Pathfinder Pawns: Strange Aeons Pawn Collection

[Chris Lambertz]

Announced for May 2017! Image and description are not final and are subject to change.

[Marco Massoudi]

I still think 4 months after the release of the final part of an AP is a little late, but i am looking forward to this!

Even though i have most of the Lovecraftian creatures in there from PFB and Arkham Horror, i still want this for all the NPCs and the creatures that havn´t been made as PPM.

I hope some of the missing Mythos creatures are in the next (two) PFB series (Crown of Fangs & series 13).

[nighttree]

Ya...I wish they would have the pawns ready as the AP started....

[Rysky]

That would be a little bit difficult seeing as how they don't have all of the art for AP at that start of it either :3

[Erik Mona]

Yeah, we wish there were a feasible way to get these out at the same time as the Adventure Paths, but as we like to allow our authors and developers the maximum possible amount of creative freedom to tell the stories the way they want to, we don't often know the complete monster mix of a given AP until the final volume goes to the printer.

Also, all that art is really, really expensive, and it helps to spread out those costs over the six months of the whole AP, plus a little time at the end to create art for stragglers who turned out to be more interesting during development than they seemed when we wrote a volume's art order, or because we simply want to, or whatever.

[Adam Daigle]

Erik Mona wrote:

Yeah, we wish there were a feasible way to get these out at the same time as the Adventure Paths, but as we like to allow our authors and developers the maximum possible amount of creative freedom to tell the stories the way they want to, we don't often know the complete monster mix of a given AP until the final volume goes to the printer.

Also, all that art is really, really expensive, and it helps to spread out those costs over the six months of the whole AP, plus a little time at the end to create art for stragglers who turned out to be more interesting during development than they seemed when we wrote a volume's art order, or because we simply want to, or whatever.

I'm quoting Erik, but this isn't really a reply to Erik (*Hi, Erik!*), it's just that I wanted to elaborate on something he said that I bolded above.

This was the first Pawn Collection that I generated after developing my first Adventure Path. Sometimes when deciding who and what to illustrate in the Adventure Path volumes you have to make tough choices on who and what to illustrate, because there can only be so many pieces. And sometimes, depending on when in the development process you get to order the art, you find that characters or monsters you passed by in the selection process initially ended up developing into more important roles. There were a few of these cases that popped up when putting this Pawn Collection together, and I'm happy that I got the chance to get some art for a few critters and characters that I didn't get to illustrate in the books.

[Marco Massoudi]

Looking forward to the set list in early 2017! ;-)

[Chris Lambertz]

Updated with final product image and description. Set list incoming before release.

[Rysky]

Ooooo, that's an awesome cover.

[Shadowfane]

Will so be getting these...despite probably having most of the creatures covered in my miniatures collection (especially once PS Cthulhu Mythos for Pathfinder arrives!)

I guess the timing of the release also helps me with a 'difficult' decision: to run Strange Aeons or Crimson Throne AE next after Second Darkness? :D

[Rysky]

>_>

<_<

Crimson Throne also has pawns ^w^

[Xethik]

Rysky wrote:

Ooooo, that's an awesome cover.

Agreed. Is that a Hound of Tindalos? I'm not familiar with the actual content of Strange Aeons

[Rysky]

Xethik wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Ooooo, that's an awesome cover.

Agreed. Is that a Hound of Tindalos? I'm not familiar with the actual content of Strange Aeons

Yep, that be a Hound.

[Shadowfane]

@Rysky - indeed! That hadn't slipped my notice. I love minis and pawns. May be an addict.

[Rysky]

^w^

Nothing wrong with that.

[Brother Fen]

Oh yeah! Can't wait to get a hold of these babies!

[Marco Massoudi]

All the enemies from book 1 are included. :-)

It's unfortunate but understandable, that Cessadia Wrentz (book 2) isn't included.

The "Formless Spawn" (huge) from book 3 is missing.
You'll need 4 Ettercaps, but Bestiary Box 1 has only one.
1 "Lurker in Light" too many is included, 2 Will-O'-Wisps too few.
2 "Ceramic Guardians/Terra-Cotta Soldiers" is one too many.
I understand that 8 Ghasts or 6 Nightgaunts are too many too include.

Book 4:
No Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath. :-( Maybe because no new artwork has been done and the original is from AP#46?
No "Proto-Shoggoth Synctium".
The omission of 2 more "Axiomites" & "Clockwork Mages" seems logical (although the artwork from page 34 is very nice).

Books 5 & 6 seem pretty completely presented (the gargantuan creatures obviously excluded).

All in all a pretty good (if not perfect) pawn collection, all unique creatures (or stand-ins) for the first two (most played) books are included.

An additional "Mythos Pawn Collection" with all the creatures from Bestiaries 1-6 in larger numbers plus the Great Old Ones and creatures from the "Carrion Crown" & "Strange Aeons" articles & bestiary sections would be nice. ;-)

[Samy]

This was useful, Marco. Have you done this for other AP pawns too?

[Marco Massoudi]

Samy wrote:

This was useful, Marco. Have you done this for other AP pawns too?

Thanks, Samy. :-)

Not really, as i mostly use miniatures for the creatures.
I have bought the first 5 AP pawn collections & Iron Gods (#7), and plan to get Strange Aeons (#12) again.

I could do reviews of the AP pawns though, as i own all AP issues.
It took me about an hour to look through the Strange Aeons issues, it took more time to type from my mobile. ;-)
I have the time to do one more AP now, which one interests you most? :-)

[Samy]

Mummy's Mask or Iron Gods?

[Marco Massoudi]

Samy wrote:

Mummy's Mask or Iron Gods?

MM was the one i skipped, Iron Gods it is. ;-)

Look in the Iron Gods pawn collection in a few minutes, i'm going to post and edit after each AP book. :-)

[Adam Daigle]

Marco Massoudi wrote:

....

All in all a pretty good (if not perfect) pawn collection, all unique creatures (or stand-ins) for the first two (most played) books are included.

...

Yay! This was the first Pawn Collection I'd put together, so thanks for the kind words. It's tough making the decisions on what can fit and how many and how important things are, so it's good to know I made some good decisions with this one.

[Marco Massoudi]

Adam Daigle wrote:

Marco Massoudi wrote:

....

All in all a pretty good (if not perfect) pawn collection, all unique creatures (or stand-ins) for the first two (most played) books are included.

...

Yay! This was the first Pawn Collection I'd put together, so thanks for the kind words. It's tough making the decisions on what can fit and how many and how important things are, so it's good to know I made some good decisions with this one.

You did a good job, Adam!

I would rate it 4,5 out of 5 stars for completion. ;-)
I'll review it in earnest on the first weekend of june. :-)

[Marco Massoudi]

Samy wrote:

Mummy's Mask or Iron Gods?

Iron Gods book one/AP#85 done.

Now book 2. ;-)

[Benchak the Nightstalker]

Marco Massoudi wrote:

All the enemies from book 1 are included. :-)

It's unfortunate but understandable, that Cessadia Wrentz (book 2) isn't included.

The "Formless Spawn" (huge) from book 3 is missing.
You'll need 4 Ettercaps, but Bestiary Box 1 has only one.
1 "Lurker in Light" too many is included, 2 Will-O'-Wisps too few.
2 "Ceramic Guardians/Terra-Cotta Soldiers" is one too many.
I understand that 8 Ghasts or 6 Nightgaunts are too many too include.

Book 4:
No Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath. :-( Maybe because no new artwork has been done and the original is from AP#46?
No "Proto-Shoggoth Synctium".
The omission of 2 more "Axiomites" & "Clockwork Mages" seems logical (although the artwork from page 34 is very nice).

Books 5 & 6 seem pretty completely presented (the gargantuan creatures obviously excluded).

All in all a pretty good (if not perfect) pawn collection, all unique creatures (or stand-ins) for the first two (most played) books are included.

An additional "Mythos Pawn Collection" with all the creatures from Bestiaries 1-6 in larger numbers plus the Great Old Ones and creatures from the "Carrion Crown" & "Strange Aeons" articles & bestiary sections would be nice. ;-)

The Nightmare Ettercaps from the adventure show up as the example nightmare creature in Bestiary 4, and are represented in that pawn set (alas, there's only one of them there, too).

[Weissrolf]

I want to buy this, but the description says "The Strange Aeons Pawn Collection, together with the creatures and characters from the Pathfinder Pawns: Bestiary Box and NPC Codex Box collections, provides pawns for nearly every Strange Aeons encounter."

Neither Bestiary nor NPC Codex box are available. So what use is the Strange Aeons box if I lack the other two?

[Samy]

Weissrolf wrote:

Neither Bestiary nor NPC Codex box are available. So what use is the Strange Aeons box if I lack the other two?

You'll have to use less Skittles(R) to mark monsters on the map.

It has always been the case that not every single combat encounter in an adventure was represented by Pawns. Notably, creatures bigger than Huge were always missing from Pawns, but there have also been other incidents of "holes" that you didn't have a pawn for, even if you had all other Pawn products. At those times, you go for a closest approximation. Sometimes you can use another golem to stand in for a golem you don't have, sometimes you can use another dragon to represent a dragon you don't have, sometimes you use Skittles(R) or bullets or whatever.

However, your point is well made and understood that the unavailability of core Pawns products adversely affects the usability of other Pawns products.

I should note though that Bestiary 2-5 Boxes are available, and the AP uses as many monsters from those as it does from B1, so you do have plenty of boxes available to pick up if you want to have more monster menagerie to choose your pawns from.

Marco is our lists guy. Marco, do you feel like listing how many creatures from B1 the AP has, how many creatures from B2, and so on?

[Benchak the Nightstalker]

I use the PDF of the pawn sets to print and assemble my own pawns.

[Samy]

I took a quick glance at the first Strange Aeons volume, and I would say that Bestiary 4 box would probably be of more use than the Bestiary 1 box anyway. If I was grabbing a pawn box just for this AP, I'd pick up B4.

[Marco Massoudi]

Samy wrote:

Weissrolf wrote:

Neither Bestiary nor NPC Codex box are available. So what use is the Strange Aeons box if I lack the other two?

You'll have to use less Skittles(R) to mark monsters on the map.

It has always been the case that not every single combat encounter in an adventure was represented by Pawns. Notably, creatures bigger than Huge were always missing from Pawns, but there have also been other incidents of "holes" that you didn't have a pawn for, even if you had all other Pawn products. At those times, you go for a closest approximation. Sometimes you can use another golem to stand in for a golem you don't have, sometimes you can use another dragon to represent a dragon you don't have, sometimes you use Skittles(R) or bullets or whatever.

However, your point is well made and understood that the unavailability of core Pawns products adversely affects the usability of other Pawns products.

I should note though that Bestiary 2-5 Boxes are available, and the AP uses as many monsters from those as it does from B1, so you do have plenty of boxes available to pick up if you want to have more monster menagerie to choose your pawns from.

Marco is our lists guy. Marco, do you feel like listing how many creatures from B1 the AP has, how many creatures from B2, and so on?

I´m not at home atm, but i´ll do a thorough check in the next weeks, i have to prepare gamemastering Rise of the Runelords book 5 for next friday. ;-)

That being said, Book One/AP #109 uses very few creatures from the first Bestiary (ghouls come to mind), but many human NPCs and you are right, most others that are not included seem to be from Bestiary 4 if my memory serves me right...

[Benchak the Nightstalker]

I don't have my notes from books 1-3 anymore, but I did a quick scan over books 4-6:

Spoiler:

B1
Ochre Jelly
Homunculus
Leopard
Basilisk
Gnolls
Dire Tiger
Mastodon
Shoggoth

B2
Alchemical Golem
Axiomite
Moonflower
Nightwing Nightshade
Wendigo
Bythos Aeon

B3
Hellwasp swarm
Dragonne
Ash Giant
Div, Ghawwas
Sargassum Fiend
Fossil Golem
Dybbuk
Ecorche

B4
Dorvae
Clockwork Mage
Soulbound Shell
Spawn of Yog-Sothoth
Hyakume
Elder Thing

B5
Aerial Servant
Nulmind
Exscinder Archon
Heresy Devil
Moon Giant
Leng Ghoul
Caller in Darkness
Death Coach

That's only things you won't find in the SA Pawn set, and can get in the respective bestiary boxes. I also didn't include NPCs.

[Samy]

Looks like a fairly even split between all Bestiaries then. So if you're unhappy with B1 being unavailable, pick up one of the other Bestiaries instead and you'll get about as many SA pawns as you would with B1.

[Weissrolf]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe the description should be changed to reflect what was just written here?!

"The Strange Aeons Pawn Collection, together with the creatures and characters from the Pathfinder Pawns: Bestiary Box and NPC Codex Box collections, provides pawns for nearly every Strange Aeons encounter."

[Brother Fen]

Just buy all the sets and you'll have more than enough pawns for anything you do.

[Thomas Seitz]

Buy this, all the Bestiary boxes, Monster Codex and NPC Codex, you'll be fine.

[Marco Massoudi]

Unfortunately, even if you have all Pawn sets & boxes, there will still be creatures that you won't have (like the Formless Spawn or Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath for this AP).
Most can be substituted by something similiar, though.

The case where no amount of Pawns helps you, is when it comes to gargantuan or colossal creatures.

You best use toys for them, the T-Rex toy from Schleich has the exact right measurements to fit into 4 squares, as have a lot of others (like the Phoenix toy from Safari).
These look great and are often even cheaper than a mini. ;-)

[Charles Scholz]

Note to Paizo staff. The PDF is missing the back cover.

[chris settlemoir]

Hey i need some pawn advice i cant find the npc codex pawns box so what pawns can. I use for heros? Is there a pawns box with. Or for heros

[Benchak the Nightstalker]

Inner Sea Pawn Box (Link) has lots of NPC-type pawns, your players can probably find something to use for their characters in there.

[Brother Fen]

The Pathfinder Society is a good starting set as well. It features several reprints from the NPC Codex.

[SilentInfinity]

You'll need the following, which aren't included:

Thurshmoor Module 2
1. Manananggal (1); Bestiary 3 Box
2. Basidirond (1); Bestiary 1 Box
3. Rumatri / Human Penanggalen (1); Bestiary 3 Box
4. Living Topiaries (3); Bestiary 4 Box
5. Assassin Vine (1); Bestiary 1 Box
6. Phantom Fungus (1); Bestiary 3 Box
7. Giberring Mouther (1); Bestiary 1 Box
8. Id Ooze (1); form of Gray Ooze; Bestiary 1 Box
9. Doppeldrek (1); Bestiary 5 Box
10. Rat Swarm
11. Rat King (1); Bestiary 4 Box (2)
12. Dire Rats (7); Bestiary 1 Box (2)
13. Elder Thing (2); Bestiary 4 Box

[Weissrolf]

Again, thanks for all the hints and suggestions, it's well appreciated.

[Bellona]

I just bought the Strange Aeons pawn set from my FLGS.

It's a great set, but one flaw does irritate me: the illustrations on the third last sheet is offset (I think that that's the correct term) to such an extent that part of one monster is on the pawn beside it. Some other monsters are missing half their faces, which are on the frame between them and the next pawns, and in return there is about half a centimetre of blank space on the other side of the "half-faced" pawns. There is even a strip of Chinese script and some serial numbers on one end of this one sheet.

Does anyone else have the same problem with the SA pawn set?

And what does one do in this situation? I could simply return the set to my FLGS and get another AP's pawn set, but I would prefer to have a complete and correctly-printed SA pawn set.

[Benchak the Nightstalker]

Bellona wrote:

I just bought the Strange Aeons pawn set from my FLGS.

It's a great set, but one flaw does irritate me: the illustrations on the third last sheet is offset (I think that that's the correct term) to such an extent that part of one monster is on the pawn beside it. Some other monsters are missing half their faces, which are on the frame between them and the next pawns, and in return there is about half a centimetre of blank space on the other side of the "half-faced" pawns. There is even a strip of Chinese script and some serial numbers on one end of this one sheet.

Does anyone else have the same problem with the SA pawn set?

And what does one do in this situation? I could simply return the set to my FLGS and get another AP's pawn set, but I would prefer to have a complete and correctly-printed SA pawn set.

This sounds like a printing error. You should contact [e-mail], they might be able to get you a replacement.

[Adam Daigle]

I just checked the set I have on my desk and my personal copy and both are right, so it seems that you got a set with a printing error. That happens sometimes with larger print runs. See if the store you bought it from will replace it, and if that fails perhaps try contacting out customer service crew.

[Bellona]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Customer service ... it's a long way from Seattle to Copenhagen, Denmark, particularly as I didn't buy it directly from Paizo. :)

So I'll check with my FLGS next week, and hopefully they will be able to do something.

[Brother Fen]

Picked up this set recently, so I've added a review.

[propsofprophecy]

Hidyho Adam. Random question way after the fact, but are any of the art assets for this non digital art? Might be a better question for an AD but I try to collect an original piece of work from every AP my playgroup goes trough. Strange Aeons is on the list but as far as I can tell all the assets are digital. Was hoping maybe one of the commissioned pawns was traditional. That’s how I got one for Hell’s Rebels.

[Adam Daigle]

propsofprophecy wrote:

Hidyho Adam. Random question way after the fact, but are any of the art assets for this non digital art? Might be a better question for an AD but I try to collect an original piece of work from every AP my playgroup goes trough. Strange Aeons is on the list but as far as I can tell all the assets are digital. Was hoping maybe one of the commissioned pawns was traditional. That’s how I got one for Hell’s Rebels.

I'm not really sure if any were painted traditionally. That's certainly a question for the artists or one of our art directors.

[Norin d'orien]

Excuse me for the silly question, are the plastic bases included in the box or am I supposed to buy them separately?
Thanks