When your players ereate their characters for this Adventure Path, provide them with the information presented here. This section no only provides context for creating characters that fit in well with the region and themes but also helps to manage player expectations for the campaign. A spoilerfree version of this section can be Found for free online at paizo.com as the Pathfinder Kingmaker Player’ Guide ANCESTRY Amid the constant threat of civil war, the inhabitants ‘of Brevoy have more pressing concerns than their neighbors? ancestries, and few judge anyone by that alone. Brevans value custom and loyalty; thus, anyone 10 local traditions enjoys a high degree of tolerance and acceptance. As such, the region boasts a diverse population, Characters don ‘who adher have to be from Brevoy to play the Kingmaker Adventure Path, but since the campaign begins as the party receives a charter from the swordlords of Restov, and the initial approach into the Stolen Lands is from Brevoy, players should consider hhow members of their character's ancestry and class function in this northern kingdom. The common ancestries from the Core Rulebook all work seamlessly with Kingmaker. If a player is considering a rare or uncommon ancestry from another source, the GM should consider challen and opportunities the tory and setting may present for that character, as highlighted below THEMATIC ANCESTRIES Groups of antagonistic kobolds and lizardfolk reside in the Stolen Lands, so players who make characters ‘with these ancestries may have to make difficue choices, Alternately, the presence of such a PC can, at the GM's discretion, make alliances with these groups more likely With Kingmaker’ thematic tiesto the First World, 2 leshy character could be a fun player option. Likewise, 4 sprite character might find themselves faced with unexpected advantages or disadvantages in portions of this adventure where the First World has a strongerOE TIey bere or attprne Fete a9 Eno ecee eel Arecree Pate irda erated Inowiedge ofthe Fist World a spite who has lived their whole life on the Material Plane works beter in Kingmaker than one who i more familar with the First Worlds strangeness “The proximity of Namera tothe Stolen Lands also : makes it likely that some androids and ratfolk have drifted eat into the region. UNAFFILIATED ANCESTRIES Hobgoblins, along with many of the versatile heritages such as those touched by the planes or beastkin, aren't that common in the region, but neither are they unknown or as unexpected as something like catfolk fr tengu. And unlike lizardfolk or kobolds, most in the Stolen Lands don't hold a bias against these ancestries, and they make relatively safe, low-impact options for PCs in Kingmaker. (For a PC with a versatile heritage such as changeling, dhampir, or one of the planar scions, their primary ancestry will also impact how well they fit in Kingmaker)} While azarketi would also fit this category, the lack of opportunities to excel in underwater or aquatic environments makes them a particularly poor choice for this campaign. UNUSUAL ANCESTRIES Carfolk, fetchlings, fleshwarps, Kitsune, strix, and tengu are not well-known in the Stolen Lands; if players choose from these options, they may often be regarded as unusual or curious visitors by denizens in the River Kingdoms, GMs might want to play up some NPCs reactions to characters of unexpected ancestries, or consider altering some NPC ancestries to ‘match those characters—if only to help explain why some people in the Stolen Lands know that a catfolk BACKGROUNDS Players should choose a background from the list of campaign-specific ones provided on page 12, since these build thematic, story-based links between the characters and the Kingmaker storyline without spoiling the surprises to come. That said, a player : who prefers to choose a background from the Core Rulebook would be well-suited to choose one of the following thematic choices: animal whisperer, bounty =. hunter, criminal, emissary, farmhand, field medic, guard, herbalist, hermit, hunter, laborer, merchant, ‘miner, noble, nomad, scout, or wartior. Backgrounds from the Advanced Player's Guide that are thematically appropriate include bandit, cook, courier, outrider, pilgrim, refugee, scavenger, squire, and tax collector. Certain rare backgrounds from the Advanced Player's Guide are also appropriate thematic choices for Kingmaker, including amnesiac, cursed, and royalty ‘The Feybound rare background is also thematically, appropriate, but be careful about building in previous visits to the Firse World for any PC, as Kingmaker assumes that the first visit to this plane for the heroes happens “on sercen” during che campaign itself CLASSES With a wide range of challenges ahead in Kingmaker, 1 party would benefit greatly from having an equally wide range of character classes represented in the group. A few things to keep in mind for each of the classes are summarized below. ALCHEMIST: While alchemy doesn’t play a particularly important rolein the Kingmaker Adventure Path, an alchemist till has plenty of opportunities to shine in this campaign, particularly if they focus their research as chirurgeons for mutagenists BARBARIAN “The most active barbarians within the Stolen Lands are the Tiger Lords, but they're a violent band of warmongers who play the role of antagonists in the campaign. As such, the Tiger Lords make poor choice for a PC affiliation. Ifa player wants their barbarian character to have an affiliation with a local group, work with your GM to generate specifics. Ifa player chooses to play a member of the Tiger Lords, GMs should work with them to ensure that they won't have knowledge about the current activities of the group to avoid spoiling plotlines. An exiled Tiger Lord barbarian could make for a compelling character who eventually could help the party to mote easily recruit the Tiger Lords as allies. The most thematic instinets for a Kingmaker barbarian include animal, dragon, and fury. BARD A bard's ability to sway crowds and manipulate social events will often come in handy during Kingmaker. All bard muses are appropriate choices for Kingmaker, particularly if a bard's specific muse is associated with Brevoy, the River Kingdoms, or the First World. King Irovert, the ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Pitax, fancies himself a renowned artist and entertainer, yet stifles the artists in his realm, so a bard character who fled Pitax could have a ready-made goal to return and start a cultural revolution. Such a bard should not be someone who views King Irovetti as anally or a source of inspiration, though! BotanCHAMPION Holy warriors are relatively uncommon in the River Kingdoms, though they are not completely absent from the region. Champions who serve Cayden Cailean, Desna, Erastil, or Shelyn are the most thematically appropriate choices for Kingmaker. CLERIC Al nations have need of healers and spiritual lenders, but those struggling to find their footing atthe edge of civilization benefit most from the presence of clerics While cleries of any faith will find roes in this eampaign, deities who have strong thematic ties to events in Kingmaker include Calistria, Cayden Cailean, Desna, Erastil, Goram, Gozreh, and Shelyn. DRUID Druidic traditions are strong in the Stolen Lands, particularly those linked to the First’ World. The ‘worship of Gozreh and members the Green Faith are the most common druidic traditions followed in the region, while the animal, leaf, and wild druidic orders are the most appropriate choices for Kingmaker. FIGHTER ‘The esteemed and exclusive schools of the Aldori swordlords train many of Brevoy’s numerous fighters, specially in the southern region of Rostland, so Kingmaker is an excellent opportunity to play a character interested in eventually becoming a swordlord. Alternately, with a focus on mass combat later in the story, fighter who builds toward a role as 1a general can he an appropriate choice, GUNSLINGER ‘The people of Brevoy and the River Kingdoms know about guns, but these weapons remain incredibly rare in the region. As this is an uncommon class, a player should work with their GM before building ‘2 gunslinger, and the GM should be comfortable adjusting the campaign as needed to support this type of character's specialized resource needs. INVENTOR Inventors certainly exist in Brevoy and the River Kingdoms, particularly those who are influenced by the futuristic technology of neighboring Numeria. Since rules for advanced technology are not available for Pathfinder Second Edition at this time, a player could reskin and adjust descriptions of an inventor PC's abilities and creations to give them a Numerian feel, provided the GM approves. As with the gunslinger, since this is an uncommon class, the player should ‘work with their GM before building an inventor, INVESTIGATOR There are plenty of mysteries in the Stolen Lands, and an investigator will have plenty to do throughout this campaign, All investigator methodologies are thematically appropriate for Kingmaker. MAGUS While there are no significant organizations associated with this class in the Stolen Lands, the magus is hardly unknown to the people of Brevoy or the River Kingdoms. All categories of hybrid study for the magus ‘work wel for the campaign. MONK As there are no established or significant monastic ‘orders in the Stolen Lands or the surrounding regions, a traveling explorer or pilgrim likely makes the most sense for a monk character. A monk who seeks to establish their own order may wel find an opportunity +0 do so while the party’s kingdom expands ORACLE Oracles are an excellent thematic choice for this campaign, particularly thei curses, though it’s probably best to keep an oracle’s curse self-contained rather than, shoehorn it into larger plots in the campaign. The most thematically appropriate mysteries for an oracle are ancestors, battle, life, and tempest PSYCHIC Psychics are not well-known in the Stolen Lands, and most who encounter one would be quick to assume the characteris some sort of sorcerer. Emotional acceptance isa strong thematic choice for your subconscious mind, RANGER ‘The Stolen Lands make ranger an excellent choice for Kingmakes, especially if the player wants co play a bounty hunter, ex-bandit, explores, or survivalist ROGUE AAs with bards, rogues will find many opportunities, to manipulate social encounters throughout the campaign, An ex-bandit or a bounty hunter might be a good choice for a rogue character, as would something, like a spy or even a diplomat. All rogue rackets are sound choices for Kingmaker. SORCERER Kingmaker’s thematic ties to the First World make the fey and aymph bloodlines obvious choices fora sorcerer character, While any bloodline will have a chance to stand out, other bloodlines that have thematic ties to Kingmaker include draconic, elemental, and imperial. wr Dic:INTRODUCTION ‘SUMMONER Summoners of the Godcaller tradition are the most ‘commonly encountered summoners in the region, The best choices, thematically, for a Kingmaker summoner’s eidoton include beast, dragon, fey, and plant. ‘SWASHBUCKLER Although swashbucklers are offen portrayed as counterculture elements that make their names as rebels or oppositional forces to the government, swashbucklers can find plenty of opportunities to excel and stand out in Kingmaker. As long as a swashbuckler character supports the party's kingdom, all swashbuckler styles are thematically appropriate. THAUMATURGE ‘Thaumaturges in the region are often misunderstood as investigators, wizards, or other scholars. All thaumaturge implements have use in ehis campaign, but your GM may have suggestions about specific choices that might mesh well with the game's theme. WiTcH Witches are quite appropriate for a Kingmaker campaign, particularly if they choose a thematically synergistic patron. Curse fate, and wild are the most relevant choices WIZARD There are no specific arcane traditions of note in the Stolen Lands, making this an excellent opportunity for ‘a wisard character to establish a school of their own in their kingdom. Any choice of arcane thesis works well for the campaign OTHER CONSIDERATIONS The following should be considered when creating PCs for Kingmaker. ALIGNMENT Kingmaker works best if the PCs share at least fone primary alignment in common, but as long as the players work well cogether any alignment can function in chis campaign, ANIMAL COMPANIONS/FAMILIARS While a character with an animal companion for familiar 1s not imited in their choices in Kingmaker, the following animals are native to the region and thematically appropriate for this campaign: arboreal sapling, badger, bat, bear bird, boar, cat, horse, riding drake, scorpion, snake, or wolf. SKILLS AND FEATS Wilderness exploration plays a major role in Kingmaker, which means that more action-based skills like Acrobatics and Athletics are as valuable as wilderness skills like Nature and Survival. The ability to track creatures is particularly useful in certain Kingmaker encounters, Social skills like Deception, Diplomacy, and Intimidation will be quite useful, particularly when the heroes are inceracting with visitors or antagonists from neighboring realms. Strong choices for Lore specialties include Architecture, Banditry, Brevoy, Farming, First World, Fishing, Forest, Heraldry, Herbalism, Hill, Hunting, Tobaria, Labor, Mercantile, Mining, Mountains, Legal, Pitax, Plains, Politics, River, Scouting, Swamp, and Warfare. In addition, Lore skills focused on dei‘or types of creatures that play important roles in this campaign are excellent choices: Calista, Cayden Cailean, Desna, Erastil, Gorum, Gozreh, and Shelyn are obvious choices for deity lore, along with Eldest Lore for knowledge of the pantheon of fey demigods; for creatures, the strongest thematic choices would include Boggard, Dragon, Fey, Kobold, Lizardfolk, and Troll Lore. Ifa player wants to choose a monster Lore, the GM should work with them to suggest ‘options without spoiling too much. ARCHETYPES All multiclass archetypes work well for a Kingmaker ‘campaign. Other thematically appropriate archetypes Advanced Player's Guide archaeologist, assassin, beastmaster, bounty hunter, celebrity, herbalist, horizon walker, loremastes, marshal, scout, and snatecrafter. The Aklori Duelist archetype from the Lost Omens World Guide is an excellent thematic choice, as this campaign begins in Rostland, the home of this fighting style, and the PCs! association with Jamandi Aldori is a great way to unlock access to this archetype. BUILDING A KINGDOM [As the campaign progresses, players build their own kingdom, found settlements, and go to war with enemy nations. This Adventure Path’s rules for building kingdoms, setlements, and fighting wars should be provide to the players so that they can be familiar with them and reference them as needed during pla. LANGUAGES Kingmaker takes place in the Stolen Lands, where ‘Common is the most widespread language. Other strong choices for languages in Kingmaker include Aklo, Boggard, Cyclops, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Goblin, Halli, Iruxi, Jotun, Necril, Sylvan. KINGMAKER BACKGROUNDS ‘The following rare backgrounds are specifically tailored to fit the themes of the Kingmaker Adventure Path. BORDERLANDS PIONEER. BACKGROUND You have long lived along the southern border of Brevoy, the shadow of the wilderness known as the Stolen Lands. Life has been hard, but through hunting, trapping. trading. land coaxing crops trom the ground, you've learned how to survive on the rugged frontier. Whether because of your personal expertise and familiarity with the borderlands Orin order to reclaim your familys land, you've joined the expedition into the Stolen Lands Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Strength or Wisdom, and one isa free ability boost. from the include You'te trained in the Nature skill and a Lore skill associated with a particular type of wilderness (choose from forest, hills, mountain, plains, rivers, or swamp). You sain the Train Animal sil feat, BREVIC NOBLE BACKGROUND You claim a tangential but legitimate connection to one of Brovoy’s noble families. If you arent human, you were adopted by one of Brovoys nobles or were perhaps a favored servant or evena childhood friend of anoble scion, Whatever the case, youve had a comfortable life, though stil a far ery from the one your distant cousins r close associates know. ‘An expedition inta the stried Stolen Lands seems like just the test to se it you relly are worthy of the “noble” title. Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Constitution ‘oF Wisdom, and one i a ree ability boos. Choose one ofthe Brevic lineages below, Garess: Family tis to the Golushkin Mountain dwarves left its mark Your family mottois “Strong as the Mountains” You're trained in the Crafting skill andthe Architecture Lore skill. You gain the Specialty Crafting skill feat Labeda: Your family’ history of trading along the shores of Lake Reykal pervades your biood. Your family matto is “Success through Grace” You're trained inthe Society skill and the Mercantile Lore sil. You gain the Multilingual kl feat. Lodovka: Your family has made a living off the coasts of the Lake of Mists and Vell since before Brevoy existed Your family mottos “The Waters, Our Fields” You're trained inthe Athletics skill and the Fishing Lore ski. You gain the Underwater Marauder skill feat Medvyed: Your family has a deep respect for the wilderness and is skilled at hunting and surviving off the land. Your family motto is “Endurance Overcomes All” You're trained in the Survival skill and the Hunting Lore skill. You gain the Terrain Expertise skill feat (choose your terrain from aquatic, forest, mountain, plains, or swamp) Orlovsky: Your family has a reputation for avoiding conflicts. Your family motto is “High Above.” You'e trained in the Diplomacy skill and the Brevay Lore skill. You gain the Group Impression skill feat. Surtova: Your family is well known for their political aglity and scheming nature. Your family motto is "Ours Is the Right” You're trained in the Deception skill and the Politics Lore skil You gain the Charming Liar ski feat. BREVIC OUTCAST BACKGROUND (One of your parents was a member of one of the great faiies ‘of Brevoy, perhaps even ofthe line ot Hogaria tse. Yet you hhave no substantive proof of your nobility, and you've eared that claiming such without evidence sa fools game. Whether recent attempt to prove your heritage brought down the \wrath of a noble family or you seek to prove the worth of the blood in your veins, you've jained an expedition into the Stolen Lands, hoping to make a name all your ownINTRODUCTION eee Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Charisma or Constitution, and one isa free ability boost Youite trained in the Politics Lore skill, You take a -1 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks attempted when dealing with members ofthe nobility, but gain the Haughty Obstinacy human ancestry feat, even if you aren'ta human, If you manage to establish yourself as a true noble or secure a leadership role in a kingdom, you na longer take the penalty to Charisma-based checks ISSIAN PATRIOT BACKGROUND You grew upin northern Brevoy, but the callforheroeswiling, tahelp take back your country rightful holdings in the Stolen Lands has inflamed your dreams of profit and possibilities, and you have oined an expedition journeying south Choose two abilty boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Intelligence, and one isa free ability boost. You're trained in the Society skill and the Legal Lore skil You gain the Streetwise kil feat LOCAL BRIGAND BACKGROUND. You hail from the River Kingdoms or the mare lawless reaches of Brevoy. Your life has been hard. You know how to ambush travelers, bully traders, avoid the law, and camp where no one can find you. Recently, youve run into some trouble, either with the law ar with ather bandits, and you're looking to get away to somewhere no one would lever think to look for you. An expedition inta the rugged wilderness seems like a perfect way to lie low until the trouble blows over. Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Strength or Constitution, and one isa free ability boost ‘You're trained in the Intimidation skill and the Banltry Lore skil. You gain the Graup Coercion skill feat. ROSTLANDER BACKGROUND You were raised in the south of Brevoy, a land of dense forests and rolling plains, of crystalline rivers and encless sapphire skies. You come fram hardy stock and Were raised with simple sensbiities-that hard work earns well-deserved gains, the importance of charity and compassion, and the value of personal and familial honor. Yours is the country of the Aldori swordlords and the heroes who refused to bend before the armies ofa violent conqueror. You care litle for matters of palitcs and nobles or of deception and schemes. You are thoroughly Brevic, and the call for champions wiling to expand your land's tntiuence into the Stolen Lands has inflamed your sense ot patriotism and honor, and so you have joined an expedition tojourney southward and build a kingdom. Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Strength or Constitution, and one isa free ability boost. ‘Youte trained inthe Athletics skill and the Farming Lore skill. You gain the Hefty Hauler skil feat ‘SWORD SCION BACKGROUND You have lived all your lfein and around the city of Restov, towing up on tales of Baron Sirian Aldori and the exploits of your home's heroic and legendary swordlords, Joining an expedition into the Stolen Lands seems like a perfect way ta improve your skills and begin crafting a legend worthy of Baron Aldor CChoose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Charisma, and one isa fre ability boost You're trained in the Warfare Lore skill You gain access to Aidori dueling swords (page 599) and can purchase one as part of your starting equipment. You treat Aidori dueling ‘swords as martial weapons rather than advanced weapons for the purpose of proficiency.