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
Available Formats
The Pathfinder Core Rulebook is also available as:
No longer anchored in its 3.5 traditions , the developers have completely rebuilt a new system for the game they love.
Character Customization is still the strength and spotlight, yet the game feels balanced. The three action system is brilliant, leading to many more options in combat and strategy. The Proficiency system, levels of success and archtypes are all great , clean and simple additions, yet they had depth and room for expansion.
The book is also beautifully layed out with many many great pieces of art.
The final product of Pathfinder 2 is very much like the playtest product; while there are numerous changes, the overall foundation of the game and its classes are largely the same. If you didn’t like the playtest, you probably won’t like the final product. And if you loved the playtest product, this is largely the same thing with tighter balance, refined rules, and better presentation.
Pathfinder 2nd Edition is almost retro. If there was a term for 3e OSR style play, Pathfinder 2 would be that style of game. It’s Labyrinth Lord for d20. (d20SR?) It streamlines and cleans up the rules while improving balance but doesn’t really innovate much.
Pathfinder 2 reduces the number of skills while removing skill ranks; it adds Encounter powers; classes are designed around lengthy chains of feats/ powers; powers with keywords and tags; monsters that don’t follow PC rules; bonuses that increase based on your level; treasure is awarded by handing out magic items of set levels. To say nothing of the heavy combat focus and tactical play that requires a battlemap. It’s all very 4th Edition… but 4e arguably done in a way that retains a lot of classic elements and curiously kills fewer sacred cows than 4e despite being far more able to make hamburger.
The game is a direct evolution of 3rd Edition and Pathfinder. But it evolves the d20 game system in a lot of the same directions as 4th Edition and Star Wars Saga Edition. Games that ironically predate Pathfinder 2e. It’s an evolution of the game, but an evolution that could have taken place almost a decade ago. It feels designed in a vacuum, ignoring innovations of its competitors and rivals. Which would be problematic at the best of times, but is even more curious at a time when 5th Edition D&D has become the best selling RPG ever.
It’s also a dense system that requires a lot of system mastery. You need to know what keywords do, and memorize conditions, and keep track of specific jargon like “Step” and “Stride”, which are different things despite starting with “S” and relating to movement. This is not an easy game to learn. While arguably simpler (or at least more streamlined) than Pathfinder 1, it’s still one of the more complicated RPG rulesets currently being published. If not the most complicated in-print RPG. We’re currently in a time when most other roleplaying games have been moving towards narrative play (or even the emotional play of Nordic RPGs), when theatre-of-the-mind gameplay is a major focus as it enables & supports the live stream games that have become so essential for new player acquisition.
All of the above is a pretty big feature/ bug. If you like complexity, everything I just said is probably a selling point. If you don’t, then Pathfinder 2 is probably not your jam. And that’s okay. Because so many other games are drifting towards the narrative end of the spectrum, it’s probably a good thing to have a big name game providing an alternative.
Pathfinder 2 evolves Pathfinder in a direction I have very little interest in playing. It doesn’t fix or resolve any of the issues that caused me to burn out hard and drove me away from the game. It’s still complex with a lot of work to build character and ridiculous amounts of magical items without even an optional inherent bonuses system. And it encourages roleplaying and acting in character largely as much as Battletech or Warhammer 40k. In a world where 5e didn’t exist, I could probably hammer Pathfinder 2 into something playable with a barrage of house rules… but 5e does exist, so I don’t need to do all that work.
But that’s just me. I’m sure there are lots of people who want a heavier game than 5th Edition and are unsatisfied with its character building. It should also appeal to D&D fans who are unhappy with 5e’s “rulings not rules” attitude and want a game with less arbitration and firmer rules. It should also appeal to many fans of 4th Edition who might be in the market for a new game. To say nothing of Pathfinder 1 fans who just want a little more balance, or desire a version of the rules that has a clean slate and far less bloat (at least for a year or so). Pathfinder 2 might easily appeal to all the above. And it’s certainly the go-to game I will recommend to people who want that kind of experience.
This might be a bit of a "rant" because, frankly, I can't contain my excitement enough to write out a "well-thought out review".
I've been able to thoroughly analyze the book and experienced the system first-hand at Paizocon. I was extremely hesitant after the playtest and approached the Second Edition with a sort of cautious optimism. While I could feel even during the playtest that the new system was a labor of love, I just wasn't feeling especially enthused with what I saw after playing through the playtest scenarios. Then I saw the final product.
The modular nature of the new system can be somewhat daunting. If you just skim the class section like you would any other d20 system, you may be a little disappointed at what looks like a lack of options. But once you sit down and make your first character, you'll begin to realize that the breadth of options here manages somehow to bridge that gap between a level-class system that defines ecah character by a set role and a point-buy system that allows for modular character option selection!
This isn't a "nerf"; on the contrary, this opens up characters we could only dream of playing in 1e. In the core rulebook alone there are at least 11,880 viable class and class/dedication combinations (and I could get more ridiculous if I wanted to claim it's possible to have a decent 4 dedication PC). Each book being released will add even further depths of customization given the fabulous "archetype" system from 1e has been seperated from individual classes and instead given out freely.
Essentially, you are no longer building a "class" in 2e. You are building a "character".
Skill feats ensure that the "modifier race" has been replaced by choosing cool abilities that help define your character beyond "+25 to diplomacy!"
Codified saves and DCs help both players and GMs make quick table calls that won't result in a 25 minute forum search and debate as to whether or not a player can or can't do something. Ask for their proficiency. Have them roll the die. Set the DC based on the chart in the book or the DC of the target being opposed.
Ancestries are customizable right off the bat, with the tantilizing promise of BALANCED CHARACTER TEMPLATES for the first time in 1pp d20, potentially allowing for all sorts of "hybrid races" like Dhampir Elves without overly specific trade-offs that might not make sense for your specific character!
The combat rules are somehow simpler and yet more tactically satisfying even if we don't go into what the action economy does for us. Skill-based maneuvers without the need for a feat tax let everyone potentially "grab the guy trying to run away" without being grossly punished for it. Rules like enlarging and the debuffs are so clean and clear that I don't think I'll ever need to reference the rulebook once I play for a few months. And yet there is no missing depth to the tactical decision-making both players and GMs can make here...especially due to the action economy (being able to 'spring attack' with zombies in the playtest was so freaking fun).
The environment and hazard rules in this system are tight! Balanced rules for things like jumping on enemies or bypassing different types of hazards without just relying on the same old "class check".
The multi-classing system is brilliant, and this is coming from someone who multi-classed and even prestiged classed a majority of his PCs in 1e. Allowing for trade-offs they way they do helps further customize what your character is defined by, without the skill/save/BAB problems in 1e or the need for prerequisites that limited most prestige classes in older editions to only be accessible to "certain classes".
The weapon traits in this system are a wonderful addition. I can't wait to see more than the dozen or so "optimal weapons" we saw in 1e. Almost every weapon in this book serves a role beyond "it exists in the real world, so we better give it stats, even if its worse in every way than something else we already have".
And the best part?
The very best part?
I can get someone playing this system after maybe an hour of rules explanation and character creation. And I mean actually playing. As in making the decisions for themselves. As in having your creative solutions be a feasible check rather than having a group of experienced gamers roll their eyes because they know the rules don't support what your trying to do without some obscure feat.
Paizo has completely hit this edition out of the park. Somehow they've managed that perfect balance between clarity and complexity. This is truly a game that you can learn in an afternoon, but take a lifetime to master. One that's as fun playing as it is GMing. And one that goes the extra mile to make sure no player option is "too weak", without making everything feel "the same".
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
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.
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.
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!
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
Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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