Summary

• Dungeons & Dragons offers classic, high-fantasy settings, while Pathfinder provides a unified, massive world.
• Players must weigh the distinct experiences offered by DnD's pedigree and variety versus Pathfinder's rich system and customization opportunities.
• Pathfinder's Golarian setting stands out for its distinctive flavor in each nation, a variety that is typically matched by multiple settings in DnD.

Both Pathfinder roleplaying games are living in a golden age of unprecedented popularity. However, many newcomers are conflicted about which system or settings to adopt in their games. This is understandable, as learning both a TTRPG play system and a campaign setting reflects dozens of hours of study, reading, and play. In fact, most campaign settings are so expansive that many players without consistent gaming groups will spend years in the hobby without setting foot in various settings. Often, this can lead to indecision and hesitation.

Most frequently, the key driver of this is hesitancy to invest in a setting only for it to be unenjoyable. As many veteran players know, TTRPGs can be an expensive hobby, and beyond the time commitment it takes to play, the cost of purchasing source books is hefty. Even more vexing is a question that has plagued many players since the days of the mid-2000s: DnD or Pathfinder? While it’s true that familiar tropes can be found within each game’s campaign settings, they nevertheless offer distinct experiences that should be weighed before venturing into either.

The State Of Wizards & Paizo, Developers Of D&D & Pathfinder Respectively

What's Brought Both D&D & Pathfinder To Where They Are?

When entering the TTRPG world, many players find themselves drawn toward Dungeons & Dragons simply because of its priceless branding. The game has been a cultural linchpin for nearly three generations and has seen renewed popularity given the rise of real-play media such as Critical Role and Dimension 20. However, Pathfinder cannot be counted out. When choosing between the two, DnD's strength lies in both its pedigree and its variety, while Pathfinder creates a truly expansive, versatile world with sci-fi capabilities.

Dungeons & Dragons has seen dozens of campaign settings over its nearly 50-year history, and they are too numerous to detail here. Likewise, many players will feel overwhelmed at the options presented when beginning to play DnD, but clear front-runners do stand out. Pathfinder, though, has grown tremendously since its 2009 launch, with many players citing its rich system and customization opportunities. This popularity has only increased after Pathfinder 2e’s 2019 release, followed by the heated controversy over DnD's Open Game License.

D&D Has Settings Galore For All Flavors Of Fantasy

Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, & Exandria Offer A Massive Breadth Of Content

A big draw for Dungeons & Dragons is the romantic ideal of playing in the original campaign settings. While Blackmoor is technically the first, Greyhawk is often thought of as the original. Greyhawk, crafted by DnD legend Gary Gygax, is a true high-fantasy setting mainly built with ideas of high immersion and battle tactics in mind. The setting is ideal for players who want to experience classic tavern meetings and dungeon crawls – a no-frills, uncomplicated campaign setting, which is possibly why Greyhawk is returning in One D&D’s new sourcebooks, with new players directed toward it in their opening chapters.

However, players looking for more world-hopping would be wise to try the Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft. Possibly the two most iconic settings in all of TTRPGs, they represent a movement away from dungeon crawlers and toward multidimensional threats. Forgotten Realms introduced the concept of the Underdark and made realms like the elemental planes more tangible threats. It’s a massive setting where nearly any type of adventure can exist. On the other hand, Ravenloft is geared explicitly toward Gothic Horror content and is possibly most famous for its adventure, Curse of Strahd, which saw republishing for 5e in 2020.

As DnD aged, its settings evolved. The two most popular coming out of recent decades are Eberron and Exandria. Eberron, released in 2004, focuses on a modern-ish fantasy setting with less high-tier magic and more technology. It also introduced the artificer class and the warforged, or sentient automatons, to DnD. Exandria, though, developed by celebrity dungeon master Matthew Mercer, reflects a return to classic DnD tones while updating the game for modern sensibilities. It removes ideas like “evil races” and focuses on light-hearted rag-tag adventures, though the potential for more high-stakes political dramas is always there.

Pathfinder Stays Unified With A Single Major Setting

Paizo Offers Variety & Ease With A Single, Massive Setting

Whereas DnD totes its numerous settings, Pathfinder thus far has chosen to keep faithful to one: Golarian. Paizo compensates for this by making its single setting feel massive. A key feature of Golarian is that every nation has a distinctive flavor, meaning no two feel the same. Indeed, many of Pathfinder’s adventures play into this strategy, with entire areas themed to deliver a specific player experience. Further, they share direct parallels to real-world history, meaning that a single campaign could see players fight Dracula, raid a pyramid, and participate in the French Revolution all within the same world.

Another major strength of Pathfinder lies in Paizo’s sister system, Starfinder, a sci-fi reimagining of the Golarian setting. Set in a distant future, Starfinder transports the Golarion setting across the rest of its solar system, the Pact Worlds system. It’s a setting geared toward Star Trek-esque planet-hopping, emphasizing freedom and variety. NinjaCatVanessa on X (formerly Twitter) highlights another of Golarian's/Pact World's draws: its inclusive approach to gender and sexuality.

Obviously, there is no right or wrong in this debate; both DnD and Pathfinder offer wonderful experiences across their published materials. However, players who wish to save time would do well to consider what they hope to experience when choosing a system. Those wishing to experience the roots of TTRPGs and explore massive, thematically unified worlds should look toward Dungeons & Dragons. However, players who crave variety without learning multiple settings should look toward Pathfinder.

Source: NinjaCatVanessa/X