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*rolls D20*
*checks chart*
"I for one welcome our new gaming overlords, er, system."
This is exactly what I hoped Paizo would do--continue on with the sound system that they have and know, and maybe even enhance it. I am a little surprised (and very excited) about the alpha and beta tests of the Pathfinder RPG system--it will be interesting to flip through it and try it out with my group.
This kind of openness is exactly what I love about the OGL and Paizo in particular. It's good to see that a company *gets* that being open with certain parts of their business can actually help their business expand, as has been the case with Paizo and Pathfinder. I don't know if openness is a part of Paizo's mission statement, but you people are certainly living up to it even if it's not.
Alright, I'm probably stupid, or blind, or both .... But where do I download the Alpha rules?
I guess they're not up yet?
This is great news. Thanks Paizo.
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Is this combing out in August 2009 or 2008? I'm looking forward to it!There will be an alpha playtest via FREE PDF starting right now. In August 2008, we will release the beta playtest in a FREE PDF and a full-color 300+ page rulebook that you will have to pay for. In August 2009, you will be able to buy the final hardcover, full-color rulebook.
-Lisa
Will the final rulebook in 2009 also be available for purchase as a pdf?
Senior Software Developer
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Alright, I'm probably stupid, or blind, or both .... But where do I download the Alpha rules?
Either put this free product in your cart and checkout, or click here to get the PDF.
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Well, I'm really glad that this is happening. Pathfinder has managed to make me excited about being a DM and a player when I thought I had lost the spark. You can bet that I'll be sticking with it.
Thank you Liso, Eric, Mike, I know I'm forgetting people amd I am sorry. Also, congrats to Nick for his new position.
I look forward to testing out these rules and letting you know what I think. This is wonderful.
the only thing that comes to mind is "hoody hoo!"
Gutsy move today guys. Very gutsy move, and I wholeheartedly think it's a move that's made of win and awesome. :)
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CEO
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Alright, I'm probably stupid, or blind, or both .... But where do I download the Alpha rules?I guess they're not up yet?
Kruelaid:
You can find the FREE alpha playtest here!
-Lisa
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Alright, I'm probably stupid, or blind, or both .... But where do I download the Alpha rules?Either put this free product in your cart and checkout, or click here to get the PDF.
I was stupid AND blind as it turns out - found it - thanks Gary!
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CEO
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Will the final rulebook in 2009 also be available for purchase as a pdf?Is this combing out in August 2009 or 2008? I'm looking forward to it!There will be an alpha playtest via FREE PDF starting right now. In August 2008, we will release the beta playtest in a FREE PDF and a full-color 300+ page rulebook that you will have to pay for. In August 2009, you will be able to buy the final hardcover, full-color rulebook.
-Lisa
Yep!
-Lisa
Well, colour me impressed. While I'm only a recent Pathfinder convert, I was hoping Paizo would stick with 3.5 for at least a while, but this has far exceeded my expectations.
It's a huge challenge you're taking on, but from the material I've read before the RPG announcement, and the great attitude your staff show on these boards, I think you're capable of making it happen.
It must be such a relief to have this out in the open - if the Alpha's ready, you must have been sitting on this for a while, having to watch the 3.5e vs 4e, will-they won't-they debate raging!
I'll cease the fanboi gushing in a minute, but I have to say, I'm really excited about the Pathfinder RPG :)
I took a very quick glance at the rules.
It's an interesting idea and I hope the open nature of it works out to be a success.
I don't think I will be able to use it though, we hardly have time to play at all let alone work with more than one system at a time.
But hey, if 4th crashes and burns I'll see ya then.
Thank you guys- I've been a long time advocate for Paizo becoming Captains of their own destiny and may I join everyone else in congratulating you all with such a brave move that I know will secure the future of Paizo in the long term.
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I do not use this word normally, but this is just awesome!
What a great idea to do an open playtest and use the brainpower and imagination of the whole community to build the best the OGL can create.
Kudos for this step to all of the Paizo Staff!
May it be a stunning success for all of us.
Now I have to get out my houserules, fixes and the college block with ideas...
This is sooo cool.
Now you are not dependant on the worlds second greatest rpg anymore :D
Woot wooot. Lets rock
oh so cool
All I can say is bravo!
The recents post of Paizo staff (Erik and James) indicate cleary your preference for 3.5E over 4E.. and even if I will probably be a 4E player, I'm glad you decided to listen to your hearts... You will be able to tell the stories you wish to tell... It's better than being forced to do it on a game system that don't appeal to your style...
I only take a quick look at the PDF but it seem to contain bold and innovative rules like those in the Book of Experimental Might (Different rate of character advancement, Domain powers for cleric, abilities for specialist wizard, etc)... Maybe it's all we need to make 3.5 fun again!
And the annoucement is juts in time to calm down the 3.5 vs 4 debate... It must have been tough to no reveal anything until today... :-)
Just read thru the Alpha 1 release... and I think I just caught on fire from all the awesomeness!!!
I've one thing to point out though... Some more development should go to a few of the skills... Tumble, for example, remains a flat DC 15 to avoid most AoOs. My thought would be to factor in the opponent's CMB to the difficulty of avoiding their attacks...
Edit: I like the changes to Diplomacy, though. No more smooth-talking the Evil Overlord bent on destroying the PCs souls!
Well Paizo you guys have more guts than I thought you would. I didn't think you'd have the balls to go up against 4E. I thought you would assimilate. I downloaded the pdf. I haven't obviously had a chance to use it yet, but I'm hoping to give it a shot this Friday.
My initial thoughts are that I like the revisions to the core classes, and the skills and feats. Obviously the classes are more powerful than the 3.5 classes, so I'm a little worried about play balance. Hopefully future pathfinder products will address this by ensuring that their encounters and monsters are tougher to compensate.
Personally this puts me in a bit of a dilemma. I'm still pretty excited about 4E and am looking forward to it. I was hoping that Paizo would give it a shot, but I understand fully why you would decide not to. I'll probably maintain my Pathfinder subscription for the next while, but I still suspect I'll be playing 4E and not Pathfinder this summer. Hopefully the adventures in Paizo won't be too hard to convert to 4E because I'd still like to use a lot the stuff I've seen in Pathfinder with the new rules.
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The more I saw of 4th edition preview, the more I knew that it wasn't what I wanted. Though I had planned to cancel my subscription to Pathfinder if Paizo went with 4th ed. (and using the spare money to buy more stock in... er, miniatures for 40K), I never wanted to openly state that (it seemed to me to be disrespectful). Guess I'll be keeping my subscription after all (40K be damned).
Paizo, you guys effing kick ass!
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This is absolutely fantastic news. Now if I can just get my group on board. They are getting long in the tooth and crotchety and set in their ways (I'm actually the oldest but don't count. hehe). But I, for one, salute you and rest assured I will be following you through this very bold and most exciting move!
Wayne
I am so there!
Question: do we get any credit if you like one of our design idea(s)?
All playtesters will get credit in the core rulebook. Beyond that, you would have to ask Jason.
-Lisa
Hah! That's my way to get in!
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I'll be broke for the rest of my life now, but at this very moment, I don't care. This is an awesome addition to the RPG world, and a great step forward for gamers everywhere.
I know now what system I'll be running for the rest of my gaming life.
Paizo, you're the greatest. Never go away, so long as there are gamers to cater to, I hope you can, and know you will, deliver what is best for the community.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Godspeed.
Jason:
Thank you. Just -- thank you. :) I'm getting the warm fuzzies from this rules set mostly. It's largely what 3.5 SHOULD have been, at least going by the once-over I've given it.
Looking over the grappling rules (which in every other blasted edition has been a #$%^ing PITA -- even Gary Gygax [God rest his soul] threw up his hands on the system, from what I've read), you've finally made up an elegant and rational set. I'm surprised the 3E team didn't think of it themselves, and save legions of players from heated arguments over how to grab one's opponent.
Also, thanks for the much more reasonable XP progression -- now the PCs are going to have to actually work to level. No more of this "every 13 encounters" nonsense which in actuality seems to work out to every 5th encounter.
I also like the portmanteauing of certain skills into "superskills" (Theft, Stealth, Perception and Deception being the ones that stand out) that help in knocking down the character record-keeping.
And Identify makes a bit more sense now... making the players work a bit more for their knowledge.
The only things I don't like are the Domain Powers: A lot of them seem to be a bit too over-powered for my taste, particularly at higher levels. Globe of invulnerability 1/day? WISH 1/DAY!?!(0.o) (at least tell me that there's a "DMs have free rein to dick with the spell" clause again, else there's gonna be a lot of mages 'round 18th level sporting godlike intelligence with just a bit of patience...) And dominate monster 1/day with a duration of "permanent" seems a bit like giving a woodchuck an atom bomb. ("Who's a good little Godzilla then?" "Why spend good money on a Ferrari, when I can ride in style on the back of my Ancient Wyrm Red Dragon?" "Say hello to my pet TARRASQUE!" :P ) And there's one player I know who would try to abuse these powers in any way he could get away with...
But, all in all, I like what I see. And making the subsystems much more readily severable from one another than in 3.5 itself means that what I like doesn't have to come at the cost of what I'm not to fond of. :)
In other words, Bravo!
Sweet, Thanks Paizo gang! I've been ghosting here for months waiting for the decision. It sounds like a good one. August 2009 seems so very very far away.
Will there be a subscription or other deal to get the PDF?
AWESOME!
That is all.
What could be add to this? Hmmm... Maybe...
"It's like, you know, FREAKING TOO AWESOME!"
:D
Thanks, Lisa, Erik, Jason, and everyone else involved.
And lest I forget: thank you Ryan Dancey.
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Though I love this news.. *Mostly because I was planning to stick with Paizo either way And now I can spend less money doing it*
I am confused about 1 thing..
How were you able to come to this decision that 4E was not for pathfider without seeing the the new rules?..
You have stated many times you would not make the decision on what edition until you had seen the rules..
What changed your mind?
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CEO
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Thanks, Lisa, Erik, Jason, and everyone else involved.
And lest I forget: thank you Ryan Dancey.
Speaking of Ryan, here is the email that he sent to me when I sent him the news!
"This is awesme stuff Lisa. It took 8 years but open gaming now gets a real champion and its own destiny. I am very very proud of you!"
:)
-Lisa
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To Lisa, Eric, James, Jason, et al at Paizo:
I have been, until now, sitting on the fence on the subject of the two editions...not just in my choice of playing, but in the debates that have followed.
I tend to think of myself as an old school gamer - I've seen D&D go through almost all the editions and changes. History trends towards the old stuff dying and new stuff forcing us to change the game...there's generally been no middle ground.
I appreciate that you may have found that middle ground; and I appreciate your willingness to see if you can't improve on it rather than throw out it in its entirety. But moreso, by taking on the game as a progression/evolution of the system, you've allowed yourself several things, in my mind:
a) A chance to imprint your own industry voice through Golarion's world and system in a distinct way.
b) The possibility to improve a system in way that doesn't obligate you to force a specific dynamic at someone else's corporate dictum - something I don't think previous versions ever got the chance to do.
c) You've allowed some folks to continue to support their hobby (and this industry) without being forced to make excessive financial decisions concerning their choice of products, and thus diminshing the baseline.
d) If the potential for success flourishes, I believe that you and WOTC can create a healthy dynamic (not necessarily competition) that allows everyone to be successful - players and companies - in this
industry.
In all honesty, I was slow to come around to 3rd edition when it first emerged. Your efforts with Dragon and Dungeon led me to pay attention again to this game. I followed your products in the recent past with interest. Now your future project plan have made me optmistic that RPG games, including D&D, may continue to grow in ways that are both new and remain true to its roots.
That's the best way I can say thanks for your efforts and actions. If it seems a little sappy, well that wasn't my intention. I may be too optimistic in all this right now, but in any case I wish all you Folks at Paizo the best of luck.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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How were you able to come to this decision that 4E was not for pathfider without seeing the the new rules?..You have stated many times you would not make the decision on what edition until you had seen the rules..
What changed your mind?
The printing presses wait for no man. We blew two book trade solicitation periods waiting for the OGL/GSL and a first look at the new rules. Eventually, the train needed to leave the station one way or the other, so we made the "rules decision" based on the preview material leaked thus far, which is quite substantive in toto.
I would have preferred to have had weeks or even months to get acquainted with the 4.0 rules, but it became obvious that was not going to happen months ago.
So we looked at what we knew, we looked at what our customers were telling us, and we did our best to look forward and gauge where we thought the industry would be in the short term and the near term, and we made the decision that we believed best served Paizo's interests and the interests of the largest cohort of our customer base.
--Erik
..in the short term and the near term...
I'm yours for life, dude.
I'm yours for life, dude...in the short term and the near term...
Creepy....
...in a really good way!
This exceed my best expectatives ¡Thank you Paizo! You have an inconditional supporter in me ^^
I'm happy beyond any word.
I certainly respect you guys for making the tough call. I suspect staying "plain" 3.5 or converting to 4 would mean less late nights and uncertainty over the next year.
Hey, and big kudos for adding Nicolas Logue to your team!!
THANK YOU PAIZO!!!
:D
Converting my current Red Hand of Doom campaign starting with the next session. I'll provide feedback as I can. :)
I am industrial-strength jazzed about this. :) Words cannot describe!
-The Gneech