Dungeons & Dragons 5e vs Pathfinder 2e: which TTRPG fits your group?
Dungeons & Dragons 5e and Pathfinder 2e side by side: dice, rules weight, prep, playstyle and what each game is about. Still split? Put both to a group vote.
| Dungeons & Dragons 5e | Pathfinder 2e | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast | Paizo |
| Dice | d20 + modifiers | d20 + modifiers |
| Players | 3–7 | 3–6 |
| Complexity | ||
| Prep | ~15 min | ~20 min |
| Foundry VTT | Official | Community |
| Free version | Yes | Yes |
| Playstyle | Combat Exploration Narrative Tactical | Combat Exploration Tactical |
| Setting | Fantasy | Fantasy |
Send both games to your players as one vote: everyone votes from their own phone, no signup.
What Dungeons & Dragons 5e is
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition is the fifth and most popular edition of the world's first tabletop roleplaying game, released in 2014. A d20 system with the elegant advantage/disadvantage mechanic, 12 classes, 13 ancestries, hundreds of spells and monsters. The SRD is free under Creative Commons. The game that brought RPGs back into pop culture through Critical Role, Stranger Things, and Baldur's Gate 3.
- you want the default fantasy game your new players have already heard of
- your group enjoys class builds with new spells and abilities every level
- you want a huge choice of official worlds, from Forgotten Realms to Eberron
- you want short, lethal sessions with minimal bookkeeping
- your players find long spell lists and class options overwhelming
- Advantage / Disadvantage
- Bounded Accuracy
- Classes & Subclasses
- Short & Long Rest
What Pathfinder 2e is
Pathfinder Second Edition is a tactical tabletop RPG from Paizo, released in 2019 and refreshed through the Remaster Project (2023–2024). A d20 system with a 3-action economy, 16+ classes, dozens of ancestries and archetypes, and hundreds of spells. The full SRD is free on Archives of Nethys. Born from love of D&D 3.5, it became a giant in its own right.
- you want deep tactical combat with a clean three-action turn
- your group loves building characters with feats at every level
- you want encounter math that lets the GM balance fights reliably
- your players want to start playing without studying options
- you want fast, rules-light combat
- your table wants narrative mechanics over tactics
- 3-Action Economy
- Four Degrees of Success
- Deep Customization
- Balanced Math
Send both games to your players as one vote: everyone votes from their own phone, no signup.
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