Pathfinder 1E Paizo and 5e

[Dannager]

Well according to Vic Wertz at Paizo, APs are still their main business. And they only produce the rules to go with the APs. So maybe well see some 5e lovin from Paizo ... But I really doubt it

paizo.com - Messageboards / Beginner Box / More Beginner Box style products?

Edit post 24if the links doesn't take you direct

Thanks for the link, good to know that their strategy remains the same. I think it's a good one that plays to their strengths.

 

[vagabundo]

The market will dictate their involvement. If they can continue to produce Pathfinder profitably they will continue to do so. If not then they will jump on the 5e bandwagon.

There are a lots of variables here:
- friendliness of the licence
- success of 5e
- reaction of the pathfinder fanbase

My gut says that they would try to compete with pathfinder2 rather than jump back onto the DND train.

Another possibility is that they could licence pathfinder out to someone for a 5e conversion.

 

[Kalontas]

Pathfinder is probably not going anywhere for the time being, but if 5E proves to be successfull and has an open license, it may steal enough fans from PF to make Paizo start producing products for both. I believe this turn of events is possible, but I don't assign any probability numbers behind it. It just "may" happen.

 

[Destil]

If 5E uses the OGL (and it should, the GSL is likely the single biggest thing that sunk 4E by splintering off Pathfinder in the first place) AND if 5E does what it's claiming to what to do well, I expect the two to re-merge within a few years. Pathfinder is pretty much 3.75 and should intergrate into 5E well if Wizard's can pull off what they want to do with it.

 

[Gundark]

Paizo has a problem. It may not be a big problem, but it is something they'll have to look at. (...)
Paizo isn't really that big. They have enough trouble getting out their PF material on time, and we've seen a few blunders in their material due to a lack of time (e.g. caravan rules in the Jade Regent AP). Doing 5E material as well - assuming the license allows it - is extremely unlikely.

However, if 5E actually turns out to be a really, really good game (a big if, but possible) and starts taking people away from Pathfinder, then Paizo will have a difficult decision on their hands.

Cheers!

I can give xp for some reason, but I think you have hit on something. I don't think Paizo will react right away, but if 5e is sucessfulit will be interesting to see what they do. I would predict PF 2.

 

[mudbunny]

Paizo is nothing if not smart in determining where the winds are blowing.

They did it with Pathfinder, seeing that there was a large population of players who were not being served that they (Paizo) could serve.

It is far too soon for them to determine whether or not they will throw some support behind producing something for the upcoming edition. If the conditions , including any licensing restrictions, line up right for them to make a profit in supporting the next edition, then chances are good that Paizo will throw some support behind thenext edition.

 

[kitsune9]

I don't think Paizo and WotC have an antagonistic relationship. If 5e has an OGL, I can see Paizo making some Pathfinder products that will be 5e compatible, but I think they will focus their current business model on their Pathfinder game.

 

[OnlineDM]

I think what I meant with my original question was, "If D&D Next were wide open to third party publishers, would Paizo prefer to produce its content for that game rather than continue with Pathfinder?" And the answer here is, "No, they'd prefer to keep doing Pathfinder as long as that will be profitable."

Sounds reasonable to me. I was wondering if there was a chance Paizo might actually prefer to produce content for a "big tent" game rather than their separate game; it sounds like the answer is "probably not". They like being able to control their own destiny, which makes sense to me.

Thanks for chiming in, all!

 

[Reynard]

There's another option: if WotC really is looking to create an inclusive edition, that presumably means it will be Pathfinder compatible. It's possible it won't be Paizo trying to capitalize on WotC and 5E, but the other way around.

I can see the legalese gymnastics now: "Dungeons and Dragons Next, the latest version of the world's oldest and best loved fantasy role playing game, compatible with the best selling fantasy role playing game compatible with the revised 3rd edition of the world's oldest and best loved fantasy role playing game!"

 

[Sammael]

If (and only if) 5e is OGL, I can see Paizo publishing Pathfinder 2e shortly after 5e in that case, to address the cross-compatibility between editions.

Paizo has a steady subscriber base that are highly unlikely to drop their subscriptions and go back to WotC. However, I don't think those subscribers would mind buying a new (5e-compatible) edition of Pathfinder as long as it was moderately compatible with the original 3.5 rules and Paizo continued to publish their APs and edition-free Golarion material.

Finally, if 5e includes a "complexity dial" that closely emulates 3.x (perhaps fixing some of its problmes), then Paizo can just continue publishing Pathfinder as is. Paizo fans will continue to buy it, WotC fans will start buying APs, and everybody will be happy.

I also have a completely baseless gut feeling that WotC will try to revive Dungeon and Dragon in print form and offer to license them out to Paizo. WotC would earn back a lot of cred and goodwill for that move (even if Paizo were to refuse, and I don't think they would), and lose very little (magazine profits were never more than a blink of an eye for WotC).