(OOC) Character Creation Thread

What Language should the Party Speak?

You may select 1 option.

  • Erenlander
  • Norther (Dornish)
  • Colonial (Sarcosan)
  • Courtier (High Sarcosan)
  • Danisil
  • High Elven
  • Snow Elf Patrol Sign
  • Old Dwarven
  • Clan Dwarvish
  • Halfling
  • Orcish
  • Black Tongue
  • Trader's Tongue
  • Sylvan
  • Sundered Tongues
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Jun 18, 2025 8:25 pm
Greemology says:
WanderOne says:
I'm lost "Background skills"???... I thought that I was done with character, but I have Zero knowledge of anything called 'background skills'???

Azote has Rogue Class Skills, Channeler Class Skills, & Spiritual Channeler's Skills. As well as Skill Bonus (feature), Favored Class Bonuses, Racial Skill Bonus, Racial Climbing Skill & Natural Bond Skills.

but no Background skills. Naturefriend, I thought was my background.

Rogue's Skills points 11, Channeler's Skills points 14, Skill Bonus feature points 3, Favored Class points 3, Racial Skill Bonus points 2, & Natural Bond points 4.
Most easily it's just 2 extra skill points per level, so at level 3 it's 6, that must be placed in these skills:
Background Skills
Appraise
Artistry
Craft
Handle Animal
Knowledge (engineering)
Knowledge (geography)
Knowledge (history, (the old gods))
Knowledge (nobility)
Linguistics
Lore
Perform
Profession
Sleight of Hand

The idea is to flesh out a character more who may be strapped for skill points.
Okay 6 points. Hmm. Limitation. Can I in the end exceed 3 rank points in a skill?

Some of my current skills are max'ed out a 3 rank point limilt
Jun 18, 2025 8:30 pm
WanderOne says:
I'm lost "Background skills"???... I thought that I was done with character, but I have Zero knowledge of anything called 'background skills'???

Azote has Rogue Class Skills, Channeler Class Skills, & Spiritual Channeler's Skills. As well as Skill Bonus (feature), Favored Class Bonuses, Racial Skill Bonus, Racial Climbing Skill & Natural Bond Skills.

but no Background skills. Naturefriend, I thought was my background.

Rogue's Skills points 11, Channeler's Skills points 14, Skill Bonus feature points 3, Favored Class points 3, Racial Skill Bonus points 2, & Natural Bond points 4.
There's a post from this morning. It has a link explaining the system. Someone asked me to implement it last night. I thought about and woke up generous.
WhiteDwarf says:
From the Pathfinder PRD:

In a campaign that uses the background skills system, each character gains an additional 2 skill ranks per level, which must be spent on background skills.

It’s intuited that it’s two separate skills per level, bc the game normally only allows skill ranks not to exceed character level. But having the ability to put more ranks into Linguistics seems to supersede that. Again, it’s not specifically stated that it has to be two separate skills.

But I am flexible. :)
Only linguistics. All other skills are capped at character level.
WanderOne says:
Greemology says:
WanderOne says:
I'm lost "Background skills"???... I thought that I was done with character, but I have Zero knowledge of anything called 'background skills'???

Azote has Rogue Class Skills, Channeler Class Skills, & Spiritual Channeler's Skills. As well as Skill Bonus (feature), Favored Class Bonuses, Racial Skill Bonus, Racial Climbing Skill & Natural Bond Skills.

but no Background skills. Naturefriend, I thought was my background.

Rogue's Skills points 11, Channeler's Skills points 14, Skill Bonus feature points 3, Favored Class points 3, Racial Skill Bonus points 2, & Natural Bond points 4.
Most easily it's just 2 extra skill points per level, so at level 3 it's 6, that must be placed in these skills:
Background Skills
Appraise
Artistry
Craft
Handle Animal
Knowledge (engineering)
Knowledge (geography)
Knowledge (history, (the old gods))
Knowledge (nobility)
Linguistics
Lore
Perform
Profession
Sleight of Hand

The idea is to flesh out a character more who may be strapped for skill points.
Okay 6 points. Hmm. Limitation. Can I in the end exceed 3 rank points in a skill?

Some of my current skills are max'ed out a 3 rank point limilt
See above.
Jun 18, 2025 8:32 pm
Also, in touch with Itami, he's joined the game and is rolling up his character. Should be with us soon.

Internet is currently down at the house. Will make the first post once it comes back up and I can QA it a bit more thoroughly.
Jun 18, 2025 8:47 pm
Background Skills: Appraise (Int), Artistry (???), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history, (the old gods)) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Lore (???), Perform (Cha), Profession (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex). Skills: 2 per Level.

6 Points:
+1 Profession (herbalist), +2 Appraise, +2 Craft (Alchemy), +1 Handle Animal

Added that in. :)
Last edited June 18, 2025 8:49 pm
Jun 18, 2025 11:17 pm
First post is up. Going to move general announcements and discussion to the appropriate thread. Character creation/refinement stuff can still go on here though.
Jun 19, 2025 3:27 am
WanderOne says:
Background Skills: Appraise (Int), Artistry (???), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history, (the old gods)) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Lore (???), Perform (Cha), Profession (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex). Skills: 2 per Level.

6 Points:
+1 Profession (herbalist), +2 Appraise, +2 Craft (Alchemy), +1 Handle Animal

Added that in. :)
From my experience you are supposed to pick just 2 Background Skills--which must be from the limited list provided--at Character Level One, and this choice cannot be changed with each level.

Let us say your first pick is Profession Herbalist and your second pick is Handle Animal, for example.

At each level...so far Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3....you get 2 free Skill points that must, ONE IN EACH, be put into "Profession Herbalist" and "Handle Animal."

The benefit is that it gives your character a past history of focusing on improving a Skill, usually to do with a profession or education or training, AND by giving you '2 free Skill points' per level it allows you to spend your normal allotment of points (from your class) on "Adventuring Skills" that are rolled frequently such as Perception.


Does that help, WanderOne? =)


@HeroOfSometimes: Please let me know if we differ? I have used Background Skills in multiple games of Pathfinder and we always used it exactly the way I just described. But if you have a different interpretation, then we need to go with yours, natch.
Last edited June 19, 2025 3:30 am
Jun 19, 2025 8:53 am
Mica_pun_worthy says:
[quote="WanderOne"]@HeroOfSometimes: Please let me know if we differ? I have used Background Skills in multiple games of Pathfinder and we always used it exactly the way I just described. But if you have a different interpretation, then we need to go with yours, natch.
I did some digging this morning, I was able to find that rule in a 2e website, but nothing for 1e. (I even checked my physical copy of Pathinfder Unchained, Yikes!) But yea, this is the first I'm hearing about it and I've always used it such that you get choose each level, so that's what I'd like to go with. Just like regular skill points, just limited to certain skills.
Jun 19, 2025 3:08 pm
Not to sound lazy.
Can I get a quick list of info on the other characters?

Starting to read all of this to figure out character idea. Might take a bit. Hoping to speed up the process
Jun 19, 2025 3:11 pm
Úlfr Björnson
Dorn Wildlander

Petra Pestlegrind
Dwarrow Spirtualist Channeler

Azote
Caransil (High Elf) Rogue 1 / Spirtualist Channeler 2

Seelah
Erelander Fighter

Unknown Name (Itami)
Sarcosan Heremetic Channeler

Most common language: Erenlander
Jun 19, 2025 4:12 pm
I was thinking of making a Halfling-Raised Elfling Defender.
Backstory is more Nomadic in nature.
What would having a Wogren Mouth look like? I am not fully sure if I want one or not.

Reading up on stuff now while I work. Will work on character when home.
Jun 19, 2025 4:23 pm
Smiley says:
I was thinking of making a Halfling-Raised Elfling Defender.
Backstory is more Nomadic in nature.
What would having a Wogren Mouth look like? I am not fully sure if I want one or not.

Reading up on stuff now while I work. Will work on character when home.
Wogren are exterminated on site by the Shadow's forces, typically. Astiraxes seem to avoid them, it's more of a wariness than magic though. Definitely not something to advertise.
Jun 19, 2025 6:12 pm
@Mica_pun_worthy He's already here. See above.
Jun 19, 2025 7:05 pm
Working on my character right now.
I haven't built a PF1 character in a while; I might need some assistance.
Do you want me to ask all the questions I have here?

I am debating between Painless (pg60) or Quickened (pg62) Hero paths. Any preference?

Rolling for some stuff...

30gp Starting
3'9" Tall.
150#
Last edited June 19, 2025 7:07 pm

Rolls

Wealth! - (1d4)

(3) = 3

Height and Weight - (2d6+1d4)

(61) + (3) = 10

Age - (40+3d6)

(316) + 40 = 50

Jun 19, 2025 7:07 pm
I think Quickened (or even WARG as a Heroic Path) is more advantageous (and better fits the feral halfling/elfling 'leaping ambush predator' concept you talked about in the recruitment thread), but you do you!


I would describe the party thusly:


Itami as an Sarcosan Hermetic Channeler: classic wizard, human race

Greemology: giant-blooded Dorn (think Viking heritage) human with class Wildlander (think ranger) with rock-throwing and huge muscles and studded leather armor


WhiteDwarf: defender (paladin-esque but there is NO paladin in the Midnight setting because there are no benevolent divine spellcasters) Erenlander human (think half Viking and half Middle East, kind of, is my interpretation but YMMV) with an armored melee fighter builder


WanderOne: Caransil (high elf, think Tolkien) with class Rogue 1/Channeler 2 [special Midnight version of Wizard, because actual wizard/sorcerer/bard/other arcane casters do not exist] ; has both ranged and melee fighting capability]


And me: Dwarrow (gnome & dwarf parents) with 3 levels in Channeler class with Healer focus (cure spells, etc.); extremely limited combat ability but Knowledge Spirits, Survival, and skills related to patching party up should be handy.
Last edited June 19, 2025 7:12 pm
Jun 19, 2025 7:53 pm
Personally, I'm partial to Null, Ironborn, Shadow Walker...

However, if you're trying to get a Wogren, I think Warg is your best bet. Even at 1/4 cost, they're still 200vp. Definitely not in the defender's reach at the start.
Jun 19, 2025 8:14 pm
Posting for Seelah this evening. Great posts thusly, everyone. :)
Jun 19, 2025 8:46 pm
I don't see the Null one.

I was debating on Ironborn already, but I liked the stuff from Painless more.
Is there a max to ability scores? If I do Quicken I will get over 20 Dex.

Is there a way to get Dex for Attack and Damage on unarmed attacks for Defender?
I wasn't really wanting a Wogren to focus on. I wouldn't mind having one and only using it for travel or carrying others/items.
I can't find the stats for the Wogren. Is it in the Midnight infomation?
Would one be trained enough to just tell it to sit, stay, and hide?

You said they could be "exterminated on site" so I wouldn't want to bring it into town. I don't think stables would work for it.
Last edited June 19, 2025 8:48 pm
Jun 19, 2025 8:52 pm
Smiley says:
I don't see the Null one.

I was debating on Ironborn already, but I liked the stuff from Painless more.
Is there a max to ability scores? If I do Quicken I will get over 20 Dex.

Is there a way to get Dex for Attack and Damage on unarmed attacks for Defender?
I wasn't really wanting a Wogren to focus on. I wouldn't mind having one and only using it for travel or carrying others/items.
I can't find the stats for the Wogren. Is it in the Midnight infomation?
Would one be trained enough to just tell it to sit, stay, and hide?

You said they could be "exterminated on site" so I wouldn't want to bring it into town. I don't think stables would work for it.
Null is in Chapter 6, the supplemental section. It was in another book outside of the Core Rulebook.

18 is the highest at Character Creation. 20 with Nat Modifiers.

You already get it for attack, I would need to look into options for damage.

Wogrens are special, they're Int 6, essentially body-bound spirits. Really tied into halflings. Their specifics are in the GM section, I did not transfer that over.
Jun 19, 2025 10:18 pm
I kind of like the idea of Null.
The first ability from Null is
Quote:
Null (Ex):
You may never take levels in a spellcasting class, select the Magecraft feat, or use the Use Magic Device skill.
Spell-like abilities granted by this path or other non-class sources function normally.
From Elfling I get
Quote:
Natural Channeler: Gain Innate Magic as a bonus feat
Does Innate Magic still work even with Null?

With Innate Magic I only get 1 spell.
Was debating about getting:
Detect Poison
Know Direction
Read Magic
Open/Close
Create Water
Last edited June 19, 2025 10:18 pm
Jun 19, 2025 10:35 pm
Smiley says:
From Elfling I get
Natural Channeler: Gain Innate Magic as a bonus feat
Does Innate Magic still work even with Null?

With Innate Magic I only get 1 spell.
Was debating about getting:
Detect Poison
Know Direction
Read Magic
Open/Close
Create Water[/quote]

I'm gonna say yea, it works. RAW says spell-likes from non-class sources function normally. Innate Magic very specifically says it's a spell-like ability.
[ +- ] Innate Magic (General)
IMHO, all of those have use cases. The only ones I would shy away from is Create Water and Read Magic (unless you can read).
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