Not looking for Foundry support or any other VTT. I’m about to start GMing Pathfinder for the first time for players who are all completely new to Pathfinder. Some have D&D 5e experience, some are new to RPGs.
Some might be willing to pay, but I suspect most probably will not, so I’d definitely prefer ones that have at least the character building content from the CRB for free. Definitely open to paid recommendations too though, if they’re really good.
Interested to hear what options are out there, and what quality of life features they have to walk players through creating a new character or to help while playing at the table.
Since you guys are new I would like to direct your attention to the following excellent resources:
- https://2e.aonprd.com/ - Has all the rules for Pathfinder 2e
- https://pathbuilder2e.com/ - Character creator for Pathfinder 2e. Free, but requires paying a small one-time amount to get access to Free Archetypes, Pets and Cloud Storage
- https://wanderersguide.app/ - Character creator for Pathfinder 2e. Free, but a Patreon subscription is required for more than 6 characters (I might be wrong on this part)
- https://www.youtube.com/@HowItsPlayed - Excellent YouTube channel with videos about most rules
- https://imgur.com/LjllYua - Overview of the classes and their general strengths
- https://foundryvtt.com/ - Virtual tabletop with excellent pf2e integration. One time purchase for GM + ongoing hosting cost
I highly recommend Pathbuilder, as well. It makes sure all the math is correct and nobody adds more or less than they’re supposed to during character creation or level up while making it clear that something is off. You can even export the player info as stat blocks instead of as a character sheet. I used it to double check my party during character creation in FoundryVTT since it didn’t have nearly as many guardrails.
Here are my only gripes, and they’re all related. For context, I have the Android version:
-Unarmed Attacks aren’t automatically added to the Offense category; they have to be added manually, which adds some tedium since even character can make unarmed attacks unless otherwise stated. -A number of ancestry traits that add special unarmed attacks, such as Taloned Tengu or the basic Sharp Beak, aren’t reflected in the “Weapon” category for unarmed attacks, so you have to create a “custom” unarmed weapon to give the player, which adds tedium because you have to make sure you add all of the correct traits yourself and name it correctly. At least on mobile, you cannot switch from the custom weapon creation popup and the build tab without closing the popup first, meaning you can’t reference the trait directly in the app while manually creating it in the menu. -If any custom/modified equipment is applied to the character, then those abilities will be labeled as 3rd Party with no way to remove the trait even if you delete it from the trait field during creation. So anyone playing an ancestry that Pathbuilder hasn’t yet fully implemented will have “3rd Party” listed as a trait, adding unnecessary clutter and possible confusion. -Weapon creation requires picking 1-2 hands even if it doesn’t use hands, such as a jaws or s beak.
For me it was a bit frustrating dealing with these particular issues since I have both a Gnoll and a Tengu in the party, both of whom have unarmed attacks in addition to fists, including ones which wouldn’t use a hand.
If you’re okay with filling in some of the gaps, then none of this should really be an issue. Everything else about the app has been lovely.
Edited to clarify, add additional info, and correct a spelling mistake.
On Foundry VTT I used the web version of Pathbuilder2e on my second screen and it was perfect.
People seem to forget http://pf2easy.com/ It is my favorite web site on the side to look for actions, condition, class feat, item, monster, spells, and everything else during the game.
Like everyone else, I can’t recommend Pathbuilder 2e enough! I even paid for it although the basic version does almost everything (with ads). The only bummer is that the app and web version are separate purchase.
You have a couple of options:
I prefer the 1st
edit Added Wanderers guide
As someone who likes to build their characters ahead of their current level I too prefer Pathbuilder, though for new players Wanderers Guide might be a bit more hand-holdy.
I believe both of them can output a pdf of the character sheet if you prefer to play without tablets/phones, and both can handle at-table play, though for Pathbuilder specifically I would recommend a tablet/laptop over a phone, because the website is a bit more friendly for at-table play.
