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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Anguish" data-source="post: 5502557" data-attributes="member: 27032">When describing something, comparison to established experience is useful.  So the following isn't edition warring, it's simply comparison.PFRPG is hugely compatible with 3.5e materials, first of all.  That means you can pick up a 3.5e published module and run it with PFRPG characters, or vice-versa.  There are some key changes that you should be aware of, but they're all addressable on-the-fly.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Turn Undead now is channel energy - a holy fireball that heals living or harms undead</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Barbarians get rounds-per-day of rage (other classes get similar boosts)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Grapple is replaced with a "unified" combat maneuver system</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Skills are condensed to fewer with the same uses</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">General BAB progression-to-hit-dice reform (half BAB = d6, 3/4 BAB = d8, full BAB = d10, barb retains special d12)</li> </ul>Otherwise there are a lot of subtle changes that improve the 3.5e mechanic.  Things like monks getting full BAB while flurrying (and only flurrying).  Spell casters get cantrips at-will.  Save-or-suck spells are widely nerfed somewhat.  Everyone gets feats on odd numbered levels, not every 3.  Undead are subject to sneak-attack/precision-damage (though oozes and the like remain immune).  Fighters get abilites beyond feats which make them especially good at their role; improved mobility in armor, improved bonuses with weapons, resistances to fear.All in all, PFRPG is 3.5e with a lot more options available to your PCs.  They're not all awesomesauce, but the idea is that when your wizard is reduced to "I pull out my crossbow and shoot", he instead has something vaguely magical to do.  Lots of little things that smooth out questions like "what does a rogue do when not busy sneak-attacking?"  If you liked 3.5e, PFRPG is logical, enjoyable refinement of that edition.  It's the culmination of a decade of gaming theory and experience applied to the system.In the Bestiaries, monsters have similarly been revisited.  There are 3.5e monsters that were too weak for their challenge rating.  There are those that were too strong.  Or too obnoxious.  Paizo has revisited the balance after ten years of seeing the 3rd edition monsters in use and made changes to make them more... smooth.Otherwise, when it comes to selling the system, what it brings to the table that 4e does is simply... complexity.  Lots of it.  There are a lot of fiddly bits, especially in the spells section.  If your players are interested in straight hack & slash, 4e is fine.  PFRPG offers a different type of play - if you want it - in the form of a truly vast spell array.  Magic users change battlefields in ways that aren't permitted in 4e for balance reasons.  I'm not saying it's better.  I'm saying it's different.That's the biggest selling point.  It's got the complexity and diversity of 3rd edition but tempered my maturity.  That doesn't mean it's right for everyone, and if your erection lasts for more than four hours, count yourself lucky.</blockquote>

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