It’s LAUNCH DAY For The Pathfinder 2 Playtest!

Today’s the day! You can now download the Pathfinder 2nd Edition playtest book!

Head on over to Paizo.com to download it for free.

Its tinged with a little sadness for those of us who preordered the hard copy, as issues with Amazon means that our copies have been delayed by an indefinite amount.

’’When Paizo was planning this year's Pathfinder Playtest, we expected to exceed our own ability to fulfill orders on a timely basis, so we decided to use Fulfillment by Amazon. Unfortunately, Amazon's reports indicate that most customers will not be receiving their orders by tomorrow's release date. They shipped 3 orders on July 28, 3 more on July 29, and no orders on July 30 or 31. Today, they have shipped almost 10% of the outstanding orders, and they are continuing to ship through the night and into tomorrow. They have so far been unable to tell us when they will complete shipping.”

However, at least the PDFs are still available for free in the meantime.

Adventure chapters are also available alongside the rule book, with the first being available today. They are as follows:

1. The Lost Star, Aug 7 - Aug 26 (Also available at Gen Con on Aug 2.)
2. In Pale Mountain’s Shadow, Aug 7 - Sep 9
3. Affair At Sombrefell Hall, Sep 10 - Sep 23
4. The Mirrored Moon, Sep 24 - Oct 8
5. The Heroes Of Undarin, Oct 9 - Oct 21
6. Red Flags, Oct 22 - Nov 4
7. When The Stars Go Dark, Nov 5 - Nov 18

 

[Parmandur]

So...many...Feats. I'm surprised being able to breathe or walk aren't locked behind feat taxes.

 

[MoonSong]

It wasn't free - they wanted me to sign in and accept marketing emails.

That's not free. If I'm the product it isn't free.

Edit: They even watermark the playtest! Luckily I used maildrop.cc to create a burner email with no connection to my real personal details I will never read or use again.

It is all OGL anyway. You are free to copy and distribute the relevant text.

I do not object to the politics espoused in general and I agree that they describe the best way to conduct a game. I do think they could have worded it more judiciously though. The way it is written seems a little possessive - as if they merely sold you a revocable license to play the game rather than a copy of the game (This might be a playtest but I assume they are modelling the language they want to use in the real consumer product). I think it would be better if they framed it more as why making inclusive games makes for better, more enjoyable, and most importantly - more reliable experiences. Because co-operative storytelling experiences need sufficient actors and require consistency and casting a wide net and not pushing players out is how you get and keep those things. After all they do say explicitly that the game is for everyone - and everyone includes a lot of asses.

Hadn't noticed the relevant passages. They feel a bit heavy handed and certainly don't translate well culturally. If I wasn't already into it, I would feel scared and otn wanting to touch it. It remarks the negative too much.

 

[CapnZapp]

It is all OGL anyway. You are free to copy and distribute the relevant text.

Not sure of your point.

 

[Arakasius]

So...many...Feats. I'm surprised being able to breathe or walk aren't locked behind feat taxes.

There isn’t even 200 feats. The PF1 rulebook has over 600. Sure maybe there is a lot now if you’re used to 5e, but that’s really not a lot of feats. And virtually none are feat taxes (feats requires to unlock other feats when you don’t care about the first.)

 

[MoonSong]

There isn’t even 200 feats. The PF1 rulebook has over 600. Sure maybe there is a lot now if you’re used to 5e, but that’s really not a lot of feats. And virtually none are feat taxes (feats requires to unlock other feats when you don’t care about the first.)

Fighter dedication is a feat tax for paladins and rangers desiring fight styles.

Edit: BTW the playtest has at least 450 feats (I estimate about 465), And the final game will certainly have even more of them, as archetypes consist of feats -we can expect at least the other eight multiclass archetypes, more generic archetypes and prestige archetypes-

 

[mellored]

Fighter dedication is a feat tax for paladins and rangers desiring fight styles.

What fighting style?

 

[Parmandur]

There isn’t even 200 feats. The PF1 rulebook has over 600. Sure maybe there is a lot now if you’re used to 5e, but that’s really not a lot of feats. And virtually none are feat taxes (feats requires to unlock other feats when you don’t care about the first.)

Admittedly, I don't like Feats at all: don't use them in 5E, never miss them.

 

[MoonSong]

What fighting style?

Ok, oversimplification: Power attack/Opportunity Attack/Point-Blank Shot.

 

[MoonSong]

Not sure of your point.

This is free stuff? If you don't want to give Paizo your email, just ask a friend who did. They can copy paste the rules -with no fluff/pics- into a Word document, attach the OgL, give it a name and write a copyright notice. Done, you can have your Pathfinder 2 playtest with zero strings attached.

 

[mellored]

Ok, oversimplification: Power attack/Opportunity Attack/Point-Blank Shot.

Ranger has double slice, which is pretty close to power attack, and several ranged attack boosts. They lack in an OA.
And paladin has retribution strike, and can directly pick up attack of opportunity at level 6. Plus plenty of shield buffs, and spells. They lack a ranged buff.

If you want all of melee, ranged, and defense buffs, then yea, you need fighter. I don't see that as a problem.