Kaihaku's Thoughts after two sessions and lots of reading


Running the Game


5 people marked this as a favorite.

I've run sessions of The Lost Star (two GMs, one novice player, one new to TTRPG player) and Rose Street Revenge (one experienced player, one new to TTRPG player) for two different groups (no player overlap). Planning to convert my current homebrew Pathfinder campaign over to the playtest rules starting on Saturday. Here's the big list of feedback so far.

Some general edits that I’d like to see…

  • Character sheet:
  • Where do ancestry non-feats go? Like Unburden? How about low light vision or darkvision? Bulk is a great simplification that’s made almost incomprehensible by the equation on the Character Sheet. No section for unarmored proficiency – I used what I think is the exotic weapon slot but should have it’s own.
  • Equipment/Treasures:
  • I’d like to see this section of the rulebook labelled and organized more clearly. Knowing where to look up potions, for instance, was perplexing. Also, could we have subsection tabs with the section tabs to help navigate to armor, weapons, gear quickly. Per Ultimate Equipment. This actually might be a nice addition for all sections with subsections.
  • Cantrips:
  • How many does a prepared caster know? Had a terrible time finding this. Not included in the charts or the paragraph on cantrips – is noted in an earlier paragraph but buried in text. I’d like the spells known chart to be more comprehensive.
  • Spell Points:
  • I’m not a fan of the name. It feels weird for non-casters to use “Spell Points” for their powers. I know using “Power Points” would cause Dreamscarred Press some grief when they bring Psionics to the system but that wording feels more accurate.
  • Powers in the Spell Section:
  • I’m not a fan of their inclusion here. I’d like to see them have their own subsection.
  • Backgrounds in Ancestry:
  • I know B is the small fry in the A-B-C character creation phase but it’s hard to find it hiding at the back of the ancestry section. Same with languages. Would like it to stand out more.
  • A-B-C-4 Character Creation:
  • It’s a silly mistake on my part but I completely skipped the four free ability boosts during my first character creation. Not a mistake I’ll make again but would like to see that better emphasized.
  • Half Human:
  • Any core ancestry should be able to be Half Orc or Half Elf. Would like the system to give by default the plethora of options that Pathfinder is known for.
  • Skill Tiers:
  • I’d like it if the scenarios noted skill tiers for checks. For instance, a Religion check could have an Expert tag to designate that Recall Knowledge needed an E proficiency or higher to gain certain information. This is something that I’ll do fluidly in my homebrew sessions but would be nice to outline in an published adventure.
  • Add Poison to Index:
  • The only poison entries point towards equipment, would be helpful to have one pointing towards the affiliation rules which outline how poison works.
  • Lore Subcategories:
  • The Additional Lore feat directs to, “choose an additional Lore skill subcategory” but players were confused if they could make this anything or if it had to be from a background they selected. More guidance here.
  • Class DC or Spell DC:
  • These are the same thing so why not call them the same thing? Spells use your Class DC? This would further simplify things.
  • Shields on Character Sheet:
  • Shields could really use their own section on the character sheet. Tracking the various attributes of a shield is complicated enough without sprawling it on the side of the page.
  • Furious Focus:
  • The Press trait was confusing. Please add text clarifying that this can only be used when the character already has a MAP.
  • Goblins:
  • A few players considered playing Goblin but no one ended up doing so. Everyone was confused by them getting a CHA bonus.
  • Sorcerer:
  • Could we add "Cursed" bloodline so Mystic can be fully integrated into the spontaneous core class?
  • Archetypes:
  • Can the final rules please include multiclass dedications for all core classes (except perhaps Paladin and Monk)?
  • Resonance:
  • This really didn't come up much at low levels but... I like the concept but not the implementation. The players just found it confusing.

On the positive side of things…

  • Combat:
  • Fast, fluid, and fun. Leagues superior to low level Pathfinder 1e. The new emphasis on movement and simplification of actions makes this a whole new game. Restricting AoO was a stroke of genius.
  • Proficiency:
  • There's a small learning curve here but once you clear it this is a great simplification. It really speeds up character creation. Nice that 70% of the character sheet uses the same system.
  • Criticals:
  • The players LOVED the new critical system to my surprise even when they were on the receiving end.
  • Characters:
  • System has support for a massive range of characters - Arcane Trickster, Magus, etc available just in core rulebook. Building characters is rough at first but soon becomes fun – especially as there are fewer “trap options” as compared to Pathfinder 1e.
  • Skills:
  • It felt wrong to see most skills between -1 and 0, but the DCs were adjusted to compensate and it was well balanced (at least at level one). The streamlined skills make sense but would like to see more skill boosts/signature skills. The Monk especially felt limited on the skill front.
  • Silver Economy:
  • It’s a surprisingly significant adjustment but the new silver economy seems great. Most mundane items are available for copper or silver, while most entry level magic items can be had for a handful of gold. This definitely gives the world a more grounded feeling and offers a more measured progression. Gold feels meaningful.
  • Dying:
  • In a 180° turn from my initial opinion, the Dying rules (especially as clarified in update 1.1) ended up not being all that complicated after all. We actually liked them in use – even the player who was dying.
  • Combat Maneuvers as Skills:
  • This is a brilliant change. It simplifies combat maneuvers – no more CMB/CMD – while making skills much more dynamic. The experienced players were fans.


The Once and Future Kai wrote:


Furious Focus:
The Press trait was confusing. Please add text clarifying that this can only be used when the character already has a MAP.

The description of the Press trait is in the sidebar right next to Furious Focus, and the second line of that description states that Press feats can only be used when affected by MAP

The Once and Future Kai wrote:


Can the final rules please include multiclass dedications for all core classes (except perhaps Paladin and Monk)?

I'm pretty sure that's the plan; the four base class archetypes in the playtest book were to see if the mechanic/concept would work at all (and to save space); the other classes will show up once the core is ironed out.

Community / Forums / Archive / Pathfinder / Playtests & Prerelease Discussions / Pathfinder Playtest / Game Master Rules / Running the Game / Kaihaku's Thoughts after two sessions and lots of reading All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Running the Game