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Howdy, and thanks for clicking on this thread.
I have been playing "the worlds #1 role-playing game" with the same guys for a LONG time. Recently the subject of Pathfinder and Paizo keeps coming up. We have two copies of the core book and LOVE what we have seen so far. Other products we have peeked at seem equally as awesome. However, we are so familiar with 3.5 that our game flow is fantastic and there is some hesitation to learn a "new" rule set.
(Sorry, ramble)
Long question short. Any suggestions on how to get the ball rolling? We want to stay with Pathfinder specific stuff (i.e. Aug 2009 or later) but with all the organized play, adventure paths, and modules it is a bit confusing.
Needs/wants
1. low cost at this point.
2. Aug 2009 or later.
3. Canned
4. Pre gen pc's (we can easily learn to make characters later, just looking at testing mechanics at this point.
5. Well done enough to tip the scales toward pathfinder for some old, cantankerous gamers.
Thanks for any advice.
Grab the free PDFs of the 1st level modules Paizo has. They include pre-gens and are great for working out the mechanics of gameplay!
As you already have the core rules, you don't need much else (if anything).
I made a much bigger jump last year when I went from decades of playing B/X (and then Labrynth Lord) straight to Pathfinder!
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Grab the free PDFs of the 1st level modules Paizo has. They include pre-gens and are great for working out the mechanics of gameplay!
Definately this.
*I DON'T suggest the newest module, The Master of the Fallen Fortress, though. As awesome as it is, the pre-gens are the "extra-core" classes from the APG, which hasn't come out yet. It won't give you a feel for the core classes and the differences from 3.5.*
EDIT - I do suggest this module (particularly for the price difference of $10, but you'll have to make your own characters if you want core classes.
I suggest picking up a PF module, even if you have to pay a small amount for it.
Not the PFS senarios, though. They have a completely different feel than normal gaming, as they are for organized play. Let me look through and I'll edit this with a link or two to some examples.
[EDIT]
Crypt of the Everflame, 1st level
Realm of the Fellnight Queen, 7th level, RPG superstar
City of Golden Death, 5th level
From Shore to Sea, 6th level
My group of about 25 years has done the switch to Pathfinder and it is fairly easy. Pathfinder simplifies things to us by getting rid of or making sense outta things that always made us shake our heads in 3.x.. Your group won't regret it and here's to you and your group having another 20 years of fun with Pathfinder! GL
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My group started the switch with just the new skills -- that is, we played 3.5 with Pathfinder Skills.
That was during the Alpha and Beta playtests.
Incorporating the new skills was very easy. In fact, we didn't really convert all the way even after the Core came out.
We made it optional -- you could make your PC with 3.5 (w/ Pathfinder Skills) or you could make your PC completely Pathfinder.
You may start there -- tell the Players they can make either a 3.5 PC or a Pathfinder PC.
Welcome, Yarb. The rule books come in very affordable, $10 pdfs. That might be the place to start.
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The free download Hollow's Last Hope is a great intro. Plus, if your group enjoys it and makes the switch, there are sequal advantures you can buy to continue with the characters and make a nice little multi adventure lower level campaign.
Crypt of the Everflame is also a great intro module that also has a few sequals.
From there, you can either do as others have suggested and pick from the many great Pathfinder modules Paizo puts out.
Or, at that point, make the leap and try a full Adventure Path!
And, as others have have said - welcome to the boards!
While Hollow's Last Hope and its sequels are indeed awesome, they are 3.5, not Pathfinder RPG, and probably not best suited. I'd strongly encourage beginning with Crypt of the Everflame and going from there.
Howdy, and thanks for clicking on this thread.
I have been playing "the worlds #1 role-playing game" with the same guys for a LONG time.
'Round these parts, we call that the 'world's oldest roleplying game', pardner.
;-)
I'd have to go with the suggestion of Crypt of the Everflame and it's sequels. As much as I love Hollow's Last Hope, it was written under the 3.5 rules and won't quite serve your purpose. One thing Paizo includes in the back of all of their modules and Adventure Path books is a set of four pre-gens, so you don't have to worry about that.
I also nominate Crypt of the Everflame and its sequels, although admittedly I never ran the sequels (I own the third and hope to incorporate it somehow in my homebrew campaign). Good luck!
We did the switch with our group. There was little resistance to making the switch till one player saw the rogue and all the talents. That player then sold the rest of group on it. The switch over went very smooth due to many of the rules changes just simplifying things, such as skills.
I ran carrion hill a while ago. My group enjoyed it quite a bit. I dont normally do canned adventures, but my group was trying out pathfinder as well after finishing up a 3.5 campaign. Its well written, lots of opportunity to see mechanics, comes with pre-gen characters (all of paizo's modules do) and at level 5 instead of 1 it lets you get a feel of how the characters actually start to work. I think a little deeper into the xp pool is a better idea if you just want to see if its right for you.
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The scales have been tipped!!!!!!!!!
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions and feed back. We are going all Pathfinder all the time!!! We just ordered the 1st five King Maker AP’s, km map folio, and bestiary.
I have not been this excited about gaming sense 1st cracking the spine of the Player’s Handbook 1st edition (though at the time it just was THE Player’s Handbook, no editions at that time, yes I am old). I know I didn’t go with any of your suggestions per say, but it was the feed back and obviously dedicated core community that made our decision for us. Thanks again! See you around.
Yarb, as you have already found out, if you know how to play d&d, particularly 3.5, then you know how to play pathfinder. its the same game except not broken.
Km is delicious, Enjoy, you won't regret it.
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I'm really glad to hear that you went the way you did, actually. Kingmaker is probably the greatest set of RPG adventures I've EVER seen, and being RP veterans, you're unlikely to be intimidated by the sheer scale of things, so the #1 impediment is already behind you. May as well start off with a bang! Enjoy, and welcome to the forums. Lilith may be along with some cookies.
The scales have been tipped!!!!!!!!!
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions and feed back. We are going all Pathfinder all the time!!! We just ordered the 1st five King Maker AP’s, km map folio, and bestiary.
I have not been this excited about gaming sense 1st cracking the spine of the Player’s Handbook 1st edition (though at the time it just was THE Player’s Handbook, no editions at that time, yes I am old). I know I didn’t go with any of your suggestions per say, but it was the feed back and obviously dedicated core community that made our decision for us. Thanks again! See you around.
Welcome to pathfinder. I hope you and your group enjoy your stay. Kingmaker is a great choice, but just make sure whoever is dming it is aware it can be a challenge. As a sandbox game, the players can easiliy wander into challenges they arent ready for, and you have to work to make it feel like a story, and not like a series of random encounters (since there are lots of those).
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......................cookies.
By Lilith do you mean the saint behind wayfinder?
Ah, a knowlegeable diplomat! ;)
Welcome around.
Yarb, you may find it of some value to look at the play by post section of the message boards. By reading along with some of the adventures there, it may make you feel more confident with the Pathfinder rules. As others have said here, I think you'll find they flow easier than 3.5 without diminishing the excitement.
I love new converts to the ever growing cult of Paizo!
Yarb you most definitely won't be let down by Kingmaker. Make sure to drop by the Kingmaker forum section as there are some great discussions about tough spots, fan created materials, etc. I have run two of the Pathfinder AP's so far. Kingmaker will be my third and so far it is my favorite to GM and the players are totally engaged. Not sure if you ever dabbled with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay but Kingmaker is the most fun I've had GM'ing since Death on the Reik. It also has a very Keep on the Borderlands feel to it which harkens back to my pimply middle school years.
I have to second the previous post that suggested picking up pdf's. I tend to snag pdf's of books that interest me and then buy the hardcopy if I find I use it all the time. Plus, pdf's are super handy for generating handouts, extracting images and for being able to port your entire library around on a flash drive (less strain on our old backs you see).
I also have to suggest the critical hit and critical fumble decks because they add yet another level of entertainment to the game.
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I also have to suggest the critical hit and critical fumble decks because they add yet another level of entertainment to the game.
Thanks for the tips Herbo! is there a "player safe" section of the KM forum?
My group has been using the C.H & C.M decks for a few months now and we love them. A few sessions back I got a critical miss card for bludgeoning damage called “no way” that had me do minimum damage on a miss! I did 9 points of damage on a miss! The GM was slightly perturbed and spent a long time looking through cards, considering no longer using them due to “unbalance”. He came around though after he landed a few crits on PC’s later in the game. It is now a recurring joke at our table that Yarb is so bad a** that he does 9 points of damage on a miss :)
welcome to the group, and if i may say one thing that will get your players to convert
show them the new rules for combat maneuvers
my players were completely hooked after they started grappling. i still consider simplifying the combat maneuvers down to be one of the best changes.
err.. /ramble
anyway welcome to the forums and to pathfinder. once you get a module or two under your groups belt i highly suggest throwing an adventure path at them, Rise of the Runelords is excellent however Kingmaker is shaping up nicely and is very different from the usual vein of adventures(in a good way). oh and I also can't recommend Gods & Magic enough as I personally love the Golarion pantheon.
happy gaming,