Gen Con 2016 – Erik Mona – Paizo

Erik Mona, the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of Paizo was able to spend some time, and sit down with us at Gen Con 2016 to talk about news and the future of Paizo.

We spoke about several things:

• Horror Adventures
• Pathfinder Pocket Edition
• Starfinder RPG
• Tablet Games with Obsidian
• Playbook interface
• Herolab collaboration
• Wizkid and Reaper miniatures
• Dynamite Comics details
• Movies?!

Here’s the interview:

and here is the press release for Horror Adventures and other information:

Horror Adventures

REDMOND, WA (August 4, 2016): Paizo Inc., developer and publisher of the award-winning Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, announces today the release of summer 2016’s Pathfinder hardcover, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror Adventures. Horror Adventures is available at game shops worldwide and from paizo.com (256 pages/MSRP $44.99)

“Pathfinder players always love horror themes,” says Paizo Publisher Erik Mona. “Some of our most popular adventures involve horror elements, so Horror Adventures is a natural fit for our publishing schedule. By allowing players to experiment with becoming monsters themselves with corruptions, the book puts players on the other side of the monster equation, with terrifying and awesome results.”

There are things that dwell in the dark places of the world, deep beneath the ground, in long-abandoned crypts, or in musty attics; terrible things that can destroy your body and shatter your mind. Few sane individuals would ever think to seek out such nightmares, but those that are drawn into the darkness often find it infecting them, corrupting them in ways both subtle and gross. Some think that those who die facing off against such horrors are the lucky ones, for the survivors are forever scarred by their experiences. Horror Adventures gives you everything you need to bring these nightmares to your game.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror Adventures includes:

• Corruptions that can turn your character into a monster, from a blood-drinking vampire to a savage werewolf.
• Character options to help heroes face the forces of darkness, including horror-themed archetypes, feats, spells, and more.
• Rules for sanity and madness, giving all the tools needed to drive characters to the brink and beyond.
• Tips and tools for running a scary game, along with expanded rules for curses, diseases, haunts, and fleshwarping to bring your nightmares to life.
• New templates to turn your monsters into truly terrifying foes, from creatures made from living wax to the stalker that cannot be stopped.

Characters can take far more than a few hit points of damage when their very sanity is called into question from witnessing horrors too terrible to comprehend. To face such nightmares, the heroes can take new feats, utilize powerful spells, and even acquire holy relics to aid them. They will need every edge they can get if they plan to survive the secrets of this book.

Starfinder

This press release happened at the end of May during Paizo Con, but I wanted to include it in case you missed it:

REDMOND, WA (May 31, 2016): Paizo Inc., publisher of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, is thrilled to confirm the development of the new Starfinder Roleplaying Game. The Starfinder Core Rulebook is slated for an August 2017 release.

Set thousands of years in Pathfinder’s future, the Starfinder RPG will be a stand-alone science fantasy game evolved from the Pathfinder RPG rules in which players take on the role of a rag-tag starship crew exploring the countless mysteries of a weird universe. Starfinder’s offerings will include a new monthly Starfinder Adventure Path product line as well as accessories for players and Game Masters.

“Starfinder is set in the solar system of Pathfinder’s home world of Golarion, but far in a possible future—one in which the gods have mysteriously spirited Golarion away to an unknown location, and refuse to answer questions about it,” says James L. Sutter, Starfinder’s creative director. “In its place, the cultures of that world have evolved and spread throughout the solar system, especially to a vast space platform called Absalom Station. Gifted access to a hyperspace dimension by an ascended AI deity, the residents of the system suddenly find themselves with the ability to travel faster than light, and the race is on to explore and colonize potentially millions of worlds. But there are horrors out there in the darkness.”

For a full preview of the Starfinder RPG from creative director James L. Sutter, visit Paizo.

The Starfinder line launches at Gen Con 2017 with the release of the 500-page Starfinder Core Rulebook, several player and Game Master accessories, and the inaugural volume of the monthly Starfinder Adventure Path line, which includes epic campaign adventures, new planets to explore, starship and player character options, as well as new monsters and aliens to battle.

Starfinder is also designed to integrate easily with the Pathfinder RPG, allowing players of either game to port over monsters, items, and adventures with a minimal conversion effort.

Other News

Starfinder was among a slew of announcements made at this year’s PaizoCon, an annual gathering of Pathfinder fans held in Seattle. Other releases coming soon to the world of Pathfinder include:

• Pathfinder RPG: Villain Codex introduces 20 villainous gangs: Brutal Slavers, Corrupt Guards, Demon Knights, Merry Outlaws, Sinister Cults, and more. Each enemy group includes full game statistics for its members, feats, spells, and magic items, and tips for incorporating them into the game, a veritable rogue’s gallery of options for busy Game Masters. 256-page hardcover, November 2016.

• Pathfinder RPG: Encounter Codex provides dozens of vastly customizable encounters giving GMs the settings, foes, and options necessary to run campaign-ready encounters for heroes of level 1 to 20—with no prep. Each encounter uses Pathfinder Flip-Mats and Pawns to create truly immersive game experiences. 256-page hardcover, Spring 2017.

• Pathfinder Adventure Path’s Ironfang Invasion is a classic fantasy campaign in which heroes explore the unknown and confront the fantastic, all to stop the monstrous hobgoblin Ironfang Legion from wiping out the good people of Nirmathas and Molthune. Players will delve into dungeons, siege well-guarded keeps, explore the wilderness, and battle some of the most iconic creatures from 40 years of roleplaying games. Ironfang Invasion releases February – July 2017.

• Curse of the Crimson Throne, one of Paizo’s most beloved Adventure Paths, receives an overhaul and full conversion to the Pathfinder RPG in September 2016. The massive 480-page hardcover—the second largest in Paizo’s history second only to the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook—contains expanded adventures including a brand-new mission written by Paizo’s creative director James Jacobs that sends the heroes into a perilous dungeon run by the infamous Gray Maidens. The AP will also feature dozens of evocative new illustrations of classic characters, as well as updated rules for monsters, magic items, character options, and more.

• The Pathfinder RPG: Core Rulebook and Bestiary will appear as softcover Pocket Editions in August 2016. The books’ smaller size and lighter weight make them perfect for convention gaming or easy browsing. Their low price ($24.99 for the Core Rulebook, $19.99 for the Bestiary) make the Pocket Editions perfect for gifts or cost-conscious customers.

Thanks for reading & watching,

~Michael