I have been spending some time going through the Beta of the Pathfinder RPG. I like most of the changes - in particular those made to the Sorcerer class - adding bloodlines makes it much more interesting. Grappling has been simplified, and first level characters have been beefed up.

Some changes I am not quite so sure of - dropping the XP cost for creating magic items may or may not be a good idea. On the one hand it may make it a bit too easy for the party to get magic items that fit their needs, but on the other hand I can understand why Mahvin the Mage may not want to spend his hard earned experience to make a sword for Bahb da Bahbarian.

I am also not sure if the new balance on ability modifiers is good or bad - I suspect that it balances out. Races have gone from having a zero sum modifier total to a +2 - and humans can put that modifier wherever the heck they feel like. (So an Elf gets a bonus to Dexterity and Intelligence and a penalty to Constitution. A dwarf gets a bonus to Constitution and Wisdom (?!) and a penalty to Charisma. Half-Orcs are the real winner though - going from a -2 total to the same +2 that everyone else enjoys - getting a bonus to Strength and Wisdom (?!) and a penalty on Intelligence.

Skill points... all skills cost one point, class skills receive a +3 bonus - so skill points spread better. First level does not receive X4 skill points - so low level totals for class skills will be lower. They recommend dropping skill point requirements for prestige classes by three. I think that I like the change, but seems within the bounds numbers wise.

The number of skills has dropped - several skills have been combined. Concentration has been folded into Spellcraft, Jump, Tumble, and Balance have been combined into Acrobatics, Open Lock has been folded into Disable Device. Gather Information has become a function of Diplomacy, Search, Spot, and Listen have become Perception. Decipher Script, Forgery, and Speak Language have become Linguistics. Each point in Linguistics also teaches you a new language.

Over all I think that the changes are good - though I would have folded Climb, Jump, and Swim into Athletics rather than the choice that Paizo made.

Thoughts?

The Auld Grump, bed time and then some....