As you probably already know, Paizo Publishing is scrapping both Dungeon and Dragon magazines. In their stead Paizo is starting a new magazine of their own concoction, ‘Pathfinder’.
Pathfinder promises to be a magazine touted towards campaigns under the Open Gaming License. While the information in their release is brief; at first glance the publication appears to be a rehashing of Dungeon, most specifically the scenarios, only using a more generic rules set than one of the big DnD ones. However, digging deeper into the dark bowels of their FAQ, it seems that the truth is far worse.
The magazine with be primarily only pieces of an adventure spread out over multiple issues. The first episode of this style will last the first six issues. Now, Dungeon had these in it, too, but it also held far more info and articles. There will be some of this in Pathfinder as well, but that’s not the focus of the magazine. It’s adventure telling, not assisting.
Each issue apparently will run right around fourteen dollars to purchase from the store and most likely a reduced cost to subscribers. So, it’s also more expensive than Dragon. So, by crunching some numbers together, the first campaign will run six issues at fourteen dollars each, so for one complete mini campaign your out of pocket cost from the store will be roughly eighty five dollars. Yes. EIGHTY FIVE. How much do you care for buying the whole core set of three-five DnD books again for the sole purpose of one measly adventure? Those pregenerated campaign books for sale run what, thirty dollars maximum? So you go out to purchase Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil and return with Ptolus and all it’s ostentatiously overpriced glory. Ridiculous.
I might pick up the first issue simply to take a more informed stance on the issue; see how it’s laid out, content, how much it weighs my wallet down, etc. I hardly expect to be floored by anything other than Paizo’s vanity. I sincerely believe that the reason Dragon and Dungeon’s licenses have been pulled back by WotC was to rip them back from the gangrenous claws of Paizo’s terror squad.
So the poll:
Will you be making a purchase of Paizo’s new magazine, Pathfinder?
* Sure, how bad could it be?
* Yes, I buy all sorts of these magazines.
* Maybe.
* No, I hate those guys.
* No, I will boycott them for what they have done.
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