Okay so I just got the Advanced Races book and it says we can play Aasimar, teiflings, and tengu. However, it also states in the Guide to Pathfinder Play that additional class and race options from sources like the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Players Guide, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic, PAthfinder RPG Ultimate Combat, PAthfinder Advanced Race Guide, and Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide are generally available with few or no alterations as well. With this in mind, does this mean if I wanted to play something like a grippli, cat folk, or ratfolk that I could do it? What races can we play or not play specifically? It makes it sound like I can play any of the special races listed in the Advanced Race book since it uses the term "GENERALLY AVAILABLE WITH FEW OR NO EXCEPTIONS". Can some one please clarify for me? Thanks

As I understand it, only Aasimar, teiflings, and tengu can be played out of the ARG. The others require a boon that can only be gotten at PFS events.

This appears to be a PFS-specific question, so I'll flag the thread to have it moved there where you'll get more appropriate traffic. :)

"Generally available with few or no exceptions" is just a general statement. Some books have more restrictions than others.

The Additional Resources page is the final authority on what is and is not legal. Currently, the only non-core races legal without a special boon are aasimar, tiefling, and tengu. Note, however, that the ARG also has lots of nifty options for the Core races (like an alternate racial trait for halflings to give them 30ft move speed, or dropping the human's bonus feat and skill rank for an extra +2 to a second stat) that are legal in PFS. So the book is still a fantastic investment for PFS, in my opinion.

As far as I know, one can only get access to other non-core races by GMing at special PFS events at a convention. I'm pretty sure that's why a friend of mine is allowed to play a Kitsune, at least.

Check the Advanced Race Guide info on the PFS Additional Resources page.

You need a boon to play certain races:
To create an dhampir, fetchling, goblin, ifrit, kitsune, nagaji, oread, sylph, undine, or wayang character, you must have a Chronicle sheet that opens the race as a legal option at character creation.

Aasimars and Tieflings can be used for new characters and do not require a boon.

As far as I know, one can only get access to other non-core races by GMing at special PFS events at a convention. I'm pretty sure that's why a friend of mine is allowed to play a Kitsune, at least.

Some conventions may have race boons for GMs and not players, but that is not a rule. There are also player boons given out at conventions, it's not just a GM perk. Whether a specific convention will have race boons depends on:

The races that are available for anyone to play in Pathfinder Society are covered on page 7 of the Guide to Organized Play:

Select your character’s class and race from the choices offered in the Core Rulebook. You may also select aasimar, tengu, or tiefling as your character’s race with access to the proper Additional Resources book.

To play any other race, you need a special boon, which as others have noted, can only be acquired at conventions.

I have to say, I'm disappointed. Why not be more inclusive re: ARG? Why put out a whole book of cool races when most of it can't be used in Society Play? Are the Grippli and Ratfolk and Kitsune really that broken?

I have to say, I'm disappointed. Why not be more inclusive re: ARG? Why put out a whole book of cool races when most of it can't be used in Society Play? Are the Grippli and Ratfolk and Kitsune really that broken?

Sarenrae, forgive him. He knows not the can of purple worms he's just opened.

Gonna flag for lock. Since I do not need 200 posts of Society dividing hell again.

joeyfixit wrote:

I have to say, I'm disappointed. Why not be more inclusive re: ARG? Why put out a whole book of cool races when most of it can't be used in Society Play? Are the Grippli and Ratfolk and Kitsune really that broken?

Sarenrae, forgive him. He knows not the can of purple worms he's just opened.

Sarenrae only forgives those who redeem themselves in her name, and if he is to seek redemption, he must realize the great travesty he has brought upon us.

I have to say, I'm disappointed. Why not be more inclusive re: ARG? Why put out a whole book of cool races when most of it can't be used in Society Play? Are the Grippli and Ratfolk and Kitsune really that broken?

This is 100% because the campaign leadership think those races are cooler as boons, so they would be more unique.

It's not about power, it's about giving unique things to people who make it out to cons and such.

Please lets not turn this into a 200 page thread debating if that is good or bad, it just is.

Note: I am inclined to agree.

Why put out a whole book of cool races when most of it can't be used in Society Play?

Because it's not a Society product, it's a PFRPG product, designed to have a little something for everyone. Some of it's good for PFS, some of it's good for home games.

Are the Grippli and Ratfolk and Kitsune really that broken?

It's not all about power level. The PFS campaign has particular canon (for instance, certain half-elf features are banned for canon reasons regarding drow). Certain races simply aren't going to show up at the door of the Grand Lodge in Absalom asking to be made a Pathfinder, or will do so infrequently enough that full open access to the race would throw things off. Additionally, as others have said, the chance to win a race boon with a race that's not available to everyone is a highly prized treat for players and GMs alike, so some races are reserved purely for that reason.

Am I missing something? This is an old debate, then? I admit I don't cruise the society pages that often.

With Aasimar, Tiefling, and Tengu recently made universally available, I do believe that other races will eventually receive the same treatment. Not all of them of course, but maybe a few here or there. I might be lying to myself about that, but I hope not. If these 3 can be made universal, why not others?

That being said, they will never make all of them legal for exactly the reasons stated. It has nothing to do with races being broken or overpowered. It's both a flavor thing, and a boon thing. As Jiggy said, some races are either rare enough, or unlikely to join the pathfinders, to where their inclusion as playable would make no sense. Others, that might be worthy of joining, are given out as boons. These convention-only (and sometimes GM only) boons are designed to be a special reward for those who spend the time and money to go to a convention. Also, some races, such as drow, orcs, gnolls, etc., are typically considered evil races and will likely NEVER be made available, even as a boon, because their inclusion in the Pathfinders would simply never happen.

You also have to understand that PFS is not running Paizo. It is simply connected to, and supported by, Paizo. PFS does not dictate what Paizo publishes or what content is contained in the books. Paizo does whatever it wants, and PFS decides what does or does not work for its own use. The ARG has a ton of stuff you can use in your home games. For me, personally, in my home games, any race is allowed and playable. We use everything. This allows for some really strange combinations. We are a group that regularly ends up with the "traveling zoo", and we're ok with that. This does not work for PFS, and I completely understand and appreciate why, but there is no reason you can't use it at home.

You just have to remember that PFS is not dictating all things Pathfinder. Some of the posters (not just in this thread, I have seen others on the subject) make it sound like every game that anyone ever plays is subject to PFS rules, as if they somehow dictate how everything is used. They don't. They have their rules, Paizo has theirs, and home games can mix and match however they want. If your point is that every race in the ARG should be legal for PFS play, that's just never going to happen. I'm okay with that. That's what home games are for.

If anyone is familiar with my posting history, you will note that this is a turn-around from my previous position on the subject. I seem to have learned the error of my ways. Hopefully for the better.

Just my 2 copper.

Have a nice day.

Am I missing something? This is an old debate, then? I admit I don't cruise the society pages that often.

Yeah, used to be every couple of months someone would start a thread asking why they couldn't play such and such a race in PFS. Then when the ARG was published, it went up to about every week. And they all pretty much said/asked the exact same things you did ("X isn't so overpowered, is it?" and "what's the point of the book if I can't use it?"), though often far more longwindedly and antagonistically than you phrased yours. :P

In August, though, Guide 4.2 was released and Aasimar, Tieflings and Tengu became the first non-Core races to be universally allowed.

You can play, you just have to earn them. They did allow 3 of the new races to be used and offered some options for the other races.

As jiggy said this is a pathfinder product. You can have a home game with any of thos eraces you want. I have a local guy that runs non-pfs events with PFS modules to give people the opportunity to play whatever you want.

At the risk of being trollish, how are races like goblins and orcs banned because "the Society would never accept them, being evil races", but a half-demon class is okay?

The question has been answered. This discussion is heading nowhere but a flame war. Thread is locked.