Pathfinder Fiction

Fact and Fiction

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Those of you who recognize a striking similarity between the title of this blog post and Pathfinder Adventure Path #29's editorial have no doubt already inferred what I'm about to say, but I've been waiting almost a year to say it, so here goes:

Pathfinder Fiction is here.

Not here in the warehouse, of course—you'll have to wait until Gen Con Indy to get your hands on the first book in the line. But for the first time ever, you can now visit the Pathfinder Fiction page, post on the Pathfinder Fiction messageboards, and preorder both of the new books that have been announced.

And what an announcement it is! First up, releasing officially in September but with early preview copies slated for a Gen Con release, is Winter Witch from New York Times best selling author Elaine Cunningham. Journey to the icy land of Irrisen with a barbarian shield maiden and her ne'er-do-well (but magically gifted) accomplice on a quest to save the woman's sister from the sinister daughters of Baba Yaga!

Immediately after that, we have the triumphant return of Dave Gross's mystery-solving duo, half-elven noble Varian Jeggare and the tiefling Radovan, in the gothic adventure Prince of Wolves. Something is rotten in Ustalav, and only Egorian's greatest detective team can delve into the haunted hills to uncover the truth—and make it out alive...

Each Pathfinder Fiction novel is a mass market paperback, completely standalone, and costs just $9.99. What's more, very soon we'll be launching the ability to subscribe to the line, with subscribers receiving a free PDF of each book they buy.

While we've only announced two of the books so far, I can also say with authority that the party is just getting started. In addition to several fabulous authors currently in negotiations and development, it's my pleasure to also introduce the addition of fan favorite Paul S. Kemp to the line. Though we're not ready to share any details about books beyond the initial two just now, rest assured that more news will continue to come as we get closer to the line's official launch at Gen Con Indy.

In the meantime, rather than joining me in counting the days until the release, why not head on over to the Pathfinder Fiction messageboards and let us know what you think? Who would you like to see writing in the line? What regions seem ripest for a novel? As with everything we do at Paizo, we're always listening.

James Sutter
Fiction Editor

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Dave Gross Elaine Cunningham Pathfinder Tales Prince of Wolves Winter Witch

WOW! Will there be a subscription plan for novels as well?

Liberty's Edge

Sutter wrote:
What's more, very soon we'll be launching the ability to subscribe to the line, with subscribers receiving a free PDF of each book they buy.

Now we just have to wait....


Stegger wrote:
Sutter wrote:
What's more, very soon we'll be launching the ability to subscribe to the line, with subscribers receiving a free PDF of each book they buy.
Now we just have to wait....

Opps sorry, I skipped that line (too much enthusiasm).

Anyway I wonder how will you handle continuity in novels.

In FR I remember playing the module "Pool of Radiance" set in Myth Drannor in 1374 DR, realizing with horror that that year Myth Drannor was put to flames by thousands of demonspawn elves (as narrated in novels I read only when the adventure was halfway).

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

Stegger wrote:
Sutter wrote:
What's more, very soon we'll be launching the ability to subscribe to the line, with subscribers receiving a free PDF of each book they buy.
Now we just have to wait....

"I hate waiting..."


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber
Stegger wrote:
Sutter wrote:
What's more, very soon we'll be launching the ability to subscribe to the line, with subscribers receiving a free PDF of each book they buy.
Now we just have to wait....

"The waiting is the hardest part."

Contributor

Beek Gwenders of Croodle wrote:

Anyway I wonder how will you handle continuity in novels.

In FR I remember playing the module "Pool of Radiance" set in Myth Drannor in 1374 DR, realizing with horror that that year Myth Drannor was put to flames by thousands of demonspawn elves (as narrated in novels I read only when the adventure was halfway).

The answer is "very carefully." Making sure the novels don't break the gaming supplements and vice versa is a large part of my job. Fortunately, we have the added advantage that the person in charge of managing novel continuity - me - is also deeply involved in developing the gaming supplements, so we don't have the fundamental disconnect that some IPs do between content creation and "tie-in fiction." At Paizo, it's all one big happy family. :)


And I am extremely happy of that. It's great to know there's a supervisor, now I know who to bomb with flaming messages if something goes wrong :)


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

On a similar note to the above question. Something I noticed about Wizards in regards to their gaming products and their novels is that there was always a bit of a disconnect. Interesting magic items, monsters, spells, or locations would show up in the novels but then never get translated in to gaming products. Because of this I always got the impression that those in charge of gaming products kind of ignored the novels. Will there at least be some effort to take the intersting gaming bits from the novels and translate them into game mechanics?

Contributor

Brinebeast wrote:
On a similar note to the above question. Something I noticed about Wizards in regards to their gaming products and their novels is that there was always a bit of a disconnect. Interesting magic items, monsters, spells, or locations would show up in the novels but then never get translated in to gaming products. Because of this I always got the impression that those in charge of gaming products kind of ignored the novels. Will there at least be some effort to take the intersting gaming bits from the novels and translate them into game mechanics?

Most assuredly, and in both directions. The game will inform the novels, and the novels inform the game. While I don't believe that every new magic item introduced by a novel needs to be statted up immediately (and definitely don't think that the novels should restrict themselves solely to previously published items, spells, etc.) the important thing about these books is that they feel like Golarion. And if something feels like an interesting gaming bit that's perfect for Golarion... well, why wouldn't we incorporate it?

This has actually been happening with Pathfinder Fiction since day one. When Jason and I kicked off the Pathfinder's Journal as a fiction vehicle in Pathfinders #2 & #3 (the two entries were written simultaneously), I had no idea what a bloatmage was - it was just a neat name. Over the course of writing the story, I got a much better idea of what they did, and now two-plus years later we've had bloatmages show up in adventure paths and are about to introduce the new Bloatmage prestige class with City of Strangers.

I suspect the same thing will happen with many of the novels... something will catch our eye, or the readers will let us know about something they'd really like to play with rather than just read about, and we'll weave it into the rules. And as it turns out, while I can't spill any beans just yet, I have a strong feeling you'll have access to some novel-related crunch right out of the gate... say right around Gen Con....

Liberty's Edge

Two words:
Awe.
Some.

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

James Sutter wrote:
And as it turns out, while I can't spill any beans just yet, I have a strong feeling you'll have access to some novel-related crunch right out of the gate... Say right around GenCon....

Witch base class? Or something else?

Contributor

yoda8myhead wrote:
James Sutter wrote:
And as it turns out, while I can't spill any beans just yet, I have a strong feeling you'll have access to some novel-related crunch right out of the gate... Say right around GenCon....
Witch base class? Or something else?

I just told you I can't tell you. :)


Wait, when is Free RPG Day?


June 19th. I'd have to go down to Cincy if I want anything. Major suckatude.

EDIT: here you go

Paizo Employee Director of Brand Strategy

Urizen wrote:

June 19th. I'd have to go down to Cincy if I want anything. Major suckatude.

EDIT: here you go

Ooooh, up until a few days ago it was still listing Paizo's offering as "Bonus Bestiary," a clear holdover from last year. I'm excited about a new adventure!


yoda8myhead wrote:
Urizen wrote:

June 19th. I'd have to go down to Cincy if I want anything. Major suckatude.

EDIT: here you go

Ooooh, up until a few days ago it was still listing Paizo's offering as "Bonus Bestiary," a clear holdover from last year. I'm excited about a new adventure!

Must've happened over night, because at the time I posted the link, it still had the Bonus Bestiary.


Ah, sweet, a module: Master of the Fallen Fortress.

So what's this "bronze, silver, gold" stuff? Paizo is gold, so I have to assume that's the highest rating of whatever. Support? Participation? Quality?


Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

Ah, sweet, a module: Master of the Fallen Fortress.

So what's this "bronze, silver, gold" stuff? Paizo is gold, so I have to assume that's the highest rating of whatever. Support? Participation? Quality?

There's platinum levels, too.

In the past years, it represents number of copies of the item provided.

Platinum = most, bronze = least.

Last year, I want to say that gold was 20 or 30 copies...


Thanks for the info, Brian.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

Urizen wrote:

June 19th. I'd have to go down to Cincy if I want anything. Major suckatude.

EDIT: here you go

Anyone know how much the vendor packets are? I've thought about approaching the Guardtower, something like going halfsies in return for the good loot ;-)


Matthew Morris wrote:
Anyone know how much the vendor packets are? I've thought about approaching the Guardtower, something like going halfsies in return for the good loot ;-)

Dunno, but if you can convince GT to actually do it, it would give me an excuse to head out to the west side.

Sczarni

Matthew Morris wrote:
Urizen wrote:

June 19th. I'd have to go down to Cincy if I want anything. Major suckatude.

EDIT: here you go

Anyone know how much the vendor packets are? I've thought about approaching the Guardtower, something like going halfsies in return for the good loot ;-)

the retail packets have varies year to year... year 1 they were $30... year 2 they were $150.... last year they were back under $60 I beleive, not sure what they'll be this year

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