Pathfinder Player Core

4.30/5 (based on 6 ratings)
PZO12001
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The Pathfinder Player Core presents a new entry point to Pathfinder Second Edition, with everything a player needs to learn how to play the game! Choose from eight ancestries, eight complete character classes, and hundreds of feats and spells to make unique characters ready for deadly adventures in a world beset by magic and evil! This 464-page hardcover tome is the definitive rules resource for all Pathfinder Second Edition players!

Pathfinder Player Core is the first core rulebook for the fully remastered Pathfinder Second Edition RPG! These rules are compatible with previous Pathfinder Second Edition rulebooks, incorporating comprehensive errata and rules updates and some of the best additions from later books into new, easier-to-access volumes with new presentations inspired by years of player feedback. Along with the GM Core, Monster Core, and Player Core 2, these books provide a new foundation for the future of tabletop gaming!

Pathfinder Player Core includes:

  • Easier to Learn! We’ve taken feedback from the Beginner Box and the Core Rulebook and made this new entry into the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game easier to navigate and get right into the fun.
  • Complete character creation rules, walking you through building a character by selecting your Ancestry, Background, and Class, with a focus on the bard, cleric, druid, fighter, ranger, rogue, witch, and wizard! Core ancestry options include human, dwarf, elf, gnome, goblin, halfling, leshy, and orc!
  • A mountain of options allowing you to customize your character including versatile heritages, like the changeling and nephilim, skills and feats, and hundreds of spells (including dozens of new ones), ensuring that the character you build represents your hero not just in story, but in rules as well!
  • Everything you need to know to start playing, from advice on how to explore the world to tips on surviving deadly combats with terrifying foes.
  • A primer on the world of Lost Omens so that your character can be a part of an exciting and diverse world!
  • Rules and tools to advance your character through play, taking them from a fresh-faced adventurer ready to take on the world to a veteran hero, wielding powerful magic that can reshape reality!
  • Fully integrated errata from the first 4 years of Pathfinder Second Edition, including revisions to the witch, expanded options for every character class, streamlined spells, new equipment, and more!
  • This is the first Pathfinder product published under the new Open RPG Creative (ORC) license, giving players and Game Masters even more freedom for making their own creations based on Pathfinder Second Edition.

ISBN-13: 978-1-64078-553-3

Available Formats

The Pathfinder Player Core is also available as:

Note: The character sheet from this book is available as a free PDF here.

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Rulebook Subscription.

Product Availability

Print Edition:

Available now

Ships from our warehouse in 11 to 20 business days.

PDF:

Fulfilled immediately.

Are there errors or omissions in this product information? Got corrections? Let us know at store@paizo.com.

PZO12001-HC


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Average product rating:

4.30/5 (based on 6 ratings)

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1/5






A fresh entry point, and a good one at that

5/5

Can't recommend highly enough to new players! Takes everything that worked about the Core Rulebook and improves upon it with streamlined mechanics, better language, easier parsing of information, and some minor but IMO much-needed changes to quality of life and terminology. Particularly welcome is the switch from the rather clunky alignment system to the more elegant edicts/anathema and sanctification mechanics. The information that was divided between this book and the GM Core was also very well thought-out IMO.

That said, it's in the end just an extended errata on the player parts of the Core Rulebook so old players content with their current books will probably be fine continuing using those (unless the above-mentioned changes are REALLY important to them for one reason or another). But IMO that's not a major problem since the Remaster from the beginning made no bones about being primarily intended as a fresh entry point for new players, and on those grounds it more than delivers! 5/5!


Very good product with nice changes from basic

5/5


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Paizo Employee Sales & eCommerce Assistant

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Announced for November! Product image and description are NOT final and may be subject to change.


6 people marked this as a favorite.

Well now, this is interesting. I'm assuming this is primarily a re-issue to get the system under the ORC license? That's going to be a hard sell to people who already own the CRB/GMG/APG.

How extensive are the class rebalances? Is the Witch going to be buffed?

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

13 people marked this as a favorite.

Correct. The rules will be compatible, so if it's a "hard sell" that's ok, because they should work together. The core system isn't changing.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps Subscriber

I'd rather have a soft sell. (Pocket edition)


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Nephilim…

Director of Marketing

3 people marked this as a favorite.

Blog: Announcing the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project


2 people marked this as a favorite.
keftiu wrote:
Nephilim…

Legally distinct Aasimar, if I had to guess.

Liberty's Edge

Wait, no pocket edition?


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Noven wrote:
Wait, no pocket edition?

Don't worry, the main article says that those will be out like three months after the hardcovers.

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

5 people marked this as a favorite.
Snarfburger wrote:

I'd rather have a soft sell. (Pocket edition)

We'll release softcover Pocket Editions of the new books three months after their hardcover release.

Radiant Oath

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
keftiu wrote:
Nephilim…

That jumped out at me too...you know what that means! IT'S SPECULATION TIME!


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Thebazilly wrote:
keftiu wrote:
Nephilim…
Legally distinct Aasimar, if I had to guess.

PF1 had Nephilim as a separate thing from Aasimar, I don’t personally expect that to change now.


Interesting that they changed the "base" classes


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Looks like Alchemist, Barbarian, Monk, and Sorcerer are being moved out of "Core 1" and into "Core 2".
EDIT: And Champion, good call Archpaladin Zousha.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I assume the Nephilim is either going to be Aasimar 2, a catch-all for all extraplanar versatile heritages, or specifically demigod descendants like the 1e lore.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

8 people marked this as a favorite.
keftiu wrote:
Thebazilly wrote:
keftiu wrote:
Nephilim…
Legally distinct Aasimar, if I had to guess.
PF1 had Nephilim as a separate thing from Aasimar, I don’t personally expect that to change now.

We'll have more to say at Paizocon, and perhaps even at the twitch stream in a few hours. About this specific topic, I'm not sure.

Radiant Oath

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Xethik wrote:
Looks like Alchemist, Barbarian, Monk, and Sorcerer are being moved out of "Core 1" and into "Core 2".

Champion too!


I don't understand.
Will there be something new (spells, some class changes)?
Or there will be only erratas?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kevil wrote:

I don't understand.

Will there be something new (spells, some class changes)?
Or there will be only erratas?

It does mention

"versatile heritages, like the changeling and nephilim, skills and feats, and hundreds of spells (including dozens of new ones)"

and

"revisions to the witch, expanded options for every character class, streamlined spells, new equipment, and more!


6 people marked this as a favorite.

Random comment, but could dwarves and halflings finally get names that aren't relative to the size of other ancestries? You gave lizardmen, ratfolk, and catfolk real names, it'd be nice to see two core ancestries have reasonable names.


Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I approve of the move to separate player and GM books.

Vigilant Seal

Kobolds once again told to go back to their caves and sewers?


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Golurkcanfly wrote:
I assume the Nephilim is either going to be Aasimar 2, a catch-all for all extraplanar versatile heritages, or specifically demigod descendants like the 1e lore.

Neither Aasimar or Tiefling are mentioned here or in Player Core 2, but Changelings, Dhampirs, and Duskwalkers all get mentions in one or the other. My guess is that Nephilim is a catch-all heritage that combines both Aasimar and Tiefling under it; possibly more neutral divine heritage lineages, too.


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Waye Timespun wrote:


Kobolds once again told to go back to their caves and sewers?

They’re in PC2:

Quote:
The catfolk, gnoll, hobgoblin, kobold, lizardfolk, ratfolk, and tengu, alongside three versatile heritages—the dhampir, duskwalker, and an all-new heritage debuting in this volume!

Horizon Hunters

It is the end... Slow spell with the Incapacitation trait hahahaha!!!


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Starfinder Superscriber

It says these are part of the core rulebook subscription. Is there any chance that those of us who already own the core rulebooks up to this date can opt-out of that?

I am interested in core rules. I'm not interested in core rule reprints.

Vigilant Seal

1 person marked this as a favorite.
keftiu wrote:
Waye Timespun wrote:


Kobolds once again told to go back to their caves and sewers?

They’re in PC2:

Quote:
The catfolk, gnoll, hobgoblin, kobold, lizardfolk, ratfolk, and tengu, alongside three versatile heritages—the dhampir, duskwalker, and an all-new heritage debuting in this volume!

Appreciate your diligence in seeing this -- too used to hearing 'maybe, someday, if you do hard work and if everything works out just right'!

Spoiler:
Person behind Waye only saw 'Core' and went "Well, heckin'."


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Leon Aquilla wrote:

It says these are part of the core rulebook subscription. Is there any chance that those of us who already own the core rulebooks up to this date can opt-out of that?

I am interested in core rules. I'm not interested in core rule reprints.

Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project! wrote:

Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster books will be included in ongoing Pathfinder Rulebooks subscriptions. We are currently working on a method whereby existing subscribers will have the opportunity to “opt out” of these volumes if they wish and will provide additional details as we get closer to the release of the first two volumes.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Starfinder Superscriber

Thanks, though apparently these are not just errata reprints, but is more like Pathfinder 2.5e with the removal of alignments so I'm just going to cash in my chips.

Anybody who wants to quote and reply and gaslight me into thinking this isn't Pathfinder 2.5e, save your breath.

Radiant Oath

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Leon Aquilla wrote:

Thanks, though apparently these are not just errata reprints, but is more like Pathfinder 2.5e with the removal of alignments so I'm just going to cash in my chips.

Anybody who wants to quote and reply and gaslight me into thinking this isn't Pathfinder 2.5e, save your breath.

**Eats Leon Aquilla's delicious chips.**

I assume adding back alignment will be an optional rule or easy homebrew. I wouldn't use it, but you could.


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Leon: If it's PF2.5, and it is backwards compatible with PF2.0, what does it change for you?


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Ashanderai wrote:
Golurkcanfly wrote:
I assume the Nephilim is either going to be Aasimar 2, a catch-all for all extraplanar versatile heritages, or specifically demigod descendants like the 1e lore.
Neither Aasimar or Tiefling are mentioned here or in Player Core 2, but Changelings, Dhampirs, and Duskwalkers all get mentions in one or the other. My guess is that Nephilim is a catch-all heritage that combines both Aasimar and Tiefling under it; possibly more neutral divine heritage lineages, too.

THAT would be extremely interesting.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
The-Magic-Sword wrote:
Ashanderai wrote:
Golurkcanfly wrote:
I assume the Nephilim is either going to be Aasimar 2, a catch-all for all extraplanar versatile heritages, or specifically demigod descendants like the 1e lore.
Neither Aasimar or Tiefling are mentioned here or in Player Core 2, but Changelings, Dhampirs, and Duskwalkers all get mentions in one or the other. My guess is that Nephilim is a catch-all heritage that combines both Aasimar and Tiefling under it; possibly more neutral divine heritage lineages, too.
THAT would be extremely interesting.

It would also potentially open it up a bit more for other ancestries (a la Ancestry Guide)

I wasn't expecting to be as cautiously optimistic as I currently am when I woke up this morning!


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Erik Mona wrote:
Snarfburger wrote:

I'd rather have a soft sell. (Pocket edition)

We'll release softcover Pocket Editions of the new books three months after their hardcover release.

My desire to opt out and buy these as pocket editions (because I was thinking I wanted Core Pocket Editions anyway, and they're a bit cheaper, so I could kill two birds with one stone by getting the same content in this new form) is warring with my desire to own an updating pdf, hmm.


13 people marked this as a favorite.

WITCH REVISION!!! ITS HAPPENING!!!!!


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
The-Magic-Sword wrote:
Erik Mona wrote:
Snarfburger wrote:

I'd rather have a soft sell. (Pocket edition)

We'll release softcover Pocket Editions of the new books three months after their hardcover release.
My desire to opt out and buy these as pocket editions (because I was thinking I wanted Core Pocket Editions anyway, and they're a bit cheaper, so I could kill two birds with one stone by getting the same content in this new form) is warring with my desire to own an updating pdf, hmm.

God, my desire for a pocket edition Sub increases by the week.

Director of Marketing

10 people marked this as a favorite.
Ravien999 wrote:
The-Magic-Sword wrote:
Erik Mona wrote:
Snarfburger wrote:

I'd rather have a soft sell. (Pocket edition)

We'll release softcover Pocket Editions of the new books three months after their hardcover release.
My desire to opt out and buy these as pocket editions (because I was thinking I wanted Core Pocket Editions anyway, and they're a bit cheaper, so I could kill two birds with one stone by getting the same content in this new form) is warring with my desire to own an updating pdf, hmm.
God, my desire for a pocket edition Sub increases by the week.

I can't officially announce a Pocket Edition sub. (I am advocating for it internally, however.) ;)


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Revisions to the Witch is the best news I've heard all year, but at the same time, I really, REALLY hope we don't lose Ganzi. I love them so, so much!


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Vali Nepjarson wrote:
Revisions to the Witch is the best news I've heard all year, but at the same time, I really, REALLY hope we don't lose Ganzi. I love them so, so much!

Even if something isn't reprinted, we aren't losing it- heritages and ancestries are presumably still working the same way.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Vali Nepjarson wrote:
Revisions to the Witch is the best news I've heard all year, but at the same time, I really, REALLY hope we don't lose Ganzi. I love them so, so much!

You can still use them just fine - the Lost Omens Ancestry Guide isn't going anywhere, and I believe they're original to Pathfinder.

EDIT: I may have spoken too soon! They said on stream that Nephilim is an umbrella Versatile Heritage that covers a bunch of prior individual VHs.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Since aasimar are now nephilim, does that mean 1e nephilim don't exist anymore? :'D or are like uber aasimars?

Is tieflings now fiendspawn or something? Hmm

Dark Archive

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Foeclan wrote:
Random comment, but could dwarves and halflings finally get names that aren't relative to the size of other ancestries? You gave lizardmen, ratfolk, and catfolk real names, it'd be nice to see two core ancestries have reasonable names.

Do note, dwarf is mythological term that humans started to use as reference to being short because mythological being was short.

So I think it makes sense that dwarf IS their own name for themselves.

Grand Lodge

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

3.5 was my favorite edition, I'm looking forward to 2.5.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
QuidEst wrote:
Vali Nepjarson wrote:
Revisions to the Witch is the best news I've heard all year, but at the same time, I really, REALLY hope we don't lose Ganzi. I love them so, so much!
Even if something isn't reprinted, we aren't losing it- heritages and ancestries are presumably still working the same way.

I didn't elaborate very well on that. Since Ganzi currently don't have a lot of (really any) support since they were first introduced in the Lost Omens: Ancestry Guide, I have been patiently waiting for an expansion for them that gives more of the classic PF1 abilities, and new ones beyond that. I worry that if all the "aligned" heritages are grouped under just Nephilim, Paizo will not feel the need to go back and address Ganzi specifically.

It could on the other hand mean any source going forward that includes Nephilim content will be able to have Ganzi specific feats that wouldn't have been there before because under the older system they would just have had book space for the more popular Aasimar and Tieflings.

I can really see it go either way. I am just hoping that this leads to greater diversity, not homogenization.


3 people marked this as a favorite.

Woah, $60 per book, and you need at least THREE of them!?

$180 is a BIG ASK for the bare basics you need to play the dang game.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

An EDITING REQUEST: it would make the rules much more readable if the same baseline things weren't repeated over and over. For example, instead of giving the exact same rules for when you get new skill feats for every core class (except the rogue), just define that once in a section called something like "The Skill Feats That Every Class Gets" and then add a section for the rogue (and later the investigator, swashbuckler, etc.) that indicates that they get some EXTRA skill feats.

This wouldn't be changing anything from how things already are now, but it would draw the reader's attention to the fact that there is something unusual from the norm for the Rogue, and it would also allow the reader to not have to read the same baseline pattern over and over again, wondering if there is anything different that they need to note.


7 people marked this as a favorite.
Demonskunk wrote:

Woah, $60 per book, and you need at least THREE of them!?

$180 is a BIG ASK for the bare basics you need to play the dang game.

All the rules are available for free on Archives of Nethys! So you really don't need to spend any money. $60 for a beautifully illustrated hardcover book is perfectly reasonable I think!

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Are both the new player core and gm core both coming out in the same month? If so that will be a very expensive month for subscribers. Both of these plus at least the AP book for about 147 roughly.

I would honestly rather seem one delayed a month to spread it out some.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Dark_Mistress wrote:
I would honestly rather seem one delayed a month to spread it out some.

I’m sure having them out in time for people to buy before Christmas is a factor towards them both dropping in November.


The Painted Oryx wrote:
Demonskunk wrote:

Woah, $60 per book, and you need at least THREE of them!?

$180 is a BIG ASK for the bare basics you need to play the dang game.

All the rules are available for free on Archives of Nethys! So you really don't need to spend any money. $60 for a beautifully illustrated hardcover book is perfectly reasonable I think!

Like, you're not wrong, but I'm still upset.

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