Fed up of D&D? Its biggest rival is cheaper than ever, so now is the time to try it

If you've had enough of D&D or simply want to try something new, I want to wave this Pathfinder deal under your nose that almost made me do a spit-take.

Described as an "Introduction to Pathfinder 2nd Edition," this bundle provides 26 PDF products for $14.99 at Fanatical rather than $458 (or £13.15 rather than £369, if you're based in the UK). They're not just a hodge-podge of random adventures, either. Besides providing you with the up-to-date core rules (the Player, GM, and Monster rulebooks), you're also receiving the hugely popular Abomination Vaults adventure alongside character/world guides, battlemaps, and more. In essence, it's a one-stop-shop for one of the best tabletop RPGs that isn't D&D.

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Introduction to Pathfinder 2nd Edition | View at Fanatical
Even though you can pay less for fewer items, $14.99/£13.15 is pretty outrageous so far as value for money goes. It provides you with the Player Core 1 and 2 books, the Monster Core, GM Core, Abomination Vaults adventure, a PDF version of the Beginner Box, and more. In other words, it's the perfect entry-point to the game system at a fraction of the normal price. Indeed, you'd normally be paying around $.99/£15.99 for some of these books in the first place.

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Ever since it first launched in 2009 as a response to unpopular changes made in D&D at the time (it was basically a throwback to third-edition Dungeons & Dragons following a major, controversial shift in fourth-ed), Pathfinder has become the defacto challenger to D&D's throne. There's more to it than just being a fantasy clone, though; it's a deeper system with "crunchier" mechanics and a little more bite than D&D.

It also has an arguably broader, more varied world than its rival. Actually, it's well-known for escaping the trappings of classic swords 'n' sorcery by exploring new settings inspired by cultures and mythology beyond Western medieval fantasy (in a respectful way that doesn't rely on tropes, I should hasten to add). If you're growing weary of the same old knights and dragons shtick, this should prove to be a breath of fresh air.

So, I love D&D. But it's very much a Jack of all trades, and while that can be a benefit, it can also be an issue. Combat lacks depth, for example, and I'm often surprised that you can't do certain things within its ruleset. There's no way to call shots in Dungeons & Dragons, for instance, which always surprises me.

Anyway, it's unclear how long this offer is going to last. If you're keen to go outside the bounds of D&D and give Pathfinder a go, I'd probably jump on this discount sooner than later as a result.

• See other deals at Fanatical
• Browse Pathfinder discounts at Amazon

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