New Game, System Choices

[Asherion]

Let me quickly preamble:
I've not DM'd a game for my players for about a year other than one quick session. Half of them have never played with the others, and we're in several locations now. We're going to try Roll20, as it seems like it'll work well for the majority of us. 3-6 players plus me. Half are relatively new 4e players who taught themselves and haven't played with me yet, the other half are reasonably experienced at 3.5. None of them have been playing THAT long, as my original group from 3.0 and early 3.5 days is scattered to the wind now.

I'm a 3.5 guy myself, for years and years, and have played Pathfinder maybe twice.

What system should we use? I'm inclined to say 3.5 or PF because I feel like I need to know the rules very well. But is PF different enough to trip me up constantly? If I'm introducing relatively new players to 3.5, should it be proper 3.5, or the 'fixed' Pathfinder instead? We plan on starting with just core books, or SRD for those that don't have it, so book content is irrelevant, although it might matter later (I have the core PF books but I have a bookshelf of 3.5).

I know this is probably an overdone topic, I'm just looking for some feedback. I've Googled it, read a lot of advice, talked to a few old tabletop gaming buddies. I was just hoping for a fresh set of thoughts.

Thanks.

[malonkey1]

Well, I prefer PF, and it's often called 3.75 for good reason: In many ways, you could argue that it's really just a set of widely used houserules. It's not perfect, and has its own flaws, but it's also improved on some of the problems of 3.5 (namely, OP Polymorphing, grapple/bullrush/sunder/trip confusion, and the awkwardness of the class/cross-class skill system.)

[Grod_The_Giant]

I'd probably go 3.5, since it's what you know. Pathfinder improved a few things here and there, but overall it's got all the same issues as 3.5 with juuust enough differences to be annoying. At least with 3.5 you'll know where all the traps are.

That said, the main thing Pathfinder has going for it is its wonderful, wonderful SRD, which contains pretty much the entire gameline in a quite nicely organized website.

[Asherion]

Thanks for the input so far. Unfortunately I think I agree with you both :D

Probably will just go with 3.5, in the end, as that requires no learning on my part and on the part of half the players, thus the path of least resistance, although I might regret that later... will keep thinking on it until I have to decide I guess (tonight or tomorrow, so I can get on with figuring out Roll20!)

[Grod_The_Giant]

Luckily, it's pretty easy to back-port Pathfinder's good ideas, such as the improved skill system and shapeshifting.