Welcome to Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, a deeply complex CRPG based on the first edition Pathfinder rule set. While it is more user-friendly than Kingmaker, it remains a challenging game for both newcomers and veterans. This guide will walk you through essential beginner tips, covering combat mechanics, class selection, party composition, and general survival strategies to help you navigate the game effectively.

Combat Basics: Understanding the System

Wrath of the Righteous offers two game modes: Real-Time with Pause (RTwP) and Turn-Based Mode.

• RTwP is best for players who prefer a fast-paced experience, but it requires active pausing to issue commands.
• Turn-Based Mode is recommended for newcomers as it mirrors tabletop Pathfinder mechanics, allowing more control over attacks and movement.

Regardless of the mode you choose, the outcome of your actions depends on dice rolls, primarily the D20 system. Every attack, skill check, or spell cast relies on rolling a 20-sided die, modified by various bonuses and penalties. The result must meet or exceed a specific Difficulty Class (DC) to succeed. Higher DCs make success more challenging.

Attack Rolls and Damage Calculations

An Attack Roll determines whether an attack lands on an enemy, following this formula:

D20 + Base Attack Bonus (BAB) + Ability Modifier + Other Modifiers

• BAB increases as your character levels up. Martial classes like Fighters and Paladins have higher BAB growth than spellcasters.
• Ability Score Modifiers depend on your attack type:
  • Strength for melee weapons.
  • Dexterity for ranged weapons.
  • Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom for certain spells.
• Armor Class (AC) determines how difficult an enemy is to hit. If your attack roll equals or surpasses an enemy’s AC, your attack lands.

Critical hits occur when you roll a natural 20 or meet a weapon’s critical threat range (e.g., 18-20 for a rapier). To confirm a critical hit, you must roll again and meet or exceed the enemy’s AC.

Attacks of Opportunity & Movement in Combat

Certain actions provoke Attacks of Opportunity (AoO) from enemies, granting them a free strike against you. Actions that trigger AoOs include:

• Moving out of melee range without using the Mobility skill to avoid it.
• Performing a ranged attack while engaged in melee combat.
• Casting a spell or using a scroll without the Defensive Casting feat.
• Standing up from being prone.

If you use ranged characters like Rangers or Wizards, keep them at a safe distance to avoid AoOs.

Spellcasting and Preparation

• Prepared Spells: Certain classes, such as Wizards and Clerics, must prepare spells before casting them.
• Spontaneous Casting: Sorcerers and Oracles can cast spells freely from their known spell list.
• Spell Slots: Higher-level spells require more slots. For example, a Level 1 Wizard starts with only one Level 1 spell slot.
• Cantrips & Orisons: Low-level spells (Level 0) can be cast an unlimited number of times.

Be sure to rest frequently to restore depleted spell slots. Additionally, spells that require touch attacks use Strength (for melee touch) or Dexterity (for ranged touch) when determining attack rolls.

Beginner-Friendly Classes

If you’re new to Pathfinder, starting with straightforward classes will help ease you into the game. Recommended beginner classes include:

• Barbarian – High damage, high health, low defense.
• Fighter – Strong martial class with great armor and weapon proficiency.
• Paladin – Durable, can heal and smite evil foes.
• Rogue – Agile, excels in sneak attacks and disarming traps.
• Ranger – Versatile ranged fighter with animal companions.
• Cleric – Healer with powerful divine magic.
• Sorcerer – Simple spellcaster with innate magic rather than prepared spells.

Avoid complex spellcasters like Wizards or multi-class builds until you have a better understanding of the mechanics.

Optimizing Party Composition

Your party should include a mix of tanks, damage dealers, healers, and support characters. A well-balanced party typically has:

1. Tank (Frontline Defense) – Example: Seelah (Paladin)
   • Needs high Armor Class (AC) (25+ recommended).
   • Benefits from Outflank feat for flanking bonuses.
2. Healer & Support – Example: Sosiel (Cleric) or Camellia (Shaman)
   • Provides healing, buffs, and condition removal.
   • Can also deal damage if built offensively.
3. Damage Dealers (Melee & Ranged)
   • Lan (Monk) and Arueshalae (Ranger) excel at ranged attacks.
   • Woljif (Rogue) deals high melee damage with sneak attacks.
4. Spellcasters & Crowd Control
   • Ember (Witch) and Nenio (Wizard) excel at spellcasting and debuffs.
   • Keep them at range and equip backup weapons for when they run out of spells.

Diversifying skills among party members helps pass more skill checks, making exploration and problem-solving easier.

Encumbrance & Inventory Management

Carrying too much weight can slow your party down and apply penalties. To manage encumbrance:

• Purchase Bag of Holding from Defender’s Heart to increase carrying capacity.
• Limit heavy camping supplies and rations.
• Reduce extra armor and shields in inventory.

Weapon Material & Resistance Considerations

Many enemies have Damage Reduction (DR) that reduces incoming damage unless bypassed with specific materials:

• Cold Iron & Good – Effective against demons.
• Adamantine – Useful against golems and constructs.
• Silver – Needed for creatures like werewolves.

Equipping weapons of various materials ensures your team can handle different enemy resistances.

Buffing & Combat Preparation

• Buffing before battles is crucial:
  • Bless grants a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
  • Shield of Faith increases AC.
  • Haste provides extra movement and attacks per round.
• Surprise Attacks: Start encounters with ranged attacks to gain an advantageous first round.

Final Tips for Beginners

• Auto Level-Up: Enable this for companions until you understand character progression.
• Difficulty Adjustments: Lower combat difficulty if fights feel overwhelming—adjust later as you improve.
• Avoid Multi-Classing Early: Stick with single-class characters until you grasp the mechanics.
• Masterwork Weapons: Equip these early on for a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
• Use Magic Device: A high Use Magic Device skill allows non-magic users to activate wands and scrolls.

By following these tips, you’ll have a smoother experience in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. With time, patience, and practice, you’ll master the complexities of the game and lead your party to victory. Good luck, and may your crusade be victorious!