So you want to start playing Pathfinder but don’t know where to start. Well, I could just point you at the Core Rule Book and save have fun, but that is a dense tome and can be quite intimidating if you are new to the genre or even Pathfinder. So instead of taking the easy way out, I will introduce you to the Beginner Boxed Set. From the publisher:
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box is packed with everything you need to get started with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, an imaginative tabletop fantasy adventure game for 2–5 players. Scores of monsters, challenges, and advice give gamers the tools to create their own worlds and adventure, providing countless hours of gaming excitement. With streamlined rules and a focus on action-packed heroic adventure, this deluxe boxed set is the ideal introduction to the world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and the best starting point for a lifetime of pulse-pounding adventure!”
As you can see, the boxed set offers a streamlined version of the rules to simplify learning them. I easily taught my 8-year-old daughter the rules by the time we were done with the introductory scenario. The box comes with pawns for illustrating the battle and even dice so if you will lack for nothing to get started playing. The box can be used with an entire group of newbies, or with an experienced player sharing with a group of new players.
The box comes with a guided walk through to help you design the character and ultimately level them up after completing the first scenario. The guide does a great job of explaining the basic stats and attributes of a character. After you complete the content in the box, which should take no more than a few hours, there are a number of free downloadable extensions to continue your play and help players transition to the full rule set.
One bit of adjusting to the pitch they give you, the introductory scenario would be a little hard if, like me, you use it to only teach one other person. Thus I would recommend having the other characters come with them as non-player characters so that the group is strong enough to face the challenges. The pawns are limited to what you'll need in the scenario, so you'll find you'll need to get more pawn packs if you want to expand your adventure. There is a pdf version for sale for the Basic Box, but while I'm a big shopper of Paizo PDF's, I think this one is much better in physical form.
That is all for the Beginner Box. In a future post, I will talk about what comes next after the beginner box.