Pathfinder vs 3.5

[JeffK88]

What are the major differences?

[Duniagdra]

What are the major differences?

Pathfinder is considered D&D3.75. A number of skills in 3.5 have been combined into each other. Spot, search, and listen is now perception. Jump, tumble, and another or few are now acrobatics. Hide and move silently are now stealth. Disable Device now include open device too. Forgery, read write and speak languages are now Linguistics?

0 level spells are unlimited.

I can recall only the most simplest of changes right now, but there are more game effecting changes that pathfinder has over 3.5. In my view, Pathfinder is better.

Your first class is a favored class, and half-elves can have two favored classes. For each level you take in your favored class you gain 1 point that can be assigned to HP or Skill Point. In pathfinder there is no Int+n*4 at first level. Humans still get an extra 1 SP per level. Cross-Class skills are full rank value, but class skills gain +3. If you have a class that can train in stealth and a class that does not, you get the +3 for the class that does, and can still apply ranks in the class that does not at full rank value. In a way, pathfinder eliminates cross-class skill penalties. All skills are available to anyone who wants to train in them, but only the classes with those skills get the +3.

The half-orc now only gets a +2 to any one ability like the half-elf and human. Oh yeah, the half-elf only gets a +2 to any one ability like the human.

Go to the PRD, Pathfinder Resource Document, and have a look. You'll see for yourself what's been changed. Some changes are subtle, some are drastic, but I feel they did a good job.

[Badlapje]

Also check out the different versions of the base classes. Very nice changes there making for more exciting play at the low levels. Sorcerers for examples have bloodlines whence their powers stem that give them benefits depending on the level they've attained so far. Wizards have something similar with their schools, as do clerics with domains. Very interesting change for me also is that i find the spell lists now make it interesting to play a bard or druid as opposed to a sorcerer/wizard/cleric because they have access to spells that aren't on those lists, and sometimes get powerful spells sooner then the "main" spellcasting classes.
Melee classes got upgraded as well, barbarian for example can now rage x rounds / day but those need not be consecutive and he can beef up his rage with rage powers which he gains every three levels (from memory, might be two levels).

As for races, Duni already said a lot, but i should point out to look at gnomes. Those little buggers got very interesting to play, especially if the story takes place in the Golarion campaign setting where they have to experience new things as it prevents them from dying. When it comes to roleplaying two of my players now can play a race that "fits" their crazy style without having to invent a backstory about why they are so deranged.

Feats changed to. Eg. they thankfully modified Dodge so that it applies always if not flatfooted rather then having to declare your dodge every round (whoever dreamt that up was seriously demented imo).

Last but not least: the combat system got an overhaul. Aside from the normal modifiers of BAB, MAB and RAB, there are now two new categories which take care of all "special" maneuvers such as disarm, trip, feint, grapple, bullrush, ... . It's called Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense Bonus (CMB and CMD). Want to try one of them? Roll a D20, add your CMB and check the result vs the opponents CMD. Very simple to use. I've seen a marked increase in the amount of times my players use these special moves since we switched to PF.

I loved to play D&D 3.5, PF has just enhanced that fun to reach even higher levels. It's got a few kinks in it still (see richards' thread about posts to paizo) but nothing major. As a DM i love the new setting of Golarion which allows me to describe a country in a couple lines so that they get a feel for where they are, as a player i no longer feel the need to dread loosing my lvl 1 character because of an unlucky die roll. I no longer worry about propper use of resources or running out of spells because at the very least i can still do an acid splash or disrupt undead, ... (low damage, but in DnD if your sorcerer/wizard runs out of spells you might as well just say: my character tags along and tries to not get hit and go watch a movie). And for those of us who like playing a cleric they'll find they're less just the party's medic then they used to be in 3.5 because several classes have gotten a boost to their healing abilities (even barbarians have a rage power to heal themselves a number of hitpoints once/day).

[JeffK88]

Thanks for the info