John Pettit's page

I simply feel frustrated when companies such as Amazon, Overstock, etc. show sales if you pre-order, but then shove the release dates for Paizo products.

I have pre-ordered from both companies dozens of times for hundreds of products, and Paizo is the only one I really have trouble with them getting as they predict.

It seems every time the release date is pushed back even though the entire world has it available for sale.

Often times, pre-ordering yields a discount or sale price. For me, that is worth while and gives me reason to pre-order.

Otherwise, pre-ordering is pointless to me because the book will be available, even if the first print runs out, eventually. I'm not the one who wants it on the day of release, but the best price.

Just wanted to point this out. I pre-ordered Ultimate Magic through Amazon (and we all know how well that went). So I transferred my pre-order to Overstock.

I just got off the phone with the customer rep who cancelled my order (by request from me). She asked why, and I explained they had a June 7th release and now pushed it to a July 28th release.

She said,"That is entirely due to Paizo, not us. They decide when we get the books, and obviously they are wanting to sell directly first before any 3rd party company gets it."

I then said,"But you can go to Barnes & Noble or Borders right this second and buy it off the shelf."

"Then I would definitely go do that."

Just wanted to toss that out.

Enjoy.

I just listened to Episode 5 podcast, and there was mention of a module that had "numerous puzzles" in it.

http://www.justiceradio.net/podcast/

It made me wonder as I am a huge fan of adventures with almost nothing but puzzles....

What Paizo published or Pathfinder-specific module or adventure path contains the most and/or greatest puzzles?

Ender_rpm wrote:

Well, the primary limitation is of course what spells they have prepped. If you go ahead an pre-stat the spells prepped, then do "spell cards" in a 2-3 page pamphlet, it would cut down on things a lot. I would imagine you run into the same issue with Druids?

Or if you like to do this, you could do out the complete lists for clerics, druids, wizards and other prepared casters. Once done you could print a few copies of certain lists as needed.

There are spell lists out there I believe that would have synopses of each spell out there, perhaps that would work?

What kind of event is this for?

-James

It's for a typical RPG Pathfinder event at Gen Con. 4-hour time frame. Perhaps I have just had bad experience in the past, but when the party camps for the night, the Cleric is always the one taking the longest because they have to go through so many spells to pick just a couple.

I mean with that notion I could just print out the spells section of the PDF core rule book, but again it'll encourage the Cleric to go through too many spells taking up everyone's time.

There just has to be a better way to streamline that moment as it always halts the game just for them.

Yes any class that doesn't have a set list of Known spells is always an issue for me.

As long as I can put down a list of spells in advance that are known for, say, Wizards, everything runs much, much quicker.

I think the problem still is that they would have to go through all 100+ spells even with cards to pick out the 20+ spells a Cleric can cast each day.

With Wizards, for example, they simply have fewer spells in their book to pick, and selecting which one takes less time (usually).

It can also feel overwhelming in trying to pick the right spells as a Cleric.

I just don't know if there really is any way to streamline the time it takes for them to go through them all. I'll look into the generator and making a pamphlet. There's an awful lot of spells just in the Core Rulebook alone.

I'm running a 4-hour game at Gen Con this year, and in the past I have always had trouble with preparing all of the data a Cleric requires in order to be played.

As a GM I always have all character sheets and information on abilities written in a folder for each class so there is no reason to open the Rulebook at all during the game. I find looking through the book kills all momentum.

With most casters, they have a set list of Known spells that are moderately limited.

Clerics, on the other hand, are open to pick from just about any spell in the entire Cleric spell lists within their level.

Question: How have you DM's handled Clerical spells to prevent the game to come to a halt while the Cleric is thumbing through the book reading up on every spell in his list? A level 8 Cleric is looking at over 100 spells at his disposal.

Any suggestions on how I could prepare in advance so there is no need to open the Core Rulebook would be helpful. The goal here is to prevent anyone from needing to open it during game play (time is already limited to 4 hours).

Nice....this won't be out until all 6 books are out....Lot of good it will do for those running the campaign now.

I knew I could go to a sign shop and have them produce one. This wasn't what I was going after though, however.

I figured it was a long shot as I am sure the banners are in a limited quantity and taken all over to where they are setting up demos or the Society is taking place.

They have a Star Wars clone wars banner for sale, and I just figured maybe they would consider doing the same for Pathfinder instead.

Curious if ever was a possibility of purchasing the giant banner used for Pathfinder Society.

I saw it in the PDF that is on the one-sheet provided on Pathfinder Society's page.

Doubt I can get it anywhere, but would be interested in one.

There are many mistakes in the text, which is quite disappointing. It also mentions areas D1b (page 41) and D1a (page 43) but these are not noted on any map.

That was the other typo I was going to bring up, but I couldn't remember where I saw that. It sounded like D1a was an attic? Because I think it read how food was "dropped" down from a hole above... which is kind of moot.

Oh well, I love the adventure and the lay out. But the typos just threw me off.

Well I had read the bell tower segment and the area where the hell dogs were in the underground. Those are both described and labeled clearly in the book.

However, the text refers to numerical areas that aren't even matching the number following "G" on the underground map (i.e. G4 is where the Hell Dogs are, B1-3 is the bell tower's reference number on the map).

My point was that the reader is directed to "Area 16" for the hell dogs and "Area 4" for the bell tower. Neither one is referred correctly. I was wondering if Area 4 and 16 were referred to another map in another book or somewhere else I'm not finding?

It could have just been 2 typos during pre-production where the areas weren't labeled G4 and B1.

If they aren't typos, how could Dalaveen bring the hell dogs in from G4? He'd have to take the time to open the secret door to let them in? Calling to them through mortared walls would be impossible.

So I thought the text was referring to somewhere else where more hell dogs were.

On page 38 of Bastards of Erebus, before "Pawn of Mammon", there is talk of a reference to the bell tower "See area 4".

Later on, on page 46, under "During Combat" for Palaveen, there is talk of a reference to a hell dog in "area 16".

What is this about? I can't find anything that refers to numerical areas on any map (there is only one map I see of the underground secret lair, all of which is numbered G#.

Where is area 16 with the hell dog?

Where is area 4 of the bell tower?

Thanks.

My FLGS will order me whatever I want, and I never buy from Paizo or Amazon directly because why would I pay for shipping?

The Critical Hit Deck is 10.99, but you have to pay 5 bucks shipping for it? Absurd. Amazon has free shipping as long as you spend enough money.

My FLGS charged me 10.99, standard retail. Now the bad thing is that I HAVE to order from him instead of him stocking it already.

Very few stores in Missouri and Oklahoma have Pathfinder books. They all have TONS of 4e though....

I am still thinking of getting the deck, but not sure if the Notes section will be feasible... How are people writing in the area on the back? Pencil? I wouldn't think a pencil would be dark enough on that kind of a card to really read clearly. Nor would you want to use ink because they never get to use that card again unless it has that specific trait.

Since the cards are all mundane without special powers/abilities/traits on the backs, we are to fill in the Notes area with whatever unusual stats that particular weapon has (other than basic stats)?

I like the idea of the cards, but I just don't know about writing on the backs of them without risking pushing too hard with the pencil and leave a permanent line or not hard enough and can't read the writing.

I understand. The only angle I was coming from was the thought of having PDF downloads for them to avoid print cost (which I already stated and got a reply on, thanks). So I could print them.

Most combat can be done using the generic Map Packs, but when you're looking at the cost for a GM to make sure he has all of those, 24 in total at $10-13/box....?

I realize now is not the time for this to be feasible. But perhaps in the future if it does come to where it is, a PDF-only downloadable file(s) of specific encounters would be cool or even a CD.

I know Paizo isn't thrilled about having PDF-only files, and rightfully so.

While it is true that if we did PDF only releases of these maps we could save on the printing costs... Paizo's not really into the PDF-only market. And frankly, the cost to the customer of printing out a 100 page map would be fantastically more than if we paid to print out the maps ourselves... although the fact that hundreds or maybe thousands of customers would split the cost of that printing bill makes it seem less, it's not.

[...]

Frankly, it's a matter of technology and resource management and manpower. Paizo's set up right now to do what it's currently doing, NOT to manage the monthly production of 100 or more pages of maps. Some day that might change, but for now the real-world requirements of doing battlemap-scale maps for every map we do is simply an...

I understand how the cost of 100 pages worth of full scale maps would be expensive even as a PDF. But that isn't really what I am implying.

I am talking more of the 5x8 tile-set variety. Game Mastery already sells generic Map Packs for about $10-13 that come with 18 5x8 map tiles. I use these for all encounters that do not have an important piece of terrain for them (i.e. a random goblin fight in a street).

However, there are more important battles (i.e. small Dwarven Monastery) that are specific to a particular AP (i.e. #1 Burnt Offerings might have 15-20 important battles that come in a pack of 15-20 downloadable 5x8 tilesets specifically for #1).

The DM's can go out and spend $10-13 dollars on the generic map packs for generic/mundane/random encounters and then they can download and print out the PDF tileset for the AP that is for key encounters.

I understand the cost in production. I'm just talking about the idea of having more tile-sets specific for the APs since many, many other products by Paizo is done specifically for the APs....just in PDF form to lower the cost and make the option more of a possibility than it is now.

But after the costs and time invested it just may not be feasible. Only an idea, not a businessman hah.

grasshopper_ea wrote:

Have you thought of doing the most important maps how they're being done now, and then having a pdf with everything drawn to adventure scale? You still have to design it but it cuts out the added printing cost? You could include a download password with the map folio where people who purchased the product would have access to the pdf for free.

I absolutely have. It's not affordable.

Here's why:

The map we did of Korvosa in "Guide to Korvosa" is one of the better maps we've done; it shows every building and is greatly detailed as a "bird's eye view" map. I actually think there might be a little bit TOO many buildings on the map, but it's close enough....

[...]

....The only REAL option we have is to keep doing larger city maps the way we did with Absalom (ones that LOOK okay but are really way out of scale for what they look...

I cut out most of it so the post wouldn't be quite as large. But in that entire reply, I don't see anything about talking about making the adventure-scale maps PDF only as Grasshopper asked.

I've seldom needed printed out maps that weren't to scale of anything while running a game. The page-size maps that are provided in every module are all that is needed.

The actual maps I need in print are the scaled maps that are Player Friendly for specific events in the module or adventure path so I can use the mini's. A specific dragon encounter, or a specific fight in the streets that the module has unique terrain layout that changes tactics, etc.

Why can't they just be PDF only available? All these pages of messages have talked about printing 100+ page folios....

Wouldn't the cost of making Adventure Scale 1" grid maps for selected combat encounters (not every single one) be just the cost to pay your artists to draw them? The print would be non-existant as the GM's would be responsible to print them out.

And I am talking about specific encounters that reflect the APs. There are tons of these great APs out there, each with terrific encounters, why not have PDFs available to download and print that are 1" scale grids? There are similar tilesets that are Game Mastery (Caravan, Caves, Villages, etc.) but these are generic.

Otherwise, the maps printed not-to-scale are fine that are already printed in the adventure books strictly for reference.