Nonetheless, we HAVE had to kill a fair amount of artwork since it didn't match established looks.
Just curious, but have you guys considered/would you be permitted to sell killed artwork either as stock art or one-time publishing rights to another company? I'm sure there would be plenty of rpg companies that would like to get their hands on some high quality, commission grade artwork at a lower price, even if they have to mildly adjust their vision to match the artwork. I understand if you cannot talk about it, but just thought I'd ask.
(Sorry it's off topic.)
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More fluff, less crunch.
Rumors, places, people, animals, etc. much as you've done so far. Cut crunch to make room for fluff.
That said ;) prices is a great idea, food stuff and a Guide to Korvosa style rent for places to live(even if it is just so the young PC knows how much dad spends a month).
Could you, with OGL, suggest existing feats based on Regions? Not reprint them, just list them.
I really dug the bonus feats for the RotRL characters. Something special at first level.
If you could add chain mail bikini to the equipment list. I have two women at my gaming table and one will have her character buy it just because, and the other will hit me just because it is in there. Ok. I think maybe thats not such a great Idea.
Of the Players guides you have published, RotRL is my favorite. It feels... "Greyhawkish" but not. I mean that in the best way I PROMISE!!!!
Creative Director
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Nonetheless, we HAVE had to kill a fair amount of artwork since it didn't match established looks.Just curious, but have you guys considered/would you be permitted to sell killed artwork either as stock art or one-time publishing rights to another company? I'm sure there would be plenty of rpg companies that would like to get their hands on some high quality, commission grade artwork at a lower price, even if they have to mildly adjust their vision to match the artwork. I understand if you cannot talk about it, but just thought I'd ask.
(Sorry it's off topic.)
Nah... not really. In most cases, the artwork would just cause confusion (in some cases it's identifiably for Golarion, for example). And at other times the problem is that the artwork ISN'T high quality. We don't kill art for no reason, is what I'm saying. But farming out our rejections isn't the business Paizo wants to be in.
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Creative Director
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Could you, with OGL, suggest existing feats based on Regions? Not reprint them, just list them.
Nope. We have to use feats from the SRD, from open content books, or we make them up ourselves. My preference is to take the first and the third route, since that's easier for us to manage.
Nah... not really. In most cases, the artwork would just cause confusion (in some cases it's identifiably for Golarion, for example). And at other times the problem is that the artwork ISN'T high quality. We don't kill art for no reason, is what I'm saying. But farming out our rejections isn't the business Paizo wants to be in.
Fair enough. Just thought I'd ask. Thanks for the reply.
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James,
Thanks for asking. I agree with what a lot of the folks have said. Here is what I think:
1) Fluff & flavor of the starting area, to include maps as appropriate. Could include some reprinted summaries hitting the high points of the city/town/village.
2) PrC's that will be useful, and that could be gained by going through the adventure. 2-3 is plenty.
3) A bit of foreshadowing could be a nice touch. Not spoilers, but hints at what lies ahead. Maybe a teaser to get folks interested.
4) A bit of fiction to give additional flavor. Maybe a letter, a journal entry, etc.
5) Some sort of intro that explains why the characters are together and where they start.
6) Regional skills & feats...a couple of each.
7) Culture & customs stuff.
8) Mythology, legends and/or history
9) A reason to want to make PC's from the area (interesting & useful stuff)
Looking forward to reading the finished product.
Cheers!
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When I polled my players...
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- Interesting and appropriate familiars for Wizards and Sorcs. Particularly since one of my two Runelord groups is using PFRPG, Wizards are coming back in vogue fast with those players.
- "Highlights" of places of local interest to players. Taverns, bars, shops. Note, they don't expect full write-ups like the GMs get, but a few well known places they know of without being told by the GM
I hesitate to add myself... when I started Runelords last September, I really got the "business" about demi-human support and Religion. The reason I hate to mention this is because some well meaning poster, if not James himself, is going to point out that there is a book about Magic and the Gods coming, the Gazeteer, and the HC campaign book in August ("and god what more do I expect of poor Paizo?!?"). I understand that. I'm sympathetic. I'm just saying... rather good naturedly... as much as I have complained about it, I in turn got it in spades from *them*. When there was only a small thumbnail about the dwarves of Janderhoff, I thought it was funny to say, 'James Jacobs hates dwarves', except the player didn't laugh along with me.
What could you do to help?
Well I envision the Gazeteer and the Gods book will deal with the religion on a global scale. A few notes about how the god or goddess is perceived locally would be helpful (for example: Elves might worship Desna the Dreamer, or Desna the Lucky, or Desna the Starry Wise One- or an immediate example is how the Skinsaw men focus on one aspect of Norgorber).
I know the human-centric design philosphy and I'm all for it, but I'm just saying... you know out 4 to 5 random players somebody is going to want to play a demi-human. So, a little more in that department there would be cool too.
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Highlights of local threats, for example the goblin tribes near sandpoint that locals would be aware of tribe names, roughly where to avoid them etc, not great detail, just what the average local know, helps local PC's fit in better, and saves GM's some work on briefing them.
Another vote for local tavern and shop info, slanted to what a customer/local would know.
Just wanted to say, I liked the last two player's guides very much, but especially curse of the crimson throne, due to the great background feats.
As stated above, hints for a favorable direction a player character's development should take, as a favored enemy selection and so on.
Common character names for the region might be very helpful, too.
Besides, great stuff so far.
Greetings, Daniel
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The small regional map from PF1 was great and would be very useful in all the companions. I like being able to see at least to some extent the area around cities and towns. Makes it easier to place characters from so they are not all from the bigger cities.
I also would like to see more details on the races and ethnic groups used in each pathfinder run. Since the third one is on the elves, that would be a good start to get the world's view of the Mierani elves, for example. Since it's up north maybe also something more definitive on the Shoanti.
It didn't help that the affiliation rules were kind of boring and clunky, I suppose.
Boo! Boo I say.
The Affiliations were among the best things in the STAP.
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- Each guide needs a lineup of typical inhabitants, like the way races are presented in Alpha 1, and how most historical costume books are formatted. RotRL could have used a lineup like: Magnimar Merchant, Varisian Wanderer, Riddleport Peasant..etc.
- Add cultural info with a 'What every citizen of [blank] knows' sidebar, like the Eberron books.
- A simple topographical map that players can fill in as their characters explore. No words, no key, just space for notations and points of interest. A version for major cities would be keen too.
You know what I'd really like as both a player and a DM, have to give less exposition to the players/have to be told alot less exposition. If this is my first time in this world as a player, I'm going to be clueless. I'd love to have a short write up that gave the players the basic fluff of the world, the basic concept of the larger setting in a page or two. Longer then that, and they'll think its an assignment.
Back when I ran exalted, I had to explain many times that the only reason that gravity worked is becuase the god of gravity said it should. I had to tell them that if the god of a particular river said that their river should flow uphill that day, it did. Every new player I had, I had to explain that to them.
So a page or so about how harrowing is important, how the world has been in chaos since the god's death. This section could probably be copied wholesale into each following player's guide, but it would be helpful for someone's first time out. Leaving it a page or two would be short enough for long time players to just skip and not feel like they are jipped.
- Add cultural info with a 'What every citizen of [blank] knows' sidebar, like the Eberron books.I like that idea.
Also perhaps some differences between the various human groups (i.e. like what group A knows and how they view group B, etc)
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One of the more important parts of the previous two are how the basic classes fit into the setting. I'd like each one given a bit more treatment than just a paragraph. It's good stuff.
At first I balked on "spoilers", like what terrain they'll be going in and what monsters they will face, but if this can be done vague enough I'm all for it. Dragons and fey is fine. Red dragons and dryads is not. That sort of thing.
Cultural stuff: fashions, accent suggestions, name ideas, little paragraphs of old stories.
Something I just thought of: a section for each of the Knowledge skills and the absoloute sort of BASIC information a PC would know and be able to act on by taking a particular knowledge skill!
-DM Jeff
I think that the background feats are important, as are 'area flavor' things. For example, even if a spider familiar gives the same bonus as a cat, it's cool to know that it's available.
Things to keep:
I like that major NPCs in RotRL are named and sometimes have a picture. It helps A LOT.
I like that in the languages section it mentions that Thassalonian, not Draconic is the major language of arcane magic - it matches the fact that most of the scrolls and such are in Thassalonian, WITHOUT being a spoiler. More 'little hints' like this are a MUST.
I noticed that in the Crimson Throne book, a lot of the background options drew characters together. They ALL want a piece of the child slaver (whose name I don't remember), which helps to aid party cohesion. It manages this without the 'you are all together in the Green Dragon Inn' feel of being slapped together.
I like that Crimson Throne implies that social skills are important for that adventure arc. Hints like this are MUCH appreciated, especially by those characters without the skill picks to cover a lot of bases.
Things to avoid:
Flavor pieces are good; flavor SPELLINGS are NOT! If I have trouble reading a block of text, I'm not going to read it. Period.
Things to add:
Artwork should pertain to the adventure path (AP) in some manner. It shouldn't be a spoiler, but things like 'Father Tobyn and his daughter Nualia' for RotRL with a mention that the old church burned down? Oh yes, that would have added a LOT.
Having a standard legal code and noting how the local code (or enforcement) varies would be of help.
[Brain snap]
I think that each adventure could have a few pages of information that the party gains. From RotRL, the gradual revelation of Thassalonian magic, especially areas tailored to basic archetypes. I'd just LOVE to have characters read their background material, which provides them knowledge their character has. ie. From Burnt Offerings: Clerics should know that Lamashtu is the mother of monsters, and recruits her members not only from births, but by morphing living creatures through holy pools at her temples.
And again I'm wandering from the thread topic, sorry.
I would like to see rumors, recent local happenings, and news. Perhaps some that tie in to the AP directly or indirectly, and others that add spice. These add depth and flavor to immediate campaign world.
A list of NPC contacts the PCs may have heard of or business that they may know in their home base location. Examples include where to get the best deals on supplies, who might have masterwork weapons for sale, the cheapest drinks in town, the safest inn, and the place to go to pick up adventuring jobs.
Perhaps include a few unique low level spells that would be useful in the region or early adventures and the PCs would logically have access to.
Thanks for asking for our input.
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One final request is perhaps a list of organizations that players can be a part of from day one that tie into the setting as well. You could even tie in your regional feats and prestige classes to these organiztions. You could then update the players responsibilities and benefits from those organizations as the campaign progresses. Think things like the Church of the Whirling Fury from STAP, only with feats and prestige classes that tie into those organizations. I like the gear that you put in specific to the setting, and I would love to see gear that ties into the campaign theme. So perhaps some sort of spelunking gear or whatever since this one is focused on the Underdark, or maybe some kind of sea faring gear for a swashbuckling ocean type campaign.Organizations are tough to do, unfortunately. That's one of the lessons I learned from Savage Tide. If you want to include a lot of organizations in an Adventure Path, they sort of have to be a primary PART of the Path, otherwise you get a situation like we did in Savage Tide where only one or two of the organizations really had a presence throughout the entire campaign, while most of them ended up being forgotten.
It didn't help that the affiliation rules were kind of boring and clunky, I suppose.
THAT SAID: I suspect that we'll be having several PC-friendly organizations in the Player's Companions. We'll have to come up with rules for them, of course, and they won't generally be a big part of the Adventure Paths except for paths that are ABOUT organizations...
Thanks for the response James. I agree with you that the organizational affiliations rules for 3.5 were clunky and didn't track well from a player perspective. I also agree with you that organizations SHOULD be part of the campaign though. How cool would it be for example to have a PC affiliation that ties into the Acadame in Korvosa or whatever. I like flavor elements that tie the characters to the setting in ways beyond saying "yeah my character was tortured by Gaedren Lam when he was 6 and now he has a +1 to reflex saves and a reason to hate the old son of a skunk.
That said, I appreciate the complexity and difficulty in making that work. Perhaps an AP where organizations play a central role is the answer, although I would hope we see some of this sort of thing in the campaign setting book coming out this summer too. I know that I will likely run at least one campaign of my own in Golarion, although with the high quality in the AP's, I could easily just run Pathfinder AP and never run out of material to run.
Thanks again,
Brent