Remember the First Rule

The first rule of Pathfinder is that this game is yours. The rest of the rules exist for you to use to tell the stories you want to tell and share exciting adventures with your friends. There are plenty of rules in this book, but none of them override that first rule. Take the rules that help you make the game you want, change those that don't do quite what you need them to, and leave the ones that aren't helping. It's your game. There's no right or wrong way to GM so long as everyone is having fun—and that includes you!

Campaigns, Adventures, and Encounters

The rules and advice in this book frequently refer to three main structures of a game. A campaign is your group's game as a whole, a serialized story consisting of one or more adventures. Each adventure tells a single story arc with a beginning, middle, and end; it includes many interactions, challenges, and encounters. An encounter is a single showdown or contest between the player characters and their foes or other nonplayer characters.

Paizo's Published Adventures

You can purchase the following types of adventures at paizo.com, your local game store, or many bookstores. If you want to acquire all the adventures in a given line, you can purchase a subscription at paizo.com.

Pathfinder Adventure Paths

Each monthly volume of a Pathfinder Adventure Path leads into the next as part of a greater story spanning multiple volumes. The first volume of each Adventure Path typically starts at 1st level, and each volume has a self-contained story that eventually leads to a big climax at the end of the final volume. Each volume also typically includes new monsters, rules, and details about the world. Each Adventure Path has a different theme, and their settings range across the Inner Sea region and beyond.

Pathfinder Adventures

Pathfinder Adventures are standalone adventures that cover several levels of play. They're self-contained and typically have a unique structure or theme. You can play through a Pathfinder Adventure on its own or as part of your ongoing campaign—some make ideal side adventures for Adventure Paths that have similar themes.

Pathfinder Society Scenarios

Scenarios are the adventures used by the Pathfinder Society Organized Play program; you can play them as part of the Pathfinder Society or on your own. Each takes about 4 to 5 hours to run, so you can tell a whole story in a short amount of time, but they're also part of a larger continuity and can be combined together to form the basis of a longer campaign.