Pathfinder 2E Things You Love about a Game: Pathfinder 2E edition (+)

[Derulbaskul]

No particular order:
1. Pocket editions. Love 'em.
2. Archives of Nethys. Free and legal? Outstanding.
3. Pathbuilder.
4. Other free and legal online tools.
5. The designers actually designed a game around balance and teamwork.
6. Monster building and encounter building tools that actually work.

 

[Catolias]

5. The designers actually designed a game around balance and teamwork.
6. Monster building and encounter building tools that actually work.

OMG- That is so true and how could I miss that?!

I’m running a game that has scaled up from 5 to 8 players recently and, from my perspective, it has been so easy to scale the encounters up to match. Also, everyone has something they contribute to a game - tactically in combat, also with their skills. It’s a real joy to play.

 

[!DWolf]

PF2E is in my top 3 favorite rpgs. Some of the things I like about it:

• It is easy and fun to create satisfying combat encounters for any level party. And I can do it relatively quickly.
• I can also quickly adjust combat encounters to account for more or less players.
• Complex hazards are awesome and really increase environmental interactivity.
• The adventures can be pretty much be run out of the book with only a few minor adjustments.
• The XP system is pretty solid and easy to use.
• Exploration mode gives me the ability to do lots of interesting things mechanically outside combat.
• Strategy and Tactics really matter for both NPCs and players and you can get very nice strategy/counter-strategy play.
• The detailed skill system makes adjudication exploration and skill based actions much easier.
• It is much easier to avoid trap builds and massive PC power differentials.
• Build diversity is great enough that I don’t need to worry much about party composition.
• Running Abomination Vaults gives me flashbacks to the early 90 (in a good way).
• The game also remind me very heavily of Dark Souls/Elden Ring (also in a good way).

 

[Thomas Shey]

I'm playing in my third PF2e campaign (though the first was short), and the three things I've liked best are:
1. Engagement with the game actually pays off. More and more over time you have actual meaningful choices to make and thinking about them is worthwhile.
2. The encounter building generally really does work. That's astonishing given the history of such things.
3. The game does not break at higher levels. You can argue it occasionally suffers a little at the bottom end for some classes or setups, but its not cripplingly so, and its refreshing to have a game that takes its level progression seriously (D&D 4 did, but PF2e has managed to keep the number of moving parts a little more manageable while doing that).

 

[The-Magic-Sword]

I normally say something about exploration mode or game balance, but the options themselves-- there's so many cool monsters like the Swordkeepers, the Many and varied types of undead.

On the player side we've been thrilled with Thaumaturge lately, and the new Way of the Triggerbrand, the Chronoskimmer, Sleepwalker. Nagaji and Ghoran, Vanara.

Every book is brimming with new stuff we didnt even know we wanted and then we see it and we're like "well duh, of course we wanted this, here's a character concept for it"

 

[thullgrim]

Things I like about PF2:
(1) the three action economy is great, intuitive, simple to adjudicate when you have to.

(2) the procedural approach to visibility/invisibility etc.

(3) character creation and options

(4) it’s pretty easy to homebrew for.

(5) monster creation works.

(6) the encounter rating system actually works.

 

[Lojaan]

With the edition warring, anxiety about revisions, etc., I wanted to take a break from that negativity in my life.
I've got an uneven history with Pathfinder 2E.
Stage One: I disliked it greatly during the playtest
Stage Two: I had a bad experience with the first campaign I tried with the full rules
Stage Three: Enjoyed some Pathfinder Society at a virtual con
Stage Four: Had a mixed bag on my second campaign and abandoned it
Stage Five: Players rage quit the third campaign I tried
Stage Six: Finally found a group that seems to like it

I hope I am not derailing the thread by asking this but can you go into what caused you and your players to not like it initially? And, did you overcome this or just get used to it or something? It seemed like you went through a lot to get it up and running regular and I would like to (if possible!) skip the bad experiences and players rage quitting

I want to try PF2 next but I gotta say, the rulebook is not designed for new players. Or even experienced players new to the system.

 

[Catolias]

I want to try PF2 next but I gotta say, the rulebook is not designed for new players. Or even experienced players new to the system.

I have to disagree with this sentiment as an experienced player. I have played 3.x for 20 years and also with 5e for a bit. Yes it was different, but the CRB is beautifully laid out and easy to use — especially with the coloured tabs and excellent glossary.

I do agree that the CRB is physically overwhelming and large. Also, it requires recognising that, when you come to the game, you are not playing PF1E, 5e or any other system

 

[Lojaan]

I have to disagree with this sentiment as an experienced player. I have played 3.x for 20 years and also with 5e for a bit. Yes it was different, but the CRB is beautifully laid out and easy to use — especially with the coloured tabs and excellent glossary.

I do agree that the CRB is physically overwhelming and large. Also, it requires recognising that, when you come to the game, you are not playing PF1E, 5e or any other system

Thank you. That was hilariously unhelpful.

 

[Retreater]

I hope I am not derailing the thread by asking this but can you go into what caused you and your players to not like it initially? And, did you overcome this or just get used to it or something? It seemed like you went through a lot to get it up and running regular and I would like to (if possible!) skip the bad experiences and players rage quitting

Yes, I can get into that.
The first group I tried it with had a very "let's make sure we're getting the rules completely right - that's the only way we can fairly test it."
So it became a slog, trying to make sure every ruling was correct.
This applied also to running the Age of Ashes adventure path. They wanted it 100% by the book. And without adjusting for player skill and interests, the game became a lifeless bloodbath - like a difficult CRPG.
After that first experience, it wasn't so much about having to get the rules right, but it was following the APs we tried "to the letter." Clearly, this didn't work for the next two groups. APs (especially the earlier ones) are frustratingly difficult for players used to 5e.
I still have a player every week - in almost every combat - get so frustrated by the difficulty that he says things like "I'm dead - I'm going to need a new character" (and we're playing an easier AP, running the characters at one level higher, and I'm mindful to spread out the enemies.)
So here's my suggestion - don't start with an AP. Get the Beginner Box (and you'll do fine). Run some of the PF Society modules for your group. Don't try to jump in with an epic story - this doesn't play like D&D in my experience.
Don't run Severe encounters until your group gets used to the system. And when you do, be sure to telegraph the danger in advance and give them every opportunity to run away. (A Severe encounter with good GM tactics is a TPK waiting to happen.)