Paizo is pleased to report that in just a few short weeks, we're expecting to begin the playtest for next year's Pathfinder Adventure Card Game (known to some of you by the code name "Project Swallowtail"). Because playtesting a card game isn't quite as simple as letting everybody download a PDF, it's not going to be quite as open as our RPG playtests have been, but if you'd like to get involved, read on to find out how that might be possible!
First, let me tell you a bit about the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.
The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is a cooperative game for 1 to 6 players designed by Mike Selinker and his team at Lone Shark Games, which Paizo intends to release at Gen Con 2013 (if not PaizoCon 2013).
Each player has a unique character comprised of a deck of cards and a set of stats. Roleplayers will find the stats very familiar—characters have classes such as fighter, wizard, and rogue; they have numbers that define their Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, etc.; they have skills and proficiencies.
As your player adventures, you'll improve your deck by acquiring new items, allies, spells, and weapons as you explore and overcome challenges; over time, you'll be customizing your deck to suit your own individual vision of your character.
The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game product offerings will begin with the Rise of the Runelords Base Set, a big box containing more than 400 cards including the "Burnt Offerings" Adventure Deck. Your party will explore locations such as the Sandpoint Cathedral, the Rusty Dragon, and the Glassworks; you'll meet helpful NPCs like Ameiko Kaijitsu or friendly Aldern Foxglove; you'll visit the Swallowtail Festival, delve into the Catacombs of Wrath, and invade Thistletop. You'll fight goblins, sinspawn, Warchief Ripnugget, and maybe even face the Sandpoint devil, and eventually, become the heroes of Sandpoint! The Base Set supports 1 to 4 players; a 110-card add-on deck will expand the number of players to 5 or 6, as well as adding more character options for any number of players.
We'll follow the Base Set with bimonthly 110-card Adventure Decks presenting the subsequent five chapters of Rise of the Runelords and, if all goes well, we'll adapt other Adventure Paths after that!
The Pathfinder Adventure Game plays in an hour to an hour-and-a-half; it's easy to learn, yet offers a lot of variety in play. Mike Selinker and his team did a stunning job capturing the feel of the Pathfinder Roleplaying game, the Pathfinder campaign setting, and the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path in a fun card game.
But to make this game is as fun and exciting as possible we're going to need playtesters—lots of playtesters. If you're interested in being one of them, find out how on our messageboards!
This looks interesting. I was hoping for Mythic rules today, but this Playtest could be fun too. Would the first deck set spoil Burnt Offerings? And other than APs, will you adapt Modules to this format too?
It introduces you to locations, characters, monsters, and items, and follows the storyline (albeit in a general sense), so yes... spoilers.
Stratagemini wrote:
And other than APs, will you adapt Modules to this format too?
Time will tell. It's going to take a year to get through Runelords, and that means that we'll be able to get customer feedback well before we actually have to make real decisions on the future, so we've only thought about what comes next in a very noncommittal sense.
So if our area has a Venture Captain this has to be done through them? I'm not involved in PFS at all ... but I do GM for two weekly groups of 6 (including myself).
So if our area has a Venture Captain this has to be done through them? I'm not involved in PFS at all ... but I do GM for two weekly groups of 6 (including myself).
No matter *where* you are, the route to get into the playtest is to contact a VC.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Tales Subscriber
Would there be a subscription for this one production plans get finalized? I realize this is too soon to officially say anything about this, but I would love to see a subscription.
And yes, I know almost every other Paizo product type has a subscription, I just want to show support for being able to subscribe to these products. :^)
With the exception of the Adventure Paths and the Fiction, I get all of my Pathfinder products from my local game store (The Guard Tower in Columbus, OH). However, I would subscribe to this to ensure I didn't miss any - I suspect these will see very well, especially at first.
I may have to talk the group into this idea, no need for a dm means everyone can play at the same time meaning no multiple games just so I can play. And a 100 bucks credit too. Hopefully I can swing a invite being far off in Saskatchewan, Canada lol.
FYI, one of the guys from Penny Arcade is doing the same idea right now. He's posted a few times about it on their website (in the webcomic editorials).
Same idea, deck-building game with classes with cards for stats (Str, Dex, etc).
Would there be a subscription for this one production plans get finalized?
Very likely. It won't be available in PDF form, though, so I'm not sure what the subscriber benefit will be... but I'm sure we'll come up with something.
One player can play the card game - like, solitaire?
That would be great!
Yep. And so far, I don't have any 1-person playtesters signed up... (I'm only looking for a few.)
How do I get signed up for that?!
The info is linked at the bottom of the blog entry:
Blog wrote:
But to make this game is as fun and exciting as possible we're going to need playtesters—lots of playtesters. If you're interested in being one of them, find out how on our messageboards!
I don't need any more testers with groups of 4 or more, but I still have a very few slots for smaller groups.
FYI, one of the guys from Penny Arcade is doing the same idea right now. He's posted a few times about it on their website (in the webcomic editorials).
Same idea, deck-building game with classes with cards for stats (Str, Dex, etc).
Just a heads up :)
I have seen it, and from what I can see, they're really not very similar. They seem to be focusing on translating the mechanics, while we're really focused on the adventuring feel.
I only have a couple of 2-person slots left, and there are a few people who initially requested larger groups that I've asked to fit into those slots, so unless I post otherwise, the playtest is now full!
I sent in for a 2 person slot to my vc on Sunday and heard NOTHING until yesterday so I have no idea if I'm in or not. If not you need to do something to wake up your vcs because this is ridiculous. From the posts on here if it had been sent in I should have had no trouble getting in, and been told by now.
