Greetings,
I am new to the forum but not to Paizo. I found this site as the Pathfinder RPG was being released. Previously, I began a renewed interest in gaming starting with the 4th edition of the world's oldest RPG. I started playing at the age of ten with the Red Box and ended with 2nd edition in the early 1990s. In 2000, I bought the core books for the 3rd edition out of curiosity and nostalgia. I had never heard of Wizards of the Coast before this time. The d20 System added to the game was interesting and different. I do believe it improved the game core. I really liked the uniformity of class level gain, AC and saving throw changes, opportunity attacks and multiclass rules. I bought a few modules to check out but nothing else beyond the core.
However, there was something that bothered me about WOTC. It was the same something that bothered me about TSR in the 1990s. By the late 1990s, my interest in gaming had devolved into computer games like the Baldur's Gate series. In truth, I never really got over the force out of Gary Gygax. The 2nd edition was more unwanted change. I loved ten-sided initiative and THACO, but I hated the purging of the “controversial” elements(i.e demons & devils, later backtracked giving them stupid names). The core of 1st and 2nd edition was the same so I always took to heart that it is was my game that I could change as I saw fit. To this day, I still have the original core 1st edition books.
By the release of 3.5 edition, I had sold those original 3rd edition core books. I continued to follow the product releases on Wizard website, and looked at their free downloads. In particular, I enjoyed the 3.5 revision of the Tomb of Horrors. In 2007, near the end of this edition, I got the 3.5 core books cheaply. I wasn't playing; I just enjoyed reading the books. Neverwinter Nights was the source of 3rd edition play.
In May 2008, once more of curiosity and nostalgia, I bought the 4th edition corebook rule set. I haven't played since college during 2nd edition; I was also determined to play again. If I thought the changes from 2nd to 3rd edition were shocking, I was in for true shock and awe and not in a positive way. As I read, there were plenty of WTF!?! moments. On other hand, I have mellowed with age. Perhaps, I can be more open-minded and focus on the positive. I bought it and might as well try to play it. As I have done with the previous editions, I would stick with the core and make it my own. Even though WOTC was releasing a deluge of material during the rest of 2008 thru most of 2010, I ignored it until the release of the Essentials line.
Play was more difficult because there was only 1 GM and 1 player but technology helped. The party controlled by 1 player with my help consisted of the following: a human fighter, a dwarven cleric, a eladrin wizard, and a halfling rogue. Preparation has been easier than in the past with 1st edition. Use of a character builder and a GM tool like Masterplan have helped immensely. It is quite a different gaming experience using a laptop with a mirrored 27 in monitor. The player enjoyed 4th edition very much but to me it was better than nothing. With arrival of Essentials, I was able to simplify play further by replacing the characters with the following: a human Knight, a dwarven warpriest, and a halfling thief. I kept the eladrin wizard to keep access to rituals while excluding them from the other characters. Goodbye to martial characters with daily powers.
The original 4th edition core goes to the boneyard of the Half-Price Bookstore. At the least, Essentials should have been what the original 4th was. After all of the errata and Essentials, 4th edition revised is pretty much slighter better. With last updated version of the classic non-web-based character builder, I kept all of core material plus supplements up to Essentials. I am done with WOTC; I feel they have become creatively bankrupt. I doubt very much that I will buying anything else from them even if there is a 5th edition.
In parallel with the above, in August 2009, I bought the pdf of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. I perused the document but I really didn't study it in depth. I have done the same with Bestiary, GameMastery Guide, Advanced Player's Handbook, and the Bestiary II. I mostly bought them to support Paizo. The reason is simple. Paizo Publishing, LLC is the true successor to TSR of the late seventies to middle eighties when E. Gary Gygax was creatively in control. I enjoy the parallel of AD&D-Greyhawk with Pathfinder-Golarion. Paizo keeps the focus where it should be; this formula worked then and still works now. As a company, Paizo is far better than what TSR eventually became and WOTC is. The Pathfinder RPG is also the true successor to 3rd edition. One can argue pro and con what 4th edition is. Whatever it is, it is not D&D. WOTC slapped on the label with its IP but that's it. It can be a fun game for what is, in the same way as a board game like Risk.
So, in February 2011, I bought a copy of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook in its fourth printing from Amazon.com. Reading through it is like a breath of fresh air compared to stench of Player's Handbook 4th edition circa 2008. After I am done with 4th edition, I hope to get my single player with Pathfinder using my same formula of a core rule subset and use of technological aids. It is a more complex game with greater peril so this player may take some convincing. If I were the player instead of GM, I couldn't imagine playing anything else.
Keep up the good work, Paizo
Welcome to the boards Zarathos!
My experiences with the game throughout the years have been similar to yours. I thought nothing would ever beat AD&D, but when I saw 3.5, I loved it. Pathfinder seems the logical next step in the process.
Just a note:
This board has a way of eating posts when you hit the submit button. I recommend a quick Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C before hitting submit.
Note II: Different areas of the boards have very different focuses. Explore a little and see what you are the most interested in.
Have fun!
Welcome to the boards - have some cookies!
The biggest distinction as far as the boards are concerned - the Pathfinder RPG boards are specifically for the mechanics, which the Pathfinder Campaign Setting is more for the world setting of Golarion that we produce.
Welcome to the boards - have some cookies!
The biggest distinction as far as the boards are concerned - the Pathfinder RPG boards are specifically for the mechanics, which the Pathfinder Campaign Setting is more for the world setting of Golarion that we produce.
Thanks for the warm welcome! I hope to ask questions about some mechanics that I find unclear. I have been lurking for sometime without posting anything.
"Goodbye to martial characters with daily powers."
Hate to inform you but PF has martial characters with daily powers as well.
Welcome, Zarathos.
I understand. I sold all my 4e stuff and bought PF.
Welcome to the boards and to pathfinder. I hope you enjoy your stay. You may want to look 1 on 1 adventures or similar products that are designed for a single player and a single dm. It can be difficult but it is doable. It also might provide a more rewarding experience then having the player control 3 or 4 characters at once.
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Welcome to the boards, and the game that Pathfinder is!
One can argue pro and con what 4th edition is. Whatever it is, it is not D&D. WOTC slapped on the label with its IP but that's it. It can be a fun game for what is, in the same way as a board game like Risk.
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...compared to stench of Player's Handbook 4th edition circa 2008
Just a word of advice, some people on these boards do like D&D 4e, do feel it is Dungeons & Dragons, and believe it is as much of a roleplaying game as Pathfinder is - not just a board game. So to avoid your questions and posts being taken off on tangents (like this one :) you may want to keep them focused on Pathfinder unless they are actually about 4e.
Having said that, its good that you actually tried D&D 4e and not just once but you seem to have persevered before finding it lacking for you. That shows, as you said, an open mind and if you do debate 4e it will be from experience with it rather than just a read of the books.
I hope Pathfinder is all you hope it will be and can continue what you feel is D&D for you.
I'll second Digital Mage. I play 4e and enjoy it. I find that it has a different feel and a different flavor than PathFinder but I still think it qualifies as a fantasy role playing game that can be a whole lot of fun.
I'm relatively new to PathFinder too and go back to the red box and still have a notebook full of 1e and 2e characters I'd still play if I could find a game...
So far I've really liked Pathfinder compared to 3.5. I am just now starting my first Pathfinder campaign, and so far I have enjoyed the modifications PF has introduced.
Still not sold on the gunslinger though...
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Doomed!
O_o wut?
I'm helping1 I'm creating contrast!
The next positive message will be all the more awesome because of it.
Lawful Good baby! Hell yeah.
Welcome to the boards!
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You seeeee! :D
Thank me not with gold but with service!
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Welcome to the forums- I think you'll find many came here with a similar story.
Cool! Here was me thinking I was alone in being an alien from another galaxy trapped on Earth and only able to communicate to my Home World via subliminal messages encoded in the PF Core Rulebook.
So, now there seems to be a lot of us here, so when do we start eating the Humans?
You may come across some confusing discussions on these boards as you peruse them. I know I did. Allow me to help in translating one acronym frequently used on these boards:
FAWTL = Forums Are Way Too Long
As a fellow newb (and former 1st Ed player) a warm welcome to you also! Paizo and Pathfinder are the rpg equivalent of chocolate and peanut butter...:)
One can argue pro and con what 4th edition is... ...It can be a fun game for what is, in the same way as a board game like Risk.
This!
Welcome here and relish these boards for the sheer amount of constructive discussion going on - something I before thought to be impossible given the amounts of nerds in this hobby.
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One can argue pro and con what 4th edition is... ...It can be a fun game for what is, in the same way as a board game like Risk.This!
Was that really necessary? Seriously, what did that add to this thread?
I apologise if I seem touchy and maybe threadcrapping, but I do find the continual little digs at D&D 4e to be something that sours me on these forums - especially when they are completely unnecessary to what the thread is talking about.
I am happy to civilly discuss the merits of 4e in appropriate threads if people want to (and recently have) and am open to genuine criticisms (I have a few myself).
Sorry for the tangent (this was the sort of thing I was warning the OP about) :)
One can argue pro and con what 4th edition is... ...It can be a fun game for what is, in the same way as a board game like Risk.This!
Was that really necessary? Seriously, what did that add to this thread?
I apologise if I seem touchy and maybe threadcrapping, but I do find the continual little digs at D&D 4e to be something that sours me on these forums - especially when they are completely unnecessary to what the thread is talking about.
I am happy to civilly discuss the merits of 4e in appropriate threads if people want to (and recently have) and am open to genuine criticisms (I have a few myself).
Sorry for the tangent (this was the sort of thing I was warning the OP about) :)
Agreed. I'm not a 4e player (tried it, but didn't like it) however i have no problem with those who do. Theres room in the hobby for all of us. Doesn't matter if you play 1e, AD&D, 2e, 3rd, 3.5, pathfinder, 4th, Conan.... the important thing is you have and give the old imagination a spin.
Welcome to the boards Zarathos, we're glad to have you! (Just try to ignore the occasional bouts of nerd rage we geeks are prone to ^_^ )