Choosing the right class in Pathfinder: Kingmaker can be daunting, guys. With so many options, it's easy to feel lost. But fear not! This guide breaks down some of the most effective and fun class builds to help you conquer the Stolen Lands. We'll cover everything from damage-dealing powerhouses to versatile support characters, ensuring you have a well-rounded party ready for anything.

Understanding the Basics

Before diving into specific builds, let's cover some fundamental concepts. Pathfinder: Kingmaker is based on the Pathfinder tabletop RPG, which means character creation is deep and complex. You'll need to consider your character's race, class, ability scores, skills, and feats. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in determining your character's strengths and weaknesses. Understanding how these elements interact is key to creating a successful build.

Races: Each race provides different ability score bonuses and unique traits. For example, Humans are versatile and gain an extra feat, while Elves are agile and resistant to enchantments. Choose a race that complements your desired class.

Classes: Classes define your character's primary role and abilities. Warriors excel in combat, Wizards wield powerful spells, and Rogues are masters of stealth and deception. Multiclassing, combining levels from different classes, can create unique and powerful combinations, but it also comes with trade-offs. You'll need to carefully consider the synergy between the classes you choose.

Ability Scores: These determine your character's effectiveness in various tasks. Strength affects melee combat, Dexterity influences ranged attacks and stealth, Constitution determines hit points, Intelligence affects skill points and some spells, Wisdom governs divine spells, and Charisma impacts social interactions. Prioritize the ability scores that are most important for your class.

Skills: Skills allow your character to perform specific actions, such as Persuasion, Stealth, or Lore (Religion). Investing in the right skills can open up new dialogue options, grant access to secret areas, and improve your overall effectiveness.

Feats: Feats grant special abilities or improve existing ones. They are crucial for customizing your character and enhancing their strengths. Some feats are class-specific, while others are available to any character who meets the prerequisites.

When planning your build, think about what role you want your character to play in the party. Do you want to be a front-line fighter, a ranged damage dealer, a healer, or a support character? Once you have a clear idea of your desired role, you can start selecting the race, class, ability scores, skills, and feats that will best support it.

Melee Powerhouse: The Two-Handed Fighter

If you enjoy dishing out massive damage with each swing, the Two-Handed Fighter is for you. This build focuses on maximizing damage output with powerful two-handed weapons, turning you into a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. The Two-Handed Fighter thrives on Strength and Combat Prowess, making them a formidable damage dealer in any party.

Race: Human is an excellent choice for the extra feat, allowing you to get your build online faster. Half-Orc is another strong contender due to their Strength bonus and ferocity.

Class: Fighter (Two-Handed Fighter Archetype) is the core of this build. This archetype grants bonuses to two-handed weapon damage and provides access to powerful feats.

Ability Scores:

• Strength: 19 (Increases melee damage and carrying capacity)
• Dexterity: 14 (Improves Armor Class and Reflex saves)
• Constitution: 14 (Increases hit points)
• Intelligence: 8 (Dump stat)
• Wisdom: 10 (Will saves)
• Charisma: 7 (Dump stat)

Key Feats:

• Power Attack: Increases melee damage at the cost of accuracy.
• Cleave: Allows you to attack multiple enemies in a single round.
• Great Cleave: An improved version of Cleave, allowing you to attack even more enemies.
• Improved Critical (your chosen weapon): Doubles your critical hit range.
• Critical Focus: Increases the DC to confirm critical hits.
• Stunning Critical: Stuns enemies on a critical hit.
• Weapon Focus (your chosen weapon): Increases attack rolls with your chosen weapon.
• Weapon Specialization (your chosen weapon): Increases damage with your chosen weapon.

Gameplay:

Engage enemies head-on, using your high Strength and powerful weapon to deal massive damage. Utilize Power Attack to maximize damage output, and Cleave to take down multiple enemies at once. Position yourself strategically to avoid being flanked, and use your high hit points to soak up damage. As you level up, focus on improving your critical hit chance and damage to become a true critical hit machine.

The Two-Handed Fighter is a straightforward but effective build that excels at dealing damage. With the right feats and equipment, you can easily mow down enemies and become a valuable asset to your party. Just remember to prioritize Strength, Constitution, and the feats listed above to maximize your effectiveness.

Ranged Damage: The Archer

For those who prefer to stay out of melee range and deal damage from afar, the Archer is an excellent choice. This build focuses on maximizing ranged damage output with bows, turning you into a deadly sniper on the battlefield. Archers rely on Dexterity and precise aiming to eliminate threats from a safe distance.

Race: Elf or Half-Elf are ideal due to their Dexterity bonus and proficiency with bows. Human is also a viable option for the extra feat.

Class: Ranger (Espionage Expert Archetype) or Fighter are both good choices. Espionage Expert grants bonuses to Stealth and Perception, allowing you to stay hidden and spot enemies before they spot you. Fighter provides access to a wide range of combat feats.

Ability Scores:

• Strength: 14
• Dexterity: 19 (Increases ranged attack accuracy and damage)
• Constitution: 14 (Increases hit points)
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 12 (Improves Will saves and Perception)
• Charisma: 7 (Dump stat)

Key Feats:

• Point-Blank Shot: Increases attack and damage rolls against targets within 30 feet.
• Precise Shot: Allows you to shoot into melee without penalty.
• Rapid Shot: Allows you to make an additional ranged attack.
• Manyshot: Allows you to fire multiple arrows at once.
• Improved Critical (Longbow): Doubles your critical hit range with longbows.
• Weapon Focus (Longbow): Increases attack rolls with longbows.
• Weapon Specialization (Longbow): Increases damage with longbows.

Gameplay:

Stay at a safe distance from enemies and use your high Dexterity and powerful bow to deal damage. Utilize Point-Blank Shot and Precise Shot to maximize your accuracy and damage, and Rapid Shot and Manyshot to unleash a flurry of arrows. Position yourself strategically to avoid being flanked, and use your Stealth skill to remain hidden. As you level up, focus on improving your critical hit chance and damage to become a true ranged damage dealer.

The Archer is a versatile build that can adapt to a variety of situations. With the right feats and equipment, you can easily eliminate enemies from afar and provide valuable support to your party. Just remember to prioritize Dexterity, Perception, and the feats listed above to maximize your effectiveness.

Divine Support: The Cleric

If you prefer to support your party with healing and buffs, the Cleric is an excellent choice. This build focuses on maximizing your healing and support capabilities, turning you into a vital asset in any combat encounter. Clerics use their divine powers to heal allies, buff their abilities, and protect them from harm.

Race: Aasimar is an excellent choice due to their Wisdom and Charisma bonuses, which are both important for Clerics. Human is also a viable option for the extra feat.

Class: Cleric is the core of this build. Choose a domain that complements your playstyle, such as the Healing domain for increased healing capabilities or the Community domain for buffs and support.

Ability Scores:

• Strength: 10
• Dexterity: 12
• Constitution: 14 (Increases hit points)
• Intelligence: 10
• Wisdom: 19 (Increases spellcasting ability)
• Charisma: 14 (Improves Channel Energy)

Key Feats:

• Selective Channeling: Allows you to exclude allies from your Channel Energy.
• Extend Spell: Increases the duration of your spells.
• Maximize Spell: Maximizes the effects of your spells.
• Empower Spell: Increases the power of your spells.
• Spell Focus (Conjuration): Increases the DC of your Conjuration spells.
• Greater Spell Focus (Conjuration): Further increases the DC of your Conjuration spells.

Gameplay:

Stay behind the front lines and use your spells to heal and buff your allies. Utilize Channel Energy to heal multiple allies at once, and use your domain abilities to provide additional support. Position yourself strategically to avoid being targeted by enemies, and use your spells to control the battlefield. As you level up, focus on improving your spellcasting ability and learning new and powerful spells.

The Cleric is an indispensable class for any party. With the right spells and feats, you can keep your allies alive and buffed, ensuring their survival in even the most challenging encounters. Just remember to prioritize Wisdom, Charisma, and the feats listed above to maximize your effectiveness.

Arcane Powerhouse: The Wizard

For those who enjoy wielding powerful spells and manipulating the elements, the Wizard is an excellent choice. This build focuses on maximizing your spellcasting abilities, turning you into a force of nature on the battlefield. Wizards use their intelligence and knowledge of arcane magic to unleash devastating spells and control the flow of battle.

Race: Elf or Gnome are ideal due to their Intelligence bonus. Human is also a viable option for the extra feat.

Class: Wizard is the core of this build. Choose a school of magic to specialize in, such as Evocation for damage spells or Illusion for controlling enemies.

Ability Scores:

• Strength: 7 (Dump stat)
• Dexterity: 14 (Improves Armor Class and Reflex saves)
• Constitution: 14 (Increases hit points)
• Intelligence: 19 (Increases spellcasting ability)
• Wisdom: 10 (Will saves)
• Charisma: 12

Key Feats:

• Spell Focus (your chosen school): Increases the DC of your spells from your chosen school.
• Greater Spell Focus (your chosen school): Further increases the DC of your spells from your chosen school.
• Spell Penetration: Increases your chance to overcome spell resistance.
• Greater Spell Penetration: Further increases your chance to overcome spell resistance.
• Extend Spell: Increases the duration of your spells.
• Maximize Spell: Maximizes the effects of your spells.
• Empower Spell: Increases the power of your spells.

Gameplay:

Stay behind the front lines and use your spells to damage, control, and debuff enemies. Utilize area-of-effect spells to damage multiple enemies at once, and use your control spells to incapacitate dangerous foes. Position yourself strategically to avoid being targeted by enemies, and use your defensive spells to protect yourself from harm. As you level up, focus on improving your spellcasting ability and learning new and powerful spells.

The Wizard is a versatile class that can adapt to a variety of situations. With the right spells and feats, you can control the battlefield and deal massive damage to your enemies. Just remember to prioritize Intelligence, Constitution, and the feats listed above to maximize your effectiveness.

The Versatile Rogue: Knife Master

If you like being sneaky, dealing tons of damage, and having lots of skills, then the Knife Master Rogue build is for you. This build is all about using daggers to do massive sneak attack damage, making you a real threat, especially in the early game. With high skill points and stealth capabilities, Knife Master Rogues excel at infiltration, assassination, and information gathering.

Race: Halfling or Gnome are great choices because they get bonuses to Dexterity and are small, making them harder to hit. Human works too for that extra feat.

Class: Rogue (Knife Master Archetype). This archetype changes your sneak attack damage from half bludgeoning to all piercing, which is huge for daggers.

Ability Scores:

• Strength: 10 (for carrying stuff)
• Dexterity: 19 (for hitting and not getting hit)
• Constitution: 14 (gotta have some health)
• Intelligence: 14 (more skill points!)
• Wisdom: 10 (okay)
• Charisma: 7 (who needs friends?)

Key Feats:

• Weapon Finesse: Use Dexterity for attack rolls with light weapons.
• Two-Weapon Fighting: Fight with two weapons (duh).
• Improved Two-Weapon Fighting: More attacks with two weapons!
• Double Slice: Add your Strength bonus to off-hand attacks.
• Underhanded Trick: Increases critical hit range with daggers.
• Dazzling Display: Intimidate enemies.
• Shatter Defenses: Makes intimidated enemies easier to hit.
• Weapon Focus (Dagger): More accurate daggers.

Gameplay:

Sneak around, find an enemy that's distracted (or use someone else in your party to distract them), and then stab them a lot with your daggers. Use skills like Stealth and Trickery to get into position. Once you get Shatter Defenses, you can make enemies easier to hit, making your sneak attacks even deadlier. Remember, you're squishy, so don't get surrounded!

The Knife Master Rogue is a fantastic damage dealer, especially early on. They require some finesse to play, but the rewards are well worth the effort. With the right setup, you can take down tough enemies in seconds.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few examples of the many effective class builds you can create in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. The best build for you will depend on your personal playstyle and preferences. Experiment with different classes, races, and feats to find the combination that you enjoy the most. And most importantly, have fun exploring the Stolen Lands! Remember to adapt these builds to your own playstyle and party composition. Pathfinder: Kingmaker rewards experimentation, so don't be afraid to try new things and discover your own unique builds. Good luck, and have fun conquering the Stolen Lands!