Pathfinder Beginner Box Description:
The Pathfinder Beginner Box provides a way for new players to gain easier access to the Pathfinder RPG. The box is full to the rim with everything you’ll need to play and GM the Pathfinder RPG.

What’s in the box (from the Paizo web site):
• 64-page Hero’s Handbook, detailing character creation, spells, equipment, and general rules for playing the game
• 96-page Game Master’s Guide packed with adventures, monsters, magical treasures, and advice on how to narrate the game and control the challenges faced by the heroes
• A complete set of 7 high-impact polyhedral dice
• More than 80 full-color pawns depicting tons of heroes, monsters, and even a fearsome black dragon
• Four pre-generated character sheets to throw you right into the action
• Four blank character sheets to record the statistics and deeds of your custom-made hero
• A durable, reusable, double-sided Flip-Mat play surface that works with any kind of marker

A Quick Pathfinder Beginner Box Review:

So I play in a home brew Pathfinder RPG game and I was interested to see what Paizo was doing to introduce new players to the game. First they have made a hands down beautiful product. The art work and graphic design of the Pathfinder Beginner Box is awesome! It is enjoyable to look at and helps make learning the rules even better.

Both the Hero’s Handbook and Game Master’s Guide are easy to read and understand. Whether you are a first time player or GM, the Pathfinder Beginner Box has everything you need to start playing quickly. The four pre-generated characters and introductory adventure can have you playing in minutes.

The Flip-Mat has a side that shows the dungeon for the included adventure. The other side is blank. This is awesome for when your GM wants to create a custom adventure. The included stand-up monster and PC pawns are very well done too. The pawns look great and you get a ton. These items alone make this worth the price, but with the books and dice added, you are getting more value than you are paying for.

There are a few rules differences between the Pathfinder RPG and those in the Beginner Box. I am not going to highlight them all but here are the major ones:
• No Attack of Opportunities
• No Charging on Surprise
• No Combat Maneuvers or Combat Defense
• You cannot cast spells when you are next to an enemy unless it is a touch attack spell
• You must be at least 2 squares from an enemy to make a ranged attack
• No Ability Damage or Drain
• No favored classes
If you are interested in the Pathfinder RPG, the Beginner Box is for you. The Pathfinder Beginner Box will help introduce you to the game and your adventurers can play to level 5. After that you should know if you want to buy the full-fledge RPG or not. If you want to introduce your kids to the Pathfinder RPG, you will want to pick this up too. The differences are not immense, but the Beginner Box rules are quicker and a bit easier to play with. Lastly if you introduce a lot of new players to the Pathfinder RPG, the Beginner Box will help you ease their transition in to the game. No matter who you are if you buy the Pathfinder Beginner Box you will get your money’s worth.