You'll get the full level progressions over the course of several adventures, actually. For Pathfinder, the plan is to pick four iconics and stick with them through the entire campaign; each new volume of Pathfinder will have these four as the pre-gen characters, leveled up as appropriate for the adventure. When we start the next Adventure Path after Runelords, we'll pick four different iconics and repeat.
How will this system handle loot gained/expended over the course of the previous adventure? People become a lot more willing to use potions and wands went they know they will 'respawn' the next month in the new stat block. Similarly, people are less impressed with looting when it doesn't affect the outcome. Is it just not expected that people will continually revisit the pre-gen stat blocks? Because if continuity isn't the goal, I'd prefer more of a mix-n-match approach, in case I need a replacement PC.
Let us suppose, the pre-gens are Sor-Clr-Rog-Pal, and that the players (lazy bums that they are) use those characters at level one. They go ahead and level up as they progress, using DMG and PHB. At level 6, the Rogue gets himself killed (Ok, was smashed by a Hill Giant). If the stat block in the back of the book is Sor-Clr-Rog-Pal, I don't have a backup PC for him to use useless he wants to play the same character with new paint. That's fine for some campaigns, but I prefer new characters for new characters. If the party in the later book was Bbn-Drd-Brd-Wiz, they'd be four new characters to choose from.
If people ask real nice... Erik might even dress up as one of our new iconics for GenCon!There is a near 100% chance of this happening.
--Erik
You mean Erik is going to dress up as the wizard(ess) at GenCon? I'll bring my camera!
Creative Director
|
If you're playing a Pathfinder Adventure Path as a campaign and using the pre-gen characters... you only need them as they appear at 1st level (or wherever you choose to start the campaign). At that point, the onus of leveling up and making choices about classes and skills and all that is on the player's shoulders, just as if he built his own character. Likewise, his gear will be whatever he's accumulated over the course of the adventures.
The only times you'd need the higher-level pre-generated PCs is if you're running a higher level Adventure Path adventure as a one-shot adventure or if you're starting the path with adventure #2 or #3 or so on.
And also, the pre-gen characters can serve as additional NPCs or cohorts or whatever. Think of them as "free NPCs" with premade art, stats, and personalities if you're not using them in your campaign as player characters.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
|
All I would love to see once in a while is a sketchbook with the designs and workups of the iconics be released or winnable as prizes!!! I absolutely loved seeing the pencil sketches in the margins of Dungeon and would pay money-money for the Art of Pathfinder or Gamemastery.
-Doodle obsessed Vrock!
I absolutely loved seeing the pencil sketches in the margins of Dungeon and would pay money-money for the Art of Pathfinder or Gamemastery.
-Doodle obsessed Vrock!
On a related note, I'd really like to have the sketches featured on the Pathfinder blog hotlink to higher res versions so we can see the details. They're kind of small as they are posted.
Thanks,
John
And also, the pre-gen characters can serve as additional NPCs or cohorts or whatever. Think of them as "free NPCs" with premade art, stats, and personalities if you're not using them in your campaign as player characters.
That is exactly why I would like to see a rotation, rather than the same roster through 6 books.
So, what is the player count on the adventures? The standard Dungeon 4, or 4-6, or even 6 PCs? Although our group fluctuates, we usually run around 6 people. Will there be scaling notes for those with larger groups?
I'm really digging the iconics thus far, but then I've always liked anything and everything WAR has every drawn. His art accounts, in some part, for why I am getting Pathfinder.
|
|
And also, the pre-gen characters can serve as additional NPCs or cohorts or whatever. Think of them as "free NPCs" with premade art, stats, and personalities if you're not using them in your campaign as player characters.
Actually, given the acknowledged lethality of several of the Adventure Paths, I'm thinking the pre-gens could actually make very good replacement PC options without too much wrangling.
Will there be Blog articles about the two missing iconic characters (elf rogue and human cleric if I remember correctly) before D0 and D1 are shipped? My Players will be using them for D0 and D1 and are anxious to see the storys (and pictures!) of the missing two. Especially: which gender will the elf rogue and human cleric be?
|
Creative Director
|
Will there be Blog articles about the two missing iconic characters (elf rogue and human cleric if I remember correctly) before D0 and D1 are shipped? My Players will be using them for D0 and D1 and are anxious to see the storys (and pictures!) of the missing two. Especially: which gender will the elf rogue and human cleric be?
Probably not. And they're not missing, really... it's just that the first two we ordered super early. Wayne's currently painting the last Dungeon cover; I believe he's moving on to the cover of "Hook Mountain Massacre" and the iconic rogue next.
Both the elf rogue and the human cleric are female.
Both the elf rogue and the human cleric are female.
Well, well, well...
A party of one male and three female adventurers? Mr. Jacobs, this has your fingerprints all over it.
Granted, it's nice to see something other than the typical all male (with perhaps a token female) party. I would guess that this means there will be a good selection of BOTH male and female potential romantic interests in the adventures.
|
Any chance one of your miniature partners will come out with minis of the icon characters?There is a near 100% chance of this happening.
--Erik
Is there even a remote chance Pathfinder minis could be produced in pre-painted plastic?
Having collected thousands of DDM, and zero metals, as good as Pathfinder minis would be, I would snap up pre-painted plastic Pathfinder minis in a heartbeat :) but zero chance I would purchase metal :(
Thanks
|
Will there be Blog articles about the two missing iconic characters (elf rogue and human cleric if I remember correctly) before D0 and D1 are shipped? My Players will be using them for D0 and D1 and are anxious to see the storys (and pictures!) of the missing two. Especially: which gender will the elf rogue and human cleric be?Probably not. And they're not missing, really... it's just that the first two we ordered super early. Wayne's currently painting the last Dungeon cover; I believe he's moving on to the cover of "Hook Mountain Massacre" and the iconic rogue next.
Both the elf rogue and the human cleric are female.
Out of interest, how long does it usually take from concept to finished artwork? Whole covers probably duplicate the time
Maybe I've missed something but where can I find the pictures of these iconics that everyone is talking about? Or are we just talking about the two that were revealed with the Pathfinder announcement?Those are the two.
We get a larger-size image of the fighter, but not of the sorceress?