Customer Reviews

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player's Guide

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The Pathfinder RPG's latest offering is an excellent addition to the game: a must-have. This book is very similar to the splatbooks that Wizards of the Coast (WotC) released for D&D 3.5, but without being confined to a small group of classes (and, frankly, without the garbage). The primary expanded areas are the addition of six new base classes, additional feats, additional class options, additional racial options, spells, prestige classes and combat options.

The class and racial options are primarily substitution-based. They work on the principal of swapping a power for another, in most cases. This feels a lot better to me than defining a new race that is marginally different and trying to shoehorn them into an existing campaign world, as WotC has done many times. As for the class options, the substitutions are usually a package. The Ranger is expanded by adding several new combat styles (which I love, by the way), for example. The cleric options are the addition of subdomains, which are easy to integrate becaus the existing domains each have 2-3 associated subdomains which swap domain powers. I've always loved the idea of customizing characters, and I feel this book really opens up possibilities.

The new classes are excellent. I admit that I am not crazy about the Alchemist, but the others are top-notch. The remaining additions are the Cavalier (a fighter-type with bardic powers, focusing on challenging single foes and inspiring friends), the Inquisitor (a deity-sworn hunter), the Summoner (class focused on summoning a pet; think World of Warcraft Warlock), the Oracle (a divination-themed spontaneous divine caster) and the Witch (a hex-throwing caster whose familiar is her living spellbook). I honestly could see playing any one of these and having a blast, particularly the Inquisitor and the Witch. These all have distinct roles, none of which seem to step on the toes of existing classes. Their power also seems in sync with the other PFRPG classes (unlike the classes in the WotC splatbooks).

The feats and prestige classes, while largely obligatory in a book of this type, avoid cheesiness. They expand the game well, and they make sure that the new base classes have the options the core ones were provided. Also of note are teamwork feats. WotC has offered these before, and basically, they are feats that are only useful when an ally has the same feat. I have always ignored these feats outright, but Pathfinder has made it so that two of the new base classes (Inquisitor and Cavalier) utilize these and either allow a player to grant use of one (a Cavalier power) or make so that your character acts as though your allies had the feat (Inquisitor). Without integration like these, these feats would largely be a waste of space. The prestige classes largely give advancement potential for new base classes, though some are the remaining PFRPG equivalents of the base 3.5 prestige classes (from the D&D 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide).

All said, I feel this book was worth every cent. I fully expect to use some of these options the next time I make a Pathfinder character. This book exemplifies the PFRPG's commitment to quality gaming material, and I recommend it highly.

The APG adds a ton of new options for players, including new base classes, alternate class features for older base classes, new feats, spells, prestige classes, and so on. There's also new items, magical equipment, and optional rules for groups that want to change things up a little bit. The best part is that overall they're very well balanced; I could complain that some of the options are a little underpowered, actually, but nothing sticks out to me as being overpowered (certainly nothing comes as close as, say, Candles of Invocation, which are in the core rulebook!).

Pathfinder seems to be taking an opposite approach from 3.5 D&D to some class balance issues; in 3.5, most of the base classes were terribly weak beyond the low levels, and there was no reason to not go into prestige classes as soon as possible. Pathfinder has significantly improved upon the base classes and toned down the prestige classes, to the point that in some cases there is little reason to take levels in a particular prestige class unless you just really like the flavor of it.

My most significant complaint is that some of the new options seem redundant. The oracle, for example, in terms of mechanics is very much like a cleric but just not as good. The flavor of the class is nice, sure, but flavor and mechanics can be kept separate; there's nothing stopping somebody from putting "cleric" on their character sheet but dressing up as and calling themselves an oracle in-game. Summoner has a similar problem in that it's just too similar to the basic wizard class; they have a fun, unique mechanic, but it seems like it could have easy been done as a prestige class for wizards instead. On the other hand, alchemist, witch, and cavalier are fine classes, even if the cavalier may have difficulty fitting into campaigns that aren't mount-friendly. Inquisitors are a fun concept, but seem mechanically weak; they're jacks-of-all-trades, so they suffer the same problem that bards do in that they're masters of none, except that a well-built bard /can/ be a master of various trades. So far there doesn't really seem to be a lot of options for Inquisitors to focus themselves, but hopefully that will come in future books. In an embarrassing gaffe, one of the Inquisitor's higher-level abilities is actually completely useless because it refers to a mechanic the pre-release version of the class had that was removed from the final version.

The optional class features for the old base classes are generally pretty great. Reminiscent of 2nd edition D&D's kits, you can swap various class abilities in order to change the focus of the class. Every class gets a lot of fun options; for example, there's a Sniper variant for rogues where they become worse at trapfinding but better at ranged combat, and they can increase the range in which they can sneak attack. Monks get the class Drunken Master option that makes them more powerful as they become inebriated. Another option of note is anti-paladin, which is, to be blunt, disappointing. It's basically a copy of the paladin class that replaces "good" with "evil" and "law" with "chaos." They're perfectly functional characters, mechanically, but I feel let down that nothing was done to make them feel unique rather than just an evil clone.

The new feats, spells, and prestige classes are all pretty nice. I just wish there were more prestige classes, really; there's eight of them, and they're all pretty interesting, although many of them have a very narrow focus that makes them only viable for specific character builds. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it just leaves me wanting more. As mentioned earlier, my only real complaint here is that some of them feel a little weak; they all have some kind of tradeoff, and it's hard to tell if it's worth it. The Holy Vindicator, for example, is a really cool concept for melee-oriented clerics, but over 10 levels they only get 7 levels of improved spellcasting, and, of course, it doesn't advance cleric domains at all. Their abilities are nice, but honestly I don't think they make up for losing 10 levels of domain progression and 3 levels of spellcasting. Nonetheless, it's not /too/ bad a tradeoff, and I could definitely see myself doing it for flavor reasons. Then there's the Stalwart Defender, which is mostly a clone of the 3.5 Dwarven Defender, down to the fact that they're weak against enemies who just ignore them and walk past them. They get a lot of defensive abilities, but no offensive abilities, and unlike World of Warcraft, in Pathfinder monsters have no reason to concentrate on a player who isn't actually a threat. I probably sound like I'm complaining a lot, but I really do like a lot of them, particularly the Master Chymist; they have sort of a Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing going on, where they actually develop a separate personality that can take over when they combat and force them to mutate.

Anyway, overall this is a great book, and every Pathfinder group will want to have at least one to share amongst the players. Sometimes it feels like Paizo was trying to play it a little /too/ safe and ended up making some options not as strong as the rest, but the concepts and flavor are great throughout the book.

As an unrepentant nerd, I don't have an issue saying that I've got a few pen & paper games under my belt. I've played everything Wizards of the Coast came out with since 2000, have a fair bit of experience of AD&D, and some other, less prominent games as well. Chances are, if you're looking at this book, you've already played Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, a game which many consider to be the spiritual successor to the Dungeons & Dragons saga. This book, in addition to presenting six new base classes to entice you with, also has taken the core classes (Barbarian through Wizard) and given each, on average about ten, ways to customize those base classes to whatever it is you've been dreaming of seeing your character doing. Do you like the ranger, but also like Animorphs? Now, you can take the ranger and turn him into an animal shape-shifter! Are you a fan of the paladin, but never find yourself using his small spell list? Trade spell-casting in for an aura of light that provides aid to you and your allies using the Warrior of the Holy Light archetype! Other options include the Drunken Master Monk, the court bard, the rake rogue, a slew of sub domains for clerics, new bloodlines for sorcerers, and sub-schools for wizards. There's something for every class.

Next, this book almost doubles the list of available feats. Remember that scene in Lord of the Rings where Legolas is firing arrows at the orc horde and suddenly takes an arrow and stabs an enemy that gets too close, before loading that same arrow and firing again? There's a feat for that. Do you like casting acid arrow at that demon over yonder, but hate his unnaturally lucky spell resistance rolls? Take another stab at evil when your spell bounces off and hits the next nearby enemy! Do you like playing the halfling, but are sick of being seen as just a half-pint? Do you love your half-orc, but hate the stares the commoners throw at her? Take the feat that lets you pass for human! Or embrace your heritage and give them something to stare at when you take a feat that gives your tusks enough of an edge to be considered weapons in their own right!

New prestige classes abound in this book. From the Battle Herald, a bardic cavalier that leads her allies to victory through inspiration and mounted prowess, to the Rage Prophet, a touch of Old Testament prophets that mean business for their god. If you like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you'll love the Master Chymist Prestige class, built especially as a nice item for the Alchemist class (presented earlier in the book).

This book doesn't skimp on spells either. It's tough to go through and list the variety of options presented, but just know that there are spells for every class. Equipment has been added in as well, from the practical to the insane, you'll find that it isn't left wanting.

The book also takes the opportunity to add new rules to the game system, all optional. The developers said that this is a supplement. It's a compendium of advanced rules that can add flavor to a game.

All in all, it's a very complete book that provides variant options that almost everyone can enjoy and benefit from. It's one of the most complete supplemental books released for a Pen & Paper RPG to date and it's also earns every dime you spend on it. Unlike some previous addition "splat books" you won't feel like your money could have better been spent elsewhere. The Paizo team worked hard on this, taking in feedback from its user base (they beta released all the classes for anyone on the Paizo messageboard community to test and weigh in on) and built a masterpiece.

One of the problems that plagued 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons was its constant rules bloat. Multiple rulebooks would appear every month, each loaded with new classes, races, prestige classes, and other additions. The options were nice, but got overwhelming quickly. Moreover, some of the expanded rules were just flat out better than existing options, making the core rules obsolete. Take for example any class from the Book of Nine Swords and compare it to the poor neglected fighter.

One year into the life cycle of the Pathfinder Role-Playing Game, the Advanced Player's Guide is the first big rules expansion we've seen. Just the slower pace of the rules additions sidesteps one of the big problems D&D faced, which was too much, too fast. The Advanced Player's Guide sidesteps the other problem of making the core rules less appealing by offering options, not power escalation. This book is less a rulebook and more an options book. It provides different racial traits, allowing a half-elf who has no intention of multiclassing something to replace their multitalented ability, for example. It adds similar options for each class, providing different archetypes for the core classes while keeping the power level consistent with what already exists. The book also has lots of new stuff, including feats, prestige classes, and several new core classes that cover either a missed rules niche, such as the spontaneous divine spellcaster known as the oracle, or a whole section of fantasy adventure untouched by the core rules, such as the alchemist class.

The rules here are not perfect. Some of the new options fall flat or don't quite work as well as you might envision them. However, this book is well worth a look. If you ever wanted to play a desert-dwelling elf or an unarmored fighter, there is something here for you. If you just want new options to explore or something to spark your imagination, there's a lot here to give you some inspiration. The Advanced Player's Guide is a very good step forward to the Pathfinder Role-Playing Game, providing options while not taxing the system or its players overmuch.

The Advanced Player's Guide for the Pathfinder Tabletop Role Playing Game is the best product I have seen so far in the Dungeon & Dragons 3.5 and Pathfinder series.

All the books I have looked at before this one (in its series) give you a small list of options for making a character. This one gives you tons of options. Four pages of feats to choose from. Four pages of new class material per class for the classes that were covered in the Core Rule Book. Whole new classes. Just a mind blowing amount of new options.

Other Tabletop Role Playing Games have killed my imagination with the limited possibilities. They might list a class and make it look all shiny and nice. Then only give you two or three "real" options on how to build it. This has started to heal that pain.

Now I have a feeling of truly being able to make a Character to fit my Ideal of what a character should be , not have to conform to some writers ideal character concept.

Thanks Paizo for this wonderful book.

A quickie review: I was one of the Pathfinder diehards that could not wait to get his hands on this product. In the end I was not disappointed; it is, like most of their stuff, topnotch in both quality and content. I like many of the new spells, Feats, and classes. Not all of them, mind you, but most. Of note are the new Witch and Alchemist classes, as well as new character options for both different races and the original character classes (i.e. Fighter, Rogue, et al)

The problem? The editing could use some work, and more than once certain character class entries had confusing or poorly worded sections in regards to powers or abilities. Also, I am concerned that this is the start of exactly what destroyed D&D 3.5 in the end: excessive power-creep and a glut of unnecessary character and prestige classes. Really, there are more than enough races and classes in the Core Rules to handle any sort of character build you have in mind. Let's try not to go down that road again, shall we?

Still, a must-have product. Buy this now!

Nicely written, has tons of new features. I believe it was best said in another review that this does not contain 6 new classes, it contains 90+ new classes. + Feats +Spells +Some new rules(Not all that exciting of rules in my opinion but still, some of them are well worth the time to look over.)

The book is the quality I've come to expect from Paizo, good heavy pages, and content = to 2 or so 4th edition DnD books. Worth every penny!

If you play pathfinder, this is not a must have. It's a can't live without!

Dislikes: I am not too keen on the bomb throwing Alchemist class, though I have yet to experience one in play. Some of the optional rules will not be opted for in my campaign. The add-on "traits" are too powerful to get for free, but a great idea as a two-for-one in place of a feat.

Likes: Everything els.

The Cavalier is optimal in design, the racial varients are fantastic, the new spells fill in gaps from the more extensive 3.5 library, the artwork is fair to great, and the write up on the anti-paladin is a hoot. This book is a really great addition to the Pathfinder world. It qualifies as a must buy.

I would give support to critical coments fearing an overdevelopment of core characters over situational development of the Pathfinder system in the future. With the Adavanced Player's Guide in our hands, we really do not need more characater options in the core material. New races and spells could be added, but more base classes, feats, optional rules that add-on to existing characters, should be avoided. Where Pathfinder should take us now should be more places to play, wider vistas for world building, cool gadgets and feared opponents. This book greatly fills out the core PC. Please do not over-develop Characters.

Its not the best rpg book I've seen lately,but its up there. It's got lots of useful information in it. I particularly like that a good part of the new feats in it are for level 10+. Also, I enjoy the inclusion of feats tailored to the barbarian, bard, monk and druid which were kind of missing in the Core book. I enjoy the core class customizing section. This lends to a thematic interpretation of the classes and adds a lot more variety without a lot of change. The six new classes are nice. Not sure they're all going to get used. In all its a great addition to the game. I'll use almost all of it and that means its not a waste of money.

This book meshes perfectly with the Core Rule book, adding fresh options for your characters. I like that you can substitute traits in each race, and the option to add additional traits really lets you make a character more nuanced and unique. The new base classes are original, worthwhile, and each goes up to level 20. There are also alternate builds for the core classes. The prestige classes are also well done and worthy of consideration alongside those from the core book.

There are 163 new feats: 77 are combat feats, 69 are general feats, 14 are metamagic feats, and 11 are teamwork feats. There is a chapter for new equipment and a chapter with 262 new spells. The chapter on new magic items ranges from weapons and armor to minor and major artifacts. Chapter 8 introduces rules for new combat maneuvers, Hero Points, and additional character creation traits.