Transitioning from the beginners box to the core rulebook

[Ulairi]

I picked up the core rulebook today and it is pretty hefty.Where exactly should I start in transitioning our game from the beginners box to the core book? The beginners box says there is enough content until 5th level but I'd like to start slowly adding things to the game because otherwise I'm sure I'll get overwhelmed by all the new rules.

Should I read the core book cover to cover or just specific sections as the game goes on?

Thanks!

[The Rot Grub]

Ulairi wrote:

I picked up the core rulebook today and it is pretty hefty.Where exactly should I start in transitioning our game from the beginners box to the core book? The beginners box says there is enough content until 5th level but I'd like to start slowly adding things to the game because otherwise I'm sure I'll get overwhelmed by all the new rules.

Should I read the core book cover to cover or just specific sections as the game goes on?

Thanks!

Yes, I've been an advocate for Paizo to have some "intermediate" materials to ease the transition.

My first question is: are you designing your own adventures? Or do you plan on using modules/adventure paths?

[Ravenbow]

The Rot Grub wrote:

Ulairi wrote:

I picked up the core rulebook today and it is pretty hefty.Where exactly should I start in transitioning our game from the beginners box to the core book? The beginners box says there is enough content until 5th level but I'd like to start slowly adding things to the game because otherwise I'm sure I'll get overwhelmed by all the new rules.

Should I read the core book cover to cover or just specific sections as the game goes on?

Thanks!

Yes, I've been an advocate for Paizo to have some "intermediate" materials to ease the transition.

My first question is: are you designing your own adventures? Or do you plan on using modules/adventure paths?

I also am hoping for an Intermediate rules set or conversation statement.

In the mean time, my players have agreed, upon 4th level, to slowly introduce Combat Maneuvers. No more than one per session. I still have a few sessions before we have to worry about it.

[Ulairi]

I don't really need another rules set but if they had some articles about how to transition to the core rules that would be very helpful.

[Vic Wertz]

We are planning some docs to help with that transition, but since we expect that the bulk of the audience for it won't actually exist until more people have gone through the five levels in the box, it's queued up behind other stuff that's targeted toward people who are looking for more to do with the rules *in* the box.

Until we have that, if you want to start adding new rules from the Core Rulebook, my personal advice would be prioritize chapters about subjects that your players are particularly enthusiastic about.

[organized]

By slowly adding combat maneuvers you can ease into some of the more complex parts of combat.

[Ulairi]

Vic Wertz wrote:

We are planning some docs to help with that transition, but since we expect that the bulk of the audience for it won't actually exist until more people have gone through the five levels in the box, it's queued up behind other stuff that's targeted toward people who are looking for more to do with the rules *in* the box.

Until we have that, if you want to start adding new rules from the Core Rulebook, my personal advice would be prioritize chapters about subjects that your players are particularly enthusiastic about.

Thanks for the reply. This may be a stupid question, but how long does it take to reach level 5?

[Tamago]

Ulairi wrote:

Thanks for the reply. This may be a stupid question, but how long does it take to reach level 5?

It's not a stupid question at all!

For the technical answer, based on the Experience Points charts, players should face 20 encounters with a Challence Rating (CR) equal to their level, in order to get to the next level. Practically speaking, the PCs will have some fights that have a higher CR than their level (such as "boss monsters"), which means that they will probably level up after about 10-15 encounters or so.

How long it will take in real life depends a lot on how often your group meets, and for how long. Mine usually ends up leveling about every six or eight gaming sessions, and we meet weekly for about 3 1/2 hours at a time. So you can roughly expect to level after about 20 hours of gameplay.

Of course, if you play for 10 hours at a stretch, that's only two sessions! And the rate varies quite a bit depending on the group involved. Some groups like to level every week or two, and others like to take their time and spend months on each level. But the above can hopefully give you some idea of what to expect.

So to answer your original question, it should take somewhere in the ballpark of 100 hours of play to reach level 5. Obviously, that can vary significantly depending on your group.

Have fun!

[DarkWhite]

Ulairi wrote:

Thanks for the reply. This may be a stupid question, but how long does it take to reach level 5?

Now that you have the Beginners Box, you'll be looking for adventure! Beyond Black Fang's Dungeon, there are several sources of adventure, including:

• ones you write yourself;
• Pathfinder Modules;
• Pathfinder Adventure Paths;
• Pathfinder Society scenarios;
• third-party publishers;

All of these are great sources of adventure, and the rate of level advancement may vary between them. However, the one I'm most familiar with is Pathfinder Society Organised Play. PFS characters level up after completing three missions, each mission generally requiring five hours of play. How fast your character advances through PFS scenarios depends on how frequently you play:

• Playing once per week, you could expect to reach 5th-level after three months of play;
• Playing once per month, you might reach 5th-level after 12 months of play;
• I've also seen new players arrive at a games convention, and emerge with a 3rd- or 4th-level character after four days of intense roleplaying.

Pathfinder Society scenarios can be played at regional games conventions, local game stores, or even played in the comfort of your own home with family and friends. With at least one level 1-5 PFS scenario released each month, and a substantial back-catalogue of level 1-5 PFS scenarios, there's plenty of opportunity for adventure!

Cheers,
--
Stephen (DarkWhite)
Pathfinder Society 4-Star GM
Venture-Captain, Australia

[DMFTodd]

What's the rush? You've got a couple options to prolong your use of just the Beginner's Box:

1) Give out XP at a slower rate. You'll take longer to hit 5th level.

2) Have the group agree that once you hit 6th level, that you'll be starting a new, back at 1st level, with new characters and taking those up. Repeat as often as you like.

3) Just keep adventuring at 5th level, don't worry about XP at that point.

If you're new to RPGs, the Beginner Box alone gives you plenty to learn and you can make that last.

[Evil Lincoln]

I recommend you just add in the "plug in" type stuff like feats and spells.

Add other core rules you think are interesting, and keep a list of the rules you've included (briefly described) so that players don't get confused about which rules are in use.

The CRB can be daunting, but we all ended up learning it pretty well over time. Just remember it is okay to be wrong, and try to cultivate a group attitude that it's okay to be wrong so that people aren't constantly gainsaying the GM during the game.