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Just as Wizards of the Coast was the big dog of D20 in 2000-2007, so is Paizo in the current era. Their product schedule is well known and anticipated among online fans. Their adventures, classes, and material are discussed, analyzed, and extensively used among gamers.
But just like Wizards of the Coast in its time, they overshadow the 3rd Party Publishers. Drive-Thru RPG has over 3,000 3rd Party Pathfinder RPG products, and easily a third of that on Paizo's store front, so it's very easy for good stuff to fall through the cracks amidst the glut of material on sale.
This thread is the winnowing process for these products, for gamers to recommend products they feel are of high-quality. Post the products you think are good, why they're good, and what they offer to gamers. I already covered some high-profile products, but I also want to focus on some of the more obscure ones which need more love. For example, Conflict PvP: Tactics and Teams Rulebook is a great labor of love that I don't see a lot of discussion on in Pathfinder forums.
If you write/publish 3PP books, you can't promote your own stuff due to reasons of bias. Only other's people's stuff is allowed. Additionally, it must be for sale. Homebrew design and free stuff doesn't count, for you don't lose anything if you "get" the product.
Other than these rules, post away!
Format Template:
Name of Product: Self-Explanatory
Why It's Good: What it brings to the game.
Buy this if... What demographic of gamers will benefit the most from this work?
Link to a place where you can buy it. Drive-Thru RPG, Paizo.com, and D20pfsrd.com are the major online sellers of Pathfinder products.
Here I'll start off.
1001 Spells
Why It's Good: An impressive array of spells of all levels for all classes. A great variety of effects, from grafting a tattoo monster onto your skin, transforming into a golem, tearing a rift in reality and inviting in unbridled chaos, and more are just a few of the sample spells.
Buy This If... You can't get enough spells.
Drive-Thru RPG Link
Paizo Link
D20 Pathfinder SRD Link
Cerulean Seas Campaign Setting and Undersea Sourcebook
Why It's Good: A unique and interesting all-aquatic campaign, does a thorough job of converting existing D&D tropes, equipment, and mechanics to a plausible-sounding undersea civilization (ink comes from "milked" squids, fire spells manifest as boiling geysers, etc), and has the best rules I've seen for 3 Dimensional Combat. Some of the best artwork out there for Pathfinder, pretty to look at.
Buy This If... You enjoy for a new D&D experience under the waves, and for good material for undersea adventures in more traditional campaign settings.
Drive-Thru RPG Link.
Paizo Link.
D20 Pathfinder SRD Link.
Conflict PvP: Tactics & Teams Rulebook
Why It's Good: An extensive system for tournament-style player versus player matches, partially inspired by online MMOs. Incorporates various types of matches beyond just violent encounters, such as "capture the flag" retrievals, who can gather the most treasure in a time limit, and takes into account caster/noncaster disparity by offering options to help bridge the gap (terrain which launches a person into the air to melee a flying opponent, spells with long casting times are off-limits, etc).
Buy This If... You want to pit your character-building skills against your fellow players in an "arena" environment.
Drive-Thru RPG Link.
Paizo Link (Hardcover Only)
D20 Pathfinder SRD Link
The Ethermancer: An Eldritch Reboot
Why It's Good: The Warlock class updated to Pathfinder. With more versatility and based upon an "infinite space and cosmos" fluff text as opposed to a demonic/fey one. Powers cost Ether Points which recharge round by round, adding a more tactical dimension to the class.
Buy This If... You want a cool Warlock equivalent for Pathfinder.
Drive-Thru RPG Link.
Paizo Link.
D20 Pathfinder SRD Link
Midgard Campaign Setting
Why It's Good: A world inspired by Central and Eastern European folklore, puts new twists on standard fantasy settings: Notable for being set on a flat world surrounded by a world-serpent, capricious gods beyond morality who wear masks to disguise their divinity, a clockwork city full of kobolds, a mighty empire where arrogant dragons rule and seek to expand their boundaries for more wealth and power, and a network of ley lines and shadow roads used by the elves in ancient times to power their magic and travel across the world.
Buy This If... You want a well-designed, thematic campaign setting with fantasy elements both old and new which managed to gel well together.
Drive-Thru RPG Link
Paizo Link
Path of War Subscription
Why It's Good: Adopts the Tome of Battle system to Pathfinder, gives martial characters nice things and a diverse grab-bag of tricks, tastes great, less filling.
Buy This If... You're unhappy with martial characters and Linear Warriors in Pathfinder, want to spice up your martial NPCs or PC, you like buying from a company which views game balance as an important goal.
Drive-Thru RPG Link.
Paizo Link.
D20 Pathfinder SRD Link.
SORD PF
Why It's Good: Is a clean, well-formatted and hyperlinked collection of common rules in the Pathfinder RPG to help speed up play.
Buy This If... You feel that combat rounds are taking too long in your games.
Drive-Thru RPG Link.
Tales of the Old Margreve
Why It's Good: Is set in a forest mini-setting inspired by Central/Eastern Europe folklore, a very atmospheric spooky forest setting where the woods themselves are conscious, a series of 10 adventures which do a good job of "reskinning" existing monsters in interesting ways and invoking a very "fairy tale" like atmosphere. Yes, I plan on reviewing it at some point.
Buy This If... You're a fan of folkloric settings, want a series of challenging adventures to take PCs from 1st to 10th level.
Drive-Thru RPG Link.
Paizo Link.
Tome of Horrors Complete-Pathfinder Edition
Why It's Good: A massive collection of classic monsters from the Old School Editions of Dungeons & Dragons (and more than a few new ones), converted to the Pathfinder Role-Playing Game.
Buy This If... You need to get one product which will set you for life for monsters.
Drive-Thru Link.
Paizo Link, special Print & PDF Bundle.
D20 Pathfinder SRD Link.
Ultimate Psionics (supersedes Psionics Unleashed)
Why it's Good: Combines Dreamscarred Press' existing psionics material into one convenient book, plus some brand-new stuff! Also tips on reflavoring psionics to fit into the right campaigns (uses a rune magic example).
Buy This If... You want to buy $80 worth of books for the price of $20, love psionics.
Drive-Thru RPG Link
Paizo Link
D20 Pathfinder SRD
Way of the Wicked Adventure Path (consists of 6 separate adventures)
Why It's Good: An adventure path which handles the dilemma of evil PCs well, has a cool premise (PCs work for an Asmodean cult overthrowing a Lawful Good holy nation), and is open-ended in all the right parts and encourages stealthy and non-combative approaches to encounters with "story award" experience.
Buy This If... Your gaming group totally wants to play as the bad guys for once in a manner fun for both player and Dungeon Master.
Drive-Thru RPG Link.
Paizo Link.
D20 Pathfinder SRD Link.
Dot.
The Genius Guide to Rune Staves and Wyrd Wands by Rogue Genius Games
Why It's Good: This book presents a brilliant system that allows casters to turn wands and staves into enchanted items that give bonuses to spells cast. Completely analogous to the weapon enhancement system for more martial types, and it does this in a balanced and awesome way.
Buy this if... you want more customization for your casters, who historically have only differentiated themselves by spell choice.
Paizo.com!
Making Craft Work by Spes Magna Games
Why It's Good: IT MAKES MUNDANE CRAFTING WORK FOR PCS!
Buy this if... YOU WANT MUNDANE CRAFTING TO WORK FOR PCS!
Link to a place where you can buy it.
Paizo!
Construct Codex by Legendary Games
Why It's Good: It's just oozing with creepy horror themed constructs, from animated kilns (egads!) to stained glass assassins.
Buy this if...: You're a GM who wants some more awesome constructs.
Paizo!
Monster Focus: Skeletons by Minotaur Games
Why It's Good: It's Jason Bulmahn Unleashed. Lots of good ideas in here for making skeletons more interesting.
Buy this if...: You're a GM who wants to change up some of the most common enemies at low levels.
Paizo!
Rogue Glory by Drop Dead Studios
Why It's Good: It redoes rogues in a way that brings them more up to snuff with other classes, by adding on class abilities that are interesting and balanced.
Buy this if...: Your gaming group ever has rogues in it. Ever. This makes them even more interesting, and won't steal the thunder of others :)
Paizo!
dot
Interesting thread...will be monitoring on a regular basis ;)
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Part 1
I call this needs more love this are thing that to me as a full-time proffesional publisher and game designer stand out. I won't mention anything that has been mentioned before.
The Road to Revolution: The Campaign (PFRPG) PDF
Why its good, planned by Tim Hitchcock with maps by Mario Barbati, You have Adam Daigle (who now works for paizo) Liz Courts (who does too), Tim Hitchcock (if you don't know him you should) Lou Argesta (of razor coast fame), Rone Barton, John Ling, Greg Oppedisano, and Brendan Victorson
Buy this if you want to run A urban adventure path levels 1-16
Paizo Link
I am sure there is a printer version, I forgot where though.
Otyughnomicon
Why its good Purple duck games is an unsung trooper of Pathfinder 3PP, they do a lot of cool stuff but I love templates so a series that puts a new template (which multiplies your monsters, as green ronin says) on the same creature gets my thumbs up and needs more love.
Buy this if you like good monster templates or love otyughs!
Paizo Link
Snow White
Why its good A lot gets said about Rise of the Drow but to me adventureaweek.com at its best is the Snow White trilogy. Solid writing, new twists on an very grim fariey tale, cartography by Todd Gamble, its great stuff.
Buy this if you like gothic faerie tales, and don't want to tell you players your doing it.
Paizo Link
Tournaments, Fairs, & Taverns
Why its goodDrinking rules, in-universe games, and wizard football, its a best seller from the 3.0/3.5 days but it does not get much Pathfinder love and its a great book. If there was a complete Pathfinder conversion of War of the Burning Sky that would have got my vote though.
Buy This If you ever have your players in a tavern, attend a fair, or compete in a tournament. So really buy this because I bet thy ask where the tavern is.
paizo link
All Stars Take On the Mega Dungeon (PFRPG)
Why its goodEd Greenwood, Monte Cook, Steven Schend (my first GM by the way), Brian Cortijo... nuff said.
Buy this if you ever run a dungeon you can loot it for great ideas even if you don't run it streat.
paizo link
Part 2 to come later (I am tired)
Steven Russell
Rite Publishing
The Genius Guide to Rune Staves and Wyrd Wands by Rogue Genius Games
Why It's Good: This book presents a brilliant system that allows casters to turn wands and staves into enchanted items that give bonuses to spells cast. Completely analogous to the weapon enhancement system for more martial types, and it does this in a balanced and awesome way.
Buy this if... you want more customization for your casters, who historically have only differentiated themselves by spell choice.
Paizo.com!
This is one of the books I came here to post about. Highly recommended.
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Part 2 Needs More Love (there will be a part 3)
Book of Beasts: Monsters of the Shadow Plane (PFRPG)
Why its good: Book of Beasts River Kingdom gets a lot of love, mostly because of kingmaker, but I like this better because these creatures can be dropped in anywhere, I also love that the creatures are presented with in character advice from Npcs who have encountered them. And we all know I love good flavor and good mechanics with a narrative.
Buy this if you like shadow magic or the plane of shadow is part of your games cosmology becuase like I said these can be in any campaign due to the plane of shadow touching all planes.
Paizo Link (in print and pdf)
Your Whispering Homunculus (PFRPG)
Why Its Good:Because its Richard Pett writing game aids, on par with Raging Swan's Dungeon Dressing. Midguard gets a lot of love, as does the kobold's guides, but to me this is one of the things that Kobold Press has done for Pathfinder that needs more love.
Buy this if you want to help suspend your players disbelief in your game world.
Paizo Link (in print and pdf)
Horns of the Hunted (PFRPG)
Why its good Because it is a plug in that makes the story of Kingmaker work better, it did something I had not seen before a plug in that did not just add on to the mechanics of a AP, but something that plugged into the story, and improved that story.
Buy this if Your running the Kingmaker adventure path
Paizo Link
NeoExodus: A House Divided Campaign Setting (PFRPG)
Why Its Good: Amazing Art, Amazing Layout, solid writing and its not a Lord of The Rings clone there are no elves, dwarves, halflings etc. NeoExodus is a truly unique campaign setting everyone should read.
Buy this if your like pretty books and your tired of the same old same old.
Paizo Link
A Necromancer's Almanac: 2012 (PFRPG)
Why Its Good: Necromaners of the Northwest make some of the best free stuff out there, and they are incredibly prolific so a collection of a whole year is just damn perfect.
Buy This If you enjoy a grab bag of cool stuff like a dragon magazine annual.
Paizo Link
Children of Wyrms
Why Its Good: - The layout and artwork in this book is Glorious. It also delves into the metalic half-dragon's background and ecology in a way I love, so much so I wanted more, but its not a players book to me its a GMs book, but I love it for that very reason.
Buy This If You want to have metallic half-dragons play a major role in your campaign.
DrivehtruRpg Link
All That Glitters
Why Its Good: Raging Swan Does dungeon dressing like no one's business but you won't always need it, In a standard fantasy adventure you will need treasure, and who wants boring old treasure.
Buy This If: You want to have treasure hoards that evoke awe and wonder.
Paizo Link Print and PDF
Steven D. Russell
Rite Publishing
Thanks for the mention on the Otyughnomicon series Steve. I has been a long time since I created a new release in that line. I should not be neglecting the poor otyugh like this.
We did get 12 templates into Monsters of Porphyra though, and there is one up on the Monsters of Porphyra II blog as well.
Dot for later submission
Darkness Without Form: Secrets of the Mimic (PFRPG)
Why Its Good: This is a great and useful monster ecology created by Clinton J. Boomer and Matt Banach. Plust its from Sean K. Reynolds games.
Buy This If: you like to make use of Mimics.
Paizo Link
Rhune: The Stormpunk Character Primer (PFRPG)
Why Its Good: Storm Bunny Studios is the poster child of need mores love, they make some of the highest quality books and yet no one seems to know about them, so here I give you something free, but you should really check out all the stuff.
Buy This If: you like FREE!
Paizo Link
Genius Guide to the Templar
Why Its Good: Owen K.C. Stepens has made so much good stuff (I am looking at you Time Thief) but one that does not get enough love but gets asked for all the time is alternate alignment paladins, well its been sitting here all the time in the form of the Template.
Buy This If: want to play divine warriors who are not Lawful Good
Paizo Link
Super Genius Presents: The Vile Magic of Argonax the Mad (PFRPG)
Why Its Good: Owen K.C. Stepens get's a lot of prop for his mechanics but here is an exmaple of his skills with fluff and why I consider him one of the best Game Designer's alive.
Buy This If: you want to make artifacts.
Paizo Link
Part 4 coming soon.
This thread is the cause of a rapid depletion of my funds :)
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I am biased, but I think this is pretty cool book that isn't often mentioned:
101 Boons (Rite Publishing)
Why it's good? This is a pile of non-monetary treasures with a stack of NPCs, many using different classes from Rite.
Buy this if: you want to expand the treasure options for your game and would like some non-standard NPCs.
Note that Ben McFarland (terraleon) wrote the 101 Boons (hence why he said he is biased).
Cityscapes (SkoSkortched Urf' Studios)
Why it's good? This expands the government types and setting qualities for settlements in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Buy this if: If you are looking to further define your game world using the settlement rules introduced in the Gamemastery Guide.
Dot
Part 1
The Road to Revolution: The Campaign (PFRPG) PDF
I am sure there is a printer version, I forgot where though.
It was available as POD from lulu at some point.
I second this is really a great campaign
Most, if not all, of 0one's stuff is available from Lulu. The ones I have came out looking quite nice.
Thanks for the shoutout on this one, Steve.
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Needs more Love (Part 4)
Forgotten Foes
Why Its Good: Really high quality writing, design and even Lore DCS for you monsters for a bunch of monsters that were not included in the Pathfinder Rpg, with really great art.
Buy This If: like a great monster book.
Paizo Link in print and pdf
It Came From the Stars Campaign Guide
Why Its Good: Amazing art, and some of the best writers in the industry who have both written for me and written for paizo: John Bennett, Clinton J. Boomer, Chuck DiTusa, Scott Gable, Michael Kortes, Colin McComb, Richard Pett, John Pingo, David Schwartz, and Mike Welham
Buy This If: you like hellboy and other lovecraftian goodness.
Paizo Link in print and pdf
Tome of Horrors 4
Why Its Good: Its from the same folks who brought you tome of horrors complete, but it has better full color art!
Buy This If: like a solid monster book.
Paizo Link in print and pdf
This is the end for now, until I read some more products that I feel need more love.
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Forgotten Foes
Why Its Good: Really high quality writing, design and even Lore DCS for you monsters for a bunch of monsters that were not included in the Pathfinder Rpg, with really great art.
Buy This If: like a great monster book.
Paizo Link in print and pdf
Books of this kind are always running just one step ahead of Paizo itself. I have a fondness for these kind of books just for the love that goes into them.
Dotting for later perusal and purchasing. :)
Name of Product: 101 New Skill Uses (Rite Publishing)
Why It's Good: Same skills, more uses!
Buy this if... Your players like to be creative with their skill uses. Many DCs are included and there is enough information provided to set your own when needed. Do you have that one player that tries to milk poison from everything they kill? There's a Survival DC just for that! Trying to tail someone without their knowing? There's a check for that too! In fact, there are 99 more skill uses to liven up your table.
Paizo Link