Pathfinder Buyer's Guide

Pathfinder is one of the biggest fantasy roleplaying games on the market. The Second Edition, released in 2019, is a solid alternative to Dungeons & Dragons and has been attracting a lot of new players recently. Don't know where to start? Read on and let Golden Goblin Games guide you.

Pathfinder Beginner Box

If you never played a roleplaying game or want to get into Pathfinder smoothly, consider buying the Beginner Box. It will introduce you to the rules gradually through a solo adventure and a proper adventure for four players.

Included in the Beginner Box are a complete dice set, four premade heroes, an 80-page rulebook covering character creation, a 96-page GM book, a double-sided map, and 100+ character and monster pawns to use during combat encounters. An amazing deal!

Pathfinder Core Rulebook

After buying the Beginner Box (or instead of buying it), grab the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.

This huge 600-page book presents six ancestries (races), 12 classes, and 30 backgrounds, making each hero unique. Equipment, spells, game mastering tips, and treasures are also covered in detail.

The Core Rulebook is available either as a standard 8.6" x 11" hardcover book or as a smaller 6.5" x 8.4" softcover pocket edition. The pocket edition presents the same contents as the standard edition in a smaller sized softcover for a lower price and better portability.

Other Pathfinder Rulebooks

The Core Rulebook already offers tons of options for character creation, equipment, spells, and such but if you want more, there is more.

The Bestiary is the next rulebook you should consider buying since monsters are not included in the Core Rulebook.

Below is a summary of all rulebooks available at the time of writing.

• Advanced Player's Guide: four new classes, five new ancestries, 40 new archetypes, and new class options.
• Bestiary: 400+ monsters and their stats.
• Bestiary 2: 350+ monsters and their stats.
• Bestiary 3: 300+ monsters and their stats.
• Book of the Dead: everything about the undead. How to summon them, how to become one, more monsters, and even a small adventure.
• Dark Archive: two new classes (Psychic + Thaumaturge) and eight paranormal cases with adventures.
• Gamemastery Guide: guidelines on how to build adventures and campaigns, optional rules, more treasures, and 60 NPCs.
• Guns & Gears: two new classes (Inventor + Gunslinger), rules for firearms, siege engines, vehicles, and gadgets.
• Rage of the Elements: one new class (Kineticist), new elemental spells, and a description of the elemental planes.
• Secrets of Magic: two new classes (Magus + Summoner), hundreds of new spells, and new ways to use magic.
• Treasure Vault: 600 new items, 50 new weapons, shields, armors, alchemical items, and artifacts.

Pathfinder Adventures

There is no better way to jump into Pathfinder than playing a ready-made adventure, especially if you don't have the time or energy to write your own. There are two types available:

• Standalone Adventures are short and normally last from one to three sessions of play. Be sure to check the required party level before purchasing one! You don't want to throw your new group of level 1 heroes into an adventure designed for level 10. 
• Adventure Paths are campaigns, meaning a succession of adventures sold separately but linked together. Think of them as a TV series that generally last six episodes. Each adventure path approaches a different theme (exploration, horror, etc.) and a different setting (desert, jungle, city, etc.). Simply choose one to your liking.

Below are a few examples. Click here to see all Pathfinder Adventures.

Pathfinder Setting Books

Setting books are sourcebooks about the world of Pathfinder. They describe the different cities, locations, factions that fight for power, etc. This material is extremely useful for game masters who want to create their own adventures or want to know more about the lore of the Pathfinder universe.

Below are a few examples. Click here to see all Pathfinder Setting.

Pathfinder Accessories

Accessories are the nice-to-have products that make gameplay faster and smoother. Accessories fall into the following sub-categories:

• Game Master Screen: the ultimate tool to hide your secrets from sneaky players. Full of tables for easy reference.
• Cards and Decks: don't like to flip through 600 pages to find that spell you want? Use a Spell Deck. Can't imagine a NPC fast enough as a GM? Use the Deck of Endless NPCs. Cards and decks are useful shortcuts.
• Maps: Flip-Maps are 24x30" double-sided paper maps that come folded and Flip-Tiles are sets of 6x6" double-sided tiles that can be connected to create a full map. Both are coated and can be written on using non-permanent markers.
• Pawns: for tactical combat, no need to invest in expensive 3D miniatures. Pathfinder offers double sided color pawns and standees for heroes and monsters alike.

Below are a few examples. Click here to see all Pathfinder Accessories.

Have any questions? Feel free to contact us!

Last updated: February 2023.