What is legal to play in Pathfinder?

[Jolken Jenkins]

Don't know if this is really a rules question but is any book with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible tag on it legal to use in a game? Like, does the tag mean it's officially recognized by Paizo?

[Scavion]

If you can find it on the Archives of Nethys you're in good shape. Otherwise, ask your GM.

[Mysterious Stranger]

Are you talking for Pathfinder Society organized play? If some there is a forum for that that would be better to post there instead of here.

If not then it really depends on the GM.

[Belafon]

Jolken Jenkins wrote:

Don't know if this is really a rules question but is any book with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible tag on it legal to use in a game? Like, does the tag mean it's officially recognized by Paizo?

The tag means that you have a book made by a for-profit company other than Paizo. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License exists so that company may indicate that their product is intended to be used along with Paizo's ruleset. In return for the right to use that logo they have agreed to abide by the terms of the license. As long as they aren't breaking the terms of the license (which are basically "don't make it look like a Paizo product, don't use our Product Identity such as Golarion locations and deities, and don't use the logo on content that might be considered offensive") then the publisher can put whatever rules they want in the book.

Which is to say that book has not had its material vetted by Paizo for any purpose other than to ensure they are not breaking the terms of the license. Compatible products often have classes, archetypes, items, or entire rules systems that are way, way out of scale with the power levels Paizo strives to maintain in their own books. Sometimes deliberately, sometimes because the authors really don't know what they are doing. Some compatible books have terribly written lore and rules that make no sense. There are also a lot of pretty good compatible books that are enjoyable to read and perfectly in scale; the point is that Paizo does not do quality control to verify that.

So "is it legal?" Sure, if your GM allows it. You could compare their content to material your GM made up on her own for the campaign (when talking about legality). No Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Licensed products are legal for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play.

[Gavin McStine]

I've seen it on some NPC classes like the Adept/Aristocrat/warrior. Which are in the core book. The NPC classes are about half the level a "hero player" class.

I think some of the classes in the follow up Paizo books didn't get full testing and might have massive advantages/disadvantages for the APs and if your a GM making a campaign its much harder to make sure magical items/encounters/etc. Think a gunslinger in a campaign without a town that sells guns/ammo/gun powder or any magical guns/ammo.

[Azothath]

The logo means it is published by a third party (not Paizo).

In your home game just leave the book with your GM and see what he says. That's the normal process. He should read it and consult the PFS rulings on similar topics(they're helpful but they don't address other publisher's material).

For PFS it's out of bounds. They only have a few approved items, most give a minor bonus (t-shirts, coins, etc).

[Melkiador]

Keep in mind the PFS rules don’t include all rules from official Pathfinder either. A myriad of rules are kept out for a myriad of reasons.