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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dykstrav" data-source="post: 6440122" data-attributes="member: 40522">5 out of 5 rating for Pathfinder RPG Core RulebookPathfinder is extremely good at what it does, but  it's not every game for every group (nor does it try to be).  The Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook is comprehensive. The character creation options are detailed enough to create nearly any character from heroic fantasy. The rules are detailed enough to cover nearly every situation in a consistent and intuitive fashion. There's enough material in this one book to last many, many campaigns. You can easily use this one book alone to meet your tabletop RPG needs for the rest of your life.  That being said, there's certainly a learning curve--the rules are comprehensive but nuanced and it'll take even a bright player at least a year of regular play to get a good feel for how it all hangs together. You'll also have to address how your group approaches the rules. Because the rules are so well-tested and finely tuned, many groups have little tolerance for house rules. If you're the sort of GM that likes to tinker and customize you'll have to be prepared for a few grumbles from your by-the-book types and your optimizers (it's also reasonably common for such players to have greater system mastery than the GM). Some players also develop "tunnel vision" because of all the great options available; you'll have to gently remind them that they can try things that aren't listed as an ability listed in the rules and to otherwise think outside the character sheet. It's also important to keep in mind that certain character types will shine and others will founder depending on campaign circumstances. If your campaign focuses on fighting a lich and its undead minions in a megadungeon-tomb, clerics and paladins will be awesome but druids and rangers will feel less useful. Conversely, a wilderness-oriented exploration campaign will let the druid and the ranger get the lion's share of the challenges where a cleric or paladin might not be able to contribute as much. If you want to GM for Pathfinder you can't just plug-and-play random elements, you have to consider each individual character and how they will contribute during the adventure.   As a player you have to really think of your character as part of a team. It's possible to make a lone wolf or maverick but rarely a good idea (and never as effective as a member of a well-designed team). Pathfinder rewards players that think ahead about character options and are willing to work together. A rogue on their own is an effective character but the rogue really shines if you and the barbarian both get Acrobatics, Dodge, and Mobility to tumble around to flank the same target. Or allows the illusionist wizard with Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot to use their blinding rays to set a big target up for a sneak attack. Sure, a rogue can use Improved Feint to set up their own sneak attack but coordinating efforts with the other players is a big part of the fun.  Still, these issues have more to do with play style and the expectations of the group rather than the product. If your group is receptive to the style of play that Pathfinder supports (comprehensive rules, plenty of character options, and a teamwork-based approach to character creation), you will have an absolute BLAST. The Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook will be the last core rules you will ever need for many years of great gaming.</blockquote>

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