Take your first step into an exciting world of fantasy adventure with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box! Within you'll find simple rules for creating and customizing your own hero, as well as a robust system for running your character through challenging adventures and deadly battles against villainous monsters like goblins and dragons! Will you master weapons and magic to become a courageous fighter, a wise cleric, a witty rogue, or a brilliant wizard? All the details of your character are yours to control. The only limit it your imagination!
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box is packed with everything you need to get started with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, an imaginative tabletop fantasy adventure game for 2-5 players. Tons of monsters, challenges, and advice give gamers the tools to create their own worlds and adventures, providing countless hours of gaming excitement. With streamlined rules and a focus on action-packed heroic adventure, this deluxe boxed set is the ideal introduction to the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and the best starting point for a lifetime of pulse-pounding adventure!
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box includes:
A 64-page Hero's Handbook, detailing character creation, spells, equipment, and general rules for playing the game
A 96-page Game Master's Guide packed with adventure, monsters, magic treasures, and advice on how to create and narrate tales all your own
A 16-page Transition Guide to bring your hero to the full Pathfinder Roleplaying Game!
A complete set of 7 polyhedral dice
More than 80 full-color pawns depicting diverse heroes and monsters
Four pregenerated character sheets to throw you right into the action
Four blank character sheets to record the abilities of your custom-made hero
A durable, resuable, double-sided Flip-Mat play surface that works with any kind of marker
Goblin Dog
Gray Ooze
Green Hag
Hell Hound (2)
Human Cleric (Female)
Human Cleric (Male)
Human Fighter (Female)
Human Fighter (Male)
Human Rogue (Female)
Human Rogue (Male)
Human Wizard (Female)
Human Wizard (Male)
Kyra (Iconic Cleric)
Manticore
Medusa
Merisiel (Iconic Rogue)
Mimic
Mummy
Ogre
Orc (2)
Orc Boss
Reefclaw
Salamander
Serpentfolk
Skeletal Champion
Skeleton (4)
Troglodyte (2)
Valeros (Iconic Fighter)
Venomous Snake
Water Elemental
Werewolf (2)
Will-O'-Wisp
Wolf (2)
Zombie (2)
Frankly, it just doesn't get any better than the Beginner Box when it comes to an introductory role-playing product. This sturdy little box contains an impressive assortment of materials, all play-tested with sample groups of RPG newcomers to ensure clarity. I got this for my son when he was around eight, and I can safely say he's spent more time with it than any other gift I've ever bought him.
* PAWNS: Dozens of characters and monsters are represented in thick cardboard pawns designed to slot into little plastic bases (also included) so they stand upright. There's a really nice assortment of possibilities for a PC, as well as at least one for every monster in the box's Game Master's Guide. I've also used a few of them in my normal gaming tables because they're hard to find elsewhere! These pawns are durable little things, and hold up well to heavy and repeated play. They're really the nicest and most cost-effective alternative to buying (and sorting, and storing) dozens of plastic miniatures.
* FLIP-MAT: This double-sided mat has one-inch grids on each side (so the pawns fit like they should). One side is blank so the Game Master can draw whatever scene they want (buildings for an urban encounter, trees for a forest, etc.), while the other side contains a dungeon that cleverly matches the introductory adventure. This side has lots of little detail and features, and is very cool. The idea with flip-mats like this is that that you can use wet erase markers or dry erase (whiteboard) markers and easily wipe your drawing away when you're done.
* PRE-GENERATED CHARACTER SHEETS: The game comes with four pre-made character sheets for a Fighter, a Wizard, a Rogue, and a Cleric. These are lovely little four-page sheets that show exactly how the blank character sheets should be filled out. But in addition, they have customized instructions in the margin to remind players what particular abilities or numbers mean. There's a full-colour picture of the character on the front, and a background and personality section on the back. A lot of time went into designing these for new players, and it shows.
* BLANK CHARACTER SHEET: A very smartly laid-out sheet for players to make their own characters. You'll want to make several photocopies of this before using it (or print out extras from the Paizo website).
* DICE: A standard, quality set of dice.
* TRANSITION GUIDE: This 16-page book is designed to help players who love the Beginner Box but are starting to feel ready for the "real thing" to make the transition to the full Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The guide goes over what books are the most important ones to buy when starting out (essentially, the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, a Bestiary, and perhaps a module). The emphasis in this guide is on how to add what you like from the Core Rulebook without feeling overwhelmed by its size and options. The guide spends four pages summarising things from the full game (like attacks of opportunities and combat maneuvers) in a very clear way, complete with page numbers. Other pages show how to read a spell stat block from the Core Rulebook and a monster stat block from the Bestiary. There's a section on how to take 5th level PCs from the Beginner Box up to sixth level and beyond using the Core Rulebook, and a really handy intro to using pre-made adventures with Master of the Fallen Fortress (a free download) as an example. It's a really nicely-done guide that serves well as either an intro or a review.
* HERO'S HANDBOOK: This 64-page book is designed for players, and features excellent artwork and brilliant layout. It starts with a solo adventure called Skeleton's King Crypt that teaches a player some of the rules by using a short "choose your own adventure" style experience. The book then moves into character creation, presenting three races (human, elf, and dwarf) and four classes (fighter, wizard, rogue, and cleric). It presents suggested "packages" of feats, skills, and equipment for players who want to get started quickly, but also allows individual choices for players who like to spend more time and thought on your character. I especially like how the game limits options to reduce "choice paralysis" but doesn't change the rules of anything from normal Pathfinder (thus making a future transition far easier). The last third of the book goes through things like moving and exploring, and spends several pages on combat. I think perhaps this combat section could be better organised by emphasizing the most common options first. The book concludes with a glossary of common terms and the back cover's Combat Reference Guide is great.
* GAME MASTER'S GUIDE: This 96-page book starts with a full introductory adventure, Black Fang's Dungeon. The adventure includes tons of extra guidance to the Game Master on how to run it, as well as a good variety of encounters, traps, and puzzles. After a clear overview on what it means to be the Game Master, the book goes into how to create a new adventure, using a follow-up to Black Fang's Dungeon as a natural starting point. The remainder of the book presents useful resources to the Game Master, such as details on various environments and terrain features (I'm envious of how clearly this is all presented compared to the Pathfinder Core Rulebook!), magic items, a bestiary (stat blocks for monsters and other characters, with special abilities presented in a masterwork of concision), tables for rolling up random encounters, a introduction to a sample town (Sandpoint) that could serve well as the group's home base, and more. It's important to realise that this book contains a lot that's useful for the Game Master, but it's not like the instructions to a board game--a Game Master certainly doesn't need to learn all 96 pages in order to get started and have fun!
It's really an impressive package--especially when compared to the cheap "starter sets" for other RPGs I've seen. My kid has spent untold hours with the stuff in this box, and, a year later, still takes the Hero's Handbook and Game Master's Guide with him on trips and in his school backpack! I always try to give balanced reviews with the pros and cons of a product, but I really can't praise this one enough. As a side note, don't forget that the Paizo website has free supplementary material (like extra adventures and the barbarian class).
I recently gave this to my brother and his 7 year old kids, since he was unsure of whether his kids would like the game.
The box includes everything you need to start: An erasable flip mat, some paper minis for your characters and monsters, dice, a starting adventure, and easy rules.
It's really too bad this box wasn't promoted more in game shops and conventions, it's a cheap and easy way to get into Pathfinder.
To anyone who's read the reviews in this page and are bothered by the following:
1. No large bases for the large creature tokens
2. Errata (found in the GM's Kit and Player's Pack downloads)
Note that Paizo has rectified this! I bought the Beginner Box recently and found that there are large bases included in my set, and that the errata has been incorporated in the Hero's Handbook and GM's Guide! So I'm very happy with the product.
On top of these, once you are ready to move on to the full Pathfinder experience via Corebook and Bestiary, note that the smaller softcover Pocket editions fit inside the box with room to spare for dice and minis :)
After I bought the Core Rulebook, I was a bit overwhelmed. So I picked up the Beginner Box next. The rule books made the game much more accessible to me. Rules I didn't quite get from the Core Rulebook were simplified in a way that made sense to me. Also, the introductory adventure was easy to run and the suggestions for expanding sparked my creativity. I liked the explanations the GM's book gave for the several different kinds of adventures and the content that makes them up.
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
joethelawyer wrote:
Question, if you can answer it, will it be more like Holmes which lead players to AD&D by design? or more like BECMI and stand alone as a game in itself, a more simplified Pathfinder, taking characters to high levels with more releases?
Question, if you can answer it, will it be more like Holmes which lead players to AD&D by design? or more like BECMI and stand alone as a game in itself, a more simplified Pathfinder, taking characters to high levels with more releases?
What is "Holmes"?
Holmes is the "Blue Box" original Basic Set, from the days before "Keep on the Borderlands". It came with the Basic Rulebook, Module B1 ("In Search of the Unknown"), and no dice.... instead, the rulebook had chits that you cut out and pulled out of a cup. It's the set I started with.
EDIT: It had no rules for characters above 3rd, and the module included pre-gens which used AD&D rules in their stats, rather than the accompanying basic rules.
As much as I would like a copy of this, please please please do not make it part of an existing subscription.
+1. I really hope that Paizo will throw international subscribers a bone here, as the situation Antony described is even worse in other EU countries (because of higher import taxes). If this were to become part of my subscription, I would easily have to pay something between 150 and 200% of the original purchase price.
Apart from that, while I know Paizo's business model relies heavily on subscriptions, I wonder where the idea came from to include 'beginner' product into existing subscription lines (i.e., sell the beginner set to customers who - in many cases - will own the vast majority of sourcebooks Paizo has published for PF)? This (forgive me for saying so) seems somewhat counterintuitive to me.
It seems awfully weird to me to include a beginner's box as part of an ongoing subscription, maybe that is just me, but I wouldnt want a rookie box set. Not really my concern though since I do not have a subscription, but I don't think I'd be happy with it.
It seems awfully weird to me to include a beginner's box as part of an ongoing subscription, maybe that is just me, but I wouldnt want a rookie box set. Not really my concern though since I do not have a subscription, but I don't think I'd be happy with it.
I'm not, for your reasons and because I'm international subscriber too. I'm going to cancel.
That said, I understand why a lot of other folks are happy to receive it.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
GoldFroggy wrote:
Remco Sommeling wrote:
It seems awfully weird to me to include a beginner's box as part of an ongoing subscription, maybe that is just me, but I wouldnt want a rookie box set. Not really my concern though since I do not have a subscription, but I don't think I'd be happy with it.
I'm not, for your reasons and because I'm international subscriber too. I'm going to cancel.
That said, I understand why a lot of other folks are happy to receive it.
Likewise. I'll drop is after UC and then pick up again when I can select the book after. But no interest in this, especially giventhe import duties and shipping costs. I might pick it up from the LGS but that would be it. I have to agree that including it in the subscription is not a move from Paizo I'm happy with.
Question, if you can answer it, will it be more like Holmes which lead players to AD&D by design? or more like BECMI and stand alone as a game in itself, a more simplified Pathfinder, taking characters to high levels with more releases?
What is "Holmes"?
Holmes is the "Blue Box" original Basic Set, from the days before "Keep on the Borderlands". It came with the Basic Rulebook, Module B1 ("In Search of the Unknown"), and no dice.... instead, the rulebook had chits that you cut out and pulled out of a cup. It's the set I started with.
OHHHHH.Holmes was the author who created the basic rules based on Gygax's rule set. Sheesh, you'd think someone would mention that. Yeah, I've never heard it called "Holmes" either; I've always heard it called the blue box, and I got one at Toys 'R Us back when it first came out.
Scribbling Rambler wrote:
EDIT: It had no rules for characters above 3rd, and the module included pre-gens which used AD&D rules in their stats, rather than the accompanying basic rules.
Note that the blue box set DID come with Keep on the Borderlands when I got it, but still had those damnable chits and you had to send away for an (uber crappy) set of polyhedral dice. I still have some of them, but most were lost over the years.
We likely won't know until after PaizoCon. Not to sound like a broken record (and failing), I'm really really hoping this doesn't mean full-color counters like WoTC is fond of.
Note: The younger ones are less able to deal with "second languages". It might be significant if that product goes through the translations that have been covered for Core. (French, Spanish and German I think?)
I really hope that Black-Books édition will do the translation. My 6 year old loves to game with his dad. That would be an awsome gift for him.
I've been having more thoughts about this..how much will it weigh what are going to be the postage costs to the UK...have you guys kept it within the weight limits for normal rate dispatch etc..otherwise I think this will be a no go for those off us on the other side off the pond.
Apart from that, while I know Paizo's business model relies heavily on subscriptions, I wonder where the idea came from to include 'beginner' product into existing subscription lines (i.e., sell the beginner set to customers who - in many cases - will own the vast majority of sourcebooks Paizo has published for PF)? This (forgive me for saying so) seems somewhat counterintuitive to me.
There has been clamoring for it to be included in a subscription in the various speculation threads about what would be in the introductory game. Mainly, I assume, for the free PDFs: if it's not part of a subscription, everyone has to pay for the PDF separately.
I just want to thank Paizo for putting out this product, and I hope this is a big success! It would be great for PFRPG's future, and the future of the industry as a whole, if this can bring a whole new generation into the game.
The good news I know what I am getting my daughter and my nieces and nephew for Christmas.
i hear you there, my daughter has already put it on her handy dandy multi-holiday wishlist. guess i didn't need that blood or plasma (whichever pays more) anyway. cant wait :)
Okay, seriously, that's a blue dragon on the cover, right?
The picture is a bit washed-out on my monitor, but it does seem rather bluish. Which seems odd, given that the set is supposed to contain a Black Dragon, not a blue one.
Okay, seriously, that's a blue dragon on the cover, right?
The picture is a bit washed-out on my monitor, but it does seem rather bluish. Which seems odd, given that the set is supposed to contain a Black Dragon, not a blue one.
Purple is often used for shading of black creatures so that detail can be put on them better. Usually to represent non-direct sunlight. I'm guessing that's what this is, considering the background looks cloudy.
Yup; it's a black dragon. Even though it's not ALL black (even BLACK isn't actually black when you get down to it for pigments and colors, usually), check out the way its horns work. They're in the black dragon shape, not blue dragon shape.
When we illustrate blue dragons, they generally are of a sky-blue shade, in any case. That, and blue dragons are MUCH more sleek than black dragons.
Compare to the dragon on the cover of the GameMastery Guide to see how the same artist depicts a blue dragon as opposed to a black.
Would anyone at paizo like to give me an answer on my above question regarding the possible weight/size of this product..I'm concerned that postage might cost me more than the box on this one in which case I'll be asking for it not to be sent.
Would anyone at paizo like to give me an answer on my above question regarding the possible weight/size of this product..I'm concerned that postage might cost me more than the box on this one in which case I'll be asking for it not to be sent.
Our current estimate is that the box will weigh right around 3.5 pounds, but until we have actual product samples in our hands, we can't be precise. Until then, we are erring on the high side—that is, if you add it to your cart right now, the estimated shipped weight is over that magical 4-pound international limit, making your only valid shipping option International Priority, which is expensive.
Once we have an actual sample—which will probably be a couple of months—we'll do our best to figure out how to safely package it under that 4 pound limit, which will allow for much cheaper international shipping... but that *may* not be possible.
Would anyone at paizo like to give me an answer on my above question regarding the possible weight/size of this product..I'm concerned that postage might cost me more than the box on this one in which case I'll be asking for it not to be sent.
Our current estimate is that the box will weigh right around 3.5 pounds, but until we have actual product samples in our hands, we can't be precise. Until then, we are erring on the high side—that is, if you add it to your cart right now, the estimated shipped weight is over that magical 4-pound international limit, making your only valid shipping option International Priority, which is expensive.
Once we have an actual sample—which will probably be a couple of months—we'll do our best to figure out how to safely package it under that 4 pound limit, which will allow for much cheaper international shipping... but that *may* not be possible.
I love the box, might get mo than one to give away as friends of my son might want to be introduced.
But as international subscriber I would have probably to discontinue my subscription for the box and start afterwards again. It Is above the £18 magic barrier for UK which means VAT and worse - approx. $13 or even $20 for handling fee.
I rather pay extra for a PDFas het it free and pay double to the taxman and courier. In the end that way also probably more money will end with Paizo if I buy the box locally and the PDF direct.
So please think about a way to allow non-US customers to skip the box or even exclude it.
I definitely need to hear more before I'll allow myself to get excited. Like I told James at Neon Con, there is a certain approach I am looking for, and so far it doesn't sound like that is what it is going to be. Either way, I am sure this will be great for Paizo and Pathfinder.
If I'm understanding this correctly, the only way to avoid getting this if you're a PFRPG subscriber is to cancel your subscription prior to the release of the product, is that correct? Seems a heavy-handed way to have to deal with it, but I guess I'll do it if I must. Any chance we can get a more detailed long term product schedule so I can cancel as early as possible and still have time to rejoin before missing something I actually want?
....if you're a PFRPG subscriber is to cancel your subscription prior to the release of the product, is that correct? ..... Any chance we can get a more detailed long term product schedule so I can cancel as early as possible and still have time to rejoin before missing something I actually want?
The best thing to do at this point is bookmark the subscription page and keep an eye out for it. As soon as you get Ultimate Combat, cancel your subscription. Then just check that page until Ultimate Diplomacy is announced (j/k), and click on the start subscription button starting with that product, rather than Beginner Box.
I wholeheartedly approve of this venture. I hope that it becomes a gateway into realms of imagination for scores of people, young and old, for years to come.