Reddit reviews Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box
We found 15 Reddit comments about Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Ages: 13+Number of Players: 1-4Playing Time: 90 minutes
There is a starters pack that has pregen characters and more simplified rules and comes with an adventure it is fairly cheap.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1601256302/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526747913&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=pathfinder+starter+box
It explains and focuses on what you need to know, it's how I started GMing. It's easier than reading that huge core book and get your bearings.
Ah. Yeah, sorry you bought the wrong product if you want to get in to Pathfinder =(
It's not your fault though! There are a ton of products for Pathfinder. If you want to get started in it, I'd suggest getting the Beginner box if you are completely new to tabletop RPGs, or going directly to the Pathfinder Core Rule Book if you feel more confident about it all.
The way the game is played is that you have a party of people (usually 3-5 people) who are role playing as various characters doing their thing in the world, and one more person (the DM, GM, Sotryteller, whatever name you call him) who is the world. He plays all the non-player characters, the monsters, the environment, all of it.
If you have any specific questions, I'm more than happy to answer them!
I can greatly recommend the Beginner's Box. It's not free, but if you split the cost among 4 players and DM it goes down to 7 Euro each. https://www.amazon.de/Pathfinder-DEC132328-Pathfinder-Rollenspiel-Einsteigerbox/dp/1601256302/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_2?crid=2VCG2RCWEDPKJ&keywords=pathfinder+beginner+box&qid=1556896408&s=gateway&sprefix=Pathfinder+beginner+&sr=8-2-fkmrnull
It uses a simplified ruleset that can be used up to level 5 and you can upgrade the characters to the core rules anytime you want. Plus there is an adventure included, some pawns, 4 pregenerated characters (5 if you include the barbarian you can download) and a map. And you can download additional adventures at Ulisses Spiele.
Also the character sheets are just two Din A4 pages with all information neatly arranged. So you can test the whole system for weeks on end before committing to buy more.
I personally learned to play with the beginner box rules and from there it was easy to expand via AoN and the likes. I just think it's much easier to get started if you have a book you can read back to front
There is a beginner box for Pathfinder. While I haven't played it myself I think it goes everything with less detail.
It comes with premade characters, a small encounter and some dice I believe. Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1601256302/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?qid=1452385993&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=pathfindet+beginner+box
The Red Box for 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons is more of a quick start than a full game. If you're wanting to run a full game in that edition, you'll want to pick up one of the following books:
I'd also recommend the Rules Compendium as it has all the rules needed to run and play the game (outside character creation).
These books are under $20 and you may be able to pick them up for less than $10 used. They're also Prime eligible (depending on the seller) on Amazon. They're also digest sized, making them easy to take with you when you travel. The Rules Compendium is available as a digital download as well.
You can also find multiple character creation programs online, such as Hero Lab that are detailed enough you don't actually need the books. I believe the Dungeons & Dragons Insider character generator is still available online. Unfortunately, these require a subscription or software purchase. Other programs can do the same thing, but they're fan created and some of them go way over what's legally allowed by the license to do.
These all assume you're wanting to stick with 4th Edition. If not, you can easily ditch it and make use of the accessories of the Red Box. If you want to go with D&D Next (the playtest of the edition that will launch this summer), you can pick up either of the Encounters seasons written for that edition because they include the playtest rules. Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle and Dreams of the Red Wizard: Scourge of the Sword Coast are available now.
You can also go with Pathfinder, which is a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition. The Pathfinder Beginner's Box is one of the best introductory bundles I've ever seen, and it has rules for character creation and advancement for 1st through 5th levels (though you're limited to Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, and Cleric and Human, Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling). However, you can use the Pathfinder Reference Document to expand on that for free.
Phew This'll be a long a post, but certainly reward to read by the end of it. Playing D&D/Pathfinder really is the Nerdiest, Nerd thing I've ever done, and it is a lot of fun! Watch +DawnforgedCast's Session 0 video and download his checklist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0FmGxmJLiw It's meant for a GameMaster/Dungeon Master, but that checklist will help you out greatly in understanding what you want when starting out in a new group, with or without veteran players. If you aren't able to find a group locally (I don't recommend online groups for your first introduction) then taking up the mantle of leadership as the GameMaster/Dungeon Master, can be both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. However, if you're one with a vivid imagination, or are good with thinking on the fly (believe me, it gets better with time) then you'll already have a headstart on the majority of GMs out there. A great beginning module that has a little bit of everything, adventure hook (i.e., reason why your players should be doing this), NPC interaction, wilderness adventuring, dungeon crawling, is the Hollow's Last Hope module for 1st Level Players as it works for both D&D and Pathfinder. You don't really need the print version, since you can download it for FREE at Paizo's website https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Hollow%27s_Last_Hope
I greatly recommend you get the Pathfinder RPG: Beginner Box ($25-$35) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601256302 it is a different game, but the rule set is uber-simplified and honestly, superior to the D&D Starter Set ($15), and is worth the extra money. The Beginner Box literally has the all of the beginning needs for play. Pre-generated characters, blank character sheets for the four classes (Wizard, Rogue, Cleric, and Fighter) with either of the three races (Elf, Dwarf, and Human) that are easy to introduce new players to, a flip out map that you can use dry-erase- or wet-erase markers, and permanent markers on (all of which can be erased off, I use these wet-erase makers that are $9 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFGW because I'll draw camp fires with brown, yellow, orange, and red colors, green helps with trees and shrubbery, blue for water, and black for everything else), a Hero's handbook, and really, really, good GM guide, plus thick, cardboard punch-out marker pawns of various Monsters, NPCs, Player characters, and other creatures, that amount to a wealth of miniatures that would take a lot of money and time to paint them all up, plus they're easier to store in the box. Unfortunately, it only comes with one set of dice, so it wouldn't hurt to get these on these 7 sets ($12) on the cheap https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDJNE93 and pass them out to your players, or if they have their own, then you'll have plenty of extra multiples of dice, which will come in handy during combat with spellcasters and sneak attacks by Rogues. I handed them out to my players after they told me what their favorite colors were. =P
That'd would be all you'd really need to start, $30ish Beginner Box, plus $10 for markers, and $10 more if you or your players need dice. Now, what follows is what I used for my first GMing of a game, based on many different people's recommendations. In order to make combat work in a logical way that I could understand, I bought the Pathfinder Combat Pad $20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601255470, along with those wet-erase markers from earlier. It's usefulness has been far better, and worth it's price in gold, to use than a cheap $1 store notebook, when I would have to erase or rewrite when players would defeat monsters or would hold their actions, or would tell them the wrong initiative bonus to start (lol!). Again, rather use a dollar store binder, I bought the Pathfinder GM Screen $16ish https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252161, because it was short enough for me to look over rather than 3-ring binders or a paper folder at the actual game table. Speaking the table, I bought the Chessex Battlemats https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015IQO2O this is a link to the smaller one ($20), since I bought the Megamat ($35), only because I had a large table, and players could use it as a coaster for drinks too (even though I did have coasters, to prevent spillage). As an added bonus, I recently discovered the Condition cards $10 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252854, to use with Pathfinder, and they are great to hand out to players (as you would already know these conditions since it's written behind the GM Screen) so they know what condition they are in at a glance. Keep in mind though, you only get 4 or each, so if you are lucky enough to have more players, it wouldn't hurt to buy an extra set (however, it would be strange if all of your players had the same condition).
Now, let's say you enjoy Pathfinder, and you bought the Core Rulebook $20 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601258879 (if it's a hardcover, always look inside for the Sixth edition printing, the paperback will already be that edition) but are getting tired of looking up Monster stats online, then grab the Paperback version of the first Bestiary $16 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601258887 which has the great majority of all of the "regular" monsters in either D&D or Pathfinder. If you're not much of an artist, then there's the recently released Pathfinder Traps and Treasures Pawns Collection $25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259719 but be warned that you only want to place on the board AFTER the players find out what it is or after they trip it since it does have text explaining what it is as a trap, and if you're use the treasure ones, make sure you add whatever is actually printed on the tile is IN the list of treasure you give the players, because they can and will ask about, "can't I grab that cup or sword, it's on the tile?" ;)
Lastly, if you enjoy being the GameMaster/Dungeon Master, the storyteller, the world builder, then I'd recommend getting the Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide $15 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259492, which again, can be applied to both RPG games. And if you what better weather effects to throw at your party than what is presented in the CRB and GMG, then Pathfinder Ultimate Wilderness $30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601259867 has all that you need, and then some, plus some cool spells and tons of new animal companions and familiars for spellcasters alike, and a new shapeshifting melee-fighting class called the Shifter, which is pretty neat to use (albeit, you may want to check out Paizo's website for any official errata or clarifications, just in case). If you want to actually create a campaign and are having a hard time coming up with ideas, locations, groups/factions, kingdoms, races, then one more purchase, which is what +DawnforgedCast used for his Pathfinder games seen here is the Inner Sea World Guide $45 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601252692 It is pricey, but again, very much worth it, to create your own world or to use the pre-made world, as well. Remember, the Beginner Box, Markers, and Dice is really all you need, the rest of this is to expand out. I hope this helps you and anyone else out as well. =P
https://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box/dp/1601256302/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486619272&sr=8-2&keywords=pathfinder
You're going to have to spend some money. Because, no.
I checked the Getting Started/Learning to Play thread and he recommends starting out with the Red Box starter set since it's only $20 but it's actually $90 on Amazon. (I PM'd him about it.) He recommends 4e or Pathfinder. The thread is old but it was updated 12 days ago.
Is this an okay alternative?: 5e D&D Starter Set
Or perhaps I should start out with the Pathfinder Beginner Box? as mentioned in the Choosing an edition thread.
I have 4 players and I would be the DM. Their attention spans tend to drift if things get TOO complicated and they are better at keeping up when someone already knows the rules instead of everyone learning at the same time. That being said, I want to be able to jump into something that will basically introduce us to the game mechanics in an easy and smooth as possible kind of way.
I really want to get into D&D with this group of friends and they already like some of the more "involved" board games in the world. I just need to keep them captivated. It might be folly to try but I want to give it a shot. I feel like there is a whole world of gaming that I am missing out on.
Thanks for the advice.
Edit: Sorry to drop this on you in this thread but I figured it was as good a place as any...
Edit: My fear is that the 5e will be overcomplicated and using Pathfinder would be easier... I don't know. Ahhh.
Do you have an adventure picked out? There are free Pathfinder Society adventures that you can run I'd recommend The Phantom Phenomena and then First Steps Part I: In Service to Lore. Both have lots of little quests you're doing so your players can feel like they accomplished lots of things in however long your session is. Or else the Pathfinder Box is great too. It comes with over 80 pawns you can use to represent characters and monsters and does a really good job at introducing people to the game.
I'd also recommend using pre-gen characters and not spending time on character creation on your first play. It's best to get people up and playing so they can learn how the system actually works before deciding what they want their character to be.
I'm a fairly budget DM (but I had an edge as you'll see). Here is what my solution for minis was:
Via BGG I was able to for a few of the Dungeon and Dragon Board Games ex: Wrath of Ashardalon. This gave me a decent enough set of minis but most importantly: multiples of many of them as many of them come in groups of 2-4. This is kind of a cheat as I have a large collection of board games and was looking to swap some out anyway.
Then I purchased Pathfinder Beginner Box. Its a good price and you get a playmat, mini adventure, dice and a bunch of Pathfinder Pawns. These pawns are great and come with bases which lead me to my next purchases.
I was very happy with the way the Pathfinder Pawns worked out for me to "fill in the blanks" where I didn't have any minis. Pathfinder offers a lot of sets for their different adventure paths for between $15-20 via amazon. They don't come with bases but the beginner box solved that for me. Best part of these sets, in my opinion, is they come with plenty of multiples.
My players use a mix of minis from the board games and their own painted ones they bring. I pick a mix of minis and pawns with a preference towards all of one if I can help it. The pawns are fantastic and if I didn't have the option of the board game I would be totally happy just using those. The only thing I might do in that situation would be to pick up individual minis for "bosses". While the art on the Pathfinder Pawns are generally good to excellent quality scale is really lost on the larger creatures imo.
As for actually running combat, I'm style finding my DM style but I've settled on a mix of 4 similar yet different methods depending on what I want the encounter to emphasize.
For quick, "uncomplicated" encounters or ones that I may want to not emphasize combat I use theater of the mind. In my experience the second a grid comes out players think combat. The speed of theater of the mind is appealing to me. As for technique: with theater of the mind I tend to narrate everything except killing blows and run turn order by starting with the characters name and a description of the state of the battle every turn.
If TotM seems a bit too imprecise I break out the minis/pawns and run what I call Table of the Mind. We put the minis/pawns on the table and use them without a grid. Keeps things quick and snappy but gives the players something to reference. For this method and all others below I assign initiative to one of my PCs.
If environmental effects are more of a factor I use "zones". I stole this from Sly Flourish. I tend to use it less often than any other method but I like having it in my bag of tricks so I'll mention it here. Essentially I place the pawns/minis on index cards with each card representing a vague location in the battle and features within that location.
For complicated encounters or for those I get DM Crafty with nothing beats a good ol grid map. The flipmat from the beginner box is always in my bag but I have a larger Chessex map for bigger battles. I like to supplement it with either interesting mechanics or bling. I'm working on a one shot right now for my friend's birthday where two of the battles will take place on gridded maps one of which involves me placing cardboard "trees" on it and the other a complex series of teleportation doors. PCs love bling and I love blinging out. It's amazing what you can do with cardboard and paper; it's equally amazing how a description of a battle changes my awful craft skills into an epic fight!. I do not think I could run my teleporting door encounter without a map to ground my players. It would be too confusing and demand too much memory from all involved.
Sorry this got so long O.o
Not sure about adventure paths, but the beginner box set was how I got my group going.
Comes with a decent intro adventure, pregen character sheets, a bare bones rule book for the most important bits, character and enemy pieces, and a battle map (for this adventure and a blank for your own maps)
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box https://www.amazon.com/dp/1601256302/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_AUqMBbWQJZWVW
If you have another $30 or so I'd try and pick up a physical copy of the Beginner's Box. It comes with dice, quite a few handy physical props (pawns and a flip mat) and a greatly simplified set of the rules. It also has a short 'solo adventure' to get your feet wet and introduce some concepts.
http://www.amazon.com/Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Beginner-Box/dp/1601256302/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398370528&sr=8-1&keywords=Pathfinder+Beginner%27s+Box
I'd then read the rest of the BB thoroughly, then watch the following video of one of the Pathfinder developers DMing a newbish group through that same BB adventure, following along in the adventure to see if understand.
http://www.twitch.tv/npccast/c/3193589
(Also see a similar thread with helpful info on http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2qqoh?New-Guy-want-to-start-Pathfinder-RPG).
Alternatively, or in addition, you could see if a local game store runs any open Pathfinder sessions and hopefully join one that is friendly to newcomers. An alternative is to watch the www.roll20.net LFG forums - every couple of weeks it seems someone DM's an "Intro to Pathfinder" or beginner-friendly session/campaign, and all you need is a computer and a microphone.
https://app.roll20.net/forum/category/22
Good luck and welcome to a great hobby!
It's really not as complex as it seems. The rule books are thick, yes, but once you cover the basics you can get into action and use the rule book as a reference. That's why I recommend getting a starter box. It will give you the basic rules (maybe 30 minutes of reading), leave the complex ones for later, and let you learn as you play. It will guide both the DM and the PCs at the same time.
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "the" rule book. There are quite a few different versions. D&D V1 and AD&D V2 are considered ancient. They're really, really old and outdated. I'd recommend you start with version 3.5 OR "Pathfinder," which is very, very similar to D&D in its gameplay under a slightly different name. Check this out.
It's a great way to break into the world of tabletop RPG, and you can supplement your collection if you decide you enjoy it.
All it really requires is you saying to three or four friends/family members "Hey, wanna try this out?"
There are a lot of entry points. Which one is best will probably depend on your level of gamerness (if that's a word?).
If you don't do much tabletop gaming (or your only boardgames are from Hasbro), the D&D fifth edition starter set is a great place to start. Eventually, your group will have to get the DM Guide,, Player's Handbook, and maybe the Monster Manual after you finish the sessions from the starter set.
If you're more of a gamer, and you like min/maxing, let me recommend Pathfinder. It's an offshoot of the 3.5th edition of D&D (considered by many to be the heyday of D&D's systems. Here's their beginner box - the great thing about pathfinder is that after you finish that box, you don't need to buy anything. Ever again. there are resource pages all over the internet where all of the source material is available for free. (premade campaigns, you'll have to buy if you want to use them, though, but that's the same as D&D).
Another option if you're a starwars fan, is the new Star Wars RPG by fantasy flight. There are different source books and begginer boxes depending on if you want to focus your adventures around smugglers and normal folk on the edge of civilization or members of the rebellion
Since he is 10 I would go with a beginner's box.
Pathfinder is a wonderful place to start. It is what most people will recomend and with the beginner's box it will be a relatively cheap and fast way to find out if it is the game for him.
We also have the D&D 5th Edition Starter Set too. While I would not personally recommend it for reasons of personal preference it is a very beginner friendly rule set.
There are many other options (that can get freaking expensive) but those are the most beginner friendly and economical ways to start.