Pathfinder Chronicles: Campaign Setting (OGL)

"Campaign Setting

Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 04:15 PM Pacific

Hmm. Looks like this post from the ENnie awards got jammed in the intertubes.

Jason and Erik go Gold for Best Campaign Setting for Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director"

It's about time I said: CONGRATULATIONS!

and

WHEN YOU GET ALL MOVED INTO YOUR NEW QUARTERS AND YOU'VE CAUGHT YOUR BREATH,
SHOULDN'T THIS AWARD BE NOTED IN THE PRODUCT INFORMATION...AND WHERE'S THE NEWS RELEASE ABOUT YOUR AWARDS?

COME ON, STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES A MINUTE. WE DON'T WANT YOU BURNED OUT.

I found some "Baba Yaga", a witch queen or something... I think it maybe is a reference to Eastern Europe, the Balkans' Baba Yaga, the witch (Баба Яга)

Have the campaign setting undergo a new printing to remove errors contained in the first printing ?

Does anyone know if they are going to re-release this campaign setting to reflect the 'official' pathfinder rules that came out a few weeks ago? Is this setting using strictly 3.5 rules? I'd like to pick it up, but if an updated version is imminent, I can wait.

Does anyone know if they are going to re-release this campaign setting to reflect the 'official' pathfinder rules that came out a few weeks ago? Is this setting using strictly 3.5 rules? I'd like to pick it up, but if an updated version is imminent, I can wait.

My girlfriend asked me what a "VorpalSpork" was. I told her. She thinks your nick is awesome.

Well done! :)

Does anyone know if they are going to re-release this campaign setting to reflect the 'official' pathfinder rules that came out a few weeks ago? Is this setting using strictly 3.5 rules? I'd like to pick it up, but if an updated version is imminent, I can wait.

The named bosses all said that until this print run is dry, there won't be an update.

So buy now while supplies lasts...

Does anyone know if they are going to re-release this campaign setting to reflect the 'official' pathfinder rules that came out a few weeks ago? Is this setting using strictly 3.5 rules? I'd like to pick it up, but if an updated version is imminent, I can wait.

We still have quite a few copies of this book in the warehouse, so there are no impending plans to update the campaign setting book in the near term. It does sell well, so I assume that eventually we will reprint it. However, it is almost entirely fluff which doesn't rely on any ruleset. There are some rules stuff in there however, but since the PFRPG is backwards compatible, I don't think that you would even have to worry about changing most of it to use it in your campaign. There are lots of feats which can work as is. There are a couple of prestige classes, but again, I think that they can be used as is.

I would think that when we reprint this book in a year or so, that there will be very few changes need to "pathfinderize" the book.

-Lisa

I bought the Pathfinder handbook PDF, Im overseas so I do most everything on my computer. At 9.95 it was a great bargain.

I just cannot, in any way shape or form understand why I need to spend 35 US For a PDF file...it seems way excessive.

10 to 15 I could pull but that 35 price tag.

I was going to start a campaign in this world with some fellow soldiers and friends, but at this price Ill be just making my own.

I just picked this up. I really like it. But is there a rules update or something to put some of this stuff to Pathfinder instead of 3.5? The skill points for fighters if they take that feature is too many. Any offical ruling on this?

I just picked this up. I really like it. But is there a rules update or something to put some of this stuff to Pathfinder instead of 3.5? The skill points for fighters if they take that feature is too many. Any offical ruling on this?

Simply apply the normal conversion rules. The fighter option becomes "Get 4 skill points per level". Simples.

I totally forgot about the conversion guide. D'oh.

Did this come with a fold-out map?

(If so, I lost mine!)

The campaign setting includes a poster map, yes.

I would think that when we reprint this book in a year or so, that there will be very few changes need to "pathfinderize" the book.

-Lisa

If I purchase the PDF now, will I be able to download a revised version in the future once the book has been "pathfinderized"? Will there be an additional cost?

Lisa Stevens wrote:

I would think that when we reprint this book in a year or so, that there will be very few changes need to "pathfinderize" the book.

-Lisa

If I purchase the PDF now, will I be able to download a revised version in the future once the book has been "pathfinderized"? Will there be an additional cost?

It depends. If we were to do a straight reprint with just updated stats, we'd find a way to make those changes available for free. But there's currently a strong possibility that this book won't be revised so much as replaced with a different product entirely. We should know more in a couple of months.

WOOT. I was just looking though the book and saw one of the cities is named in the town I really live in.

Hyannis? :) (Grew up in Sandwich. Didn't find that on the map.)

Yup Hyannis.

Picked this up last Friday (the hardcover book).

Whew, there is a LOT of fluff here! I've not got past the initial page glance, which I've done twice. I will start reading it in earnest tonight.

The poster map is great. I'm looking forward to reading this and seeing if I can port my gaming group over for a campaign in this setting.

Shadow13.com wrote:

Lisa Stevens wrote:

I would think that when we reprint this book in a year or so, that there will be very few changes need to "pathfinderize" the book.

-Lisa

If I purchase the PDF now, will I be able to download a revised version in the future once the book has been "pathfinderized"? Will there be an additional cost?

It depends. If we were to do a straight reprint with just updated stats, we'd find a way to make those changes available for free. But there's currently a strong possibility that this book won't be revised so much as replaced with a different product entirely. We should know more in a couple of months.

How come the pdf of this one is $35 where the pdf of the Core Rulebook and the Bestiary are only $10 each. Is this some kind of misprint?

Vic Wertz wrote:

Shadow13.com wrote:

Lisa Stevens wrote:

I would think that when we reprint this book in a year or so, that there will be very few changes need to "pathfinderize" the book.

-Lisa

If I purchase the PDF now, will I be able to download a revised version in the future once the book has been "pathfinderized"? Will there be an additional cost?

It depends. If we were to do a straight reprint with just updated stats, we'd find a way to make those changes available for free. But there's currently a strong possibility that this book won't be revised so much as replaced with a different product entirely. We should know more in a couple of months.

How come the pdf of this one is $35 where the pdf of the Core Rulebook and the Bestiary are only $10 each. Is this some kind of misprint?

No typo, the Core and Bestiary are special PDF prices.

Why has the cover for this product been changed over on Amazon.com?

I think it's a pre-release mockup image. There are two customer images with the right cover below.

Amazon is always seeming to go with the mock-up covers, even when we send them the final covers and tell them that they need to change it. <shrugs> Go figure.

-Lisa

I was looking at it on Amazon earlier in the day, and I would have sworn they had the correct image up then. Weird. (So, mock-up is the answer, and there's nothing going on...like secret revision or something.) ;P

When it comes to going with mock-ups, B&N is the worst offender.

I was looking at it on Amazon earlier in the day, and I would have sworn they had the correct image up then. Weird. (So, mock-up is the answer, and there's nothing going on...like secret revision or something.) ;P

When it comes to going with mock-ups, B&N is the worst offender.

The book trade, of which B&N and Amazon are a big part of, makes us solicit things WAY earlier than we normally would. For instance, in February, we have to give them September through December. Since we can't afford to pay for the covers early and it isn't fair to ask an artist to paint a cover and wait almost a year to get paid when the product finally ships, we use art we already have to make mock-up covers and those get sent to B&N and Amazon. Which is how those covers get on those sites (and occasionally other e-commerce sites).

As for doing a secret revision or something, do you think we would release a campaign setting revision and use art from Pathfinder #3 for the cover? If you recognize the art, it is a mock-up. :)

-Lisa

As for doing a secret revision or something, do you think we would release a campaign setting revision and use art from Pathfinder #3 for the cover? If you recognize the art, it is a mock-up. :)

-Lisa

Nah, I wouldn't think Paizo would recycle art for a cover of anything other than a society scenario. So, you're saying my attempt to connect a weird reversion with a topic I want to wheedle is sadly obvious? Because that makes me sad. And obvious.

BTW, when I said "offender," I didn't mean their using mock-up art, just never up-dating it.

I am interested in "Shadowtongue" on page 110 of the Nidal section. Who else speaks it, or is there going to be any elaboration on this language? (I don't wish to waste a linguistics rank.)

I am interested in "Shadowtongue" on page 110 of the Nidal section. Who else speaks it, or is there going to be any elaboration on this language? (I don't wish to waste a linguistics rank.)

Shadowtongue is covered a little bit more in the section on languages in Chapter Five of the book; it's basically just the national language of Nidal.

DarkArt wrote:

I am interested in "Shadowtongue" on page 110 of the Nidal section. Who else speaks it, or is there going to be any elaboration on this language? (I don't wish to waste a linguistics rank.)

Shadowtongue is covered a little bit more in the section on languages in Chapter Five of the book; it's basically just the national language of Nidal.

Thanks for the reply.

Does anyone know if there will be a PDF format of this available at a "special" price. I am very interested in learning more about this setting but the current PDF price is a little much. Other than that I have the Core and Beastiary,two books I can't stop reading.

Does anyone know if there will be a PDF format of this available at a "special" price. I am very interested in learning more about this setting but the current PDF price is a little much. Other than that I have the Core and Beastiary,two books I can't stop reading.

I don't want to scuttle a potential sale for the Campaign Setting PDF, but if you really want to know about the setting, and aren't as interested in the expanded information, such as the PrCs and the like, you can find a lot about the setting here:

Pathfinder Gazetteer

Thanks for the reply and youdidn't scuttle a sell Iam aboutto break down and purchase the PDF at its current price. I just wanted to know if there was any info of a sell coming soon. Just hope the PrC's are not the same ones from the Core.

Just hope the PrC's are not the same ones from the Core.

They are not.

Thanks for the reply and youdidn't scuttle a sell Iam aboutto break down and purchase the PDF at its current price. I just wanted to know if there was any info of a sell coming soon. Just hope the PrC's are not the same ones from the Core.

Pathfinder Chronicler is in there, but the book also has the Shackles Pirate, the Low Templar, and the Harrower, which haven't appeared, to date, in any other products.

As for doing a secret revision or something, do you think we would release a campaign setting revision and use art from Pathfinder #3 for the cover? If you recognize the art, it is a mock-up. :)

-Lisa

Could I ask for a just reinvindication of poor Shoanti people? They were left out of the human ethnicities descriptions.

Javier

Lisa Stevens wrote:

As for doing a secret revision or something, do you think we would release a campaign setting revision and use art from Pathfinder #3 for the cover? If you recognize the art, it is a mock-up. :)

-Lisa

Could I ask for a just reinvindication of poor Shoanti people? They were left out of the human ethnicities descriptions.

Javier

That's been confirmed by James Jacobs.

I know that there are no plans to reprint this book in this format once its sold out, but will the pdf remain available even after the World Guide is released in September?

I know that there are no plans to reprint this book in this format once its sold out, but will the pdf remain available even after the World Guide is released in September?

We don't know yet. I'm leaning towards "no," but it'll be up to a bigger group than me.

yoda8myhead wrote:

I know that there are no plans to reprint this book in this format once its sold out, but will the pdf remain available even after the World Guide is released in September?

We don't know yet. I'm leaning towards "no," but it'll be up to a bigger group than me.

Um... what?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. You're considering making the Campaign Setting, one of your own PDFs, unavailable?

Please tell me you're joking. If you're not joking, then... OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T DO IT!!!

I already have the dead-tree version of the Campaign Setting, and the PDF of the Gazetteer, but what if I wanted this PDF one day?

There could be any number of reasons why someone would want a PDF of the "old" Campaign Setting. Maybe someone will want to run a Golarion campaign in 3.5, and will want to see the 3.5 crunch. Maybe someone will want to compare the old setting book with the new, for historical research. Maybe someone will become a Golarion completionist. Maybe someone will want to buy it JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT!

If you start making PDFs unavailable, I will get worried. Will you also start taking away your other 3.5 material in an effort to bolster PFRPG sales?

That's the kind of behavior that made WotC lose me as a customer! That's what drove me to the Paizo-fan camp!

Please. Reconsider.

Vic Wertz wrote:

yoda8myhead wrote:

I know that there are no plans to reprint this book in this format once its sold out, but will the pdf remain available even after the World Guide is released in September?

We don't know yet. I'm leaning towards "no," but it'll be up to a bigger group than me.

Um... what?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding. You're considering making the Campaign Setting, one of your own PDFs, unavailable?

Please tell me you're joking. If you're not joking, then... OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T DO IT!!!

I already have the dead-tree version of the Campaign Setting, and the PDF of the Gazetteer, but what if I wanted this PDF one day?

There could be any number of reasons why someone would want a PDF of the "old" Campaign Setting. Maybe someone will want to run a Golarion campaign in 3.5, and will want to see the 3.5 crunch. Maybe someone will want to compare the old setting book with the new, for historical research. Maybe someone will become a Golarion completionist. Maybe someone will want to buy it JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT!

If you start making PDFs unavailable, I will get worried. Will you also start taking away your other 3.5 material in an effort to bolster PFRPG sales?

That's the kind of behavior that made WotC lose me as a customer! That's what drove me to the Paizo-fan camp!

Please. Reconsider.

Here's the big problem: the new book will improve dramatically on the current volume, and the PDF will be special-priced at $9.99. The PDF for this version is $34.99.

Once the new book comes out, I won't be comfortable asking people to pay several times the price for a PDF of a book that's frankly, just not as good as the much cheaper new version should be.

Now, we could lower the price on this PDF, but that's not really fair to the people who paid full price for it... and besides, what would we lower it *to*? If the new price were *higher* than $9.99, then, well, see the above paragraph. If it were *lower* that $9.99, that would cause price-sensitive folks to get *this* book, when we really want them to get the *new* book, which is more representative of the work we're doing these days—that is, after all why we're special-pricing it. And if it were $9.99 exactly, I think that would be sending a mixed signal.

I should also note that we do have precedent here for products that have supplanted other products. Once the finished Core Rulebook came out, we made the Beta unavailable. Similarly, when the Beta came out, the Alpha went away (and the Alpha actually went through several versions, each replacing the last). Same deal with the Advanced Player's Guide Playtest—when the second version came out, the first three went away, and when the finished book comes out, the current version will go away.

I'm open to ideas here.

I think your plan of how you handle it is fine. But I would give people at least a one month grace or more. Make sure to get the word out to places like ENworld and the like it is going away. That way those that want it instead can come buy it.

Question though, for those of us that got the old pdf will it stay in our download section or will it be removed? I only ask as one of those just incase I lose my HD and need to reDL stuff. I currently keep a disk backup of stuff but it is nice knowing the DL copy is there if I ever need it.

I believe that the amount of people interested in the 3.5 PFCCS will be negligible.

I have the dead tree PFCSS (full of Paizo signatures captured at Gencon) and I intend to get the new CS PDF at 10 USD. I can't imagine anybody willing to buy the old one - dead tree or PDF - once the new one is out.

I have my trust in Paizo. If they are doing an upgrade of previous material, it's going to be awesome. And to be honest, the 3.5 crunch in the PFCCSS is irrelevant.

I think your plan of how you handle it is fine. But I would give people at least a one month grace or more. Make sure to get the word out to places like ENworld and the like it is going away. That way those that want it instead can come buy it.

Question though, for those of us that got the old pdf will it stay in our download section or will it be removed? I only ask as one of those just incase I lose my HD and need to reDL stuff. I currently keep a disk backup of stuff but it is nice knowing the DL copy is there if I ever need it.

I don't see any reason to make it unavailable to people who already have it.

Dark_Mistress wrote:

I think your plan of how you handle it is fine. But I would give people at least a one month grace or more. Make sure to get the word out to places like ENworld and the like it is going away. That way those that want it instead can come buy it.

Question though, for those of us that got the old pdf will it stay in our download section or will it be removed? I only ask as one of those just incase I lose my HD and need to reDL stuff. I currently keep a disk backup of stuff but it is nice knowing the DL copy is there if I ever need it.

I don't see any reason to make it unavailable to people who already have it.

I figured you would but I also thought it wouldn't hurt to ask too just to be sure. :)

The problem with withdrawing the 3.5 pdf is that there will be material in it useful for running 3.5 games which despite the 'Backwards Compatability' of PFRPG may be difficult or impossible to backwards engineer from the PFRPG version of the Campaign Setting.
As a suggestion, maybe Paizo could make a small pdf available for free of the 3.5 specific material (3.5 feats, spells, alternate class features, prestige classes, equipment, etc) in the current Campaign Setting to purchasers of the future PFRPG CS pdf. This leaves only the new and improved PFRPG CS pdf available to new customers, but makes the 3.5 specific material available for free to any such new customers if they buy the PFRPG CS pdf but have an interest in running a 3.5 game.

Edit:
I suppose I'm suggesting making available a free 'backwards conversion guide' to accompany the PFRPG Campaign Setting pdf.

Here's the big problem: the new book will improve dramatically on the current volume, and the PDF will be special-priced at $9.99. The PDF for this version is $34.99.

Once the new book comes out, I won't be comfortable asking people to pay several times the price for a PDF of a book that's frankly, just not as good as the much cheaper new version should be.

I'm clueless as to how to be a publisher and to the kind of complaints you get, but I don't see this as a problem, provided it's clearly advertised as "superceded" or "out-of-date" or whatever.

In the blurb for the old version just steer new customers to the cheaper, bigger, upgraded edition. Keeping the old version available for the completists can't really hurt that much can it? It's not like you're going to be going out there and spruiking it (you could even move it to a special "outdated material" section of the website if you were worried people might buy it by mistake.

The only issue I see is if Paizo leads people to think they need this version or hide the fact that a newer, spiffier version is available and you're not doing that. I'm not going to buy it (I'd rather have the new version) but please register me as a supporter of the "keep outdated PDFs available" option.

EDIT: I'm currently trying to buy up some out-of-print Paizo material and am fully expecting to pay double the retail price of currently available product. Not because the old stuff was better than the new stuff, but because I am willing to pay more in the name of completionism.

I agree with Steve Geddes. Keep the old campaign setting book available as a PDF, with the same old price, and throw into the page a blurb "This product is outdated. We suggest the new, PFRPG-compatible version HERE." with a link to the new one. I don't see why that should make you uncomfortable. It's like a collector's item, and needn't be better.

I also don't see the comparison to the Alpha- and Beta- core rules. Those were MEANT to be temporary, right from the get-go. And they were FREE for goodness' sake.

You know, customers are not always so throughout as to read the entire blurb. They will shell out 40 bucks, and then come here to complain that they got the outdated edition. And having worked in customer service of an online store I can tell you that the answer "sorry, you should have read the description, no refunds" doesn't really work.

Why not drop the price of the old pdf to $4.99? Make it cheap so anyone feeling nostalgic or actually running a 3.5 campaign can get it, and if they like what they see, the $9.99 for the new one won't be that bad.

Another reason to keep the original pdf is if any of the material from that one won't be updated. Whether the folks at Paizo think it's good material or not, someone out there might like it and if you don't continue to make it available, its going to be really hard for them to find. Then you get into issues of people copying pdf's because its the only way to access certain things... slippery slope.