Pathfinder and D&D 5th Edition use very similar rulesets, as far as current tabletop games go, with a key difference.Â
The former has 21281382308293 character creation options which means that there's a great deal of flexibility in what you could play as and how that could develop, yet also an intense and fundamental level of game imbalance both in terms of the usefulness of abilities with the same creation/learning cost and also the level of cunning of the player (their ability to munchkin during creation/leveling and/or ability to leverage their abilities effectively in the game). That wide variety means it can take ages to create a character, and the person running the game might struggle to keep up with the strange combinations of concepts and abilities that come into play. That problem only becomes worse the higher the levels go. But, with a good group, who aren't out to power game, and a good GM who can keep track of everything, it can be fun.
The latter, on the other hand, is far more streamlined and smooth to play, at the cost of a severe shortage of character options by comparison. Much, much easier for newer players and newer GMs, but with no less capability to run a complex and interesting story. It's also newer, and so some of those character options may eventually exist where they do not today.
As much as I liked Pathfinder and I have most of the books, the character slog just became... well, a slog. My friends and I have been having far more fun with D&D 5th Edition, with a caveat - if someone has a really interesting concept for something about their character, they can propose it to the group and the table can discuss it and determine if it could be doable and how to make it work. That's how we're making up for limited options. If someone /reaallllly/ wants to go outside the box a little, we just talk it out.
The former has 21281382308293 character creation options which means that there's a great deal of flexibility in what you could play as and how that could develop, yet also an intense and fundamental level of game imbalance both in terms of the usefulness of abilities with the same creation/learning cost and also the level of cunning of the player (their ability to munchkin during creation/leveling and/or ability to leverage their abilities effectively in the game). That wide variety means it can take ages to create a character, and the person running the game might struggle to keep up with the strange combinations of concepts and abilities that come into play. That problem only becomes worse the higher the levels go. But, with a good group, who aren't out to power game, and a good GM who can keep track of everything, it can be fun.
The latter, on the other hand, is far more streamlined and smooth to play, at the cost of a severe shortage of character options by comparison. Much, much easier for newer players and newer GMs, but with no less capability to run a complex and interesting story. It's also newer, and so some of those character options may eventually exist where they do not today.
As much as I liked Pathfinder and I have most of the books, the character slog just became... well, a slog. My friends and I have been having far more fun with D&D 5th Edition, with a caveat - if someone has a really interesting concept for something about their character, they can propose it to the group and the table can discuss it and determine if it could be doable and how to make it work. That's how we're making up for limited options. If someone /reaallllly/ wants to go outside the box a little, we just talk it out.
Lydia Lightfoot ~ The Reliquarian's Guild «Relic» ~ Lavender Beds, Ward 12, #41
This player has a sense of humor. If the content of the post suggests otherwise, please err on the side of amusement and friendship, because that's almost certainly the intent. We're all on the same team: Team Roleplayer! Have a smile, have a chuckle, and have a slice of pie. Isn't pie great?
This player has a sense of humor. If the content of the post suggests otherwise, please err on the side of amusement and friendship, because that's almost certainly the intent. We're all on the same team: Team Roleplayer! Have a smile, have a chuckle, and have a slice of pie. Isn't pie great?
