Option A.
Or instead: Path to Freeport!
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I also considered Freeport Companion Unearthed. That's good from a D&D reference POV, but it doesn't necessarily scream out Pathfinder.
Unearthed, to me, suggests Unearthed Arcana, or Arcana Unearthed. I'd be more likely to expect such a book to tie to Monte Cook's ruleset than the Pathfinder ruleset.
Paths to Freeport might be the best I've seen here.
Paths to Freeport might be the best I've seen here.
I agree, but I would say (as others have) that it's probably worth reaching out to Paizo and saying "Hey, for this particular case, can I get a dispensation to use Pathfinder in the title?" It makes sense for this product in a way other titles don't really, and I'm sure they'd love the product to be successful and contribute to their RPG's ecosystem overall.
The problem with coming up with a good title is that if the book is to fit the theme have have with all the other stat books for Freeport, then the title has to be The __________ Freeport Companion. There are a lot of things that can go in the blank, but they tend to make the title awkward or clumsy looking/sounding and do not feel right when you say them out loud. So far the only thing that really fits is the one that cannot be used. However, the publishers of Savage Worlds and Castles & Crusades allowed their game names to be used in Companion titles, so maybe Paizo will make this one exception and allow Pathfinder to be used in the title also.
I also considered Freeport Companion Unearthed. That's good from a D&D reference POV, but it doesn't necessarily scream out Pathfinder.If you released "Freeport Companion Unearthed" I would automatically assume it was for Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed/Evolved ruleset.
Yeah, same here.
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I think somewhere between A & B. If you can't use the Pathfinder name, you should rely on the Patfhinder Compatability logo to convey what system it is for. But you should call it something familiar, perhaps "The Revised 3.5 Freeport Companion" - that is if nothing prevents you from using "3.5". I guess "revisited" works also.
Whatever the case, I think you'd be shooting yourself in the foot if you used Voyager or anything that might indicate another game system.
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So a few years ago we published a new core setting book, The Pirate's Guide to Freeport. It is a systemless book, a pure sourcebook without game stats for any RPG. Since then we've done a series of companion books that provide mechanical support for various games. To date we've done True20, d20, Savage Worlds, and Castles & Crusades, and Expeditious Retreat Press just released a 4E version under license. The titles are usually titled [System] Freeport Companion, so we've had the True20 Freeport Companion, the Savage Worlds Freeport Companion, etc.
The tricky bit is that the Pathfinder compatibility license does not allow a publisher to use "Pathfinder" in the title, so we need to figure out what to call it. Which option do you think would be better?
A) Call it Freeport Companion Revisited and rely on the PF logo and the sales text make it clear that this was for Pathfinder.
B) Call it something like the Voyager Freeport Companion. This could potentially make people think it's for a non-existent game called Voyager though.
Opinions?
Chris Pramas
Green Ronin Publishing
Hokay, so the tricky bit here appears to be sentence 4(c) from the compatibility license:
The titles of your products may not include any Paizo trademarked terms (or marks confusingly similar thereto), including "Pathfinder" or "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game."
I'm going to assume that Paizo would consider "PFRPG" to be "confusingly similar thereto" "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game".
So the crux of the dilemma is to come up with a word or phrase that suggests "PFRPG" without being "PFRPG". Ideally this would be something that could be used across the 3PP spectrum.
I'm liking "P20"...
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I suggested P20 for a long time to Paizo for a name for their whole system. In the long run, I think "Pathfinder" is a little overly specific, referring to an organization on a specific world, for the entire game system. But maybe, at this point, they keep Pathfinder, and "P20" could become the generic OGL-like term for Pathfinder-compatible products that aren't official Paizo products.
I suggested P20 for a long time to Paizo for a name for their whole system. In the long run, I think "Pathfinder" is a little overly specific, referring to an organization on a specific world, for the entire game system. But maybe, at this point, they keep Pathfinder, and "P20" could become the generic OGL-like term for Pathfinder-compatible products that aren't official Paizo products.
Yes but trademarks are supposed to be specific. :)
Still I like P20 or P20\OGL.
Might be nice for consumers to see a shared compatibility mark.
I like Freeport Companion: Revisited, myself. Even Revised would be ok. It will, after all, basically be a revised version of the d20 version.
Something else I thought of after it was too late to edit my last post, but the fact that Paizo already has the Companion line of books for their Golarion setting and the Green Ronin series also has Companion in the name may cause confusion and cause some people to think that Freeport is an official part of Golarion and not an independent setting. If Green Ronin is willing to be flexible and not have the book follow the format of having Companion in the title, then there could be a much greater range of possibilities.
I like the Freeport Revisited idea myself
or maybe just name the book "Steve"
Well, I'm on the project and threw this out already, but figured I'd say it here, too, as another voice in the populace:
The Freeport Companion
Let the sales data specify the rest, because it will. Other stuff is just too cluttery, so put me as +1 with the other folks who suggested the above!
And, yeah, what's this half-cocked stuff all about, Lou? I outta pound you! How dare y-...oh, wait...there I was going off half-cocked again =-)
Well, I'm on the project and threw this out already, but figured I'd say it here, too, as another voice in the populace:
The Freeport Companion
Let the sales data specify the rest, because it will. Other stuff is just too cluttery, so put me as +1 with the other folks who suggested the above!
The problem here is that this is what was done by the 4E Companion, which Expeditious Retreat just released. I'd be concerned about retailers getting confused when they saw two books with the same title.
As you can see, this landscape is a minefield. :)
Chris Pramas
Green Ronin
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Jason and the Buhlmanauts Do Freeport
Freeport for The World's Best Fantasy Roleplaying Game
The Golem's Guide To Freeport
Freeport for That Six Pound RPG
The Aching of a Mage: Ezren in Freeport
Ezren in Hell in Freeport
Temptation of Ezren: Bars and Brothels of Freeport
Paths through Freeport: Ezren's Love Child
Freeport for the roleplaying game by Jason Bulmahn, Monte Cook, James Jacobs, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Tim Connors, Elizabeth Courts, Adam Daigle, David A. Eitelbach, Greg Oppedisano, and Hank Woon That Was Based On The Roleplaying Game By Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and Inspired By The Third Edition of Those Game Rules Written by Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkinson
Great idea to start this thread to put some gentle pressure on Paizo to give in. But, look... If they let you do it, they'd have to let Joe Goodman do it, and there goes the neighborhood.
Jason and the Buhlmanauts Do Freeport
On behalf of the Bulmahnauts, we approve of this title.
We have a winner!
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New Sails over Freeport
3rd Era thrives in Freeport! (Based off this now (in)famous image).
Secrets of Freeport or Secret Chronicles of Freeport (based off the Seeker of Secrets Pathfinder Companion supp)
Chronicles of Freeport (based off the Pathfinder Chronicles series and the Pathfinder Chronicler prestige class)
All I got.....
First line of title:
"FreePort"
second line of title:
"Folio"
The second line is tabbed to the right so the "F" of "Folio" is under and a little to the right of the "P" in "Freeport."
People will see Folio, and think Fiend Folio, and then they'll be expecting flying, tentacled pancake monsters and bunnies with horns.
How about Freeport Chronicles? Or Chronicler's Freeport Companion.
3rd Era Freeport Thrives! would be a nice ad, more so than a book title, IMO.
Portfinder's Freeport Companion (I dare somebody to say it's as precious as Wavefinder's Freeport Companion!)
Mairkurion's Preferred Freeport Companion...
Any chance Paizo would let you use the Pathfinder font "P" for P20 Freeport Companion?
Ah, thanks Meerkat. I'm utterly ignorant of it. Palladium uses "P20"?
If this is going to be a Pathfinder-ized version of Freeport, when will it hit the shelves? I'm buying it no matter what.
ACH! You took advantage of my ignorance! I should remove you from my special list!
Never picked up any of Palladium's stuff. Just looked ... cheap to me. *shrug* To each their own.
What is Siembieda doing these days, anyway?
Director of Game Development
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Throughout all of this, I still favor, "The Freeport Companion: Revisited" or maybe just Freeport Companion and let the logos tell the story. All the digital storefronts are going to identify it as Pathfinder, and the logos will make it stand out in the brick and mortar stores.
Then again, I'm not the title guy. ;)
Aw, shi.....if I have to listen to the umpteenth smug fart whiffer rag on Palladium cos it's not up to their high standards.....
screw this, I'm going to Wal Mart.
I see it on your gravestone:
"I've Gone To Wal-Mart"
Daigle, is the crew all Werecabbages? Is yall's rep as big outside my circles as it is in them?
The Werecabbage's Freeport Companion would be fine by me.
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Here's an idea I think might work for fine tuning the name of the book. What if you present the book from the angle of introducing one of the existing factions or even a new faction that works similar to how the Pathfinder Society works? Then title the book after them. The book then serves two functions, converting the setting to pathfinder and introducing that faction into the Pathfinder setting. Since you would then be presenting the book from that angle you don’t have to worry about referring to anything related to Golarion.
So if the organization presented was the Sea Rovers you could call the book:
Sea Rovers' Guide to Freeport
Then just reference in the product description how the book is designed to present Freeport and the organization for use with any PFRPG settings the customer might use. It’s ambiguous, but still distinct from other versions and would cover all the bases. You could take it one step further and describe the PFS in detail without naming them. Make a back story that states that the organization goes by another name outside of the Freeport area, but due to some historical event they can’t actually call themselves by that name within the Freeport area or face death! Then we in the know will know they’re supposed to be Pathfinders, or they could be Aspis Consortium or some other Golarion organization chosen by the GM or players. The key I think is to make general references to Golarion with the tie in, but not actually come out and say it. How’s that for an idea?
The Wanderer's Guide to Freeport?
Exactly. Vic is the iconic problem solver. Done.
Freeport Companion — Pathfinder RPG Edition
This way, I don't have to hear anymore of that mantis' disgusting false modesty.
"Navigator" ?
Exactly. Vic is the iconic problem solver. Done.
Freeport Companion — Pathfinder RPG Edition
This way, I don't have to hear anymore of that mantis' disgusting false modesty.
Just you wait; you'll be his next prey...
We've allowed folks to use "Pathfinder RPG Edition" after the title, so "Guide to Freeport—Pathfinder RPG Edition" would be just fine with us.
Ah, good to know. Thanks, Vic. Freeport Companion: Pathfinder RPG Edition is clear and works with our previous branding.
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We've allowed folks to use "Pathfinder RPG Edition" after the title, so "Guide to Freeport—Pathfinder RPG Edition" would be just fine with us.Ah, good to know. Thanks, Vic. Freeport Companion: Pathfinder RPG Edition is clear and works with our previous branding.
+1. Now, how about Pathfinderizing Blue Rose....
Aside from the above mentioned campaign setting, are there any plans to redo the classic first 3 modules as a Pathfinder Edition? I know it was published for 3.5 in one big hardcover but I'm having a hard time tracking one down.
Did you know that the pdf version of the hardcover is available for download at RPGNow.com? That might be a solution for you.