Pathfinder 2E Kingmaker Preorders Open

Including the Pathfinder 2E version of the classic adventure path, along with bestiaries which enable you to use the AP with both Pathfinder 1E and with D&D 5E, Paizo has opened pre-orders for a revised version of its most popuar campaign. In addition, you can pick up kindom management tools map packs, and pawns, with 13 products in total available.

September 22, 2022 (REDMOND, Wash.) – Paizo Inc., publisher of the Pathfinder and Starfinder Roleplaying games, has opened preorders for the massive Pathfinder Kingmaker Adventure Path suite of products at PathfinderKingmaker.com. The set presents a full-length campaign that chronicles the rise of a new nation—a kingdom built and ruled by the player characters—and contains 13 products with over 1000 pages of expanded and updated tabletop roleplay game adventure material based on the Pathfinder First Edition Kingmaker Adventure Path and the Owlcat computer game adaptation. It will be available to purchase on October 26 at game and bookstores worldwide and at paizo.com.

Over a decade ago, the Pathfinder Kingmaker Adventure Path helped lead the way with an open-ended "sandbox" style adventure that encouraged exploration and conquest in a rugged wilderness. Its open-world narrative and kingdom-building elements gave players and Game Masters unparalleled freedom to explore and shape the world with their heroic actions. It became one of the best-selling and most beloved campaigns in Pathfinder's history.

In past years, Paizo published hardcover collections of the popular Rise of the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne campaigns, returning beloved out-of-print favorites updated with new bridging material, new illustrations and maps, errata, and numerous additional improvements. This release brings Kingmaker into the same fold, bigger and better than ever before.

The expansion includes content from Owlcat Games’ best-selling computer game adaptation of the Kingmaker campaign added new adventures, new mysteries, and more than a dozen new companions to accompany the players as they expand their holdings from a single fortress to a burgeoning empire.

This multi-product release includes Pathfinder Kingmaker Adventure Path, a massive new deluxe limited-edition hardcover compilation updated to the latest Pathfinder rules. The Kingmaker Companion Guide presents seven fully detailed companions inspired by the Kingmaker video game, ready to provide all sorts of assistance, each accompanied by a fully detailed personalized adventure to go along with their story. The Kingmaker Bestiary 1st Edition and Kingmaker Bestiary 5th Edition help those who prefer to convert the adventure to their games. The suite includes many additional accessories to enhance play!

Players can find detailed descriptions on each product on the site:

• Pathfinder Kingmaker Adventure Path (P2)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Adventure Path Special Edition (P2)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Bestiary (First Edition) (P1)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Bestiary (Fifth Edition) (5E)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Companion Guide (P2)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Companion Guide Special Edition (P2)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Kingdom Management Screen (P2)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Kingdom Management Tracker (P2)
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Poster Map Folio
• Pathfinder Kingmaker Pawn Box
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Kingmaker Adventure Path Campsite Multi-Pack
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Kingmaker Adventure Path Noble Manor Multi-Pack
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Kingmaker Adventure Path River Kingdoms Ruins Multi-Pack

Soon, you can face off against bands of bloodthirsty bandits, deadly and dangerous monsters, and mysterious menaces from other realities as you fight to claim the Stolen Lands as your own. Will you rule with justice and mercy, or will you become the very monsters you fought to oppose? In the Kingmaker Adventure Path, the destiny of the world’s newest nation is yours to decide!

Preorder today at PathfinderKingmaker.com.

 

[payn]

We enjoyed the sandbox hexcrawl - it was the clunky marriage to a strategic ruler sim we found less enjoyable.

When we discussed whether or not to continue playing the series, the only things my players had enjoyed were the things I had put in myself. Hard to discuss specifics without spoilers, though. Different strokes, I guess.

Edit: Probably worth underlining that this campaign was torpedoed by lockdown, so there may well be an element of bitter grapes here.

Oh if the kingdom sim was an issue I can understand. We did find those rules a bit rough. That is typical of Paizo AP experimental rules they use in them.

 

[Paragon Lost]

Ouch, it’s not cheap though. $150 dollars plus delivery for just the core book and 5e bestiary.

The pdf version won’t be released until later and won’t come along with the book like it normally does with Paizo products so I’m just gonna wait for that.

Yep, I tend to go the I want it all physical/pdf route and I noted it was kinda broken up and things not offered together. So while I'd love to get it all, I'm probably going to pass unless late one night I fail my saving throw.

 

[doctorhook]

We enjoyed the sandbox hexcrawl - it was the clunky marriage to a strategic ruler sim we found less enjoyable.

Edit: Probably worth underlining that this campaign was torpedoed by lockdown, so there may well be an element of bitter grapes here. That said, I still feel it is a pretty flawed campaign.

Fair enough!

I love sandbox/hexcrawl style games, and I do wonder how well a game with advancement like PF2e (or 5E for that matter) could translate to gameplay like that. Players in modern systems presume advancement will occur just by showing up and playing, but in OS sandboxing you’ve gotta actually pick a direction and make progress. So I take your criticism well.

 

[TheSword]

Don’t forget those modules also had additional bestiaries, Magic item compendiums, fiction and new rules articles/setting articles beyond the AP. The actual AP element was usually only 60% of the product.

I’ll definitely be waiting for the PDF. Particularly for a campaign that is realistically only going to be played once. Most APs aren’t 1-20 levels by the way. They usually finish much earlier than that.

 

[payn]

Don’t forget those modules also had additional bestiaries, Magic itr
Compendiums, fiction and new rules articles/setting articles beyond the AP. The actual AP element was usually only 60% of the product.

I’ll definitely be waiting for the PDF. Particularly for a campaign that is realistically only going to be played once. Most APs aren’t 1-20 levels by the way. They usually finish much earlier than that.

In the PF1 era, yes. I also prefer PDFs but a lot of folks hate them. The one item I do recommend for F2F is the pawns. Those a re a great item to have for running any AP F2F.

 

[Mercador]

I loved the APs in general, but few were as popular as KM. So, who knows?

Rise of the Runelords was quite popular isn't it?

 

[payn]

Rise of the Runelords was quite popular isn't it?

Yes, that sort of has been the default classic. It certainly would be a candidate. It got a sequel too, so sky is the limit.

 

[Mercador]

They have a lot of well-regarded APs, many of which could probably benefit from a second edition to polish things up a bit. I think this is absolutely a test, as is creating three versions of the crunch. If one of those versions lags in sales (they'd have to use the Pathfinder 2E companion book as their point of comparison to the 1E and 5E bestiaries in this case), I wouldn't be surprised to see that version go softcover or even digital-only for future conversions.

Let's do an hypothesis; if the 5E version sold more than PF2 (or even the original one), I wonder if Paizo could decide to be a content-only creator, like no more PF rules books. PF1 in front of DnD4e was good but PF2 in front of DnD5e is difficult, no matter how good is PF2.

 

[payn]

Let's do an hypothesis; if the 5E version sold more than PF2 (or even the original one), I wonder if Paizo could decide to be a content-only creator, like no more PF rules books. PF1 in front of DnD4e was good but PF2 in front of DnD5e is difficult, no matter how good is PF2.

I highly doubt it. The AP subscription line, at least has been, the bread and butter for Pathfinder and Paizo. I think PF2 would have to be in dire straights for Paizo to abandon it and go 5E subs instead. Folks often think rule books are the leader, but they aint for PF.

 

[doctorhook]

Let's do an hypothesis; if the 5E version sold more than PF2 (or even the original one), I wonder if Paizo could decide to be a content-only creator, like no more PF rules books. PF1 in front of DnD4e was good but PF2 in front of DnD5e is difficult, no matter how good is PF2.

It’s certainly tough to get noticed alongside the brand-juggernaut that is D&D. Especially when the one-line pitch is hard to distinguish from D&D—

• “Pathfinder is a medieval fantasy roleplaying game where heroes go on quests and slay monsters!” “Oh, like D&D!”
• “Pathfinder is like D&D, but ______ (more fun, more customizable, different, whatever)!” “Oh so why not just play D&D?”

I love Pathfinder 2e, I love other games, I have loved many editions of D&D, and I sympathize with anyone frustrated with how hard it is to get any attention within D&D orbit. EN Publishing has their excellent “Level Up: Advanced 5E” game, but woefully few 5E-ers have played it, even though it’s fully compatible. Paizo is wildly successful compared to most RPG publishers, but even they’re small peas overall.

I can hardly blame Paizo for wanting to cash in on 5E’s massive dominance, but I’m growing to resent D&D’s stifling effect upon the marketplace.