Pathfinder Combat Pad [RPG]

This is a clever, durable little product that I now use every time I run Pathfinder Society games.  The combat pad itself is a thick magnetic board with a column for Initiative on the far left side, “Action, Ready, Delay” columns next to that, and a column with Rounds (1-20) in the center.  On the far left is a large blank area for notes.  The set comes with a *lot* of blank magnets for writing the name of a character (with different coloured magnets for PCs, enemies, and NPCs), and then you just slot in the magnets in order on the left side of the pad to keep track of everyone’s Initiative order with the help of the little “Turn” arrow magnets—which I need to remember to use!.  If the order changes or more characters join the fight (or drop out of the fight), it’s very easy to slide the magnets around to change the order.  The package comes with two little “Round” magnets so you can keep track of what round it is, which is particularly useful for keeping track of limited-duration buffs, how long a poison lasts, etc.  Last, it includes two “Next Round” magnets—I’m not really sure what the purpose of these are, since you know it’s the next round when everyone has gone.

The particular genius of the Pathfinder Combat Pad is that *everything* (pad and magnets) are coated for dry erase and wet erase markers.  Adding or removing names to the character magnets is a snap, and the large “Notes” section is perfect for keeping track of all the little details a GM is supposed to remember (but often forgets) during an encounter.

My only criticism of the package is that both sides of the pad are exactly the same and there’s way more magnets than you could possibly need.  If I had my druthers, the flip-side of the pad would be designed for something different (like how the Starfinder Combat Pad uses the flip-side for starship combat).  I’m not sure what I would want on the flip-side, but almost anything would be better than the redundant design it currently has.

That point aside, this is a very useful product and one that will last a long time.  I’ve used it in dozens and dozens of sessions, and it has held up well.  For GMs who currently juggle a dozen pieces of scratch paper to keep track of things during encounters, I strongly recommend purchasing this product.