Creative Director
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How awesome am I for telling several customers at work today that the reason I was handing out free cans of Coca-Cola was because yesterday was "James' Birthday", which while not out right saying it, was referring to you??
You are 84% more awesome than you were before you did this.
Assuming you don't work at the dentist, in which case handing out free cans of Coca-Cola is devious, which raises it to 98%.
I suppose they could... but it might be good for them to remember that mocking and teasing and tormenting the people that will be voting on them might have a sort of backlash...If the Top 32 get the PDF, I understand they can't disclose what's in it. But can they at least remind every one else they have it? ;)
"Have the rest of you seen what's on page 172? It's so awesome! Oh... that's right, you have to wait a couple months! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Oh I'm sure most Top 32'ers wouldn't taunt the voting public, but everyone crit fails a WILL save once and a while. :)
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8
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Yes, the top 32 (and alternates) that turn in their Round 2 submissions will get the PDF of the Guide to the Inner Sea before everyone else. This serves three purposes: It's a nice perk; it ensures that they have information on Golarion that they may need in future rounds; and it tests how they deal with having access to as-yet-unpublished information (something that contributors often deal with)... because they won't be allowed to talk about it.
I am now incredibly sad I'm not able to participate this year. :(
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Creative Director
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Hmm, that poses problems though when a competitor reads the shiny new Alkenstar section (and presents an archtype or villain based on information therein) and the rest of us promptly dogpile the unfortunate competitor with cries of 'That's not the current canon'!
How are the voting public supposed to fairly assess the contestants' use of information to which the voting public have no access?
(Oooh, unless, as a massive promtional coup, Paizo announce FREE CAMPAIGN SETTING PDF FOR EVERYONE!!!! It worked with the Beta after all, and people still bought that in print format - in fact it sold out if I recall correctly. :) )
I'm not too worried about this, since the revised book doesn't change things so drastically at all.
And when folks present a new archetype, if the voting public is more concerned with apparent breaks from canon than they are interested in the archetype itself, that might be an indication that the archetype isn't that interesting in the first place.In any case, the implications of world canon on a superstar entry won't really start mattering, I don't think, until round 4, at which point the new book should be available.
PS: No plans for free copies of the campaign setting to be sent out. We did that with the Beta because we were launching a brand new game and it was a good idea for a promotion to let folks see a preview of what we're doing. The Inner Sea World Guide is the opposite of a preview; it's a revision.
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Creative Director
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May I have a free copy of the pdf however, even if I'm not a top 32 (or alternates?) person?
I did tip you off that a new series of Primeval had been scheduled a short while back, after all...
:)
You may! Because you were instrumental in inspiring the revision process in the first place, and for tracking all of the errors and weirdness in that now-legendary thread across the way here on these boards.
In fact, I'm gonna make sure you get a free copy of the print version too as thanks for that hard work you put in on that thread. Getting you a PDF for free is certainly part of that deal... although I'm not sure how the timing of getting you the PDF is gonna work out...
In fact, I'm gonna make sure you get a free copy of the print version too as thanks for that hard work you put in on that thread. Getting you a PDF for free is certainly part of that deal... although I'm not sure how the timing of getting you the PDF is gonna work out...
Send me an email reminder - I can add it to my to-do list. :P
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In fact, I'm gonna make sure you get a free copy of the print version too as thanks for that hard work you put in on that thread. Getting you a PDF for free is certainly part of that deal... although I'm not sure how the timing of getting you the PDF is gonna work out...Send me an email reminder - I can add it to my to-do list. :P
The one that includes sending cookies via post to some of your favorite peeps!!!
Fantasy Flight's a lot larger than Paizo.Source?
Honestly curious... I know how big Paizo is, obviously... but I'm not sure how big Fantasy Flight is... From what I've heard, we're about the same size.
I was under the impression from speaking with some of the FF designers that Fantasy Flight was quite a bit larger than my perception of Paizo.
If this is wrong, I stand corrected...
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James, I've no questions for you today, but I thought I'd share some suggestions from a fellow Call of Cthulhu enthusiast:
First, there's a Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion monograph in the works from the fine folks over at yog-sothoth.com which should prove to be stunning, as it's got some of the finest minds in CoC working on it, and has been a labor of love over several years. Second, there's a long list of "Secrets of" and "Guides to" books that detail almost every city for Masks, although they're variable in quality. I especially enjoyed Secrets of Kenya, which has a truly epic ghoul scenario that I've been dying to run. Third, there's also been a number of articles written about the modern after-effects of Masks by Dan Harms and David Conyers in The Black Seal #2 & #3 and Worlds of Cthulhu #4. The Black Seal just became available again as a PDF at DrivethruRPG and Worlds of Cthulhu can still be picked up at Amazon. These are a great read, so I wouldn't pass them up. Also, if you didn't follow Worlds of Cthulhu, Dan Harms did an excellent series of articles detailing Averoigne for Dark Ages Cthulhu, which should be of interest to a Clark Ashton Smith fan such as yourself.
Also, I don't know if you're a fan of employing music in your games, but Pelgrane Press has put out a fine Trail of Cthulhu soundtrack which is worth an investment. I also think Demdike Stare's great at evoking the chilling ambiance necessary for a CoC game, so give them a listen.
I hope all of this helps. Enjoy your game, and let us know how it turns out!
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Here's a random question (I'm curious about this and I really have no idea why ... :)
How many people at Paizo are single versus married (or a significant other)?
Who are the married people? We know SKR got married recently and we know Vic and Lisa are a couple ...
Like I said, I'm not sure why, but I am curious.
How awesome am I for telling several customers at work today that the reason I was handing out free cans of Coca-Cola was because yesterday was "James' Birthday", which while not out right saying it, was referring to you??You are 84% more awesome than you were before you did this.
Assuming you don't work at the dentist, in which case handing out free cans of Coca-Cola is devious, which raises it to 98%.
I work at a grocery store, however in the same shopping no more than a few hundred feet away, is a brand new dentist.
Well done Mr. Jacobs! Clearly you can scrape together more than two brain cells to rub together (which is good if you ever want to make a fire), I'll change my question and instead ask, what do you believe is the single most desirable character trait in a human being then?
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May I have a free copy of the pdf however, even if I'm not a top 32 (or alternates?) person?
I did tip you off that a new series of Primeval had been scheduled a short while back, after all...
:)
You may! Because you were instrumental in inspiring the revision process in the first place, and for tracking all of the errors and weirdness in that now-legendary thread across the way here on these boards.
In fact, I'm gonna make sure you get a free copy of the print version too as thanks for that hard work you put in on that thread. Getting you a PDF for free is certainly part of that deal... although I'm not sure how the timing of getting you the PDF is gonna work out...
Thank-you. :)
Would it be fair to say that CharlesEvans25 is the world's greatest long-range intern?
How many people at Paizo are single versus married (or a significant other)?It depends. Do you count Cosmo?
** spoiler omitted **
Also how do you count
** spoiler omitted **
You have to count the 200lb fish too.
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You have to count the 200lb fish too.How many people at Paizo are single versus married (or a significant other)?It depends. Do you count Cosmo?
** spoiler omitted **
Also how do you count
** spoiler omitted **
So he is then what,
So he is then what, ** spoiler omitted **
*wields the power Cosmo as he surfs from the thread on a 200lb fish, not sayin' a word*
So he is then what, ** spoiler omitted **You have to count the 200lb fish too.How many people at Paizo are single versus married (or a significant other)?It depends. Do you count Cosmo?
** spoiler omitted **
Also how do you count
** spoiler omitted **
How do we count the escaped gall bladder?
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Creative Director
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And I hope you're enjoying the new season of Primeval over there. I think we're only a couple of weeks ahead of you this time round...
As far as I know, they haven't let us over here in the states watch any of the new episodes of Primeval yet... still waiting patiently, but I'll have to look into it via TiVo.
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Creative Director
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Fantasy Flight's a lot larger than Paizo.Source?
Honestly curious... I know how big Paizo is, obviously... but I'm not sure how big Fantasy Flight is... From what I've heard, we're about the same size.
I was under the impression from speaking with some of the FF designers that Fantasy Flight was quite a bit larger than my perception of Paizo.
If this is wrong, I stand corrected...
I'm not sure how the FF designers would have any particular insight into that topic, I suppose. And I'm a little weirded out at how I suddenly feel like I'm in some sort of weird showdown with other companies... ;-P
A little weirded out as to why total employee counts aren't more public anyway. For Paizo, they are. You can go to our "Contact us" page and get a good idea of how many folks work here... (there's a little more than we list when you count the warehouse staff and interns, of course). In any case, there's about 24 separate emails to different folks there, so Paizo is at LEAST 2 dozen strong! :P
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Creative Director
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James, I've no questions for you today, but I thought I'd share some suggestions from a fellow Call of Cthulhu enthusiast:
** spoiler omitted **
Also, I don't know if you're a fan of employing music in your games, but Pelgrane Press has put out a fine Trail of Cthulhu soundtrack which is worth an investment. I also think Demdike Stare's great at evoking the chilling ambiance necessary for a CoC game, so give...
Cool, thanks for the advice! I've actually run "Masks" a couple times already (although never all the way through) so I'm not going in blind for sure, but more advice and more resources is ALWAYS helpful!
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And I hope you're enjoying the new season of Primeval over there. I think we're only a couple of weeks ahead of you this time round...As far as I know, they haven't let us over here in the states watch any of the new episodes of Primeval yet... still waiting patiently, but I'll have to look into it via TiVo.
BBC America started running the new series last week.
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Creative Director
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Here's a random question (I'm curious about this and I really have no idea why ... :)
How many people at Paizo are single versus married (or a significant other)?
Who are the married people? We know SKR got married recently and we know Vic and Lisa are a couple ...
Like I said, I'm not sure why, but I am curious.
I'm not comfortable listing everyone's status here... but I can say that the majority of those at Paizo are married or have significant others. I'm actually in the minority here being single, to tell the truth.
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Creative Director
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BBC America started running the new series last week.And I hope you're enjoying the new season of Primeval over there. I think we're only a couple of weeks ahead of you this time round...As far as I know, they haven't let us over here in the states watch any of the new episodes of Primeval yet... still waiting patiently, but I'll have to look into it via TiVo.
GAH! Must get TiVo working!
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Creative Director
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Well done Mr. Jacobs! Clearly you can scrape together more than two brain cells to rub together (which is good if you ever want to make a fire), I'll change my question and instead ask, what do you believe is the single most desirable character trait in a human being then?
Empathy. The ability to stop and realize that other humans are the same as you and that things that distress you distress others, and furthermore that some things that DON'T distress you DO distress others.
James,
Any secret recipes of quality snacks for Game nights?
Guacamole, dip, suggestions, etc?
I'm not sure how the FF designers would have any particular insight into that topic, I suppose. And I'm a little weirded out at how I suddenly feel like I'm in some sort of weird showdown with other companies... ;-P
You're probably right... Pardon me while I go extricate this shoe from mouth.
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Creative Director
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I'm not sure how the FF designers would have any particular insight into that topic, I suppose. And I'm a little weirded out at how I suddenly feel like I'm in some sort of weird showdown with other companies... ;-P
You're probably right... Pardon me while I go extricate this shoe from mouth.
Heh... no worries! :-)
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Well, the only reason why I would be interested in how many people work at which publishing house is my wish to see more products from Paizo - although I am a fan of FFG as well.
I suppose that it would stand to reason that they have at least slightly more employees, since they do other things as well, not just RPGs. Someone has to design board games and card games and whatnot.
Although, a lot of their products are based on other people's IP - Galactica, Warhammer, Game of Thrones... Paizo doesn't have to worry about that, so perhaps the number of employees is not the best measure of company success or influence.
About that, how many people would you need for two RPG lines?
Reposted from THE WRONG THREAD:
What's on your short list for historically/mythologically/fictionally-inspired psionic races? Classes? ........monsters?
I'm really hoping to see you guys take it in a new direction, narratively. I think there's fertile ground out there, and I have high hopes for what's been implied by Vudra so far.
Reposted from THE WRONG THREAD:
What's on your short list for historically/mythologically/fictionally-inspired psionic races? Classes? ........monsters?
I'm really hoping to see you guys take it in a new direction, narratively. I think there's fertile ground out there, and I have high hopes for what's been implied by Vudra so far.
Dude!, Mr. Evil President, now I have to repost what I commented in that thread. Otherwise Mr. Jacobs might not see it! We can't have that!
Well, if Mr. Jacobs is considering RW psionic races,
Personally I'd vote (pick me! pick me!) for the Vidyadhari (Vidya = science, natural magic, wisdom, technology, psychic powers in Sanskrit) from Indian legend.
The sexual dimorphism of the Castrovel race (Lashunta) also resembles the Yakshas/Yakshinis, who have short, rotund, hairy males and shapely, nymphlike females.
Other possibilities might be the Theosophical "root races" such as the Lemurians (who overlap into the Cthulhu Mythos).
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Creative Director
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Reposted from THE WRONG THREAD:
What's on your short list for historically/mythologically/fictionally-inspired psionic races? Classes? ........monsters?
I'm really hoping to see you guys take it in a new direction, narratively. I think there's fertile ground out there, and I have high hopes for what's been implied by Vudra so far.
And although I did answer that question on the other thread, I'll answer it again here.
We're not ready to reveal any plans for psionics or psionic races yet, since that's WELL down the road for us still. But I'm pretty sure we'll be looking at mythological and modern inspirations, from ancient traditions on up to popular culture. In particular, I'm QUITE fond of how Stephen King handles psionic type stuff in his books—it's a concept he uses quite often, after all.
Could and would you stat out a Medium sized Mithril Iron Cobra with 7 extra racial HD and the advanced simple template and post it here?
Thanks!
Reposted from THE WRONG THREAD:
What's on your short list for historically/mythologically/fictionally-inspired psionic races? Classes? ........monsters?
I'm really hoping to see you guys take it in a new direction, narratively. I think there's fertile ground out there, and I have high hopes for what's been implied by Vudra so far.
And although I did answer that question on the other thread, I'll answer it again here.
We're not ready to reveal any plans for psionics or psionic races yet, since that's WELL down the road for us still. But I'm pretty sure we'll be looking at mythological and modern inspirations, from ancient traditions on up to popular culture. In particular, I'm QUITE fond of how Stephen King handles psionic type stuff in his books—it's a concept he uses quite often, after all.
Cool!
The old 3.5 stuff seemed a little science-fictiony and superheroy, which doesn't seem like a good fit for Golarion. King manages to blend it more effectively into the world in both its natural and supernatural aspects.
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Creative Director
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Cool!
The old 3.5 stuff seemed a little science-fictiony and superheroy, which doesn't seem like a good fit for Golarion. King manages to blend it more effectively into the world in both its natural and supernatural aspects.
My main problem with the 3.5 stuff is actually that the psionic classes and races they came up with don't sound like anything at all. Part of the late 3.5 design philosophy was that it's better to make up NEW things rather than build on established things. The cynical part of me points out that making up new things means that the company can claim those inventions as Intellectual Property that can then at a later date become resources that can be licensed out to make even more money.
But when I tell someone who's never seen anything to do with psionics that I have a character who's a 7th level wilder or a 7th level soulblade, that doesn't tell them really anything. If, on the other hand, I were to say my character was a 7th level pyrokineticist or a 7th level mesmerist... suddenly that means something beyond just self-defined elements.
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Creative Director
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James,
Do you agree that snow is evil and should be destroyed?
Sort of. I hate having to endure the inconveniences it causes, but at the same time it's incredibly photogenic and makes for beautiful vistas. One of my favorite movies of all time, "The Thing," would be lessened if snow didn't exist.
Although now that I live 2 minutes from work in a city that doesn't annoy me, I'm less annoyed by snow than ever before.
Snow is fine as long as I don't have to interact with it in any beyond entertainment, in other words.
James,
What does one have to do to get cookies from Liz Courts (aka Lilith) these days? And on a continuing note: what does one have to do to convince her to relinquish one of her excellent cookie recipies?
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James,
What does one have to do to get cookies from Liz Courts (aka Lilith) these days? And on a continuing note: what does one have to do to convince her to relinquish one of her excellent cookie recipies?
It can sometimes take effort to get a cookie from Lilith. For example I convinced 2 of my buddies to pick up AP subscriptions since January, that elicited 1 cookie from Lilith.
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Creative Director
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James,
What does one have to do to get cookies from Liz Courts (aka Lilith) these days? And on a continuing note: what does one have to do to convince her to relinquish one of her excellent cookie recipies?
Simply asking always helps! :-) Also, coming to the aid of folks on the boards who are being vexed by internet trolls in a manner that doesn't lower you to the level of the troll is good as well.
As for the cookie recipes... not sure. I haven't pursued that line of investigation on the knowledge that I haven't spent enough skill ranks in cooking to make use of that knowledge...
Cool!
The old 3.5 stuff seemed a little science-fictiony and superheroy, which doesn't seem like a good fit for Golarion. King manages to blend it more effectively into the world in both its natural and supernatural aspects.My main problem with the 3.5 stuff is actually that the psionic classes and races they came up with don't sound like anything at all. Part of the late 3.5 design philosophy was that it's better to make up NEW things rather than build on established things. The cynical part of me points out that making up new things means that the company can claim those inventions as Intellectual Property that can then at a later date become resources that can be licensed out to make even more money.
But when I tell someone who's never seen anything to do with psionics that I have a character who's a 7th level wilder or a 7th level soulblade, that doesn't tell them really anything. If, on the other hand, I were to say my character was a 7th level pyrokineticist or a 7th level mesmerist... suddenly that means something beyond just self-defined elements.
No question, just agreeing, I also think that psionic pretty much felt like magic with points, Alchemist are just spells as beverages but they feel different over all, 3.5 psionic all kind felt like sorcerers. So anyway when paizo does psionics in the futur (like maybe part of Unspeakable Futures) I hope it feels different then magic, kind of like ad&d psionics, just my opinion, I hope this was not to threajacky.