Pathfinder: The Next Generation

 So I joined a new group of gamers a few months ago for some good ol' fashioned D&D 3.5, cuz none of are even remotely interested in 4th Ed (more on that another time). We were having a lot of fun with it, but we've all known for a long time that it's a dying system now that 4th Ed is out so we were looking for something new, but similar at the same time when one of the guys suggested Pathfinder RPG. I had seen their products before but assumed that it was just expansion modules and supplements for 3.5. Turns out they picked up the 3.5 ball that Wizards of the Coast dropped and decided to run with it. Well, we all bought the core rule book and turns out that it is an outstanding product. From the cleaned up rulebook, to the expanded (but not overdone) feats and combat system, all the way down to the art work is top notch.

We've just converted over to their rules, but so far we're having a lot of fun with it and for once I'm playing a wizard that doesn't feel like a 1st level china doll. They stuck with the feel of older editions of D&D, but added some new flavor without going crazy. Hopefully they won't do what WotC did for so many years and totally ruin it by releasing TOO many options. No one can honestly say they could remember what even 10% of the feats/ abilities/ prestige classes did with all the supplements that were released. That was hell on a DM that wasn't on the ball with what his players were up to. It was very easy for a player to min-max a series of obscure feats and prestige classes into a game-umbalancing juggernaut of adventure destruction.

And as all of you DM's out there know, there is nothing worse that having your adventure ruined by someone playing the rules or the game rather than the spirit. I'm all for following the rules that are presented in a book, but not at the cost of the adventure or the fun of the entire party.

Anyways...if you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend Pathfinder RPG.