Pathfinder: Kingmaker Question/Tips & Tricks Thread

Thought I'd start this to differentiate from the other current threads, focusing more on tips, tricks and questions folks may have.

I'll start. When dual-classing, can you later still put levels into your original class? Can you end up taking levels of any classes you want at any time, or is it similar to 2nd Ed. D&D dual-classing? Just wondering if at level 3 I should take a Sorcerer level with my Archaeologist and how that would play out.

For tricks, kill Spider Swarms with Alchemist's Fire and Everburning Torches. And a scroll of Bless + Linzi's Inspire Courage can make a big difference, as can potions or scrolls of Enlarge Person and Shield of Faith. I like that the game is challenging enough that those items actually matter for once, rather than being inventory fodder!

Barbarian with light armor, a good idea? Makes her more mobile and I can increase her Light Armor Proficiency so it protects more…

Lastly, what's the "true" intended difficulty to play on? I figured Challenging since it sets everything to normal and enemies do 100% intended damage, but I was getting wrecked. I want to have the core experience but I feel kind of cheap turning down the modifiers if I'm getting killed a lot. Is the game doable on Challenging for a first-timer?

I think azarhal already answered some but I will give it a go too anyway.

Originally Posted by TheRealFluent
For tricks, kill Spider Swarms with Alchemist's Fire and Everburning Torches. And a scroll of Bless + Linzi's Inspire Courage can make a big difference, as can potions or scrolls of Enlarge Person and Shield of Faith. I like that the game is challenging enough that those items actually matter for once, rather than being inventory fodder!

Yes, I love the fact you really have to check and try out spells/potions/items in your possession to get through tough battles.

Barbarian with light armor, a good idea? Makes her more mobile and I can increase her Light Armor Proficiency so it protects more…

I'd say not, you need decent AC not to get smashed. Also, you got to make sure your barbarian isn't encumbered to avoid penalty. Unless you have encumbrance issue, I don't think light armor is good idea…

Lastly, what's the "true" intended difficulty to play on? I figured Challenging since it sets everything to normal and enemies do 100% intended damage, but I was getting wrecked. I want to have the core experience but I feel kind of cheap turning down the modifiers if I'm getting killed a lot. Is the game doable on Challenging for a first-timer?

During early beta phase, default difficulty was "core" but then owlcat received lots of feedback that the game is too hard. So I think the default setting is now "normal".

The drained ability scores are what's hurting me right now. I keep getting STR and DEX permanently drained, and it takes a long time to reverse that. Healing seems slow, too, even when resting for almost 24 hours at camp, sometimes characters still wake up with little to no HP.

Holy cow, the character creation options are *staggeringly* amazing. I just made a Fey-blooded, Angel-like Aasimar, Eldritch Magus girl. Soooo many options, it's truly the best character creation in an RPG I've seen in a long while. Love it!

You need restoration spells to remove ability draining (lesser restoration is a level 2 cleric/druid and level 1 Paladin spell). Their might be scrolls of restoration too. Otherwise it's one point per rest going by what I've read (I wonder if the difficulty setting "remove negative effects on rest" removes them for free though).

As for healing at camp, is the checkbox for "using healing spells before resting", or something like that, checked? Also, from the tutorial tooltip, no successful hunting means no successful rest, and no rest means no healing. Although, I had my character not heal while sleeping at Oleg's once so could be a bug too.

Originally Posted by azarhal
You need restoration spells to remove ability draining (lesser restoration is a level 2 cleric/druid and level 1 Paladin spell). Their might be scrolls of restoration too. Otherwise it's one point per rest going by what I've read (I wonder if the difficulty setting "remove negative effects on rest" removes them for free though).

As for healing at camp, is the checkbox for "using healing spells before resting", or something like that, checked? Also, from the tutorial tooltip, no successful hunting means no successful rest, and no rest means no healing. Although, I had my character not heal while sleeping at Oleg's once so could be a bug too.

Interesting, thanks. Healing does seem weird. I've rested 23 hours (bad idea with the 3 month time limit, I know, but it was necessary to remove ability negatives) and the characters are still mostly dead when waking up. Might be a bug indeed. And I do use "use healing spells before resting", but maybe natural healing is better if you don't have any spells left before resting?

I don't mind the ability negatives now. I can use lesser restoration as you said and also manage fine on Normal - 1.0 damage and Normal crits. Feeling good about where my party is at now after building an Aasimar Magus to help with the magic end of the party, and also fighting with her rapier. Should be fun!

Is the 3 month limit insta-game over if you don't complete it in that time? I'm 26 days in and worried as I haven't even found Tartuccio, I'm exploring the Sycamore Tree caves and haven't even gotten close to the Abandoned Hut yet. Hope I have time and don't screw up too bad as I had to make trips back to Oleg's to restock, etc..

Bear-like Treant? Any advice? None of my attacks hurt it.

Edit - Fire, duh. Alchemist Fire, Burning Hands and Amira.

Yeah the bear treant is tough, I had to full buff my party with bless, bard song etc.

Is there anyway to increase weight limit pls? Even mod?

I am a hoarder

Strength buff?

Originally Posted by purpleblob
Strength buff?

I am asking for permanent way, for example, bags of holding? etc

Not that I know of. You just have to wait till you level up or get perma strength buff items

Originally Posted by lostforever
I am asking for permanent way, for example, bags of holding? etc

IIRC i saw one at the first tradepost (oleg?). But i am not sure.

There is bags of holding. They are at first tradepost.

Omg they implemented it!! I still haven't even had chance to create my character work sucks

Originally Posted by TheRealFluent
Is the 3 month limit insta-game over if you don't complete it in that time?

As far as I know, yes. Although, it's probably a "Leader couldn't claim the land in time, X took the place over ~ Linzi" kind of ending.

Also, my understanding is that you can defeat the boss tied to this 3 months deadline and remains in chapter 1 to finish the other stuff (or I misunderstood something the dev said about chapters).

Looks like you can get cursed in the first chapter. Remove curse is a 3rd level clerical spell (so level 5th cleric at the lowest), I hope Bokken has scrolls because otherwise that's nasty.

Copying some stuff from the release thread down below:

to deal with spider swarm: alchemist's fire (use Linzi to throw unless your character is build for ranged weapons), bring a wizard/sorcerer (so wait to recruit Octavia), dot it at level 3. The easiest is with an alchemist though. In 1.02, Bokken should give you a bunch of alchemist's fire to deal with them too.

Note that you can put stuff on party member's belts while in combat and paused (from what I've seen).

How to make a custom portrait (from the official forums) (thread with custom portraits):

Hi all! About custom portraits. You can prepare three your own portraits with names: Small, Medium and Fulllength. All this images must be saved in PNG format with resolutions:
Small - width: 185px, height: 242px;
Medium - width: 330px, height: 432px;
Fulllength - width: 692px, height: 1024px;

You can use this templates https://imgur.com/a/gtkHk5J

The gameflow looks like:
1. Start New game
2. Choose "Create a new character"
3. Click on icon "Custom portrait".
4. Click on button "Open portraits folder". (It works for Windows and Mac)
5. Replace portraits in opened folder or change it in your graphic redactor.
6. Click "Refresh portraits"
7. Enjoy your own portraits.

Also it works for custom companions.

Do you have to activate Coordinated Defense or is it just automatic if two adjacent party members both have it? Seems like the coordinated/teamwork aspects play a big role in making a stellar party. They give good bonuses.

Originally Posted by TheRealFluent
Do you have to activate Coordinated Defense or is it just automatic if two adjacent party members both have it? Seems like the coordinated/teamwork aspects play a big role in making a stellar party. They give good bonuses.

Should automatically apply if both have it, unless you are an Inquisitor, that class has special interaction with teamwork feats (which coordinated defense is part of) depending on the archetype.