Pathfinder: Kingmaker Enhanced Plus Edition: Complete Guide

A practical guide to Owlcat's first Pathfinder CRPG: character creation, party building, combat, resting and camping, kingdom management, the act-by-act structure, and the missables and timers that trip up new barons.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Enhanced Plus Edition, patch 2.1.7b (the final major patch, May 2021). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Version note: Enhanced Plus Edition is not a separate purchase on PC. It's the free update (August 18, 2020, alongside the console release) that every Steam copy (app 640820) now runs. Together with the earlier Enhanced Edition update (June 6, 2019), it added a brand-new class (the Slayer), new archetypes and items, better balance in the early game and the last two chapters, a reworked kingdom management system, and (with Enhanced Plus) a turn-based combat mode alongside the original real-time-with-pause system. The last patch is 2.1.7b (May 27, 2021). The DLCs (The Wildcards, Varnhold's Lot, Beneath the Stolen Lands, Royal Ascension) are still sold separately.

Quick Start

Pick a difficulty that fits your Pathfinder knowledge. The game uses tabletop Pathfinder 1st Edition rules, and Normal is harder than most CRPGs' Normal. If you don't know PF1e, start on Easy or use Custom and lower enemy stats. You can change difficulty later.
Try turn-based mode for tough fights. You can toggle between real-time with pause and turn-based, and turn-based is often easier to read.
Build a balanced party: a front-liner, a healer, an arcane caster, and someone with good Perception and Trickery (traps, locks). Companions cover all of these.
Rest carefully. You need camping supplies, and spells and abilities only return after a rest. Keep a few camping supplies at all times.
The first act is on a timer. You have three months to deal with the Stag Lord. Don't wander aimlessly.
Save often in multiple slots. Old CRPG rules apply: a bad fight or bad choice can cost hours.
Kingdom management matters. Starting in Act II, a neglected kingdom can collapse and end your game. If you just want the story, lower the kingdom difficulty in options.
Buffs win fights. Pre-cast Mage Armor, Shield, Bless, Heroism, Haste and similar before big encounters.
Perception checks reveal traps and hidden loot. Keep the party's best Perception character in front.
Companion quests have deadlines. Several expire if you ignore them for too long.

Character Creation

Races

Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling, and Aasimar are available in the base game; Tiefling comes with The Wildcards DLC. Humans, Half-Elves and Half-Orcs get a flexible +2 to any ability score, which makes them good for almost any class.

Classes

Base classes: Alchemist, Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Inquisitor, Magus, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Wizard, plus the Kineticist (The Wildcards DLC) and the Slayer (added in the Enhanced Edition). Every class has several archetypes that change features.

Stat priorities by role

Role	Main stat	Secondary	Good starter classes
Melee damage	Strength	Constitution, Dexterity	Barbarian, Fighter, Slayer, Paladin
Ranged damage	Dexterity	Wisdom (Ranger/Zen Archer)	Ranger, Fighter, Slayer
Arcane caster	Intelligence (Wizard, Magus) or Charisma (Sorcerer)	Dexterity, Constitution	Sorcerer, Wizard
Divine caster	Wisdom	Charisma (Channel Energy)	Cleric, Druid
Skill character	Dex / Int	Wisdom	Rogue, Bard

Key rules: Don't dump Constitution on a front-liner, keep Dexterity decent for AC and initiative, and use your ability-score increases (every 4 levels) on your main stat.

Beginner-friendly builds

Sorcerer (Blaster/Controller): simple to play, many spells per day. Take Grease, Magic Missile and Color Spray early, then Glitterdust, Haste, Fireball.
Barbarian (Two-Handed): Rage + Power Attack with a two-handed weapon. Very forgiving.
Paladin (Sword and Board or Two-Handed): Smite Evil is huge against the game's many evil bosses; high saves thanks to Divine Grace.
Ranger (Archer): Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim. Consistent ranged damage.
Cleric (Support): heals, Bless, Prayer, Channel Energy, and solid melee with medium armor.

Party and Companions

You can have up to six party members. Main companions:

Companion	Role in brief
Amiri	Barbarian with a large blade
Valerie	Fighter, shield tank
Linzi	Halfling Bard, support and buffs
Harrim	Dwarf Cleric of Groetus, divine caster
Jaethal	Elf Inquisitor, melee plus divine magic
Tristian	Cleric of Sarenrae, healer
Ekundayo	Ranger with an animal companion
Octavia	Half-elf arcane caster/rogue
Regongar	Half-orc Magus
Jubilost	Gnome Alchemist
Nok-Nok	Goblin melee skirmisher
Kanerah and Kalikke	Tiefling twins, Kineticists (The Wildcards DLC)

Companions have personal questlines, alignments and opinions. Several pairs clash (Octavia and Regongar arrive together, for example), and some quests fail if you delay them. Check your journal after every chapter transition.

Combat Fundamentals

Mechanic	What it means	What to do
Armor Class (AC)	How hard you are to hit	Front-liners stack armor, shields and deflection
Saves (Fortitude, Reflex, Will)	Resistance to spells and effects	Cloaks of Resistance and buffs are huge
Attacks of opportunity	Moving through threatened squares provokes a free hit	Don't walk past enemies; tank in chokepoints
Flat-footed / flanking	Rogue sneak attack and bonus to hit	Surround single strong targets
Damage reduction (DR)	Enemies ignore part of physical damage unless the right material/alignment	Carry cold iron, silver, magic weapons
Spell resistance	Chance to ignore spells	Use buff spells or spells that ignore SR

Enemies that wreck new parties

Swarms (spiders, centipedes): immune to weapon damage in practice; use area spells, alchemist fire, or fire damage.
Trolls: regenerate unless hit by fire or acid. Bring fire damage for Act II.
Wraiths and incorporeal undead: need magic weapons or spells.
Casters that Dominate or Confuse: Protection from Evil and high Will saves counter many of them.
Kingmaker "gear check" fights like the Wild Hunt or Vordakai: prepare with buffs and scroll support.

Camping, Resting and Exploration

Resting consumes camping supplies; hunting and camouflage can reduce the need and keep you hidden.
Characters get fatigued after long travel, lowering stats. Rest before big fights.
Assign camp roles (hunting, cooking, camouflage, guard). Good Lore (Nature) and Stealth characters make better scouts and hunters.
Some camp recipes give bonuses for the next day. Collect ingredients.
Encumbrance slows the party on the global map; sell loot regularly and don't hoard.

Kingdom Management

Kingdom management begins after the first act, once you're named Baron or Baroness.

Advisors

Nine positions: Regent, Councilor, General, Treasurer, High Priest, Warden, Curator, Minister, Grand Diplomat. Each governs one or more kingdom stats (Community, Loyalty, Military, Economy, Relations, Divine, Arcane, Stability, Culture, Espionage). Put companions or NPC advisors with the right ability in each slot.

How the loop works

Build Points (BP) are the kingdom currency. You earn BP over time and can buy some from merchants.
Claim regions and resource sites (resource sites cost BP) to expand your territory and stats.
Build buildings in settlements. Many buildings get adjacency bonuses.
Events arrive with deadlines and need an advisor assigned; failures lower stats and can trigger crises.
Kingdom rank in each stat grows as the stat grows, unlocking better projects.

Kingdom rules of thumb

Fill every advisor slot as early as possible.
Resolve events on time, even if you have to send a weaker advisor.
Claim resource sites early; their BP pays back over time.
Don't overbuild one settlement. Expand regions to grow income.
Save before each month's big events.
If kingdom management feels like a chore, lower its difficulty in settings. The story still plays out.

Act-by-Act Outline

Stage	What happens	Watch out for
Prologue	Jamandi Aldori's mansion is attacked; you receive a charter to explore the Stolen Lands	Recruit your first companions here
Act I	Hunt the Stag Lord, deal with Tartuccio and the kobolds; ends with you claiming the Stolen Lands as baron	Three-month time limit; free Tristian from Tartuccio along the way
Act II	Build your capital; the troll threat led by Hargulka (fought in the Dwarven Ruins)	Bring fire and acid for trolls; finish companion quests before moving on
Act III	Monsters and a strange bloom spread through your lands ("Mother of Monsters", "Witch Hunt"); you eventually destroy the Everbloom in the Other World	Time-sensitive events; balance kingdom crises and field work
Act IV	Varnhold disappears; you confront the ancient lich Vordakai in his tomb	Prepare for undead and a long dungeon; stock Restoration and negative-energy protection
Act V	Armag and the Tiger Lord barbarians, the Rushlight Tournament and King Irovetti of Pitax, then the final confrontation with Nyrissa	Several Act V quests (such as "Hour of Rage") run on timers; check deadlines in the journal

The final stretch deals with Nyrissa, the fey queen behind many of your troubles, in the House at the Edge of Time, a challenging endgame dungeon with its own rules.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Starting on Normal without PF1e knowledge. Many players quit in Act I because of this; there's no shame in Easy or Custom.
Ignoring buffs. Most "unfair" fights become fair with Bless, Haste, Heroism and Protection from Evil.
No fire damage for Act II. Trolls regenerate otherwise.
Ignoring the global map time cost. Travel eats days; quests expire.
Leaving advisor slots empty. That's the fastest way to kingdom collapse.
Hoarding scrolls and potions. Use them; they're a primary power source in CRPGs based on tabletop rules.
Overlooking weapon materials. Cold iron vs fey and demons, silver vs lycanthropes and devils.

Advanced Tips

Crowd control beats damage. Grease, Glitterdust, Color Spray and Sleep end fights at low levels.
Stack different bonus types. In PF1e, bonuses of the same type (enhancement, morale, etc.) don't stack. Mix types.
Dispel and Remove effects: carry Restoration and Remove Disease/Curse scrolls; ability damage and negative levels ruin runs.
Tactical retreat is valid. Pull enemies back to chokepoints so your front-liner blocks for the casters.
Multiclassing: generally better to stay single-class for spellcasters. For martials, a small dip can pay off if you know PF1e.
Turn-based mode makes precise positioning easier for flanking and avoiding attacks of opportunity.
Mods: Unity Mod Manager-based mods (such as Bag of Tricks) are popular for fixes and tweaks. Back up saves first.

Missables and Secrets

Act I's three-month limit is the first hard deadline; don't burn weeks on side areas before tracking down the Stag Lord.
Companion quests can fail if you ignore them across chapter transitions.
The secret ending involving Nyrissa requires collecting a set of hidden items and completing specific steps across the entire campaign. If you want it, read a spoiler guide before Act III.
Varnhold's Lot (DLC) is a separate, self-contained campaign (it tells what happened to Varnhold in parallel with Act IV), so play it whenever you like.

FAQ

Is Enhanced Plus Edition a separate game? No. It's the current version of Pathfinder: Kingmaker on Steam; all owners got it free.

Should I play Kingmaker before Wrath of the Righteous? They're separate stories. Kingmaker is older and harder to learn; Wrath is more polished. Either order works.

What's the best difficulty for a first run? Easy or Normal with Custom tweaks. Normal is quite challenging for newcomers.

Can I play entirely in turn-based mode? Yes. Turn-based mode was added in the Enhanced Plus update and can be toggled anytime.

Why do trolls keep getting back up? Regeneration. Only fire or acid damage stops it permanently.

Can my kingdom fail? Yes. On higher kingdom difficulties, neglecting events and stability can lead to a game over. Lower the kingdom difficulty if needed.

Which DLC should I get? The Wildcards if you want a new race/class and companion; Beneath the Stolen Lands for extra dungeon crawling; Varnhold's Lot for a separate short campaign.