Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Technology Guide (PFRPG)

Heladriell wrote:

This book could have twice the number of pages and it would be still too few. I am totally in favor of future material like this one.

I find it weird they do a small amount of pages or a huge hardcover. Why doesn't Paizo ever do something more in the middle now and then? Like with something like this, for example?

Because it's really really expensive to print hardcover (as opposed to softcover). Most books are assembled in multiples of 16. Our Free RPG Day modules are 16 pages, Companions 32, Campaign Setting 64, Adventure Paths (and new Modules) 96 pages. In order to make hardcovers more cost effective, a book would need to meet a minimum number of pages (my personal guess is 128 pages).

Heladriell wrote:

This book could have twice the number of pages and it would be still too few. I am totally in favor of future material like this one.

I find it weird they do a small amount of pages or a huge hardcover. Why doesn't Paizo ever do something more in the middle now and then? Like with something like this, for example?

Pricing consistency. Much of their revenue is based on the subscriber model. When items in a product line comes out on a regular basis, they need to have a consistent price for people to be able to decide if they can afford it or not.

This is usually a good thing as it can sharpen creativity (if you have limited space, what can you do with that? If you have more space than you need, what can you do with that?) as well as produce fixed shipping costs and consistent container sizes.

It does have the unfortunate side effect of occasionally resulting in a product that could have used more space to better accomplish its goals.

In order for Paizo to be successful they need subscribers. So 32 pages for Player Companions, 64 pages for Campaign Setting books, and 100 pages for AP entries will remain the norm for the foreseeable future I wager.

EDIT: Ninja'd more efficiently by the gninja! :P

So... can I have caiphai in my fantasy?

128 page hardcover tech guide would have been awesome!! I dislike soft covers because they're hard to keep in good condition for long periods of time. I'm still uber excited to get everything we're getting though:)

Actually what I would like to see, though it may not happen, is the campaign setting books being 128 pages and the player companions being 64 pages.

I mainly wish for it because of the price to page ratio,

Hardcopy price,
Player Companion:~32 pages/~$13=~2.5 pages per dollar.
Campaign Setting:~64 pages/~$20=~3 pages per dollar.
Adventure Path:~96 pages/~$23=~4 pages per dollar.
(Possible 128 page book):~128 Pages/~$25 estimated=~5 pages per dollar.

I won't do the PDF's but let's just say on a tight budget like mine, the PDF is the better option financially.

Though if it is given a hardcover, the price on the 128 page estimate would be higher. Hardcover = more expensive.

If they did double the size of those books we would only get them half as often. So that means that we would get less variety of books each year but what we would get would have more info.

Argh! I need this now!

Also, once something gets above 96 pages and doesn't have a built-in Adventure Path or hardcover to bolster its sales... the pricing for the book starts to get really really high. I suspect that a 128 page campaign setting would cost folks over 30 bucks, in fact, at which point it should probably be a hardcover, at which point 128 pages is kind of short... and getting bigger than that makes the system break. We're already running at capacity. Adding more hardcovers to the schedule will kill things. And by things, I mean employees. We don't want that.

Doing them half as often isn't a great choice either, frankly, due to cash flow reasons.

In other words... there are a LOT of really really really good reasons we do books the way we've been doing them at the page counts we've been doing them!

I really love hardcover RPG books. I can't describe to you how much I love them.

Has it been considered to republish the campaign guides in hardcover for 6 or 7 off them together at one time( maybe broken up geographically)

Yur right, 128 pages is kinda skimpy for a hardcover, but i'd still rather pay more for a 128 page hardcover than less for a 128 page softcover. maybe thats just me though.

Will there be a section on monsters and opponents using advanced tech?

Although I enjoy handling a hardcover book over a softcover book, I exclusively buy PDFs of the various splat books. I feel that I am purchasing content rather than packaging, and I appreciate the work that has gone into developing that content.

I've already scheduled being the DM for Iron Gods locally (starting the Tuesday after the release date -- that should give me enough time to download the PDF), and now I see that I will have to purchase additional splat books to make the experience of the players complete.

Although I enjoy handling a hardcover book over a softcover book, I exclusively buy PDFs of the various splat books. I feel that I am purchasing content rather than packaging, and I appreciate the work that has gone into developing that content.

I've already scheduled being the DM for Iron Gods locally (starting the Tuesday after the release date -- that should give me enough time to download the PDF), and now I see that I will have to purchase additional splat books to make the experience of the players complete.

They have stated that the contents of the technology guide will be in the PRD. This is an exception to their normal procedure, normally only the Rules line goes in the PRD. So if you don't want to purchase the book you can in fact run using the PRD.

Anyone else hoping to get some spoilers on some of these new archetypes?

In particular the aforementioned cleric one?

Anyone else hoping to get some spoilers on some of these new archetypes?

In particular the aforementioned cleric one?

We're only a few weeks away... have patience! ;-)

Just watched the latest episode of Sword Art Online Season 2 for the second time - and I really want to see a laser sword or photon blade or whatever :)

doc the grey wrote:

Anyone else hoping to get some spoilers on some of these new archetypes?

In particular the aforementioned cleric one?

We're only a few weeks away... have patience! ;-)

Yes, besides Doc, we've still haven't seen the store blog for this yet and there may be some goodies for us in them too. :)

Just watched the latest episode of Sword Art Online Season 2 for the second time - and I really want to see a laser sword or photon blade or whatever :)

It has been made abundantly clear to me after my numerous complaints that there will be no energy blade, laser sword, photon knife or anything of the sort in the technology guide.

The suffering is real fellas :p

Doesn't mean we will never see energy blades/laser swords/photon knives in Pathfinder eventually.

Doesn't mean we will never see energy blades/laser swords/photon knives in Pathfinder eventually.

If only it would have been a 128 page hardcover... lol

Dragon78 wrote:

Doesn't mean we will never see energy blades/laser swords/photon knives in Pathfinder eventually.

If only it would have been a 128 page hardcover... lol

Light sabres (or whatever you want to call them) weren't "left out" of the Tech Guide due to space constraints. They are, in the opinion of the Creative Director, a bit TOO identifiable and iconic to Star Wars, and as such bring the wrong "flavor" to Iron Gods. For the same reason, we decided not to include giant mecha type rules in the Tech Guide, or time machines, or numerous other classic sci-fi tropes.

But yes... the fact that any one sci-fi element isn't included in the Technology Guide doesn't mean we'll never explore that element.

(The society involved with creating the technology in Numeria, and thus the technology we cover in the Technology Guide, was not all that into melee combat—they vastly preferred ranged combat, and as a resuilt, the majority of the technological weapons in the Tech Guide are ranged weapons. Doesn't mean there are NO melee weapons in the tech guide—there are, in fact, about 5 of them, with a few more showing up in the Iron Gods adventures themselves... but the bulk of these items are ranged weapons.)

Oh I see, this is actually an "Iron Gods Technology Guide", rather than a technology guide needed to run Iron Gods. Fair enough. Still, I hope we see more tech like the things you listed in the future:)

I'd like to see some sort of powered melee weapons, kinda like the whips mickey rourke uses in iron man 2 or something

Pew pew pew!

We're only a few weeks away... have patience! ;-)

Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.

^HA! For realz lol

Oh I see, this is actually an "Iron Gods Technology Guide", rather than a technology guide needed to run Iron Gods. Fair enough. Still, I hope we see more tech like the things you listed in the future:)

More "Golarion Technology Guide" rather than "Setting-Neutral Technology Guide". It's like the difference between Inner Sea Combat and Ultimate Combat: One is meant to be setting-neutral and provide a lot of rules for things that might not necessarily apply to the Inner Sea region, while the other is meant to provide more background for the region and things found within it.

Me, I'm hoping that Alchemists get some new formulae out of this book, since they apparently didn't get an archetype.

I'm also hoping for a hardcover with a title like Advanced Science Guide or Ultimate Technology.

I'm also hoping for a hardcover with a title like Advanced Science Guide or Ultimate Technology.

Agreed, but it doesn't have to be sci-fi, it can have different chapters related to different levels of technology. Like one chapter to early 20th century (WW1) equipment, Mid 20th century (WW2-Cold), late 20th-early 21st, and so on.

it doesn't need to be like that exactly, but different sections to different levels of tech for different eras to play.

I would commit terrible atrocities and war crimes just to have an Ultimate Technology. It would fit with the rules for Stone and Bronze Age weapons we have already. I could see them adding more Renaissance tech and Industrial Age tech in addition to the WWI tech, WWII tech, Atomic Age Tech, Information Age Tech, and Future Tech.

+1 Ultimate Technology, for freaking sure

We'll see if that's done if the sales and purchases of this and iron gods fits the favor of the marketing gods.

Tech for the Tech gods! Gears for the Gear Throne! Wires for Everyone!

That means it is our duty as gamers... no! As free men and women to buy this! It worked for Distant Worlds and Rasputin Must Die!, so it'll work here!

God's speed, soldiers. ._.7

._.7 Sir!

Make room financing, progress has other ideas!

Edit: Actually the chapters should be:Steam Era, Pulp Era, Atomic Era, Information Era, Space(Sci-Fi) Era.

It should also include information on how each of these classes handle these Eras, and provide archetypes to help classes fit them better as well. (example: The Bicker archetype for the barbarian, Rock Star(Skald), Pop Star(Bard) and so on.)

Can't forget Colonial Tech. Or Enlightenment Tech. The in-between of Renaissance and Steam Era :)

Advanced Genre Guide.

Advanced Genre Guide.

I like that. I've honestly felt that the d20 system is robust enough to use it with different genres. Obviously changes would have to be made. But I'd love to see this book. Maybe a chapter on different styles of fantasy genres and how to run them, then another on the other genres (pulp, space, cyberpunk).

Can't forget Colonial Tech. Or Enlightenment Tech. The in-between of Renaissance and Steam Era :)

I believe those levels of tech can easily fit into the current level of world tech for Golarion.

Perhaps. Either way, definitely want Ultimate Technology. I am part of the Ultimate Technology Initiative. Or UTI for short ;)

Odraude for Paizo President!

What's that you say? He's not even an employee so how can he run for President? Have you never heard of a hostile takeover before? Look at his face; does that look like the face of a creature that wouldn't eat your children for not voting for him? If you don't vote for Odraude, you're a bad parent! Also, you hate freedom, and you're a terrorist, and probably an alien too. And you like 4th Edition.

Perhaps. Either way, definitely want Ultimate Technology. I am part of the Ultimate Technology Initiative. Or UTI for short ;)

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter... but, please, use another acronym other than "UTI", which has a specific and unpleasant medical connotation.

It fits though. We are noticeable and we ain't going away for a while :D

The direction this thread has moved highly pleases me.

I would love to see a hardcover in the RPG line that adds other tech levels to the game for those who enjoy something a little different. I'm envisioning a book that includes more options for everything from the Renaissance era tech we have touched on all the way through this sort of sci-fi tech. Something setting neutral for folks that want different tech levels, be it steampunk or sci-fi or the weird 20th-Century we saw a glimpse of in Rasputin Must Die!. I am sure there would be calamatous uproar from the community, but having a place on the RPG line would remove it from Golarion cannon and put it purely in the realm of optional.

So, the way to make this happen, is to support books like this one and show that something larger and more inclusive would find it's niche and be worth the investment to produce.

James Jacobs wrote:

We're only a few weeks away... have patience! ;-)

Ambrose Bierce wrote:

Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.

Always favourite the Devil's Dictionary.

I would like a hardcover tech book with technology from different times also I would really like to see rules for trains.