The Beta Playtest Edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is off to the printer and is due to be released in mid August. In anticipation, we are previewing some of the changes made from the Alpha stage as well as taking a look at some of the brand new content. In this preview, we are investigating some of the new rules that can be found in the Beta Playtest Edition.
Equipment: All of the basic equipment is here, plus a few new weapons to round out the list. The starknife is finally part of the Pathfinder RPG, meaning that clerics of Desna now have the correct weapon. Although this material is not strictly "new," some of it has been carefully tweaked to fit with other rule changes.
Traps: The system for creating traps has receive a significant overhaul. Although the end result is mostly the same, the formulas now allow for traps that go all the way up to CR 20. When building a trap using the Pathfinder RPG rules, the amount of damage and average number of targets is now more important, meaning that traps that hit the entire party, draining far more resources, are of a higher CR than traps that only target one character. A trap's CR can also increase dramatically if it lasts more than one round. Here are a few examples.
Swinging Axe Trap: CR 1 Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20 Trigger location; Reset manual Effect Atk +10 melee (1d8+1/x3); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft. line)
Frost Fangs Trap: CR 7 Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20 Trigger location; Duration 3 rounds; Reset none Effect jets of freezing water (3d6 cold damage, DC 20 Reflex save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 40-ft.-square chamber)
Meteor Swarm Trap: CR 19 Type magic; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34 Trigger sight (true seeing); Reset none Effect spell effect (meteor swarm, 4 meteors at separate targets, +9 ranged touch, 2d6 plus 6d6 fire (no save on a hit), DC 23 Reflex save for half damage on a miss, 18d6 fire damage from other meteors (DC 23 Reflex save for half damage); multiple targets (four targets, no two of which can be more than 40 ft. apart)
Spells and Magic Items: Both of these chapters have been expanded to a gigantic size (with the spells chapter alone coming in at 120 pages). While much of the content in these chapters is unchanged, a number of spells and items received some updates in the Beta, mostly to bring them in line with the rest of the rules. Due to space concerns, some of the spells and magic items were cut, but will be available in a free web enhancement for the book, due out at the same time the Beta Playtest Edition is released.
You will be able to grab the Beta Playtest Edition as a free PDF here at paizo.com or as a soft-cover, 408 page, full-color book. The book will be on sale at Gen Con, through our web store, and from your favorite local game store. Check back next week for a look at the Beta playtest process as well as what is in store for the next year of development.
