PF - Quick Heads Up

[Kaskos]

Hi Everyone.

I'd like to ask a fairly simple question.

I have never played Pathfinder but I will be playing tomorrow apparently.

I am experienced with v3.5 but no experience at all with Pathfinder.
We have the initial book and the Advanced Players guide too.

With only those books (and any relevant v3.5 ones if they still apply)
What do you think is the best character to start with - and Why?


Looking for idea's to start with when i gotta create a guy tomorrow

[Pink]

I recommend perusing this guide

In all honesty, the changes are slight enough that if you build from what you woulda wanted to play in a 3.5 game, it should still be fine in pathfinder.

[subject42]

Read the guide that pink linked if you have time.

Generally speaking, there are only a few tried-and-true 3.5 things that don't really work anymore. The only one that I can think of off the top of my head is that polymorph effects aren't really a win button anymore.

If you're playing a martial character or half caster, everything gets a lot easier.

[Sillycomic]

The bigger question is... what do you like to play and what do you want to play?

The best character to start with for me is not the best character to start with for you.

My suggestion would be to play something that got a cool boost in Pathfinder. Paladin, rogue or ranger. All three of them got better abilities, more specific feats and their classes have been streamlined for better play.

Paladin no longer deals with wisdom problems, gets more healing at earlier levels, better boosts to himself and his mount, and is a pretty deadly fighter. All around awesome.

Rogue has lots of new tricks including able to cast some magic, Sneak Attack applies to almost everything now, and with the new way the skill system works they get more skill points to branch out and do more things.

Ranger's have better bonuses on their favored enemy, more combat bonus feats to choose from, and can replace the party tank and damage dealing if you build him the right way. All around improvement.

The rest of the classes are mostly the same. Fighters get more feats, but he's still a fighter. Magic users get some cool tricks, but they're still magic users.

If you wanna go for something completely different try Alchemist or Inquisitor. These are completely different classes with cool fluff and crunch all their own.

[LibraryOgre]

There's not enough big pitfalls that you're going to necessarily come up with a horrible character if you're familiar with 3.x. Even the nerfed win buttons tend to be OK solutions... they're just not optimal, can't lose ones.

Personally, I'd suggest something like a ranger. They've got enough going on (melee and spells and skills) that you can stretch the system a bit, see what you like.

[Person_Man]

+1 on Saph's guide.

Short version:

• Barbarian: More stuff, but still weak.
• Bard: More spells and Skills, but Bardic Music is nerfed.
• Cleric: Moderate nerfs, but still powerful.
• Druid: Wildshape nerfed big time, but still powerful.
• Fighter: More stuff, but still weak.
• Monk: More stuff, but still the weakest class in the book.
• Paladin: Major buffs. My favorite rewrite in Pathfinder.
• Ranger: More stuff, but still weak.
• Rogue: Sneak Attack now works on almost everything without concealment, and they now get Talents (which are a mixed bag).
• Sorcerers: Major buffs. Certain core spells have been nerfed, but there are still plenty of great options.
• Wizard: Modest buffs for Specialist Wizards, though again, certain core spells have been nerfed.

So in short, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, and Wizard are all still Tier 1, although your standard CoDzilla is harder to pull off. Paladin and Rogue are now Tier 3-ish and have plenty of fun toys. Bard, Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, and Ranger should probably be avoided unless you really know what you're doing.

[Quirinus_Obsidian]

The Monk was really improved from 3.Wizards to 3.Pathfinder. While it is still far from being a "top tier" class (dear Gods I hate the "tier" system) they are still very good. the new Ki powers are nice, and if you have access to the "Advanced Players Guide" from Paizo, the Ki Mystic is particularly fun.

The fighter also is better; it's not just feats as a class feature, they actually get better armor and weapon training. Some may argue that the fighter sucks because he can't cast spells, I like the new fighter class.

the new Sorcerer is the most improved however. The spell progression is still a step behind the Wizzie, but their bloodline powers make up for it. Plus, they are wicked fun to roleplay.

editage:
I was hoping they would have gone the PHB2 "shapechange" route with the Druid instead of the way they did... I also would have done away with Natural Spell.

[Ravens_cry]

Paladins are much more powerful now. Smite actually smites, getting past ALL DR, all, works on ranged also by default, lasts until you rest or the dudes dead, you get actually useful healing and status removing effects, and you don't have to be a horse or pony person to play a paladin. Your still stuck with the Code, but it now feels your actually getting something for it.
My next Paladin?
Totally an archer.

[Psyren]

If you liked psionics (and your group gets Psionics Unleashed,) all the psionic classes have been buffed as well - especially the Soulknife, which has gone overnight from being an "also-ran" class to one of the most awesome melee base classes in the game. (Certainly the best at dual-wielding, even better than a Ranger imo.) See my guide for more info.

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[Rhavin]

I will take one exception to the characterization of the Monk for pathfinder. Since you have the Advanced Player's Guide, I think the Zen Archer alternate monk class is probably one of the best archer routes to go with. They get to use the new Flurry of Blows with their bow and can spend ki to use their unarmed attack damage in place of their bow's damage dice. It can get pretty nuts if you have the stats.

Also, there are some really cool rage abilities and alternate class features for Barbarians in the Advanced Player's Guide. I nearly TPK'd the party of 9th level characters by trapping them in a room with a 12th level barbarian.

In the end though, whatever you liked in 3.5 will probably work pretty well in Pathfinder, and some of the stuff that you wanted to like in 3.5 might actually have a chance in PF.

[Psyren]

I will take one exception to the characterization of the Monk for pathfinder. Since you have the Advanced Player's Guide, I think the Zen Archer alternate monk class is probably one of the best archer routes to go with. They get to use the new Flurry of Blows with their bow and can spend ki to use their unarmed attack damage in place of their bow's damage dice. It can get pretty nuts if you have the stats.

Wow, that's Soulbow levels of craziness; I need to play that

And if you combine it with PF Psychic Fist...

[subject42]

the new Sorcerer is the most improved however. The spell progression is still a step behind the Wizzie, but their bloodline powers make up for it. Plus, they are wicked fun to roleplay.

The extra spell known favored class bonus in the APG also makes the sorcerer pretty compelling.