Dungeons & Dragons 5E reduced the number of conditions in the game significantly.
Pathfinder 2 did not.
What this allows the game to do is more varied in the effects that spells, attacks, poisons, curses, diseases, potions, and other phenomena have.
However, it also puts on a fairly hefty burden on players and GM to keep track of everything. Honestly, I’m not sure how easy it is without computer assistance – and how often people just forget to apply the effects.
During our PF2 session this evening, one of the characters ended up as Sickened 3 and Weakened 2.
Sickened 3: -3 status penalty to all your checks and DCs (yes, if you cast a spell that normally requires a DC 18 to save against, instead it is a DC 15). You can spend an action retching, which allows you to make a Fortitude check to reduce your sickened value by 1.
Enfeebled 2: -2 status penalty to all Strength-based rolls (including attacks and damage).
The penalties are both status penalties, so they don’t stack. It’s not a -5 penalty to melee attacks! Although the -3 is really bad – so a longsword attack would be -3 to attack and -2 damage.
Someone else got Frightened, and that penalty reduces by one at the end of each of their turns.
Attaching all these numbers to everything allows a lot of variety and nuance… but keeping track of it all can be a pain. It is especially so as a GM, when you have different monsters all with different penalties.
It shows me why the D&D 5E method of disadvantage can be so powerful. Yes, it’s not nuanced at all – but it’s simple to apply. And simple to apply is a lot less work for the GM and players.
It’s a tradeoff in design. Neither is the “wrong” answer, but they target different audiences. If one way annoys you, have a look at the other!
I’m looking forward for your opinion, experience in PF2, I plan to GM the beginner box this weekend, and try the game the first time.
Did you thought about using plastic tokens or something similar to track statuses? I am thinking on it, it will be easier than writing on paper.
The designers of Pathfinder (both editions) never saw a bit of complexity that they thought was worth avoiding.
How much would it break Pathfinder 2e to just replace all the status and flatfooted stuff with advantage/disadvantage?
I’m starting Beginner Box next weekend and it’s intimidating
Quite a lot, I’m afraid. Pathfinder 2 relies on all these small modifiers providing differences between options.
For me PF2 is awesome as a GM, i did two long campaigns to the end with my party (Age of Ashes and Extinction Curse), and are now doing Agents of Edgewatch.
I played D&D since 2 Edition, skipped 5th and went into PF1, for me this system is the best for the GM.
But of course it is always a matter of taste.