Paizo Paizo Price Increases and Sustainability Efforts

Paizo announced a new pricing structure for their entire product line. The changes will go into effect for PDF products (Bounties, Quests, and Scenarios) effective October 25, 2023, and will apply to all PDF products. No other PDF prices will be changed. The new MSRP changes go into effect in April 2024 for all print products.

The first printing of the new Pathfinder core rulebooks – Player Core, GM Core, Monster Core, and Player Core 2 – will maintain the current $59.99 MSRP for at least the first printing as “We feel these books are essential first purchases for Pathfinder players and want to hold the line on price increases as long as possible to reduce the barrier of entry for new players.”

The new pricing structure:

• Bounties/Quests1 from $4.99 to $5.99
• Scenarios2 from $5.99/$7.99 to $8.99
• Special Interactive Scenarios from $14.99 to $19.99
• Flip-Mats from $16.99 to $19.99
• Flip-Mat Multi-Pack from $24.99 to $29.99
• 96-page Adventure Paths from $26.99 to $29.99
• Pocket Editions will range from $24.99-$29.99 to $26.99-$34.99 (varies by page count)
• Hardcover Prices will vary by page count:
  • 128 Page: $44.99
  • 192 Page: $59.99
  • 256 Page: $69.99
  • 304 Page with map: $79.99
  • Special Edition covers add $20 to the retail price

1: Bounties and Quests are short, stand-alone digital adventures designed for 2-hour sessions

2: Scenarios are Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society adventures previously priced based on play tier with higher-level adventures costing more. The prices will now be the same regardless of the level of the adventure.

Paizo also updated its current environmental and sustainability actions. The company already printed using soy-based ink that requires less ink per page with no toxic chemicals. Paizo is changing to FSC-Certified paper coming from ecologically sourced forests that prohibit deforestation and require protection of old-growth forests and biodiversity as well as protections for the rights of Indigenous peoples. Changes have also been made to shipping from the Paizo warehouse by changing shipping product partners and moving from foam packing materials to starch and cardboard. Full details are available on the Paizo Blog.

 

[payn]

Im curious how much exactly WotC and Paizo are even worried about physical book prices? I mean, WotC is dropping a lot of investment into digital space. Paizo has gotten pretty friendly with VTT folks. I know many of us EN worlders are older, but the days of physical RPG products being the main driver are likely over.

 

[Retreater]

So $35 Player Core pocket edition + $35 GM Core pocket edition + $35 Monster Core pocket edition is in line with what you'd want for prices then.

Well, as someone who's purchased Guns & Gears and Advanced Players Guide pocket editions, my eyesight is unfortunately not able to handle the font. Hopefully they will work for young folks getting started with the system.

 

[Velderan]

Well, as someone who's purchased Guns & Gears and Advanced Players Guide pocket editions, my eyesight is unfortunately not able to handle the font. Hopefully they will work for young folks getting started with the system.

They do have that drawback unfortunately, but I'd guess they work for enough people to be a solid option if hardcover is too spendy now.

 

[Retreater]

My gen xer brain is horribly disorganized. Papers everywhere, minis falling all over, books poorly marked, etc.. Moving to a laptop and PDFs when I played F2F was a game changer and life saver. So the PDF and VTT move wasn't too bad for me. Though, I do really miss face to face gaming.

I'm very happy now that I'm able to run one F2F game. And I really prefer physical books for that.
But you know, I guess physical books are turning into a retro luxury for collectors - like how I buy vinyl for bands I love (but most of my listening is on Spotify).

 

[payn]

I'm very happy now that I'm able to run one F2F game. And I really prefer physical books for that.
But you know, I guess physical books are turning into a retro luxury for collectors - like how I buy vinyl for bands I love (but most of my listening is on Spotify).

Yeap, been thinking a lot about that too. I wouldn't be surprised to see more game in a box type products. The beginners box for example. Something that gives you all the physical goods you need to run a single adventure/campaign. When it comes to good old fashioned homebrewing folks will just stick to digital offerings.

 

[Velderan]

Im curious how much exactly WotC and Paizo are even worried about physical book prices? I mean, WotC is dropping a lot of investment into digital space. Paizo has gotten pretty friendly with VTT folks. I know many of us EN worlders are older, but the days of physical RPG products being the main driver are likely over.

In Paizo's case, they need to improve their digital delivery system. I can link my Paizo account to my Demiplane account and immediately see discounts applied, but if I buy a Foundry module on Paizo's site I need to grab a code, go into Foundry's site and enter it to add it to my Foundry account, then go somewhere else to actually add the module as an option in the game I'm running. It would be great if once I've purchased it on Paizo, that purchase just syncs across to where I see it as an option for my Foundry game without extra steps in between. Their PDF system is a bit of a mess to find stuff too.

Hopefully that's all things on their radar for the work they've said they're doing on their site in the near future.

 

[payn]

In Paizo's case, they need to improve their digital delivery system. I can link my Paizo account to my Deminplane account and immediately see discounts applied, but if I buy a Foundry module on Paizo's site I need to grab a code, go into Foundry's site and enter it to add it to my Foundry account, then go somewhere else to actually add the module as an option in the game I'm running. It would be great if once I've purchased it on Paizo, that purchase just syncs across to where I see it as an option for my Foundry game without extra steps in between. Their PDF system is a bit of a mess to find stuff too.

Hopefully that's all things on their radar for the work they've said they're doing on their site in the near future.

Yeah, an unfortunate issue of all their digital ducks not being in house. That's the saying right? WotC seems to be working to get ahead of the curve on this one.

 

[Retreater]

Yeap, been thinking a lot about that too. I wouldn't be surprised to see more game in a box type products. The beginners box for example. Something that gives you all the physical goods you need to run a single adventure/campaign. When it comes to good old fashioned homebrewing folks will just stick to digital offerings.

I'm thinking of those boxes that Free League has made: Forbidden Lands, Twilight 2000, Dragonbane, etc. Those are great games. I'd prefer something like that, honestly. But I guess you can't have ALL the options with simpler systems.
Still, I think you could cut back. Make a fighter class - have ranger, barbarian, champion, etc. be dedications. Make a rogue class - have swashbuckler, investigator, etc. be dedications.
This would've been a great opportunity to streamline the game.

 

[payn]

I'm thinking of those boxes that Free League has made: Forbidden Lands, Twilight 2000, Dragonbane, etc. Those are great games. I'd prefer something like that, honestly. But I guess you can't have ALL the options with simpler systems.

Im not so sure you cant have all the options. I think the box set only needs to afford the adventure. Like an AP box for every chapter!

Still, I think you could cut back. Make a fighter class - have ranger, barbarian, champion, etc. be dedications. Make a rogue class - have swashbuckler, investigator, etc. be dedications.
This would've been a great opportunity to streamline the game.

Ish, I greatly dislike the dedication system. I want to be able to multiclass and have archetypes by level 2! Though, I do think this simplified system has a market, but its likely the beginners box. I think folks go to PF2 to get away from simplicity. 5E, on the other hand, might be custom ready for this.

 

[Staffan]

Of course, buying everything is going to be more expensive than just the Core Rulebook.
What I'm looking at is - what's the minimum that a new GM will be spending if they go into a game store/Barnes & Noble/etc. to play this game? To get all the basic rules necessary to run a game.
To have a fair comparison, I'm not looking at pocket editions or limited editions. Currently, it's a Core Rulebook ($60) and Bestiary ($50) - $110. The Gamemastery Guide is alternate rules - not vital to running the game. The Advanced Player Guide is extra classes and ancestries - again, not essential to running the game. Both of you seem to be assuming that the GMG and APG are essential to running the game - they absolutely are not.

They might not be essential, but they are part of what Paizo assumes people have. And I'd reckon there are quite a few things in the GMG that I consider essential to the game, primarily the rules for creating your own creatures and hazards.

And if you want to go cheaper, the Archives of Nethys are that way.