Truth, Varisia is my favorite spot on Golarion. Three APs set there aren't enough and I've even put some work into moving Council of Thieves, Kingmaker, Carrion Crown and the ol' Kobold King adventures there. I love it more than any other location on the planet.
Question, though. Is this written with any spoilers from the first three APs? I know you say your setting is time-immune such that metaplots won't carry the storyline forward, but in the past I've seen some assumptions in your writing (such as posting the location of Xin-Shalast on your official map or the taming of Bloodsworn Vale in the timeline of Korvosa). Will this player's companion be written for players who have yet to play Crimson Throne, fer instance?
Yes yes yes. I am so happy to see this coming out. Any chance we'll see a Varisia gazetteer as a full-sized book as well?I'd love to eventually do a 320 page (or bigger) hardcover on Varisia, frankly.
I was also going to ask for a 64-page campaign setting book, but you just trumped me HARD. O.O
Came all late to this, but OMG AWESOMESAUCE!!!!**
This is a book I have been waiting for!! and asking for!!. Varisia is definitely one of my favorite nations, and I came way late to the Golarion party, so thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Also,
SO glad I am subscribed to this!!!
**Awesomecause: When you're so awesome, its like you covered in sauce of it :)
I really like Varisia, like many on these boards, I think.
Varisia, in my opinion, on account of it being a frontier region of Golarion, hits the perfect balance between familiarity and strangeness.
When you play a character treading in the wilds of Varisia, you know that you're going to discover strange new things, maybe even map some poorly charted territory - but at the same time, you're not wadding in some vaguely defined vacuum.
I like it that people back in Korvosa will hear about my hero's adventures and talk about it while drinking some perfectly civilized Chelaxian wine :-). I'm currently playing in Korvosa (CotCT), and I love the feeling of this meticulous (at the start ;-) city surrounded by wilderness and barbarian Shoanti tribes.
Speaking of that, I love the Shoanti: creating a believable ethnicity, original enough that it doesn't seem to come straight from our world, is a wondrous feat.
And thanks to the people of Paizo, for doing a great job of entertaining my imagination with thrilling adventures !
I look forward to seeing the changes to the companion line and getting a Player Companion on Varisia. I'm hoping one of the changes is putting the crunch together instead of spread-out across multiple sections. Trying to find some ability you read about in a Player Companion right now usually involves looking at least four places (and hoping you pulled the right book). I'd rather see mechanics grouped by type of mechanic (traits, feats, weapon properties) than by social trait, social feat on one page, religious trait and "aristocratic weaponcrafting technique" on another page (for example).
As for hardcovers, I want a 320 page hardcover for Ustalav. I do like the city-state vibe of Varisia though, reminds me of the Western Heartlands of FR somewhat with its city-states. Right now I'm reading AD&D Ravenloft: A Guide to Transylvania (A Masque of the Red Death accessory) with an eye toward applying material presented toward the Ustalav sandbox campaign I'm developing. More actual material for Ustalav would be great though, especially more details of the Hundred Haunted Vales of the Hungry Mountains.
Will this book have Spoilers for Runelords, Crimson Throne, and Second Darkness?
No. Unless you're the kind of GM who feels like players even knowing what Shoanti are and that Thassilon was a thing are spoilers.
In general, readers should expect these books to get about as spoilerific as an AP's Player Guide, as they're meant to guide players toward useful choices, but not ruin the fun of a campaign. That said, since they don't focus on specific APs, these companions have even less potential for spoilers than your typical Player Guide.
I've updated the image and product description to match the finished product.
Looks Sweet Vic
The artist who did this one should get a bonus because it's that sweet.
These last few Player Companions have had absolutely stunning pieces of cover art. Who's the talented artist for this one?
"A player’s guide for the Shattered Star Adventure Path, giving players everything they need to know to create characters ready to face this deadly new campaign."
:(
It will be available separately as well, Right?
Creative Director
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It will be available separately as well, Right?"A player’s guide for the Shattered Star Adventure Path, giving players everything they need to know to create characters ready to face this deadly new campaign."
:(
Yes.
More precisely...
The Player's Guide to Shattered Star will consist of the following three components:
1) Advice on what kinds of characters to play.
2) Several campaign traits.
3) Faction rules for the Pathfinder Society, updated from the 2-page entry in the Faction Guide to comply with the newer faction rules presented in the Pathfinder Society Field Guide.
Components #1 and #2 appear in print in "Varisia, Birthplace of Legends." They are 2 pages long in all.
The free Player's Guide PDF for Shattered Star will consist of Components #1, #2, and #3.
(That DOES mean that the free PDF Player's Guide for Shattered Star will only be about 4 or 5 pages long.)
Please tell me that cover is not a mock-up! It's just so awesome!
That Jerse- *ahem* Sandpoint Devil is what got me hooked on Pathfinder in the first place after all, since it's a cryptid.
I think it's angry because Valeros is very clearly trying to neuter the poor beast.
It seems rather redundant to print the same material (player's guide material) in 2 releases, especially when one is free. That is roughly 6.25% of the book.
It seems rather redundant to print the same material (player's guide material) in 2 releases, especially when one is free. That is roughly 6.25% of the book.
My theory:
It seems reasonable to me to believe that rolling the AP Player's Guide material into the Companion line is a great way of helping toward lessening the workload of the AP crew. i.e. this sounds like part of the ongoing effort (along with personnel changes such as the hiring of Adam Daigle) to streamline the AP process to ensure that everything happens in a timely, on schedule fashion.
By doing things this way, the player's guides become less cumbersome to produce, as it simply requires taking the pertinent section from the Player Companion and making it into its own pdf (along with some minor tweaks).
I like it. This way, we get HUGE, 32-page thematic player's guides (such as this, which could work great for a number of APs, including Shattered Star), and for those who don't get the Player Companions, they still have access for free to the relevant info.
New archetypes. Yay!
I had hoped to see a 'Inner sea at War' book (in similar fashion to Inner Sea Magic) fleshing out armies, mercenary bands and awesome style feats focusing on fighters (no imp unarmed strike preq) but this will do.
Come on HOUNDMASTER!
New archetypes. Yay!
I had hoped to see a 'Inner sea at War' book (in similar fashion to Inner Sea Magic) fleshing out armies, mercenary bands and awesome style feats focusing on fighters (no imp unarmed strike preq) but this will do.
Come on HOUNDMASTER!
You sure you didn't meant to post in Knights of the Inner Sea?
Please tell me that cover is not a mock-up! It's just so awesome!This is the finished cover.
Consider it bought.
I am just not a fan of repeated info in books that cost money, which is roughly 0.34 per page in this product line. I would much rather have 2 pages of specific/random tables as opposed to repeated info that is available elsewhere and essentially relies on the book to be tied to an area covered in an AP. Such books would be produced anyway to tie in with the AP line. Just repeating content for the purpose of lessening the workload, if that is truly the case, is just cutting corners. The books only have 30 pages not including Table of Contents/Coming Next pages. Toss in chapter intro pages (1-2 pages) which leaves 28 pages. 2 repeated pages brings that down to 26 pages.
I just don't see how repeating content lessens any workload beyond not producing unique content for each product. Someone still has to export files to their respective pdfs, which while it is not rocket science seems to involve many hands in the approval mix to achieve the results from what has been commented on by staff in the past.
Nice Cover Art!
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I am just not a fan of repeated info in books that cost money, which is roughly 0.34 per page in this product line. I would much rather have 2 pages of specific/random tables as opposed to repeated info that is available elsewhere and essentially relies on the book to be tied to an area covered in an AP. Such books would be produced anyway to tie in with the AP line. Just repeating content for the purpose of lessening the workload, if that is truly the case, is just cutting corners. The books only have 30 pages not including Table of Contents/Coming Next pages. Toss in chapter intro pages (1-2 pages) which leaves 28 pages. 2 repeated pages brings that down to 26 pages.
I just don't see how repeating content lessens any workload beyond not producing unique content for each product. Someone still has to export files to their respective pdfs, which while it is not rocket science seems to involve many hands in the approval mix to achieve the results from what has been commented on by staff in the past.
So the traits(that would probably make it to d20pfsrd)and the types of characters to play (that seem redundant between the AP and the area) get their own 2 pages inside the Varisia companion, and will be given away for Free in the Shattered Star Player's guide. The Player Companion line gains importance, and the Free (FREE) Player's guide is still open to you. The Free(free) Player's guide is just a condiment. I'm glad they are pushing to theme these together.
I looked at that cover and yow. Now we know what My Little Pony would look like in Golarion. Even the cute little multi-colored ponies are badflanks there!
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I am just not a fan of repeated info in books that cost money, which is roughly 0.34 per page in this product line. I would much rather have 2 pages of specific/random tables as opposed to repeated info that is available elsewhere and essentially relies on the book to be tied to an area covered in an AP. Such books would be produced anyway to tie in with the AP line. Just repeating content for the purpose of lessening the workload, if that is truly the case, is just cutting corners. The books only have 30 pages not including Table of Contents/Coming Next pages. Toss in chapter intro pages (1-2 pages) which leaves 28 pages. 2 repeated pages brings that down to 26 pages.
I just don't see how repeating content lessens any workload beyond not producing unique content for each product. Someone still has to export files to their respective pdfs, which while it is not rocket science seems to involve many hands in the approval mix to achieve the results from what has been commented on by staff in the past.
So, should they pull the free stuff?
I don't really like the pdf player's guides anyway, the printed issues for RotRL and CotCT were much better.
As it is, I'd much rather have a companion (as Second Darkness had) with the info than have to print out a flimsy pdf.
I vote to drop the free player's guide.
I don't really like the pdf player's guides anyway, the printed issues for RotRL and CotCT were much better.As it is, I'd much rather have a companion (as Second Darkness had) with the info than have to print out a flimsy pdf.
This is my feeling too. I don't consider them to be padding out the player companion. I consider the free product to be containing (some) repeated material.
I was a big fan of the old printed players guides. Sadly, that didn't work out. Maybe with the monthly companions and the policy of increasing integration of the various product lines we will end up with a satisfying compromise.
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The Cover is Incredible, and I am incredibly happy to have a book that will tell my players more about Varisia and how they should prepare characters for campaigns in the region... I'm unsure about having Shattered star Specific advice though... I'll reserve judgement on that point till after I see how it works.
New format for Pathfinder Player Companion: Happy
Yet another book concerning Varisia: Not so much
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A bold new format with new features, revealing more exciting topics, options, and inspirations every time you turn the page.
You know, WotC started doing new formatting for their 3.5 stuff just prior to the announcement of 4th Edition. I hope this "bold new format" ISN'T a harbinger of Pathfinder 2.0.
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You know, WotC started doing new formatting for their 3.5 stuff just prior to the announcement of 4th Edition. I hope this "bold new format" ISN'T a harbinger of Pathfinder 2.0.
A bold new format with new features, revealing more exciting topics, options, and inspirations every time you turn the page.
Almost certainly not. It isn't the first time that they've made changes. This is almost certainly due to the fact the the combat/social/magic/faith were increasingly looking like things were being shoehorned in & the move to a monthly release schedule for the companions.
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Creative Director
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You know, WotC started doing new formatting for their 3.5 stuff just prior to the announcement of 4th Edition. I hope this "bold new format" ISN'T a harbinger of Pathfinder 2.0.
A bold new format with new features, revealing more exciting topics, options, and inspirations every time you turn the page.
It's not.
Paizo's art has really evolved since Rise of the Runelords.
My theory:
It seems reasonable to me to believe that rolling the AP Player's Guide material into the Companion line is a great way of helping toward lessening the workload of the AP crew. i.e. this sounds like part of the ongoing effort (along with personnel changes such as the hiring of Adam Daigle) to streamline the AP process to ensure that everything happens in a timely, on schedule fashion.
By doing things this way, the player's guides become less cumbersome to produce, as it simply requires taking the pertinent section from the Player Companion and making it into its own pdf (along with some minor tweaks).
In short: Yup!
In long: Over the years AP Player's Guides have evolved into include more information that's less directly pertinent to the players of said adventure path. It's been important to get that info out there and we've been glad to do them, but it's meant the player's guides themes have shifted to something only partially useful to players. Additionally, they became increasingly onerous to create, taxing the staff of a line already struggling with their production schedules.
By rolling the majority of the heavy lifting for the player's guides into the player companion, we can do a few things. First, we've got a whole other crew doing the work on them who can work with the AP guys and who have worked on plenty of APs themselves to assure that what needs to be in these guides get in there. Second, the love that we give a print project will always exceed the love we give a PDF product - that's just the way it is. So we can dedicate more design, art, and edit resources to make sure these player's guide sections look really sharp. So, by making the hear of the player's guides part of the player companion line, we can produce something more exciting and better looking without overtaxing the AP crew.
Now, the Shattered Star Player's Guide will have more that isn't covered in Player Companion: Varisia, but then Player Companion: Varisia will tons of player friendly details that aren't covered in the Shattered Star Player's Guide. Overall, each stands nicely alone and supports the other nicely. And really, if you like what you see in the free Player's Guide, there's a strong chance you'll love whats in Player Companion: Varisia.
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Can't wait for the new format. I was never a fan of Combat/Social/Faith/Magic - I thought it constrained the creativity and enforced unnecessary content.
Meeee too. As we get closer to Player Companion: Varisa's August release I'll be doing a couple of previews of the new format and design on the Paizo blog so everyone can check out the new hotness.
Overall, the new key words are modularity, flexibility, and variety.