Pathfinder is based off the d20 system, which has a pretty simple mechanic: roll a 20-sided dice, add or subtract based upon the relevant skill or ability that the GM picked, and compare to the target number set by the GM. If you equal or beat the target number you succeed at your task, if you fail you don't, but may retry in most situations.
There's only one extended mechanic: combat. The players and the GM roll Initiative, a system that determine who goes when in the combat. Players may take a standard action (a move that intrinsically requires a d20 roll, usually an attack), a move action, and a swift action (minor things). Damage is dealt with special dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12) to hit points, which measure your health and grit. Once your hit points (HP) drop to zero, you're unconscious and dying. Once you're at a score equal to your negative Constitution you're dead. There are some special maneuvers that can be done, but it all comes down to that d20+modifier roll. There's really not a lot more to it than that, I'm afraid. In fact, unless you're a spellcaster things are pretty simple, combat-wise.
Which brings us to the spellcasters, which is either the greatest strength of the system or it's greatest weakness, depending on who you ask. Each spellcaster knows a certain number of spells depending on level. Spellcasters are the weakest physically, and their beginning spells are utilitarian in nature. Any attack spells at the lower levels is sub-par in comparison to regular attacks, but just you wait. Once you hit level 5, your power begins to go up exponentially, to the point to where you're a god at level 20. But more on that later.
Your character shows his growing experience and power with what are called levels, which is a benchmark between different levels of prowess and power. To advance a level you need to get what are called experience points, which you get primarily by killing monsters. I mean, technically you could get experience any way the GM so wishes, but the given assumption in the book is to get experience points (XP) by killing monsters. XP does nothing for you besides being an indicator of how much time you have before you level, and most games I've played with a d20 system completely jettison XP. There are twenty levels to explore, with level one being a beginner in the path of being a hero and level twenty being "the end all be all" in your class. Multiclassing is possible, but discouraged, since it lends itself to breaking the game.
Now, anyone who's a supporter of Pathfinder is probably not going to like the next paragraph. You're warned right here: I do not like Pathfinder as a game. Sure, I've had fun with it before, so I'm not saying it's a terrible game. But I really... well... you'll see. I've got a number of problems with this game. They are: the completely worthless XP system, the lack of a "tilt" mechanic, and the exponential increase of power for spellcasters as they level. in comparison to non-spellcasters.
First, the XP system: it literally doesn't do anything besides be a counter. This is not a rules-lite RPG, there's plenty of stuff to keep track of. AC, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves, attack bonuses, calculating skills (which, regardless of how easy it's been made, takes time). All this is well and good, because it has a short-term and a long term point. XP doesn't have a short term point; it just sits there until you hit the requisite number, and that's space wasted.
Second, the game doesn't have a way of "tilting". By tilting I mean being able to cheat the dice mechanics in situations that you really need to. Without being able to cheat the system players are at the mercy of the most swingy dice in popular gaming: the d20. And be warned: she is not a kind mistress. The d20 is possibly the worst dice to not have a tilt for, hands down. Now usually what happens is that players are allowed to reroll every once in a while just because fate can be so cruel. Again, this is a horrifically missed opportunity. A lot of the tension and fun that comes from a tilt could be sorely used for the mediocre combat system.
And finally, there's the spellcaster progression problem. Spellcasting characters are the most complicated characters in the whole game, hands down. They're terribly risky to play at low levels for not a whole lot of reward, and quite frankly I wouldn't play a spellcaster at a lower level even with some of the improvements that Pathfinder put in place over the original product. At around level five the spellcaster catches up with his non-spellcaster brethren and finds that he can finally do some serious damage. If it ended there I'd have no problem. It doesn't. Players can take advantage of the exponentially increasing power of the spellcaster to do some truly broken things. Now, none of this would matter if there was a tilt, because then the point of the game is not to max out your numbers but to play for a reward that lets you dodge cruel fate just a little longer. Without this the spellcaster rises into prominence in later levels. Supporters of the system will say that this has lessened from 3rd edition, and they're mostly right. They miss the point, however. A good game needs a good tilt mechanic. It's as simple as that. And Pathfinder is in desperate need of one.
So, ultimately, I find that Pathfinder is an incomplete game. Without a reason for doing something other than jacking with the numbers it falls into the same pitfalls of it's predecessor. It's not a very simple game, so it can't make up the difference there. And while it is fun to play every once in a while it's certainly not something I'd have up on my bookshelf all the time. Ultimately I'd advise staying away. There are better designed games for you to plop down 30-50 bucks for.
Now for an afterward to those who are reading this review who are NOT newbies, particularly the Pathfinder fanboys. You're probably not very happy with the review, and think I'm just raining on y'all's parade. I'm well aware that groups have fun with Pathfinder all the time. Heck, I've had fun with Pathfinder a number of times! But, if you asked me what I thought of the game on a technical level, the above review are my thoughts on it. Do not mistake my dislike of the mechanics for hatred of the game or it's creators. Paizo's people are awesome, and they run a good business. I just happen to disagree with their product.
By tilt, would that include the following: adding additional dice to the d20 rule, rerolls, skipping the d20 altogether? There are rules for more dice to make success more likely, rules for rerolls, and at least house rules for skipping the d20 for certain activities and scenarios.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is tilt. Where are those official rules for modifying those dice rolls in the core book? I never saw them. Even then, it's a good idea to have the tilt and reward system linked up. It links the rewards for doing actions with the ability to defy fate, which makes a potent combo most games ignore at their peril. Pathfinder is one of those games that doesn't pull it off.
ReplyDeleteYou'd essentially have to gut the game and start over, unless all you wanted was a surface patch. But the problem is that Pathfinder wasn't designed with that in mind..
Not in the core, would be in the prd though. Hero Point system. Similar to the sw saga fate point system, but improved. And then the Mythic system empthasizes story driven character progression.
ReplyDeleteSo, yes, the core is lacking it, but the rules do exist.
That's great and all, but some people really will just want the core book. That and the fact that the tilt doesn't even sound fully integrated into the system (the ability to titl/level rewards are based off of player actions, thus encouraging roleplay) makes it less than ideal. And that point you're also dealing with a system that's not even designed for said tilt, which really screws with it.
ReplyDeleteBut that's just my two bits. As I said before, I think Pathfinder's an alright but deeply flawed product. A post on tilting will be put up.