Pathfinder 2E Pace of fighting
apoapostolov
Explorer
Turns can be slightly longer especially in late Tier games, but there are less turns in general because how fast and lethal combat can feel. Overall combat feels faster with players who understand the system well.
I don’t think it’s too bad. Our combats are usually about the same length as other games, but there’s more movement, so it feels less static and boring. Creatures also generally have interesting abilities, which helps too.
Edit: Since it was mentioned upthread, I’ll agree combat definitely feels more lethal than PF1. That’s probably due in part to the 4-degrees of success system where crits happen much more frequently. Combat is much more swingy, but that’s mitigated by hero points and the dying rules.
CapnZapp
Legend
I think it's because that's the way monsters are calibrated - they get access to all the same abilities and bonuses available to PCs, in contrast to 5E where monsters are frequently helpless against the goodies the PHB generously hands out to PCs.
It does not run as fast as 5E. It is much faster than PF1. But combats are still long and involved depending on the players and number of enemies.
What you will like is the preparation for combat is much, much faster. No more PF1 hours of buffing prior to the fight and tracking ten different buff spells from casters, potions, wands, scrolls, magic items, and the like. Magic and abilities are much more like 5E with short durations only worth casting or using when the combat starts. Pre-buffing is mostly gone other than some potions and longer lasting alchemical items that are easy to track. No more of the crazy let me cast cat's grace, bull's strength, bear's endurance, invisibility, haste, enlarge, magic weapon, death ward, energy resistance, protection from arrows, summon monster, greater magic fang, and if you've played PF1 you know the long list of pre-buffing insanity that existed in that game. That is gone. Makes starting combat much faster than PF1 or 3E.
The actual fights will often depend on how fast your players make their moves and how fast you can move and take monster actions basically system mastery. It requires more system mastery to run PF2, though not nearly as much as PF1. Though it might take you longer to learn the system, once you and your players do the encounter speed will come down to you and your player speed processing actions.
Green Onceler
Explorer
Really? I'm quite surprised to hear that given how the new iteration of Pathfinder has effectively removed save or die, and even the more punishing save or suck effects, from the game.
Like I said, it’s the crits. They’re much more common in PF2 than they were in PF1, and they do comparatively more damage. That’s also what makes higher level creatures so dangerous — they naturally crit lower level characters more often (due to their greater attack bonus versus the PCs’ ACs).
I think I’ve crit the PCs more times in the last few sessions than I have in some PF1 and 5e campaigns I’ve run. Also, zombies with rotting aura are nasty.
