If you are going to make new core classes (and we know you are with the blackguard): I'd like to see well-done versions of classes that we've all played and wanted improved on.
Oriental classes (especially ninja!).
Shamans. Witches/warlocks.
Basic stuff that has never really been done really well. Here's your chance.
A big book of “supporting cast” npcs would be useful beyond measure.That's a good suggestion. In fact, that's a really good suggestion. After the first bestiary, I'd be more inclined to buy a supporting cast book than another bestiary.
Yes. Something like stats for street urchins in Absalom and low-ranking merchants of the Aspis thingummy. Typical cleric of Shelyn and so on.
Absolutely. If selling rule books and/or "fluff" books like "Elves of Golarion" and "Dragons of Golarion" is giving them a better return on investment than selling adventure paths, it'd be crazy for them not to go in that direction. I just had the impression that the adventure paths were still the #1 product, though.
They very well may be (and probably are) but I'm just saying that I think it would be unfair to expect them to stick to one product over another just because that's what they were going to do originally. If business changes over time we should be willing to accept them changing direction so long as it makes business sense for them to do so.
Yes. Something like stats for street urchins in Absalom and low-ranking merchants of the Aspis thingummy. Typical cleric of Shelyn and so on.
I agree that I'd be more interested in this sort of product over a 2nd Bestiary book.
Yes. Something like stats for street urchins in Absalom and low-ranking merchants of the Aspis thingummy. Typical cleric of Shelyn and so on.I agree that I'd be more interested in this sort of product over a 2nd Bestiary book.
It's a great idea, but I'd definately be more of a fan of the bestiary, luckily at least a second bestiary is guaranteed, and these books could both be released, the second as PF chronicles tho, as its setting specific, unless its made nuetral.
I'd like one book with basic stat-blocks for things like
Common Urban Encounters
Thug (common)
Thug (boss)
Soldier (common)
Soldier (captain)
Soldier (commander)
Cultist (initiate/acolyte)
Cultist (leader)
Beggar (common)
Beggar (leader)
Diseased Commoner
Sailor (crew)
Sailor (captain)
Pirate (crew)
Pirate (captain)
Primitive tribesman (common)
Primitive tribesman (chief)
...
...
You could even have a chapter with photocopy-able stat-blocks for all summon monster/natures ally options, including fiendish and celestial variants. Then, the player or DM just copies those pages and hands them to the player who is running a summoner, or, the DM references those pages quickly when running a summoner NPC.
Just some thoughts.
It's a great idea, but I'd definately be more of a fan of the bestiary, luckily at least a second bestiary is guaranteed, and these books could both be released, the second as PF chronicles tho, as its setting specific, unless its made nuetral.
Just so we are clear, I am not saying I would want this book more than the INITIAL bestiary, just that I would like to see it before a SECOND bestiary is released.
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What form would you like thes books to take?
I'm not sure what this asks, exactly. I prefer hardcover to paperback in general, but the APs are holding up extremely well so far, and softcovers take up less room in my always overful gaming backpack. The format of all Paizo products thus far has been good to excellent - I don't think I can tell you anything you don't do well in the form of books. ::shrug::
Would you be interested in subscribing to such a line, provided thebooks cost somewhere around $35 a pop?
Yes, I would, provided my financial situation doesn't significantly worsen. Especially if PDFs are provided!
What titles/ideas would you like to see us explore?
Well, here's a list of ideas:
1. Epic Play - in my ideal world, this is more about high level play in general than an entirely new rule system. Maybe it introduces how to continue play past level 20, or how to start an epic campaign, but in general I think epic play for me and the groups I've played with is from about level 14+.
2. Psionics - for completeness, I think this is good. I haven't played it much, and thus have no strong opinions on it one way or another.
3. Arms and Equipment Guide - I want this to expand alchemical items, poisons, traps, mundane items as well as magical items. Maybe even some stuff on commodities and vehicles and buildings.
4. Unearthed Arcana - alternate rule sets. I also think this is a good way to test ideas for an eventual PRPG v.2. Point based spellcasting, generic classes, other alternate rules.
5. I liked the Complete Books, but honestly I think they were a bit much. I think something along the line of a Player's Handbook II is better - with sections on different character archtypes, alternate class abilities, substitution levels, extra spells and feats. Keeps all the player information together in one handy book, or at least only a few. Rather than having a complete book for each class - with crossover to keep interest and sales high, thus forcing me to carry about 20 books as a player, I'd like a Player's Handbook X every other year or so with all the cream of the crop in one place for players.
We're all worried about rules bloat. What is your opinion of new classes and races?
Classes are tough. I think there is only a very little bit of room left for fundamentally new base classes - especially if multiclassing rules with regard to spellcasting are fixed. I'll touch on this on the next question as well.
Races are another matter. I think there's an almost infinite number of races you could create. A Savage Species kind of book or a book of templates might be good, but I've generally stuck with basic races, so I've little desire to have a races book myself, though I know there are many that do and I have no objection to the idea.
For me, rules bloat touches more on new rule subsystems, feats and feat types, spells, etc. I understand the marketting thought behind such things, but as spells, feats and rule subsystems spread more and more, even the ones I liked began to feel like a huge burden to manage. When I had to bring 10 books to a game to include all the specific rules I used for 12th level gish, it got a little out of control. If nothing else, lugging that 50+ lb. backpack around hurt!! I like the idea of skill tricks, reserve feats, I really liked the reworked martial characters available in Tome of Battle (Crusaders = what paladins should be) etc. But keeping it all straight got out of control quickly.
Are you as tired of prestige classes as I am?
I like prestige classes. I think they're overused, though. There are a few prestige class types:
1. Improving a narrow focus from a base class (Frenzied Berserker(barbarian raging), Assassin(rogue death attacks/sneak attack, kinda), Master of Many Forms(druid, wild shaping), Radiant Servant of Pelor. Heh. I think the only thing it didn't improve about a basic cleric was hit points!)
2. Create a character with special abilities related to an organization or other campaign setting based group (Pathfinder Chronicler, Harper)
3. Allow character concepts for multiclass characters. This usually fixes multiclass spellcasting, or allows partial progression in the abilities of multiple classes while multiclassing. (Mystic Theurge, Eldritch Knight, Arcane Trickster, Arcane Heirophant)
4. Introduce new abilities to a character. (Arcane Archer, Shadow Dancer)
I think uses 1 and 2 are good prestige class uses. I think uses 3 and 4 should be avoided. If you want to allow character types that are combinations of different base classes, fix multiclassing - don't introduce yet another prestige class. If you want to allow a new ability, it should be a feat or an alternate class feature. Creating a new class is overkill in my opinion.
You could even have a chapter with photocopy-able stat-blocks for all summon monster/natures ally options, including fiendish and celestial variants. Then, the player or DM just copies those pages and hands them to the player who is running a summoner, or, the DM references those pages quickly when running a summoner NPC.
There's a set of cards available through DTRPG for that; but a condensed set of templated creatures (i.e. ones that aren't already available in other books) included in statblock book would be superb.
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How about a book that focuses on things like feats (new as well as taking abilities that belonged to former prestige classes ie archmage and turning them into high lvl feats), extra abilities and general options for classes (extra bloodlines, etc) and alternative class features. So instead of making something like a ninja class you instead take a rogue give it some alternative class features and feats. Then hey presto a ninja.
This in turn would hopefully ignore rules bloat and balancing classes since it would just be a core rulebook class that has been tweaked to do something else.
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How about a book that focuses on things like feats (new as well as taking abilities that belonged to former prestige classes ie archmage and turning them into high lvl feats), extra abilities and general options for classes (extra bloodlines, etc) and alternative class features. So instead of making something like a ninja class you instead take a rogue give it some alternative class features and feats. Then hey presto a ninja.
This in turn would hopefully ignore rules bloat and balancing classes since it would just be a core rulebook class that has been tweaked to do something else.
This would be the awesomest 'Unearthed Arcana' book, ever.
Showing examples of how to convert various Prestige Classes into a combination of feats and alternate class features / etc. would rock out loud.
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What form would you like these books to take? Would you be interested in subscribing to such a line, provided the books cost somewhere around $35 a pop?
I'd probably not subscribe to them, but rather buy them individually as part of my non-subscription orders. 35$ is something I want to control exactly when I spend.
What titles/ideas would you like to see us explore?
Some suggestions:
* Epic levels (I'd love something as an E20 instead of E6, with Epic feats, along with heavy DM advice on running Epic campaigns).
* Psionics (Which can be built from scratch, as there's no much material which uses 3.x Psionics, so backwards compatibility is less of an issue).
* Bestiaries (at least 1 per year).
* Character Options (new base classes, feats, spells and items. Just be careful with the power creep).
* Dominion rules (How to manage a keep/castle/kingdom, mass combat rules, and so on).
* Alternate rules (Now that you have Monte in the staff, it would be a good idea to release a Pathfinder version of his "Books of X Might".
What I don't like to see:
* "Complete" books.
* "Races of..." books.
* Environment books.
All these three would be better covered in the Chronicles/Companion lines, with Golarion fluff.
We're all worried about rules bloat. What is your opinion of new classes and races?
I like new base classes, as long as they cater to different enough concepts as opposed to just "an X, but better".
From the Complete and PHBII books from WotC, I liked things as the Warlock or the Marshall, but found redundant things like the Swashbuckler (a Finesse Fighter) or the many "as an specialist wizard, just better" (Beguiler, Warmage...).
Also, I'd rather see a big "Player Options" book than a myriad "Complete X" manuals.
Are you as tired of prestige classes as I am?
I like seeing the odd one or two on setting books, as long as they're specific enough. For example, if there's a book about dwarves, I don't mind seeing a Runecarver or a Tunnel defender prestige class. But I've seen too many "player concept" prestige classes which could have been avoided with better multiclassing rules or a couple of feats.
Additional books can either add to all classes equally like PH2 or be along a theme like the complete warrior. Problem with the later option is if you get the complete rogue, then warrior, then ranger etc the other classes become less powerful as they are not gaining abilities as well, hence this can throw off the balance. Although a big book of feats, spells or items would be nice, these also strike me as something to be produced once Path finder v2.0 is on the cards rather than at the start. So I vote PH2, PH3 etc plus one DM source book that has monsters AND new magic items each year. One exception is Psionics.
The simpler the system the better as the house keeping detracts from the game. For that reason I don't like Psionics as they are just another system which has magic like affects, more rules with little gain. Better to add in any Psionics abilities as a magic spells rather than force players to learn or keep track of a second system. BUT if we must have Psionics then have them as a self contained book so the players have a choice to use the content rather than having content in each issue that many people will not use.
Prestige classes are great, as they provide more variation but most never get played which is why many people don't like them. So a few good Prestige classes would a nice compromise.
One request please add in a index in each book.
Yes. Something like stats for street urchins in Absalom and low-ranking merchants of the Aspis thingummy. Typical cleric of Shelyn and so on.Yes, absolutely. Presented in glossary form, alphabetized by character archetype.
You could even sneak in a few sample builds of cool player character concepts, a new prestige class or two, and other new PC options. A folio of NPC stats that also includes sidebars and appendices of new PC options would be way more useful than yet another Complete PC toolbox.
The more I think about it the more I like a PDF for this one. Ultimate customization.
You could, throughout a book like this, sprinkle in a little background for a few NPCs. Even just a few lines. Monte Cook's Ptolus has some of these small bit player entries like this and it just gives the whole Ptolus setting a sense of versimilitude.
And you'll notice how I keep steering back to Golarion. I think your world setting is going to be where you succeed or fail. The rules may draw in some fans but the setting will keep them there.
There's lots and lots and lots of generic rules-type stuff out there by folks like Green Ronin, Mongoose, etc. And I hardly own any of them. Not a single Mongoose. Of the three Green Ronin products I own, 1 is the Advanced Bestiary, 1 is the Book of Fiends, and 1 is the Advanced Racial Codex for the drow. I've just got no interest in Advanced Players Guide or Advanced Game Masters Guide. That stuff's all been done to hell.
Give me Golarion.
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Something huge with Galorian history and lore all over it. Pure fluffy.This was simply the most convenient example, but people keep asking for golarion specific things, which is not the point of this thread, thats for pathfinder chronicles, and I'm sure that your suggestions would be welcome, but Erik Mona is looking for idea's for the setting nuetral, Pathfinder RPG.
Well crud, am I feeling like an oopf! Ok, I am fairly sure Psionics and Epic will be tackled (which is great!), but to think up something on the cool side that Paizo could do.
Is PFRPG going to replace 3.5 material and therefore redo the whole line? If that is the case, then I guess it is ok to do all the racial-class stuff all over again. Afterall, with the new PFRPG everything is supposed to run better, and the next tier is completely open to improvement. So I guess one could do a Races of, Complete splat, or whatever.
However, I think everyone at Paizo deserves a challenge. A challenge that would use their strengths.
I propose Pathfinder's Adventure Guide. Let's face it, these guys rock. They make excellent adventures. They are masters at it. Let them teach us what they know so we can carry the spirit of what they firmly believe in, "telling great stories". I really think 3.5 was the "Age of Crunch". It never really had the adventure.
Well, ok, Dungeon was rad, but consider that source as the exception.
To me, D&D is about the Adventures, not the "combos of crunch". We have a lot of rules and plenty of options, most of which have never been explored. I do understand the reasoning of opening up a whole chest of races and classes for Paizo to play with. I also see that the supplements would appeal to Players. However, it isn't a mindblowing topic.
I just feel that we have gone through that. IF we can keep our 3.5, then I think it would be far more effective if Paizo brings the adventure back to the game (which it has inside its camp).
Now, teach us to bring our own adventures into the game also.
Pathfinder's Adventure Guide
Villian Creation
Story Hooks
Character Integration
Plot Twists
Well made encounters
Adventure Framework (Quick Builder)
Blueprint of a Published Adventure Path
Recommended Sources
What makes a bad adventure
Philosophy on Adventure Building
Tips to speed up gameplay.
Advice on running and creating themed adventures
Naturally I have other ideas that would appeal to players. For now though, this is enough.
Cheers,
Zuxius
That's a fantastic idea, especially if it included my suggestion of a city building guide.
It's great, even include some world-building examples, just a paragraph long to kick of people imaginations, you'd be suprised how many homebrewed campaign will become totally different takes on these basic ideas, I would have loved that starting D&D, and hell, im young, I'd still love it!
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That's a fantastic idea, especially if it included my suggestion of a city building guide.
It's great, even include some world-building examples, just a paragraph long to kick of people imaginations, you'd be suprised how many homebrewed campaign will become totally different takes on these basic ideas, I would have loved that starting D&D, and hell, im young, I'd still love it!
Well thanks Vagrant!
Hmm, Adventure Building and Campaign Building.....may as well be two concepts in the same book. I whole-heartedly agree. I will not deny Paizo's ideas on how to incorporate Pathfinder Rules into other campaign worlds would be equally valueable, and a very good use of their talents once again. Now, if we could only get a consensus where City Building goes...
Cheers,
Zuxius
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I wouldn't mind subscribing, although I'd (or rather my wallet would) be more in favor of that if it were done so that the release of the HC books coincided with a lapse in some of my other subscribed stuff, the way the usual Chronicles/Modules/Companion pieces do, so I don't find myself with a sudden $100 monthly bill and a whole lot of explaining to do.
And, if so, what I'd probably like to see is:
Bestiary: A couple of them would be nice, unless you treat them more like the ecologies-style books for monster types, like you did with Classic Monsters Revisited, in which case I'd be ecstatic with as many as you wanted to churn out.... but barring that, I'm sold on at least a couple of them, as long as it doesn't get to the realm of ridiculous-- like, say, dropping a new HC Bestiary on us yearly, for half a decade. I mean, out of all the monster manuals, 3rd party source material and Tome of Horrors, (which I consider almost indispensible), I'm pretty sure my group has only used an amount equal to one total book of creatures-- max.
Alternate Rules: I like the idea of a collection of homebrew rules and variants, ala Unearthed Arcana, (although I really like the concept of GR's Mastermind's Manual, too. The idea of a huge list of really simple, minor additions or changes to singular rules that the GM can opt to use appeals to me a great deal!) Things that CAN be added to the game without backbreaking it, at a GM's discretion.
NPC books/GM Helper books: I don't know who first suggested this, but they get a major kudos from me. Anything that has pre-fab cut-and-paste stats that I could adjust for my campaigns is a boon to me. Hell, anything that helps make my life as a GM easier and helps me create so that I can focus more on the story and less on the rules engine is a boon to me.
Beyond that, I don't much care for PrC's... not because they're overblown or too/not powerful, but because they've shifted from being a really cool GM tool-- something to reward characters with-- to being something I constantly see players couching their character builds around. (Oh, there's nothing really in his background that suggests I need this skill/feat, and it's really kind of useless for me now, but it's a prereq for X PrC. Or, we're starting this campaign at 7th level, so I'm going to pick up X PrC from this splatbook.) I don't mind seeing new ones, and in fact have worked on some, myself. But I've grown a little disenchanted with them in game.
I'm one of the few, probably, who doesn't much care for the Psionic Handbook, just cause I'm not big on the psionic flavor... it just feels too modern/supers/sci-fi for my fantasy tastes. If one gets put out, I may look into getting it (especially if it's well sub-$35), because I'd like to have a complete Pathfinder set, and so I'm familiar with it when members of my group inevitably go "but psionics are so coooool, and they're not really all that different from magic, etc., etc., etc."
Ditto Epic Level, IMHO. It'd be nice, but I'm much more comfortable playing low to mid levels than getting characters past Lvl 20. To each their own, though.
I'm sure I can come up with more, but I'm at work, and any ideas I start to formulate inevitably get blown up by some minor crisis here.
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I'd like one book with basic stat-blocks for things like
Common Urban Encounters
Thug (common)
Thug (boss)
...
...
This isn't a project that requires the talents of the guys at Paizo. This is a job for someone with the finished Pathfinder book, a website and a rainy Sunday afternoon. Post up the stats, have the rest of us bash them around for a week or so and add a PDF download.
I'd like to second who ever said make sure that there is a good index in each book.
This isn't a project that requires the talents of the guys at Paizo. This is a job for someone with the finished Pathfinder book, a website and a rainy Sunday afternoon. Post up the stats, have the rest of us bash them around for a week or so and add a PDF download.
I'd like to second who ever said make sure that there is a good index in each book.
That's even fine with me. I'm just saying I want this so badly that I would even pay for it. Now technically I could do this myself but it would be nice if it were a community project so that others could add new groups/creatures/encounter types into it etc. Heck someone make a wiki page and we can start going to town. The one thing I would like to avoid is, and I mean this with all due respect, 90% of community created options are usually complete crap, rules incorrectly implemented, hideous formatting, etc. It would be nice if there was some sort of community voting process, or prestige process, or even just one or two highly regarded editors who act as gate-keepers keeping the garbage out.
Just a thought.
This isn't a project that requires the talents of the guys at Paizo. This is a job for someone with the finished Pathfinder book, a website and a rainy Sunday afternoon. Post up the stats, have the rest of us bash them around for a week or so and add a PDF download.That's even fine with me. I'm just saying I want this so badly that I would even pay for it. Now technically I could do this myself but it would be nice if it were a community project so that others could add new groups/creatures/encounter types into it etc. Heck someone make a wiki page and we can start going to town. The one thing I would like to avoid is, and I mean this with all due respect, 90% of community created options are usually complete crap, rules incorrectly implemented, hideous formatting, etc. It would be nice if there was some sort of community voting process, or prestige process, or even just one or two highly regarded editors who act as gate-keepers keeping the garbage out.
Just a thought.
There is a site like this, though it's in the middle of reprogramming.
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There is a site like this, though it's in the middle of reprogramming.This isn't a project that requires the talents of the guys at Paizo. This is a job for someone with the finished Pathfinder book, a website and a rainy Sunday afternoon. Post up the stats, have the rest of us bash them around for a week or so and add a PDF download.That's even fine with me. I'm just saying I want this so badly that I would even pay for it. Now technically I could do this myself but it would be nice if it were a community project so that others could add new groups/creatures/encounter types into it etc. Heck someone make a wiki page and we can start going to town. The one thing I would like to avoid is, and I mean this with all due respect, 90% of community created options are usually complete crap, rules incorrectly implemented, hideous formatting, etc. It would be nice if there was some sort of community voting process, or prestige process, or even just one or two highly regarded editors who act as gate-keepers keeping the garbage out.
Just a thought.
and it has been up how long now?
By the way when is the reprogramming going to be done?
After all the off topic bickering at the "What do Psionics mean to you?" thread, I am of the opinion now, PLEASE DON'T DO ANY PSIONICS!!!! I know that I will be over ruled. I will probably even buy the book myself. It is just frustrating to watch a thread highjacked into post after post about the rules that exist instead of giving the opinion of what the thought of psionics in a fantasy game means to an individual.
Re Big Book o' NPCs.
While I do agree that getting it high quality from Paizo would be nice, I have to ask, "Is using up one of their "additional core books" per year to produce a book of NPCs worth delaying a book on 'Psionics, Truespeak Magic and the Magic of Martial Arts' (just an example) for 6 months? Or is buying something from a 3rd party company that I can print out on my own computer (but does not look as nice) good enough?
Something like that I'd prefer from a 3rd party company.
I'd absolutely pay for the following Paizo-quality books:
- Epic rules. I want options for my player's high level characters (i.e. those characters who've reached 20th level). They don't want to retire, especially if Paizo manages to streamline high level play in Pathfinder! My players want to continue their stories.
- A planar handbook. Hoo boy, could this add to the fun! Throw in a few despicably evil planes and schemes, a few dastardly NPC's, a Sigil-like jumping point, ties with demonic and angelic hordes, and you've GOT me!
- A book devoted to Magic Items and Artifacts that includes streamlined creation rules, historical flavor text, campaign links, and relevant NPC's.
Hurm.
I find it a bit odd to on one hand see people saying "Give us a book full of city guard and thug and cultist NPCs", and on the other people saying "Don't put any premade NPCs like in MM4 and 5 in the Bestiaries."
It makes sense to me, people buy different books for different purposes. When I want a bestiary, I want a book full of new beasts. That doesn't mean that there is no place for a book of NPC stats. Some people would love such a book; some wouldn't. Combining them just frustrates those of us that don't want one or the other.
It also makes it more difficult to find what I am looking for. A book full of NPC stats can have enough variety to be a useful on the fly reference. But if I have to remember which of five monster manuals a random NPC-type is written up in, the odds of being able to find it on the fly are dramatically decreased.
Same thing with encounters; a book full of encounter sites and mini-adventures is a fine idea, but I don't want them interspersed throughout my monster manual. They're simply out of place there.
Different purposes, different books. Seems fair to me.
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In July we officially kick off the Pathfinder RPG with the release of the Pathfinder Bestiary. The massive Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook follows in August, but beyond that we have not yet announced additional rules support for the game.
That support IS coming, and we're in the process of finalizing what form it will take.
The current plan is to release between 2-3 hardcover rulebooks per year, including additional Pathfinder Bestiaries.
What form would you like these books to take? Would you be interested in subscribing to such a line, provided the books cost somewhere around $35 a pop?
What titles/ideas would you like to see us explore?
We're all worried about rules bloat. What is your opinion of new classes and races?
Are you as tired of prestige classes as I am?
Discuss.
-Yes, I would subscribe for that price range.
-Additional Core classes, Races as long as you guys continued to Balance them with the core.
-Cultural explorations or theme books ala Oriental adventures & Al Qadim Arabian Adventures book -Style (yes I know these are not OGL).
-A Re-designed Psionics book.Yes, I am tired of Presige classes.
I'd absolutely pay for the following Paizo-quality books:
- A book devoted to Magic Items and Artifacts that includes streamlined creation rules, historical flavor text, campaign links, and relevant NPC's.
Hurm.
Going along with this idea I would love to see something like the relics and true believer feat introduced in Complete Divine.
Doug
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The current plan is to release between 2-3 hardcover rulebooks per year, including additional Pathfinder Bestiaries.
My interest in more monster books is a little fuzzy. I'm not sure how much I really want 1500 new and different monsters - I have trouble using the ones I have now...
What form would you like these books to take? Would you be interested in subscribing to such a line, provided the books cost somewhere around $35 a pop?
I'd pretty much be guaranteed to be in for that.
What titles/ideas would you like to see us explore?
The three books I always always always reach for when looking at a new 3.5 game are PHBII, Magic Item Compendium and Spell Compendium. I also like to take a look at the Complete books for base class ideas I can't meet with the core.
The question, though, is why those books? Thinking about that as I've read this thread, I think it comes down to options. Alternate class features, a few base classes that cover ideas you simply can't replicate with the core books, and the kinda of feats, spells, and items that allow you to build the character you want to build.
Now, PF already has some of that going for it. Pathfinder's classes are more flexible, the skill system much less straitjacketed, and the additional feats quite helpful for allowing additional customization - but there still will be ideas that aren't met by the limitations of the core book. A base-class-level arcane warrior. A spontaneous divine caster. A light-armor, light-weapon mobile combatant (though this is already light-years ahead of where it was in 3.5). And so on.
Each of these ideas, and many more besides, needs additional crunch to help them function, but that support can take a number of paths. Alternate class features, new base classes, new feats, new spells, etc., etc., etc. - whatever you want to try. The point is, though, that I want to be able to make the character *I* want to play. And I'm going to want the mechanical tools to support it.
We're all worried about rules bloat. What is your opinion of new classes and races?
Use carefully, and consider other options, but give me what I need to make my ideal character. (See above.)
Are you as tired of prestige classes as I am?
I'm tired of PrCs that are de rigeur, because they do everything the base class does and more. I'm also tired of PrCs that you have to build toward from level 1 in order to have a chance to get into before the campaign ends. I don't mind them - I just want them done right, with more implication of "specialist" than "power boost."
I think the best suggestion that I've seen so far is a book that shows you how to build your own "balanced" class (and I use the term loosely) by mixing and matching from a big list of class abilities. Combine that with some Unearthed Arcana-style rules variants, and I would be very interested!
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Come to think of it, back in 2nd edition, the optional rule I referenced most often was the DMG sidebar about creating new classes. Something like that for Pathfinder would be awesome.
Ditto.
I was running a Forgotten Realms game and worked up an entire build process for Specialty Priests by expanding on those rules suggestions, indicating how many 'points' they'd get back by reducing hit die, combat ability, weapon and armor proficiencies and limiting themselves to X number of Major Access Spheres and Minor Access Spheres, that they could then spend on abilities similar to Turn Undead, but more relevant to their patron deity. I did a few just to test the system, and then my players ended up working up others whenever they'd have an interest in trying a Priest of Torm or whomever.
Those Spells & Options type books may have been a bit wonky, but the idea of backing the classes down and making a 'toolkit' to modify things to suit individual campaign preferences is certainly a neat one.
I want a GM's guide. Really badly. Something that you could place in the hands of a novice GM and they would have the guidance they needed to run a game as cool as the Paizo APs (well, maybe if they have very talented art staff and the GM is a little twisted).
The reason I like the AP format so much is that I don't have to monkey around with all these supplements and such, it's a subscription, I get a little bit of everything for a static sum every month. Doing a small treatment on several things is inherently more playable than comprehensive books on narrow topics possibly years apart.
In the end, it doesn't matter what gets published, it's the quality that counts. I have no interest in an Epic level book, but if Paizo takes their time and does as great a job as I've come to expect, I might buy it. I would try to keep the price down on the epic book, though, it is something that only a very small portion of the market will ever use. A book about the size of Gods and Magic will suffice.
A Golarion magic supplement would be very nice. A treatment of the metaphysics that allow Vancian magic to be... my biggest criticism of Gods and Magic was that is was all gods and no magic (unless they meant domains, which are slated for obsolescence).
The most important thing is new directions and new material. Try not to rehash. If you're pasting from other books, you're wasting the money of the die-hard fans (alas, other game companies have vexed me this way)
As for rules bloat: If you release your apocryphal Classes and Rules to an open license, then you may as well do an open playtest with them for a period of time before they are canonized, much as you have done with the Beta. If the internet monkeys can't break it, then it's indestructible. More classes are good, poorly designed or power-inflating classes are bad! I think the software release model would perform much better for a single class than it has with the whole "operating system". Narrow and deep feedback.
As for prestige classes: Never liked them. I allow them, but I treat them exactly as classes in my game: no pre-reqs required, only GM approval. So AFAIC, you can include prestige classes and it will be exactly like you're including new basic classes.
ok, heres my two coppers:
subscription- maybe. I would definately get every book(did it for years with WotC), but with this many hardcovers I would be tempted to buy them off Amazon and save the shipping.
Also, you guys are right on target lately and I will probably love whatever you make.
Monster books- More are fine but, no more than every other year. I would also like to see an emphasis on updating old 'standards', and having the monsters used in the adventures you publish. What I don't want here is a book full of new monsters just to make a book.
Other:
Epic and psionics- yes please and do whatever you like with them. I'd like to see it.
class books- someone mentioned books dedicated to each class. I like this, but a combo book focusing on martial, arcane etc. also works for me.
One thing I would really like is rules all in one place. Especially stuff for character creation. I want a massive book of feats and skill tricks etc., rather than looking through twelve different books for options. I like LOTS of options, just all in one place as much as possible. Maybe an online index including where to find everything would suffice.
Magic Item book- yes please
Spell book- yes please
Alternate rules- yes please
Book of races- yes, but not 10 different versions of elves. I want to see stuff that is unusual but not unknown on campaign worlds. To include a lot of options here, you could make it a non-Golarion book. I would like to see catfolk, (elemental)genasi, minotaurs, wemics(liontaur), and something with wings. Faerie creatures and other fey. Stuff that is still comparable power level so no playing with level adjustments is needed.
And my final thoughts: I don't really care how many you make, I will probably get them all. All I ask is that you don't make more than you can handle, thus decreasing quality. And extra checking on the editing, some of the Wizards books had TOO many typos, or poorly worded rules.
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I would like for each of the base classes to get thier own book, like they did in the older editions. Think like $20 and similar to the VtM Clan Books.
With the Bestiaries, what if the future ones are based of creature themes.
In the 3.0 books, I like Manual of the Planes, Deities and Demigods, and the Class Books the most.
In 3.5, I went for the Complete (anything divine was a huge disappointment for me) books, the Environment books, and the Heroes of_____ books.
Epic was a must. A Book of Feats would rock. Aside from that, I didn't care much for the other things. I hated the "In Faerun" and "In Eberron" stuff they kept putting in all their later books, because, well I hate them both and would rather have seen blank white pages than how to insert this into that. I understand others like it, but it could have been a free web enhancement or something.
how about a "here comes the judge" DMG companion book?
a rules interpretation guidebook with errata, FAQ, examples and clarifications, index of rules, etc
In July we officially kick off the Pathfinder RPG with the release of the Pathfinder Bestiary. The massive Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook follows in August, but beyond that we have not yet announced additional rules support for the game.
That support IS coming, and we're in the process of finalizing what form it will take.
The current plan is to release between 2-3 hardcover rulebooks per year, including additional Pathfinder Bestiaries.
What form would you like these books to take?
Presuming we're talking about physical composition of the book, I'd go with good solid binding and the now-established paper/print quality that I've been seeing.
Would you be interested in subscribing to such a line, provided the books cost somewhere around $35 a pop?
Yes, especially if they come with the PDF.
What titles/ideas would you like to see us explore?
A solid and easy to read rules clarification (errata) will hopefully be 'built in' to the core book to be released in August as well as with any future, similar 'core rules expansions' that are done.
Asides from establishing the "Core" of the Pathfinder game, I'd like to see 'beyond 21st level' that doesn't go absolutely bug nuts, sideways and non-Euclidean.
I'd like to see a psionics set that follows the established parameters of the core of the game in its mechanics and execution while remaining seperated from that core. Where psionics well done it would over time see integration into campaigns as the word spread, groups tested it out and found "kewl, this isn't [problem X] anymore".
Bestiary no more often than once a year.
Ways for characters to acquire templates in place of gear.
Avoiding an over-abundance of feats would be a Good Thing. If it is inevitable, a mechanism for characters to shoe horn more in, especially in place of gear.
Others have already mentioned additional, excellent ideas that, at the expressed rate of publication, will mean a comparatively slow cycle of hardcover material being released when you combine them all together into managable-sized books.
We're all worried about rules bloat. What is your opinion of new classes and races?
New core classes I can see being done simply because they are the best way to 'build' an archetype (such as anti-paladin/blackguard) or a hybrid of two core classes (although this is likely to prove rather rare, I can see a fighter-monk hybrid core class for 'martial artist', the oft-desired 'arcane-rogue', 'fighter-mage' and the like).
New core races I see as being rather a waste of time and effort. If that effort is to be exerted, it has to balance with the standard races. When all is said and done, playable core races - unless, for example, a slew of "advanced core races" is introduced that 'unlocks' at 16th or 21st level for example, retaining a comparatively level playing field between the player characters - are likely to remain pretty rare I imagine.
Are you as tired of prestige classes as I am?
Prestige classes really should be either fulfilling a niche that a hybrid core class is deemed unnecessary to fulfill (arcane trickster = arcane rogue; eldritch knight = fighter mage), representative of a core class' divergence into a more specific niche (draconic bloodline sorcerer leading into dragon disciple) or be pretty specific to a cultural establishment (Hellknight).