I switched my group to Cortex Prime after five sessions of Pathfinder. We kept the characters and adopted them to the new system.

This is our first TTRPG campaign. We previously only played the Pathfinder Beginner Box. I’m running it as the game master and have three players.

Why switch? #

The main reason for the switch is our irregular schedule. Sometimes we play every other week, but other times we have weeks between sessions.

This schedule prevented us from actually learning the rules of Pathfinder. Which, in turn, slowed our sessions down as both the players and me, as the game master, had to check rules, skills, spells, etc. all the time.

I like that Pathfinder has rules for (nearly) everything. I bet this makes it a very fluent game once everyone has learned it. But for us that was not the right fit.

Another problem with our schedule: it didn’t allow for the epic adventure I envisioned. It is difficult to tell a complex narrative when weeks can pass between sessions. My players forgot plot points or whole characters. A more experienced storyteller could have solved this, but I can’t. Not yet.

Why Cortex Prime? #

I looked at a few different systems. But I knew that my group needed something rules-light (at least compared to Pathfinder). I narrowed down the choice to either FATE or Cortex Prime.

I chose Cortex Prime because it has a “build-your-own-RPG” approach where I select rule-modules to build the game I want. This approach feels more flexible than FATE.

It allowed me to create a character sheet that translated well from the Pathfinder’s. This gives my players an easier time to get their beloved characters into the new system.

The biggest benefit of a rules-light system is the drastically reduced preparation time. It took me a few hours to prepare for each session in Pathfinder. I’m sure that it gets easier with more experience, but I had to look up monsters and their spells, rewards for the players, traps, etc.

With Cortex Prime I can do the preparation faster. I’m even able to improvise much more, when my players go off the rails (which I try not to lay too much of).

Another neat feature of Cortex Prime are the levelling rules. One rule module requires the players to give names to the sessions. They can later permanently spend these sessions to upgrade their characters. This rule provides my players with a mechanic to remember what has happened in previous sessions.

Changing the Narrative #

Cortex Prime solves many of my problems. But it does not solve the problem with my narrative and pacing. I decided to take an episodic approach to storytelling. More in line with a TV show.

This means my sessions follow a pattern: short recap of the previous session, hook into this session’s set piece, building to and playing the set piece, and ending with a cliffhanger. Of course, this is just a blueprint. Not every session follows this pattern directly. My players can (and will) disrupt this plan.

Struggles – Now and in the Future #

In the past sessions combat has been too easy. Last session I realized that I need to exploit hitches more to add complications to my players. I need to find the right balance between enemy types and their strengths. Currently, I’m using mobs frequently, but I think I should add some stronger, individual enemies into the mix.

There’s also huge potential in using the environment more. Having complications and assets that hinder and help the players should be a fun addition.

I’m not sure for how long we will be able to play the same characters in Cortex Prime. Pathfinder and similar (class-based) systems have the edge when it comes to character progression. In Cortex Prime the progression is more to the creativity of the players.

But I don’t sweat it. If the game stops being fun for the players, we can end it. After that we can always start a new game.

Conclusion #

For my group the switch to Cortex Prime was a good decision. My group enjoys the sessions. We move much quicker – the speed-up is in part because of the lighter rules and my changes to the session structure.