Creating and building a character is one of the best parts of the role-playing game experience. Pathfinder is an RPG series that includes both tabletop adventures and video games, and what sets them apart from the start is the vast array of classes that players can customize and enjoy. Every playthrough of the Wrath of the Righteous module has a different selection of quests, equipment, and abilities that make it a unique experience.

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The Warpriest is one of the classes that you can only find in the Pathfinder series. It's similar to a Cleric in the sense that there are some strict religious rules to follow, including a deity with a certain code of conduct that will also determine your character's actions. The class has some of the spell casting abilities that most players will associate with a divine healer, but Warpriests can also call upon the power of nature to deal extra damage on top of plenty of physical destruction.

The Warpriest - Character Creation

Ability Scores

• Wisdom. Like other combination classes, the Warpriest has a variety of important ability scores. Make Wisdom the highest score if the build is focused on spell casting or Divine or Religious Knowledge.
• Constitution. Warpriests who are choosing a defensive role will need extra hit points and resilience, so this should be their highest Ability Score.
• Strength. Damage-based builds will need a higher Strength score because it determines how much damage your character does with melee weapons.
• Dexterity. The better your Dexterity score, the more you can dodge, pass Mobility skill checks, and handle finesse weapons. This may or may not be useful to the average Warpriest, but it depends entirely on the individual build.
• Charisma. Used for spontaneous casting and Persuasion checks, Warpriests don't have much use for this Ability Score. They are spontaneous casters, but unlike other classes with this skill, they rely on Wisdom and not Charisma.
• Intelligence. The closest thing a Warpriest has to a dump stat. It's only useful for Arcane Knowledge checks and spell casting.

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Party Roles

• Defense. Warpriests have more options than other Divine casting classes when it comes to armor and gear, so they can take the role as the main defender in the same spirit as a Paladin, but with more casting options.
• Damage. There's a lot to work with here when it comes to both casting and physical damage. Strength is an important Ability Score to Warpriests, which means that a melee-damage build, often combined with spell casting, makes more sense here than a ranged damage build.
• Healing. Some extra armor and a higher Constitution make the Warpriest an ideal battle healer, and that might have been the main idea behind this class in the first place.

Racial Choices

• Aasimar. Most of the choices for Aasimar heritage include bonuses to Charisma, which isn't all that useful to a Warpriest. The Lawbringer, however, includes buffs to both Constitution and Wisdom instead, so it's still a decent start.
• Dhampir. This undead-hybrid race is known for their Intelligence and their Strength, but they're lacking in the Constitution and Wisdom department.
• Dwarf. One of the best choices, especially for a Defender, Dwarves get bonuses to two of the Warpriest's most important Ability Scores, Wisdom and Constitution.
• Elf. Known for their Intelligence and Dexterity, Elves make better Arcane spell casters or Rogues, and don't have much to offer the Warpriest class.
• Gnome. The Constitution buff is nice, but Gnomes take a penalty to Strength and the Charisma bonus is useless unless your Warpriest wants to multiclass with a Bard or Paladin.
• Half-Elf. The Half-elf starts with a floating +2 that you can add to any ability score, plus innate abilities like Keen Senses and magic resistance are great for any class.
• Half-Orc. A great choice for players with a melee-based Warpriest build, Half-orcs have abilities like Orc Ferocity, which improves their Intimidation and Persuasion checks.
• Halfling. Bonuses to Dexterity and Charisma, but a penalty to Strength, so to better to roll a Bard or Cavalier.
• Human. The most versatile race in most RPG games has the same distinction in Pathfinder. Add +1 to the ability score of your choice and enjoy the extra Feat and skill points.
• Kitsune. Smart and pretty, but not strong, and lacking in the Constitution department. A better spellcaster or rogue as opposed to a Warpriest.
• Oread. The Ironsoul and the General Heritage choices are both decent options, giving the character bonuses to Wisdom, Strength, and Constitution.
• Tiefling. There are several choices for a Tiefling Heritage, each with varying bonuses and penalties, so a Warpriest has a lot of great options to choose from in this category.

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The Warpriest Subclasses

• Champion of the Faith. The name of this subclass gives it away, but just to clarify, this is the class for those Warpriests that fight with their faith. Given the lore of the game, this is a great choice for roleplaying and backstory.
• Cult Leader. Why be just another spiritual leader when you can have a whole cult at your beck and call? A Cult Leader is a true fanatic for their faith and has little else in their lives.
• Disenchanter. This subclass grants the Warpriest a specialization in neutralizing magic, so they can also take bad spells and debuffs away from their friends.
• Feral Champion. These Warpriests are dedicated to nature gods, and it's one of the few subclasses in the game restricted to certain deities. The powers of Erastil or Gozreh will direct the actions of the Feral Champion.
• Proclaimer. Like a priest or monk that follows a righteous cause and charges into battle regardless of the danger, a Proclaimer goes with their gut instinct and loves to inspire their comrades, but isn't exactly a planner.
• Shield Bearer. This archetype has the usual abilities of a Warpriest, plus the skill to use shields and related powers like Shield Bash.

Prestige Classes And Multi-Classing Options

Regular Classes

• Barbarian. This class also values Strength, and some abilities for certain types of Barbarians are based on Wisdom, so this combination can work.
• Druid. Another class that prioritizes Constitution and Wisdom, this multiclass can give your Warpriest more healing spells and shape-shifting abilities.
• Fighter. The most common multiclass option, a Warpriest can gain more weapon proficiencies from the Fighter, and both classes value a high Strength score.
• Hunter. Another class that uses several Ability Scores, Hunters value Dexterity as opposed to Constitution and can give your Warpriest some handy Stealth-related abilities.
• Kineticist. Warpriests that want more options for melee damage will enjoy mixing it up with a Kineticist, a class that bases their power on Constitution. One subclass, the Psychokineticist, uses Wisdom, so that's also an option.
• Monk. Monks tend to be more dexterous than the average Warpriest and wear less armor, but a high Wisdom score and a fervent devotion to a certain faith are some common traits these classes do share. Monks have restoration powers that a healer would appreciate, and they give the melee fighter more options when it comes to unarmed strikes.
• Ranger. Aside from giving a Warpriest some extra healing and buffing abilities, Rangers also have great combat skills like Quarry and Favored Terrain.
• Slayer. A Warpriest that wants to take on the powers of a Slayer has to have a few extra points in Intelligence, as this is another complex class that can only be found in Pathfinder and uses a lot of different Ability Scores. The Slayer has abilities similar to a Hunter that involve tracking and terrain, along with their dedication to a cause or contract.

Prestige Classes

• Aldori Swordlord. Reserved for characters who are dedicated to honing their melee skills. It's a progression path for Warpriests who are experts in using dueling weapons.
• Eldritch Knight. Arcane Knowledge is the only prerequisite here that the Warpriest will have to acquire through a Feat Skill choice. It's a way to improve your powers as a spellcaster.
• Hellknight Signifier. Not all the Hellknights are fighters. They also employ a contingent of spell casters for both healing and damage. This is a natural choice for more Lawfully-minded Warpriests.
• Mystic Theurge. A common progression choice for Divine casters, the Warpriest commonly takes this path along with Clerics and Paladins. Their special ability is casting two spells in one turn.
• Stalwart Defender. Warpriests who take the sword and shield route can become Stalwart Defenders and evolve into better Defenders, but they give up some of their Mobility score and do less damage in return.
• Student of War. Given the plot of the story in Pathfinder: WotR, this is an obvious choice for players who want to look professional while running a Crusade. This is the Prestige Class that gives the character deeper knowledge of political, diplomatic, and military tactics.

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Examples Of Warpriest Builds

Armored Inquisitor

• Party Role: Defender, but they can still off-heal and use magical damage when needed.
• Ideal Race: Dwarf, for the extra weapon skills and Constitution bonus.
• Best Subclass: Shield Bearer to get some additional defensive abilities.
• Important Ability Scores: Constitution should be the highest of the ability scores that the Warpriest deems to be important when it comes to this build. This role is demanding when it comes to the ability to take damage, so combine that high Constitution with a set of heavy armor.

Priest Of The Wilderness

• Party Role: Melee damage, of both physical and magical nature.
• Ideal Race: Half-orc or Tiefling, for the Strength bonuses and extra weapon abilities.
• Best Subclass: Feral Champion, for the extra melee damage abilities like Feral Blessing.
• Important Ability Scores: Strength is the most important Ability Score for this role, ensuring that this Warpriest can do as much melee damage as possible.

Steeled For Healing

• Party Role: Healer, which includes support spells and some damage.
• Ideal Race: Oread, fo the extra Wisdom or Constitution.
• Best Subclass: Proclaimer or Champion of the Faith, since both subclasses have abilities that also help bolster your companions' abilities along with healing them.
• Important Ability Scores: This is the role that relies more on spell casting than others, so a high Wisdom score is the best option for this Warpriest build.

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