The Beginner Box

Thursday, May 5, 2011

For many months now, a good portion of the staff here at Paizo has been slaving away in secret, working on a project that has only been mentioned in hushed tones and vague inferences. While its existence has become common knowledge, few outside the halls of Paizo know much about this rumored product. Well, the time for secrecy is over! Now it is time to take our first look at the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box!

Personally, I have wanted to do this project since the early days of the Pathfinder RPG. A beginner set not unlike this one is what got me into gaming over 20 years ago. While I can't go into all the details of this impressive box just yet, it is time to give you some of the basic details about what to expect from the Beginner Box and what it will contain.

First off, this box is designed to contain everything that a new gamer needs to begin playing the Pathfinder RPG, from dice and pawns to a simplified rules set and an exciting starter adventure. There are enough rules in this box to take characters all the way up to 5th level, and plenty of tools for the GM to create countless hours of play. But that's not all. Take a look at this list of components.

• A 64-page Hero's Handbook, detailing character creation, spells, equipment, and general rules for playing the game
• A 96-page Game Master's Guide packed with adventures, monsters, magical treasures, and advice on how to narrate the game and control the challenges faced by the heroes
• A complete set of 7 high-impact polyhedral dice
• More than 80 full-color pawns depicting tons of heroes, monsters, and even a fearsome black dragon
• Four pregenerated character sheets to throw you right into the action
• Four blank character sheets to record the statistics and deeds of your custom-made hero
• A durable, reusable, double-sided Flip-Mat play surface that works with any kind of marker

Suffice it to say, that is a lot to pack into one box. I am going to have a lot more to say about this particular product in the coming months (especially during the banquet at this year's PaizoCon). Until then.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer