GMG, APG, Are they part of the "core" rules?

[ElyasRavenwood]

I have a quick question. Perhaps it has been answered elsewhere. I remember with 3.5, you had the three core rule books: the Players Handbook, the Dungeon Master's guide, and the Monster Manuel, which comprised the "core " rules. All of the other rule books were optional.

Is their a similar assumption for the Pathfinder game? Is the Pathfinder Core Rule Book, and the Pathfinder Game Mastery Guide and the Pathfinder Bestiary considered core, and the Pathfinder Advanced Player's guide considered "optional"? Are all four books considered Core?

Or are the distinctions left up to us the GM's?

Thanks

[Mairkurion {tm}]

GM discretion as to whether you use them. They're not part of the Core Rules which are in the Core Rulebook (although, you need monsters to play).
Haven't gotten the APG yet, but I just want to say that the GMG is one of the few, very best RPG books ever, in my estimation.

[Scipion del Ferro]

The only book you need to truly run a game of Pathfinder is the Pathfinder Core Rule Book. It contains everything you need. The Bestiary certainly helps but isn't required, and the Advanced Player's guide is amazing but you can play without it.

[seekerofshadowlight]

As the others have said, they are not core rules. The two core books are the Pathfinder core rulebook and the Bestiary. Every thing else are outside of the core rules

[Anewor7]

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized play 3.0 wrote:

Since the core assumption for Pathfinder Society Organized Play is the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, Pathfinder Chronicles: Seekers of Secrets, and the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, we cannot assume that every Game Master will have the products listed below. As such, it’s up to players to bring these items in order to familiarize their Game Masters with the rules.

So for pathfinder organized play seekers of secrets is included in core, while the Game Masters guide isn't - but like society games which allow things from a wider variety of sources than just core, I recommend your home games do the same thing :P

[IronWolf]

Anewor7 wrote:

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized play 3.0 wrote:

Since the core assumption for Pathfinder Society Organized Play is the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, Pathfinder Chronicles: Seekers of Secrets, and the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, we cannot assume that every Game Master will have the products listed below. As such, it’s up to players to bring these items in order to familiarize their Game Masters with the rules.

So for pathfinder organized play seekers of secrets is included in core, while the Game Masters guide isn't - but like society games which allow things from a wider variety of sources than just core, I recommend your home games do the same thing :P

Yeah, I think Seekers of Secrets is considered core for PFS games because the tie-in pretty strong, since everyone is playing a Pathfinder.

But as you said, home games can expand and use a much larger variety of sources.