Pathfinder 2.0 Playtest

[Pookie Bear]

Our first PF2E game is approaching its end as the group navigated a series of nasty encounters and luckily bypassed a load more, before bumping into the BBEG last week - so now it's a case of do or die. They had some ups and downs, and the difficulty levels in this module have proved to be a little up and down. One moment they're breezing through encounters, the next they're scraping through by the skin of their teeth - there have been a fair few examples of on the fly difficulty amendments.

Next week the plan is to move onto the first published Adventure Path from Paizo, Age of Ashes. It's looks pretty cool so far! Playing a smaller game first has let the players get a little more comfortable with the system, and now they can make a more informed choice about characters. The sheer healing power of a cleric is unreal though, and almost a must for every group imo.

Overall, I am really enjoying PF2E and while I have had a lot of fun with 5e, I can't see us as a group going back there any time soon. You never know though - it's not just my call!

 

[No1newts]

I must admit I prefer PF2, I just find the extra abilities and all the cool little skills etc add a lot more to the game especially as a melee class. Melee in 5e can be just swing and attack, swing and attack forever whereas PF2 feels more unique and the characters themselves a lot more customisable.

I'm not against 5e and I do think it's easier to get into for new players than PF2 so will keep it for more casual groups but if I had s choice I would be picking PF2.

 

[Pookie Bear]

We started Hellknight Hill, part one of Age of Ashes last night and it was a blast!

@No1newts' character went from the sublime to the ridiculous in moments, and the rest of it was hilarious as well. It's a shame we were two players down, but at least this one isn't as deadly as the Fall of Plaguestone. So far.

 

[No1newts]

One shotted the two fights

I think I RP'ed Yonk the Unbreakable pretty consistently, luckily RoRo keeps him on the straight and narrow.

 

[suenstar]

Finished playing in a PF2.0 mini campaign last weekend, it was a pretty fun homebrew plot where we went from a band of straight forward town's guards with no special abilities into a fairly skilled bunch of mercenaries that stormed a castle and claimed it for our own... we ended up in the final session declaring ourselves the Lords of Biggles' Keep (Biggles was the name of our Ranger's pet leopard).

In our 7 sessions, I've had to make 4 characters due to deaths.
The first death, I exploded in a ball of fire when I lit a torch inside a cave filled with gas deposits.
The second, one of the party triggered a trap where the floor all around us fell in segments... I failed the reflex save to move in time and landed on a bunch of large spikes before being crushed by the walls of the pit closing in.
The third death was caused when a young dragon rammed our airship, making me fall overboard and plummeting to the ground.

...My turn to DM next with what appears like it's going to be a very holy party (so far I've got confirmation of 2 paladins and 1 cleric).

 

[Pookie Bear]

Finished playing in a PF2.0 mini campaign last weekend, it was a pretty fun homebrew plot where we went from a band of straight forward town's guards with no special abilities into a fairly skilled bunch of mercenaries that stormed a castle and claimed it for our own... we ended up in the final session declaring ourselves the Lords of Biggles' Keep (Biggles was the name of our Ranger's pet leopard).

In our 7 sessions, I've had to make 4 characters due to deaths.
The first death, I exploded in a ball of fire when I lit a torch inside a cave filled with gas deposits.
The second, one of the party triggered a trap where the floor all around us fell in segments... I failed the reflex save to move in time and landed on a bunch of large spikes before being crushed by the walls of the pit closing in.
The third death was caused when a young dragon rammed our airship, making me fall overboard and plummeting to the ground.

...My turn to DM next with what appears like it's going to be a very holy party (so far I've got confirmation of 2 paladins and 1 cleric).

It is a very killy system. It's moved from the "hope you have a healer between encounters" kind of feel that so many current games have, to "I hope you have some means of healing during this fight or this game is over".

I often have to scale back combat a little because it is really quite deadly. My group are a bunch of cry babies though

 

[No1newts]

It is a very killy system. It's moved from the "hope you have a healer between encounters" kind of feel that so many current games have, to "I hope you have some means of healing during this fight or this game is over".

I often have to scale back combat a little because it is really quite deadly. My group are a bunch of cry babies though

Nah, just you are an ultra ****

Oh does a 29 hit you? Every time

 

[suenstar]

Well session 1 quickly turned into a hilarious game of mayhem and destruction as the party initially met up in a small fishing village... everything started off normal with the group rescuing some of the villagers at the dock from some rabid sea creatures.

Whilst they were being treated to a drink at the tavern from the folk they rescued, the group's Goblin Paladin didn't like something the owner of the tavern said so proceeded to headbutt him with a critical hit and caved in the poor man's skull. That spiralled into a full-blown bar brawl when the Dwarf Ranger managed to deceive some of the other patrons into believing that a some of the guests were robbing the place, triggering the Human Cleric and Werebear Sorcerer to start unleashing their magic in a confined space... then it all got topped off when the group's other Paladin, a very grumpy old Human, turned up to the tavern after picking up supplies and thought everyone was trying to kill the party so proceeded to join in the mass violence.

The party were meant to be at the village when a group of soldiers were going to pass through looking to recruit people for a mission for the crown... however the party had to make a swift exit when they murdered 70% of the village and are now on the run.
...Nothing brings a party together quite like murdering a village and running away as a group.

 

[Bickaxe]

Did they burn the tavern down? If not, redo from start.

 

[No1newts]

@suenstar I hope you have them plenty of stick, I get abuse for one simple headbutt off you lot! I've never murdered a village!

 

[Pookie Bear]

Let me know if you need another player!

If you're serious, we're in the market for someone to play occasionally as a sub when players drop out in advance for our Monday night game. We normally play at mine, about ten minutes from the A1 near Gosforth Park.

It might be one night a month, or it might be three weeks in a row - we never know. @No1newts started like this and he's a regular now.

 

[No1newts]

And you are so glad of that as well

 

[Pookie Bear]

And you are so glad of that as well

Mixed feelings.

 

[Dis86]

@Pookie Bear certainly don't mind being a stand-in as required. Time i started learning the rules back to front for 2e!

 

[Pookie Bear]

@Pookie Bear certainly don't mind being a stand-in as required. Time i started learning the rules back to front for 2e!

Sweet. The next night we definitely have a gap is.... err, @No1newts - can you confirm the next time you're a slacker, please?
Maybe we should move this to off-forum?

 

[Pookie Bear]

...and don't worry too much about the rules - half the table needs things explaining whenever they try something!

 

[No1newts]

27/01, 17/02 and 24/02.

God damn I'm organised these days!!

 

[Dis86]

Mondays? That's my old play day!

 

[Pookie Bear]

Yep

Mondays? That's my old play day!

Yeah, we play Monday nights, 19h30 to 22h30.

 

[Dis86]

Cool, drop me a trust with the details. Do I need to bring my own pawns etc?