Hello!
A bit of backstory to lead up to my question. I've recently entered the TTRPG hobby since July of 2018 and I've only done DMing for D&D 5E. One of the things that I like about this edition from a DMs perspective is that I can just use the core books (PH, MM, DMG) for any of the adventures WOTC releases without needing other sourcebooks (VGtM, SCAG, etc.) to reference.
My group is getting ready to try out Pathfinder 2E when it releases and we're going to do the Age of Ashes adventure path. I don't know anything about how adventure paths were done in the past for Pathfinder 1E, but for future 2e adventure paths can I just use the Core Rulebook and Bestiary like D&D 5E or would I have to purchase additional sourcebooks?
Thanks!
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Just the Core books + the AP is fine almost assuredly. Each AP Book typically has all of the new options introduced in it in the appendix.
You should also get the free Age of Ashes player's guide, as well.
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It varies somewhat by Adventure Path. As the first AP in a new edition, Age of Ashes is basically certain to use only the Core Rulebook and Bestiary.
Based on Pathfinder 1st Edition, later APs may use rules content from additional resources (monsters and Classes, mostly), but all Pathfinder 2nd Edition rules content will be available at http://2e.aonprd.com/ free of charge, so this is not a particular problem for most people.
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Typically the APs are willing to pull form all hardcovers that have been published when they are launched. So you definitely do see new classes/races used as NPCs and you see new monsters from later Bestiaries. It felt like they historically uses less of the softcover player companion or campaign settings books. Of course those softcover books are going away for 2e and being folded into the hardcover product lines.
I would expect the baseline content expectation to expand as time goes on, but as DMW says, you can get all the rules content from Archive of Nethys.
Thank you all for your responses!
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Id almost argue with rules being free online you *could* in theory run an AP with just the AP alone, using the online srd for refrence material
You could do this pretty readily, yes. It's potentially slightly inconvenient to rely on completely (internet outages are a thing, for example), though. IME having at least one copy of the actual books is super useful.
Thank you all for your responses!
You're quite welcome. I, at least, am always happy to be of assistance. :)
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Typically the APs are willing to pull form all hardcovers that have been published when they are launched. So you definitely do see new classes/races used as NPCs and you see new monsters from later Bestiaries. It felt like they historically uses less of the softcover player companion or campaign settings books. Of course those softcover books are going away for 2e and being folded into the hardcover product lines.
I would expect the baseline content expectation to expand as time goes on, but as DMW says, you can get all the rules content from Archive of Nethys.
Would just like to add here - I asked on Arcane Mark (the Luis interview episode) about this, and they've confirmed that in PF2, all published content will be able to be referenced; i.e. using mechanics from the World Guides content in APs/modules/etc will be allowed as well.
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I can't speak for 2nd Edition but I run the 1st Edition APs using just the AP and online resources plus exactly one book (the Monstrous Codex) that d20pfsrd does not cover. It is very, very rare for this to be a problem. The online version is better for errata, too.
My husband has a complete mirror of the SRD (using httrack's website copier) on his laptop, just in case of connection loss. My own approach is more focused on pulling stack blocks into my working notes when I prep the module, then running mainly from the working notes. (But of course I benefit from his SRD copy in a pinch!)
I will say, we do *own* almost all the books we use. But they are heavy and it is slow to find things in them; the SRD is what gets used.