Pathfinder Help

[zoobob9]

I'm planning on joining a campaign soon, but it's D&D3.5 Pathfinder. I've never done anything with Pathfinder, and I'm unaware how it changes the game. Could somebody give me a description of Pathfinder, whether in a couple sentences or a paragraph? Points to cover:


Any rules it modifies
If classes are restricted if they aren't in the PHB (namely Psion)
Is this a specific realm where most things are already set in stone?
Anything else that would be relevant


Thanks for the help

[subject42]

There are two guides that can help answer most of your questions:

3.5/Pathfinder guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136890)

Pathfinder Psionics and You (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182797)

The Paizo-published world for Pathfinder is Golarion (http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Golarion).

[ThunderCat]

There's also the Pathfinder SRD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/) if interested in specific mechanics.

[Yorrin]

Subject42's links will answer most of your questions. Some highlights:
Feats are at multiples of 2 instead of 3. That simply translates to more feats.
Cross-class skills now only cost 1 point, and the skill cap equals your level in either case. Having ranks in a class skill nets you a +3 bonus to that skill.
Bull Rush/Trip/Grapple/etc have all be streamlined and merged together mechanically into two numbers- one for offense and one for defense.
Concentration checks are no longer a skill- they function similar to caster level checks
The Core rulebook contains exactly the same classes (updated, of course) as the 3.5 PHB. Not sure if that's what you were asking with your second question, but yeah...
The "default" setting in Pathfinder is called Golarion, but much like 3.5 the DM is in no way required to use this setting. It's a pretty decent setting, though.
Classes in general were designed to be more "worth it" to take for a full 20 levels. The 3.5 paradigm of "PrCs are better 90% of the time" doesn't necessarily apply as universally.