Ultimate Campaign: The Total Game Changer

Thursday, February 7, 2013

If you heard the trumpeting and roar of cheers last week, that was us, as we just sent our first hardcover of 2013, Ultimate Campaign, off to the printer. This is just the beginning of that book's long journey from the realm of electronic files into the real world, but now that it's out of our hands we can start sharing some of the secrets locked away within this guide to greater gaming.

So, without too many spoilers, here are ten tantalizing teasers about Ultimate Campaign to tide you over while it's printing.

10. Do Over! Ready for something different? Wish you hadn't taken that one suboptimal feat at first level? Eager to test out the newest base class? The choices you made yesterday don't have to sour the game you're playing today now that you have complete rules allowing characters to retrain class features, whether they be feats and skill ranks or entire class levels!

9. There's a Table for That. How many siblings does your dwarf character have? What were your parents' professions? What has your alchemist character been up to before you started playing him? What is your relationship to your fellow adventurers? You'll know, because with the background generator, there are tables for all that and much, much, much more.

8. Build a Legend. The downtime system unlocks awesome new challenges for your character to take on between adventures, like creating a headquarters for your adventures, starting a tavern, or even building a castle. With downtime, use your wealth, influence, and magic to shape your game world like never before.

7. You're the Boss. Downtime isn't just about building structures; it's also about building groups. Once you've constructed a temple to your own glory, you're going to need sycophants to staff it. Cults, mercenary companies, thieves guilds, ships crews, and more are ready and awaiting your orders.

6. Alain Is a Jerk. Sutter and I tackle the fiction snippets at the start of each chapter, and this time around you'll love to hate our pompous iconic cavalier.

5. It's Going To Be Good To Be the King. Are you the heir to a lost dynasty, seeking to reclaim your throne? Of course you are! And now you can turn your quest into a benefit for your character with story feats, a new breed of feat that helps drive you toward a character objective and that gets even better once you achieve your goal.

4. Play Harry Potter. Or Arya Stark, or Aang the Last Airbender, or whomever your favorite young hero might be, with rules for playing young characters.

3. Theater of War. A dramatic system for running massive battles gives you a way to quantify your tales of battle. Lead skirmishes between war bands, decide the outcome of legendary battles, or even take your nation's knights toe to toe against the towering tarrasque!

2. On Your Honor. Honor points allow your valorous knight, your noble samurai, your rogue with a criminal code, or any other character with rigid guiding principles to gain benefits from their strict lifestyles. Choose a code to live by or create your own!

1. Kneel Before Me! The Kingdom Building rules popularized during the Kingmaker Adventure Path have been revised and expanded, allowing you to found a dynasty, build cities, and chart the course of your nation in more depth and with more control then ever before!

Look for more about Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign in the weeks leading up to its release this spring!

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief

More Paizo Blog.
Tags: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
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Quote:

Otherwise Known as Player/GM communication

Do you mean acting like if the DM and the players were collaborating in a collective storytelling, instead of being playing one against the others in a competitive game?

Wow. What an innovative idea. Let's call them Roleplaying Games.

:)

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Play Arya Stark eh? That's a new one, though I can't say I'm surprised, I noticed demand for that. And a few people from my gaming group might find that interesting.

Can't wait. This book sound exciting, especially the background guide thing...

Dark Archive

Oh my, my changeling could've used this so baddly last champaign...

Shadow Lodge

We simply cannot state our eagerness for this. I've been looking for expanded nation rules for some time.


Now fans can make Aang and Korra without difficulty.


UC looks very cool!


I wonder which will be better: UC or UC?


And here I thought i was going to skip this book. Ah well, better go break the bad news to my wallet.

Dark Archive

So just Alain in these chapter openers or are Other iconics going to be in them as well?

Silver Crusade

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Kevin Mack wrote:
So just Alain in these chapter openers or are Other iconics going to be in them as well?

Alain, his ego, his ego's ego, his horse ... I count at least 4 iconics :)

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

1 person marked this as a favorite.

THIS is why I am so happy I am still subscribing.... sounds so amazing, all of it. My guess is after I get it I'm going to be full on designing campaigns again... (I'd been taking a bit of a break.)

Dark Archive

Wow, I love 10, 8, 7, 5, 3 and 1! Awesome stuff, about constructing and building a legendary character and making a lasting mark on the game world, and not just killing stuff to get XP!

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
Kevin Mack wrote:
So just Alain in these chapter openers or are Other iconics going to be in them as well?
Alain, his ego, his ego's ego, his horse ... I count at least 4 iconics :)

Pretty sure his ego has a mount of its own, too. Maybe a packhorse as well to carry all its extra weight.


Oh my science. This is even better than I imagined!


Sooooooo looking forward to this one!!!

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:
Also these might be feats that you get for completing story points not for aiming towards them. So let's not limit ourselves prematurely.

I read it more as looking forward to the retraining rules.

Player 1: I get to be the king! I got the throne feat at 3rd level.

GM: No, it's becoming a magocracy parliment. you're stuck with a useless feat.

Wizard: But I get in Parliment right?

GM: No, you have to take Candidate for Parliment before 5th level.

YMMV though.


Mike Silva wrote:
"4. Play Harry Potter. Or Arya Stark, or Aang the Last Air Bender, or whomever your favorite young hero might be, with rules for playing young characters."

Borrowing the post... Sorry...

I am man enough to admit I squee'd for around 15 Minutes upon reading the bolded section. Though my mind seemed to edit out the Harry Potter Reference. Though now I want to make a child Archmage...

Thank You Paizo! Now Shut Up and Take My Money!

10) I like this concept. Especially since I have had a few Fighter Builds that I needed to change mid play...

09) Bout time.

08) Sweet! I trust Paizo to do a better job with the building rules so we don't end up with a Pathfinder Version of the 3.5 Stronghold Builder's Handbook/Guide Fiasco.

07) Now my Mercenary Captains can now actually control a Mercenary Company.

06) Meh, I am not sure on Alain before this...

05) I love the concept of Story Feats... Though I will probably be making them in addition to normal Feats. (If they aren't already.)

04) As I have said I love this!

03) I am a Miniature Wargamer. So yeah this is going to be awesome!

02) This will be awesome for my groups.

01) Another one of those "I can't wait for this!" Sections.

I Repeat: Thank You Paizo! Now Shut Up and Take My Money!

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

I *am* curious about retraining rules and how they'll be reflected in PFS. (I'm hoping they won't after first level, it's easy to make another character to 'fix' mistakes in a build, and organic growth is better in shared play I believe.)


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Azaelas Fayth wrote:
Mike Silva wrote:
"4. Play Harry Potter. Or Arya Stark, or Aang the Last Air Bender, or whomever your favorite young hero might be, with rules for playing young characters."

Borrowing the post... Sorry...

I am man enough to admit I squee'd for around 15 Minutes upon reading the bolded section. Though my mind seemed to edit out the Harry Potter Reference. Though now I want to make a child Archmage...

Thank You Paizo! Now Shut Up and Take My Money!

Agreed. I've always wanted to play a kid warrior and I have a friend who has been dying to play Rydia as a summoner.


I would really appreciate if you (the good Paizo) could give us an example Story Feat - something to make us both understand it, as well as set of the salivation glands for the potential.


Odraude wrote:
Agreed. I've always wanted to play a kid warrior and I have a friend who has been dying to play Rydia as a summoner.

I. Love. Both. Of. Those. Ideas.

& I second LoreKeeper's Request.

Liberty's Edge

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Downtime systems, story feats and -- perhaps the best and most obvious thing to emerge in a D&D RPG since 1974: an Honor system which rewards a player for sticking to his PC's personal code.

"A man's got to have a code."

- Omar Little, The Wire

Paizo continues to take risks and forge new paths with the Pathfinder hardback series. I continue to look forward to Ultimate Campaign more than any other hardcover that Paizo has yet released. Let's hope the reality lives up to the hype -- and most of all -- to the hopes of fans.

Dark Archive

Looks like some nice additional rules and feats for players to facilitate campaign play.

Not so much for DMs though - besides point 3. Most if not all systems, rules and details so far are geared towards expanded and extended PC functions, abilities and mechanics.

Maybe I'll re-up my sub when Bestiary 4 comes out.


Pathfinder Adventure, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Steel_Wind wrote:

Paizo continues to take risks and forge new paths with the Pathfinder hardback series. I continue to look forward to Ultimate Campaign more than any other hardcover that Paizo has yet released. Let's hope the reality lives up to the hype -- and most of all -- to the hopes of fans.

Oh I agree, this by far, is the one book I've been wanting for a long, long while.

I'm also guessing this is not an exhaustive list. I seem to recall that Legacy Weapons might also be included? A way to level up weapons with a character.


Auxmaulous wrote:

Looks like some nice additional rules and feats for players to facilitate campaign play.

Not so much for DMs though - besides point 3. Most if not all systems, rules and details so far are geared towards expanded and extended PC functions, abilities and mechanics.

Maybe I'll re-up my sub when Bestiary 4 comes out.

Idk, as a GM, I have more than enough resources to pull from. Gamemastery guide, all the Bestiaries (including the NPC Codex), the ARG, and pretty much all of the Ultimate books are useful for GMs. Now that I think of it, the last two hard covers (Ultimate Equipment and moreso the NPC Codex) have been fairly GM centric so I think it's time for a player book. And honestly, we already have the Gamemastery Guide, a race builder, treasure generators, and have Bestiaries and the possibility of more NPC Codices. I honestly can't think of anything else I really need as a GM. I'd rather see more player stuff since in the end, the game is all about the players.

Personally, sans Bestiaries and NPC Codecies, I prefer having books that can be used by both players and GMs, because they get so much more usage when it's used for both. The GMG I own, as much as I love it, is rarely cracked open by anyone other than myself. That's why I like how most of the Pathfinder hardbacks have sections that are useful for both GMs and players. And if you really think about it, the tools that players use can still be used by GMs. Gotta build NPCs right? The background tables in number 9 sound useful for NPCs. And numbers 8, 7, and 4-1 can all be useful tools and idea for the GM. I personally like the idea of having younger NPC options as well as rules for warfare.

Shadow Lodge

*Sniff* I love you, Paizo staff!!!!

Grand Lodge

Um... SOLD!


Is it april yet?

Liberty's Edge

Auxmaulous wrote:

Looks like some nice additional rules and feats for players to facilitate campaign play.

Not so much for DMs though - besides point 3.

Ultimate Campaign is now "too player focused"?? WOW. Tough crowd. Can't win for losing.

There will be PLENTY in Ultimate Campaign for GMs. Indeed, my main concern when it was first revealed was that Ultimate Campaign would appear to be too much of a GM oriented product and so not sell very well.

I am glad that Paizo is marketing the player oriented aspects of a book that appeared, on its face, to be squarely aimed at GMs.

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

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In a world where people can make pacts with demons or dodge 20-foot-radius fireballs, I don't think it's weird for a person to be able to retrain a now-obsolete feat, archetype, or even a class level.

Auxmaulous wrote:

Looks like some nice additional rules and feats for players to facilitate campaign play.

Not so much for DMs though - besides point 3. Most if not all systems, rules and details so far are geared towards expanded and extended PC functions, abilities and mechanics.

Let me revise your statement to say "Most if not all systems, rules and details so far are geared towards taking the burden of dealing with expanded and extended PC functions, abilities and mechanics away from the GM and giving that responsibility to the players." So now if the PCs come back to town, and the fighter wants to retrain a feat, the wizard wants to build a tower, the cleric wants to craft a magic item, and the rogue wants to recruit some people for his guild, they can use the rules in this book to do so, all at the same time, allowing the GM to focus on the next encounter and not spend 15 minutes of solo time on each player while the other players have to wait.

Imagine if the core rules were set up so players only had access to their character sheets, and didn't have access to the leveling-up rules because those rules were vague and involved a lot of GM fiat. When the PCs leveled up, the GM would have to walk the players through their advancement options, one player at a time. Then, a miracle happens... new rules for leveling PCs, presented in a player-friendly way, without the need for GM fiat! All of a sudden, the GM is able to focus on the rest of the campaign while the PCs take more responsibility for their characters.

That's what the downtime system does for:
* currying favors in town using your skills and class abilities
* using your followers to help you with tasks
* constructing a building
* buying a completed building
* recruiting people for an organization
* buying an existing organization
* using buildings and organizations to make money (i.e., "I want to run a tavern, how much gold does it earn me per week, what if I expand the tavern into an inn, how much does that cost and what does my inn earn me, what if I want to add a shrine to my goddess, what if I want a chapel so I can perform weddings, what if I want a vault in my tavern for valuables, what if I want to display my adventuring trophies," and so on)
* random town encounters relating to your building or organization
* hiring managers to run your business while you're out of town adventuring
* promoting your business with advertising
* replacing an animal companion or familiar
* the benefits of hands-on running your business
* doing research on an upcoming adventure or scheme

And that's just downtime. Other GM stuff for the book includes the random background generator (works for NPCs as well as PCs), an alignment track for tracking alignment shifts, bargaining/haggling rules, advice on handling companion creatures like animal companions and eidolons, rules for establishing contacts that'll do favors (and the limits of what they'll do), hex-based exploration rules, investments, advice on crafting magic items and new kinds of materials you can give as treasure for use in crafting, tracking PC reputation and fame and what famous characters can use their fame for...


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Hmph.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

*Sees #8*
Say it with me now to words: Bat Cave.


After reading Sean K. Reynolds long post, I have only a single but very important question.

Is it April yet?


There isn't an item on that list that I didn't look at and say "does want!" I am very excited for this book!

The downtime clarification that was just provided not only makes me more excited, but makes me wonder if the book touches on Leadership ("using your followers to help you with tasks"). The expanded rules for structures are of great interest to me... I wonder if those would work the best for running a certain fort in a certain campaign, or if the expanded kingdom building rules would be better...

campaign name spoiler:
It's Rise of the Runelords, Fort Rannick

I only wish that this was the sourcebook mentioned for clarification on magic item crafting too...

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

AerynTahlro wrote:
I only wish that this was the sourcebook mentioned for clarification on magic item crafting too...

It is. :)


Sean K Reynolds wrote:
AerynTahlro wrote:
I only wish that this was the sourcebook mentioned for clarification on magic item crafting too...
It is. :)

I...clearly need to build a time machine to get me to April faster.

Edit:
Just realized that you referenced "advice on crafting magic items" earlier... Clearly I need more ranks in Perception.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
Sean K Reynolds wrote:
AerynTahlro wrote:
I only wish that this was the sourcebook mentioned for clarification on magic item crafting too...
It is. :)

On that note, you had mentioned a related FAQ that would be coming out in January to clarify a few things before the sourcebook comes out. I'm sure you guys have been busy getting Ultimate Campaign wrapped up, so you had to delay that, but is there an ETA on that now?

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Kevin Mack wrote:
So just Alain in these chapter openers or are Other iconics going to be in them as well?

It's a lot easier to be a jerk when there are other people around.

Editor-in-Chief

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Dragonborn3 wrote:
Rules for young characters? Finally!!!!

Wow! Glad to hear so many people are grooving on the young characters bit. This is one of my sections and it always struck me as odd for all the fantasy stories with strong young characters why the younger ages were excluded. There's always the "we don't want to encourage violence against children" angle, but I don't see "possible" and "encouragement" as the same thing.

In any case, I can't wait to hear what everybody thinks in a few more months here!

Editor-in-Chief

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Odraude wrote:
Agreed. I've always wanted to play a kid warrior and I have a friend who has been dying to play Rydia as a summoner.

Heart.


I cant wait for the rules on followers..i hope this will also include non combants

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.
F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
Dragonborn3 wrote:
Rules for young characters? Finally!!!!

Wow! Glad to hear so many people are grooving on the young characters bit. This is one of my sections and it always struck me as odd for all the fantasy stories with strong young characters why the younger ages were excluded. There's always the "we don't want to encourage violence against children" angle, but I don't see "possible" and "encouragement" as the same thing.

I think some folks might be very interested in using these for running Beginner's Box-style games for their kids too.

I have to admit, a big part of their appeal is the opportunity to run "prologue" adventures to kick off a campaign for their adult counterparts. Oh the foreshadowing and mood-setting that can be done with those, for a wide style of campaigns! :D

Liberty's Edge

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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

I was just thinking earlier today about a KODT comic/one-two punch where Dave's character was reincarnated as some kind of rot grub, and I thought to myself, huh, wouldn't it be cool if they tied the reincarnation tables into the character's honor score, kind of as a Karma guides reincarnation thing? And now, an honor system for PF presents itself... I see a Wayfinder article in my future...


I was wondering does anyone know if theres a page count on this book and mythic adventures..i just love these big giant crunchy books

Dark Archive

I had no interest in this book. Curse your blog and it's teasers! Now I have to pre-order.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
watchmanx wrote:
I was wondering does anyone know if theres a page count on this book and mythic adventures..i just love these big giant crunchy books

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign is 256 pages

Mythic Adventures doesn't have a product page yet, but I believe it is also supposed to be 256 pages.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Sean K Reynolds wrote:
In a world where people can make pacts with demons or dodge 20-foot-radius fireballs, I don't think it's weird for a person to be able to retrain a now-obsolete feat, archetype, or even a class level.

I don't think it's that weird in real life, for that matter. How many things do we learn as kids that atrophy as we grow up, and develop other skills? Or later return to and try to relearn?

I used to be a great saxophone player, and any time I try to pick it up now, I get frustrated because I lost my embouchure and music sounds like crap. I don't remember all the keyings as well, but when I practice they eventually come back and if I had the patience, I could probably pick the whole thing up again.

On the other hand, my ability to read music has remained, and my ear for it, and so when I decided to learn to play the guitar, I had a pretty good headstart even though I'd never played before.


I like everything in this except..... retraining feats....

I don't know.... it just feels so MMO-ish. Definitely getting the book but I'm learning towards disallowing retraining.

Scarab Sages

Considering Book of the River Nations sold out and doesnt appear to be reprinted, this book should sell extremely well just for the Kingdom building rules alone.

Add in the zillion other new and amazing things and this appears to be the most essential book since the Core. Unlike the UM, UC, and the GMs Guide, this is a book I will carry with me to all my games. I can hardly wait!


Sean K Reynolds wrote:
In a world where people can make pacts with demons or dodge 20-foot-radius fireballs, I don't think it's weird for a person to be able to retrain a now-obsolete feat, archetype, or even a class level.

I love hearing a Dev saying this, especially when it comes from you :-)

Thank you!

Not being able to retrain feats is probably one of the main reasons I don’t like playing some of classes such as ranger and fighter (even though fighters can retrain some feats). Cleave is great at some levels but one of those feats that you might want to swap. And what if you pick a feat chain and the regret it?

Not being able to retrain skills is probably one of the main reasons I don’t like the Core bard.

And what if you first think you want to multiclass and muck later realize that it was a mistake multi classing.

downtime system: building groups and such - finally!

This looks like of those books you just have to get in hardcover and PDF.

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