(Previous installments in this series were focused on Pathfinder 1st Edition, which has now been replaced by 2nd Edition as of Fall 2019. If you are interested you can see Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)
Note that nearly all these things can be found at Games of Berkeley and at Eudemonia in Berkeley.
Dice!
Nothing quite makes a kid prouder at the gaming table than a shiny set of his or her own dice. Games of Berkeley has a wide selection that you and your child can browse. Do not choose a set for them — let them adopt their own aesthetic! 😀 A complete set of 7 polyhedral dice costs between $5 and $15.
Dungeons & Dragons (the predominant game on Mondays)
BOXED SETS
These are great if your kid wants to run their own D&D adventures with family and friends right away! They are inexpensive and they come with all the essentials: dice, basic rules, and a starting adventure that goes from Levels 1 to 5.
The D&D Starter Set (with pregenerated characters and an excellent starter adventure) and the D&D Essentials Set (with character generation rules) are excellent. The Stranger Things D&D Game Starter Set is great if your child and their friends like the hit television show.
PLAYER’S HANDBOOK
The Player’s Handbook is where your child should start if they want the complete rules for D&D. It includes 9 races, 12 character classes, and hundreds of magic spells!
MONSTER MANUAL
There is little that excites RPG kids more than monsters, monsters, and monsters! The Monster Manual has monsters great and small, from the lowly caterpillar up to dragons and the invincible tarrasque.
Pathfinder RPG 2nd Edition (the predominant game on Wednesdays)
CORE RULEBOOK
Pathfinder RPG 2nd Edition Core Rulebook brings the options and customization that Pathfinder fans love and brings some of the innovations from D&D 5e to create an advanced, rich, tactical experience. The Core Rulebook has all the main rules of the game, including rules for game masters (including magic items). It comes with 6 ancestries (each of them has 3-5 options), 12 character classes (each of them has 3 options, with dozens and dozens of custom feats!), and the ability to make every single character utterly unique!
BESTIARY
No game is complete without monsters, kids love these books! This is the Bestiary for Pathfinder 2nd Edition.
Starfinder RPG
The makers of Pathfinder RPG brought their talent and imagination to science fantasy, where elves and dwarves commingle with alien races in fantastical realms that span the stars. Spaceships duel, laser guns fire. Think Star Wars meets D&D.
Sixth graders are not learning Starfinder RPG by default this year (Fall 2019), but kids who are interested can tell me if they want to try the game and I will make it happen!
STARFINDER RPG BEGINNER BOX
Although your child might not be able to play Starfinder RPG right away, if what I said sounds interesting to them then by all means buy them the excellent Starfinder RPG Beginner Box. It comes with dice, a full color map, thick full-color “pawns” to represent characters and monsters, a player book, a GM book, a starter adventure, and a basic version of the rules for players (with alien races and 6 classes).
Pathfinders' Guild of Berkeley 