Pathfinder 2E PF2e House Rules:

[dave2008]

My players like XP for the sense of progression. I like it for its ability to provide feedback loops and a canary for the campaign. But we tend to do sandbox games. How necessary it is will depend on what you’re running and what your group wants, though I think the idea of rewarding accomplishments (systematizing quest rewards, bonus XP, etc) is a move in the right direction.

What I meant by "Do we even need it," was are there elements on PF2e like XP drain (which was a thing in older versions of D&D). Basically, in PF2e is XP used for anything other than advancement?

 

[Campbell]

This is what the Core Rulesbook says:

If you don’t want to deal with managing and handing out XP, or if you want to have progression based solely on events in the story, you can ignore the XP process entirely and instead simply decide when the characters level up. Generally, the characters should gain a level every three to four game sessions, just after the most appropriate big event that happens during that time, such as defeating a significant villain or achieving a major goal.

 

[CapnZapp]

However, the lower chance of hitting wasn't the reason they removed it, it was the fact that not doing the math sped up play (if a I am recalling a previous comment correctly). So the feats and weapons that reduce the penalty don't solve the issue for them. Only ones that get rid of it all together would

Sorry to have to break it to you, but Pathfinder 2 involves massive amounts of +1's and -1's. All over the place, all the time.

Each time you make an attack, each time you're hit with a condition, each time you're buffed by a spell, use up a consumable, or activate a permanent item... your relevant value will change - very slightly (likely by only 1 step). This game contains 40+ conditions, you can have 10 worn permanent items plus whatever you're wielding, plus elixirs, potions, scrolls, mutagens, poisons, ... all of which likely postulates a subtle change every round (of usage). Forgot runes, talismans, precious materials, hero points, oils, ammunition... Not to speak of the various actions you can take, most of which are activated through feats (which there are hundreds of), all potentially tweaking the action's parameters...

Even then, we haven't discussed the fundamental engine of the system - the three action system, massively increasing the decision space from "I charge the enemy and hit him" to loads and loads of possible combinations (only a small amount of which is apparent before you absorb the multitudes of feats available to the twelve classes in various combinations), leading to a massive potential for analysis paralysis if your players are susceptible to situations demanding decisions without full information.

If simple addition is "math" to these people, I do not think PF2 will work out for them...

PS. Practical example: a first level Ranger, straight out of the hero-making factory. In each round he can choose to do one of the following:

• three attacks (strike + strike + strike) which in a Ranger's case becomes four attacks since one of them is a "flurry", making you attack at +0, +0, -4, -8 or more likely +0, +0, -3, -6 because the off-hand weapon is "agile" (or even +0, +0, -2, -4 from some combo I'm not sure about)
• command his pet (one attack) and then do other stuff with two attacks, giving the pet two actions of its own
• use weapon to parry (analogous to raising a shield) granting +1 AC at expense of one action/attack

All of this can be combined with moving. Since you can't split a move like in 5E, you need to spend two Move actions if you want to move in, attack, and then move out again. Each situation can therefore be approached in a dozen ways.

All of this is straight out the gate at level 1. This is the easiest and least complicated level.

Now multiply this by four, assuming four heroes, taking each class' special abilities (=feats) into account, and you likely have the -1's and the +1's flying all over the place at a rapid rate.

Then consider how every monster also get three actions. At first level, there isn't much they can do but charge you and bite you, but already the conditions and various states (and the -1's) start pouring in: poisoned, wounded, dying, "immune to first aid by X", dazed, ...