Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide


Introduction

Hello and welcome to the Archives of Nethys, the official home of the Pathfinder Second Edition system reference documents. Here you can find all the rules, character options, and monsters needed to play Pathfinder Second Edition. The Archives houses all of the rules from the Core Rulebook as well as every sourcebook that Paizo publishes. By going to the Source tab on the sidebar, you can select a sourcebook and view all the character options that come from that book.

If you're just getting started with Pathfinder, you should check out Chapter 1 and Chapter 9 of the Core Rulebook for full information on how to play, but we've tried to give a quick summary on character creation and play below.

How to Play

Pathfinder is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game (RPG) where you and a group of friends gather to tell a tale of brave heroes and cunning villains in a world filled with terrifying monsters and amazing treasures. More importantly, Pathfinder is a game where your character’s choices determine how the story unfolds.

Getting Started ►

Traits ►

Modes of Play ►

Reading a Character Option ►

PFS Symbols ►

Character Creation

For a detailed run through on how to create a character, please see the section on Character Creation from the Core Rulebook. The information below is a brief primer and will help you navigate around the Archives to see all the different character options.

Ancestries ►

Backgrounds ►

Classes ►

Ability Boosts ►

Skills ►

Feats ►

Equipment ►

Spells ►

Setting ►

Gamemastering

In a game of Pathfinder, the Game Master (often abbreviated GM) is the player in charge of the story and the world the other players are exploring with their characters. It is recommended that any new GM fully understands Chapter 1, Chapter 9, and Chapter 10 of the Core Rulebook. The Gamemastery Guide under the Rules section for more detail on the topics covered in Chapter 10, as well as many more tools to help you make your game a fun and memorable experience for everyone involved.

Creatures ►

Rules ►