Iconic
In Pathfinder, the Iconics are the pregenerated Player Characters that appear in the art of almost every adventure path, sourcebook, splatbook, or what have you that Paizo publishes.
The Iconics were originally created so that Paizo could have a detailed go-to reference for each class to show illustrators instead of having to repeatedly explain to each artist what equipment, weapons and armor each class would typically have. But over time the gained a life of their own, and have had their backstories fleshed out in novels and short stories. They also star in the Pathfinder comic book series, as well as 2 of them appearing in the video game adaptations of Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous. For some reason, you can't romance them in the video games, despite most of the cast able to be. The writers tend to have the Iconics subvert the tropes of how their classes are typically portrayed in popular culture, whether by having them be an unusual gender or body-type for that class, or having world views or backstory that clashes with how one would typically see it playing out.
Meet the Team
- Amiri the Barbarian, CN follower of Gorum: One of the more popular Iconics due to being a badass musclebound woman who shows a good amount of skin and revels in kicking ass, but is still loyal to her friends and is reasonable enough to be a team player. Was kicked out of her tribe in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords (ie, Ice Age North America with Frost Giants) due to defying gender norms and slaying a giant. She took the giant's sword and now travels around with 3 things on her mind: Food, drink, and beating people up!
- Alahazra the Oracle, LG Atheist : That's right, an atheistic oracle! Growing up a pampered brat of a rich nobleman in a nation who forbade the worship of any religion, she lost her eyesight and gained great divine fire-power when she was 16. Now an outcast, she was forced to grow up fast and leave her father and nation behind. Years later, she still doesn't follow any god, but developed a strong moral compass. Standoffish and temperamental, she sees the gods only as strategic allies in the fight against evil. Also apparently has quite a healthy sex-life for such a serious character. Replaced by the Tengu oracle Korakai in 2E.
- Alain the Cavalier, LN follower of Abadar: You know the classic image of a knight in shining armor, heroically riding atop a valiant steed? This... is not that guy! Alain grew up from a rich spoiled brat into an even bigger rich spoiled brat who only cares about increasing his own fame. He doesn't even care if the world sees him as a hero or villain. As long as they've heard of him and how handsome and awesome he is, he'll be happy. He even thinks little of women and of elves! He is 100% certified dick and couldn't be more proud of it!
- Balazar the Gnome Summoner, TN Agnostic: Was once a good-natured prankster (as is typical for gnomes), a run-in with some mages attempting to harness the power of the void left him so horrified that it literally aged him until his hair turned white. On the plus side, he got a sweet eidolon out of the ordeal named Padrig. Padrig resembles a cockatrice with a serpent's body, good for intimidating enemies or biting their heads off. Patient, wise, and a pretty cool old guy.
- Damiel the Elf Alchemist, CN follower of Norgorber: Damiel dosen't really play with many tropes, being your bog-standard "mad scientist" alchemist with a bit of Jekyll and Hyde thrown in. Sees knowledge as the ultimate drug and seeks to never stop learning to feed this insatiable knowledge. When he uses mutagens his other side comes out which is even more violent. Never really popular with players or writers, so he was replaced in 2E with the much more fun goblin alchemist, Fumbus.
- Ezren the Wizard, NG Atheist: Your typical kindly wizard with a white beard, coat, and staff. What makes him unique is his backstory, where a plot by his asshole brother kept him out of any and all wizarding schools. Now much older, he's happy to finally start becoming a real wizard like he'd always dreamed of as a kid. It goes to show that you're never too old to start pursuing your dreams.
- Ezren the Wizard, NG Atheist: Your typical kindly wizard with a white beard, coat, and staff. What makes him unique is his backstory, where a plot by his asshole brother kept him out of any and all wizarding schools. Now much older, he's happy to finally start becoming a real wizard like he'd always dreamed of as a kid. It goes to show that you're never too old to start pursuing your dreams.
- Feiya the Witch, CN follower of Desna: Your typical swamp-dwelling witch who's lack of socialization predictably leads to her being more than a bit unsociable. Seeks to learn more about herself and her mysterious patron.
- Harsk the Dwarf Ranger: A strange anomaly of a dwarf who likes wide-open fields and tea rather than ale and caves. Most damningly, he was actually pacifistic until his inaction led to the death of his brother after his band walked into a giant ambush. Mad with grief, he then loaded up his crossbow and shot down every single giant he could see before retrieving his brother's axe. The loss turned him into more of a taciturn loner, more likely to keep to himself until the time needs him to act.
- Hayate the Samurai, LN: A head retainer who avenged his master's death by slaying the usurper. When his code dictated seppuku for what he did, his master's wife instead let him free and sent him to foreign lands as an exile.
- Imrijka the Half-Orc Pathfinder of Pharasma, LN: A so-called monster who hunts monsters and antiquarian, acting as an agent for her god in hunting down those who defy the cycle of life.
- Kyra the Cleric of Sarenrae, NG: Survived a brutal raid on her home and was adopted into the cult of the Dawnflower (statistically represented with a special Trait and the Sun and Healing domains). Rather than seek out vengeance, she instead turned her focus onto saving lives and redeeming the wicked so that none would ever have to consider such a path.
- Lem the Halfling Bard, CG: Born the slave of some snobbish nobles, he learned how to charm his higher-ups into giving him easier jobs and protecting his family. He betrayed his masters once he realized that his family was being sacrificed to fiends and burned the house down. While it saved their lives, that same family then rushed back in to put out the fire with no hint of irony. He left, convinced that his actions were in the right and always ready to side with the little guy (metaphorically).
- Lirianne the Half-Elf Gunslinger, CG: Hails from Alkenstar, a region where magic actually doesn't work too well. While she sought adventure, the only adventure she got was from following her father's footsteps as a Shield Marshal. That all got changed when a wave of wild magic teleported her very far from home and within contact of an elven heritage she'd ignored for a long time.
- Lini the Gnome Druid, N follower of the Green Faith: A natural with animals, with her pet snow leopard Droogami being but the first animal she was miraculously able to pacify. Has a habit of collecting sticks from every forest she encounters, each one holding enough memories that it acts like a sort of scrapbook for her.
- Merisiel the Elf Rogue, CN: Ditched in front of a church of Calistria, she chafed under the teachings of the priests and then ran away to become your typical pickpocket. While crafty and sneaky, her favorite tools for solving problems are her bundles and bundles of knives.
- Reiko the Ninja, N: Raised as part of a seclusive ninja clan, but that clan and her family were exterminated by a cruel warlord. She swore vengeance and then went adventuring, looking for any leads for the warlord so she could take her revenge.
- Sajan the Monk, LN: Raised as part of a monastic order of warrior-monks alongside his twin sister. He fought in wars in service to his master, but when his master sold his sister in part of a dishonorable bargain to avoid defeat, he left his home to chase down any leads for his sister. This eventually led him to Absalom, a place very far from home but the only place he can call such since he's now a deserter.
- Seelah the Paladin of Iomedae, LG: A young girl orphaned after her family was murdered by roving Gnolls, she was forced to scavenge for her survival. One day, she came across a band of paladins who fought to defend the town she lived in and she decided to follow them. She managed to steal the helmets of one of the members as some sort of trinket, but that proved to be the worst thing she could do when the paladin she stole it from died from an arrow through the skull. This haunted her enough that she tried to jump into the paladin's funerary pyre, but she was instead convinced to join the order as another paladin - eventually seeing her guilt turned into a purpose to emulate her hero.
- Seoni the Sorcerer, LN: Daughter of a Varisian caravan master, she naturally came to use runic tattoos as both a cultural symbol and a casting focus. For some reason, she's bound by all sorts of inscrutable codes and strictures that baffle others.
- Valeros the Fighter, NG follower of Cayden Cailean: A simple farm boy who went out into the world of adventuring and realized that it was hardly the sort of thing the bards sing about. He had to do work as a mercenary, get down and dirty into the art of war and learned how to make a name for himself. His lifestyle is a bit carefree, but he's far from an uneducated bumpkin and he's pretty devout to the god of bravery, freedom, and BOOZE!