Game Geeks #189 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Beginner Box by Paizo

[TheUnnbreakable]

I want this for my girl friend

[BlackAria1974]

Kurt, just thought ya should know that I purchased this box set based on your review. It's a amazing box set and my daughter's, who is 13, first exposure to table top gaming. She's hooked and loved every minute of it. Only wall I had to break down was her Wow mindset about how rpgs are played. Hence why I wouldnt use the 4th edition Red box I bought. Wish I could get my money back for the red box. 4th edition makes me sick. From a old 38yr old gamer, love ya reviews.

[gargoyles1977]

Two sets of dice? I only got one. LOL



[Ocannae]

Many Thanks Kurt! After your review I went also bought the box, and it is really SUPER NINJA COOL! Me and my gaming group and my little cousins​that I instructed the RPG hobby this New Years Eve, with the box. Really good! Can not turn until I I can put my hands on the Pathfinder book. Your The Man Kurt, Your the Man!

[CultureShock54]

two sets of dice? mine only came with one :(



[foxcell]

it is a good boxset i got mine 2 weeks ago since i want to go over into pathfinder since i'm burned out of 4th ed.

[TommyRflx]

Like the review. Not a Paizo fan though. I'll stick with my Gamma World boxed sets.

[mcooley386]

I hope Paizo knows what they are doing, TSR lost money on almost all of their box sets in the past.

[WyldeMax]

@mcooley386 That's a good question. Personally, I do wish them all the best.

[jfridy]

As someone who learned D&D by having a friend lend me the old "Red Box" kit, this sounds like just the thing to help new people enter the hobby with when you can't just dive into a game.

[losinggumby]

Trip over feats!

LOL!

Nice review!

[Kirokusclone]

my box only came with one set of dice.

[knwiegel]

DiCE CONTENTS: I just exchanged e-mails with Erik Mona of Pathfinder and he said that boxes were supposed to have ONE set of dice. Apparently mine was an abberation (insert joke here).

Just wanted to clear the air on this.

Kurt

[nutherefurlong]

@knwiegel Cool. Thanks for clearing the air on that. Just got the set myself and like it. I do sorta wish they had a stronger non-board feat selection but I guess the game's been optimized for board play for a while now.

[nunspa]

Any chance we might see you review the new Arcanis RPG? it's a fantasy system but crazy flexible (no classes, cool combat maneuvers, alter spells on the fly, even combine spells into new ones)

[Ocannae]

Thank I Will do that!

[Ocannae]

Please, dear Kurt (and everyone else on Gamegeeksrpg), can not you try to find time to review the new lord of the rings game: The One Ring, before Christmas, so I know if I should wish for it for Christmas? Happy Holidays

[Webhead123]

@Ocannae Daddystabz did a review of The One Ring on his channel which was very detailed. I recommend checking it out.

[Samwise7RPG]

@Ocannae  Yeah I second Webhead123's suggestion to check out Daddystabz review.

[Ocannae]

At last! Pathfinder has been a nice STARTBOX, has tried to convince the guys at the club that we should start playing Pathfinder. But they have been inside the D & D4.0, so they did not want to listen. Now I'll take and build my own box! Have any of you bought this "Beginners box" for D & D4.0. that are out there now? Do you think this is better or worse? Kurt?

[Jimalcoatl]

Wait, the Beginner Box is supposed to come with two sets of dice? Mine only came with one set.

[Webhead123]

@Jimalcoatl I think Kurt misspoke. Every source, unboxing and review I've seen shows only 1 set of dice in the box.

[knwiegel]

@Webhead123 Mine had two...

[Webhead123]

@knwiegel Cool! Obviously, long-time gamers won't need them but for new players, it would be nice to get two separate sets of dice in the box. :-)

[Jimalcoatl]

@Webhead123 This worries me about the quality control of whoever is putting these boxed sets together. If one set can get an extra set of dice thrown in, then it is quite feasible for some sets to have something missing. Knowing that, unless Paizo proves to be willing to replace missing pieces (like how Pinnacle replaced SWEX books with bad bindings), I'd be leery about buying this for someone as a gift, or about recommending it to others. Even if it is a great product.

[Webhead123]

@Jimalcoatl Indeed, you do bring up a valid concern. Having very little consumer history with Paizo, I can't comment on their replacement policies but one could only hope that they would be accomodating.

Pinnacle was very accomodating about replacing my bad copy of SWEX as well. Good customer service goes a long way.

[TheFold25]

I'd been thinking about picking this up. Thanks for the great review.

[FederationJade]

This is perfect for the starting group i am going to DM/GM =)

[nutherefurlong]

Hey, I was waiting for your feedback on this one :) Cool :)

Does it really come with two sets of dice? I thought it was just one.

Yeah, the feats can be overwhelming. I guess if you like perfecting builds it's fine, but I usually feel paralyzed because I don't know what sort of world the GM will build.

Now I'm curious how the Dragon Age boxed sets compare as far as entry-level gaming versus options and features (and whether it can be played without miniatures).

[Webhead123]

@nutherefurlong I've been curious about this myself as every other resource seems to indicate only one set of dice included with the game.

[nutherefurlong]

@Webhead123 I guess I'll find out in a few weeks, myself... The dice were just a bonus for me, anyway, but two sets would seem unusually generous for a boxed set :)

[Samwise7RPG]

The biggest selling point for me with this product is that I've heard that there are no Attacks of Opportunity in the rules! :)  I also prefer rules-lite games, and I like the sound of the books for it being very slimmed down.

[WyldeMax]

@Samwise7RPG Yeah. That's what I loved about FantasyCraft. I jumped into Pathfinder just because of that feature.

[Samwise7RPG]

@WyldeMax I do own FantasyCraft, I'll have to actually crack the book and see what's in there, hehe.

[WyldeMax]

@Samwise7RPG Well, To be fair, I don't like the idea of PCs playing Dragons, which FantasyCraft does. However, I was able to take my old AD&D character who was reincarnated as a nymph mage into Pathfinder, and she's transitioned nicely. Yes, I level so slowly I hardly bother to keep track, but it is fun.

[Samwise7RPG]

@WyldeMax Well as a GM you could just disallow Dragon PCs. :)

[WyldeMax]

@Samwise7RPG True, but it's better when the game does it for me. If I disallow Dragon PCs it comes off me tweaking the rules for my benefit. Frankly, adding such nonsense only dumbs down the game to munchkins. I don't play down to munchkins, and they grow up fast in my games.

[Samwise7RPG]

@WyldeMax I'm a hardcore rules tweaker/tinkerer, so maybe I'm biased. haha. :)

[WyldeMax]

@Samwise7RPG That's okay. In fact, I like that, and you would most certainly be a welcome addition to my table here in Portlandia. But the problem is I have Rules Lawyers (two of them) who demand the rules are played as is, So I have to pick and choose my games carefully. Which is why I went to Savage Worlds and Pathfinder.

[Samwise7RPG]

@WyldeMax Well all I can say to that, is good luck with your group then. :)

[Webhead123]

@Samwise7RPG Indeed! Between the simplification, the extra bits and the colorful presentation, I'm pondering picking this up even though I'm not really a Pathfinder fan. Might serve as a good "gateway" experience for teaching new players about the hobby.

[Samwise7RPG]

@Webhead123 A slimmed down RPG with skills and feats might hook the right players. The next time I have some money burning a hold in my pocket, I'm going to pick it up.

[Webhead123]

@Samwise7RPG That's exactly what I see. A version of the game "lite" enough for my taste while still keeping the skills and feats that most players like.

If/when you do pick it up, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Likewise, if/when I get it, I'll post a video review of my experience.

[Samwise7RPG]

@Webhead123 I saw a copy of it at GASPCON, but I opted to purchase the old piles of RPG books. :) I do love old RPGs. Yeah, if I get around to buying it, I'll do a video.

[allluckyseven]

Someone should make a video series about teaching people on how to play specific role-playing games. That would help beginners.

[rrzonico]

Cool review Kurt, thanks for the work!

Any possibility of you reviewing Ars Magica 5th Edition?

[blackbarnz]

oh yes who can forget coloring in dice with a crayon. But the fact that I have that memory is a testament that this product isn't for me. Why did most people buy the PFRPG in the 1st place? Has Paizo forgotten us? They had very talented folks working on the beginners box. I understand the need for PF to have a beginners set both for the hobby itself and, the future of Paizo. Looks like a fine set indeed. But I'm just asking Paizo not to forget who got them where they are.

[Broyale26]

@blackbarnz

What would make you think they are forgetting about who got them where they are? Its not like they're discontinuing the other material, all they're doing is releasing ONE set directly aimed for beginners to get them primed for playing the main game. If anything, this is a great idea. Get someone introduced to the world, and once they're ready, they than graduate to the main game. I don't get how you would think that Paizo would be forgetting/forsaking the experienced gamer.

[blackbarnz]

@Broyale26 I understand the benefits for the hobby and Paizo. Get new players into the hobby,widen the market and insure future customers, in a otherwise aged fan base. No, I don't think Paizo will forget about PFRPG of course. I'm just stating this was a colassal undertaking with many resources invested, reaching into unknown market. In my opinion this beautiful set that will change box sets in the future. However the risk of failure involved for the young company are great and, clear.

[nutherefurlong]

@blackbarnz From what I've read on their forums, this was a move to get beginners into buying their other books. One of their analysts even said they weren't interested in doing more boxes than this one just because they'd looked at the history of Dungeons and Dragons and said they found that if they made too many boxed sets and lines for people to follow, they'd be splitting the player base and ruining their income. This box is sort of like a version zero sampler.

[blackbarnz]

@nutherefurlong I understand why they made it. The D&D BEMI/AD&D fan base split is a concern of mine. If it's a success for Paizo then surley they'll consider expanding the game. A failure just hurts the company all around. Let's face it Paizo is just starting to enjoy the view at the top or the RPG mountain. Let's just hope for the best and it works the way you say.

[nutherefurlong]

@blackbarnz What's funny, though, is that I think I personally remained interested in dungeons and dragons BECAUSE of the specialty boxes, especially Dark Sun. I don't think things are as clear as they seem to be, and the reasons for DnD's fall may be a bit more complicatd. I agree with you that Paizo has a good thing going and shouldn't lose momentum. There is a potential for another box to come out, although I'm not as sure that would be bad if the response is exceedingly strong.

[blackbarnz]

@nutherefurlong Hey Dark Sun is a campaign setting that's not fair! Ha! Great campaign setting though.

[nutherefurlong]

@blackbarnz You're right that it's a bit off-topic, although I think the analyst was including THOSE boxed sets as part of the reason the bland felt split. I guess they were talking about overall attention and not just levels of rules. I still think that Pathfinder is a good answer to 3.5, but maybe better for players who can easily absorb all those rules or sift through the ones they want and discard the rest. DnD wasn't so refined at the beginning, but they had good entry-level rules.

[blackbarnz]

@nutherefurlong OK I can see that. Box sets are more exspensive to produce. Multiple printing procedures on multiple paper types and card stock.,dice, maps,minis etc all adds up. As a result boc sets tend to be little nicer in my opinion. Ironicly I recently just purchased 2e DarKSun box and the DarkSun miniatures in a auction at a convention, Agreed PFRPG was a good answer to 3.5. I enjoy it.

[knwiegel]

@blackbarnz While I have no insider info or anything, I seriously doubt that Paizo is going to forget about the main line or the experienced gamer. There is a strong push these days to bring new gamers, particularly kids into the hobby. This boxed set is Future reviews will be more core books. a great way to do that. My 9 year old, for example, has the makings of an awesome storyteller, but currently the PF core books would bury her in so many options and fiddly bits to swamp her completly.

[blackbarnz]

@knwiegel Agreed. I fear a BEMID&D/AD&D like split in the brand. Let's hope it all works out for the betterment of the hobby.

[KodyaxZavaj]

Great review as always, I don't really need this, or want it frankly but I appreciate the review none the less. I can tell that this is exactly what I thought it was going to be and when my 6 y/o nephew gets old enough to want to get into RPing this will be a gift from his Uncle.

[sroske1]

nice, tight review Kurt. this is a contender for my nephews Xmas present, for sure.

[pugknowspro]

If you want a to see Kurt in action and see whats coming up on Game Geeks check us out on Facebook.

. There's another set change coming up, exciting times for us here at Game Geeks RPG. Happy Holidays.

[nutherefurlong]

@pugknowspro cool. Extra-planar set, maybe? I hear to stay away from Sigil unless you get permission, though.

[markanthonyquested]

Speaking of Boxed Sets, I recently bought a copy of the Aftermath and Twilight 2000 boxed sets. 

[kytodd]

Thanks for the review. Saw this at Barnes & Noble the other day.

[Webhead123]

Thanks for covering this, Kurt. I've heard whispers about this product's existence but have never actually seen it until now. Even though I'm certainly no fan of 3.X/PF, I may just pick this up for its cool-factor.

One thing that blew me away is the forethought of the designers to actually include 2 (!!!) sets of dice in the box! Thank you, Paizo! You get it! Both the GM and the players should have their own sets of dice! And also the inclusion of the minis. I have been officially impressed.

[saintjst7]

Great video Kurt, I love the Pathfinder!!!

[sakaiisfagcore]

@herfer dnd 4e / essentials seems like the most approachable of the 2 for a beginning gamer.

[saintjst7]

@sakaiisfagcore It really is the easier of the two for players to pick up, especially considering how 4th edition really takes alot of inspiriation from todays MMO's. Pathfinder is really geared towards veteran gamers and traditionalist D&Der's.

[jenacorn]

My gateway game was Heroes Quest back in elementary school. Sounds like this would have been a better follow up than AD&D. Oh well. ^_~

Great review.

[Broyale26]

@jenacorn

LMAO! I remember Hero Quest! Too bad I had no one to play it with back then =(

I wonder if GW still makes 'em. I wouldn't mind buying this game again just to dig through the box, which back then was really all the fun I could have with it, since everyone else was into fucking Nintendo.

[jenacorn]

@Broyale26

I still have my original set (though a few pieces have had to be replaced with miniatures from other games). Still play it too. Every couple of months, I find a few suckers to force it on. If you can find a set, I'd recommend picking it up. Or swing by Ye Olde Inn (Google it).

[sakaiisfagcore]

Didn't wotc do this exact same thing?

[Herfer]

@sakaiisfagcore didnt pathfinder make it better?

[tommiskey]

@sakaiisfagcore Well, it tried, but the Red Box was very poorly done IMO and has no rules for creating unique characters, only advances to level 2 instead of 5, and has been errataed so much that it's not even fully compatible with Essentials, which it was supposed to lead into. Most gamers recommend not buying the Red Box unless you are totally new to RPGs and just want a very simple taste of roleplaying. The Red Box has almost no lasting use, while the PF Beginner Box has a lot.

[Ogma01]

@tommiskey Of course if you strongly dislike d20/3.x (like I do), there's little appeal here. Happy Pathfinder is doing well for Paizo, but it is certainly not my cup of tea.

[tetsubo57]

I have dozens of those boxes. I bought them all first printing. While I hold these boxes as fond memories and value them being in my collection, I have no desire to return to that game model. I have no use for this product. I want hard cover books. With lots of crunchy rules to read. If you want simple, there are dozens of systems out there for you to use.

[Broyale26]

@tetsubo57

Strangely, your comment brought me to your channel and i've been watching some of your videos for a last hour.

[tetsubo57]

@Broyale26 Thank you.

[woodwwad]

@Broyale26 yeah, he has loads of great rpg videos

[Broyale26]

Hell yeah! Another Game Geeks.

[meineymoe]

thanks Kurt and Rob. I'm loving Pathfinders, and I think this will be a great gift for my grandson Clovis when he thinks he's ready to take the plunge into DMing.

[CrutoniaWebisodes]

Thanks for posting the review. I just bought the box yesterday, and am excited to play it.

[MCScratchatory]

Kurt I just wanted to say how much I respect your reviews, I'd jump on the chance to game with you!

[canadiancitizen]

I've been watching your show for a while and was wondering if you could review Shadowrun? Keep them Coming !