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Category: Arcane Thesis

Arcane Thesis Vol II: Acting on Both Sides of the Screen: How the Three Action Economy Reinforces a Positive Play Experience for Both Game Masters and Players
August 15, 2019

Arcane Thesis Vol II: Acting on Both Sides of the Screen: How the Three Action Economy Reinforces a Positive Play Experience for Both Game Masters and Players

When I set out to document my impressions of Pathfinder Second Edition, I thought I’d be able to skip praising the much lauded action economy we’ve heard so much about this past year. But after sitting down and playing the game for the first time, it became apparent just how satisfying and versatile a tool the system becomes for everyone at the table.

Characters are free to do what they want to do during their turns, which only further enhances the modular nature of archetypes. In First Edition Pathfinder multiclass characters frequently found themselves “swift action starved”, having to choose between one of a handful of buffs and being unable to spend their early combat rounds buffing themselves to their full potential.… Read the rest

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Arcane Thesis Vol I: Doing More With Less: The Benefits and Short-Comings of Using Modular Options with Class and Level Progressions
August 3, 2019

Arcane Thesis Vol I: Doing More With Less: The Benefits and Short-Comings of Using Modular Options with Class and Level Progressions

New Pathfinder is here! And while my love for Pathfinder Classic is still burning hot, my enthusiasm for Second Edition is approaching supernova. And after a week of scouring the 640-page trove of goodies, I found myself realizing that a complete analysis of the system, including an attempt to pinpoint why I’m so excited to sit down and roll some plastic, is going to require a more scholarly approach. And thus I humbly present the first of what I hope is an accurate and fruitful analysis of what makes this new edition so special.

In the past decade, Pathfinder has managed to hold firm to the precident set by Dungeons & Dragons and its level-based character progression. Many other Roleplaying Games have gone the route of Character Points, allowing players to pick and choose what abilities they know, at the risk of characters becoming hyper-specialized.… Read the rest

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