Paizo's Erik Mona spoke to ICv2 while at the GAMA trade show about a range of subjects. Much of it is release schedule stuff we already know about (Pathfinder Unchained, Occult Adventures, Hell's Rebels adventure path) but there's also some interesting commentary on the market and the impact of D&D 5th Edition. (thanks to Merric for the scoop!)
Here are the key points. You can read the full interview here.
Pathfinder Unchained -- It’s a treasure trove of optional rules letting the Pathfinder RPG design team loose to do whatever they want, damn the consequences. Here’s an alternate version of combat; here’s a different way to increase your character’s level, really a lot of experimental stuff that players can pick and choose what they want to implement. So maybe you like Pathfinder but you feel it takes too long to make encounters or make monsters, there’s a streamlined version of how to do that in this book.
There’s also revisions on four classes so there’s a revised rogue, revised monk, and a revised barbarian. Now that we’ve done almost 30 classes and we’ve got several years behind us and people think in retrospect, maybe the rogue and the monk are not powerful enough vs. some of the stuff that’s come since, so we’ve retuned those classes and given people an optional version if that’s a concern of theirs. Also the summoner, which is a class that we put out in the Advanced Player’s Guide, very, very powerful class, perhaps even unintentionally so, this is a new version of that brings its power in line with everything else. So that’s a big, huge trove of optional rules, cool alternative takes on different things that people can add to their game.
Here are the key points. You can read the full interview here.
- Erik refers to the market as a "post-5th Edition paradigm".
- D&D 5th Edition has not negatively impacted Pathfinder sales.
- The general RPG market has been lifted by 5E.
- May sees the release of Wrath of the Righteous for the Adventure Card Game. These will be more than once a year, but less than two a year.
- The Strategy Guide is designed as an entry point to the game as a companion to the core rulebook for new players.
- Pathfinder Unchained is this month!
- Occult Adventures at Gen Con; "our answer to Psionics".
- Hell's Rebels in August, an urban AP featuring revolutionaries overthrowing tyrants.
- 2015 has a similar release pace to 2014.
Pathfinder Unchained -- It’s a treasure trove of optional rules letting the Pathfinder RPG design team loose to do whatever they want, damn the consequences. Here’s an alternate version of combat; here’s a different way to increase your character’s level, really a lot of experimental stuff that players can pick and choose what they want to implement. So maybe you like Pathfinder but you feel it takes too long to make encounters or make monsters, there’s a streamlined version of how to do that in this book.
There’s also revisions on four classes so there’s a revised rogue, revised monk, and a revised barbarian. Now that we’ve done almost 30 classes and we’ve got several years behind us and people think in retrospect, maybe the rogue and the monk are not powerful enough vs. some of the stuff that’s come since, so we’ve retuned those classes and given people an optional version if that’s a concern of theirs. Also the summoner, which is a class that we put out in the Advanced Player’s Guide, very, very powerful class, perhaps even unintentionally so, this is a new version of that brings its power in line with everything else. So that’s a big, huge trove of optional rules, cool alternative takes on different things that people can add to their game.
