|
I've GMed DnD 3.5 and 4th ed, and I thought I'd try PF. To get started, do I only need the core rules and the Beastiary?
I was thinking of playing some modules to start with, and then we can decide whether to embark on an adventure path. Would it be useful to also get the main campaign setting book?
I'm happy to use the PDFs, so it's not an expensive process :)
Thanks
This can turn into a great print out and has a lot of stuff you'll want to reference on the fly without having to dig through a book.
The gamemastery guide is a good read too.
Fortunately if you are just testing the waters all you need is this link right here in addition to a module. If you and your group decide that Pathfinder is the system for you. :)
This is what I love about Pathfinder - the system is strong enough to say try us in full for free and still sell books. At the end of the day all of the books have great print quality and are well laid out. When I first bought the CRB and GMG, I was hesitant because of the price. When they showed up, I thought maybe I didn't pay enough.... So yeah - while the PDFs are great - the hard copies are fantastic to have and pass around the table too. And worth every penny.
|
Yeah as the previous posters mentioned all you really need is the core rule book, and the Bestiary.
There are two nice accessories I could recommend: the GM Screen and i also happen to like the initiative tracker .
Everyone has their favorite modules. For starting out I could recommend Crypt of the Everflame. It is designed to be an introductory adventure which has quite a few side bars explaining some of the little differences between 3.5 and Pathfinder. There is also a "companion" flip map Dungeon that has the module's dungeon laid out.
Again everyone has their favorite modules. The Tower of the last Baron happens to be one of mine.
I hope this helps
|
|
Fortunately if you are just testing the waters all you need is this link right here in addition to a module. If you and your group decide that Pathfinder is the system for you. :)
This is very cool. I do have access to a core rulebook for a week or so, but this will prove very handy.
yes paizo loves us, almost as much as we love them
|
|
Yeah as the previous posters mentioned all you really need is the core rule book, and the Bestiary.
There are two nice accessories I could recommend: the GM Screen and i also happen to like the initiative tracker .
Everyone has their favorite modules. For starting out I could recommend Crypt of the Everflame. It is designed to be an introductory adventure which has quite a few side bars explaining some of the little differences between 3.5 and Pathfinder. There is also a "companion" flip map Dungeon that has the module's dungeon laid out.
Again everyone has their favorite modules. The Tower of the last Baron happens to be one of mine.
I hope this helps
Yes it does, thanks. The initiative tracker is a definite.
You dont need the campaign setting book to run a module. All of the relevant setting information is available in the module and you can get basic references in the pathfinder wiki.
What you would use the campaign setting book is at the table references and the fleshing out of locations and npcs if you wanted to expand on what is in the module or create your own adventures in golarion. That can come after you have decided if you like pathfinder or not.
|
To answer your question, yes. You only need the core (which acts as the player guide and gm guide) and the bestiary. For more inspiration the game mastery guide is useful as well as the campaign setting.I will definitely be getting the GMG later. The core stuff is so cheap in PDF.
I will be honest...you don't need the GMG to test the waters. EVERYTHING you need is in the Player's Handbook. If you are uncertain about playing the game then buy the Handbook and use online resources to print out what monsters you need for that session. The GMG just has more detailed rules and stuff that you may use later, but probably not anything you will need right away.
The initiative tracker has been a big success in our group. It's the best "add-on" I've bought.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, the PFR app from ufisk has been incredibly useful as a DM tool, as has a couple of different PFR specific spell apps that have made our casters' lives a little more manageable.
|
|
I will be honest...you don't need the GMG to test the waters. EVERYTHING you need is in the Player's Handbook. If you are uncertain about playing the game then buy the Handbook and use online resources to print out what monsters you need for that session. The GMG just has more detailed rules and stuff that you may use later, but probably not anything you will need right away.To answer your question, yes. You only need the core (which acts as the player guide and gm guide) and the bestiary. For more inspiration the game mastery guide is useful as well as the campaign setting.I will definitely be getting the GMG later. The core stuff is so cheap in PDF.
That's a good idea. I assume you mean the core rulebook? The GMG will be much later if I persist, and the group wants to play PF.
At the moment we are playing Harn and Tekumel :)
|
|
The initiative tracker has been a big success in our group. It's the best "add-on" I've bought.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, the PFR app from ufisk has been incredibly useful as a DM tool, as has a couple of different PFR specific spell apps that have made our casters' lives a little more manageable.
I found some similar apps for my Android phone :)
|
|
You dont need the campaign setting book to run a module. All of the relevant setting information is available in the module and you can get basic references in the pathfinder wiki.
What you would use the campaign setting book is at the table references and the fleshing out of locations and npcs if you wanted to expand on what is in the module or create your own adventures in golarion. That can come after you have decided if you like pathfinder or not.
It was cheap. I just like reading this sort of stuff.
The wonderful thing about pathfinder is that there are no real MUST BUYS. That said I would strongly suggest getting a hold of:
1. The core rule book
2. Bestiary
3. CombatManager.com (It's free)
The last one is a free program designed by a member of the boards and I can honestly say it changed the way I DM. It keeps track of initiative, modifiers, Hp, stats, Etc.
|
|
The wonderful thing about pathfinder is that there are no real MUST BUYS. That said I would strongly suggest getting a hold of:
1. The core rule book
2. Bestiary
3. CombatManager.com (It's free)The last one is a free program designed by a member of the boards and I can honestly say it changed the way I DM. It keeps track of initiative, modifiers, Hp, stats, Etc.
In that case I'm ready to roll :)
Combat Manager is brilliant. I used something similar when I played 4e. Thanks for mentioning it.