Which version of D&D?
Pathfinder was made specifically to be as compatible as possible with all 3.5 material, so the rules are mostly similar.
So far as I know, Paizo does not have an official character creator, but the character creation process is very simple for Pathfinder, so once you get the hang of it you can build a solid character in about 15 minutes or less if you need to.
Any existing characters should be able to swap over fine, but be aware of the merge of many skills into one "Master Skill". Spot checks are replaced by Perception, Jump and Tumble and all that are rolled up into Acrobatics, and a few other things like that.
So an existing character should probably be "refunded" all of their skill points and allowed to reallocate them. They shouldn't have to change Feats or anything, as many are the same and the ones that don't exist should be compatible with little tweaking.
The big thing, maybe, is I believe certain class features have been changed significantly from 3.5 to Pathfinder, but they're easy to find both in the rulebook and online on this site. That site lists all the classes and rules as well (So does the official PRD, but I prefer the SRD for easy access) so you don't technically need the different rulebooks and extra books, though it's nice to contribute.
All in all, pretty much everything is readily available online except the modules and Adventure Paths, which you have to pay for. Legally anyway.
And finally, welcome to Pathfinder!
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
I believe he is coming over from 4th ed.
No, Paizo doesn't have a character creation app that you gain access to when you subscribe. There are programs like Hero Lab, which are great and powerful. Hero Lab costs money, but there are others out there that are free. Personally, I think Hero Lab is worth the money.
Unfortunately, 4th ed isn't very easy to convert over to Pathfinder. This is because 4th threw out much of the 3rd edition while Pathfinder built upon it. Some 4th ed options are just not available at all, like the dragonborn race.
My advice is to start something new in Pathfinder and go from there. Different games, different experiences, different level of fun.
PCGen is free. Using the Advance Race Guide you can reverse engineer any race or I might have a good stand in on file.
Switching from 4E will take some getting used to but IMHO it is worth the Transition.
EDIT: Forgot to say Welcome to the Forums!
Hero Lab is licensed and supported for all official Paizo Pathinder materials. We use it for our group and it works very well.
Welcome to the boards! We have a nice group over here and most of the time very little bickering or flames. Plus the game devs post on an almost daily basis.
Doesn't Hero Lab cost per book you want to have access to?
& Again Welcome to the Forum.
Yeah I prefer Free. The PRD & PCGen are really all one needs to get started.
Yes Hero Lab is a fee based tool. But you pay once and then are done. The Wizards program was a monthly fee that never ended. (Last time I checked anyway... not really into WoTC games anymore so have not looked in the last few years.)
You pay for the core program for $20 and that gets you the AP's and most of the basic stuff. You can then also buy other books and packages. The Campaign stuff is Usually $5 for 3~5 books and the hard backs are usually $10.
If you do not want to buy anything else you can use free downloads that the fan base has put together or you can make your own material as the editor is included with the core package.
In my opinion you get what you pay for and as I have a busy life with work and what not it is easier for me to pay a professional to get a quality product so I can enjoy my gaming when I have time.
PCGen and other free items are fine if you are into that kind of thing. I tried many over the years including PCGen and Hero Lab is my favorite for PFRPG by far. It is worth every penny to me and I would recommend it. It also has a check setting for Pathfinder Society that is VERY nice for that system.
You can download a free version of the tool that lets you make charaters and test it out. They also provide Pathfinder Basic for free as well.
I like hero lab.
While you do have to pay for the extra books there is nothing like a monthly subscription which is what I think Wizard's uses for it's character generator. If you play Pathfinder long enough you come out way ahead even after buying all the material.
And while it's not prefect the rules validation is pretty darn good. Using Hero Lab is how I was able to fully understand Summoners and their eidolon's. To me they were pretty confusing at first.
Hero Lab gives an easy breakdown of AC and CMD so you can figure out where all the numbers are coming from. It's so easy to not count a dodge or deflection bonous, esp if they are temperary. It's also handy in play if you have a laptop as it can adjust numbers on the fly. giving changes on the fly if you are under a spell effect such as enlarge person, haste, or slow (and many others). You can also turn on and off things like rage, power attack, or a bard giving inspire courage.