How does Pathfinder balance damage?

This is a high level overview of the insights I’ve gained through play, through studying the rulebook, and through analyzing data. Sometimes here you’ll see assertions like “a focus spell’s single target damage is similar to a ranged martial’s.” That kind of statement bears out in the data (seen later) and in my experience playing the game.

What’s in this chapter?

This chapter is to provide a high level overview of balance insights informed by my research, experience running and playing, designer commentary online, and analyzing the available rulebook options. What’s discussed in this chapter is ultimately visible from taking a close eye to the options presented in the rulebook.

This’ll primarily take the form of looking at weapons specifically, how key traits, hand usage, range, and action economy play a roll in their damage dice size, and spells very generally. We’ll look at cantrips, focus spells, and slotted spells. And afterward we’ll compare and contrast them, making explicit their boons and banes.

If you are interested in graphs and quantitative analysis, I recommend moving on to the next chapter.

Assumptions from synthesizing designer comments

• An option is balanced against its performance ceiling, but a character/class is not assumed to always be at its performance ceiling (e.g. having the best spells at all times)–it’s assumed to be played well.

• Hyperspecializing in damage (or hyperfocusing on it, as is the case with this guide), is counterable and can lead to lower damage in play.

• Buffs, debuffs, healing, damage mitigation, utility, and range are all important and the game assumes the party can handle all or most of these things.