Pathfinder NPC Core

Announced for March! Product images and descriptions are not final and are subject to change. :)

Please don't be 90% human statblocks. I'm fine with statblocks that don't account for ancestry.

Please don't be 90% human statblocks. I'm fine with statblocks that don't account for ancestry.

Sounds like it will be blank/human on ancestry with templates to change to other ancestries along with ancestry specific entries.

PathMaster wrote:

Please don't be 90% human statblocks. I'm fine with statblocks that don't account for ancestry.

Sounds like it will be blank/human on ancestry with templates to change to other ancestries along with ancestry specific entries.

Yep, and considering that most of the time, the only difference between a human guard, an elven guard, and an dwarven guard is the ancestry trait, and that gnome and halfling guards futher only have "small" insted of "medium"... Yeah. Only really need one "guard" stat block, with a sidebar saying to swap the human trait for dwarf/elf/gnome/halfling like it was in the pre-remaster Gamemastery Guide.

And the blurb already mention more involved "themes" templates to applies to have more specific changes.
And mention of ancestry-specific NPCs.

My guess wuld be about 1/4th or 1/5th of the book to be specific to non-human ancestries, and the rest to be "generic humans" to be templated.

Question:
Anyone recognize the symbol on everything? That's probably the emblem of that nation or the specific "noble/political" figure at the top of these steps, but I was curious if it's new or a reference to past publication? xD

I have not found it in any of the Wiki's pages for symbols, nor in the LO World Guide, nor in any of the big region books. I also looked in the old Inner Sea World Guide. xD

Please don't be 90% human statblocks. I'm fine with statblocks that don't account for ancestry.

You'll also find a trove of NPCs specific to non-human ancestries, like a dwarf general, goblin get-gang, and kobold egg guardian.

There are definitely non-human NPCs in this book.

Will this copy and remaster the statblocks from gamemastery or are these 100% new? Or whats the ratio of remaster/new?

It will have the remaster GMG NPCs, but also lots more

Will this copy and remaster the statblocks from gamemastery or are these 100% new? Or whats the ratio of remaster/new?

The GMG had like 12 stat blocks and this has over 250. There's definitely new ones lmao

I'm really looking forward to this particular book, a lot of stories feature very 'person' oriented antagonists.

CastleDour wrote:

Will this copy and remaster the statblocks from gamemastery or are these 100% new? Or whats the ratio of remaster/new?

The GMG had like 12 stat blocks and this has over 250. There's definitely new ones lmao

TBF, GMG ACTUALLY had 83 stat blocks. That's about 33% of the stat blocks from this book.

Will there be a sketch cover? (Is sketch cover a standard option from now on?)

This is likely to be the most important book for any GM.

This better be a thick book for a $70 price tag. The Monster Core is cheaper.

There is also the NPC Index line for sale on Pathfinder Infinite, and it has Foundry integration

For Foundry usage, will there be a token pack product for this or will the art from this book just get added to the npc character gallery module that recently released?

This better be a thick book for a $70 price tag. The Monster Core is cheaper.

The 4 "Core" books (Player Core, Player Core 2, GM Core, and Monster Core) are set to lower prices than all other books "for now", as mentioned in the Paizo Pricing & Sustainability Update blog post.

So yeah, no other books' price should be compared to them.
based on the blog post linked above, $69.99 should be for a 256 pages book. Being advertized as having 250+ stat blocks, plus a couple extra templates to change the ancestry/theme of most of these stat blocks, that sounds like a close approximation (the Gamemaster Guide had often 2 blocks per pages, so there will be some contraction there to make space for the lore.)
(If the Monster Core book wasn't specifically one of the loss leader books, it would probably be $79.99 based on that same blog, as it had a bit more than 370 pages.)

This better be a thick book for a $70 price tag. The Monster Core is cheaper.

The Monster Core was released before Paizo's new "going forward all books will increase in price" announcement.

Additionally this lists "over 250" whereas Monster Core has 445 stat blocks in it, so I wouldnt bank on a bigger book.

There is also the NPC Index line for sale on Pathfinder Infinite, and it has Foundry integration

Yeah, Jamie Trollope did such a good job with the NPC Index line that I'd expect to see his name in some Paizo products coming up.

He could be in any of them. Maybe even... this one! ;)

Mustachioed wrote:

There is also the NPC Index line for sale on Pathfinder Infinite, and it has Foundry integration

Yeah, Jamie Trollope did such a good job with the NPC Index line that I'd expect to see his name in some Paizo products coming up.

He could be in any of them. Maybe even... this one! ;)

Maybe even between... Kyle Tam and Ruvaid Virk? :P

For Foundry usage, will there be a token pack product for this or will the art from this book just get added to the npc character gallery module that recently released?

I mean, it'd sure be silly to release a major book packed with new character art and not offer some kind of integration with the hot new character token collection/management module, wouldn't it?

That being said, this hypothetical character token pack bursting with all-new art would likely be its own product rather than an addition to existing one, and could probably be expected to be priced similarly to the recently-released Monster Core module.

Peacelock wrote:

For Foundry usage, will there be a token pack product for this or will the art from this book just get added to the npc character gallery module that recently released?

I mean, it'd sure be silly to release a major book packed with new character art and not offer some kind of integration with the hot new character token collection/management module, wouldn't it?

That being said, this hypothetical character token pack bursting with all-new art would likely be its own product rather than an addition to existing one, and could probably be expected to be priced similarly to the recently-released Monster Core module.

Makes sense, looking forward to it!

Peacelock wrote:

For Foundry usage, will there be a token pack product for this or will the art from this book just get added to the npc character gallery module that recently released?

I mean, it'd sure be silly to release a major book packed with new character art and not offer some kind of integration with the hot new character token collection/management module, wouldn't it?

That being said, this hypothetical character token pack bursting with all-new art would likely be its own product rather than an addition to existing one, and could probably be expected to be priced similarly to the recently-released Monster Core module.

Take my money.

Now!!

olimar92 wrote:

This better be a thick book for a $70 price tag. The Monster Core is cheaper.

The 4 "Core" books (Player Core, Player Core 2, GM Core, and Monster Core) are set to lower prices than all other books "for now", as mentioned in the Paizo Pricing & Sustainability Update blog post.

So yeah, no other books' price should be compared to them.
based on the blog post linked above, $69.99 should be for a 256 pages book. Being advertized as having 250+ stat blocks, plus a couple extra templates to change the ancestry/theme of most of these stat blocks, that sounds like a close approximation (the Gamemaster Guide had often 2 blocks per pages, so there will be some contraction there to make space for the lore.)
(If the Monster Core book wasn't specifically one of the loss leader books, it would probably be $79.99 based on that same blog, as it had a bit more than 370 pages.)

Then don't name the new one "Core" if it's not, in fact, core :/

Peacelock wrote:

For Foundry usage, will there be a token pack product for this or will the art from this book just get added to the npc character gallery module that recently released?

I mean, it'd sure be silly to release a major book packed with new character art and not offer some kind of integration with the hot new character token collection/management module, wouldn't it?

That being said, this hypothetical character token pack bursting with all-new art would likely be its own product rather than an addition to existing one, and could probably be expected to be priced similarly to the recently-released Monster Core module.

I mean not to be that guy but I am to understand the dedicated NPC art module will not have the art from the dedicated NPC book? I don't not get it but it still rubs me the wrong way...

They're not going to add free content to the modules every time they release new content. There will be a separate module for the new art, just like there was a separate module for Monster Core rather than putting it in the Bestiary module.

Peacelock wrote:

For Foundry usage, will there be a token pack product for this or will the art from this book just get added to the npc character gallery module that recently released?

I mean, it'd sure be silly to release a major book packed with new character art and not offer some kind of integration with the hot new character token collection/management module, wouldn't it?

That being said, this hypothetical character token pack bursting with all-new art would likely be its own product rather than an addition to existing one, and could probably be expected to be priced similarly to the recently-released Monster Core module.

What module is that?

The Character Gallery

The Character Gallery

Thank you kindly.

I mean not to be that guy but I am to understand the dedicated NPC art module will not have the art from the dedicated NPC book? I don't not get it but it still rubs me the wrong way...

No, that’s not what they’re saying. They’re saying the artwork for NPC Core is all new thus the Foundry token pack will have this all new artwork as well.

That's not at all what they were saying?

Will there be a sketch cover? (Is sketch cover a standard option from now on?)

I hope so i'm trying to have a complete sketchbook collection.

Elfteiroh wrote:

olimar92 wrote:

This better be a thick book for a $70 price tag. The Monster Core is cheaper.

The 4 "Core" books (Player Core, Player Core 2, GM Core, and Monster Core) are set to lower prices than all other books "for now", as mentioned in the Paizo Pricing & Sustainability Update blog post.

So yeah, no other books' price should be compared to them.
based on the blog post linked above, $69.99 should be for a 256 pages book. Being advertized as having 250+ stat blocks, plus a couple extra templates to change the ancestry/theme of most of these stat blocks, that sounds like a close approximation (the Gamemaster Guide had often 2 blocks per pages, so there will be some contraction there to make space for the lore.)
(If the Monster Core book wasn't specifically one of the loss leader books, it would probably be $79.99 based on that same blog, as it had a bit more than 370 pages.)

Then don't name the new one "Core" if it's not, in fact, core :/

^ This right here. It doesn't contain the core rules. It doesn't carry the core pricing. It isn't core in any meaningful sense of the word, no matter what is written on the tin.

Maybe it's just me, but I believe that words have meaning, and so die inside a little bit when a perfectly good word is sacrificed on the altar of marketing. :-/

Will this copy and remaster the statblocks from gamemastery or are these 100% new? Or whats the ratio of remaster/new?

This seems more akin to the NPC Codex from 1E than the 2E Gamemastery Guide.

Listen, I'm running a city adventure, Curse of the Crimson Throne. I need this book today:)

Listen, I'm running a city adventure, Curse of the Crimson Throne. I need this book today:)

It seems like a very useful book. I've always wondered why the NPC codex didn't seem to get much traction.

CastleDour wrote:

Will this copy and remaster the statblocks from gamemastery or are these 100% new? Or whats the ratio of remaster/new?

This seems more akin to the NPC Codex from 1E than the 2E Gamemastery Guide.

I'm pretty sure that on the stream in was revealed, they confirmed that the fact that most (if not all) of the 83 stat blocks from the GMG was reprinted in there was the reason they were cut from the GM Core, to make more space for other stuff they wanted to add to it.

I cannot wait for this. In 1E the NPC Codex got an insane amount of use because I tend to run a lot of humanoid-centric campaigns. As it is I currently have to do a lot of custom stat blocks.

I just hope there is enough stat blocks for all levels of play. The old GMG stat blocks were very low-level focused.

It should be fairly easy to upgrade a low level NPC to whatever level you need.

Sad to see Jason Bulmahn not in the credits. I think it means there won't be Razmir's clergy in the book and I really wanted to have a Herald of Razmir statblock ready!

Sad to see Jason Bulmahn not in the credits. I think it means there won't be Razmir's clergy in the book and I really wanted to have a Herald of Razmir statblock ready!

Thankfully, I do spot Michael Sayre's name in the credits, and he is a loyal follower of Razmir the Living God as well. So there's still a chance to be some form of Razmiran worship to be found amongst the dozens of NPCs in this book.

I hope we will receive some of that famous Peace and Prosperity package Razmir is famous for providing.

Sad to see Jason Bulmahn not in the credits. I think it means there won't be Razmir's clergy in the book and I really wanted to have a Herald of Razmir statblock ready!

Jason have mentionned a couple times that he is not the only one writing Razmiran lore now, like he's not the one that wrote his entry in Divine Mysteries. He trust the other writers enough to continue the good work of bringing "prosperity*" to "everyone**".

* Definition of prosperity pending.
** For everyone that are faithful and that deserves it. Pending on Razmir's approval.

Is this one getting a pocket edition?

Is this one getting a pocket edition?

Most likely as a Core book, the pocket editions usually come out 3 months after the hardcover version if memory serves

Can we have this book now? Waiting is so hard!