Winter_Born |
This new format sounds awesome to me, now I might start getting the modules again. Also this opens doors to modules on Castrovel, Akiton, Numeria, The First Worls, etc. and it will do them justice that a 32 page one couldn't do.
Exactly my thoughts on this change up in format, and hopefully focus.
Bring on the bad guys!
Icaste Fyrbawl |
Is the poster map in line with the map folio poster maps or more like a two sided flip mat? Please be a two sided flip mat from the adventure. That would be so much nicer. I love your campaign maps (I've got many of them) but I want an adventure that comes with the maps. The modules line would be great for this!
James Jacobs Creative Director |
Icaste Fyrbawl |
At this point, the plan is to have the poster map be a map of the city and the region that the adventure focuses partially on, NOT a battle map.
So is this to say it's not entirely out of the question? I'll even take a high res pdf of the battle map printed in the book that I can print out on 11x8.5 (I think this is standard paper size) paper and tape together. Anything to alleviate the time consumption of drawing the darn map with markers and my players not being able to appreciate the true scope of the map that is in my book. This has been my biggest hang up on purchasing adventures (and I'm an AP Subscriber). The maps in the books are fantastic and I just want my players to have the real appreciation and feel like they are really in the place I describe to them.
Rant over. Looking forward to this. Will be switching over to a module sub instead of the AP sub soon. Modules will be easier to run and require less time commitment from players. Pretty stoked to see quarterly and bigger. More time to play them, less feeling like I'm being overwhelmed by a bunch of books that I'm not ready for (my general feeling with the AP line).
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs wrote:At this point, the plan is to have the poster map be a map of the city and the region that the adventure focuses partially on, NOT a battle map.So is this to say it's not entirely out of the question? I'll even take a high res pdf of the battle map printed in the book that I can print out on 11x8.5 (I think this is standard paper size) paper and tape together. Anything to alleviate the time consumption of drawing the darn map with markers and my players not being able to appreciate the true scope of the map that is in my book. This has been my biggest hang up on purchasing adventures (and I'm an AP Subscriber). The maps in the books are fantastic and I just want my players to have the real appreciation and feel like they are really in the place I describe to them.
Rant over. Looking forward to this. Will be switching over to a module sub instead of the AP sub soon. Modules will be easier to run and require less time commitment from players. Pretty stoked to see quarterly and bigger. More time to play them, less feeling like I'm being overwhelmed by a bunch of books that I'm not ready for (my general feeling with the AP line).
It's not entirely out of the question, but it's highly highly highly unlikely.
Icaste Fyrbawl |
Icaste Fyrbawl wrote:It's not entirely out of the question, but it's highly highly highly unlikely.James Jacobs wrote:At this point, the plan is to have the poster map be a map of the city and the region that the adventure focuses partially on, NOT a battle map.So is this to say it's not entirely out of the question? I'll even take a high res pdf of the battle map printed in the book that I can print out on 11x8.5 (I think this is standard paper size) paper and tape together. Anything to alleviate the time consumption of drawing the darn map with markers and my players not being able to appreciate the true scope of the map that is in my book. This has been my biggest hang up on purchasing adventures (and I'm an AP Subscriber). The maps in the books are fantastic and I just want my players to have the real appreciation and feel like they are really in the place I describe to them.
Rant over. Looking forward to this. Will be switching over to a module sub instead of the AP sub soon. Modules will be easier to run and require less time commitment from players. Pretty stoked to see quarterly and bigger. More time to play them, less feeling like I'm being overwhelmed by a bunch of books that I'm not ready for (my general feeling with the AP line).
So, after spending like ten minutes making a shoddy ancii picture of a Sad Panda, I previewed it and realized the font in type and the final fonts aren't exactly the same. So, suffice to say, I will not be blessing you with that atrocity to haunt your dreams. But this information makes me one sad panda, sir.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
Steve Geddes |
UPDATE: One side of the poster map will indeed have a battle map of a key encounter location.
I suspect the poster map will be attached with gum glue.
That's an excellent development. Thanks for trying it out.
.I'll be keen to see how it's received (I've been hoping you'd start to experiment with the occasional battlemat in the map folios for the odd iconic location/climactic battle. This is probably a better place to see how people like it).
Mike Shel Contributor |
What do you recommend for where the characters and/or adventure start? Reading the Taldor companion book, Wispil offers many races or will the village of Belhaim better suited? Will we see traits for Belhaim or just Taldor ones?
Unless James makes some major changes during development, we're strongly discouraging any PCs being from Belhaim--hard to "discover" a new town if you grew up there.
For the rest of it, I think James will be handling those aspects.
Zaister |
I already have more Paizo adventures I could ever hope to run, even with three separate groups, so I don't mind the decreasing number of new modules. And I like longer, more involved adventures.
Kthulhu |
Dragon78 wrote:This new format sounds awesome to me, now I might start getting the modules again. Also this opens doors to modules on Castrovel, Akiton, Numeria, The First Worls, etc. and it will do them justice that a 32 page one couldn't do.Exactly my thoughts on this change up in format, and hopefully focus.
Bring on the bad guys!
Of course, with the reduced number of modules, it would take a full year to do just the examples you listed, and that is if all other possible topics were ignored.
Lord Snow |
Winter_Born wrote:Of course, with the reduced number of modules, it would take a full year to do just the examples you listed, and that is if all other possible topics were ignored.Dragon78 wrote:This new format sounds awesome to me, now I might start getting the modules again. Also this opens doors to modules on Castrovel, Akiton, Numeria, The First Worls, etc. and it will do them justice that a 32 page one couldn't do.Exactly my thoughts on this change up in format, and hopefully focus.
Bring on the bad guys!
Would you rather see them not handled at all? or handled in a really thin, lacking way? because Iv'e seen some modules with COOL concepts that were just "meh" becuase there really wasn't room enough to breathe. I hope some of those concepts (for example: plane hopping module, MOON module, high level adventure, etc.) will be revisited in the new format.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
What do you recommend for where the characters and/or adventure start? Reading the Taldor companion book, Wispil offers many races or will the village of Belhaim better suited? Will we see traits for Belhaim or just Taldor ones?
We have no plans to do traits for this book. We only do campaign traits for Adventure Paths.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
LoreKeeper |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
UPDATE: One side of the poster map will indeed have a battle map of a key encounter location.
I suspect the poster map will be attached with gum glue.
YES!!! Excellent result.
I'd be happy to take both sides of the poster map as a key encounter location. The reasoning is as follows: a nice picture of the town or region that is in the module itself I can easily show and have the players appreciate it suitably - I don't need that in a larger format on a poster. If the town/region features so prominently that we want to use it and flag it - then a poster-size version is nice, but a once-off use only; so the likely course would be to print out just that town/region and work of that.
But key encounters in battlemap posters are just... great! They see definite intended use, increase atmosphere, and accelerate story-to-action time.
I freely admit that I am subscribed to the Pathfinder Comics line purely on the grounds that it has a little battle map included.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The idea with not putting a battlemat on both sides is twofold—
1) Lots of GMs enjoy putting poster maps of towns or areas that feature prominently in the adventure up on a wall so the players can not only reference it as the game continues, but also so that it's a visual reminder/decoration of the area in question.
2) By making the map of the town be a poster map, it's a LOT easier to get details in there and allow the PCs to visualize things better than having to hold open the book every time someone wants to know where the trading post is.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I know you're doing a lot of work on Dragon's Demand this week, James, after the long weekend at the office. I was curious to know, since you're neck-deep in this adventure, what are you most excited about to showcase to players with this adventure?
A couple of things—
1) How Paizo handles a dragonslaying adventure. We've not done many of these yet—there's been plenty of dragons before, but most of them aren't the focus of the whole adventure plot.
2) Revealing a little bit more info about the Dominion of the Black. We touch on them a little in "Doom Comes to Dustpawn," but this adventure MIGHT be the point at which we let folks know what they are. MIGHT be.
3) There's an auction!!!
Lucent |
1) I'm really excited to see a dragon-centric storyline. I had anticipated dragons focusing heavily in Jade Regent because of eastern-fantasy tropes, so this is a welcome development.
2) :O
3) Ooh! My players had so much fun with the auction at the beginning of Pact Stone Pyramid when I ran it. I'm really glad to see that sort of event coming up again.
Lord Snow |
So looking at the dates when modules will become avilable, it seems like 3 (!) modules will cone out at may 2013 (Fangwood Keep, Dustpawn and thiss one). Busy month!
When will the next couple of modules be announced? seems like after may, there will be only the Alkenstar module in the "preorder" product list...
Enlight_Bystand |
So looking at the dates when modules will become avilable, it seems like 3 (!) modules will cone out at may 2013 (Fangwood Keep, Dustpawn and thiss one). Busy month!
When will the next couple of modules be announced? seems like after may, there will be only the Alkenstar module in the "preorder" product list...
Modules have moved to a quarterly schedule, and Paizo have only announced books until August.
The rules for Round five of RPG superstar also imply that he next module in this line will be the winner's module, so they don't actually know it's title or detail yet.
Lord Snow |
Lord Snow wrote:So looking at the dates when modules will become avilable, it seems like 3 (!) modules will cone out at may 2013 (Fangwood Keep, Dustpawn and thiss one). Busy month!
When will the next couple of modules be announced? seems like after may, there will be only the Alkenstar module in the "preorder" product list...
Modules have moved to a quarterly schedule, and Paizo have only announced books until August.
The rules for Round five of RPG superstar also imply that he next module in this line will be the winner's module, so they don't actually know it's title or detail yet.
Ha, interesting. Would the winner of the RPG Superstar write a 64 page module? or maybe co-write such a module with an established designer? or will his module just be the old 32 page format ("old" in the sense taht by the time his adventure is published, the 64 page format will be the new standard...)
Joana |
Already addressed in the Round 5 rules:
Paizo’s Pathfinder Modules are now 64 pages. The winning adventure will be approximately 32–40 pages in length. The remaining material for the book will be filled with additional content appropriate for the adventure and its location, such as monsters and magic items. (Paizo will provide this additional content. Some of this additional content may come from earlier rounds of RPG Superstar 2013; if so, the authors of that content will be paid for their work and credited in the module!)
Oceanshieldwolf |
The Dragon’s Demand is deluxe super-adventure for 1st-level characters, and kicks off a relaunch of Paizo’s popular Pathfinder Modules line, which now includes 64 action-packed pages of adventure and a beautiful two-sided full-color poster map with each quarterly release! Players can expect to reach 6th level by the time they complete this epic adventure—if they manage to survive!
Pathfinder Modules are 64-page, high-quality, full-color, adventures using the Open Game License to work with both the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the standard 3.5 fantasy RPG rules set. This Pathfinder Module includes new monsters, treasure, a double-sided poster map, and a fully detailed bonus location that can be used as part of the adventure or in any other game!
Fantastic. Good to see super adventures with some bite and length to explore idea, side treks, "plotz" etc. And to take us from 1st - 6th level!!!!
Wyldabeast |
This is great! Personally, I love super-adventures and mini-campaigns. Couldn't be better timing either! Have a few friends eager to learn my arcane hobby in the near future. By the time I wrap up the Beginner's Box introduction I have planned they should be ready to roll up their own PCs and tackle this thing!
Also, it really makes me smile that they are kicking off the new format with a dragon themed module. Very traditional and I know the guys are going to love it.
Alephtau |
James Jacobs wrote:UPDATE: One side of the poster map will indeed have a battle map of a key encounter location.
I suspect the poster map will be attached with gum glue.
YES!!! Excellent result.
I'd be happy to take both sides of the poster map as a key encounter location. The reasoning is as follows: a nice picture of the town or region that is in the module itself I can easily show and have the players appreciate it suitably - I don't need that in a larger format on a poster. If the town/region features so prominently that we want to use it and flag it - then a poster-size version is nice, but a once-off use only; so the likely course would be to print out just that town/region and work of that.
But key encounters in battlemap posters are just... great! They see definite intended use, increase atmosphere, and accelerate story-to-action time.
I freely admit that I am subscribed to the Pathfinder Comics line purely on the grounds that it has a little battle map included.
Completely agree here. Regional maps are mostly useless to me, hence the reason i stopped buying the AP folios. Battle maps of the locations in the adventures however are way more useful. Have said it other places and will say it again, please make more battle maps, and less regional maps.
Hawkwing |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Could i make a request that Paizo makes available pdf maps to subscribers in a similar way to what currently happens with adventure paths. I play most of my pathfinder online with Fantasy Grounds so maps without traps, secret doors and room numbers are greatly appreciated. If Paizo can do this I will take a module subscription otherwise I buying cheap off Amazon or ebay and will scan them and edit the images myself but I would prefer to pay for the convenience of having it done for me.
Legendarius |
Overall this seems like a good move to me, especially if the adventures are more or less broken into 3-4 parts that one can expect to reasonably complete in a 6-8 hour session. That way for groups that play monthly, they can finish one after three months in time for the next module's release. Or maybe if you have a multi-day marathon session you could complete it in a long weekend or the like.
I like the idea of fewer more comprehensive products that can serve as mini campaigns. If I want something longer I have the APs.
As great as most of the Paizo adventures are, I can't see personally subscribing to this line because I might only have interest in one or two every year or so given how infrequently I get to play.
Now I just wish there was some sort of PDF Bundle subscription. I really like having the physical product for adventures I plan to run but there is also great value in having a PDF. Can Paizo come up with some way where I pay a flat annual fee to Paizo that let's me offset the money I lose on shipping and higher physical product costs (compared to other retailers) by letting me cherry pick books from different lines and throwing in the PDF for free or at a greatly reduced price (maybe scaled on the size of the book)?
Ellestil |
I still don't see how this will work with PFS credit. How many sheets is a module now worth? Will your character level all 6 levels with six PFS sheets to show credit? Or do you now have to play from start to finish before receiving any credit? And if that is the case how can a level 1 player beat the end game designed for level 6? Just looking for clarification, I'm excited about the product immensely, I just host many home games of modules for PFS and would like to know how things will work now.
Enlight_Bystand |
I would like to see how this module stand up since a dragon would normally be a major threat and would be a difficult task for starting 1st level players to handle.
They'll be 6-7th level by the end, which would make a CR 9-10 Dragon a good end encounter
thejeff |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I would like to see how this module stand up since a dragon would normally be a major threat and would be a difficult task for starting 1st level players to handle.
Dragons can met at any age category. Wyrmlings can be fun for 1st level groups.
I've often wanted to run a campaign in which they get to fight dragons at each age category. Not just the city devouring monster, but all the other stages.