From 3.5 To Pathfinder: A One-Way Trip‍

Imagine. It is 2009. You have been playing the same campaign of Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 with your friends for over two years, meeting early in the morning every Saturday and playing until even the rules lawyer is too tired to argue. With all these hours played, you've got a good thing going—you know your character, you know the rules—but then one of your friends walks in with a new book.

The cover shows a heroic warrior, sword in motion, poised to deliver a devastating blow against a dragon. It looks epic. “Paizo presents: Pathfinder.” Flipping through the pages, you feel the weight of it. There are charts. There are rules. There are more rules. Is this a whole new system?

"Don't worry," your friend says. "Paizo wrote for the Dungeon and Dragon magazines. It’s the same game—just better."

This was how my friend group discovered Pathfinder—and we never looked back. We all converted and, while everything was familiar, The mechanics were more refined, more fine-tuned. Soon, to our absolute glee, the game run smoother, faster, and more flexible than ever before.

During those early sessions, we mused, “could this be the roleplaying holy grail?”‍

The System That Could

I can hear you asking, “Wait, I have to learn two systems?” 

That’s the best part, no! D&D and Pathfinder were cut from the same cloth—If you know one, you’ll already have a strong grasp of the other. But each stands on its own as a crunchy, fantasy roleplaying game with their own individual appeal.

"Crunch" refers to roleplaying games that offer a vast array of options at the cost of a hefty ruleset. Pathfinder 1e embraces this, providing rules for nearly everything, making it ideal for players who believe that restriction breeds creativity.

You want to play a half-orc alchemist riding a tamed dinosaur, flinging explosive bombs while wielding a greatsword and deciphering thousand-year-old runes? There are rules for that, you beautiful lunatic!

It Will Grapple You, But In A Good Way

‍So how do we build a character?

Fantasy roleplaying games are about bringing your vision to life, while crafting a collaborative story with others. While crunch-heavy systems may encourage optimization and individual character focus, it is my belief that all roleplaying games shine brightest when viewed through the lens of shared storytelling. So the advice in this article begins before you ever touch a die.

Find a Game Master (GM), either a friend or through an amazing group-finding platform like Startplaying.games. Speak to them about your character ideas. Get a feel for the setting, tone, and house rules.

Next, talk to the other players about their character ideas. If everyone is building super serious, stealthy rogues and ninjas with names like Shining Blade, the Assassin’s Star and you come with the loudest Gnome Cavalier in the history of sound named—Weeble of House Blorp, Who Never Lies—there might be a problem. Communication is key.

There are a few necessities you’ll need to acquire, or, if you have a professional host, you’ll be given access to them—a physical rulebook or PDF, dice, and a character sheet. With these at your fingertips, it's time to roll some dice.

The character creation process follow 6 steps:

• Ability Scores
• Race
• Class
• Skills and Feats
• Starting Equipment
• Final Details

Like most “traditional” systems, Pathfinder 1e starts with ability scores. There are several ways to generate them—rolling dice, using a point-buy system, or even drawing numbers from a cup. There is no wrong way to do it, as long as each player follows the same method.

Ability scores are a defining feature of your character. They determine how strong, quick, and intelligent you are. There are six ability scores, and understanding them is key to understanding who your character is.

Imagine the absolutely average person. They have a 10 in each ability score.

Can you open a jar of pickles with a tool? Strength 10.
Can you hit the broad side of a barn with a jar of pickles? Dexterity 10.
Can you eat a whole jar of pickles without feeling sick? Constitution 10.
Can you accurately guess the number of pickles in a jar? Intelligence 10.
Can you resist eating pickles? Wisdom 10.
Can you sell a jar of pickles to someone who is already hungry? Charisma 10.

Every two points higher or lower than 10 represents a significant leap in ability, with a maximum of 18 at level 1.

Can you tear the lid off any jar of pickles, no matter how tight? Strength 18.
Can you hit a fly in motion with a jar of pickles from across the room? Dexterity 18.
Can you eat a crate of jarred pickles without feeling sick? Constitution 18.
Can you estimate the number of pickles in a crate using advanced mathematics? Intelligence 18.
Can you extol the medical virtues of eating pickles? Wisdom 18.
Can you sell a jar of pickles to someone who's allergic? Charisma 18.

I may be craving pickles at this point... which means my Wisdom save has clearly failed.

Wait a Minute… This Isn't About Fighting Dragons, This Is Math!‍

Pathfinder 1e isn’t a system where you can just wander down any path and expect to end up with a coherent character. From level 1, you need to think ahead.

How will your race complement your character’s goals? What feats will set you up for even greater choices down the line?

Who are you? An elf or a dwarf? A half-elf, half-orc, or halfling? Humans and gnomes? Oh my!

This is your race, and with the GM’s approval, expansion books offer even more options. Each race comes with a hearty list of traits that define its uniqueness—like darkvision (the ability to see in the dark) or bonuses to certain skills.

You’ll copy these abilities onto your character sheet and apply the bonuses where appropriate.

How do you like to get things done? That’s what defines your class.

Are you all about steel and grit? It’s a fighter’s life for you.
Do you have a deep, personal relationship with your god? Welcome to the clergy.
Does nobody understand you? Here’s your black eyeliner and a dagger—welcome to the life of a rogue.

Most of the actual gameplay in Pathfinder 1e revolves around a d20—a 20-sided die, or, if you want to feel smart, an icosahedron.

Skills, weapon attacks, and spell attacks all rely on the d20, along with a handful of other abilities.

Skills are chosen during character creation, with new ranks gained at every level. Your class, Intelligence, race, and occasionally other factors influence how many ranks you get. Skills that the game considers class related, such as acrobatics for a monk, stealth for a rogue, or dungeoneering knowledge for a fighter, get an additional starting bonus when you put ranks into them.

(Remember when I mentioned this game has Crunch?)

You distribute your skill ranks however you like, shaping what your character excels at, but the game does encourage you down certain paths.

Your class determines which weapons you’re proficient with, and you’ll choose some starting equipment—don’t worry, there will be plenty of chances to upgrade later.

Spellcasters select their initial spells during character creation and gain more as they level up. ‍

Tastes Like Every Feat You've Ever Wanted‍

All games have rules—and rules are only fun when you find ways to break them. Feats have entered the chat.

Feats are special talents your character possesses—often self-explanatory, but always requiring careful reading. Your character gains new feats at odd levels (1, 3, 5, etc.), allowing for considerable customization and providing instant benefits. They’re also your key to securing a successful future.

Feats add definition and novelty to your character, but they can also feel extremely demanding. Many follow strict progression paths and require precise dependencies, meaning you may need to dedicate a significant portion of your character’s uniqueness toward a specific goal.

And there’s no shortage of potential goals—so even attempting to explain all your options would be futile. Therefore, I do recommend taking a careful look into the feat options and trees before you commit your character to paper. I cannot begin to fathom how many times we all sat around the table, discussing our feat options.

As you finalize your character, remember: feats and class features should complement each other—avoid options that don’t enhance your primary role.‍

Step Into An Adventure‍

Whether you’re an optimizer, a roleplayer, or just here for the pickles, you’re now ready to jump into the game.

Despite all the rules and customization that go into a Pathfinder 1e character, the core of any and all roleplaying games… is the roleplaying. And for some of us, having a structured set of boundaries isn’t restrictive—it’s empowering, creating a kind of confidence that feels truly authentic.

If you're new to pathfinder-1e or a veteran looking for an immersive adventure, check out startplaying.games for amazing hosts.

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-DM Roy