When untrained in a skill/weapon/other proficiency, the proficiency modifier is just 0 and not 0 plus level. This mean that a high level untrained PC will not be better at stealthiness than a low level expert PC
I don't know why so many people I hear talking about this got it wrong. It was the case at first, but it was changed a good while back. Even saw someone rant for hours about how it's just like 4e, where it does x and y, despite that not being the case at all anymore???
Another note: Rolling 1 or 20 *does matter* just not as much: If you roll a 20 your degree is always one better so even if you fail, it turns into a regular success. If you roll a 1 it's always 1 degree worst so if you succeed with the modifiers but it's a 1 it's still a regular failure (Not a crit failure). This is on page 445 of the core rulebook.
Important note: Nat 20s and Nat1s are actually still significant. A nat 20 or nat 1 will shift your result one step up or down in terms of success or fail. If you get a 20+5=25 on a DC 26 check, then that is an *ordinary* success. If the DC was 36, then that is still a failure, just not a critical failure.
Quick Note: You don't add your level when you're "Untrained" in something. So the mid-level fighter with no training in Arcana shouldn't be out rolling the low level wizard.
Tbf, I played Pathfinder way back in the day but can't remember it too well but I also don't remember 2e Dnd either. But yes, despite them throwing up a white flag, Hasbro/WotC kinda pissed me off. Going to black flag movement. I have enough physical 5e books...I'll be fine either way my players wanna go.
Me But I already gave up a lot of the Wizards of the Coast because of all this woke c***. Goblins are not Jewish. Orcs are not black thier( sallow) And it's called race not ancestry.
@@rev.jonathanwint6038 Technically, they aren't different races, they're different species. I think it's fine if characters of one species, say elf, and characters of another species, say dwarf (since those are two of the main 3) hate each other simply because of their species. We actually have this dynamic at our table, where our dwarf barbarian doesn't like elves (like myself and our ranger). Our goliath (out of character) calls out "racism" and asks if it's allowed at the table. As one of the supposed victim's of said racism, I stated that this isn't racism. Dwarves and elves aren't different subsects of the same species, we're two different species. "Dwarves may be able to walk and speak common but that does not make us equal. I could train a chimp to wear clothes and speak common through sign language, but that doesn't mean I want my sister to marry one." The dwarf and his twin brother (our cleric) wasn't too pleased with my explanation to the goliath about why their insults meant little to me and less than that to our ranger, but like I told them "I pay little heed to those that cannot look me in the eye when they speak to me". Now, the hatred between wood, high and Eldarin elves and drow or between mountain and hill dwarves and duergar is racism. They're the same species with minor differences in how they look. Now, I'm not saying that drow and duergar haven't earned their reputations because if their social attitudes and actions, but it's still racism.
I used to think Pathfinder was for people that wouldn’t let D&D 3.5 go. But Starfinder pulled me so hard and then I read about PF2. They had me at goblin alchemist in the core rules. This game manages to have more intricate rules, or at least more choices, but still somehow be simple. It’s like someone with sense took D&D and made it the way it should’ve been made. I don’t hate 5e, but it seems SO lacking after reading the PF2 core. Or even Starfinder.
Pf2e is definitely not the game for a one-shot. 5e is easy to DM, but I am with you in that pf2e has so many cool character options and abilities. Every monster in the bestiary has some cool unique thing it can do.
@@Tanglangfa It's easier than you think. Paizo has layed out everything a DM would need to run the game, including how to set up encounters and what kind of things to give players as rewards and at what level.
Sidtreefish That’s similar to D&D though. I’m talking about all the cross referencing for conditions and class feats and all the other myriad of rules.
@@Tanglangfa In the games that I have played if PF2e , I have noticed that the conditions actually add to either the fun of beating on the critter, or the suspense when applied to you. Also, the cross referencing isn't that hard, particularly when the player keeps track of any conditions they can apply, and informs you of what they do, or where to look them up. Do conditions make fights more complex than D&D5e? Yes, but they are a fun mechanic that can dramatically alter combat and add a layer of nuance to the roleplaying experience.
At 4:26 you make a good point about the ability boost limitation seeming a bit odd on Backgrounds, as it does constrain flexibility for character creation. However, I would personally counter-posit two details. First, Backgrounds are built on thematic design. They are supposed to suggest your character's past prior to adventuring, and having a stat boost based on something relevant to your past is interesting. It may present a problem when min-maxing, but for flavor, it's cool. Second, and possibly more important, Backgrounds are standardized. They have a very specific format. Two skills: one general skill, and one Lore skill specific to what the background is. Two ability boosts. One Skill Feat. This means that, if you cannot find a Background that properly suits what you want to play, *you can build your own Background from scratch in minutes.* It is incredibly easy to make up your own selection of skills, ability boosts, and a skill feat that suits exactly what you want for your character. The entire purpose is to build a theme, and if the presets aren't good enough, that's when you ask the GM if you can build a background to use.
The problem I have is that so much more needs to be homebrewed due to how restrictive character creation is in this edition. It doesn't have the openness in terms of what you can do with a character that 1E did.
@@danielhounshell2526 That's because PF2e is new and doesn't have much content yet. It was the same with DnD3.5e and PF1e at around 2010-2012. Whenever I was asked "which should be played", I would answer like this: "If you want quantity - DnD, if you want quality - PF". At that time, 3.5e already had all its supplements, and so you could have almost anything you wanted, whereas PF was still going through its first supplements. However, as the years passed on, that evaluation changed, and I dropped 3.5e completely - because PF eventually caught up to the amount of content, and it kept being better than what 3.5e offered. It's completely the same now. 2E is brand new, and so there are limits (even if they are already bigger than 5e. I am annoyed greatly by WotC strategy of releasing supplements). However, once you give it a year or two to print that content (and Paizo promised aggressive releasing schedule to quicken the process), it will be great again. Currently though, some homebrewing will be needed.
INT hasn't been as useful as in 4e in any d&d edition or clone. AC, Reflex, to hit and damage for more than just wizards (a bunch of classes used INT).
@@OakenTome nah, it was something most stats could do in 4e. Each class had usually 2 stats to chose from for attack and damage. everyone could use dex or int for ac and reflex. Everyone could use str or con for fort, and wis or cha for will. I suspect 5e design just went back to the old pre-3rd edition model of Int only for bookish spellcasters and proficiency mods.
Just got invited to sit in as a guest player for a month. Been a 5e DM for a few years. Thank you for breaking things down clear and succinctly. Pathfinder has my attention.
@@HCSR2 the problem of remembering to give them out is the same no matter what they're called. My last 5e DM didn't remember to give inspiration once the whole time we played (to anyone in the group). I think we made it to level 12 in that campaign. 🙃
I really like the ability boosts as they are in the background. It makes it feel like your background actually shapes your character, and the choices feel varied enough that you can still build any character that you want. Even if it runs counter to your character, I don't see why getting a boost in a secondary or even tertiary skill is really something that's a huge complaint if it really helps with the flavor of your character. I've never had trouble getting an 18 in my primary ability with the free ability boost since you can't take the same ability boost from the same source (ie you couldn't take two strength ability boosts from your background).
"Source Core Rulebook pg. 278 When you make an attack and roll a natural 20 (the number on the die is 20), or if the result of your attack exceeds the target’s AC by 10, you achieve a critical success (also known as a critical hit)." Unless I'm missing something here a natural 20 is still a critical hit regardless of what your modifier is.
Watching this in response to the D&D OGL 1.1 leak. Getting out as fast as I can and found about Pathfinder. I've heard alot of good things and am very hopeful.
Admittedly DnD 5e is my comfort zone, though a lot of my friends also play PF2e and I'd really enjoy playing a game with them sometime. This helped get my head around a lot of the rules!
I've been playing since Advanced Dungeons & Dragons... I was there for 2nd edition. When 3.0 came out, our group was experimenting with White Wolf (Vampire; The Masquerade, Werewolf; The Apocalypse, Mage; The Ascension, etc.) and also having a grand time with Shadowrun. When we came back to D&D, it was already at 3.5. Our group split into the 3.5 and the AD&D preferences... Then the disaster came in the form of 4th edition. My friends all love 5E, but because Pathfinder was so close to 3.5, as well as the dedication to salvaging our D&D experience, I chose Pathfinder over 5E. I will try 5E soon, but Pathfinder is made with a love for the core experience and is a testament to the original goals and vision of Gary Gygax.
You probably could’ve explained how natural 20s increase the step of success by one and how natural 1s do the opposite. You made it seem like they do nothing
@@sodiep0ps Its for the corner case of a really weak creature attacking a really strong one. This makes it so they'll never be able to land one hit. Like if your lvl 1 character is fighting a Balor, you'd never be able to deal damage to it. Which makes sense to me.
@@K.J.Saunders Nah, they got it right. You are misreading something. A Balor has 45AC, a level 1 character would need an effective bonus of +16 to get a normal hit on a roll of a natural 20. Eg. fighter +9 rolls a natural 20, gets 29 which is a critical failure normally, the natural 20 makes that into a normal failure.
With GM permission you can also apply the half orc/elf heritage to other races as well, I rolled up a dwarf-half-orc wizard , I reason that with all the fighting and contact the two races have with each other some interbreeding is bound to happen and not in a nice way, 1st he was used as a slave for the orcs then escaped and fled to the dwarves who cast him out and he eventually found an abandoned library where he taught himself to read and found an ancient dwarven spell book
My play group always treated dwarves as a seperate species entirely like humans elves and orcs all had similar genetics where as the others races were wholly different although in our extremely short 4th ed phase we did 100% create the dworc as you have
I just came back to PF after over 8 years of no tabletop at all. I used to run D&D 3.0 & 3.5 games all the time. Thank you for taking the time to explain the new rules set for Pathfinder. This video was excellent, very helpful, and I'm gonna share it. Also subbed. Cheers!
My interest is sparked! I started table top with DnD basic set and moved on to Advanced DnD in 1980. I played up to DnD3.5 and took a hiatus for the typical reasons (play group members moved away, scheduling, overseas military rotations etc.). I just returned to play with 5E as of fall last year and our group is still on our Underdark campaign. Once we are done with this campaign, I was planning to give Pathfinder 2E a go.
Thank you for this video! I am returning to the world of tabletop rpg’s after an extended hiatus. In my past I was first playing in AD&D 2nd edition. Heavily modified by my GM’s ever evolving house rules. Life split our group for years, and when we came together next it was in Pathfinder’s 1st edition. Time and tide split us again, though we did try playing online for a time. Now life finds me with a new literal family and they are interested in exploring role playing. Initially I invested in 5th edition, but watching UA-cams like your own, is convincing me I need to have my family first really get to plsy the diversity Pathfinder 2 is going to offer. Thank you, man!
Thank you for this run down. A friend is about to run us through a test and teach pathfinder 2e session soon, and this helped me feel more ready for it!
I guess I'm late to the party. But my buddies and I who have not given a penny to WotC since then and have been using books we already have, have decided to get into Pathfinder now that we all collectively felt as though we have mastered 5e and are looking for a fresh take. And the whole OGL thing, we've never forgotten. So Paizo gets our money now!
I love this video after the whole WoTC stuff. Seems a lot of people might be moving over to pathfinder now and this video is really helpful to understand this TTRPG
Actually, natural 1s and 20s are still a thing. They work in almost all instances except for when a skill is pass fail only or when a DC is really high. In combat a natural 20 and 1 still work the same for attacks, usually.
Solid introductory vid on this topic. Thanks so much for this. I'm a 5e player and previously long-time 3.5e player and I felt like this video gave me a great understanding of what to expect from Pathfinder 2e if I pick it up.
I've played 5e and I've enjoyed it. I tried Pathfinder 2.0 and absolutely loved it. It reminds me of a looser version of pf 1.0 and a slightly more defined version of 5e. Which is exactly for me what I was looking for. That being said Pathfinder 1.0 was a nightmare. D&D 3.5 was not cool in my opinion.
Thanks alot for this short overview! I'm a pathfinder 1 dm but joined a second edition campaign and u literally kicked most of the changes into my mind :3
I just started P2e as my first tabletop RPG and I am having SO much fun with my group!! I play as a CN stealthy archer goblin that's a terrible cook (her parents were the tribe's cooks) and loves to collect hands :) She has a deep respect for animals (goblins usually HATE animals) and is in search for her lost mentor/caretaker from when she was exiled from her tribe!
When I played D&D5e for the first time, I was a cleric with a shield. We were in a fight and I asked if I could raise my shield to block or if I could attack and then shove the enemy, he said "no". But with PF2e, the three actions and shields being separate, this would totally work. More reason to switch to PF!
Hi Cody, You don't know how I have been waiting to watch this video from you ☺ I have really missed the flexibility of the character creation, love the stuff that made it from first edition, what they tried in the Unchained books and learnt from Starfinder.
I'm getting back into table top role playing after many, many years away. I last played D&D 3.5 so I thought Pathfinder 2e looked like a good option for me. I was a bit confused on the Proficiencies so thank you very much for clearing that up. Also Mads Gotti, I read your 'pinned' comment thanks for additional clarification.
Had a chance to play this just after it came out, absolutely adore the system, and it manages to be it's own thing, my only main complaint is that it doesn't have as many options as other rpgs yet, but that makes sense considering how new it is.
Great video, you hit a lot of the things I had questions about. The one thing you skipped that I wish you had talked about would be how they do in combat modifiers such as flanking, surprise and prone. Personally I'm not a big fan of the 5e advantage system and am hoping they decided to go with simple numerical modifiers like the old days.
Flanking and surprise both inflict the flat-footed condition (-2 AC penalty). Prone is a separate condition to flat-footed but inflicts the same -2 AC penalty in addition to restricting movement. As written, the rules don't seem to preclude stacking the flat-footed and prone conditions for a net -4 AC penalty. Incidentally, it's nice how they simplified flat-footed. In d20 it lost you the dex modifier rather than being a flat penalty, so you pretty much had to calculate and write it separately from the normal AC (character sheets had a separate box for flat-footed AC), whereas with a flat -2 you just do the math on the fly with the other modifiers; the old d20 approach always stuck out to me as an awkward hack.
There were so many things in DnD 5e where I was like "why is it like this instead of like this?" Half-Elves and Half-Orcs being separate races instead of having rules for mixing heritage, HP being determined solely by class rather than race, races not seeming to have any inherit weaknesses to balance their inherent strengths, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Pathfinder actually had it that way for everything except the mixing ancestry rules (though props for making Half-Elf and Half-Orc heritages so that they can be used by other races besides human. That said, I was disappointed by the rulebooks only giving a single set of name ideas for each race in comparison to 5e which gave male names, female names, and surnames. And that height and weight have no role in the game, so as far as we know Dwarves and elves could be the same height and weight because they're both medium sized.
About to start co-DMing a West Marches PF2e as someone who has never played any Pathfinder before (experienced 5e player and semi-experienced 5e dm) so this video was a huge help
Felt that, just preping incase the worst really does come to pass, and like wtf everything dnd does, pathfinder 2e also does, just better in every way???
Thanks for this guide, Cody! With all of the OGL changes coming from the Wizard in his tower on the shore, I'm moving my games to PF2E. This gave a nice primer for moving.
Good summary. I got the first round of PF2 playtest docs and didn't care for the new game very much. This brought me back over to thinking it will be an OK game. Other comments say you made some mistakes, but since I'm not actually playing right now, I'm not too worried.
ekhm, Im citing: "Beating the DC by 10 or more is referred to as a critical success, which usually grants an especially positive outcome. Similarly, failing the check by 10 or more is a critical failure (sometimes called a fumble). This sometimes results in additional negative effects. You also often score a critical success by rolling a 20 on the die when attempting a check (before adding anything). Likewise, rolling a 1 on the die when attempting a check often results in a critical failure." PF2 Core Rulebook. Despite a few whoopsies, your tutorial was very helpful for me. Thank you very much!
Yeah I'm falling on the Shields are primarily static side here. I shouldn't have to raise my arm every turn to have a shoulder wide board of wood occasionally intercept my opponent's strikes, especially if their AC bonus is still only +1 or +2, because I'm not Link I don't need to drop my guard to attack, then again Link's shield blocked most damage not slightly reduced his chance to receive damage.
It is also widely known that soldiers never did anything active to block an incoming attack with their shield, they would always use their 3 actions to attack... Also, "raise your shields" sounds like some made up 21 century bullshit verb, that properly never existed in the Mediterranean era!
Having used a shield in a few of the times I got to hop into a Dagorhir match, you absolutely do have to sacrifice some attack ability in order to defend with the shield. Just the act of making an attack pulls the shield out of the way unless you're seriously pulling your strike. Hell, even moving pulls it out of the way unless you're 5-foot stepping. IMO a 3 strike turn is intended to represent trying to blitz the enemy's defense with attacks. If you do that, your shield is to the side and not being useful. There are times when it's a good idea, but the opposite is true, too.
its something thats plagued D&D Type of RPGS For many years, Even in games like starship troopers HPS is a bit lame at the early levels 4E Did have some problems but it also did have a good mind set on alot of things 1) The monsters over-all are great creating your own monsters how they work Elite vs Minion vs Standard vs Solo vs Lurker vs Controller vs Soldier monster types was an amazing concepit something I Loved about 4E better then any other D&D Game 2) The HP Value of 4E at first level was a X Amount (Say 10 or 15) + Your Con Score (So if you where a wizard with 14 con you had 24 HPS at level 1) which was very nice truth be told, Happy to see Pathfinder 2E take that idea and expand on it. I Mean lets face it Wizards back in AD&D Only got half the benefits from Con so max HP level 1 was 6 coz D4+Half of an 18 Mod Rounded down is 2, More often then not you had maybe 4 HPS after all you had to have 14 Con to get 5 HPS at level 1, Even at level 5 a Wizard HP Total was SHIT in AD&D its one reason you hear some older players roll there eyes at Wizards, They where glass cannons at best. its a super major point i wanted Adressed for many years, and am happy Pathfinder 2E did something with it fucken over 30 years of waiting for this feature pretty much well close enough anyways
been playing for a bit, and I freaking love the Crit saves and fails. Numbers are more inflated, but, thats Pathfinder for ya. Loving the system so far.
the Proficiency system kinda reminds me of the Cypher system where skills are qualified as trained, specialized or disabled. I'm really happy with the new system and it also diminishes meta-gaming: a player who still be in character while saying "let me handle this I'm an expert at that" rather than breaking immersion by saying "I've got a +4 on my skill roll there". Well done, Paizo!
Please, please do a series on how to play Pathfinder 2e (like you did for Starfinder) for those of us considering the jump from DnD 5e to PF 2e. I already have a lot of money invested into 5e, but PF 2e looks like the TTRPG I'm wanting. Thanks!
In Australia, we have two commercial powerhouses, and their key rivals. For fast food, we have McDonald's, obviously an American company, and Hungry Jack's, obviously not (they're owned by Burger King). We have Coles, who merged with Myer, to become Coles-Myer, and Woolworths, both being big-name grocery stores (no idea what America or the UK have), and both have been long-standing institutions, but generally speaking, "Woollies" seems to be the more likable, more local based, Patriotic brand. The difference between D&D 3.5, 4e, and 5e, VS Pathfinder, always seems like that. However, I've come to like "Woollies" better, due to experience, and popular opinion seems to support that, because sometimes, you do in fact get companies that thrive off their major competitor's VERY PUBLIC mistakes. Pathfinder 2 seems to have waited 5 years for D&D 5e to come out, settle in, gain fame, and then kinda just BE modern D&D. And now, Pathfinder 2e, is really taking a look at what D&D does, and taking its notes and making its plans. And I feel, from all of those companies, and the trade wars in general (Microsoft vs Apple, Coles vs Woolworths, McDonald's vs Burger King, Costco vs Wallmart, or whatever) that a lot of strategies DO in fact boil down to "watch what our rival does, then improve on that".
Just bought this edition while it is on sale, I will play this after the current campaign ends I think. Never thought I would play 2e, but I never thought I would play 4e or 5e, but I did those so, here goes.
Good video. It is very informative on Pathfinder 2E. It helped me decide that I will stick with original pathfinder and D&D 3.5. I tried D&D 4th ed. and was able to play it after I realized that I wasn't playing D&D, but an entirely new and different game. D&D 5 ed. also seems to be completely different that the D&D system I like. Thank you for showing me that I should not invest any of my money on a completely new system. I just wish that when the publishers decide to completely redo the rules and change how the game plays, they should just rename the game.
As someone who is coming from 5e to pathfinder I must say that this system seems a lot more fun than dnd 5e. Sure the game is more advanced, but I will just ignore rules if my group finds it too advanced when we first start out. Like I will probably play most enemies as either minions or bosses to help with hp tracking.
MAP adds all the nuance in combat. That stacking penalty and its diminishing accuracy makes third attacks a sucker's play. You now have to build your character thinking, "Besides swinging, what do I do in combat?" Regardless of your class, you should be thinking about how skills and feats and your terrain and your allies could use your situation to tilt combat in your favor. Intimidate the foe. Take cover. Raise a shield. Bon mot and lower their Will saves. Hide. Ready a potion. Battlefield Medicine. So many options!
I’m a Big fan of dnd 3.5 and whitewolf. I’ve had a hard time getting used to dnd5e. I think pathfinder may be a route I’m going to try. Sounds like an awesome system.
When untrained in a skill/weapon/other proficiency, the proficiency modifier is just 0 and not 0 plus level. This mean that a high level untrained PC will not be better at stealthiness than a low level expert PC
Yea, when I was scripting this, I had an oopsie! Pinned this comment for everyone!
I don't know why so many people I hear talking about this got it wrong. It was the case at first, but it was changed a good while back.
Even saw someone rant for hours about how it's just like 4e, where it does x and y, despite that not being the case at all anymore???
Yes. Although the 'follow the expert' action lets a PC avoid this.
I'm glad they changed this. It was one of the dumbest features of the beta version.
Another note: Rolling 1 or 20 *does matter* just not as much: If you roll a 20 your degree is always one better so even if you fail, it turns into a regular success. If you roll a 1 it's always 1 degree worst so if you succeed with the modifiers but it's a 1 it's still a regular failure (Not a crit failure). This is on page 445 of the core rulebook.
My friends and me are switching from DND 5e to PF 2e, thanks to WotC. This was perfect to prepare for our first PF session tomorrow!
Same here, starting the starter pack next week.
@@seekingfurtherlight34 you should try pathbuilder 2e. It's like dnd beyond but all the character options are free
We started a game two weeks ago. We are learning together. One of the players is absolutely new, so adding rules slowly
Playing my first game in 2 days. Been a 5e DM for a few years. Might make the switch with my players.
im so happy theyre losing money while chasing after it like rabid dogs
Important note: Nat 20s and Nat1s are actually still significant. A nat 20 or nat 1 will shift your result one step up or down in terms of success or fail. If you get a 20+5=25 on a DC 26 check, then that is an *ordinary* success. If the DC was 36, then that is still a failure, just not a critical failure.
I was wondering how you were supposed to crit on a dying saving throw. Super helpful comment!
Heroic Recover returns you to 0 hp and stable, not 1 hp. Its a misprint on page 29 but correct on page 467 and the DMG screen.
Quick Note: You don't add your level when you're "Untrained" in something. So the mid-level fighter with no training in Arcana shouldn't be out rolling the low level wizard.
Except that stupidly broken ancestry with the right feat: human.
Who else is here cause of OGL 1.1?
Tbf, I played Pathfinder way back in the day but can't remember it too well but I also don't remember 2e Dnd either. But yes, despite them throwing up a white flag, Hasbro/WotC kinda pissed me off. Going to black flag movement. I have enough physical 5e books...I'll be fine either way my players wanna go.
I was always under the impression that Pathfinder was an old stodgy relic from the bad old days of DnD. This shiz sounds friggin awesome!
Me
Me But I already gave up a lot of the Wizards of the Coast because of all this woke c***. Goblins are not Jewish. Orcs are not black thier( sallow) And it's called race not ancestry.
@@rev.jonathanwint6038 Technically, they aren't different races, they're different species.
I think it's fine if characters of one species, say elf, and characters of another species, say dwarf (since those are two of the main 3) hate each other simply because of their species.
We actually have this dynamic at our table, where our dwarf barbarian doesn't like elves (like myself and our ranger).
Our goliath (out of character) calls out "racism" and asks if it's allowed at the table.
As one of the supposed victim's of said racism, I stated that this isn't racism.
Dwarves and elves aren't different subsects of the same species, we're two different species.
"Dwarves may be able to walk and speak common but that does not make us equal. I could train a chimp to wear clothes and speak common through sign language, but that doesn't mean I want my sister to marry one."
The dwarf and his twin brother (our cleric) wasn't too pleased with my explanation to the goliath about why their insults meant little to me and less than that to our ranger, but like I told them "I pay little heed to those that cannot look me in the eye when they speak to me".
Now, the hatred between wood, high and Eldarin elves and drow or between mountain and hill dwarves and duergar is racism.
They're the same species with minor differences in how they look.
Now, I'm not saying that drow and duergar haven't earned their reputations because if their social attitudes and actions, but it's still racism.
I used to think Pathfinder was for people that wouldn’t let D&D 3.5 go. But Starfinder pulled me so hard and then I read about PF2. They had me at goblin alchemist in the core rules. This game manages to have more intricate rules, or at least more choices, but still somehow be simple. It’s like someone with sense took D&D and made it the way it should’ve been made. I don’t hate 5e, but it seems SO lacking after reading the PF2 core. Or even Starfinder.
Pf2e is definitely not the game for a one-shot. 5e is easy to DM, but I am with you in that pf2e has so many cool character options and abilities. Every monster in the bestiary has some cool unique thing it can do.
Jason Garner ya PF2 has a ton of rules and the conditions alone would make me shy away from DMing it.
@@Tanglangfa It's easier than you think. Paizo has layed out everything a DM would need to run the game, including how to set up encounters and what kind of things to give players as rewards and at what level.
Sidtreefish That’s similar to D&D though. I’m talking about all the cross referencing for conditions and class feats and all the other myriad of rules.
@@Tanglangfa In the games that I have played if PF2e , I have noticed that the conditions actually add to either the fun of beating on the critter, or the suspense when applied to you. Also, the cross referencing isn't that hard, particularly when the player keeps track of any conditions they can apply, and informs you of what they do, or where to look them up. Do conditions make fights more complex than D&D5e? Yes, but they are a fun mechanic that can dramatically alter combat and add a layer of nuance to the roleplaying experience.
At 4:26 you make a good point about the ability boost limitation seeming a bit odd on Backgrounds, as it does constrain flexibility for character creation.
However, I would personally counter-posit two details. First, Backgrounds are built on thematic design. They are supposed to suggest your character's past prior to adventuring, and having a stat boost based on something relevant to your past is interesting. It may present a problem when min-maxing, but for flavor, it's cool.
Second, and possibly more important, Backgrounds are standardized. They have a very specific format.
Two skills: one general skill, and one Lore skill specific to what the background is.
Two ability boosts. One Skill Feat.
This means that, if you cannot find a Background that properly suits what you want to play, *you can build your own Background from scratch in minutes.* It is incredibly easy to make up your own selection of skills, ability boosts, and a skill feat that suits exactly what you want for your character. The entire purpose is to build a theme, and if the presets aren't good enough, that's when you ask the GM if you can build a background to use.
The problem I have is that so much more needs to be homebrewed due to how restrictive character creation is in this edition. It doesn't have the openness in terms of what you can do with a character that 1E did.
@@danielhounshell2526 That's because PF2e is new and doesn't have much content yet. It was the same with DnD3.5e and PF1e at around 2010-2012. Whenever I was asked "which should be played", I would answer like this: "If you want quantity - DnD, if you want quality - PF". At that time, 3.5e already had all its supplements, and so you could have almost anything you wanted, whereas PF was still going through its first supplements. However, as the years passed on, that evaluation changed, and I dropped 3.5e completely - because PF eventually caught up to the amount of content, and it kept being better than what 3.5e offered.
It's completely the same now. 2E is brand new, and so there are limits (even if they are already bigger than 5e. I am annoyed greatly by WotC strategy of releasing supplements). However, once you give it a year or two to print that content (and Paizo promised aggressive releasing schedule to quicken the process), it will be great again. Currently though, some homebrewing will be needed.
I'm a lifelong dnd player and I'm here now because of the OGL. Let's go
My dnd 5e group is thanking about switching to pathfinder 2e because of how wotc is doing things. Thank you for this video
Cody messed up proficiencies XD
U: 0
T: level+2
E: level+4
M: level+6
L: level+8
It seems finally INT is useful for more classes, and i think it is nice and something that 5e lacks
Lmao. Play pathfinder 1st edition
@@forestbr34th54 bleh.
INT hasn't been as useful as in 4e in any d&d edition or clone. AC, Reflex, to hit and damage for more than just wizards (a bunch of classes used INT).
@@kevinbarnard355 That explains them trying to correct it and going way overboard and making Int nearly useless in 5e.
@@OakenTome nah, it was something most stats could do in 4e. Each class had usually 2 stats to chose from for attack and damage. everyone could use dex or int for ac and reflex. Everyone could use str or con for fort, and wis or cha for will.
I suspect 5e design just went back to the old pre-3rd edition model of Int only for bookish spellcasters and proficiency mods.
I've really been loving P2e... It's got the right balance of options and strategy without bogging you down with system and math.
Just got invited to sit in as a guest player for a month. Been a 5e DM for a few years. Thank you for breaking things down clear and succinctly. Pathfinder has my attention.
Player: So how are you planning to give out hero points?
DM (me): I hope I remember that they exist
Just call it Inspiration if you are coming from D&D! They are really the same concept in the end.
@@HCSR2 the problem of remembering to give them out is the same no matter what they're called. My last 5e DM didn't remember to give inspiration once the whole time we played (to anyone in the group). I think we made it to level 12 in that campaign. 🙃
Thanks Cody!
ish, you should be ashamed of yourselves. At any rate, your company is in deep dookie as it is, what with flagging sales.
@@scottdoesntmatter4409 wtafaq aree u talking about
I really like the ability boosts as they are in the background. It makes it feel like your background actually shapes your character, and the choices feel varied enough that you can still build any character that you want. Even if it runs counter to your character, I don't see why getting a boost in a secondary or even tertiary skill is really something that's a huge complaint if it really helps with the flavor of your character. I've never had trouble getting an 18 in my primary ability with the free ability boost since you can't take the same ability boost from the same source (ie you couldn't take two strength ability boosts from your background).
"Source Core Rulebook pg. 278
When you make an attack and roll a natural 20 (the number on the die is 20), or if the result of your attack exceeds the target’s AC by 10, you achieve a critical success (also known as a critical hit)."
Unless I'm missing something here a natural 20 is still a critical hit regardless of what your modifier is.
Watching this in response to the D&D OGL 1.1 leak. Getting out as fast as I can and found about Pathfinder. I've heard alot of good things and am very hopeful.
Admittedly DnD 5e is my comfort zone, though a lot of my friends also play PF2e and I'd really enjoy playing a game with them sometime. This helped get my head around a lot of the rules!
I've been playing since Advanced Dungeons & Dragons... I was there for 2nd edition. When 3.0 came out, our group was experimenting with White Wolf (Vampire; The Masquerade, Werewolf; The Apocalypse, Mage; The Ascension, etc.) and also having a grand time with Shadowrun.
When we came back to D&D, it was already at 3.5. Our group split into the 3.5 and the AD&D preferences... Then the disaster came in the form of 4th edition.
My friends all love 5E, but because Pathfinder was so close to 3.5, as well as the dedication to salvaging our D&D experience, I chose Pathfinder over 5E.
I will try 5E soon, but Pathfinder is made with a love for the core experience and is a testament to the original goals and vision of Gary Gygax.
What up former DND players 🙌
I'm taking the plunge!
You probably could’ve explained how natural 20s increase the step of success by one and how natural 1s do the opposite. You made it seem like they do nothing
Wouldn't that nearly always make a 20 a critical success and a 1 a critical failure? Why even bother changing the system?
@@sodiep0ps Its for the corner case of a really weak creature attacking a really strong one. This makes it so they'll never be able to land one hit. Like if your lvl 1 character is fighting a Balor, you'd never be able to deal damage to it. Which makes sense to me.
@@SupaGrex0 actually it's the opposite of what you said
Patrick Gould how so?
@@K.J.Saunders Nah, they got it right. You are misreading something.
A Balor has 45AC, a level 1 character would need an effective bonus of +16 to get a normal hit on a roll of a natural 20.
Eg. fighter +9 rolls a natural 20, gets 29 which is a critical failure normally, the natural 20 makes that into a normal failure.
From a 5e player trying Pathfinder 2e, thanks for the synopsis!
There are 4 weapons that add half strength to them. The Slings as you said plus the Composite Bows.
Came looking for this
The emergency glass has been broken. We're all doing pathfinder now
Great and informative, thanks for making reference to similar rules from other games. Helped me wrap my head around 2e rules. Thanks!
*Is an experienced pathfinder DM and player*
*Is an experienced 5e player*
*Directly calls me out in the beginning of the episode*
I like this guy!
@@niefali Try 1E first, it's closer to 3.5, but significantly rebalanced. A lot of things still stack, but it's not the nightmare 3.5 is.
With GM permission you can also apply the half orc/elf heritage to other races as well, I rolled up a dwarf-half-orc wizard , I reason that with all the fighting and contact the two races have with each other some interbreeding is bound to happen and not in a nice way, 1st he was used as a slave for the orcs then escaped and fled to the dwarves who cast him out and he eventually found an abandoned library where he taught himself to read and found an ancient dwarven spell book
My play group always treated dwarves as a seperate species entirely like humans elves and orcs all had similar genetics where as the others races were wholly different although in our extremely short 4th ed phase we did 100% create the dworc as you have
I just came back to PF after over 8 years of no tabletop at all.
I used to run D&D 3.0 & 3.5 games all the time.
Thank you for taking the time to explain the new rules set for Pathfinder. This video was excellent, very helpful, and I'm gonna share it. Also subbed. Cheers!
My interest is sparked! I started table top with DnD basic set and moved on to Advanced DnD in 1980. I played up to DnD3.5 and took a hiatus for the typical reasons (play group members moved away, scheduling, overseas military rotations etc.). I just returned to play with 5E as of fall last year and our group is still on our Underdark campaign. Once we are done with this campaign, I was planning to give Pathfinder 2E a go.
Jumping over from dnd 5e. I'm pretty excited
What did you excited you in pf2e up until now?
Been looking at getting into 2e and this guide was fantastic! Clear, succinct, and made me hyped to get stuck into the rulebook 😁
Thank you for this video!
I am returning to the world of tabletop rpg’s after an extended hiatus. In my past I was first playing in AD&D 2nd edition. Heavily modified by my GM’s ever evolving house rules. Life split our group for years, and when we came together next it was in Pathfinder’s 1st edition. Time and tide split us again, though we did try playing online for a time. Now life finds me with a new literal family and they are interested in exploring role playing. Initially I invested in 5th edition, but watching UA-cams like your own, is convincing me I need to have my family first really get to plsy the diversity Pathfinder 2 is going to offer. Thank you, man!
Thank you for this run down. A friend is about to run us through a test and teach pathfinder 2e session soon, and this helped me feel more ready for it!
who found this video because of ogl greed
I guess I'm late to the party. But my buddies and I who have not given a penny to WotC since then and have been using books we already have, have decided to get into Pathfinder now that we all collectively felt as though we have mastered 5e and are looking for a fresh take. And the whole OGL thing, we've never forgotten. So Paizo gets our money now!
That would be me!
I love this video after the whole WoTC stuff. Seems a lot of people might be moving over to pathfinder now and this video is really helpful to understand this TTRPG
Thank you for this resource. I’m excited to move into pathfinder.
That one player of mine who is prone to analysis paralysis may be screwed.
They may have to focus a bit on creating more of a character concept and or background.
I know him, hes me
Actually, natural 1s and 20s are still a thing. They work in almost all instances except for when a skill is pass fail only or when a DC is really high. In combat a natural 20 and 1 still work the same for attacks, usually.
this is probably the best summary of pathfinder mechanics i have ever seen.
You know why you're here 3 years after this video dropped.
The Composite Longbow has the Propulsive trait too!
Solid introductory vid on this topic. Thanks so much for this. I'm a 5e player and previously long-time 3.5e player and I felt like this video gave me a great understanding of what to expect from Pathfinder 2e if I pick it up.
I've played 5e and I've enjoyed it. I tried Pathfinder 2.0 and absolutely loved it. It reminds me of a looser version of pf 1.0 and a slightly more defined version of 5e. Which is exactly for me what I was looking for. That being said Pathfinder 1.0 was a nightmare. D&D 3.5 was not cool in my opinion.
Thanks alot for this short overview! I'm a pathfinder 1 dm but joined a second edition campaign and u literally kicked most of the changes into my mind :3
Great to see people excited about pathfinder 2e!
Watched this when it came out. I can certainly say I am not happy, considering the circumstances that made me return. Great video though. Love it!
I just started P2e as my first tabletop RPG and I am having SO much fun with my group!! I play as a CN stealthy archer goblin that's a terrible cook (her parents were the tribe's cooks) and loves to collect hands :) She has a deep respect for animals (goblins usually HATE animals) and is in search for her lost mentor/caretaker from when she was exiled from her tribe!
When I played D&D5e for the first time, I was a cleric with a shield. We were in a fight and I asked if I could raise my shield to block or if I could attack and then shove the enemy, he said "no".
But with PF2e, the three actions and shields being separate, this would totally work. More reason to switch to PF!
Lol here is a fun game. Take a shot every time Cody says "for example"
Hi Cody,
You don't know how I have been waiting to watch this video from you ☺
I have really missed the flexibility of the character creation, love the stuff that made it from first edition, what they tried in the Unchained books and learnt from Starfinder.
Pathbuilder is the best free character sheet app I have seen. Make sure to get the 2e version. There is also herolab if you want to pay
I've never heard "best iary". I'm used to saying "beast iary". I know there's not an 'a' there but it just makes sense in my brainhole
It is because the word probably comes from Latin or Latin based languages, where the word from beast is besta or something similar.
Or best-che-iary
I believe both pronunciations are considered acceptable.
It is Bestiary.
@@jonathanj2106 No god no
I'm getting back into table top role playing after many, many years away. I last played D&D 3.5 so I thought Pathfinder 2e looked like a good option for me. I was a bit confused on the Proficiencies so thank you very much for clearing that up. Also Mads Gotti, I read your 'pinned' comment thanks for additional clarification.
Had a chance to play this just after it came out, absolutely adore the system, and it manages to be it's own thing, my only main complaint is that it doesn't have as many options as other rpgs yet, but that makes sense considering how new it is.
Given nearly three years now, what would you say atm?
@@zimzimph We've gotten way more options and I still like the system a lot, played it less than a week ago.
Great video, you hit a lot of the things I had questions about. The one thing you skipped that I wish you had talked about would be how they do in combat modifiers such as flanking, surprise and prone. Personally I'm not a big fan of the 5e advantage system and am hoping they decided to go with simple numerical modifiers like the old days.
Flanking and surprise both inflict the flat-footed condition (-2 AC penalty). Prone is a separate condition to flat-footed but inflicts the same -2 AC penalty in addition to restricting movement. As written, the rules don't seem to preclude stacking the flat-footed and prone conditions for a net -4 AC penalty. Incidentally, it's nice how they simplified flat-footed. In d20 it lost you the dex modifier rather than being a flat penalty, so you pretty much had to calculate and write it separately from the normal AC (character sheets had a separate box for flat-footed AC), whereas with a flat -2 you just do the math on the fly with the other modifiers; the old d20 approach always stuck out to me as an awkward hack.
There were so many things in DnD 5e where I was like "why is it like this instead of like this?" Half-Elves and Half-Orcs being separate races instead of having rules for mixing heritage, HP being determined solely by class rather than race, races not seeming to have any inherit weaknesses to balance their inherent strengths, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Pathfinder actually had it that way for everything except the mixing ancestry rules (though props for making Half-Elf and Half-Orc heritages so that they can be used by other races besides human.
That said, I was disappointed by the rulebooks only giving a single set of name ideas for each race in comparison to 5e which gave male names, female names, and surnames. And that height and weight have no role in the game, so as far as we know Dwarves and elves could be the same height and weight because they're both medium sized.
Who else is here after hearing about Paizo throwing down the gauntlet against WotC with the announcement of the ORC license?
About to start co-DMing a West Marches PF2e as someone who has never played any Pathfinder before (experienced 5e player and semi-experienced 5e dm) so this video was a huge help
This feels like something I would find in unearthed arcana's optional rules for 5e
As a brand new player to Pathfinder I found this video to be very helpful. Thank you.
Here to make the switch from 5e lmao
Felt that, just preping incase the worst really does come to pass, and like wtf everything dnd does, pathfinder 2e also does, just better in every way???
I like this format for the vid. Simple, educational, clarity
Just picked up 2e to start my first campaign with my brothers. wish us luck and thank you for the help.
This video helped me understand the appeal of Pathfinder compared to D&D. I kind of want to try it now
Sitting down for my first Pathfinder 2e campaign this afternoon. Thanks for the primer!
Thanks for this guide, Cody! With all of the OGL changes coming from the Wizard in his tower on the shore, I'm moving my games to PF2E. This gave a nice primer for moving.
Good summary. I got the first round of PF2 playtest docs and didn't care for the new game very much. This brought me back over to thinking it will be an OK game. Other comments say you made some mistakes, but since I'm not actually playing right now, I'm not too worried.
Im a primary pf1e player, and the aspects you bring up about 2e comparisons are appealing. This was good info to consider
Happy to be here! Three years late, but p2e is suddenly a cool option!
*Come and take your "Watching because WotC is burning their company* tickets here*
Great video, can’t wait to watch ones that cover more detail about the system.
Excellent video. Thanks! I'm looking for a 2e game and I feel more prepared.
That was a great video. It was very explicative and simple, great job !
ekhm, Im citing: "Beating the DC by 10 or more is referred to as a
critical success, which usually grants an especially positive
outcome. Similarly, failing the check by 10 or more is a
critical failure (sometimes called a fumble). This sometimes
results in additional negative effects. You also often score a
critical success by rolling a 20 on the die when attempting
a check (before adding anything). Likewise, rolling a 1 on
the die when attempting a check often results in a critical
failure." PF2 Core Rulebook.
Despite a few whoopsies, your tutorial was very helpful for me. Thank you very much!
Yeah I'm falling on the Shields are primarily static side here. I shouldn't have to raise my arm every turn to have a shoulder wide board of wood occasionally intercept my opponent's strikes, especially if their AC bonus is still only +1 or +2, because I'm not Link I don't need to drop my guard to attack, then again Link's shield blocked most damage not slightly reduced his chance to receive damage.
Considering how shields were used throughout warfare, it's a bullshit rule. No soldier carrying a shield entered combat with it by his side.
It is also widely known that soldiers never did anything active to block an incoming attack with their shield, they would always use their 3 actions to attack... Also, "raise your shields" sounds like some made up 21 century bullshit verb, that properly never existed in the Mediterranean era!
Having used a shield in a few of the times I got to hop into a Dagorhir match, you absolutely do have to sacrifice some attack ability in order to defend with the shield. Just the act of making an attack pulls the shield out of the way unless you're seriously pulling your strike. Hell, even moving pulls it out of the way unless you're 5-foot stepping.
IMO a 3 strike turn is intended to represent trying to blitz the enemy's defense with attacks. If you do that, your shield is to the side and not being useful. There are times when it's a good idea, but the opposite is true, too.
@@Orodum Thanks for your clarification! It may not come across so clearly, my reply were brewed with an unhealthy excess of irony 😝
@@Dungdae Don't worry, I absolutely picked up the irony; my reply was 100% directed at Khartog and Kage
Gets to the HP section: Cool won't have to be afraid of god damn dire sheep killing me at level 1
its something thats plagued D&D Type of RPGS For many years, Even in games like starship troopers HPS is a bit lame at the early levels
4E Did have some problems but it also did have a good mind set on alot of things
1) The monsters over-all are great creating your own monsters how they work Elite vs Minion vs Standard vs Solo vs Lurker vs Controller vs Soldier monster types was an amazing concepit something I Loved about 4E better then any other D&D Game
2) The HP Value of 4E at first level was a X Amount (Say 10 or 15) + Your Con Score (So if you where a wizard with 14 con you had 24 HPS at level 1) which was very nice truth be told, Happy to see Pathfinder 2E take that idea and expand on it.
I Mean lets face it Wizards back in AD&D Only got half the benefits from Con so max HP level 1 was 6 coz D4+Half of an 18 Mod Rounded down is 2, More often then not you had maybe 4 HPS after all you had to have 14 Con to get 5 HPS at level 1, Even at level 5 a Wizard HP Total was SHIT in AD&D its one reason you hear some older players roll there eyes at Wizards, They where glass cannons at best.
its a super major point i wanted Adressed for many years, and am happy Pathfinder 2E did something with it fucken over 30 years of waiting for this feature pretty much well close enough anyways
been playing for a bit, and I freaking love the Crit saves and fails. Numbers are more inflated, but, thats Pathfinder for ya. Loving the system so far.
How do you do fellow system jumpers?
the Proficiency system kinda reminds me of the Cypher system where skills are qualified as trained, specialized or disabled. I'm really happy with the new system and it also diminishes meta-gaming: a player who still be in character while saying "let me handle this I'm an expert at that" rather than breaking immersion by saying "I've got a +4 on my skill roll there". Well done, Paizo!
I just got into DnD not even a full year ago, and my friend wants to do a Pathfinder one-off, so here I am trying to figure this out
Thank you for a concise, in depth review without getting way too detailed or confusing. Very straight forward.
I too seek sanctuary and now We're all here for the same reason brothers and sisters..
who's here because of the OGL stuff?
Same
meee
Please, please do a series on how to play Pathfinder 2e (like you did for Starfinder) for those of us considering the jump from DnD 5e to PF 2e. I already have a lot of money invested into 5e, but PF 2e looks like the TTRPG I'm wanting. Thanks!
Well done!
Thank you, looking forward to more of your videos on P2E
Well this just got more relevant for today's gaming needs
In Australia, we have two commercial powerhouses, and their key rivals. For fast food, we have McDonald's, obviously an American company, and Hungry Jack's, obviously not (they're owned by Burger King). We have Coles, who merged with Myer, to become Coles-Myer, and Woolworths, both being big-name grocery stores (no idea what America or the UK have), and both have been long-standing institutions, but generally speaking, "Woollies" seems to be the more likable, more local based, Patriotic brand.
The difference between D&D 3.5, 4e, and 5e, VS Pathfinder, always seems like that.
However, I've come to like "Woollies" better, due to experience, and popular opinion seems to support that, because sometimes, you do in fact get companies that thrive off their major competitor's VERY PUBLIC mistakes.
Pathfinder 2 seems to have waited 5 years for D&D 5e to come out, settle in, gain fame, and then kinda just BE modern D&D. And now, Pathfinder 2e, is really taking a look at what D&D does, and taking its notes and making its plans.
And I feel, from all of those companies, and the trade wars in general (Microsoft vs Apple, Coles vs Woolworths, McDonald's vs Burger King, Costco vs Wallmart, or whatever) that a lot of strategies DO in fact boil down to "watch what our rival does, then improve on that".
And also with multiple attacks, it says -10 on your 3ed attack and any subsequent attacks.
Just bought this edition while it is on sale, I will play this after the current campaign ends I think. Never thought I would play 2e, but I never thought I would play 4e or 5e, but I did those so, here goes.
I can imagine this video blowing up now.
Where there is any variance, that is usually caused by Feats. Eg Diehard means that you die on Dying 5 not 4.
Good video. It is very informative on Pathfinder 2E. It helped me decide that I will stick with original pathfinder and D&D 3.5. I tried D&D 4th ed. and was able to play it after I realized that I wasn't playing D&D, but an entirely new and different game. D&D 5 ed. also seems to be completely different that the D&D system I like. Thank you for showing me that I should not invest any of my money on a completely new system. I just wish that when the publishers decide to completely redo the rules and change how the game plays, they should just rename the game.
As someone who is coming from 5e to pathfinder I must say that this system seems a lot more fun than dnd 5e. Sure the game is more advanced, but I will just ignore rules if my group finds it too advanced when we first start out. Like I will probably play most enemies as either minions or bosses to help with hp tracking.
MAP adds all the nuance in combat. That stacking penalty and its diminishing accuracy makes third attacks a sucker's play. You now have to build your character thinking, "Besides swinging, what do I do in combat?" Regardless of your class, you should be thinking about how skills and feats and your terrain and your allies could use your situation to tilt combat in your favor. Intimidate the foe. Take cover. Raise a shield. Bon mot and lower their Will saves. Hide. Ready a potion. Battlefield Medicine. So many options!
This system is something I would try being someone to run this for a group of work friends, because they are new to a tabletop game like this one.
Pathfinder is on the rise!
Here cuss of OGL
I’m a Big fan of dnd 3.5 and whitewolf. I’ve had a hard time getting used to dnd5e. I think pathfinder may be a route I’m going to try. Sounds like an awesome system.
Heyo! Anyone else here in 2023?