The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game puts you in the role of a brave adventurer fighting to survive in a world beset by magic and evil. Will you cut your way through monster-filled ruins and cities rife with political intrigue to emerge as a famous hero laden with fabulous treasure, or will you fall victim to treacherous traps and fiendish monsters in a forgotten dungeon? Your fate is yours to decide with this giant Core Rulebook that provides everything a player needs to set out on a life of adventure and excitement!
This imaginative tabletop game builds upon more than 10 years of system development and an open playtest involving more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy rules into the new millennium.
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook includes:
All player and Game Master rules in a single volume
Complete rules for fantastic player races like elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and half-orcs
Exciting new options for character classes like fighters, wizards, rogues, clerics, and more
Streamlined and updated rules for feats and skills that increase options for your hero
A simple combat system with easy rules for grapples, bull rushes, and other special attacks
Spellcaster options for magic domains, familiars, bonded items, specialty schools, and more
Hundreds of revised, new, and updated spells and magical treasures
Quick-generation guidelines for nonplayer characters
Expanded rules for curses, diseases, and poisons
A completely overhauled experience system with options for slow, medium, and fast advancement
... and much, much more!
Available Formats
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook is also available as:
If there is any one book to have, it is this one. It is the only Pathfinder book you will ever need to start playing, but if you're like me you'll eventually want more.
When I first learned of tabletop RPGs my attention turned to D&D even though I knew next to nothing about it, nor did I know of anyone who played it. I only knew it because it was the name everyone knew when someone said "tabletop RPG" and the answer wasn't "what is that?" I wanted to play it but I didn't know where to start. I was lost, forlorn, and alone.
Then, one fateful day, I met someone online who told me about Pathfinder. I took one look at the Core Rulebook and I never looked back, and to this day I don't regret the decision one bit. The Core Rulebook is a solid start to any aspiring tabletop gamer's adventure and is a must own not only for the abundance of useful information it provides but also for the clean presentation and the magnificent art provided by Wayne Reynolds.
In short, if you want to play Pathfinder and haven't already, pick this book up immediately. It is well worth it.
Legendary. It’s hard to know where to begin to review this book, but that one word encapsulates it well. There’s a reason Pathfinder is thriving a decade into its existence, and it all starts here. If you don’t know anything about Pathfinder, you can think of it as a revised and improved version of a specific edition of D&D (the “3.5” edition). Its strength is the nearly infinite capacity for customization, and its weakness is that enormous customization introduces complexity. In other words, this is a “crunch heavy” instead of a “rules light” game. Trust me, it’s worth it though. This is going to be a long review because I’ve got fifteen chapters to cover in this massive, 575-page book! If you don’t have the patience to read through the whole review, the conclusion makes it clear: buy this book. With this and the Bestiary, you have years of adventure at your fingertips.
Chapter 1 is “Getting Started” (12 pages). This chapter contains a brief introduction to the game, an overview of each chapter, a glossary of common terms, an example of play (very useful if this is your first RPG ever), and the rules for generating ability scores for a character (how physically and mentally capable they are).
Chapter 2 is “Races” (11 pages). The “Core” races presented here are: Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs, Halflings, and Humans. As you would imagine, there are advantages and disadvantages to each race. The chapter spends a page on each race, and beyond the rules ramifications it takes care to talk about what members of that race typically look like, what their culture is like, why they often become adventurers, and how they relate to other races. It’s not an overwhelming amount of information (which is good for new players). For the most part, these races stick to fairly standard fantasy expectations.
Chapter 3 is “Classes” (57 pages). There are eleven “core classes” presented in this book: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard. The spread of classes does an excellent job covering different play-styles and roles within a group. The power level of these classes has been significantly bumped up from D&D 3.5, and there are a lot more choices to be made within each class. This makes the classes more complex, but also more satisfying to see advance up through each level. If you’re brand-new to Pathfinder, it might be good to stay away from spell-casters like the Druid, Cleric, Sorcerer, and Wizard until you get more experience, as the sheer number of choices to be made can be overwhelming at first.
Chapter 4 is “Skills” (27 pages). Skills are something that every character has and they determine the likelihood of success in doing certain things. Want to leap from one rooftop to another? Roll an Acrobatics check. Want to figure out what spell that evil wizard just cast at you? Roll a Spellcraft check. Different classes get bonuses to using particular skills, but every character, regardless of class, can become good at something if they invest their “skill points” in a particular skill. Pathfinder has condensed the number of skills slightly from D&D 3.5, though it still has more than newer RPGs tend to have. I like the diversity and ability to specialize in discrete areas, but some think there should have been further consolidation. Each skill is described with great detail on specifically what it allows you to do and not do, which is quite helpful in avoiding rules arguments.
Chapter 5 is “Feats” (29 pages). Feats are special abilities. Every character gets to choose one feat at every odd level, and some classes and races get “bonus” feats. A feat might be something that lets you fight better in darkness (“Blindfighting”) or it might be something that makes certain spells you cast more effective (“Spell Focus”). There are several dozen feats to choose from, so this can be one of the parts of character creation that takes the longest to do. Their value, again, is that they allow for enormous customization of a character. Just because there are two Fighters in the party doesn’t mean they’ll be identical, because feats allow them to operate in very different ways!
Chapter 6 is “Equipment” (16 pages). Your character will need a weapon, maybe some armor, and some other gear like a backpack or a coil of rope. But in addition, you might wonder how expensive a night’s stay at an inn is, or how much it’ll cost to persuade a local wizard to cast a spell for you. All of the answers are in this chapter. I really appreciate that every item and service isn’t just listed on a table with a price, but in addition most receive a description, a picture, and (sometimes) additional rules to explain how it works in actual gameplay.
Chapter 7 is “Additional Rules” (13 pages). The title of this chapter isn’t particularly helpful, as the entire book consists of rules. Really, it’s a miscellany of various things about your character. First up is Alignment, which is whether your character is good, evil, or somewhere in between. A lot of other RPGs dispense with such questions, but it is “hard-coded” into Pathfinder in the sense that it’s not just a role-playing choice: many spells, magic items, and other effects change depending on a character’s alignment. Next, there’s a few pages on “Vital Statistics” like determining a character’s age, height and weight, and (most importantly) carrying capacity (also known as “encumbrance”). If your character has a low Strength score, don’t expect him or her to be able to carry a lot of gear. Then, there’s a discussion of movement speeds in various contexts (in the course of a combat encounter, for example, or for travelling great distances overland). Last, a bunch of little things are covered under the title “Exploration”: how far characters can see in different levels of light, how to determine if an object can be intentionally broken, etc. It’s a chapter that’s easy to overlook but provides answers to a lot of “little things” that might come up during a session.
Chapter 8 is “Combat” (29 pages). Combat is a major part of Pathfinder, and there’s admittedly a lot to digest in a short number of pages here. The way the chapter is laid out isn’t necessarily intuitive, and later Paizo products (like the Strategy Guide) do a much better job making combat clearer. You’ll find everything you need in this chapter, but you’ll be flipping back and forth for a while. I’ve been playing for years and I still refer to it occasionally.
Chapter 9 is “Magic” (19 pages). This chapter discusses different categories of spells, how characters learn them, and how to read a spell entry in the next chapter. It’s a chapter that’s easy to skip over at first, but is actually pretty important once a campaign gets serious.
Chapter 10 is “Spells” (156 pages). You read that right: about a quarter of the book consists of an alphabetical list and description of several hundred different spells! The spells have been cleaned up and improved from D&D 3.5 for better gameplay, but what hasn’t changed is that magic still rules. If pure power is what you want, play a true spell-caster and you’ll find it.
Chapter 11 is “Prestige Classes” (23 pages). Prestige Classes are special classes that characters can eventually take, well into their adventuring careers, if they meet certain prerequisites. This book has ten of them: Arcane Archer, Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Dragon Disciple, Duelist, Eldritch Knight, Loremaster, Mystic Theurge, Pathfinder Chronicler, and Shadowdancer. For the most part, and until very recent, Pathfinder hasn’t been a game where prestige classes thrive. Apart from some specific flavour reasons, a character would usually be better off simply continuing in their base class rather than taking levels in a prestige class.
Chapter 12 is “Gamemastering” (15 pages). As its title indicates, this chapter helps the person running a game (the “Gamemaster” or “GM”) prepare an adventure, referee the rules, deal with common problems at the table, etc. It’s okay for what it is, but I’ve seen better resources to help new GMs figure out what they’re doing.
Chapter 13 is “Environment” (39 pages). This chapter contains a lot of little things to help make the setting interesting. It contains rules on weather, travelling through the wilderness, dealing with traps, and so forth. It’s primarily for the GM too and shouldn’t be a priority to master until more fundamental rules are digested.
Chapter 14 is “Creating NPCs” (11 pages). This chapter gives rules for creating background (non-player) characters by using “NPC classes” like a Commoner. I have to admit I never use this chapter, as I just rely on NPC stat blocks already generated in other Pathfinder products.
Chapter 15 is “Magic Items” (101 pages). Your adventurer is going to want some cool magic gear, and this chapter explains what it does, how much it costs, and how it’s made. It’s pretty extensive and detailed.
Last up, there are appendices summarizing “Special Abilities”, “Conditions” (status effects a character might be under), “Inspiring Reading”, and “Game Aids” (other products you can purchase).
The Core Rulebook is a hefty tome for an RPG book. For players coming from D&D 3.5, it’s basically a combination of the Player’s Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide in a single volume, but refined and improved. The book is, with the single exception of the deities, completely “setting neutral” (that is, it’s suitable for play in any campaign world or a homemade setting). There’s some excellent artwork taken from other Paizo products mixed in with some artwork that’s more pedestrian. Still, the production quality overall is fantastic. I would normally go into more detail, but there are hard word counts on these reviews. So I’ll sum up by saying: this is the one book you won’t leave home without, and it’s worth every penny.
Special Note: The Core Rulebook was recently released in a smaller softcover. The interior is exactly the same as the sixth printing of the hardcover, but it’s lighter and easier to carry. I’ve been using it for a few months now, and I’m quite happy with the font size, reduced price, durability, and ease of use.
This book is at the heart of all Pathfinder games. It is great and can be picked up regularly cheap with sales all over. (Humble Bundle 1$) I myself have a PDF but plan to pickup a hardcopy one day. Either one will do the trick and is always good to keep handy. I like the PDF because you can do keyword searches. Even if you don't ever use it. The cover art is pretty awesome.
After years of seeing the Pathfinder rule books on the shelves of my FLGS, I took the plunge in December of 2012. I bought the Core Rulebook and began skimming it immediately. My first discovery was the character creation rules. They were fun! Characters were cool in a way that I hadn't seen in previous editions of the world's oldest role-playing game. Within three months, I was up and running my first Pathfinder adventure. That was three years ago and I have no regrets getting involved with the Pathfinder system.
Will the PRPG be available through Borders? I normally don't shop there, but everybody and their brother gave me Borders gift cards this Christmas...
If yes, then yay!
If no, then...anyone want to buy some Borders gift cards?
Borders can order it through Diamond Book Distributors. Please encourage them to do so!
It will be available through Borders. It may not appear in the physical stores but they will be able to order it and the website will have it as well (gift cards work on the website as well as the physical stores). It doesnt appear on the website yet or on the in store terminals for preorder yet, but I can see it in our database (I work at a Borders).
Seems like I only see Paizo products at B&N here in the metroplex. I really wish Borders would jump on the Paizo bandwagon, as it is my preferred new bookstore.
Seems like I only see Paizo products at B&N here in the metroplex. I really wish Borders would jump on the Paizo bandwagon, as it is my preferred new bookstore.
Have you tried asking them to order stuff for you? They should be happy to do that...
Seems like I only see Paizo products at B&N here in the metroplex. I really wish Borders would jump on the Paizo bandwagon, as it is my preferred new bookstore.
Borders sees Roleplay stuff as extremely niche. Since so much of the inventory of individual stores is dependent on local buying trends, and in many locations RPGs are very slow sellers Borders tends to only lightly stock the areas. Right now my store is mostly 4e stuff and most of it is still stuff from the initial stocking (ie. our 4e PHBs are still ones we got on its release date) so its very rare to stock 3pp stuff, though there are at least one volume of each of the 3 APs on the shelf also (this is by no means a measure of 4e or Pathfinders success, it was the same with 3.5 and it is the same with WoD).
Borders can, and will order just about anything Pathfinder (I think some volumes of the first AP are out of print) if you ask them to. Doing so, especially if you and a handful of others all ask may even result in more of it appearing on the shelves.
We are working on a new "rules" subscription that will get you a free PDF, but we don't want to announce a new subscription until we've announced at least one more follow-up rules book, so that people know what they are subscribing to. We're still getting some printer quotes and what not for that book, so until that goes live, we can't make any formal promises about the subscription yet.
We are working on a new "rules" subscription that will get you a free PDF, but we don't want to announce a new subscription until we've announced at least one more follow-up rules book, so that people know what they are subscribing to. We're still getting some printer quotes and what not for that book, so until that goes live, we can't make any formal promises about the subscription yet.
We are working on a new "rules" subscription that will get you a free PDF, but we don't want to announce a new subscription until we've announced at least one more follow-up rules book, so that people know what they are subscribing to. We're still getting some printer quotes and what not for that book, so until that goes live, we can't make any formal promises about the subscription yet.
Thanks. that's great! Can you at least tell us if this announcement would come before the RPG Book comes out this summer? I am assuming the answer is yes, otherwise many of us would have already purchased our books by the time the subscription is announced, which would mean no free PDF for us, right?
Can we assume that, at the very least, the RPG and the Beastiary would fall under this new rules subscription?
If I can't afford it I'll have to drop one of my other subscriptions instead. I'm really looking forward to the Pathfinder RPG, and the PDFs will be very handy.
I already preordered. Since they said that wouldn't effect what ever they end up doing. That way I know I won't somehow miss a way to get the subscription for it.
We are working on a new "rules" subscription that will get you a free PDF, but we don't want to announce a new subscription until we've announced at least one more follow-up rules book, so that people know what they are subscribing to. We're still getting some printer quotes and what not for that book, so until that goes live, we can't make any formal promises about the subscription yet.
Thanks. that's great! Can you at least tell us if this announcement would come before the RPG Book comes out this summer? I am assuming the answer is yes, otherwise many of us would have already purchased our books by the time the subscription is announced, which would mean no free PDF for us, right?
Can we assume that, at the very least, the RPG and the Beastiary would fall under this new rules subscription?
I would prefer to have a pdf as well, but with the current shipping costs of those two books, its to expensive for me to order it at Paizo.
A subscription might change that, so...crossing fingers...
My group has been running all campaigns with the Pathfinder:Beta since I got the book. (Since then another copy was hunted down and the PDF printed out at Kinkos...)
My question is, will the Beta book basically function as an extra copy? (At least for players leveling characters, looking up equipment, or feats... that sort of thing.) Or will I need to overlook what someone is doing and give them the whole; "Well, that got changed so you need to grab the other book."
My group has been running all campaigns with the Pathfinder:Beta since I got the book. (Since then another copy was hunted down and the PDF printed out at Kinkos...)
My question is, will the Beta book basically function as an extra copy? (At least for players leveling characters, looking up equipment, or feats... that sort of thing.) Or will I need to overlook what someone is doing and give them the whole; "Well, that got changed so you need to grab the other book."
A lot of stuff will be the same, but a lot of stuff will be different too. It's difficult to answer your question without knowing what, for example, your players are going to want to look up.
I suspect everyone will want a new copy of the rules, if only to have all of the corrections (not to mention all of the spells and prestige classes) in one place.
I downloaded and printed the Alpha version of Pathfinder and after reading it (and being wowed by it), tentatively introduced it to my group (who are resolutely entrenched in their universal determination not to switch to 4.0). They took to it instantly and now every member has their own copy of the softcover of the Beta playtest rules. Unquestionably the most exciting rules since my older brother bought the old blue cover rules in about 1976. Thanks Paizo and I can't wait until August.
Will the pdf of this product be available straight away? Or will it take as long as a standard PF AP to get uploaded?
Hopefully the former, I'm from Ireland, and while I'm ordering both book and pdf, I don't want to have to wait two weeks for both versions! Especially while many on the boards will have the rules already, it'll be like being Tantalus in the Tartarus of the wait for the rules.
A 560 page book that includes the Players and Game Masters rules sets together? Holy ****! I am simply amazed that Paizo is making the Core Rules book like this. The people at Paizo are Gods of generosity. I am new to the Paizo Pathfinder RPG system. I read the Beta version and the FAQ on how the rules for 3.5 have changed. It has me super excited. August cannot get hear fast enough!
For some reason this isn't showing up in Bowker's BooksInPrint catalogue.... it needs to be in there for me to get it ordered at my library... :) Well, technically it doesn't have to be but it makes life so much easier for our acquisitions department.
For some reason this isn't showing up in Bowker's BooksInPrint catalogue.... it needs to be in there for me to get it ordered at my library... :) Well, technically it doesn't have to be but it makes life so much easier for our acquisitions department.
A fellow librarian... your acquisitions department might use Amazon, for example, for reference.
BTW, didn't they tell you that all librarians are expected to join the Cheliax revolution? And we *do* have the best parties... ;)
For some reason this isn't showing up in Bowker's BooksInPrint catalogue.... it needs to be in there for me to get it ordered at my library... :) Well, technically it doesn't have to be but it makes life so much easier for our acquisitions department.
Asgetrion wrote:
A fellow librarian... your acquisitions department might use Amazon, for example, for reference.
BTW, didn't they tell you that all librarians are expected to join the Cheliax revolution? And we *do* have the best parties... ;)
They can source it from just the ISBN, of course, but they like to collect things into several lists (there are a dozen or so selectors) that they can then just import to the order system. Makes it nice and tidy. I actually thought the Bestiary was coming out after the core rules, but if it's coming out before that might explain why it's in there but the core rules aren't - it may just be too soon to expect to see the Core Rulebook on GBIP. Either way, I hope that they give the same discount to libraries as they give to Amazon!
Librarians... not known for their partying, but perhaps the foul outsiders have corrupted you. Sifting through an endless sea of sand for a grain of knowledge, however... :)
As it turns out she was just as happy to order it from Chapters (the Canadian version of Barnes & Noble) - she's never sure what the discount might be from Diamond (and we don't generally order from that distribution agent, I guess - any comics/graphic novels/whatever that we buy I think come from a local comic shop). The Chapters discount was the same as the Amazon discount (37%).
In any case, I'm now the proud future owner of the Bestiary and the Core Rulebook (once they are released...) and I need to talk to the selector who looks after that section (he usually gets the D&D books that come out - I need to impress upon him how swell Pathfinder will be).
For some reason this isn't showing up in Bowker's BooksInPrint catalogue.... it needs to be in there for me to get it ordered at my library... :) Well, technically it doesn't have to be but it makes life so much easier for our acquisitions department.
Asgetrion wrote:
A fellow librarian... your acquisitions department might use Amazon, for example, for reference.
BTW, didn't they tell you that all librarians are expected to join the Cheliax revolution? And we *do* have the best parties... ;)
They can source it from just the ISBN, of course, but they like to collect things into several lists (there are a dozen or so selectors) that they can then just import to the order system. Makes it nice and tidy. I actually thought the Bestiary was coming out after the core rules, but if it's coming out before that might explain why it's in there but the core rules aren't - it may just be too soon to expect to see the Core Rulebook on GBIP. Either way, I hope that they give the same discount to libraries as they give to Amazon!
Librarians... not known for their partying, but perhaps the foul outsiders have corrupted you. Sifting through an endless sea of sand for a grain of knowledge, however... :)
Sounds familiar... the acquisitions department in my library wants to have as much information as only possible for each title before ordering it, even though in this case the publisher and ISBN are enough (as we're talking about first edition). :)
Hey, not only do we have the best parties -- we also have the finest libraries on all Golarion here in Cheliax... all that infer...er, vast lore at our disposal! Why don't you get rid of that horrible goldbug next to your name, and step into the warm, loving embrace of succub... er, I mean, step into our temples of Asmod... no, I meant to say that step into our temples of *knowledge* filled with shelves after shelves of ancient tomes! ;)
I know it's most likely too late for this question, but: is there any chance you can regulate the pricing of the hardcover in EU countries? Fact is, most local game stores here simply stick a Euro sign before the dollar price. Seeing that ordering it direct from you to Germany is no option (shipping is waaay too hig, I'd be stuck with paying 49 Euros for a product worth 49 dollars. I find that intolerable. Sorry for the whining, but I do get pissed when retailers press hard earned cash out of poor gamers, and in this case it'd be a serious deterrent from the actual purchase (€49 = $64).
So I've cooked up this post where I dream that the back cover will indicate a fixed Pound (and Euro) price. Harkening back to the good ol' TSR days and all that...
Books of lore collected while in the loving embrace of hell will catch fire easily and burn like a huge pyre of human ignorance.
Heed the words of a fellow librarian!
Ah, but all of our tomes are bound of dem... er, made fire-resistant. ;)
If you ever happen to visit Westcrown here in Cheliax, I would be glad to give you a tour of our magnificent libraries! I'll just need your signature on a scroll that acts as a permit... but we can discuss that later.
Hi everybody!
First of all I'm sorry if this thing was mentioned and I repeat question. Well me and my friends are impressed with Pathfinder so, we decided to buy hardcover books, when game will be finally released. My question is: how many books can be packed in one box? I'd like to know if have to order one package or two.
Best regards
Martin
First of all I'm sorry if this thing was mentioned and I repeat question. Well me and my friends are impressed with Pathfinder so, we decided to buy hardcover books, when game will be finally released. My question is: how many books can be packed in one box? I'd like to know if have to order one package or two.
Best regards
Martin
I've heard rumors that, for a modest fee, the fine folks at Paizo can box your order in a special wooden container, carved from a tree bathed in the blood of 10,000 demons, and lovingly wrapped in the skin of a sacrificed sentient being (entrapped soul not included).
I know it's most likely too late for this question, but: is there any chance you can regulate the pricing of the hardcover in EU countries? Fact is, most local game stores here simply stick a Euro sign before the dollar price. Seeing that ordering it direct from you to Germany is no option (shipping is waaay too hig, I'd be stuck with paying 49 Euros for a product worth 49 dollars. I find that intolerable. Sorry for the whining, but I do get pissed when retailers press hard earned cash out of poor gamers, and in this case it'd be a serious deterrent from the actual purchase (€49 = $64).
So I've cooked up this post where I dream that the back cover will indicate a fixed Pound (and Euro) price. Harkening back to the good ol' TSR days and all that...
In the early days of Paizo, we used to print suggested retail prices in other currencies, but some of our international distributors asked us to stop. They pay us based on the retail price in dollars, but retailers pay them based on the selling price in the local currency, so if the exchange rate changed significantly since we printed the book, they'd have problems.
Besides, retail pricing based purely on exchange rate doesn't count for the fact that, due to the unavoidable high cost of overseas shipping, it costs a lot more for them to get the product than it does for a US distributor—that's really where a lot of that markup is going.
First of all I'm sorry if this thing was mentioned and I repeat question. Well me and my friends are impressed with Pathfinder so, we decided to buy hardcover books, when game will be finally released. My question is: how many books can be packed in one box? I'd like to know if have to order one package or two.
Best regards
Martin
It depends on your shipping method and destination. Put it into your shopping cart, and go through checkout until you've set a shipping address, and then play around with quantities and see how it affects the shipping charges.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Maps Subscriber
If you have pre-ordered the book will it be sent out early so you get it close to the due date (especially for international orders), or will it be not sent out til the actual release date.
In the early days of Paizo, we used to print suggested retail prices in other currencies, but some of our international distributors asked us to stop. They pay us based on the retail price in dollars, but retailers pay them based on the selling price in the local currency, so if the exchange rate changed significantly since we printed the book, they'd have problems.
Besides, retail pricing based purely on exchange rate doesn't count for the fact that, due to the unavoidable high cost of overseas shipping, it costs a lot more for them to get the product than it does for a US distributor—that's really where a lot of that markup is going.
Thanks for the explanation, Vic. As you say, that's "where a lot of that markup is going", but it ain't the entirety thereof.
So, while I have some sympathy for our local retailers, I'm going to boycot them on this one and order from Amazon US direct. Ordering PF RPG to Europe costs $39 per book *including postage*, and the retailers can seek to get their extra $25 profit PER BOOK from elsewhere.