The Age of Ashes is Pathfinder 2E’s first Adventure Path, set in the town of Breachill. It introduces players to a world of adventure, dragons, and epic quests, with the Players Guide providing essential tools for character creation and immersion.
1.1 Overview of the Adventure Path
The Age of Ashes is Pathfinder 2E’s first Adventure Path, running from August 2019 to December 2019. This six-part campaign begins in the small town of Breachill, where players are drawn into a conflict involving ancient prophecies, dragons, and the rise of a powerful force. The story unfolds across various locations, including the Hellknight stronghold of Citadel Demain, offering a mix of exploration, combat, and role-playing opportunities. Designed for characters from level 1 to 18, the Adventure Path introduces players to the world of Pathfinder’s second edition, with a focus on epic storytelling and dynamic encounters. The Players Guide provides essential recommendations for character creation, ensuring players are prepared for the challenges ahead. This guide is particularly useful for newcomers to Pathfinder, offering insights into ancestries, classes, and skills that align with the story’s themes. The Adventure Path is praised for its balanced encounters and immersive narrative, making it a standout experience for both new and veteran players.
1.2 Starting Location: Breachill
Breachill is a small, peaceful town that serves as the starting location for the Age of Ashes Adventure Path. Nestled in a rural area, it is a quiet, unassuming settlement where the players’ journey begins. Breachill is known for its friendly locals, a bustling town square, and a few key landmarks, such as the local chapel and inn. The town acts as a safe haven where players can gather supplies, hear rumors, and prepare for their adventures. Its proximity to the Hellknight stronghold of Citadel Demain hints at the larger conflicts to come. Breachill’s charm lies in its simplicity, offering a gentle introduction to the world of Pathfinder 2E before the story escalates into epic battles and high-stakes quests. The town’s history and recent unsettling events set the stage for the players’ involvement in the unfolding drama.
1.3 Importance of the Players Guide
The Age of Ashes Players Guide is an essential resource for players and Game Masters alike, providing everything needed to create characters and immerse themselves in the adventure. It offers detailed recommendations for ancestries, classes, languages, Lore skills, and religions that fit perfectly within the campaign’s context. The guide also includes background information on the starting location, Breachill, and the world of Pathfinder 2E, helping players understand the setting and its lore. Additionally, it provides guidance on alignments and character backgrounds, ensuring that players can craft characters that align with the adventure’s tone and themes. The guide is particularly useful for new players, as it simplifies the character creation process and offers insights into the campaign’s mechanics and story. By using the Players Guide, players can make informed decisions and fully prepare for their journey through the Age of Ashes Adventure Path.
Character Creation Guide
The Age of Ashes Players Guide provides essential tools for crafting characters, offering recommendations for ancestries, classes, languages, Lore skills, religions, alignments, and backgrounds to ensure a perfect fit for the adventure.
2.1 Choosing Ancestries
Choosing the right ancestry is crucial in the Age of Ashes Adventure Path. The Players Guide recommends selecting ancestries that align with the campaign’s themes and setting. While core ancestries like human, elf, and dwarf are popular, others such as gnome or halfling can also thrive with creative storytelling. The guide emphasizes flexibility, allowing players to choose any ancestry from the Pathfinder 2E core rulebook or other official sources. However, it suggests prioritizing ancestries that naturally fit the story’s tone and the character’s background. For example, a dwarf’s resilience might shine in combat-heavy scenarios, while a halfling’s stealth could prove advantageous in infiltration missions. Ultimately, the choice of ancestry should reflect the player’s vision for their character while complementing the Adventure Path’s narrative and challenges. This ensures a balanced and immersive experience for both the player and the group.
2.2 Selecting Classes
Choosing the right class is a pivotal step in creating a character for the Age of Ashes Adventure Path. The Players Guide provides recommendations to help players align their class choices with the campaign’s themes and challenges. Martial classes like the Fighter or Rogue excel in combat, while spellcasters such as the Wizard or Cleric offer versatility in problem-solving and group support. The guide suggests considering the story’s tone and the player’s preferred playstyle when selecting a class. For instance, a Rogue might thrive in stealth and deception scenarios, while a Barbarian could shine in intense combat encounters. The Players Guide also highlights the importance of balancing party dynamics, ensuring a diverse range of skills and abilities for a cohesive and effective team.
Ultimately, the choice of class should reflect the player’s vision for their character while complementing the Adventure Path’s narrative and challenges. The guide offers insights to help players make informed decisions, ensuring a fun and immersive experience.
2.3 Lore Skills and Their Importance
Lore skills play a crucial role in the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, as they enhance a character’s ability to interact with the world and uncover its secrets. Skills like Arcana, Nature, and History are particularly valuable, allowing players to identify magical effects, understand environmental hazards, and decipher ancient texts. The Players Guide emphasizes selecting Lore skills that align with a character’s background and the campaign’s themes, ensuring they are both flavorful and functional. For instance, a character with the Nature skill can recognize dangerous plants or animals, while Arcana helps in identifying magical traps or artifacts. These skills not only solve puzzles and uncover plot elements but also deepen immersion in the game world. Players are encouraged to choose Lore skills thoughtfully, as they can significantly influence both individual and party success throughout the adventure. The guide also advises GMs to track these skills to maintain a balanced and engaging experience for everyone involved.
2.4 Languages and Their Roles
Languages in the Age of Ashes Adventure Path are integral to role-playing and problem-solving, allowing characters to communicate with diverse NPCs, decipher ancient texts, and navigate cultural barriers. The Players Guide recommends selecting languages that align with a character’s background and the campaign’s themes. Common is universally understood, while languages like Draconic or Infernal may be crucial for interacting with dragons or otherworldly beings. Each language choice enhances immersion and opens new narrative possibilities, making it a key aspect of character customization. Players are encouraged to consider their character’s origins and the story’s direction when choosing languages, ensuring they add depth and utility to their role in the adventure. The guide also highlights how languages can solve puzzles, forge alliances, or uncover hidden plots, emphasizing their importance in both gameplay and storytelling.
2.5 Backgrounds and Their Impact
Backgrounds in the Age of Ashes Adventure Path play a pivotal role in shaping a character’s identity and abilities. They provide a narrative foundation, influencing skills, talents, and role-playing opportunities. The Players Guide offers a variety of backgrounds, such as Acolyte, Artisan, or Bounty Hunter, each with unique skill proficiencies and traits. These backgrounds not only reflect a character’s past but also determine their interactions with the world. For example, a character with the Acolyte background might have expertise in Religion and access to divine spells, while a Charlatan might excel at Deception and Performance. Backgrounds also tie into the campaign’s themes, offering opportunities to engage with NPCs and storylines. By choosing a background, players can create a character with a rich history, making them more immersive and impactful in the adventure. This section helps players align their character’s background with the story’s tone and their role within the party.
2.6 Alignments in the Adventure Path
In the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, character alignments are not strictly restricted, allowing players to choose alignments that best fit their character’s personality and role in the story. Alignments serve as a moral compass, influencing how characters behave and interact with the world. The Players Guide recommends alignments that align with the campaign’s tone, though no specific restrictions are imposed. This flexibility enables players to craft unique personalities, from lawful heroes to chaotic free spirits. Alignments can shape interactions with NPCs, influence dialogue choices, and even affect party dynamics. While the adventure accommodates diverse alignments, maintaining consistency within the party can enhance the storytelling experience. Ultimately, alignments add depth and role-playing opportunities, making characters feel more alive in the world of Age of Ashes.
2.7 Equipment and Adventuring Gear
The Age of Ashes Players Guide provides detailed recommendations for equipment and adventuring gear, helping players outfit their characters for the challenges ahead. With a focus on both combat and exploration, the guide suggests gear that aligns with the campaign’s tone and setting. Players can choose from a variety of weapons, armor, and tools, ensuring their characters are well-prepared for the adventure. The guide also highlights the importance of selecting gear that complements a character’s abilities and background, allowing for a balanced and effective playstyle. While the guide offers extensive options, it encourages creativity, letting players adapt their choices as the story unfolds. This flexibility ensures that each character’s equipment reflects their unique role in the party and the evolving demands of the Age of Ashes campaign.
2.8 Religions in the Adventure Path
Religion plays a significant role in the Age of Ashes campaign, offering players a rich tapestry of beliefs and practices to integrate into their characters. The Players Guide highlights that any religion detailed in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook is suitable for the adventure path, allowing for diverse character backgrounds. While the campaign does not introduce new deities, it emphasizes the importance of existing ones, such as Sarenrae, Iomedae, and Asmodeus, whose teachings align with the narrative’s themes of redemption, justice, and power. Players are encouraged to choose religions that resonate with their character’s story, enhancing role-playing opportunities. The guide also notes that the presence of dragons in the campaign can influence religious dynamics, as these powerful beings may inspire awe or fear. Ultimately, the flexibility in religious choices ensures that characters can embody a wide range of faiths, enriching the overall story and gameplay experience.
2.9 Building an Optimized Character
Building an optimized character in the Age of Ashes Adventure Path requires careful planning and balance. The Players Guide provides valuable insights to help players create effective characters for the challenges ahead. Start by selecting ancestries and classes that complement each other, ensuring a strong foundation. For example, choosing a human for versatility or a dwarf for resilience can significantly impact gameplay. Next, focus on key ability scores and feats that align with your character’s role, such as strength for melee combatants or intelligence for spellcasters. Skill choices, particularly Lore skills, are crucial for problem-solving and narrative engagement. Equipment selection should also be strategic, with an emphasis on items that enhance abilities or provide defensive advantages. Finally, consider how your character’s background and alignment contribute to party dynamics and the story. By thoughtfully optimizing these elements, players can craft characters that excel in both combat and role-playing scenarios, ensuring a memorable and impactful journey through the adventure path.
2.10 Advanced Tips for Character Creation
Advanced character creation in Age of Ashes involves strategic planning to maximize effectiveness. Start by min-maxing ability scores, focusing on your character’s primary and secondary abilities to enhance performance in their role. Feat selection is critical—choose feats that complement your class and playstyle, ensuring versatility in combat and exploration. Skill synergies are equally important; prioritize skills that overlap with your character’s strengths and the adventure’s demands. Equipment choices should reflect your character’s background and the challenges they will face, with an emphasis on versatility and utility. Additionally, consider party composition when building your character, ensuring your abilities complement those of your teammates. Finally, don’t overlook the role of flavor and lore—crafting a compelling backstory and personality can elevate your character from optimized to unforgettable. By balancing mechanical efficiency with narrative depth, you’ll create a character that excels in both combat and role-playing scenarios.