Pathfinder Battles Preview: It's Raining Cats and Frogs
Friday, November 2, 2012
It’s been raining cats and dogs here in Seattle lately, so I decided to take that as inspiration for this week’s preview. And since I don’t have a great photo of the set’s two awesome canine figures yet, I’m substituting a frog-like thing instead to preserve the delicate rhyme structure of my pun.
I speak, of course, of the Boggard!
Boggards have been with Pathfinder for a long time, and finally get their due in a major way as antagonists in the second and third volumes of the Shattered Star Adventure Path. Because we put this set together well before the Shattered Star campaign was written, we actually used a piece of art from an early boggard appearance in the Kingmaker Adventure Path, but we liked him so much we figured he could play double duty for the Shattered Star miniatures set. He’s a common, so you’ll soon have plenty of Boggards in your collection to menace the swamps of your campaign world.
And since no frog is complete without its cat (did I just make that up?), here’s a look at the next cool miniature in the set, the Catfolk Rogue!
This lithe cat-burglar feautres in The Asylum Stone, by Paizo’s own James L. Sutter. The adventure takes place in Kaer Maga, Varisia’s very own wretched hive of scum and villainy, where weird creatures rub shoulders with elves, humans, and worse. Catfolk, which we first introduced in Bestiary 2 to much popular acclaim, seemed like a natural fit for that environment, and here she is, ready to pounce into your miniatures collection. The Catfolk Rogue is an uncommon figure.
Both of these animalistic figures have amazing paint details for their rarities. The Boggard is easily among the very best commons we’ve yet produced (if not the very best common) in both sculpting detail and paint application, and the Catfolk Rogue features tons of paint steps like fur stripes, skin gradient, and amazing eyes that elevate her to more than just a cat-headed lady.
We’ve now approved every figure in the set, and we’re well on our way to the Shattered Star set’s scheduled January release!
The rain over halloween did indeed suck. This preview has got me think of how I might put together a Boggard costume for next year. Anywho! I'm really enjoying seeing what will be coming in the Shattered Star set. :)
Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Roleplaying Game, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules, Card Game, Comics, Pawns, Battles Case Subscriber; GameMastery Superscriber
I like these two a lot, both are excellent sculpts with some real attention to small details and a very well painted (paint masters I assume). I love that Boggard and the quality of this set is simply mind boggling. I can't even begin to question the quality of these minis. I really only have a question about why these two are included. I've spoilered soem parts since it may give away some adventure moments
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The catfolk appears very briefly in the adventure and is a very minor NPC in one encounter, would it not be better to include a more prominant creature, say a tower girl, wererat, other boggard, nuperibo, a very important troglodyte to match the boggards? Why this particulat NPC?
As for the boggard, I said it once and I'll say it again - I love this miniature - but it looks like a cheif. Will there be other boggards in future to flesh out the ranks.
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They are a large part of the first section of the second adventure and .
they usually appear in large bands. Seems funny to my mind that the PC's continually encounter the "Boggard Elite CHeif Warrior Band"
We created the set list months before writing on the Shattered Star began, due to the crazy lead-times for plastics manufacturing. In the meantime, some of the creatures and characters we'd elected to include in the set became more or less prominent, which explains why we might have included a mini of a creature that turns out to be of relatively low significance to the AP as a whole. This is one reason why we probably _won't_ try to release a minis set and an AP at the same time for the foreseeable future.
As for boggards, I am positive that we will do more of them in future sets. At the time we made this one, that was the coolest boggard image that we owned, so he got the spotlight.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Roleplaying Game, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules, Card Game, Comics, Pawns, Battles Case Subscriber; GameMastery Superscriber
Makes sense and don't get me wrong I love both minis I was just curious about the thought processes behind their inclusion, I find the blogs were you go into philosophy and process behind the set the best blogs. Although the release of shattered star and its mini set is a really exciting thing I can understand the headache it causes. Personally I like the idea of matching a set with its AP - it's generally the AP's I will run and its nice to have required minis for them. Over time the gaps will get filled if the line continues to succeed. Since there are two AP's a year couldn't you match one with minis and do the second (and third?) as a bestiary set?
As for the Boggard choice, he played a huge role in my kingmaker campaign - present throughout nearlly all of it! So I applaud the choice, even better since he's common I can now reward my players with a mini of there "favourite" part time ally/treacherous nemesis!
Erm. I prefer the Bestiary 1 artwork of the Boggard to this one. Its so much more frog-like. I also prefer the Advanced Race Guide artwork of the catfolk; I think its boring if animalistic races are just humans with fur, ears, and tails glued on them.
Also, Catfolk are from Bestiary 3, Erik. Not Bestiary 2!
I'll like the boggard too but it seem like a chief boggard. I would like to see a troop basic boggard.
I would like a set of mini based on ancient AP too, like Curse of the Crimson Throne (oh Curse of the Crimson Throne, best AP of all), Second Darkness (for many minis we have not seen in pathfinder line) or Legacy of fire (i wait the french release for the ambiance, o Katapesh, gnolls and genies), with an anniversary edition with pathfinder rules. Or Kingmaker. One who was released in french. Or a bestiary set.
Whatever, Great job to paizo and wizkid. I have buy all your minis, and i like them all. And i think i will continue to buy pathfinder minis.
Something I have kinda wondered about having mini's match an AP is what about monsters that PF has traditionally ignored, specifically orcs? I know there were 2 in the original set, but I would think that people could use more of them. The question actually works towards any monster that doesn't get seen very often. Would there be a possibilty of having a set of mini's not tied to an AP that would stock up on such figures?
Something I have kinda wondered about having mini's match an AP is what about monsters that PF has traditionally ignored, specifically orcs? I know there were 2 in the original set, but I would think that people could use more of them.
Yes Erik, where are the orcs??? *Grumbles*
As a huge orc fan (one that is currently writing an Orc Adventure Path), I would really like to see more orcs. Sure, the "other guys" made them, but the 2 Paizo orcs made are THE BEST orcs ever made as a pre-painted mini.
Paizo orc faces and physiques are very much in unison with how I envision orcs. Many miniature sculptors either give them a very porcine appearance, or make them look like mutated goblins. Additionally, Paizo goblins minis are green and not purple! *More grumbling about his army of purple orcs*
I've got to agree with the people who are saying this boggard looks like he's leadership-class -- chief or shaman. I just can't see it looking right to have lots of them on a battlemat; he'd need to have a proper weapon. Honestly, I'd put him as an uncommon and move something else into a common slot.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Roleplaying Game, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules, Card Game, Comics, Pawns, Battles Case Subscriber; GameMastery Superscriber
Can't see them changing rarities at this point in time. On the plus side if that's their first go at a Boggard then I can't wait to see what follows. So what will we see next? I hope we get a Dullahan - mounted and unmounted.
More Orcs, Bugbears, Gnolls, Hobgoblins and Lizardfolk please! The Goblin and Ogre offerings are already fantastic, but I wouldn't turn down a few more pieces, like the Goblin Pyromaniac!
Excellent work on these minis. I have to agree the boggard, *while very, VERY awesome-looking*, has a rather distinct appearance about him that makes it a little unusual to use him as rank-and-file.
[...]this boggard looks like he's leadership-class -- chief or shaman.
The boggard, being based on an illustration from the KM AP (#4, specifically) is a CR 9-11(?) priest, thus his mold rightly matches what you describe as a chief.
What may make the most sense, is to design APs around miniatures already made or in the pipeline.
That works well for you basic monsters, but when it comes to your NPCs and Iconic villians, going the other way and letting the creative designers build the characters, and then back filling with Mini's ensures that the priority is put on the quality of the AP, and not the accessories that support it.
Not all of the minis sets will be slated to APs, and not all AP sets will be slated to "current" Adventure Paths (meaning we may go back and fill some holes, as it were).
I've already made a list for the first non-AP set, and some of you will be pleased to see that includes some more orcs.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Deluxe Comics, Battles Case Subscriber
Galnörag wrote:
Mazra wrote:
What may make the most sense, is to design APs around miniatures already made or in the pipeline.
That works well for you basic monsters, but when it comes to your NPCs and Iconic villians, going the other way and letting the creative designers build the characters, and then back filling with Mini's ensures that the priority is put on the quality of the AP, and not the accessories that support it.
Point taken. But I can't help but think of the fantastic Vampire and Lich from Heroes & Monsters. Not all super villains need to be unique to an adventure. Good story telling is what gives any AP quality. A good writer could take that Lich and build a great story. Same is true for the Vampire. There is now three bestiaries full of exciting opportunities for great story telling. There is no need to constantly reinvent the wheel, when there are several tire stores to pick from.
BOGGARD! YES! Can never have enough bul...I mean boggards. I hope when I get my case I get more than one demi-lich. If one in an encounter is good, two must be better. So excited for this set.
