The Scribbler

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33 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists.




Some people on Twitter are trying to draft WotC into doing a Penny Arcade TV style weekly web show. Search for #wotctv on Twitter to follow the drive.

If you haven't watched it, Penny Arcade TV (or PATV) is a weekly web show that takes a look behind the scenes of the Penny Arcade web comic offices. It's in its second season and is pretty compelling to watch.

I think the idea that's out there of a similar WotC style show has a lot of merit. However, I think a Paizo show would be even better and in keeping with the current batch of design diaries that are being posted to the Paizo blog.

I posted this suggestion on twitter under the #paizotv tag. So far no takers, but we'll see.

So, what do you guys think?


I got a copy of these six sided dice with pictograms on their face from the publisher to review for my wife's blog. After playing with them for a couple of months, I started to think they might be a good aid for inspiring Call of Cthulhu Keepers or Pathfinder Game Masters during their scenario and adventure creation sessions.

Roll the dice and come up with a scenario using all the elements depicted.

Now, the basic set's pictograms have a modern bent, but a little imagination could turn a pictogram of a credit card into a, say, writ of passage or a cell phone into a stone of scrying.

I've got a couple of rolls that we took pictures of on my blog.

What do you think about Pathfinder/Fantasy themed story cubes for this type of activity? Personally, I would love to see Paizo offer something like this as part of its Game Mastery line

What scenario could you come up with from each of those rolls?

Here's one of the rolls:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_g8s4gtY5buk/TT_GjTw9jgI/AAAAAAAAACQ/DEA1M66HBac/s 1600/DSC02578.JPG


I'm a big advocate for libraries. So much so, that I pay the extra fee to be able to access the libraries one town over from mine (which has a nice library of its own).

I'm also a somewhat new fan of Pathfinder. I'm slowly working my way through the rules in my spare time so that I can run a game for my non-gaming friends and family that have become curious about these RPG books that I've been reading.

With all that in mind, these search results from my library system's online catalog make me happy.

I'm especially so, because I requested all those titles to be added to the collection. Every one of the seven that are currently there is one that I specifically requested, though I have asked for more that may still be on order (not sure).

Just to be clear, this isn't to skip out on buying them myself. I own the Core Rule Book and the Bestiary and plan to pick up the Game Mastery Guide (and Bestiary 2) and a host of others when additional funds make themselves available.

I see these library holdings as another means of spreading the hobby in general and the playing of Pathfinder in particular. They're good advertisements. People can look at the books and if they like them, they can buy them down the road. Also, it will be easier to get Pathfinder events at the library (more on that later) if the event is in support of materials already in the collection.

So, my challenge to all of you is to check your library's online catalog and see if Pathfinder products are in the collection. Post your search results here for fun.

If they aren't in the collection, check your library's site for a method to suggest items for the library to acquire.

Then when the materials come in, make sure to check them out. I know when I was walking through the library with the Game Mastery book under my arm, one person asked what it was and then was excited that the library actually carried game manuals. Then the librarian said, "Hmm, this looks interesting. I'll have to check that out." I think getting the books in front of a public that isn't used to seeing gaming materials can only be a good thing.

Now for the questions.

Has anyone tried to set up any formal play within their local library system?

Would this be something that could incorporate Pathfinder Society play?

Has Paizo considered setting up some sort of program to support libraries?

That's it. Have fun everyone. Continue supporting Pathfinder and please consider supporting your local library.


It just hit me the other day that Paizo might help spread the hobby as well as exposure to Pathfinder by talking to podcasts or other media outside the general gaming community.

By day, I'm a Unix/Linux systems admin and I am ensconced in the open source community and philosophies.

It's funny, because I had no idea about the OGL when DnD was released under the license by WotC. However, when I started looking at getting back into RPG playing Pathfinder's development history as a direct offshoot of the OGL version of DnD was appealing to me. The methods that were used to bring the Pathfinder RPG to publication including public alpha and beta tests as well as active community involvement ("bug reporting," "feature requests") had a very familiar and comforting ring to it.

I think other open source enthusiasts may be interested in the story as well. If some of them, like me, have played in the past and fallen away from the hobby, they may be tempted to pick it up again. Others, who never played an RPG in their life, might be intrigued enough to give the game a go.

With that in mind, I sent a suggestion for a Paizo interview to one of the hosts of the FLOSS Weekly podcast. FLOSS weekly is a podcast about open source. It is hosted by Randal Schwartz, aka Merlyn, Jono Bacon and Leo Laporte. It is part of Leo Laporte's wildly popular This Week in Tech (TWIT) network. Leo is one of the most successful podcasters out there and has arguably the largest audience.

I sent Randal Schwartz the basics, as I understand them, of the Pathfinder RPG story. While FLOSS focuses mainly on software, they have also covered novel uses of open source including subjects like open source law, advocacy, research, science, etc.

Randal keeps a list of upcoming shows online. It's a long list and, taking into account that it is a weekly show, it'll take years to get through it. He doesn't even have the contact info for all the projects listed, they've just been suggested by listeners. Randal does all the legwork, so anything that makes his job easier helps move people up the stack. So, if someone from Paizo were to contact him via his email address, merlyn@stonehenge.com, I'd bet they could get onto the show to discuss the OGL and Pathfinder's history relatively soon.

As I said, I think it would be a sizable audience that would be receptive to the topic and could expand the audience for RPGs in general and Pathfinder specifically.

I'm not associated with TWIT or FLOSS other than being a listener.

I know the Paizo staff is insanely busy, but I wanted to pass this along as an idea before I forgot about... "Squirrel!"

What do you guys think?


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So, no pathfinder fiction... YET!

I have a copy of the Wayfarer #1. Thanks for the suggestion and I am looking at Pathfinder Chronicler. Thanks again.

Can anyone recommend some good fantasy books that have a Pathfinder flavor (however you would define that)?

I haven't read fantasy for a number of years (beyond just starting reading The Hobbit each night to my 4 year old) and I am looking for some REALLY GOOD books.

Rather than stumble around, I thought I'd ask for help here.


With the news that the Eclipse Phase role playing game from Catalyst Labs sold film rights to the game before it was even published, is this something that Paizo has looked into? Have they been approached?

I have to think that someone who's a role player is also connected in Hollywood and would be aware of the buzz around the Pathfinder RPG.

Would it even be something that Paizo was interested in?

It seems like the adventure paths alone would be fertile ground for a transfer to the silver screen.


This may have been asked somewhere else before, but searching is disabled at the moment.

Does Paizo have plans to publish novels set in the Pathfinder setting?

I'm new to the setting and wanted to get a feel for it without having to buy a ton of stuff up front... and, besides, I love reading fiction in general.

If there are stories that have been released as part of other products, are there any collections of just the fiction?

Thanks