When I start a new campaign, I like to send out a set of guidelines outlining what I do and don’t allow for character creation. Sometimes these are very specific (I have been known to restrict a group to one character with a full base attack bonus, one with 9-levels of spellcasting, and one with 6 or more skill points… though that is far from universal). Sometimes they are pretty general. They are always designed to help players make characters that will fit well in the campaign I plan to run.

That doesn’t mean I am a dictator. If the rules mean you can’t make the character you want, talk to me. Normally, that’s because you want to run something that won’t work well in the game I want to run. In that case, the whole group may want to discuss what kind of game we want, and if I am the best GM for it. Rarely, you have some corner case I have accidentally ruled out with broad rules, in which case it may work for me to inform the whole group the rules are being modified to allow for it.

I’m going to be running a new Pathfinder RPG campaign soon, which I classify as a “Beer and Pretzels” game. That is, it’s lighthearted entertainment not to be taken too seriously, in which I am often making things up as I go along. The rules for character creation in this game are typical, if not necessarily iconic, for how I do things and are presented here in case anyone finds that interesting.