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Author Topic: So, Pathfinder...  (Read 5643 times)

JongWK

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So, Pathfinder...
« on: July 02, 2013, 01:52:39 PM »
Never had any idea about it until last week, other than "it's a d20 remake by Paizo." Now it looks like I'll be running a campaign with it. :p

What should I expect, as compared to 3e and 3.5e? What sourcebooks would you suggest? What stuff would you not suggest?
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deadDMwalking

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2013, 02:26:21 PM »
If you have the material, you'll have little trouble.  It runs like 3.x for the most part.  There are numerous mechanical differences, and some of them make little sense.  It's a little like running 3.5 the first time after being really familiar with 3.0.  There are enough things that are different that you'll probably stumble into them, but if you run them in the 'wrong' way, you won't break the game.  

Pathfinder attempted to 'balance' the base classes of 3.x with later 'splat classes' and claimed 'backward compatability' as a goal.  In general, I'd recommend running just 'core Pathfinder' and not allowing 3.x splats - while they might work, they need some careful review, and that's really only possible if you're familiar with the system.  

Just as in 3.x, casters remain supreme.  They have new ways to be even more awesome.  Forget about trying to 'reign in' the casters - you're going to have make challenges based on their abilities and try to help everyone else keep up if it looks like they're falling behind.
When I say objectively, I mean 'subjectively'.  When I say literally, I mean 'figuratively'.  
And when I say that you are a horse's ass, I mean that the objective truth is that you are a literal horse's ass.

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mcbobbo

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2013, 02:34:16 PM »
DeadDM pretty much covered it.  A word of advice, people typically bump CRs by one or two when running 3.5 material for PF characters.  Almost all of the changes made the PCs more powerful.

Another odd one - cantrips are infinite, and there's a damage dealing one.

If you're looking for material, I can recommend the Rise of the Runelords adventure path.

Finally, pfsrd is an amazing resource.
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Exploderwizard

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2013, 02:38:55 PM »
Quote from: deadDMwalking;667614
Just as in 3.x, casters remain supreme.  They have new ways to be even more awesome.  Forget about trying to 'reign in' the casters - you're going to have make challenges based on their abilities and try to help everyone else keep up if it looks like they're falling behind.


.....or you could play PF basic and not worry about all that stuff.
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JongWK

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2013, 04:23:52 PM »
Quote from: mcbobbo;667618
DeadDM pretty much covered it.  A word of advice, people typically bump CRs by one or two when running 3.5 material for PF characters.  Almost all of the changes made the PCs more powerful.


Ohhhh, this I actually like... *evil maniacal laugh* :teehee:





Quote
Finally, pfsrd is an amazing resource.


I saw the website today. Impressive, though it was a bit overwhelming at first not knowing what is from the core book and what is a splat.
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Dirk Remmecke

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #5 on: July 02, 2013, 04:26:20 PM »
Quote from: Exploderwizard;667619
.....or you could play PF basic and not worry about all that stuff.


By "basic" you mean the Beginner Box?

At least that was my thought, and would be the only version of PF I could see myself DMing. (In fact, I just gave it a try a few days ago.)
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Skropi

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2013, 04:41:23 PM »
Quote from: deadDMwalking;667614
If you have the material, you'll have little trouble.  It runs like 3.x for the most part.  There are numerous mechanical differences, and some of them make little sense.  It's a little like running 3.5 the first time after being really familiar with 3.0.  There are enough things that are different that you'll probably stumble into them, but if you run them in the 'wrong' way, you won't break the game.  

Pathfinder attempted to 'balance' the base classes of 3.x with later 'splat classes' and claimed 'backward compatability' as a goal.  In general, I'd recommend running just 'core Pathfinder' and not allowing 3.x splats - while they might work, they need some careful review, and that's really only possible if you're familiar with the system.  

Just as in 3.x, casters remain supreme.  They have new ways to be even more awesome.  Forget about trying to 'reign in' the casters - you're going to have make challenges based on their abilities and try to help everyone else keep up if it looks like they're falling behind.

In d&d the casters were always overpowered anyway, at least from AD&D 2ed onwards (never played anything older than this).

Emperor Norton

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2013, 04:44:13 PM »
Quote from: mcbobbo;667618
Another odd one - cantrips are infinite, and there's a damage dealing one.


I'm not sure if you are seeing this as a positive or a negative. Honestly I can't see how it would matter. They are all 1d3 damage and require a ranged touch attack at least. (exception being the undead only one that is 1d6 and still ranged touch).

A sword or crossbow is (effectively, in the case of the crossbow you have ammo but still) infinite, and does more than 1d3 damage.

Fiasco

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #8 on: July 02, 2013, 05:41:08 PM »
Pathfinder jacks up the power of PCs through higher HD (for all but fighter classes) more racial ability boosts andmore feat slots (now ever odd level). Most also get some nice extras in their class descriptions. From memory the Sorcerer, Bard and Fighter are the biggest winners.

They also rationalized skills much like 4E did.

Apart from that its essentially the same game as 3.5.

I don't mind PF but I'm disappointed they didn't take the opportunity to fix or simplify more things.

Bloody Stupid Johnson

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #9 on: July 02, 2013, 06:08:06 PM »
I'd call the skill system an improvement on 3E in some respects (you only get x1 skill points, but +3 on class skills) since this fixes the thing where rogue1/fighter1 and fighter1/rogue1 have very different numbers of skill points, and half-orcs, half-elves and barbarians seem to suck less. Traits (Advanced Player's Guide IIRC) are kinda cool, as are some of the new classes (e.g. I like the alchemist, gunslinger and magus). Occasionally you'll find a positive rule change like cold iron being only 2000 GP and not having extra enchantment costs, but as some one else said a lot of the changes are kinda lolrandom, like giants now being affected by charm person or Manyshot being rewritten. I'm not personally a fan of super skill consolidation either (i.e. the Paladin is the one you send into seedy taverns to gather info because that skill got rolled into Diplomacy).

Ronin

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #10 on: July 02, 2013, 07:30:12 PM »
Quote from: mcbobbo;667618
If you're looking for material, I can recommend the Rise of the Runelords adventure path.


I would like to second this
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deadDMwalking

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #11 on: July 02, 2013, 07:55:43 PM »
When I ran Rise of the Runelords, it was for 3.5; it wasn't until the Adventure Path after Second Darkness that they switched to Pathfinder rules (iirc).

Rise of the Runelords
Curse of the Crimson Throne
Second Darkness

Pretty sure those were the adventure paths released (outside of Dungeon) before they made the official switch.
When I say objectively, I mean 'subjectively'.  When I say literally, I mean 'figuratively'.  
And when I say that you are a horse's ass, I mean that the objective truth is that you are a literal horse's ass.

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. - Peter Drucker

Bobloblah

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #12 on: July 02, 2013, 08:16:48 PM »
There's an anniversary edition of Rise of the Runelords that is for Pathfinder specifically.
Best,
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Skeld

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2013, 12:34:51 AM »
Quote from: deadDMwalking;667754
When I ran Rise of the Runelords, it was for 3.5; it wasn't until the Adventure Path after Second Darkness that they switched to Pathfinder rules (iirc).

Rise of the Runelords
Curse of the Crimson Throne
Second Darkness

Pretty sure those were the adventure paths released (outside of Dungeon) before they made the official switch.


Legacy of Fire was the last 3.5 AP they released (for a total of 4 before PFRPG became a thing).

If you liked 3e/3.5e, then you'll probably like Pathfinder.

-Skeld

RPGPundit

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So, Pathfinder...
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2013, 08:18:30 PM »
Hey Jong, what brought on this sudden interest in Pathfinder?
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