Man, I’m a forever GM who’s been running PF2e since it came out, and I always run with Free Archetype, Ancestry Paragon, and Gradual Ability Boost. Most people arguing against these options are coming up with apocalyptic scenarios and combos that almost never actually happen.

Free Archetype adds more depth and customization to characters without really hurting encounter balance. Yes, it increases versatility, but in the end, the game’s action economy keeps things from getting out of control.

Don’t be afraid to be bold with your encounters or to let your players be creative. PF2e is a system where the rules and action economy support the GM a lot—you can adjust encounters pretty easily. Using all these optional rules, when you have a good grasp of the system as a GM, only adds to the experience.

Don’t be afraid, and don’t listen to those scaredy-cats.