I'd reccomend sticking to 3.5e instead of switching to Pathfinder. You'll save time since you won't need to relearn all the changes to the rules, and you'll save money that would have gone into buying the new books. Personally, I'd suggest checking out the Pathfinder SRD online and maybe houseruling things like how Smite works into your campaign if you'd want to. Just pick what you like from Pathfinder, and run with it using the old system.
|
Luckily, you don't have to spend anything because the rules are available for free both on Paizo's official PRD and fan-made d20pfsrd.
Advanced Player's Guide is a book you can't go wrong with. Following that, Advanced Race Guide and Ultimate Equipment. I'd save Ultimate Combat and Magic for later.
Converting existing characters is not really a problem. I begun my RotRL campaign under 3.5 and switched to several iterations of PF rules (Alpha1,2,3,Beta,Final) along the way and nobody had a problem with that. Good luck!
Pathfinder isn't going to change that experience as much as you'd think it would.
At their core, the two games are nearly identical, so the problem will probably remain.
Due to reasons stated above, I think you might want to instead try a whole different RPG system altogether, like GURPS.
I've never tried Ars Magica, but I'd say go for it.
Wait, is that game still in print? I've never seen it myself.
|
I'm barely comfortable with 3.5 honestly... i just started playing dnd. I just enjoy story telling more then trying to read through 40 books to opt my capabilities as a player for stuff i don't want my character to do.
You will not find a version of d20 that will not require that. You may be better off with a different system or and older version of D&D.
I recommend Minimus.
And of course the Basic Corerule book and Bestiality (with a mini Monster manual they gave away at a con i was at.)
You've got what sorry?
That is the single most hilarious/frightening typo I have seen this month.
I'm barely comfortable with 3.5 honestly... i just started playing dnd. I just enjoy story telling more then trying to read through 40 books to opt my capabilities as a player for stuff i don't want my character to do.
When i played the dm complained i didn't contribute to combat enough...since all i ever did was bard song.
This is just a consequence of modern RPG publishing. It's easier to expand a gaming system than to make new ones. You can't really get around this. You just have to accept that you don't have those extra books and be happy making characters with what you do have. As a side note, Paizo releases almost everything to the OGL (Check the PRD on this site or d20pfsrd.com) so it's almost all online for free. This lets you play with those rules even if you haven't got the money yet to buy the book.
Hello, I am currently a very new dm bringing my character through a little custom home brewed campaign I've been working on (a lot harder now that i have classes piling up on me and less time to spent to developing encounters and worlds)
We are currently using 3.5 rules and i've been debating heavily at this point should i switch them to pathfinder or is it a bit to late for that? (we have 7 6th level characters.
My other question is new books i currently own a GM Screen, Critical Hit and Critical miss decks, Plot twist deck (I find it is abused by players). And of course the Basic Corerule book and Bestiality (with a mini Monster manual they gave away at a con i was at.)
I was looking at from both a player and a dm look, What next would be worth buying.
I ran a campaign where we switched to Pathfinder halfway through (game started at 14th level, they switched around 16th level, and we played through 19th--technically they leveled to 20 at the end of the game, but it was the end of the campaign). It worked out extremely well for us. This was when Pathfinder just came out, and everyone mostly could build their concepts in core Pathfinder when a couple players needed splats to do it in 3.x (we did have one character convert a Prestige class and that's it, and he's said since that with some of the archetypes and new classes now out, he could rebuild the character without conversions needed anymore). Everyone felt like they had more flexibility with their builds because of the way skill points worked, and the increased frequency.
I didn't have any trouble converting to new rules. There was a learning and adaptation period ("No, remember you can sneak attack that now.") but I felt it went extremely smoothly.
The one thing is that all of the players were willing if not eager to switch--so the main thing I'd say is be sure to gauge the players' enthusiasm for it.
As others noted, you've got the Pathfinder Reference Document readily available, so you can look over the rules as well as have your players look over the rules and get their input.
As for what you need -- sounds like you've got it. Core Book and Bestiary are the main things you need. The other things you have are useful and fun additions.
If you like the GameMastery decks, the conditions and buffs deck might come in handy--they're not necessary, but they do make things easier.
I do NOT recommend the APG just starting out, I suggest getting used to the changes to the system and the core rules first. Especially since you say you are new to GMing, I would get used to the core rules and then adding the APG later when you've got some experience under your belt. It's not called the "Advanced" player's guide for no reason. Course if you review what's on it in the PRD, you can decide whether you want to use it or not yourself.
Since you're new to GMing, you could also pick up the Game Mastery Guide. It is not necessary by any means, but it does have good advice for GMs, including covering some common player issues, how to structure an adventure, some additional rules for hazards and such, and descriptions of the planes and some other neat things. It has some random treasure generation tables, although the ones in Ultimate Equipment are better. (Ultimate Equipment is a compilation of gear featured in the other Pathfinder RPG line books, with some stuff from their setting books as well. Useful, but also not necessary, especially at the beginning.)
Well, My dnd group is all but dead now, so i've been debating on selling everything, or perhaps updating and selling at this point, Everyone seems to busy for dnd these days perhaps it best to cut my loses and split out. It takes an average of 5 years to find a dnd group that stays together for more then one session.
*sighs*
It takes serious work to keep a group together - and the ability to bring new people in and let old ones go and still have fun.
That said if there is a Pathfinder Society event(s) that happens in your area I think you'll find it's a great way to meet other people who play and possibly make friends (which leads to groups) - it's also a way to enjoy playing without having a set group if you are very busy.
Our problem atm is that the group is just *slightly* too large... we have 7 players + a GM - and at least 2-3 more that *could* play. And it's honestly better to deal with the madness of a large party than tell someone not now - because life can be full of unexpected and your 7 person group can be 3 in a heartbeat.
Also I notice that many groups seem to get together for 'marathon' sessions (6+ hours) - and with our group we find it easier to do a 3 hour session once a week - outside of holidays it's always the same day - for a few hours - and that makes it something nice and predictable you can work around - as well as not such a huge timesink that people will find reasons that keep them away.