this post was submitted on 09 May 2025
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The Pathfinder video games are directly from the Pathfinder tabletop game, which is basically a different copyright of D&D. They would need a DM. I'm not sure what else you could be thinking.
Edit: DM = Dungeon Master (D&D), GM = Game Master (Pathfinder), as this user pointed out below.
GM is also used in GURPS, but the 5 guys here who have used it already know that.
And if they want someone to join them, they can always DM me.
They're called GMs in Pathfinder ;)
Dungeon Master is a DnD term, and trademarked by WotC.
Breaking Hasbro IP is chaotic good though
I'd rather not give them the recognition, and Pathfinder ditched alignment anyway.
It is actually a good strategy to dilute the term Dungeon Master into a general phrase, because that means Hasbro can't enforce their copyright. For instance, Aspirin is a brand name, but it's such a generic term that anyone in the US can call their product Aspirin without risk.
We'll have to agree to disagree! I prefer using the game's defined term, or Game Master for general usage.
Edited to add, you TTRPG players sure are a contentious people.
Don't you mean "us TTRPG people"? You're also a part of this
+1 Hate for intellectual property law
Oh I completely forgot about that distinction XD
Pathfinder is very different mechanically to dnd. It's like saying settlers of catan is a different copyright of carcassonne.
Is it though?
Depends on which edition of DnD, frankly. Pathfinder 1e and 2e are quite mechanically different, as many DnD editions are to each other.
I need to read up on Pathfinder 2e.
I know the "joke" was that 1e was basically D&D 3.75... which was a bit too powergamey for my tastes, so I never even looked at 2e...
It's still a d20 system but it is quite a bit different.
I've just not had the excuse to look yet, my life is currently a bit too chaotic for a regular game, let alone one in another new system...
I am working on an open game setting over at https://ttrpg.network/c/Canyonlands but don't have anything like a plan for actually running a game.
Good luck, fellow worldbuilder!
Pathfinder is closer to D&D than most other TTRPGs (not counting direct D&D derivatives)
True, but anyone who thinks it's a drag and drop replacement is in for a headache