How Do You Create a Character Going by the Book.

[SirSpamHammer]

Do you go through it step by step from page 15 or do you go straight to page 290 where they have all the dice and information for player races. I kind of think you need to know all the stuff first.

[Greg_Merrick]

This is a good question. It honestly depends on personal preference and there are pros and cons to every method. If you don't know what direction you want to go with the character or want to make a character that feels more like they're playing with the attributes life gave them choose a race roll your attributes and pick an O.C.C. based on the attributes you rolled. On the other hand you can come up with a concept first and roll your attributes and (based on the number of dice required for each attribute due to non humans having attributes that vary from the standard 3D6) plug your attributes in the appropriate spots. I typically allow players to place their attribute scores where they like providing the given attribute dice pool matchs the dice used for the roll. All in all it depends on the players familiarity with the system. If they're not familiar with the system then starting at the beginning could provide valuable insight in how to create a character.

[Prysus]

Do you go through it step by step from page 15 or do you go straight to page 290 where they have all the dice and information for player races. I kind of think you need to know all the stuff first.

Greetings and Salutations. I love Palladium, but their steps for Character Creation just don't work. Step 1 is rolling Attributes, but Step 4 is selecting a Race. You can't realistically do 1 until after you've done 4 (or at least half of 4). If you play a straight human (and ignore the selecting a race of Step 4), you can clumsily follow the steps as written. These are the steps I'd recommend for Character Creation.

Step 1: Select a Race. This starts on Page 288 of the PF2 main book. Some of the other books have additional races as well.

Step 2: Roll Attributes. The dice you roll is determined by the race you've selected. There are a variety of house rules to further customize the rolls, but that could be an entirely separate thread (or expansion after answering the original question). Also, for now, it's probably best to use the intended system before deciding on house rules. Know the system so you understand what you're customizing.

Step 3: Select an O.C.C. This starts on page 62, but extends far beyond that. Which O.C.C. are still available will be partially dependent on the attributes you've rolled (some O.C.C. have attribute requirements). Note: After this the steps become more fluid.

Step 4: Select starting skills (this can be viewed as part of Step 3), including Related and Secondary skills.

Step 5: Determine Hit Points & S.D.C., as detailed on page 18. Your starting skills should have finalized your P.E. attribute, which is useful for determining your Hit Points. Also, having selected an O.C.C., you know which category you're in for determining starting S.D.C. (skills you selected in Step 4 may also add to this).

Step 6: Determine Psionics randomly, found on page 20. This step should be considered optional. If your race (Step 1) allows psionics, and you didn't select a Psychic O.C.C. (such as Mind Mage), and you're interested in the character having psionics, use this step. Otherwise, skip and proceed.

Step 7: Determine Equipment and Money (this can be viewed as part of Step 3). I left this towards the end as after you know everything your character can do (skills and possible psionics), you can better select equipment to compliment your abilities.

Step 8: Rounding out one's character, primarily selecting Alignment on page 23 (this doesn't have much benefit in game mechanics, but can help provide guidelines for the character's personality), and Character Background (page 32) which should be viewed as optional but can help flesh a character out

Step 9: Play and earn experience points. Characters start at level 1 with 0 experience points (unless the Game Master deems otherwise). Through their actions during game, the character will gain experience points and (eventually) levels. New levels can provide new abilities, new skills, additional Hit Points, and advance all the skills you already know (including Hand to Hand and Weapon Proficiencies (which make the character deadlier in combat).

That should cover the steps of Character Creation (in an order that feels more logical, to me at least). Hope that helps. Farewell and safe journeys.

[The Beast]

[justify]

Do you go through it step by step from page 15 or do you go straight to page 290 where they have all the dice and information for player races. I kind of think you need to know all the stuff first.

Greetings and Salutations. I love Palladium, but their steps for Character Creation just don't work. Step 1 is rolling Attributes, but Step 4 is selecting a Race. You can't realistically do 1 until after you've done 4 (or at least half of 4).

But you can't always do Step 4 without doing Step 3 first, because some OCCs have racial restrictions. But you can't do Step 3 until you do Step 1 due to attribute requirements...

[Prysus]

Do you go through it step by step from page 15 or do you go straight to page 290 where they have all the dice and information for player races. I kind of think you need to know all the stuff first.

Greetings and Salutations. I love Palladium, but their steps for Character Creation just don't work. Step 1 is rolling Attributes, but Step 4 is selecting a Race. You can't realistically do 1 until after you've done 4 (or at least half of 4).

But you can't always do Step 4 without doing Step 3 first, because some OCCs have racial restrictions. But you can't do Step 3 until you do Step 1 due to attribute requirements...

Greetings and Salutations. First, your statement doesn't make sense. If you mean (a) using the book Step 4 (Select an O.C.C. and Race) can't be done before book Step 3 (determining psionics), you're wrong. If you mean (b) using the steps I set out you can't do Step 4 (selecting skills) before my Step 3 (selecting an O.C.C.), you're right that you can't do Step 4 first ... which is why I have Step 3 first and I'm not sure what you're trying to argue a counter-point.

Though I suspect you mean (c), that you can't "always" select a race before selecting an O.C.C., which is false. You can't always select any O.C.C. after you select a race, but that is also true if you roll attributes first. However, you can ALWAYS select a race before selecting an O.C.C. Doing so may simply limit your O.C.C. options. Also, no main book O.C.C. has a racial requirement. A far more common situation is that certain races can NOT select certain O.C.C., which makes selecting race first far more important. Dwarves, Gnomes, Troglodytes, Kobolds, Goblins, Hob-Goblins, Orcs, and Trolls all have limitations, which is over half of the main book races.

In the end though, if you pick a race and then roll your attributes, nothing will stop you from selecting an O.C.C. as long as you meet the requirements (ergo, this method works). On the other hand, if you select an O.C.C. first, there are a variety of things that can happen that will make your race based attributes invalid and you'd need to start over. The method I listed will result in a book legal character every time, while the other way will not.

What you're describing is having a character concept in mind, and then trying to reverse engineer that character. There's nothing wrong with that, and a lot of us do it. However, there's a reason it's reverse engineering. Farewell and safe journeys.

[SirSpamHammer]

Thank all of you for your help, although a found a lot of what you all said just as confusing, I still get the basic gist of it.

I will pick race first and roll my attributes from that Page.

I'm going with Gnome and then one of the suggested O.C.C.s

[Hotrod]

How I actually do character creation:

Step 1: Choose a race.

Step 2: Choose an O.C.C.

Step 3: Roll the full set of attributes until you find a combination of randomly-determined attributes that satisfies the attribute requirements for your O.C.C. of choice.

Step 4: Choose major psionics, minor psionics, or no psionics. Major psionics lose half of their "other" skills and O.C.C. skill bonuses. Minor psionics don't. If you don't care to have any psionics (and you chose a race that included them as an option), you may get an additional optional character bonus, such as two skills outside your normal O.C.C. limitations, a magic item or two, or an extra 1D6 added to an attribute of your choice (this perk must be approved by the GM)

Step 5. Choose your skills. Make sure to keep a tally of all bonuses as you go.

Step 6. Cross-reference and tally up your bonuses, choose your starting gear options, buy desired equipment with your starting money, and produce your character's final stats.

Step 7. Develop your character's history, personality, and alignment. Include a pithy, character-defining quote and try to throw in material that the GM can use as adventure hooks.

[kiralon]

Because I play first ed as a base i'm slightly different.

1. Choose Race
2. Roll Stats
3. Roll psionics
4. Choose Class available for race and stats.
5. Choose skills
6. Roll Background
7. Choose Perks
8. Add up stats
8. Buy items (Items are always book price rather than double at start)
9. Figure out combat bonuses (as weapons can have bonuses)

[Kraynic]

Because I play first ed as a base i'm slightly different.

1. Choose Race
2. Roll Stats
3. Roll psionics
4. Choose Class available for race and stats.
5. Choose skills
6. Roll Background
7. Choose Perks
8. Add up stats
8. Buy items (Items are always book price rather than double at start)
9. Figure out combat bonuses (as weapons can have bonuses)

I swap 5 and 6 in case the background might influence skill choices.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Step 3 is optional.
And if you choose a PCC then it is omited.

[SirSpamHammer]

Step 3 is optional.
And if you choose a PCC then it is omited.

A PCC, like my Gnome. Is that right?

[Glistam]

Step 3 is optional.
And if you choose a PCC then it is omited.

A PCC, like my Gnome. Is that right?

A P.C.C. is a Psychic Character Class, which is basically just an O.C.C. whose "occupation" is being psychic, hence the replacement of the word. Those classes start on page 156.

[kiralon]

Drewkitty is talking about second edition
In first ed psionics were rolled depending on what race, gnomes couldn't have psionics so no roll required, otherwise if you were a race that could have psionics you rolled at character creation. If you didn't roll high enough you couldn't be a mind mage. If you did you could have wild talents and be another class (without negatives) or be a mind mage or pseudo mind mage if you did roll high enough.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Step 3 is optional.
And if you choose a PCC then it is omitted.

A PCC, like my Gnome. Is that right?

A P.C.C. is a Psychic Character Class, which is basically just an O.C.C. whose "occupation" is being psychic, hence the replacement of the word. Those classes start on page 156.

More like the Char's abilities lead them down a vocational path. (Opposed to an occupational (aka job) path). Which is why the limitations were set within the PCC texts within the PF2 books.

(yes, I know that within the rifts books things have been 'democratized' to make it 'accessible' to players.)

Definition of vocation I mean:
1a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action.

As in like even though a person might have a job/occupation as a truck driver, that person might have a vocation as a minister.

[Fenris2020]

I pick race, roll attributes and other tuff, then OCC and then roll whatever is required, then roll whatever ELSE is needed that I can't simply choose. Then I do everything else in whatever order the laws of chaos determine.