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bits
2014-02-17, 10:52 AM
Hey there GitP. My first post, sorry if it's in the wrong place or anything.

I've been away from RPGs for about a 1.5 lifetimes and getting back into them (from like AD&D 1st Ed!). I've been reading, studying, and examining all the new stuff that's come out in the last 20 years, but I'm sure I've only scratched the surface.

Anyway, I'm interested in Pathfinder stuff and I've read and skimmed through a boatload of third party material for the game. My question is, are any of these third party publishers known for having poorly play tested material, or is there anyone that the general consensus says 'avoid' ?

I hope no one takes offense to the question!

Here's a list of those whose titles I've seen that looked interesting or looked at some of their stuff:

4WindsFantasy
FrogGodGames
JonBrazerEnterprises
LouisPorterJr
MalhavocPress
NecromancerGames
OtherverseGames
RagingSwanPress
RipePublishing
SpesMagnaGames
SuperGeniusGames

Any comment about these specifically for mixing in some of their rules (sorry, I'm not asking about any rules from them specifically, I'm more interested in the companies specifically so avoid wasting my time with them).

Adam1949
2014-02-17, 12:35 PM
I'm not quite sure what to avoid, in terms of 3rd-Party stuff, but I would certainly suggest Four Winds Fantasy, Necromancer Games, and Dreamscarred Press when it came to good stuff. Seriously, they make stuff that's playable, fun, and balanced, especially the latter.

I definitely know something to avoid; Pathfinder Core. Still not balanced in regards to the issues that 3.5 had. With the exception of Bard, Alchemist, Inquisitor, Samurai, and Gunslinger; those are all fine.

BWR
2014-02-17, 01:31 PM
And I quite like PF and have had some issues with some Necromancer Games stuff.

Really, it boils down to what you like. Read it and see if you like it.

Debihuman
2014-02-17, 05:51 PM
Hey there GitP. My first post, sorry if it's in the wrong place or anything.

Welcome to the Playground! No worries, we're all glad to help out here


I've been away from RPGs for about a 1.5 lifetimes and getting back into them (from like AD&D 1st Ed!). I've been reading, studying, and examining all the new stuff that's come out in the last 20 years, but I'm sure I've only scratched the surface. Considering the explosion of material that was released during the early years of the Open Gaming License, I'd be surprised if you can even find it all :-)



Anyway, I'm interested in Pathfinder stuff and I've read and skimmed through a boatload of third party material for the game. My question is, are any of these third party publishers known for having poorly play tested material, or is there anyone that the general consensus says 'avoid'?

Pathfinder is a good choice for starting up again. Paizo often uses 3rd party material in their own releases so that will generally tell you what they like. These days, publishing is more competitive so the material is generally better. The earlier material was not as well understood so that's where you'll find the poorer quality. Mongoose publishing was sometimes haphazard but even the bad stuff can be fixed by a good GM.

Know the rules and apply them accordingly. Count to see if a creature has the right feats, skills, etc.


I hope no one takes offense to the question! Not at all it's a good question. I wish I were more familiar with Pathfinder (I am a die-hard 3.5er).


Here's a list of those whose titles I've seen that looked interesting or looked at some of their stuff:


4 Winds Fantasy
Frog God Games
Jon Brazer Enterprises
Louis Porter Jr.
Malhavoc Press
Necromancer Games
Otherverse Games
Raging Swan Press
Ripe Publishing
Spes Magna Games
Super Genius Games


Any comment about these specifically for mixing in some of their rules (sorry, I'm not asking about any rules from them specifically, I'm more interested in the companies specifically so avoid wasting my time with them).

All of those companies produce Pathfinder compatible material. I would say that most of the material is very good.

Necromancer Games mostly published 3.5 material. However, in conjunction with God Frog Games, the Tome of Horrors Complete for Pathfinder Edition was published. It was a HUGE hit. Those additional monsters frequently appear in official Paizo products. Paizo also relies heavily on Templated creatures from Advanced Bestiary originally published by Green Ronin. A pathfinder compatible product is in the works but updating from 3.5 to Pathfinder isn't very hard. I'm getting the hang of it little by little and I haven't even PLAYED Pathfinder yet!

I read a lot of 3rd party products for FUN. I enjoy the short products made by Super Genius Games. Some if more tongue in cheek but I'm a sandbox player so I let anything fly as long as my players aren't abusing it.

The biggest thing you need to be aware of is KNOW THE RULES. Mistakes creep into a lot of products (much material from Wizards of the Coast suffered from a lack of proofreading and editing) as unfortunate as it is. Most companies try to fix these and if you buy an online pdf, you can often download any updates for free.

Every one of us probably as a few favorite products. Feel free to pick our brains. There is SO much material available (some harder to find as companies did go out of business and WotC did revoke the D20 license for 3.5).

It is easy enough to find people who review material and look for those that do critical reviews i.e. point out the errors in the stat blocks and such. Because so much material is published under the Open Gaming License, it means you can post it freely. Just make sure you aren't posting Closed Content. When in doubt read the fine print. OGL material should be clearly marked.

Pathfinder and 3.5 are close enough to use material from each other despite the differences.

Go to the company's websites. Very often you will find FREE material there, along with updates and corrections. Even WotC has updates and corrections on their own website for 3.5 material.

Debby

Divayth Fyr
2014-02-17, 05:56 PM
While not third party, anything directly made by Sean K Reynolds - the man seems to have little - if any - grasp of balance and sometimes goes with ideas that completely don't make sense (sometimes for fluff reasons, sometimes the crunch is like that)...