Character Creation

Character Creation
Heroes in the Beyond could be from almost anywhere, so long as it's somewhere vaguely Pathfinder-y. What that means is that they could be from your homebrew game, an old campaign you stopped playing a long time ago, or even a character you once played through an Adventure Path! So long as it mostly fits into the setting of Pathfinder in general, you're good to go. This also means that you cannot play characters hailing from Earth (as in, our Earth, so no world war 2 spies or ancient cavemen or what-have-you) or video games, anime, etc. You can adapt character ideas you'd want to play, just stick to the idea that they should come from a realm that would fit into most homebrew campaigns.

However, in this realm, only the gods of Golarion will hear your call. Clerics and other divine casters must worship or otherwise draw their power from these divine beings in particular. Firstly, because this realm is far and away from any other gods' reach, so much so that the Golarion pantheon's power is only just strong enough to break through the dimensional barriers. Secondly, because it makes it much easier on GMs to make sure you're acting within the tenants of your deity or otherwise using the correct domains and subdomains.

The Awakened/Adventurers could even be citizens of this world, though right now only The City of the Lost could possibly provide in-dimension PCs. In either case, if your character is from another realm, they one day find themselves 'waking up' in this world, performing their normal activities. You know how you feel like on some days you're running on auto-pilot, and only when something really odd happens does your brain actually start working? Extra-dimensional PCs find their adventures here starting just like that.

Suddenly, they realize they're no longer where they were before. The people they mistook as familial are actually strangers. The home they were using belongs to a very angry man asking why they're breaking in. Often, the process of realizing what has happened can shake people to their core and leave them in a mentally broken state. Adventurers, being made of sterner stuff, are usually able to handle what has occurred and begin their path towards greatness from there.

Character Building
In general, Paizo published material is what you should use when making a character. If it's 3rd party, assume it isn't allowed unless it's on the 3rd Party Content page. Be sure to also check Banned & Altered Content before starting on your build. If there's something 3rd party you want to add, drop a line on our Suggestions forum to see if it'll fit! Please follow this example sheet when making your character sheet.

Character Slots: Everyone begins with 3 character slots. If you desire more simultaneous characters, you may purchase the 'Extra Character Slot' item on the forums for 25 RP (this does not cost actual money).

Starting Level: You begin at Level 1, unless you spend RP to do otherwise.

Races: Core, Featured, and Uncommon only. Svirfneblins/Deep Gnomes are not allowed.

Classes: Core, Base, Hybrid, Occult, and Alternate are allowed. You must use Unchained Summoner, Unchained Rogue, Unchained Fighter, and Unchained Monk1 if you select those classes. If you play an Antipaladin, see '''Alignment. '''See Banned & Altered Content for anything we might have changed in regards to classes. See 3rd Party Content for additional classes allowed.
 * Ranger: Here are your suggestions for Favored Terrain/Enemy
 * Favored Terrain: Forest and Plains will be the most common terrain types. There are all kinds of terrains, however, though Planes (any) will probably be the most rare kind.
 * Favored Enemy: Magical Beasts, Humanoids (Any), Monstrous Humanoids, Undead, Animals, Fey, and Aberrations will most likely be the kinds of enemies you face. The type of enemy depends both on session and GM, hence the large list.
 * Rogue: Despite what the Feat Tax .pdf mandates (See below), in place of Weapon Finesse [Which is free now] you now gain any combat feat you would qualify for at that level instead of Agile Combatant.
 * Paladin: Paladins may follow any God so long as they are of Good or Lawful Neutral alignment. They are still restricted to being of the Lawful Good alignment, however, and thus a Paladin of a Chaotic god respects her god's tenets more than a society's law.

Alignment: You can be any you want (Following usual class restrictions), but see Evil PCs & PVP if you want to play an Evil character.

Stats: 20 Point Buy. You are free to drop stats below 10 during point buy.

HP: Take Max HP at first level as normal. All levels after first, take the average (3.5 for a d6, 4.5 for a d8, 5.5 for a d10, and 6.5 for a d12).

Wealth: Starting wealth is the average for all classes. If you begin at a higher level than first, use the average wealth-by-level listed on the character advancement page.

Traits: You may take 2 traits, or 3 if you select a drawback. Please select drawbacks that fit your character and not something that will have no effect on them.

1 You can select archetypes from the chained monk that do not have rules for use with the UC monk. If the archetype replaces an ability that is now a ki power, the archetype should replace a ki power instead. The level that they lose the ki power should be the closest level to the level of the feature that would be lost on the chained Monk and that ki power can no longer be selected. For example: a Monk of the Iron Mountain would replace their 4th and 6th level ki powers with the Bastion Stance and Iron Limb Defense features, since those features normally replace Slow Fall gained at 4th and High Jump gained at 5th. This monk would be unable to select these ki powers with their later level ki powers. Warning: Martial Artist cannot be converted since it both gives you Quivering Palm but Unchained Monk turned it into a Ki Power.

Variant Rules
Hero Points: We use the Hero Points system. If you start at a level higher than 1, you only have 1 Hero Point. If you wish, you may indicate on your sheet that you are an Anti-Hero and opt out of the Hero Point system in exchange for 1 bonus feat. You may retrain this feat into a generic "Hero" feat that allows access back into the Hero Point system if you change your mind. If you do this, you will have 0 Hero Points until you are awarded new ones by a GM or otherwise granted them.

Age: You can start as old as you like, with all the associated bonuses and penalties. You must start at least as old as an adult for your race. Should you choose to be Venerable, record your maximum age.

Domains (Unchained): For classes that make use of Domains, they may take any subdomain of a domain that their god grants, i.e. you may take the Defense subdomain if your god grants Protection, even if it does not also grant Defense.

Eschew Materials: Now covers 100 GP worth of materials or less.

Skill Consolidation: Climb & Swim have been combined into 1 skill called Athletics.

Occupation & Background Skills: You may create any occupation you believe fits your character. This occupation is what your character used to (or perhaps still does) for a typical living, and grants them a fitting bonus feat (your choice) plus two skills of your choice as class skills. If your character already has these skills as class skills, they instead each gain a +1 competence bonus. We also use the background skills system, including both Artistry and Lore. For background skills, you gain 2 "background skill ranks" each level which can only be placed into skills listed as background skills on the linked page (as well as Knowledge (Martial), see 3rd Party Content), representing things your character may spend their free time studying. You may otherwise spend your skill ranks freely, including on background skills.

Sanity: We use the Sanity rules in this campaign, to represent both the stress a life of adventuring grants and how the setting slowly saps at the heroes' strength of will. Sanity effects are considered mind-affecting, and thus, mindless creatures are not impacted by sanity rules.

Feat Taxes: We use the Elephant in the Room Feat Taxes variant rule set. Please read over this PDF carefully, as it contains many changes to feat chains in Pathfinder. Additionally, Rapid Reload can still be taken for firearms (Specify firearm - Musket, Pistol, Dragoon Musket, etc.).
 * Risky Strike: As in base Pathfinder, the bonus to damage on two handing only applies to melee weapons, not ranged weapons.

Monster Feats: You (or your eidolons/animal companions) may take Monster Feats so long as you qualify for them, with the following exceptions:
 * Nobody can take:
 * Flyby Attack

Firearms: Firearms are considered emerging technology.

Corruptions: The corruptions ruleset is in play under the normal ruleset (Neither Vile nor Useful). You may not start play with a corruption but you may seek to acquire one via specific session requests or otherwise end up corrupted through in-character actions.

Gestalt
All characters start as gestalt, selecting one class as their main class and one class as their gestalt class. Gestalt, in short, is a way to take the best of both worlds when it comes to classes. For instance, if you're a Wizard who has gestalted Fighter, you take a d10 HD, full BAB, and Good progression on Fortitude saves as well as Will saves, along with all the class features that come from being a Fighter. If a class feature appears on both your classes (Sneak attack, for instance) you take the better of the two progressions. The Bonus Feat and Spellcasting class features are always considered different sources, so gestalting two caster classes grants full progression in both and gestalting two classes with bonus feats grants both sets of bonus feats. Any ability that states your levels in X class count as levels in another [Y] class for the purpose of Z overlap if you gestalt both classes side by side (Brawler and fighter for example) thus granting you double progression.

If you gestalt two classes that have Ki Pools, you track the Ki Pools separately. For instance, Monk/Ninja would have a Monk Ki pool and a Ninja Ki pool. Points from one pool cannot be applied to the other class's actions requiring Ki.

Slow Track
You take the Slow experience track when levelling. Hitting level 2 means you're level 2 in both your main and gestalt classes.

You can still refuse to take XP rewards in order to remain at your desired level.

Multi-Classing
When levelling, you may choose to multi-class in both your main and gestalt tracks. When doing so, use fractional base bonuses to determine the resulting stats and use the best result from either. You may only have two classes in your gestalt "track" but you are free to multi-class in your main track so long as it makes sense for the character. Your gestalt track and its features can be used to qualify for a Prestige Class, which you can then take in either your Gestalt or Main track.

End Game
If you're bored with a character, their story arc has finished, or you're just sick of high level play and want to try out being level 3 again, there are always options for retiring a character.

Retirement
Once a character has stuck around for long enough, you may have gotten tired of them or they may have concluded whatever business they set out to do when they began adventuring. In any case, playing such a character to a satisfying story end deserves a reward. You're free to write exactly how your character ends their career, and we have a few rewards for you sticking with them for so long. Post in the Character Change Request forum when you're ready to retire a character so your rewards can be given.
 * 25 RP per level
 * Custom Discord Role (Once per player)
 * Permission to play the character as an NPC in perpetuity.

Also, don't try to cheese the system by making a character, playing for one session, and then training to Level 5 and retiring. Your application for retirement will be denied. If a character is going to retire at Level 5, your application better have actually good reasons for it.

Amnesiac
Once a character has hit 15th level, you may tire of the higher tiers of play and want them to power down for a little while. If you desire, your character can become afflicted with the Malaise plaguing the Beyond, losing most of their memory and power for some time as the curious nature of this realm takes a hold on them. You, however, gain the following benefits: Remember to apply for this on the character change request forum once you're ready. If this same character reaches 15th level again, you may choose this option again. The benefits do not stack, though you will still be awarded the extra RP (and your character may begin to think 15th level induces severe amnesia). If you choose another End Game option, such as Spared from Madness, you lose the benefits of this option.
 * 5 RP per level
 * Start the character at levels 1 through 3 (Your choice).
 * Your WBL is set to the level you chose (Your gear becomes lost as your character wanders in a fugue state).
 * You may keep all downtime businesses, assuming you previously hired a manager.
 * Inherent ability score bonuses (From Wishes or Tomes) slowly begin to return to your character over time. You begin play with a +1 Inherent bonus in any attribute you previously had an Inherent bonus in. This increases by 1 at 5th level, and by 1 every 5 levels thereafter until reaching their old maximum.
 * Any and all Sanity damage is removed. Your Sanity Edge increases by 1 as your mind scars over old mental wounds.

Spared from Madness
When you've reached level 20, you may choose to have your character undergo an intense ritual involving meditation and occult spellcasting as a way to ward off the inevitable mental decay of this realm. Upon awakening, they will find themselves weaker, yet mentally refreshed and able to quickly regain their strength. This grants the following: Remember to apply for this on the character change request forum once you're ready. You may choose to take this option again at 20th level, but the benefits don't stack, though you will still be awarded the extra RP. If you choose another End Game option, such as Amnesia, you lose the benefits of this option.
 * 5 RP per level
 * Start the character at levels 1 through 3 (Your choice).
 * Your WBL is set to the level you chose (Your previous gear is lost as part of the ritual to cleanse your mind).
 * You may keep any downtime businesses you had.
 * Any and all sanity damage is removed from your character. Your Sanity score increases by +2, and therefore your Threshold increases by 1 and your Edge increases by 1.

Low Level Retirement (1 - 5)
If you're bored of playing a character extremely early on (Level 5 and below), you won't get the above awards in any way. However, we get that sometimes characters quickly lose their spark. If you retire a character this early into their life, you are entitled to a 50% refund of any RP you spent while making the character - not including any hourglasses you purchased.