Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

Informally nicknamed D&D version 3.75,[7] The first edition of Pathfinder is a modification of version 3.5 of Dungeons & Dragons and is intended to be compatible with the older game.[8] Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn felt that the basic classes of D&D version 3.5 were lackluster, as they did not provide incentive to stay with a single class for 20 levels of play. Pathfinder adds many options to the classes and boosts their abilities in their core roles.

The game has also been modified compared to D&D version 3.5.[8] Changes were made involving balance between different game elements. For example, less combat-oriented classes receive more hit points each level than their 3.5 counterparts. Additionally, several aspects of 3.5 have been changed in Pathfinder, including several spells, the skill system and combat maneuvers such as tripping and grappling.

The material published by Paizo for the Pathfinder system has been set in a world called Golarion.[2]

Paizo also introduced the Pathfinder Society, an organized game play program.[9] Players register their characters on Paizo’s website, allowing players to use their characters in different play sessions and different groups while continuing to earn experience, money and prestige points. After a session has ended, the player will receive a chronicle sheet, listing what has been earned during the session. The player will use these chronicle sheets to log this information on the website.

In May 2018, Paizo announced it was working on Pathfinder Second Edition to refine elements of the rule set to reflect feedback and clarification on the original system over the prior years. The preliminary ruleset was published in August 2018 as Pathfinder Playtest so that players could test out and provide feedback.[10] The final rule set was released on August 1, 2019.[11]

Among key changes in the second edition is a streamlined action economy. Each round, each character can perform up to three actions on their turn as well as one reaction on another's turn. Most basic moves, such as moving across the ground, drawing a weapon, or making an attack cost a single action, while more complicated maneuvers may require two or three actions.[12][13] The rules around magic items have been changed to discourage players from hoarding too many items and instead encouraging them to seek out more powerful equipment.[10] Critical hits have also been changed – a critical success now occurs any time a combatant rolls 10 more than the target's armor class. Combatants can also critically succeed when defending which usually results in no effect rather than the reduced effect a save would usually bring.[14] Finally there has been a broad change to all number scaling of skills, armor class, attack rolls, saves, and difficulty classes. All these numbers now scale 1 to 1 with a character's level plus a stat plus a bonus between two and eight depending on their proficiency. This results in extremely bounded values when compared to the first edition. Stats have also had their range lowered when compared to the first edition.

A card game based on the role-playing game, the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, was released at Gen Con 2013. It was designed by Mike Selinker of Lone Shark Games.[44] The initial set for the game, Rise of the Runelords, was followed by the expansions Skull and Shackles , Wrath of the Righteous and Mummy's mask.[45] A second edition of the core game set introducing a story book element was released on May 2019.

A Pathfinder-themed edition of the Munchkin card game was released by Steve Jackson Games in 2013.[46]

Paizo published a line of novels, Pathfinder Tales, based in the Pathfinder setting. The first book, Prince of Wolves, was released in 2010 and was written by Dave Gross, former editor of Dragon Magazine.[47] Other titles in the series, which numbers over 30 books, include City of the Fallen Sky by Tim Pratt,[48] Winter Witch by Elaine Cunningham, The Wizard's Mask by Ed Greenwood, and Death's Heretic by line editor James L. Sutter.[49]

Dynamite Entertainment has produced a line of Pathfinder comic books,[26] including a spin-off title, Pathfinder: Goblins,[49][50] as well as Pathfinder: Worldscape, which also featured characters such as Red Sonja, Tarzan and John Carter.

Big Finish Productions has produced a series of audio dramas based on the Pathfinder setting.[51]

As a promotion for the 2nd edition of Pathfinder, Paizo teamed up with Geek & Sundry to produce an actual play series called Pathfinder: Knights of Everflame, which sees Jason Bulmahn run a game for five adventurers using this game system.[52] As of November 2019, the series has finished its first 8-episode season, and is currently in the middle of its second season.[53][54]

Two video games based in the Pathfinder setting have been published. Pathfinder Online, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, was announced on November 27, 2012, by Paizo and Goblin Works and was successful in attracting crowdfunding on Kickstarter to finance its development.[55][56][57] An official alpha test was announced in late June 2014.[58] Early enrollment was announced on July 29, 2015.[59] On September 2, 2015, Lisa Stevens, acting CEO of Goblin Works and CEO of Paizo announced layoffs at Goblin Works of most of the Pathfinder Online development team.[60] The game has never left early enrollment.

On May 17, 2017, another video game, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, was announced by Paizo and developer Owlcat Games.[61][62] An accompanying Kickstarter campaign was launched in June 2017.[63] The game was released on September 25, 2018.[64] It is an isometric RPG similar to the Infinity Engine games, and adapts the Kingmaker adventure path using the Pathfinder first edition rules.

In February 2020, Owlcat Games launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a sequel entitled Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. It is set for alpha testing in April 2020.[65] The game is an adaptation of Paizo's "Wrath of the Righteous" adventure path.[66]

In November 2020 Paizo and Pinnacle Entertainment Group announced Pathfinder for Savage Worlds, an adaptation of the setting of Pathfinder for use with Pinnacle's Savage WorldsRPG. The initial line will include rulebooks and the first Adventure Path, Rise of the Rune Lords.[67]