Josh M. |
Long time no see! I took a 9 month break from RPGs, and have decided to come out of semi-retirement and have another go at things. A lot of it had to do with acquiring a new home, that finally had room for me to delve back into my main hobbies. I now have a room dedicated to tabletop gaming(and a separate video game room). Before, I simply had no place to run a game, set up my stuff, etc.
So, I pulled together a new group, and we're using Pathfinder as a core ruleset, but homebrewing a campaign based around Atropus from 3.5's Elder Evils book. We wanted to do something a little different this time around, so we're basing the game in the Scarred Lands setting, which was the first 3e setting some of us played in over a decade ago.
I've been out of the RPG scene for a while, and I'm looking for some ideas as to what's out there for PF since I last played. The last book I picked up was the Advanced Class Guide, so anything that has come out since then, I'm not aware of it.
Have there been any big groundbreaking rules changes? Did the Monk Flurry/TWF thing ever get sorted out? Is an old PF Core Rulebook from '09 still pretty solid to use, or is there too much errata?
Rennaivx |
So far as I know, your '09 Core Rulebook should still be fine - you can always refer to the FAQs and errata online if anything comes up.
The big releases since Advanced Class Guide have been Pathfinder Unchained, Occult Adventures, and Ultimate Intrigue. Pathfinder Unchained is an introduction of alternate rulesets to explore in your games, including a rework of a few classes with more troublesome systems re-tooled. Occult Adventures delves into the realm of the spooky with stuff like psychic magic, as well as several new classes like the psychic, the kineticist, and the occultist. Ultimate Intrigue is a book based around - you guessed it - intrigue and social campaigns, with a new base class called the vigilante.
I've got all of them, and they all have stuff I've used or would like to use, but I don't necessarily think they're must-haves - if your group goes entirely for wilderness exploration or hack-'n-slash dungeon delving, for example, Ultimate Intrigue's not likely going to do a lot for you. But they're all neat and enjoyable, and worth looking into.
Sundakan |
Yeah, the big releases have been...not very good.
On the other hand, smaller releases like the Melee/Ranged/Dirty Tactics Toolboxes and Armor/Weapon Master's Handbooks are stuff you should look into for game changing stuff for martials.
Also, catch up on the FAQs in the top right corner, there've been some doozies for better or worse. Likewise, the ACG and ARG errata are must-reads, especially because the former changes so much you may as well toss your old copy of the AAdvanced Class Guide and buy a new one.
dragonhunterq |
Only things that I would consider essential are unchained for buffed rogue and fix to the summoner (and combat stamina for fighters) and Ult intrigue for the guidance it gives on how to handle tricky things like awareness/perception, illusions and diplomacy.
There a lots of 'nice to have' things like armour/weapon masters handbook and the tactics line, but nothing as key as those two.
ACG has been heavily edited, some I've accepted, some I've ignored (looking at you slashing grace).
Paladin of Baha-who? |
Yeah, the big releases have been...not very good.
Well, that's your opinion. I think that occult adventures is the best RPG book since APG, possibly better than that. I haven't purchased Ultimate Intrigue yet, but the reviews are to be very positive. For me, Unchained was dissapointing only in that it didn't go far enough -- the new, compact monster stat block format should have become the standard. There should have been an Unchained fighter. And so forth.