More Rules from the Pathfinder Core Book

I find it interesting that I am only part way through the Pathfinder RPG Core book and I come across Chapter 7: Additional Rules. I have not even finished reading the core rules yet they are already thrusting additional rules my way. Does that seem strange to anyone else? Oh well, I haven’t been disappointed yet. I am sure this will be fun.

I feel a lot better after reading the first bit of the chapter. I don’t know that I would consider these additional rules, though.

This chapter presents rules for many miscellaneous parts of the game, such as alignment, character age, and encumbrance. This chapter also covers the rules for exploration, including overland travel, light sources, and breaking objects.

So, I go over the alignment section. I’ve read a lot of papers, blogs posts, and essential dissertations on the subject. There is nothing new here and it kind of glosses over different factors. It does, however, give a basic overview of alignments, which should be enough to get most people started. I like keeping the random height, weight, and age tables. Figuring in the standard maturity cycles of various races and training for classes is great. If you want more detail for your character, the randomness can help you change things up and stop you from getting stalled.

This section also goes over a characters lifting, carrying, dragging abilities. In the last post—the one on weapons, armor, and equipment for Pathfinder—I asked about others who keep meticulous lists for what they are carrying. I used to all the time. In more recent games, this has fallen off, and I think that’s a cross between trying to speed up the games as well as people having a problem with the bookkeeping.

For movement, I remember walk and run x 4. The hustle and run x 3 seem new. I’m not exactly sure right off the bat why I need a run x 3 and a run x 4. So, I take a look and see run x 3 is the top running speed for a humanoid in heavy armor. Running x 4 is the running speed for a humanoid in light, medium, or no armor. Okay, I can deal with that. It is one extra piece of math, but seems like it’d be easy enough to work in and remember. The movement rules are pretty much same ol’, same ol’ other than that. I do find it interesting the go over several variations of overland movement, but simply refer to vehicle rules for waterborne travel with no thought or mention of swimming. I am almost sure it is covered somewhere else, maybe in a supplement?

The chase rules are a little lacking. However, it is a general overview and I am sure more complex examples and rules are brought in elsewhere; whether that happens in the book or merely at the table remains to be seen.

The quick overview the book provides on vision, darkness, and breaking things is a bit refreshing. Sometimes, these are over-explained during the first run through. I don’t know that I ever seen hardness explained so succinctly. As I get to the next page, I begin to wonder if there is a better way they could have organized this. Tables are laid out here that could have easily come earlier, but I’m not sure as there are a lot of tables and not as much text…I think.

Next up is Chapter 8: Combat. That ought to be fun. Admittedly, it could take me awhile to pour through, as I have heard that is where a lot of changes were made to the system in an effort to streamline Pathfinder in comparison to 3x. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.