I’ve only ever played 5e for my ttrpgs, but with WOTC showing its true colors, I’m trying to find a new system to adopt. I’ve been seeing people say Pathfinder 2e, and while i have a digital copy of the book I’ve been reading, i didn’t realize how large it was until i saw it in a game store; the core rulebook is almost 3 times as long as the 5e PHB!
I guess what I’m looking for is a system that isn’t as heavy as Pathfinder 2e but still has depth to it. Do you all have any suggestions?
The length of the 2E Corebook is mostly due to it containing basically the PHB+GM Guide. It might look intimidating, but it’s really not as crunchy as it seems. So I really recommend trying to find a game in your LGS or online to join just to test out the system. Imo, Savage Worlds is a decent alternative to Pathfinder, even has a pathfinder setting. It’s a bit more rules-light as 2E but still offers good amounts of depth. Plus it is a setting agnostic system, so you can play Fantasy, Horror, SciFi, Cyberpunk, pretty much anything you can think of.
My suggestion would be to go a bit more old school with the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG by Goodman Games. It’s lighter than 5e and PF2e, but there’s a fun magic system and martial characters also get some love through the improvisational Mighty Deeds of Arms mechanic. There’s only one core book, but there’s an incredible amount of adventure and setting support. The community is chill and welcoming.
I’ve always been a big fan of Savage Worlds as an alternative to D&D. They’re running a big kickstarter right now for their 20th anniversary.
I’d say Pathfinder is way less heavy to run than D&D5e. The amount of pages is mostly due to two things:
- Pathfinder ha a “rules over rulings” approach, so a lot of rules are codified and you don’t need to know them: you just need to look them up when you find a situating you don’t know how to resolve (the Archives of Nethys website is incredible for this).
- Some things are spelled out multiple times rather than have a million “See page 524” references for a single paragraph rule.
The only things you need to run a successful Pathfinder game are:
- Build the characters, following the order, with your players
- Read the game mastering section
- Trust that the game is balanced and the encounter builder does not disappoint
Finally, if you’re still intimidated, just run an Adventure! The Beginner’s Box is a great place to start easily even as a new GM, or if you’re feeling you want a more ambitious campaign you can pick an Adventure Path (I recommend Age of Ashes).
You’ll see that as soon as you just start paying everything fits quite seamlessly.
Just word of caution for players coming from 5e: the game expects teamwork and you using other actions than just attacking (Demoralize, in particular is an Action I recommend to new players). Just in general, it rewards you setting up the next player more than just going for them yourself.
