Let’s Review the Pathfinder 2E Playtest Handbook! Part 2: Classes
Next up in this review series is Classes for the Pathfinder 2e Playtest. This will not be a Pathfinder 1e to 2e comparison review. Why? Well I could spend a full review page on every single Class by themselves. Which I’ll be doing a side by side in a series of companion Reviews. For this entry I will stick more to the basics and not doing full on reviews of each Class.
This section of the Playtest is packed with all the info you need to create your favorite Adventurer. The basic Classes for this new edition of Pathfinder are: Alchemist, Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard.
The big change/addition is the Alchemist getting upgraded to base Class, I am totally okay with this as the Class in Pathfinder 1e was a good class and was really fun to play.
Each Class is broken down as such: Key Ability (What determines your DC for things that you do), Hit Points, Proficiencies (Skills, Weapons, Armor, Saving Throws), Signature Skills, Class Features, Class Feats.
This again is very reminiscent of Starfinder. I mean honestly up to this point in the new edition a lot has been taken from Starfinder. Granted as I get to Spells and Combat that will change a bit. This does remind me of how Wizards of the Coast tested elements of 4th Edition D&D in the release of the Star Wars Saga Edition RPG. Thus, it stands to reason that Paizo went ahead and tested elements of Pathfinder 2e with Starfinder.
I need to briefly explain the new system for Proficiency Modifiers in Pathfinder 2e. If you are untrained your modifier is equal to your level -2, if you are trained at your modifier is your level, if you are an expert, your modifier is level +1, if you have master rank, your level +2, and lastly if you have legendary rank it is your modifier is level +3.
So a Skill Check will be: Ability Modifier + Proficiency Modifier + circumstance bonus + conditional bonus + item bonus + circumstance penalty + conditional penalty + item penalty + untyped penalty.
Okay that seems like a lot of math…most checks will usually revolve around the first two…all the others are just potential modifiers. So a 1st level character making a trained Acrobatics check with a Dexterity of 16 (+3 bonus) would typically have +4 to the Check, barring any other potential modifiers.
This will come up a few times so I wanted to get the explanation out of the way first.
So here is the basic overview of what is the same for everyone when it comes to classes.
Hit Points: No longer do you have a Hit Die, you just get a set amount plus your Constitution Modifier and the Hit Points added from your Ancestry. Also, it looks like they are going the route of Maximizing the Hit Die from Pathfinder 1e, Barbarians get 12 hit point, Clerics get 8, Wizards get 6, etc. I actually prefer this, I have been playing with max Hit Points in D&D 5th Edition and in general it makes for some good hero durability and I can run some epic fights to boot.
Perception: Gone are the days that only one or two characters are perceptive they have given every class some level of proficiency in Perception. Now some classes are just trained, while others have an expert level in the skill. The main reason for this is that Perception is the most common thing you roll for Initiative in combat now (More on that in a later Review).
Signature Skills: These are skills that are very much tied to the Class, and usually the only Skills that can be raised to Master of Legendary ranks.
Class Feats: Every class has a set of feats that allow you to customize your Class to fit your play style and other special abilities that are unique to your class. Built into the class level advancement is a chance to select a Class feat. Every even level after 1, you get a Class Feat selection (So 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.). These are really the bread and butter of your Class and define the archetype you might be trying to build.
Skill Feats: Much like Class Feats they have added Skill Feats. They are Feats the require a level of training in a Skill and have a bit of cross over with General Feats. Like if you are Trained in Arcana, you can take the Arcane Sense Skill Feat. At level 2 and every even level thereafter, you get a Skill Feat selection (So 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.)
General Feats: These are Feats that don’t require any special Training to acquire. They may have a level or a stat prerequisite but aren’t dependent on a Skill or Class. Feats like Alertness, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Weapon and Armor Proficiencies. At level 4 and every 4 levels thereafter, you get a General Feat selection (So 3, 7, 11, etc.)
Skill Increases: No more calculating Skill Ranks and spending points. Now you get new skills or upgrade existing skills. When you get these, you will get to either train in a Skill you don’t have or upgrade a skill you do to an Expert level. If it’s a Signature Skill you can then continue to upgrade, it to Master at 7th or Legendary at 15th. At level 3 and every 2 levels thereafter, you get a Skill Increase selection (So 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.)
I’ve covered when Ability Boosts and Ancestry Feats happen in the first review. however in your Class you are reminded again of these increases.
So, my general thoughts on the Classes. Overall, I like at how most of them look. Giving everyone Perception is a good thing, I personally always disliked that skill adventurers are oblivious to the world around them…it never made much sense.
Also 3.5 and Pathfinder seemed to embrace the professional functional idiot. Most classes (Fighters, Barbarians, Wizards?(Book learned spellcasters), Clerics) had a very low amount of skills, they had like 2 things that they did well, and everything else fell to the wayside. Now it looks like they changed their tune a little. Most classes start with at least 3 Skills they can be trained in plus 1 per Intelligence modifier, rogues are still the Skill Monkey class with a staggering number of 10 starting skills. My only disappointment in the skills department? Wizards still get the shaft, with a meager 2 starting Skills. Sure, they have the highest Intelligence scores usually, but man give them more starting SKILLS for crying out loud.
There is a lot of crunch to tweak and customize your character and you get something new every level. There is a lot to take in and a lot for you to choose from. This is a double edge sword. In a base game it is fantastic for the amount of options you get. However as they release more and more product I have a feeling this will really create system bloat faster than I think they may want or intend. Especially if they intend to make their release schedule as prolific as Pathfinder 1e.
I can say based on how they designed Classes here they can take a more D&D 5th Edition approach. Instead of a creating a new Caviler Class they can just make additional fighter feats and choices instead of a new class. That probably this won’t be the case, but from a design stand point they have less need to create new classes, instead they can just add to the ones they have.
I can’t honestly say yet if any one build is the best or most optimal way to go for any one class. That will take a lot more of me delving deeper and math. But that is another story….
I give this section of the book 4 out of 5. My biggest criticism is the fear of fast system bloat leaving a lot of GMs having to know/own a lot of books to be up to date on everything a PC can do. Also, Wizards need more skills.
