PC Analysis
Choosing 6 of 7 PCs for Razored Labyrinth (Pathfinder 2e)
Goal
With seven proposed player characters, one must sit out. The objective is to determine which six create the strongest Pathfinder 2e party while maintaining excellent combat effectiveness, exploration capability, social flexibility, and long-term campaign synergy from Level 1 through the Darklands finale.
The Seven Characters
| Character | Primary Role | Secondary Role | Unique Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auren Voss | Rogue | Scout / Trap Expert | Stealth, infiltration, pirate knowledge, traps |
| Brakkus Embervein | Gunslinger | Engineer | Ranged damage, salvage, firearms, submersibles |
| Kharzug Ironbound | Barbarian | Main Tank | Frontline control, reach, intimidation |
| Nemeia Thrice-Drowned | Witch | Battlefield Controller | Debuffs, hexes, occult knowledge |
| Sister Caldris Vale | Warpriest | Healer / Off-Tank | Healing, divine support, frontline backup |
| Thoros Reefbinder | Ranger | Animal Companion | Tracking, survival, wilderness combat |
| Vaelith Sunsong | Bard | Face / Party Buffer | Inspire Courage, diplomacy, Recall Knowledge |
Pathfinder 2e Role Coverage
A strong PF2e party wants the following covered:
| Role | Importance | Best Candidate |
|---|---|---|
| Frontline Tank | Essential | Kharzug |
| Secondary Frontliner | Very High | Caldris |
| Healing | Essential | Caldris |
| Battlefield Control | Essential | Nemeia |
| Party Buffs | Extremely High | Vaelith |
| Scout / Traps | Essential | Auren |
| Ranged Damage | High | Brakkus |
| Wilderness Guide | Useful | Thoros |
Unlike many RPGs, Pathfinder 2e rewards stacking different bonuses rather than stacking identical damage dealers. Every character should ideally provide something that nobody else does.
Character Analysis
Auren Voss — Rogue
Strengths
- Best scout
- Handles traps
- Lock specialist
- Highest stealth
- Strong infiltration
- Pirate contacts fit campaign perfectly
Weaknesses
- Lowest durability among martials
- Damage depends on flanking
Party Value
Very difficult to replace.
Without Auren:
- nobody reliably disables traps
- exploration slows considerably
- many dungeon hazards become dangerous
Replacement Difficulty: ★★★★★
Brakkus Embervein — Gunslinger
Strengths
- Excellent ranged damage
- Engineering knowledge
- Firearms
- Salvage expert
- Critical to submersible storyline
Weaknesses
- Reload taxes action economy
- Slightly terrain dependent
Party Value
His Engineering Lore is almost unique to this campaign.
Mechanically, however, another martial can usually replace his combat contribution.
Replacement Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Kharzug Ironbound — Barbarian
Strengths
- Primary tank
- Reach weapon
- Excellent Athletics
- Controls chokepoints
- High damage
Weaknesses
- Limited utility outside combat
- Rage slightly lowers AC
Party Value
Every PF2e party wants somebody who says:
"Hit me instead."
Kharzug fills that role better than anyone else.
Without him:
- enemies reach the backline
- Witch and Bard become vulnerable
- healing burden increases dramatically
Replacement Difficulty: ★★★★★
Nemeia Thrice-Drowned — Witch
Strengths
- Hexes
- Battlefield control
- Excellent Recall Knowledge
- Debuffs
- Strong thematic connection to campaign
Weaknesses
- Lowest HP
- Requires careful positioning
Party Value
She makes difficult encounters easier instead of simply dealing damage.
Control magic becomes increasingly valuable after Level 5.
Replacement Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Sister Caldris Vale — Warpriest
Strengths
- Healing
- Divine magic
- Emergency recovery
- Secondary frontline
- Buffs
Weaknesses
- Doesn't specialize as hard as a pure Cleric or Fighter
Party Value
PF2e assumes somebody can recover the party after bad luck.
Caldris provides:
- healing
- restoration
- anti-undead tools
- divine utility
- backup tanking
Without her:
the party becomes much more fragile.
Replacement Difficulty: ★★★★★
Thoros Reefbinder — Ranger
Strengths
- Animal companion
- Excellent ranged or melee damage
- Tracking
- Survival
- Wilderness exploration
Weaknesses
Some exploration duties overlap with Auren.
The animal companion can occasionally complicate:
- ships
- narrow tunnels
- underwater sequences
Party Value
Excellent explorer.
Not essential if another character invests in Survival.
Replacement Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Vaelith Sunsong — Bard
Strengths
- Inspire Courage
- Diplomacy
- Recall Knowledge
- Flexible spellcasting
- Face character
Weaknesses
Personal damage is modest.
Party Value
The Bard dramatically improves everyone else's effectiveness.
In Pathfinder 2e:
+1 bonuses matter enormously.
A single Inspire Courage often contributes more total damage than another martial attack.
Without Vaelith:
- party accuracy drops
- damage drops
- critical hit frequency drops
- social encounters become harder
Replacement Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Direct Comparison
| Character | Combat | Exploration | Social | Campaign Flavor | Replaceable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auren | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | Very Hard |
| Brakkus | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ | Moderate |
| Kharzug | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | Extremely Hard |
| Nemeia | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | Hard |
| Caldris | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | Extremely Hard |
| Thoros | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | Moderate |
| Vaelith | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | Hard |
Who Should Sit Out?
Recommendation
Leave out Thoros Reefbinder.
Why?
Everything Thoros contributes can be approximated elsewhere:
- Survival → Auren or Caldris
- Tracking → spells and skills
- Additional martial damage → Brakkus
- Animal companion → useful but not essential
Meanwhile everyone else provides something nearly irreplaceable.
Best Six-PC Party
| Character | Job |
|---|---|
| Kharzug | Tank |
| Caldris | Healer / Off-Tank |
| Auren | Scout |
| Nemeia | Controller |
| Brakkus | Ranged Damage / Engineer |
| Vaelith | Buffer / Face |
This lineup includes:
- Primary tank
- Secondary tank
- Healing
- Divine magic
- Arcane control
- Party buffs
- Trapfinding
- Stealth
- Engineering
- Ranged damage
- Excellent social capability
- Knowledge coverage
- Strong action economy
There are virtually no significant mechanical gaps.
Alternate Recommendation
If the campaign becomes primarily:
- wilderness travel
- hex crawling
- survival
- monster hunting
- overland exploration
then instead remove:
Brakkus Embervein
and keep Thoros.
Outside of the submersible and engineering-heavy portions of the campaign, the Ranger contributes more consistently to exploration.
Final Recommendation
For Razored Labyrinth, the strongest overall Pathfinder 2e party is:
- Kharzug Ironbound
- Sister Caldris Vale
- Auren Voss
- Nemeia Thrice-Drowned
- Brakkus Embervein
- Vaelith Sunsong
This composition provides outstanding role coverage, excellent action economy, minimal redundancy, and scales smoothly from low-level pirate adventures through underwater expeditions and into the Darklands without leaving any major mechanical weaknesses.