Hey Guys!
My group is looking to get away from 4e D&D [just didn't like the feel of it] and one of the members played 2 games of PF so he recommended it. I have done a bit of research into it, looked at it in local store, and decided to give it a try.
I would like to know what I need/should buy to play. [Besides the dice, paper, etc].
Also, where can I find all the 'fluff' for the world? We played in the Forgotten Realms setting and loved it, mainly because most of us read the novels and source books about it. Is there things like that for PF?
Thanks
Grim
Hey Guys!
My group is looking to get away from 4e D&D [just didn't like the feel of it] and one of the members played 2 games of PF so he recommended it. I have done a bit of research into it, looked at it in local store, and decided to give it a try.
I would like to know what I need/should buy to play. [Besides the dice, paper, etc].
Also, where can I find all the 'fluff' for the world? We played in the Forgotten Realms setting and loved it, mainly because most of us read the novels and source books about it. Is there things like that for PF?
Thanks
Grim
The Pathfinder core book is basically a combined PH/DMG
The Bestiary is the monster manual.The Golarian campaign setting is your world book
There are starting to be novels released as of this year, and the Adventure Paths have linked short fiction in every issue.
Hey Guys!
My group is looking to get away from 4e D&D [just didn't like the feel of it] and one of the members played 2 games of PF so he recommended it. I have done a bit of research into it, looked at it in local store, and decided to give it a try.
I would like to know what I need/should buy to play. [Besides the dice, paper, etc].
Also, where can I find all the 'fluff' for the world? We played in the Forgotten Realms setting and loved it, mainly because most of us read the novels and source books about it. Is there things like that for PF?
Thanks
Grim
Hey Grim, welcome to the boards.
To play pathfinder all you really need is the Core Rulebook (and a Bestiary if you happen to be the GM).
As far as the fluff information Pathfinder Wiki
is a great site for information. There is also the Campaign Setting book, along with numerous pathfinder companions and chronicles books. Hope this helps you get started.
Go here and browse the various offerings:
The Companion and Chronicles lines are going to have the fluff you are looking for, and I can recommend every product in both lines. Note that some of this material pre-dates the Pathfinder RPG, and so is still using the old 3.5 mechanics. They are by-and-large still very compatible, however. There is a new "campaign setting" book coming out in September--Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting World Guide: The Inner Sea--so keep that in mind if you are looking at the older Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting.
Finally, I offer up my Pathfinder Character Excelerator if you are looking for a free tool for character generation--I always keep the latest copy in my profile line. It's in beta form now, but has Open Game Content material from almost all Golarion books to date.
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First off, welcome Grimsson! Have a beer on me.
I would like to know what I need/should buy to play. [Besides the dice, paper, etc].
Everyone has stated Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and Bestiary. Pathfinder RPG was built to serve as a current "purchaseable" rulebook for this iteration of 3rd edition rules. Paizo stated very clearly that they didn't want newcomers to go to eBay to buy rules to play their adventures. The reason for not having a DMG/PH is to have everything "rules-wise" available to everyone playing the game. Its a big book, but it helps when three players add their eyes to the rule hunt.
The Bestiary is the equivalent to a Monster Manual, but there are enough changes to how the monsters function to merit its purchase.
Paizo made its name by producing Dragon and Dungeon Magazine which featured both adventures, crunch and fluff. Their greatest niche that they accomplished was their Adventure Paths in Dungeon. Pathfinder started off as a 3.5 OGL name brand featuring Adventure Paths set in their new world of Golarion. They followed up their success with Pathfinder Chronicles which supported their world and augmented their Adventure Paths.
They were set to switch to 4.0 when the time came, but were unable to do so for a number of reasons. The biggest reason being how restrictive the 4.0 system is, when it comes to how adventures would be told.
Also, where can I find all the 'fluff' for the world? We played in the Forgotten Realms setting and loved it, mainly because most of us read the novels and source books about it. Is there things like that for PF?
What you are asking for is this book, Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting . It is the Campaign Setting, but it is 3.5 rules. As I stated above, Pathfinder started as 3.5 OGL. The book is expensive because it will soon be out of print. It is a fantastic book.
However, if you are willing to be a little patient, Paizo is updating the rules in the Campaign Setting to Pathfinder RPG,
Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting World Guide: The Inner Sea (PFRPG) Hardcover. This is essentially the same book, but I have heard that a few articles will be removed but a bunch of extra pages will be added.
Fluff comes in three forms:
The first being the Pathfinder Chronicles line. This line covers Golarion in general, Cities of Golarion, Pathfinder Society, Map Folios that support the Adventure Paths, Guides to specific regions within Golarion, Gods of Golarion and just about anything concerning the Cosmos. The line also has a Classics Revisted "inner line" that gives iconic D&D creatures, items a full fleshing out.
The second being the Advenure Paths . I know of some people that will never touch premade adventures. I can asure you that there is a lot to learn within these pages that have nothing to do with running an adventure. There are drop dead fascinating articles, excellent Golarion Fiction, and new creatures completely stated out. The idea of the Adventure Path is not only to provide an epic adventure, but to put in the DM's hands a resource that provides detailed background of the region, understanding the flavor of the adventure, touching on new game mechanics never before seen, adding a new prestige class such as the Hellknight. The Adventure Paths are full of wicked and cool that definitely falls into the fluff category.
The third form is the Pathfinder Companion . This particular line was designed to be player friendly. It has a wealth of information which everyone can share. There is nothing in these sources that will reveal "DM eyes only" information. Though I would add that a DM should know what is in these books. They contain detailed information such as Empires, Equipment, Player's Guides and Races concerning Golarion.
Now I could mention that the Pathfinder Modules are also Golarion specific. I might recommend that you run Crypt of the Everflame (1st Level Mod) so you can experience Pathfinder RPG nuances to the system. This module was designed to introduce Pathfinder RPG by the most excellent Jason Bulmahn. Just a suggestion.
If you are curious as to how things work around here, I can tell you that I am a big Paizo fan. I subscribe to all their products directly from them. I do pay a bit more to do so, but I have a serious advantage by doing it this way. I get PDFs of all their books for free. That's right, you subscribe and then they give you a free PDF which you can download from their site, no matter where you end up. I think in the future this will become an even greater asset as we see iTouchpads doing away with books completely.
Enjoy the world.
Cheers,
Zuxius
That's right, you subscribe and then they give you a free PDF which you can download from their site, no matter where you end up. I think in the future this will become an even greater asset as we see iTouchpads doing away with books completely.
First of all, great post! It helped myself a great deal, who is also new to Pathfinder. But I only quoted this small part of your post as I don't see books ever going away completely and also wanted to add James has indicated there are no plans for the foreseeable future in Paizo going completely or even mostly digital.
And really, I hope they never do. I understand the convenience of digital, and it is nice to have it as secondary means of accessibility, but I am one who prefers to have the actual book. Something I can hold in my hands as well as flip through and appreciate the glossy pages (with well done art). Call me a traditionalist. :)
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Hey Guys!
My group is looking to get away from 4e D&D [just didn't like the feel of it] and one of the members played 2 games of PF so he recommended it. I have done a bit of research into it, looked at it in local store, and decided to give it a try.
I would like to know what I need/should buy to play. [Besides the dice, paper, etc].
Also, where can I find all the 'fluff' for the world? We played in the Forgotten Realms setting and loved it, mainly because most of us read the novels and source books about it. Is there things like that for PF?
Thanks
Grim
Howdy fellow Faerûnian!
Just so you know, Pathfinder is backwards compatible with 3.5, so you could still play in the Realms with only some tweaks to monster/NPC statistics. And, there's a Free Conversion Guide available.
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But I only quoted this small part of your post as I don't see books ever going away completely and also wanted to add James has indicated there are no plans for the foreseeable future in Paizo going completely or even mostly digital.
And really, I hope they never do.
I couldn't agree more.
Welcome Grimsson!
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Hey Guys!
My group is looking to get away from 4e D&D [just didn't like the feel of it] and one of the members played 2 games of PF so he recommended it. I have done a bit of research into it, looked at it in local store, and decided to give it a try.
I would like to know what I need/should buy to play. [Besides the dice, paper, etc].
Also, where can I find all the 'fluff' for the world? We played in the Forgotten Realms setting and loved it, mainly because most of us read the novels and source books about it. Is there things like that for PF?
Thanks
Grim
Pathfinder Core Rulebook is like having a Player's Handbook and DM's Guide rolled into one. The Bestiary is the other purchase. The Golarian Campaign setting is optional, but from what I have seen of it, it's a great gameworld and popular with the Pathfinder folks.
Absolutely love Pathfinder! The people at Paizo deserve a big clap for their hard work and effort.
Good choice.
There are alot of little changes in rules, spells, classes, abilities, and other things between PF and 3.5...
I usually laugh when I come across a new one. Ever once in awhile you will see one on the boards here.
Yeah, those changes are all pretty funny.
Welcome to the boards Grimsson! I can't add much besides what others have stated already, so instead, I offer cookies. *offers virtual cookies*
Enjoy your stay!
Edit: Oh, just so you know, don't confuse the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game line with the other Pathfinder lines. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game line is rules-focused, with little Golarion world setting (some items are necessary, like sample deities for the divine-focused classes). If you prefer homebrew settings, or adapting Forgotten Realms (or any other setting), that might be the way to go. Of course, I hope you do take a peek at Golarion. :D
Welcome to the boards Grimsson! I can't add much besides what others have stated already, so instead, I offer cookies. *offers virtual cookies*Those virtual cookies are dern good. What's the recipe, or is it a secret? ;)
Secret. :P If you show up at PaizoCon or GenCon, then you get them for real. :)
Secret. :P If you show up at PaizoCon or GenCon, then you get them for real. :)Welcome to the boards Grimsson! I can't add much besides what others have stated already, so instead, I offer cookies. *offers virtual cookies*Those virtual cookies are dern good. What's the recipe, or is it a secret? ;)
I'll be at Gen Con!
So, should we expect them at the Paizo booth? :D
So, should we expect them at the Paizo booth? :D
Pathfinder Society HQ would be a better place to find me. :)
So, should we expect them at the Paizo booth? :DPathfinder Society HQ would be a better place to find me. :)But I can't get to either con and I want cookies! And I want to go to Tosche Station to pick up some power converters too.
/whine
I have been known to send out Snack Packs of test recipes before...
So, should we expect them at the Paizo booth? :DPathfinder Society HQ would be a better place to find me. :)
Ok, maybe I'll run into you. I signed up for at least one PFS event. :)
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But I only quoted this small part of your post as I don't see books ever going away completely and also wanted to add James has indicated there are no plans for the foreseeable future in Paizo going completely or even mostly digital.
And really, I hope they never do. I understand the convenience of digital, and it is nice to have it as secondary means of accessibility, but I am one who prefers to have the actual book. Something I can hold in my hands as well as flip through and appreciate the glossy pages (with well done art). Call me a traditionalist. :)
I am also a traditionalist when it comes to books. I cannot deny the drool on all the pages. I love when I get my copies and open them for the first time smelling their mint feel. Nothing like it. I don't wish them to stop printing books.
That said, if I ever find myself playing games in New York or Belgium or Germany, my digital PDFs will be what I am most thankful for. I would owe it to Paizo for thinking so far ahead. They set me up so I can view all these resources from a PDF. When I am at home, its dead tree all the way baby, but as I find how scattered PFRPG people really are, I think having a handy iTouchpad with every single Piazo product on it would really create a lot of ease for my thoughts. I couldn't access those volumes so far away from home. I cannot carry them all. Joshua Frost said he had a two bag 35 lbs limit to fly into Belgium. Lightweight is the future. Paizo will support digital conveniences because it in their pioneering spirit to raise the bar.
I suggest you listen to Erik Mona's speech at NeonCon. He makes it fairly clear the pulse he feels RPG is heading towards. I am sure he doesn't want Paizo to miss the boat.
But I only quoted this small part of your post as I don't see books ever going away completely and also wanted to add James has indicated there are no plans for the foreseeable future in Paizo going completely or even mostly digital.
And really, I hope they never do. I understand the convenience of digital, and it is nice to have it as secondary means of accessibility, but I am one who prefers to have the actual book. Something I can hold in my hands as well as flip through and appreciate the glossy pages (with well done art). Call me a traditionalist. :)
I am also a traditionalist when it comes to books. I cannot deny the drool on all the pages. I love when I get my copies and open them for the first time smelling their mint feel. Nothing like it. I don't wish them to stop printing books.
That said, if I ever find myself playing games in New York or Belgium or Germany, my digital PDFs will be what I am most thankful for. I would owe it to Paizo for thinking so far ahead. They set me up so I can view all these resources from a PDF. When I am at home, its dead tree all the way baby, but as I find how scattered PFRPG people really are, I think having a handy iTouchpad with every single Piazo product on it would really create a lot of ease for my thoughts. I couldn't access those volumes so far away from home. I cannot carry them all. Joshua Frost said he had a two bag 35 lbs limit to fly into Belgium. Lightweight is the future. Paizo will support digital conveniences because it in their pioneering spirit to raise the bar.
I suggest you listen to Erik Mona's speech at NeonCon. He makes it fairly clear the pulse he feels RPG is heading towards. I am sure he doesn't want Paizo to miss the boat.
Can we get a link to that speech at NeoCon?
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Erik Mona at NeonCon concerning Pen and Paper Gaming in the 21st Century. This could take awhile to load, good quality.
Absolutely love Pathfinder! The people at Paizo deserve a big clap for their hard work and effort.
I couldn't agree more! Pathfinder brings me so much joy.
And you can really tell that these products are made BY gamers FOR gamers.
And all of Paizo's staff show up on these messageboards too, and they're always unfailingly helpful and courteous, fun and pleasant...
You're in for a great ride, OP!
I suggest you listen to Erik Mona's speech at NeonCon. He makes it fairly clear the pulse he feels RPG is heading towards. I am sure he doesn't want Paizo to miss the boat.
Erik Mona at NeonCon concerning Pen and Paper Gaming in the 21st Century. This could take awhile to load, good quality.
Hmm, ok. I can’t look at it at work as it’s a bit too long, but I will at home later. I hope Erik isn’t saying though that it appears for the industry that hard copies for pen and paper RPGs are phasing out and it will most likely eventually go digital or even mostly digital. But again, I will look at his speech later on.
Thanks for the link.
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I have been known to send out Snack Packs of test recipes before...So, should we expect them at the Paizo booth? :DPathfinder Society HQ would be a better place to find me. :)But I can't get to either con and I want cookies! And I want to go to Tosche Station to pick up some power converters too.
/whine
*ahem*
SQEEE!
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Grimsson, you can also learn a few things about the world setting and the game at Pathfinder Wikiand at Pathfinder SRD. I think that you will like what you find there in addition to the other great recommendations in this thread.
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Secret. :P If you show up at PaizoCon or GenCon, then you get them for real. :)Welcome to the boards Grimsson! I can't add much besides what others have stated already, so instead, I offer cookies. *offers virtual cookies*Those virtual cookies are dern good. What's the recipe, or is it a secret? ;)
Would love to but when I get the finances to fly it's so I can get to see my family back in England ;( I live East Coast which makes it a little difficult. Maybe there should be an East Coast event too.
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Erik Mona does not say PDFs will replace hard copies as the industry standard. What he does demonstrate is his enthusiasm towards the way things are evolving in the pen and paper gaming industry. What I am implying here is that he is "Pro Change" when it comes to pen and paper gaming and technology. He also never says that all Paizo books will be on a meter like iPads. I am fairly convinced it will be, if you desire it enough. It would be a convenience for me at conventions, but wouldn't replace my books at home.
My original point was that you get a free PDF as a subscirber and this will come home big time in the years ahead.
Erik Mona does not say PDFs will replace hard copies as the industry standard. What he does demonstrate is his enthusiasm towards the way things are evolving in the pen and paper gaming industry. What I am implying here is that he is "Pro Change" when it comes to pen and paper gaming and technology. He also never says that all Paizo books will be on a meter like iPads. I am fairly convinced it will be, if you desire it enough. It would be a convenience for me at conventions, but wouldn't replace my books at home.
My original point was that you get a free PDF as a subscirber and this will come home big time in the years ahead.
Sorry, I never meant to come across trying to state what Erik said or didn’t say at NeonCon, I just stated what I hopedhe didn’t say in the speech. I don’t know what he said at the NeonCon as I haven’t listened to it yet (can’t because I am at work).
Not sure what being “on a meter” means. But I don’t have an iPad. But maybe it will be clarified in his speech.
Thanks Zuxius.
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Erik Mona at NeonCon concerning Pen and Paper Gaming in the 21st Century. This could take awhile to load, good quality.
Hmm, ok. I can’t look at it at work as it’s a bit too long, but I will at home later. I hope Erik isn’t saying though that it appears for the industry that hard copies for pen and paper RPGs are phasing out and it will most likely eventually go digital or even mostly digital. But again, I will look at his speech later on.
Thanks for the link.
Watched the whole speech and you may find your fears misplaced. He was commenting more on aids using software for pen and paper gamers. Much of this would significantly speed up combat decisions, modifier etc and make the flow of the gamer experience as a RPG that much more exciting and rapid.
As we all know Combat encounters tend to be the most time consuming part of any game session. Eric was talking about players casting spells using Ipad and it goes direct to the GM. The GM is informed about spell expiration, and even effects if he prefers not to roll dice. If he likes rolling dice then he just plugs the results into the system
Electronic character sheets automatically alter negative level adjustments and spell effects currently affecting your character.
Virtual tabletops which are still in the future but clan flag AoO and other things like characters moving in and out of spell effected areas, by flagging GM and players alike. Perception checks can often be passive and the GM may forget the roll. This can be flagged to a GM using a tool. It opens numerous possibilities to speed up a gaming session without spoiling the overall verisimilitude of role playing.
Remember the easier a game is to play, the more people play it.
Having said all this, unlike computer games, the GM (a human being) is still the arbiter and can change/override things as situations arise. Also the game remains limited to the imagination of the GM and her players. Computer games simulate reality but they cannot create it.
As a software developer I can tell you that computers as they currently stand are just complicated machines, and thus have no imagination, and cannot foresee circumstances unless they are programmed to and even then they can never be subtle.
Computers are tools and do all the things human minds are slow at, like math, but they are accurate in linear situations.
True thinking computers do not exist except as limited lab experiments, and even then the thinking is very simplistic. Maybe one day we will build machines that can start to emulate consciousness, at present the best intelligent machines have reactive thinking and are little more than insects reacting to stimuli.
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Welcome to the boards!
I was too lazy to read all the stuff posted above, which I'm sure is filled with good advice, so apologies if I'm just adding a "me too" to the discussion.
The only book you need to play is the PFRPG Core Rules, and even then, Pathfinder has its own SRD and you can use that in the meantime. If you want to DM, you'll want the Bestiary as well.
If you want to dive in deeper, I might hold off on the Campaign Setting given that the revised version is not too far off in the future. I would recommend subscribing to the Adventure Paths - those are Paizo's flagship product and really illustrate what makes them the best rpg publisher around. Even if you don't plan to play the adventures, they are a great source of inspiration (I steal liberally and often from my APs, particularly maps) and have a lot of good supplemental articles. There's also fiction, if that's your thing.
