Player Core Overview: The Remaster is Here!

If you have a subscription or preordered Player and GM Core you might have the PDFs already in your mailboxes so we can now start going over the changes to Pathfinder 2E in the Player Core and GM Core.
In this video I'm going to be going through an overview of the Player Core and noting the changes section by section!
00:00 - Introduction
00:21 - Player Core Overview
01:42 - Things NOT covered in this Video
01:57 - Player Core Book Layout
04:26 - Table of Contents
04:42 - Introduction Chapter
05:29 - Ancestries and Backgrounds
06:27 - Classes and Archetypes
07:54 - Skills
12:47 - Feats
14:39 - Equipment
17:17 - Spells
21:59 - Playing the Game
24:44 - Appendix
25:50 - Player Core Summary
27:43 - Closing and Thanks!
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[@slystrategist]

We finally get a look at the finished Player Core Remaster and the changes are mainly what I expected but taken as a whole I think it is 99% the same. There are some details that have been done to death like Alignment or Schools of Magic but lets take a look at the books as a whole now that we can see the final versions! Don

[@CooperativeWaffles]

The other known change (before release) is Ability Scores disappearing and just the Ability Bonus remaining. So far I fail to recall any mention of this being in the PFc Players Guide.

[@slystrategist]

In the Remaster? Oh it's there in character Creation and the new Character Sheet, I really didn't try to go over too much information that has been covered by the Remaster Preview document. This video would have been double or triple the size if I would have covered all the stuff that was in already released stuff like Magic School and naming differences! Don

[@Ravenspath]

I really like the Lost Omens section in Player Core with the Theme listed for each region. While the original had more information I think this is helpful for giving insights into the type of adventures and what your characters would be like if from that region.

[@slystrategist]

I really can't agree more @Ravenspath. I really, really like the example person types as it could really help out a new player or if you're playing in an unfamiliar region. Don

[@CooperativeWaffles]

Being in the PFc Players Guide, more players are likely to read it. Often the CRB Lost Omens section was considered GM material by readers. @Paizo provides solid Player information, especially after all the Player Guides and Gazetteers in the adventures and APs. I look forward to reading this Lost Omens section.

[@slystrategist]

It really does seem to fin in well in GM Core and the section in Player Core is useful to the player so I definitely agree!

[@icholi88]

Swap action and martial weapon proficiency is gonna make item rogue useful again. Being able to throw bombs or traps without losing out on to hit bonuses are clutch

[@slystrategist]

Oh, that sounds fun! I really like the explicit swap action! Don

[@icholi88]

@@slystrategist Just get ready to craft Bottled Lightening (ilvl 1 bomb) 1d6+1 electric dmg 5f splash: on any hit the target is flatfooted until the start of your next turn. Open with a bomb in your main hand, ranged strike with a throw, stride, then stab with a dagger or other agile weapon for a free sneak attack, get a free round of the party tearing the guy a new one because he will always be off guard, use mobility to reposition on your next round to keep them off guard and never risk AoO, proceed to shank the target to death. Gets even better at higher level as you get precise debilitations as a theif, make your first sneak attack always make the target flat footed after suffering precision damage. With incredible initiative reliably go first with rolling stealth, set up your party with one target always being offgaurd from even the first turn and make even the fighter blush as you constantly roll a bucket of d6 from every attack.

[@slystrategist]

@@icholi88 Sounds like a FFXIV or WOW rotation! But seriously, that does sound interesting.

[@icholi88]

@@slystrategist First turn is the most important, start strong and the fight is all downhill. You can start roleplaying your sweet demon blade possessing you or your quirky gnome talking to acorns after all the threats are bleeding out on the floor. A cool villain monologue is just time to set up a surprise round. Stop being so long winded, we all have places to be and people to kill. Pick one guy to bully at a time and use the action economy to carry you safely home.

[@slystrategist]

🤣@@icholi88 Love the monologue comment!

[@dylanhyatt5705]

Thanks for this overview because I kinda got overwhelmed by the plethora of youtube looks at the remaster and this has got me super-excited again for the Player Core. Yes - the 'swap' action a great addition - not just logical but also will put more fun into the action economy. The specification of utterances and hand gestures welcome for spells most welcome - a wizard who is gagged or in a 'silence' zone faces a quandary. I wonder, how would you handle a spell-caster who has their hands tied behind their back: a -2 circumstance penalty to casting, or simply can't cast spells? Also - it will be great to have a rule book that doesn't (exaggeration) feel like it's breaking your wrist when you manipulate it - the new Player Core can have the 'manipulatability' trait whereas the current hefty tome certainly doesn't.

[@slystrategist]

So hands tied....hmmmmm. So somatic is gone and replaced by having the manipulate trait in it's description so I took a look at something that would hurt manipulate, manacles. I think that they would have to pass a DC 5 flat check: Manacles: You can manacle someone who is willing or otherwise at your mercy as an exploration activity taking 10-30 seconds depending on the creature’s size and how many manacles you apply. A two-legged creature with its legs bound takes a -15-foot circumstance penalty to its Speeds, and a two-handed creature with its wrists bound has to succeed at a DC 5 flat check any time it uses a manipulate action or else that action fails. This DC may be higher depending on how tightly the manacles constrain the hands. The new book is quite a bit smaller with lass pages that's for sure! Thanks for the comment and for watching and glad that I was able help!

[@Ofley_Adventures]

Can’t wait to check this one out! It feels so much more organized, and I love the aesthetic of it. Hopefully these changes are able to make the game even better. Have a delightful day everyone! Thanks for the vid.

[@slystrategist]

I don't really have anything bad to say about the Player Core! The I'll miss the remastered classes that will be coming in Player Core 2 next fall but it's a great book! Don

[@simmonslucas]

Pet feat changes help define the Wizard and Witch familiars making them feel more class unique, IMO.

[@slystrategist]

I can see that... still it feels like familiar master archetype lite for no free archetype tables.

[@Athorment]

Was planning to get Player core but i was waiting on Remaster :)

[@slystrategist]

Now it's out and I'm pretty happy with it! Don

[@hardbushido]

I think the side bar is the best change tbh. Could only be better if it was hyperlinked

[@slystrategist]

That is incredibly legitimate. I unconsciously would hover over the sections and subsections to click! Don

[@tinear4]

LOL I use the dead tree edition and would love to see hyperlinks in the index there. Am saving that idea for future world building.

[@slystrategist]

@@tinear4 It would make so much sense to be honest. The bookmarks tab in the PDF reader is great but it would be nice on the sidebar. I wonder how much work that would be... I bet it might be more than I think it is! Don

[@tinear4]

I don’t mind having to pay for a new book - my old CRB is pretty worn - or even two, but I’m less than thrilled with having to wait until late ‘24 for my favorite classes, especially monk and sorcerer, to finally be reprinted.

[@slystrategist]

That is probably my biggest complaint, I know we can use the pre-remaster of the classes that aren't in Player Core 2 but a whole year for Player Core 2 is a lot of time! Don

[@camiloguadalupetorres2442]

Awesome summary!! Thanks!!

[@slystrategist]

Thanks for watching and the comment! Don

[@lyracian]

Thank you for the summary.

[@slystrategist]

Absolutely and thank for watching and the comment! Don

[@1965GJS13]

Have had my PC1 & GMC on pre-order from Amazon for several weeks. Just waiting for them to be made available here in the UK, which Amazon is currently predicting as 5th/6th December! The UK always get's screwed on anything shipped from the states......

[@slystrategist]

Thanks for watching and the comment! I've heard that shipping anywhere outside the US is horrible! Both in cost and shipping time... Don

[@mistaree8394]

Thanks for the video.

[@slystrategist]

Absolutely! Thanks for watching and the comment! Don

[@simmonslucas]

I think they will sell a lot more player core books than the old book.

[@slystrategist]

I do agree with you there. It's much more approachable! Don

[@Akeche]

6:50 I really feel like I would've preferred less races and more classes. Also... it seems a mistake to not include Champion in the book that removes Alignment, when it and Cleric are the classes which are tied the heaviest to alignment.

[@slystrategist]

Very good point on the Champion! I would have liked a few more classes myself! Don

[@Akeche]

14:55 But the old book also had this? Page 289, and none of it seems different?

[@hardbushido]

Funny that the example of play they show the player use the sneak action as an open roll and not secret

[@slystrategist]

LOL... Well Erik is a bad GM but at least the trap check was secret! Just kidding... It gives you options to do secret checks however you want to go! don

[@hardbushido]

@@slystrategist true, glad you finally got your copy.

[@BlueSapphyre]

I’ve switched to make nearly everything a secret roll. Players meta game too much when they see their own dice rolls. Lol.

[@CooperativeWaffles]

​@BlueSapphyre Consider switching the process. Allow the Player to roll openly, then have them roleplay based on result.

[@BlueSapphyre]

@@CooperativeWaffles oh sure. It’s more like. Player A: I want to search *rolls 12 and finds nothing* Player B: Well i can roll higher than 12 so I’ll search.

[@lergof0202]

What do you make of the clarifications that failing a recovery check increases your dying value by 1 (2 on a crit fail) + your wounded value, instead of just 1 (2). Seems super lethal, or is that how you were always playing it?

[@slystrategist]

It was not how I was playing it at all (and I don't think I plan on adopting the deadlier version). The new verbiage, which is still a bit ambiguous, added to the recovery check makes it super deadly! I'm planning a video on it (probably an opinion one) but really I have to agree with the rules lawyer here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJOnen6OfbpqsKc I'm still going to run it as NOT using the Wounded value but it is less ambiguous than it was pre-remaster. It seems like a low-level party would TPK everytime one character would go down in a cascade. Don

[@lergof0202]

@@slystrategistCan't wait for the video.

[@slystrategist]

@@lergof0202 I've received a few comments on this issue... I think I might move it up to release tomorrow or Sunday but I need to make sure I do my homework!

[@jeffersonromao4999]

Focus points got such a big buff

[@slystrategist]

Oh absolutely! I think that is what they wanted to do and I know that one of my PCs has two great Focus spells I'll be using much more often! Don

[@Akeche]

@@slystrategist The only difference is, your pool isn't unlimited. You even underlined it, it's still a maximum of 3. They just... worded it dumbly.

[@slystrategist]

@@Akeche Having your focus pool be the number of focus spells you have ((or three, whichever is lower) plus the ability to refocus without have to spend a point of your focus pool allows you to have a full pool without having to wait for daily preparations. It definately makes it less of a strategic choice to use a focus spells since you can refill after every fight.

[@GMRayJ36]

Nice video! Subbed!! Could you please cover reworks to current spells and maybe some new ones from Cantrips to higher levels? Thnx

[@slystrategist]

Thanks for the comment and for watching! I will be going over some of the spell changes, it's in my list of things to get done. Don

[@GMRayJ36]

@slystrategist Cool! Also, maybe, the alterations/clarifications to Death and Dying/Recovery?

[@slystrategist]

@@GMRayJ36 You're reading my mind a bit.... I was looking at this this morning!

[@GMRayJ36]

@@slystrategist 😅🤓👊

[@slystrategist]

@@GMRayJ36 The new verbiage (which is still a bit ambiguous but the added info to the recovery check) makes it super deadly!

[@OutwardThinker]

I'm not seeing how Reposition allows you to move with the creature. Aren't there actions that specifically say that you move with the creature? Some swashbuckler dance feat comes to mind, but I don't remember exactly. This one doesn't have that language in it.

[@slystrategist]

Edit: Hmmmmm... Doing some checking now again. I Might need to cut that section as I'm thinking you are correct. I'm not entirely sure but I'd rather not state it than lead others to be wrong. I've removed that wording in two places and waiting for KZbin to process the changes. Thank you for that! I've already seen some argument about this one from information from the early reviewers For me and my interpretation "You move the creature up to 10 feet. It must remain within your reach during this movement" and "You muscle a creature or object around" not shove but muscle a creature around and the fact that you have to have a hand free or the creature is grabbed or restrained. So how I read that is muscling is wrenching grabbing or forcing a creature and you move with them as you go. Otherwise, in my opinion at least, it's mechanically just a shove. I'd be interested to hear from a developer on the interpretation. Don

[@dinomarinovic5241]

So shove on crit success I believe allows you to move with the creature, but Reposition does not allow you to move with the creature, If you have weapon with Grab trait and Reach you can move the creature in any direction up to 10 ft (on crit success in whole Threat range)

[@dinomarinovic5241]

there are also feats that allow you to do that as a reaction I believe in Mauler archetype?

[@slystrategist]

Yup, you are correct but shove also let's you move the target 15 feet and you can Stride after it as well on a success

[@TyyghhFffhjjjk-ju6kk]

Calling your race "heritage" is so dumb it gets stuck in my brain.

[@slystrategist]

Are you talking about Ancestries and Heritages? Its just different than D&D.

[@Saeiane777]

Heritage and Ancestry makes a lot more sense, really. Feels more grounded in how the world works. Plus, you can be a dwarf that was adopted by Hobgoblins in RAW, which is just fantastic.

[@slystrategist]

@@Saeiane777 Same for me honestly. I'm not entirely sure what the comment is referring to. Heritage is subcategory of Ancestry so I'm thinking it's the label? I'm not sure... Don