Pathfinder 2e
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What is it you don't like about the character creation process? Is it that there are too many choices? That you feel the need to make the "optimal" choice?
Not OP, but these are the two problems I run into in any crpg / arpg / trpg I play. I also find when I try to avoid stressing over it I end up too under powered to actually do anything in the game in playing. Very open to advice if you have any!
The reason I asked about those two things specifically was because in PF2E, it's very difficult to make a "wrong" choice. Most of your power comes directly from leveling up, not from feats. So my advice would be not to stress about what the optimal choice is for minmaxing and instead to focus on the best choice to realize your concept of your character.
Basically, yeah. It feels like any time I pick a feat or spell, it's just bad. Every combat I feel useless. I asked some of the more savvy players in my group for help, and we completely revamped my character sheets and handwaived it as a giant retrain. Now my characters don't suck, but I also feel detached from them because the options I picked for my character concepts aren't part of the build anymore.
That's why I was hoping to find a library of characters that I could pick from, to at least find one I can get behind.
Hmmm... I see. Unfortunately it's not that simple to give a "library" because unlike other games, there are very few clear choices in PF2e characters. Most of the time, the thing that has the biggest impact on what choices you should make is the makeup of your party, the specific adventure you are playing, and the character concept you are trying to realize. It's hard to do the same sort of "white room" theorycrafting that you see in games like D&D 5e for example.
I'm surprised you feel useless though. As long as you make some basic decisions in character creation like maxing out your primary stat and picking one or two actions you plan to do during combat, you should be okay. Pathfinder is tough but it doesn't really punish bad choices in character creation. Can you maybe give an example of an encounter where you didn't feel like you contributed a lot (and why you felt that way)?
I'll use our Strength of Thousands game as the example. We are level 8, and our party consists of a wizard, a witch, a ranger, and an oracle (me). I have her built as a support character because that made sense with the party comp and oracular curse (cosmos).
Needle darts and electric arc are my two reliable damage cantrips, but they are outperformed by the other caster's spells and the ranger's weapon attacks. My noteworthy leveled damage spells are inner radiance torrent (signature) and Ymeri's mark, but their damage never seems worth the cost when compared to supporting my allies. Particularly because my best damage is less than other players' average.
Most of my turns usually focus on buffing and debuffing, or healing when necessary. Some frequent options off the top of my head are:
*Protective Ward
*Fear (+3)
*Bon mot
*Heal (Signature)
Often I try to apply a status only to learn the target already has a status so mine doesn't matter. I guess it's just frustrating because no matter what niche I try to occupy in the party, I'm always outperformed by someone else.
This was also the case with 2 different druids I've made and a barbarian in other campaigns.