If you could pick anyone you wanted, regardless of their fee, to paint the cover for your next novel, who'd it be?
If you could pick anyone you wanted, regardless of their fee, to paint the cover for your next novel, who'd it be?
** spoiler omitted **
Oh man! That's hard. Michael Whelan at his best (the cover to Dan Simmons' Endymion) would be a childhood dream, but I'm also a huge fan of folks like Stephan Martinierre who do such highly detailed and imaginative worldbuilding. (If Stephan were a little less monochrome, he'd probably be a slam dunk.)
Fantasy and SF landscapes are by far my favorite type of art (contrary to many folks' ideas of what makes a good book cover), so there are probably also a ton of concept artists used to doing that sort of thing that I'd want to check out.
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Union rules.
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On reading through a bunch of the Tales: Why is there always a gnome on the ships?
I think it just pairs well with their interests. Gnomes are naturally in a constant search for novelty and exploration, so what better way to see the world than to become a sailor? Plus, their small size makes them extra useful in the cramped spaces one finds on ships, from making repairs down in the bilge to taking up slightly less space when hanging a sleeping hammock.
Really, the question should be "Why don't captains hire *more* gnomes?" (I presume the answer has to do with the problems that come with an overabundance of curiosity and distractibility...)
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On reading through a bunch of the Tales: Why is there always a gnome on the ships?I think it just pairs well with their interests. Gnomes are naturally in a constant search for novelty and exploration, so what better way to see the world than to become a sailor? Plus, their small size makes them extra useful in the cramped spaces one finds on ships, from making repairs down in the bilge to taking up slightly less space when hanging a sleeping hammock.
Really, the question should be "Why don't captains hire *more* gnomes?" (I presume the answer has to do with the problems that come with an overabundance of curiosity and distractibility...)
Hmm, true...
So, how come there's been no new web fiction for about a month?
So, how come there's been no new web fiction for about a month?
We ran into a major crunch between the holidays, a bunch of key projects, and some people being out of the office for extended periods, and rather than risk lowering the editorial quality, we decided to take a brief sabbatical from web fiction and focus on print products.
At the same time, we've also transferred responsibility for the web fiction from me to Associate Editor Chris Carey—he's actually been in charge for the last few stories. The gap is also to help give him time to get everything up and running on his watch. Developing web fiction is no easy task!
All of that said, we'll be back with more web fiction starting in the new year. Thanks for your patience!
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Just wanted to drop a link here for anyone interested in the fan-run Pathfinder Tales Book Club's read of Death's Heretic and its webfiction prequel. There's still time to get in on the discussion!
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Sorry to bother you with this but I was hoping to pick into your brain a bit.
First to ask you what I asked Wes, what do you think of say a organization or not even that much of people who willingly serve vampires as guards and food in a job like capacity? Basically professional Renfields?
Second, placing this in Golarion for ease, what would be a fitting deity for someone with this mindset, who willing protects the undead? Not out of fear or of wanting unlife themselves but out of duty? Even moreso for a good aligned person, if that is even possible.
Evil is easy, take your pick:
Lorcan
Ruthvein
Urgathoa
Zon-Kuthon
Zura
Eiseth
Menxyr
Then you could possibly have Naderi for any Alignment.
Maybe Nepthys?
And finally for Good you could Arqueros and Tsukyio.
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Personally, I've never been a fan of the "undead = evil" trope--to me, it's always seemed unnecessarily prejudiced. So I think the idea of a non-evil organization that protects undead and helps them deal with their weird existence sound pretty awesome!
In addition to your suggestions, I could honestly see a lot of gods being willing to support this sort of thing: Shelyn, because she's all about love and sees the potential even in Zon-Kuthon. Sarenrae, to try and redeem the redeemable. Abadar, because hey, maybe you've got a contract, and here's folks trying to find a way to make the undead productive members of society. Really, it's only Pharasma who has a direct doctrinal edict against the undead--most other gods can be swayed (hence the reason Geb hasn't been wiped from the map).
Note that this is all just *MY* opinion. No single staffer gets to speak for the gods in an official capacity unless it's in a published book. :)
Hi James
I have a few Triaxus questions for you.
1. With an orbital year of 317 years, and "many" generations of each summer and winter, and "a single" generation of fall and spring, what is your definition of generation? It's obviously not lifespan, as 80x4=360.
2. Are there any plans for Triaxus (or Verces) in the foreseeable future? Do you have more details on the creatures of Triaxus all figured out, or will you wait to fill in details when needed?
3. How, specifically, would Spurhorn and Ivoryglass be different in Summer from the way they are presented in Frozen Stars? It seems to be implied that the Vahara glacier never completely melts.
4. What does the Triaxian language sound like?
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Hi James
I have a few Triaxus questions for you.
1. With an orbital year of 317 years, and "many" generations of each summer and winter, and "a single" generation of fall and spring, what is your definition of generation? It's obviously not lifespan, as 80x4=360.
2. Are there any plans for Triaxus (or Verces) in the foreseeable future? Do you have more details on the creatures of Triaxus all figured out, or will you wait to fill in details when needed?
3. How, specifically, would Spurhorn and Ivoryglass be different in Summer from the way they are presented in Frozen Stars? It seems to be implied that the Vahara glacier never completely melts.
4. What does the Triaxian language sound like?
1. I was thinking of generations in the sense that your parents and grandparents are all different generations than you. So in that sense, I was pegging a generation at something like 20 years.
2. No plans yet! I don't think it's too much of a surprise that I'd love to write a novel set there someday, but that day is still far off, if ever. :) And no, I try to make a policy of not coming up with a bunch of "head canon" beyond what gets published in a given sourcebook. That both makes sure that other designers don't accidentally introduce "conflicts" (which of course aren't really conflicts, if the details they're conflicting are only in my head), and it also ensures that I have plenty of questions to answer and room to play if I revisit the subject later!
3. Spurhorn and Ivoryglass are really Rob's babies, so I cede that part of the map to him. :)
4. I'm not sure! My first guess would be something fluid and kind of twittery, humanoid with hints of ferret or birdsong, but I'd want to consult with folks who know way more about linguistics (like Paizo editor Judy Bauer) before I nailed anything down.
Thanks! Great stuff!
Just came back from watching a bunch of ferret videos on youtube. Very helpful. No way am I going to be able to imitate one at the table :)
1)Was the race that lived on Melos a known race or something that has not been stated up yet?
2)Does Dykon have a crystal based playable 0HD race?
3)Would the centaurlike race from Arkanen be a playable 0HD race?
4)So for the red skinned people of Akiton should we just use human stats or would they be modified human stats? example would be they loose the bonus feat or bonus skill points for an endure elements or fire/cold resistance or different racial mods such as hardy(+2 Con), intelligent(+2Int) but weak because of the low gravity(-2Str).
5)The People of the Stars book says for stats for Vercites use ether Elf or Half Elf as the base, so wish one do you think is closer the Elf or Half Elf?
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1)Was the race that lived on Melos a known race or something that has not been stated up yet?
2)Does Dykon have a crystal based playable 0HD race?
3)Would the centaurlike race from Arkanen be a playable 0HD race?
4)So for the red skinned people of Akiton should we just use human stats or would they be modified human stats? example would be they loose the bonus feat or bonus skill points for an endure elements or fire/cold resistance or different racial mods such as hardy(+2 Con), intelligent(+2Int) but weak because of the low gravity(-2Str).
5)The People of the Stars book says for stats for Vercites use ether Elf or Half Elf as the base, so wish one do you think is closer the Elf or Half Elf?
1) Ain't tellin'. :)
2 & 3) Sure, why not? Again, though, I try not to state definitive decisions about things unless the answer is about to be published anyway, because if someone else at Paizo someday stats up those creatures and they're not 0 HD, I don't want folks to tell them they're wrong. :P
4) I'd modify them. Variety is the spice of life!
5) Hmm... I'd probably go half-elf, though of course that's only for the ones that haven't augmented their meat-bodies. :D
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Hello Mr. Sutter
Dave Gross said that his new Varian and Radovan book would be out in summer 2015 but all other details would be up to you.
I noticed there are no Pathfinder Tales novels slated for june and beyond.
Could you shed some light on the matter?
Thank you in advance.
Why didn't we get a Varian & Radovan novel in 2014?
Hello Mr. Sutter
Dave Gross said that his new Varian and Radovan book would be out in summer 2015 but all other details would be up to you.
I noticed there are no Pathfinder Tales novels slated for june and beyond.
Could you shed some light on the matter?
Thank you in advance.
You've really done your homework!
Dave's new novel will indeed come out in June, but it comes with some SUPER EXCITING news that we're not ready to talk about yet, hence the lack of an official announcement yet. I hope to be able to reveal all in the next month or two. In the meantime, please stay tuned! :)
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Why didn't we get a Varian & Radovan novel in 2014?
See my previous post. Also, a novel a year is a pretty brutal pace for a lot of authors—even Dave needs a vacation now and again!
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Hello Mr. Sutter
Dave Gross said that his new Varian and Radovan book would be out in summer 2015 but all other details would be up to you.
I noticed there are no Pathfinder Tales novels slated for june and beyond.
Could you shed some light on the matter?
Thank you in advance.
You've really done your homework!
Dave's new novel will indeed come out in June, but it comes with some SUPER EXCITING news that we're not ready to talk about yet, hence the lack of an official announcement yet. I hope to be able to reveal all in the next month or two. In the meantime, please stay tuned! :)
Thank you very very much!!!
Just in time for my 40th birthday on June 16th! :-)
My bet is either a minimate two-pack or a Pathfinder Battles special set. ;-)
You made my day.
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Just finished Reign of Stars and I now have questions I hope you could help with.
What is his fate after the novel? He doesn't even seem to be mentioned in Iron Gods anywhere.
In the novel she has only lost her arm due to the incident in the Silver Mount (with visuals to back up that she still has the rest of herself) but Iron Gods mentions her loosing her arm and leg and artwork to show it, which is correct?
Is dood ever not going to get screwed over by someone he cares about?
I know the writer of the blog story Inheritance is also doing a pathfinder novel any details of roughly when it will be out? Also is it staring the same characters from said web fiction?
Can't say when yet, but yes to the characters. :)
Just finished Reign of Stars and I now have questions I hope you could help with.
Char: Dunno! If Tim knows, he hasn't told me.
Zernebeth: There's a time gap between the novel and the AP. Plenty of time to lose (or upgrade) an additional limb. Numeria's a dangerous place.
Alaeron: I dunno, I feel like this one could still work out, albeit in a weird way...
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Just finished Reign of Stars and I now have questions I hope you could help with.Alaeron: I dunno, I feel like this one could still work out, albeit in a weird way...
Oh I definitely agree with this one, especially given the ending.
With three novels it's become a disheartening pattern now though, 'Female Protagonist royally screws over Male Protagonist in the end' though the reasonings between the novels differ and this one was actually done for his benefit kinda sorta.
Dousing him in Abysium, horrifically awesome way to kill him?
And regarding Zernebeth the reason I asked is because the AP specifically says she lost her arm and leg in the same incident.
Yeah, in that case, that's an error on the AP side. We try to keep everything consistent, but there are quite a few plates spinning in the air at any given moment...
And I suspect that there are a *lot* of interesting ways to kill Char, if it ever comes around to it. :)
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There is a listing on amazon.com for the Pathfinder Tales novels 27 and 28 in which the list price is stated at $14.99.
Personally i wouldn´t mind about that but i wonder if this is true.
That would be a price increase of 50%.
Is there a change in format maybe or is this a mistake on amazons part?
Thank you! :-)
Never trust Amazon.
Big announcement shortly. Please stand by. :P
Are we there yet?
(Places bet on the books being hardcovers.)
Also, it's not that Australia will take part in this year's Eurovision, cause that broke last night.
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I think that writing in multiple genres is really fun, and helps broaden you as an author. Heck, I enjoy writing in other mediums as well--in addition to gaming and fiction, I write a ton of music, and just wrote part of a Pathfinder comic. Variety keeps things exciting! That said, there's no question that I think I'll always have science fiction and fantasy as my main fare. Everything's better with a solid dose of weirdness. :)
James,
1. In the near future, do you have plans to write a novel set outside of the Pathfinder universe?
2. If so, where would the story take place--in a setting of your own imagination or somewhere else?
3. Would the genre be fantasy, general fiction, or science fiction?
4. Would the main character be a hero or a villain?(My apologies if you've already answered these questions somewhere else.)
Yup! I actually just finished up a first draft of a creator-owned YA fantasy novel. It's a teenage lesbian romance about two ballerinas who fall through into a magical world that's totally empty except for this old woman and a bunch of weird little creatures that get reshaped by human thought. It's waaaay different than anything I've written before, and it's felt good to stretch out a bit.
As for whether the characters are heroes or villains... that would be telling, wouldn't it? :)
I know EXACTLY who should play Salim in a Death's Heretic film! I'd want it to be Naveen Andrews, the actor who played Sayid on LOST. He was definitely an inspiration for the character.Instead of Naveen Andrews to play Salim, what about:
1) Oded Fehr
2) Aidan Turner
3) Diego Luna
4) Misha Gabriel Hamilton
5) Ryan Guzman
You'd make a heck of a casting director! If Naveen were busy, I think the first three would be great. 4 and 5 are probably good too, but they seem a little too white to me. ;)
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Believe it or not, I've actually always enjoyed writing erotica, and my first-ever editing gig was a zine some friends and I created while still in college called "Penitalia: Literary Erotica at the University of Washington," which featured all work by students and faculty. Though I hadn't sold any straight-up erotica in years, when Shanna started talking about the project, I thought it sounded like a blast, and was extremely excited to be invited. (I actually wrote two stories--the other one is about a bunch of female astronauts on a mission to mars. Still hoping to sell that one somewhere at some point. :)
So might there be a "Fifty Shades of Golarion" some day? :-)
I'm sure there already is, somewhere... Rule 34!
Hi Mr. Sutter,
I've enjoyed Death's Heretic and The Redemption Engine, and am part way through Liar's Blade. Liar's blade I have digitally, (purchased all 3). How do you feel about me letting my friend have a copy?
Yarr, Gav wouldn't have even asked:)
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Hi Mr. Sutter,
I've enjoyed Death's Heretic and The Redemption Engine, and am part way through Liar's Blade. Liar's blade I have digitally, (purchased all 3). How do you feel about me letting my friend have a copy?
Yarr, Gav wouldn't have even asked:)
I believe Paizo's official policy is that digital files can't be shared.
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Happy 1000th AMA post!
How's that feel?