Pathfinder CRPG with Avellone and without Obsidian announced

Azdeus · June 15, 2017

I seriously can't decide wether or not I want a RTwP fantasy rpg. I really, really don't want RTwP, but I do like the premise of this game.

ShadySands · June 15, 2017

I backed it and am hoping for the best but worst case scenario is that I have to dance an extra shift down at the Rusty Nail to recoup my losses

Stratagemini · June 15, 2017

I seriously can't decide wether or not I want a RTwP fantasy rpg. I really, really don't want RTwP, but I do like the premise of this game.

RTwP has been getting steadily better over the years and with a 40-80 hour game, you don't really want a battle system that takes up even more time like turn-based does. if you like the premise, but not the system, back it at a low level so that you can just test it out when it ships. If you don't like it, at least you showed there's a market for the premise even if the game itself wasn't your ideal. If you do like it, then that's also fine.

I love it. It reminds me of Realms of Arkania, but with even more options.

Having never played that game, I heartily agree with you?

I backed it and am hoping for the best but worst case scenario is that I have to dance an extra shift down at the Rusty Nail to recoup my losses

I am uncertain whether the rusty nail is a fantasy tavern or a strip club, or a fantasy strip club? I'm imagining Pathfinder goblins pole-dancing and a malfunctioning riding pig golem.

Mamoulian War · June 15, 2017

Haha, now I need to subtly hint to my GM, that his campaign in Magnimar is missing Rusty Nail and goblins riding pig golems :-D Thank you :-P

Stratagemini · June 15, 2017

I should note that Obsidian is one of the backers of this project. though I have no idea at what Level.

Stratagemini · June 15, 2017

Let's hope none.

Not sure why you said that. It's needlessly snide. More competition in a given field of games is generally a really good thing for consumers, since it increases innovations and makes games better (and cheaper). Also, where Obsidian decides to place their money is really more of an issue for them to decide than for fans.

Stratagemini · June 15, 2017

New Update on Music! Also some interesting press kits for Blogs and fansites (are those still a thing?).

For those who are not familiar with the composer: Inon Zur is responsible for the soundtracks to Icewind Dale II, Baldur's Gate II, Fallout 3 & 4, Escaflone, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II (which had good music despite all it's other flaws), and Power Rangers: Turbo.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Stratagemini

Vaeliorin · June 15, 2017

RTwP has been getting steadily better over the years and with a 40-80 hour game, you don't really want a battle system that takes up even more time like turn-based does.

You might not, but I do. I barely tolerate RTwP, but I adore turn-based.

I'm also curious how RTwP has gotten better. What, fundamentally, has changed about it over the years?

Azdeus · June 15, 2017

RTwP has been getting steadily better over the years and with a 40-80 hour game, you don't really want a battle system that takes up even more time like turn-based does.

You might not, but I do. I barely tolerate RTwP, but I adore turn-based.

I'm also curious how RTwP has gotten better. What, fundamentally, has changed about it over the years?

Very much this.

Also, if I were to pay for it, I would show them that there is a market for RTwP RPG's, they wouldn't know or care that I immensly dislike those mechanics; They still recieved my money.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Azdeus

SonicMage117 · June 15, 2017

Looks sooooo much like PoE. Is it turn based or real time?

Seems worth a 25er.

edit: Ok, read up a bit, RT. Bummer.

Yeah it does!

Raithe · June 15, 2017

RTwP has been getting steadily better over the years and with a 40-80 hour game, you don't really want a battle system that takes up even more time like turn-based does.

You might not, but I do. I barely tolerate RTwP, but I adore turn-based.

I'm also curious how RTwP has gotten better. What, fundamentally, has changed about it over the years?

Very much this.

Also, if I were to pay for it, I would show them that there is a market for RTwP RPG's, they wouldn't know or care that I immensly dislike those mechanics; They still recieved my money.

I would like to put up for example, the turn based conflicts in Torment: Numenera. I would be perfectly happy with RTwP compared to the horror feeling of facing yet another Torment Numenera combat.

Darkpriest · June 16, 2017

you know, tb combat can be fun, like the xcom series for example...

redneckdevil · June 16, 2017

Stratagemini · June 16, 2017

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder_RPG/comments/6hgqqm/amasession_with_the_devs_of_pathfinder_kingmaker/ There will be an AMA with Chris Avellone and the Creative director today at noon Pacific time.

Stratagemini · June 16, 2017

The AMA is on NOW.

Stratagemini · June 16, 2017

So! Here's the Post-AMA Infodump!

As Always New Things we know are in Bold.

Regarding the Kickstarter:

-The game will be published in 2018 regardless whether the Kickstarter is successful or not.

-The Kickstarter is Live and can be found Here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/owlcatgames/pathfinder-kingmaker/

-The kickstarter is an attempt to add "more companions, more depth to the companions, more dungeons and wilderness to explore, … and more new quests and content by famous Pathfinder authors and RPG authors." also more original music, and more voiceover. Basically it exists solely to fund extra cool stuff for the game.

-Mass combat is a late kickstarter stretch goal since it requires a lot of assets.

-To make up for Mass Combat's absence the PCs get to do cool stuff like infiltrate behind enemy lines. Making alliances is expected to give you different army options if they are able to implement mass combat.

- Rest is the first planned Kickstarter stretch Goal. During rest periods, players will be able to send companions out to hunt, thus reducing the need to buy rations, and will be able to set traps and alarms. They'll also be able to assign companions to guard against random attack.

-Both OS X and Linux Releases are Kickstarter stretch Goals.

-Additional Classes and Races from other sourcebooks will be revealed in the Kickstarter and in the form of stretch goals.

-The Initial goal of the Kickstarter is to make the Kingdom system more awesome. See Kingdom section for more details.

-Archetypes are a stretch Goal.

-New Locations are a Stretch goal.

-An epic Dungeon is a stretch goal.

-Custom companions (like in pillars of Eternity) may be a stretch goal if there's interest in it from backers. They are currently in discussions about it.

-Camping is the first stretch Goal. This is a comprehensive system for getting to know characters and being attacked in your underwear while sleeping. Realms of Arkania was specifically referenced as an influence. It is detailed in this update.

-Chris Avellone will I'll be writing a module for the Kickstarter in tandem with Paizo.

Regarding the Base Game:

-The game is Single Player only. Multiplayer and DM tools are being looked at as late game stretch Goals.

-The base game (un-kickstarted) is both mostly complete and includes all 6 AP Modules. The whole story is there with details being Fleshed out by Chris Avellone.

-A capstone is planned possibly taking characters to level 20. We do not know if this is a kickstarter plan, or a base game plan.

-You can build and develop a kingdom of our own, this is in the base game. The Kickstarter will make this better. From people who played the Demo, There are already some cool kingdom events.

-The game will include diplomats from neighbors, including Brevoy and Irrisen (and possibly Mendev?). If you make alliances, that could unlock different buildings for your kingdom. There will be allies available for every alignment.

-The game is run on an engine developed using the Unity engine. It is Isometric in look and feel.

-There will be plenty of side-quests.

-You will be able to be evil, but it will be a cruel and cunning "smart evil" such as talking two enemies into killing each other, rather than just asking for more money as a quest reward. The Creative Director once suggested how much easier it would be to rule a kingdom of undead, than living, breathing citizens; because living citizens have all sorts of complaints about life, and hunger, and os on. The undead just obey. And are (usually) quiet. Except the zombies. Also, the design policy is not to have being Evil cut you off from content to punish them, but to balance content across all alignments.

-The base game includes a forty hour main storyline, and forty to eighty to forty hours of fun side content.

-There will be a lot of new content unique to this version of the Stolen Lands -- just like it would be in any DM's version.

-The game "will have a certain degree of linearity: just like in the table-top game, some challenges will arise, and it would be up to you how you'll tackle them. You can't avoid being the baron(ess), then the king/queen, since it's the premise of the game. However, you'll be free to explore the Stolen Lands, find lots of events unrelated to the main course of events, and choose how to act there. So, you're guaranteed to meet the persons you can see on the covers of the Adventure Path books, but you'll meet them inside a large sandbox."

-Game spans Levels 1 - 20.

-All 20 Core Deities are in. Groetus is in and players will be able to worhip him. Arshea is not in.

-The Physical version of teh Game will be DRM-free. The digital version will have a choice of distribution platforms.

-"We're planning to carry the adventure to places the Adventure Path doesn't go (but it's a natural extension), so veteran players have something new to experience." This likely means the First World.

-"Even enemies you would normally regard as beasts and threats could find a home in your kingdom and provide new opportunities for your kingdom's growth."

-The game is a blend of Narrative and Combat, and neither one trumps the other.

-There are some pretty long dungeons in the game, and you will have to fight for your survival there. You can complete one level of the dungeon in approximately 1 hour.

-You can fail or ignore quests and they'll have big repercussions (not always negative). There are absolutely moral dilemma quests, which become more complicated once your companions weigh in and suddenly you have two moral dilemma layers to deal with.

-Foreshadowing will definitely be added for "The Big Bad." So states Chris Avellone. It will be threaded into each chapter.

-They have also taken pains to forshadow Jhod in module 1's arc.

-The end game is consequent with the player decisions, and furthermore, even if your decisions were "bad," they were your decisions, and even evil has its day.

Setting:

-The game is set in Golarion in the Stolen Lands, And the First World.

-You will be able to talk to companions from as far as Absalom and even Thuvia about their homelands.

-You will meet ambassadors from neighboring countries. And you can form alliances with them. There are 9 Ambassadors currently (one for each alignment) and they include the Witches of Irrisen.

-There are events from other Kingdoms so you get to see the "Spectrum of Golarion."

-You will encounter several iconics as an NPCs, and Amiri as a companion.

-The game will use Ambient sound.

-There are rabbits and birds out in the wild, and they are planning to put some animals in settlements too.

-Music and sounds are discussed in this update.

-If you like Maps, this is your update.

Character Creation:

-The Game includes all the races and Classes from the Core Rulebook. It also includes Alchemist and Inquisitor. The Rogue is from Pathfinder Unchained, the Barbarian unchained but can choose between normal and Unchained Rage, the Monk is as yet undecided.

-There are no plans for Occult class characters right now.

-Arcane Trickster is in the game already, other Prestige classes are planned as well. Dragon Disciple seems likely. As does Aldori Swordlord.

-There are already more than 15 spells to choose from for each of the three first spell levels, with more to come. There will be over 300 spells total by the time the game is launched.

-Bardic masterpieces are in.

-There are around 10 Animal Companions in the base game.

-There are around 10 Familiars in the base game. No word either way on Red Pandas. I remain hopeful. Avellone is petitioning Owlcat to allow Owlcat familiars.

-There will be more than 300 feats.

-There will be NO Grippli, not even as a stretch goal, due to licensing issues since Grippli are WotC IP. While the information was delivered tongue in cheek, there will be no Deep One Hybrids either.

-Since there is no mounted combat, Cavaliers seem vanishingly unlikely. Similarly, Paladin Mount bonds.

-There are pregenerated builds and recommendations for all the choices and options.

-The current plan for Character Creation is point buy. The Devs have stated that they may also consider rolling characters as an optional alternative.

-Stats will be point buy by default, with an option for rolled stats due to backer demand.

-Magus is the second Stretch Goal.

-You can become a fallen Paladin.

-They want to add Aldori Swordlords.

-Multiclassing is in the game.

-Item creation feats, crafting, and Profession skills are not in the game. There will be talking skills (e.g. diplomacy, intimidate, bluff, etc), knowledge skills (e.g. Geography, History, local, nobility, etc), and movement skills (e.g. climb, swim, acrobatics, etc). The actual Skills have not been confirmed yet beyond Perception. At least one video shows a "Thievery" skill.

-You will be able to select portrait for your character, these will all be Paizo approved. the ability to use custom portraits is still in discussion.

-You will be able to select face, hair style, skin tone, hair color (and gnomes will definitely have crazy colors available for them). Owlcat is also trying to add different body types, is am not promising it right now.

-You can select a deity your character will worship. Divine classes will have to select specific deity. Paladin codes will be referenced to, but not strictly mechanically upheld.

-Because there is no mounted combat, Paladins have different versions of divine bonds, most common of them being a weapon bond.

-There will be favored class bonuses, including racial options, but probably not all of them.

-Character creation design is not finalized, but Owlcat plans to include character background in some form in it.

Multiplayer and Modding:

-Base game is Single Player only.

-While DM Tools and Multiplayer were floated as possible stretch goals early on, the Devs want to focus on making a good Single Player game first and foremost and so they don't want to promise that they will be available.

-Modding is a seperate issue that they are not focused on at this time.

-There are no plans for a DM client option. This si something to examine for Future Games.

Regarding Companions:

-There are either 10 or 11 Companions in the Base Game.

-Companion characters are a mix of New characters, iconic Pathfinder characters, and characters already existing in the AP.

-Amiri, the Iconic Barbarian, is a companion with a lot of backstory and events happening around her throughout the game. Amiri is the only Iconic Companion.

-Jubilost Narthropple is a companion. He a cantankerous gnome, is kind of a jerk, and you can fail to recruit him if you screw up your attempt to help him out with his wagon. He's also a character from the original AP.

-Valerie is a blonde haired Human Woman from Brevoy. She is also a Fighter who Worships Gorum, and a failed Paladin of Shelyn.

-A halfling that looks suspiciously like Lem is a companion.

-A bard is a companion. He decides to join you because he wants to record your story. This companion has not been seen yet and may or may not be the halfling.

-Octavia is a female Half-Elf wizard/rogue/arcane trickster.

-There is a Blonde male who looks like an Elven inquisitor of Sarenrae.

-There is a Half-Orc who definitely looks like a Magus (or maybe he's the bard)?

- There is what looks like either a Taldan or Ulfen Human male Fighter.

-There is an either Garundi or Mwangi man in light armor. He is probably from Thuvia.

-There is a Goblin Companion. This Goblin is sadly, not an Alchemist.

-Harrim is a Dwarven Cleric of Groetus. He has a Mohawk looking hairdo.

-Finally, there is what I believe looks like a Tian Woman, but others tell me looks like Jiselle the iconic Swashbuckler. Further Videos and investigation of teh Blogger kit realeased in teh music update show that she is a Player Fighter Character.

-There will be companion Romance, but it isn't the only relationship option. This Includes LGBTQ+ romance options. This kicks in as quickly as Module 1.

-Companions can disagree with you, leave you, and even turn on you if they don't like you. They do NOT need to be in your party for this to happen. Companions are living people and don't stop existing just because you leave them home.

-The story can change considerably depending on your party composition.

-Each companion has an expandable novel style bio that expands as you learn more about them and progress in the game.

-You can take 5 Companions with you in a party at one time.

-You can level up your companions based on your own preferences, even changing their classes if you wish, there is however a suggested path, and you can have them auto-level if you wish instead.

-You will also be able to choose from several AI behaviours for your party members, allowing them to use spells and abilities or spend resources on their own.

-Each companion will have one or several levels in a predetermined class when you meet them. You can level them any way you wish from there on out, but their "starting class" is preset.

-Chris Avellone really wants to write Amiri and Jubilost. But negotiations as to who gets to do what are still ongoing.

-Companions definitely have an opinion, will act on that opinion, and will act strongly on that opinion (leaving the party is only one possible ending for companions you butt heads with). Mentions have been made of Companions turning on you as well.

-There are some companions that simply are impossible to influence with your charms, only your actions.

-Some of the companions come from as far as Absalom and even Thuvia and you will be able to talk to them about those lands.

-Companions' stories carry through (heroic and tragic, though both are not set in stone for each character) throughout the game to the very end.

-Companions have their own choices of deities. (Presumably these are preselected for them).

Mechanics:

-Combat format is Real Time with Pause. There's going to be an option for auto-pausing combat at the beginning of each "turn", essentially making it quasi-turn-based. "Turns" last approximately three seconds.

-The character sheet is mostly the same, with the same ability scores and skills (though they lumped together some less-used skills to avoid ranks waste). Crafting Skills and profession skills are not in the game.

-Combat includes: initiative, attacks of opportunity, sneak attacks, Trip, Power Attack (as a toggle), Fighting Defensively, Spontaneous casting of heal spells, and Channeling positive energy.

-Feats include many books beyond core, and include Elemental Spell Focus, and Evocation Spell Focus.

-Perception is a Skill in this game and allows you to spot Loot.

-The game currently includes a comprehensive Alignment meter which plays a significant role in the game. There are a lot of choices that shift your alignment towards one of the nine possible, and your current alignment sometimes affects the way NPC react to you. Avellone likened it to how alignment was implemented in Planescape Torment.

-There is No Crafting, instead there's a Royal Artisans system that will make magic items (and even Artifacts) for you.

-You can either auto-select the best party member for a skill check, or manually select who you want to attempt it.

-Difficulty levels are: Core Rules (similar to tabletop Pathfinder but real time, not turn based), adapted rules (less deadly for less experienced, crits deadliness reduced), story mode (really simple combat), Iron man (tougher monsters, just one save that overwrites itself so accept your mistakes), and custom (for example, core rules with reduced crits).

-The level up screen will suggest options to you sort of like Amazon's "If you liked X you might also like Y."

-Wings will be in the system, and they will do something cool "we instead may, for example, give a sorcerer an ability to create strong winds and push the enemies away with a flap of his wings or will allow him to reposition himself on the battlefield by flying up and landing elsewhere."

-The AI can help you control the characters in battle.

-There will be no Flying in Combat or Mounted Combat.

-This update can tell you About Mechanics and Character creation.

-Regarding Flanking and Reach: "Exact positioning is far less predictable in the game without a grid and therefore we have to make it less important. For that we will have simplified rules for everything that works with positioning on the field. For example, reach weapons will have greater range and no penalties in melee, but will not give the wielder an attack of opportunity when the target moves from 10' to 5' squares. And we are still testing several approaches to flanking."

-"There will be no grappling for characters, for monsters with special abilities based on grappling rules for it will be greatly simplified."

-No Leadership feat. You're already running a kingdom and your party are your cohorts.

-There IS permanent companion death, but not on all difficulties. It depends on your play mode: (story) companions get back up, (normal) companions get up but are at death's door and will die permanently if hit again, and (hardcore) they're dead. Resurrection and Raise Dead are part of the experience, though. There will be more difficulty levels than those 3, and you will be able to choose from a lot of options to customize difficulty for yourself.

-Following evil deities will have consequences in the relationships with other countries and NPCs.

The Kingdom:

-There are playable companions as well as NPCs you can assign to kingdom roles (from Ultimate Campaign), with enough choices for 2-3 options for each role.

-Advisers will give advice based on their personality. this may not be the best advice. You will have to interpret it.

-Expanding The Kingdom is the initial goal of the Kickstarter.

-You can add more than 14 regions to your kingdom.

-There are 300 Kingdom Events and 100 Kingdom Projects.

-You can ally with outside Factions, there are 9 allies currently, one for each alignment. these include the Witches of Irrisen. They'll be walking around the streets of your capitol.

-The Kickstarter aims to:

--Make the Kingdom's appearance reflect your alignment and choices.

--Let you recruit royal artisans to your kingdom that make you cool stuff (including Artifacts). The Creative Director Alexander Mishulin also mentioned a "Royal Cook (Cooking Royal Artisan)" But that may have been a joke.

--Add more responsiveness to your choices (for example saving a troll family could let you unlock a Troll Bridge building and a Legendary club they make for you, and how you solve problems would unlock different rewards for them).

--Add randomized Kingdom events that make your kingdom different in every playthrough.

-This Update can tell you more.

-Kingdom Roles will be similar to Ultimate campaign, but with fewer roles for less redundancy. There is no Heir, and Ruler has been modified so you don't need high Charisma. Also your player character gets the role of king no matter what. Leaders will be tied to certain stats and there will be positions that are based on Charisma (Like Grand Diplomat)

-Your state is a barony at first with some of the roles absent, but they will become available as your state upgades to a kingdom.

-"It's not really Kingdom management without the political drama, really, and Owlcat realized that from the get-go with the design." Chris Avellone says. He also says "It's pretty Game of Thrones. I don't say that lightly."

-Your vassals will have an opinion about you, and if they are unhappy - different events could happen, including their opposition to you.

-Owlcat is not really holding back on evil/seediness in the Kingdom. You can build Brothels. Building Brothels doesn't make your kingdom evil.

-The Stolen Lands is divided into 14 regions (number of regions may be subject to change). Most of them will have settlements of some kind, including those in AP, like Varnhold.

-There will be buildings that require certain alignment and alliance with one of the ambassadors. Some will be tied to the certain resolutions of the story encounters and kingdom events.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

-Owlcat is in close contact with Paizo in developing this. They're also running 4 simultaneous Kingmaker campaigns.

-Character sheet screens are super detailed.

-Tooltips exist which provide Golarion and Pathfinder-based lore.

-Initial languages for Localization are: English, German, French, and Russian. More may be available as Stretch goals based on popular demand.

-Digital Release is planned for GOG and Steam.

-No matter what Race you play you can choose your Gender and Skin tone.

-The premium digital version includes some backer-only in-game items (a special cloak, a helmet and a ring, as well as one unique and quirky spell). The regular digital edition comes with a cloak.

-Chris Avellone has expresed desire for Owlkittens to be in the game. I continue to hold out hope for a cool Owlkitten pet.

-There will be an option for the colorblind, and all spoken text will be available in written form (wither in interactions or in logs) for the hearing impaired.

-Beta is scheduled for the first quarter of 2018.

-The alpha is planned for fall this year (2017).

-Owlcat is working on a "smart AI," which will keep you on your toes especially against enemy spellcasters. This probably does not mean a learning, evolving AI.

-Inon Zur, composer for Icewind Dale II, Baldur's Gate II, Fallout 3 & 4, Escaflone, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Power Rangers: Turbo is composing the music.

-Character models will depict the items they are wearing. Owlcat is planning to make color schemes available, but that is not set in stone.

-The team consists of at least 4 programmers/6 artists and animators (and 20+ on outsource)/15 designers (system, UI, level, narrative), and 1 Chris Avellone (possibly more than one).

-Amiri is apparently the iconic for the image on Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens' business card.

-There are currently no plans for DLC.

-Expect a lot of influence from the four campaigns of Kingmaker they are running.

-They love magic items and want to make them more interesting

System Requirements:

Minimal system requirements

Video: Intel HD Graphics 3000

CPU: Intel Celeron 1037U @ 1.80GHz

RAM: 4 Gb

OS: Win 7

Resolution: 1366 x 768

Recommended system requirements

Video: ATI Radeon HD 5770/GeForce GTX 960M

CPU: Intel Core i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz

RAM: 8 Gb

OS: Win 7

Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Edited June 16, 2017 by Stratagemini

rjshae · June 17, 2017

They're on track to make ~$1.5 million. Hopefully it's enough.

Stratagemini · June 18, 2017

Explanation of Characters, Animation and Inventory

It looks like you'll have 4 weapon sets available to swap between. Non-selected (but still equipped) Weapon sets will show up on your character model. and you will be able to draw them both in combat and on the inventory screen with an accompanying animation.

All item slots which Exist in the tabletop will be represented in Kingmaker. The implication is that these are represented both cosmetically and non-cosmetically. It looks like there are 10 Item Slots. Also everything you equip including consumables shows up on your character.

There are 5 Belt Slots for Consumable items like potions.

Also Jubilost is an Alchemist now. and the New Thuvian Ranger companion is from from Absolom.

Keyrock · June 18, 2017

Explanation of Characters, Animation and Inventory

That's a pretty fabulous shirt Alexey is wearing.

Gromnir · June 18, 2017

Explanation of Characters, Animation and Inventory

That's a pretty fabulous shirt Alexey is wearing.

somebody needs to buy him the perfect shoes.

replace with ten-sided dice and he is golden.

HA! Good Fun!

Stratagemini · June 20, 2017

Update By Chris Avellone Not much if any new info; but there's a picture of an adorable Owl(bear?) GMing.

Edited June 20, 2017 by Stratagemini

Harry Easter · June 21, 2017

Update By Chris Avellone Not much if any new info; but there's a picture of an adorable Owl(bear?) GMing.

But well written and it really makes clear how he writes, although I had to think about Kotor 2 and grin, when I read the part about "respecting the franchise" (although I think that Chris was hateful, he just looked at it from a different angle).

Edited June 21, 2017 by Harry Easter

Stratagemini · June 23, 2017

A little more than $1k Left to go! Here's a couple new Things we've learned!

As Always New Things we know are in Bold.

I'm not employed in any capacity by Paizo, or Owlcat Games, this is all stuff I've managed to gather myself and there may be errors. If there are, I try and correct them as soon as I can.

Regarding the Kickstarter:

-The game will be published in 2018 regardless whether the Kickstarter is successful or not.

-The Kickstarter is Live and can be found Here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/owlcatgames/pathfinder-kingmaker/

-The kickstarter is an attempt to add "more companions, more depth to the companions, more dungeons and wilderness to explore, … and more new quests and content by famous Pathfinder authors and RPG authors." also more original music, and more voiceover. Basically it exists solely to fund extra cool stuff for the game.

-Mass combat is a late kickstarter stretch goal since it requires a lot of assets.

-To make up for Mass Combat's absence the PCs get to do cool stuff like infiltrate behind enemy lines. Making alliances is expected to give you different army options if they are able to implement mass combat.

- Rest is the first planned Kickstarter stretch Goal. During rest periods, players will be able to send companions out to hunt, thus reducing the need to buy rations, and will be able to set traps and alarms. They'll also be able to assign companions to guard against random attack.

-Both OS X and Linux Releases are Kickstarter stretch Goals.

-Additional Classes and Races from other sourcebooks will be revealed in the Kickstarter and in the form of stretch goals.

-The Initial goal of the Kickstarter is to make the Kingdom system more awesome. See Kingdom section for more details.

-Archetypes are a stretch Goal.

-New Locations are a Stretch goal.

-An epic Dungeon is a stretch goal.

-A Goblin Companion (who is not an Alchemist) is a Stretch Goal.

-Custom companions (like in pillars of Eternity) may be a stretch goal if there's interest in it from backers. They are currently in discussions about it.

-Camping is the first stretch Goal. This is a comprehensive system for getting to know characters and being attacked in your underwear while sleeping. Realms of Arkania was specifically referenced as an influence. It is detailed in this update.

-Chris Avellone will I'll be writing a module for the Kickstarter in tandem with Paizo.

Regarding the Base Game:

-The game is Single Player only. Multiplayer and DM tools are being looked at as late game stretch Goals.

-The base game (un-kickstarted) is both mostly complete and includes all 6 AP Modules. The whole story is there with details being Fleshed out by Chris Avellone.

-A capstone is planned possibly taking characters to level 20. We do not know if this is a kickstarter plan, or a base game plan.

-You can build and develop a kingdom of our own, this is in the base game. The Kickstarter will make this better. From people who played the Demo, There are already some cool kingdom events.

-The game will include diplomats from neighbors, including Brevoy and Irrisen (and possibly Mendev?). If you make alliances, that could unlock different buildings for your kingdom. There will be allies available for every alignment.

-The game is run on an engine developed using the Unity engine. It is Isometric in look and feel.

-There will be plenty of side-quests.

-You will be able to be evil, but it will be a cruel and cunning "smart evil" such as talking two enemies into killing each other, rather than just asking for more money as a quest reward. The Creative Director once suggested how much easier it would be to rule a kingdom of undead, than living, breathing citizens; because living citizens have all sorts of complaints about life, and hunger, and os on. The undead just obey. And are (usually) quiet. Except the zombies. Also, the design policy is not to have being Evil cut you off from content to punish them, but to balance content across all alignments.

-The base game includes a forty hour main storyline, and forty to eighty to forty hours of fun side content.

-There will be a lot of new content unique to this version of the Stolen Lands -- just like it would be in any DM's version.

-The game "will have a certain degree of linearity: just like in the table-top game, some challenges will arise, and it would be up to you how you'll tackle them. You can't avoid being the baron(ess), then the king/queen, since it's the premise of the game. However, you'll be free to explore the Stolen Lands, find lots of events unrelated to the main course of events, and choose how to act there. So, you're guaranteed to meet the persons you can see on the covers of the Adventure Path books, but you'll meet them inside a large sandbox."

-Game spans Levels 1 - 20.

-All 21 Core Deities are in. Groetus is in and players will be able to worhip him. Arshea is not in.

-The Physical version of teh Game will be DRM-free. The digital version will have a choice of distribution platforms.

-"We're planning to carry the adventure to places the Adventure Path doesn't go (but it's a natural extension), so veteran players have something new to experience." This likely means the First World.

-"Even enemies you would normally regard as beasts and threats could find a home in your kingdom and provide new opportunities for your kingdom's growth."

-The game is a blend of Narrative and Combat, and neither one trumps the other.

-There are some pretty long dungeons in the game, and you will have to fight for your survival there. You can complete one level of the dungeon in approximately 1 hour.

-You can fail or ignore quests and they'll have big repercussions (not always negative). There are absolutely moral dilemma quests, which become more complicated once your companions weigh in and suddenly you have two moral dilemma layers to deal with.

-Foreshadowing will definitely be added for "The Big Bad." So states Chris Avellone. It will be threaded into each chapter.

-They have also taken pains to forshadow Jhod in module 1's arc.

-The end game is consequent with the player decisions, and furthermore, even if your decisions were "bad," they were your decisions, and even evil has its day.

Setting:

-The game is set in Golarion in the Stolen Lands, And the First World.

-You will be able to talk to companions from as far as Absalom and even Thuvia about their homelands.

-You will meet ambassadors from neighboring countries. And you can form alliances with them. There are 9 Ambassadors currently (one for each alignment) and they include the Witches of Irrisen.

-There are events from other Kingdoms so you get to see the "Spectrum of Golarion."

-You will encounter several iconics as an NPCs, and Amiri as a companion.

-The game will use Ambient sound.

-There are rabbits and birds out in the wild, and they are planning to put some animals in settlements too.

-Music and sounds are discussed in this update.

-If you like Maps, this is your update.

-Exploration is discussed in this Update.

Character Creation:

-The Game includes all the races and Classes from the Core Rulebook. It also includes Alchemist and Inquisitor. The Rogue is from Pathfinder Unchained, the Barbarian unchained but can choose between normal and Unchained Rage, the Monk is as yet undecided.

-There are no plans for Occult class characters right now.

-Arcane Trickster is in the game already, other Prestige classes are planned as well. Dragon Disciple seems likely. As does Aldori Swordlord.

-There are already more than 15 spells to choose from for each of the three first spell levels, with more to come. There will be over 300 spells total by the time the game is launched.

-Bardic masterpieces are in.

-There are around 10 Animal Companions in the base game.

-There are around 10 Familiars in the base game. No word either way on Red Pandas. I remain hopeful. Avellone is petitioning Owlcat to allow Owlcat familiars.

-There will be more than 300 feats.

-There will be NO Grippli, not even as a stretch goal, due to licensing issues since Grippli are WotC IP. While the information was delivered tongue in cheek, there will be no Deep One Hybrids either.

-Since there is no mounted combat, Cavaliers seem vanishingly unlikely. Similarly, Paladin Mount bonds.

-There are pregenerated builds and recommendations for all the choices and options.

-The current plan for Character Creation is point buy. The Devs have stated that they may also consider rolling characters as an optional alternative.

-Stats will be point buy by default, with an option for rolled stats due to backer demand.

-Magus is the second Stretch Goal.

-You can become a fallen Paladin.

-They want to add Aldori Swordlords.

-Multiclassing is in the game.

-Item creation feats, crafting, and Profession skills are not in the game. There will be talking skills (e.g. diplomacy, intimidate, bluff, etc), knowledge skills (e.g. Geography, History, local, nobility, etc), and movement skills (e.g. climb, swim, acrobatics, etc). The actual Skills have not been confirmed yet beyond Perception. At least one video shows a "Thievery" skill.

-You will be able to select portrait for your character, these will all be Paizo approved. the ability to use custom portraits is still in discussion.

-You will be able to select face, hair style, skin tone, hair color (and gnomes will definitely have crazy colors available for them). Owlcat is also trying to add different body types, is am not promising it right now.

-You can select a deity your character will worship. Divine classes will have to select specific deity. Paladin codes will be referenced to, but not strictly mechanically upheld.

-Because there is no mounted combat, Paladins have different versions of divine bonds, most common of them being a weapon bond.

-There will be favored class bonuses, including racial options, but probably not all of them.

-Character creation design is not finalized, but Owlcat plans to include character background in some form in it.

Multiplayer and Modding:

-Base game is Single Player only.

-While DM Tools and Multiplayer were floated as possible stretch goals early on, the Devs want to focus on making a good Single Player game first and foremost and so they don't want to promise that they will be available.

-Modding is a separate issue that they are not focused on at this time.

-There are no plans for a DM client option. This is something to examine for Future Games.

Regarding Companions:

-There are either 10 or 11 Companions in the Base Game.

-Companion characters are a mix of New characters, iconic Pathfinder characters, and characters already existing in the AP.

-Amiri, the Iconic Barbarian, is a companion with a lot of backstory and events happening around her throughout the game. Amiri is the only Iconic Companion.

-Jubilost Narthropple is a companion. He a cantankerous gnome, is kind of a jerk, and you can fail to recruit him if you screw up your attempt to help him out with his wagon. He's also a character from the original AP. He is an alchemist now

-Valerie is a blonde haired Human Woman from Brevoy. She is also a Fighter who Worships Gorum, and a failed Paladin of Shelyn.

-A halfling that looks suspiciously like Lem is a companion.

-A bard is a companion. He decides to join you because he wants to record your story. This companion has not been seen yet and may or may not be the halfling.

-Octavia is a female Half-Elf wizard/rogue/arcane trickster.

-There is a Blonde male who looks like an Elven inquisitor of Sarenrae.

-There is a Half-Orc who definitely looks like a Magus (or maybe he's the bard)?

- There is what looks like either a Taldan or Ulfen Human male Fighter.

-Ekundayo, is a Thuvian Ranger from Absolom.

-There is a Goblin Companion. This Goblin is sadly, not an Alchemist. The Goblin Companion is a Stretch Goal.

-Harrim is a Dwarven Cleric of Groetus. He has a Mohawk looking hairdo.

-There will be companion Romance, but it isn't the only relationship option. This Includes LGBTQ+ romance options. This kicks in as quickly as Module 1.

-Companions can disagree with you, leave you, and even turn on you if they don't like you. They do NOT need to be in your party for this to happen. Companions are living people and don't stop existing just because you leave them home.

-The story can change considerably depending on your party composition.

-Each companion has an expandable novel style bio that expands as you learn more about them and progress in the game.

-You can take 5 Companions with you in a party at one time.

-You can level up your companions based on your own preferences, even changing their classes if you wish, there is however a suggested path, and you can have them auto-level if you wish instead.

-You will also be able to choose from several AI behaviours for your party members, allowing them to use spells and abilities or spend resources on their own. You can switch AI on and off for each character separately, there will be various options for AI.

-Each companion will have one or several levels in a predetermined class when you meet them. You can level them any way you wish from there on out, but their "starting class" is preset.

-Chris Avellone really wants to write Amiri and Jubilost. But negotiations as to who gets to do what are still ongoing.

-Companions definitely have an opinion, will act on that opinion, and will act strongly on that opinion (leaving the party is only one possible ending for companions you butt heads with). Mentions have been made of Companions turning on you as well.

-There are some companions that simply are impossible to influence with your charms, only your actions.

-Some of the companions come from as far as Absalom and even Thuvia and you will be able to talk to them about those lands.

-Companions' stories carry through (heroic and tragic, though both are not set in stone for each character) throughout the game to the very end.

-Companions have their own choices of deities. (Presumably these are pre-selected for them).

Mechanics:

-Combat format is Real Time with Pause. There's going to be an option for auto-pausing combat at the beginning of each "turn", essentially making it quasi-turn-based. "Turns" last approximately three seconds.

-The character sheet is mostly the same, with the same ability scores and skills (though they lumped together some less-used skills to avoid ranks waste). Crafting Skills and profession skills are not in the game.

-Combat includes: initiative, attacks of opportunity, sneak attacks, Trip, Power Attack (as a toggle), Fighting Defensively, Spontaneous casting of heal spells, and Channeling positive energy.

-Feats include many books beyond core, and include Elemental Spell Focus, and Evocation Spell Focus.

-Perception is a Skill in this game and allows you to spot Loot.

-The game currently includes a comprehensive Alignment meter which plays a significant role in the game. There are a lot of choices that shift your alignment towards one of the nine possible, and your current alignment sometimes affects the way NPC react to you. Avellone likened it to how alignment was implemented in Planescape Torment. The Alignment system is meant to be descriptive, not prescriptive.

-There is No Crafting, instead there's a Royal Artisans system that will make magic items (and even Artifacts) for you.

-You can either auto-select the best party member for a skill check, or manually select who you want to attempt it.

-Difficulty levels are: Core Rules (similar to tabletop Pathfinder but real time, not turn based), adapted rules (less deadly for less experienced, crits deadliness reduced), story mode (really simple combat), Iron man (tougher monsters, just one save that overwrites itself so accept your mistakes), and custom (for example, core rules with reduced crits).

-The level up screen will suggest options to you sort of like Amazon's "If you liked X you might also like Y."

-Wings will be in the system, and they will do something cool "we instead may, for example, give a sorcerer an ability to create strong winds and push the enemies away with a flap of his wings or will allow him to reposition himself on the battlefield by flying up and landing elsewhere."

-The AI can help you control the characters in battle.

-There will be no Flying in Combat or Mounted Combat.

-This update can tell you About Mechanics and Character creation.

-Regarding Flanking and Reach: "Exact positioning is far less predictable in the game without a grid and therefore we have to make it less important. For that we will have simplified rules for everything that works with positioning on the field. For example, reach weapons will have greater range and no penalties in melee, but will not give the wielder an attack of opportunity when the target moves from 10' to 5' squares. And we are still testing several approaches to flanking."

-"There will be no grappling for characters, for monsters with special abilities based on grappling rules for it will be greatly simplified."

-No Leadership feat. You're already running a kingdom and your party are your cohorts.

-There IS permanent companion death, but not on all difficulties. It depends on your play mode: (story) companions get back up, (normal) companions get up but are at death's door and will die permanently if hit again, and (hardcore) they're dead. Resurrection and Raise Dead are part of the experience, though. There will be more difficulty levels than those 3, and you will be able to choose from a lot of options to customize difficulty for yourself.

-Following evil deities will have consequences in the relationships with other countries and NPCs.

-There is some randomization of loot from ordinary creatures, such as the amount of gold and other minor items they carry, but boss loot will be fixed.

-All item slots which exist in the tabletop will be represented in Kingmaker.

-There are 5 Belt Slots for Consumable items like potions.

-You will have 4 weapon sets available to swap between. Non-selected (but still equipped) Weapon sets will show up on your character model. and you will be able to draw them both in combat and on the inventory screen with an accompanying animation.

-Exploration is not a standalone system. Random encounters will happen on the map, as will skill checks and the discovery of new areas, you can run from random encounters as well.

-Explanation of Characters, Animation and Inventory

The Kingdom:

-There are playable companions as well as NPCs you can assign to kingdom roles (from Ultimate Campaign), with enough choices for 2-3 options for each role.

-Advisers will give advice based on their personality. this may not be the best advice. You will have to interpret it.

-Expanding The Kingdom is the initial goal of the Kickstarter.

-You can add more than 14 regions to your kingdom.

-There are 300 Kingdom Events and 100 Kingdom Projects.

-You can ally with outside Factions, there are 9 allies currently, one for each alignment. these include the Witches of Irrisen. They'll be walking around the streets of your capitol.

-The Kickstarter aims to:

--Make the Kingdom's appearance reflect your alignment and choices.

--Let you recruit royal artisans to your kingdom that make you cool stuff (including Artifacts). The Creative Director Alexander Mishulin also mentioned a "Royal Cook (Cooking Royal Artisan)" But that may have been a joke.

--Add more responsiveness to your choices (for example saving a troll family could let you unlock a Troll Bridge building and a Legendary club they make for you, and how you solve problems would unlock different rewards for them).

--Add randomized Kingdom events that make your kingdom different in every playthrough.

-This Update can tell you more about your kingdom.

-Kingdom Roles will be similar to Ultimate campaign, but with fewer roles for less redundancy. There is no Heir, and Ruler has been modified so you don't need high Charisma. Also your player character gets the role of king no matter what. Leaders will be tied to certain stats and there will be positions that are based on Charisma (Like Grand Diplomat)

-Your state is a barony at first with some of the roles absent, but they will become available as your state upgades to a kingdom.

-"It's not really Kingdom management without the political drama, really, and Owlcat realized that from the get-go with the design." Chris Avellone says. He also says "It's pretty Game of Thrones. I don't say that lightly."

-Your vassals will have an opinion about you, and if they are unhappy - different events could happen, including their opposition to you.

-Owlcat is not really holding back on evil/seediness in the Kingdom. You can build Brothels. Building Brothels doesn't make your kingdom evil.

-The Stolen Lands is divided into 14 regions (number of regions may be subject to change). Most of them will have settlements of some kind, including those in AP, like Varnhold.

-There will be buildings that require certain alignment and alliance with one of the ambassadors. Some will be tied to the certain resolutions of the story encounters and kingdom events.

-You will have to make decisions involving your neighboring countries, which will all have consequences.

-Expect to see Embeth Woodsmen, Mivoni Aldori or some other neighbors (and not only neighbors) visiting you.

-As your Kingdom grows regions in your kingdom become better defended and advisers point out new areas on the map within your kingdom's boundaries. Also you will move faster as roads in your Kingdom improve.

Miscellaneous Stuff:

-Owlcat is in close contact with Paizo in developing this. They're also running 4 simultaneous Kingmaker campaigns.

-Character sheet screens are super detailed.

-Tooltips exist which provide Golarion and Pathfinder-based lore.

-Initial languages for Localization are: English, German, French, and Russian. More may be available as Stretch goals based on popular demand.

-Digital Release is planned for GOG and Steam.

-No matter what Race you play you can choose your Gender and Skin tone.

-The premium digital version includes some backer-only in-game items (a special cloak, a helmet and a ring, as well as one unique and quirky spell). The regular digital edition comes with a cloak.

-Chris Avellone has expresed desire for Owlkittens to be in the game. I continue to hold out hope for a cool Owlkitten pet.

-There will be an option for the colorblind, and all spoken text will be available in written form (wither in interactions or in logs) for the hearing impaired.

-Beta is scheduled for the first quarter of 2018.

-The alpha is planned for fall this year (2017).

-Owlcat is working on a "smart AI," which will keep you on your toes especially against enemy spellcasters. This probably does not mean a learning, evolving AI.

-Inon Zur, composer for Icewind Dale II, Baldur's Gate II, Fallout 3 & 4, Escaflone, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, and Power Rangers: Turbo is composing the music.

-Character models will depict the items they are wearing. Owlcat is planning to make color schemes available, but that is not set in stone.

-The team consists of at least 4 programmers/6 artists and animators (and 20+ on outsource)/15 designers (system, UI, level, narrative), and 1 Chris Avellone (possibly more than one). Those are just the tech, art, and design teams—they also have a QA team and a management team.

-Amiri is apparently the iconic for the image on Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens' business card. She is also one of their cats.

-There are currently no plans for DLC.

-Expect a lot of influence from the four campaigns of Kingmaker they are running.

-They love magic items and want to make them more interesting

-Everything you equip including consumables and weapons you are not currently wielding, shows up on your character.

-Update by Chris Avellone on narrative design.

System Requirements:

Minimal system requirements

Video: Intel HD Graphics 3000

CPU: Intel Celeron 1037U @ 1.80GHz

RAM: 4 Gb

OS: Win 7

Resolution: 1366 x 768

Recommended system requirements

Video: ATI Radeon HD 5770/GeForce GTX 960M

CPU: Intel Core i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz

RAM: 8 Gb

OS: Win 7

Resolution: 1920 x 1080A couple new Things we've learned!