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Paizo owned PDFs

N

NeoEvaX

Well-known member
So... I read the new news from WL. I think it makes a lot of sense for Paizo to do this, but it is a bit frustrating..

I have been signed up for their subscriptions for a short while. I have really enjoyed getting their physical documents as well as PDFs. But I have not been doing that for too long.

I bought both of their Adventure Path's that have been Anniversary Editions. Both Rise of the Runelords and their newer ones. But I bought them both at a local Game Shop. Which is usually a really nice thing to do. They tend to cost more but are bought local, which is really nice. But it does not come with any PDFs..

So for me to get the, hopefully soon to be released, content market for Realm Works, I will need to buy the PDF for Rise of the Runelords? If I had bought it straight from Paizo I would already have the PDF, but since I bought it at a local shop I don't get it?

Is there any process to get those PDFs if we already own the physical books? Even if they where recently bought? Or am I just out of luck and need to buy the $41.99 pdf along with whatever it costs on the content market.
 
Should have bought the Pathfinder Humble Bundle packs...

If I had known this was the stance I would have stocked up just in case.
 
Can't say I'm terribly pleased with this and I own PDF's of all or almost all of the Paizo products I'm likely to want to buy for RW. One glaring exception is the CRB. I've stuck with my physical copy of that for years. Now I'll need to get a PDF for no reason at all.
 
Agreed

kbs666 said:
Can't say I'm terribly pleased with this and I own PDF's of all or almost all of the Paizo products I'm likely to want to buy for RW. One glaring exception is the CRB. I've stuck with my physical copy of that for years. Now I'll need to get a PDF for no reason at all.
Click to expand...

I am in a similar bucket, I have the revamped Crimson Throne, which I was waiting for the CM to launch to see if it was part of it, and I read this and it appears now I have to buy the PDF and the RW package, and the Herolab package, so that's another 100US? (so about 150 AUD).
 
Really surprised that Paizo is not showing their FLGS any love.

Already there is not much reason to buy books from a brick and mortar game store, due to their generally being cheaper on-line. If you are getting free PDFs as well AND if you need to buy the PDFs to get other digital content, well it gets REALLY hard to stick to your guns and support the FLGS.

WoTC at least does things like the alternate Volo's cover that you can only get at a FLGS (and it is an awesome cover). If WoTC were smart they would give a discount on digital content (Fantasy Grounds, Realm Works, Rolld20) if you buy the book and perhaps over an even better discount if you buy from a FLGS. That would encourange the FLGS to favor WoTC over Paizo for events and table space.
 
Happydevil43 said:
I am in a similar bucket, I have the revamped Crimson Throne, which I was waiting for the CM to launch to see if it was part of it, and I read this and it appears now I have to buy the PDF and the RW package, and the Herolab package, so that's another 100US? (so about 150 AUD).
Click to expand...
! that reminds me. The only versions of Rise of the Runelords I own are the original printed modules and the anniversary hardcover, which I bought at my FLGS so no PDF. Looks like its $42 to get a PDF of something I already have 2 copies of in order to get it for RW.

I love that AP and have run parties through it several times in the decade since it came out. There is simply no way I'm spending $42 to get the PDF just so I can get the RW version at likely another $30.
 
kbs666 said:
! that reminds me. The only versions of Rise of the Runelords I own are the original printed modules and the anniversary hardcover, which I bought at my FLGS so no PDF. Looks like its $42 to get a PDF of something I already have 2 copies of in order to get it for RW.

I love that AP and have run parties through it several times in the decade since it came out. There is simply no way I'm spending $42 to get the PDF just so I can get the RW version at likely another $30.
Click to expand...

That's my feeling... I have Played it and am going to GM it for a group later in the year (once we finish the Giantslayer).

I am not sure what the differences are between the older versions and the Anniversary, but now that I seem to have a truckload of time on my hands, I can start entering the old ones manually.

It's very very disappointing, and I am hoping BJ and the team are going... Oh S***T at the backlash.
 
If you read between the lines in the announcement... they have already gone 'oh shit'...

I would wager they knew the reaction they would get and have been dreading putting out the update for that very reason.

Pathfinder was meant to be the good news story with the 5e crowd hiding in the corner grumbling.
 
Happydevil43 said:
That's my feeling... I have Played it and am going to GM it for a group later in the year (once we finish the Giantslayer).

I am not sure what the differences are between the older versions and the Anniversary, but now that I seem to have a truckload of time on my hands, I can start entering the old ones manually.

It's very very disappointing, and I am hoping BJ and the team are going... Oh S***T at the backlash.
Click to expand...
The original is 3.5 rules while the anniversary edition is updated to full PF. It's minor stuff like they replaced Spot checks with Perception checks but all the monsters are fully PF.
 
daplunk said:
If you read between the lines in the announcement... they have already gone 'oh shit'...

I would wager they knew the reaction they would get and have been dreading putting out the update for that very reason.

Pathfinder was meant to be the good news story with the 5e crowd hiding in the corner grumbling.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they had to know this wasn't going to be popular. Seems really bogus as well. I'd guess most people would pay a premium for things like Bestiaries in RW format where there really is no need to read through the book. However Paizo has always claimed to make there money off selling modules and I would assume most people even if they had a module or AP in RW would still want a physical or PDF of it to read the narrative at least once.
 
I personally like how they're doing the Pathfinder licensing. For those without the PDFs, you get something out of the content licensing cost. For those who own the PDFs already you're not paying as much for the content in a new form. It's better than what you get for WotC's 5e digital content elsewhere, as far as I can tell. Maybe not great for folks who only have the physical book or who have legitimate PDFs from outside Paizo's system, but it's better than nothing.

Happydevil43 said:
I am not sure what the differences are between the older versions and the Anniversary, but now that I seem to have a truckload of time on my hands, I can start entering the old ones manually.
Click to expand...
In addition to the mechanics changes mentioned earlier, they rewrote some parts of it. (The final battle, for example.)
 
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With this new rule, I wish Paizo offered a way to get the PDFs for free, or cheap for a limited time. Ie, with actually cutting out some sort of proof of purchase in the book and sending it in.

Normally I would never cut things out like that, but I would make an exception in this case.

I know there is a risk of people cutting those out in brick and morder stores and then sending them in, but I think that is a pretty low risk.
 
kbs666 said:
The original is 3.5 rules while the anniversary edition is updated to full PF. It's minor stuff like they replaced Spot checks with Perception checks but all the monsters are fully PF.
Click to expand...

Actually, the Anniversary Edition has expanded content as well as conversions. There are additional areas to explore in the Runeforge, for example, and some added encounters early in The Skinsaw Murders. Also, based on feedback on Paizo's forums, some encounters that were problematic in the original version (example: the "TPK machine" at the end of The Skinsaw Murders) were revised to make them more playable.
 
NeoEvaX said:
With this new rule, I wish Paizo offered a way to get the PDFs for free, or cheap for a limited time. Ie, with actually cutting out some sort of proof of purchase in the book and sending it in.

Normally I would never cut things out like that, but I would make an exception in this case.

I know there is a risk of people cutting those out in brick and morder stores and then sending them in, but I think that is a pretty low risk.
Click to expand...

Paizo has always been very good about discussing their decisions if asked in a non-combative manner. Raising questions like these, or voicing dissatisfaction, is better done on their forums, where the key personnel often answer directly, than here -- where the people involved won't even see it. :)
 
Silveras said:
Paizo has always been very good about discussing their decisions if asked in a non-combative manner. Raising questions like these, or voicing dissatisfaction, is better done on their forums, where the key personnel often answer directly, than here -- where the people involved won't even see it. :)
Click to expand...

You are probably right. I should dig around in their forums and see if something like that exists now. I have always had good communication with paizo.

edit: link to discussion: http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u60u?New-Paizo-policy
 
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NeoEvaX said:
So... I read the new news from WL. I think it makes a lot of sense for Paizo to do this, but it is a bit frustrating..

I have been signed up for their subscriptions for a short while. I have really enjoyed getting their physical documents as well as PDFs. But I have not been doing that for too long.

I bought both of their Adventure Path's that have been Anniversary Editions. Both Rise of the Runelords and their newer ones. But I bought them both at a local Game Shop. Which is usually a really nice thing to do. They tend to cost more but are bought local, which is really nice. But it does not come with any PDFs..

So for me to get the, hopefully soon to be released, content market for Realm Works, I will need to buy the PDF for Rise of the Runelords? If I had bought it straight from Paizo I would already have the PDF, but since I bought it at a local shop I don't get it?

Is there any process to get those PDFs if we already own the physical books? Even if they where recently bought? Or am I just out of luck and need to buy the $41.99 pdf along with whatever it costs on the content market.
Click to expand...


We are happy to work with Paizo to make their content available for use, but as a licensee, it's up to us to work within the parameters of the model the publisher has chosen so there is little we can do to adjust prices on the PDFs for prior physical purchases.

This is something you would need to take up with Paizo who doesn't currently allow for any such process for understandable reasons. They do run sales on their PDFs fairly often and you can certainly keep an eye out for those or sign up for their subscription service for upcoming releases!
 
BJ said:
We are happy to work with Paizo to make their content available for use, but as a licensee, it's up to us to work within the parameters of the model the publisher has chosen so there is little we can do to adjust prices on the PDFs for prior physical purchases.

This is something you would need to take up with Paizo who doesn't currently allow for any such process for understandable reasons. They do run sales on their PDFs fairly often and you can certainly keep an eye out for those or sign up for their subscription service for upcoming releases!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I understand you have to deal with the whole process of licensing. Its something we all have to deal with. Can't really fight it too much.

I appreciate you guys (and gals) communicating with us about the process. Just going to have to keep my eyes open for PDFs I need when things are available via the market. Keep my wallet open too! :)
 
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