Interview With Pathfinder Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn


Announcements

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Sovereign Court

Over at RPG Blog 2, I was able to get Lead Designer for Pathfinder, Jason Bulmahn, to answer a few questions. Click here, as he tackles the origins of the Pathfinder RPG, a peek at the Pathfinder Bestiary, design philosophies, changes from 3.5, keeping up enthusiasm until August, life at Paizo after the magazines licenses were pulled, and more!

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Excellent interview! Thanks...

Everyone should read some of the other entries - especially the one about the SORD Plus. I love my copy!

Sovereign Court

Great stuff!

Dark Archive

I like this part:

-ECLs and Challenge Ratings were one of the most frustrating aspects of 3.5 D&D for a large number of players. Are there plans to simplify these for easier usage in Pathfinder?

ECLs are being handled differently, as you will find out in the Bestiary, but these rules are still coming together, so I don't want to give away too much just yet. The CR system in Pathfinder is a bit simpler to use now. Instead of having to do complex math to get an encounter to the correct EL, now you can deal with it solely from the XP side of the equation, using the monster's XP value to work out the appropriate challenge for an encounter.

Liberty's Edge

Thanks for sharing.

Spoiler:

Yay paladins!!!

Robert

Sovereign Court

Glad you guys are enjoying these! Both James and Jason were really gracious to give their time on these and to answer all the questions as they did.

I'd like to do another Paizo interview soon as I ratchet up my Pathfinder coverage, I'm just not sure who to ask next...

Liberty's Edge

Erik and Sean seem like good targets. Josh to talk about Pathfinder Society, and Lisa to give us the "bird's-eye" view on the whole thing?

Sovereign Court

Shisumo wrote:
Erik and Sean seem like good targets. Josh to talk about Pathfinder Society, and Lisa to give us the "bird's-eye" view on the whole thing?

Good advice! Thank you!

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

Shisumo wrote:
Erik and Sean seem like good targets. Josh to talk about Pathfinder Society, and Lisa to give us the "bird's-eye" view on the whole thing?

Or Sutter to get the skinny on the upcoming novels line.

Jon Brazer Enterprises

zacharythefirst wrote:
I'm just not sure who to ask next...

Interview the great Mastermind behind the whole operation: Lisa Stevens.


Interview the mastermind! I want to hear more from She Who Controls Paizo!


Thanks for another good interview!

Scarab Sages

Awesome news...that was a great interview...I'm really excited to find out what the final classes are like, I'm hoping the new monk will be the first teaser class we get on the Blogs before the release...

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder X wrote:
Awesome news...that was a great interview...I'm really excited to find out what the final classes are like, I'm hoping the new monk will be the first teaser class we get on the Blogs before the release...

I'd like to see Monk and Barbarian. I'm most curious about those two. Bard's my fave class, though, so I'd like to see any tweaks there as well.


I am most interested in the "suite of fun rage powers" the barbarian class employs and how they will work in the game. Does anyone know where I can go to see what direction this is taking?

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

I just rolled up a barbarian using the layout draft of the final rulebook this evening, so I can probably answer some questions about this. Lots of really cool rage powers. I ended up taking Endurance and Die-Hard for my first-level feat choices, which means I can "stay up" through -19 hp when I'm raging!

I have never played a barbarian PC before in any edition of D&D other than one-offs, so I am really excited by some of the new rules.


Erik Mona wrote:

I just rolled up a barbarian using the layout draft of the final rulebook this evening, so I can probably answer some questions about this. Lots of really cool rage powers. I ended up taking Endurance and Die-Hard for my first-level feat choices, which means I can "stay up" through -19 hp when I'm raging!

I have never played a barbarian PC before in any edition of D&D other than one-offs, so I am really excited by some of the new rules.

Ok, this sounds pretty awesome! I've never played a barbarian either, but now I really want to, just from these little tease...er... preview.


Erik Mona wrote:

I just rolled up a barbarian using the layout draft of the final rulebook this evening, so I can probably answer some questions about this. Lots of really cool rage powers. I ended up taking Endurance and Die-Hard for my first-level feat choices, which means I can "stay up" through -19 hp when I'm raging!

I have never played a barbarian PC before in any edition of D&D other than one-offs, so I am really excited by some of the new rules.

Are the rage powers going to:

Work as they are in beta? OR
Work something similar to rogue talents? OR
Seem more like a bloodline or domain set? OR
Something completely new?


bumpt

Paizo Employee CEO

CharlieRock wrote:
bumpt

I doubt you are going to get Erik to give you any of the info you want Charlie. We will be releasing previews starting in May and going up to the launch date. Whether the barbarian rage powers are in those previews remains to be seen, but I doubt Erik will be spilling all the beans in a messageboard thread. That kind of spillage will be happening in the Paizo Blog.

-Lisa


>=D

Scarab Sages

Lisa Stevens wrote:

That kind of spillage will be happening in the Paizo Blog.

-Lisa

Ewww.

I know people are excited, but good heavens.

Sovereign Court

For those that have asked, yup, I have another interview lined up! You'll have to wait and see on who it is (hint: not Seoni. I was crushed when I was informed she wasn't available for interviews. Or an actual Paizo staff member. Or an actual real person. O cruel disillusion!). :)

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

The rage powers do not work exactly the same way that they do in the Beta, in that there are no more "rage points". Instead you have a certain number of rounds during which you can rage, and a number of powers you can use while raging. You get access to more rage powers as a class ability tied to your level.

Paizo Employee Director of Game Design

Erik Mona wrote:
The rage powers do not work exactly the same way that they do in the Beta, in that there are no more "rage points". Instead you have a certain number of rounds during which you can rage, and a number of powers you can use while raging. You get access to more rage powers as a class ability tied to your level.

Spoiler!

I am tellin mom!!!

Jason

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

Um, I believe this has been discussed in the design forum...

Paizo Employee Director of Game Design

Erik Mona wrote:
Um, I believe this has been discussed in the design forum...

Oh.. I know.. I just wanted to make a scene.

Jason

Dark Archive

Jason Bulmahn wrote:
Erik Mona wrote:
Um, I believe this has been discussed in the design forum...

Oh.. I know.. I just wanted to make a scene.

Jason

drama queen ;-)

Jon Brazer Enterprises

Jason Bulmahn wrote:

Spoiler!

I am tellin mom!!!

Lisa's name is "mom" there?!?!

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

Uh, no.

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

DMcCoy1693 wrote:
Jason Bulmahn wrote:

Spoiler!

I am tellin mom!!!

Lisa's name is "mom" there?!?!

That's what they call Sean.

The Exchange

yeah well, who is dad?

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

Crimson Jester wrote:
yeah well, who is dad?

James, of course :)

Paizo Employee Director of Game Design

This thread is starting to creep me out.

Jason

Dark Archive

Jason Bulmahn wrote:

This thread is starting to creep me out.

Jason

Don't worry. It'll get worse...er...better.

Jon Brazer Enterprises

Gamer Girrl wrote:
Crimson Jester wrote:
yeah well, who is dad?
James, of course :)

I thought it would be Vic. IIRC, Lisa owns the largest stake of the company while Vic owns the 2nd largest stake.

Dark Archive

DMcCoy1693 wrote:

I thought it would be Vic. IIRC, Lisa owns the largest stake of the company while Vic owns the 2nd largest stake.

Seriously? I thought Erik would be since he's the publisher. I thought Vic was just a regular employee or something.

Liberty's Edge

joela wrote:
DMcCoy1693 wrote:

I thought it would be Vic. IIRC, Lisa owns the largest stake of the company while Vic owns the 2nd largest stake.

Seriously? I thought Erik would be since he's the publisher. I thought Vic was just a regular employee or something.

Wow - did you really? Check out this page:

http://paizo.com/paizo/about/contact

Vic is the Technical Director, which would make him a Big Wig in the company. I'm thinking Erik and Vic are probably on more or less equal level on the hierarchy ladder.


Marc Radle 81 wrote:


Vic is the Technical Director, which would make him a Big Wig in the company. I'm thinking Erik and Vic are probably on more or less equal level on the hierarchy ladder.

But the real question is if Erik and Vic had a crazy no-holds-barred, clothing-optional fight with Lizzie Borden, Gandhi, and Smurfette, who would be the last person standing?

Dark Archive

Marc Radle 81 wrote:

Vic is the Technical Director, which would make him a Big Wig in the company. I'm thinking Erik and Vic are probably on more or less equal level on the hierarchy ladder.

Is Technical Director like Operations or something?

Liberty's Edge

>
-All the dragons (chromatic, metallic) we need are going to be in the Pathfinder Bestiary, right?

Yes, yes they are. All the giants too.
>

And the "God of Roleplaying" looked down and saw it was good...

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

Samnell wrote:
Marc Radle 81 wrote:


Vic is the Technical Director, which would make him a Big Wig in the company. I'm thinking Erik and Vic are probably on more or less equal level on the hierarchy ladder.
But the real question is if Erik and Vic had a crazy no-holds-barred, clothing-optional fight with Lizzie Borden, Gandhi, and Smurfette, who would be the last person standing?

Vic.


For shear beardedness sake?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

joela wrote:
Marc Radle 81 wrote:

Vic is the Technical Director, which would make him a Big Wig in the company. I'm thinking Erik and Vic are probably on more or less equal level on the hierarchy ladder.

Is Technical Director like Operations or something?

Nope. Operations involves doing actual things. Technical Directing involves pointing at stuff for other people to do.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Erik Mona wrote:
Samnell wrote:
Marc Radle 81 wrote:


Vic is the Technical Director, which would make him a Big Wig in the company. I'm thinking Erik and Vic are probably on more or less equal level on the hierarchy ladder.
But the real question is if Erik and Vic had a crazy no-holds-barred, clothing-optional fight with Lizzie Borden, Gandhi, and Smurfette, who would be the last person standing?

Vic.

Does anyone other than Lizzie get an axe?

Liberty's Edge

Vic Wertz wrote:
joela wrote:
Marc Radle 81 wrote:

Vic is the Technical Director, which would make him a Big Wig in the company. I'm thinking Erik and Vic are probably on more or less equal level on the hierarchy ladder.

Is Technical Director like Operations or something?
Nope. Operations involves doing actual things. Technical Directing involves pointing at stuff for other people to do.

My girlfriend is really good at pointing at stuff and telling me what to do. She was wondering what other skills she'd need to secure a job in the Technical Direction field.


nope, she's all good.

oh, wait, I forgot... She needs to secure a huge bonus payable even when the entire company has to be bailed out by Gieger.


joela wrote:
DMcCoy1693 wrote:

I thought it would be Vic. IIRC, Lisa owns the largest stake of the company while Vic owns the 2nd largest stake.

Seriously? I thought Erik would be since he's the publisher. I thought Vic was just a regular employee or something.

They areall the sameperson. It will be revealed at PaizoCon. Right before the entity known as Paizo-Person absorbs all the attendees into a ginormous multi-headed creature.

This post made at 6:41 which adds to 11 which adds to 2 where we have a result of 2 from 3 numbers. 23 again!


CharlieRock wrote:
Right before the entity known as Paizo-Person absorbs all the attendees into a ginormous multi-headed creature.

With the guest lineup they've got, only gaming greatness can come of this osmosis.

Sovereign Court

Stefan Hill wrote:

>

-All the dragons (chromatic, metallic) we need are going to be in the Pathfinder Bestiary, right?

Yes, yes they are. All the giants too.
>

And the "God of Roleplaying" looked down and saw it was good...

It's okay, you can say 'Gary' here.

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