Two free PDFs for the Top 32!


RPG Superstar™ General Discussion

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

In case you missed it, Round 2's twist is about the River Kingdoms, one of the "countries" in Golarion.

In previous years, we've given the Top 32 competitors a free copy of the campaign setting PDF (The Inner Sea World Guide for the previous competition). We're doing that this year, too.

Also, because of the River Kingdoms requirement, we're giving them a free PDF of Guide to the River Kingdoms.

Now, this means that if you make it into the Top 32, you'll automatically have the reference material you need.

But you may not want to wait until then, just so you have a bit of a head start on designing your archetype.

I'm not trying to pressure you to buy a PDF you may get for free. I am trying to prevent people from buying a PDF now, getting into the Top 32 in January, and being annoyed that they spent money on a PDF they'd be getting for free.

So... the decision is up to you, we just wanted everyone to be fully informed about the situation.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

Very cool and thanks for the head's up. Trying to decide whether I want to buy it now or wait...

Sczarni RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka CalebTGordan

Awesome. Free stuff is always nice.

Scarab Sages Contributor , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

There's nothing wrong with getting a free. pdf copy of a book you already own! Portability.....having multiple LEGAL copies for your table...supporting a company you love...there's no downside!

Grand Lodge Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8

Thanks, I own both (I'll be surprised if my item makes the top 32, but less surprised than at this time yesterday).

Star Voter Season 6

GAH. Absolutely NONE of the archetypes I've prepped so far fit the River Kingdoms. grrrrrrrrr. Curse you, twist of the fates!

On the other hand, I'm super excited about the double PDF feature for the top 32! Yay! I hope I make it!

Liberty's Edge Star Voter Season 6

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Thanks for the heads up! Luckily I already have my hard copy here at home from running Kingmaker last year. I'd still love to have a pdf for my tablet though.

Now I'm all excited to see what folk come up with for their River Kingdom archetypes.

Silver Crusade RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan

Hahaha, I have the River Kingdoms PDF already, so what's my motivation?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

3 people marked this as a favorite.

To win a contract to write a Pathfinder module.

Plus getting in the Top 32 is a path to women (or men, if that's your interest) and riches!

Silver Crusade RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan

4 people marked this as a favorite.

Hmm, yes, I'll ask my wife which one we're aiming for, are these women (or men) handy around the house?

Silver Crusade Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Yeah I bought this a while back. I've been living and breathing the River Kingdoms for a good long while. Between my item and this twist I'm feeling pretty fantastic.


Cool beans.

Shadow Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka mamaursula

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:
Hmm, yes, I'll ask my wife which one we're aiming for, are these women (or men) handy around the house?

I'm not sure what Jacob is talking about, we have yet to see this manifest around our house and my husband was in the Top 16 last year too. Maybe Jacob snagged them all?

Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8

I don't understand how River Kingdoms affect the archetype design. Could someone enlighten me?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

It has to be appropriate for the setting. So, for example, a Mwangi jungle fighter, whose style is based on the deadly Charua-ka inhabitants of that continent, wouldn't make sense for this competition (even if it were an awesome archetype).

Dedicated Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:
It has to be appropriate for the setting. So, for example, a Mwangi jungle fighter, whose style is based on the deadly Charua-ka inhabitants of that continent, wouldn't make sense for this competition (even if it were an awesome archetype).

Thanks, that example was very illustrative, so an archetype generic for most settings will be OK, right?

Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8

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edduardco wrote:

Thanks, that example was very illustrative, so an archetype generic for most settings will be OK, right?

generic probably wont cut it, They are looking for something that would be found more commonly in, or originate from the area

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka theheadkase

Yeah, I don't know anything specifically about the River Kingdom. I want to buy he PDf, but then again, I don't know if I'll advance and I won't be able to start a new adventure until my group finishes all 6 chapters of Curse of the Crimson Throne.

Wait...is Korvosa in the River Kingdom by any chance??

Dedicated Voter Season 6

Nope. It's in Varisia. Think Kingmaker.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

edduardco wrote:
Thanks, that example was very illustrative, so an archetype generic for most settings will be OK, right?

My feeling is a generic would be risky. I don't think it would be disqualified, but I think it would be downgraded by the judges and probably the voters. That said, if it was cool enough to overcome that, you could still advance.

Personally, I would try for something much more intrinsically linked to the region.

Pendin, remember if you advance, you'll get a free pdf of the book. If you have the ISWG, that might be good enough to start giving you some ideas (I made a list of a dozen things to think about just from reading that River Kingdoms entry last night).

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka theheadkase

Dang thanks Sigz. I haven't run or played Kingmaker yet.

Jacob W. Michaels, the ISWG? Oh wait...Inner Sea World Guide...I understand now.

I don't have it yet. I'll check it out though. Thanks!

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

You can also look at the Pathfinder Wiki, though obviously that's not as good a source.

Shadow Lodge Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9

I do love River kingdoms... I'm making a campaign in it right now.
But I have to admit, I never thought about a River Kingdoms specific archetype.

Time to work on it

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

There are many little kingdoms within the River Kingdoms. Your archetype might be for Timon or Daggermark or one of the tiny ones mention in the Guide... it doesn't have to be designed for the RK as a whole.

Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 9

Being in the middle of Kingmaker right now, and closely following the Pathfinder Online project, this turns much of the fear I had about round 2 into excitement.

A twist that favors stuff I know fairly well? Sweet!

Star Voter Season 6

Out of the archetypes I've prepped so far, one fits very thematically - perhaps so thematically to come off as uninspired. The other fits in fairly well, but doesn't have as strong a connection.

Hmm... interesting. I might end up making a new one.

Silver Crusade RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan

RonarsCorruption wrote:

Being in the middle of Kingmaker right now, and closely following the Pathfinder Online project, this turns much of the fear I had about round 2 into excitement.

A twist that favors stuff I know fairly well? Sweet!

See, and our group is prepping a Kingmaker campaign for as soon as we finish Runelords, so I'm hoping the GM will let us use the River Kingdoms Archetypes that show up in the competition!

Shadow Lodge Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9

Ok some ideas comes to mind... some that come pretty detailed but are pretty obvious (to the point that several other people will do the same exact archetype) and some not obvious at all but ... I still don't know how to develop it.

Just to know... how do you deal with two contestant with the same concept? you consider the best one for advancement or they both suffer in the decision for being too obvious?


Two people came up with nearly the same concept in last year's monster round (Sidhe Lord vs Sidhe Noble)

The later rounds are done by public vote, so the only penalty is that the matching concepts are inevitably compared to each other.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

HerosBackpack wrote:
Two people came up with nearly the same concept in last year's monster round (Sidhe Lord vs Sidhe Noble)

What Heros doesn't mention is that neither advanced. Now in at least my case (the sidhe noble), it's because it wasn't good enough and I don't think it'd have advanced even if there weren't also a sidhe lord entered.

If you look at the last Archetype round a couple years ago, you'll also see a few very similar designs (I believe there were a few con men and a couple knife fighters). The parallel designs are likely going to be compared to each other, though if both are very good they could certainly advance; they could also easily split the vote.

If it were me, I'd try for something unique -- go for a home run every swing, not something safe/obvious enough that someone else may submit something similar. (Of course, I never thought someone else would submit a sidhe monster when I did it last year, so it's hard to tell with these parallel design problems.)

Dedicated Voter Season 6

I actually had an idea, then saw the twist and thought it wouldn't work. Then realized how to twist the twist so it would work (in a not stretching it way). Then... realized that we can't make racial archetypes! Woe. Is. Me.

Sovereign Court Star Voter Season 6

Hmmm ... River Kingdoms -- time to drag out some resource materials (which just happen to be what the prize is ...)

Of course, there is that little step of getting through to the Top 32 ... :)

Oh ... and Merry Xmas all :)

NGP

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka Epic Meepo

Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

If you look at the last Archetype round a couple years ago, you'll also see a few very similar designs (I believe there were a few con men and a couple knife fighters). The parallel designs are likely going to be compared to each other, though if both are very good they could certainly advance; they could also easily split the vote.

If it were me, I'd try for something unique -- go for a home run every swing, not something safe/obvious enough that someone else may submit something similar. (Of course, I never thought someone else would submit a sidhe monster when I did it last year, so it's hard to tell with these parallel design problems.)

I anticipate one of two things happening:

1) No one submits any assassin, bandit, deposed noble, escaped slave, First World, forbidden god, gladiator, mercenary, and/or pirate archetypes because folks are trying to avoid doing the obvious archetypes, or...

2) Lots of people submit assassin, bandit, deposed noble, escaped slave, First World, forbidden god, gladiator, mercenary, and/or pirate archetypes because folks are trying to prove themselves by doing the obvious archetypes in new and interesting ways.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka theheadkase

How about an archetype that fits into the River Kingdom...but purposefully takes part(s) of the ethos/freedoms/generalities and flies in the face of those...and hence why they are adventurers.


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Eric Morton wrote:
Jacob W. Michaels wrote:

If you look at the last Archetype round a couple years ago, you'll also see a few very similar designs (I believe there were a few con men and a couple knife fighters). The parallel designs are likely going to be compared to each other, though if both are very good they could certainly advance; they could also easily split the vote.

If it were me, I'd try for something unique -- go for a home run every swing, not something safe/obvious enough that someone else may submit something similar. (Of course, I never thought someone else would submit a sidhe monster when I did it last year, so it's hard to tell with these parallel design problems.)

I anticipate one of two things happening:

1) No one submits any assassin, bandit, deposed noble, escaped slave, First World, forbidden god, gladiator, mercenary, and/or pirate archetypes because folks are trying to avoid doing the obvious archetypes, or...

2) Lots of people submit assassin, bandit, deposed noble, escaped slave, First World, forbidden god, gladiator, mercenary, and/or pirate archetypes because folks are trying to prove themselves by doing the obvious archetypes in new and interesting ways.

Wow, you made a long list but missed the most obvious archetype of all (in my mind)--Oak Steward. I expect three of them, unless this post makes people not do it.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16, 2012 Top 32 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka Epic Meepo

Rogue Eidolon wrote:
Eric Morton wrote:

I anticipate one of two things happening:

1) No one submits any assassin, bandit, deposed noble, escaped slave, First World, forbidden god, gladiator, mercenary, and/or pirate archetypes because folks are trying to avoid doing the obvious archetypes, or...

2) Lots of people submit assassin, bandit, deposed noble, escaped slave, First World, forbidden god, gladiator, mercenary, and/or pirate archetypes because folks are trying to prove themselves by doing the obvious archetypes in new and interesting ways.

Wow, you made a long list but missed the most obvious archetype of all (in my mind)--Oak Steward. I expect three of them, unless this post makes people not do it.

I was under the impression that Oakstewards would be a racial archetype (human-only or just non-elf) or a prestige class (since the Oakstewards are an actual organization, not a character trope).

Liberty's Edge Marathon Voter Season 6

For those who might not know the Pathfinder Chronicles setting that well, I would point out the River Kingdoms page on PathfinderWiki as a good place to start. Some of the information there is frustratingly vague or incomplete, but it's got more than enough to provide inspiration for any number of archetypes, I think.

Liberty's Edge

Sean K Reynolds wrote:
There are many little kingdoms within the River Kingdoms. Your archetype might be for Timon or Daggermark or one of the tiny ones mention in the Guide... it doesn't have to be designed for the RK as a whole.

What about the Kingmaker AP? Since that essentially is in the River Kingdoms, could we create an archetype based off information from the Stolen Lands via Kingmaker AP?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Dedicated Voter Season 9 aka motteditor

1 person marked this as a favorite.

The Stolen Lands are part of the River Kingdoms, so yes.

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

Yes.

Marathon Voter Season 6

If we win and we already have these PDFs, do we get the option to gift them to others to spread the cheer?

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

No. It's just easier on our end to add the PDFs to the Top 32 accounts and be done with it.

Designer, RPG Superstar Judge

By the way, make sure your account has your current email address! If you make it into the Top 32, we send out a notification email to the address associated with your account. Sure, you can check the announcement on Tuesday, but it doesn't hurt to have your email address there, just in case hundreds of people refreshing the site to see the announcement slows... everything... down...

Dark Archive Star Voter Season 6

I already own it!! :) And it is GREAT by the way!!! :)

Star Voter Season 6

In the event I make it through I used the wiki for my rough draft and will use the pdf for polish. ;-)

Scarab Sages RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Dedicated Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Steven T. Helt

I want to say thank you to Paizo for the two .pdf files. I was given the 3.5 Golarion guide for helping out with Ascension of the Drow back in the day, and having this sweet updated version is great. I'm already a winner!

Dedicated Voter Season 6

Shouldn't the alternates get the free PDFs too?


Turin the Mad wrote:
Shouldn't the alternates get the free PDFs too?

Got mine today. (Thank you Paizo!) However, it was couple hours after I submitted my archetype. Fortunately, I had access to a friend's copy of the Guide to the River Kingdoms so it's all good.

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