Character Sheet Creation Guide

Character creation for Pathfinder is...challenging, on a good day, if you're new to things. To make the process a little simpler, below we have a guide for how to fill in and format one of the Myth-Weavers character sheets we use for Parhelion.

Please note, that this is not an in-depth look into the rules for character creation - which can be found here - but an aid for sheet creation.

Sheet Part 1 - Names, Alignments and the Importance of Height

This section of a character sheet is primarily bookkeeping, but there are some essential sections that need to be filled in correctly.

Character Name: This will be the name the character will be known by. Note, it does not have to be the character's real name, which should be on the sheet somewhere but may not be common knowledge.

Player Name: This will be your current Discord username.

Alignment: Pathfinder relies on the alignment chart for certain mechanical needs and effects, and as such and alignment is required.

Current XP, Next Level XP and XP Change: Your current experience, or XP, as a level three character will be 5000. The sheet should auto-fill your xp needed for level 4 - 9000. XP Change is where you put experience you have earned - it will be automatically added to your total. Just make sure any commas have been removed from the total or it doesn't work.

Class: Here you list both the classes you have chosen, at least one for each track of your gestalt character. Remember to list any archetypes as well.

Race: Your characters race, or species. You may wish to include subtypes, such as the various subtypes of tiefling or aasimar, especially if they modify your attributes or abilities.

Campaign: Parhelion is our little living world, and here's where you get to note you're a resident. You poor, poor soul.

Deity: Your character's deity, if they have one. While you may worship any religious being that is currently not worshipped in the real world, if you play a character that gets power from a higher being - paladin, omdura, warpriest or cleric - then you will need to choose a Pathfinder Deity.

XP Speed: This automatically sets to Medium, which is the XP speed we use, and so can be left blank.

Level: Your character's current level as a whole. Most likely, you'll be starting at level 3.

Size: Your Race will determine your size, but most likely you will be medium or small. This will have a mechanical effect on the sheet, auto-updating things like armor class and to hit, so please make sure it's correct.

Age: All player characters are at least 18 on the server, both in terms of actual years and in terms of their own race - everyone is an adult, no exceptions.

Gender: Male or Female, or similar term, please. A few races are unaffected by this. A character does not need to present as the same gender (for example: Agender Female), but for the effects of certain spells and abilities, it does need to be recorded.

Height, Weight, Eyes and Hair: These descriptive details are not essential, but would ideally be filled in anyway, both to help flesh out your character and because a GM can use an indeterminate height and weight against you.

Sheet Part 2 - Character Reality by the Numbers

Ability Scores: The basics of your character. The temporary sections are for, not surprisingly, temporary boosts to your ability scores, such as a Barbarian's Rage, Alchemist's Mutagen or a spell that enhances the ability score. Note that you only need to enter the score itself: the modifier will be calculated automatically.

HP, Current HP and Non-Lethal Damage: These are your total hit points, your current HP - which will be the same as your HP for now - and non-lethal damage, which should be zero under most circumstances.

Hit Dice: These are the Hit Dice from your class - for example, Fighter is 1d10, Barbarian 1d12, and the Mighty Wizard 1d6. Here, you record these hit die, along with any bonuses you get to them from a high constitution, the Toughness feat or Favoured Class Bonus.

Damage Reduction: Some classes or races grant damage reduction, energy resistances or other unusual defences. Record them here.

AC: Your most basic defence, some of the boxes for Armor Class will be automatically filled by the sheet - for example, Armor in the armor section will be automatically entered, and your Dexterity modified - but others, such as Dodge, Natural Armor or Misc will need to be entered manually.

Touch, Flat-Footed, CMB and CMD: These scores should be updated automatically by the sheet, and should not need touching.

Init: Init, or Initiative, will be automatically updated. Miscellaneous modifications such as the Inquisitor's Cunning Initiative or the Improved Initiative feat will be applied in the Misc section.

Hero Points: We use the Hero Points system. As the character starts at level 3, the character begins with 3 Hero Points, unless they take the anti-hero drawback. If so, note the lack of them.

Caster Level: Either note your caster level or note the lack.

Speed: Your character's speed, which may be modified by the armour you are wearing.

Armor Type: Are your wearing light, medium, heavy or no armor? Note it here!

Character Picture: Not required, but doesn't Brian look dashing?

Weight: Your characters carrying capacity. Note that size of your character has an impact on how much you can carry, and keep it up to date.

Fortitude, Reflex and Will: Again, this will be partially filled automatically. Please enter the Base from your class. As you are level 3 and get the first bonus to Automatic Bonus Progression, note a +1 bonus in the Misc section for each save.

Sheet Part 3 - The Art of Violence and Defence

Melee, CMB and Ranged: These values will be mostly automatically updated by the sheet itself. You'll need to enter your character's Base Attack Bonus to finalize this section.

Weapon: List the weapon that you are using here.

Total Attack Bonus: List your chance to hit with this weapon, including all the various modifiers you may have, such as weapon focus, the weapon being masterwork or magical, class abilities and such.

Damage: List the weapon's damage, including additions for strength or other attributes, and any other regular sources of damage.

Critical: List the weapon's critical modifier weapon range and critical multiplier here.

Range: The distance from which the weapon can be used, especially notable if the weapon is a ranged weapon or a reach melee weapon.

Special Properties: Any special notes for the weapon such as special materials, weapon modifications or other unusual notes.

Ammunition: Any ammunition for a ranged weapon.

Weight: How much does the weapon weigh?

Size: If the weapon is not the usual size.

Type: Does the weapon do slashing, piercing, bludgeoning or another type of damage?

Armor|Shield/Protective Item: The name of the armour, shield or other type of defensive item worn.

Worn: Click this box if the item is being worn.

AC Bonus: How much armor bonus does the armor grant?

Check Penalty: What is the current armour check penalty, including abilities to modify it.

Max Dex: What is the maximum dexterity the armor allows to be applied to the character's armour class.

Special Properties: Any unusual details such as special materials or armor modifications.

Weight: How much does the armor weigh?

Spell Fail: How much Arcane Spell Failure does the defensive item generate?

Speed: What is the character's speed after the armor modifies it?

Sheet Part 4 - Feats, Abilities and Other Sins.

This section is a little different, as there are typically four parts to it, but it's less defined than other sections of the sheet. Because space rapidly becomes a premium at higher levels, it's suggested you do not use multiple lines for one ability - you can scroll along. There's no set order, but typically each column contains one of the following four sections.

Racial Abilities, Traits, Drawbacks, Backgrounds and FCB: Something of an 'I need somewhere to put this' column, it contains the following;

Racial Abilities: Your abilities gained by race, including the modifiers to your ability score.

Traits: You get three traits as standard, but may gain more, either via the Additional Traits feat or via the GM, for good or ill.

Drawbacks: You must take a Drawback regardless, but may also end up taking a Major Drawback or Anti-Hero for an additional feat.

Backgrounds and Occupation: An optional rule set we use, these backgrounds may give you additional class skills, a bonus to skills you already have as a class skill, or bonus feats.

Favoured Class Bonus: A place to list your favoured class bonus, be that as additional skills, hit points or a unique racial ability.

Feats: This column will contain the feats you gain during the character's career. It may also include abilities gained from Variant Multiclassing and Bonus Feats from classes, events and race.

Gestalt Track 1: As we use Gestalt rules on Parhelion, it's often simplest to treat each column as one of the two 'tracks' used in Gestalt, an put all the class abilities gained in one track in the same column.

Gestalt Track 2: As above, but with the second track of your Gestalt.

It should be noted that, at later levels, you may well run out of space. If this happens, we suggest using one of the boxes in the areas below - such as friends and enemies - as an overflow, noting which one you're using in the column.

Sheet Part 5 - The Skilled Among Us

Skill Name: Despite what you may assume, it is possible to edit these. Generally, this is simply to add additional skills in some of the spare slots provided, but occasionally you may wish to edit one to include a note, such as being able to use the Investitigator's Inspiration ability with that skill.

Key Ab: The Key Ability associated with a skill. Typically this doesn't need to be touched unless you have an ability, feat or trait that changes it to another ability score.

Skill Mod: This is the total skill modifier you use when rolling and is auto-calculated from the other sections here, as well as the key ability and other bonuses.

Ab Mod: Your ability modifier. This is automatically updated when you update your ability score or add a temporary ability score.

Rank: The number of skill ranks spent on that skill. Remember, you can't spend more skills ranks than your character level.

Misc Mod: Miscellaneous Modifiers from skills, class abilities, traits, items and feats.

ACP: Your Armor Check Penalty, which should be updated by the sheet when your armor is updated.

Skill Rank Total: You'll notice a little calculation beneath the bulk of the skills. This is a simple little trick to help make sure you have the right number of skills, and simply totals up your skill points from various sources: your class, your intelligence modifier, background skills, favoured class bonus and the like.

Sheet Part 6 - A Veritable Treasury of Items

Items are an important part of any build. First, you will notice that, yes: we do require your character be wearing clothes when they arrive. Please make sure to include the free set of clothes all Pathfinder characters get on your sheet.

Item: Typically this will be the name of the item and a brief description of what it does.

Weight: How much does the item weigh? Note it here, as it may be important. You'll note that Brian's Bag of Holding actually has a negative weight - this is to show that the item can actually carry more than it weighs.

Location: Is it in your bag? Your pocket? Worn? Helpful to know if you lose something that it might contain.

It's also worth noting that you may wish to invest some time and energy on the basic necessities, such as food, adventuring gear like tents, blankets and ropes and small but useful items such as the cheap and remarkably useful Traveller's Any-Tool - a bargain at only 250gp. The less well-known Minor Bag of Holding is a great way for characters with a lower strength to be able to carry all that stuff.

Some players also like to set up Magic Item slots so they know which is available and which is full. This is an optional, but useful, method.

Sheet Part 7 - Coins and a Golden Tongue

Currency: How much money a character has. Note that doesn't have to be simple gold, silver, platinum and copper pieces - gems, jewellery, trade goods and such can also be a source of wealth.

Languages: What does your character speak? We strongly recommend starting with common, at least for first characters, as this is a tongue that almost every race grants as standard, but it's good to keep this list up to date. It's worth noting that you will also know the sign equivalent of each language you pick up.

Sheet Part 8 - Spells and Powers and Other Explosions

Spells are a slightly complicated part of Pathfinder at the best of times, and the sections has quite a lot that can be done with it.

As a note, we do suggest using one column for each track of your gestalt if you take two classes that both have spellcasting.

In addition, if you're a prepared caster with a spellbook or a class that uses alchemy, you may well end up with far more spells/formula than your sheet will have space for. In this case, feel free to keep a list of your spells known in one of the sections in the Many Miscellanea section, and only list those you have prepared here.

Save DC: The Difficulty Check for each level of spell. Some spells may get a boost from a class, racial ability or feat, but the sheet can't account for these.

Spells/Day: How many spell slots your character has, or how many spells they can prepare in a single day.

Bonus Spells: Either extra spells from having a high casting ability or things like domain spells or school spells.

Number of Spells/Powers Known: A useful way for spontaneous casters to keep track of how many spells they know.

Spell/Power Name: Your spell name, and if you wish a brief description of what it does or a note about its effects. We suggest keeping spells marked and grouped by level for ease.

# Cast/Mem: Use in one of two ways, depending on if you are a prepared or spontaneous caster. Prepared casters note how many versions of the spell they have prepared for the day. Spontaneous casters note how many times they have cast that spell.

Psionics: We do not currently use Psionics on this server.

Sheet Part 9 - Part 9 - Many Miscellanea

These boxes are typically used as something of an overflow for a character sheet.

Description: Typically the place where a backstory and short physical description are put. Please do make sure to include at least a short backstory.

Personality: Not required, but some insight into a character is nice.

Character Traits: Personality traits, more than the mechanical version.

Character Flaws: 'Too good for this sinful world' is not, in fact, a flaw, but might be a target.

Contacts/Friends: A good way to list old allies.

Enemies: A tick list for later.

Statistic Block: A good place to note mechanical changes such as Automatic Bonus Progression additions, attribute increases from level-ups and the like. This way we can see where mistakes may have slipped in during audits.

Conditions and Effects: Where you can mention any mechanical conditions and effects your character currently suffers from.

Additional Information: Does exactly what it says.

Other Notes: Because Additional Information wasn't enough.

Private Notes: A great place to store things like level-up ideas, secret information you don't want those Pesky GM's getting and the like. As the name suggests, it's private and cannot be seen by us, so not the place for required information.

Want to visit your dear friend Brian the Template to have a look at the sheet as a whole? He's Here!

Table of Contents

Part 1 - Names, Alignments,the Importance of Height
Part 2 - Character Reality by the Numbers
Part 3 - The Art of Violence and Defence
Part 4 - Feats, Abilities and other Sins.
Part 5 - The Skilled Among Us
Part 6 - A Veritable Treasury of Items
Part 7 - Coins and a Golden Tongue
Part 8 - Spells and Powers and other Explosions
Part 9 - Many Miscellanea