Hi everyone, and welcome to the Finder’s Archives.
Today, we’re going to move a bit away from our normal fare, and look at one of the biggest goings-ons in the RPG industry today. And that is the release of Pathfinder 2!
So, to begin with, we should establish Pathfinder Classic or Pathfinder 1, depending on what you call it. It grew out of the 3.0/3.5 Dungeons & Dragons movement back in the early 2000s. Initially, Paizo published the Dragon and Dungeon magazines, running from 2002 to 2007 – excelling with their adventures and the adventure path Age of Worms. In August 2007 Wizards of the Coast announced the release of 4th Edition (which later turned out to be highly controversial and deeply divided the player base). Of more concern to Paizo was that the Game System License with 4th edition was a lot more restrictive than the Open Gaming License that 3.0 and 3.5 ran under, and which allowed people to freely create their own material for those D&D editions.
In 2008 Paizo then announced Pathfinder – informally nicknamed D&D 3.75. It was intended to be compatible with 3.0/3.5, but to streamline certain bumps and problems with the game. It did so to great acclaim, but as can only be expected with a game that’s 11 years old by now, and built upon a base that’s up to 8 years older, it had a lot of rules and content bloat.
Enter D&D 5th edition in 2014 by Wizards of the Coast. It is arguably the most popular version of the game to date, having a low barrier of entry into the rules (though the 3 rulebooks are expensive), and a more restrictive Open Gaming License than Pathfinder. It is easy for people to play, however, and just looking at the sheer amount of streams and liveplays that you can find on sites like Youtube, well, you can easily see that it’s popular.
However, 5th Edition has some detractors as well, and while I like the system, I can certainly see where they’re coming from, as it is very simplified. You do not get a whole lot of choice (at least if you stick to the core book) with each class having only a few options and choices throughout. For experienced players, it does not provide the same scope as Pathfinder does, but Pathfinder 1 had become such a beast that it’d be hard for anyone to swallow.
And that takes us to Pathfinder 2. It was released a little over a month ago, to what can only be called a mixed reception. There are those who love what it brings to the table (I’m one of them), but also those who feel that their whole library has been invalidated somehow, by this release. I personally feel that Pathfinder 2 is step forward, as it sets in the middle of the ease-of-play of 5th edition, and the complexity and depth of Pathfinder 1. Even in the core book, you have thousands of choices that you can make (and no, I’m not exaggerating with that number – it outstrips Pathfinder 1 by a factor of about 50) and the new action system – where you get 3 actions on your turn – works incredibly well.
BUT – AND THIS IS THE BIG ONE TO ALL THE PATHFINDER 1 LOVERS OUT THERE!
You don’t have to abandon your Pathfinder 1 – unlike Wizards of the Coast when they released 4th (and 5th Edition), Paizo have not abandoned all support of their Pathfinder 1 line. You’ll still be able to get the official rulebooks in PDFs from them, as well as get the paperback version of the rulebooks. They’ve promised to keep printing them as long as they sell.
The second thing is this, and this is the one that’s likely flown under the radar for many. There is a Pathfinder 1.5 system that’s taken Pathfinder 1 to build on and streamline, called Porphyra Roleplaying Game, which has regrettably flown under the radar for many, as it’s being released by a small 3rd Party Publisher. It’s created by Mark Gedak with a team over at Purple Duck Games – and they’ve dedicated themselves to making the best version of the game that they can. It’s available on DRIVETHRURPG as most are, and the game is still being developed as is. The rules seem to all be in place, but some of the art is still being put in (I’m assuming Mark is waiting for the artists), but if you don’t like Pathfinder 2, but want to continue with something like Pathfinder 1 – I think you should check this out, as it’s only $14.99.
I would STRONGLY advise you to read the review on the book by Thilo G. however – that is the man also known as Endzeitgeist – as it really dives into the details of Porphyra and who might enjoy it.
So to all the Pathfinder and D&D fans out there: There’s a game for you, regardless of the level of play, complexity, and depth that you’re looking for. And instead of having edition wars and calls of “Oh, X sucks because of this,” lean back, and enjoy the fact that your hobby is more alive than ever, and that there’s room for us all. And if you ever tire of your current preference, then there’s another one out there for you. 😊
Kim Frandsen
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