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Pathfinder 1E Thinking towards Pathfinder.

Drobney Falcor

First Post
I might be running a campaign and I am thinking towards using Pathfinder rules. The players are all used to 3.5 rulings and I'm wondering if the switch would be easy to pickup?
Would I have to use a different monster manual or is the standard 3.0 and 3.5 books (Only books I have available as of now.)
Will there be a significant power increase or decrease?
Just curious since some players have expressed some interest into the alternate rulings.
 

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billd91

Not your screen monkey (he/him) 🇺🇦🇵🇸🏳️‍⚧️
I think PF will be pretty easy for you to pickup. I found it pretty easy.

You won't need to pick up new monster books immediately because the PF bestiaries are available here: Pathfinder SRD. That said the Bestiaries are pretty cool books and I recommend getting them as you are able.

There will be a slight general increase in power because of some of the changes (more hp for wizards, armor getting better for fighters, paladin smite being a lot less weak), but most of them are directed at creating a little more balance between PCs in an adventuring environment.
 

TheAuldGrump

First Post
I think PF will be pretty easy for you to pickup. I found it pretty easy.

You won't need to pick up new monster books immediately because the PF bestiaries are available here: Pathfinder SRD. That said the Bestiaries are pretty cool books and I recommend getting them as you are able.

There will be a slight general increase in power because of some of the changes (more hp for wizards, armor getting better for fighters, paladin smite being a lot less weak), but most of them are directed at creating a little more balance between PCs in an adventuring environment.
I have been playing a paladin lately - Smite has become pretty danged handy. :)

It may also be worth looking at the Bonus Bestiary - free monsters, and will give an idea of how the Bestiary looks. :)

The Auld Grump
 

IronWolf

blank
It would be pretty easy to pick up. The big thing is to make sure to read the rules as you use some ability, spell or feat to make sure there was not some subtle change in Pathfinder.

As for monsters, as other have pointed out, using the d20pfsrd would be good for the critters. Of course if you are into PDFs, the Bestiary is only $10 I believe.

These links help highlight some of the differences between 3.5 and Pathfinder.

The 3.5/Pathfinder Handbook - Giant in the Playground Forums

Conversion Guide
 


1Mac

First Post
Here's a pretty thorough rundown of most of the changes between PF and 3e.

The biggest changes to keep in mind:

-Combat Maneuvers: The mechanics for special attacks like Bull Rushes and Grapples have all been rolled into a single unifying mechanic. Every character gets a Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and these special attacks are essentially a check of one against the other.

-Skill Points: Instead of getting 4x the number of normal skill points at first level, characters get the same number at each level. The first rank you put in a class skill gets you a +3 bonus to that skill. You can normally have a maximum of one rank per character level in a skill.

-[edit] Feats: I almost forgot about feats, which are now earned at every odd-numbered level.

-Concentration: Concentration is no longer a skill; instead, it's a caster level check.

-Archetypes: Introduced in the Advanced Players Guide. Think of these as a suite of thematically related alternate class features. As GM, you should perhaps consider what archetypes you would permit or prohibit.

Here are some general things to look out for:

Race and Class Power Boost: Each core race and class from 3e has a number of new powers in Pathfinder. Most races gain an additional +2 bonus in some skill. Most classes get a "capstone" ability at level 20, to encourage focus in a single class. Pathfinder designers also strived to avoid "dead levels," instead letting classes gain a new spell or class ability every level.

False Friends: Pathfinder is relatively easy to convert from 3e, but the number of near-similarities between certain common features might actually make it harder for your players to learn if they are very familiar with 3e. Be sure to check familiar feats, spells, and class powers to be sure there isn't some sneaky difference between 3e and PF.
 

Drobney Falcor

First Post
Thanks for the information! Pathfinder rules seem to be a bit more streamlined (I love the combat maneuvers system). Of course I still need to talk with my players about making the switch.
One last question: What books are absolute essential to be considered playing under Pathfinder rules? That is, could we get by with just buying the core Pathfinder rulebook and still use all of the 3.0 and 3.5 sources we have for just about everything else?
 

IronWolf

blank
Thanks for the information! Pathfinder rules seem to be a bit more streamlined (I love the combat maneuvers system). Of course I still need to talk with my players about making the switch.
One last question: What books are absolute essential to be considered playing under Pathfinder rules? That is, could we get by with just buying the core Pathfinder rulebook and still use all of the 3.0 and 3.5 sources we have for just about everything else?

Really just the core rule book is all you really need. The Advanced Player's Guide is pretty nice too, but not required. A bestiary would help, but you can use the d20pfsrd site if needed to get you started.

I am not a big fan of mixing sources, but others have no issues doing it. Just depends on the group and the GM.
 


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