New to Pathfinder

[Wartex1]

I've heard many good things about it, and I am very interested in the system. What are good ways to get a better feel for this system? I played 3.5e before, which I found a bit too clumsy with the overly complicated rules system *coughcoughgrapplingcoughcough*. Does Pathfinder fix a lot of that problem?

I'm the most familiar with Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, if that's any help.

[TheIronGolem]

If you found 3.5 to be clumsy, you probably won't be too hot on Pathfinder. It streamlines some things, but it's still basically a 3.X chassis, and its emphasis on numerous build options for classes can be complex and intimidating to newcomers. And sorry, but grappling is still a mess.

That said, it's my favorite system to date, and the fact that all its first-party (and some third-party) material is available for free online (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/) is really nice. Give it a try if you're finding 5E too rules-light for your taste.

[Geddy2112]

Second everything TheIronGolem said. I think 5th and pathfinder are both solid systems, but for totally different reasons.

With all of the expansions, splat and support you probably want to run a one shot with just the core book to get your feet wet. Otherwise you are going to be stuck reading through a million races, classes and archatypes on top of the heavy mechanics.

[Pluto!]

PF is just 3.5 headed by a different company. A couple mechanics, including the notoriously clunky Turning and Grappling rules, have been tweaked to be slightly less complex, but you're still dealing with the same huge rules-heavy game system. Probably not what you're looking for.

But to run a simple game, depending how familiar you are with 3.5, you could either skim one of the many system reviews/conversion guides and just run through a module using d20pfsrd.com as a resource, or you could start from the ground up, in which case, I'd recommend getting the actual core rulebook, due to its relatively friendly format for learning to play, and just turning to the internet for additional monsters.

[Zubrowka74]

Isn't there an intro version of PF ? The one in a boxed set.

[Psyren]

Beginner Box (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/products/beginnerbox)

Also, Saph's Guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?136890-The-3-5-Pathfinder-Handbook).

And I'll second the others, if rules heavy is not your cup of tea then PF is not for you. But grappling is at least easier to figure out.