Welcome to PF2E

You already know how to play tabletop RPGs. The dice are the same, you still roll a d20 to hit things, and the goal is still "don't die, have fun." PF2E is crunchier than 5E but the payoff is that every choice you make in combat actually matters. This handout covers the five biggest differences and the stuff that trips up 5E players the most. Read it once, bookmark it, and you'll be fine.

The Big 5 Changes

1. Three Actions Per Turn

In 5E you had an action, a bonus action, and movement. Forget all of that. In PF2E you get 3 actions and you spend them however you want. Moving? That's an action. Attacking? Action. Raising your shield? Action. Casting a spell? Usually 2 actions. Everything draws from the same pool of 3.

This is the single biggest difference. It makes every turn a real decision.

2. Degrees of Success

In 5E, you either hit or miss. In PF2E, every check has four possible outcomes:

A natural 20 bumps your result up one degree (so a failure becomes a success). A natural 1 bumps it down one degree. This means a nat 20 against a very hard DC might only be a regular success, not an automatic crit.

3. Multiple Attack Penalty (MAP)

Attacking more than once per turn gets harder. Your second attack takes a -5 penalty, your third takes -10. (Agile weapons reduce this to -4/-8.) This resets at the start of your next turn.

The takeaway: don't just attack three times. Your third attack almost never hits. Use that action to do something else instead (Demoralize, Raise Shield, Move, Aid, Recall Knowledge).

4. Proficiency Scales With Level

In 5E, proficiency was a flat +2 to +6 over your whole career. In PF2E, proficiency bonus = your level + a rank bonus (Trained +2, Expert +4, Master +6, Legendary +8). A level 5 character trained in Athletics has +7 just from proficiency. This means level differences matter a lot; a creature 3 levels above you is genuinely dangerous.

5. No Bonus Actions, No Free Reactions

In 5E, everyone gets a reaction (opportunity attack) and most classes have bonus actions. In PF2E:

• Reactions are not automatic. You only get one if a class feature or feat specifically grants it (e.g., a fighter's Attack of Opportunity). Most characters at level 1 have no reaction at all.
• Bonus actions don't exist. Everything is just "actions." A rogue's extra flourish, a cleric's healing, they all cost 1-2 of your 3 actions.

Your Turn: What to Do with 3 Actions

Here are common turn patterns to get you thinking beyond "I attack three times":

The sweet spot is usually: one attack, one "setup" action (Demoralize, Raise Shield, Move, Recall Knowledge), and one more attack or defensive action.

Healing and Dying

No Short Rests or Hit Dice

There is no short rest mechanic. Out-of-combat healing comes from the Medicine skill (Treat Wounds activity, ~10 minutes) or healing spells. Someone in the party should be trained in Medicine. It's the most important skill in the game.

Dying Works Differently

When you drop to 0 HP, you don't make death saves. Instead:

1. You fall unconscious and gain dying 1 (or dying 2 if a crit knocked you out)
2. Each turn, you make a recovery check (flat DC 10 + your dying value)
3. Success reduces dying by 1. Failure increases it by 1
4. Dying 4 = you are dead

The Wounded Spiral

When you recover from dying, you gain the wounded condition. If you go down again while wounded, your dying value starts higher (wounded 1 means you start at dying 2 instead of dying 1). This makes repeated knockdowns increasingly lethal.

Hero Points

You start each session with 1 Hero Point (max 3, the GM awards more during play). You can spend one to reroll any check, or spend all your Hero Points to cheat death (instantly stabilize when dying instead of making a recovery check). Save at least one for emergencies.

Skills and Checks

Proficiency Ranks

You can attempt most skill checks even if untrained (you just add +0 instead of your level + rank). Some advanced uses (like Treat Disease or Decipher Writing) require training.

Useful Combat Skills

These aren't just for out-of-combat. You can use them with 1 action during your turn:

• Demoralize (Intimidation): Frighten an enemy, giving them -1 or -2 to everything
• Bon Mot (Diplomacy): Penalize an enemy's Will saves and Perception
• Recall Knowledge (varies): Learn a creature's weakness or key stat
• Create a Diversion (Deception): Become hidden from an enemy
• Trip/Grapple/Shove (Athletics): Knock prone, grab, or reposition enemies

Bonuses Stack Differently

In 5E, you generally can't stack advantage. In PF2E, bonuses come in three types: circumstance, status, and item. You use the highest of each type and they all stack together. So a +1 status bonus (from Bless) and a +1 circumstance bonus (from flanking) both apply.

Other Stuff That'll Trip You Up

• Flanking gives the target the "off-guard" condition (-2 AC), not advantage. You need two allies on opposite sides.
• Cantrips scale automatically with your level, similar to 5E. No need to heighten them manually.
• Shields are active. You must spend 1 action to Raise Shield each turn to get the AC bonus. They also take damage and can break.
• Spell slots work like 5E (prepared or spontaneous depending on class), but spells can be heightened by preparing them in higher-rank slots for stronger effects.
• There is no concentration. Sustained spells cost 1 action per turn to maintain instead. You can sustain multiple spells if you have actions to spare.
• "Off-guard" is the new "flat-footed." It means -2 AC. Caused by flanking, being prone, being grabbed, and many other conditions.

Quick Combat Reference Card

Copy this or keep it open during your first session:

YOUR TURN: 3 actions, 1 reaction (if you have one)

COMMON ACTIONS (1 action each):
  Strike ............ Attack roll vs AC
  Stride ............ Move up to your Speed
  Step .............. Move 5 ft (no reactions triggered)
  Raise Shield ...... +shield bonus to AC until next turn
  Interact .......... Draw weapon, open door, pick up item
  Demoralize ........ Intimidation vs Will DC (frighten enemy)
  Recall Knowledge .. Learn about a creature (various skills)

MULTI-ACTION ACTIVITIES:
  Cast a Spell ...... Usually 2 actions
  Ready ............. 2 actions (prepare action with a trigger)

MULTIPLE ATTACK PENALTY:
  1st attack: +0 | 2nd: -5 (-4 agile) | 3rd: -10 (-8 agile)

DEGREES OF SUCCESS:
  Beat DC by 10+ = Crit Success
  Meet/beat DC   = Success
  Below DC       = Failure
  Below by 10+   = Crit Failure
  Nat 20 = bump up one degree | Nat 1 = bump down one degree

DYING:
  0 HP → unconscious + dying 1 (dying 2 if crit)
  Each turn: recovery check (DC 10 + dying value)
  Dying 4 = death
  Hero Point = cheat death (spend all your Hero Points)

Last Updated: 2026-04-09