Pathfinder 2e: Dice & Strategy Guide

Pathfinder Second Edition shares D&D’s d20 heartbeat but adds two ideas that give it real tactical depth: four degrees of success on every roll, and a three-action turn. Learn those two systems and the rest of the game falls into place.

What dice PF2e uses

Pathfinder 2e uses the standard polyhedral set. As in most d20 systems, the d20 resolves the action and the other dice measure the result. The core roll is:

d20 + your modifiers versus a Difficulty Class (DC).

Your modifier bundles your ability modifier, your proficiency bonus (untrained, trained, expert, master or legendary — and, importantly, your level is added on top of a trained-or-better bonus), and any circumstance or status bonuses in play. Attacks compare against the target’s Armour Class; other actions compare against a DC set by the task or by a defender’s saving-throw DC. Damage is rolled on weapon or spell dice (1d4 up to 1d12 and beyond) after a hit.

The four degrees of success

This is the mechanic that defines PF2e. Instead of a simple hit-or-miss, you compare your total to the DC and read one of four outcomes:

On top of that, a natural 20 improves your result by one step and a natural 1 worsens it by one step. So a natural 20 that would only have been a success becomes a critical success; a natural 20 that misses the DC entirely is merely a normal success. Critical hits deal double damage, and many spells and skills have distinct effects at each degree, which makes rolling far more textured than a binary check.

How a turn plays out

Combat begins with an initiative roll — usually Perception, sometimes a relevant skill. On your turn you have three actions, plus one reaction you can spend when a trigger occurs. Almost everything costs actions in a clean, tradeable way:

• A Strike (attack) costs one action, so you could attack up to three times, or attack twice and Raise a Shield, or Stride–Strike–Stride.
• Stride (move), Step (5-foot move that avoids reactions), Raise a Shield, Interact and most skill actions each cost one action.
• Some abilities and many spells cost two actions; a few cost three or just one.

Because moving and acting draw from the same pool, positioning genuinely competes with attacking — there is no “free” move.

Winning and effective strategy

• Mind the multiple-attack penalty (MAP). Your second Strike in a turn takes a −5 penalty and your third a −10 (−4/−8 with an agile weapon). A third Strike often has a slim chance to hit; spending that action to Demoralise, Trip, Grapple or move is frequently far better than a long-odds swing.
• Flank for off-guard. Two allies on opposite sides of an enemy make it off-guard (−2 to its AC), which also unlocks a rogue’s sneak attack. Because beating a DC by 10 crits, a −2 to the target’s AC meaningfully raises your critical rate too.
• Debuff before you burst. Conditions stack toward crits. Frightened, off-guard, Trip (prone) and Demoralise all lower an enemy’s numbers so the whole party lands more hits and more criticals.
• Spend the third action well. Raise a Shield, Recall Knowledge on a tough foe, Ready an action, or reposition. Action efficiency — getting three meaningful things done every turn — is the core skill of PF2e.
• Respect the level-based maths. Because level is baked into proficiency, an on-level or higher foe is genuinely dangerous and an under-level one is easy. Recall Knowledge and target the right defence — hit the low save, not the high AC.

Beginner tips and common mistakes

• Don’t reflexively attack three times. The −10 third Strike is the most common trap. Trip or Demoralise instead and set up your allies.
• Track the degree, not just hit/miss. Ask “did I beat it by 10?” on every roll — you will crit and get critically hit more often than you expect.
• Add your level. New players forget that trained-and-above proficiency includes your level; leaving it off makes you feel far weaker than you are.
• Use Step to escape. Moving out of a foe’s reach normally invites a Reactive Strike from some monsters; a one-action Step avoids that trigger.
• Play as a team. PF2e is balanced around coordination — buffs, flanking and shared debuffs — far more than around individual hero moves.

Want the lighter d20 game Pathfinder grew from? Compare it with our D&D 5e dice & strategy guide.