character. Each player receives points that you can spend to increase 
your character’s ability scores beyond 10. You can gain extra points by decreasing 
ability scores below 10. You typically start with 20 points, but that number may change 
at the GM’s discretion. See ​Table 3​ to determine the cost of each ability score. 
Alternatively, you can use an online Point Buy calculator like ​this site​. Note that racial 
modifiers to ability scores are factored in ​after​ the Point Buy is complete. 
 Table 3: Ability Score Generation via Point Buy 
Ability  Point 
Modifier 
Score  Cost 
7  -2  +4 
8  -1  +2 
9  -1  +1 
10  +0  -0 
11  +0  -1 
12  +1  -2 
13  +1  -3 
14  +2  -5 
15  +2  -7 
16  +3  -10 
17  +3  -13 
18  +4  -17 
 
A few tips for optimizing your Point Buy: Your most important ability score should 
typically be 17-19 after racial modifiers. I don’t recommend spending 17 points on an 
18 ability score, it’s typically too expensive. If you need to reduce a score below 10 to 
gain more points, try not to reduce Dex or Con - in most cases, they’re just too 
important for your character’s survival. 
Additionally, your character gains +1 to an ability score of his choice every 4 
levels. ​Keep in mind that a +1 increase only changes the ​modifier​ if the ability score was 
initially ​odd​. If an ability score is ​even​, then you must increase it by +2 to change the 
modifier. I often leave my highest ability score as an odd number (17 or 19) so I can 
increase it at 4​th​-level for an immediate boost in power. Most campaigns end before 
level 16, so you should only plan on two or three +1 increases.  
Outside of this situation, there is essentially no difference between two ability 
scores with the same modifier. Thus, if you don’t plan on spending any ability score 
increases on an ability score, you should save points by leaving it even. (There ​are​ other 
ways to increase or decrease ability scores, but they’re always calculated in multiples of 
2. Thus, your actual ability score is irrelevant in these cases - only the modifier 
matters).  
 
 11A) Calculate Additional Stats 
Once you’ve calculated your ability scores and modifiers, add them to your sheet. 
Don’t forget to add racial modifiers. Now, you need to add specific ability score 
modifiers to several more spots, highlighted below. You ​can​ add your modifiers to your 
skills now, but I recommend waiting until the next step.  

With these modifiers added, you can now calculate several of your stats. Below, I’ve 
listed each stat to calculate and explained its significance:   
 

HP​: ​HP​ influences how much damage your character can take before dying. At 1​st 
level, your character’s hit points equal the max possible result of his class’s hit die 
(e.g. 8 for a d8) + his Con modifier. You also add his Favored Class Bonus if you used 
it for +1 HP.  
At every level after 1​st​ level, calculate his hit points gained by rolling his class’s hit 
die and adding his Con modifier (and FCB, if used for HP). Alternatively, it’s common 
to just take the average of the hit die (e.g. 4.5 for a d8) instead of rolling. Note that 
decimals are always rounded down in Pathfinder.  

Initiative​: ​Initiative​ determines how quickly your character can act when a fight 
breaks out. When determining combat order, you roll a d20 and add your initiative 
modifier to the result. 
 

Saves​: ​Saves​ determine your character’s ability to resist certain effects. Fortitude 
saves allow him to resist poisons, diseases, and similar effects. Reflex saves allow him 
to dodge area-of-effect attacks or unexpected hazards. Will saves allow him to resist 
attacks against your mind. When making a save, you roll a d20 and add your 
corresponding saving throw modifier to the result. 
 

CMB and CMD​: Your character’s ​CMB​ (combat maneuver bonus) determines his 
ability to perform a variety of ​combat maneuvers​, like tripping, grappling, or 
disarming enemies. These maneuvers are typically used in melee combat by Martial 
or Mixed classes. Although, some of these maneuvers are rather weak, and you’re 
often required to build your character around a specific combat maneuver to make 
full use of it. When you attempt a combat maneuver, you roll a d20 and add your CMB 
to the result. 
Your character’s ​CMD​ (combat maneuver defense) determines his ability to resist 
combat maneuvers. An opponent’s CMB check must meet or exceed your CMD to 
affect you. Unfortunately, neither the CMB nor CMD sections contain a “Misc 
Modifier” box - you’ll have to write one in if your class, race, etc. grants a permanent 
bonus to either stat.  
 

Languages​: Your character starts the game with knowing extra languages equal to 
his Intelligence modifier. See his race’s page to see what bonus languages you can 
choose from. See this ​Linguistics​ skill description for information on the different 
languages. 
 
 Carrying Capacity​: Carrying capacity represents how much weight your character 
can carry before it slows him down. Read ​this page​ for the full rules on Carrying 
Capacity. Oddly enough, carrying capacity is actually based on your Strength ability 
score (not your Strength modifier). Use these rules to fill out the following section: 

 
You’ll revisit these numbers in ​Step 13​ when you purchase gear. Carrying too 
much heavy equipment can significantly slow down your character, but I’ll list 
several tips to effectively increase your carrying capacity. 
 

Class Features​: Many class features scale with specific ability score modifiers - you 
should update any calculations related to those class features now. If your character 
casts spells, he can cast additional spells each day based on his spellcasting ability 
score modifier. See ​this page​ to determine bonus spells per day. Some spellcasting 
classes also gain bonus spells known based on that modifier (see their class page). 
You should also calculate his ​Spell Save DC​ for each level of spell he can cast. 

 
Step 12) Skills 
Now that your Intelligence modifier is determined, you can spend your skill points. 
You gain a +1 bonus to a skill for every skill point you spend on it. Any time you use a 
skill, you roll a d20 and add a corresponding ability modifier, your skill points spent, 
and any miscellaneous modifiers. 
Every time your character gains a class level, he gains skills equal to that class’s Skill 
Point per Level + his Intelligence modifier. He can also gain +1 skill point each level by 
spending his Favored Class Bonus (recall ​Step 8​). Once you’ve totalled your skill points, 
you’ll need to spend them on any skills important to your character. 
There are a few rules to keep in mind when spending skill points: 
1) The total number of skill points invested into a skill cannot exceed your 
character level. Thus, a 1​st​-level character can’t spend more than 1 skill point on 
any specific skill. 
 2) Class Skills​: Your class grants several Class Skills. If you have spent at least 1 
skill point on a Class Skill, you gain an additional +3 bonus to that skill. Class 
skills can be gained from other sources, like traits, racial traits, or feats. 
3) Trained Only Skills​: Skills marked with an asterisk on your character sheet are 
Trained Only. If you haven’t spent any skill points on a Trained Only skill, you 
either A) can’t use the skill, or B) can ​partially u
​ se the skill. See each skill 
description for specific details. 
With this info in mind, I have several tips for allocating skill points. Know that these 
are tips for ​optimizing​ your character. The most optimal decision isn’t always the most 
fun one, so feel free to diverge as you please. 
Your first priority should generally be Class Skills. Putting 1 point in a Class Skill 
gives you a total +4 bonus, compared to just a +1 bonus for other skills. Thus, it’s often 
ideal to put 1 point in any relevant Class Skills. After that, you should look at relevant 
Trained Only Skills - if you want to use one, you’ll need to put a point in it.  
What determines if a skill is “relevant”? Generally, the most relevant skills to your 
character are the ones that scale with his highest ability scores. A ​Ninja​ with 6 
Charisma probably doesn’t need points in ​Diplomacy​, especially not if there’s a ​Bard 
with 18 Charisma in the party. Because you’re part of a team, it’s often best to 
specialize in skills you can really excel at. Sure, the Ninja ​could​ put a point in 
Diplomacy, upgrading it from awful to mediocre. But, if the Bard already has excellent 
Diplomacy, you can just let him do most of the sweet-talking. 
It’s also worth mentioning that a few skills just… aren’t that good. Specifically, I’m 
referring to ​Knowledge (Nobility)​, ​Sleight of Hand​, ​Perform​, and ​Profession​. Knowledge 
(Nobility) and Sleight of Hand are ​really​ situational in my experience. Most campaigns 
don’t require you to identify nobles or hide stuff in your hands very often. Perform and 
Profession can be very fun and flavorful, but they don’t offer much mechanically. You 
can earn money with those skills, but the amount is just pitiful for an adventurer. None 
of these skills are useless, but they’re underwhelming for most characters. 
As you may have noticed, ​Craft​, ​Knowledge​, ​Perform​, and ​Profession​ are laid out a 
bit differently on your character sheet. Each of these skills are broad terms. When you 
put a point into one of these skills, you actually have to choose a specific subcategory 
of that skill. For example, you might put 3 skill points into Craft (Alchemy), 1 skill point 
into Craft (Weapons), and no skill points into other Craft subcategories. For most 
purposes, separate subcategories are treated as separate skills. Possible subcategories 
for each of these skills are explained in their descriptions.  
There’s one significant difference between Knowledge and these other skills. When 
you gain Craft, Perform, or Profession as a Class Skill, the bonus applies to every 
subcategory of those skills. In contrast, you only gain specific subcategories of 
Knowledge as a class skill.  
Add any spent skill points to the “Ranks” column on your character sheet. Once 
you’ve spent them all, you can calculate your total skill bonuses for each skill. Keep in 
mind any miscellaneous modifiers you may have acquired, and make sure to factor in 
Class Skills. If you haven’t spent any skill points on a skill, and it doesn’t have any 
miscellaneous modifiers to worry about, it’s usually okay to leave it blank. If you ​do 
need to use a skill with no points or extra modifiers, you just add your ability score 
modifier to a d20 roll.  
 
Step 13) Gear 
With your character’s stats nearly finalized, it’s time to spend your starting gold. 
There’s a huge variety of items to purchase, aiding you in combat, survival, exploration, 
and more. If your character is 1​st​-level, their starting gold is listed on their class page. 
As indicated on each class page, you can either roll dice for starting gold or take the 
average. If your character is above 1​st​ level, determine their starting gold with​ Table 5.   
  

Table 4: Starting Wealth Based on Character Level 

Characte Starting  Characte Starting 
r Level  Gold  r Level  Gold 
(1-10)  (1-10)  (11-20)  (11-20) 
1  Varies  11  82,000 gp 
2  1,000 gp  12  108,000 gp 
3  3,000 gp  13  140,000 gp 
4  6,000 gp  14  185,000 gp 
5  10,500 gp  15  240,000 gp 
6  16,000 gp  16  315,000 gp 
7  23,500 gp  17  410,000 gp 
8  33,000 gp  18  530,000 gp 
9  46,000 gp  19  685,000 gp 
10  62,000 gp  20  880,000 gp 
 
At 1​st​ level, you can’t afford much more than a weapon, armor, and survival tools. 
These ​kits​ are a great resource for new players. Most classes have their own kit 
containing the standard survival gear and items crucial for that class. I recommend new 
players buy their class kit (or the kit of a similar class, if their class doesn’t have one). 
Some of the non-class kits are also quite handy, so I recommend browsing the whole 
list. 
Now that you’ve got your basic survival gear out of the way, you should look at 
weapons​, ​armor, and shields​. First, look at your character’s class page to determine 
what weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies they have. Generally, you shouldn’t use 
gear that you aren’t proficient with - if you do, you can accrue significant penalties.  
 
Weapons: ​Unless you’re fighting with fists, claws, or other natural attacks, you 
should purchase a ​weapon​. Although Casters usually don’t rely on weapons, they 
should still carry one in case they run out of spells. Weapons are broken into many 
categories. I’ll briefly summarize these categories here, but you’ll still need to read the 
weapon​ and ​combat ​rules.  
Melee and Ranged:​ Generally, a melee weapon’s accuracy and damage scale with 
Strength, whereas a ranged weapon’s accuracy scales with Dexterity. Certain class 
features, enchantments, and feats (like ​Weapon Finesse​) can alter these scalings. 
Having both a melee and a ranged weapon is often helpful, even if you aren’t 
particularly skilled with one of them.   
 Simple, Martial, and Exotic:​ These categories are tied to weapon proficiency. Martial 
and Exotic weapons are often more powerful than Simple weapons, so focus on 
those if you’re proficient with them.  
Light, One-Handed, and Two-Handed​: Two-Handed weapons often deal more 
damage or have more reach than other weapons, but you must wield them in two 
hands. One-Handed weapons can be wielded alongside a shield or second weapon, 
or you can wield them in two hands for extra damage. Light weapons are 
particularly useful in your off hand as a second weapon, and they work well with 
certains feats and class features. Fighting with ​two weapons​ or a ​double weapon​ is 
more complicated in terms of math, so new players may want to avoid it.  
In addition to these categories, you should pay attention to each weapon’s damage 
and any special qualities they have. For example, if your character is built around 
tripping enemies, it’s helpful to have a weapon with the ​Trip​ quality. 
Armor:​ Most characters should also purchase ​armor​, which makes you harder to hit 
by boosting your ​Armor Class​. Notable exceptions include ​Monks​* and arcane 
spellcasting classes**. Additionally, the ​Shifter​ and the ​Druid​ can’t use metal armor or 
shields. Generally, you should only use armor you’re proficient with. Heavier armor is 
more protective, but it slows you down and penalizes your Strength- and Dexterity- 
based skill checks. If this would be significantly detrimental to your character, then 
stick with lighter armor. Additionally, you generally don’t want armor with a Maximum 
Dex Bonus lower than your Dexterity modifier. Again, be sure to read the full ​armor 
rules​ before making a final decision. 
*Monks can instead rely on their AC Bonus class feature. 
**Arcane spellcasters incur ​arcane spell failure chance​ from armor, which is incredibly 
annoying even at small percentages. They can instead rely on defensive spells to protect 
them. They also suffer no penalties from wearing a ​haramaki​. 
Shields: ​Not all characters need a ​shield​, but they offer solid protection for those 
who can use them effectively. As with armor, you should be concerned about 
proficiency, armor check penalties, and arcane spell failure chance. However, shields 
never reduce your speed, and most don’t have a Maximum Dex Bonus. Shields generally 
require a free hand, so you can’t use them while two-handing a weapon or holding two 
other objects. The exception is the ​Buckler​, as noted in the description. 
With your remaining gold, you can browse through other miscellaneous items that 
may be useful to your character. In particular, I recommend the ​Adventuring Gear​, 
Alchemical Tools​, ​Alchemical Weapons​, ​Animal Gear​, ​Clothing​, ​Food/Drink​, and ​Tools 
sections. There are also useful items in the other sections, but many of them are too 
niche or not affordable at 1​st​ level. Note that items in the “​Technology​” section are 
often banned, either for not fitting the setting or for being too powerful. 
 
13A) Buying Gear After 1​st​ Level 
Above 1​st​ level, you can afford to purchase many more items. In addition to the 
many ​mundane items​ listed, you’ll also be able to afford ​magic items​. These items can 
have very potent effects and are crucial to many characters. You can also pay to 
enchant your weapons and armor. For an in-depth explanation of magic items, see ​this 
page​ and its subpages. 
Several magic items are very powerful and often overshadow other magic items. 
These items include the enchantments to ​weapons​ and ​armor​, weapons and armor 
made out of ​special materials​ (especially ​adamantine​ and ​mithral​), ​Cloak of Resistance​, 
Ring of Protection​, ​Amulet of Natural Armor,​ ​Bag of Holding​, ​Ioun Stones​, ​Wands​ of​ ​Cure 
Light Wounds,​ and magical headbands and belts that boost your ability scores (​Str​, ​Dex​, 
Con​, ​Int​, ​Wis​, and ​Cha​). If you’re unsure what to buy, these options are usually safe 
bets.   
To navigate the many possible items you can purchase, I again recommend using 
AoN’s ​search function​. For example, if you want a character who’s great at climbing, 
you can check the “Equipment” and “Magic Items” boxes, search “climb,” and find 
plenty of items which boost your Climb skill. Likewise, you can find plenty of guides 
online recommending items for different classes and builds. It may also be helpful to 
search items relevant to the specific setting of your adventure – if you know your 
character is going to trek through the mountains, you’ll probably want cold weather 
clothes and climbing gear. 
 
13B) Finish Calculating Stats 
As you purchase your gear, you should be able to finish filling out your stats. Add all 
your items and their weights to the Gear section, and then total their weight where 
noted. At this point, you should compare the total weight of your gear to your carrying 
capacity (listed directly below the gear section). If you are carrying more than a Light 
Load, your character’s mobility will be penalized as noted ​here​ (see “Table: 
Encumbrance Effects). Notice that penalties from this encumbrance do not stack with 
the penalties for wearing medium or heavy armor - instead, you take the worse of the 
two penalties. 
 If your gear is too heavy, there are many ways to effectively increase your carrying 
capacity: 1) Carry your cheap, heavy gear in a ​Sack​ and just drop it on the ground when 
combat breaks out. 2) Have a ​Pack Mule​ or a strong ally carry some of your gear. 3) 
Store your gear in a ​Bag of Holding,​ ​Bag of Holding, Minor,​ or ​Handy Haversack​. 4) Wear 
Muleback Cords.​   
Now, add your armor, shield, and any other AC-boosting items to the AC Items 
section of your character sheet. If your speed is reduced due to encumbrance, you 
should update your “With Armor” Speed.  
Then, add your Armor and Shield bonuses to the AC section and calculate your total 
Armor Class​. You may not have any natural armor, deflection, or miscellaneous 
bonuses to AC at this point. You’ll also need to calculate your Touch AC and 
Flat-Footed AC, which apply under special conditions. Your Touch AC is your total AC 
without your armor, shield, or natural armor bonuses. Your Flat-Footed AC is your total 
AC without your Dexterity modifier. 
If your armor/shield have an Armor Check Penalty, or if you have an Encumbrance 
Check Penalty due to gear weight, then you’ll need to apply those penalties to your 
Strength- and Dexterity- based skills. You can apply these penalties in the “Misc. Mod.” 
section for each skill. 
Next, you should add your weapons and their stats to the corresponding sections. 
Most of the information in these sections should be listed in the weapon description. 
Refer to ​these rules​ to calculate your attack bonus with each weapon, and use ​these 
rules​ to calculate damage. In both cases, be aware of any miscellaneous modifiers you 
may have. 
If any of your items modify any stats, be sure to add that info where needed. If you 
have items with special abilities, you can add those to the Special Abilities section.  
Finally, write down your remaining money in the corresponding section. Money is 
measured in copper, silver, gold, and platinum pieces. 10 CP = 1 SP, 10 SP =1 GP, and 10 
GP = 1 PP. Most item prices are given in GP, so it’s common to just track all your wealth 
in GP.  
 
Step 14) Backstory, Personality, and Appearance 
At this point, you have determined all of your character’s stats. Now, you should 
continue developing your ideas about his backstory, personality, and appearance. What 
are the defining moments of his past? Who are his friends and family, and how does he 
interact with them? What does he do for fun? What compelled him to set out on this 
adventure? If you understand your character well, it will be easier to roleplay as him. 
Coordinate with your GM to make sure your character’s backstory works within the 
setting. 
Some character traits can be listed in the section below. You may also want to keep 
a separate sheet of notes for any important details not listed here.  

 
Know that I’ll explain Alignment, Deity, and Homeland in the following steps. Some 
race descriptions mention restrictions in terms of hair or eye color. ​This page​ offers 
guidelines for the typical Age, Height, and Weight of many races. If your race isn’t 
listed here, then you can use a comparable race as a guideline.  
Notice that characters who are middle aged or older receive penalties to all physical 
ability scores and bonuses to all mental ability scores. Because Dexterity and 
Constitution are so important to most classes, it’s usually suboptimal to play older 
characters. 
 
14A) Alignment 
Alignment describes where your character falls on the moral spectrum. You have 
two decisions to make about your character’s alignment. First, is he Good, Neutral, or 
Evil? Second, is he Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic? These terms are pretty 
self-explanatory, but it can still be difficult to pinpoint the right alignment for your 
character. Consult ​d20​ for thorough details about each possible alignment. 
Remember, some classes, feats, etc. are restricted to characters of specific 
alignments. In addition, you should make sure your alignment works for your GM. If 
your GM is writing an adventure for a group of heroes, you probably can’t play an Evil 
character. Likewise, it’s often quite difficult to mix Good and Evil characters in the 
same party. It’s fine for a party’s characters to disagree on ​some t​ hings, but you should 
still all have a compelling reason to work together. Be aware that your character’s 
alignment can shift over time if his behavior starts matching a different alignment. 
 
 14B) Deity 
There are many deities in Pathfinder, and your character can choose to worship any 
or none of them. You can find a full list of Pathfinder deities ​here​, with additional 
details on the ​Wiki​. Generally, characters worship deities with similar interests and 
values. Your alignment usually doesn’t ​have​ to match your deity’s, but they’re often 
similar. 
Some class features, feats, traits, and other options are restricted to worshippers of 
certain deities. You may end up choosing a deity for a mechanical benefit, and then 
updating your character’s interests to reflect that deity.  
 
14C) Homeland  
You should also consider where your character came from, and how they arrived to 
wherever the campaign takes place. If the campaign takes place in the default 
Pathfinder setting (Golarion), then you can read about different regions ​here​. Ask your 
GM if there are any restrictions on your homeland. Also, remember that ​Regional Traits 
require you to be from certain areas - if you took one, then this should be reflected in 
your character. 
 
Step 15) Double-Check Your Character Sheet 
At this point, you should have every necessary stat calculated and filled out. The 
only remaining blank sections should be temporary modifiers, which are usually 
adjusted mid-combat. If you have temporary modifiers that come up very frequently 
(e.g. the ​Bloodrager​’s Bloodrage), then you may want to write those in ahead of time. 
Review your character sheet to make sure you’re not missing anything, and make sure 
all your calculations are fully updated. If everything checks out, then you have finished 
creating your Pathfinder character. 
 
Step 16) Leveling Up 
Every time your character levels up, you’ll need to update your character sheet. 
Remember, you can choose to either gain levels in the same class or in other classes. 
Statistics like his BAB, saves, hit points, and more will gradually increase with each 
level gained in a class. He also gains feats and bonuses to ability scores based on his 
overall character level. This ​character advancement​ page has some helpful reminders 
for leveling your character. 
  
Step 17) Retraining (Optional) 
Sometimes we end up regretting a decision we made in character creation. Maybe a 
certain ability isn’t as useful as you had hoped, or maybe you’ve decided on a new 
direction for your character. After your campaign has begun, you can use the ​retraining 
rules to change various aspects of your character. For example, if you aren’t happy with 
a feat you took, you can retrain to swap it with a new one. Retraining requires time and 
gold, so it can’t be done ​too​ frequently, but it’s still a nice safety net. For new players, 
your GM may reduce or waive retraining costs.