Revision as of 20:28, 14 March 2018

This guide only discusses how to play Pathfinder RPG with the Roll20 virtual tabletop. You can find all of the Pathfinder RPG rules (free!) on Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder Reference Document (PRD) or if you also want 3rd party stuff gathered with the official, visit the D20pfsrd. Of course, hardcover books are available from paizo.com or your friendly local game store. This guide is based on you knowing the basics of Roll20, so more focus can be given to the Pathfinder-specific parts.

Character Creation

This section is mostly relevant to players, even though GMs could make good use of it. GMs will get a special treatment in the "Game creation", "Handling NPCs", and "Monsters and Handouts" sections (Chapters 2 and 3).

NOTE: The Character Creation steps provided below mainly focus on manually creating a character using attributes and ability macros. There are community-based Character Sheets that are available to all roll20 members. The Pathfinder Character Sheet creates all necessary attributes using a combination of GM/Player input and auto-calculated attributes.

Setting up your Character Sheet for players

File:PF Core.jpg

Pathfinder Character Sheet

There are several ways to set up the player character sheet. Most important is that the GM makes it available to the player. A good way for the GM is to have a general Player Character Sheet made already, and simply duplicate it, and give permissions as suited. Normally those would be that All Players can see, the relevant player can edit.

Basically your entire Pen&Paper character sheet can be added in Roll20. The things you need to figure out as a GM when making the standard, is how much effort you (and your players) should do to make the character.Questions you can ask yourself to find out what you need on your character sheet and how detailed it should be:

Is it a one time game?
Will the game stretch over several levels?
Will you have the same players playing every time?
Are the characters supposed to be low or high level?

If it's only a one-shot game, you might not need such elaborate character sheets. The basics would probably suffice, with Ability modifiers, HP, AC, maybe even Base Attack Bonus. The corresponding macros usually aren't that complex either, but they would still be time-saving. If, on the other hand, you're going to take your normal Pathfinder-group online, and keep on playing, level after level, hour after hour, getting the Character Sheet right, already at start, is extremely time-saving.

Example Inline stat roll

For those of you who's DM/GM asks them to roll their starting stats. Here is an Inline 4d6 keep the highest 3

Roll:

/me rolls for starting stats [[4d6k3]][[4d6k3]][[4d6k3]][[4d6k3]][[4d6k3]][[4d6k3]]

Example of a Character Sheet on a oneshot game

I'd encourage getting a picture for your character. The "Bio & Info"-box would probably be filled up with some statistics, like To hit, saves, weapons/spells/Spell-like abilities and so on. Even in a oneshot game, you'd probably like to add some macros, to shorten waiting time, and maximizing the gaming time you have. You'd like to add at least these Attributes: HP, AC. These will be linked to your token, so that they are quick to check and to edit. You should also add your basic attack, and a full attack, if there's any difference. For tips on creating the macros, see the example of abilities further down the page. You'd probably not make them that much of a work, but simply:

Attack:

/r 1d20+6 vs AC
/r 1d10+4

Ray of Frost:

/r 1d20+4 vs Touch AC, ranged touch
/r 1d20+2 vs Spell Resistance (if applicable)
/r 1d3 cold damage

And maybe you'd like to put some energy into it and add the Abilities you need in the Attributes tab, as Strength 4, and Dexterity +2, BAB +2, just to be able to get the reasoning behind the numbers. But basically you'd want it stripped down to what you need, even though there's not much work to do it in a decent and good way, which we will look at now:

Example of a Character Sheet going for the long run

You would probably find (or create) a nice picture for your Character, type in some bio that you have planned, and start with the automation on the "Attributes & Abilities"-tab. In this case you might not need to have many stats (if any) in the "Bio & Info", as you can add all those on your "Attributes & Abilities" tab, even the languages and all, if you'd like.

The list of Attributes could look like this:

HP 26/26
AC 18
Level 3
High Save 3
Low Save 1
Base Attack Bonus 3
Strength 2/15
Dexterity 1/12
Constitution 0/11
Intelligence -1/9
Wisdom 1/13
Charisma -2/7
Longsword 1d8
Weapon Focus (Longsword) 1
Weapon Specialization (Longsword) 2
Masterwork +1
Shortsword 1d6
Magic Enhancement +1
Lightning Damage 1d6
Two Weapon Fighting -2
Ring of Protection +1
Breastplate AC +6
Breastplate Check Penalty -4

Notes:

The Ability scores are written "backwards" because it's the modifier which is used, and not the score. This way you can keep track of the score (when it gets modified) while the modifier is used.
Normally a Fighter would simply use Level instead of Base Attack Bonus, and not need this at all, but since this is an example this is added, so it's easier to switch to other classes.
If there's planned multiclassing, it might be easier to simply use Fortitude, Reflex and Will than High and Low Save.
Instead of "Longsword" and "Shortsword," you might consider using "Weapon," as it's easier to change the weapon in the macros - unless you do like this guy and go all in on longsword, which means he will probably use this weapon forever. Pro tip: Use "Weapon 1," "Weapon 2" and such, and keep on the Bio (or in the macro) which weapon is which.
It's practical to have the stuff that changes in the top. So if you've created them in another order, simply drag the ones you change most often to the top by hovering the abilities you want to move, and drag the three lines that pop up in the right end, to where you want them.

Setting up Macros in Abilities

There are two ways of saving macros in Roll20, both of which can be very useful in your session. Normal macros found under My Settings is mainly used by players, and only to give the abilities a shorter name in the macro quick bar. But mainly both players and GMs should stick to using Abilities on the Character Sheet. When using abilities together with attributes, you get a quick way of doing "everything" with your character.

With the Character Sheet above us, we can make the player really effective, and we don't need to wait for the slow calculation of adding it all up. We will use the "Character for the Long run" onwards to the example of Abilities, and also some new ones.

Example of Abilities

You can also find a collection of useful Pathfinder macros here: Macros - Pathfinder Examples

Attacking

You can add short macros, like a basic attack, and if you'd like, you can even add some flavour text by using the /me-function into the macro, which will make a orange text box describing what you do. You should add your character name as the person you talk to in the drop down menu below your chat, to make this more useful.

/me swings his Long Sword at the enemy, trying to hit him hard!
/r 1d20+@{Base Attack Bonus} +@{Strength} +@{Weapon Focus (Long Sword)} +@{Masterwork} vs. AC To hit with Long Sword. Critical: 19-20x2 
/r @{Long Sword}+ @{Strength} +@{Weapon Specialization (Long Sword)}

You can also add your whole Full Attack in one "simple" macro.

/me does a mighty strike with his Long Sword, and his glowing Shortsword!
/r 1d20+@{Base Attack Bonus} +@{Strength} +@{Weapon Focus (Longsword)} +@{Masterwork} +@{Two Weapon Fighting} vs. AC To hit with longsword. Critical: 19-20x2 
/r @{Longsword}+ @{Strength} +@{Weapon Specialization (Longsword)}  Damage with longsword.
/r 1d20+@{Base Attack Bonus} +@{Strength} +{Magic Enhancement} vs. AC To hit with the shortsword. Critical: 19-20x2
/r @{Shortsword} +@{Strength}/2 +@{Lightning Damage} +{Magic Enhancement} Damage with shortsword.

This gives you the two hits, both damages if they are hits, and everything with no math involved. Note that if you didn't use Base Attack Bonus on your character sheet, use level instead of base attack bonus, like this: /r 1d20+@{Level}+@{Strength}.... Another strength of this way of doing it, is that every time you wonder how you got to that number, you can simply check everything in the macro, and it's easy to remove and add effects and modifiers for later time. Say to get the Long Sword enchanted, simply remove Masterwork and add the Magic Enchantment Bonus.

You can also use the Abilities for way more than just "simple" attacks.

Casting Spells could be more than just "I cast Obscuring mist", maybe like this:

/me mumbles on Arcana, claps his hands together, and a thick obscuring mist quickly spreads out from him in 20. ft radius.
A misty vapor arises around you. It is stationary. The vapor obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target).
A moderate wind (11+ mph), such as from a gust of wind spell, disperses the fog in 4 rounds. A strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the fog in 1 round. A fireball, flame strike, or similar spell burns away the fog in the explosive or fiery spell's area. A wall of fire burns away the fog in the area into which it deals damage.

Casting Offensive Spells would do everything at once:

/me takes some fur and two glass figurines out of my pouch, rub them together while rambling on Arcana, and suddenly a great lightning arc reaches out of the figurine and lashes out to two creatures of my desire, and hits everyone in between.
/r 1d20+@{Level} Spell Resistance applies.
/r @{Level}d6 (Maximum 15d6) electricity damage done, reflex save for half damage. 
Good to know: The spell fails if there is no line of effect between the targets. Lightning arc sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in its path. It can melt metals that have a low melting point, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, or bronze.

This one would make you change the formula for damage on either level 15 or 16 to simply 15d6 instead of @{Level}d6.

Grapple might be usefull to have all the rules added:

/me tries to grapple his opponent as best he can.
/r 1d20+ @{Base Attack Bonus} + @{Strength} vs CMD.
When grappled does not break the grapple in the first round, the grappler gain a +5 circumstance bonus.
Grappled Condition
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit.
Casting Spells while Grappled/Grappling: The only spells which can be cast while grappling or pinned are those without somatic components and whose material components (if any) you have in hand. Even so, you must make a concentration check (DC 10 + the grappler's CMB + the level of the spell you're casting) or lose the spell.*Pinned Condition
A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.
Casting Spells while Pinned: The only spells which can be cast while grappling or pinned are those without somatic components and whose material components (if any) you have in hand. Even so, you must make a concentration check (DC 10 + the grappler's CMB + the level of the spell you're casting) or lose the spell.

This way you get everything in one place. Maybe you want to make one Macro only for the Grapple rules, or maybe you'd like it better if the GM simply had a Handout with the basics and included a link?

Misc Combatmacros

Initiative is used rather often, and even if it's a short /r 1d20+3, it might be quicker to have it ready in your macro-bar:

/me throws himself into the battle, as soon as he figures there's gonna be a fight!
/r 1d20 + @{Dexterity} Initiative

There's also a lot of Skill checks, and some of them might be good to have in a quick click, and maybe even some quick reminders:

/me is making a jump.
/r 1d20+@{Dexterity} +@{Level} +3 -@{Breast Plate Check Penalty} 
You can jump your jump score in feet long, and one fourth of the jump score high.

A good idea is often to have a macro throwing saves, and remembering all the effects that we so often forget:

/r 1d20+@{High Save} +@{Constitution} Fortitude Save
Remember +2 vs poisons and sleep effects

Practical macros

You could also do information-macros, to get all your character sheet on the "Attributes and abilities"-tab.

Maybe you'd even want a macro checking the AC, to see why your AC is what it is, or if you have forgotten to update it:

/me simply checks his AC
/r 1d1-1 + 10 + @{Dexterity} +@{Ring of Protection} +@{Breast Plate AC}

Here is a Knowledge Arcana Macro with the DCs

/r &{template:default}  {{name=Knowlege Arcana DCs (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, constructs, dragons, magical beasts)}}  {{Identify auras while using detect magic=15+S.L.}}  {{Identify a spell effect that is in place=20+S.L.}}  {{Identify materials manufactured by magic=20+S.L.}}  {{Identify a spell that just targeted you=25+S.L.}}  {{Identify the spells cast using a specific material component=20}}  {{Bowie's Roll=[[d20+28]]}}

Results of Confusion Spell

/r&{template:default} {{name=Confusion}} {{Roll result=**[[d100]]}}{{01-25=Acts normally**}} {{26-50=	Does nothing but babble incoherently}} {{51-75=Deals 1d8 points of damage + Str modifier to self with item in hand}}{{76-100=Attacks nearest creature (for this purpose, a familiar counts as part of the subject's self)}}  {{Roll result=[[d100]]}}

Having the languages in handy could be good too, which many would simply put in the Bio&Info-box:

/me knows common, elven and dwarven.

You could even do creative ones that you normally don't do in-game, like reminding you what to do when leveling up:

/me has DINGed! DINGDINGDING!
/r 1d10+@{Constitution} 
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/character-advancement
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/fighter
Checklist: HP (Check),Level, Favored Class Bonus, Skill Ranks, BAB, Saving Throws, Feats, Class Features, Spells, Consequnses of these changes that doesn't go with the sheet, (extra language for upped in Int, and such).

Here's even some Messages you use often or often enough (as you can have as many as you could ever want):

/w gm Hi, I'll be gone for about 5 min, BRB.

/w gm Going to the Bathroom ASAP.

These two going to the GM only (Whisper to GM)

/ooc Time to take have something to eat, can we take a break, guys?

This one using the function to talk OutOfCharacter, using your username on the account instead of the selected character name you've selected in the dropdown menu.

Basically only the imagination stops you on how to use the macros efficiently. Please feel free to add new kinds of macros, don't be afraid.

Suggested GM macros

There are times that a GM needs to make secret rolls that reference his players characters.

For example, maybe you want to roll Perception checks for the entire party without having to tip them off by asking for their Perception modifier.

/w gm Char 1: [[d20+@{Char 1's Name|Perception}]], Char 2: [[d20+@{Char 2's Name|Perception}]], etc...

Just make sure all of your players have an attribute named "Perception".

Suffocation Check

This macro solves the much asked question "how many rounds can I stay underwater until I have to breathe?". It does this by taking into account the character's Constitution score and then calculates just how many rounds they can hold their breath. In addition it gives very clear instructions on what happens after the rounds are up and the character must start making checks.

In order to use this macro you need to do the following things:

Ensure that the token has the ConScore attribute and that it has the correct constitution score for the character.
You must select the token you wish to be the subject of the macro.
You must then run the macro.

@{selected|token_name} can hold their breath for [[@{selected|ConScore}*2]] rounds before beginning to make DC [[10]] Fortitude checks each round. Each successful check increases the next DC by +1. The first failed check causes @{selected|token_name} to begin to suffocate. The first round @{selected|token_name} falls unconscious (0 hp). The following round @{selected|token_name} drops to -1 hp and is dying. In the third round, @{selected|token_name} suffocates and is dead.

Source

Game Creation in Roll20

From now on, players won't find anything useful, there's no need for players to read on. GMs on the other hand. This is where it gets started.Creating a game is so incredibly diverse from GM to GM, and they range from creating everything on the run, while playing, to using months upon months to prepare a grand game setting, meant to last for several games, sessions, groups and whatever you can prepare. On this Wiki, we will not go into plots and the history of the game, as much as building the actual maps and what you can do on Roll20. Maybe plots and history can come on a later point.

Creating a city

There's several ways to get this done. You can use map editors online, a dedicated app, find images online, or create your own within Roll20. There's lots of art both reachable by the Art Library, which will help you make the city nice and usable. Normally this kind of map would be either a map, or simply a concept picture, depending on how much work you'd like to do. This map should not be so detailed, that it can be used as a battlemap. What you'd like to do, is to make an overview map, and then make your own pages with the specific places you want.

As mentioned, there's a whole lot of ways to make these maps. Some may simply use the drawing tools and make basic maps (or even some complex ones). This way you get total control on how you want it, and the only limitations you have, are your drawing skills and patience.

A faster way, but more limiting way, is to use some of the online tools that's made for this kind of work. They will give you different forms of freedom, but some really great tools are out there.

An even faster way, but even more limiting, would be to use the Art Library, but still here, you should be able to make some really fantastic maps, but the Art Library shines at its best on encounter-maps, not citymaps and overland maps.

The definitely fastest way to get city maps, and no doubt the most restricting way, would be to simply search the net. There's a whole lot of very good maps all over the internet.

Adding detail to your city

You can add much detail to your city, to get some good preparations done. You can use the GM Layer actively, to get control on what is where. What's the name of the inns? Put them in the GM Layer on the map with the text-tool. When the players gets to know these names, simply turn to the GM Layer, and mark them, right click, and choose layer, and send it back to the map layer. This can be done with main NPCs, maybe the smith in the city, and so on. Marking where these are, and what is where, gives good consistency when playing. And it's equally easy to make things you figure out on the fly, to actually be consistent.Example: Player: "What's the name of the blacksmith?"... Pause... GM: "Emmm... Wilbur... Greatsword?". Now you simply add a text on the map where they are, with: "Blacksmith: Wilbur Greatsword". Now the players, and you, will remember where he lives and what his name was. If you were prepared for this in front of the question, you simply move the text "Blacksmith: Wilbur Greatsword" to the map layer, so that everyone can see it.

Making encounter maps in your city

For encounter maps in your city, you need individual pages. It's probably a good idea to make some general ones, in addition to the specific ones. You never know what the players will do, and the best way to prepare for this, is to make generic maps. A generic house, would be high priority. When you are done with what you consider a generic house, a good tips would be to add some extra squares at the side of the map, which will be covered in fog of war. Here you can add a bunch of townsfolk tokens, to be prepared. Whenever your players decide to go into a random house you haven't made a specific map of, you open your generic house page, move some tokens to fill up the desired places, and then you move the players over to the page, and be ready. Also here you should not be afraid to name the token, mark the house and name on your city map with ie. "Smiles Family", and copy the token, so that you can also keep consistency on which tokens used.

Some tips on what could be made in an open city-game

There's much you want to do, and as already said, there's many ways of doing it. Maybe only a concept picture is what you want, and that is it, maybe only a picture of the relevant character. Or maybe you want a grand, very detailed map on every possible solution the players may find. Most of these will be great to have in case of encounters, and with that you should consider making them like encounter maps, which is a pretty quick job using only the Art Library of Roll20. So here's a list on sites you should be prepared to show your players, if you don't want to just talk them through it, without anything to show (like you probably would have done when playing around a table anyhow). Several of these might not even be present in the city, or simply off limits for your players. You might consider having several different types too, if you really want to do a lot of work.

General house
House that can be used for different kinds of work, like shoemaking, bookwriting, carpeting, pottering, stonemasoning and so on.
Tavern
Blacksmith
Marketplace
Inn
General street (ie. for random encounters)
Nearby farm
Magic Shop

Creating encounter maps in Roll20

A lot from the city creation is also true here, but there's one special difference. Using the Art Library is way faster and usually it gives you great diversity and options. It's clear that this is the major intention of Roll20 map-making. There are some good tips on how to make encounter maps. For instance, if you're going to make a map over several floors, it might be a good idea to make them all on one page. This is because of the limitation of Roll20, where you need to have everyone in the same window. This means that if someone is on 2nd floor and someone in the 1st floor, you will have no problem with your players splitting the party within a building/dungeon/etc. To do this, you simply make your starting floor, and then expand the page size to right or down, accordingly, so you can start fresh again.

Protip: If you're going to make i.e. an enormous inn, you should make the ground level on the map layer, then mark the whole level, and copy it. Scroll down/right, and paste it. Another tips then, is to zoom out with the zoom-tool, and maybe even expand the page size more than necessary, to make it fit when you paste it. The pasting may take some time, depending on how much you copy. Also, you need to mark everything again to move it all. Before moving it, you should make sure it's all marked as drawing, so it doesn't get distorted by snapping to grid. If you're now going to make 4th and 5th floor the same, you should make it on the token or GM layer, and then mark it when you are done with one level, adding all the walls and the rest which will be the same, and copy/paste. When you have made everything match up like you want, you mark everything on your level, and send it back to map layer. PS: For subscribers, this also works on dynamic lighting-layer.

List of encounter maps that would be useful in most open games

As a GM you never know when and how your players will end up in an encounter, and thus having some pre-made generic battle scenes might be a good idea. Here are some suggestions on what you can make to be a little bit prepared, even though, as the last list, some of these might not even be possible to reach in your specific game. A good way to keep them more usable, is to not have a road on them, but laying a road "outside" the map, behind fog of war. This way you can use them and add the road if needed in just a matter of seconds, and you can lay it as you want for the situation. Also, making them big enough so that the map size won't hinder the players could be a good idea.

Forest (fill it up with trees, you can delete them for road quickly)
Small cave, with outside
Nearby a body of lake
Harbor
Marketplace
Farm
Small gathering of houses
Open landscape (Desert, hill, grass)
Mountain pass
River (Keep bridge as with road, on the side of the map, and try giving good space on both sides of the river)

NPCs, monsters, handouts and organizing

So this is about the Journal, which makes being a GM so much easier. It's also great for the players to keep info, and for you to have secret notes on characters. The ability to show to only some characters can be greatly benefited, and you can make finding monsters and creating a random encounter very quickly (especially if you already have done some of the generic maps already), because of the saved token on the characters. Just a warning, it will probably fill up pretty fast with NPCs, monsters, handouts and whatever else you find use for the journal, it is strongly recommended to find a system for tagging already from start. Tips can be tagging by race, class, location. Example; [Human bartender, Minestown]. [Dwarf, fighter, silvermineroom3]. [Wolf, encounter3, forest, encounter6, encounter8]You can also match several tags to organize better: [enc1, cave2] [enc7, sewers1] [enc1, sewers1] [enc2, cave2] [enc3, forest1, cave1] [enc2, cave3, forest1]The search for tags is pretty smart, so in the last case, when you type [1 2] into the search field, you will get only the ones with both numbers, in this case, only [enc1, cave2] and [enc2, cave3, forest1]. You can type [enc1 for] and get only the ones that are tagged with both forest and encounter 1. This way you have a mighty organizing tool, if you just make sure you use it from the start. The search also automatically searches the names of your journal entries.

NPCs

Making a NPC in the journal, is almost like making a player character, but generally you'd like to be quicker. You should have a template you can easily duplicate, so that you have basic general attributes and abilities finished as soon as you put in the needed numbers. The best about making quick NPCs, is that Paizo has released a book on them. With that follows that they are also easily found on D20pfsrd and in the PRD. You might want to link them on your character sheet, or simply copy what's there. You still want to make a basic character, though. Add attributes like HP and AC at least. If you often choose to advance your NPCs/monsters, you should also add the changing statistics to put in macros, like ability scores, to hit and saves. Often you will benefit from having stats like perception, sense motive and attack easily at hand. This would be easily done with macros. This way you don't have to search, type and add every time you are about to use them. And if you have created some NPCs, you can always simply copy them, and link them to a new name. If you have a generic bartender, or even a generic commoner level 1, you can quickly copy it and rename it, so that you can link your new-found token to it. This helps on consistency and make it very quick to engage an unprepared battle. Personally I'd recommend to use at least HP, AC, the ability modifiers, BAB, low and high base save (most NPC aren't multiclassed),as well as macros like attack including to hit and damage, use /gmroll to gather all saves in one macro (here you would need to manually add which ones have high and low saves as base, each time you create a new NPC), initiative and maybe even perception/sense motive. But with premade attributes, the macros will do them selves, except from saves, as soon as you put in all the numbers on the attributes.

Some NPCs you'd want your players to be able to write notes on. If you give the players edit permission on the character sheets you've created, they also get to see all their attributes and abilities, so you might consider to put NPCs that the players are interested in, in a handout. Then you can add the Bio & Info in the text and copy the picture, and allow the characters to edit the handout.

Monsters

Monsters are very much like the NPCs, and they are also easily found on D20pfsrd and the PRD. And they are also often easier to control, as you yourself decide what lives in the nearby area, and in that case also need only to prepare those you know are present. As with NPCs, you'd like to have HP and AC, at least, in the attributes, and a text on the bio or GM notes, so that you can keep all the intricate intel there. But often it's a good idea to add macros to the monsters, both so you learn them better, and to make the interactions quicker. It also makes you remember their qualities better, since they are on the list. Having the monsters ready will also make you search less when you get into an encounter. Since you just need to find them by search, and drag the entries in the list over to the map, if you have prepared a token on the character sheet,m which you should when you create the monster.

Handouts

Handouts on the other hand, stand out from the others. This is when you want to give your players some intel, and often want to push it to them. This can on the other hand be different from only: "You find a note, here". It could as well be a concept picture of a bar, a picture of a challenge, to make everyone visualize the same thing. It might also be a plain text, that you want to show them, and they will always be able to find back (as you give them permission to watch). It may be loot, which when the players have decided who shall have it, you can give permission to that player only. The strength of handouts would be the ability to push it into the face of the players, and the ability to delegate permission on it. If any players doesn't have permission to see (or edit) the handout when you show to players, they won't see it either.

Player and Game Organizing

There's also other ways to use the handouts. In example you can make a handout called "Player Equipment", with players always allowed to see and edit. This would then serve as equipment the players share, and they might also add their personal gear there, labeled, but often it's easier to have personal gear on their own character sheet. You should also consider a "Player Journal"-handout in the same manner, where the players (or you) can summarize each session. You might also want to build your game into the handouts, so that you don't need to sit and switch to a PDF or whatever you use, all the time. This can be done in one gigantic handout or spread across like you want it. With many parts, tags would also be equally important here, as in all the other cases mentioned.

Dynamic Lighting

You can find Pathfinder specific vision and lighting examples in the Dynamic Lighting Style Guide.

Character Sheets

Character Sheets are a new feature in Roll20 which allow you to use a digital sheet that's similar to a traditional paper character sheet while playing your game. The creator of a game can choose a character sheet template when setting up the game, and all characters in the game will use that sheet template. Use the guides below for specific versions of available character sheets.

Pathfinder Character Sheet

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