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One of my favorite the relics of "back in the day" RPGs were boxed sets. They seemed so neat because they usually contained enough material to really get a campaign going or by the very least give the DM and players a place to start. This was done a lot with old Forgotten Realms, Planescape, and others. The modern era, for the most part, is missing these sets.
What I've tried to do is place Pathfinder products together logically as to simulate a 'Boxed Set'. Since creating additional boxes isn't cost effective, maybe Paizo will someday market these types of listings as discounted bundles. :)
The Boxed Sets of old typically comprised of a book for DMs, a book for Players, usually a map of the region the Boxed Set covered, and sometimes a module. I've taken regions of Golarion and tried to segment up products into what could be product bundles. I did not create a listing fo regions with only 1 product, the goal was to identify regions that had enough material to warrant a collection.
I've marked products I wasn't sure about including with an '*', and many listings have a number of modules (some from 3.5) so there's that consideration.
Kaer Maga Boxed Set/Bundles:
City of Strangers - DM Item
Godsmouth Heresy - Module
Korvosa Boxed Set/Bundles:
Guide to Korvosa - DM Item
Acedemy of Secrets - Module
*Curse of the Crimson Throne AP
Darkmoon Vale (Andoran) Boxed Set/Bundles:
Guide to Darkmoon Vale - DM Item
Andoran, Spirit of Liberty - Player Item
Hollow's Last Hope - Module
Crown of the Kobold King - Module
Into the Haunted Forest - Module
Carnival of Tears - Module
Revenge of the Kobold King - Module
Tower of the Last Baron - Module
Treasure of Chimera Cover - Module
Hungry Are the Dead- Module
Absalom Boxed Set/Bundles:
Guide to Absalom - DM Item
Gallery of Evil - Module
Hangman's Noose - Module
Master of the Fallen Fortress - Module
Katapesh Boxed Set/Bundles:
Dark Markets: A Guide to Katapesh - DM Item
Broken Chains - Module (Forthcoming)
*Legacy of Fire Map Folio - Map Item
*Legacy of Fire AP + Player's Guide
River Kingdoms Boxed Set/Bundles:
Guide to the River Kingdoms - DM Item
*Kingmaker Poster Map Folio - Map Item
Mwangi Boxed Set/Bundles:
Heart of the Jungle - DM Item
Sargava, the Lost Colony - Player Item
Crucible of Chaos - Module
River into Darkness - Module
*Serpent's Skull Map Folio - Map Item
*Serpent's Skull AP
Ustalav Boxed Set/Bundles:
Rule of Fear - DM Item
Carrion Hill - Module
Carrion Crown Poster Map Folio - Map Item
*Carrion Crown AP
Northlands Boxed Set/Bundles:
Land of the Linnorm Kings - DM Item
People of the North - Player Item
Curse of the Riven Sky - Module
*The Witchwar Legacy - Module
Tian Xia Boxed Set/Bundles:
Dragon Empires Gazetteer - DM Item
Dragon Empires Primer - Player Item
Ruby Phoenix Tournament - Module
*Jade Regent Map Folio - Map Item
*Jade Regent AP
The Shackles Boxed Set/Bundles:
Isles of the Shackles - DM Item
Pirates of the Inner Sea - Player Item
*Skull & Shackles Post Map Folio - Map Item
*Skull & Shackles AP
Varisia Boxed Set/Bundles:
Magnimar, City of Monuments - DM Item (Forthcoming)
Varisia, Birthplace of Legends - Player Item (Forthcoming)
Conquest of the Bloodsworn Vale - Module
Seven Swords of Sin - Module
Feast of Ravenmoor - Module
Murder's Mark - Module (Forthcoming)
*Guide to Korvosa
*City of Strangers
*Second Darkness Companion
*The Varisian APs (RotR, CotCT, SD, Shattered Star)
Please share your thoughts, opinions, and ideas! I hope this hasn't been done before.
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Well, boxed sets would cost as much or more than the products alone, the printing of the boxes aren't free. Bundles are done for the black friday sales the day after thanksgiving.... usually 2-3 of them a year
You'll notice " Since creating additional boxes isn't cost effective, maybe Paizo will someday market these types of listings as discounted bundles."
I know the printing of boxes isn't worth it. Offering a deal on the bundle, either print or PDF is what I was meaning.
Edit: Fixed typo.
I too am a fan of older boxed sets, I've got Undermountain, the Ruins of Myth Drannor, Spellbound, and part of the Old Grey Box for the Forgotten Realms setting(sadly the last is missing the maps and box) and I think they are all excellent products. It would be interesting for Paizo to bundle products for future clearance sales, but I think what might be more interesting would be a boxed set for any Adventure Path they want to update and re-release.
While I'm very interested in the Rise of the Runelords hardcover, I would be even more enthusiastic if the hardcover was sold in a boxed format with books for the adventure and the setting/DM material. If a set included a fold out map or two and a couple assorted goodies(a few AP specific gamemastery cards, character/monster pawns, etc) that would be even more cool. However, I know that the realities of the APs mean such a boxed set would hardly be economical for Paizo to produce, and they surely are busy with so many other products that designing a new line like that would be impossible. So while I think that would be a cool idea, I know it's just an idle fantasy and that your bundle suggestion is a more likely idea.
Search around on the boards, you'll find a discussion of box sets by someone, I believe it was Vic but maybe Lisa.
Turns out that if you create something that's more expensive to produce (a bunch of stuff plus a box) and sell it for less, you're more likely to lose money on the deal.
At least that's how I remember it.
But there's a cool thing they actually do - you can subscribe and automatically get all the stuff at a discount, and free PDFs to boot. You just have to supply your own box :)
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Search around on the boards, you'll find a discussion of box sets by someone, I believe it was Vic but maybe Lisa.
Turns out that if you create something that's more expensive to produce (a bunch of stuff plus a box) and sell it for less, you're more likely to lose money on the deal.
At least that's how I remember it.
But there's a cool thing they actually do - you can subscribe and automatically get all the stuff at a discount, and free PDFs to boot. You just have to supply your own box :)
-_-
Yes, I acknowledge in my original post producing boxes with books would be a bad idea. I also have been a subscriber for some time and already own almost all of the products I've listed.
I was just musing on how the boxset mentality can be applied to bundle deals from the Paizo store.
It's interesting to think about how Paizo has produced enough content to 'fill' so many boxsets. :)
The issue with box sets in part has to do with whether the sale of the set will earn more profit for them than having the products separate.
For arguments sake, if they sell 5 products at $20 each and those products cost them $10 each to make, then for every sale of all five they make $50.
If they sold a box set of all 5, but charged $75 for it (bundle discount), and the box cost them $5, then they only make $20 on the set ($75 - $55).
The trick of course is if the box contents/bundle gets people to buy all five things but normally they might only buy one.
There are other factors of course. Maybe a book inside a box can be of cheaper construction than a book that needs to stand on its own on the shelf.
Maybe the box set as a campaign starter can be a loss leader to get people to spend considerably more on follow on products.
Maybe the box can be designed as a limited run high end collectible and priced to make a great profit margin.
All that sort of stuff.
L
As a side note, boxed sets are very cool and a good way to organize/store extras like maps, tiles, minis, cards, dice, etc. that go along with the books.