Pathfinder Battles Preview: I Dream of Genies (and Other Stuff)

Friday, September 13, 2013

It's Friday, which means a new raft of previews of the upcoming Legends of Golarion set of Pathfinder Battles prepainted plastic miniatures! But first, an update: The Legends of Golarion set's official release date is now OCTOBER 16. The set will formally release well in time for marathon Halloween game sessions, and just in time for you to give out the coolest Halloween treats on the block!

This week I wanted to show off several figures that have never been seen before, either at Gen Con or anywhere else. All five of these beasties are making their world debut here on the Paizo Blog this evening. Buckle up!

We've already shown you the Djinni and Efreeti figures. This week I want to show off the three remaining genies in the set, starting with the gorgeous Marid.

Here she is in all her towering glory. The Marid, associated with the element of water, is the most powerful of the standard genies in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, and she's also the largest. This version is derived from the gorgeous Jesper Ejsing illustration in the Bestiary, which originally adorned a cover for our “Arabian Nights” Adventure Path, Legacy of Fire. WizKids did a great job translating her to three dimensions. This Large figure is slated at the rare rarity.

And here we have the Shaitan, the earth-based genie cousin of the Marid. Again we used a Jesper Ejsing illustration as the basis for the figure, which I'm discovering is a good recipe for a gorgeous miniature. The colors on this one compliment each other perfectly, and her expression is great. Again, the Shaitan is a Large, rare figure, though she's not quite so big as her watery companion.

The lowly Jann are formed of all four elements, and must spend a great deal more time on the material plane than their more powerful relatives in the genie family. In fact, Jann look much like normal humans, which in this case means this figure easily doubles as a human enemy or player character. He's got brass knuckles, but also works as an unarmed combatant such as a monk. Like his cousins, the Janni is a rare, but in this case he's much smaller, coming in at size Medium.

This nasty fellow is the Medium Black Dragon, but don't let the size fool you into thinking he doesn't pack a powerful punch. Based on a great Ben Wootten illustration, this guy ably represents the smallest black dragon statted up in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary. Size wise, he's about the same height as the Young Red Dragon from Rise of the Runelords, which by today's standards would have probably been a Medium. I'll show off the Red Dragon Evolution photos soon (probably next week), and you'll see that we already officially made that change there, with the previously Large Young Red Dragon showing up as a Medium repaint alongside awesome new Large and Huge Red Dragon sculpts. But I am getting ahead of myself. The dastardly Medium Black Dragon is rare, Medium, and extremely awesome.

Speaking of awesome, one of my favorite aspects of the Pathfinder RPG is incorporating monsters from real world mythology. Often this means pulling in creatures from ancient Greece, Egypt, or other Old World sources. Here we have a critter very much from America's side of the pond. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Hodag, menace of Northern Wisconsin. The Hodag got its start in an 1890s hoax, in which a local prankster described the creature to an area newspaper like this: "the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end." I'd say WizKids nailed it. The Hodag appears in Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3. In the Legends of Golarion set, he's a Large, uncommon figure.

And that's it for this week. Look for another big preview next Friday.

Erik Mona
Publisher

Pathfinder Battles Preview: Pathfinder Originals

Friday, September 6, 2013

One of my favorite things about the upcoming Legends of Golarion set of Pathfinder Battles prepainted plastic miniatures is that it gives us a chance to focus on some creatures that are either original Pathfinder RPG creations or that came from mythology but otherwise made their debut in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Let's take a look!

Up first we have one of the most-demanded figures ever, the Reefclaw! This Small aquatic monster features prominently in the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box, and with its low Challenge Rating it makes a frequent enemy for low-level parties. We finally had a chance to work it into a set, and since people want it so badly (and since they often travel in groups), we decided to make it a common!

Paizo started exploring Indian mythology early with the nation of Jalmeray in the Inner Sea World Guide and adventures like Cult of the Ebon Destroyers. The alluring Beatific One is inspired by the cover of that latter Pathfinder Module, only here she's represented at her standard Medium size. The Beatific One (also known as an upasunda asura in Bestiary 3) is a rare figure.

The Tatzlwyrm, a creature from European mythology, appeared as early as Hollow's Last Hope, which was technically one of the very first modules ever published for what would become the Pathfinder world. Since then they've cropped up in the Kingmaker Adventure Path and elsewhere, menacing low-level parties with its poison gasp. The Tatzlwyrm also appears in Bestiary 3, and we've slated it at the uncommon rarity.

Last up we have the Moon Beast, a creature that originally appeared in author H. P. Lovecraft's haunting "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath". That hardly qualifies it as a "Paizo original," but since pretty much everyone here adores Lovecraft's work and we smoosh his monsters into our stuff at any opportunity, I'm counting it as one of ours for the time being. In any event, this figure is really, really gross. This Large figure (also in Bestiary 3) is slated at the uncommon rarity.

That's it for this week. Next week, look for preview photos of three new dragons from the just-announced Red Dragon Evolution encounter pack, plus some other fun surprises!

Until then,

Erik Mona
Publisher

Pathfinder Battles Preview: Something Evil This Way Comes

Friday, August 30, 2013

Three figures to show off this week from the upcoming Legends of Golarion set of Pathfinder Battles prepainted plastic miniatures! This time I wanted to show off some of the set's more... eeevil antagonists, in particular those associated with my personal favorite nation of the Pathfinder world: CHELIAX!

Yes, the great Empire of Cheliax, ruled by an aristocracy of devil-binding loons and kept safe by the march of the highly regimented Hellknights. We've already released one Hellknight in the Skull & Shackles set, but for Legends of Golarion I wanted to juice up the faction with three new models.

Here we have the Scourge Hellknight, based on one of our very best Hellknight illustrations. This fine gentleman makes for a great fully armored flail-focused fighter, or as the backbone of your Cheliax-faction group of Pathfinder Society characters. The Order of the Scourge roots out crime all over Cheliax, and when they sentence you to lashes, they're not talking about seductive blinking. This Medium figure is slated at the uncommon rarity.

While most Hellknights tend to be warriors of various stripes, their many orders also feature large numbers of arcane spellcasters ready to apply their unique talents to rooting out chaos in the empire. Here we have a Hellknight Signifer pictured mid-casting, cleansing enemies of Cheliax with a nerve-wracking spell. This figure has an amazing sense of flow and dimensionality to it, and it really shines in hand. This Medium figure is at the uncommon rarity.

This Thrune Agent finishes off the Cheliax trio in Legends of Golarion. His heavy mace suggests that he might be a cleric, or at least a big fan of sickening splatters of blood from the heads of his enemies. With the symbol of Cheliax imprinted on his cloak, the Thrune Agent makes a good cleric of Asmodeus, the perfect companion to a group of Hellknights literally out looking for trouble. The Thrune Agent, a Medium figure, is slated at the uncommon rarity.

Last week I promised to reveal something we didn't show off at Gen Con, and I'm sorry to say that illnesses and preparation for PAX Prime (which kicked off today here in Seattle) got in the way of taking more photographs of Legends of Golarion. A thousand apologies for that. I'll make it up to you next week.

No, in fact, I think I'll make it up to you right now with a SUPER EARLY SNEAK PEEK at one of my favorite figures from the NEXT set, Wrath of the Righteous, which is currently scheduled for a December release. Keep in mind that this is a production sculpt shot, so some minor details may change, but I wanted you to see just how awesome this set is going to be.

So join me in a visit to the future as I reveal some shots of the demon lord Baphomet, designed by Wayne Reynolds and sculpted to perfection by our partners at WizKids!

Look for more information on the Wrath of the Righteous set next week, when I'll also finally get a chance to show off some brand new Legends of Golarion figures as well!

Until then, I remain...

Erik Mona
Publisher

Pathfinder Battles Preview: Ssssssuper Miniatures!

Friday, August 23, 2013

We're finally back from the madness of Gen Con, and the coming of another Friday means it's time for another preview of miniatures from October's Legends of Golarion set of 55 prepainted Pathfinder Battles miniatures! We showed off about 30 figures at the Paizo booth at Gen Con last weekend, and I've been seeing candid photos posted all over the internet. The best gallery of Pathfinder Battles goodness comes from the fine folks over at Crit to Hit, who captured the entire display with nice high-res images.

That said, it's still pretty difficult to make out some of the details, so I wanted to circle around a bit and show some close-ups of a few of the set's figures. We'll have plenty of new-new reveals once my photographer gets back from vacation next week, but for now, feast your eyes on better views of some of the sssset's sssscaly sssserpentfolk!

Here we have the Degenerate Serpentfolk, a rough-and-tumble front-line fighter ready to tear you apart and fill your veins with poison. This gentleman is not so urbane or intelligent as his fellow serpentfolk in this set, but at the common rarity you're going to get enough of him to make a nice little warband. This and the other serpentfolk are perfect for the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path or any other adventure that pits the party against eldritch, intelligent evil from a bygone age.

This Medium uncommon figure is the Serpentfolk Mystic, a cunning spellcaster from a long lineage of poisonous vipers. His picture comes straight from Bestiary 2, where you can find all kinds of useful serpentfolk game statistics.

This scaly spellslinger dwells in the deepest serpentfolk temples, honoring long-dead serpent gods with time-forgotten rituals rich with sacrifice and debasement. He works perfectly as a key character in the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path or as a snake-themed master villain of your own design. WizKids did a great job on his intricate robe and fine sculpt details. This rare figure is definitely one you will want to add to your collection.

That's it for this week of recovery from Gen Con. I'll be back next week with a large preview that includes some stuff you definitely haven't seen yet, no matter how hard you looked at Gen Con!

Speaking of the con, thanks to everyone who showed Paizo their support over the weekend. I enjoyed personally talking to you about the miniatures line and were it's going, and I know I speak for the entire Paizo staff when I say it is always a joy to meet you guys in person. Your passion for Pathfinder really helps us recharge our own batteries, and we always come back from the show full of energy and with great ideas of where to go from here.

It is most appreciated!

Erik Mona
Publisher

Pathfinder Battles Preview: A Second Look at Legends of Golarion

Friday, August 9, 2013

Most of you probably won't start seriously thinking about Gen Con Indy until next week, but for Paizo, it's only a matter of hours away. Many of us (including yours truly) leave for the Big Show on Monday morning, making today the very last office day before we head out for Indianapolis.

Accordingly, I want to make sure we leave you guys with an amazing Pathfinder Battles preview! With the formal release of the Skull & Shackles set of prepainted fantasy miniatures less than a week away, we've already revealed all of that set's figures. So what's left? Let's look to the future. Let's look to the NEXT set, October's LEGENDS OF GOLARION!

Unlike many of our previous Pathfinder Battles sets, Legends of Golarion is not based on a specific Pathfinder Adventure Path. Rather, it spans the whole Pathfinder world, and includes characters, monsters, and heroes from a wide variety of Pathfinder products going back to the very beginning. This gave us a chance to fill a couple of key holes that we haven't plugged with the first four Pathfinder Battles sets, and also to visit some key characters and creatures we knew we wouldn't otherwise be able to get to for several more sets. Generally speaking, the emphasis is a bit more on monsters and Golarion "types" (such as Hellknights) than on specific characters, but trust me when I say there's a little bit of everything in this set.

So let's get right to it, shall we?

Here we have one of Pathfinder's most beloved iconic characters, Lini! Lini, Gnome Druid, as the figure is called, is our archetypal druid, appearing first on the cover of Pathfinder Adventure Path #11 and then on to the Core Rulebook and just about every Pathfinder game book released since then. She's got an enormous amount of detail for such a small figure. She is, of course, size Small, and she's been slated at the rare rarity.

We continue to fill out the ranks of Pathfinder's iconic characters with Sajan, Human Monk. WizKids did an excellent job portraying Sajan in a cool fighting pose, and again it's amazing to see how their sculptors and painters have managed to work in all of the detail of Wayne Reynolds's ultra-complex art for the character. Sajan is a Medium-sized rare figure.

Bugbears are one of those ubiquitous humanoid creatures that never seem to get their due with cool figures in prepainted plastic, even though they come up in play again and again. This Bugbear Warrior, inspired by the art in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, is a great addition to the humanoid ranks. When partnered with the Bugbear Champion in the Rise of the Runelords set, the pair make the beginnings of a cool bugbear-themed encounter. While this is the only bugbear in Legends of Golarion, there will be more in future sets for sure! The Bugbear Warrior is a common figure.

One of my favorite things about this set is that it gives us the opportunity to bring a lot of original Pathfinder monsters—not drawn from gaming history or real world legend—into prepainted plastic for the first time. Such is the case with the frankly disgusting Seugathi, an intelligent wormlike monstrosity from the pages of Bestiary 2. These servants of even larger underground worms played a creepy role in James Jacobs's "Shadows Under Sandpoint" office campaign, and left quite the impression with our players. Now, with this amazing miniature, you can creep out your players as well! The Seugathi is a Large, uncommon figure.

I dream of a great Djinni miniature. My dreams have delivered. This Large rare figure may get my vote for coolest sculpt in the entire set. He is definitely a jaw-dropper.

And last up in this week of six previews is the hideous Sandpoint Devil, a cryptozoological menace of the Sandpoint Hinterlands. This figure is very important to me personally for two reasons. First, it's a great example of a very specific Pathfinder monster that made his debut in the Inner Sea World Guide (and it doesn't hurt that he was based on the Jersey Devil of real world myth). Second, and WAAAAY more importantly, my unarmored barbarian OSTOG THE UNSLAIN managed to strike the killing blow against this thing in James's aforementioned "Shadows Under Sandpoint" campaign, and this figure will make a fitting desk trophy to commemorate the legendary deeds of Golarion's greatest hero. He'll be fun for your players to battle, defeat, and make into a trophy as well!

And that's it for this week. I'm ready to get packed and head out to Gen Con! We'll be showing off several more Legends of Golarion figures in the Paizo booth (#203), including the whole set of October's Undead Horde Builder Series. Of course, you'll also be able to buy the new Skull & Shackles minis, make personal suggestions for figures directly to me, and celebrate the best four days in gaming!

Oh, and we'll also be giving away the promotional Konkrud goblin figure for folks who spend $50 or more at the booth, AND we'll also be selling an ADDITIONAL Pathfinder Battles goblin repaint we haven't showed off anywhere for folks who buy a copy of the newly released Pathfinder: Goblins! #1 comic book! More details on that special figure from the show floor itself! Both promo figures will be available here on paizo.com after the convention.

See you there!

Erik Mona
Publisher