So, you’re looking to create a character for Pathfinder Second Edition. Can’t tell the difference between an Ancestry and a Heritage? Intimidated by a seemingly infinite feat list? Just want to smash kobolds in a barbarian rage? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Pathfinder 2e is a bit famous (and a bit infamous) for its overwhelming variety of character building options. Every class gets a different kind of feat at every level, a skill boost every other level, and all kinds of class perks across levels. Then there’s also spells, what school they fall into, whether or not they’re focus, and if your spells are prepared or spontaneous or innate. And let’s not even get started on optional rules like free archetypes!
Where can a person go to create a character for PF2e? Well, thankfully for you, there’s a huge variety of resources available out there! Let’s start from the basics and work our way up.
Player Corebooks
The obvious place to start would be the two (yes, two!) Player Corebooks. Between them, these two books contain 16 different classes to play from, many different Ancestries, and pretty much all the rules you’ll need to know. Sounds simple, right? Ah, my sweet child of Absalom, we’re just getting started.
You only need one player core to play PF2e, but each one only has 8 of the 16 classes between them. Druid, wizard, and fighter are in Player Core 1, but barbarian, sorcerer, and monk are in Player Core 2. Player Core 1 has many of the basic ancestries like human, orc, and dwarf. But Player Core 2 has the more fabulous ancestries like catfolk, gnoll, and kobold. Player Core 1 has a versatile array of heritages, but Player Core 2 has all the new archetypes.
That’s not even to mention all of the other classes, feats, and items in the expansions like the gunslinger in Guns & Gears, or the kineticist in Rage of the Elements. And then there’s all the legacy content from before the remaster that can still be used, unless it’s already been errata’d. If you want all the options in front of you, you’re going to quickly find yourself under a mountain of books!
Of course, the bigger problem looming over all of this, is that you’re going to need to figure this all out manually. While the Player Cores are nice enough to include a step-by-step process for character creation, you’re still going to need to search through all those feats, items, and ancestries by hand. While perhaps a perk of the system for any grognard, the rest of us could probably use a little mechanical assistance.
Archives of Nethys
The Archives of Nethys are an amazing resource built and maintained by Paizo that contain all (yes, all!) of the character options and items available in the entire Pathfinder Second Edition canon. Every class, feat, item, spell, and so forth are tagged with individual traits, levels, etcetera, and can be individually searched using the Archives of Nethys’s stupendous search function. With AoN by your side, creating a character for Pathfinder 2e should be much easier. Not to mention, it’s a rules lawyer’s paradise.
However, Archives of Nethys is not an actual character builder. While it’s extremely helpful for looking up information, it cannot actually build you a sheet — and you certainly can’t roll from it! As well, it can be quite difficult to figure out what actually goes where. Not to mention verifying if all of these archetype feats you’re adding are actually allowed.
Foundry Virtual Tabletop
Foundry VTT is the premiere virtual tabletop for running Pathfinder 2e. Most GMs worth their salt will be hosting a PF2e game in Foundry, even for an in-person game. The automation available within the heavily integrated, volunteer-run PF2e system for Foundry is just too powerful to forego.
In no place is this better demonstrated than PF2e Foundry’s character sheet system. The sheets can track everything from spell slots, to carry weight, to your 15th feat’s circumstance bonus on your next strike against a creature with the Mental trait. If you had trouble understanding the last sentence — don’t worry! That’s what Foundry is there to help with.
Building a PF2e character in Foundry is a snap compared to pen and paper. Ask your GM to very kindly create you a sheet, and then pop it open. You’ll find spots for all your character basics with little magnifying glasses. Click them and all the options available to you will be right there to browse. Choose one (eventually!), and then move on to the next. Don’t forget to edit your attributes! This can greatly simplify many of the processes that usually go into character creation, in particular surfing through the overwhelming number of feats that are usually available.
The automation here is a bit limited, though. In particular, the item and spell sections more-or-less need to be manually created and filled. While an experienced player can do this themselves, you’ll probably need to ask your GM for some guidance, and more than a few rules checks.
Thankfully, there’s a helpful tool for that too.
Pathbuilder 2e
Pathbuilder is a fan-made tool for putting together characters quickly, and with as much automation as possible. You’ll still need to look through all the options and decide for yourself, of course, but that’s the fun part.
One of the best things about Pathbuilder is that you can plan for well into the future. Up to level 20, in fact! Surprise your GM with your ultimate Magus-dedicated Champion spellblade kitsune. Or, just start at level 1, and go with the flow.
Another convenience of Pathbuilder is its integration with Foundry VTT through the Pathmuncher module. Ask your very kind game master if they’ll install the module, and then importing your character should be as easy as a few clicks. Now you’ve built smart, and can play smart, with the right software behind you!
Something to keep in mind with Pathbuilder is that, while the core features are free, optional rules like Free Archetypes do require a subscription to integrate. So keep that in mind next time you’re planning your triple-multiclass threat.
Still, this is a lot of information to sift through. How can you possibly figure out what would be the most fun?
Ask a Professional
All of this information may seem overwhelming, and you’re just looking for somebody reliable and seasoned to walk you through creating a character for Pathfinder 2e. StartPlaying has your back! With dozens of well-versed, well-reviewed professionals running games of PF2e every week, you’re certain to find the right fit for you.
No matter which Path you Find yourself on, we’ll make sure you arrive right where you need to be!
Salman Corbette is StartPlaying resident improv expert, offering weekly games and workshops to true roleplay connoisseurs
