Pathfinder or D&D: Choosing the Best TTRPG for your Table

There has been a resurgence of an old debate among table top role players. Should you play Pathfinder or should you play D&D? This argument is always based upon depth versus breadth of each system, and you will be shocked to find out the truth.

Pathfinder or D&D?

In the past, this argument has largely been in favor of Pathfinder. People say that Pathfinder has more options for players which lets them do more. But is this an accurate appraisal?

Strangely, D&D 5e actually has more options after character creation compared to Pathfinder 2e. It is also the simpler system of the two.

However, Pathfinder 2e has better support, is easier for GMs to learn, and is more balanced.

This is the core of what separates D&D 5e and Pathfinder 2e. If that doesn’t sell you on either system, check out the more detailed pros and cons of each system next.

Pros of D&D 5e

D&D 5e is the go-to for many players and GMs out there. This is because the system is simplistic and supports roleplaying along with combat. The simplicity and versatility of the system allows for players to do almost anything. The GM can modify the system or encounters easily without too much concern.

In D&D, gear can play a small part in checks giving a +1 or +2. However, feats, skill proficiencies, and environmental factors generally grant a much bigger bonus.

By level 5, all proficiency bonuses give a +3 and scale with you. Feats can completely change the game. Environmental factors give either advantage or disadvantage, which can have a greater impact than a straight bonus.

Advantage and disadvantage are the go-to modifiers for GMs. They provides two things:

1. Any circumstance-check bonus is not complicated because you avoid any additional calculations
2. Any action that creates advantage or disadvantage drastically changes combat.

The advantage/disadvantage mechanic changes the game so much that an archer might choose to move away from an opponent (despite giving the opponent a free attack on them), just so he or she can avoid disadvantage on shooting their bow. Disadvantage is that impactful.

D&D 5e also is the biggest TTRPG out there. It has a ton of support and you can find help online with any questions you have. There is also is a STRONG presence on YouTube where people share stories, help with rules, and so on.

Cons for D&D 5e

The system is so simple and easy to modify because it needs to be.

Higher level D&D doesn’t really exist in most games because the game fundamentally breaks down. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Challenge rating (CR) is supposed to tell you whether a monster will be an even challenge for a party of four at each level. Unfortunately, it is a lie. We have a whole article dedicated to the discussion, of how CR is a lie, and CR is broken at 8th level onward, if not dubious before then.
2. Gold is worthless. You are actively encouraged not to sell players’ magic items, and there isn’t much in the system to spend it on.
3. Crafting, which you would normally spend money on in higher level games, is impossible with the base rules. It takes far too long to reasonably make anything, especially at higher levels.
4. Magic becomes exponentially stronger and game breaking as the players increase in level.

These are the major reasons why the game breaks down, but this is by no means all of the problems. The parent company of D&D 5e, Wizards of the Coast (WoTC), has not addressed any of these issues.

Additionally, WoTC writes terrible adventures for GMs. It doesn’t instruct you on how to present a coherent adventure. Every single adventure has to be modified to be good. The recent releases have been lackluster, and it seems like WoTC wants to be creative rather than teach anyone how to play or really run their game.

Pros to Pathfinder 2e

Pathfinder 2e has a very detailed system. Everything makes sense and there are a lot of character options even at level 1. The system isn’t hard to learn and Pathfinder 2e produces some great adventures that don’t need modification.

Pathfinder 2e lets you do just about anything. You can be an undead plant person who solves crimes with alchemy, with a past as a a baker, or some other crazy thing. This optimization progresses each level in an easy to learn fashion through feats. You get 1-2 choices each level, and everything else is automatic.

Anything that you do is generally easy to make sense of. If you cause a condition that makes someone slowed and stunned (such as a concussive bomb), there are rules for all of that. Every strange rule that isn’t fully explained can be figured out in the system and nothing is left bare for the players or GM to figure out.

Speaking of the GM, you wont have to worry about adding new systems to the game. The monsters are balanced along with hazards. It is clear how much loot to hand out each level and what players are able to craft and create. Heck, there are even charts that show how much players can earn in downtime or what skills they need to recall knowledge!

The system is extremely solid and provides a more grounded experience if you are able to keep track of more than just advantage and disadvantage.

Cons to Pathfinder 2e

Pathfinder 2e involves more calculation, bonuses, and abilities which can be confusing and take time out of your game. Additionally, the impact of each decision in gameplay is mostly negligible.

Calculating circumstance, status bonuses, condition bonuses, and so on can slow down gameplay. Generally these problems are not so overwhelming that they cause a major disruption in your game, but it can happen. The breadth of your abilities can cause players to hesitate longer when taking their turns, especially for new players. This occurs not only in combat, but also in roleplay.

The impact of most decisions seem greater with the fact that critical successes and failures happen if you roll more than ten above or below a dice check. When someone says, “Every +1 counts,” they are right. However, it only counts sparingly as this is a hard standard to achieve. These moments feel great, but the complexity of the system doesn’t allow room for greater depth in decisions. It’s just a mad dash to get the highest bonus possible.

If you recall in D&D, an archer might choose to move away from an enemy (evoking an attack of opportunity) just to avoid having disadvantage on their next attack. In Pathfinder 2e, nothing changes for the archer in this situation. Very few creatures have attacks of opportunity, and you get no penalty for shooting in melee. In some ways, situations are less complex and offer fewer interesting choices.

This occurs frequently in Pathfinder 2e if you deeply inspect the system.

Final Statement

When considering Pathfinder 2e or D&D 5e for your table, you must come in knowing what you want.

If you want a simple system that is very versatile, and you are okay with some fundamental flaws, then D&D 5e is for you.

If you want a system that is fundamentally solid with a vast array of options, but has less impactful decisions aside from chasing numbers, Pathfinder 2e is for you.

Both systems are excellent with certain flaws in different areas. I hope that you can now choose which one is right for you and your table.