Many veteran tabletop players and beginners are now learning how to play Pathfinder. Paizo Publishing released Pathfinder's first edition in 2009, following up with the second and current edition in 2019. This fantasy RPG is an offshoot of Dungeons & Dragons, providing a framework of rules for roleplaying in fantasy scenarios. Pathfinder 2e comes with its own unique fantasy setting and a variety of predetermined campaigns and expansions, but players and GMs can also choose to craft their own campaigns and homebrew.
Pathfinder has always provided an alternative to longtime DnD players who want to try something new. However, publisher Wizards of the Coast’s controversial changes to DnD’s OGL, souring many on the game and its publisher, more players are wanting to learn how to play Pathfinder 2e than ever before. Any Pathfinder 2e beginners would do well to keep certain tips and tricks in mind.
Pathfinder's Rules & How They're Different From D&D's
Pathfinder is based on DnD's 3.5 edition, so the two share some similarities. Both are based on the d20 system, where skill checks and saving throws are rolled with 20-sided dice and considered successful when suring a threshold only the GM knows. Pathfinder's combat proceeds in much the same fashion as DnD's, beginning with initiative rolls and continuing with attack rolls, as well as allowing the use of free actions and reactions. Most (but not all) of the core playable races of DnD are available in Pathfinder, although Pathfinder calls these ancestries. Still, there are many gameplay differences between DnD and Pathfinder. The core character classes are roughly the same, but their abilities and mechanics often differ greatly.
However, Pathfinder and DnD aren't by any means a perfect, one-to-one match. Even though it's based on DnD's rules, Pathfinder 2e has an identity of its own. Players can't simply pick up their DnD characters and plop them down in a Pathfinder campaign; they'll quickly find that the abilities, leveling, and other mechanics work differently. Having played DnD isn't a substitute for learning how to play Pathfinder, but having a couple of experienced DnD players in a Pathfinder group couldn't hurt when it comes to learning the basic mechanics.
Beginner Tips For Pathfinder Character Customization
Pathfinder might be easy to learn like DnD, but it allows players more choices to customize their characters. While each class does follow a set path, gaining new skills and bonuses at each level, characters are also required to take feats from time to time. Character customization is where the fun begins when learning how to play Pathfinder. Feats can be based on class, ancestry, or training in skills, and each brings with it unique actions, bonuses, or character implications. For example, an intimidating Barbarian might want to take the Scared to Death feat, which allows them to finish off their enemies by merely looking at them, while cunning Rogues might choose Pickpocket, so they can ignore penalties when attempting to steal closely guarded items.
To make things even more interesting, Pathfinder allows players to expand on or diverge from typical character paths with the use of Archetypes. Archetypes do allow for multiclassing like in DnD 5e - players can select certain archetypes from classes they don't belong to - but they also allow for players to tweak the classes they already have levels in. Say a Druid player wants to give their character a greater connection with the animal kingdom. They can take on the Beast Master Archetype, found in the Advanced Player's Guide, to grant them a whole menagerie of beastly companions. Pathfinder characters aren't limited by their classes; instead, Pathfinder rules allow players to walk any paths they choose.
Helpful Tools When Learning How To Play Pathfinder 2e
Math is a part of any RPG in one way or another, but Pathfinder asks the player to more numbers and do more calculations than most. For example, a Nat 20 in DnD nets a critical success. In Pathfinder, a critical success must be greater than the difficulty class by at least 10. Also, where the proficiency added to checks in DnD is the same for every skill and only changes as the character's level goes up, there are five proficiency levels in Pathfinder, and they increase independently. With experience, these figures will become second nature, but for someone learning how to play Pathfinder, it can be a lot to keep track of.
Fortunately, there are many online tools and resources to help get new Pathfinder players off the ground. Pathfinder’s unusual monsters. There are also a variety of fill-in-the-blank character sheets available online, and many of them will do some calculations automatically. Virtual tabletop software can help players automate dice rolls, create maps, and play together over physical distance. An exhaustive list of online Pathfinder tools to suit just about any player's needs can also be found on PF2 Tools.
Pathfinder Adventure Paths (Campaigns) To Try First
After learning how to play Pathfinder, forming a group and starting a session probably sounds appealing, but putting together a brand-new campaign from scratch can be a daunting task. Luckily, there are many published Pathfinder campaigns (called Adventure Paths) to choose from. Players can form a ragtag group of criminals on a quest for revenge in the steampunk-themed Outlaws of Alkenstar, investigate the mysteries of Hellknight Hill and fend off bloodthirsty cultists in Age of Ashes, or bend the very rules of reality in Gatewalkers. Whatever the group's fantasy fancy, there's a Pathfinder Adventure Path to match. These predetermined adventures can make Pathfinder sessions much smoother.
But if a group wants to try something really different, Pathfinder won't limit them to just swords and sorcery. Starfinder adapts Pathfinder's rules and settings to suit campaigns set in futuristic space. With class options for experimental Biohackers, attuned Mystics, and powerful Technomancers, Starfinder is similarly flexible. However, it's just as easy to learn, using the same familiar d20 system as Pathfinder. Starfinder also has its own expansions and campaigns, providing plenty of content for a sci-fi campaign.
There are also a pair of Pathfinder-based video games where players can try out a stakes-free campaign. Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous both adapt the tabletop game's rules to an isometric, turn-based video RPG. There are some differences between Wrath of the Righteous and Pathfinder's tabletop rules, but the video games are a great way to jump into the world of Pathfinder.
Getting into a new TTRPG can be intimidating, and learning how to play Pathfinder is no exception. Reading 600-page rulebooks, crafting new characters, deciding on a new scenario - these things all take a lot of time and effort. However, the more effort players put in during the preparation phase, the better results they'll see when they finally get to play. There's never been a better time to explore a new tabletop game, and Pathfinder's ease of learning, emphasis on customization, wealth of online tools, and variety of published content make it one of the greatest options out there.
Source: Archives of Nethys, PF2 Tools, Paizo/YouTube
