There's a dozen other RPGs I could have used as well, but Pathfinder is the meme one.
Come to Lancer! We have crunchy combat and are anti fascist!
this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2026
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I don't understand how everyone doesn't just invent or cobble together their own system. It's so fun! And with cool players, you can build up the rules over time.
I know it's not a serious RPG but I'm replaying Ni No Kuni 2. I never played it much since my buddies were like what are you doing come play this dumb game with us--tarkov--overwatch; I'm surprised how relaxed and fun it is. I like a decent grind, but can't do the Lineage 2 or other old mmorpg grinds anymore but lighter stuff is fine.
Play anything that isn't WotC.
Loved Pathfinder when it came out, currently into Draw Steel.
Love me some Baldurs Gate
Pathfinder Wrath of The Righteous is pretty damn good
I mean, Pathfinder is literally D&D with a few changes.
Specifically, it’s DND 3.5e with some changes.
So, you have the best full version of DND (3.0) with all the changes made to make the system function the way it was intended and be much more balanced (3.5), with another total revision to balance, the introduction of many new mechanics, over a decade of new content, and an active publisher who makes massive use of the OGL (PF 1.0).
That's Pathfinder 1e though. Pathfinder 2e is even better in my opinion because it takes what was good from 1e (the world, the customization options, ...) and simplifies play enormously for both the GM and the players to be much more beginner friendly.
I never played DnD 4e but afaik, some of the greatest changes of PF2e have been in DND 4e before and didn't make it to DnD 5e.
PF2.0 isn’t for me or my tables, with a few exceptions. We want the crunch. I really appreciate what Paizo did with 2.0, but it’s not a game for me.
D&D 3.75e
Incorrect. The best D&D edition is 4E, and that's why Draw Steel is the best not-D&D.
Nah, beat version is Balder's Gate 3 system :p
This sure is a take.
Surely one of the most takes of all times.
Less so in 2e, but yeah.
But the name is pretty dumb. You know what you're getting with D&D. Dungeons, Dragons, probably a fantasy world. Pathfinder is... you go hiking? I have no idea.
A "Pathfinder" isn't just hiking. It's a person who goes first into the unknown to make the path so others may follow. It's a name for an adventurer/traveler or another way to say "Trailblazer".
It's named after the main adventuring guild in the world, the Pathfinder Society. Which is also the name of Paizo's irl community
What's a Paizo?
It's the small device in your BBQ lighter that produces electricity when you hit it, but that's not important right now!
That's the company that makes Pathfinder and Starfinder, another tabletop roleplaying game in a scifi setting using Pathfinder's rules
Thanks
I mean, the three action system alone puts it over DND, imho.
I tried getting into Pathfinder but the constant buffing is just too tedious and it only gets worse as the game progresses, like way worse.
You're talking about first edition Pathfinder, aren't you? You should give second edition a try. It takes pretty much only the best from first edition, DnD 4e, a liitle 5e and some original ideas. It's a great and beginner-friendly middle ground between Pathfinder 1e's crunch and DnD 5e's oversimplification.
Pathfinder is the sooo good. So much customization!
One time I made spider man. But he could only web swing thrice per day, was weaker than every enemy, and kind of just died randomly due to lack of spidey sense. But he had a wicked 6 paragraph alter-ego mechanic that the goblins appreciated
Step 1: Pathfinder Step 2: Savage Pathfinder Step 3: Other Savage Worlds games Step 4: Become a proper TTRPG nerd
Uh... I've never actually played a pathfinder campaign. Or D&D. I've mostly played World of Darkness, and a couple of oddball things. I've also sat in on some friends custom campaigns that were absolutely wild. I guess that's not normal, lol.
An annoying part about wanting to break away from D&D is that all the "experimental" games etc. Get away with having fewer rules. I want another system that can be as complex as D&D but with different focuses.
Forged in the dark is a good example of something close to what I like. What it lacks in combat/interaction diversity it definitely makes up for with the gamified secret base you can customize and the various "down time" interactions you can have.
Well you could try "The Dark Eye" https://ulisses-us.com/games/tde/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Eye_(role-playing_game)
It should have all what you want
See, you want Night Shift: Devil Division. It's based on the Draw Steel engine, so it's about as complex as D&D with great combat rules. But instead of medieval fantasy, it's 90s anime.
https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/slightly-reckless-games/night-shift-devil-division
Or possibly Eclipse Phase
Eclipse Phase mentioned!
Transhumanism is cool. Fuck Elon Musk.
That's why I like GURPS. The core mechanics are simple enough, but there are so many optional mechanics you can get as complex as you like.
I'm currently on step 2, running Curse of the Crimson Throne. Not the official conversion though, because I bought the 3.5 version (it actually predates Pathfinder 1e) of that AP like 10 years ago. And converting to Savage Worlds is really easy anyway.
I’m glad my friend got me into D&D. Definitely daunting at first, but once you start to realize no one is the main character and you can focus on your own story as an individual, the ability to play how you want starts to open up. It’s all about committing to the bit.
That and it takes time. Lots and lots of time.
As a player, I can certainly say that the choices my character makes are not the ones I would.
My character spent an entire session running towards the fight where he knew that there were like fifty people fighting the rest of our team. He was looking for the first opportunity to let loose a fireball to assist his teammates.
I, the player, knew that the team was surviving pretty ok and didn't need me to cast anything. I, the player, knew that up casting fireball at forth level was a terrible idea. I, the player, knew there was only one enemy left with 3hp.
My character on the other hand did 32 damage to this lone zombie and alerted the other 150 enemies further away down the battlefield to our presence.
Now, we had to scramble to come up with a way to get an 8h long rest to heal and get spell slots back even though the army was less than 2 hours away and coming towards us.
I want to play Starfinder again. I had a single session...
Time to meet my weekly quota of recommending that someone try Stars Without Number.
I had a short campaign and feel the same.
I'm just here for Wrath of the Righteous. Who's with me?
It’s a great game, though not for everyone. Balance is all over the place, it’s a contest of who’s the most OP between you and the enemy. I mean who doesn’t love a creature with 90 AC that drains your stats?
Dark & Darker has entered the chat
Fire sdf