Pathfinder OGL/3.5 RPG system from Paizo

[Alzrius]

BOOYEAH!!!

As a 3.5E-lover, I'm incredibly jazzed by this news! I'm already downloading the Pathfinder RPG Alpha file, and I plan to give this a lot of attention in the months and years to come. Kudos to you, Paizo!

To borrow the company slogan of Sinister Adventures: Three-Pointe-Five Never Dies!

 

[Treebore]

The Pathfinder RPG will be their '3.75', but they won't start using it until August '09. In the interim, Pathfinder stuff will be standard 3.5, with the alpha and beta versions of Pathfinder available in PDF (and later print).

The CEO out right says their version will have their rules ideas in it, so yes, its a bit of a "3.75", but they also say it leaves it open to "backwards compatibility", so presumably it will be useful by those sticking with 3.5, and those who stuck with 3.0, with ease.

They should work out a license with Troll Lords for the SIEGE engine, and be able to support players of every (OD&D up to 3.5E) edition of D&D with the SIEGE engine being the gateway.

Who knows? Maybe Paizo has developed their own "engine" which accomplishes the same thing.

 

[morgul97]

Isn't one of the big criticisms of WOTC that they basically made a few cosmetic changes to 3.5, stuck a new name on it, and forced everyone to pay again for a game system they already owned. In other words, there is something of an underlying resentment out there in certain circles against 4.0 because people feel that WOTC cheated them with releasing 3.5, rather than doing real revisions and making it 4.0 at that point.

My question is, are people really going to pay a third time for the same materials, that still will likely have basically the same structural flaws that in large part prompted WOTC to create 4.0 at this point anyway?

 

[DaveMage]

Great news!!!

 

[trancejeremy]

I was really really really hoping that someone was going to do this. I would have preferred Goodman, but Paizo is just as good (while I've had problems with their store, their products are top notch).

 

[EricNoah]

This is a very exciting development. I think having the option to play a well-supported 3.5 or 3.75 option is great.

 

[Treebore]

Isn't one of the big criticisms of WOTC that they basically made a few cosmetic changes to 3.5, stuck a new name on it, and forced everyone to pay again for a game system they already owned. In other words, there is something of an underlying resentment out there in certain circles against 4.0 because people feel that WOTC cheated them with releasing 3.5, rather than doing real revisions and making it 4.0 at that point.

My question is, are people really going to pay a third time for the same materials, that still will likely have basically the same structural flaws that in large part prompted WOTC to create 4.0 at this point anyway?

Thats not what I got out of their announcement. They are putting together a rules package to support continued growth of the 3E market. If you aren't interested in their rules you don't need to buy them to keep finding the Pathfinder product line useful.

They do state that as of the release of 4E, 3E GOES OUT OF PRINT. Which means no rule book for new players once eBay dries up. So it is only smart of them to put out their own version to support any new players that come into the 3E fold. Plus I am always in to looking at new rules ideas, which is the only reason I am even looking at 4E.

 

[Erik Mona]

Thanks, Eric! Your support means a lot!

--Erik

 

[mara]

This is a very exciting development. I think having the option to play a well-supported 3.5 or 3.75 option is great.

I like it. I've become increasingly ambivalent towards 4e and the alpha version looks like it works some of the things that were bugging me about 3.5. I'd rather buy adventure paths than more splatbooks at this point.

 

[JLandan]

GO Paizo!

GO Paizo!

I am so glad I got RotRL AP. It turned me on to a publisher that I hadn't really paid too much heed to before. Now I find they have a backbone and intend to stick with 3.5 (sort of), as I have myself. They now have a very loyal customer with money to spend on this hobby.

Repairman Jack