Illustration by Wayne Reynolds


Adventure Begins Here!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The first RPG product I ever purchased came in a red box, with a fighter laying the smack down on a red dragon. I was 12 and I've never stopped gaming since. I suspect that this fall some young whippersnappers will see this Beginner Box, pick it up, and begin their own journey into this great hobby of ours. With this amazing art from Wayne Reynolds, how can they not? And what can you do to make their journey easier?

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Dragons Elves Ezren Iconics Merisiel Monsters Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Rogues Wallpapers Wayne Reynolds Wizards

Me likey that, hopefully this makes children start playing RPGs!

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Maps Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

I too started playing because of that Red Box. . . I still have the whole set, as well as the artwork (autographed of course :-)


I love it! The blue-black dragon looks beautiful on my wife's new HP Touch Screen.


Thank you so much for this great wallpaper! Oh joy!

Sovereign Court

Wallpaper'd. Love it.

Liberty's Edge

Thank you!

Dark Archive

One of the many things I love about this artwork is that it features a Black Dragon, the first evil dragon I ever inflicted on my pcs some 26 + years ago, with its acid breath weapon and a robust 64 HPs to back it up !

Another tidbit I love about this particular artwork is that Ezren, the iconic Wizard is in melee with a Black Dragon, and I doubt this dragon has a meer 64 Hit Points!

He must have cast Empowered Cajones as a buff.

So cheers to all my fellow old shool gamers who have made it this far, and to all the new gamers: There's a dragon up ahead, lead the charge! We're right behind you.


Added to my Wayne Reynolds wallpaper rotation!

Sovereign Court

Very nice. Now when will Reaper put out this dragon as a mini? :)

The Exchange

Robert Hawkshaw wrote:
Very nice. Now when will Reaper put out this dragon as a mini? :)

And action pose Ezren & Merisiel too!

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Mouse over text... interesting...


would love this as wallpaper if it did NOT have MErsiel in it.

hahaha, just kidding, LAdy Stabby is an awesome character.

the pathfinder beginner box wording would have to go


DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:
Mouse over text... interesting...

Glad someone noticed it. :D


Yay! :-)

I found the old box sets to be a wonderful portal to adventure and I am delighted to see that Paizo is following in these footsteps.

Best wishes on a smashingly successful product.

Lantern Lodge

Hyrum Savage wrote:
DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:
Mouse over text... interesting...
Glad someone noticed it. :D

Nice touch!

It would seem that all great journeys of discovery and adventure begin in Sandpoint.

First Sandpoint introduced 3.5 gamers to Pathfinder, and now welcomes a whole new generation of players via the Beginner Box.

This is gonna be BIG!

Cheers,

Stephen (DarkWhite)
Pathfinder Society 4-Star GM
Venture-Captain, Australia


baron arem heshvaun wrote:

...He must have cast Empowered Cajones as a buff.

I hate to nit pick, but I think you may meen Empowered Cojones ... Unless you are thinking of very big empoered boxes.


Hyrum Savage wrote:
The first RPG product I ever purchased came in a red box, with a fighter laying the smack down on a red dragon. I was 12 and I've never stopped gaming since.

+1

Dark Archive

Hyrum - We *love* spoilers, especially hidden ones like that. Well Played!

I expect I shall be buying this twice. Once for me, and once for some friends....

Lantern Lodge

The Grandfather wrote:
Hyrum Savage wrote:
The first RPG product I ever purchased came in a red box, with a fighter laying the smack down on a red dragon. I was 12 and I've never stopped gaming since.
+1

+2 (though I was probably 16 or 18)

Nevynxxx wrote:
I expect I shall be buying this twice. Once for me, and once for some friends....

Pathfinder Beginner Box will make a great Christmas gift for nephews/nieces, but I suspect veteran gamers will also want a copy of what will become a piece of gaming history.

Always handy to have a beginner-friendly box on your gaming shelf with which to introduce Pathfinder to new players.

Cheers,

Stephen (DarkWhite)
Pathfinder Society 4-Star GM
Venture-Captain, Australia

Dark Archive

DarkWhite wrote:
Always handy to have a beginner-friendly box on your gaming shelf with which to introduce Pathfinder to new players.

Actually, it's more the fact that my face2face players refuse to read, let alone buy the core rulebook. I intend to give them something that looks soooo pretty, and has such small books, that they just can't help themselves....


Wow this is looking to be a great product. Brings back some warm and fuzzy memories of getting my first box set.


I wonder how much trouble I'd get in with my brother and his wife if I bought one of these for my nephew. Too bad I live too far away to teach him to play.


I don't remember this, was I drunk?


Merisiel looks like she was added in as an afterthought. Her placement muddles up the dramatic tension between Ezren and the dragon. Really hope that this was not done because Paizo wanted some female representation on the cover too. :(

Contributor

Draumr wrote:
Merisiel looks like she was added in as an afterthought. Her placement muddles up the dramatic tension between Ezren and the dragon. Really hope that this was not done because Paizo wanted some female representation on the cover too. :(

I view it as Merisiel running in to flank the dragon with Ezren - she's just not quite in position yet. :)

Contributor

Draumr wrote:
Merisiel looks like she was added in as an afterthought. Her placement muddles up the dramatic tension between Ezren and the dragon. Really hope that this was not done because Paizo wanted some female representation on the cover too. :(

Nah, she's just trying to set up a flank so she can sneak attack. :)

Edit: Lilith-ninja'd!

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32

Draumr wrote:
Merisiel looks like she was added in as an afterthought. Her placement muddles up the dramatic tension between Ezren and the dragon. Really hope that this was not done because Paizo wanted some female representation on the cover too. :(

And here I was, thinking that Ezren's placement was detracting from the sexual tension between Merisiel and Black Fang. At this rate, Merisiel's mom is never going to get those dragon bloodline sorcerer grandchildren she's always wanted. :P

Dark Archive

Black Fang wrote:
I don't remember this, was I drunk?

Naa, it just hasn't happened yet. We give you these images from the future to help you prepare. Sharpen your fangs!

Contributor

Sean K Reynolds wrote:

Nah, she's just trying to set up a flank so she can sneak attack. :)

Edit: Lilith-ninja'd!

It's what I do! :D


Wow. Expletive amazing! Wayne's work has always been top of the line, but this, this has to be amongst his very best. Ever.


This box is not only a great gift for new players, but also for veteran players who consider to read the 500p+ PF core rules as an insanity.

IMO, this box is a gift for the whole rpg genre, not only for a small group. Releasing such a 64p basic rulebook could be the best message since the release of the original red box.

I am often critical about the Paizo products but in this case the company has my full respect. Bravo Paizo.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

I love how this cover is an homage to the classic red box (also my introduction to tabletop gaming): the dragon jealously guarding the immense hoard of treasure, the intrepid hero(es) who seem to be in over their head. When I was a kid, that old Elmore art immediately inspired feelings of excitement and heroism.

Quote:


This box is not only a great gift for new players, but also for veteran players who consider to read the 500p+ PF core rules as an insanity.

IMO, this box is a gift for the whole rpg genre, not only for a small group. Releasing such a 64p basic rulebook could be the best message since the release of the original red box.

I am often critical about the Paizo products but in this case the company has my full respect. Bravo Paizo.

+1!!

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

The new title "Beginner Box" suggests to me Paizo's marketing strategy as well. They're sending a message out to lovers of fantasy/RPGs who are intrigued by the possibilities of tabletop games, but are turned off by the seeming complexity.

The red box presented Basic D&D when it was at a level of complexity that could still draw in younger gamers, but the game, while it has (in my opinion) grown to become a more refined and flexible system, also is weighted down by its complexity, thus losing some of its ability to draw in new blood.

Here's hoping that the box will give a simpler variant of the same ruleset that is also compatible with the more-complex Core Rulebook. Just recently I saw the "D&D Adventure Game" that was released concurrently with the 3.0 Edition. While not perfect, it convinced me that this this can be done: it simplified combat positioning, replaced some modifier-heavy dice rolls with automatic resolutions, etc. I hope Paizo has a similar approach, but with more flexibility (like the old Red Box gave) to create new characters and have whole campaigns: a more complete bestiary, a more-complete list of spells and feats, etc.


Any chance we can see this artwork without the text at some point? That dragon is stunning.

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