Take the first step into an amazing world of fantasy adventure! The Pathfinder Beginner Box contains everything you need to learn how to play the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, including rules to create your own fantasy hero and tools to make your own amazing stories.
Will you be a courageous fighter, charging headfirst into battle, or a sly rogue, moving quietly to strike at foes from the shadows? Maybe you will be a knowledgeable wizard, wielding incredible arcane spells or a wise and pious cleric, using the power of your deity to shape the world for the better. It is all up to you!
Inside you will find a rich toolbox, filled with everything you need to get started, including rules for character generation, an introductory adventure, guidelines to build your own campaign, character sheets, a full-color map, character pawns, and dice. This deluxe box set is the ideal introduction to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, leading the way to a lifetime of adventure!
The Pathfinder Beginner Box includes:
An 80-page Hero's Handbook, including rules for character generation, a solo adventure, skills, spells, and equipment.
A 96-page Game Master's Handbook, containing an introductory adventure, over 20 pages of monsters, rules for building your own adventure, and magic items.
Four premade characters so you can jump right into the action and four blank character sheets if you want to make your own hero.
Over 100 character and monster pawns to use on the full-color double-sided adventure map.
Four game reference cards to help players remember their actions.
A complete set of polyhedral dice, including a d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, and d4. (Available to purchase separately here!)
Note: This version of the Beginner Box includes content updates to bring it up-to-date with the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project. Purchase of the PDF version will include both the legacy (OGL) and Remaster (ORC) versions.
ISBN: 978-1-64078-284-6
Note: Due to the special nature of this product, the Pathfinder Beginner Box is not included in any of our subscriptions.
The adventure in the Pathfinder Beginner Box, "Menace Under Otari," is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure and Chronicle sheet are available as a free download (761 kb PDF).
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
I love the Beginner's Box, because it's a great tool for introducing new players, and for new GMs, even those who are familiar with the system. It's meant for someone new to play it each time, whether that's the GM or some of your players. To that end it focuses on introducing new concepts at a great pace, accentuated by the 'how to play' blurbs found in the book. These concepts are introduced in a natural and meaningful way while giving players a room to stretch their legs. By that of course I mean that they can go wild in a dungeon crawl and really show their excitement for learning a new system.
The scenario is a two-session (four hours each usually) dungeon crawl which gradually introduce various mechanics of the game, going from simple things like fighting rats, to gaining loot, to learning consequences of navigating dungeons in a particular way, to skill challenges, and solving puzzles and using knowledge of the area to your advantage.
Each of these things is important to a player, but just as important for a GM to figure out how to manage. It never throws too much at you at once, either as a GM or a player, and so it remains pretty manageable, when you adhere to the four person party recommendation. Five people might get a little claustrophobic.
By the end of it, the players will face their "final exam" of everything they've learned. The players should feel pretty powerful in this one, and I DID make some adjustments when my players were doing particularly well, just to keep them on their toes, which they loved, but don’t go overboard, especially if you’re not familiar with PF2e balancing.
For players: There's not much new stuff for a veteran player, but a first run through will provide a fun dungeon crawl with your friends. It always helps a GM to have someone knowledgeable about the system.
For GMs: Be sure to read how the monsters are played. This is commonly referred to as "morale," and it's crucial that you play your monsters as smart as they're supposed to be. Some of the enemies in this are clever, and some may not have as much experience as others. It's crucial to ensure that you play the monsters as written, especially the final fight. That one CAN be tough, but in the end, your players should emerge feeling like accomplished heroes.
As a closing statement, (though keep reading afterward if you plan to run on Foundry VTT) the Beginner’s Box has great value, and even comes with cool art and pawns, (tokens used to represent the monsters) as well as giving some background lore on the place that you’re in while providing some nice segues into newer adventures as well as good ideas for starting new ones of your own. It also has some magic items which aren’t used in the adventure (unless you want them to be!), some of which even come with art. All in all, massive value from this one, especially if you plan to get into PF2e, or are trying to get someone else into PF2e. My players and I had an amazing time both times, and I as a GM am VERY satisfied.
Another thing for GMs who plan to run this on foundry VTT: PDF to Foundry is a great module for this one, ESPECIALLY if you’re new. Importing the Game Master's Guide PDF that comes with the BB sets up a lot of stuff for you, which is useful, not just to save time, but to learn how walls are used on Foundry, as well as the use of map notes in order to make the gaming experience smoother. However, I should warn you that not everything is immediately laid out, as you’ll still need to place loot, (which just means making a loot actor and dragging the proper items from the compendium – I suggest the Quick Insert module to expedite the process) as well as adjusting certain things to your specific liking, such as lighting and other effects if you’d like. My advice for setting up loot actors is to change the loot actor token from its default treasure chest image, into a blank .png, then place it over the treasure chests/other lootable things on the map, and so what players will simply see is a nice and natural clickable area on the map for them to walk up to and loot. You should play with the VTT before running, and figure out what it does before trying out TOO many modules. You don’t need to port forward anything, so don’t worry in case you’re confused about that. Lastly, if you hit P, you get a useful party overview, which is helpful for managing who has what skills, as well as two very nice buttons in the exploration tab: one to rest the party, and the other to allow players to roll checks and automatically show who succeeded based on the parameters you set. I.e. you ask for a DC 15 athletics check, and people can click on it in the chat and it shows their roll and degree of success. Foundry is very customizable, so it’s easy to go overboard with modules, but do test to make sure every one of them works before getting more.
The very first adventure any new GM should play. The adventure is written as if you’re brand new to any tabletop RPG so you can run this without having to read the Core Rulebook. It’s learn as you play. The adventure can be completed in two sessions and has its own little bestiary if you want to continue running a game with just the content in this box.
The only downside, however, is that it's not a very heroic adventure. You're pursuing a pretty simple job, there's not much of a narrative, and doesn't really show off what you can do role-play wise.
It raises the bar of what a TTRPG starter set should look like.
I had been curious about Pathfinder 2e for a while. I read the Core Rulebook and The GM Guide and was excited to start playing Pf2. I was however a bit nervous about how to teach the system to other new players. Or, I was until I got The Beginner Box.
It's got everything you need for the first tiers of play and is beautifully laid out in easy portions that makes the Pathfinder 2e system readily available for players and GM.
Paizo really didn't skim on the quality of the set. It's got a guide for players, that is very handy to pass around the table and a smaller version of The GM Guide that lays out most of the information you need to start playing Pf2 ASAP.
I love Pathfinder. It has given me countless hours of fun. I love Pathfinder 2, I think it's a great update and addition to the game. I have a 5 year old and, as 5 year olds are wont to do, he wants to play "Daddy's game." But as much as I would love to play a game with him, he's just starting to read and a 500 page tomb like the CRB is just too much for him. I am pretty excited about this, as it will be a simpler and less vast option for me to play with him. This will definitely be under the tree at our house this year. Really looking forward to this.
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
Will it have slightly watered down rules like the PF1E Beginner box had?
Erik Mona answered me on Facebook.
"no these are the full rules, only with fewer choices and more attention paid to explaining the concepts. Your Beginner Box character will be 100% compatible with the Core Rules."
P2 rules are already pretty simple. You just don't need 150+ pages of spells ranging from 1-10. Just include level 1 spells (and not even the uncommon ones).
This decision also means that if you want to run a Beginner Box adventure but you want to use a different monster, for instance, you can just do it if you have access to the Bestiary, and if you want to level past the upper range of the box, you just can if you have access to the CRB, using your same character.
It is good to hear that the beginner box will use the full Rules.
So we can use all the skills right from the start (even skills such as entertain, crafting or survival (which were not included in the 1st edition Beginner box).
I am also looking forward to the "starting town" of Otari (the "stat block" is already included in the gamemastery guide, but I hope we will get a map, too).
And last but not least more pawns are always better.
It is good to hear that the beginner box will use the full Rules.
So we can use all the skills right from the start (even skills such as entertain, crafting or survival (which were not included in the 1st edition Beginner box).
I think you missed the fewer choices part of the comment.
It's not clear from that paraphrase that ALL of anything will be available in the Beginner Box rules.
For example, it looks like it will only include four classes.
It's not clear from that paraphrase that ALL of anything will be available in the Beginner Box rules.
For example, it looks like it will only include four classes.
I am aware of the facts that:
- we will have only 4 classes instead of 12 to choose from
- That we maybe only get to choose between 2 feats instead of 4 per level
- that maybe our cleric will just get to choose between 10 Level 1 Spells instead of 21.
- that the beginner box will again go up to about level 5.
I am completely fine with the choice of Fighter, Rogue, Cleric and Wizard, this is the "classic" adventuring party and a great entrance point for new and experienced gamers.
I would not want the full rules in the beginner box, too.
But I just hope to see the comlplete skill list including skills such as Entertain, Intimidation, Crafting or Survival (skills like these were not included in the Pathfinder 1 Beginner Box since the Skills list -though shorter compared to D&D 3.5- was still quite long) so we can have even more variety in playing the published adventures and designing our own ones.
Pathfinder LO Special Edition, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, PF Special Edition Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Superscriber
That class list suggests that the BB will have only two of the four traditions, Divine and Arcane, which is fine with me.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Firebull5 wrote:
CrystalSeas wrote:
It's not clear from that paraphrase that ALL of anything will be available in the Beginner Box rules.
For example, it looks like it will only include four classes.
I am aware of the facts that:
- we will have only 4 classes instead of 12 to choose from
- That we maybe only get to choose between 2 feats instead of 4 per level
- that maybe our cleric will just get to choose between 10 Level 1 Spells instead of 21.
- that the beginner box will again go up to about level 5.
I am completely fine with the choice of Fighter, Rogue, Cleric and Wizard, this is the "classic" adventuring party and a great entrance point for new and experienced gamers.
I would not want the full rules in the beginner box, too.
But I just hope to see the comlplete skill list including skills such as Entertain, Intimidation, Crafting or Survival (skills like these were not included in the Pathfinder 1 Beginner Box since the Skills list -though shorter compared to D&D 3.5- was still quite long) so we can have even more variety in playing the published adventures and designing our own ones.
I remember someone saying that there would be a few actions missing from the BB, the example used was Fly as no one can do that at the levels of the BB. So I would expect we get all the skills, but not necessarily all of the actions for each skill and not any feats that require Expert in a skill.
My group started off with the Starfinder BB before we moved on to the core rules, and we were kind of disappointed with the differences between the two. We had to rejigger the characters a relearn stuff.
I hope the PF2 box is closer to core. Like the PF1 box was.
My group started off with the Starfinder BB before we moved on to the core rules, and we were kind of disappointed with the differences between the two. We had to rejigger the characters a relearn stuff.
I hope the PF2 box is closer to core. Like the PF1 box was.
I believe they confirmed above that it is the same as core, just with a lot cut out that doesn't get covered in the adventure. Things like 8 of the core classes, probably a lot of the complex conditions, and so forth.
My experience with the PF1 Beginner Box was that it has some major differences from core (like no Attacks of Opportunity), and moving from the BB to Core was a real struggle to unlearn tactics and strategies for my new-to-Pathfinder players.
Strategies that worked just fine for PF1 BB scenarios were deadly for the players when used in "regular" PF1 games.
I'm hoping from the staff comments that there won't be this kind of disconnect between the rules for PF2 Beginner Box and the Core Rulebook.
During PaizoCon Online it was revealed that PF2BB will use the same ruleset as PF2 full. So, unlike the PF1 Beginner Box, which was significantly different from the full game.
It is a rulebook, but the subscription does not include every Rulebook.
This page would show it in the “upcoming products in this subscription” section, if it were a subscription item. As you can see, the only currently announced future item is the Advanced Player’s Guide.
In PF1 they did include the beginner box as a subscription item from memory, and they received a lot of flak for it.
Typically when they used to do this, subscribers who preordered such titles received any associated PDFs for free. Not sure if they’re going to continue with that into the future though.
Any indication if there will be PDF or other electronic versions? In the current age of "Stay away from everybody" many of us are now doing our games online. I would love to be able to run this every now and then via our Virtual Table Tops. Please? Please?
Any indication if there will be PDF or other electronic versions? In the current age of "Stay away from everybody" many of us are now doing our games online. I would love to be able to run this every now and then via our Virtual Table Tops. Please? Please?
The PF1 Beginner Box download had the following PDF files
Beginner Box cover
Game Master's Guide
Hero's Handbook
Read This First
Transition Guide
And the following "Additional Material" PDFs
1. Character Sheet
2 Flip mat
3 Pregen Cleric
4 Pregen Fighter
5 Pregen Rogue
6 Pregen Wizard
7 Token Sheet ((the pawns that came in the box, as a PDF)
There were also several additional Beginner Box files later, including, IIRC, an adventure or two, and some additional classes.
Hmmm...I noticed that the description references a "full-color double-sided adventure map," rather than a flip-mat. I wonder if that is just odd phrasing, or possibly a cost-saving measure? I suspect the latter, given the minimal price hike over the 1E version, additional of the reference cards, etc.
Also curious if subscribers will get the PDF's if pre-ordering. I'm assuming not since other recent products (like Flip Mat Classics) have the product note specifying that subscribers who preorder will get the PDF. The note on this page is lacking that language