Pathfinder Adventure Ongoing Subscription

Two 1st-level modules in a row (Ire and Gallows) seems a bit much.

Given that it's been more than four years since Moonscar (August 2012) and even longer since Witchwar (September 2010), should I hold out any hope for a high-level (17+) module later this year?

I wouldn't hold my breath for any modules in that extremely high-level range. Conventional wisdom is that lower-level module sell better than high-level ones, and I imagine demand for extra-high-level is rather low, making the modules you want probably not very commercially viable.

Are the products in this line always/usually PFS-legal? I noticed some people talking about level 17+ Modules, which I don't imagine can be run in PFS, so I wonder.

Are the products in this line always/usually PFS-legal?

All of the Pathfinder RPG modules are sanctioned for PFS play, or have chronicles planned. However, there is a delay in the release of those chronicles due to competing priorities (the last one sanctioned to date was Plunder & Peril).

I noticed some people talking about level 17+ Modules, which I don't imagine can be run in PFS, so I wonder.

Level 17+ modules can be run in PFS, you just have to get a PFS PC up to 17th level through taking part in sanctioned content to do it.

gatherer818 wrote:

I noticed some people talking about level 17+ Modules, which I don't imagine can be run in PFS, so I wonder.

Level 17+ modules can be run in PFS, you just have to get a PFS PC up to 17th level through taking part in sanctioned content to do it.

At this point there is only one PFS scenario which will allow you to play a 17+ character (and it's a special which requires multiple tables to run) and therefore sanctioned modules or sanctioned AP's are the only options for high-level PFS play. Thus my interest in something other than yet another low-level module as all of my Paizo purchases are made for PFS purposes at this point.

Are the products in this line always/usually PFS-legal? I noticed some people talking about level 17+ Modules, which I don't imagine can be run in PFS, so I wonder.

The more recent modules are not PFS sanctioned yet. I imagine someday they will be. the older ones written for 3.5 rules are not sanctioned either.

The recent non-sanctioned modules are:

Down the Blighted path
The House on Hook Street
Feast of Dust

I wouldn't hold my breath for any modules in that extremely high-level range. Conventional wisdom is that lower-level module sell better than high-level ones, and I imagine demand for extra-high-level is rather low, making the modules you want probably not very commercially viable.

Sadly, it's not just conventional wisdom but also hard sales numbers. I always make a point of getting high level content, because I've run games to level 20 and know how sparse things get. But for every campaign that makes it to 20, there are 20 campaign that only make it to level 5.

One practical thing: would it be possible to print the module level range on the spine, perhapt right below the "Pathfinder Module"? This would make it easier to identify them if you look for a certain level range, if you got several of them in your collection.

One practical thing: would it be possible to print the module level range on the spine, perhapt right below the "Pathfinder Module"? This would make it easier to identify them if you look for a certain level range, if you got several of them in your collection.

I like that suggestion!

But for every campaign that makes it to 20, there are 20 campaign that only make it to level 5.

And you a raving optimist! I wouldn't give a campaign better than a 1% chance of reaching 20 with half the original players.

OK! I'm on the job... hope to be bringing modules more regularly and with a better spread of levels soon... including some HIGH level ones! Will take a while to get that ball going... but it's in my court as of now.

Awesome. You've written some of my favorite adventures.

Will you be writing them or acting more as developer/line manager?

Awesome. You've written some of my favorite adventures.

Will you be writing them or acting more as developer/line manager?

Developer and line manager.

So products through March have been announced, but there are no modules announced after October. Does this signify anything?

So products through March have been announced, but there are no modules announced after October. Does this signify anything?

It signifies that there are no modules releasing between October and March; part of me taking over the line has disrupted the "flow" a bit, but I'm really REALLLLLLY hoping that I can get it back going again soon.

Stay tuned!

Eliandra Giltessan wrote:

So products through March have been announced, but there are no modules announced after October. Does this signify anything?

It signifies that there are no modules releasing between October and March; part of me taking over the line has disrupted the "flow" a bit, but I'm really REALLLLLLY hoping that I can get it back going again soon.

Stay tuned!

Okay. I'm sure this just means the modules coming out eventually will be extra awesome! Thanks for responding!

Anyone else hoping for a Bastardhall superdungeon / module in 2017?

Eliandra Giltessan wrote:

So products through March have been announced, but there are no modules announced after October. Does this signify anything?

It signifies that there are no modules releasing between October and March; part of me taking over the line has disrupted the "flow" a bit, but I'm really REALLLLLLY hoping that I can get it back going again soon.

Stay tuned!

Dear James,

now that you are occupied with Bestiary 6 (which is very understandable),
is somebody else taking care of the modules?
Is the next one still (roughly) scheduled for march 2017?

A lot of people would like a level 1 introductary module for Tian-Xia, me included.
Is this possible?

Thank you for your dedicated work, i´m enjoying your Strange Aeons articles immensely.

Any word on what is happening with the modules line? Did I miss an announced product somewhere? I hope it's not becoming defunct.

Marco Massoudi wrote:

"Dear James.

Any news on the Pathfinder Modules front?

Is there a chance for an introductary module taking place in Tian-Xia in 2017?

Best wishes!"

James Jacobs wrote:

"No news.

I'd say the chances of an introductory module in Tian Xia showing up in 2017 is pretty much zero."

James Jacobs wrote:

"RPG Superstar is on semi-permanet hiatus. It served its goal at the start, but did so less and less each year. It was too much work for what we were gaining from it. We might do something similar to it some day in the future but haven't really started thinking about that much at all yet.

Personally, for me? Going forward, I hope to make the module line into something that's more integrated into the world and has more focus, and those things don't mesh well with the freeform format of RPG superstar."

Wow that's pretty crazy. Sad for the RPG Superstar, but I like what that means for the module line.

Thanks Marco, for keeping us updated.

I'm only realizing now that the end of RPG Superstar also spelled the end of the module line. It's sad, because I felt that the modules provided something with enough meat, without being drawn out. i.e. more than the taster that is a scenario and less intensive than a full Adventure Path.

I'm only realizing now that the end of RPG Superstar also spelled the end of the module line. It's sad, because I felt that the modules provided something with enough meat, without being drawn out. i.e. more than the taster that is a scenario and less intensive than a full Adventure Path.

What do you mean, "end of the module line"? Did I miss something?

-Skeld

As I understand it, we lost a module due to Starfinder taking more staff resources than anticipated. However, I don't think the line has ended - merely taken a pause.

I agree that they fill a useful niche - especially since the shift from 32 pages to 64 pages. I also like it when they visit more obscure parts of Golarion - areas which may not 'deserve' a full AP, but which it's still cool to get a few snippets about.

Fingers crossed there's enough demand for them to resume later in the year. :)

I'm only realizing now that the end of RPG Superstar also spelled the end of the module line. It's sad, because I felt that the modules provided something with enough meat, without being drawn out. i.e. more than the taster that is a scenario and less intensive than a full Adventure Path.

Absolutely not the case. The module line hasn't ended. It's on hiatus, I suppose you could say, and I really REALLY hope to get it restarted at some point. I hope to make adventures more of an event showcase type thing, similar to how we use the Adventure Path to showcase significant events and stories. A module is well suited to telling specific types of stories that aren't appropriate for a full-length adventure path.

RPG Superstar was great for what it was, but it doesn't work well with the format of us selecting a specific story for an adventure and then assigning it to the best possible experienced adventure writer in order to get that adventure done as well as we can. Furthermore, the time it takes to judge RPG Superstar, host it, and the extra time it takes to develop and edit an RPG Superstar adventure (they take longer than those written by experienced freelancers because while the RPG Superstar is a talented writer, they're by definition of the contest NEW writers and have to hit the ground running, and that often involves unanticipated stumbles that require us to do extra work during development, map creation, and editing) means that it's not a great idea to do RPG Superstar when we need those resources instead to focus on launching Starfinder.

If anything, when we get the module line started again, no RPG Superstar could well mean MORE modules per year, since it's less time-intensive to develop and edit adventures from seasoned freelancers than it is from new freelancers.

We'll see in time, of course. For now, though, we're focusing on other things.

I´m hoping for a x-mas module in Brevoy. ;-)

Ok, good. I hadn't heard about the hiatus for either the modules or RPG superstar. I like what's been done with modules since the 64-page transition and I'm looking forward to seeing what new changes there are when they return, especially if the focus is adjusted as James mentioned.

-Skeld

I´m hoping for a x-mas module in Brevoy. ;-)

I don't know how I feel about the Christmas part, but I'm all over the rest of that. ^_^

Marco Massoudi wrote:

I´m hoping for a x-mas module in Brevoy. ;-)

I don't know how I feel about the Christmas part, but I'm all over the rest of that. ^_^

Aldori Mass, a most sacred day where you gift your loved ones the severed heads of their enemies :3

12 out of the 20 3.5 "Gamemastery Pathfinder Modules" are sold out.
8 of the 22 32-page "Pathfinder Modules" are sold out.
0 of the 11 64-page "Pathfinder Modules" are sold out.

"Pathfinder Module J4: The Pact Stone Pyramid" ($2) has left less than 100 in stock and will probably be the next to sell out.

If i count the "Pathfinder Online: Thornkeep" and ""The Emerald Spire Superdungeon" books plus the 9 "Free RPG Day Modules",
64 standalone adventures have been published.

Welp, free rpg day is a little over two months away. Does anyone else hope we'll get a substantial module for adventurers of all shapes and sizes instead of yet another goblin module?

Starfinder First Contact is the Free RPG Day giveaway. :-)

^ Linkified

Thanks!

That helps a ton, being away from my computer and all. :-)

Any word on new modules? I know Cradle of Night is a couple of months away, but the other product lines have been fleshed out to next March or April. Should we not expect a single module until at least May next year?

The Module line is my favourite product line after the Campaign Setting, so I would be sad to hear that.

I love the modules line and I want to see it through the vision James Jacobs has described above. Is there any further information we can get on the line and the direction it is going? Stay awesome my friends.

The lack of modules is disappointing.

The lack of modules is disappointing.

Here ya go :3

I have been meaning to cancel this subscription for a ridiculously long time. What stops me is that each time they have announced a new release, I have told myself, "Okay, I will cancel my subscription after this one."

Just noticed that Cradle of Night now shows a Preorder date of November 2018! This subscription line looks dead. Unfortunately it was my favorite. :(

That's because the system needs a date, and they don't have one due to the delay from January, so it got pushed off. There is a post in Customer Service regarding this.

Preorder date is currently September 2018. Make of that what you will.

As various people have pointed out, the module line has always been the poorest-selling and most vulnerable of the subscriptions. It's in some sense competing with the Pathfinder Society installments on one hand, and the APs on the other. Oh, and with a bajillion 3PP products as well, of course -- most of which are junk, but at least some of which are competitive on price and quality.

Additionally, the modules probably aren't a big money-maker. We don't have access to Paizo's books, but we know that the APs are the backbone of its business model; that's been publicly discussed for a long time. PFS isn't a big money maker directly, but it encourages people to play, to recruit more players, and to buy lots of splatbooks. The modules don't do any of those things: they have to pay for themselves, or they're not worth producing.

Yes, there are people who love the modules, but there have never been enough of them to make the module line a big winner. So the line's troubles certainly predate Starfinder. Even before the current hiatus, the frequency had dropped to four per year.

TLDR: we may eventually see Cradle of Night, but the fate of the module line remains an open question.

Doug M.

Erik Mona's recent interview with Know Direction is worth a listen He explains, as I recall, that Paizo has had to deprioritise some lines due to launching Starfinder and losing several key staff recently who haven't all been replaced. They want to get the Modules line back up and running but just don't have the resources within the company right now.

Interestingly, on a separate issue, he also said they had half a dozen Pathfinder Tales manuscripts ready to go when they find another partner.

If I've misremembered any of the interview then anyone else who's heard it (or Paizo people) please correct me. I wouldn't want to spread misleading info.

I’ve spoken to a Tales writer or two who can back up the manuscripts claim ^w^

Soon...

Preorder date is currently September 2018. Make of that what you will.

As various people have pointed out, the module line has always been the poorest-selling and most vulnerable of the subscriptions. It's in some sense competing with the Pathfinder Society installments on one hand, and the APs on the other. Oh, and with a bajillion 3PP products as well, of course -- most of which are junk, but at least some of which are competitive on price and quality.

Additionally, the modules probably aren't a big money-maker. We don't have access to Paizo's books, but we know that the APs are the backbone of its business model; that's been publicly discussed for a long time. PFS isn't a big money maker directly, but it encourages people to play, to recruit more players, and to buy lots of splatbooks. The modules don't do any of those things: they have to pay for themselves, or they're not worth producing.

Yes, there are people who love the modules, but there have never been enough of them to make the module line a big winner. So the line's troubles certainly predate Starfinder. Even before the current hiatus, the frequency had dropped to four per year.

TLDR: we may eventually see Cradle of Night, but the fate of the module line remains an open question.

Doug M.

While you're jonesing for stand alone modules, be sure to check out the Deadly Delves. These adventures range from levels 1-12 (although we have a level 16 adventure coming out soon) have been highly rated and are well worth checking out. You can download them here, directly from Paizo.

While PF modules are amazing (and being now partway through running Ire of the Storm and today purchasing Seers of the Drowned City to run next), I'm not surprised they don't sell well.

Modules are what gaming groups need the most - GMs say consistently that finding a good module that they can run is the product they want above all else - and at the same time, near as I can tell, modules haven't sold for crap for any RPG that's been on the market ever, and it's for a completely valid reason.

RPGs, even D&D/Pathfinder, are already a niche market, so publishers have to be really careful about what they put effort into producing, and they have to go where the money is. A gaming group might very well buy multiple copies of a new sourcebook - even if 80% of it turns out to be boilerplate that nobody really cares about - but only a fraction of gaming groups will buy a given module: because most groups don't play most modules, of course. And if they do buy it, they buy 1 of it. I'd bet Paizo sells ten times as many copies of the Advanced Race Guide as they sold copies of their best-selling module.

Near as I can tell after being a part of the hobby for 40 years, nobody's figured out how to fly into that hurricane of a headwind [with the obvious exception: see below]. Everybody wants modules. Nobody buys modules.

Heck, I'm a dedicated Pathfinder gamer, have been since it first came out, I've got plenty of disposable income, I own the majority of the APs (not through subscription, I bought at my local hobby store) start to finish, own several of them in both PDF and hardcopy, buy a lot of gaming stuff on total spec "maybe I'll use this someday" - and I've only purchased a couple Pathfinder modules, and have only run one.

I buy sourcebooks, because they're likely to have an idea or two I want to use. I'll buy a hardback sourcebook just so one of my players can look for a good feat for next level.

And even though what I want more than anything is more modules I can run, I won't buy a module unless I research it and from research conclude I can expect to run it. I can't help it; that's the way I think.

You see the problem; if somebody like me doesn't buy modules...

In this context, the APs are a work of genius. Sell a subscription, mix an adventure and a sourcebook and a mini-bestiary and a short story together every month, guarantee an entire usable campaign over 6 issues, and suddenly you can sell adventures and (presumably?) make money doing it.

APs are what I'd been waiting since about 1980 for somebody to figure out doing. I now want there to have been APs for every single roleplaying game I ever played - 1st ed, Runequest, Traveller, Champions, Vampire, Werewolf, Pendragon, Ars Magica, 3rd ed -- every single game I played needed their publisher to come up with the idea of publishing APs. Nobody did, till Paizo.

So while I am sad that there aren't more standalone modules, I understand that they're simply not where the money is, and I am *so very glad* Paizo has figured out a business model that delivers a regular supply of adventures to GMs and which, to all appearances, works.

I suspect I'll have to continue scouring the internet for 3rd party standalone after-market adventures if I want standalones. All things considered? I'm happy that Paizo keeps publishing APs. :)

I’ve spoken to a Tales writer or two who can back up the manuscripts claim ^w^

Soon...

Not to be That Guy, but have you seen the manuscripts.

I'm sure you're correct, but, anyone can say anything.

Rysky wrote:

I’ve spoken to a Tales writer or two who can back up the manuscripts claim ^w^

Soon...

Not to be That Guy, but have you seen the manuscripts.

I'm sure you're correct, but, anyone can say anything.

Yes, but there would be little reason to lie about something like this, and it's been collaborated by Erik as well. If they say they have a manuscript ready to go I believe them, just the same as when web team staff announce new products on the horizon.

This isn't Patreon or Kickstarter where I'm waiting on something I've already paid for. I pay for the book when it ships.

My memory is a bit hazy but on Know Direction I think Erik also said that RPGSupertar will return one day.

If I've got that right, then that implies more modules as well.