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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box (OGL) PDF

4.70/5 (based on 39 ratings)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box (OGL)

Our Price: $19.99

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Adventure Awaits!

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

And don't forget to check out the prepainted Pathfinder Beginner Box Heroes Miniatures Set from WizKids, featuring the pregenerated heroes included in the Beginner Box!

Pawns Included in the Beginner Box
Air Elemental
Animated Statue (2)
Barghest
Black Dragon
Boar
Boggard
Dire Rat (3)
Doppelganger
Dwarf Cleric (Female)
Dwarf Cleric (Male)
Dwarf Fighter (Female)
Dwarf Fighter (Male)
Dwarf Rogue (Female)
Dwarf Rogue (Male)
Dwarf Wizard (Female)
Dwarf Wizard (Male)
Earth Elemental 		Elf Cleric (Female)
Elf Cleric (Male)
Elf Fighter (Female)
Elf Fighter (Male)
Elf Rogue (Female)
Elf Rogue (Male)
Elf Wizard (Female)
Elf Wizard (Male)
Ezren (Iconic Wizard)
Fire Elemental
Gargoyle (2)
Ghost
Ghoul (2)
Giant Centipede
Giant Spider (2)
Goblin (4)
Goblin Boss 		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)

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-630-0

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Looking for more? Check out the Resources and Free Downloads available for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box (OGL)

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

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Average product rating:

4.70/5 (based on 39 ratings)

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Simply Brilliant

5/5 —

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).

Best Way to Start Pathfinder

5/5 —

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.

They fixed the flaws!

5/5 —

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 :)

5/5 —

This Box Rocks!

5/5 —

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.

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Grand Lodge
Skeletal Steve wrote:
On amazon these things are running for like 70 dollars new.

SS,

I see them as new on Amazon for 61.99 or so. Not far from the $70 dollar mark though.

Paizo has them for $34.99 at the moment still Paizo Basic Box set link

Many other sites (if they still have them in stock that is) have the Basic Box Sets at under $40 dollars. Doing a Google search netted me several results under 40 :)
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Kthulhu wrote:
Just downloaded the updated PDF. Er, Ezren? Is there something you'd like to share?

Seems he has a side he hadn't shown us yet.

Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

The pawns for the orcs have changed to a picture that doesn't show the full body, but only torso and head – strange for a pawn.
Lantern Lodge Customer Service Dire Care Bear Manager
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Robot Chris is fixing the issues Ezren the Orcs that are in the download. They do not affect the reprint version.

Also, there's a second printing of the Beginner Box! I'm not 100% sure when they will start hitting our distribution network, but customers looking for Beginner Boxes at their FLGS should start seeing them again.
Digital Products Assistant

The image issues with the PDF have been corrected. If you redownload, you'll see the correct wizard and orcs.
Sovereign Court

Any word on if the reprints will be out in stores in time for Christmas? Would really like to get one to help the kids at my school be able to run their own scenarios. We have a large group and I'd like to get a box set to help the club out. Shipping to Canada is a little pricey so I'd like to get it from my local gaming store.
Paizo Employee Sales Imp
Deadshot wrote:
Any word on if the reprints will be out in stores in time for Christmas? Would really like to get one to help the kids at my school be able to run their own scenarios. We have a large group and I'd like to get a box set to help the club out. Shipping to Canada is a little pricey so I'd like to get it from my local gaming store.

I've sent them to Canadian Distributors, but I cannot speak to how long they take to get through customs, to their warehouse, and turned around and out to retail. However, they should be available soon.

Thanks,
cos
Silver Crusade
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Cosmo wrote:
Deadshot wrote:
Any word on if the reprints will be out in stores in time for Christmas? Would really like to get one to help the kids at my school be able to run their own scenarios. We have a large group and I'd like to get a box set to help the club out. Shipping to Canada is a little pricey so I'd like to get it from my local gaming store.

I've sent them to Canadian Distributors, but I cannot speak to how long they take to get through customs, to their warehouse, and turned around and out to retail. However, they should be available soon.

Thanks,
cos

Add some extra time on the account of everybody involved in the entire operation being turbo polite to each other. Unless the Maple Syrup People compensate for that by working night shifts, that is. ;-)

I picked up the Beginners Set for my niece this Christmas...she got it on Friday after Christmas...the Sunday after she got it she was ready to run the adventure with her father(my brother) and my sister(who never played RPGs before) for players. Apparently she did a great job of it.

Now she has some experience with her dad running a 1st ed game for her...but as a first time GM she did a great job and is already designing her next adventure.

My brother has mentioned I could probably get her the Corerule Book for next Christmas...

So does that sound about right? A year of playing w/ the Beginners box will prepare you for the main game? Any opinions?
The Exchange
John Kretzer wrote:

I picked up the Beginners Set for my niece this Christmas...she got it on Friday after Christmas...the Sunday after she got it she was ready to run the adventure with her father(my brother) and my sister(who never played RPGs before) for players. Apparently she did a great job of it.

Now she has some experience with her dad running a 1st ed game for her...but as a first time GM she did a great job and is already designing her next adventure.

My brother has mentioned I could probably get her the Corerule Book for next Christmas...

So does that sound about right? A year of playing w/ the Beginners box will prepare you for the main game? Any opinions?

Just seen this. I'd imagine that if your niece is still interested in gaming after a year she will be more than ready for the core rule book. Of course her age might be a factor but I remember back in the 80's gong from basic D&D to AD&D in a matter of weeks.

2 people marked this as a favorite.

I love the Beginners Box but it really needs a follow up to continue the adventure. A Sandpoint box, with a Guide to Sandpoint booklet and a continuation of the Perils of the Lost Coast adventure booklet (levels 2-5), would be an instant buy for me. A sheet of pawns of townfolk and a couple more of monsters would be really handy too.

How old is she? If you're concerned about the Core Rulebook being too big a leap, make sure to check out the upcoming Strategy Guide. (Alas, its expected release has been pushed back... *sniff*) It goes together with the Core Rulebook.

I teach middle schoolers and my experience with them is that they want to get to the next thing FAST! =D If she is that age or older, I think it can't hurt and that her enthusiasm will push her to take on the material.

What exactly is in Transition Book - new book in 2nd printing of Beginner Box? What the diffrence between this (16 pages) and free pdf Beginner Box Transition (26 pages)?
Victory83 wrote:
What exactly is in Transition Book - new book in 2nd printing of Beginner Box? What the diffrence between this (16 pages) and free pdf Beginner Box Transition (26 pages)?

The free PDF is the exact same book that's provided in printed form in the 2nd printing of the Beginner Box. They both have 16 pages + 4 cover pages.

The transition guide covers some new rules (such as AoOs, grapples, Base Attack Bonus, taking 10/20), and taking the characters from the Beginner Box up to level 6.

Are the pawns in this set any different from the pawns in the NPC Codex set? I'm looking for some more good generic 'player character' pawns, and currently have all the Pawn box sets, so will getting this give me anything which I don't already have?

Thanks.
Sam.
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

The pawns in this set have *some* overlap with the NPC Codex box, but not complete overlap.
Vic Wertz wrote:
The pawns in this set have *some* overlap with the NPC Codex box, but not complete overlap.

Okay, thanks. I assume that's the iconic characters then.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

There are a few other NPC Codex characters in there in addition to the iconics.

@heretic and The Rot Grub: Just saw your responses...and it seems like she will meed more than year to be ready for the Core Rule book. A 'Advanced' Beginners box set could be needed here.

I'm considering buying the PDF version but I'm not 100% clear on exactly what that contains, I presume it doesn't have the dice, is there anything else not in PDF?

Also I can't see anything that mentions what I can do with ie. can I print it off and if so is there a maximum number of copies and can I send copies to ereaders like my kindle.

Thanks for the time and sorry if this is duplicating a previous post
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

The PDF includes all the books, character sheets, the Flip-Mat, and the pawn sheets. (No dice and no token stands, obviously.) As with all Paizo PDFs, you can print them for personal use and view them on whatever compatible devices you like.

With the impending reprint, were there any errata included?
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

It was a straight reprint of the previous printing.

Cheers. I don't need an upgrade then. :)
Thanks, Vic.

Is there any known ETA on when the boxes will be back in stock?
Community Manager

Our current estimations are June/July.

For those of us with pending orders from the Pathfinder Humble Bundle, will we be notified when our orders have shipped?
Community Manager
G0DL1K3D3V1L wrote:
For those of us with pending orders from the Pathfinder Humble Bundle, will we be notified when our orders have shipped?

Yes. If you want an update on your order specifically, please contact Customer Service.

Have the Pathfinder Humble Bundles shipped? I just wanted to know if I should make an inquiry or not.

Thanks
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Yes, all of those shipped out. If you still don't have yours, check the following:

1. Ensure that you actually completed the "checkout" process to redeem your code by clicking on the "Submit your Order" button. You should see the order in your order history on your account as a pending order. If you don't, it may not have been fully submitted
2. Ensure that the card you put on file for the shipping charge is valid, and that your billing address matches exactly with what is on file for your card (paizo's address verification system is very picky; for example it will reject an address with "St." if your bank has it written down as "Street"). If your card was tried but rejected, you should have gotten an email about it, check your junk mail. Your order history may also state that a payment was attempted, I'm not sure on that though.
3. Contact customer service, either by posting on the Customer Service messageboard, by emailing them customer.service@paizo.com, or by calling them during business hours 425-250-0800.

Is possible buy this pdf in spanish?
Josca wrote:
Is possible buy this pdf in spanish?

Here's a link to the company that is licensed to publish Pathfinder material in Spanish

DEVIR

Ya, Devir is the licensed company for Spanihs, but all the PDF are sold in Paizo.com, and for the moment is impossible.
Sovereign Court

Can’t really get this in the UK at the moment.

Is there a supply problem?

Have you checked Toys R Us?

They carry it in the states.
Sovereign Court

Not in the UK, sadly.
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

We're expecting a reprint to arrive within the next couple of weeks.
Sovereign Court

Good news!
Sovereign Court

What will it cost to ship to the UK, can’t figure it out because it would go with my subs?
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

At the moment, it wold cost $52.03 to ship (because it weighs over 4 pounds, the most cost-effective method to ship is USPS International Priority).
Beginner Box wrote:


Valeros (Iconic Fighter)
Venomous Snake
Water Elemental
Quote:

Really, there are two (2) venomous snakes.
And it should be "Venomous Snake (2)"
Just noticed this today counting pawns.
:P
Sovereign Court
Vic Wertz wrote:
At the moment, it wold cost $52.03 to ship (because it weighs over 4 pounds, the most cost-effective method to ship is USPS International Priority).

Blimey!

It was £20 on amazon for about two weeks around Christmas.
I thought I’d pick it up when I got paid but at the end of the month it went up to £60...
Grand Lodge
Pathfinder Adventure Path, LO Special Edition, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Does the Non-mint still have all the materials? I don't care if the box is dinged
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

All products we list as Non-Mint should be complete, with only minor cosmetic flaws.
1 person marked this as a favorite.

I mean, if you want to ask questions about a legacy product whose contents are largely known, go for it, I suppose. :V
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