Has either of these been confirmed for 2013? Does anyone know what the final PFRPG hardback will be for next year?
Hope its not a meganpc guide I can make my own NPCs
Hope its not a meganpc guide I can make my own NPCs
I find I use the pregen NPCs in the Game Mastery Guide almost as much as the bestiary 1.
Alrighty, thanks.
Has either of these been confirmed for 2013? Does anyone know what the final PFRPG hardback will be for next year?
What was this year? Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat and Bestiary 3, right? Well, and the Beginner Box really counts too. And the Inner Sea World guide was in 2011.
In 2010 it was just the GameMastery Guide, Advanced Player's Guide, and Bestiary 2.
In 2009 it was Bestiary, GM Screen and Core Rulebook.
Next year we know we have the Advanced Race Guide, <somthing equipment> and how would it *not* be Bestiary 4? How could it not be?
I find it fascinating that James hedged on that one. In fact, consider the following:
2009: Two hardcovers and an aid (GM Screen)
2010: Three hardcovers
2011: Four hardcovers and the Beginner Box
2012: We know of two hardcovers, race and equipment, and we know of the Bestiary Box. That means there's still some things out there we're completely unaware of.
Creative Director
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Has either of these been confirmed for 2013? Does anyone know what the final PFRPG hardback will be for next year?What was this year? Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat and Bestiary 3, right? Well, and the Beginner Box really counts too. And the Inner Sea World guide was in 2011.
In 2010 it was just the GameMastery Guide, Advanced Player's Guide, and Bestiary 2.
In 2009 it was Bestiary, GM Screen and Core Rulebook.
Next year we know we have the Advanced Race Guide, <somthing equipment> and how would it *not* be Bestiary 4? How could it not be?
I find it fascinating that James hedged on that one. In fact, consider the following:
2009: Two hardcovers and an aid (GM Screen)
2010: Three hardcovers
2011: Four hardcovers and the Beginner Box2012: We know of two hardcovers, race and equipment, and we know of the Bestiary Box. That means there's still some things out there we're completely unaware of.
There are indeed some things you're unaware of. We've really only announced stuff up to about Summer of 2012... there are a few exceptions, but we generally announce things about 6 to 8 months in advance. There really IS no pattern to when we announce things that's worth discussing, in any case.
That said, we HAVE announced the hardcover Rise of the Runelords compilation for 2012.
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@James Jacobs: any chance of a non-monster hardcover that makes PCs life a living hell? In other words: a "bestiary" or traps, haunts, curses, poisons, diseases and maybe some new non-monster encounters/threats that we aren't even aware of!
What was this year? Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat and Bestiary 3, right? Well, and the Beginner Box really counts too. And the Inner Sea World guide was in 2011.
ISWG is the Campaign Setting line, not the RPG line. And I don't count the Beginner Box as an RPG supplement since its not like you're going to play Pathfinder and then use the Beginner Box to supplement your game. ;)
how would it *not* be Bestiary 4? How could it not be?
There was talk at the 2010 PaizoCon of there being a hardcover full of NPCs inplace of a bestiary.
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Creative Director
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@James Jacobs: any chance of a non-monster hardcover that makes PCs life a living hell? In other words: a "bestiary" or traps, haunts, curses, poisons, diseases and maybe some new non-monster encounters/threats that we aren't even aware of!
There's certainly a chance, yeah... but I'm not so sure we could really fill a whole hardcover with only traps and haunts and the like. Those rules elements you mention above are VERY compact, after all... might not be a bad idea for a 64 page Campaign Setting book though... Or perhaps a significant section of a hardcover that has something else going on in it.
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Creative Director
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ISWG is the Campaign Setting line, not the RPG line. And I don't count the Beginner Box as an RPG supplement since its not like you're going to play Pathfinder and then use the Beginner Box to supplement your game. ;)
They might not be in the RPG line, but since we don't have a special subdivision of Paizo to handle each line... from a workflow point what line a hardcover (or a hardcover equivalent, such as the Beginner Box) falls into makes very little difference in house, that's for sure!
I vote for a Bestairy 4 as well if we are voting of course.
I am for Bestiary 4 too, I always felt that NPC stats are more a waste of space than useful. And book of traps won't be as large and nice as bestiary 4. (also: pictures of traps aren't such fun as pictures of monsters!)
I would love an NPC book. That was, in my group's experience, one of only two things we used out of the GMG -- random treasure tables were the other.
I'd be cool with a combination NPC/traps/haunts book.
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MYTHIC LEVEL BOOK(after a huge playtest) and Npc guide.
Between Bestiary 1-3, Tome of Horrors Complete, and a number of other sources, I can easily live another year without a new monster book.
An NPC book would - on deeper reflection - be of rather limited use to me. I'm running two 13th-level campaigns. Most of such a book would be useless to me, most of the time. In fact, I'd probably forget what was in an NPC book or find much of the level-appropriate stats not-what-I-need. 15th level wizard? Nope, need a rogue. 16th level cleric? Nope, I need a wizard. And so on.
On the other hand, what I would have great use for is a magic item compilation. For real. 85% of the book should comprise hundreds of items. The remaining book should have revised/optional crafting or enhancement rules that players can use to do "neat stuff". Things not unlike the intelligent items rules in Core, but more like "sets" and "weapons of legend" from WotC's books. Not those specific features per se, but the idea of "hey player/DM... take cool items and do THIS with them".
That's what I want. Magic items, magic items, magic items. Cheap ones, expensive ones. Such a book shouldn't contain "other stuff".
I'm going to have to put my vote on an NPC guide, especially with the prospect of such a book being made available for Hero Lab as well.
Hardcover NPC book would be phenomenal, especially if the stat blocks were for generic roles like the ones in the GMG. I use the GMG more than my Bestiaries, honestly, but that's more my DMing style I suppose, to have more humanoid enemies than monsters. The only thing that is really limiting about it is that certain roles are restricted to a single CR, so I find myself using Watch Captains for regular soldiers, First Mates for regular pirate crewmen (we didn't get to the seafaring stuff until later levels), and Slayers (ranger/assassin) for far too many rogue-ish roles.
I would like to see a larger spectrum of NPCs using new base classes and maybe even archetypes.
Lately I've been buying PDFs (Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, Bestiary 2, and will be getting Bestiary 3 in PDF), because I'm in college and on a strict budget, but if this Bestiary 4 were to turn into an NPC guide, I would make my first preorder...
No to NPC, YES to Monster Books. More and more and more are welcome, there are always enough ideas and monsters left to be published!
Dwarves and elves can lick my boots, never cared for humanoid races also not for npc.
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Well I would like to have a NPC Book if those NPCs were more than just a generic statblock. I loved the Critical Threat format in the old Dungeon Magazine and a book full of one-page NSC with background (be it generic or campaign specific), I'd certainly not say "no" to. NPC Guide expanded, so to say.
But if I had to choose between this and Bestiary IV, I'd prefer the Bestiary just because I love Monster books and can't get enough of them.
Gotta say that between Gamemastery guide, NPC guide, Rival guide and the supplied npc's in modules and adventure paths. I don't see a need for a encyclopedic tome that would collate and reprint that material. The 64 page campaign setting format seems to do the trick for the publication of new material on npc's for groups/factions/towns etc.
((Also, would love to see more Teamwork feats that give various groups and factions a unique set of tactics))
I've loved both bestiaries and all the revisited books. We can never have enough of either line in my books. But...
The level of effort Paizo puts into its monster design is what converted me to a loyalist in the first place. But if the Bestiary 3 is what, about 1/4 - 1/3 reprinted material. And most the rest from what I hear being tapped from exotic sources from all over the world and the history of literature. This level of quality seems like it might be hard to maintain in the long haul. I mean, me and my pals bought the monster manual V from 3.5 and I've never used a monster from it. They seemed to be really scraping the barrel on that one (sorry designers tis just my opinion).
Point is. We all know Paizo can deliver another awesome Bestiary 4 book. But I'd rather they spent that extra time mining the lore and tapping new veins of good monsters. I don't think the Bestiary a year policy is sustainable from a creative perspective. Although my early cynicism about the Bestiary 3 seems to be completely unfounded. I hope my hat tastes this good next year as well.
As for a suggestion for an alternative Tome. I have two.
#1 Ultimate Terrain
The first on how to make the world lore more interactive and interesting. Take the streamlined approach in the GMG to city design for example. Then throw in some of the OGL design elements out there for the economy, legal system and governance. I'm sure a tome specifically catering to these aspects of World building would benefit a lot of GM's out there: new and old. Lists of ideas for the backdrop for encounters in different locations. Charts to role for saying something other than: 'Your days travel accross the plains was uneventful'.
#2 Monster Hunter Guide
This is probably only 64 pages worth. But you know all the expanded monster articles in the adventure paths that always get cut in the reprints? How about a book that condenses the useful principles of monster ecology in a format that a GM can use to make monsters less like randomly rolled encounters on a grid. Stuff like hunting patterns, social behaviour, sleep cycles, how to describe tracks and feeding habits. Stuff that could be combined into a series of principles that a GM can use to make a monster come to light at the table. Throw in a few feats, equipment and shtuff and you got yourself a book.
(wow that was overly long, I was originally just gonna write: 'Vote Bestiary 3')
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On the other hand, what I would have great use for is a magic item compilation. For real. 85% of the book should comprise hundreds of items. The remaining book should have revised/optional crafting or enhancement rules that players can use to do "neat stuff". Things not unlike the intelligent items rules in Core, but more like "sets" and "weapons of legend" from WotC's books. Not those specific features per se, but the idea of "hey player/DM... take cool items and do THIS with them".
That's what I want. Magic items, magic items, magic items. Cheap ones, expensive ones. Such a book shouldn't contain "other stuff".
For Gencon next year Paizo are releasing Ultimate Equipment, which from the little we've heard will have a significant amount of items, including select wondrous items from RPG Superstar.
For Gencon next year Paizo are releasing Ultimate Equipment, which from the little we've heard will have a significant amount of items, including select wondrous items from RPG Superstar.
So I've read. The rest of my post was pretty much trying to restate my view as to what such a book should contain. Last I heard, UE isn't going to do it for me. It'll be the first rules hardcover I skip. Oh, I'll snag the PDF, but that's it. Why? Because last I heard it's going to compile as a reprint all the material in several other books I already own, much of which aren't magical in nature. I've forgotten what else about the book was a turn-off, but basically as I understand it the thing's maybe 30% interesting-to-me. I just wanted to take the opportunity to wave the "this would be cool" flag one last time, in case it matters. Who knows. Maybe the gang is re-thinking the contents of UE and this puts them over the edge. Shrug.
But thanks for trying to help out by telling me about it.
MYTHIC LEVEL BOOK(after a huge playtest) and Npc guide.
I wasn't thinking about that at all! Nope!
What a marvelous idea :)
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Hardcovers i want to see
a big book on Equipment, Magic Items, Traps and Haunts
a giant setting neutral, fluff light, book of Feats, Generic Mechanically oriented Prestige Classes meant to do stuff like patch multclassing, Archetypes and Class Talents such as Rage Powers, Alchemist Discoveries, and the like.
a big book on alternate forms of magic ranging from Group Rituals, to Psionics, Binding, Invocations, and Incarnum.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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For Gencon next year Paizo are releasing Ultimate Equipment, which from the little we've heard will have a significant amount of items, including select wondrous items from RPG Superstar.So I've read. The rest of my post was pretty much trying to restate my view as to what such a book should contain. Last I heard, UE isn't going to do it for me. It'll be the first rules hardcover I skip. Oh, I'll snag the PDF, but that's it. Why? Because last I heard it's going to compile as a reprint all the material in several other books I already own, much of which aren't magical in nature. I've forgotten what else about the book was a turn-off, but basically as I understand it the thing's maybe 30% interesting-to-me. I just wanted to take the opportunity to wave the "this would be cool" flag one last time, in case it matters. Who knows. Maybe the gang is re-thinking the contents of UE and this puts them over the edge. Shrug.
But thanks for trying to help out by telling me about it.
My experience working on the book tells me that your expectations about the proportion of reprinted and non-magical material in Ultimate Equipment are not accurate. If what you are looking for is a metric crap-ton of brand-new magic items, this is your book. If you end up not liking the new magic items and such, that's one thing, but I'd suggest giving it a look rather than deciding sight-unseen that you're not interested.
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There seems to be an inescapable law of diminishing returns with monster books.
I have no interest in a Bestiary 4.
An NPC book that is referenced for character stats in APs and Modules to save space would be great. Especially if it had some of those tricky high-level NPCs.
I use the GMG and Rival Guide but could do with more.
To be honest, I don't think it would kill anyone for Paizo to 'only' produce two rules hardcovers next year.
My experience working on the book tells me that your expectations about the proportion of reprinted and non-magical material in Ultimate Equipment are not accurate. If what you are looking for is a metric crap-ton of brand-new magic items, this is your book. If you end up not liking the new magic items and such, that's one thing, but I'd suggest giving it a look rather than deciding sight-unseen that you're not interested.
Giving it a look is absolutely on the table. I'd be foolish not to. All I meant was that when the book was announced, a large portion of it was going to be reprinted. That was the impression I got from the discussion. Obviously things can change over time. I'm heartened. Thanks.
Both.
+
"Shape-shifter" guide and Advanced "Shape-shifter" guide
^ for monsters that can change their apparences and screw (in any sense of the word) with anyone and anything.