Note: This discussion does not focus on the action economy of reactions in Pathfinder Playtest, but rather how they’re used to implement special abilities meant to create gameplay with combat-oriented characters and monsters. Deep tactical combat in tabletop games often arise from a variety of game mechanics that influence player decisions. One such influence lies […]

Pathfinder RPG has several character classes with resource pools. However, nearly all of them function as static engines, giving a simple pool of points that replenish daily. Really, this is a missed opportunity. As I illustrated when comparing ki and grit, a game designer can use a resource pool to influence how a class “feels” […]

Cyborgs are cool. The idea of augmenting yourself with devices to become superhuman captures the imaginations of sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts alike. However, you’re largely out of luck if you want to play a cyborg-like character in Pathfinder RPG unless your GM runs a science fiction campaign. This is why I designed the artiforged, a base class that […]

A while back, I wrote this article about a Pathfinder RPG game mechanic for Mikko Kallio, RPG Superstar finalist and author of several Pathfinder titles. I welcome you to check out his blog at A Sword For Hire. Guns in D&D seem to divide community opinions. The introduction of firearms to Pathfinder came with no exception. Debates over […]

During a discussion of Pathfinder RPG content design, a fellow brought up the idea of combining all class resource pools (ki, grit, panache, arcane pool points, etc) into a single pool shared by all classes. I replied that this would homogenize classes since a resource pool’s design can influence how a class feels with respect […]

I love the idea of feats in D&D/Pathfinder. They’re the best way of giving a player customization over their character. Classes influence gameplay, but most give little agency in how you build (which is why Pathfinder classes usually give alternate choices for class features). Races surprisingly have very little influence in how you play (which […]