Pathfinder RPG: Strategy Guide (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game)

I am a GM and so I have the dubious honor of being the main person buying the texts from Paizo. I have the Core Rulebook in hardcover and digital copies of the Bestiaries. But this is one of those books that I already love. Why, you might ask? Well let me tell you.This is the PERFECT guide for those new to tabletop RPGs or Pathfinder in general. The Beginner Box is garbage. Seriously Paizo... There is little information to keep anyone playing past the included scenario in the beginner box! But with the Strategy Guide, Paizo has created a guide to go hand in hand with the Core Rulebook and actually add a lot of valuable content (not a re-hash of the Core Rulebook like in the Ultimate Combat guide!).The text lays out the main classes and gives readers some options as to what they want from a character. There is a brief quiz at the beginning which can help players unfamiliar with the game learn what kind of character they would most enjoy playing. The questions are along the lines such as "If you wanted to get into a caste would you: A) break down the gate B) find a diplomatic solution C) find a back door and sneak in D) As Miracle Max for a wheelbarrow and holocaust cloak (actually that last one was from Princess Bride...)Within the classes are options for specializing (a sub-class if you will). For example - do you want to make a battle cleric? Then here is a good list of things to do and equipment to specialize in and spells to keep ready. A lot of the fun with this choice is that you can make use of high ability scores in areas that are not directly beneficial to your class. You might be a high Charisma fighter - so perhaps go along a route of trying to be a diplomat or leader rather than a tank. Or a cleric with high intelligence might make a good strategist. And these helpful paths also give players some ideas for expanding their characters in their down time.I would say that the Core Rulebook is the most important book for any Pathfinder player - but this is a very good text to pick up if you are new to the game and want a little inspiration and some good tips for advancement paths for your character(s).

If you are new to pen and paper RPGs, you need this book. Even if you go on to play other systems, the way this book is laid out is awesome. Of course it is mainly for the Pathfinder system but you will find the concepts are fairly universal. It does help if you get this book along with the Core Rulebook.I've been playing D&D and other RPGs for 25 years or so. Paizo puts out some great quality stuff. I've mainly stuck with 2nd Ed. but some friends got my into the 3/3.5 stuff and we've been running with that for a few years. My latest gaming group wanted to play Pathfinder so we picked up these books. Can't say anything bad about it. Its great.I know it sounds silly except to those of you that know, but this is a high quality printing and has "that smell" when you open it.

Great product. Like some of the other reviewers I had a little trouble with print quality.The content of this book is great, and perfectly timed. I've been having a tough time teaching my 10 year old son how to play Pathfinder, and he of course is interested only in playing a sorcerer. Teaching him concepts, making a character, and explaining to him everything has been hard.This book makes thing so easy, even a caveman can do it. There is things here even for DMs if you read between the lines, and the condensed version of the rules makes it a handy reference without wading through the Core Rulebook. There's even page numbers to the Core Rulebook if you need to look certain things up.All-in-all, I think that this book is a great resource for all DMs to have. Your advanced players might not need it, or they might to flip through for ideas. They might find combinations and things they never thought of. If you are using other books other than the Core Rulebook, then you might find it a little thin. But great to use to teach new players, and children.

This is a BRILLIANT book ... I love the lay out, I love the way it's done, I love that it's good for new players, but also handy for "jaded old-timers" who think they know it all, but never actually played a paladin, or a wizard, or any of the 11 core rulebook classes. I truly, TRULY hope that Paizo Publishing considers other Strategy Guides (for the classes from Advanced Player's, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, and Advanced Class Guide). Or maybe one "core rulebook" sized "Advanced Strategy Guide" combining all of those classes into one book, with similar attention to details, helpful hints and tips for these fantastic additional classes. I know I'd buy it.

Not bad, all told. For a beginner (or someone playing in a "Core Rules Characters" only game) it takes an interactive method for determining class and race, as well as feats to a degree. That said, it does not touch non-core races or classes at all, which is sad given some of the governing "themes" used to guide race and class selection would have been more flushed out with options if the expanded content was included.Worth having a copy if you are new, if you like running core based games, or if you have a newer player you want to help catch up to speed at your table.

PROS- Great for newbies- Easy to follow illustrations- Uses the "What should I play if I like..." style quizzes- Quick read- Sidebar explanationsCONS- Near zero use for veteran players who have played every class 1 to 20 (not likely)- Wish it would've released with Pathfinder sooner!

Two years ago, I jumped into Pathfinder and found myself lost. Character creation, rules charts and hundreds of options became overwhelming. This book has been a breath of fresh air in that it helps you understand how a character develops and gives great tips to flesh out my protagonist. For those new to Pathfinder, buy this and the Core Rule Book and you will have years of excellent gaming in your future.

The target audience are players who are fairly new to the game. The book isn't a guide on how to optimize a character, at least not to a very high level of optimization. That said, it does give recommendations, and they're not bad choices at all.The quality of the book is good, as is the norm for anything Paizo publishes. The art is at a high level, which is also something I really appreciate from Paizo.The book begins with a 'choose your own adventure' style quiz, where you answer what kind of a hero you'll be playing, and it tells you to go to whatever question next. You could of course answer differently, and go to different questions. In the end, that gets you one of their 26 themes. These are: Angel-Born, Animal Friend, Archer, Battle Priest, Brute, Conjurer, Crusader, Dragon-child, Dual-Weapon Warrior, Fire-Blooded, Fury, Healer, Illusionist, Knight, Maneuver Specialist, Martial Warrior, Nature Warrior, Shadow, Shielded Fighter, Smasher, Stargazer, Thief, Traditional Mage, Trickster, and Troubadour. Each of these has a half page treatment, suggesting a race and a class, highlighting your key skills or abilities to focus on.Each of the classes (from the Core book only) gets a four page writeup as well. There is a good writeup of what the character has at level 1, and flipping through these, you can quickly compare one class to another. Each class has a few basic options, as far as your theme can go, which points to the previous section. Over the course of the four pages, it breaks down what you get at each level increase, and in many cases will give a suggestion or two as to what is a good choice. Each of the recommendations, is again based on the theme you picked; the Druid is pointed towards Bull's Strength if their path is 'Animal Friend' or to one of Flaming Sphere, Gust of Wind, Heat Metal, Owl's Wisdom or Resist Energy, if their chosen theme is 'Fury' with either Bull's Strength or Flame Blade for the 'Nature's Warrior' theme. It doesn't make every choice for you, but at lower levels gets a direction which would be helpful to a newer player.The last section of the book is an overview of the tactical, or maybe practical is better terminology, aspect of the game. Combat, Your Turn, Action Types, Attacks and Damage, Understanding Your Square, Analyzing the Battlefield, Combat Maneuvers, Big Hits and Bonuses, Death, Spellcasting, Tactical Considerations, Combat Tricks, Narrative Play, Exploration and Dungeon Delving, Diplomacy and Gathering Information, Meeting Important People, Stealth and Scouting, Mysteries, Other Narrative Elements, Behind the Screen, and Advice for Pathfinder Society. Each of these gets a few pages of discussion.Tactical Considerations has a section on Fighting Foes with High AC and suggests going for their usually Low Touch AC via Touch Spells or Alchemical Items such as an Acid Flask.Overall, a great introduction for a newer player to the game. And a nice refresher for someone a little more experienced in the game. For the correct target audience, this book is amazing. I liked it.

To say it clearly: This book contains nothing from interest. Every player who just begun with Pathfinder and follow any one (and even the smallest) knowledge of what his charakter should represent has no use for this book.I have ordered this book because i am a collector of the pathfinder system, but under all my Pathfinder books i own, this one would be the one i could lost in flames without a cry. The whole book (not even including the amount of artwork the other books have) is full of lists for characters from level 1 to max level. It includes the feat names and all you should get at each level so that the character player needs not to give any interest on his character anymore. He just can write down the book details for his class on each level up and move on.This sounds like a linear PC RPG but it becomes a true "dream" for Pen and Paper now.The character concepts are not even good... there are setups that could be so much better with some extra feats or something from the "side" that normally is not totally clich'e---if you plan a pathfinder campaign with new players, don't buy this book, take your money and order the NPC Codex. Within the Codex, there are also ready to use characters from all types from all levels including skills, feats etc. And you can use the Codex book for more and its not an over sized printed excel sheet like this one...

I am a teacher.One of the things I do at school with my students is run Pathfinder games every morning. I have over 30 kids playing different games, so one of the first things I like to do is teach them how to level their own characters. This book has been essential for that!My only complaint, and a small one at that, is that it only caters to the classes from the core rule book. Sure I didn't expect the other ones but when my student playing to Alchemist is having trouble leveling it comes to mind.

ótima qualidade, exatamente o que queria, por isto da qualificação, recomendo para todos que gostam do tema.mas gostaria que os demais títulos estivessem disponíveis.

Una guía muy útil para la creación de personajes, llevándote de la mano con temas y recomendaciones hasta el nivel 20 de las clases del core. Además un resumen de los términos y dinámicas más utilizadas.