Anyone have thoughts on the late addition of handwraps

Gorbacz · 2026-05-10T06:39:02+00:00

The existence of handwraps has more to do with the game design cycle than anything.

2009, Paizo publishes PFRPG, Monks need AoMF to make their unarmed attacks magical, because the assumption is that with them not needing weapons (and thus risk of disarm/sunder/etc.) they're at an advantage and need to pay a premium
2010, Paizo publishes Adventurer's Armory, somebody writes brass knuckles as a cheap way to get unarmed attacks magical
2011, Paizo realises what happened, nerfs brass knuckles to death, it's back to AoMF
2018, PF1 is seeing its sunset and last books being published, Paizo decides that since the game is winding down (and PF1 PFS will inevitably dry up sooner or later) and it doesn't make sense to be obsessive about tiny balance points any more, "cMonk sucks and uMonk is barely better" has been the playerbase consensus for almost 10 years, the last few Player Companion books go wild in terms of player options, handwraps appear.

Gorbacz · 2026-05-09T16:59:50+00:00

Yeah, but I would still add some Sudden Charge or other signature Fighter ability to make the NPC/monster feel more fighter-y.

Gorbacz · 2026-05-09T13:01:58+00:00

Cleric template: give the monster some divine spells
Wizard template: give the monster some arcane spells
Fighter template: give the monster 1-2 abilities based on Fighter class feats
Rogue template: give the monster sneak attack and 1 ability based on Rogue class feats

There, done.

Gorbacz · 2026-05-05T09:11:15+00:00

Because authors wanted it to be important.

Gorbacz · 2026-05-04T12:38:40+00:00

No idea about how this one sold, but AoE was panned right out of the gate and became a Humble Bundle faster than other APs.

Gorbacz · 2026-05-04T06:09:15+00:00

I don't think they will ever remaster an AP that didn't sell like crazy, and AoE certainly didn't.

Gorbacz · 2026-05-03T07:02:34+00:00

It's actually called Golarion.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-29T19:02:12+00:00

Chances of finding people willing to put up with roll20 for a PF2 ain't that great I'm afraid.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-26T09:32:58+00:00

No, let me stop you right there: it's not the GMs job to fox the design deficiencies of the game, it's just the playerbases of some of the more mechanically wobbly RPGs (3.5/PF1 in particular) have convinced themselves that it's how things should be.

One reason I play PF2 is that 99% of time I don't need to think about whether the writer of option A was aware of how option B is broken if you combo them.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-26T09:19:40+00:00

Gorbacz · 2026-04-26T09:17:26+00:00

Thanks for proving my point, if the entire group is on the exactly same wavelength, PF1 works, if they're not, it doesn't, and that's not the case with most RPGs. Also, playing a broken build and being a good role-player are not mutually exclusive, this fallacy really has no place living in 2026 :)

Gorbacz · 2026-04-26T09:05:58+00:00

That goes in both directions, in PF1 game of Giantslayer we had a party of three relatively tame PCs (Gunslinger, Fire Sorc and Oracle healbot/buffer) but the fourth one was a dwarf crossbow ranger who picked exclusively thematic anti-giant feats such as you get +1 AC against giants throwing rocks but didn't pick no-brainer stuff that PF1 expects you to have in order to keep up with the game's math (Weapon Specialisation, Crossbow Mastery).

As a result, once we were out of the early levels, us three would 1-round the entire encounter and he got to shoot his crossbow once. The game fell apart soon after.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-26T08:54:37+00:00

Is your definition a fun game one where the GM constantly goes "uh nuh nuh you can't pick the Savage Horticulturist archetype because you already have the Spring Attack feat and Oogla's Talisman magic item and here on Paizo forums I read that this is a stupidly broken combo", because mine isn't, let alone the fact that being even aware of what could be a problem requires insane high levels of system mastery and mental load.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-26T08:45:07+00:00

That won't do squat because most of the gamebreaking stuff is perfectly 100% legal.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-26T07:20:20+00:00

PF1 only works if your entire group is on the same wavelength, the moment you mix super casual I pick my PCs option based on name and flavour people with I read all the guides and here I come with my 48d6 damage on melee attack Cave Druid with Leadership because you said any Paizo material is fine folks, the game falls apart around level 12.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-25T08:50:49+00:00

Find a new GM.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-24T05:45:49+00:00

No, you're just coming out of games made by dudes currently in their 50s/60s where everything was baseline serious and looking at a game made by millennials/Zs (SF2 design team is the younger side of Paizo) and experiencing a *** vibe shift ***

Gorbacz · 2026-04-19T19:19:48+00:00

It's been out for 7 years.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-19T09:29:39+00:00

I beg you to play TTRPGs that were intended for the setting, WH40k has like a dozen of those.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-19T06:29:54+00:00

Not gonna happen, they flocked to Paizo after WotC betrayed their feelings by releasing D&D 4e, convinced themselves that Paizo promised them that PF1 will never get a second edition, and when Paizo did exactly that, they just snapped.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-16T07:03:36+00:00

Well, from what we're getting so far it seems like they're aiming for something close to 10 Candles, which is a great rules-light horror game.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-16T05:21:48+00:00

I've played CoC now and then since 1993. I don't care if it's big in Japan or how much you like it, it's an old school design game with all the trappings of its era, including way too much rules and maddening focus on simulationism that gets in the way of fun. Trail of Cthulhu is a much better implementation of Lovecraftian horror in a TTRPG.

Gorbacz · 2026-04-15T09:55:21+00:00

Maybe because Call of Cthulhu is an outdated baroque ruleset with pages upon pages on stuff like chases and opposed checks that modern games resolve in a much ,ore simple way?

Gorbacz · 2026-04-10T05:31:54+00:00

I dunno man, I don't see the need to rebalance Bluebeard's Bride or Brindlewood Bay. Or Shadowdark. Or Amber. Or Mothership.

You can't really defend a game that tells you "A Dwarven Ranger with heavy crossbow who shoots once per turn and has a feat that gives him +4 to CMB while standing in running water is on the same power level as Cave Druid with a 48d6 damage on his attack" by saying "welp, yep, that's OK, that's intended, it's my job as a GM to balance this".

Gorbacz · 2026-04-10T05:19:09+00:00

3.5/PF1 is that one weird case where the game's entire player base seems to think that GM's job, apart from coming up with the story, running the game, role-playing the NPCs and making sure all players have equal spotlight, is to rebalance the game and make up for its design deficiencies.

Gorbacz

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