The definitive guide to playing Pathfinder


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


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Angela treats hit points with a direct correlation to actual damage to her character.
Frank uses hit points as an abstract concept to represent characters tiring, dodging, etc.

Brian uses miniatures and a map for combat.
Laura plays out combat purely in narrative.

Keith insists on approving characters his players wish to create.
Howard has a list of classes and races that are banned in his games.
Barbara lets her players create whatever they want.

Martin uses prewritten adventures and starts games off assuming the party have arrived there.
Bill runs a pure sandbox and lets his players wander around the game world, creating adventures for them on-the-fly.

Nicola plays purely by the rulebook.
Lucy feels the rulebook often gets it wrong, and changes it when it does.
Tina doesn't even use the rulebook except for combat scenes.

Melissa has a group of friends, and puts games together for them so they can do things together.
Gary knows his friends don't like to play the same way as him, and plays Pathfinder with other people instead.

Walter uses only Paizo products.
Sarah uses a mix of 3PP products (and even some of her old 3.5 books)

Amy keeps her martial characters mundane, and her magical characters fantastic.
Lloyd plays all PCs as having powers over and above normal human capabilities.

Stan puts together a game for the first five people that ask to join.
Jared interviews prospective players, then chooses those he likes most to form a group with.

Alice doesn't let her players step outside of their character's minds, and prevents any kind of meta-gaming or story influence that isn't done directly through character actions.
Violetta allows her players to design whole parts of the game world, and takes notice of their story suggestions during game sessions.

Alfred plays a pure low-fantasy game.
Cindy plays high-fantasy with a touch of sci-fi.

Ophelia optimizes her characters and plays to "win".
Patrick makes non-optimal decisions both in character design and combat tactics to add flavor to the story.

How many are not playing Pathfinder properly?
(Hint: if your answer lists any people in it, you got it wrong)


Everybody who's not me is playing wrong.

Also, players like Amy are the source of all the balance problems in this game.

One of these statements is a joke.


Rynjin wrote:

Everybody who's not me is playing wrong.

Also, players like Amy are the source of all the balance problems in this game.

One of these statements is a joke.

Assuming you're serious about the second - that's a bit of a leap, considering she didn't design any of it.

If the first, then that's just normal human thought patterns ;)


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I am, to an extent. One of the common arguments against fixing a lot of balance issues is "Well I WANT magic to be better" and so on.

But you're still not PLAYING WRONG if you believe that.

Spoiler:
You're just thinking wrong. =p

I get the sentiment you're trying to get across. Just felt the need to nitpick slightly.


Heh. I agree magic shouldn't be "better", I do feel it should be possible to play equally a setting where magic is "different" or where it's just another form of energy to the one the martials are channelling. It's possible to balance the numbers without forcing the explanations to be one or the other.

Thematically, you can explain an extra 10d6 damage either as being extra skill in bypassing the opponent's defences or channelling magical energy into the weapon. Balance the numbers, and provide equal options for both styles.

Amy arguing that martials should have their damage themed differently isn't the same as if she argued it should be less than caster damage (cause the latter *would* make her the cause of the problem)


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That's way too large a group to play properly.


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Matt Thomason wrote:
How many are not playing Pathfinder properly?

I just want to know which of them is right.


I've had the same core gaming group for over 15 years with nary a complaint and years of great gaming memories. If anyone is playing the right way, it's us. The hell with everyone else.


Patrick is wrong. Playing bad does not add flavor (especially for tactics). Classic stormwind fallacy.


Marthkus wrote:
Patrick is wrong. Playing bad does not add flavor (especially for tactics). Classic stormwind fallacy.

If he and his group feel it does, that's all that matters.

Liberty's Edge

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ALL OF THEM!!!


Marthkus wrote:
Patrick is wrong. Playing bad does not add flavor (especially for tactics). Classic stormwind fallacy.

I'd agree if it said that Patrick was intentionally making bad mechanical decisions, rather than suboptimal. Suboptimal could be as simple as taking battlefield control feats for your fighter, even recognizing that you'll probably get the enemies out of the way faster and easier with pure damage. This doesn't mean you're making bad choices, like, for example, playing a Wizard with only 11 intelegence, for 'flavor'.


I am disappointed that this thread I'd not a general guide to basic strategies and common build philosophies.

Wayfinders

Malwing wrote:
I am disappointed that this thread I'd not a general guide to basic strategies and common build philosophies.

Me too Malwing.

The ones who are not playing it right are the ones who are not having fun. So anyway I think it might be you Matt and this less than good post of yours.


Macgreine wrote:
Malwing wrote:
I am disappointed that this thread I'd not a general guide to basic strategies and common build philosophies.

Me too Malwing.

The ones who are not playing it right are the ones who are not having fun. So anyway I think it might be you Matt and this less than good post of yours.

Eh, you're entitled to that opinion.

Just bear in mind that Mark plays a game about strategies and builds, while Mary plays a game about creating a collaborative story.

Neither of them has a monopoly on "How to play Pathfinder", and the more everyone bears that in mind when discussing the game with others, the better it'll be for everyone.


Angela is unfortunately wrong.
Frank is correct

Brian, Laura, Keith, Howard, Barbara, Martin, and Bill are all nice people.

Nicola is correct.
Lucy is also correct provided she is running these changes by her group.
Tina is a bad DM.

Melissa is cool.
Gary is also cool.

Walter is free to do so.
Sarah is free to do so.

Amy has never done this without major rules changes. She is mistaken.
Lloyd is correct.

Stan is being fair.
Jared is also being fair.

Alice seems inexperienced but not wrong or bad.
Violetta is someone I would game with.

Alfred changes the rules a lot. That's okay.
Cindy does not change the rules. That's okay.

Ophelia is sad that people think she wants to "win" when really she just has character concepts that include being heroic and competent as part of there concept.
Patrick is weird.

How many are not playing Pathfinder properly? Tina.


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Patrick sounds like fun. Sometimes the stubborn impatient dwarf would rather break down the next door before the rogue checks it for traps.


WPharolin wrote:

Ophelia is sad that people think she wants to "win" when really she just has character concepts that include being heroic and competent as part of there concept.

I had to think on this one, before coming to the conclusion you're right. What Ophelia and her group feel is far more important than how some others may see them.


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It is the year 2014 and we are all paying for and playing the house rules of a system that wasn't even all that hot when it came out in 2000.

The definitive guide to playing Pathfinder is to realize that all the developers are Amys so you need to find a full casting class
and never let go.

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