"Wait a second."
*looks at the little girl in picture on page.195, looks at the picture referenced by JJ*
O.O
Valeros AND Seoni!
Creative Director
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As someone who champions bards, which of The Bard's tragedies is your favorite? Comedies? Histories? Tragical-comical-historical-pastoral?
Tragedy: Macbeth OR Hamlet
Comedy: Midsummer Night's Dream OR Much Ado About Nothing.
History: Nothing, really.
OH WAIT The Tempest should be in there somewhere...
Mr. James Jacobs,
Did you ever play The Bard's Tale game? In particular the playstation 2 game?
How likely is it we will see another mythic AP?
Hello, James Jacobs!
1) In Inner Sea Gods, I noticed that Socothbenoth was given the subdomains of Demon, Exploration, Lust and... Love. Is that a mistake or intentional?
1a) Do you think him having the Love subdomain could lead to some interesting character, lore, story development or plot hooks?
2) If you were going to play a Demoniac in an evil campaign, what race and class would you choose, and who would your demonic patron be?
3) When you imagine a Demoniac of Socothbenoth, what race and class combination pop to mind first?
I wanted to say that I like the new swashbuckler iconic, Jirelle! The mention of Ovonovo in her backstory is icing on the cake though!
4) Considering Jirelle's tan skin and dark hair, was her mother a wild elf from the Mwangi Expanse or did she get that from her father?
5) I recently read up on Tessa Fairwind in Pathfinder #57, and I find her very cool! Do you happen to know who created her? Considering she is a feisty bard/duelist, I would guess you did - if so, congrats on making me want to play a bard!
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Who's the mother? and will we at some adventure meet her?Mr. James Jacobs,
How legitimate children does Valeros have? How many does he know about? Same questions for Alain?
Alain? Zero legitimate children, and none that he cares to know about.
Valeros? Depends on where in his life you're asking, but according to Ultimate Campaign, he has at least 1 daughter at some point.
Unrevealed. At this point. Maybe some day we'll say more... but for now, nothing..
In COMPLETELY UNRELATED NEWS... ** spoiler omitted **
Page 179 of what?
Also, are the children of gods mythic by default, or can you get away with a character who at least THINKS they're the child of a particular god or goddess, and generally be a hero?
A guy who's more like Perseus than Heracles. Heracles clearly had mythic tiers that gave him his godlike strength, and he became a god himself. Perseus, on the other hand, was helped mostly by his magic equipment (not unlike the average PC, come to think of it), and simply lived and died like any other mortal.
I want to design a spell that'll take away someone's spellcasting abilities while leaving their mind intact. A modified feeblemind, basically. What level would it be?
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Page 179 of what?Also, are the children of gods mythic by default, or can you get away with a character who at least THINKS they're the child of a particular god or goddess, and generally be a hero?
A guy who's more like Perseus than Heracles. Heracles clearly had mythic tiers that gave him his godlike strength, and he became a god himself. Perseus, on the other hand, was helped mostly by his magic equipment (not unlike the average PC, come to think of it), and simply lived and died like any other mortal.
Ultimate Campaign, the book that was being discussed at that time.
Children of gods are not mythic by default.
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Creative Director
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Hello, James Jacobs!
1) In Inner Sea Gods, I noticed that Socothbenoth was given the subdomains of Demon, Exploration, Lust and... Love. Is that a mistake or intentional?
1a) Do you think him having the Love subdomain could lead to some interesting character, lore, story development or plot hooks?
2) If you were going to play a Demoniac in an evil campaign, what race and class would you choose, and who would your demonic patron be?
3) When you imagine a Demoniac of Socothbenoth, what race and class combination pop to mind first?
I wanted to say that I like the new swashbuckler iconic, Jirelle! The mention of Ovonovo in her backstory is icing on the cake though!
4) Considering Jirelle's tan skin and dark hair, was her mother a wild elf from the Mwangi Expanse or did she get that from her father?
5) I recently read up on Tessa Fairwind in Pathfinder #57, and I find her very cool! Do you happen to know who created her? Considering she is a feisty bard/duelist, I would guess you did - if so, congrats on making me want to play a bard!
1) Intentional. We often give deities unusual or unexpected subdomains on purpose to keep things interesting and to hint at peculiarities of their faith or personality.
2) Tiefling bard. Nocticula. Wait. I did that already. I'd do it again.
3) Ogrekin barbarian.
4) Her mother was an elf from Kyonin. Her father was Mwangi.
5) Rob McCreary.
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Creative Director
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1) Do you think Valeros and Jirelle get along well together?
2) James Sutter recently slipped a cameo of Valeros, Seoni and Merisiel into Redemption Engine (Valeros is throwing up outside an inn in Kaer Maga, Merisiel is watching and laughing, and Seoni looks disgusted). Did you notice it, or were you told about it beforehand? Or was it just as much a surprise for you as the people buying it?
3) For that matter, how much involvement do you have with the Tales line?
Children of gods are not mythic by default.4) Are they more likely to become mythic owing to latent mythic potential?
5) Do their divine parents keep track of them, or does this vary depending on the god? If so, which god is most likely to keep track of his/her children and watch over them?
1) Yes
2) I haven't read it yet, nor was I told about it, nor did I need to be told about it.
3) Pretty much nothing more than a one-page review of an outline approval. Sutter's pretty much the one in charge of the Tales.
4) Of course they are.
5) It varies, and good or lawful deities are more likely to keep track.
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James -
1) Which deities wear underwear and which do not?
2) For the male deities, what is the ratio of boxers to briefs to thongs to commando?
3) What is the most common material used for underwear of the gods?
3)a) Do any of the gods have magic underwear?
3)a)a) If magic underwear exists, what varieties exist?
4) Do underwear colors match the deity's favorite colors or do they vary?
4)a) If they vary, are they generally white?
5) If there was a sub-race of gnomes that specifically existed to steal underwear, what would their stats be? Motivation? Nation(s) in Golarion they typically inhabit?
6) If I were going to play a gnome of this type, what type/color of underwear would I normally wear?
6)a) Would the color/type depend of class/alignment? If so, can you provide a matrix for all possible permutations?
7) Who created underwear and will that person/creature/deity be featured in an upcoming Bestiary/AP/other?
8) If somebody attempted to magically craft underwear for Rovagug, how many square yards of material would be required and what would the DC check be?
8)a) What skill would be required?
9) What color/type of underwear was Mayor Kendra Deverin wearing during the Swallowtail Festival at the beginning of Rise of the Runelords?
10) What color/type of underwear are you wearing right now?
My real question: What kind of question (on this thread) annoys you and do you have any advice/guidance on "good" question etiquette? I already know you like to answer the questions yourself, and you don't like rules questions, but is that the exint of etiquette?
And, truly, if this was annoying I apologize. I appreciate the time you take to answer our questions and I enjoy your responses (especially the tongue-in-cheek ones) greatly.
Oh, and no need to answer questions #1-10 above.
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James -
1) Which deities wear underwear and which do not?
2) For the male deities, what is the ratio of boxers to briefs to thongs to commando?
3) What is the most common material used for underwear of the gods?
3)a) Do any of the gods have magic underwear?
3)a)a) If magic underwear exists, what varieties exist?
4) Do underwear colors match the deity's favorite colors or do they vary?
4)a) If they vary, are they generally white?
5) If there was a sub-race of gnomes that specifically existed to steal underwear, what would their stats be? Motivation? Nation(s) in Golarion they typically inhabit?
6) If I were going to play a gnome of this type, what type/color of underwear would I normally wear?
6)a) Would the color/type depend of class/alignment? If so, can you provide a matrix for all possible permutations?
7) Who created underwear and will that person/creature/deity be featured in an upcoming Bestiary/AP/other?
8) If somebody attempted to magically craft underwear for Rovagug, how many square yards of material would be required and what would the DC check be?
8)a) What skill would be required?
9) What color/type of underwear was Mayor Kendra Deverin wearing during the Swallowtail Festival at the beginning of Rise of the Runelords?
10) What color/type of underwear are you wearing right now?
Spoiler:If annoying I apologize - in a roundabout way I was trying to be funny while working up to my real question. My perception of a significant percentage of questions on this thread takes the form of the above. I know it's "Ask James Jacobs ALL your Questions Here" but sometimes I wonder about the reasoning/purpose behind a question...
My real question: What kind of question (on this thread) annoys you and do you have any advice/guidance on "good" question etiquette? I already know you like to answer the questions yourself, and you don't like rules questions, but is that the exint of etiquette?And, truly, if this was annoying I apologize. I appreciate the time you take to answer our questions and I enjoy your responses (especially the tongue-in-cheek ones) greatly.
Oh, and no need to answer questions #1-10 above.
The purpose of this thread is to ask me questions and I'll treat them all equally and answer them as best I can. When I feel like a question is just being silly, I'll ignore it, but more often than not, it entertains me to answer even the silly ones, so I do. The questions above are pretty obviously a joke, so I don't feel a need to answer them, as you confirmed in your spoiler.
The only real etiquette I ask on this thread is that folks stay on topic—just ask questions for me to answer. Don't answer them for me, don't get caught up in side discussions (those are better topics for other threads), and above all else, don't be a jerk.
Some questions folks like to ask DO stray into more adult/mature (or immature, as you will) topics, and those questions are ones that, while I don't have qualms about answering them, can't really be answered without breaking our code of conduct here. Other questions are things I can't really answer because I don't want to give out secrets for unannounced or recently announced products. And while I do enjoy answering rules questions, I tend to avoid answering them now on this thread because a lot of folks tend to use those answers as support for their own agendas or to break the above rule about not being a jerk—which absolutely includes citing my answers as "proof" that Paizo doesn't know how to play the game.
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Thanks James :-)
Have you seen the Sabertron Kickstarter (electronic foam swords with built-in scoring)? What are your feelings on something like this (or LARPing in general)?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/levelup/sabertron-foam-swords-with-ele ctronic-scoring
Haven't seen it. I'm not into LARPs but it's cool that there's support out there for those who ARE into them.
And while I do enjoy answering rules questions, I tend to avoid answering them now on this thread because a lot of folks tend to use those answers as support for their own agendas or to break the above rule about not being a jerk—which absolutely includes citing my answers as "proof" that Paizo doesn't know how to play the game.
I wish you would think this over. You are literally the best for being such an open book for us and doing so much to promote gaming but I love your sensible and smart answers and I think loads of others do too. I hate to see that ruined because some people don't know how to act like a grown up. BUT OTOH you do more already than I might be willing to put up with so.....thanks for all you do either way and I totally understand. PS sorry if this is off topic. :( I just wanted to let you know. No more posting about it! Also I have been meaning to ask a question of you! You mentioned playing in an evil campaign. Any advice of how those ought to be run? I see lots of talk about them being a Bad Idea or is it just getting people with a decent head on their shoulders?
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Creative Director
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I wish you would think this over. You are literally the best for being such an open book for us and doing so much to promote gaming but I love your sensible and smart answers and I think loads of others do too. I hate to see that ruined because some people don't know how to act like a grown up. BUT OTOH you do more already than I might be willing to put up with so.....thanks for all you do either way and I totally understand. PS sorry if this is off topic. :( I just wanted to let you know. No more posting about it!And while I do enjoy answering rules questions, I tend to avoid answering them now on this thread because a lot of folks tend to use those answers as support for their own agendas or to break the above rule about not being a jerk—which absolutely includes citing my answers as "proof" that Paizo doesn't know how to play the game.
Thanks.
It is what it is. There's a lot of reasons why I don't answer rules questions. Not all of them are GOOD reasons, but they do all help my quality of life at work be a little bit higher.
Hello, James.
1) Out of the new servitor races introduced in Inner Sea Gods, which one is your favorite?
2) Not sure if you remember, but awhile ago I mentioned wanting a phoenix-like but less powerful bird for the Inner Sea region. Inner Sea Gods introduced Sarenrae's servitors the yhohms, which very much fit that role! Very neat! :) How would you pronounce yhohms, though?
3) Shelyn's herald The Spirit of Adoration looks like the singer Pink in her new Inner Sea Gods art to me, and thinking on it seems someone with Pink's attitude and the themes of some of her songs would make a great Shelynite. Agree/Disagree? :P
Thanks for the answers you've provided over the course of this thread, James. Hopefully my questions don't seem as silly or pointless as the underwear ones above... I try and keep them succinct.
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Creative Director
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Hello, James.
1) Out of the new servitor races introduced in Inner Sea Gods, which one is your favorite?
2) Not sure if you remember, but awhile ago I mentioned wanting a phoenix-like but less powerful bird for the Inner Sea region. Inner Sea Gods introduced Sarenrae's servitors the yhohms, which very much fit that role! Very neat! :) How would you pronounce yhohms, though?
3) Shelyn's herald The Spirit of Adoration looks like the singer Pink in her new Inner Sea Gods art to me, and thinking on it seems someone with Pink's attitude and the themes of some of her songs would make a great Shelynite. Agree/Disagree? :P
Thanks for the answers you've provided over the course of this thread, James. Hopefully my questions don't seem as silly or pointless as the underwear ones above... I try and keep them succinct.
1) Haven't read them all yet, but I do kinda like the thyrlien azata and the thognorok qlippoth.
2) YAWM. Kinda like the word "yawn" but with an "m" at the end instead of an "n."
3) Perhaps. Not all that familiar with Pink to say for sure.
James, I got into gaming via my Dad running AD&D back when I was in high school, and when I went to college, I started up a group there and that was the edition I played. Now a few years later, I play Pathfinder with an entirely different set of people for the most part. I would kinda like to run a one shot of 1e for the people I play with now, but I'm a bit hesitant; once one of them jokingly asked why I hated myself when finding out I played that edition, and I'm not sure How the others would feel. These people started with Pathfinder for the most part, and other than that have only played Shadowrun. Now here's the questions:
1) Do you have any advice on How to convince them that 1e is A-OK in its own way, to get them to try it out?
2) Do you have any recommendations on some stuff from that era that might get these Pathfinder vets excited about something They only hear positively about from me ?
3) Is running 1e without THACO possible?
Thank you for anything you've got for me, I really appreciate this thread.
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Master Tyrannosaur,
I have a rules question, but if you'd prefer not to answer it, and instead refer me to the rules forum, I understand. Its regarding the climatic encounter at the end of the Skinsaw Murders, vs Xaneesha. Xaneesha has the lamia matriarch supernatural ability to cause wisdom drain with a touch attack. She also has the Vital Strike feat. Would you say these abilities can be used in conjunction? Im currently dming Runelords, I've all ready ran the encounter, and i ruled that she could vital strike with her wisdom drain, and afterwards my players expressed concern at the ruling. Im revisiting the ruing for future reference, and would appreciate your incite.
Also, I just started watching True Detective, or as I've started calling t, CSI: Innsmouth more or less on your recommendation. Thats a damn fine show. Besides Game of Thrones (Im already current), any other recommendations
What are your top 5 favorite book to screen adaptations?
Hi James I quite enjoy role playing within Golarion and would love to write and draw my own comic/manga adventure series within the setting.
However even though my Oc's and stories are my creation the setting and it's immense wealth of characters arn't't and I'm concerned using this material will cause legal problems. I certainly intend to notify in the information page of each chapter that aside from my own original creations the rest is the property of the team at paizo.
Will this help solve this issue as i'd really love to start working on my stories. I just love the feel and wealth of histories and fun NPC's of the pathfinder setting and basing a comic series within it with would be amazing.
Thankyou :)
X
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Creative Director
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James, I got into gaming via my Dad running AD&D back when I was in high school, and when I went to college, I started up a group there and that was the edition I played. Now a few years later, I play Pathfinder with an entirely different set of people for the most part. I would kinda like to run a one shot of 1e for the people I play with now, but I'm a bit hesitant; once one of them jokingly asked why I hated myself when finding out I played that edition, and I'm not sure How the others would feel. These people started with Pathfinder for the most part, and other than that have only played Shadowrun. Now here's the questions:
1) Do you have any advice on How to convince them that 1e is A-OK in its own way, to get them to try it out?
2) Do you have any recommendations on some stuff from that era that might get these Pathfinder vets excited about something They only hear positively about from me ?
3) Is running 1e without THACO possible?
Thank you for anything you've got for me, I really appreciate this thread.
1) Not every game is for every person. The best way to find out is to just try a game out. Just take an evening and give it a whirl. That said... without nostalgia to back it up... it might be a rough road.
2) Try running a 1st edition adventure using Pathfinder rules?
3) THAC0 didn't exist in 1st edition; it came along in 2nd edition. So... yes. Running 1st edition without it is absolutely possible.
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Creative Director
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2) I haven't read it yet, nor was I told about it, nor did I need to be told about it.Ah. You have my apologies for spoiling it.
Any hints on the first AP that will feature the new Iconics?
Mummy's Mask and Iron Gods look to be taken up, for example - can we expect the one after Iron Gods to incorporate them, or will it be a longer wait than that?
No worries.
Nope.
Nope.
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Creative Director
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Master Tyrannosaur,
I have a rules question, but if you'd prefer not to answer it, and instead refer me to the rules forum, I understand. Its regarding the climatic encounter at the end of the Skinsaw Murders, vs Xaneesha. Xaneesha has the lamia matriarch supernatural ability to cause wisdom drain with a touch attack. She also has the Vital Strike feat. Would you say these abilities can be used in conjunction? Im currently dming Runelords, I've all ready ran the encounter, and i ruled that she could vital strike with her wisdom drain, and afterwards my players expressed concern at the ruling. Im revisiting the ruing for future reference, and would appreciate your incite.
Also, I just started watching True Detective, or as I've started calling t, CSI: Innsmouth more or less on your recommendation. Thats a damn fine show. Besides Game of Thrones (Im already current), any other recommendations
Vital Strike would not enhance wisdom drain. Vital Strike only enhances regular hit point damage.
Beyond True Detective and Game of Thrones... my top 3 favorite recent scripted TV shows would be: American Horror Story, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead.
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Creative Director
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Hi James I quite enjoy role playing within Golarion and would love to write and draw my own comic/manga adventure series within the setting.
However even though my Oc's and stories are my creation the setting and it's immense wealth of characters arn't't and I'm concerned using this material will cause legal problems. I certainly intend to notify in the information page of each chapter that aside from my own original creations the rest is the property of the team at paizo.
Will this help solve this issue as i'd really love to start working on my stories. I just love the feel and wealth of histories and fun NPC's of the pathfinder setting and basing a comic series within it with would be amazing.
Thankyou :)
X
I'm not seeing a question there... I might be missing it on account it's 3:30 AM and I'm buzzed from watching a midnight bigfoot movie...
You should perhaps check out the Community Use Liscence though.
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Creative Director
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Hey James. I don't have my finger on the pulse of the Paizo community like you, but it seems to me that the Dominion of the Black has been one of the hottest topics since its mention back in Entombed with the Pharaohs. Are you bummed that much of that mystique is going to be lost in a few months? All that rabid fan speculation kind of just dissipating? I'm hoping the upcoming DotB article will have plenty of new mysteries to chomp on of course, but I'm assuming it's going to finally pull the curtain back.
Also, did you have any idea the DotB was going to be such hot property when it was first developed? Or was it just a case of throwing stuff at the wall, seeing what sticks?
I've been looking forward to doing more with the Dominion of the Black for years. And what gets revealed in Iron Gods will hardly answer ALL the mysteries. I always try to plant seeds for new mysteries whenever I reveal secrets anyway.
I was pretty sure folks would dig the Dominion of the Black since it's pretty closely tied in thematically with horror and Lovecraft and the like, yeah.
Mr. James Jacobs,
Would a weapon with Bane (Aboleth)weapon equally affect both Aboleths and Veiled Masters?
Also, what do you think of frilled sharks?
A Demons Revisited Question.
If one was to make a Half-Balor Son of Khorramzadeh, would the kid have standard Half-Balor abilities or would they have lightning based abilities?
How likely is it we will see another mythic AP?Not that likely, but not impossible.
Did it not sell well enough? I thought it was brilliantly done and really hope we see more of it.
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Dear James -
Pathfinder has been called "D&D 3.6", a honorary title indicating the strong roots of the OGL 3/3.5 rule set but with improvements. Some sub-systems - like magic item creation - didn't get as complete a workover from 3.5 as others. It seems they won't either without a new version of the rules.
Do you think - someday - there will be a new edition of the Pathfinder rules? Would it be evolutionary (minor improvements to the existing rule set based on years of game play) or revolutionary (a big departure like D&D 4.0 / D&D 5.0)?
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Creative Director
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Mr. James Jacobs,
Would a weapon with Bane (Aboleth)weapon equally affect both Aboleths and Veiled Masters?
Also, what do you think of frilled sharks?
You can have an aberration bane weapon, but it's weird an not strictly rules-as-written to have an aboleth bane weapon. If you did, it would only work on aboleths, not veiled masters. To work on both, you'd need a different category.
And frilled sharks are cute!
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Creative Director
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A Demons Revisited Question.
If one was to make a Half-Balor Son of Khorramzadeh, would the kid have standard Half-Balor abilities or would they have lightning based abilities?
Depends on how comfortable you and/or your GM are at adjusting the rules. I think that having lightning powers would be cool though in that case.
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Creative Director
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Did it not sell well enough? I thought it was brilliantly done and really hope we see more of it.How likely is it we will see another mythic AP?Not that likely, but not impossible.
It sold pretty well, but it was one of the hardest APs I've had to do. I'm not super eager to do another one anytime soon, plus the ideas we've got for the immediate future aren't mythic-appropriate.
We'll see, though!
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Dear James -
Pathfinder has been called "D&D 3.6", a honorary title indicating the strong roots of the OGL 3/3.5 rule set but with improvements. Some sub-systems - like magic item creation - didn't get as complete a workover from 3.5 as others. It seems they won't either without a new version of the rules.
Do you think - someday - there will be a new edition of the Pathfinder rules? Would it be evolutionary (minor improvements to the existing rule set based on years of game play) or revolutionary (a big departure like D&D 4.0 / D&D 5.0)?
There's no way for me to answer that without fueling expectations and implying things that may or may not be truth.
That said... the BIGGEST goal for Pathfinder was that it let us tell the type of stories we want to tell. If we ever do a revision, you can expect it to be one that will continue to let us tell the stories we've been telling in the Adventure Paths on Golarion without changing what those stories are or what their themes are.