Pathfinder Society Characters

Most Pathfinder Society Scenarios and Quests require the use of a Pathfinder Society character or Pathfinder Society Iconic Pregenerated character.

Resources and Access

The Character Options page explains which options are approved for Pathfinder Society play along with resource ownership rules (that is, what books you need). Remember, if a character option is reprinted with the same name in any Remastered rulebook, you must use the new version as if it were errata.

Players can choose options their character has Access to in any Paizo-published books or supplements they own. Players residing in the same household can share owned resources. Ownership of the Core Sources is not required to choose options from the Core Sources (see the Character Options page for the list of Core Sources). In that case, reference rules from the official online source, the Archives of Nethys .

Some options within the game have a rarity trait of uncommon, rare, or unique. Options without a rarity trait are considered common. ^{PC pg. 11, CRB pg. 13}Player Core page 11
Core Rulebook page 13
(click to close) Unless otherwise specified, you have Access to all common options (subject to the normal resource ownership rules).

Boons and Chronicles can grant access to options not accessible in Pathfinder Society play by default. If a character gains Access to an option, then that option is freely available to that character. They can purchase or choose it as usual, but it does not become common.

Your characters are members of the Pathfinder Society on Golarion, so they have Access to all options that require membership in the Pathfinder Society.

Iconic Pregenerated Characters

You can use a pregenerated character (or pregen) based on one of the iconic characters (an Iconic Pregen). Playing an Iconic Pregen can be useful when time is short or you want to try out a character class. You can choose any of the Iconic Pregens without owning the associated source.

You can download the Iconic Pregens or request them from your Event Organizer. See Applying Credit for additional rules for Chronicles earned by playing an Iconic Pregen.

Character Creation

Creating a character for Pathfinder Society play follows the steps in the Pathfinder Player Core with a few additional Pathfinder Society-specific rules and benefits.

Character Sheets

There is no standard character sheet format required. Character sheets must be legible, clear, and reviewable by the GM. Blank character sheets for Pathfinder can be found at:

• Paizo.com (printable)
• Hero Lab Online (digital)

Character Creation Remastered

The Pathfinder 2e Remaster features a number of updates and revisions, including some which impact character creation.

Remastered Classes

Characters created 15 November 2023 or later whose class is reprinted in any Remaster rulebook must use the reprinted version of their class.

Characters with at least one game reported prior to 15 November 2023 can be built and continue their progression using the version of their class in the Core Rulebook or other Legacy (pre-Remaster) rulebook. Once such characters earn 12 XP, they cannot use the Remastered version of their class without rebuilding. (Reminder: characters with less than 12 XP can be freely rebuilt.)

To rebuild a character from a Legacy to a Remaster version of a class, see Rebuilding on the Remaster transition page.

Other Remastered Options

If a character option other than the entire class is reprinted in a Remaster book and the option has the same name, use the new version as if it were errata. No retraining is necessary.

If a character option has not been reprinted, characters can select and use the option as previously printed.

Wizards using the Core Rulebook version of their class can treat spells that had their spell school removed as part of the Remaster as if they still have their original spell schools. They must otherwise fully update spells that have been reprinted in Remaster books. Such wizards can learn new spells printed in Remaster books, but they can never treat a spell as having a spell school if it did not have one pre-Remaster.

Character Creation Guidelines

Follow the standard steps ^{PC pg. 17, CRB pg. 19}Player Core page 17
Core Rulebook page 19
(click to close) with the additions below.

1. Create a Concept

Your character is a member of the Pathfinder Society, so they must be able to work with any other Pathfinder and abide by the Society’s motto: “Explore, Report, Cooperate.”

2. Start Building Attribute Modifiers

Pathfinder Society characters can use the standard attribute boosts and flaws for their ancestry or the alternate ancestry boosts. Your character can also take two additional attribute flaws to gain one additional attribute boost as described below.

Voluntary Flaws

You can elect to take two additional attribute flaws when applying the attribute boosts and attribute flaws from your ancestry. If you do, you can also apply one additional free attribute boost.

These attribute flaws can be assigned to any attribute you like, but you can’t apply more than one flaw to the same attribute during this step unless you apply both of the additional flaws to an attribute that is already receiving a boost during this step. In this case, the first flaw cancels the boost, and the second flaw decreases the attribute modifier by 1.

Likewise, as an exception to the normal rules for attribute boosts, you can apply two free attribute boosts to an attribute receiving a flaw during this step; the first boost cancels the flaw, and the second boost increases the attribute modifier by 1.

For example, a dwarf normally gets an attribute boost to Constitution and Wisdom, along with an attribute flaw to Charisma. You could apply one attribute flaw each to Intelligence and Strength, or you could apply both flaws to Wisdom. You could not apply either additional flaw to Charisma, though, because it is already receiving dwarves’ attribute flaw during this step.

3. Select an Ancestry

Ancestry follows the normal rules ^{PC pg. 41, CRB pg. 33}Player Core page 41
Core Rulebook page 33
(click to close) with minor modifications to adapt to the languages of Golarion.

Always Available Ancestries

From the Core Sources (see the Character Options page ), players have Access to all common ancestries and to the following uncommon options:

• Player Core
  • versatile heritages: nephilim (formerly aasimar and tiefling) and changeling; both heritages grant Access to one additional language (see Languages below).

• Player Core 2
  • ancestries: catfolk, hobgoblin, kholo, kobold, lizardfolk, ratfolk, tengu, and tripkee
  • versatile heritages: dhampir, dragonblood, and duskwalker

Note: the leshy and orc ancestries are common ancestries in the Player Core and therefore are freely available.

The following ancestries are available if you own a copy of the corresponding source book:

• poppet from Lost Omens: The Grand Bazaar

Uncommon Ancestries

Your ancestry is one of the first things you pick about your character and it is not possible to retrain your ancestry as you might retrain other options. Unless an uncommon or rarer ancestry is on the always available list above, the only way to select it is with a Boon that allows you to create a new character of this ancestry. Not every ancestry has an available Boon.

Note that characters who rely on void energy healing (that is, undead or undead-adjacent PCs) can gain items that provide void energy healing in place of standard healing items in some circumstances. See Void Energy Healing.

Home Region

When you create a character, you can decide where they have come from, including their ethnicity, ^{PC pg. 63, CRB pg. 430}[|Player Core page 63 ]
[|Core Rulebook page 430 ]
(click to close) nationality, and region of origin. ^{PC pg. 31, GMC pg. 146, CRB pg. 420}[|Player Core page 31 ]
[|GM Core page 146 ]
[|Core Rulebook page 420 ]
(click to close) These choices might allow your character to take certain character options (subject to the usual Access conditions). For instance, humans of Jadwiga ethnicity descend from the witch-queens of Irrisen, and they can take the Irriseni Ice-Witch feat to represent this connection. Similarly, characters from the Broken Lands have access to the Aldori dueling swords that are iconic to that region.

For nationality, choose one nation (such as Varisia or Taldor). You are considered a citizen of that nation. For the purpose of fulfilling prerequisites and Access conditions for uncommon character options, you are treated as being from that nation as well as the larger region in which it’s found, (such as the Saga Lands for Varisia or the Shining Kingdoms for Taldor).

A list of regions of origin and the items they grant access to is included in the Pathfinder Society FAQ . More information on the nations of Golarion is available in the Lost Omens: World Guide.

If your character is of mixed ethnicity or comes from multiple regions of origin, then for the purposes of game balance, you choose one ethnicity and one region of origin that your character can use to satisfy prerequisite and access conditions for character options. This affects only the character options you can select, and in no way limits your character’s identity or story.

The World Traveler Boon allows you to change or expand your character’s origin for the purpose of qualifying for character options, to reflect their life experiences.

Languages

All Pathfinder Society characters are literate and speak Common (Taldane) as well as any other languages granted by their ancestry. All Pathfinder Society characters have Access to all common and uncommon languages. All Pathfinder Society characters begin play knowing one additional regional language.

All Pathfinder Society characters receive enough training in Pathfinder Hand Signs (formerly Napsu-Sign) to communicate simple concepts, as well as to understand characters who primarily communicate via sign language (like some characters with disabilities).

Nephilim characters have Access to one additional language (choose among Chthonian, Empyrean, Daemonic, or Diabolic) and changeling characters have Access to Aklo. These languages must still be learned following the usual rules.

4. Pick A Background

In addition to the backgrounds allowed by the Character Options page, players who participated in the Pathfinder Society (first edition) campaign have access to special Pathfinder Society Legacy Backgrounds.

5. Choose A Class

Pathfinder Society characters begin play at level 1.

6. Finish Attribute Modifiers

Follow the normal rules in the Player Core / Core Rulebook.

7. Record Class Details

All Pathfinder Society characters get free training in Pathfinder Society Lore (sometimes referred to as Pathfinder Lore). Otherwise, Pathfinder Society characters follow the standard rules for Class Details.

8. Buy Equipment

All characters in Pathfinder Society begin with the standard 15 gold pieces (150 silver pieces) that can be spent on starting gear. For a quick start, see the quick equipment packages (formerly class kits), prebuilt selections of gear tailored to each of the core classes. ^{PC pg. 268, CRB pg. 289}Player Core page 268
Core Rulebook page 289
(click to close) Further information on purchasing equipment is in Purchasing Guidelines.

9. Calculate Modifiers

Follow the normal rules in the Player Core / Core Rulebook.

10. Finishing Details

Introduction Notes: The beginning of Pathfinder Society games includes character introductions, so consider making a few notes on your character’s appearance, personality, and pronouns to share with other players. The World of Golarion and the Lost Omens: Character Guide both contain information on the campaign setting you can use for this purpose.

Age: Characters must be at least young adults to be accepted as members of the Pathfinder Society.

Other Organization Membership: Through the course of your character’s adventures, you might meet influential members of other organizations and have the opportunity to learn from them. The Secondary Initiation AcP Boon allows you to gain membership in an organization and access to its character options.

No Unholy PCs: Pathfinder Society characters cannot be sanctified unholy. Since alignments have been removed from Pathfinder as of the Remaster, this is the spiritual successor to the previous rule forbidding PCs with evil alignments.

Deities and Philosophies

Characters can worship and gain mechanical benefits from any deity listed in the table of gods in the Player Core (beginning on page 35) or detailed in Lost Omens: Gods and Magic so long as they follow the deity’s listed divine sanctification rule and the deity is not limited or restricted. (See the Character Options page for whether a deity is limited or restricted.)

Characters can revere deities they do not worship. Revering a deity means that your character might do things like wearing the deity’s holy symbol, attending the deity’s religious services, or performing other acts of obeisance that aren’t rewarded with spells or divine powers. A character can revere as many deities as they wish, but can worship and receive power from only one.

Some deities, such as Rovagug or Urgathoa, require their followers to be sanctified unholy; since Pathfinder Society characters cannot be sanctified unholy, these deities cannot be worshiped to gain benefits. Characters can also be agnostic, atheist, or can follow the tenets of philosophies ^{LOGM pg. 94}[|Lost Omens: Gods & Magic page 94 ]
(click to close) rather than deities.

Note that a number of deities will die during 2024 as part of the War of Immortals event. For more information, including on gaining a free rebuild if the deity your character worships dies, see Deity Death Rebuilds.

Pantheons

Characters can also follow pantheons ^{LOGM pg. 92}Lost Omens: Gods & Magic page 92
(click to close) instead of specific deities, in which case they gain the benefits of the pantheon as a whole. Pathfinder Society characters must choose a patron deity when following a pantheon. They can use both their patron deity and the pantheon as a whole to satisfy access and prerequisites, but not any other deities in the pantheon individually. For instance, a character could worship the Godclaw, with Iomedae as their patron deity, in which case they could take options related to both Iomedae and the Godclaw, but this wouldn’t automatically allow them to take options related to Torag, Irori, Abadar, or Asmodeus.

Edicts and Anathema in Society Play

To allow a wide variety of characters in Pathfinder Society play, the rules around edicts and anathema are slightly relaxed. All characters can participate in Pathfinder Society adventures without running afoul of their deity’s or classes’ edicts and anathema. Assume the Society has ensured that attempting to perform the primary objective of an official Pathfinder Society mission by itself will not cause a character to fall out of favor with their deity.

Likewise, while edicts are valorous actions praised by a deity, a character does not need to perform their deity’s edicts to the exclusion of other activities or if doing so would prevent the smooth progression of play at the table.

An anathema in Pathfinder Society is always personal. The actions of one PC at a table can never cause another PC at the table to fall. However, other characters are welcome to express their disapproval provided it does not interfere with the progress of the game.

Remember that edicts and anathema exist to create roleplaying opportunities at the table for your character, not to be used by the GM or players to pressure others at the table toward specific styles of play.

Pawns

In Encounter Mode, each PC is represented by a pawn. Each other creature controlled by a PC whose location outside their PC’s square affects the encounter is also represented by a pawn. PCs cannot place more than 2 pawns per adventure, including their own.

Creatures that do not count toward this pawn limit:

• Familiars
• Temporary creatures who last no more than an encounter or two
• Creatures who stay in their controller’s square during combat

For in-person games, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game uses maps with a standard 1-inch grid to determine movement and tactical positioning in combat. You need a physical representation of your character to use on the grid. Paizo produces a wide range of Pathfinder Pawns and also works with Reaper Miniatures and WizKids to offer a wide variety of gaming miniatures so you can find just the right figure for your character.

For digital play, use a digital image. Ask your GM for their preferred image format and size.

Purchasing Guidelines

At character creation and between adventures, you can purchase items according to the rules below. The same rules apply during an adventure as long as you are in a settlement with at least 5,000 residents.

* item levels not applicable to AcP purchases unless otherwise specified

Players still follow the normal resource ownership rules (see the Character Options page).

Characters have Access to items on adventure Chronicles applied to that character. Weapons and armor found on Chronicles can be upgraded following the normal upgrading rules.

Any basic equipment weapon or armor your character has access to can be purchased in a precious material version, provided you have Access to weapons or armor made of that precious material. The weapon or armor must still meet any requirements for using that precious material.

Infamy can reduce a character’s effective level when purchasing items.

No PC to PC Exchanges

In Organized Play, you can never permanently transfer items or funds between PCs, but one PC can allow another PC to use their items (including consumables) during an adventure. This means a PC cannot buy, sell, trade, or donate items to another PC. This rule does not affect the ability of PCs to pool their funds to remove afflictions.

Borrowed items are returned at the end of the adventure in whatever condition they are in at that time. Unused consumables are returned like any other item, but there is nothing to return when borrowed consumables have been used. If you expend a borrowed consumable or another PC uses one of their consumables on you, you can replace the item, though you are not required to do so; such cases are not considered PC to PC exchanges.

Spellcasting Services

All Pathfinders have access to spellcasting services related to condition removal at any Pathfinder lodge. Spellcasting services are always automatically successful, but never critically succeed. If a spellcasting service requires a counteract check it must be purchased at one spell rank higher than the effect it is counteracting; the check always succeeds. Costs for spellcasting services can be found in Spellcasting Service Costs, and GMs are required to use these costs unless the scenario specifies otherwise.

Spells

Any prepared spellcaster can work with tutors at the Grand Lodge, using the Learn a Spell activity to learn any common spells or spells they have Access to. This adds no additional material cost beyond the standard cost for the Learn a Spell activity. Having Access to a scroll does not grant Access to the spell, but a character with Access to a scroll can buy a copy of it and learn the spell from it.

Spell schools have been removed from the game as part of the Remaster. With the exception of Withdrawn Items, you can still purchase or choose pre-Remaster items and abilities that rely on the existence of spell schools to function. However, Remastered spells do not have spell schools, so the usefulness of these options will diminish over time.

Formulas

The Pathfinder Society sells formulas to its agents for all items the agent has Access to with the exception of items that have a number restriction on purchasing them. Items with a number restriction, including Unique Items, are so esoteric that the Society does not own the formula and so complicated that it is not possible to reverse engineer the formula even with a legendary degree of skill.

Applying and Transferring Runes

The Pathfinder Society has a specialist at the Grand Lodge who can apply or swap out runes for agents in good standing. This service is free, and requires no check, but is only available before the adventure briefing or once the adventure is complete, unless stated in the adventure. Only the service of transferring the rune is free, however. Characters must still pay the 10% materials cost and provide any required runestones.

Selling Gear

All gear is sold back for half of the gold the character originally paid. Equipment that was purchased as part of a bundle, such as a class kit or a magic weapon, can only be sold back as part of the same bundle, and all parts of the bundle must be sold. Partially used consumables cannot be sold back. Rebuild Boons that state kit values are an exception to the half price resale rule.

A pregenerated character's gear can never be sold, although there is an equivalent discount for removing conditions from pregens at the end of an adventure. See After the Adventure and Spellcasting Service Costs for details.

Recording Purchases

All purchases must be recorded on a Chronicle Sheet or on a separate record tracker.

Rebuilding Characters

When rebuilding your character in any way, you must describe all changes on your next Chronicle Sheet. You can never create a character using Rebuilding or Retraining that you could not build without it.

Level 1 Free Rebuilds

After playing a new character, you might find aspects of your character you would like to change. Don’t worry! Until you play a game in which your character starts with 12 or more XP, you can freely rebuild any aspect of your character. This counts as building the character for Boons that apply when you build a character. If this would change the character’s equipment, you can sell back equipment at 100% of the gold paid. This otherwise follows the rules for Selling Gear. The character retains their Reputation earned and character number.

Retraining at Level 2+

For retraining options available once your character reaches 12 or more XP, see Player Options: Retraining Characters.

Remaster Rebuilds

On November 15, 2023, all characters with at least one game reported were granted one free full rebuild. This rebuild must be used before December 31, 2024. A second rebuild of this type will not be granted following the release of Player Core 2. See Remaster Rules > Rebuilding for details.

Deity Death Rebuilds

A number of deities will die during 2024 as part of the War of Immortals event. Dead deities do not provide mechanical benefits. Any character using a character option that explicitly receives power from a deity who dies automatically receives a free rebuild, which does not expire.

Note that the Core 20 deity who will die no longer provides mechanical benefits as of 1 August 2024 (see more information on the Paizo blog (spoiler) ). Other deities who die during the War of Immortals event will no longer provide mechanical benefits as of 1 January 2025.

Rule Changes

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a living game, meaning sometimes game elements change over the course of a PC’s career. However, if you begin playing an adventure before the effective date of a rule change, you are not required to use the updated rules for that play of the adventure. Similarly, if a convention or other gaming event begins before the effective date of a rule change, you are not required to use the updated rules for adventures run as part of that event.

If a rule change modifies an element of your character, you could be eligible for a partial rebuild. See Errata Rebuilds for more details.