D&D 2E What PF2E means for D&D5E

[Prakriti]

So apparently Pathfinder 2nd Edition has been announced. The biggest news for me is that it WON'T be based on D&D5E. A bit of a risky move, if you ask me, because now D&D players (the most sizable group of TTRPG players) have less reason to buy PF2E books (unlike in 2008, when PF was compatible with 3.5E).

So... what do you think PF2E means for 5E? Will it steal away a lot of the market? Is it a serious challenger to 5E's throne? Are any of its ideas worth pilfering for 5E games? Or will PF2E come and go without much ado, as Starfinder did?

Discuss.

 

[jaelis]

I'd like to think that having more great RPG systems around just means that more people will be attracted to the hobby.

 

[Tony Vargas]

So... what do you think PF2E means for 5E?

Prettymuch nothing. PF2 will cater to a fixed fanbase, the PF fanbase, which is simply the portion of the 3.5 fanbase that felt betrayed by D&D. 5e's done as much as it reasonably could to mollify that past segment of it's fanbase, and those that were willing to return to the fold have done so, and probably won't permanently leave again unless WotC goes and offends them as badly yet again.

Is it a serious challenger to 5E's throne?

No. It's D&D's to loose.

Are any of its ideas worth pilfering for 5E games?

Almost certainly. D&D and it's imitators have always cross-pollenated. There were good ideas in PF that 5e already lifted, there were others it probably should have. Already, I've seen a few things about PF2 mentioned - even little things, like saying 'Ancestry' instead of 'Race' - that 5e could do worse than take a page from.

 

[iserith]

It would be hilarious if PF2e ended up looking like D&D 4e.

 

[Kobold Boots]

It would be hilarious if PF2e ended up looking like D&D 4e.

Strangely, I'd be ok with that.

 

[TiwazTyrsfist]

First of all, I'm not surprised in the least that PF2 isn't building off of 5e, because PF was born out of the WotC Paizo falling out over publishing deals for Dungeon and Dragon magazine, and Paizo having special license to use all of 3.5 without having to pay any royalty or follow any of the OGL rules that 3pp had to follow. I could be wrong about that, but that's what I've understood.

So, Paizo has the rights to the 3.5 base and everything they built off it. Using 5e as a base would require them to follow WotC's 5e license and be a 3pp for D&D, not publish their own game.

Looking at the little they've said about PF2 so far, basically it seems to me like they're going the same direction they went with Starfinder, but even farther.

Streamline action economy, build archetypes into classes (like 5e's subclasses), more starting stuff based on Race (HP, other?), attempting to simplify Combat (clean up iterative attacks, increasing the cost of spell casting).

I look forward to seeing the full playtest in August.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Just because they say Pathfinder 2e won’t be based on D&D 5e, doesn’t mean there aren’t design trends that will influence it. Heck, D&D 5e wasn’t based on Castles & Crusades, but there are still parallels.

All that being said, I do not think 2e Pathfinder will usurp D&D’s crown again. That was a situation where they were able to capitalize on both the dissatisfaction with 4e and the remaining momentum/fanbase of 3e. This time around, they don't have either of those conditions.

While I certainly will welcome Pathfinder 2e (even if it means retiring or remaking my elven paladin for PFS), but it looks like the Pathfinder fanbase is already splitting on this.

 

[Morrus]

The biggest news for me is that it WON'T be based on D&D5E.

It would be insane to base it on 5E. Why would somebody buy somebody's clone of 5E rather than 5E?

Plus, hey, the concept of all games just being the same game is not a very palatable one.

Pathfinder was based on 3.5 after 3.5 stopped being produced by WotC.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Oh god... now the edition wars are about to go hot again...

I do wonder though how people who screamed about cash grabs of changing D&D editions will defend this, that will be fun at least.

I wish Piazo luck.

 

[iserith]

Strangely, I'd be ok with that.

I'd probably just keep playing D&D 4e, unless there were some significant improvements to what I already think is a pretty good game.