DM Sol_train
Squire
Back behind the screen 20yrs post 2E
Posts: 33 
Favorite D&D Class: Druid (Pathfinder Wolf-shaman)
Favorite D&D Race: Human
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Post by DM Sol_train on Dec 15, 2015 4:36:25 GMT
It seems like even though the focus is on D&D (a mix of 3.5, 4, 5th) a lot of what is on the forums is system neutral (Or at least d20 compatible). How many are playing PF consistently? |
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Post by joatmoniac on Dec 15, 2015 6:10:20 GMT
My main group is actually in Pathfinder running through the Emerald Spire super dungeon. So that, and 5th edition are my go to systems at this time.
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DM Sol_train
Squire
Back behind the screen 20yrs post 2E
Posts: 33
Favorite D&D Class: Druid (Pathfinder Wolf-shaman)
Favorite D&D Race: Human
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Post by DM Sol_train on Dec 17, 2015 2:55:06 GMT
My main group is actually in Pathfinder running through the Emerald Spire super dungeon. So that, and 5th edition are my go to systems at this time. I played my last D&D in 2E around 95 or so, and when I fired up the game for my kids this year only got to PF by chance as I was looking for online resources and stumbled on the OGL stuff. I'm hoping to get some PF discussion going on this thread. I know they have a significant forum on Paizo, and I definitely hit that for any quick reference rules, but I've not found much GM specific support there. |
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Samuel Wise
Demigod
Ready to Help...
Posts: 989
Favorite D&D Class: Warlock
Favorite D&D Race: Mousefolk
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Post by Samuel Wise on Dec 17, 2015 4:06:21 GMT
How does PathFinder compare to 5e? I know quite a few people who play PathFinder, though I've not decided to pick it up myself. Can you join a group and play or do you need the rulebook in order to play (do they have a quick start, like D&D)? I probably do not have time to pick up a new system, but it seems interesting.
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Post by friartook on Dec 17, 2015 4:22:12 GMT
How does PathFinder compare to 5e? I know quite a few people who play PathFinder, though I've not decided to pick it up myself. Can you join a group and play or do you need the rulebook in order to play (do they have a quick start, like D&D)? I probably do not have time to pick up a new system, but it seems interesting. Pathfinder is a "cleaned up" version of 3.5 D&D. You'd be able to pick it up pretty easily. |
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Post by joatmoniac on Dec 17, 2015 7:24:29 GMT
Yeah, Paizo was writing the Dragon and Dungeon magazines during the time of 3rd edition to 4th edition. 3rd edition has a fairly open gaming license, and a decent amount of content for Pathfinder can be found at d20pfsrd.com including some 3rd party material. Essentially if it is a true Paizo original content it often isn't available in its proper name format on that site. Giving it's heavy basis in 3.5E it is sometimes referred to as 3.75E given its more natural progression from 3.5 than Wizards progression to 4e
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Post by thugcorecowboy on Dec 17, 2015 12:47:01 GMT
Yeah, Paizo was writing the Dragon and Dungeon magazines during the time of 3rd edition to 4th edition. 3rd edition has a fairly open gaming license, and a decent amount of content for Pathfinder can be found at d20pfsrd.com including some 3rd party material. Essentially if it is a true Paizo original content it often isn't available in its proper name format on that site. Giving it's heavy basis in 3.5E it is sometimes referred to as 3.75E given its more natural progression from 3.5 than Wizards progression to 4e |
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Post by thugcorecowboy on Dec 17, 2015 12:52:12 GMT
Pf rules is what I found when I got back into playing I only played 3rd edition d&d shortly when it was first released but I found Pf to be very similar and the fact that they have so much open content on line makes it one of the cheapest version of a d20 Table Top fantasy I've ever seen
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Post by catcharlie on Dec 17, 2015 13:47:59 GMT
Giving it's heavy basis in 3.5E it is sometimes referred to as 3.75E given its more natural progression from 3.5 than Wizards progression to 4e Yeah, I always heard of it referred to as 'D&D 3.75' which I always found quite amusing. I've never played it but the few things that I've seen of it look interesting. How much of it's content is available Free Online, I always heard that quite a lot of it was available as a free download/webpage? |
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Post by joatmoniac on Dec 17, 2015 16:26:39 GMT
www.d20pfsrd.com/ is the place to go to check out about as much information as you would ever need to run and play in a Pathfinder game. I certainly use it while I run my games as it is by far the easiest way to look up a monster quickly. That and random rules that come up, or stats, or just about anything. If you are going to homebrew it is the way to go, but if you are running a written module from them then you will need to use that content instead of the site.
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Post by thugcorecowboy on Dec 17, 2015 20:52:01 GMT
Ya that's were I got all my content
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DM Sol_train
Squire
Back behind the screen 20yrs post 2E
Posts: 33
Favorite D&D Class: Druid (Pathfinder Wolf-shaman)
Favorite D&D Race: Human
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Post by DM Sol_train on Dec 18, 2015 3:49:56 GMT
Giving it's heavy basis in 3.5E it is sometimes referred to as 3.75E given its more natural progression from 3.5 than Wizards progression to 4e Yeah, I always heard of it referred to as 'D&D 3.75' which I always found quite amusing. I've never played it but the few things that I've seen of it look interesting. How much of it's content is available Free Online, I always heard that quite a lot of it was available as a free download/webpage? The entire 500 page core rule book and Bestiary 1 (about 300 monsters) are free PDF downloads from Paizo.com That's why I started with it. After our 2d game session I ordered both hard-backs from Amazon.
Also free "Masterwork Tools" app for Droid (not sure about IPhone), but it contains essentially the entire gaming system including Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Players, and Ultimate Combat guides.
Finally 3 other free apps from Google-store. Pathfinder Grimoire; Pathfinder Spellbook; and Pathfinder RPG (All Feats, Monsters, Spells, and Magic Items from all their published sources).
Coming from predominantly 1E Core plus UA, Wilderness/Dungeoneer Survival Guides, and a small splash of 2E PHB its a pretty big change. But I really like it - so much more you can do with a player class, and for teaching my son (12) to DM things like Challenge Rating make encounter creation much "safer" on the party for a new DM. The free Core Rules and Bestiary are basically entry level drugs....then you'll want to purchase the rest.
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DM Sol_train
Squire
Back behind the screen 20yrs post 2E
Posts: 33
Favorite D&D Class: Druid (Pathfinder Wolf-shaman)
Favorite D&D Race: Human
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Post by DM Sol_train on Dec 18, 2015 4:05:38 GMT
How does PathFinder compare to 5e? I know quite a few people who play PathFinder, though I've not decided to pick it up myself. Can you join a group and play or do you need the rulebook in order to play (do they have a quick start, like D&D)? I probably do not have time to pick up a new system, but it seems interesting. As pointed out PF took 3.5 OGL, conducted a long playtest with over 30,000 gamers and then published the modifications of OGL as the Pathfinder System. As such the Core Rules and Beastiary 1 are free.
I never played 3.5, 4 or 5th. However, have been listening to a lot of podcasts and what I gather is 5th is returning to more "theatre of the mind" and getting away from as much grid-based? Also no "short rest/Long rest/bonus actions. Pathfinder, is designed for grid-based combat. which IMO I enjoy if you can keep the combat going with some good techniques like rolling d20 and damage at same time, posting INI order, etc. The challenge can be maintaining a balance between not turning it into chess, while still being able to make relevant and implement things like range, AOE, and movement rates. To be fair, every game has mechanics...that's why you roll dice, and if the system says "Heavy Armor limits movement to X", if you use theatre of the mind combat, there is no reason to limit your character to Medium Armor or light Armor (although it might affect other skills like stealth, acrobatics). Especially since even TOTM still uses d20 and AC....so the mechanics count even if its not as crunchy as a grid-based system.
PF does sell a Basic/Starter Set. I've not tried it, but am going to get it for my nieces and nephew for Christmas, as I ran a 3 session game for them over Tday and they loved it.
Regarding being able to just join and play - you would be fine. The main classes, races, mechanics and skills would be very familiar and are all d20 based etc. Now....if you asked about joining a 2E table, we'd have to have a long talk about THAC 0.....and your head would hurt very bad.
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Post by thugcorecowboy on Dec 18, 2015 11:55:51 GMT
To hit armor class 0 I rember how confusing that was when I first started playing I was like 8 or 9
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DM Sol_train
Squire
Back behind the screen 20yrs post 2E
Posts: 33
Favorite D&D Class: Druid (Pathfinder Wolf-shaman)
Favorite D&D Race: Human
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Post by DM Sol_train on Dec 24, 2015 15:16:23 GMT
www.d20pfsrd.com/ is the place to go to check out about as much information as you would ever need to run and play in a Pathfinder game. I certainly use it while I run my games as it is by far the easiest way to look up a monster quickly. That and random rules that come up, or stats, or just about anything. If you are going to homebrew it is the way to go, but if you are running a written module from them then you will need to use that content instead of the site. Paizo has their official stuff available electronically on their site as well (except Unchained). www.paizo.com/pathfinderrpg/prd/I downloaded the pathfinder masterwork tools app from google play as well, which is handy for both quick play and GM research. |
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