Creative Director
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1)So how do you guys decide how many of each creature type/subtype is in a Bestiary?
2)Do you guys vote for each monster you are going to use?
3)How do you decide who works on what or what CR you want something to be?
4)Do you pic wich artist is doing what?
5)If a monster doesn't make the cut for a book, what happens to it?
These questions are all part of "How do you make a Bestiary?" and it's easier to answer THAT question rather than all five parts of this question.
When we make a Bestiary, we first have a big meeting where we brainstorm a list of several hundred monsters—things from previous Paizo books, 3rd party books, mythology, public domain literature, and our imagination. Often, we'll allow everyone in the meeting a chance to pick one monster to "champion" which means that it'll go into the book no matter what.
Next, those of us in charge of the book's actual creation go through that list and pick out what monsters make sense for the book. We try to make sure that we have a good spread of monster types, and a good spread of CRs within each monster type. Gaps in monster type and CR from previous books get specific attention. We also try (increasingly with each Bestairy) to leave gaps for entirely new monsters—at this point we might know only that we need a CR 8 plant or a CR 12 demon or a CR 19 magical beast or whatever. Monsters that don't make the cut at this point just go away. They might be nominated on the next year's bestiary brainstorm or they might not be.
We then start putting the monsters in order, alphabetically, and make more adjustments as two-page monster entries inevitably demand.
Then one of us writes the art order—a big document that gives a short description of each and every illustration we need. We give that list to the art director, and she then splits the various images up and sends them out to the artists—she gets to decide who illustrates what.
If a monster doesn't make the cut at this point, it goes into the "bin" and languishes. Next time we do a bestiary, we open the bin and find homes for monsters that got cut from the last year's bestiary.
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Creative Director
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Would you get offended if I asked if you were gay? The Homosexuality in Golarion thread got me wondering. I'm a lesbian tranny, so me asking you this question is in no way an accusation or condemnation, and I understand if you'd rather not answer.
Do you ever use the Amalgam template in Advanced Bestiary? My copy arrived in the mail today, and I like this template.
I wouldn't be offended at all—I'm straight, but I have lots of friends who are lesbians, gay, transgender, bisexual, straight, or whatever.
I'm not really a big fan of the amalgam template, although it HAS been used before in paizo products, I believe. At the point where you're using the amalgam template, I just prefer making up an entirely new monster.
Often, we'll allow everyone in the meeting a chance to pick one monster to "champion" which means that it'll go into the book no matter what.
What was your champion monster in Bestairy 1, 2 and 3?
And what happens when somebody really dislikes a monster which another really likes, lets say you really hate Drop Bears, but others really adore it, do you vote for the creature?
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Hmm.
I've found slips of paper under five rocks in the general area indicated. Two say "Yes", one says, "No", one says "Maybe", and one says. "For a good time, call 867-5309." The person at 867-5309 answered, "James Jacobs? Wrong number."
Which of these rocks were correct?
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Creative Director
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Often, we'll allow everyone in the meeting a chance to pick one monster to "champion" which means that it'll go into the book no matter what.What was your champion monster in Bestairy 1, 2 and 3?
And what happens when somebody really dislikes a monster which another really likes, lets say you really hate Drop Bears, but others really adore it, do you vote for the creature?
As the Creative Director, and as one of the two or three people who are the ones who actually build the books and do all the heavy lifting there... I don't need champions. I more or less get all the monsters I want in each book because I'm there making those choices.
When someone really dislikes a monster that someone really likes... I'll listen to their argument and then, perhaps, recalibrate my opinion. But honestly... a big part of being Creative Director is knowing the difference between what one person might like and knowing what LOTS of people might like. There's plenty of monsters that have small numbers of fans who are very passionate about those monsters, but knowing whether those monsters deserve to be part of a Bestiary or not is one of my job responsibilities. (And by extension, all elements of Golarion, not just monsters.)
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Creative Director
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Exactly like making a baby.Takes dozens of people the better part of 9 months to make a Bestiary.Question to James Jacobs: How long does it take to create an entire bestiary?
Correct. And just like making a baby, adding more people to the job doesn't really make the book happen any faster.
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Creative Director
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Hmm.
I've found slips of paper under five rocks in the general area indicated. Two say "Yes", one says, "No", one says "Maybe", and one says. "For a good time, call 867-5309." The person at 867-5309 answered, "James Jacobs? Wrong number."
Which of these rocks were correct?
The last one.
And what happens when for Bestiary 4 somebody takes Drop Bear or the normal small clam as its champion? :p ;)
With other words what happens when somebody takes a monster you really don't want in the bestiary as a champion?
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When fighting on a combat-trained mount and you want it to attack as well as attack yourself in a single round, do you have to first make a ride check DC 10 (to fight with a combat-trained mount) and then, if successful, a handle animal check DC 10 (to handle the animal using the pre-trained attack trick)?
And what happens if the ride check fails? Does that just make the handle animal check a standard action (or full round?) instead of a move action?
Correct. And just like making a baby, adding more people to the job doesn't really make the book happen any faster.Exactly like making a baby.Takes dozens of people the better part of 9 months to make a Bestiary.Question to James Jacobs: How long does it take to create an entire bestiary?
I'm sure Lamashtu has a way to make that work...
A question: James, off the top of your head, what for you is the creepiest Pathfinder creature so far?
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Add me as a guy interested in it and in the book on the Gods of Golarion.The red redoubt of something or another from the Dungeons of Golarion has an item in there that's battery operated.
I am anxiously awaiting a Numeria book.
There's actually more than that one item that dips its toe into science fantasy—that entry in the book was actually a "testing ground" to see how folks would react to that type of content, and it seems that they've reacted quite well.
I've actually got an entire game built set in a Post-apocalyptic Earth (originally written using the 3.0 d20 rules, updated several times and now most recently to Pathfinder) that the sci-fi elements in Dungeons of Golarion were taken from, so I've actually got a fair amount of work done already on what could work for Numeria... but the time has to be right to delve in there for real.
Still interested when I reveal a bit more and say that the earth is Post-Apocalyptic because of the fact that Lovecraft's Great Old Ones came back and ruined the world because the Stars Were Right?
(The game, called "Unspeakable Futures," is kind of a combination of Lovecraft, the Dark Tower, Fallout, Road Warrior, and Gamma World.)
What can we do to make Unspeakable Futures a reality?
You just named some of my favorite games/fiction ever.
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Creative Director
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And what happens when for Bestiary 4 somebody takes Drop Bear or the normal small clam as its champion? :p ;)
With other words what happens when somebody takes a monster you really don't want in the bestiary as a champion?
If someone champions the drop bear, they need to convince me it's worth doing. Depending on the person and the argument, the drop bear might or might not make it into the book. I cannot envision someone seriously championing a regular old clam—if they did, they'd be laughed at, for one thing. For another, Paizo doesn't employ people who would waste time at a meeting by turning their champion into a joke vote—this may be a a game we're working on, but it's also a for-real business with for-real jobs. A professional could make a case for a drop bear for sure. A professional would not even try to make a case for a clam because it's not a monster in the first place.
If someone takes a monster that really shouldn't be in the Bestiary, I'll explain to that person WHY that monster can't be in the Bestiary. They'll still get a chance to state their case, of course, but certain folks here at Paizo DO have veto power over monster champions.
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Creative Director
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A question: James, off the top of your head, what for you is the creepiest Pathfinder creature so far?
Keeping in mind the fact that there are probably well over 2,000 monsters in Pathfinder spread out across all the books... my vote for creepiest off the top of my head RIGHT NOW would probably be... the ogrekin.
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Creative Director
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When fighting on a combat-trained mount and you want it to attack as well as attack yourself in a single round, do you have to first make a ride check DC 10 (to fight with a combat-trained mount) and then, if successful, a handle animal check DC 10 (to handle the animal using the pre-trained attack trick)?
And what happens if the ride check fails? Does that just make the handle animal check a standard action (or full round?) instead of a move action?
If a moun'ts combat trained, you only have to make the first check. But not if your total check is +9 or higher, in which case you can't fail those checks, in which case it's automatic. So, for most mounted combat folks, once you hit about 5th level, those checks are automatic. Could happen earlier if you have high ability scores or the right feats, of course.
If the ride check fails, you have to spend a move action to direct the animal.
Where would I find stats for a moose or deer? I want a deer animal companion, and I just plain want moose stats. Is it possible to ride a moose into battle, or it that (as I somewhat suspect) a stupidly dangerous thing to attempt considering moose temperament?
Which existing cat stats should I use for a cougar? What stats should I use for a coyote?
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Creative Director
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What can we do to make Unspeakable Futures a reality?
You just named some of my favorite games/fiction ever.
1) Convince Paizo to change its stance on avoiding the publication of one-shot variant games that don't get support. OR
2) Convince Paizo to hire the dozen or so additional staff members it'd require to support a new game with its own Adventure Path and Player's Companion and Campaign Setting lines. OR
3) Convince me to self publish or seek a different publisher for the game (This is VERY unlikely as long as I work at Paizo and/or have a good relationship with Paizo, since I really don't think any other company out there can equal our quality. Yes, I'm biased.) OR
4) Prove to Paizo that there's actaully a market for science fiction tabletop roleplaying games that can approach the market for fantasy tabletop roleplaying games.
Honestly, it'd probably take a combination of more than one of the above.
The clam was a joke of course, it was just an example of something really pathetic. :P
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Creative Director
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Where would I find stats for a moose or deer? I want a deer animal companion, and I just plain want moose stats. Is it possible to ride a moose into battle, or it that (as I somewhat suspect) a stupidly dangerous thing to attempt considering moose temperament?
Which existing cat stats should I use for a cougar? What stats should I use for a coyote?
Deer/Moose: Use the elk stats from Bestiary 2.
Cougar: Use the leopard stats from Bestiary 1.
Coyote: Use the dog stats from Bestiary 1.
(Often we'll list these suggestions in an animal's flavor text, by the way...)
What can we do to make Unspeakable Futures a reality?
You just named some of my favorite games/fiction ever.
1) Convince Paizo to change its stance on avoiding the publication of one-shot variant games that don't get support. OR
2) Convince Paizo to hire the dozen or so additional staff members it'd require to support a new game with its own Adventure Path and Player's Companion and Campaign Setting lines. OR
3) Convince me to self publish or seek a different publisher for the game (This is VERY unlikely as long as I work at Paizo and/or have a good relationship with Paizo, since I really don't think any other company out there can equal our quality. Yes, I'm biased.) OR
4) Prove to Paizo that there's actaully a market for science fiction tabletop roleplaying games that can approach the market for fantasy tabletop roleplaying games.
Honestly, it'd probably take a combination of more than one of the above.
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.5)Or, if you are very rich, give millions to Paizo and...
5)Or, if you are very rich, give millions to Paizo and...
It would still take #2. Money isn't everything.
James, is the city maps of Sothis, Almas and Augustana going to be made available to us in the near(2012) future? Do they even exist yet?They don't exist yet.
And since city maps are far and away the hardest things for game designers to draw, there's not a good chance of these coming out anytime soon anyway. And the larger the city gets, the smaller the chance is that a game designer exists who can actually map that city accurately.
There's a map of central Sothis in PFS #2-20, Wrath of the Accursed. (here)
There is a map of Sedeq in PFS #1-14, The Many Fortunes of Grandmaster Torch (here)
I'm sure there are maps in some of the other PFS, perhaps of the cities you mention, but those I recall off the top of my head.
5)Or, if you are very rich, give millions to Paizo and...It would still take #2. Money isn't everything.
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.Paizo might be more open to do it if they aren't at risk of losing money, but I can understand they might also worry about their reputation.
Could actually require 1, 2 and 4.
1)Are there examples of a dump bin monster making the the next cut? examples: cut from bestairy 1 but got in 2 and cut from 2 but got into 3.
2)Are there any cut monsters that get put into an AP bestairy instead?
3)Why would the Lamia-kin not be put into the next bestairy?
4)Any examples of monsters that you didn't like/want but someone came up with a good arguement and you changed your mind?
5)if you had to but one into a bestairy wich one would it be between the Drop Bear, Almiraj, Flying Pig, Holyphant, Monkeybees or Jack o' lope?
Takes dozens of people the better part of 9 months to make a Bestiary.Question to James Jacobs: How long does it take to create an entire bestiary?
Does that mean it is time to get started on Bestiary 4 now? ;)
A lesbian tranny is a transgendered individual (I'm a woman with a male body) who happens to be sexually attracted to women.
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.So, hmm, are you a woman turned into a man or a man turned into a woman?
I have a male body, and was born in this male body, but I am a woman.
I have a male body, and was born in this male body, but I am a woman.
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.So you're a man wishing he was a woman? kinda understand that part.
No. I am not a man. Having a male body does not make me male.
(GLBT? whats dat?)
Say a Gay-Lesbian Bacon and Tomato Sandwhich? (Great with mayonaise. The alternative lifestyle really brings out the flavour. :P)
Hey James, do you get to play much of a hand in the Pathfinder comic book? ... Writing for RPGs, video games, comic books... We'd like to ask you to stop stealing everybodies pipe-dream jobs, please.
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Creative Director
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Please don't I live in CA and it's a pretty dry place, although I do want mythic level stuff, James how will you decide to enlighten us with Mythic level stuff?Would the slash and burn method destroy the answer? ;DWell then I am heading to California!I've hidden the answer to that under a rock in a forest 84% of the way south on my yearly drive to visit Point Arena.Well then Mythic rules in 2013, yes, no, or you know I ain't answering that? :DI don't have to answer this question since it's not written in proper English. POW!!!So what will the next Book of the Damned going to be? :D
Don't hurt the forest!
Dang. I knew I should have said something like I hid it in the South or the East Coast or the Midwest or Indianapolis... anywhere but the West Coast!
If we decide to do Mythic stuff, trust me... it'll be a big deal. There'll be plenty of ways to learn about it.
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Creative Director
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1)Are there examples of a dump bin monster making the the next cut? examples: cut from bestairy 1 but got in 2 and cut from 2 but got into 3.
2)Are there any cut monsters that get put into an AP bestairy instead?
3)Why would the Lamia-kin not be put into the next bestairy?
4)Any examples of monsters that you didn't like/want but someone came up with a good arguement and you changed your mind?
5)if you had to but one into a bestairy wich one would it be between the Drop Bear, Almiraj, Flying Pig, Holyphant, Monkeybees or Jack o' lope?
1) Vampiric mist. It got cut from Bestiary 1 because of the way the Vampire and the Zombie two page templates interacted with the pages between them. None come to mind off the top of my head for Bestiary 2 to 3, but I'm sure there was at least one...
2) Nope. AP bestiaries are the primary place we do Brand New monsters. They're also where we do monsters with a full page of extra flavor. Monsters that go into a hardcover get pared down to one page, generally, and as such they're not my favorite place to debut monsters.
3) Because putting them into the Runelords hardcover makes more sense.
4) Several of the monsters in Misfit Monsters Redeemed.
5) Probably the drop bear.
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Creative Director
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Does that mean it is time to get started on Bestiary 4 now? ;)Takes dozens of people the better part of 9 months to make a Bestiary.Question to James Jacobs: How long does it take to create an entire bestiary?
We haven't yet announced what we'll be doing for the late 2012 hardcover, but yes, we have been working on it for a few months already.
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Creative Director
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Hey James, do you get to play much of a hand in the Pathfinder comic book? ... Writing for RPGs, video games, comic books... We'd like to ask you to stop stealing everybodies pipe-dream jobs, please.
I'm not sure yet what my involvement will be with the comic book. I suspect it'll be to provide details on any characters or iconics or whatever they want to use, and I'll have "script approval" probably.
No word on the comic other than whats in the press release? Curious for news on the creative team chosen for the book.
Also will it be original material or a narrative of an adventure paths......Rise of the Runelords would be pretty awesome!
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Add me as a guy interested in it and in the book on the Gods of Golarion.The red redoubt of something or another from the Dungeons of Golarion has an item in there that's battery operated.
I am anxiously awaiting a Numeria book.
There's actually more than that one item that dips its toe into science fantasy—that entry in the book was actually a "testing ground" to see how folks would react to that type of content, and it seems that they've reacted quite well.
I've actually got an entire game built set in a Post-apocalyptic Earth (originally written using the 3.0 d20 rules, updated several times and now most recently to Pathfinder) that the sci-fi elements in Dungeons of Golarion were taken from, so I've actually got a fair amount of work done already on what could work for Numeria... but the time has to be right to delve in there for real.
Still interested when I reveal a bit more and say that the earth is Post-Apocalyptic because of the fact that Lovecraft's Great Old Ones came back and ruined the world because the Stars Were Right?
(The game, called "Unspeakable Futures," is kind of a combination of Lovecraft, the Dark Tower, Fallout, Road Warrior, and Gamma World.)
Yes. I prefer games where your character can win or at least get a draw, but I have got the impression that you share that opinion, so I doubt that in your setting the characters will die/go irremediably mad/get changed into unspeakable horrors without a chance to avoid their fate like in more "traditional" Lovercraftians settings.
Probably I would not be a good GM in that setting as I don't have the right background, but I would still be interested as a player.
So, a question ....
How do you manage to keep a good balance in that setting between the "overwhelming forces from beyond" and player fun?
(note that I am not calling them "evil forces from beyond". From what I have read of Lovercaft a lot of is creations are totally alien to the human mind, so calling them evil or good is wrong.)
Can you place these in the order from your favorite creature from the lists to worst creature on the lists.
Metallic Dragons / Linnorms / Chromatic Dragons
Babau / Marilith / Shadow Demon / Glabrezu
Hamatula / Osyluth / Gelugon / Erinyes
Leukodaemon / Meladaemon / Derghodaemon / Hydrodaemon
Bebilith / Corpsespinner / Drider / Leng Spider
Crysmal / Black Scorpion / Scorpionfolk / Skull Ripper
Stegocentipede / Remorhaz / Purple Worm / Frost Worm
Megatherium / Glyptodon / Megaloceros / Smilodon
Marid / Efreet / Djinn / Black Jinn / Shaitan
Disenchanter / Trapper / Wolf in Sheeps Clothing / Adherer
Bog Strider / Vouivre / Ukobach / Skrik Nettle
Kelpie / Nuckelavee / Ahuizotl
Quickling / Spriggan / Derro / Redcap
EDIT: fixed dislexic fit (GLBT? whats dat?)/QUOTE]
Grand Larcenous B$#*&ing Tapdancers, of course!
Where would I find stats for a moose or deer? I want a deer animal companion, and I just plain want moose stats. Is it possible to ride a moose into battle, or it that (as I somewhat suspect) a stupidly dangerous thing to attempt considering moose temperament?
Which existing cat stats should I use for a cougar? What stats should I use for a coyote?
Deer/Moose: Use the elk stats from Bestiary 2.
Cougar: Use the leopard stats from Bestiary 1.
Coyote: Use the dog stats from Bestiary 1.
(Often we'll list these suggestions in an animal's flavor text, by the way...)
I'd argue that the elk in Bestiary 2 is not big enough for a moose, but that's just me - even if I do live in a part of the world where having a moose show up on the streets of a moderately large town/small city is not a big news-item.
I know that the Lamia-kin are going to be in the Runelords hardcover but for those people who will not get that product. Will they ever be in a hardcover bestairy? and are there more types of Lamia that have not been stated up yet?
I'd argue that the elk in Bestiary 2 is not big enough for a moose, but that's just me - even if I do live in a part of the world where having a moose show up on the streets of a moderately large town/small city is not a big news-item.Where would I find stats for a moose or deer? I want a deer animal companion, and I just plain want moose stats. Is it possible to ride a moose into battle, or it that (as I somewhat suspect) a stupidly dangerous thing to attempt considering moose temperament?
Which existing cat stats should I use for a cougar? What stats should I use for a coyote?
Deer/Moose: Use the elk stats from Bestiary 2.
Cougar: Use the leopard stats from Bestiary 1.
Coyote: Use the dog stats from Bestiary 1.
(Often we'll list these suggestions in an animal's flavor text, by the way...)
Did a moose once bite your sister?
I'd argue that the elk in Bestiary 2 is not big enough for a moose, but that's just me - even if I do live in a part of the world where having a moose show up on the streets of a moderately large town/small city is not a big news-item.Where would I find stats for a moose or deer? I want a deer animal companion, and I just plain want moose stats. Is it possible to ride a moose into battle, or it that (as I somewhat suspect) a stupidly dangerous thing to attempt considering moose temperament?
Which existing cat stats should I use for a cougar? What stats should I use for a coyote?
Deer/Moose: Use the elk stats from Bestiary 2.
Cougar: Use the leopard stats from Bestiary 1.
Coyote: Use the dog stats from Bestiary 1.
(Often we'll list these suggestions in an animal's flavor text, by the way...)
You have a point. Apply the advanced simple template?