Paizo Organized Play games use the Pathfinder Baseline from page 486 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook . Circumstances such as venue restrictions, table composition or player needs can require additional adjustments to the baseline. GMs are encouraged to choose alternate descriptions, utilize Lines and Veils, or incorporate X-Cards as described on page 485 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook to provide the best gaming experience possible.
The version of the Pathfinder Baseline published in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook is the official version and takes precedence in the case of any conflict with the version below, which is reproduced here for convenience.
The Pathfinder Baseline
You might find that your players don’t have much to say on the topic of objectionable content, and just assume that general societal mores will keep the most uncomfortable topics out of the game. That’s not always enough, as that approach relies on shared assumptions that aren’t always accurate. The following is a set of basic assumptions that works for many groups, which you can modify to fit your preferences and those of the other players.
- Bloodshed, injuries, and even dismemberment might be described. However, excessive descriptions of gore and cruelty should be avoided.
- Romantic and sexual relationships can happen in the game, but players should avoid being overly suggestive. Sex always happens “off-screen.” Because attempts at initiating a relationship between player characters can be uncomfortably similar to one player hitting on another, this should generally be avoided (and is entirely inappropriate when playing with strangers).
- Avoid excessively gross or scatological descriptions.
The following acts should never be performed by player characters:
- Torture
- Rape, nonconsensual sexual contact, or sexual threats
- Harm to children, including sexual abuse
- Owning slaves or profiting from the slave trade
- Reprehensible uses of mind-control magic
Villains might engage in such acts, but they won’t happen “on-screen” or won’t be described in detail. Many groups choose to not have villains engage in these activities at all, keeping these reprehensible acts out of mind entirely.