Character creation
One of your character's traits must come from the campaign-appropriate Player's Guide (see sub-site for the campaign.)
See also House rules
Characters can be of any non-evil alignment. If you're unclear on what alignment your character should be, see these images for a remarkably clear explanation LOTR alignments (or spend an hour browsing through the following site. http://fuckyeahalignmentcharts.tumblr.com/ :)
Ability scores are determined by using the Purchase method, the number of points might vary per campaign, see sub-site for the campaign.
No final stat can be lower than 8 or above 20 (e.g. if you're a dwarf, you must spend the points to get charisma 10, which is then lowered to 8.)
All Core, Base and Alternate classes, races, feats, spells and equipment from the followingbooks are available:
Core Rulebook (CRB), Advanced Player's Guide (APG), Advanced Race Guide (ARG), Ultimate Combat (UC), Ultimate Magic (UM).
EXCEPT:
- Summoner (to quote James Jacobs at Paizo: 'Actually, I would argue to just cut them from the game.') (Might allow if the character uses http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner/eidolons#TOC-Eidolon-Models, will definitely have to be a godcaller from Sarkoris.)
- Undead Lord Cleric (banned in PFS, and I agree)
- Gravewalker Witch (banned in PFS, and I agree )
- Vivisectionist Alchemist (banned in PFS, and I agree )
- In general, if something is banned in PFS I'm highly unlikely to allow it. See this link for details. This also applies to magic items, spells, etc.
Options appropriate for your character (i.e. race, class, region, religion matches) can be taken from the appropriate books. If you go outside the CRB, APG, UC, UM, 'your race' player's companion, 'your class' player's companion books, ask me first.
One Heritage
The Racial Heritage feat can not be take for: Orc or Elf (just become a Half-Elf or Half-Orc), Tiefling, Half-Orc, Half-Elf, Aasimar (they are half-races, just become one of those races.)
Niche Protection
Talk with the group before you create a character if it seems similar to current characters.
Replacing Characters
If you replace your current character for whatever reason (death, tired of your old one, etc) your new character will be one level lower than your previous one, but at the same relative percentage of xp to the next level. (I.e. enough xp to take you to one level below your current character, then add enough xp to take you to the same percentage of progress to the next level as your previous character had.)
For your new character's wealth and equipment, see Characters Above First Level, below.
New Players, New Characters
Such characters will be given the minimum number of xp to place them at the same level as the character with the lowest level. (e.g. if the lowest level character is 2, the new character will be given 2000 xp.) See Characters Above First Level for wealth and equipment if above first level.
Characters Above First Level
New characters above first level are equipped as per the Wealth By Level Table (among other places here.)
To quote the PRD: "PCs that are built after 1st level should spend no more than 25% of their wealth on weapons, 25% on armor and protective devices, 25% on other magic items, 15% on disposable items like potions, scrolls, and wands, and 10% on ordinary gear and coins. Different character types might spend their wealth differently than these percentages suggest; for example, arcane casters might spend very little on weapons but a great deal more on other magic items and disposable items." BUT if you want to do so, talk to me first (do note that even if I allow, say, 50% of your wealth to be spent on weapons, the maximum value of one single item will remain 25%.)
Only items from the Core Rules and the book(s) your character's homeland, race and class come from are available.
Crafting characters can choose to pay half price, but if they do so they must add the purchase price of the items to their 'total crafting value'.
Wealth By Level Imbalances
I only care (and only a little) about the group's average Wealth By Level. If there are serious imbalances between characters you will have to handle it yourselves. (Note, that to calculate WBL I include debts as well as the party loot bag, but not caravans or similar.)
Handy links
The official Pathfinder Reference Document (all the rules from paizo's books)
Another PRD Probably better for creating a character, but it also has (clearly delineated) non-paizo content which you can't use)