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Pathfinder Core Rulebook

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Pathfinder Core Rulebook
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Advance Your Game

This comprehensive 640-page guide to the Pathfinder roleplaying game provides everything you need to set out into a world of limitless fantasy adventure! Choose from ancestries like elf, human, and goblin and classes like alchemist, fighter, and sorcerer to create a hero of your own design, destined to become a legend! The new Pathfinder rules are easier to learn and faster to play, and they offer deeper customization than ever before!

This indispensable volume contains the core rules for players and Game Masters, and is your first step on a heroic new journey!

The Pathfinder Core Rulebook includes:

  • More than 600 pages of game rules, advice, character options, treasure, and more for players and Game Masters!
  • Six heroic player character ancestries, including elf, dwarf, gnome, goblin, halfling, and human, with variant heritages for half-elf and half-orc!
  • More than 30 backgrounds like bartender, soldier, or apprentice to further immerse yourself in your hero's backstory!
  • Twelve character classes, including the alchemist, barbarian, bard, champion, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, and wizard!
  • Hundreds and hundreds of spells, class feats, and other exciting abilities to help you customize your character to become the hero YOU envision her to be!
  • Streamlined and revised rules to help ease new players into the game while providing the depth of character options and tactical interest that have defined Pathfinder from the beginning!

Written by: Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark Seifter

ISBN: 978-1-64078-168-9



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Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Pathfinder Nexus on Demiplane
Roll20 Virtual Tabletop
SoundSet on Syrinscape
Archives of Nethys

Errata
Last Updated - 11/9/2020

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

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This is still Pathfinder

5/5 —

Pathfinder 2 is a fun and faithful evolution to Pathfinder 1. It still has the same feel and familiarity. While I like both systems, I’ve played Pathfinder 2 for the past 5 years and it’s my preferred system.

The best parts of Pathfinder 2 are three action rounds, the condensed skill list, and how easy it is to make and modify characters, while still allowing for many different character builds and options. It’s also easier to make an effective character, and more difficult to make a character that's better than everyone else's. Multi-classing is brilliant and balanced.

Monsters in PF2 are improved and have unique abilities. It helps to make fights different from each other and interesting. The math around PF2 also makes it very easy to build encounters of various difficulties, which is great for homebrew GMs.

Most players will appreciate how easy it is to make a character that has meaningful choices at every level. PF2 should be popular with D&D 5E players that want less generic characters. However, some players in Pathfinder 1 liked to spend hours on their character, looking through splatbooks, looking for ways to make the ultimate character. For these players, they might not like the simplicity of PF2.

PF2 also cleaned up a lot of rules, which makes it easier to play. High level play also scales really well, with fast play, and isn't a burden on the GM, which is a real accomplishment.

It's not all good however. I didn’t like that PF2 nerfed the classes that were too strong in PF1 (alchemist, monk archetypes, spellcasters, gunslingers) and made weak classes in PF1 too strong (rogues, barbarians, fighters). Spellcasters are further nerfed in the sense that they no longer have a niche. Most magical problems in PF2 can be solved with skills that any character can easily attain. The only nerf that was good was that ranged martials are no longer overpowered.

The real failing in PF2 is that there’s too much variation in the damage output between martials and spellcasters. Spellcasters, even with cantrips, do 50% or less damage compared to martials, and it gets worse at higher levels. Spellcasters claim to fame is basically fireball. I could write an essay, but the main problem is the game nerfed the utility of most spellcasters, spellcasters don’t have the same attack modifiers as martials (less hits/crits), and spells do less damage yet take 2 actions. Except for cantrips, spells no longer improve as you level up, so the only spells that are viable are your highest spell level, which is only 3 spells, which is NOT good enough for a typical adventure day.

At one time, spellcasters were "glass cannons" (less AC, HP, saves, perception) but now they do less damage, so they are just glass. At high level tables, if I see we have more than 2 spellcasters, I know we’re in trouble. Those casters are almost always clerics, because clerics get free heals at their highest level, effectively doubling their spell pool.

The Core rulebook, while big and unwieldy, is one of the best purchases in the RPG market. The book itself is presented and explained very well, and is a joy to read.

Pathfinder 2 is my favorite game and I love it, but I really think spellcasters need some love in the future.


Solid foundations

5/5 —

Replaced by the Player Core and GM Core series. My favorite TTRPG had a great beginning with this book.

5/5 —

In my opinion - one of, if not, the best system.


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Man not only did the Chel’s lose some of the territory, they also lost their Ethnicity status.

Are the Nidalese a replacement or???

No, Chelaxians are actually Taldans ethnically. If you look at the Inner Sea World Guide, you may notice that Taldans are found everywhere that Chelaxians are. There really isn't that big a cultural or ancestral difference between them.
3 people marked this as a favorite.
Rysky wrote:
CraziFuzzy wrote:

What does the Barbarian Animal Instinct "Deer" do? The 'CHARGE' weapon trait is not defined anywhere in Core Rulebook or Bestiary.

$80 for my deluxe CRB and it's already obsolete needing errata? :-(

Yeah it’s the chemicals in the ink nowadays, it makes the typos mature faster.

Yep, no sooner do you take a book off the lot, it depreciates 50%.

mikeawmids wrote:
I have bought the book as a direct result of bags' dreadful, one-star review. Seriously, f@@* that guy. I might not love the system, but Paizo is an awesome company who have earned my support and they deserve to succeed.

Paizo wouldn't be that awesome if they never got critical feedback. And yes, there is almost always something to learn from critical texts, even if they are short, one-sided and emotional like the review in question.

Dark Archive
2 people marked this as a favorite.
David knott 242 wrote:

No, Chelaxians are actually Taldans ethnically. If you look at the Inner Sea World Guide, you may notice that Taldans are found everywhere that Chelaxians are. There really isn't that big a cultural or ancestral difference between them.

You are incorrect, David! It is an undisputed FACT that Cheliax is the Greatest Empire (TM) to ever have existed on Golarion, and we have nothing but contempt towards those inbred Taldorian dandies! All ancient Chelaxians have sprung from the Will and Word of Almighty Asmodeus, and that is why Chelaxians should have their own Ancestry entry in the core rulebook!

Dark Archive
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

In retrospect, both taldans and cheliaxians claimed to be descended from azlanti(azlanti & keleshite and azlanti & ulfen respectively), but when you really think about it, that claim is really questionable considering there aren't really azlanti ruins in inner sea area outside of that one in serpent's skull :P

But yeah, cheliaxians didn't even have their own regional language and they were part of Taldor empire originally

Inner Sea Races revised the origin of Chelaxians as a mixture of Taldan and Ulfen, so at that point they were already moving the two ethnicities closer together.
Dark Archive
CorvusMask wrote:

In retrospect, both taldans and cheliaxians claimed to be descended from azlanti(azlanti & keleshite and azlanti & ulfen respectively), but when you really think about it, that claim is really questionable considering there aren't really azlanti ruins in inner sea area outside of that one in serpent's skull :P

But yeah, cheliaxians didn't even have their own regional language and they were part of Taldor empire originally

That is fake news, FAKE NEWS! ;P

CorvusMask wrote:

In retrospect, both taldans and cheliaxians claimed to be descended from azlanti(azlanti & keleshite and azlanti & ulfen respectively), but when you really think about it, that claim is really questionable considering there aren't really azlanti ruins in inner sea area outside of that one in serpent's skull :P

But yeah, cheliaxians didn't even have their own regional language and they were part of Taldor empire originally

Incorrect, I believe there's an occasional Azlanti ruin in Cheliax. I'd have to look at the Cheliax book and Ruins of Azlant again to be sure though.

Scarab Sages
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber

Any word on if the character sheet will be its own download like in PF1? My chapterwise download has it in the Appendix, but I was hoping for just the 4 pages of it.
logic_poet wrote:
Any word on if the character sheet will be its own download like in PF1? My chapterwise download has it in the Appendix, but I was hoping for just the 4 pages of it.

They did! I can't personally link you to it but if you look through the Paizo blog you'll find it.

Happy hunting!
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
captain yesterday wrote:
CorvusMask wrote:

In retrospect, both taldans and cheliaxians claimed to be descended from azlanti(azlanti & keleshite and azlanti & ulfen respectively), but when you really think about it, that claim is really questionable considering there aren't really azlanti ruins in inner sea area outside of that one in serpent's skull :P

But yeah, cheliaxians didn't even have their own regional language and they were part of Taldor empire originally

Incorrect, I believe there's an occasional Azlanti ruin in Cheliax. I'd have to look at the Cheliax book and Ruins of Azlant again to be sure though.

They definitely don't spread to Taldor though :p

2 people marked this as a favorite.
captain yesterday wrote:
logic_poet wrote:
Any word on if the character sheet will be its own download like in PF1? My chapterwise download has it in the Appendix, but I was hoping for just the 4 pages of it.

They did! I can't personally link you to it but if you look through the Paizo blog you'll find it.

Happy hunting!

* Full-color

* Printer-friendly

I was just reading through the Halfling description, and this started bothering me.

CRB, p. 50 wrote:
Optimistic and cheerful, blessed with uncanny luck, and driven by powerful wanderlust, halflings make up for their short stature with an abundance of bravado and curiosity.

I'm a little queasy about the idea that short people need to 'make up for their short stature' by having a particular personality.

Gisher wrote:

I was just reading through the Halfling description, and this started bothering me.

CRB, p. 50 wrote:
Optimistic and cheerful, blessed with uncanny luck, and driven by powerful wanderlust, halflings make up for their short stature with an abundance of bravado and curiosity.
I'm a little queasy about the idea that short people need to 'make up for their short stature' by having a particular personality.

On the other hand I'm short and they nailed my personality spot on.

Grand Lodge
4 people marked this as a favorite.

I've spent way too much time reading blog posts and the forums. Going through the intro chapters, I notice that the Example Of Play section features players named Erik, Lyz, James, and Judy and had a little giggle for instantly recognizing each of the individuals referenced.
Silver Crusade
Son of the Sea wrote:
I've spent way too much time reading blog posts and the forums. Going through the intro chapters, I notice that the Example Of Play section features players named Erik, Lyz, James, and Judy and had a little giggle for instantly recognizing each of the individuals referenced.

Hehe, same.

1 person marked this as a favorite.

So far I like it! The only suggestion I have so far, (and it's a tiny one) would be regarding the red dragon portrait on the top corner of every left page. It's the same portrait on every single page, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it's one more piece of printing real-estate where some utility can be added.

Maybe in future reprints, it might be worthwhile to change up that portrait with each book section, adding a bit of variety to the aesthetics while simultaneously adding another visual cue when flipping through the book for quick-reference. You could even use portraits taken from the artwork already used in each of those chapters.

Anyway, loving the product so far. Can't wait to find a group to see if I like the new mechanics just as much!
Silver Crusade
1 person marked this as a favorite.

It does have the advantage of letting people know what book it's from. The Bestiary has the Troll from the cover. Possibly a helpful Mnemonic when more books come out.

Worth mentioning: The PDF is considerably lighter on PDF readers compared to v1, including those on weak tablets.

Question: is there any way to get the illustrations in the CRB as PNG files? I tried to extract them with both Foxit Reader and Adobe Reader, as well as this site, but some of the illustrations were just black backgrounds, or white silhouettes on black background. Is there a download on the site with just the pictures in the CRB for those who bought the PDF?
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Several pieces of art in the CRB have been posted to the blog. You can grab them from there.
Dark Archive
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Noticed that dwarf lore text mentions hatred for goblinoids, but the ancestry feat for ancestral enemy vengeance stuff doesn't include them in the list .-. Is there some particular reason for this or is it oversight?
Silver Crusade

Different Dwarven clans.

Vengeful Hatred wrote:
Special Your GM can add appropriate creature traits to the ancestral foes list if your character is from a community that commonly fights other types of enemies.
Dark Archive
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Rysky wrote:

Different Dwarven clans.

Vengeful Hatred wrote:
Special Your GM can add appropriate creature traits to the ancestral foes list if your character is from a community that commonly fights other types of enemies.

Oooh oki so thats why :D

1 person marked this as a favorite.

So if I buy this, does it show up on Roll20 with a linked Paizo account over there? Do I get a discount? What's the story there?
Silver Crusade

From Roll20, if you buy it here first you get a discount over there. If you buy it there you get the PDF for free from here.
Tatheniel wrote:
So if I buy this, does it show up on Roll20 with a linked Paizo account over there? Do I get a discount? What's the story there?

If you buy the book or pdf you get a discount on Roll20. I do not recall exactly how much. IF you buy the book on Roll20 then you get a free PDF from Paizo.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
2 people marked this as a favorite.
Diaz Ex Machina wrote:
Question: is there any way to get the illustrations in the CRB as PNG files? I tried to extract them with both Foxit Reader and Adobe Reader, as well as this site, but some of the illustrations were just black backgrounds, or white silhouettes on black background. Is there a download on the site with just the pictures in the CRB for those who bought the PDF?

Many of the images in our PDFs include an alpha channel, which is (to oversimplify a bit) used to create transparency effects. How the alpha channel is displayed (and whether or not it is "flattened"—that is, permanently merged with the image as opposed to being kept on its own layer) is affected by some or all of the following: your operating system, the software you're using to extract the image, and the software you're using to view the image.

It sounds like something in your setup is causing the alpha channel to be put in *front* of the image sometimes, which is certainly not very useful. There's a chance that the image isn't being flattened, though; if that's the case, you could just open the image in an image editor and delete the alpha channel.

Apart from that, my only recommendation is try different software.

What languages are Pathfinder 2nd Editions getting printed in, and where should we go if we wanted to get a copy in one of those languages?

(I want a set of the Core Rulebook in each language it's printed in...)
Customer Service Representative
6 people marked this as a favorite.

I have removed a couple of posts and the replies to them. For the first set, it is ok for folks to dislike the new rules. There is no need to attack or belittle the people who don't like PF2. Please don't do it.

For the second set, the discussion has gone a bit off topic. The hero point discussion is better suited to the rules forum. If you create thread and would like any of the removed text from this thread please let us know and we can get it for you.

For those who wish to extract images from the PDF file, may I recommend "some pdf images extract" (google it). I am using v1.5 and am on Windows 10. Fair warning it will extract everything. I had over 3000 images when I ran it against the bestiary.

-- david

Not trying to be offensive with my query, but is there any new/original in the spell/equipment/items lists?
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