I am trying to get an idea of how much it would cost me to replace my recently lost 3.0/3.5 books.
I had a small fortune invested in them and I don't know if going Pathfinder would be prudent or too expensive. (I don't want to buy if the games are going to be 'improved' every few years and I end up needing a new set of books.)
Do any of you current PF'ers think the game has staying power?
I've read the player only needs the Players Guide but I am a powergamer at heart. The old gaming group would need far more crunch than that.
How many books are out there? Does Paizo have a list?
I've thought of getting a bookreader and starting with the PDFs. Has anyone tried that?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
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If you are talking just the Core/Base line (so no setting books), there is the Core book, 2 Bestiaries, the Advanced Player's Guide, and coming out this year is Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat. The pdfs (I think) are all 9.99, so definitely a good place to start, and while I highly recommend purchasing the books to help support Paizo, (and the art is awesome) there always are the d20PFSRD or the PRD if money is tight.
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I am sorry to hear about the loss of your 3.0/3.5 books
I have a small library of RPG books, and my 3.5 books fill a bookshelf, possibly more.
One of the reasons I went with pathfinder, was the ease at which I could continue to use 3.5 materiel if I wanted to.
I seem to remember somewhere, that Paizo intends to put out around 3 hard cover books a year,
In addition to their soft cover adventure paths, and information about their world Golaron.
Thus far there is the main Rule book, the Bestiary. I think those two books are what some
People might think of as "core".
Then there is the Advanced Players Guide, the Game Mastery Guide, and the Bestiary 2.
The APG includes six new base classes (20 level classes) namely the Alchemist, Cavalier, Inquisitor, Oracle, Summoner, and witch. There are also lots of other "crunchy " bits too, (new fests spells etc)
The Game Mastery guide includes allot of good stuff too.
The Bestiary 2 is another good book of monsters.
There is also the Inner Sea Campaign guide. That details the main region of the Golaron Campaign world.
Coming out in the near future will be the "ultimate Magic" and the "Ultimate Combat"
So thus far there are five hardbound books for the game, and one "world guide".
They are coming out with two more books this year.
I think I have read on the boards, that the designers would like to let a good 8-10 years pass before they do a "new " edition.
I have not purchased an electronic reader. I guess is still like my books. I have however downloaded PDFs of the rulebooks, which I got for free with my subscriptions with Paizo. I have occasionally found it useful to have these PDFs of the rule books on my lap tops, for those times I have gone to PFS games in NYC, and with a long train ride, The weight of one lap top over several books in a back pack was preferable. I also found it easy to read them on the train with my laptop open.
I may have missed something, but I hope that helps.
(I don't want to buy if the games are going to be 'improved' every few years and I end up needing a new set of books.)
LOL!! (Sorry...)
There will ALWAYS be new/better books every few years or so... It's been that way since forever.
Welcome to the RPG life R-Hero!
Ultradan
LOL!! (Sorry...)There will ALWAYS be new/better books every few years or so... It's been that way since forever.
Welcome to the RPG life R-Hero!
Ultradan
'
Kinda knew that...been playing for 30 years +/-.
I didn't ask the question right. I realize that the rules change over time but I didn't want to drop more $$$ on a system that was not going to be around for more than a year or two. Thats what happend to me when I started buying 3.0...the 3.5 stuff started coming out.
ElyasRavenwoods estimate of 8-10 years makes it an easier decision.
I also like the fact that 3.5 material can be adapated easly with Pathfinder. I don't have to re-learn a new system all over again.
Just trying to get an estimate on cost and # of books. (and viability of pdf's on a bookreader)
I am trying to get an idea of how much it would cost me to replace my recently lost 3.0/3.5 books.
I had a small fortune invested in them and I don't know if going Pathfinder would be prudent or too expensive. (I don't want to buy if the games are going to be 'improved' every few years and I end up needing a new set of books.)
Do any of you current PF'ers think the game has staying power?
I've read the player only needs the Players Guide but I am a powergamer at heart. The old gaming group would need far more crunch than that.
How many books are out there? Does Paizo have a list?
I've thought of getting a bookreader and starting with the PDFs. Has anyone tried that?
PDFs work well on the computer or devices with zoom/pan like an Android tablet or phone. PDFs don't work so well with eInk displays like the Kindle or old Nook. Nook Color is a tablet, not eInk, so it's okay.
Start with d20pfsrd.com; you'll find all the rules you'd find in the books, and it's "free". Here you can figure out if you like the game.
When you decide you like Pathfinder, sign up for one or more subscription lines. They are the easiest and best way to get the stuff, it's spread out over time so you don't break the bank, and you get free PDFs.
After that, purchase older items to fill in the gaps. Start with a Core Rulebook and expand from there as you need/want.
I didn't ask the question right. I realize that the rules change over time but I didn't want to drop more $$$ on a system that was not going to be around for more than a year or two. Thats what happend to me when I started buying 3.0...the 3.5 stuff started coming out...
I did the same... On the bright side, when they changed to 4th Edition, I said "Screw it... I'm sticking with 3.5; It works great."...
Pathfinder was just a tweak from 3.5 so I guess my personal edition war is over. This system works great, and I don't see why I myself would change if there ever was one, as I can use my 3rd and 3.5 stuff almost nudge-free now (specialy with the Pathfinder rules website at hand).
Ultradan
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Looking over in the down load section, Paizo has their PDF’s for down load priced at 9.99. so you would pay 9.99 for the rule book, 9.99 for the Bestiary, for the Advanced Players guide, the Game Mastery guide.
So that would probably be for the five PDFs of the five books, I guess you would be looking at roughly at spending $50.000.
I don’t know what a Kindle or other eletronic reader would cost.
In terms of conversion let me give you two examples. Of course Somewhere on these boards is a conversion guide, but I don’t know where it is at the moment.
Im taking the Knight Class from the Players Handbook 2.
It has Good base attack bonus, Poor fortitude and poor reflex saves, and good will saves.
It also has d12 hit dice. I would leave most of its special abilities alone. If I noticed there was a Pathfinder feat that was very close to a Knights special ability, I might put the feat in place of the special ability.
I noticed the knights skills are 2+ intelegence modifier. I would leave that alone. In its skill list I noticed Jump. Jump Balance and Tumble have been folded into Acrobatics, in Pathfinder. So I would give the knight Acrobatics.
So that class would be farily easy to “convert”.
Lets look at the Dread Necormancer
This was a specialty spell casting class in the Heroes of Horror.
This might take a little more work but its I think do able. First I would look at the Wizard class and the Necromancy speciality, to see if the Dred Necormancer niche has been taken care of.
Lets assume we want to convert the class. This may be a little more difficult
The Dread Necromancer has
Poor base attack bonus, Poor Fort save, Poor Ref save, and good reflex save. It has a d6 hit die.
Considering that is now Identical to a wizard and sorcerer of Pathfinder, I would leave that ecactly the same.
The Dred necromancer gets simple weapons plus one martial weapon. I would probably leave that alone.
It mentions the Dread necromancer gets light armor. I would probably take it away because with a d6 hit die, I think its closer to a spell caster then a melee combatant.
The spell casting looks similar to that of a sorcerer with a set spell list. I would probably leave that alone.
The Special abilites probably need some attention.
I would give the class the Chanel Negative Energy feature as a cleric. I would also give it the Command undead feat. That should cover its negative energy burst and ability to command the undead.
I may take away the charnal touch, the fear aura, the scaberous touch, and enervating touch to balance out the greater vercitility of the Chanel negative energy.
I would probably leave the Litch body DR (because I like its flavor more then anything else) , the Advanceed learning, the Undead mastery, the negative energy riesistance, and the craft wonderous item and litch transformation.
I know it can probably be converted better, but that is a “fast and dirty” conversion just eyeballing things.
I just wanted to show that 3.5 stuff can be fairly easily converted to Pathfinder.
Good luck
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I just went through and counted my collection of Paizo stuff and it comes out to.
Core books: 5,6 if you count the GM Screen
Adventure Paths: Currently 44 Ap's 7 Map folios and 4 softbound AP players guides
Modules including older 3.5 Game mastery modules:32 not counting the 2 Free RPG Gameday modules.
Pathfinder Chronicles now called Campaign Setting books: 29
Pathfinder Companion now called Player Companion:14
Grand total:138
And that is just what I have in print versions of the books.There are also 3 more AP Players Guides which are free as well.
Or, you could buy zero books and use the open content.
Now, I am one of these people who likes to read the books in book form. I like owning them as books, and I like to drink far too much wine and flip through those books.
But you don't need the books to play Pathfinder. You need an internet connection, and you only need that long enough to archive the rules on whatever storage device. Not stealing, though, they give them away free.
I suggest starting with that, and buying whatever physical book you want to read most. It's not quite like in the 3.5 era where you needed to lug around a small library wing to have access to all the material.
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Hello R-Hero,
Firstly, very sorry to here of the loss of your collection - that's a lot of fine material.
While there is only a handful of Pathfinder hardcovers (which I would suggest purchasing as well as initially the pdfs to check it out), there is a true plethora of softcovers as indicated by bigkilla.
If your players are true lovers of every single piece of crunch, I would suggest purchasing Herolab and the Pathfinder license for it with all the pathfinder packs totalling about $110. This is a piece of character/monster building software that is updated with every piece of crunch from every single book that is released. As such it gives you access to all that softcover material cheaply while also being an excellent character/enemy sheet generator. I purchased this a month ago and would highly recommend it given your situation. You can find out more about it on the chronicles podcast ep 13 (which I would aslso receommend listening to.
In terms of the Pathfinder system vs. 3.5, there are some key differences that I would note:
- The more powerful nature of class levels in terms of class abilities spread more evenly across levels with a focus on capstone abilities. As well, the favored class rules provide a bonus rather than a penalty.
- The refining of the skill system by getting rid of cross-class skills, synergy bonuses and the introduction of the class skill bonus and the traits system.
- Feats: more of them every two levels (1,3,5,7, etc.) as well as evening out some of the poorer feats to make them somewhat tastier.
- A different XP system (that functions similarly).
- Combat Maneuvers are simpler to run and adjudicate.
- Changes to spells (subtle nerfing in most cases where there was a perceived needed change). I would suggest using Perram's spell cards (free and regularly updated) so that your players can easily refer to these changes in play.
In short I can highly recommend you going Pathfinder; it is a well supported system with a very lively community that will be around for a long time.
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
Hello R-Hero,
Firstly, very sorry to here of the loss of your collection - that's a lot of fine material.
My fault for having the books in storage. Tornado took the building but left the house intact. I count myself among the blessed.
If your players are true lovers of every single piece of crunch, I would suggest purchasing Herolab and the Pathfinder license for it with all the pathfinder packs totalling about $110. This is a piece of character/monster building software that is updated with every piece of crunch from every single book that is released. As such it gives you access to all that softcover material cheaply while also being an excellent character/enemy sheet generator.
Did an internet search, read up on Herolab. (perfect name, I think)
This is exactly what I am looking for.I would enevitably fall behind the power curve with 3.5 because there were so many books coming out so quickly. The auto-update is perfect.
In short I can highly recommend you going Pathfinder; it is a well supported system with a very lively community that will be around for a...
Thanks to all who commented. I was about 80-90% sold on Pathfinder, you good people pushed it to 100%.
I'm thinking Herolab on a small laptop or tablet is going to be what I will start with.For any interested in Herolab:
http://www.wolflair.com/index.php?context=hero_lab&page=pathfinder_role playing_game
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PDFs work well on the computer or devices with zoom/pan like an Android tablet or phone. PDFs don't work so well with eInk displays like the Kindle or old Nook. Nook Color is a tablet, not eInk, so it's okay.
I agree with 99% of what you say, but I actually read my pdfs on a Kindle DX and have never experienced any problems. Though for the bigger books you might want to get the one-chapter per file versions because it takes a second to flip the pages.