Don’t have a role play group in your area? Start with the Pathfinder beginner box

If you’re lucky, getting into a new tabletop role-playing game is as easy as falling into an already established group. For others, it can be much more difficult.

Maybe no one in your life plays these kinds of games, or maybe social anxiety makes you wince at the thought of learning the rules live at the table. The new Paizo Scout Beginner box fixes some of these issues, making the barrier to entry into the popular RPG very thin as paper. At the same time, this starter set is also a dense little box of goodies that can help new groups improve their game.

The most intimidating aspect of modern tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) is the character sheet. Experienced players can scan one and discern the strengths of a particular character in an instant, while new players only see a jumble of numbers that doesn’t make sense. The Beginner’s Box Hero’s Manual addresses this issue by adding an intro dungeon that doesn’t require a character sheet at all.

Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon

Just read the Choose Your Own Adventure style text entries as you go, jotting down a few simple notes marking your success or failure. There aren’t many high profile dramas, but it gets the job done. It even encourages players to travel through the dungeon multiple times, allowing them to discover new paths as they go. It’s a quick, low-stakes way to introduce concepts like hit points, damage, ability checks, and even character death.

Best of all, it allows new players to fail in private and learn at their own pace.

The Beginner box Gamemaster’s Guide takes a very different approach, more or less throwing newbie GMs (masters of the game) into the thick of things. After just two brief pages outlining the key concepts of TTRPGs in general, it’s off to the races with about 20 pages of action right there at the start of the book. But it’s all crossed by sidebars and how-to instructions designed to help GMs get things done.

Just like in the introductory adventure, information is provided on a need-to-know basis. The copy itself is both uplifting for players and encouraging for new GMs, with an emphasis on simulation until you hit your first few sessions.

It doesn’t mean that Beginner box is thin on introductory content. Both Hero’s Manual and Gamemaster’s Guide are robust game manuals, containing 72 and 88 pages respectively. It’s just that the “game” part of the product takes priority over the “manual” part. Paizo clearly wants people to start playing ASAP, and I think the whole package benefits from this approach.

Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon

Related to Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set or the Essentials Kit, the Pathfinder beginner box is packed with value. The Hero’s Manual contains everything you need to play characters from three different ancestors (dwarf, elf and human) and four different classes (cleric, fighter, thief and wizard). The Gamemaster’s Guide includes lots of advanced rules, plus adventure maps and hooks to get you started. There’s also a set of color-coded polyhedral dice, quick reference cards with key concepts printed on both sides, four pre-generated character sheets, and six blanks. Like the books themselves, everything is printed on heavy paper or card stock and in full color.

Finally, Paizo also offers in-game tools for players who can meet in person. There’s a double-sided battle mat, perfect for using erasable markers, and 124 cardboard miniatures – including pawns for player characters. Overall, this is a very generous set with a retail price of $ 39.99.

The Pathfinder beginner box is Paizo’s newest starter set, released late last year. As such, it is fully upgraded and compatible with the game’s second edition rule set. You will find almost identical treatment in the Starfinder Beginner Box, but with a set of rules suited to Paizo’s sci-fi setting.

The Pathfinder beginner box is available now. Product has been reviewed using a final retail copy provided by Paizo Publishing. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find more information on Polygon’s ethics policy here.

---