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Pathfinder, 2nd Edition
Core Rulebook
Advance Your Game
This comprehensive 640-page guide to the Pathfinder roleplaying game provides everything you need to set out into a world of limitless fantasy adventure! Choose from ancestries like elf, human, and goblin and classes like alchemist, fighter, and sorcerer to create a hero of your own design, destined to become a legend! The new Pathfinder rules are easier to learn and faster to play, and they offer deeper customization than ever before!
This indispensable volume contains the core rules for players and Game Masters, and is your first step on a heroic new journey!
The Pathfinder Core Rulebook includes:
- More than 600 pages of game rules, advice, character options, treasure, and more for players and Game Masters!
- Six heroic player character ancestries, including elf, dwarf, gnome, goblin, halfling, and human, with variant heritages for half-elf and half-orc!
- More than 30 backgrounds like bartender, soldier, or apprentice to further immerse yourself in your hero's backstory!
- Twelve character classes, including the alchemist, barbarian, bard, champion, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, and wizard!
- Hundreds and hundreds of spells, class feats, and other exciting abilities to help you customize your character to become the hero YOU envision her to be!
- Streamlined and revised rules to help ease new players into the game while providing the depth of character options and tactical interest that have defined Pathfinder from the beginning!
This comprehensive 640-page guide to the Pathfinder roleplaying game provides everything you need to set out into a world of limitless fantasy adventure! Choose from ancestries like elf, human, and goblin and classes like alchemist, fighter, and sorcerer to create a hero of your own design, destined to become a legend! The new Pathfinder rules are easier to learn and faster to play, and they offer deeper customization than ever before!
This indispensable volume contains the core rules for players and Game Masters, and is your first step on a heroic new journey!
The Pathfinder Core Rulebook includes:
- More than 600 pages of game rules, advice, character options, treasure, and more for players and Game Masters!
- Six heroic player character ancestries, including elf, dwarf, gnome, goblin, halfling, and human, with variant heritages for half-elf and half-orc!
- More than 30 backgrounds like bartender, soldier, or apprentice to further immerse yourself in your hero's backstory!
- Twelve character classes, including the alchemist, barbarian, bard, champion, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, and wizard!
- Hundreds and hundreds of spells, class feats, and other exciting abilities to help you customize your character to become the hero YOU envision her to be!
- Streamlined and revised rules to help ease new players into the game while providing the depth of character options and tactical interest that have defined Pathfinder from the beginning!
640 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2019
58 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 4, 2024
Qualità manuale:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ambientazione:⭐⭐⭐
Sistema regole:⭐⭐⭐⭐
La terza edizione di Dungeons and Dragons fu una epifania, il d20 system spopolò e riporto il gioco di ruolo al successo ormai adombrato dal gioco di carte Magic the Gathering.
Un sistema che faceva della personalizzazione attraverso i talenti il suo punto di forza.
Pathfinder è la sua ultima evoluzione mantenendone la struttura pressoché inalterata da oltre 20 anni con ritocchi un po' qua' e un po' là. Secondo me la migliore espressione tra 3.0 e 3.5
Ambientazione:⭐⭐⭐
Sistema regole:⭐⭐⭐⭐
La terza edizione di Dungeons and Dragons fu una epifania, il d20 system spopolò e riporto il gioco di ruolo al successo ormai adombrato dal gioco di carte Magic the Gathering.
Un sistema che faceva della personalizzazione attraverso i talenti il suo punto di forza.
Pathfinder è la sua ultima evoluzione mantenendone la struttura pressoché inalterata da oltre 20 anni con ritocchi un po' qua' e un po' là. Secondo me la migliore espressione tra 3.0 e 3.5
April 23, 2023
As I was reading through this, all I could think was, "How could I keep track of all the players' feats as a GM?" The character building in this system relies heavily on feats, so each character is going to be able to do a lot of very specific things. As a GM, I try to plan games so that every character can take advantage of what they are good at. With a feat-based system like this, I am afraid that players wouldn't get to use half their feats. As a lazy GM, I feel that there would be too much "homework" to prepare for games. However, as a player, I wouldn't mind trying this system.
September 9, 2019
I've GM'ed Pathfinder 1E for about 4 years and was really excited when 2E was announced.
Pathfinder 2E is an interesting system that definitely draws inspiration from D&D (5E), but I don't really feel as though it does much to define itself as unique role-playing experience. The action system used in encounters is probably Pathfinder 2E's largest departure from previous editions and other game systems, but it doesn't feel like a rewarding part of game design.
I haven't GM'ed or played this edition yet, but frankly after spending several days looking through the book nothing here is leaping off the page and making me want to start a new campaign in this edition. I probably will run a few one shots and see how it fairs on the table, and hopefully I'll find it's better than its first impression seems. I'm not going to criticize the actual mechanics of the game until I've had time to play them.
The game mechanics aside, the book itself is kind of disorganized or not managed well on the page. The chapter bar on the right hand side is very useful, thankfully, but certain parts of the layout are just not done very well in my opinion. In the Classes section, each and every class has a reminder for Ancestry Feats, General Skill Feats, Class Feats and so forth. Really if you're a GM scrolling through these sections it begins to look like an extraordinary waste of space when the rules for these class and ancestry attributes are discussed in much greater detail in their own sections (Ancestry / Feats) and the class overview table already describes what level you would receive them.
I'm also personally not a fan of how they decided to list the spells in the book (which is easily one of its largest sections). The overview page for the spells traditions and levels of spells is exhausting to the eye and doesn't provide a very important detail -- namely how many actions a spell takes to cast during encounters -- that would be useful to know at a glance as the GM.
I'm personally not a fan of the chapter about the Pathfinder default setting, but I understand why it's included.
The How to Play the Game section feels very scattered and disorganized. I don't feel as though game concepts are ordered in the correct way such as the encounters section coming after the conditions, healing / dying information even though these are things that would most likely result from events in encounters.
Overall, I'm not dissatisfied with this book, but I'm not blown away by it either.
Pathfinder 2E is an interesting system that definitely draws inspiration from D&D (5E), but I don't really feel as though it does much to define itself as unique role-playing experience. The action system used in encounters is probably Pathfinder 2E's largest departure from previous editions and other game systems, but it doesn't feel like a rewarding part of game design.
I haven't GM'ed or played this edition yet, but frankly after spending several days looking through the book nothing here is leaping off the page and making me want to start a new campaign in this edition. I probably will run a few one shots and see how it fairs on the table, and hopefully I'll find it's better than its first impression seems. I'm not going to criticize the actual mechanics of the game until I've had time to play them.
The game mechanics aside, the book itself is kind of disorganized or not managed well on the page. The chapter bar on the right hand side is very useful, thankfully, but certain parts of the layout are just not done very well in my opinion. In the Classes section, each and every class has a reminder for Ancestry Feats, General Skill Feats, Class Feats and so forth. Really if you're a GM scrolling through these sections it begins to look like an extraordinary waste of space when the rules for these class and ancestry attributes are discussed in much greater detail in their own sections (Ancestry / Feats) and the class overview table already describes what level you would receive them.
I'm also personally not a fan of how they decided to list the spells in the book (which is easily one of its largest sections). The overview page for the spells traditions and levels of spells is exhausting to the eye and doesn't provide a very important detail -- namely how many actions a spell takes to cast during encounters -- that would be useful to know at a glance as the GM.
I'm personally not a fan of the chapter about the Pathfinder default setting, but I understand why it's included.
The How to Play the Game section feels very scattered and disorganized. I don't feel as though game concepts are ordered in the correct way such as the encounters section coming after the conditions, healing / dying information even though these are things that would most likely result from events in encounters.
Overall, I'm not dissatisfied with this book, but I'm not blown away by it either.
December 19, 2019
I never got into the first edition of Pathfinder, but the second edition looked interesting and so I picked it up (and I think I gained muscle mass from doing so. This is a BIG book). There are some familiar concepts here (it is still based on the good ol' d20 system) and a few new ones.
A big negative here is that they fit a lot into this book, and it is a bit overwhelming. Want to kick a door down in a blizzard while poisoned and half-hidden behind a wall while flanked by a troll and a goblin? There's a rule for that. Want to attack an enemy, lift your shield, and then wait specifically until your enemy sneers at you before you throw a dagger, shattering the vial of poison he's holding? There's a rule for that.
I can't help but think that there are 100 other games that let you stab an orc without half as much hassle for the same result.
The chassis will be familiar to anyone who has played any d20 based game, but there are a million little rules and exceptions that you have to scour the 600+ page rulebook for that it gets a bit daunting. This is a game sorely in need of a quick-start rulebook.
A big negative here is that they fit a lot into this book, and it is a bit overwhelming. Want to kick a door down in a blizzard while poisoned and half-hidden behind a wall while flanked by a troll and a goblin? There's a rule for that. Want to attack an enemy, lift your shield, and then wait specifically until your enemy sneers at you before you throw a dagger, shattering the vial of poison he's holding? There's a rule for that.
I can't help but think that there are 100 other games that let you stab an orc without half as much hassle for the same result.
The chassis will be familiar to anyone who has played any d20 based game, but there are a million little rules and exceptions that you have to scour the 600+ page rulebook for that it gets a bit daunting. This is a game sorely in need of a quick-start rulebook.
August 7, 2019
Most parts were incredibly well laid out and clear, but the "Skills" and "Playing the Game" chapters were a bit of an organizational mess. I'm not 100% sure what I'd change to improve the organization, I'll be honest, so maybe this actually was the best solution that Paizo could determine. Either way, looking forward to the edition!
July 26, 2020
This is definitely the nerdiest thing I've ever reviewed but I read the whole thing and I want credit for it! As an introduction to an RPG system, I thought it was pretty good. There's some elements that were really exciting (action economy, character creation) and I thought the book was well put together - which surprised me as I've heard accusations of the opposite. If it has a fault its that it is too detailed, but I suspect once you use this as reference material not reading material, that stops being a fault.
June 2, 2020
Good evening and welcome fellow Children of Chaos
You keep adding traits to that starknife, try and convince me it isn't the dumbest weapon ever made.
Anyway, some of the things I like.
1) The racial feats, it is a good step in the right direction. But I think you should just let us pick a collection of abilities at level 1. This is fantasy, let's drop the elf, dwarf, orc. I wanna play a half tree half cat. Let''s go crazy. Still it makes it so elves are not just elves, there is some variance in DNA.
2) The bulk system makes calculating items so much easier and something my game system uses.
3) The game does seem simple and streamlined.
4) The magic schools. No more individual spell lists for classes. There are 4 spell lists (Hopefully they don't add more). Arcane (Wizards and future summoners probably), Divine (Clerics, maybe Oracles), Primal (Druids), and Occult (Bards? I'd figure for like Warlocks. Bards seem odd).
5) Speaking of, Sorcerers magic list based on bloodlines. I liked PRPGs Sorcerers, I LOVE these ones. They don't feel like a modified wizard anymore. A sorcerer who has dragon blood pulls from Arcane, where one with say Celestial blood draws from the Divine spell list. Sorcerers are awesome now.
Ok the bad.
1) The classes seem to be so restrictive (Other than the sorcerer). One of my favorite characters was Drake Rose, world famous pirate. He was a bard (Magic was part of his backstory). He didn't sing, he didn't play an insturment. He was a pirate. A little good at fighting, a little good at thieving, had some basic magic. His "performance" was trash talking and epic speeches (Oratory), and rude gestures (We called it dance). But he didn't play for crowds. He tricked and stole from evil. When people called him "Bard" it was usually met with "You ever seen me play a lute. I am captain of the Devil's Rose pirate crew." I feel making him here would be harder.
2) Skills. I get why they stripped them down, but man it feels really underwhelming. Like Swimming, Climbing, Jumping. Yea it's all the same.
3) Imitative based on perception? I agree Dex is the god stat. But come on Perception is the God Skill. You just traded one overpower for another. Honestly Dex should be split into Speed and Coordination.
4) Didn't fix movement rules. Everyone runs at exactly the same speed and that feels lame.
5) Goblins. Once again, not like awful. But it feels wrong to have Goblin as a player class in D&D
6) Star knives. They suck.
7) Magic item investment. A confusing and pointless system.
8) The biggest issue and the real reason this is only 3 stars. Before they were nitpicks (Except classes, those do bother me). This book is just awfully organized. If you want a ruling, good luck finding it. Wanna make a craft. Is it in the craft skill? Nope, in downtime rules. Finding what you need is a nightmare.
Still this is just based on reading the book, maybe once I get a chance to throw dice my opinion might change.
You keep adding traits to that starknife, try and convince me it isn't the dumbest weapon ever made.
Anyway, some of the things I like.
1) The racial feats, it is a good step in the right direction. But I think you should just let us pick a collection of abilities at level 1. This is fantasy, let's drop the elf, dwarf, orc. I wanna play a half tree half cat. Let''s go crazy. Still it makes it so elves are not just elves, there is some variance in DNA.
2) The bulk system makes calculating items so much easier and something my game system uses.
3) The game does seem simple and streamlined.
4) The magic schools. No more individual spell lists for classes. There are 4 spell lists (Hopefully they don't add more). Arcane (Wizards and future summoners probably), Divine (Clerics, maybe Oracles), Primal (Druids), and Occult (Bards? I'd figure for like Warlocks. Bards seem odd).
5) Speaking of, Sorcerers magic list based on bloodlines. I liked PRPGs Sorcerers, I LOVE these ones. They don't feel like a modified wizard anymore. A sorcerer who has dragon blood pulls from Arcane, where one with say Celestial blood draws from the Divine spell list. Sorcerers are awesome now.
Ok the bad.
1) The classes seem to be so restrictive (Other than the sorcerer). One of my favorite characters was Drake Rose, world famous pirate. He was a bard (Magic was part of his backstory). He didn't sing, he didn't play an insturment. He was a pirate. A little good at fighting, a little good at thieving, had some basic magic. His "performance" was trash talking and epic speeches (Oratory), and rude gestures (We called it dance). But he didn't play for crowds. He tricked and stole from evil. When people called him "Bard" it was usually met with "You ever seen me play a lute. I am captain of the Devil's Rose pirate crew." I feel making him here would be harder.
2) Skills. I get why they stripped them down, but man it feels really underwhelming. Like Swimming, Climbing, Jumping. Yea it's all the same.
3) Imitative based on perception? I agree Dex is the god stat. But come on Perception is the God Skill. You just traded one overpower for another. Honestly Dex should be split into Speed and Coordination.
4) Didn't fix movement rules. Everyone runs at exactly the same speed and that feels lame.
5) Goblins. Once again, not like awful. But it feels wrong to have Goblin as a player class in D&D
6) Star knives. They suck.
7) Magic item investment. A confusing and pointless system.
8) The biggest issue and the real reason this is only 3 stars. Before they were nitpicks (Except classes, those do bother me). This book is just awfully organized. If you want a ruling, good luck finding it. Wanna make a craft. Is it in the craft skill? Nope, in downtime rules. Finding what you need is a nightmare.
Still this is just based on reading the book, maybe once I get a chance to throw dice my opinion might change.
March 21, 2023
We played this last night, and I really like the economy of actions and a few other bits and pieces. I'm still going to need more time to get all the nuances, but as a player, this was fun—and honestly, I still have zero trust for WotC right now, so this was also a pleasant reminder that D&D doesn't have the whole market on the genre.
Organizationally, the book is a bit hit-and-miss, but the index/glossary at the back is great. Alas, I have this in an e-format, and nothing is hotlinked, so... oof. I'd definitely suggest having a hardcover if you're convinced you're going to play more than once or twice.
Organizationally, the book is a bit hit-and-miss, but the index/glossary at the back is great. Alas, I have this in an e-format, and nothing is hotlinked, so... oof. I'd definitely suggest having a hardcover if you're convinced you're going to play more than once or twice.
August 11, 2019
Ehhhhhh... I think I'll stick to [literally any other fantasy rpg] for now.
August 18, 2019
Ring Side Report-Pathfinder Rulebook, 2nd ed
Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!
Product- Pathfinder Core Rulebook
System-Pathfinder
Producer-Paizo
Price- $60 here https://paizo.com/products/btq01y0k?Pathfinder-Core-Rulebook
TL; DR-A solid mix of new good things, but some issues remain. 92%
Basics-It’s here! Pathfinder 2nd ed is out in the wild! Let’s dig into this thing! The basics from my previous review here: Let’s look at the big changes.
Base Mechanic-The d20 system never really changes. It’s still numbers + d20 vs other numbers. Pathfinder 2nd Ed has the player add their ability modifier, their level, AND a modifier to the roll, depending on their level of proficiency. The biggest change from the previous one is that the proficiency levels are now +2, +4, +6, or +8 instead of adding one to 4. Honestly, this feels like a change coming from 4th Edition DnD. I know the heresy of that statement, but I like that mechanic.
Action Economy- Players still have the three actions per turn of the playtest with some spells or actions requiring additional actions to do.
Skills- If you are not trained it's just a d20 + ability modifier. If you are not trained, after about 4th level, it might not be useful to even roll.
Options- This edition is labeled featfinder by its critics, but the designers use the word feat instead of options. I’m ok with featfinder as I LOVE class options.
ITEM LEVELS!!!-Items HAVE LEVELS! I love this as you know exactly what an item should cost, what kind of character should have this, and it means that some things such as alchemical items are going to be useful later as higher level options are available.
Character Advancement- Characters now level at 1000 exp. Monsters of your level give certain amounts of experience, and there are formulas for changing the experience points if you are fighting a creature of a higher or lower amount.
Those are the basics. Let’s look at my thoughts.
Mechanics or Crunch-I really love this system. Long ago, I toyed with the idea of making a 3.5/4e hybrid, and this is almost what I wanted. I get the clean mechanics of the d20, but I add my level so leveling up made things matter. I get the deep CRUNCH of 3.5/Pathfinder, but the ease of a 5e. I get cantrips that I can use all the time and not have a wizard firing crappy crossbows while still feeling like a wizard. But it’s not perfect. Skills are kind of a big deal for me. I think the system kind of forgets about skills if you are untrained. I think a fighter could pick up some basics of magic from traveling with a wizard and I liked how previously untrained actions still added your level, just with a penalty. Now you don’t add your level to untrained actions and that basically means you have silos where no untrained character can go. It’s a design choice that isn’t bad, but not one I love. Also, I really don’t like the new EXP system. Just keep creatures with different exp instead of having some crazy formula to figure out the exp! It feels like a level of simplification that some players demanded but the rest of us hate. But overall, I really do like the simplicity of the system and the variety of options in this book. 4.75/5
Theme or Fluff-Everyone has their own idea of what “fantasy” should be. Pathfinder has a niche of an almost industrial magic world where some elements of science are beginning to poke their timid heads out of the real magic with semi-magic, semi-chemistry potions and simple guns. This new game nails that vibe. Also, this edition fixes a major problem others had before: alchemy. I love the idea of alchemy, but it's always hard to add to a system Lots of RPGs add this in later due to fan demands. But that system feels bolted on and not a core of the world, with alchemy basically being a new magic caster class but with a reskin. In Pathfinder 2e, with item levels, an alchemist makes alchemy items and the items are NOT spells. They are their own special thing. I LOVE THIS! Pathfinder 2nd ed nails the Pathfinder theme even better than the original! 5/5
Execution- PDF? Check! Hyperlinked? NOPE! Come on Paizo! This book is over 600 Pages! Even random websites trading illegal PDFs have their stuff hyperlinked and for this size of document, it’s a major problem. Also, I think 3.5 has the best layout for d20 systems in regard to class advancement and feats. However, in the new system the classes get a table of advancement for each level, but you have to read deep into each specific advancement to know what is really happening. It's less at a glance and results in slower leveling and progression. I LOVE table with the character level, short descriptions of mandatory class options, and saving throw bonuses, and even spells if needed. Now we get too many words that are not helping, and two tables that are seperate for magic and character options. That is two too many! Nice concise tables would help this feel less wordy and less tiring to read. Next, feats for each class need a feat table with short, one sentence descriptions of each class option. This is going to take up space, but the current layout of listing several options and just making players read the possible rule in its entirety is too long and wordy. Even if you keep the full feat description, adding these tables would make skimming for your next class option a breeze, but instead you end up reading lots of class options you do not care about. Reading about options you don’t care about is tiring! The rest of the book is fine, but those class sections could use some serious changes to make the material easier to read! Pathfinder 2nd ed charts its own territory, but it needs to learn from its roots for its readability. 4/5
Summary-My review of this system is not glowing, but I do love it. The mechanics of 2nd edition Pathfinder are a mix of 3.5, Pathfinder, and 4th edition and 5th edition DnD. Since I love all those games, I had no issues with all the best being blended together to make the best of everything. I didn’t get EVERYTHING I wanted, but I got enough. I love the world, and the new mechanics of the new edition really emphasize the world. The low point was the execution of the book. It feels way too wordy and made reading all the different classes a slog. The book isn’t bad by any stretch, but I feel that taking some clues on how other editions of RPGs work and displayed their information would really help here. Now this might seem negative but overall I love this system. It's easy to play, characters are made quickly, and I feel it's going to be a fun system for a long time. Can’t wait to see what story I can tell with this system! 92%
Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!
Product- Pathfinder Core Rulebook
System-Pathfinder
Producer-Paizo
Price- $60 here https://paizo.com/products/btq01y0k?Pathfinder-Core-Rulebook
TL; DR-A solid mix of new good things, but some issues remain. 92%
Basics-It’s here! Pathfinder 2nd ed is out in the wild! Let’s dig into this thing! The basics from my previous review here: Let’s look at the big changes.
Base Mechanic-The d20 system never really changes. It’s still numbers + d20 vs other numbers. Pathfinder 2nd Ed has the player add their ability modifier, their level, AND a modifier to the roll, depending on their level of proficiency. The biggest change from the previous one is that the proficiency levels are now +2, +4, +6, or +8 instead of adding one to 4. Honestly, this feels like a change coming from 4th Edition DnD. I know the heresy of that statement, but I like that mechanic.
Action Economy- Players still have the three actions per turn of the playtest with some spells or actions requiring additional actions to do.
Skills- If you are not trained it's just a d20 + ability modifier. If you are not trained, after about 4th level, it might not be useful to even roll.
Options- This edition is labeled featfinder by its critics, but the designers use the word feat instead of options. I’m ok with featfinder as I LOVE class options.
ITEM LEVELS!!!-Items HAVE LEVELS! I love this as you know exactly what an item should cost, what kind of character should have this, and it means that some things such as alchemical items are going to be useful later as higher level options are available.
Character Advancement- Characters now level at 1000 exp. Monsters of your level give certain amounts of experience, and there are formulas for changing the experience points if you are fighting a creature of a higher or lower amount.
Those are the basics. Let’s look at my thoughts.
Mechanics or Crunch-I really love this system. Long ago, I toyed with the idea of making a 3.5/4e hybrid, and this is almost what I wanted. I get the clean mechanics of the d20, but I add my level so leveling up made things matter. I get the deep CRUNCH of 3.5/Pathfinder, but the ease of a 5e. I get cantrips that I can use all the time and not have a wizard firing crappy crossbows while still feeling like a wizard. But it’s not perfect. Skills are kind of a big deal for me. I think the system kind of forgets about skills if you are untrained. I think a fighter could pick up some basics of magic from traveling with a wizard and I liked how previously untrained actions still added your level, just with a penalty. Now you don’t add your level to untrained actions and that basically means you have silos where no untrained character can go. It’s a design choice that isn’t bad, but not one I love. Also, I really don’t like the new EXP system. Just keep creatures with different exp instead of having some crazy formula to figure out the exp! It feels like a level of simplification that some players demanded but the rest of us hate. But overall, I really do like the simplicity of the system and the variety of options in this book. 4.75/5
Theme or Fluff-Everyone has their own idea of what “fantasy” should be. Pathfinder has a niche of an almost industrial magic world where some elements of science are beginning to poke their timid heads out of the real magic with semi-magic, semi-chemistry potions and simple guns. This new game nails that vibe. Also, this edition fixes a major problem others had before: alchemy. I love the idea of alchemy, but it's always hard to add to a system Lots of RPGs add this in later due to fan demands. But that system feels bolted on and not a core of the world, with alchemy basically being a new magic caster class but with a reskin. In Pathfinder 2e, with item levels, an alchemist makes alchemy items and the items are NOT spells. They are their own special thing. I LOVE THIS! Pathfinder 2nd ed nails the Pathfinder theme even better than the original! 5/5
Execution- PDF? Check! Hyperlinked? NOPE! Come on Paizo! This book is over 600 Pages! Even random websites trading illegal PDFs have their stuff hyperlinked and for this size of document, it’s a major problem. Also, I think 3.5 has the best layout for d20 systems in regard to class advancement and feats. However, in the new system the classes get a table of advancement for each level, but you have to read deep into each specific advancement to know what is really happening. It's less at a glance and results in slower leveling and progression. I LOVE table with the character level, short descriptions of mandatory class options, and saving throw bonuses, and even spells if needed. Now we get too many words that are not helping, and two tables that are seperate for magic and character options. That is two too many! Nice concise tables would help this feel less wordy and less tiring to read. Next, feats for each class need a feat table with short, one sentence descriptions of each class option. This is going to take up space, but the current layout of listing several options and just making players read the possible rule in its entirety is too long and wordy. Even if you keep the full feat description, adding these tables would make skimming for your next class option a breeze, but instead you end up reading lots of class options you do not care about. Reading about options you don’t care about is tiring! The rest of the book is fine, but those class sections could use some serious changes to make the material easier to read! Pathfinder 2nd ed charts its own territory, but it needs to learn from its roots for its readability. 4/5
Summary-My review of this system is not glowing, but I do love it. The mechanics of 2nd edition Pathfinder are a mix of 3.5, Pathfinder, and 4th edition and 5th edition DnD. Since I love all those games, I had no issues with all the best being blended together to make the best of everything. I didn’t get EVERYTHING I wanted, but I got enough. I love the world, and the new mechanics of the new edition really emphasize the world. The low point was the execution of the book. It feels way too wordy and made reading all the different classes a slog. The book isn’t bad by any stretch, but I feel that taking some clues on how other editions of RPGs work and displayed their information would really help here. Now this might seem negative but overall I love this system. It's easy to play, characters are made quickly, and I feel it's going to be a fun system for a long time. Can’t wait to see what story I can tell with this system! 92%
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September 2, 2025Every few pages I'd start wistfully thinking about how Heart: The City Beneath explains all its rules in like three pages and can dedicate the rest of the book to it's cool and evocative classes, good GM advice, fascinating setting, and interesting monsters. God this was agonizing to read. Golarion is literally the final boss of generic fantasy settings, it is so boring lmao. The character sheet looks less like I'm about to play a game and more like I'm filing my taxes. I ain't gonna bash you if this is your kinda thing but omg it is not mine. I feel like I can finally understand what a fantasy heartbreaker is now.
August 2, 2022
I love the rules changes. They've managed to simplify a lot of things, kill off areas that were black-holes for investment in PF1, and still kept a fantastic amount of customization. I'll be starting a new campaign for my crew in a few weeks and I'm so excited to see how these changes work in action.
February 16, 2020
Much better structured than past guides.
September 11, 2022
I'm not a nerd I promise please don't bully me it's really fun actually and totally cool here let me show you my lucky dice...
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December 14, 2022I think I would enjoy this set up more than D&D. Sadly, the library needs this returned so I will DNF for now. When Demiplane releases their Character Builder I will probably buy a copy.
October 5, 2020
I've never played a tabletop RPG before, so I don't know how it compares to other systems. But it seems pretty great on its own - I'm looking forward to start GMing some sessions with my kids.
October 31, 2020
So, I came to the tabletop RPG hobby with Dungeons & Dragons 5e, and like many others, heard about Pathfinder soon afterwards. I took a look at it, and while I def appreciated the fact that you can design such a detailed character down to the finest minute detail with that 3.5e-based ruleset, it's tough to go back to a system that everyone admits is pretty bloated.
Enter Pathfinder 2e - a really solid blend of the best of D&D 5e and Pathfinder. There's still a greater amount of bells and whistles compared to 5e's streamlined approach of leaving most things up to DM fiat and advantage/disadvantage, but overall, this is a system that really feels choice-orientated in a MODERN and ACCESSIBLE manner. For instance, players can delve deep into character creation with a bajillion different feats (everything's a feat now) if they so desire, but endeavors that used to be painfully complex like multi-classing have been simplified into these things called archetypes, which allow for just enough complicatedness without overwhelming you. Also, whereas first edition Pathfinder combat used to get bogged down, now there's an elegant as heck three action system (everyone gets three actions, do with them what ye will!) that I absolutely love, because hey, even in 5e it's sometimes a pain to figure out what constitutes a bonus action.
Combine this with redesigned classes (the Ranger's no longer a spellcaster, which is fine by me since Rangers were never great spellcasters anyway), an in-line-with-the-times depiction of different fantasy species that doesn't assume that green-skinned humanoids are evil (playable goblins!), and Wayne Reynold's awesome art as a cherry on the top? Yeah, I dunno if I'll ever end up totally ditching 5e, but I'm certainly ready to give Pathfinder 2e a go now, especially via the upcoming second edition conversion of Kingmaker. I recommend all folks familiar with 5e but ready for something slightly meatier to give this a go, because while Pathfinder might have started as a D&D variant, this latest iteration really feels like the newest evolution of the classic d20 system.
Enter Pathfinder 2e - a really solid blend of the best of D&D 5e and Pathfinder. There's still a greater amount of bells and whistles compared to 5e's streamlined approach of leaving most things up to DM fiat and advantage/disadvantage, but overall, this is a system that really feels choice-orientated in a MODERN and ACCESSIBLE manner. For instance, players can delve deep into character creation with a bajillion different feats (everything's a feat now) if they so desire, but endeavors that used to be painfully complex like multi-classing have been simplified into these things called archetypes, which allow for just enough complicatedness without overwhelming you. Also, whereas first edition Pathfinder combat used to get bogged down, now there's an elegant as heck three action system (everyone gets three actions, do with them what ye will!) that I absolutely love, because hey, even in 5e it's sometimes a pain to figure out what constitutes a bonus action.
Combine this with redesigned classes (the Ranger's no longer a spellcaster, which is fine by me since Rangers were never great spellcasters anyway), an in-line-with-the-times depiction of different fantasy species that doesn't assume that green-skinned humanoids are evil (playable goblins!), and Wayne Reynold's awesome art as a cherry on the top? Yeah, I dunno if I'll ever end up totally ditching 5e, but I'm certainly ready to give Pathfinder 2e a go now, especially via the upcoming second edition conversion of Kingmaker. I recommend all folks familiar with 5e but ready for something slightly meatier to give this a go, because while Pathfinder might have started as a D&D variant, this latest iteration really feels like the newest evolution of the classic d20 system.
October 11, 2019
It’s he best set of rpg rules to be released to date. This is spectacular front to back!!!
August 20, 2019
It’s a solid follow up to the original
Pathfinder with some streamlining and interesting evolutions on combat mechanics, but I don’t know that it’s quite accessible enough to compete against the elephant in its room, nor does it interest me more than the first edition which I invested a lot of money into and have enjoyed a lot of campaigns (home brewed or APs). Mammoth book though for its price, they are not skimping on you whatsoever.
Pathfinder with some streamlining and interesting evolutions on combat mechanics, but I don’t know that it’s quite accessible enough to compete against the elephant in its room, nor does it interest me more than the first edition which I invested a lot of money into and have enjoyed a lot of campaigns (home brewed or APs). Mammoth book though for its price, they are not skimping on you whatsoever.
August 21, 2019
Most fun I've had reading rules and lists in a long time. This combines a player's guide with a game master manual for two books in one. I would love to get a chance to play this, the interesting options are nearly endless. Playing referee could be a nightmare however, so many rules!
February 13, 2023
Paizo is an amazing company. Pathfinder 2e is the best tabletop RPG out there. I bought into the negativity surrounding the new ruleset before it's release, which is easier to succumb to when one has spent plenty of money on the previous set, which was essentially perfect.
So how does a company improve on perfection? Well, in a way you have to take a step back and look at things differently. 5e had come out and rescued Wizards of the Coast from its disastrous 4e, which inspired Pathfinder in the first place. 4e, by the way makes for great board game style rules, just not as focused on the roleplay. And in my opinion, 5e is far too barebones, and filled with annoying rules. I hate bonus actions. It's too confusing. Two actions but occasionally a bonus? I enjoyed some of the adventures, but even those (Strahd!) needed insane rework from the DM to translate it to actual play. Playing these things right out of the box just isn't feasible and I don't care what anyone says. I am all for creativity (having built many fantasy worlds myself) but when I buy a premade adventure path I generally assume the majority of the work has already been done. There just felt like there were too many gaps in the game and I imagine most of the problem comes from upgrading Strahd as an adventure from its origins (2e?). Back in the old days most roleplaying was making things up as you go. I've played that way before but it requires too much prep beforehand that I hardly have time for now.
I digress. 5e is the popular ruleset for the majority of players out there. It never felt to me like they genuinely welcomed players of all kinds, but rather pandered to potential customers. There's a big difference. I can't explain it further than that but I think anyone with a brain can make the distinction. Paizo feels far more welcoming as a community. I can post on any comment board under any comment and there you find me. It's amazing to feel like I have a voice. I don't have anything of value to add but it's nice not to just be a number.
Back to adventures. In Pathfinder 1e I own a ton of adventures, and almost all of them are some of the best stories I've ever seen in a game. Some are immense sandboxes allowing players to grow in power and build kingdoms (Kingmaker) and others are epic adventures (Rise of the Runelords) with humble beginnings. PF2E continues this trend, and to great success. They've even started to adjust their paths from 1-5 episodes to 1-3, which I find far more digestible and more importantly, completable. I don't think I've ever finished an adventure path. I have a hard time keeping people returning for that long without life interfering as it always does. But the adventures themselves are wonderful. A flavor for everyone's tastes. If you like a certain kind of story, it exists, and more are on the way.
Overall I just wanted to put out some positive praise for Paizo having always stood up for the roleplaying community and providing such a wonderful game. Dnd 5e has nothing on Pathfinder 2e's three action economy. But after Wizards of the Coast tried to meddle with the Open Game License 1.0, and gave that ridiculous and fake apology, only to abandon their plan, I will never trust them again. I left them behind long ago but out of sheer popularity I occasionally played 5e just to lure more players to my game. But no more. If people are willing I'd rather show them the better game, and introduce them to a much better community. Sorry DnD fans but I know one day you'll be converted. Critical Role should open their eyes too but I'm way more entertained by Glass Cannon Podcast, sorry!
Good luck with the Creative Commons (meh) license, Wizards. I'll stick with Paizo and their upcoming Open RPG Creative License (ORC, baby!!!!!!)
So if you need a good place to dip your foot into this great game, start with the core rulebook. Get your feet wet and start walking. And the more people GM, the greater chance I don't have to every time!
So how does a company improve on perfection? Well, in a way you have to take a step back and look at things differently. 5e had come out and rescued Wizards of the Coast from its disastrous 4e, which inspired Pathfinder in the first place. 4e, by the way makes for great board game style rules, just not as focused on the roleplay. And in my opinion, 5e is far too barebones, and filled with annoying rules. I hate bonus actions. It's too confusing. Two actions but occasionally a bonus? I enjoyed some of the adventures, but even those (Strahd!) needed insane rework from the DM to translate it to actual play. Playing these things right out of the box just isn't feasible and I don't care what anyone says. I am all for creativity (having built many fantasy worlds myself) but when I buy a premade adventure path I generally assume the majority of the work has already been done. There just felt like there were too many gaps in the game and I imagine most of the problem comes from upgrading Strahd as an adventure from its origins (2e?). Back in the old days most roleplaying was making things up as you go. I've played that way before but it requires too much prep beforehand that I hardly have time for now.
I digress. 5e is the popular ruleset for the majority of players out there. It never felt to me like they genuinely welcomed players of all kinds, but rather pandered to potential customers. There's a big difference. I can't explain it further than that but I think anyone with a brain can make the distinction. Paizo feels far more welcoming as a community. I can post on any comment board under any comment and there you find me. It's amazing to feel like I have a voice. I don't have anything of value to add but it's nice not to just be a number.
Back to adventures. In Pathfinder 1e I own a ton of adventures, and almost all of them are some of the best stories I've ever seen in a game. Some are immense sandboxes allowing players to grow in power and build kingdoms (Kingmaker) and others are epic adventures (Rise of the Runelords) with humble beginnings. PF2E continues this trend, and to great success. They've even started to adjust their paths from 1-5 episodes to 1-3, which I find far more digestible and more importantly, completable. I don't think I've ever finished an adventure path. I have a hard time keeping people returning for that long without life interfering as it always does. But the adventures themselves are wonderful. A flavor for everyone's tastes. If you like a certain kind of story, it exists, and more are on the way.
Overall I just wanted to put out some positive praise for Paizo having always stood up for the roleplaying community and providing such a wonderful game. Dnd 5e has nothing on Pathfinder 2e's three action economy. But after Wizards of the Coast tried to meddle with the Open Game License 1.0, and gave that ridiculous and fake apology, only to abandon their plan, I will never trust them again. I left them behind long ago but out of sheer popularity I occasionally played 5e just to lure more players to my game. But no more. If people are willing I'd rather show them the better game, and introduce them to a much better community. Sorry DnD fans but I know one day you'll be converted. Critical Role should open their eyes too but I'm way more entertained by Glass Cannon Podcast, sorry!
Good luck with the Creative Commons (meh) license, Wizards. I'll stick with Paizo and their upcoming Open RPG Creative License (ORC, baby!!!!!!)
So if you need a good place to dip your foot into this great game, start with the core rulebook. Get your feet wet and start walking. And the more people GM, the greater chance I don't have to every time!
August 11, 2024
If games like Wanderhome or Mothership are on one end of the crunch spectrum, Pathfinder 2nd Edition is on the other. Every item has a pool of hp to deplete to break, and another pool to be destroyed. Rules for picking up items, putting them in your pocket, and eating a sandwich are all laid out in excruciating detail.
That's not a bad thing, but it's not the right system for my table. I'm going to do my best to not hold that fact against it in this review.
From the perspective of design philosophy, you first need to understand that Pathfinder 2e attempts to operationalize every action. Anything you can think of to do should have a rule about how it is done, and if there's no rule to be found, then you're theoretically not able to do it. This goes against the modern trend of focusing only on rules for stressful or time-crunched important situations. While about 2/3 of this enormous tome are focused on classes, spells, and items, the remaining 30% details an extremely comprehensive system for exactly how a player can do all manner of actions. This includes minimum stats, task duration, materials required etc. This is in contrast to Mothership's explicit instructions that players need only to roll if they're under pressure of time or violence, and the rest is left to the Warden to decide.
My table tends to focus primarily on telling a story, and the rules of whatever system we're playing help us to set up boundaries of what is generally possible and inject some chance into the tale. This book is written for a table that wants to play TTPRGs like they're board games. There's no room for ambiguity, no questioning why the DM ruled this way on his character but didn't apply the same rule to MY character. Playing Pathfinder 2e falls more in the ethos of the original OSR realm in that it wants you to play skillfully, in a way that 5e doesn't seem to care about as much.
The problem that this is trying to solve is that 5th edition D&D often feels limiting. Players often want to do something that isn't operationalized by the rules, so they feel that they can't do it. Pathfinder 2e is attempting to give the player freedom by giving them a list of every single option. This seems like it would work, as long as your players are willing to read through this enormous tome of rules (spoiler: mine aren't).
Some things I really like:
* 3 action economy. On each turn you can take 3 actions in any combination, which include attacking, casting spells, moving, etc. Nimble 5e is a better implementation of this in my opinion, but it's way better than 5e's convoluted Action, Bonus Action, Movement, Free Action economy.
* Classes: Especially the alchemist. Outside of the mechanics, the classes are flavorful and unique. Spellcasters feel distinct from each other.
* Action symbols: The action economy is clearly identified alongside every possible action with a symbol that shows how much
Some things I really don't like:
* Way too long: This should have been split up into a player's book and a GM's book, but I understand that it's harder to get people on board if they have to buy multiple books just to get started.
* Tag system: the book is written almost like a database. Every spell, item, or action is bloated with little brown tags that aim to simplify. Theoretically this slims things down because you just look up what the tag means instead of having rules copied in multiple places. 5e actually does this better just by bolding the relevant term in the text body.
I almost don't believe that anyone has found a play group of more than 3 people that is willing to read this whole thing, but if they have I'm sure it's working wonderfully for them. Never going to be my thing, but I did enjoy reading it.
That's not a bad thing, but it's not the right system for my table. I'm going to do my best to not hold that fact against it in this review.
From the perspective of design philosophy, you first need to understand that Pathfinder 2e attempts to operationalize every action. Anything you can think of to do should have a rule about how it is done, and if there's no rule to be found, then you're theoretically not able to do it. This goes against the modern trend of focusing only on rules for stressful or time-crunched important situations. While about 2/3 of this enormous tome are focused on classes, spells, and items, the remaining 30% details an extremely comprehensive system for exactly how a player can do all manner of actions. This includes minimum stats, task duration, materials required etc. This is in contrast to Mothership's explicit instructions that players need only to roll if they're under pressure of time or violence, and the rest is left to the Warden to decide.
My table tends to focus primarily on telling a story, and the rules of whatever system we're playing help us to set up boundaries of what is generally possible and inject some chance into the tale. This book is written for a table that wants to play TTPRGs like they're board games. There's no room for ambiguity, no questioning why the DM ruled this way on his character but didn't apply the same rule to MY character. Playing Pathfinder 2e falls more in the ethos of the original OSR realm in that it wants you to play skillfully, in a way that 5e doesn't seem to care about as much.
The problem that this is trying to solve is that 5th edition D&D often feels limiting. Players often want to do something that isn't operationalized by the rules, so they feel that they can't do it. Pathfinder 2e is attempting to give the player freedom by giving them a list of every single option. This seems like it would work, as long as your players are willing to read through this enormous tome of rules (spoiler: mine aren't).
Some things I really like:
* 3 action economy. On each turn you can take 3 actions in any combination, which include attacking, casting spells, moving, etc. Nimble 5e is a better implementation of this in my opinion, but it's way better than 5e's convoluted Action, Bonus Action, Movement, Free Action economy.
* Classes: Especially the alchemist. Outside of the mechanics, the classes are flavorful and unique. Spellcasters feel distinct from each other.
* Action symbols: The action economy is clearly identified alongside every possible action with a symbol that shows how much
Some things I really don't like:
* Way too long: This should have been split up into a player's book and a GM's book, but I understand that it's harder to get people on board if they have to buy multiple books just to get started.
* Tag system: the book is written almost like a database. Every spell, item, or action is bloated with little brown tags that aim to simplify. Theoretically this slims things down because you just look up what the tag means instead of having rules copied in multiple places. 5e actually does this better just by bolding the relevant term in the text body.
I almost don't believe that anyone has found a play group of more than 3 people that is willing to read this whole thing, but if they have I'm sure it's working wonderfully for them. Never going to be my thing, but I did enjoy reading it.
November 14, 2019
Going full on into neckbeard territory on this one folks, bear with me.
There are some clever twists to formula here that I think go a long way in changing up hardline traditions that needed to die, but I maintain my previous position that Paizo writes games for *players* and not GMs. There's a wealth of customization for your PC here and I'd love to play in a campaign where I can be a chirurgeon, or a spell blender, or a druid with a little mushroom familiar...but I'm far too lazy to run a game with this much rules baggage. It doesn't help that the book is horrendously organized.
Great concepts:
- Focus points instead of concentration (only downside is more bookkeeping)
- Classes are more "a la carte": picking feats as you go means you're not locked into a subclass, you're making your own. The downside here is that at a certain point it feels like they're only sticking with the class system because of tradition (and that's what people are used to). It also clashes terribly with the forced racial ability score bonuses (and penalties! GET RID OF THE PENALTIES). There's a weird mix of tradition/innovation here that really stops this game from shining.
- The TEML system is really interesting and much more nuanced than 5e's Proficiency system. Again, more bookkeeping, but leads to a more realized PC.
- Anathema is a cool mechanical concept
- The class sections starts with a description of what you might do in any one of the game's pillars: social, combat, downtime, exploration etc. Really smart move.
Bad:
- Fighters seem...eh. Shield block as a class feature means ranged fighter will always feel like you should just something else, or at least be a switch hitter. Their core feature is...attack of opportunity?? Ok.
- Why bother renaming Paladin to Champion, then only including good-aligned as an option for the class? Not necessarily bad, just...why?
- I'd thought this edition was aiming to streamline some things but it seems even more complicated, honestly. Maybe it's just because I've taken a break from 3.x systems for so long, or maybe it's because the book is truly badly organized (it took me way too long to figure out what Focus points were, despite it being a core feature of one of the druid options).
If I was still playing PF, I'd absolutely want to make the jump to 2e. PF was already the "build whatever you want" as a character, and 2e leans into this with full force. 5e is still my system of choice, though.
There are some clever twists to formula here that I think go a long way in changing up hardline traditions that needed to die, but I maintain my previous position that Paizo writes games for *players* and not GMs. There's a wealth of customization for your PC here and I'd love to play in a campaign where I can be a chirurgeon, or a spell blender, or a druid with a little mushroom familiar...but I'm far too lazy to run a game with this much rules baggage. It doesn't help that the book is horrendously organized.
Great concepts:
- Focus points instead of concentration (only downside is more bookkeeping)
- Classes are more "a la carte": picking feats as you go means you're not locked into a subclass, you're making your own. The downside here is that at a certain point it feels like they're only sticking with the class system because of tradition (and that's what people are used to). It also clashes terribly with the forced racial ability score bonuses (and penalties! GET RID OF THE PENALTIES). There's a weird mix of tradition/innovation here that really stops this game from shining.
- The TEML system is really interesting and much more nuanced than 5e's Proficiency system. Again, more bookkeeping, but leads to a more realized PC.
- Anathema is a cool mechanical concept
- The class sections starts with a description of what you might do in any one of the game's pillars: social, combat, downtime, exploration etc. Really smart move.
Bad:
- Fighters seem...eh. Shield block as a class feature means ranged fighter will always feel like you should just something else, or at least be a switch hitter. Their core feature is...attack of opportunity?? Ok.
- Why bother renaming Paladin to Champion, then only including good-aligned as an option for the class? Not necessarily bad, just...why?
- I'd thought this edition was aiming to streamline some things but it seems even more complicated, honestly. Maybe it's just because I've taken a break from 3.x systems for so long, or maybe it's because the book is truly badly organized (it took me way too long to figure out what Focus points were, despite it being a core feature of one of the druid options).
If I was still playing PF, I'd absolutely want to make the jump to 2e. PF was already the "build whatever you want" as a character, and 2e leans into this with full force. 5e is still my system of choice, though.
January 4, 2024
1. I did not read the book from cover to cover but have read individual chapters or subjects often enough to feel safe to say I've read this book.
2. My review here is of the book and not the system. (I love the system and have only a few minor complaints about it, in case you'd want to know)
Pathfinder 2e did something I had not seen in RPG Rulebooks before (AD&D, RoleMaster, Shadowrun, D&D 5e), which is establishing a system of signs and frames, traits and if you don't mind my linear algebra, a great basis to span the whole book on. So, what we get right off the bat is a quick reference with a basis that helps immensely improve the clarity.
To be fair the other RPG systems I had read into were all older and I believe in the natural evolution of non-fiction reference books learning from the experiences of those that came before.
We bought a digital copy of the book from Paizo and with it came a one-file-per-chapter version and I can't emphasize enough how much that has helped us in GMing. Not only does it help with new players, when you hand them only relevant chapters instead of the whole gargantuan monster of a Corebook, but also a huge help while playing, prepping, and GMing to be able to have multiple chapters open where you need the quickest reference and jump between them.
We have been preparing (we're both GMs as well as players) for 3.3 groups in different settings and so far we have come across very few questions that did not have a clear answer somewhere in the book.
Another great help is the side banner and the header on the first pages of character classes. They are a tremendous help in character creation, especially when walking less experienced or completely new players through the process.
The only deduction comes from a structure that could be improved. While we found answers to our questions, many of them took us a longer time to find than they should have, given how well-organized the system is.
2. My review here is of the book and not the system. (I love the system and have only a few minor complaints about it, in case you'd want to know)
Pathfinder 2e did something I had not seen in RPG Rulebooks before (AD&D, RoleMaster, Shadowrun, D&D 5e), which is establishing a system of signs and frames, traits and if you don't mind my linear algebra, a great basis to span the whole book on. So, what we get right off the bat is a quick reference with a basis that helps immensely improve the clarity.
To be fair the other RPG systems I had read into were all older and I believe in the natural evolution of non-fiction reference books learning from the experiences of those that came before.
We bought a digital copy of the book from Paizo and with it came a one-file-per-chapter version and I can't emphasize enough how much that has helped us in GMing. Not only does it help with new players, when you hand them only relevant chapters instead of the whole gargantuan monster of a Corebook, but also a huge help while playing, prepping, and GMing to be able to have multiple chapters open where you need the quickest reference and jump between them.
We have been preparing (we're both GMs as well as players) for 3.3 groups in different settings and so far we have come across very few questions that did not have a clear answer somewhere in the book.
Another great help is the side banner and the header on the first pages of character classes. They are a tremendous help in character creation, especially when walking less experienced or completely new players through the process.
The only deduction comes from a structure that could be improved. While we found answers to our questions, many of them took us a longer time to find than they should have, given how well-organized the system is.
August 4, 2023
After playing a few games [both DMing and playing] of this system I FINALLY feel somewhat comfortable writing a review.
I've heard a few seasoned RPG players say that this edition of the game takes away a lot of important player choices and the game is worse for it. I can see where those players are coming from and I did take this into account when giving a rating. However, I started playing tabletop games using the 5th Edition of the world's most famous RPG which has good things about it, but character customization is absolutely not one of them. The three-action system and character options were one of the biggest reasons I wanted to look at PF2E in the first place. Overall, I LOVE the options that players have, and many of my 5e friends that are wanting something a little more crunchy have been totally enamored with this system. However, I will say, if your players don't usually put that much effort into learning the mechanics of their character, this is NOT the game for them. There are no cookie cooker characters in this game compared to the systems I am used to. Because of this, I am very excited to continue learning more about the system and running games in it.
I'm running games of PF2E at my local game store, so my opinion may change, but overall I have really enjoyed the system so far.
I've heard a few seasoned RPG players say that this edition of the game takes away a lot of important player choices and the game is worse for it. I can see where those players are coming from and I did take this into account when giving a rating. However, I started playing tabletop games using the 5th Edition of the world's most famous RPG which has good things about it, but character customization is absolutely not one of them. The three-action system and character options were one of the biggest reasons I wanted to look at PF2E in the first place. Overall, I LOVE the options that players have, and many of my 5e friends that are wanting something a little more crunchy have been totally enamored with this system. However, I will say, if your players don't usually put that much effort into learning the mechanics of their character, this is NOT the game for them. There are no cookie cooker characters in this game compared to the systems I am used to. Because of this, I am very excited to continue learning more about the system and running games in it.
I'm running games of PF2E at my local game store, so my opinion may change, but overall I have really enjoyed the system so far.
April 28, 2021
Very disappointing.
Pathfinder takes an inexplicable and unwelcome step upwards in terms of complexity.
Even rolling a character was a chore - flicking back and forth looking for hard to find rules exceptions and non-existent explanations.
The layout and design are a big step down for those used to Pathfinder 1 too. Just check out the horrible, over-complicated character sheets for an idea of how messy and overcooked the system is.
This is a great example of a system that outgrew itself and became unwieldy and inaccessible.
If you have P1, my advice is stick with that. I just hope more people come out and say what I have said so Paizo take a step back and rethink. It is annoying to see how many echo my comments but still give this 4 or 5 stars - if you didn't like it, rate it accordingly.
Pathfinder takes an inexplicable and unwelcome step upwards in terms of complexity.
Even rolling a character was a chore - flicking back and forth looking for hard to find rules exceptions and non-existent explanations.
The layout and design are a big step down for those used to Pathfinder 1 too. Just check out the horrible, over-complicated character sheets for an idea of how messy and overcooked the system is.
This is a great example of a system that outgrew itself and became unwieldy and inaccessible.
If you have P1, my advice is stick with that. I just hope more people come out and say what I have said so Paizo take a step back and rethink. It is annoying to see how many echo my comments but still give this 4 or 5 stars - if you didn't like it, rate it accordingly.
October 15, 2022
I haven't played much of pathfinder 2nd edition yet. Still, I am getting ready to GM an adventure so to prep I thought I would read this book. I got the book as part of a humble bundle but in the end, I decided to read the free rules online as they have all the fluff cut out. Paizo were gracious enough to allow all the rules from all the books to exist freely online. This doesn't the lore.
Anyway, what I read was a trimmed-down version of the book and still, it was way too long. It covers all kinds of edge cases and repeats itself from time to time. Honestly, I doubt reading this book is the best way to learn the rules.
I think it's supposed to be almost like an index to look up anything you might need during play. Still pathfinder 2nd edition is great. I have only played a couple of games but already I am excited for more!
Anyway, what I read was a trimmed-down version of the book and still, it was way too long. It covers all kinds of edge cases and repeats itself from time to time. Honestly, I doubt reading this book is the best way to learn the rules.
I think it's supposed to be almost like an index to look up anything you might need during play. Still pathfinder 2nd edition is great. I have only played a couple of games but already I am excited for more!
April 15, 2021
Wow, that certainly was a big book ! I skiped the spells part, only have one life xD ! Originally, I've played a lot of pathfinder v1 and was a big fan of it, a little hard to master but otherwise very fun to play. This second edition add some simplification and guidance much appreciated, like the new weight system or the feats classification. I hope i can still use some of my extension v1 books with it, because i do not see a downgrade or other reason to stay in v1. The only point i dont like is the archetyp mécanisme, i loved the multi classing in v1 and i think this rule is a bit limiting.
September 15, 2023
Se ve un sistema muy detallado, muy robusto. Parece que tiene una respuesta para cada situación que podría surgir en una sesión de juegos, además de lindas sugerencias sobre cómo llevarlo.
También parece que consigue separarse del DnD tradicional, quitando libertad de creación de personaje pero ofreciendo grandes caminos de exploración (mágicos, divinos) para los personajes que sí puedes crear.
Está muy bien, creo que es una buena alternativa, o bien, ofrece cosas que puedes incorporar sin problemas a algún otro sistema / juego.
También parece que consigue separarse del DnD tradicional, quitando libertad de creación de personaje pero ofreciendo grandes caminos de exploración (mágicos, divinos) para los personajes que sí puedes crear.
Está muy bien, creo que es una buena alternativa, o bien, ofrece cosas que puedes incorporar sin problemas a algún otro sistema / juego.
October 2, 2019
A fantastic update, I'm probably going to stick to Pathfinder's 2nd Edition entirely from now on (with some minor incursions still in 5E and 3.5 with those who play those and refuse to submit to this superior system)
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