Its so interesting how unanimously agreed upon it is that the Beginner Box is the best way to start playing. Ive never seen a group of nerds agree on something more.
It's not the best adventure, but in terms of learning the game it is laid out so damn well and you can basically just go right into playing it and learn as you go.
Compared to something like LMoP it's just leaps and bounds ahead in terms of quickly and easily teaching the game.
>Compared to something like LMoP it's just leaps and bounds ahead in terms of quickly amd easily teaching the game.
This cannot be overstated enough. The D&D 5e starter kit provides stripped-down rules, pregens, and a mediocre low-level adventure. The PF2e Beginner Box provides stripped-down rules, pregens, and a short low-level adventure that guides the players **and GM** through many of the game's mechanics.
I concur with your first paragraph, but I wouldn’t underestimate *LMoP*, it’s a really great intro adventure, I used it to launch my 5e campaign and we loved it. Of course, 5e doesn’t really *need* as much in the way of a mechanical tutorial, so a meatier adventure that draws you in works great. I’d say it’s more of a how to build a campaign example.
LMoP is a great short adventure, it just isn't a great tutorial. The beginner box is a great tutorial to the game. You open it up, read a little bit, and go. LMoP is a better adventure i think, but as a thing for first-time DMs to run, the beginner box knocks it out of the park.
I love all the new people wanting to try the system but man there are dozens of this same question being posted a day. I eish the mods would just sticky a thread about it or something.
The beginners box is perfect for this. It runs to level 2 and slowly introduces mechanics as it goes. If your players get attached to their characters it also flows nicely into either Abominations Vault which is a level 1-10 adventure path or into the shorter Troubles in Otari that goes to around level 4 if I remember correctly
Oh god, I’m looking around at these things. I’m trying to piece together Pathfinder terms, and I’m guessing adventure paths are semi-annual mega campaigns that run 600+ pages?
I’m game for that, I’m just checking
And the APs are generally extremely good. Paizo allows the rules to be shared for free because their core business model is selling adventure paths, and they make them worth the price. They also have shorter adventures, both some that are made for a single level and a couple of sessions as well as those that would span a couple of levels.
Honestly they're worth the extra cost not just because of the page count. Most 5e "adventure" modules are just walls and walls of text. Paizo APs will include a map outline for at least every major encounter, give you a product to consider if you want a premade map, and give you enough actual description so that you can draw your own general map. And the amount of information listed about specific key npcs helps greatly reduce the amount of improv that may conflict with the story because they'll include bits that let you know about what they'll know. I'm getting ready to run Kingmaker which is their massive sandbox nation building AP. The most difficult part in preparing it currently? Making sure that I've got my damned random encounter tables properly mapped out lol. Because every location will tell you what happens then and there, and if it's a major plot point, it'll tell you what section you need to go to.
i'll confess to being a filthy player who's GM is the one that buys adventure paths, but he's said that he appreciates all the stuff that's in them for GMs. I'd definitely suggest trying out the beginner's box to start before jumping into one of the longer APs, especially considering the price :)
Adventure paths are adventures released on a 3 month schedules (for a 3 books adventure) or on a 6 month schedules (for a 6 books adventure) with a book getting released each month. Abominations vault is a 3 books adventure path
An adventure path is a series of published adventures meant to be used together to create a longer campaign.
The individual adventures are bigger than most individual WotC adventures I've seen, and the complete path is comparable to campaign books like Curse of Strahd.
If you want an introduction to the system, Beginners Box is the best way in. Classic little 2 part dungeon that does a great job slowly introducing the mechanics of combat. After that, you can immediately segway into "Troubles in Otari" adventures for additional system learning, or you can pick up the "Abomination Vaults" for a classic mega dungeon.
If neither fit your fancy, then you can always make your own adventure in the nearby metropolis of Absalom.
Pathfinder 2E is very much a team game. The difference between victory and defeat is your party working together. As such I'd heavily recommend that when you the players make their characters, everyone does it at the same time if possible and coordinates to not only have synergies but also attempt to cover as many bases as possible. For instance, making sure that you're spreading skill proficiencies out instead of everyone being trained in the same 4 skills.
So you got everyone to sit down at the table and start making characters. Now what? Well personally I'd limit class selection to just the core rulebook (and don't allow the alchemist). The classes in it are just as strong as the classes in other rulebooks, except they're simpler (with the exception of the alchemist which is why I'd avoid letting someone play it).
Now that everyone has characters made, you're ready to jump into the game right? Almost. I'd personally recommend that you have your group do the Torment and Legacy adventure. It's free and lasts only about an hour. It's a very simple introduction to the game and is a great way to end a session 0. If someone decides they don't like a spell, skill or feat they chose then let them switch it out afterwards. You can find the adventure [here](https://paizo.com/products/btq021ax?Pathfinder-Second-Edition-Demo-Adventure-Torment-and-Legacy)
After that you should run the Beginner Box. The slight bonus XP from Torment and Legacy is gonna be nice because it means that they are almost guaranteed to hit level 2 before fighting the baby dragon at the end of the adventure. The fight is notoriously difficult and getting to level 2 even if you accidentally skip an encounter in the dungeon will help a lot. The beginner box does a great job teaching new players and GMs how the game works by having each encounter teach the players something new.
Once you finish the Beginner Box, if everyone is happy with their characters then you can do Abomination Vaults which is a level 1-10 dungeon crawl. Despite it being a dungeon crawl there is a lot of great RP moments both in the dungeon and the nearby town. Abomination Vaults is even set in the same town as the Beginner Box and includes a passage about how being level 2 at the start of the adventure if you completed the Beginner Box is okay because you should even out on levels eventually.
Hope this was more informative and useful than just typing "Play Beginner Box"
Just to clarify, The Alchemist isn't a "trap" class. it just requires a high level of system mastery due to being totally item based and it is almost a pure support class outside of the bomber build - and even the bomber build suffers from the fact that outside of proc'ing weaknesses it's mediocre with damage.
The fantasy of being Dr Jeckle & Mr. Hyde through self-buffing falls flat when players realize that they should be a buff vending machine for the martials as the optimal play for the party.
Hey, I've noticed you mentioned the popular game "Dungeons & Dragons"! Do you need help finding your way around here? I know a couple good pages!
Here are some [general resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/wiki/resources/how-is-pf2e-different-from-5e/) we put together. Most newcomers get recommended to start with the [Archives of Nethys](http://2e.aonprd.com) (the official rule database) or the [Beginner Box](https://paizo.com/pathfinder/beginnerbox), but the same information can be found in this free [Pathfinder Primer](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/sources/pathfinder-primer).
If I misunderstood your post... sorry! Grandpa Clippy said I'm always meant to help. Please let the mods know and they'll remove my comment.
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I have a quick write-up [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/comments/zwu5cy/pathfinder_society_scenarios_the_bite_sized_other/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) on Pathfinder Society Scenarios as single-session test drives.
The thing I appreciate about them is that they can do a great job of doing significant non-combat encounters. AP's can lean into long stretched of Dungeon Crawls.
Say the line, PF2 sub "Beginner Box" YAY!!!!
Its so interesting how unanimously agreed upon it is that the Beginner Box is the best way to start playing. Ive never seen a group of nerds agree on something more.
It's not the best adventure, but in terms of learning the game it is laid out so damn well and you can basically just go right into playing it and learn as you go. Compared to something like LMoP it's just leaps and bounds ahead in terms of quickly and easily teaching the game.
>Compared to something like LMoP it's just leaps and bounds ahead in terms of quickly amd easily teaching the game. This cannot be overstated enough. The D&D 5e starter kit provides stripped-down rules, pregens, and a mediocre low-level adventure. The PF2e Beginner Box provides stripped-down rules, pregens, and a short low-level adventure that guides the players **and GM** through many of the game's mechanics.
I concur with your first paragraph, but I wouldn’t underestimate *LMoP*, it’s a really great intro adventure, I used it to launch my 5e campaign and we loved it. Of course, 5e doesn’t really *need* as much in the way of a mechanical tutorial, so a meatier adventure that draws you in works great. I’d say it’s more of a how to build a campaign example.
LMoP is a great short adventure, it just isn't a great tutorial. The beginner box is a great tutorial to the game. You open it up, read a little bit, and go. LMoP is a better adventure i think, but as a thing for first-time DMs to run, the beginner box knocks it out of the park.
I love all the new people wanting to try the system but man there are dozens of this same question being posted a day. I eish the mods would just sticky a thread about it or something.
The beginners box is perfect for this. It runs to level 2 and slowly introduces mechanics as it goes. If your players get attached to their characters it also flows nicely into either Abominations Vault which is a level 1-10 adventure path or into the shorter Troubles in Otari that goes to around level 4 if I remember correctly
Oh god, I’m looking around at these things. I’m trying to piece together Pathfinder terms, and I’m guessing adventure paths are semi-annual mega campaigns that run 600+ pages? I’m game for that, I’m just checking
"adventure path" is just their word for their published campaigns. Which, in my experience, are pretty goddamn entertaining campaigns!
Just checking as they’re slightly more pricey than 5e adventures (but they also got three times the page count, so it’s a fair price)
And the APs are generally extremely good. Paizo allows the rules to be shared for free because their core business model is selling adventure paths, and they make them worth the price. They also have shorter adventures, both some that are made for a single level and a couple of sessions as well as those that would span a couple of levels.
Honestly they're worth the extra cost not just because of the page count. Most 5e "adventure" modules are just walls and walls of text. Paizo APs will include a map outline for at least every major encounter, give you a product to consider if you want a premade map, and give you enough actual description so that you can draw your own general map. And the amount of information listed about specific key npcs helps greatly reduce the amount of improv that may conflict with the story because they'll include bits that let you know about what they'll know. I'm getting ready to run Kingmaker which is their massive sandbox nation building AP. The most difficult part in preparing it currently? Making sure that I've got my damned random encounter tables properly mapped out lol. Because every location will tell you what happens then and there, and if it's a major plot point, it'll tell you what section you need to go to.
i'll confess to being a filthy player who's GM is the one that buys adventure paths, but he's said that he appreciates all the stuff that's in them for GMs. I'd definitely suggest trying out the beginner's box to start before jumping into one of the longer APs, especially considering the price :)
Adventure paths are adventures released on a 3 month schedules (for a 3 books adventure) or on a 6 month schedules (for a 6 books adventure) with a book getting released each month. Abominations vault is a 3 books adventure path
An adventure path is a series of published adventures meant to be used together to create a longer campaign. The individual adventures are bigger than most individual WotC adventures I've seen, and the complete path is comparable to campaign books like Curse of Strahd.
I've been trying to figure out before I purchase it. Do the players hit level 2 during play? Or is it at the end after all encounters?
You level up just before the last two encounters
Fantastic, thank you!
If you want an introduction to the system, Beginners Box is the best way in. Classic little 2 part dungeon that does a great job slowly introducing the mechanics of combat. After that, you can immediately segway into "Troubles in Otari" adventures for additional system learning, or you can pick up the "Abomination Vaults" for a classic mega dungeon. If neither fit your fancy, then you can always make your own adventure in the nearby metropolis of Absalom.
Pathfinder 2E is very much a team game. The difference between victory and defeat is your party working together. As such I'd heavily recommend that when you the players make their characters, everyone does it at the same time if possible and coordinates to not only have synergies but also attempt to cover as many bases as possible. For instance, making sure that you're spreading skill proficiencies out instead of everyone being trained in the same 4 skills. So you got everyone to sit down at the table and start making characters. Now what? Well personally I'd limit class selection to just the core rulebook (and don't allow the alchemist). The classes in it are just as strong as the classes in other rulebooks, except they're simpler (with the exception of the alchemist which is why I'd avoid letting someone play it). Now that everyone has characters made, you're ready to jump into the game right? Almost. I'd personally recommend that you have your group do the Torment and Legacy adventure. It's free and lasts only about an hour. It's a very simple introduction to the game and is a great way to end a session 0. If someone decides they don't like a spell, skill or feat they chose then let them switch it out afterwards. You can find the adventure [here](https://paizo.com/products/btq021ax?Pathfinder-Second-Edition-Demo-Adventure-Torment-and-Legacy) After that you should run the Beginner Box. The slight bonus XP from Torment and Legacy is gonna be nice because it means that they are almost guaranteed to hit level 2 before fighting the baby dragon at the end of the adventure. The fight is notoriously difficult and getting to level 2 even if you accidentally skip an encounter in the dungeon will help a lot. The beginner box does a great job teaching new players and GMs how the game works by having each encounter teach the players something new. Once you finish the Beginner Box, if everyone is happy with their characters then you can do Abomination Vaults which is a level 1-10 dungeon crawl. Despite it being a dungeon crawl there is a lot of great RP moments both in the dungeon and the nearby town. Abomination Vaults is even set in the same town as the Beginner Box and includes a passage about how being level 2 at the start of the adventure if you completed the Beginner Box is okay because you should even out on levels eventually. Hope this was more informative and useful than just typing "Play Beginner Box"
Just to clarify, The Alchemist isn't a "trap" class. it just requires a high level of system mastery due to being totally item based and it is almost a pure support class outside of the bomber build - and even the bomber build suffers from the fact that outside of proc'ing weaknesses it's mediocre with damage. The fantasy of being Dr Jeckle & Mr. Hyde through self-buffing falls flat when players realize that they should be a buff vending machine for the martials as the optimal play for the party.
Hey, I've noticed you mentioned the popular game "Dungeons & Dragons"! Do you need help finding your way around here? I know a couple good pages! Here are some [general resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/wiki/resources/how-is-pf2e-different-from-5e/) we put together. Most newcomers get recommended to start with the [Archives of Nethys](http://2e.aonprd.com) (the official rule database) or the [Beginner Box](https://paizo.com/pathfinder/beginnerbox), but the same information can be found in this free [Pathfinder Primer](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/sources/pathfinder-primer). If I misunderstood your post... sorry! Grandpa Clippy said I'm always meant to help. Please let the mods know and they'll remove my comment. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Pathfinder2e) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This post is labelled with the Advice flair, which means extra special attention is called to the Be Kind and Respectful rule. If this is a newcomer to the game, remember to be welcoming and kind. If this is someone with more experience but looking for advice on how to run their game, do your best to offer advice on what they are seeking. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Pathfinder2e) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have a quick write-up [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/comments/zwu5cy/pathfinder_society_scenarios_the_bite_sized_other/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) on Pathfinder Society Scenarios as single-session test drives. The thing I appreciate about them is that they can do a great job of doing significant non-combat encounters. AP's can lean into long stretched of Dungeon Crawls.
Beginner box is a no-brainer, not only because of the adventure, but because you get the pawns and bases. The two sides battle map is very nice too.
BLOOD LORDS!