Pen & paper RPG Pathfinder to become MMO, Pathfinder Online

Good news for fans of Paizo's popular DnD variant, Pathfinder - little-known studio Goblinworks is turning it into a fascinating sounding MMO. Sweet.

The astute around these parts (well, actually, almost anyone, really) will know that we're huge fan of real actual dice-rolling. I love Skyrim with all my heart, and games like Lord of the Rings Online and even Star Trek Online can deliver a wonderfully social RPG experience, but in my opinion, you just can't go past the real thing.

Good, old-fashioned pen and paper gaming. 

One of the most popular gameworlds and systems in PnP land at the moment is Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder system. It's won many awards (though we've only skimmed it, personally), is popular with gamers, and utilises a modified version of Dungeons and Dragons' 3.5 edition ruleset. It has great art, a rich setting, and lots of room for telling all kinds of stories. And someone thinks it's a fertile setting for an MMO.

Goblinworks - which, we admit, we've not heard of before - has recently announced it's signed a deal with Paizo to turn Pathfinder into Pathfinder Online. You might be tempted to yawn and complain about 'yet another MMO', but actually, this one sounds really interesting. Here's the gossip straight from Goblinworks' site:

Pathfinder Online is a hybrid sandbox/theme park-style MMO where characters explore, develop, find adventure and dominate a wilderness frontier in a land of sword and sorcery. The Pathfinder world is high fantasy in the tradition of epics like The Lord of the Rings, Conan, the Wheel of Time and Game of Thrones.

The Pathfinder setting includes many different classic and modern fantasy elements, from lost cities shrouded in misty jungles to decaying pyramids amidst deserts of burning sands to a fantastic island metropolis where folk from across the world live side by side with all manner of fantastic creatures. The Pathfinder world has a place for any story a player wants to tell. (For more information on the world of Pathfinder and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, please visit paizo.com/pathfinder.)

Pathfinder Online's robust trading system puts players in control of the world's economy with player-created items, consumables, fortifications, and settlements. Character-controlled settlements can grow into full-fledged kingdoms that compete for resources as they seek to become the dominant force in the land, raising vast armies to hold their territory against the depredations of monstrous creatures, NPC factions, and other player characters.

See? That sounds pretty interesting! You can sign up for updates at the Goblinworks site, and they're very keen for any feedback or ideas prospective players might have. Keep an eye on this one - it sounds neat!