Pathfinder Adventure Path Ongoing Subscription

A few questions about subscriptions:

1)In which months do the new six month adventure paths start?

2)If I subscribe sometime between those months, can I request that the
subscription start retroactively with the first book in the current adventure path, or does that happen automatically?

3)What if I don't want my subscription renewed automatically on my credit card, but want to be notified when the time comes to renew it?

The new APs are 'supposed' to start in August and February, but they are a currently a month behind

When You start a new subscription you are given the choice of starting with the issue that is current being shipped or the next issue to start your subscription with

The subscriptions are charged monthly when they ship and will continue to ship until you email customer service or post on the customer servicer board requesting the cancellation of your subscriptions, thus you never renew a subscription

The new APs are 'supposed' to start in August and February, but they are a currently a month behind

We aren't exactly a month behind. It is more like a couple of weeks. We plan (need) to be caught up for when Pathfinder #13 ships in August, since it needs to be at GenCon. So those couple of weeks will be made up in the next few months, getting us back on schedule.

-Lisa

3)What if I don't want my subscription renewed automatically on my credit card, but want to be notified when the time comes to renew it?

There's no "renewal," because you're not prepaying for x months at a time. It works more or less like your phone bill—it automatically continues every month until you tell us to turn it off.

I'm new to Paizo and am interested in running the upcoming Adventure Path. I assume they're geared toward the standard 4-character party. Would it be a problem to run them for 2 to 3 characters, in terms of an inadvertant TPK or party balance requiring, say, a caster, a healer, a tank & a rogue, for example?

I'm new to Paizo and am interested in running the upcoming Adventure Path. I assume they're geared toward the standard 4-character party. Would it be a problem to run them for 2 to 3 characters, in terms of an inadvertant TPK or party balance requiring, say, a caster, a healer, a tank & a rogue, for example?

There's never really any adventure which can't be completed without a wizard, rogue, cleric and fighter, but if you have a lower number of characters, they're always going to have some trouble in combat as written for a standard-sized party. In other words, the problem wouldn't be in the "roles" of characters but in the number. My advice: the GM just needs to go easy on a smaller party. If you see an encounter that will cause problems for a small party, you might want to scale it back a bit before running it.

When I try and add this I get this "Pathfinder: Second Darkness Player's Guide (OGL)~ was removed because it is not available" error message and the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription does not show up in my cart.

When I try and add this I get this "Pathfinder: Second Darkness Player's Guide (OGL)~ was removed because it is not available" error message and the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription does not show up in my cart.

Hi all, I am a new fan of Pathfinder from Belgium and I have the same problem as Sannos when I am trying to Subscribe to The Adventure Path.

P.S.: Sorry for my grammar, my mother language is french. ;-)

Sannos wrote:

When I try and add this I get this "Pathfinder: Second Darkness Player's Guide (OGL)~ was removed because it is not available" error message and the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription does not show up in my cart.

Hi all, I am a new fan of Pathfinder from Belgium and I have the same problem as Sannos when I am trying to Subscribe to The Adventure Path.

Could you tell me if you know what's going on? Thanks. ;-)

P.S.: Sorry for my grammar, my mother language is french. ;-)

I too am wishing to subscribe for the Second Darkness storyline, however it will not allow me to add a subscription to my cart.

I too am wishing to subscribe for the Second Darkness storyline, however it will not allow me to add a subscription to my cart.

Sorry about that—it's fixed now!

Hi Paizo-Folks,

I have been buying your products (Adventure Path, Modules- and Chronicles-Product Line for the last couple of month. (keep up that perfect work, best I have seen in years...and that goes back down to 1979)

I wanted to subscribe to the Modules-Line, the Pathfinder Adventure Path, Chronicles and the Companion Line (all of which I have already ordered the latest products, which have already been shipped a couple of days ago, or I already own them). Unfortunately the system keeps placing these latest items in my shopping cart. Since I do not want them twice, I tried to set the numbers down to zero, which also seems to cancel the subscription.

My question:

Can I just sign up now, without receiving the current available issues, starting with the next, or do I have to wait till the next issue(s) will be available and then subscribe for each separately? (Thus entering each subscription at a different month)?

Can I just sign up now, without receiving the current available issues, starting with the next, or do I have to wait till the next issue(s) will be available and then subscribe for each separately? (Thus entering each subscription at a different month)?

Each subscription should, upon check out, ask you which issue you'd like to begin your subscription with: the previously shipped issues or the upcoming issue. You will be able to set it to the upcoming September/October releases at that time. Hope this helps, and welcome to Superscriberhood.

Other than the Rise of the Runlords I don't see levels listed on any of the adventure paths components. Do all story lines start at Level 1 and go up from there? I may be missing something obvious here but I am interested in the paths and some level info would be handy.

Other than the Rise of the Runlords I don't see levels listed on any of the adventure paths components. Do all story lines start at Level 1 and go up from there? I may be missing something obvious here but I am interested in the paths and some level info would be handy.

So far, all of the Adventure Paths start at level 1 and go to level 16 over the course of 6 issues.

Other than the Rise of the Runlords I don't see levels listed on any of the adventure paths components. Do all story lines start at Level 1 and go up from there? I may be missing something obvious here but I am interested in the paths and some level info would be handy.

The individual adventures in each Adventure Path have their levels listed on the back cover and, I believe, in the product description on the Paizo website. The level that the adventure is assumed to end at is buried near the legal text on the credits page, although most seem to run at 2-3 levels per adventure (with History of Ashes being an exception).

EDIT: My bad... the Paizo site doesn't list the levels for all of the adventures. Certainly they haven't even determined the exact levels for Legacy of Fire, but Second Darkness and Curse of the Crimson Throne should have them listed, not just Rise of the Runelords. Strange.

EDIT: My bad... the Paizo site doesn't list the levels for all of the adventures. Certainly they haven't even determined the exact levels for Legacy of Fire, but Second Darkness and Curse of the Crimson Throne should have them listed, not just Rise of the Runelords. Strange.

Hmm. That dropped out of our template. I've added it back for Curse of the Crimson Throne, and will add Second Darkness when I get them from editorial.

I just read thru this thread searching on "PDF", but I didn't find an answer to a question I have:

If a non-subscriber purchases a particular printed issue, do they also get to download the corresponding PDF without an additional charge?

Any clarification would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I just read thru this thread searching on "PDF", but I didn't find an answer to a question I have:

If a non-subscriber purchases a particular printed issue, do they also get to download the corresponding PDF without an additional charge?

** spoiler omitted **

Any clarification would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

No you do not. You ony get the bonus of the Free PDF if you are a Subscriber. If you are not a subscriber and you want both the PDF and Print version of a book you need to pay for both.

Laithoron wrote:

I just read thru this thread searching on "PDF", but I didn't find an answer to a question I have:

If a non-subscriber purchases a particular printed issue, do they also get to download the corresponding PDF without an additional charge?

** spoiler omitted **

Any clarification would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

No you do not. You ony get the bonus of the Free PDF if you are a Subscriber. If you are not a subscriber and you want both the PDF and Print version of a book you need to pay for both.

True, but I'd also like to clarify that subscribers get free PDFs of their subscription volumes only. Subscriber benefits are not retroactive, so if subscribers buy older volumes, they do not automatically get a free PDF of those.

Thanks for clarifying. Not the answer I was hoping for of course but at least now I know.

So is there no way to get the PDFs of back-issues without having to [essentially] buy everything twice? That's a rather steep cost of entry.

Thanks for clarifying. Not the answer I was hoping for of course but at least now I know.

So is there no way to get the PDFs of back-issues without having to [essentially] buy everything twice? That's a rather steep cost of entry.

That pretty much sums it up. I prefer to think of it as a subscriber bonus more than a high cost of entry. By subscribing you are helping Paizo gain a predictable revenue stream, much like a magazine subscription. They reward us by giving us a good deal on the AP and including the AP. It's similar to the way magazine subscriptions are much cheaper than purchasing individual issues.

This is why I bought subscribed to the new AP rather than buying the older ones. You could just buy the PDFs and print them... or just do it the old school way and use the printed edition, having the PDF is not a requirement.

That pretty much sums it up. I prefer to think of it as a subscriber bonus more than a high cost of entry. By subscribing you are helping Paizo gain a predictable revenue stream, much like a magazine subscription. They reward us by giving us a good deal on the AP and including the AP. It's similar to the way magazine subscriptions are much cheaper than purchasing individual issues.

The business side of how a subscription-model works makes sense to me. ;) However, in terms of incentives, I'd think 30% off the cover price and the 15% discount on "everything else" is already quite generous. It just seems over-the-top [to me] to not include the PDF with the printed version regardless of how the printed version is purchased (so long as it is from this website).

You could just buy the PDFs and print them... or just do it the old school way and use the printed edition, having the PDF is not a requirement.

I'm running an online game so the PDF is quite necessary for me. Pasting relevant info saves on a lot of extra typing, and it's much cleaner to bring the original map graphics into MapTool than it is to scan them. I suppose I could abuse the printers here at work, but I dislike doing that and using a binder lacks a certain aesthetic.

This is why I bought subscribed to the new AP rather than buying the older ones.

I buy enough stuff from Paizo that I suppose the 15% discount alone may be worth my while. However, I actually game so infrequently that even Red Hand of Doom lasted my group for 1.5 years! Also, I've been polling my players to learn what they'd like in our next campaign and there's no guarantee that the current AP is what they are looking for. That's the reason I was looking to check out the 1st installments of each AP — it's quite possibly a 2-3 year commitment of my gaming time. :-\

That's not to say that I won't enjoy reading them, but when I'm specifically looking for something to run, if one of the older APs fits-the-bill better then it's somewhat contrived to subscribe to an AP I won't be using.

For the sake of making up my mind on what I want to do, how much longer do I have to subscribe before the next issue would be shipped? (i.e. How much time do I have to mull this over before having to wait another month to get the subscriber discount?)

It just seems over-the-top [to me] to not include the PDF with the printed version regardless of how the printed version is purchased (so long as it is from this website).

Just out of curiousity and not trying to be argumentative - what other products out there give you a free PDF with the purchase of the printed version? I'm just not understanding how this is "over the top", as Paizo is one of the few companies who offer this great perk to subscribers.

For the sake of making up my mind on what I want to do, how much longer do I have to subscribe before the next issue would be shipped? (i.e. How much time do I have to mull this over before having to wait another month to get the subscriber discount?)

The product release schedule says Pathfinder #14 is expected to be shipping in "mid-September", so I would guess you have another week or so.

Just out of curiousity and not trying to be argumentative - what other products out there give you a free PDF with the purchase of the printed version? I'm just not understanding how this is "over the top", as Paizo is one of the few companies who offer this great perk to subscribers.

I'm not trying to start an argument either. It just seems odd to me that the PDFs aren't available for markedly less to someone who purchases the physical copy. Since you want to know why I feel this way, I'll give a few examples...

I was under the impression that WotC had e-versions of their products available for a small fee when you purchased the physical copy. Was this changed from their pre-4E-release propoganda?

In terms of other types of media, if I buy a CD, I do not have to pay extra to copy the tracks onto my iPod for when I'm away from my stereo. If I buy a copy of Photoshop, I can transfer its activation from my work computer to my home computer and back again.

Lastly, I thought I remembered reading that when someone purchases the [eventual] final printed version of the Pathfinder RPG they will be able to download the PDF at no extra cost. Is my recollection incorrect?

The product release schedule says Pathfinder #14 is expected to be shipping in "mid-September", so I would guess you have another week or so.

Thanks for the link to the release schedule, that's handy. Mid-September? *sigh* I don't like cutting things that close...

I'm not trying to start an argument either. It just seems odd to me that the PDFs aren't available for markedly less to someone who purchases the physical copy. Since you want to know why I feel this way, I'll give a few examples...

I was under the impression that WotC had e-versions of their products available for a small fee when you purchased the physical copy. Was this changed from their pre-4E-release propoganda?

They changed their mind... they decided it was not feasable. In fact I think they are selling their PDFs for the same price as the Print version..which is just crazy!!!!

In terms of other types of media, if I buy a CD, I do not have to pay extra to copy the tracks onto my iPod for when I'm away from my stereo. If I buy a copy of Photoshop, I can transfer its activation from my work computer to my home computer and back again.

That is much different..since they are already in an electronic format..Let me ask you this..if you buy the CD can you download the prgoram or music from them at a lesser price or free?.. the answer is mostly no. That is more like what this is.

Lastly, I thought I remembered reading that when someone purchases the [eventual] final printed version of the Pathfinder RPG they will be able to download the PDF at no extra cost. Is my recollection incorrect?

YOu are remembering it wrong, they never said that..what they did say was that Some people may be getting the PDF for free, but they have still not said who those some people are.

Any word on if / when the Players Guide will be out for the new Adventure Path Second Darkness?

Thanks

JD

Any word on if / when the Players Guide will be out for the new Adventure Path Second Darkness?

It's right here.

Any word on if / when the Players Guide will be out for the new Adventure Path Second Darkness?

Thanks

JD

It has been out for awhile...

Pathfinder Companion: Second Darkness

Edit: DOH!

It just seems over-the-top [to me] to not include the PDF with the printed version regardless of how the printed version is purchased (so long as it is from this website).

I mostly agree with you, I think another small part of it is that Paizo's hands are tied with regards to discounting the product on their web site. Paizo wants their products in stores and retailers get upset if they buy a product and a company turns around and discount the product so people but it direct. Including the PDF is a discount of sorts, giving bonuses and discounts to subscribers is accepted practice in the industry though.

I buy enough stuff from Paizo that I suppose the 15% discount alone may be worth my while. However, I actually game so infrequently that even Red Hand of Doom lasted my group for 1.5 years! Also, I've been polling my players to learn what they'd like in our next campaign and there's no guarantee that the current AP is what they are looking for. That's the reason I was looking to check out the 1st installments of each AP — it's quite possibly a 2-3 year commitment of my gaming time. :-\

I sympathize, I've been player RHOD for about a year now and the players aren't even at the Ghost Lord yet. A big part of my problem is my other summertime hobby seriously cuts into gaming time. One thing I've noticed about this AP is that for the subscription price there is a lot of content which can be used elsewhere. Many of the encounters, NPCs, Monsters can be plugged into another campaign directly or just serve as brain food. For me the $17/ month is worth it for that alone.

For the sake of making up my mind on what I want to do, how much longer do I have to subscribe before the next issue would be shipped? (i.e. How much time do I have to mull this over before having to wait another month to get the subscriber discount?)

The next AP14 won't be released until late in this month or possibly Oct. but even then you still have time because you can start your subscription with the current edition or the previous one so you can start your subscription with #13 all the way until #15 is released.

One other thing to keep in mind, if you subscribe starting with #13 you get the printed and PDF versions of the AP and the printed and PDF version of the Players Guide. If you just buy the AP then you only get the Printed version of the AP and don't get the players guide unless you buy it separate. The value difference is huge.

The value difference is huge, my suggestion is to go ahead and subscribe, if you don't like Second Darkness then cancel the subscription, they have really good service and response on canceling orders and there is no downside to this.

They changed their mind... they decided it was not feasable. In fact I think they are selling their PDFs for the same price as the Print version..which is just crazy!!!!

Well actually, they originally promised access to their online rules (not the PDF versions) for a nominal fee "The Price of a Cup of Coffee" with the purchase of the books. They were unable to deliver on this promise due primarily to technical problems. So instead they rolled that functionality into their digital initiative so rather than costing a cup of coffee it costs 5 cups of coffee a month. :(

I'm not trying to defend WotC here, but it was not so much a case of them lying or changing their minds, rather they promised something before they knew what challenges they faced in delivering.

Jason Windham wrote:

Any word on if / when the Players Guide will be out for the new Adventure Path Second Darkness?

It's right here.

Thanks for the quick response.

So the players guides are no longer free like the ones they had for the first two AP's?

JD

Rauol_Duke wrote:

Jason Windham wrote:

Any word on if / when the Players Guide will be out for the new Adventure Path Second Darkness?

It's right here.

Thanks for the quick response.

So the players guides are no longer free like the ones they had for the first two AP's?

JD

If you were an AP subscriber when it shiped you got the first one free but the next player's guide...who knows?

Jason Windham wrote:

Rauol_Duke wrote:

Jason Windham wrote:

Any word on if / when the Players Guide will be out for the new Adventure Path Second Darkness?

It's right here.

Thanks for the quick response.

So the players guides are no longer free like the ones they had for the first two AP's?

If you were an AP subscriber when it shiped you got the first one free but the next player's guide...who knows?

I get the impression we will be charged for the later ones. It is possible that it will be permanent subscription benefit. I haven't heard one way or de udder on that. I would hope that they would give us at least the PDF version as part of the AP but I could understand them charging for it also. It's easy for us to say they should give stuff away, we don't use the money to pay our rent.

I get the impression we will be charged for the later ones. It is possible that it will be permanent subscription benefit. I haven't heard one way or de udder on that. I would hope that they would give us at least the PDF version as part of the AP but I could understand them charging for it also. It's easy for us to say they should give stuff away, we don't use the money to pay our rent.

They will be charging for them...

For the next one on they are part of the Companion Subscription and they will no longer be free of charge for those with the AP subscription.

They have said that a few times..

Thanks for the replies all. As my tag-line shows, I started a subscription to Pathfinder and just woke to find that Second Darkness 1 and the Player's Guide are in the mail. Since I wanted to check out the 1st installments of each one, that works out fairly well.

BTW, I hadn't considered the reusability factor Dennis — that's a good point.

However, in terms of incentives, I'd think 30% off the cover price and the 15% discount on "everything else" is already quite generous.

Keep in mind that that 15% Pathfinder Advantage discount *does* apply to Paizo PDFs as well, so current subscribers can get older PDFs cheaper than non-subscribers can.

For the sake of making up my mind on what I want to do, how much longer do I have to subscribe before the next issue would be shipped? (i.e. How much time do I have to mull this over before having to wait another month to get the subscriber discount?)

At any time, you can choose to start with the current volume or the next volume. So right now you can start with either #13 (and subscribers still get the free Player's Guide) or with #14. As soon as #14 ships, which should be sometime next week, your choice will be between 14 or 15.

Regarding future Player's Guides, I don't think we've made a firm decision about whether or not we're giving away free Player's Guides with future Adventure Paths. It'll probably be another couple of months before we do.

Regarding future Player's Guides, I don't think we've made a firm decision about whether or not we're giving away free Player's Guides with future Adventure Paths. It'll probably be another couple of months before we do.

It would take awhile for me to search the forums for this..But I swear that you guys were preatty firm that you guys were no longer going to be even doing Players Guides, that they will no longer be needed.

In fact after going through Companion Subscription Announcment, yeah James made it fairly clear that this was going to be the last players guide.

But the Companion books as a whole would be Player resources.

Pathfinder Companion Announced!

That would be fine if you guys re thought that.. but if so this is the first I am hearing about it..:-p

EDit: well it seems you guys did change your mind.. Since the Pathfinder Companion: Legacy of Fire Player's Guide is on your release schedule...interesting..

It would take awhile for me to search the forums for this..But I swear that you guys were preatty firm that you guys were no longer going to be even doing Players Guides, that they will no longer be needed.

In fact after going through Companion Subscription Announcment, yeah James made it fairly clear that this was going to be the last players guide.

But the Companion books as a whole would be Player resources.

Pathfinder Companion Announced!

That would be fine if you guys re thought that.. but if so this is the first I am hearing about it..:-p

EDit: well it seems you guys did change your mind.. Since the Pathfinder Companion: Legacy of Fire Player's Guide is on your release schedule...interesting..

I don't think that they were ever planning to get rid of the Player's Guides... they were just moving them to be Companions and are (probably) getting rid of the free copy for subscribers benefit. The 16-page Player's Guides are a thing of the past.

Thanks for the replies all. As my tag-line shows, I started a subscription to Pathfinder

Sweet!

Thanks for the replies all. As my tag-line shows, I started a subscription to Pathfinder and just woke to find that Second Darkness 1 and the Player's Guide are in the mail. Since I wanted to check out the 1st installments of each one, that works out fairly well.

BTW, I hadn't considered the reusability factor Dennis — that's a good point.

Welcome aboard

Now Vic about that commission? ;)

Dragnmoon wrote:

It would take awhile for me to search the forums for this..But I swear that you guys were preatty firm that you guys were no longer going to be even doing Players Guides, that they will no longer be needed.

In fact after going through Companion Subscription Announcment, yeah James made it fairly clear that this was going to be the last players guide.

But the Companion books as a whole would be Player resources.

Pathfinder Companion Announced!

That would be fine if you guys re thought that.. but if so this is the first I am hearing about it..:-p

EDit: well it seems you guys did change your mind.. Since the Pathfinder Companion: Legacy of Fire Player's Guide is on your release schedule...interesting..

I don't think that they were ever planning to get rid of the Player's Guides... they were just moving them to be Companions and are (probably) getting rid of the free copy for subscribers benefit. The 16-page Player's Guides are a thing of the past.

To be clear, the 16-page Player's Guides are no more; instead, we'll be putting that type of content into the 32-page Pathfinder Companion that ships during the same month as the first volume of a new Adventure Path.

So, instead of a 16-page Player's Guide to Second Darkness, we have the 32-page Pathfinder Companion: Second Darkness.

Devlin 'Dusk' Valerian wrote:

Can I just sign up now, without receiving the current available issues, starting with the next, or do I have to wait till the next issue(s) will be available and then subscribe for each separately? (Thus entering each subscription at a different month)?

Each subscription should, upon check out, ask you which issue you'd like to begin your subscription with: the previously shipped issues or the upcoming issue. You will be able to set it to the upcoming September/October releases at that time. Hope this helps, and welcome to Superscriberhood.

Thanks a lot. Wonder why I have not noticed this on my own. guess I should practice how to scroll the page....

This series isn't going to transition to fourth edition is it?

This series isn't going to transition to fourth edition is it?

No. It will transition to the finished Pathfinder Role Playing Game rules in August 2009.

So is a complete adventure path set in Osirion in the cards? Perhaps with an entry or two by Michael Kortes?

I want to run Rise of the Rune Lords with PF Beta. I am short of time and need help.
Is there help to be found making the conversion?

I want to run Rise of the Rune Lords with PF Beta. I am short of time and need help.

Is there help to be found making the conversion?

You'll find some threads on that topic in the RotR forum—but I think you'll find that people are running it successfully with virtually no conversion effort—just on-the-fly tweaking of some of the skills that have changed.

What if I wanted a backwards subscription too? You know, to get the products I've missed becuase I signed up late.

What if I wanted a backwards subscription too? You know, to get the products I've missed becuase I signed up late.

The 15% Pathfinder Advantage discount would apply to those products, but for any other benefits (like a free PDF), you have to be a subscriber when the product is currently shipping.

Yeah, converting these adventures to PF rules takes a bit of time in some occasions.

Especially when you're dealing with a cleric, wizard, sorcerer or barbarian.

Not to mention if the cleric is a dwarf or the wizard an elf, you have to increase their wis/int by 2, which means more spells and, in the elf case, more skills!
You usually don't care for an npc you'll run for 2-5 combat rounds enough to add the new skills but I like being by the book to the letter :p

In all seriousness though, If a small pdf companion to the actual books could come with buying them, which included a list of npcs in the other version, I'd be much obliged. I understand the adventure path books don't have the space to include both versions and that its a fuss to build each npc both ways, but maybe you could do with just the major ones.

On that note, if there was a forum, I'd be willing to write the conversions but I suggested the idea of a pdf companion so that forums would remain spoiler-free for players.

I'm interested in subscribing to the Pathfinder Adventure Paths, starting with the first chapter of Legacy of Fire (I don't do drow, so I've been waiting 'til the Second Darkness path neared its conclusion to think about subscribing.) Is there a way to specify the issue with which I'd like to start my subscription, or should I just keep checking to see when Legacy of Fire shows up as the next available issue?