Pathfinder Core Rulebook (Special Edition) (P2) Hardcover – Special Edition, August 1, 2019

Let’s begin with the cosmetic and aesthetic design of the Pathfinder core rulebook, special Second Edition. It arrived boxed and sealed in a plastic binding. Unboxed and unwrapped, the first thing you feel is the burgundy faux leather cover and binding. It’s cool to the touch, leafed in an embossed - and you can feel the difference in texture in the cover - in reflective gold leaf. The six-hundred-thirty-eight page book is thick and has quite a bit of heft to it.Cosmetically, aesthetically, this is a beautiful book. It comes with sewn in book markers, a red and gold ribbon. The polyester ribbons feel like satin to the touch.Physically, the book is stunning and it’s perfect.The guts of the book, well... it’s Pathfinder, right? Sort of. The art is phenomenal as can be expected and Paizo’s pulled out all of the stops on making this a truly easy book to navigate. The system is streamlined and not only for navigating. The system’s streamlined. The core rules aren’t changed so much as they’re easier to use. The combat system feels smoother, faster paced, more cohesive and more coherent.Paizo went to great lengths to enhance an already great game.I really like this book but I won’t lie: I would really like the Pathfinder 2E with the cover art as well.Pathfinder 2E is 5/5 for me so far. I highly recommend.

I am a GM for a Pathfinder group and we played 1st edition for a year. We had a great time with the game, but we struggled with some of the rules. There seemed to be a heavy amount of combat paperwork just to get things done. With 2nd edition, Paizo has really done a great job of streamlining combat. In addition, the new rules concerning downtime and exploration are great. It's a solid game with lots of holes form 1st edition filled in. The new action economy simplifies encounter mode (not just for combat encounters) by giving you a basic 3 actions per turn. I'm looking forward to our next decade with 2nd edition! I like the faux leather cover of this edition. It looks nice on my bookshelf.

What can I say, but this systems is SO much better than D&D 5e. Where do I start? The way that they do skills is way better instead of being generic and cheap like 5e. I like how they break down what you can do with each skill. The feats actually mean something in this game, unlike 5e. I also love how your AC changes as you gain level. It makes sense in that your character learns how to 1) use their armor/shield better 2) avoid being hit. I love the weapons in this system. 5e is way too bland when it comes to its weapons.

Absolutely gorgeous book, I love the heft and size of it. It is a tome with a great deal of information that could be considered overwhelming for a novice like me. I really recommend the pathbuilder 2nd app on Google play. That is a great resource for making your character and then using the book for reviewing information. I’m really into collecting various role playing books and this is a lovely addition to the collection.

Gold on side was scuffed and can see the red under it. Over all decent condition, & is going to get used, but didn’t show up in mint condition. Other than quality of the item. The content is superb and this is a great buy.

It is a nice book and all my issue is that this is not the up to date version of the book and I was not warned of this fact before hand. If you would like the most up to date version of the book then do not purchase this as it is not the current version but instead the original printing which does not include all the current up to date changes like the dwarves clan dagger

My boyfriend and I met through playing Pathfinder and I wanted to get him this rulebook the moment I heard about it! He absolutely loves it and he plans on implementing all of it in future campaigns! It is a great book and I couldn’t recommend it more!

Solid build quality, pages feel [and smell] perfect. A great way to usher in the true core tabletop RPG. The king sold out, long live the Queen.

The first edition of Pathfinder (2009) was a masterpiece of game design that easily outclassed its main competitor of the time, Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition (which had somewhat neglected the cooperative roleplaying aspect of the game in favour of tactical combat). Over the following decade Pathfinder became swamped with options as more and more titles were released, so perhaps it was time to hit reset and release a revamped game that could compete with the much-lauded fifth edition of D&D.Fifth Edition D&D is relatively easy to get your head around as a new player, and the rules are streamlined and intuitive for the Game Master. The artwork is atmospheric and well-judged, and there are some great rules mechanics, like the Advantage/Disadvantage system, that keep the game from getting weighed down by endless modifiers. It's fun and it's fast, but this comes at the expense of a degree of realism (which may or may not be important to you in a fantasy RPG); for example, you take an eight hour nap and all your near-fatal wounds have miraculously healed!Pathfinder Second Edition, by contrast, is a behemoth. The Core Rulebook has twice the page count of the 5E Player's Handbook (although admittedly it contains some information, like magic items and some GM advice, that 5E puts in the Dungeon Master's Guide). P2 also has some cool mechanics, like the three-action economy for encounters, but the artwork (which I believe is important in an RPG for setting the tone) doesn't quite reach 5E's very high bar.P2 does blow 5E out of the water as a simulation. The rules are excellent and, whilst they're well written and well set out, would be pretty mind-boggling for a new Game Master or player. It's certainly an improvement on the original game, too, but it does suffer from its own admirable dedication to realism. There is a rule for everything, which could potentially leave the Game Master endlessly flicking through pages and players sat scratching their heads instead of getting on with play.Where P2 really shines compared to 5E is character creation. It's so flexible that it really facilitates your building literally any kind of character you can think of, especially when you combine the Core Rulebook with the Advanced Player's Guide. Another thing to keep in mind is that as a GM you'd only really require the Bestiary as a minimum, whereas to run a game of 5E you'd need the DMG and the Monster Manual.The simplicity of 5E is elegant and allows all involved to focus on roleplaying instead of rules; but if you were prepared to spend some time getting your head around P2 and committing it to memory (good luck!), I'd have to say it probably comes out on top overall as a game system. The Special Edition is well-made, too, with good quality stitching and two useful page marker ribbons.One other consideration is the quality and quantity of supplements. Of course, the original Pathfinder comes out on top here. There are adventure paths and modules for every conceivable setting, and copious materials on rules expansions, character options and styles of play. There are no less than six core bestiaries in hardcover, two unparalleled books on NPCs and equipment, and seemingly endless releases covering various locations in the default campaign world, Golarion. And then there's the reams of excellent material available from third party publishers. It's really well supported, but you might find yourself over-faced by it all.Wizards of the Coast have kept rules 'splat' books for 5E to a minimum, concentrating instead on published adventures and campaign settings, along with a couple of monster books. The quality is almost universally outstanding, and this strategy has maintained the easygoing identity of the Fifth Edition rules. By contrast, so far Paizo's output for P2 has been variable, with some supplements being rather overpriced and thin on content compared to those of its predecessor.On balance, I'd say Pathfinder Second Edition is technically a superior game to Fifth Edition Dungeons & Dragons, but with D&D's streamlined feel, great artwork and superb line of supplements, it's unlikely that P2 will usurp 5E in the marketplace. It's a shame, because P2 has a lot going for it and the original game was second to none in its day. I'm really impressed by the Second Edition's mechanics, versatility and immersive, simulation-like play style, but D&D does leave you with more room to breathe and concentrate on running a fun and well-paced game, instead of getting mired in details.In summary, then, if you like realism, complexity and a breadth of options, go with P2; if you want smooth, easy play or have rookie players, go with 5E. Both are top class games - it just depends on your own personal preferences and experience.

For those that want something a little deeper than D&D 5e. It's far less streamlined, but it adds a lot of mechanical depths for those that enjoy the technical aspect of D&D. If you want to run a game heavily focused on RP, D&D 5e is most likely what you want to use, but Pathfinder 2 will do the job just fine, it's just a bit more complicated to teach, especially to newcomers.To new DMs coming from D&D, just roll with it - don't try to learn everything that's different at once, learn with your group. It's a lot of fun.

Libro de gran calidad, tapa dura y elegante en una edicion coleccionista. El contenido en el libro es el mismo que en el libro normal (Pathfinder 2a Edicion), con la version revisada, no la playtest.Tanto si no has jugado nunca, como si eres jugador de pathfinder primera edicion, esta actualizacion esta muy bien, cambios muy necesarios en el juego que se llevaban pidiendo durante años.Si bien, es más sencillo de jugar que Pathfinder 1, no es un juego "completamente sencillo" como pretendian anunciarlo, sigue requiriendo conocimientos y lectura practicamente completa del libro para jugar con fluidez.

Initial impression was one of absolute love. The textured hard cover binding with the ribbon book marks left a wonderful first impression. People who saw this book also remarked on the quality of this book.After having used it for a week I have two main issues... not deal breakers but something to keep in mind.1) Later I learned that all of Pathfinder's "Special Edition" books are the first printing. So despite being on the fourth printing - this was still the first printing with no errata applied. Despite this however, I've ordered Special Edition for all the other books too. I think the Core Rulebook gets far too much traffic however - so if you want your books for display, maybe get the Core Rulebook for show and to match your collection, and pick up the latest printing for regular (ab)use.2) While the book appears to be pretty solid, I am not sure on book bindings. I'm not a book expert but when passing the book when its own, I notice a fair bit of shearing action. I attribute this to the spine binding being separated a bit from the main pages. They may have done this to make it open flat better, but to me it just doesn't seem as durable as some of the other hardcover books I have had for years.

PF2E is quickly becoming one of my favourite systems. It's very robust and favours cooperation. I really like that all the feats, you can build a unique character but you never feel underpowered. The three action economy of combat is great and creates a more interesting fight. It is also a book that has ALL the rules. No need to buy anything else to begin with.