I’m anticipating the release of the Pathfinder RPG core rulebook at GenCon this year probably more than I have anticipated any release. Having participated in the Pathfinder Society organized play with the Beta rules and following the Paizo blog, I am really excited to see my favorite rules still being supported.  Let’s take a quick glance at what Paizo has scheduled for release in the coming months for the PRPG.

Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook

A few of my friends were also excited when we spotted the Pathfinder RPG core rulebook for 37% of the cover price of $49.99 at Amazon. That’s right, you can pre-order the Pathfinder RPG right now for $31.49!  It looks like it won’t ship for a few weeks after the release at GenCon, but you can’t beat that price (and if it gets cheaper, Amazon guarantees you the lowest price). That is pretty freakin’ awesome for a 576-page full-color hardcover.

More than 50,000 gamers playtested the Pathfinder beta, and when they released a print version of the beta rules for sale, which could be downloaded for free, it sold out at GenCon within hours!  So if that is any kind of barometer to predict the success of the final version, Paizo definitely has a runaway hit on their hands.

PRPG Bestiary

Of course, technically, the Pathfinder RPG is backwards compatible with previous Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 material, but who could pass on this monsterous revision of some 250 of the game’s most popular creatures? This 320 page beast might be worth it to read for the descriptions and art alone (I dig bestiaries from just about every RPG anyways).

Even the Tarrasque makes an appearance, and I bet even the beholder and mind flayer are in there, albeit with untrademarked names…

The Bestiary is due out in September, about a month after the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook hits the shelves.

PRPG Gamemastery Guide

Perhaps the product that has piqued my interest the most is the 320 page Gamemastery Guide.  The Core Rulebook actually includes all the necessary rules for a Game Master, but this book contains both advanced rules and advice including “best practices” sourced from the Paizo staff and freelancers.

The Paizo website describes the book as containing “encounter charts, idea lists, encounter design advice, tips for using and adapting published products to your personal campaign, and top-to-bottom guidelines for building a campaign from scratch.”

Too bad this book is not due out until February of next year (2010), because I’d like to thumb through the book and see if there is anything innovative within it.

I’ve had a light posting schedule here because of my time is currently spent working on Nevermet Press (check out our free daily RPG content!), but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to share this info.

Shameless plugs abound!

Listening to: Bolt Thrower – Those Once Loyal – Entrenched

gamingD&Dd20rpgroleplayingdungeons and dragonsPathfinder