Introduced in 2009 as an alternative to Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder offers a world of fantasy adventure crafted out of words and a few numbers. Despite the appeal of the Pathfinder system, onboarding new players can prove challenging. To help new players get comfortable with Pathfinder, there are modules. These premade adventures offer players and Game Masters alike an easy entrance into the Pathfinder world, reducing the scope of necessary knowledge and providing premade characters and pre-tested obstacles to reduce the initial work of memorizing and internalizing mechanics.
Many established role-players are used to Dungeons & Dragons and are loath to abandon the familiar playscape. New players can feel intimidated by the intricate ways in which mechanics work together and the sheer amount of world-building already established. No matter what kind of adventure players and GMs want to explore, these five premade modules serve as excellent introductions to Pathfinder.
We Be Goblins Is a Great Introduction to Pathfinder
At just 16 pages, We Be Goblins is shorter than most Pathfinder modules and therefore immediately appealing to a daunted new player. Contained in its short length are the bones of an adventure that have become a staple of Pathfinder fare. Players take on new goblin identities, immediately throwing themselves deep into the fantasy nature of this world.
With a simple quest -- prove their skill and successfully retrieve a cache of fireworks -- players experiment with Pathfinder mechanics in a setting that rewards silly gambits, uninformed gusto and occasional death. Unlike most modules (for Pathfinder and other role-playing games), We Be Goblins is free and immediately available. The silly, forgiving environment and the easy-on-the-pocketbook price make “We Be Goblins” the perfect place to dive into Pathfinder.
Murder's Mark Avoids Traditional Fantasy Tropes
In Murder's Mark, a traveling circus has just arrived in town and the chaotic atmosphere of acrobatics, gambling and deception in the name of entertainment provides the perfect opportunity for theft and even murder. If clowns and contortion aren’t enough to interest new players, the mystery is sure to grab them. Eschewing the fantasy nonsense of many quests that center on slaying dragons or saving princesses, this Pathfinder module roots the adventure in something much more familiar to the average player: A murder mystery. Those familiar with whodunits or fans of procedural dramas will enjoy Murder's Mark.
Crypt of the Everflame is Perfect for TTRPG Beginners
Sometimes the best way to learn the rules of a new system is to lean into ignorance. Crypt of the Everflame lays out an adventure for novice heroes preparing for a ceremonial test of their abilities. Needless to say the test goes horribly wrong and the young adventurers end up fighting an evil more deadly and ancient than a final exam. The premise lends itself perfectly to real-life players who are also new to the sport of adventuring.
Crypt of the Everflame is the perfect module for tentative or new gamers. The teenage characters set the stage for over-the-top, high school drama roleplaying that is perfect for the inexperienced. Their un-tested skills make it okay for players to fumble in their knowledge and the limited environment of the crypt allows for vivid storytelling, without needing to remember the names of many different kingdoms or characters.
The Dragon's Demand Is a Simple but Full Campaign
While Pathfinder offers many modules that complicate the idea of a "fantasy" narrative and create interesting but approachable worlds, sometimes players just need to fight a dragon. The Dragon's Demand is much longer than most of the other modules featured here -- it isn’t a one-off night of role-playing. However, new players who are ready to commit some time to the game may want to explore this module, which will introduce them to the standard repertoire of adventuring in Pathfinder (and the associated risks).
The Godsmouth Heresy Solidly Explains the World of Pathfinder
Sometimes, fighting a power-hungry, unstoppable necromancer is a great impetus for adventuring. The Godsmouth Heresy invites players to help defeat a heretical cleric and his army of the undead, introducing players to classic fantasy ideas of alchemy and the terrible uses of stolen corpses. While The Godsmouth Heresy may run tried-and-true (if gruesome) fantasy tropes, the module itself is anything but ordinary. The sin magic that fuels the main villain provides a provocative backdrop and the ancient tombs, temple and monsters invite players into the long history of the world easily.
All of these Pathfinder modules start the group out as first-level characters. While this isn’t strictly necessary and many of the most interesting mechanics come at later levels, it certainly reduces the cognitive load for new players who are just getting their footing with character traits and possibilities.