Pathfinder 1E What can 5e Give us that Pathfinder doesn't

[marleykat]

I'm probably just repeating what has already been said since I haven't read through the entire thread. I think 5e has a chance to something Pathfinder was never given permission by the fanbase to do, make actual change to the 3e game engine to fix known issues, use of best of OGL and their other editions.

For example, using 4e ideas for monster building and game prep and so on.

Pathfinder is kind of trapped into being backwards compatible the 3/3,.5 material exclusively, 5e isn't fettered this way it could use entirely new math and mechanics as long as it's possible to capture the feel of other editions via modularity. Note the game doesn't have to be some slavish redo of any particular edition just make it possible to play that edition if one chooses but be it's own thing first and foremost.

 

[Banshee16]

Even though its designers tried to correct it, Pathfinder still suffers from the old 3.5e problem of Casters being better than everyone else. The Fighter is still uninteresting and underpowered in Pathfinder (even though he's better than he was in straight D&D3.5e). Pathfinder started with material that was irreparably broken, and no amount of tweaking it is going to fix it to my satisfaction. It is my fond hope that 5e avoids this trap from the beginning.

Additionally, Pathfinder's fairly recent attempt to correct some of its problems with the rules in Ultimate Combat are disgustingly Asiaphilic to such a degree that it nauseates me. I want my fighter to rock without looking like a samurai or ninja.

That's pretty easy. Our fighters were consistently some of the most lethal characters in the group. If you're practicing the 15 minute workday, yes, spellcasters come across as more powerful. But throw in the other parts of the game that are supposed to be there (as defined in the rulebooks)....resting periods, random encounters, *not* doing a 15 minute workday, and the "problem" completely disappears.

This has been discussed ad nauseum in other threads.

Pafthfinder fixed a number of issues, repealed the proliferation of prestige classes, largely got rid of weird and unbalanced character races, by putting the focus back on the original seven, fleshed out sorcerers much better, fixed problems with bards, fighters, barbarians and rogues, etc.

It didn't fix the math issues at higher levels, no. But it fixed as much as was possible, while retaining compatibility (for those who wanted it) with other 3E material, adventures, etc.

Get rid of the 15 minute workday, and "spellcaster=best character" vanishes. For those of us who never used the 15 minute workday, it was never an issue. Every character had a chance to shine. And our fighters slaughtered spellcasters very capably. And spellcasters beat on fighters, when situations favoured it. As it should be. Both types of characters have their "winning" moment.

Banshee

 

[Serendipity]

Repeating a now familiar refrain - hopefully faster chargen and (for me) faster combat. In general, something less futzy than a 3.5 derived game engine. Make no mistake, I LOVE Paizo's non-mechanics ideas, it's what got my attention in the first place, but something lighter mechanics-wise would make me very very happy.
And if that's not what happens? No biggie. I'm still going to be grabbing pathfinder books that interest me (based on fluff) and running Swords & Wizardry, quite happily. I am interested in 5e as a concept but until I actually SEE some of it, I'm not making any plans or judgements one way or another.

 

[Greg K]

What can 5e give us that Pathfinder can't'? Hopefully, it will be a game that I want to play. 4e brought some changes that I was glad to see and had wanted in a revised 3e (including a few that I had asked for in my pre-3e questionaire). However, overall, it had more things that made me not want to switch from 3e. Pathfinder just took 3e in the wrong direction from the changes I wanted.

 

[Sunseeker]

It could give us a game that's not Pathfinder? Not all of us like Pathfinder.
Or maybe it could give us a game that isn't riddled with Wayne Reynold's disgusting art. No really, I hate even LOOKING at the Pathfinder books.

I dunno, it's not supposed to give us something entirely different. It's just supposed to be a new and improved spin on the same game we all enjoy.

 

[Bobbum Man]

Is this a question for yourself or in general?

Because not everyone likes 3rd edition/PF. In fact, if D&DN closely resembles 3e it will be a dealbreaker for me.

Also, the question posed in the OP assumes that the 3.x/OGL engine only needs minor tinkering, and that no one could ever come up with a better one.

 

[SteveC]

I think it depends on what you like about Pathfinder. If you like the adventures, but aren't necessarily sold on the rules, it will allow you to use the D&D rules with your Pathfinder adventures. I say this because from everything I've seen, 5E should have compatible stats with Pathfinder.

If you like the rules and the fluff of Pathfinder better, there is likely to be some module from 5E you might like to apply to your Pathfinder game that it currently doesn't have.

Outside of those two issues, I can't think of any reason to switch.

 

[Tallifer]

My excitement for the Fifth Edition was rekindled yesterday afternoon at our Pathfinder game. Our group consists of devoted followers of almost every different edition of Dungeons & Dragons, but we really enjoy playing together in hilarious adventures and thrilling fights. We all agreed that it would be the best thing in the world if there really was an edition of Dungeons & Dragons which allowed us each to easily play the characters we want at the same table.

Certainly the fact that we can all have fun playing Pathfinder one week and Old School the other week shows that it is possible for roleplayers to adjust their visions to different systems. But each of us would be happier with characters more similar to them which come from our favourite edition: certainly we would not have to learn a different rules system each time one of us started a new campaign. (In fact when our Pathfinder dungeon master goes back to Canada from Korea, another group member has already set up a 3.5 Birthright Campaign to follow. More new rules for me to learn! And you would be surprised how many real differences there are.)

Therefore I think the Fifth Edition will offer this to Pathfinders: you will be able to play with a wider circle of happy people, and your group will be able to change campaigns dungeon masters more easily without people hesitating to join because this or that is not their edition. Plus I am sure that there are many players of Pathfinder like myself and my Old School friends who have other preferred editions, who would like a shot of that goodness in their Pathfinder.

 

[El Mahdi]

What can 5e Give us that Pathfinder doesn't?

...Hey! Don't you start!

...Hans! This guy says we're fun!

Ask not what 5E can give YOU...Ask what you can give 5E!

 

[Tony Vargas]

What can 5e Give us that Pathfinder doesn't

A book with the words "Dungeons & Dragons" on the cover.

And Ilithids and various other bits of D&D's rather thin IP.