What is Happening With the PF Tales Line?!?!?

[BenS]

JoelF847 wrote:

At Paizo Con I believe it was stated that there are 5 books ready to go but unpublished, but they're eager to let them see the light of day.

I am also eager to let them see the light of day!

[Elegos]

One of them is the 4th in Chris Jacksons Pirate series. I need it so badly.

[Rysky]

Same.

[Chris A Jackson]

Elegos wrote:

One of them is the 4th in Chris Jacksons Pirate series. I need it so badly.

Yes...You really do. I'm very proud of that book (and there's one more in the works, too).

[Rysky]

Chris A Jackson wrote:

Elegos wrote:

One of them is the 4th in Chris Jacksons Pirate series. I need it so badly.

Yes...You really do. I'm very proud of that book (and there's one more in the works, too).

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rknop]

Different setting, different characters, but same author, and if you liked the Golarion pirate books, there's a good chance you'll like "The Queen's Scourge".

http://www.jaxbooks.com/out-of-print-books-available/

Sadly, it's listed as out of print, but there are some copies left.

[Lord Fyre]

rknop wrote:

Different setting, different characters, but same author, and if you liked the Golarion pirate books, there's a good chance you'll like "The Queen's Scourge".

link

Sadly, it's listed as out of print, but there are some copies left.

Fixed it for you.

[Nomadical]

Steve Geddes wrote:

I also think the plan is to keep the flavour/lore of Golarion almost entirely unchanged between editions anyhow. As such, I don’t think there’s going to be much discernible difference between a PF1 novel and a PF2 novel.

According to John Compton during the PF Org Play panel at PaizoCon, the world lore does indeed continue uninterrupted between 1e and 2e. For Organized Play, there will be a special multi-table Special at the end of Season 10. This Special doesn't have an official name yet, but the internal nickname is "The Grinder."

The intent is that the Grinder will serve as a means of explaining why there are so few higher level characters, similar to how the Scoured Stars Incident explains why there are no high-level characters at the beginning of Starfinder. People in the 2e world will be able to say, "Wow, the Pathfinders gave so much and so many died, there aren't many left."

[Douglas Muir 406]

One, there may not be a way forward. There may simply not be a publisher that fits their needs.

Two, they may simply not have the bandwidth to solve the problem. They've been super distracted for the last year, and that's going to get worse before it gets better.

Doug M.

[Belabras]

Conversely, maybe the triumphant return of the Tales line will be part of the big push on 2e.

[Rysky]

We can hope ^w^

[ElvenDancer]

I'm glad we won't see a huge change between 1e and 2e (I'm used to Forgotten Realms, with a drastic shift every edition), but will the PF Tales reflect the changes that *are* there, if there are any?

[Vic Wertz]

It's all one continuity, and forthcoming changes in the setting are mainly solidifying things that have happened in the last decade. For example, if we say that Wrath of the Righteous has now officially "happened," and so the Worldwound is closed, then in any fiction set "now," the Worldwound would be closed. (That doesn't preclude the possibility of stories set before the Worldwound closed, of course.)

[GeraintElberion]

I wish we still had the online fiction, then the Worldwound Gambit characters could return to see the rebuilding of Sarkoris.

[Shadowfax96]

Any news on this since June? I somehow just discovered Pathfinder Tales and powered through the Dave Gross Radovan and the Count novels (anybody know if he has more planned?), and I'm hungry for more, planning on reading all the other Tales content in the meantime.

[ElvenDancer]

Shadowfax96 wrote:

Any news on this since June? I somehow just discovered Pathfinder Tales and powered through the Dave Gross Radovan and the Count novels (anybody know if he has more planned?), and I'm hungry for more, planning on reading all the other Tales content in the meantime.

I haven't read all of them yet, either, but I have them all. James Sutter's Death's Heretic and Redemption Engine are also really good.

[Chris A Jackson]

rknop wrote:

Different setting, different characters, but same author, and if you liked the Golarion pirate books, there's a good chance you'll like "The Queen's Scourge".

http://www.jaxbooks.com/out-of-print-books-available/

Sadly, it's listed as out of print, but there are some copies left.

Been a while since I've been on the boards, but thanks for this. "The Queen's Scourge" has gone out of print because the publisher folded. The book has been re-written for my own world (not many real changes to the story, just the world) and re-released as "The Pirate's Scourge" Look for it on Amazon, or drop by Jaxbooks for a taste. It's the first in a new series, the Blood Sea Tales. Thanks very much!

[DustynB]

ElvenDancer wrote:

Shadowfax96 wrote:

Any news on this since June? I somehow just discovered Pathfinder Tales and powered through the Dave Gross Radovan and the Count novels (anybody know if he has more planned?), and I'm hungry for more, planning on reading all the other Tales content in the meantime.

I haven't read all of them yet, either, but I have them all. James Sutter's Death's Heretic and Redemption Engine are also really good.

Be sure to check out the Liar's books! Rodrick and Hrym are the greatest fantasy buddy duo ever! It has quite a bit of action but it is hilarious which pushes it up to fantasy gold.

[Douglas Muir 406]

Coming up on two years now.

There's a spectrum from "temporary pause" through "indefinite hiatus" to "definitely cancelled". It's difficult to say where we are on that line just now. But it's really hard to see Paizo picking this up again before Second Edition is well launched, and at that point we're passing the three year mark.

Doug M.

[Rysky]

It's possible they'll rebrand them for 2e's launch, or "cancel" the line and start up a Starfinder Tales or equivalent and then relaunch later.

Or have a "Paizo Publishing Tales" that puts out stories for both.

[Douglas Muir 406]

It's possible. It's also possible that they'll bring back Planet Stories, the module line, and RPG Superstar. And I might get offered a really awesome job in Barbados next week. All those things are possible.

But I don't think any of them seem very likely right now.

Doug M.

[Douglas Muir 406]

Take a step back: the underlying problem is that Paizo is not a book publishing company. Publishing books -- actual novels of the sort that you buy in a bookstore or from Amazon or to read on your Kindle -- publishing books requires a whole set of specialized skills that Paizo doesn't have. So, they're not going to self-publish a "Paizo Publishing Tales". That's just not going to happen. And *that is okay*, gang. Paizo should stick to what it's good at. We want Paizo to be healthy and succeed. So that means Paizo must find an actual, existing book publisher and make a deal with them.

They had a deal with Tor. But it didn't work out. So they've been looking for another publisher.

But here's the thing: there aren't that many publishers who can do something like this. You want someone who's reputable, someone who has experience with fantasy, and someone who can distribute widely. There are probably also some Paizo-specific requirements that we're not aware of. I doubt the resulting list of publishers is very long.

In two years, they haven't been able to find a publisher to replace Tor. That suggests either (1) they haven't really been trying, or (2) they've been trying but without success. Option (1) sounds uncharitable but it's been a busy time -- and if you want Pathfinder Tales back, (1) is the more hopeful option! Because if it's (2), then you can probably forget about it. If they've been looking for two years, and they haven't found a publisher that suits their needs, there probably isn't one.

So, the optimistic scenario is that they've had PFT on the back shelf for a while, but will come back to it once things have settled a bit. Which will certainly not be until PF 2 is properly launched, which means at least a year from now. The pessimistic scenario is that they've already tried and have failed. In neither scenario does "New Tales for the launch of 2e!" seem likely. I know it's fun to think about! And so is that awesome job in Barbados. But I'm not rushing out to renew my scuba diving license.

Doug M

[Ed Reppert]

I wonder if they've talked to Toni Weisskopf over at Baen Books. Probably not that good a fit — baen is a science fiction publisher, but who knows?

[Steve Geddes]

Douglas Muir 406 wrote:

Take a step back: the underlying problem is that Paizo is not a book publishing company. Publishing books -- actual novels of the sort that you buy in a bookstore or from Amazon or to read on your Kindle -- publishing books requires a whole set of specialized skills that Paizo doesn't have. So, they're not going to self-publish a "Paizo Publishing Tales". That's just not going to happen. And *that is okay*, gang. Paizo should stick to what it's good at. We want Paizo to be healthy and succeed. So that means Paizo must find an actual, existing book publisher and make a deal with them.

I suspect they will stick to their guns and look for an external publisher, however it's worth noting that they do have the skills necessary - they self-published as many PFTales books (more even?) than they published through Tor.

As I understand it, the shift was not so much "We can't do this" as an attempt to broaden the market appeal and reach a larger audience.

I don't think they're going to look backwards, but Paizo have been a book publishing company and could go back to that from a proficiency perspective. I suspect they don't want to, but that's not quite the same thing.

[Douglas Muir 406]

Steve Geddes wrote:

I suspect they will stick to their guns and look for an external publisher, however it's worth noting that they do have the skills necessary - they self-published as many PFTales books (more even?) than they published through Tor.

As I understand it, the shift was not so much "We can't do this" as an attempt to broaden the market appeal and reach a larger audience.

Fair enough. But now they've had two years to think about switching back to self-publishing. They haven't done it. That probably means there are one or more compelling reasons for them not to: it takes too much bandwidth, it's not cost-effective, they can't reach the broader audience they want, whatever.

Look, I won't say it's completely hopeless. Over on the module line, Cradle of Night has gone to the printer and should come out sometime in the next 90 days. Of course it was delayed for over a year, and there's no module announced for after it. So right now it looks like CoN might be the last module ever. But hey, it's finally coming out! So maybe PF Tales will come back too.

But every passing month makes that less likely. If the problem hasn't been fixed in two years, either it's really not a priority, or it's a really hard problem.

Doug M.

[Steve Geddes]

Yeah, I agree with you. I was just being pedantic, really.

[Rysky]

Douglas Muir 406 wrote:

Fair enough. But now they've had two years to think about switching back to self-publishing. They haven't done it.

Coincidentally Second Edition has been in development for two years. And there's certainly going to be openings for products next year with no Hardcovers coming out*...

*for awhile anyway.

[Belabras]

I'd settle for a return of the web fiction.

[Rysky]

Belabras wrote:

I'd settle for a return of the web fiction.

I loved the Web Fiction... but those didn't make money.

I wonder if a PDF only subscription of the Tales line would be viable?

[GeraintElberion]

There’s no line editor at the moment.

When they appoint a new one, we’ll know it is back on.

[Douglas Muir 406]

GeraintElberion wrote:

There’s no line editor at the moment.

When they appoint a new one, we’ll know it is back on.

On this topic, Chris Jackson said the following, earlier this year:

"There is an "editor" for the line lined up (when James left, I was told who that would be, and I have complete confidence in that person's abilities, but I'm not really able to say who that is.)... this person is doing other things, but is ready to step into that role. The fact is, there really is nothing to edit at this point (the orphaned books are in various stages of done-ness, some are complete except for cover art and back-matter, others need a final edit) but until the line is going again, naming an editor for the line is a bit like naming a pilot for a plane that is sitting in a hanger."

So, FYI. Mind, that was seven months ago.

Doug M.

[Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan]

Elegos wrote:

He also joked during a panel that archetypes never made it into novels and that if they did they might have sold better. Which implies sales figures might be part of the reason that the lines in limbo atm.

In at least one book, there was a very recognizable archetype quite front and center: an Urban Druid. Not only was she clearly an Urban Druid, in a couple instances you could tell precisely when she gained a new level, as she displayed new abilities.

[Elegos]

I should clarify: Archetype STATS never made it into the novels. There are several characters with identifiable archetypes.

[Chris A Jackson]

rknop wrote:

Different setting, different characters, but same author, and if you liked the Golarion pirate books, there's a good chance you'll like "The Queen's Scourge".

http://www.jaxbooks.com/out-of-print-books-available/

Sadly, it's listed as out of print, but there are some copies left.

Just so everyone knows, this novel has been rewritten in my own world and republished. It is now titled "The Pirate's Scourge" and two sequels are in the works. You can get a taste at Jaxbooks.com. Enjoy!

[Rysky]

Chris A Jackson wrote:

rknop wrote:

Different setting, different characters, but same author, and if you liked the Golarion pirate books, there's a good chance you'll like "The Queen's Scourge".

http://www.jaxbooks.com/out-of-print-books-available/

Sadly, it's listed as out of print, but there are some copies left.

Just so everyone knows, this novel has been rewritten in my own world and republished. It is now titled "The Pirate's Scourge" and two sequels are in the works. You can get a taste at Jaxbooks.com. Enjoy!

Awesome!!!

[Sara Marie]

Removed a post and replies to it. Paizo employees (current and former), authors, artists, and other people from RPG industry actively engage with or read the paizo.com forums. It is unacceptable to call or advocate for people in our community to be fired from their jobs.

[Amanda Plageman]

Zahir ibn Mahmoud ibn Jothan wrote:

Elegos wrote:

He also joked during a panel that archetypes never made it into novels and that if they did they might have sold better. Which implies sales figures might be part of the reason that the lines in limbo atm.

In at least one book, there was a very recognizable archetype quite front and center: an Urban Druid. Not only was she clearly an Urban Druid, in a couple instances you could tell precisely when she gained a new level, as she displayed new abilities.

I loved that! I realize that the Tales are intended to have appeal for generic fantasy readers, rather than just Pathfinder fans, and therefore actual mechanics have little to no place in them, but I still loved that. It was like a little 'in joke' for the fans.

Really, that was about the only thing I would change about the Tales line. I'd love to see something like an appendix in the back of each book, giving a character sheet for the main characters. Actual new content, like the stuff in the comic books would be great, but would probably be a big hassle, so I'm not asking for it.

But how cool would it be to see Radovan's sheet from Prince of Wolves, then see how it evolves through the series to Lord of Runes? Or, the sheets could even be a downloadable thing, like the Tales chronicle sheets for PFS- maybe even part of the same document? Call me crazy, but I suspect that even if the various authors haven't actually made sheets for their characters, they probably have a pretty good idea what the sheets would look like....

[Cpt_kirstov]

Amanda Plageman wrote:

Really, that was about the only thing I would change about the Tales line. I'd love to see something like an appendix in the back of each book, giving a character sheet for the main characters. Actual new content, like the stuff in the comic books would be great, but would probably be a big hassle, so I'm not asking for it.

But how cool would it be to see Radovan's sheet from Prince of Wolves, then see how it evolves through the series to Lord of Runes?

Its interesting to see the sheets people made for the Dave Gross contest a few years ago. it showed how we view the characters as different levels sometimes.

Radovan's Prince of Wolves stats were actually statted out in a Official article in Kobald Quarterly.

[DaveMage]

Cpt_kirstov wrote:

Radovan's Prince of Wolves stats were actually statted out in a Official article in Kobald Quarterly.

KQ14, page 12. :)

[Themetricsystem]

Aaaaaany news here Vic? Lisa?

I grew up reading TSR Fiction and I LOVED the Tales books put out for Pathfinder.

Is there any progress on maybe getting some quality fiction back into print again?

[Elorebaen]

Would love to see these start back up!

[DDragonWarden]

Themetricsystem wrote:

Is there any progress on maybe getting some quality fiction back into print again?

It would be nice for not only the readers but the people who want to write Pathfinder Tales to get some news. Please.

[DustynB]

Really supprised Paizo didn't capitalize on putting a few more books out to go with the Pathfinder PC RPG... I heard on Reddit Pathfinder Tales is being traded out for Starfinder Tales. That wouldn't be to bad if true...

[Ed Reppert]

"I heard on Reddit..."

That rumor may turn out to be true. I hope not.

[Rysky]

It’d be a good idea atm anyway, with the way publishing books attached to media works.

Pump out Starfinder Tales, then reintroduce Pathfinder Tales once the line has been built back up.

[Adam Ladehoff]

Pathfinder Tales is what keeps me interested in Pathfinder RPG and the genre as a whole, so I sincerely hope they work out their issues.

And also print physical versions so I don't have to stare at a screen.

Keep up the good work Paizo!