Just broke up with a wizard named "Fivey". Help me shop PF2.


Pathfinder Second Edition General Discussion


Looks like the Beginner's Box is a definite initial purchase. Now for my thing/ shopping list... I was looking forward to eventually playing a super aasimar via a "Planescape" setting so I could ram a magic living ship into some Lovecraftian kaiju. (What? I can haz goalolols :)
Anywho, what Paizo and 3pp products does this glorious community suggest? My bookshelf hungereth.


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Well you can get all the game information you need off of Archives of Nethys but if you want to own the physical books, pf2e aasimar are introduced in the Advanced Player's Guide, and expanded upon in the Lost Omens Ancestry Guide.

Also, might be more of a DM thing, and may not be of interest to you if you just want to use the Planescape setting, but if you're interested at all in how Pathfinder/the Lost Omens settings handles the planes, PF1e's Planar Adventures is a great book with massive amounts of lore on the subject, very much worth a read in my opinion.


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BeNotAfraid wrote:

Looks like the Beginner's Box is a definite initial purchase. Now for my thing/ shopping list... I was looking forward to eventually playing a super aasimar via a "Planescape" setting so I could ram a magic living ship into some Lovecraftian kaiju. (What? I can haz goalolols :)

Anywho, what Paizo and 3pp products does this glorious community suggest? My bookshelf hungereth.

A few thoughts! I'm not trying to sell you on "buy all of these things!", I just want to mention what stands out to me personally.

One, there's Starfinder if you want to be an nanite-infused aasimar piloting a necromantically-powered mech to punch out a kaiju. It's a separate system, but if you're somebody who wants to galavant around the universe, it's a great choice.

Two, the minimum to run is the core rulebook and a bestiary, and the "base assumption" of the game is the core rulebook, the gamemaster's guide, the advanced player's guide, and a bestiary. This is not to say you have to buy all those- Paizo has all the rules freely available. It just means that anything after those books isn't going to be assumed part of everyone's game and they can start doing more narrowly focused books. I guess you could view it as "enough Pathfinder to be comfortably stranded on a desert island with"?

Three, setting books are nice. You can get a free PDF copy of the World Guide for free right now for a general overview. My top recommendation is Impossible Lands. That one dives in depth into the most high-fantasy area on the main map. Paizo does a killer job on world-building, and I definitely recommend checking it out to decide if it's your thing.

Four, now it depends a bit on what you particularly like. Dark Archives is "the X-Files of fantasy", covering things like cryptids, cults, and other fringe stuff. It's got a bunch of mini-adventures, two classes, and plenty of neat tidbits. If you want lots of options for what ancestry to play, the Lost Omens Ancestry Guide is a fantastic pick. It's got lore, feats, art, etc. for a bunch of ancestries and versatile heritages. If that's not enough, Roll for Combat has made a name for themselves in the third-party space for more out-there ancestries like "playable dragons", "playable dungeons", and "playable slimes".


FormerFiend wrote:

Well you can get all the game information you need off of Archives of Nethys but if you want to own the physical books, pf2e aasimar are introduced in the Advanced Player's Guide, and expanded upon in the Lost Omens Ancestry Guide.

Also, might be more of a DM thing, and may not be of interest to you if you just want to use the Planescape setting, but if you're interested at all in how Pathfinder/the Lost Omens settings handles the planes, PF1e's Planar Adventures is a great book with massive amounts of lore on the subject, very much worth a read in my opinion.

:) Shweeet. Thank you, @FormerFriend! Excitement.....


QuidEst wrote:

A few thoughts! I'm not trying to sell you on "buy all of these things!", I just want to mention what stands out to me personally.

One, there's Starfinder if you want to be an nanite-infused aasimar piloting a necromantically-powered mech to punch out a kaiju. It's a separate system, but if you're somebody who wants to galavant around the universe, it's a great choice.

Two, the minimum to run is the core rulebook and a bestiary, and the "base assumption" of the game is the core rulebook, the gamemaster's guide, the advanced player's guide, and a bestiary. This is not to say you have to buy all those- Paizo has all the rules freely available. It just means that anything after those books isn't going to be assumed part of everyone's game and they can start doing more narrowly focused books. I guess you could view it as "enough Pathfinder to be comfortably stranded on a desert island with"?

Three, setting books are nice. You can get a free PDF copy of the World Guide for free right now for a general overview. My top recommendation is Impossible Lands. That one dives in depth into the most high-fantasy area on the main map. Paizo does a killer job on world-building, and I definitely recommend checking it out to decide if it's your thing.

Four, now it depends a bit on what you particularly like. Dark Archives is "the X-Files of fantasy", covering things like cryptids, cults,...

Oh, you're the psychic one. Noyce suggestions, @QuidEst! I like all the things. Now I'm gonna see what a Starfinder is. Wow. Okay, yeah; I want to play that too lol. Thank you!


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BeNotAfraid wrote:
Oh, you're the psychic one. Noyce suggestions, @QuidEst! I like all the things. Now I'm gonna see what a Starfinder is. Wow. Okay, yeah; I want to play that too lol. Thank you!

Glad I could help! Starfinder has its own beginner box and reference site as well, and it has a slower release schedule so there are fewer books to keep track of. Welcome to the community, and I hope you have a good time here!


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Also, as you plan to play a wizard, Secrets of magic has a bunch of nice and useful spells, two spellcasting classes [Magus, a warrior-wizard and a Summoner with a combat Eidolon companion (not a summoner of creature hordes)], really great lore articles on the world's magic and its works, unique (for now) magic items and more.


Errenor wrote:
Also, as you plan to play a wizard, Secrets of magic has a bunch of nice and useful spells, two spellcasting classes [Magus, a warrior-wizard and a Summoner with a combat Eidolon companion (not a summoner of creature hordes)], really great lore articles on the world's magic and its works, unique (for now) magic items and more.

Quoth the raven... WAIT. There's a character class that functions like a hard magic Pokemaster? Remember the Mage-Knight minis? Dude. A mage-knight. Did Paizo make character customization like, infinite? Plus the infinite 3pp. That's like, infinite mojo. Thank you!


BeNotAfraid wrote:
Quoth the raven... WAIT. There's a character class that functions like a hard magic Pokemaster? Remember the Mage-Knight minis? Dude. A mage-knight. Did Paizo make character customization like, infinite? Plus the infinite 3pp. That's like, infinite mojo. Thank you!

Pokemaster? Heh, yeah, I guess Summoner could be that if you like. They have one hit point pool for both Summoner and Eidolon, btw.

Magus could be mage-knight depending on what you mean by that, but by default they aren't proficient in heavy armor and are mostly a damage dealer. But you can add even heavy armor to them, I suppose, there are ways. (I'm not saying that 'knight' and 'heavy armor' are synonyms, but that's a common association I think)


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BeNotAfraid wrote:
Errenor wrote:
Also, as you plan to play a wizard, Secrets of magic has a bunch of nice and useful spells, two spellcasting classes [Magus, a warrior-wizard and a Summoner with a combat Eidolon companion (not a summoner of creature hordes)], really great lore articles on the world's magic and its works, unique (for now) magic items and more.
Quoth the raven... WAIT. There's a character class that functions like a hard magic Pokemaster? Remember the Mage-Knight minis? Dude. A mage-knight. Did Paizo make character customization like, infinite? Plus the infinite 3pp. That's like, infinite mojo. Thank you!

Classes you might not be familiar with, coming from 5e:

Secrets of Magic

Summoner: You get a small pool of spells, but you can also call up an eidolon, an otherworldly intelligent being called an eidolon that shares a link with you. It's got martial accuracy, and the two of you share a pool of hitpoints equivalent to what a Ranger or Fighter would have. Eidolon options include angel, demon, psychopomp, undead, a couple different phantoms, construct, and dragon. Your feats can go into customizing them further, or souping up your summon spells.

Magus: You get a small pool of spells (slightly larger than Summoner), but you also get martial accuracy and the ability to deliver spells alongside your attacks for massive strikes. Fighting styles include ranged, sword-and-board, staff, two-handed, and nimble with teleportation.

Advanced Players Guide

Witch: Same flavor as Warlock with Pact of the Chain, but they're intelligence-based full casters of any spell list. They're big on hexes, special focus spells that usually take concentration. (You might hear folks talking about it being a weak class, but that's only by comparison- they're still perfectly effective.)

Swashbuckler: Rogue not Fighter-y enough? Fighter not Rogue-y enough? Swashbuckler is a one-handed finesse-or-agile focused class that focuses on using a particular skill in combat. If they do so successfully, they get a buff called panache which they can use passively, or spend for a big finisher. Skill styles include diplomacy, performance, acrobatics, intimidation, and athletics.

Investigator: If you've seen the Robert Downey Jr. take on Sherlock Holmes, you'll have a good idea of the class. In combat, they study their opponent, predicting exactly how their attack will work. If they follow through on that pre-rolled attack, they get intelligence to their attack and add something like sneak attack damage. They also get doubled skills and skill feats like a Rogue, and have lots of feats focused on discovering information during exploration. Specialties can include whipping up alchemical elixirs on the spot, Columbo style "One more thing..." poking, medical expertise both in healing and forensics, and Poirot-esque observation of what's amiss.

Oracle: Like divine magic, but not keen on being tied down to the edicts and whims of one particular god? Why not just plug directly into the divine cosmic forces of the universe! Oracle gets divine power, but without anybody mediating that power. They get a curse and powers centered around a broad concept, whether that's fire, ancestors, battle, bones, the heavens, or many others. As they tap into their powers, they get increased benefits and penalties, each unique.

Dark Archives

Thaumaturge: The game's weirdest and best class. I'm biased. You know all the weaknesses and folklore that the game doesn't have? Salt keeping ghosts away, wolfsbane for werewolves and/or vampires, flowers having different meanings, and so on. Thaumaturge is the class that works in that space, a charisma-based martial class that draws on esoteric lore and superstition to trigger the weaknesses of enemies or create custom weaknesses where there are none. In addition, they get implements- the meat of the class's customization. They allow the class to borrow elements from lots of other classes. It's a class that's a bit complicated to build the first time, but straightforward once you've figured it out. Commonly used to play a character in the style of various iconic monster hunters.

Psychic: Probably the class with the most mechanical overlap with Warlock, at least until Kineticist comes out. They're a full caster, but they get fewer spells per day than any of the others. In exchange, they get upgraded cantrips that they can further enhance as a focus spell. They're the only class that can recover two focus points between fights at first level. Their other trick is unleashing their psyche, which is more or less like rage for a caster. Their specializations vary considerably and cover all the standard ESP tropes- manipulation of energy, teleportation, telekinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, and protective abilities.

Core Rule Book

Alchemist: The least beginner-friendly of the classes, and the only one I'd warn a first-time player away from unless it's their jam. The Alchemist produces free consumables every day, and specializes in a type of alchemical consumable. They don't get the accuracy of a martial, though, so some people feel a bit like an item vendor. However, they're eventually the best class at responding to the unexpected.

Guns 'n Gears
(These two classes aren't assumed to be in most games, so expect the GM to mention them if they are allowed. Within the setting, they're generally from specific regions that have access to more advanced technology. I won't be covering them in as much detail, but if you're into steampunk/dungeonpunk/gaslamp fantasy/Westerns, these are your classes.)

Gunslinger: It's like Fighter, but with a focus on guns or crossbows. They get special actions that let them do something else while reloading. It's important to note that firearms aren't modern revolvers, they're generally flintlock pistols and such.

Inventor: A class that tinkers with stuff. They're a martial class, and choose between a customized weapon, customized armor, or a construct companion. Lots of explosions and gadgets.

Scarab Sages

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BeNotAfraid wrote:
Quoth the raven... WAIT. There's a character class that functions like a hard magic Pokemaster? Remember the Mage-Knight minis? Dude. A mage-knight. Did Paizo make character customization like, infinite? Plus the infinite 3pp. That's like, infinite mojo. Thank you!

If you like Pokemon, there's an upcoming 3PP supplement about about befriending "Eldamon", as well as an Eldamon Trainer class.


Errenor wrote:

Pokemaster? Heh, yeah, I guess Summoner could be that if you like. They have one hit point pool for both Summoner and Eidolon, btw.

Magus could be mage-knight depending on what you mean by that, but by default they aren't proficient in heavy armor and are mostly a damage dealer. But you can add even heavy armor to them, I suppose, there are ways. (I'm not saying that 'knight' and 'heavy armor' are synonyms, but that's a common association I think)

Yeah that "Secrets of Magic" book is lookin' pretty good. Also, yeah, I prefer that my characters wear minimal armor. :)


QuidEst wrote:

Classes you might not be familiar with, coming from 5e:

Secrets of Magic, Advanced Players Guide, Dark Archives, Guns & Gears...

Man, "Dark Archives" is my irl thing lol. I'm so lookin' forward to playing Pathfinder. Thanks!


NECR0G1ANT wrote:
If you like Pokemon, there's an upcoming 3PP supplement about about befriending "Eldamon", as well as an Eldamon Trainer class.

O.O ..! I. Want. One. The other elemental class sounds pretty awesome, too. Hey, waitaminnit. Since I see it mentioned by BattleZoo, I gotta know if when I purchase a hardcover "Dark Archives" I also get the pdf version, or are they separate?


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
BeNotAfraid wrote:
NECR0G1ANT wrote:
If you like Pokemon, there's an upcoming 3PP supplement about about befriending "Eldamon", as well as an Eldamon Trainer class.
O.O ..! I. Want. One. The other elemental class sounds pretty awesome, too. Hey, waitaminnit. Since I see it mentioned by BattleZoo, I gotta know if when I purchase a hardcover "Dark Archives" I also get the pdf version, or are they separate?

Would be separate. The Paizo Subscriptions come with a free PDF, regular purchases do not.

See subscriptions HERE


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xNellynelx wrote:
Would be separate. The Paizo Subscriptions come with a free PDF, regular purchases do not. See subscriptions HERE

Thank you for the link, xNellyNelx Superscriber. This is important :)


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BeNotAfraid wrote:
xNellynelx wrote:
Would be separate. The Paizo Subscriptions come with a free PDF, regular purchases do not. See subscriptions HERE
Thank you for the link, xNellyNelx Superscriber. This is important :)

(Subscriptions are incentivized because they're a big part of how Paizo is able to operate as a business. Subscriptions let them gauge in advance roughly how much demand there is for something when they launch a print run. Undershooting or overshooting can have some serious issues!)

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