Can we expect to see any more of the iconic prestige classes making appearances in the APs as sample PCs? It would be great to learn the names and backgrounds to go along with those great illustrations, and its always fun to see a sample progression of the prestige classes, especially for players who are newer to the hobby.
Can we expect to see any more of the iconic prestige classes making appearances in the APs as sample PCs? It would be great to learn the names and backgrounds to go along with those great illustrations, and its always fun to see a sample progression of the prestige classes, especially for players who are newer to the hobby.
I think somewhere else that they stated that the Seltyel (sp) the Eldritch Knight is the only Iconic PrC character they are going to do.
I'm on the fence here.
I really respect that Paizo is trying not to overdo it on PrCs — since I don't much care for PrCs and I think they hurt the game more than they help.
On the other hand, I like iconics, and would like to explore both the APG iconics and the PrCs in the APs. Even if it meant including more than 4 per issue (page count sometimes leaves room for it).
I don't think the any of the prestige class or APG characters will show up as protagonists in the APs (other than Seltiyel). However I would be in favor of them showing up as NPCs (either allies or antagonists) on occasion in the APs.
Urban Themed AP? Maybe the Duelist shows up. The BBEG needs the PCs killed? Assassin shows up, etc.
That way they can be used as cameos rather than lead actors and we can see different artists interpret the art.
Creative Director
|
Can we expect to see any more of the iconic prestige classes making appearances in the APs as sample PCs? It would be great to learn the names and backgrounds to go along with those great illustrations, and its always fun to see a sample progression of the prestige classes, especially for players who are newer to the hobby.
The problem with putting the base iconics in an adventure or AP as sample characters is that I don't think we'd have the room to do so. Check out the characters we DO stat up in any volume of a Pathfinder AP. You'll see that things like sneak attack, lay on hands, wild shape, and clerical domains have very little rules associated with them; that's because we assume that the reader of any single AP volume owns the core rules.
We currently are NOT assuming that every Pathfinder GM is going to buy the Advanced Player's Guide. And that means that, like every other time we include non-core rules in a product, we'll need to reprint enough of the rules for everything so that the things can be used as a standalone product.
This means that we can certainly use NPCs who have levels in the new base classes in adventures, since stat blocks in adventures can be any length and a new base class wouldn't be that much more complicated to include than, say, a new monster from Tome of Horrors. But the format we use for the sample characters at the back of an AP or module is simply too tight and streamlined to work this way. I think. We'll try it out in-house, maybe, and if we can make it work... we'll see. But right now I don't think it's possible.
We currently are NOT assuming that every Pathfinder GM is going to buy the Advanced Player's Guide. And that means that, like every other time we include non-core rules in a product, we'll need to reprint enough of the rules for everything so that the things can be used as a standalone product.
I totally understand why the base APG classes may not work as sample characters, but will we be seeing any more of the iconic PRCs? Why should Seltyiel get all the face time and not, say, the Arcane Archer?
[
I totally understand why the base APG classes may not work as sample characters, but will we be seeing any more of the iconic PRCs? Why should Seltyiel get all the face time and not, say, the Arcane Archer?
I think because of all the core PRC, fighter/mage is Iconic, arcane archer is not. Now maybe some room could be made to call an assassin Iconic as well, but rogue can also pull that off were as the Fighter/mage is a D&D classic and also a well loved ideal for fans of pathfinder.
Don't underestimate Wayne Reynolds art. I assume Paizo paid a pretty tidy sum of money to get art for the iconics and it was a big part of branding the pathfinder line.
By expanding the cast of characters featured in art you have the potential of diluting the branding efforts made.
Further I think the various design decisions made in regards to buffing the base classes have largely been focused on making the core classes playable 1-20. By featuring PrCs as iconics you kinda undermine that idea IMHO.
Selytiel is kinda an aberration because the gish is a popular character type but currently there is not a base class that combines arcane caster and full BAB progression. Eldritch Knight is the way around that.
|
Creative Director
|
Seltyiel's role in the 12 core iconics is not as the iconic eldritch knight, or even as the iconic prestige class. He's actually the iconic multi-class character, which is why he's a fighter/wizard, arguably the MOST popular combination of classes since the start of the game. The fact that he takes eldritch knight levels is just an organic outgrowth of that; after all, he's still Seltyiel the iconic before he takes levels in the prestige class. Makes no sense to call him the iconic eldritch knight if he spends a lot of his time actually not being an eldritch knight because he's not yet high enough level.
The other illustrations we used for the other prestige classes are simply that; illustrations. They don't have any names or character or history or anything like that. They're unlikely to EVER have any of that.
Part of the power of iconics, after all, is that they're all recognizable. Too many of them muddies the water. 12 is a good number.
So I guess that rules out the possibility of ever seeing them as reaper minis as well . . . bummer.
The concern about not diluting the branding power is certainly valid. On the flip side though, introducing a new face to the twelve after forty or fifty issues might be a good way to maintain/renew longtime fan interest.
I think they may be doing a mini line really, someone hinted at it anyhow. The mini line is not hampered to printing out rules like the RPG stuff, they are just minis so I say it is a good chance or at lest a chance
Seltyiel is the Iconic "I'm not like you guys" character: Iconic Evil Character, Iconic Halfbreed, Iconic Multiclasser, Iconic PrClasser, Iconic Yes, This Absinthe Is The Fun Kind.