Pathfinder 2e Roleplaying Game
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Basics Pathfinder is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) where you and a group of friends gather to tell a tale of brave heroes and cunning villains in a world filled with terrifying monsters and amazing treasures.
Ability Scores One of the most important aspects of your character is their ability scores. These scores represent your character’s raw potential and influence nearly every other statistic on your character sheet.
Character Creation Unless you’re the GM, the first thing you need to do when playing Pathfinder is create your character.
Character Advancement The world of Pathfinder is a dangerous place, and your character will face terrifying beasts and deadly traps on their journey into legend.
Ancestries Your character’s ancestry determines which people they call their own, whether it’s diverse and ambitious humans, insular but vivacious elves, traditionalist and family-focused dwarves, or any of the other folk who call…
Dwarf Dwarves have a well-earned reputation as a stoic and stern people, ensconced within citadels and cities carved from solid rock.
Dwarf Heritages With their long family lines and hardy physiologies, dwarves take great pride in the resilience their bloodlines provide. Choose one of the following dwarven heritages at 1st level.
Dwarf Ancestry Feats At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As a dwarf, you select from among the following ancestry feats.
Elf As an ancient people, elves have seen great change and have the perspective that can come only from watching the arc of history.
Elf Heritages Elves live long lives and adapt to their environment after dwelling there for a long time. Choose one of the following elven heritages at 1st level.
Elf Ancestry Feats At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As an elf, you select from among the following ancestry feats.
Gnome Long ago, early gnome ancestors emigrated from the First World, realm of the fey.
Gnome Heritages A diverse collection of oddballs, gnomes have all sorts of peculiar strains among their bloodlines. Choose one of the following gnome heritages at 1st level.
Gnome Ancestry Feats At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level). As a gnome, you select from among the following ancestry feats.
Goblin The convoluted histories other people cling to don’t interest goblins. These small folk live in the moment, and they prefer tall tales over factual records.
Goblin Heritages Goblins, especially those of different tribes, have all sorts of physiological differences, which they often discover only through hazardous “experiments.” Choose one of the following goblin heritages at 1st level.
Goblin Ancestry Feats At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level). As a goblin, you can select from the following ancestry feats.
Halfling Claiming no place as their own, halflings control few settlements larger than villages. Instead, they frequently live among humans within the walls of larger cities, carving out small communities alongside taller folk.
Halfling Heritages You select a heritage at 1st level to reflect abilities passed down to you from your ancestors or common among those of your ancestry in the environment where you were born or grew up.
Halfling Ancestry Feats At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As a halfling, you select from among the following ancestry feats.
Human As unpredictable and varied as any of Golarion’s peoples, humans have exceptional drive and the capacity to endure and expand.
Human Heritages Unlike other ancestries, humans don’t have significant physiological differences defined by their lineage. Instead, their heritages either reveal their potential as a people or reflect lineages from multiple ancestries.
Human Ancestry Feats At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As a human, you choose from among the following ancestry feats.
Half-elf A half-elf is born to an elf and a human, or to two half-elves. The life of a half-elf can be difficult, often marked by a struggle to fit in.
Half-elf Ancestry Feats A human with elf or orc blood is called a half-elf or half-orc, respectively, which is represented by the corresponding heritage.
Half-orc A half-orc is the offspring of a human and an orc, or of two half-orcs. Because some intolerant people see orcs as more akin to monsters than people, they sometimes hate and fear half-orcs simply due to their lineage.
Half-orc Ancestry Feats The following feats are available to half-orcs. Some of these feats are common to people with orc blood, and have the orc trait, while others are specific to half-orcs and have the half-orc trait.
Backgrounds Backgrounds allow you to customize your character based on their life before adventuring. This is the next step in their life story after their ancestry, which reflects the circumstances of their birth.
Languages The people of the Inner Sea region speak dozens of different languages, along with hundreds of dialects and regional variations.
Classes Just as your character’s ancestry plays a key role in expressing their identity and worldview, their class indicates the training they have and will improve upon as an adventurer.
Alchemist There’s no sight more beautiful to you than a strange brew bubbling in a beaker, and you consume your ingenious elixirs with abandon.
Alchemist Class Features You gain these abilities as an alchemist. Abilities gained at higher levels list the levels at which you gain them next to the features’ names.
Alchemist Feats At every level that you gain an alchemist feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.
Barbarian Rage consumes you in battle. You delight in wreaking havoc and using powerful weapons to carve through your enemies, relying on astonishing durability without needing complicated techniques or rigid training.
Barbarian Class Features You gain these abilities as a barbarian. Abilities gained at higher levels list the requisite levels next to their names.
Barbarian Instincts You channel your rage through an instinct. You decide what your instinct means to you.
Barbarian Feats At every level that you gain a barbarian feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.
Bard You are a master of artistry, a scholar of hidden secrets, and a captivating persuader. Using powerful performances, you influence minds and elevate souls to new levels of heroics.
Bard Class Features You gain these abilities as a bard. Abilities gained at higher levels list the requisite levels next to the features’ names.
Bard Feats At every level that you gain a bard feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.
Champion You are an emissary of a deity, a devoted servant who has taken up a weighty mantle, and you adhere to a code that holds you apart from those around you.
Champion Class Features You gain these abilities as a champion. Abilities gained at higher levels list the requisite levels next to their names.
Champion Feats At each level that you gain a champion feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.
Cleric Deities work their will upon the world in infinite ways, and you serve as one of their most stalwart mortal servants.
Cleric Class Features You gain these abilities as a cleric. Abilities gained at higher levels list requisite levels next to their names.
Cleric Feats At each level that you gain a cleric feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.
Druid The power of nature is impossible to resist. It can bring ruin to the stoutest fortress in minutes, reducing even the mightiest works to rubble, burning them to ash, burying them beneath an avalanche of snow, or…
Druid Class Features You gain these abilities as a druid. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features’ names.
Druid Feats At every level that you gain a druid feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.
Fighter Fighting for honor, greed, loyalty, or simply the thrill of battle, you are an undisputed master of weaponry and combat techniques.
Fighter Class Features You gain these abilities as a fighter. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features’ names.
Fighter Feats At each level that you gain a fighter feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.
Monk The strength of your fist flows from your mind and spirit. You seek perfection—honing your body into a flawless instrument and your mind into an orderly bastion of wisdom.
Monk Class Features You gain these abilities as a monk. Abilities gained at higher levels list the requisite levels next to the features’ names.
Monk Feats Every level at which you gain a monk feat, select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.
Ranger Some rangers believe civilization wears down the soul, but still needs to be protected from wild creatures. Others say nature needs to be protected from the greedy, who wish to tame its beauty and plunder its treasures.
Ranger Class Features You gain these abilities as a ranger. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features’ names.
Ranger Feats At every level that you gain a ranger feat, you can select one of the following. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.
Rogue You are skilled and opportunistic. Using your sharp wits and quick reactions, you take advantage of your opponents’ missteps and strike where it hurts most.
Rogue Class Features You gain these abilities as a rogue. Abilities gained at higher levels list the level at which you gain them next to the features’ names.
Rogue Feats At every level that you gain a rogue feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before selecting the feat.
Sorcerer You didn’t choose to become a spellcaster—you were born one. There’s magic in your blood, whether a divinity touched one of your ancestors, a forebear communed with a primal creature, or a powerful occult ritual…
Sorcerer Class Features You gain these abilities as a sorcerer. Abilities gained at higher levels list the requisite levels next to their names.
Sorcerer Bloodlines Choose your bloodline, the source of your power. It has a major influence on your abilities, determining your spell list, the tradition of spells you cast, and two trained skills.
Sorcerer Feats At every level at which you gain a sorcerer feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.
Wizard You are an eternal student of the arcane secrets of the universe, using your mastery of magic to cast powerful and devastating spells.
Wizard Class Features You gain these abilities as a wizard. Abilities gained at higher levels list the levels next to their names.
Arcane Schools If you specialize in an arcane school, rather than studying each school equally (as universalists do), you gain an extra spell slot for each level of spell you can cast.
Wizard Feats At each level that you gain a wizard feat, you can select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.
Universalist Wizards Instead of specializing narrowly in an arcane school, you can become a universalist wizard—by studying all the schools equally, you devote yourself to understanding the full breadth of the arcane arts.
Skills While your character’s ability scores represent their raw talent and potential, skills represent their training and experience at performing certain tasks.
Acrobatics (Dex) Acrobatics measures your ability to perform tasks requiring coordination and grace. When you use the Escape basic action (page 470), you can use your Acrobatics modifier instead of your unarmed attack modifier.
Arcana (Int) Arcana measures how much you know about arcane magic and creatures. Even if you’re untrained, you can Recall Knowledge.
Athletics (Str) Athletics allows you to perform deeds of physical prowess. When you use the Escape basic action, you can use your Athletics modifier instead of your unarmed attack modifier.
Crafting (Int) You can use this skill to create, understand, and repair items.
Deception (Cha) You can trick and mislead others using disguises, lies, and other forms of subterfuge.
Diplomacy (Cha) You influence others through negotiation and flattery.
Intimidation (Cha) You bend others to your will using threats.
Lore (Int) You have specialized information on a narrow topic.
Medicine (Wis) You can patch up wounds and help people recover from diseases and poisons. Even if you’re untrained in Medicine, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
Nature (Wis) You know a great deal about the natural world, and you command and train animals and magical beasts. Even if you’re untrained in Nature, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
Occultism (Int) You know a great deal about ancient philosophies, esoteric lore, obscure mysticism, and supernatural creatures. Even if you’re untrained in Occultism, you can use it to Recall Knowledge.
Performance (Cha) You are skilled at a form of performance, using your talents to impress a crowd or make a living.
Religion (Wis) The secrets of deities, dogma, faith, and the realms of divine creatures both sublime and sinister are open to you. You also understand how magic works, though your training imparts a religious slant to that knowledge.
Society (Int) You understand the people and systems that make civilization run, and you know the historical events that make societies what they are today.
Stealth (Dex) You are skilled at avoiding detection, allowing you to slip past foes, hide, or conceal an item.
Survival (Wis) You are adept at living in the wilderness, foraging for food and building shelter, and with training you discover the secrets of tracking and hiding your trail.
Thievery (Dex) You are trained in a particular set of skills favored by thieves and miscreants.
Spells Whether it comes in the form of mystic artifacts, mysterious creatures, or wizards weaving strange spells, magic brings fantasy and wonder to Pathfinder.
Rituals A ritual is an esoteric and complex spell that anyone can cast. It takes much longer to cast a ritual than a normal spell, but rituals can have more powerful effects.
Focus Spells Some classes gain special spells that they cast using Focus Points instead of spell slots. These focus spells are listed below, organized by class.
Feats All kinds of experiences and training can shape your character beyond what you learn by advancing in your class.
Equipment To make your mark on the world, you’ll need to have the right equipment, including armor, weapons, and other gear. This chapter presents the various equipment that you can purchase during character creation.
Armor Armor increases your character’s defenses, but some medium or heavy armor can hamper movement. If you want to increase your character’s defense beyond the protection your armor provides, they can use a shield.
Exploration Mode While encounters use rounds for combat, exploration is more free form.
Introduction 7Pathfinder is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) where you and a group of friends gather to tell a tale of brave heroes and cunning villains in a world filled with terrifying monsters and amazing treasures.
What Is a Roleplaying Game? 7A roleplaying game is an interactive story where one player, the Game Master (GM), sets the scene and presents challenges, while other players take the roles of player characters (PCs) and attempt to overcome those…
Basics of Play 8Before creating your first character or adventure, you should understand a number of basic concepts used in the game.
Playing the Game 10In a Pathfinder game, three modes of play determine the pacing of each scene in the story.
Encounters 10In the course of your adventures, there will be times when a simple skill check is not enough to resolve a challenge— when fearsome monsters stand in your character’s way and the only choice is to do battle.