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RukiTanuki
2008-05-12, 06:44 PM
Just got this in my email...


Monte Cook Joins the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game™ Team
Co-creator of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons® to act as Rules Consultant

Paizo Publishing®, LLC today announced that Monte Cook, the co-creator of 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons and author of the 3.5 PHB and DMG as well as the Ptolus™ campaign setting and the recent Book of Experimental Might™, has joined the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game team as a Rules Consultant.

"This is going to be a lot of fun," said Monte Cook. "Pathfinder is a fresh spin on a rules system that I love and the guys at Paizo are great to work with. They produce nothing but the highest quality products."

"Monte Cook is a legend of third edition and of the Open Gaming movement," said Paizo's Publisher, Erik Mona. "He's also a great DM, and has the best mind for mechanics I've ever seen. To have one of the original third edition designers helping us with the Pathfinder RPG is like a dream come true. With Monte's involvement, I am certain that the future of the edition he helped to create will be very long and very fruitful."

"I am really excited to be working with Monte on this project," said Paizo's Lead Designer, Jason Bulmahn. "His advice has been a great help to the Pathfinder RPG. When it comes to rules design and knowledge of the 3.5 system, there is absolutely no one better."

Monte Cook will also be contributing an introduction to the final Pathfinder Roleplaying Game hardcover, scheduled for an August 2009 release.

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a tabletop fantasy roleplaying game that will serve as the anchor for Paizo Publishing's popular line of Pathfinder adventures, sourcebooks, and campaigns. Last March marked the beginning of a year-long Open Playtest of the new rules, which are based on the popular 3.5 rules available under the Open Game License. The Pathfinder RPG is designed with backward compatibility as one of its primary goals, so players will continue to enjoy their lifelong fantasy gaming hobby without invalidating their entire game library. To learn more about the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and to download the free Pathfinder RPG Alpha playtest document, visit paizo.com/pathfinderRPG.



Thoughts?

Matthew
2008-05-12, 06:50 PM
Hee, hee. Well, I suppose he has already abandoned the Ivory Tower concept.

Reel On, Love
2008-05-12, 06:51 PM
Here's hoping he brings his Arcana Unearthed/Evolved game to the project, not... the rest of it.

EvilElitest
2008-05-12, 06:52 PM
Hee, hee. Well, I suppose he has already abandoned the Ivory Tower concept.

what happened with that by the way

Also i've heard some really bad things about him, is this a good thing
from
EE

Farmer42
2008-05-12, 06:55 PM
We'll see. I'm iffy, but I really like some of the MC Presents, like Iron Heroes. And I absolutely love Ptolus.

Edit: Here's Monte's Blog on the subject:
Pathfinder

Paizo announced today that I'm working with them on their new Pathfinder game. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the finished product. I think the lead designer, Jason Buhlmann, and the whole Paizo crew are doing an amazing job.

My role is "rules consultant," and I'll be really up-front with you regarding what that means (and doesn't mean). The way it's been working for the last couple of weeks is, Jason emails me with the occasional question or bounces an idea off of me, and I tell him what I think. I also review the new material he comes up with and give my 2 cents. And that's really about it. Jason's not under any obligation to take any advice I might give. It's his baby. He makes the final decisions. I'm not a designer on this project, I'm a resource. Don't, for example, expect to see a ton of stuff from the Book of Experimental Might books showing up in Pathfinder (although there might be a little). Pathfinder and the BoXM books have very different goals. Also, because that's the way my role works, don't come to me with your own ideas or feedback regarding Pathfinder--I'm not going to be able to do anything with them. The Paizo folks, however, are eager to get any and all feedback that people provide, which I think is supremely cool and part of the reason I'm glad to be a part of this.

Part of me wishes I could be involved more deeply, but to be very honest, I just don't have the time with the other (non-P&P game related) projects I have going on. I feel fortunate and honored that they value my opinions enough to let me be involved at all.

Jason and Erik have so far been great to work with. Jason and I met for an afternoon a couple of weeks ago and discussed a lot of the stuff that ended up in Alpha Release 2.

Matthew
2008-05-12, 06:56 PM
what happened with that by the way

Also i've heard some really bad things about him, is this a good thing
from
EE

Nothing really. He just revealed that D20 was purposefully designed so that some 'character build' choices were worse than others in order to make 'rules masters' feel good about themselves.

Of course, I am being facetious and there is another interpretation of his blog entry currently being discussed in the relevant thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79809&page=4). There's nothing inherently bad about designing a game to reward rules mastery, in fact it has proven to be a very successful idea. It is not something I care for in adventure roleplaying games, but that's just my preference.

Honestly, I rather like Monte Cook, and I think he will bring some much needed prestige to the Pathfinder project. I certainly wish the project and all involved the best.



We'll see. I'm iffy, but I really like some of the MC Presents, like Iron Heroes. And I absolutely love Ptolus.

I don't think he was actually involved in the development of Iron Heroes, was he? Ptolus is pretty interesting, though.

[edit]
Ah, he's listed as 'creative director', I think that means he okayed the project. :smallbiggrin:

EvilElitest
2008-05-12, 07:08 PM
so he has a good recored, i've heard mixed things about Unearthed arcana
from
EE

Pyroconstruct
2008-05-12, 07:54 PM
so he has a good recored, i've heard mixed things about Unearthed arcana
from
EE

Due to what one might call "a stunning display of the combined idiocy of WoTC and Malhavoc Press," Arcana Unearthed and Unearthed Arcana are two completely different books. Monte Cook is responsible for AU. UA is the WoTC product.

EvilElitest
2008-05-12, 07:56 PM
Due to what one might call "a stunning display of the combined idiocy of WoTC and Malhavoc Press," Arcana Unearthed and Unearthed Arcana are two completely different books. Monte Cook is responsible for AU. UA is the WoTC product.

Oh yeah, sorry. So Monty's books, any good?
from
EE

Jack Mann
2008-05-12, 08:30 PM
Oh yeah, sorry. So Monty's books, any good?
from
EE

Arcana Unearthed/Evolved is brilliant. It's like D&D, only better. Some of his other stuff... The guy's capable of really good work. If only he could be consistent about it.

EvilElitest
2008-05-12, 09:42 PM
Arcana Unearthed/Evolved is brilliant. It's like D&D, only better. Some of his other stuff... The guy's capable of really good work. If only he could be consistent about it.

Really? How is it better might i ask? I'm interested

from
EE

Jack Mann
2008-05-12, 09:56 PM
Generally more balanced. They completely redid the spells, making them weaker and removing the most problematic ones. The warrior classes are also boosted up, and generally more fun to play. The classes in general also have a lot more flavor.

EvilElitest
2008-05-12, 09:57 PM
Generally more balanced. They completely redid the spells, making them weaker and removing the most problematic ones. The warrior classes are also boosted up, and generally more fun to play. The classes in general also have a lot more flavor.

Hmmmmm, i wonder where i could get that for a cheap price. What did he do with Iron heros?
from
EE

Abardam
2008-05-12, 10:35 PM
What did he do with Iron heros?Mike Mearls did Iron Heroes. I think Monte (Malhavoc Press) just published it.

Farmer42
2008-05-13, 12:36 AM
Yeah, Monte just published it, which is why I referenced it as Monte Cook Presents, not as his directly. Basically, IH is a fighter's dream book.