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I'm starting up an online RPG group via Maptool again, and this time through we've selected Pathfinder as the system. Well, actually we decided to move from Starwars to D&D because the art and other assets were easier to find (reducing my own prep time - I'm a busy guy). But 3/3.5e is genuinely rather rusty at this point. Everyone said that Pathfinder was like 3.75e and kept with the spirit of D&D while piling on more 'awesome'. Since 4e looks like crap, here's hoping I've cast my lot in the right product...
Having preambled all that, short of reading the entire guide cover to cover, which I will do eventually - what do I need to know?
I'd take posts, but really just any links you've got would be spiffy as well. I'm absolutely certain someone has asked this question before me, despite google returning disappointing results...
So: D&D 3/3.5e to Pathfinder - what do I need to read about first?
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Since TOZ likes to exagerrate (<3 TOZ), here's some viable advice:
1. Grab the 3.5->PF conversion document on Paizo website. It highlights several important changes.
2. Read the Classes, Combat Maneuvres, Skills first. Most changes there, and everybody should be familiar with them.
3. Depending on class choices, the players should review the feats (some changes to old ones, lots of new ones) and spells (no new spells but several were adjusted. Everything related to polymorphing, Cleric buff spells, Ray of enfeeblement, Enervation, to name a few).
4. As a GM - read up on poisons/diseases, energy drain, encounter design and XP.
5. The rest should come naturally as you go.
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Since TOZ likes to exagerrate (<3 TOZ), here's some other advice:
Fixed it for you. And I was just getting the inevitable out of the way. ;)
Gorbacz has a pretty fair starter for you. Just be aware that there are little differences that won't be immediately apparent, such as Charm Person working on ogres and trolls now. Not critically gamebreaking, but different.
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Since TOZ likes to exagerrate (<3 TOZ), here's some viable advice:
1. Grab the 3.5->PF conversion document on Paizo website. It highlights several important changes.
2. Read the Classes, Combat Maneuvres, Skills first. Most changes there, and everybody should be familiar with them.
3. Depending on class choices, the players should review the feats (some changes to old ones, lots of new ones) and spells (no new spells but several were adjusted. Everything related to polymorphing, Cleric buff spells, Ray of enfeeblement, Enervation, to name a few).
4. As a GM - read up on poisons/diseases, energy drain, encounter design and XP.
5. The rest should come naturally as you go.
What Gorbacz said.
Plus, make it extra clear to anyone who plays a spellcaster character that a lot of spells might have subtle but important differences, so they shouldn't make any assumption that magic works the way the already know or they suppose to know. Better check the rules on a case-by-case ratio.|
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Plus, make it extra clear to anyone who plays a spellcaster character that a lot of spells might have subtle but important differences, so they shouldn't make any assumption that magic works the way the already know or they suppose to know. Better check the rules on a case-by-case ratio.
Yes, totally. Vis-a-vis everyone for everything. If it matters in a major way, we're going to stop and look it up, at least until we get a grip on everything.
If we played the game by all 3e rules it would still turn out alright, and so long as we didn't cause a TPK or one-shot the big bad, we'll be back for another session...
:)
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However, the nice aspect of PF is that if you cast, say, Silence and apply 3.5 rules instead of PF (duration got changed to round/level instead of minute/level) or you use Power Attack by 3.5 rules the world won't shatter and you will be just fine, mostly. That's PF backwards compatibility for you.
There are few areas where 3.5 stuff was changed so much that it doesn't really work in similar way - the three things that spring to my mind is Concentration, Combat Maneuvers and Action Formerly Known as Turn Undead (Channel Energy).