Thoughts on the Pathfinder 2 Playtest

If you haven’t already heard, or you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, Paizo announced the Pathfinder 2 playtest last week, coming in August 2018.

Is it good news? Do I need to burn all my old Pathfinder books? Never fear, here’s a brief summary of what we know so far and my initial thoughts on the next incarnation of this excellent game.

Pathfinder 2 Rulebook

I Smell an Upgrade

A new edition has been in the wind for a while. Pathfinder Unchained was the biggest clue, and Starfinder could only be followed by “Better Pathfinder.” At the same time, Dungeons & Dragons 5e did a lot of good for this family of games, and Pathfinder 2 will surely learn from it. Already we know that a bunch of systems from Starfinder will be making their way into Pathfinder 2, which is a very good thing.

I’m not the only one who thinks so, other’s I’ve talked to agree, and Scott Gladstein said similar things on his blog.

Expect the Unexpected

So, if it seems like Pathfinder 2 will build on Pathfinder and Starfinder, especially Unchained and, to a degree, on D&D 5e and other, newer systems, then I’d expect the playtest to showcase a lot of the “weirder” mechanics. I was never a part of the first Pathfinder playtest, but my designer mind thinks it would be a good plan.

With that in mind, I think Pathfinder 2 has the potential to include everything we love about what has come before, and pave the way forward for 10 more great years of roleplay.

Never Fear, Pathfinder’s Still Here

Paizo has already indicated (on the FAQ) that they’ll keep paperback pocket editions of the rulebooks in print as long as there’s interest in them. They’ll also keep their PDF books available too.

We at Rising Phoenix Games will keep supporting our Pathfinder Roleplaying Game compatible books, and will likely update our most popular titles to the new system.

“Round 2 – Fight!”

Personally, I’m currently working on several 1st ed Pathfinder releases, while keeping on top of Pathfinder 2. These are interesting times to be involved in the business side of the hobby, and I’m excited to see what the playtest reveals.

I love what Paizo does and I’d love to take what I’ve learned from freelancing on Pathfinder Roleplaying Game compatible products and use the Pathfinder 2 playtest as a chance to learn and grow as a designer. For me, this is “Round 2 – Fight!”