Today Pathfinder and Starfinder creator Paizo had news to share about two rather relevant topics, pricing and sustainability.
In a press release shared with TechRaptor, president Jim Butler explains that, while no one likes to raise prices, doing so is a necessity. Paizo is unfortunately not immune to inflation, industry-wide fluctuations in cost-of-goods, labor, and shipping and logistics.
As a result, a number of products by the publisher will see a fairly significant price hike soon.
Speaking of PDF, Bounties and Quests will see their price increased from $4.99 to $5.99. Society scenarios cost $5.99 for regular scenarios and $7.99 for higher-level scenarios. They will all be priced at $8.99, regardless of level.
Special interactive scenarios will see their price raised from $14.99 to $19.99. All of these price changes will go into effect on October 25, so you still have a few days to purchase them at the current price.
More prices on accessories, softcover, and hardcover books will increase with products released from April 2024, including reprints, as follows.
- Flip-Mats: $19.99 (+$3)
- Flip-Mat Multi-Pack: $29.99 (+$5)
- 96-page Adventure Paths: $29.99 (+$3)
- Pocket Editions will range in price from $26.99 to $34.99 based on page count.
- Hardcover prices will vary in price based on page count. That might seem obvious, but it’s a change from us keeping MSRP the same across wide page counts. Here are a couple of baseline examples.
- 128-page: $44.99
- 192-page: $59.99
- 256-page: $69.99
- 304-page plus map: $79.99
- Special Edition covers add an additional $20 to the retail price.
You can purchase most of Paizo's digital editions at Drivethrurpg
That being said, the price of hardcover core books (Player Core, GM Core, Monster Core, and Player Core 2) will stay at $59.99 at least through the next round of printing.
We also hear that Paizo is switching to FSC-certified paper ("FSC" stands for Forest Stewardship Council), meaning that all the paper used by the publisher "will come from ecologically sourced forests that prohibit deforestation (replacing the trees they harvest with new growth), require biodiversity and old forests to be protected, protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples."
The publisher isn't switching to fully recycled paper that is significantly more expensive and has a very different feel, but FSC-certified paper has the same feel and is a mix between ne and recycled paper. Shipping supplies are also being changed to be more ecologically sustainable.
Note: TechRaptor participates in an Affiliate Partnership with DriveThruRPG.
