PFRPG Noooobie requests some advice


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


Hello all! My name is Rich, and I am new to the tabletop rpg world. I have played a lot of older pc rpgs and read a few D&D books, but I just made the decision to get into the tabletop scene. I have picked up the PF beginner box, and core rules book. My problem is this...I am overwhelmed at the sheer amount of material there is for PF! I'd love to begin playing and exploring all the content, but I am confused by the adventure paths, campaign settings, and all that stuff. Can someone please break down what all that stuff is and why I would or should use it? I am really excited to get into this! Also, does anyone have any recommendations for a post-apoc/zombie survival tabletop rpg? Any recs for accessories or anything like that? I cant wait for your responses!


Hi Rich! Welcome!

The beginner box is a good place to start. It will also help with options overload. The rules in the beginner box are simplified from the Core Rulebook. I would read through it and play a few games before getting into the CRB (core rulebook).

When you feel like you have a good grip on the rules in the beginner box, Take a look through the CRB and in particular the Combat chapter.

So when you get ready to run a game using the full ruleset, take a look at either the modules line, or the adventure path line. The modules are short adventures that will take characters through 2-3 levels of play. The adventure paths are long-story arcs with 6 parts which are designed to take characters through their entire career. Adventure Path parts are published once a month, so two complete adventure paths are published every year.

If you decide to start with modules I would recommend Crypt of the Everflame. That was the first module written for the Pathfinder Ruleset and it is quite good. That module also has some sequels to help keep the story going if you like it.

If you decide to start with adventure paths, I would recommend the Rise of the Runelords hardcover. It is less expensive than buying the 6 individual parts of an adventure path and is also one of the iconic stories from the game world's setting: Golarion.

After going through your first campaign in using the core rules you can start looking at options. The RPG line consists of hardcover books which have supporting rules for various options in the game. The Advanced Players Guide would be the first one to buy. If you like that book look into Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat. These are all really good books and will give you many options for interesting character concepts and for creating memorable bad-guys for your friends to foil.

This is also a good time to pickup the Bestiaries. Bestiaries are books filled with the monsters you will encounter in the game. If you feel like branching out a bit and designing your own campaign they are basically required.

If you liked the world of Golarion when you played through either the module or the adventure path, then you might decide to pickup some of the softcover's from the Campaign Setting line. Most of these are tied to a theme, either a particular region, or types of monsters. Don't feel the need to get them all at once, or all at all. I like to pickup the book that relates to a particular Adventure Path I am running at the time (generally, these books are released to correspond with the adventure path that is currently being published) Also, the hardcover Inner Sea World Guide is basically an encyclopedia of all things Golarion. It is definitely worth picking up.

The Player's line is also Golarion specific, but is geared toward player options rather than setting information. Many of these are themed as well, such as information about a particular culture of player races (elves, dwarves, halflings, ect.) or followers of different faiths. These I would recommend getting as you need them (like if you have a specific character idea) rather than trying to get them all.

That pretty much covers the game options. Of course there are more support products, but that should give you a good place to start when it comes to deciding what supplements you want to start with and how to grow from there. I have sent you a private message with my email in case you have any questions.

Have fun, and welcome again!


Welcome! I'm bad with the other stuff people say during welcomes, so let me just get to it.

Note that the Pathfinder Beginner Box is entirely self contained. It has everything you need to play the Pathfinder RPG... or rather the Beginner Box version of the Pathfinder RPG. The rules in thr BB are simplified and the layout is streamlined to allow for players and GMs to learn the rules and get to playing quickly. I'd suggest sticking to this product for at least a few sessions (probably more than a few) just so you can get acquainted with the flow of the game.

The BB comes with a pre-made adventure that touches on many different parts of the game, including combat, skill checks, and NPC interaction. This adventure also introduces you to the iconic town of Sandpoint, a popular adventuring town in the default Pathfinder campaign setting, Golarion.

After completing the supplied adventure, you can check out the Beginner Box Bash Demos. These are four mini adventures specifically designed for the BB. Alternatively, if you're feeling up to it, you can create your own adventure(s) from scratch.

I'd also suggest taking a look at the Beginner Box Player Pack and the Beginner Box GM Kit. These add some more depth to the BB (as well as make some corrections/clarifications to the text).

When you feel you're ready to advance to the full Pathfinder RPG, take a look at the Beginner Box Transitions to help bridge the gap between the two products. I'd also strongly suggest reading at least the combat and magic chapters of the CRB (you probably want to also glance over the races, classes, skills, feats, and gamemastering chapters).

Now is when I'd talk about the full PFRPG, but BigDTBone seems to have that covered.

Once again, welcome, and happy gaming!

EDIT: Also, check out these online resource:

PFBeginner, which has most if not all of the BB stuff compiled in wiki format.

The Paizo PRD, which has the "core rules" is a wiki format, and is officially maintained by Paizo.

The PFSRD is a fan maintained wiki of just about all things Pathfinder (at least all thing OGC; there are no deities, cities, or things like that; just "mechanics" like feats, classes, and the like). Note that things on this site may have different names for legal reason revolving around the OGL.

EDIT AGAIN: There is also the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Strategy Guide, which is die out in April. From what I gather, it's aimed at newer players to help them get better acquainted with actually building characters and playing the game. Maybe something to look at when you're nearing the end of the Beginner Box phase.

Liberty's Edge

I would strongly sugest playing for awhile before you "graduate" to running or DMing adventures. If you decide to join Pathfinder Society organized play, those specific rules can be downloaded free from the Paizo website. If there is an organized play group meeting in your geographical area, I am sure the other members of the group would be happy to meet with you and answer your specific questions relating to character creation or specific rules for Pathfinder Society organized play.


I would amend what BigDTBone said by putting the Bestiary higher up on the list. Aside from Crypt of the Everflame, most Pathfinder modules and adventure paths reference pages of the Bestiary. Even monster statistics use keywords ("web", "constrict", "paralysis", etc.) that reference the Universal Monster Rules appendix at the back of the Bestiary.

Now, all that stuff is also on the online PRD, just as most of the major rules of Pathfinder RPG are. But also so is the Core Rulebook and you bought it -- books are nice to have at the table, eh?

As for post-apocalyptic sci-fi tabletop RPGs, Pathfinder RPG doesn't have much for you to work with. (However, their Adventure Path Iron Gods starts rolling out August 2014 and will mix fantasy with sci-fi elements.) But you might be able to import classes, weapons, and monsters from D20 Modern, which is based on the D20 system at the heart of D&D 3rd Edition and which Pathfinder RPG was a revision of.

Scarab Sages

There is not much to add to the advice regarding pathfinder.
For a non-pathfinder Zombie-apocalypse game, you still can't do much better then All Flesh must be eaten.

Welcome to tabletop gaming, have fun!


Guys, thanks a ton for all the info! BigT and Goblin, awesome info, for sure! Thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond to my noobie post! I can't wait to get into it.

Rich

Shadow Lodge

Also worth mentioning is Pathfinder Society scenarios, which are basically short missions, lasting for about 6 hours of play, and will take you one third of the way to your next level.

I think First Steps is possibly an even better introduction than even the Beginner Box adventure, though you'll need to download the free Guide to Pathfinder Society Organised Play (sometimes affectionately referred to as the PFS guide), which has a step-by-step chapter on character creation for Pathfinder Society.

The rules for Pathfinder Society are a little more strict than regular Pathfinder, which can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on how much freedom you want.

PFS is primarily scenarios, but there are sanctioned modules (including Crypt of the Everflame) that you can have the credit count towards your character. Not only that, but you can mix parties between games to play with other people, making it great for playing online or at cons without as much commitment.

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