Ask All Your Starfinder Operational Questions Here


Customer Service

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Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Will there be Starfinder Subscriptions?
When does it release?
Can I pick up my pre-order at Gen Con?
Will there be a Pocket Edition of the Starfinder Corebook?
Will I get a free PDFs when preordering Starfinder books & maps?
When will I be charged for my Starfinder preorder?
Where can I offer feedback regarding Starfinder subscription option(s)?
Do you have information on Starfinder and VTT or other Licensed Product support?

As many of you have now seen, a number of new Starfinder products are now available for pre-order and lots of you have many questions! I have some answers and some stay-tuned-for-more-information answers. If you have a question about operational* aspects of Starfinder, post them!

Note, this is not a thread for speculation, refrain from answering other people's questions unless it is to link to something a Paizo employee has already said.

I'm going to try to build this thread a bit like an FAQ and edit this post to put in questions and link them to the post with my response.

Thanks,
Sara Marie

*Operational in this context means questions about the book's release, shipping, subscriptions, etc. I work soley in operations and I cannot answer any content related questions. There is an entire subforum related to those discussions here: http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoInc/starfinder

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Will there be Starfinder Subscriptions?

We are still in discussions about how Starfinder subscription(s) might operate. As soon as we are ready to discuss subscriptions, I am sure we will broadcast it loudly from the rooftops. In the meantime, if you want a copy of Starfinder books, I would say to go ahead and preorder them. In the next few months before the launch at Gen Con, if there is a subscription that you wish to sign up for, the process to switch from preorder copy to subscription copy will be made as easy and painless as possible for you.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

When does Starfinder release?

Currently we are planning for a Gen Con 2017 (Aug. 17) release of the Starfinder Core Rulebook as well as several Starfinder related products, including the first volume of the Dead Suns Adventure Path. Visit our Starfinder store page here: paizo.com/store/starfinder

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Can I pick up my pre-order at Gen Con?

While we previously have only offered product pick up for individuals who are subscribed to a product line with volumes releasing at Gen Con, we are revisiting our methodology and execution of pre-paid items at Gen Con. Stay tuned for more details!

Shadow Lodge

I tried preordering the Starfinder core rulebook, GM screen, and first adventure path, but the store software shows me as getting billed separate shipping for each item. Will I be billed separate shipping for each item? Or is there a way to combine shipments?


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Will there be PDFs with preordering.

Shadow Lodge

Also, I think the name of the adventure path is Dead Suns, not Dead Sun's.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Denara Taladas wrote:
I tried preordering the Starfinder core rulebook, GM screen, and first adventure path, but the store software shows me as getting billed separate shipping for each item. Will I be billed separate shipping for each item? Or is there a way to combine shipments?

Looks like this is a coding/product set up issue which we are investigating.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Will there be a Pocket Edition of the Starfinder Corebook?

We have no announced plans regarding Starfinder Pocket Editions at this time.


Will RPG Superstar be expanded to include Starfinder, or will you run a second separate contest for that?

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Will I get a free PDFs when preordering Starfinder books & maps?

Historically, we have only granted free PDFs with subscription copies of new releases or if there is a "bonus" product that is semi-attached to a subscription line and you have a subscription to that (ex: if you had the Adventure Path Subscription and preordered the new Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path compilation hardcover, you received the PDF for free). However, we have not announced either way for Starfinder preorders and I am not ready to commit to either direction at this time.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Will there be any sort of RPG SuperStarFinder?

RPG Superstar is more creative than operational and falls well outside of my wheelhouse. That being said, RPG Superstar is currently on hiatus, infer what you will from that about Starfinder.

Silver Crusade

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1) if you do offer subscriptions will there be a "Starfinder Advantage" discount similar to the Pathfinder Advantage?

1.a) if yes and you have both the Starfinder and Pathfinder Advantage would they stack or otherwise combine in some way?

1.b) if no will the Pathfinder Advantage apply to Starfinder products?

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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When will I be charged for my Starfinder preorder?

We will settle the charge against your payment method when your order(s) ship.


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Is there an appropriate place to offer suggestions as to what would work well for us regarding subscription option(s)?

Liberty's Edge

Will Starfinder be getting official Fantasy Grounds (and other VTT) support now that Pathfinder is? If so, will it happen out of the gate or at a later time? Thank you.

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC

Sara Marie wrote:
We are still in discussions about how Starfinder subscription(s) might operate. As soon as we are ready to discuss subscriptions, I am sure we will broadcast it loudly from the rooftops. In the meantime, if you want a copy of Starfinder books, I would say to go ahead and preorder them. In the next few months before the launch at Gen Con, if there is a subscription that you wish to sign up for, the process to switch from preorder copy to subscription copy will be made as easy and painless as possible for you.

Is there a good reason to go to this effort? Seems like extra work to go and pre-order all the items and then go back and effectively pre-order them again to sign up for a subscription. If there's a reason, it's clearly no problem for me, but I'd prefer to minimize my effort :)

Sara Marie wrote:
Folks, lets keep this product discussion thread focused on the product. If you have operational questions you can post them here Ask-All-Your-Starfinder-Operational-Questions.

Okay :)

As an aside, I had assumed the Ask-All-Your-Starfinder-Operational-Questions thread was about rules based on the title so I hadn't looked at it at all. Ooops!


Will Starfinder be available at some point using the Hero lab software as Pathfinder currently is?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Will Gencon affect the shipping?

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Rysky wrote:
1) if you do offer subscriptions will there be a "Starfinder Advantage" discount similar to the Pathfinder Advantage?

Will there be Starfinder Subscriptions?

We are still in discussions about how Starfinder subscription(s) might operate. As soon as we are ready to discuss subscriptions, I am sure we will broadcast it loudly from the rooftops.

Rysky wrote:
1.a) if yes and you have both the Starfinder and Pathfinder Advantage would they stack or otherwise combine in some way?

We have no announced plans for how Starfinder subscriptions might work, so we also have no plans on how any potential discount would interact with the Pathfinder Advantage.

Rysky wrote:
1.b) if no will the Pathfinder Advantage apply to Starfinder products?

Pathfinder Advantage covers almost everything on our site; most notably it excludes 3rd Party Published PDFs. If there is a purchase for Starfinder items on our site, since they are not 3rd Party Published PDFs, the 15% off the suggested retail price. Note: Pathfinder Advantage does not usually stack with other subscription or sale discounts.

Pathfinder Advantage Descrption.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Where can I offer feedback regarding Starfinder subscription option(s)?

If you would like to provide feedback on potential Starfinder Subscriptions options or benefits, you can email sara.marie@paizo.com.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Do you have information on Starfinder and VTT or other Licensed Product support?

Virtual Tabletop support, licensed Pathfinder partners (Hero Lab, Syrinscape, etc) are technological/licensed product questions and do not fall under my particular wing of the Operations Umbrella. As far as I know, we have no announced plans.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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gbonehead wrote:


Is there a good reason to go to this effort? Seems like extra work to go and pre-order all the items and then go back and effectively pre-order them again to sign up for a subscription. If there's a reason, it's clearly no problem for me, but I'd prefer to minimize my effort :)
...
As an aside, I had assumed the Ask-All-Your-Starfinder-Operational-Questions thread was about rules based on the title so I hadn't looked at it at all. Ooops!

My good reasons usually involve a heavy dose of paranoia and contingency/disaster planning. The best way to ensure you get the products is to pre-order them. Additionally, if you pre-order them, we will likely send you any pertinent information about any potential Starfinder subscriptions (provided you have your privacy settings set to allows us to email you). Pre-orders also allows us to gauge demand as well. Paizo will do its best to ensure there is as little extra work as possible on the subscriber's part to convert per-orders to subscriber copies.

Silver Crusade

*offers hugs*

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

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gbonehead wrote:
Sara Marie wrote:
We are still in discussions about how Starfinder subscription(s) might operate. As soon as we are ready to discuss subscriptions, I am sure we will broadcast it loudly from the rooftops. In the meantime, if you want a copy of Starfinder books, I would say to go ahead and preorder them. In the next few months before the launch at Gen Con, if there is a subscription that you wish to sign up for, the process to switch from preorder copy to subscription copy will be made as easy and painless as possible for you.
Is there a good reason to go to this effort? Seems like extra work to go and pre-order all the items and then go back and effectively pre-order them again to sign up for a subscription. If there's a reason, it's clearly no problem for me, but I'd prefer to minimize my effort :)

There have been a number of occasions in the past when we have offered products before we introduced subscriptions that includes those products. In those cases, when somebody who had preordered such a product subscribed, we would essentially treat the first preordered copy as the first subscription copy. (Which is to say, if you preordered 1 and then subscribed, you'd get 1 and not 2. If you preordered 2 and then subscribed, you'd get 1 copy with any subscription benefits plus 1 additional copy, and you'd just get 1 copy of future subscription items.) We expect to do that same thing here.

Silver Crusade

Yay!

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

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Sara Marie wrote:

Do you have information on Starfinder and VTT or other Licensed Product support?

Virtual Tabletop support, licensed Pathfinder partners (Hero Lab, Syrinscape, etc) are technological/licensed product questions and do not fall under my particular wing of the Operations Umbrella. As far as I know, we have no announced plans.

Without speaking specifically on behalf of any particular licensee (as their situations do vary), they're all aware of Starfinder and are determining how and when it might fit into their plans. We have announced our first three translation partners:

French (Black Book Editions)
German (Ulisses Spiele)
Italian (Giochi Uniti)


Sara Marie wrote:

Can I pick up my pre-order at Gen Con?

While we previously have only offered product pick up for individuals who are subscribed to a product line with volumes releasing at Gen Con, we are revisiting our methodology and execution of pre-paid items at Gen Con. Stay tuned for more details!

If I preorder now, arranging to have the book shipped to my house, and you later opt to allow these books to be picked up at GenCon, will I be able to change my preorder to pick it up there instead?

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC

Sara Marie wrote:
gbonehead wrote:


Is there a good reason to go to this effort? Seems like extra work to go and pre-order all the items and then go back and effectively pre-order them again to sign up for a subscription. If there's a reason, it's clearly no problem for me, but I'd prefer to minimize my effort :)
My good reasons usually involve a heavy dose of paranoia and contingency/disaster planning. The best way to ensure you get the products is to pre-order them ...
Vic Wertz wrote:
There have been a number of occasions in the past when we have offered products before we introduced subscriptions that includes those products. In those cases, when somebody who had preordered such a product subscribed, we would essentially treat the first preordered copy as the first subscription copy. (Which is to say, if you preordered 1 and then subscribed, you'd get 1 and not 2. If you preordered 2 and then subscribed, you'd get 1 copy with any subscription benefits plus 1 additional copy, and you'd just get 1 copy of future subscription items.) We expect to do that same thing here.

All entirely reasonable. Sold :)

(Though I'm still hoping someday there will be a Just Send Me All The Stuff Dammit! subscription level - every once in a while I get caught out - like when the subscription to the PFS events started.)

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I pre-ordered everything, but if they do not do subscriptions I will be paring down my order. I like getting the products every month WITH a free PDF.


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

One obvious question is how many of these August releases would be part of the overall Starfinder subscription, assuming that there is only one as the seminars last year indicated. I might have to postpone subscribing if the subscription's August items include anything beyond the Core Rulebook, the AP, and First Contact.

Light bulb just went on: Maybe that is why First Contact might not be available before August?

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Brooks wrote:
If I preorder now, arranging to have the book shipped to my house, and you later opt to allow these books to be picked up at GenCon, will I be able to change my preorder to pick it up there instead?

Gen Con Pick up is generally a opt-in for subscribers and something we offer closer to the convention. Historically, you just go visit your My Subscription page and click the option for "Yes, I'd like to pick up my subscription items at Gen Con." Whatever you have listed as your address is overwritten by "picking up at Gen Con."


Sara Marie wrote:
Gen Con Pick up is generally a opt-in for subscribers and something we offer closer to the convention. Historically, you just go visit your My Subscription page and click the option for "Yes, I'd like to pick up my subscription items at Gen Con." Whatever you have listed as your address is overwritten by "picking up at Gen Con."

I was under the impression that you were considering revising the subscription only GenCon pickup. Is that still the case?

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

So I just preordered everything. And I just want to bring this up early. I am expecting to have access to whatever is available at gencon even though I can't go to gencon. I have had many issues with you guys over this in the past, and is the reason I took a long hiatus from you. If a product is available at gencon for the public to buy, then all subscriptions and preorders should have been filled.

Now I understand that isn't always possible, and it would be suicide to not have new product at gencon. I've suggested giving out the PDFs, but you don't. I understand the reluctance to give out a PDF, as someone could then cancel the order for a physical product.

So I have a suggestion and want to know if its feasible. If you cant fulfill an order for the physical books by gencon, charge the normal price for the PDF. Then when the physical ships, discount it the price of the PDF.

Please please dont fail me again this year. It really sucks to not get your stuff when others can buy it at gencon

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Drowranger80, While we do our best every year to get all our preorders and subscriptions mailed out by the release date, we have a lot of orders to get out in a very limited amount of time and we cannot make any guarantees that an individual order will arrive, or sometimes even be completely shipped, by the release date.

As for part two, we have no automatic mechanism to preform that kind of task. You are more than welcome to call our customer service to cancel an order as long as it has not been processed for shipping. Since we don't charge until we process for shipping, you would then be able to order the PDFs at your own discretion. I would recommend calling if you have an urgentrequest around the Gen Con timeframe as our ability to respond to email requests gets particularly unpredictable during that period.

We also understand that for some Pathfinder and Starfinder fans, our fulfillment process is not ideal and if you choose to make alternative arrangement just let us know and we're happy to assist with editing or canceling orders.


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Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Are there any plans for prepainted plastic miniatures for Starfinder?

In regard to the spaceship pawns -- Will they require the plastic bases, or are they meant to lie flat on the starfield map?


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David knott 242 wrote:

Are there any plans for prepainted plastic miniatures for Starfinder?

In regard to the spaceship pawns -- Will they require the plastic bases, or are they meant to lie flat on the starfield map?

I second those questions.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook Subscriber

Ok. First, i really hope you didnt read my last post an attack, cause i didnt mean it like that. But as i said you guys have failed me multple years in a row. I appreciate its a stressful time. Im not asking for miracles, just a better solution. Most years you guys havent even started the shipping process for me by gencon, denying me even the pdfs. Last year i think it took almost a month to get my august shippment.
And let me reiterate that its really not fair to loyal and long time customers to not get subscribed or preordered products before the general public because they cant afford to go to a convention half way across the country.

Let me reiterate, we need a better solution!! I dont want to cancel the order. And i also dont want to pay for pdfs im gonna get for free later. Ive brought this up early so we can all find a solution to satisfy everyone. And i hope other customers agree.

Silver Crusade

>_>

Then subscribe/preorder.

You say you aren't attacking but then you keep saying Paizo has "failed" you by not going above and beyond during convention season, which is not general public, but people paid money and set aside times to go to a special event, people who are also long time customers, subscribers, and pre-ordered.

And they also don't "deny" you the PDFs.


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Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Early shipping is not an advertised subscriber benefit. It usually works out that way, but sometimes you may have your stuff shipped to you after it releases elsewhere for various reasons (due to putting other things in your sidecart, or just because they have a lot of orders to put out and yours ended up being on the last day or two of the shipping window).

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

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Rannik wrote:
David knott 242 wrote:

Are there any plans for prepainted plastic miniatures for Starfinder?

In regard to the spaceship pawns -- Will they require the plastic bases, or are they meant to lie flat on the starfield map?

I second those questions.

We have not yet announced a license for prepainted plastic miniatures. Stay tuned.

From the Starfinder Pawn Collection product description: "Each cardstock pawn slots into a size-appropriate plastic base from the Starfinder Pawns Base Assortment or any Pathfinder Pawns Bestiary Box, making the pawns easy to mix with traditional metal or plastic miniatures, and come numbered and labeled for easy sorting."

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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No worries, I did not view your post as an attack, I see it instead as a post from someone who clearly is not satisfied with how shipping around Gen Con has worked for them in the past, and understandably so! I'm a prolific online shopper and I completely empathize with customers waiting for new releases to arrive and knowing other packages are getting shipped during a busy time, while your package sits pending.

Our conundrum here though, is that we have a limited time frame in which we can ship Gen Con releases. If we start too early we may not even have everything in our warehouse, or we have large swaths of customers who have the book 3-4 weeks in advance. We can't do that and maintain good relationships with other retailers or most of our subscribers.

Quote:
Most years you guys havent even started the shipping process for me

The last handful of years, usually by opening day of Gen Con (with some notable and very stressful exceptions) we have already been shipping out subscriber copies and preorders for nearly 2 weeks. We try to buff up on temporary workers during that time, but throwing more bodies at shipping during the Gen Con rush has a point of diminishing returns. It might work to bring in 3-4 temporary warehouse packers, but because warehouse fulfillment is skilled labor, there's a limited amount of tasks untrained folks can do. There will always be a finite limit on how many packages can be packed and how many we can physically hand off to the postal services on a given day. We are limited by truck size, loading dock size, the number of skilled workers we can have packing orders without interfering with each other's work.

We might not have shipped your package by opening day of Gen Con, but we've been pumping out thousands of other customer's orders at that point.

With regards to the free PDFs that come with some of our subscriptions, its a benefit that is added to your account's downloads when your order ships. Trying to create contingency methods that don't use up precious software development time, or don't tax our small customer service staff is unfortunately not something we currently have the resources to devote to. The opportunity costs of trying to adjust how those subscription benefits function are too high.

I understand and fully empathize that the way Paizo has worked around Gen Con's release has not worked for you. And while I would love to find a solution that works perfectly for everyone, the upshot is that with the resources we have we may not be able to get everything shipped by the first day of Gen Con. Its not something I want to have happen, and we do work within our business model to try to do better every year, so I hope you can understand I'm not advocating for things to stay the same, just trying to provide context so you can make an informed decision about where you choose to pre-order from.


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Consider this a favorite of Sara's deleted post. (I didn't think it broke any guidelines. :p)


Vic Wertz wrote:
Rannik wrote:
David knott 242 wrote:

Are there any plans for prepainted plastic miniatures for Starfinder?

In regard to the spaceship pawns -- Will they require the plastic bases, or are they meant to lie flat on the starfield map?

I second those questions.

We have not yet announced a license for prepainted plastic miniatures. Stay tuned.

From the Starfinder Pawn Collection product description: "Each cardstock pawn slots into a size-appropriate plastic base from the Starfinder Pawns Base Assortment or any Pathfinder Pawns Bestiary Box, making the pawns easy to mix with traditional metal or plastic miniatures, and come numbered and labeled for easy sorting."

Thanks, even though this is a somewhat vague answer, I'll still take it. I've been following every thread about Starfinder for a while and been asking about that here and there with no response. So something like at least give me hope that it's not a straight "No".

I know that some people like the Pawns for multiple reasons. (cost and space to name the 2 big one.) but I like my pre-painted minis. I've bought every single case of Pathfinder minis so far. Even bought the promos and a few extra singles on the website. So I am really hoping to see some Starfinder minis. In an earlier post in another Thread I even suggested making the ship in the same way of the dungeon dressing. Or maybe in some other format like the gravity box you guys did.

Now for the new question. If Paizo decides to do some Starfinder minis. Would it be possible to have a release date for 2017 or would (if it happens at all) to be more of a 2018 product. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to go from selecting to the minis to the ship out date. What I don't know is how long does this process take. The reason I'm asking is to plan my disposable income ahead of time and to see what would be the best date to start my new Startfinder campaign.

I know I'm asking a lot and that I might not have any answers to those, but I'm just looking forward to playing this!!

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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Steve Geddes wrote:
Consider this a favorite of Sara's deleted post. (I didn't think it broke any guidelines. :p)

Just needed a bit of feedback/editing from other CS people before I posted it publicly :)

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

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David knott 242 wrote:

One obvious question is how many of these August releases would be part of the overall Starfinder subscription, assuming that there is only one as the seminars last year indicated. I might have to postpone subscribing if the subscription's August items include anything beyond the Core Rulebook, the AP, and First Contact.

Light bulb just went on: Maybe that is why First Contact might not be available before August?

First Contact is the Free RPG Day product so it has certain time limits on when we can offer it for purchase.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

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Right now, we really don't have anything we can say about Starfinder minis beyond the previous "Stay tuned."


Vic Wertz wrote:
Right now, we really don't have anything we can say about Starfinder minis beyond the previous "Stay tuned."

I understand, and I won't pry again.... for a few weeks. ;)

But you can't blame a guy for trying to get some info about a line of product he cares about. And so far I haven't been disapointed by any of your products, so I'll just keep my finger crossed.


If I preorder now can I use the RAINY day 10% discount, even though I won't be charged until it ships?


Randall Rapp wrote:
If I preorder now can I use the RAINY day 10% discount, even though I won't be charged until it ships?

No.

Store blog wrote:
This discount does stack with Pathfinder Advantage, but does not apply to subscriptions, preorders, or downloads from companies other than Paizo.

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