Paizo Publishing Pathfinder Core Rulebook (P2)

The first edition of Pathfinder (2009) was a masterpiece of game design that easily outclassed its main competitor of the time, Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition (which had somewhat neglected the cooperative roleplaying aspect of the game in favour of tactical combat). Over the following decade Pathfinder became swamped with options as more and more titles were released, so perhaps it was time to hit reset and release a revamped game that could compete with the much-lauded fifth edition of D&D.Fifth Edition D&D is relatively easy to get your head around as a new player, and the rules are streamlined and intuitive for the Game Master. The artwork is atmospheric and well-judged, and there are some great rules mechanics, like the Advantage/Disadvantage system, that keep the game from getting weighed down by endless modifiers. It's fun and it's fast, but this comes at the expense of a degree of realism (which may or may not be important to you in a fantasy RPG); for example, you take an eight hour nap and all your near-fatal wounds have miraculously healed!Pathfinder Second Edition, by contrast, is a behemoth. The Core Rulebook has twice the page count of the 5E Player's Handbook (although admittedly it contains some information, like magic items and some GM advice, that 5E puts in the Dungeon Master's Guide). P2 also has some cool mechanics, like the three-action economy for encounters, but the artwork (which I believe is important in an RPG for setting the tone) doesn't quite reach 5E's very high bar.P2 does blow 5E out of the water as a simulation. The rules are excellent and, whilst they're well written and well set out, would be pretty mind-boggling for a new Game Master or player. It's certainly an improvement on the original game, too, but it does suffer from its own admirable dedication to realism. There is a rule for everything, which could potentially leave the Game Master endlessly flicking through pages and players sat scratching their heads instead of getting on with play.Where P2 really shines compared to 5E is character creation. It's so flexible that it really facilitates your building literally any kind of character you can think of, especially when you combine the Core Rulebook with the Advanced Player's Guide. Another thing to keep in mind is that as a GM you'd only really require the Bestiary as a minimum, whereas to run a game of 5E you'd need the DMG and the Monster Manual.The simplicity of 5E is elegant and allows all involved to focus on roleplaying instead of rules; but if you were prepared to spend some time getting your head around P2 and committing it to memory (good luck!), I'd have to say it probably comes out on top overall as a game system. The Special Edition is well-made, too, with good quality stitching and two useful page marker ribbons.One other consideration is the quality and quantity of supplements. Of course, the original Pathfinder comes out on top here. There are adventure paths and modules for every conceivable setting, and copious materials on rules expansions, character options and styles of play. There are no less than six core bestiaries in hardcover, two unparalleled books on NPCs and equipment, and seemingly endless releases covering various locations in the default campaign world, Golarion. And then there's the reams of excellent material available from third party publishers. It's really well supported, but you might find yourself over-faced by it all.Wizards of the Coast have kept rules 'splat' books for 5E to a minimum, concentrating instead on published adventures and campaign settings, along with a couple of monster books. The quality is almost universally outstanding, and this strategy has maintained the easygoing identity of the Fifth Edition rules. By contrast, so far Paizo's output for P2 has been variable, with some supplements being rather overpriced and thin on content compared to those of its predecessor.On balance, I'd say Pathfinder Second Edition is technically a superior game to Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons, but with D&D's streamlined feel, great artwork and superb line of supplements, it's unlikely that P2 will usurp 5E in the marketplace. It's a shame, because P2 has a lot going for it and the original game was second to none in its day. I'm really impressed by the Second Edition's mechanics, versatility and immersive, simulation-like play style, but D&D does leave you with more room to breathe and concentrate on running a fun and well-paced game, instead of getting mired in details.In summary, then, if you like realism, complexity and a breadth of options, go with P2; if you want smooth, easy play or have rookie players, go with 5E. Both are top class games - it just depends on your own personal preferences and experience.

Daughter is thrilled with the quality of this book. It is packed full of game information with superb high quality illustrations throughout.A must for all Pathfinder, D&D fans and gamers.5* purchase.Side note **This book was purchased via Amazon Prime's pre-release book order.My daughter was incredibly disappointed with the length of time it took to receive this book.We ordered this book expecting it to be shipped to us on or very closely after the release day, however, it was a good two plus weeks after the release date when the book was finally delivered. We presumed there must have been a supply problem with obtaining the actual book but this was not the case as my daughters friends were able to purchaae this book directly off the shelf at various book stores without issue**

Have been really enjoying PF2E after a long period of 5e D&D gaming. We had a great time with the 1st Ed of Pathfinder way back from 2009-2015. This new Ed is less complex than 1e yet has a lot more player choice over pc design than 5e & lots of options in combat.Do get the new Player Core 1 though. It's like 2.1e - updates, errata, plus totally delinked from WotC OGL guaranteeing Paizo their creative rights & cancelling any threat Wizards posed.

We will be starting a P2e game in the new year having played Pathfinder 1 and all D&D versions up to 3.5 (and many others over the years). This is a new twist on the game and we are looking forward to it. The Core rulebook does cover just about everything - and its weight reflects that - this is not a small book.Initial reads have been promising, its biggest issue so far is that it feels like there is a really simple game system involved, its just obscured by mountains of information

The book itself is well printed with nice artwork and does what it says on the tin. It was a lot fatter than I imagined it would be to be honest (it’s about double the size of the DnD Players Handbook) which makes it a pretty cool looking tome.The one thing that was disappointing was that the first book that was sent to me came with a bunch of pages at the front bent over so it left white lines along the folds and damage to the art and writing on the pages. I had to send it back.

Very good book. Loving it.

Amazing quality and artwork we’ve come to enjoy with Pathfinder.As an original Pathfinder player me and my group loved its changes to D&D. This now brings it right upto date and looks to win back some of those who went back to 5e.Well run community with so many adventures and content to help players and DM’s alike.

Pathfinder 2e takes the D&D 3.5e fork, Pathfinder 1e, and develops it further. This is no longer D&D, but there's a lot D&D lovers will love - more crunchy than D&D 5e, but nicely balanced. I really like the world setting, Golarion. The way humanoid races are treated, and the way they've re-jigged alignments is pretty inspiring. Where D&D says Orcs are all Chaotic Evil baby-eating bad guys, Pathfinder's more like "Well, they're a bad lot, but they're people, and people come in all kinds", and with the alignment system saying "Evil = selfishness" rather than "Evil = mindless slaying", it allows for much more complex characters than "Ugh, Thrug SMASH nasty Halfling!".

Podia ter vindo com uma embalagem mais robusta por desencargo, mas mesmo assim chegou em bom estado, sem amassados ou arranhões. Livro veio novo e em inglês, conforme anunciado. A previsão era de 10 dias para entrega, chegou em 3. O valor poderia ser mais em conta, mas quem compra esse tipo de livro sabe que não tem muito o que fazer. Dito isso, só tenho a elogiar.

It was exactly what I expected, although the price was a bit steep. The book is in perfect condition.

Beautiful art and amazing core book! Everything from the get go and nicely organized! A really good system for people who loves customization and rules are clear, not like D&D5e (where you have to checks creators tweets for clarification). Over all great edition from Paizo!

Als langjähriger Pen and Paper Spieler und verfechter von D&D, bin ich bei den aufgetreten Problemen der OGL nochmals aufmetksam auf Pathfinder geworden und hatte mir das CRB geholt. Zu Pathfinder selber sage ich jetzt nichts, das sprengt den Rahmen und es geht ja auch um das Buch.Die Qualität des Buches ist sehr gut, es kam ohne Mängel bei mir an.

PF2E is quickly becoming one of my favourite systems. It's very robust and favours cooperation. I really like that all the feats, you can build a unique character but you never feel underpowered. The three action economy of combat is great and creates a more interesting fight. It is also a book that has ALL the rules. No need to buy anything else to begin with.