Pathfinder RPG: Pathfinder Player Core (P2) Hardcover – November 28, 2023

I'm starting to develop a fondness for the pocket editions. Huge value for the money and still perfectly legible. Book is sturdy and it feels great to just flip through and reference.The game itself quickly became my system of choice as everything is designed to aid players and DMs alike. Incredible amount of player options, snappy and modular customization for DMs, quick on-the-fly adjustments... I could go on for hours but you're probably not here to be sold on the system itself.

I had the PDFs of the PF2E Core books already, but my wife insisted on getting me something for Christmas, and these seemed like a good choice.For anyone that has the PDFs, being able to ctrl+f to look up rules is incredibly helpful, however when building out characters or just wanting to reference a rule at the table without pulling out my laptop or trying to view the PDFs on a smart phone, the books are the better choice. I also like putting post-its as bookmarks for specific feats, items, or other rules that I may want to reference during play.If you don't have the PDFs and are thinking about picking up the core books, the Player Core is an excellent place to start. Paizo has done an excellent job making the remaster of Pathfinder 2nd Edition more concise and the books flow better, and the bits of Golarion lore sprinkled throughout make me want to pick up additional supplemental literature as well. I highly recommend it.

For D&D-esque games, Pathfinder is the champ. The amount of customization that it provides is leaps and bound beyond 5e. Anyone who says it's "too complex" is probably to lazy (or vested in 5e) to actually read through it. The cute book *is* thicker, but that is due to the depth they put into the classes. The combat section is as long if not shorter than 5e.Additionally, Paizo has all of their books on the FREE website archives of nethys.Paizo is run by actual gamers who haven't sold their soul to Hasbro. Remember the OGL fiasco Hasbro tried to pull?

TLDR: I recommend the books if you want to support a great game and company.So, I will start by saying that the books are not necessary to play. You can play Pathfinder 100% for free because they actually care about their player base. The games combat is very satisfying and very balanced. There are, ofcourse, something things that arent perfectly balanced but nothing ever is. D&D 5E and Pathfinder 2E gets compared a lot which isn't really fair. They are 2 almost completely different systems that play somewhat similar. I find 5E to be a bit stale. You play 1 martial class and 1 caster class then they all feel the same after that. Character creation is very on rails in 5E where Pathfinder feels like you can make unique characters. It is true that I am bias, however, I DM 5e and I GM pathfinder. I play both games alternating every weekend. I just find myself getting bored in combat in 5e where Pathfinder feels more engaging.

Love D&D, but starting to love pathfinder 2e as well.Pathfinder is better if you like to use miniatures, want more character creation options, and you like tactical combat.This is worse if you want to make a quick character, like simple rules, and role play more than fight.

Pros:Significantly smaller than a standard rulebookfull contentless priceeasily held in your handCons:smaller text and images. Everything is slightly shrunken.more easily damagedmine came with glue residue sticking some pages together, causing minor page damagecannot sit open on a table like a hardbound bookGet the pocket edition if you want a more portable or cheaper rulebook, or if you just want to test the waters and see if this is a hobby that you can run with. You may also like the "pocket" version if you feel like books are simply taking up too much space on your table. If you value sturdiness over convenience or want a display quality item, get the hardbound version.

Item was as described and was delivered quickly.

Bought this to support Paizo because they deserve it. I love the pocket edition because it's way easier to use at a crowded table. I haven't had any trouble with the physical product whatsoever, it's holding together great.