The game
Paizo released the stand-alone Pathfinder Roleplaying Game as a modified version of the version Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 game, under the Open Game License used by the older version.
Pathfinder adds many options to the classes and boosts their abilities in their core roles.
The game has also been modified compared to D&D version 3.5. Changes were made involving balance between different game elements. For example, less combat-oriented classes receive more hit points each level than their 3.5 counterparts. Additionally, several aspects of 3.5 have been changed in Pathfinder, including several spells, the skill system and combat maneuvers such as tripping and grappling.
Each round, each character can perform up to three actions on their turn as well as one reaction on another’s turn. Most basic moves, such as moving across the ground, drawing a weapon, or making an attack cost a single action, while more complicated maneuvers may require two or three actions. The rules around magic items have been changed to discourage players from hoarding too many items and instead encouraging them to seek out more powerful equipment. Critical hits have also been changed – a critical success now occurs any time a combatant rolls 10 more than the target’s armor class. Combatants can also critically succeed when defending which usually results in no effect rather than the reduced effect a save would usually bring. Finally there has been a broad change to all number scaling of skills, armor class, attack rolls, saves, and difficulty classes. All these numbers now scale 1 to 1 with a character’s level plus a stat plus a bonus between two and eight depending on their proficiency.
