I've been playing Pathfinder since the alpha playtest, and I must say it does a very nice job of ironing out the kinks in D&D 3.5. The combat rules have been cleared up a bit (not that Attacks of Opportunity aren't still a bit of a headache at times), but the major advancements are in skills and how the classes are structured. D&D 3.x suffered from a surfeit of separate skills. Pathfinder bundles up some of them into more sensible packages (e.g. Stealth has replaced Move Silently and Hide - a distinction I've never thought practical), and also simplifies cross-class skills. Instead of paying double for cross-class skills, you get a +3 bonus to all class skills you have at least one rank in, which makes taking cross-class skills an actually viable alternative. Archetypes (essentially, AD&D 2e kits making a comeback) have already been mentioned, but to me the key difference in classes in general is that every leveling-up brings something to the character. With Pathfinder, you don't have levels where all you get is a +1 to BAB and a save or two - you'll get a class ability, a feat, or something in that vein. Furthermore, the classes have been rebalanced, including having spellcasters be able to take part in combat in ways reflecting their magickyness even after they've exhausted all their spells. Yes, this means the basic classes are more powerful than in D&D 3.5, but not inordinately so. In fact they're now about equal to 3.5 prestige classes, which means that you can actually have a viable 12+ level character without taking a prestige class. The heart of the game hasn't changed. It's still a combat-focused system with meticulously worded ability descriptions aimed at keeping rules-lawyers at bay. In effect, it remains an entertaining grid-based tactical game with a nod towards in-game social interaction. I don't mean to gripe, just to point out that Pathfinder isn't a system for high drama or creative narrative any more than D&D 3.x, the emphasis being on detailed, intense combat that is enjoyable and engaging for all character types, at which it certainly outdoes its predecessor. In short: if you like D&D 3.x, Pathfinder is well worth getting into!

I have not played Pathfinder yet, but I bought the beginners set-up for the game for everyone in my family and I am going to give it to them on Yule. So, here is to my family liking it, hopefully.

Posted by arisilverblade25I have not played Pathfinder yet, but I bought the beginners set-up for the game

A good way to get started with the game, I understand. At least according to Kurt Wiegel's review, and I have absolutely no reason to doubt the man. I recommend his game reviews to everyone, they're the most concise I've ever seen!

Posted by MuadMouseA good way to get started with the game, I understand. At least according to Kurt Wiegel's review, and I have absolutely no reason to doubt the man. I recommend his game reviews to everyone, they're the most concise I've ever seen!

I didn't know that, but it is good to know. All I have to do now is wait for December 21st to come along so I can give it to my family and maybe my family and I can play together.

For those who either like Dungeons & Dragons 3.x/Pathfinder or find them a bit too rules-heavy, I recommend checking out something I ran into recently: The 13th Age by Pelgrane Press. It's a D20 system game whose rules are available on the publisher's website.

Designed by Jonathan Tweet (lead designer of D&D 3e) and Rob Heinsoo (lead designer of 4e), they've thrown off the yoke of Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro to come up with a game that I think takes the best bits of both editions and integrates them with some very nifty ideas from the indie rpg field (and possibly an actually new mechanic in the form of the Escalation Die).

Haven't had the chance to try it in practice yet, although I've managed to talk a friend of mine into buying it, and now I'm anxiously waiting for her to run a game.

The main mechanical differences in my mind to 3.x/Pathfinder are that you don't need a grid or miniatures to play, and the pacing. The miniatures thing is pretty self-explanatory, but the approach to pacing is the very heart of the system. It's mostly about the Escalation Die, which is a d6 that is set at 1 the first turn, 2 on the second, etc. up to 6 for the sixth and subsequent turns. The number on the Escalation Die is a bonus you add to every player attack roll! This of course means that the action is unlikely to lose momentum, as often happens in 3.x (especially at lower levels, when attack bonuses are low compared to average AC).

Skills are handled through Backgrounds: you allot points to backgrounds - such as professions or hobbies - that add to relevant skill checks. Reminds me of AD&D Secondary Skills.

The major indie game influence can be seen in the One Unique Thing, which is a phrase that describes your character. In addition to defining your character (e.g. 'The prodigal daughter of the great hero Gilaim Giantbane.'), it can even give you new abilities ('I can literally smell a lie.'). Just the sort of thing I like in a game.

There's a lot of stuff there, and I've rambled on long enough already. Definitely worth a look.