Pathfinder: Kingmaker – Combat Guide (Tips, Tricks, & Basics)

Pathfinder Kingmaker releases on consoles later this month. Coinciding are updates to the PC version, including balance tweaks and a brand new official turn based combat mode. While the fan community has created similar modifications in the past, Owlcat’s turn mode should more closely resemble the pen and paper system.

Still, Pathfinder Kingmaker treats players like veterans of the franchise.  This can leave newcomers completely confused at how the game works and basic strategies. The main character is quickly thrust into the role of both lord and adventurer, and not understanding these mechanics can cause swift annihilation. Thankfully, players can test out builds in the Beneath the Stolen Lands expansion before jumping into the full campaign.

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Ability Scores in Pathfinder Kingmaker

All characters have six Ability Scores assigned at creation. An average score is 10-11 which gives 0 bonus or penalty; every 1 score above these gives an additional +1 bonus, and 1 below a -1 penalty. Ability scores can be raised every 4 levels or with certain equipment. Bonuses of one type usually do not stack, only the highest is used. For example, a character has a +6 enhancement Strength, the spell Bull’s Strength (+4 enhancement) would give them no benefit.

  • Strength: increases melee attack, damage of melee and ranged weapons, carrying capacity, and the Athletics skill. Important for anyone entering melee.
  • Dexterity: increases ranged attack (or melee attacks with the Finesse feat), armor class, reflex saving throws, turn order, and the skills Mobility, Stealth, and Thievery. Ideal for archers and scouts.
  • Constitution: grants a bonus to HP and Fortitude saving throws. Helpful for all characters.
  • Intelligence: increases the potency of spells used by Wizards, Magus, and Alchemists. Also increases the amount of skill points and the power of skills Knowledge Arcana and Knowledge World.
  • Wisdom: increases the potency of spells used by Clerics, Inquisitors, Rangers, and Druids. Also gives some class bonuses to Monks. Increases will Saving Throws and the skills Perception, Lore Nature, and Lore Religion.
  • Charisma: affects the power of spells used by Paladins, Bards, and Sorcerers. Also improves the Cleric’s Channel Energy healing (or damage), and the skills Persuasion and Use Magic Device.

Combat Mechanics in Pathfinder Kingmaker

Every 6 seconds represents a combat round where characters take turns making actions. When a character has completed their turn they will hold in place until the next 6 seconds. 20-sided dice (xD20) are used to determine random outcomes.

Attacks and Damage

Attacking is a common action used in combat. Attack value is a character’s Base Attack Bonus from their class levels + Ability Score (Strength or Dexterity) + any bonuses for equipment, or spells, or circumstances + a 1D20 roll. If a 1 is rolled the attack automatically misses, if it is a 20 it automatically hits. The total of the attack must equal or beat the target’s Armor Class. Ranged attacks work in the same manner, but attackers take a -4 penalty if an ally is in melee with the target. This is negated with the Precise Shot feat.

When AC is hit, damage dice of a weapon are then rolled, along with bonuses from Strength (sometimes Dexterity based on class abilities), circumstance, or magical bonuses. Additionally, on a 20 critical damage is threatened. A second attack roll is made against the same Armor Class to see if double damage is dealt. Certain weapons increase the bonus damage to triple or quadruple or the threat range to 19 and 18.

By default, a character can only attack once in a round. But, as their Base Attack Bonus increases every 6, they gain an additional attack at a -5 decrease. For example, a level 11 Fighter would have attacks of 11/6/1. To make these extra iterative attacks a character cannot move during the round.

Armor Class

Armor Class (AC) is a character’s ability to avoid damage. Everyone starts with a base AC of 10 and adds bonuses and penalties. The most common ways of increasing this value is equipping manufactured armor (most place a cap on Dexterity bonuses), having a natural tough hide, dodging, shrinking, or magic. Flat-Footed AC removes all evasion based bonuses like Dexterity and only factors in physical armor. Touch AC does the opposite, bypassing physical protection, and only using the target’s dodge and Dexterity.

Movement

Characters can only move so far in a round. Medium humanoids can move 30 feet, and small ones can move 20 feet. Wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying too big of a load will reduce this value. Several special class actions count as move-equivalent actions, allowing the character to make two actions by forfeiting their movement. One example is level 7 Bards, who can make a performance as a move and then cast a spell. Reloading a light crossbow also uses a move action.

Be warned that characters who willfully move past the range of a melee weapon will trigger Attacks of Opportunity: the stationary foe can attempt a free attack against the moving target. When multiple characters threaten a target (regardless of position in Kingmaker) they count as Flanking and get +2 Attack bonus and may trigger special abilities, like the Rogue’s Sneak Attack.

Spell Casting and Saving Throws

There are two types of spell casters: spontaneous who know a small selection of spells they can use at any time; and prepared casters who must assign spells to individual spell slots after 8 hours of sleep. A character needs to have a spellcasting stat of 10 + spell level to cast. For example, a Wizard would need minimum 14 Intelligence to cast a 4th level spell.

Some spells always succeed, some require a Touch Attack, and others allow the target a Saving Throw. The Difficulty Class (DC) is 10 + spellcasting ability bonus + spell level. If the previous Wizard was the caster, their 4th level spell would have a DC of 16. The target would need to make or beat that via a Saving Throw roll total of 1d20 + Saving Throw type (Fortitude/Reflex/Will) bonuses, with 1 being an automatic failure and 20 automatic success.

When in range of an enemy’s weapon, characters automatically cast defensively by rolling a 1d20 and adding their casting bonus + caster level against a DC of 15 + double the spell level. Using the same Wizard at level 7 and 4th level spell, they would have a bonus of 1d20+9 against a DC of 23. Failed checks result in a lost spell.

Combat Strategies in Pathfinder Kingmaker

A good way to survive is to maximize a character’s strengths and ignore their mediocrity. They should be specialists in two or three functions and lackluster in other aspects. Ability Scores, Feats, equipment, and spells should all reflect this philosophy. In general players should have party members that can cover these roles:

  • Melee with high attack and damage
  • Ranged with high attack and damage
  • Caster with area of effect damage
  • Tank with great AC, HP, and Savings Throws
  • Buffer who improves allies Attack, Damage, AC, and other stats
  • Enfeebler who weakens the enemy stats via high DCs
  • Controller who makes it hard to move around the battlefield
  • Healer who revives fallen allies and restores conditions after battle

This also implies when teammates should be acting optimally. The Buffer can cast many of their spells in anticipation of danger, namely those with minute or hour durations like Mage Armor or Shield of Faith. The Healer is effective after combat has ended and damage in no longer incoming. After all, powerful enemies are as deadly at 1 HP as it is at 200. For actual fights, the Controller may want to unleash hazards like Glitter Dust or Entangle to surprise unaware enemies, followed by the Caster releasing a wide nuke in the form of Sound Burst or Stone Call. The Tank then can advance to get in a good position, while the Melee comes in when it is safe.

Some early party members that can fill these roles:

  • Amiri: Barbarian who can fight in melee, but lacks armor class to be a tank.
  • Valerie: Fighter that prefers a large tower shield, making her an ideal tank.
  • Harrim: Cleric with a spell selection for buffing, but can tank with his shield and armor.
  • Linzi: Bard that is a natural team buffer, possible healer, and with some training a ranged damage dealer.
  • Jaethal: Inquisitor melee that if cared for early can become a ranged power house or unorthodox tank.
  • Regongar: Magus melee with some flexibility to buff and enfeeble.
  • Octavia: Wizard/Rogue hybrid caster that can adjust into more buffing and control.
  • Tristain: Cleric that specializes in healing, but also can cast deadly spells.

However, even with a plan, combat can become unpredictable as reinforcements arrive and characters reveal dues ex machina powers mid-fight. One should save often and be ready to reload when the scenario throws a random curve.

Pathfinder Kingmaker is currently available on PC and soon PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

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