Paizo To Make Kingmaker Bestiary... For D&D 5E!

Kingmaker's 10th anniversary is approaching. Paizo has announced on their blog that, along with a Pathfinder 2E hardcover Kingmaker compilation, they will be creating a hardcover Kingmaker Bestiary for D&D 5E.

The blog announcement says "[FONT=&amp]Finally, we'll add a hardcover Kingmaker Bestiary for 5E, developed in conjunction with industry leaders in third-party 5E publishing, allowing players of the current edition of the world's oldest RPG the chance to experience the rich and detailed storylines that have made the Kingmaker Adventure Path a fan favorite for a decade."[/FONT]

It is being produced "with industry leaders in third-party 5E publishing" and refers to "add-ons and unlocks" which "will be revealed as the campaign progresses". They're partnering with crowdfunding site Game On Tabletop.

They'll be revealing the details on Tuesday May 7th at noon Pacific time over at KingmakerCampaign.com.

Also in line is a Companion Guide for the PF2 Kingmaker campaign.

 

[thundershot]

I'm actually a fan of a combo approach. Publish new adventures and content for PF 2. Refurbish the best PF 1 APs and bestiaries for 5e. But that has the potential of pissing off everyone

Hey, I really like that idea. I’d be all in!

 

[kenmarable]

No, Paizo is not publishing PF as 5e.

It's possible we might see Paizo publish adventure conversions for 5e. It's possible we might see Paizo publish expansion book conversions for 5e. Who knows.

Exactly. Plus it's important to note that Paizo is publishing a 5e book but it's being written by an outside company - Legendary Games. So they are still keeping their staff focused on PF.

 

[Morrus]

Exactly. Plus it's important to note that Paizo is publishing a 5e book but it's being written by an outside company - Legendary Games. So they are still keeping their staff focused on PF.

That’s exactly how WotC produced several hardcovers. Still counts!

 

[EthanSental]

So you have to back it at the $50 for the PF AP and companion guide to them be able to add on the 35 for the 5e bestiary?

 

[kenmarable]

That’s exactly how WotC produced several hardcovers. Still counts!

I'm not saying it doesn't. Sorry if my comment was too brief and unclear, but my main point it towards those who think this is some sign that Paizo is worried PF 2e might fail and are shifting towards being a 5e publisher.

For one thing, with WotC it was different because their staff was still working on other 5e system books. With Paizo, they are not. Their staff is still focused on PF.

For another thing, Paizo is having fans pay for the creation of it. So depending on how much art & layout work is outsourced to Legendary Games as well, Paizo might have close to zero investment of their own resources in 5e beyond maybe warehouse space and distribution, I guess.

So, sure, it absolutely counts that they are publishing a 5e book. But in regards to those who wonder if Paizo is making a major shift to 5e, they are doing pretty much the bare minimum of work and resources on their side to produce it. They aren't even putting their own money into the project!

WotC used some outside designers to produce a few books, too, but everything else about the situations is dramatically different. So I'm not saying that doesn't make Paizo a 5e publisher, just that all signs point to it being an extraneous side-project rather than a shift in their focus.

 

[Mistwell]

Posted without further comment other than to say I found it somewhat interesting to read this history, biased though it may be:

Jessica Price, former Paizo Employee, Comments on This Product.

 

[Azzy]

Posted without further comment other than to say I found it somewhat interesting to read this history, biased though it may be:

Jessica Price, former Paizo Employee, Comments on This Product.

Oh. Wow. That's not a pretty picture.

 

[Parmandur]

Posted without further comment other than to say I found it somewhat interesting to read this history, biased though it may be:

Jessica Price, former Paizo Employee, Comments on This Product.

On the one hand, she is a former employee with potentially an axe to grind. On the other, her narrative is plausible and would be excellent motivation for being an ex-employee with an axe to grind.

This certainly seems...bad...for the long term survivability of the business and game line.

 

[robus]

That’s a pretty brutal exposé, wow!

Edit: and I was wondering why this wasn’t on Kickstarter...

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Posted without further comment other than to say I found it somewhat interesting to read this history, biased though it may be:

Jessica Price, former Paizo Employee, Comments on This Product.

She makes many good points. In addition to being forced to buy the AP in order to have the chance to buy the Bestiary, there were several red flags she pointed out that made me wary of backing this one.

That said, she also sounds very salty. Does anyone know what led to her no longer working for Paizo?