Core Rulebook (Second Edition)

This article covers the Pathfinder Second Edition Core Rulebook. For the Pathfinder First Edition equivalent, see Core Rulebook (First Edition).

The Core Rulebook was the central book of Pathfinder Second Edition and was released on August 1, 2019. Written by Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark Seifter, the 600-page hardcover presents all the rules needed to play or run Pathfinder Second Edition, including six ancestries, twelve classes, 35 backgrounds, hundreds of feats, spells, and magic items, as well as an overview of the gods, lands, organizations, and people of the Pathfinder campaign setting.

In addition to the standard hardcover and PDF releases, the book was also presented in a limited-edition deluxe hardcover, and as of November 2020 a softcover pocket edition. Paizo released errata for the second printing on November 9, 2020.

It succeeded the Pathfinder First Edition Core Rulebook as the primary reference work for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and was succeeded as the primary Pathfinder Second Edition reference in November 2023 by the books Player Core and GM Core as part of the Pathfinder Remaster project.

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Advance Your GameThis comprehensive 640-page guide to the Pathfinder roleplaying game provides everything you need to set out into a world of limitless fantasy adventure! Choose from ancestries like elf, human, and goblin and classes like alchemist, fighter, and sorcerer to create a hero of your own design, destined to become a legend! The new Pathfinder rules are easier to learn and faster to play, and they offer deeper customization than ever before!

This indispensable volume contains the core rules for players and Game Masters, and is your first step on a heroic new journey!

The Pathfinder Core Rulebook includes:

More than 600 pages of game rules, advice, character options, treasure, and more for players and Game Masters!
Six heroic player character ancestries, including elf, dwarf, gnome, goblin, halfling, and human, with variant heritages for half-elf and half-orc!
More than 30 backgrounds like bartender, soldier, or apprentice to further immerse yourself in your hero's backstory!
Twelve character classes, including the alchemist, barbarian, bard, champion, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, and wizard!
Hundreds and hundreds of spells, class feats, and other exciting abilities to help you customize your character to become the hero YOU envision her to be!
Streamlined and revised rules to help ease new players into the game while providing the depth of character options and tactical interest that have defined Pathfinder from the beginning!

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Contents