Pathfinder vs D&D: Which Tabletop RPG Should You Play?
Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons are two separate fantasy roleplaying games from two different publishers. Both have you build a hero, roll a twenty-sided die and tell a story with friends. The short answer: D&D 5e is the easier one to start and the easier one to find a table for. Pathfinder 2e gives you more choices, more tactical depth and more rules to learn. Which suits you depends on how your group likes to play.
Below we compare the two on the things that matter at the table: setup, character building, combat, maths, adventures and cost. We also say what to do if you can’t decide.
TL;DR
D&D 5e is the gentler entry point: fewer rules, a huge player base and the most beginner material.
Pathfinder 2e is the more detailed game: you make character choices at almost every level and combat rewards tactics.
They are not the same game with different names. Pathfinder grew out of D&D 3.5, but each has since gone its own way.
Both can be played free or cheaply online at first, so you can try before you buy a pile of books.
If you’re unsure, play one short session of each. A one-shot tells you more than any comparison article.
Table of Contents
Is Pathfinder part of Dungeons & Dragons?
No. Pathfinder is not part of D&D. They are distinct games made by different publishers. Pathfinder began as a spiritual successor to D&D 3.5, which is why the two feel familiar to each other: classes, levels, hit points, a d20 for most important rolls, spell slots and so on.
Since then they have drifted apart in rules, settings and design philosophy. Dungeons & Dragons, first published in 1974, is the most commercially prominent RPG and shaped the whole hobby. Pathfinder is the best-known alternative, and the one most often described as the “crunchier” cousin.
A useful way to think about it is a pair of related languages. If you know one, you can follow the other, but you will not speak it fluently on day one.
The quick comparison
Here are the main points side by side. Where we say “Pathfinder” we mean Pathfinder Second Edition (2e), and where we say “D&D” we mean fifth edition (5e) and its 2024 revision, which is what most readers searching this question are weighing up.
D&D 5e | Pathfinder 2e | |
Overall feel | Detailed, customisable, tactical | |
Character creation | Big choices made early | Choices at almost every level |
Feats | Optional extra rule | Core part of every class |
Combat turn | Action, bonus action, movement, reaction | Three flexible actions |
Roll modifiers | Advantage and disadvantage | Bonuses and penalties |
Number scaling | Bounded accuracy, relatively flat | Proficiency scales with level |
Learning curve | Gentle | Steeper |
Official adventures | Plenty | Plenty, often very detailed |
The rest of this article unpacks each row.
Character creation: how much do you want to decide?
This is where most people feel the difference first.
In D&D 5e, the most impactful decisions come early: you pick a species, a class and a background, and the character largely takes shape. After that, levelling up is quick. It is a more guided route, which new players tend to appreciate because there are fewer ways to get it wrong.
In Pathfinder 2e, character building is modular. You pick feats from ancestry, class and skill pools at almost every level. Feats come from your ancestry, class and background, whereas in D&D 5e feats are an optional extra rule. Paizo says the choices in character creation can produce more than 75,000 unique characters.
Two players who both pick a fighter will often end up with noticeably different characters in Pathfinder. In D&D they may play quite similarly until the higher levels, unless you use the optional feat rules.
What this means for you:
If you enjoy planning a build and tinkering, Pathfinder will keep you busy.
If you would rather decide quickly and get to the story, D&D is less work.
Pathfinder’s frequent choices excite some players and overwhelm others. Be honest about which you are.
Combat: three actions or the classic turn
Combat is the second big divide.
D&D 5e gives you one action, a bonus action, movement and a reaction on your turn. The turn has a familiar shape, and a lot of what you can do is tied to which of those slots it uses.
Pathfinder 2e uses a flexible three-action economy. Each round you have three actions to spend how you like: strike three times, move and cast, raise a shield and step back. Some spells and abilities cost two or three actions. The result is that your turn is a small puzzle every time, and positioning and teamwork matter more.
A worked example. Your rogue wants to flank an ogre. In Pathfinder you might spend one action to move into position, one to strike and one to attempt a trip, and the choice of how to split them is yours. In D&D you move, use your action to attack, and your bonus action may or may not offer something useful, depending on your class.
Neither is better in the abstract. The three-action system is easier to explain in a sentence, but it gives you more to think about. The D&D turn is more familiar to anyone who has played a video game RPG.
Numbers and maths: bounded accuracy vs scaling bonuses
This one is less visible to a beginner but shapes how the game feels over a long campaign.
D&D 5e uses bounded accuracy, keeping its maths relatively flat. A level 1 character and a level 15 character are not in totally different leagues when it comes to hitting things, which means a pack of low-level goblins can still be a worry for a high-level party.
In Pathfinder 2e, proficiency bonuses scale with level. Higher-level characters are much better at things than lower-level ones, and monsters are tuned to match. Levels carry real weight, and a creature a few levels above you is a genuine threat.
On top of that, D&D 5e uses advantage and disadvantage (roll two d20s, take the better or worse) to swing the odds. Pathfinder 2e usually uses bonuses or penalties added to the roll. Advantage is quick and intuitive. Bonuses give finer control but need a little arithmetic.
Rules weight and the learning curve
If you only read one section, read this one.
D&D 5e is generally considered the more accessible system for new players, with a simpler rule set and plenty of community support. Pathfinder 2e has a steeper learning curve because of its mechanical depth and the amount of information players need to track during play. Some people find that rewarding. Others find it a lot.
Paizo takes a different view of its own game. It describes the system as easier to learn and faster to play than earlier editions, with deep customisation. That is fair if you compare against Pathfinder’s first edition, but most commentators still place Pathfinder 2e above D&D 5e for rules load.
A practical way to judge it: the Pathfinder Core Rulebook runs to 640 pages with 12 classes and a Bestiary of more than 400 creatures, according to Paizo’s launch information. That is not a barrier if one person in the group enjoys reading rules. It can be a barrier if nobody does.
Who has to know the rules?
In both games, the person running the session (the Dungeon Master in D&D, usually called the Game Master in Pathfinder) carries most of the load. D&D’s own guidance says the Dungeon Master has the final say in play, which keeps things moving when the rules are unclear. Pathfinder’s detail can mean fewer rulings are needed, but more lookups.
If you are the one who will run the game for friends or family, we would lean towards D&D 5e for a first campaign and Pathfinder once you have a few sessions behind you.
Settings, adventures and the Remaster
Both games have plenty of published adventures. Pathfinder offers a lot of official adventure material, and its adventures can be written in great detail, which some groups love and others find heavy going. D&D adventures are generally more concise, so they leave more for the Dungeon Master to improvise.
Pathfinder’s world is also a distinctive draw. It has an eclectic setting with species and cultures that go beyond the typical Western fantasy mould.
One thing worth knowing if you search for Pathfinder rulebooks: Paizo ran a Remaster. It states the project is meant to refine Second Edition rather than replace it, with compatibility with existing content. The preview described terminology changes and the removal of alignment, while the core system stayed the same. So if you pick up a second-hand Pathfinder book, it will mostly still work with the newer ones. For a fresh start, Paizo points new players to the Remaster’s four core rulebooks.
D&D, meanwhile, has its 2024 revision of the fifth edition. The two editions are broadly compatible, so you are not forced to start again.
What does it cost to get started?
Both games can be sampled cheaply, and neither requires you to buy every book.
Pathfinder 2e
Paizo lists the Core Rulebook at $59.99 hardcover and $79.99 deluxe, and the Bestiary at $49.99 hardcover and $69.99 deluxe. These are US prices, so expect UK shop prices to differ.
The rules are also available free online through the volunteer-run Archives of Nethys, which is handy for checking a feat or spell mid-game.
D&D 5e
D&D Beyond has a Free tier that lets you build up to six characters and encounters. Paid tiers add more, and books are not included in the subscriptions, so you buy those separately.
The official System Reference Document is available under Creative Commons, so you can read core rules without paying. It is a reference foundation, not the complete commercial game.
Our advice: do not buy anything until you have played once. A group can share one set of books.
Our perspective
We run tabletop events for people at every level, including complete beginners, children and adults who find big social situations difficult. That shapes how we answer this question.
For most newcomers we point to D&D 5e. Not because Pathfinder is worse, but because the first session decides whether someone comes back. When a nervous player has to read a long feat list before they can do anything, the evening becomes about the rules. With D&D, a new player can pick a character, understand their one or two main abilities and be in the story within minutes. That matters even more for neurodivergent players or anyone managing anxiety, where too many open choices at once can be draining rather than fun.
That said, we have seen the other side too. Players who love detail often outgrow the simpler game and enjoy Pathfinder’s tactical combat and build variety. If your group is already confident with a roleplaying game, try it. We would just suggest making sure everyone wants that depth, rather than one person pulling the others along.
The best system is the one your table actually enjoys, in an environment where nobody feels judged for asking what a rule means. A good session should leave you feeling welcome and wanting the next one.
— Craig
Try before you commit
The best test is to sit down and play. If you are in the UK and want a supportive place to do it, our community events are built for exactly that: beginner introductions to roleplaying and board games, junior Dungeons & Dragons sessions, and tables you can book for your own group.
You can book a roleplaying session or table online, or see the membership options. Our Junior Adventurers Guild subscription is £20 per month. If you would like to start gently, our introduction to table and roleplaying games sessions are made for people who have never rolled a die. Browse our Dungeons & Dragons range if you need dice or accessories.
How to choose: a short checklist
Answer these as a group, and go with the majority.
Has anyone in the group played a roleplaying game before? If not, start with D&D 5e.
Do you enjoy building characters like a puzzle? If yes, Pathfinder 2e.
Are there children, or players who get overwhelmed easily? Lean to D&D 5e, or run Pathfinder with pregenerated characters.
Do you want tactical, grid-based fights? Pathfinder 2e rewards that.
Do you want loose, improvised storytelling? D&D 5e leaves more room.
Do you want the most online help and the easiest chance of finding a group? D&D 5e has the larger community.
A tip for Pathfinder newcomers: Paizo’s Pathfinder material includes pregenerated characters and free character sheets, which lets you skip the build stage in a first session.
FAQ
Is Pathfinder harder than D&D?
Generally yes. Pathfinder 2e has more rules, more feats and more decisions per level, so it takes longer to learn. Many groups find that depth rewarding once they know it. D&D 5e is the easier starting point.
Can I use Pathfinder books in D&D, or the other way round?
Not directly. They are different games with different rules, so characters, monsters and spells do not transfer without conversion. Ideas, maps and story hooks transfer easily, though, as long as the Game Master adjusts the numbers.
What is the difference between Pathfinder 2e and D&D 5e in combat?
Pathfinder 2e gives you three flexible actions per round. D&D 5e gives you an action, a bonus action, movement and a reaction. Pathfinder tends to feel more tactical, while D&D’s turn is quicker to teach.
Which is better for children and complete beginners?
D&D 5e is usually the better first game because it has fewer rules to absorb. Pathfinder can still work for younger or newer players if an adult helps with pregenerated characters. The most important thing is a patient, friendly table.
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