These new core rulebooks serve as the fresh entry point for Pathfinder Second Edition, maintaining compatibility under the new Open RPG Creative license.
November 15th, 2023 (REDMOND, Wash.): Today, Paizo released the first of their remastered line of core rulebooks: Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core. The remastered core line will continue in 2024 with Pathfinder Monster Core and Pathfinder Player Core 2, remastering monsters from Pathfinder’s Bestiary and updating the rest of the core classes.
Licenses—From OGL to ORC
Due to concerns over shifting conditions of the Open Gaming License (OGL) this January, Paizo and many other publishers teamed up with Azora Law to create the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License, a new alternative license for publishing TTRPGs. More about the ORC License can be found on Azora’s website.
The Pathfinder Remaster Project removes carried-over OGL content from Pathfinder Second Edition, while also taking the opportunity to incorporate several years of errata and changes to the game. Over time, Paizo will be transitioning all of their publications—from rulebooks to Adventure Paths, accessories, and more—away from OGL content and into the ORC.
Remastered Rules and Accessibility
When Paizo announced the Pathfinder Remaster Project earlier this year, Publisher Erik Mona said, “This year saw a huge explosion in the number of new Pathfinder players. Remastered books like Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core streamline the popular Pathfinder Second Edition rules to improve their presentation, remixing four years of updates and improvements to make the game easier to learn and more fun to play.”
A record-breaking number of new players entered the Pathfinder community this year—so many, in fact, that Paizo sold out of Pathfinder Core Rulebook in Q1 2023 and made an unexpected new printing order to meet demand. That spring printing will be the last for the legacy Pathfinder Core Rulebook.
Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core present content from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Gamemastery Guide, Advanced Player’s Guide, and more—with comprehensive errata and changes made through feedback from developers and players alike. These new rulebooks, along with the upcoming Monster Core and Player Core 2, will replace their predecessors as those are phased out of print.
The design team at Paizo has taken this opportunity to streamline the organization of Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core, making the books much easier to navigate for new and old players alike. This includes creating a new, more visually accessible character sheet, and presenting the game’s rules in an easier-to-read format.
Alongside remastering existing Pathfinder content, the design team at Paizo has also used this opportunity to introduce new rules for beginner and veteran players alike. Among these additions are new ancestry and heritage options, including bringing versatile heritages for all ancestries into the first core book. This includes aiuvarin (formerly half-elf) and dromaar (formerly half-orc), which are no longer exclusively human heritages, and nephilim, who can have celestial and fiendish qualities in any mix you choose. Spellcasting gets an overhaul—simplifying casters’ spell proficiency, as well as rebalancing cantrips and focus spells for more rewarding casting.
All of the newly remastered classes were given new feats and quality of life improvements for players. An example of this is the reworked witch class, which sees its familiar become much more central to play for a better narrative and mechanical experience.
Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core are available now in standard hardcover, Special Edition hardcover, and hobby-retailer exclusive Sketch Cover hardcovers—available only at friendly local game stores.
ABOUT PAIZO
Paizo Inc. is publisher of the award-winning Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Tales novels, Starfinder science-fantasy roleplaying game, as well as numerous board games and accessories. In the 15+ years since its founding, Paizo has received more than 100 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry. Visit https://paizo.com/ for more information.
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