Paizo Ends Pathfinder Adventure Path Softcovers, Switching to Quarterly Model

Paizo is ending its line of monthly Pathfinder Adventure Paths, with a new quarterly hardcover replacing the long-running product. Paizo announced the change yesterday on its blog, with the shift beginning next year. The new hardcover Adventure Paths will be a minimum of 256 pages and will have a retail price of $79.99, which is cheaper than the cost of purchasing four softcover adventure paths. Paizo also stated that they'll release one Adventure Path starting at Level 1, another ending at Level 20, with the remaining two falling somewhere in between. Each Adventure Path will cover 9-10 levels of play.

The first two Adventure Paths announced for this format are Hellbreakers and Hell's Destiny, which both cover the upcoming war between Andoran and Cheliax.

The Pathfinder Adventure Paths series started as an evolution of Paizo's monthly Pathfinder magazine series. To date, Paizo has released 222 Pathfinder Adventure Paths. Early Pathfinder Adventure Paths were for campaigns that lasted six issues and typically encompassed Level 1-Level 20 play. However, more recently, the Adventure Path structure has shortened and grown more flexible, with shorter length campaigns with more variable levels of play.

 

[payn]

Well then why not release it twice a year instead and charge $150? Additional $10 savings, right?

Answer: because sometimes it's easier to shell out a smaller amount from time to time than a larger amount ever.

The sticker price games are certainly psychological. I recall folks back in the day that bought a pack of cigs every single night. I asked them why they didnt buy them by the carton, and they said, "cartons are too expensive." They didnt understand the bulk discount and saving potential becasue the small amount seemed more reasonable.

Though, a twice a year product would need to cover quite a few levels. You would be looking at a full campaign in the traditional sense. I think what folks have been finding out over the years is that groups either dont stick together that long, or they tire of the same characters and campaign before they reach the finish line. I think thats a big reason why the APs stayed monthly, but stopped being two campaigns a year (even though PF2 was designed to be easier to run all the way to 20!).

So, im guessing this format does the duty of more than just physical product logistics. It helps revamp the staff writing and prioduction cycle, works better with typical RPG group timings, etc.. The big strength of the Pathfinder Line is the sheer amoutn of setting and adventure info available. Keeping at least 4 stories a year will keep the meter running.

I'll miss the monthly softcovers myself.

You and me both.

The times they are a changin. -Bob Dylan ripping somebody off probably

 

[Dire Bare]

Well then why not release it twice a year instead and charge $150? Additional $10 savings, right?

Answer: because sometimes it's easier to shell out a smaller amount from time to time than a larger amount ever.

I'll miss the monthly softcovers myself.

$80 for a 256 page, full-color, quality RPG book is not ridiculous. It's an increase, to be sure. But it is a reasonable price. IMO, of course.

Are you suggesting that Paizo might as well release 500 page hardcovers for $150? Probably a reasonable price for a book that huge, but books of that size can be unwieldy. MCG's Ptolus hardcover (670 pages) is going for $170 MSRP currently. That book is amazing and worth every penny, but is a monster on the shelf! It's also the only book of that size that MCG publishes, although they do have some massive boxed sets.

Yes, smaller, less expensive purchases can go down easier . . . even if in the long run they are actually more expensive. But Paizo isn't switching away from that model because it is still working for them. It worked for a while, but the hobby and the market has changed.

I get the sticker shock . . . and the new, bigger, but more expensive books might struggle at that price point, even if I think it's a reasonable price point . . . we'll see.

 

[kermit4karate]

Paizo announced a standard price of $70 on 256 page books about 2 years ago when they revised their pricing structure, so I'm guessing current economic issues is making them revise that. I would rather they do that then pull a TSR and sell products at unsustainable prices and go out of business. As you said for existing customers it's a slight cost savings on what they were already buying so I'm not sure why people are complaining, unless you (general you) were someone who liked to buy individual books and piecemeal an adventure together.

I don't think either of them are very good at it anymore, Paizo or WotC. Adventures have just gotten too long IMO. I prefer a greater variety of <= 50-page adventures to choose from because some are thematically instant turnoffs for me.

 

[kermit4karate]

$80 for a 256 page, full-color, quality RPG book is not ridiculous. It's an increase, to be sure. But it is a reasonable price. IMO, of course.

Are you suggesting that Paizo might as well release 500 page hardcovers for $150? Probably a reasonable price for a book that huge, but books of that size can be unwieldy. MCG's Ptolus hardcover (670 pages) is going for $170 MSRP currently. That book is amazing and worth every penny, but is a monster on the shelf! It's also the only book of that size that MCG publishes, although they do have some massive boxed sets.

Yes, smaller, less expensive purchases can go down easier . . . even if in the long run they are actually more expensive. But Paizo isn't switching away from that model because it is still working for them. It worked for a while, but the hobby and the market has changed.

I get the sticker shock . . . and the new, bigger, but more expensive books might struggle at that price point, even if I think it's a reasonable price point . . . we'll see.

It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, like Trader Joe's selling prepackaged boxes with 4 tomatoes. Inevitably one of the 4 sucks, but since they were all sold as a bunch...

I'd rather pay a bit more but be able to pick and choose.

 

[payn]

I don't think either of them are very good at it anymore, Paizo or WotC. Adventures have just gotten too long IMO. I prefer a greater variety of <= 50-page adventures to choose from because some are thematically instant turnoffs for me.

Smaller adventures have become the realm of Adventure league and Pathfinder Society. They are not free (far as I know some of the ones from 10+ years ago may very well be) but are often priced very affordably.

 

[Dire Bare]

It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, like Trader Joe's selling prepackaged boxes with 4 tomatoes. Inevitably one of the 4 sucks, but since they were all sold as a bunch...

I'd rather pay a bit more but be able to pick and choose.

Well, we are talking the Adventure Paths, not stand-alone modules. You could, of course, just go with #4 out of a 6-part series . . . but I doubt many Pathfinder fans were doing that. Plus, these were mostly sold by subscription, although they were available in FLGS brick-and-mortars.

 

[Staffan]

The sticker price games are certainly psychological. I recall folks back in the day that bought a pack of cigs every single night. I asked them why they didnt buy them by the carton, and they said, "cartons are too expensive." They didnt understand the bulk discount and saving potential becasue the small amount seemed more reasonable.

Reminds me of one of those "ask the man on the street" things in a newspaper back in the day, where the paper had asked people what they thought of the recent increases in gas prices (this was back in the early 90s, IIRC). One of the respondents had answered "It doesn't affect me because I always fill up with 200 kr worth of gas."

 

[kermit4karate]

Reminds me of one of those "ask the man on the street" things in a newspaper back in the day, where the paper had asked people what they thought of the recent increases in gas prices (this was back in the early 90s, IIRC). One of the respondents had answered "It doesn't affect me because I always fill up with 200 kr worth of gas."

I don't get it.

 

[Staffan]

I don't get it.

Kr or Krona is the currency here in Sweden. So the man in question said he wasn't affected by rising gas prices because he always bought 200 kr of gasoline at a time, while being seemingly blissfully ignorant that those 200 kr would buy a smaller amount of gasoline each time as the price went up.

 

[kermit4karate]

Kr or Krona is the currency here in Sweden. So the man in question said he wasn't affected by rising gas prices because he always bought 200 kr of gasoline at a time, while being seemingly blissfully ignorant that those 200 kr would buy a smaller amount of gasoline each time as the price went up.

Thank you! Helps now that it makes sense.