A one-page game jam designed for the Infinite community!
Guest Blog by Meredith Gerber | Partner Relations Representative at DriveThruRPG

Pathfinder Infinite, Starfinder Infinite, and Paizo are thrilled to welcome you to the PaizoCon 2024 Game Jam!

What is a game jam?
A game jam is an event designed to create something from scratch during a timed period. In this case, all entries will be due no later than May 1st, 2024.

What is the game jam theme?

The theme marries with the PaizoCon 2024 theme: Educate, Entertain, and Inspire!

Who can participate?
Anyone! All you need is a customer account for DriveThru sites.

Why should I participate?
Aside from it’s a blast to jam together with the community, you’ll get promotions from Paizo, DriveThruRPG, and Pathfinder/Starfinder Infinite; you will be providing a very cool option for GMs to bring to their table; and you’ll be challenging yourself as a creator or bringing an idea from your table to life.

What are the rules?

• Must fit one page, double sided. (Technically, it will be two pages of a single-page PDF or a two-page spread. When someone prints it out, they’ll have one sheet with information front and back)
• Must be uploaded to Pathfinder Infinite or Starfinder Infinite before May 1st, 2024.
• Must follow the Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite Guidelines
• When you’re finished setting up your title, please keep it private. We will turn all of them to be available for purchase slightly before PaizoCon.
• Email meredith@roll20.net with a link to your private URL, your customer email, and a two-sentence synopsis.

Do you have a font size restriction?

No. You’re welcome to make the font any size you’d like, but we recommend at least 9.5 for readability.

Do I have to put artwork in?

Not a requirement! We recommend keeping it simple so people can easily print it out. You’re welcome to also make a printer-friendly version to upload alongside your submission (so, two files!) if your submission needs color, art, and flourish!

I submitted my title. Now what?

Pathfinder Infinite/Starfinder Infinite will notify you when it is live and when Paizo posts a “round up” promoting it the week of PaizoCon.

Can I make changes? Won’t that cause problems for the URL I send?

You are welcome to make changes to your submission—the PDF(s), the description, title—at any time.

Can I charge for this?

Absolutely! Infinite Masters are recommending at least 99 cents. You are not required to charge but we always recommend it because you should charge for the work you did! 

We cannot wait to see what you create!

Hello, everyone! Today we’re giving you a sneak peek into our two upcoming multi-table interactive events for the 2024 Paizo Organized Play season!

Every year, Pathfinder Organized Play and Starfinder Organized Play each release one multi-table event that can be played with as few as three tables and well over 150+ tables at the world’s largest gaming events. These are intended to be epic adventures where players work alongside each other to accomplish monumental feats and battle great evils. In the past, these events were tied to key story points for Organized Play. In recent years, our special events have been standalone adventures that tell exciting but isolated stories, making them usable at conventions and special events for many years to come. This year, we’re continuing this trend, with two exciting interactive events that are standalone, so they can be enjoyed by anyone at any time.

Debuting at PaizoCon 2024, Starfinder Society Scenario #6-99: The End Awakens is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Joseph Blomquist and Mike Kimmel.

Every year the Starfinder Society dispatches agents to perform initial exploration and surveys of hundreds of worlds, identifying resources, cataloging biological samples, mapping terrain, and initiating peaceful contact. This year is no different. …Or is it?

Respected Starfinder Palivhar Chooser of Hues, has recently discovered a planet they believe to be Krethiskar, a “missing” planet in the distant Szandite Collective that failed to reconnect after the Gap. Keen on investigating further, Palivhar leads an expedition of rookie Starfinders to Krethiskar’s surface, to conduct initial surveys and routine testing.

Unfortunately for the Starfinder Society, Krethiskar is a huskworld consumed by the voracious Swarm in ages past, and this mission is anything but routine. Palivhar’s survey expedition is doomed to become a desperate fight for survival, as the hibernating Swarm awaken. Can you escape the planet alive?

I hope you join us on Krethiskar for this year’s interactive special!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Lucas Fernando

---

Premiering at Gen Con 2024, Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-00: Salt of the Ocean is an adventure for 1st- through 8th-level characters written by Rigby Bendele and Jacob W. Michaels.

As the year turns over and different events start to pick up across Golarion, two things of interest are discovered as the Eye of Abendego, the massive hurricane off the coast of the Mwangi Expanse, shifts and turns. The first is a shipwreck of an old Pathfinder ship, the Whippoorwill, and the second is an island of legend spoken only in the stories of the crumbled Ghol-Gan empire, the Island of Teeth and Terror.

Hurricane Queen Tessa Fairwind has reached out to the Pathfinder Society to inform them of both discoveries, prompting an expedition to see what can be found on both the ship and the island. However, the Island of Teeth and Terror is also the goal of the notorious pirate Sharkskin, spurred on by xir companion and mentor, Enava, who has her own plans for the nephilim and the island.

Can the Pathfinders put a stop to these nefarious plans? Can you survive the threats within the Abendego Ocean?

Gather your sea legs, Pathfinders!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Despite my apprehension at reading about the deaths of so many of Golarion’s gods and my continuing belief that these Godsrain Prophecies cannot be taken at their word, I still feel a bit wistful about reaching the end of my analysis. While it is certainly possible that there are other prophecies in this vein, this is the last that I will read before delivering the collection to my Lady.

I am not sure why I feel so hesitant to put this work aside. Of course, there is something satisfying about feeling like you are a part of important research, even if the experience of it is less than pleasant. (I think here of those who have documented the beliefs of faiths that are somewhat more difficult to understand, as in To Scream Is Divine: My Year at a Nidalese Temple and its somewhat more uneven follow-up, Kuthite Lullabies.) Beyond that, though, I believe I will miss the gods themselves—or at least the insights into them that these texts have given me, even when I don’t believe a word that I am reading.

After reviewing the entirety of the Godsrain Prophecies, I am confident in one thing and one thing only: that the author has been made privy, whether through prophecy or otherwise, to the fact that one of Golarion’s gods will die. The preoccupation with the subject of a dead god, accuracy of some of the smaller details, and feeling of anticipation throughout are compelling evidence in favor of my theory. With all the contradictions and confusions in the text, though, I do not believe that the author knows which god, how they die, or why.

Unfortunately, this is where my certainty ends, as there are several different reasons why the author may have taken this information and used it to create the prophecies. It is possible that they feared what might happen and wrote these prophecies as a warning, attempting to prevent the dangers they dreamed up. It is also possible that they hope the death will be a destabilizing event, and that they intended for these prophecies to weaken faith and trust in the gods, making them easier to abandon in the aftermath of a catastrophe. There is no way to know, as I will admit to my Lady; I hope that in her wisdom, she can discern the truth.

If nothing else, as with all futures, only time will tell.

–Yivali

---

The “Death” of Rovagug

The chant starts as a whisper—an idle piece of pillow talk on nights Sarenrae cannot sleep, her fingertips gone marching on the canvas that is Shelyn’s back, her hands casting surging shadows onto Desna’s resting arm. She weaves a tale of how to win the battle that she hungers for, imagining alliances that span across the Great Beyond and speaking life to victory until the passion of her dream becomes a shared ambition. All three lovers make mention of it, idly, to those who share their interests, pitched in a tone and timbre meant to echo in the listener’s chest. The message drums with nostalgia tinged with rage and thirst for justice long delayed, and it is passed along from ear to ear until it finally circles back, a call to action with the deadly urgency of war.

Imprisonment is not enough. Rovagug must die.

There are more gods now than there were when Rovagug was sealed away, and many sign up for the quest to kill the Great Destroyer, to stand alongside Abadar and Gozreh and Calistria. Some do so to show their mettle, some to gather bragging rights, and some to reassure themselves that if there is something to gain, they won’t leave empty-handed. Sarenrae worries, privately, that many do not understand the danger they’ve signed up for, but she takes the names and notes the skills and hands the roles out all the same—rear guard to those who fear but fight, support for those who dwell in hope, melee for those who want to feel the blood beneath their fingers.

At first, it seems too easy. Asmodeus unlocks the seal that leads into the Dead Vault and gods pour through in something like a line. Wrackworms turn from feasting on the Rough Beast’s flesh to face them, but fall to sword and spell and scythe as if they were an afterthought, slicking the ground around themselves with remnants of their dying. After the cheers and murmurs fade, a gnawing silence fills the air, thick and dank and hungry, and for a moment, no one moves, a huddled mass of godhood waiting for something to happen.

Then Rovagug is everywhere—suddenly, impossibly. Rending, clawing, tearing open, shoveling exalted flesh into his waiting mouths. Apsu’s wing is torn asunder. Hei Feng’s feathers fall like rain. Grandmother Spider holds her own, her arms a whirling blur of blades, but watches as Thamir falls still, body crushed beneath a claw, and Hanspur drowns a second time, awash in his own blood. But Rovagug, despite his power, cannot overcome them all, and soon the tide of battle changes, rattling the prison’s walls as gods press their advantages, slamming his body side to side—an endless, rhythmic dying.

With each impact on the Dead Vault’s walls, Golarion is shaken. Buildings tumble into streets. Rivers shift to find new banks. Old trees flatten forests. Volcanoes long thought dormant, from Taldor to the Five Kings Mountains, spit dense ash into the sky, blanketing the life around them and blocking out the sun. The Eye of Abendego expands twofold, turning the Mwangi Expanse into newly Sodden Lands. When Rovagug is finally still, Sarenrae standing by his head with her arms held high in victory, the gods emerge from the Dead Vault to find a world that thinks the end has come.

After all the dead are mourned, no one agrees on what comes next. The aftermath grows tense and bitter, victory turned vicious. With Rovagug no threat to them, godly alliances feel heavier, a burden to be shrugged off or set down and ignored. How to rebuild a ruined land becomes the stuff of smaller wars—Abadar feuds with Erastil, Irori shuns Iomedae, Sarenrae feels the weight of blame hurled at her from every corner, and Norgorber sides with anyone who might advance his cause. But while they bicker here and now, the gods may yet unite again, as deep in Avistani soil, disturbed by distant tremors, the worst of Rovagug’s spawn have felt their prison falter and ready for destruction that would make their sire proud.

While imprisoned, Rovagug maintains the peace between the gods, but in his absence, what prevents war between the immortals?

---

That is certainly one way to end things. If I am being honest, the idea of Rovagug trapped within the bowels of Golarion has always made me a bit nervous, but it seems it may be better than the alternative! Which gives me one final idea as to why these prophecies exist—perhaps they argue against change and tell those who read them that, even for those gods whom you might fear or hate, the status quo is better than anything new that you might long for—a desperate version of a wish that, no matter what they have seen coming, it would be best for things to continue as they are. Sadly for the author, change, I believe, is inevitable. I hope only that we are ready and that we meet it, heads held high and wings outstretched, however and whenever it comes.

Don’t miss our exciting livestream on Tuesday, April 16 at 4:00 PM Pacific at twitch.tv/officialpaizo, where members of the Pathfinder team will announce who among the remaining deities is the unfortunate victim presaged in these prophecies. In addition to revealing which major deity is going to die in the War of Immortals event, we’ll also lay out the entire slate of War of Immortals tie-in products coming in the second half of 2024. Make your final predictions and join us in just under a week.

About the Author

Erin Roberts has been thrilled to be able to contribute a few small threads to the fabric of Golarion in the pages of books like Lost Omens Firebrands, Lost Omens Highhelm, and Lost Omens Travel Guide. In addition to her work for Paizo, she freelances across the TTRPG world (and was selected as a Diana Jones Award Emerging Designer Program Winner in 2023), has had fiction published in magazines including Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, and The Dark, and talks about writing every week on the Writing Excuses podcast. Catch up with her latest at linktr.ee/erinroberts.

From first light to sunset, the Indraracha Institute bustles with activity. The docks continually ferry people in and out of the campus. Meal, study, repeat—every day is a routine at the academy, a routine strengthening the minds and sharpening the skills of the future sorcerers and politicians of Tang Mai.

For one young boy, though, things were different. School was just school. Sometimes, all he wanted to do was to just run around, not bury himself nose-deep in a book about the nation’s history. One morning, he was doing just that—running through the halls of the Institute, weaving between his classmates that filled rooms and corridors studying all things magical.

Asok’s circuit ended in one of the many gardens. Resting under a tall banyan tree, the boy began to doze off. He snapped his eyes open when he heard a familiar voice.

“What are you doing here?” A tattooed young man strode over, a basket of herbs in hand.

“Thanom!” The boy scrambled up to his feet, putting his hands together in a greeting. “I’m just on my way to study hall... unless you need help in the gardens?” He gave a wide grin.

“And take you away from your studies? Your instructors will have my head! And if I’m gone, there will be even fewer people who tolerate your behavior.” He pulled out a mangosteen and handed the fruit to Asok. “Now go to class. Next time I need help, I’ll come to you. When you’re not trying to hide from your instructors.”

Asok gave another huge grin to the alchemist before rushing off to his class, conveniently located in a quieter corner of the Institute. He tucked himself alongside his classmates as they all settled in, twisting open the mangosteen and eating the meat inside. Mali, his seatmate, glared. In return, he smiled and offered a piece to her, but she turned her head away in annoyance.

“Remember, students, placement tests are coming up soon. While you all are young, it’s important you take your exams seriously.” Teacher Chai walked around, handing out textbooks. “We want to make sure you all end up learning subjects you enjoy and excel at.”

Asok opened the book to the lines, “Sorcerer diplomats provide the Chaophaya counsel and identify magical phenomena to aid them in their rule. Following the precepts of the Indraracha Institute, diplomats must be impartial...” The text was dizzying.

“Aiyyyyy, I’m tired,” he groaned.

“Shhhhh!” Mali nudged him. “Stop complaining. You’re going to get us in trouble.”

“It’s hot and it’s sooooo boring.” Asok began fanning himself with the textbook.

“It’s always hot,” the girl reminded him, “and you say everything is boring.”

Asok nudged her back. In a huff, they both started jostling each other, though mostly in jest.

Their instructor eyed them with suspicion, but before he could say anything, sparks coalesced in the air.

“Teacher Chai!” An illusion of an older student sprung into being. “Apologies for the disturbance—we could use some assistance with an artifact in the south research laboratory.”

“Of course. Right away.” The instructor turned to the class, saying, “Now, students, be diligent while I’m gone,” before hurrying out.

In the heat and humidity, diligent self-study didn’t last long. Mischievous as ever, Asok got to his feet and reached for the magic within him. A small flame sparked to life in his hand.

“Asok, stop,” Mali chided. “You shouldn’t be doing that.”

“Come on, we’re studying, right?” Asok juggled the flame between his fingers. “If we don’t break anything, it’s fine. Unless you’re a scaredy-cat?”

Illustration by Ilina Naydenova.

“Am not!” She frowned before standing up, a spell coming to her as easy as breath. “You know I’m sooooo much better than you at casting.”

Students discarded their textbooks and started chatting among themselves. In a moment, the alcove filled with all sorts of spells. A young nagaji girl conjured a bubble of water and began shaping it into a flower. Another student drew a monstrous face on a nearby stone before levitating it to chase their classmates through the alcove.

Between the two rival factions, a heated competition quickly drew the class’s attention. Mali shot her hand up in the air, spraying an array of bright colors. The crowd was mesmerized with the lights. She gave her opponent a playful grin.

Asok huffed, “It’s just colors—isn’t this so much cooler?” He caught the ember in his fist before shooting it out. The small burst of fire cut through the rainbow. The boy puffed his chest in pride.

The “oooohs” from the crowd turned to a giggle as Mali wiggled her fingers and a second image of Asok appeared next to him. While crude, the illusion was unmistakably of the boy. It hopped around, flexing in an exaggerated manner. Asok frowned at his double, which frowned back.

Not to be outdone, Asok threw his memory and being back into his blood, finding the might of elementals. He breathed in deep before releasing a gust of flame that spilled from his lips and billowed outwards. The fire dispersed the illusion before launching upward to the sky. Asok was careful to not let it hit Mali or their classmates, but the size of the breath was growing larger than he could control. The expanding heat licked the roof of the outdoor galleries that surrounded their study area, lighting up small pieces of foliage.

“Asok! Look what you did,” Mali yelled, taking a step back from the sparks.

“I didn’t mean to,” Asok stammered, ashamed about his mistake. “I—I’m sorry!”

 “Come on, we have to stop this before Teacher Chai comes back.”

The nagaji student guided her water magic to the fire. While it extinguished some of it, the flames were spreading faster than she could handle. The class chipped in with various spells, with little impact.

Suddenly, a chill wind gusted through the alcove, frost trailing in its wake and collecting on the stones. The winds roared across the roof, blowing the fires out as easily as candles, making Asok and Mali shiver and clutch their arms close despite the fires and the Tang Mai sun. Turning around, the students saw Teacher Chai with an expressionless face, magic still trailing from his fingers as his incantation left him.

“Spellcraft is not allowed without instructor supervision at your age.” Teacher Chai said sternly as he walked toward the panicked students. “I expected as much from you, Asok. But you, Mali...”

“I—I—I’m sorry, Teacher!” Mali bowed her head, “We tried to stop it ourselves. We know it was wrong, but—”

The teacher put a hand up to stop the student. “While you all showed responsibility in fixing your mistakes, magic is volatile. One misstep, one wrong incantation, can cause chaos. Now, back to your studies.”

As the young students began to quiet down and shrink themselves back into their texts, Teacher Chai looked at Asok and Mali. “Though, I must admit it was quite the impressive feat. You two have the makings of incredible sorcerers.”

About the Author

Collette Quach (they/she) is a Chinese-Cambodian narrative designer with an interest in mythology and identity. They've worked on projects such as the Tian Xia Character Guide Unbreakable Anthology, and the ENNIE-winning Uncaged Anthology. She has an MFA in Interactive Media from USC, where she explored branching narrative and agency through her video game, Last Broadcast. You can see more of their work here and on Twitter.

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now! Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

Hey! It’s your fledgling and greenhorn Rulelord Pete here. If there’s three things to know about me, they’re that I am a consummate GM, I think the next iconic should be a shoony, and I want people to try new games! However, it’s not always that easy. Branching out in our collective hobby requires many people to commit time, money, and energy to sit at a table and engage with unfamiliar rules. There are many who might want to try something new but aren’t able to because they can’t find anyone to play with. If this sounds like you, then there’s hope.

The mods at r/Pathfinder2e saw a need to help bring Pathfinder to new players, and thus Beginner Box Days were born! This year, events will be running between April 13th and April 21st. Using the power of the internet, we have been able to connect new players hungry to try Pathfinder Second Edition with experienced GMs. So, how can you get involved?

RUN A GAME! GMs can register their game at RPGChronicles.net using event code 2716006. Once you set up events for both the Upper and Lower levels, players will be able to join your game starting TODAY! You can run games in your local time zone or even in a non-English language to help introduce the next generation of Pathfinder players to the game. Just make sure to get a Beginner Box module version for your VTT of choice or request a FREE PDF copy from Paizo through our form at BeginPF2.com.

PLAY A GAME! Starting TODAY players can register themselves for both levels of Paizo’s remastered Beginner Box adventure: Menace under Otari! Each level is designed to slowly introduce the player to important aspects of the game, from combat to skills to puzzles! The Upper Level is the starter level, where you’ll investigate Tamily Tanderveil’s basement to investigate who (or what) is stealing her fish. This level is best for people who are brand new to playing Pathfinder or any TTRPG. The Lower level introduces more challenges as you begin to uncover the menace under the logging town of Otari, putting your new skills to the ultimate test! Players can play one level, or both, by finding a slot that matches their availability and signing up on BeginPF2.com.

EARN SOCIETY CREDIT! Both GMs and players can earn society credit that you can use on your first official character. The Beginner Box is played in Adventure Mode so you can try any class or ancestry that your GM will allow, or play any of Paizo’s remastered pregenerated characters if you just want to get rolling! To earn society credit, simply add your Paizo Organized Play number on RPGChronicles when you create or sign up to a game. We will be reporting all sessions, but it is not necessary to join Pathfinder Society to participate in Beginner Box Days.

Paizo has also given us a stack of vouchers we’ll be raffling off to players and GMs, which we’ll distribute after all games are reported. Also, Rise of the Rulelords podcast and Team + Publishing are giving away 3 physical remastered Beginner Boxes, and Team + will be raffling away bundles of their best-selling class expansions! So don’t wait! Begin your next adventure, or help someone start their own at BeginPF2.com!

Guest Blog From:

Rulelord Pete
Beginner Box Days Organizer

Hello and well met! With many shenanigans and much wrangling, we bring you this year’s PaizoCon Online schedule! Included in this year’s schedule is our Twitch programming, Discord programming, and some community content creator streams happening during PaizoCon weekend as well!

As more games and activities are submitted, be sure to check back here, as well as the Tabletop.Events schedule for updates!

Jump To Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday

Friday, May 24th

10 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT
PaizoCon 2024 Keynote (Twitch)
Get excited for news, updates, and upcoming products at our annual Keynote, hosted by Erik Mona!

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. PDT
Elemental Stones Boardgame (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Play the first board game from Paizo Games, Elemental Stones, with one of its designers! (Tabletop Simulator is required.)

12 p.m.–1 p.m. PDT
Starfinder Second Edition (Twitch)
Find out where we've been and what's to come for Starfinder Second Edition!

12 p.m.–1 p.m. PDT
Guess that Adventure! (Discord Stages)
Very similar to Paizo’s ‘Guess that Monster’ livestream we did in honor of the release of Monster Core. We've stripped adventure covers of their identifying information and now we're quizzing Paizo developers on their knowledge of what adventure it is!

1 p.m.–2 p.m. PDT
Godsrain—Death and Renewal (Twitch)
If you haven't heard, there's been some interesting prophesies popping up in Golarion. Join us while we talk about The Godsrain Prophesies, upcoming novel, Adventure Path, and War of Immortals event!

1 p.m.–2:30 p.m. PDT
Elemental Stones Boardgame (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Play the first board game from Paizo Games, Elemental Stones, with one of its designers! (Tabletop Simulator is required.)

2 p.m.–3 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Updates (Twitch)
Join the Organized Play team while they talk about what’s coming up in the newly revealed Year 6 of PFS and what's in store for the final year of Starfinder Society First Edition!

3 p.m.–4 p.m. PDT
Paizo Partners Online Tools Showcase (Twitch)
We have some amazing partners who help us produce various tools to aid with online gaming. Some you know, and others you might not be familiar with, but we want to give them all a chance to show off a little of what they do!

3 p.m.–4:30 p.m. PDT
Elemental Stones Boardgame (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Play the first board game from Paizo Games, Elemental Stones, with one of its designers! (Tabletop Simulator is required.)

4 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 1 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

4 p.m.–6 p.m. PDT
SF2E Live Play (Twitch)
Join the Starfinder team on their journey through the stars in this alpha playtest campaign of Starfinder Second Edition! This game will be the opening session of an ongoing campaign, with episodes dropping up until Gen Con 2024.

4 p.m.–8 p.m. PDT
The lightless Beacon: Call of Cthulhu 7E (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
In the mid 1920s, the passengers of the SS Essex County must investigate an unlit lighthouse off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts. Was the lighthouse's lantern extinguished by inclement weather, or is something more sinister afoot?

This session will use Foundry VTT and be run by Paizo's Software Architect, Brian Bauman. Players will be provided with pregenerated characters.

7 p.m.–7 p.m. PDT
Pathfinder Battles and Beyond: 2025 releases from WizKids (Twitch)
Join Magellan Mulligan, RPG Project Production Manager/Producer at WizKids, for a look at some exciting new releases coming this year and next for Pathfinder Battles and more!

8 p.m.–9 p.m. PDT
Jackbox: Get Pathlashed! (Discord Stages)
Join the community in an evening of Jackbox nonsense to kick off PaizoCon Online 2024! There will be adult language/themes in this event.

Planned schedule:
Round 1: Lie Swatter! Up to 100 participants can play this game of spotting falsehoods and nonsense.
Round 2: Pathlash! It's Quiplash, but with a Pathfinder and Starfinder twist!
Round 3: Community choice! I'll present several fan-favorite games for vote at the top of the event and we'll pick one to close things out.

10 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 2 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

Back To Top ^

Saturday, May 25th

4 a.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 3 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

9 a.m.–10 a.m. PDT
Roll20: Bridging the Gap Between Digital and Physical Play (Twitch)
Join members of Roll20's staff as they discuss the platform's long-term investment in Pathfinder and Starfinder and share how user feedback is driving the development of powerful, reliable tools to make play easy, wherever you are.

10 a.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 4 and Starfinder Society Special (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

10 a.m.–11 a.m. PDT
An Adventure Path Retrospective (Twitch)
With the release of Seven Dooms for Sandpoint, we've reached a milestone of our 200th adventure path! Join the Narrative Team as they talk about the history of the Adventure Paths, things we’ve learned along the way, and ways we at Paizo have innovated the format and challenged traditional norms in the industry through our stories.

11 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT
Journalism & TTRPGs (Twitch)
Take part in a roundtable discussion with journalists from around the tabletop space. Learn how journalists breathe life into the industry and shine a light on projects—and learn how you can help support them in return!

12 p.m.–1 p.m. PDT
Transitions from Starfinder First Edition to Second Edition (Twitch)
Join the Starfinder team while they talk about working on Starfinder, the final adventure path; Mechageddon!, and what we can expect while transitioning into Starfinder Second Edition!

12 p.m.–1 p.m. PDT
Backmatter Speed Round! (Discord Stages)
We’re testing participants on their Paizo knowledge! Taking the backmatter from spells, item descriptions, or anything the host choses, the participants must race to guess the name or adventure that the choice description comes from!

1 p.m.–2 p.m. PDT
Pathfinder Project Remaster (Twitch)
Join the team while they talk about the Pathfinder Remaster project, what's happened so far and where we plan on taking it in the future!

1 p.m.–2 p.m. PDT
Paizo Games - Board and Card Games from Paizo (Discord Stages)
Come learn about Paizo Games, a new initiative to bring the worlds of Paizo to board and card games. Learn about our previous games and get some enticing hints about what is to come!

2 p.m.–3 p.m. PDT
VTTs Enhanced (Twitch)
Join the team while we discuss where we’ve been and where we’re going with virtual tabletop content, producing soundtracks for Adventure Paths, and maybe even some peeks at what the future holds!

3 p.m.–4 p.m. PDT
Whimsy in TTRPGs (Twitch)
In PaizoCon years past we've had panels such as Horror and Mysteries in RPGs, and this year we're bringing it back with Whimsy in RPGs! Join the team while they talk about how to have the most fun possible during your game!

4 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 5 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

4 p.m.–6 p.m. PDT
PF Live Play with the Narrative Team (Twitch)
Join the Narrative Team for a one-shot adventure of epic proportions!

4 p.m.–8 p.m. PDT
Chickens in the Mist (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Student reporters for the local university paper investigate rumors of a cockfighting ring hidden in the homesteads adjoining Big Thicket National Preserve in eastern rural Texas.

System: Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
This session will use Foundry VTT and be run by Paizo's Software Architect, Brian Bauman.

7 p.m.–8 p.m. PDT
Make Some Magic with AbyssalBrews (Twitch)
AbyssalBrews has been creating third party magic items, systems, creatures, and more for Pathfinder 2E for over a year now. On that road, they’ve learned a lot about writing and a little about business. Join writer Matthew Ross and Illustrator Fernando Dominguez as they talk about being a third party creator and work on creating a specific magic item for Pathfinder 2E right in front of you. Ask anything about being a third party creator and see how the process unfolds!

9 p.m.–10 p.m. PDT
Paizo Con Paint-Along with WizKids (Twitch)
Join WizKids painting instructor JD Wiker (IG: @JeDiWiker) at your favorite local game store, or from the comfort of your own home, as he walks you through how to paint the Pathfinder Wood Giant from start to finish.

10 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 6 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

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Sunday, May 26th

4 a.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 7 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

10 a.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 8 and Pathfinder Society Special (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

10 a.m.–11 a.m. PDT
Infinite Possibilities: How to write for Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite (Twitch)
Join Dustin Knight, Meredith Gerber, and Alexander Augunas as they relay their experiences, offer advice, and answer questions about how to publish on Pathfinder Infinite, including where to find creator resources and collaborative creator spaces!

11 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT
Teaching & TTRPGs (Twitch)
TTRPGs are becoming more familiar in classroom settings. Join Paizo staff and guests with teaching backgrounds as they share their experience using RPGs in the classroom, running afterschool clubs, and how they think games can be used in educational settings going forward.

12 p.m.–1 p.m. PDT
Tips & Tricks: Ask the Paizo GMs (Twitch)
Get your questions ready! Get answers about the games you love from the people who love to make them!

1 p.m.–2 p.m. PDT
Exploring Tian Xia (Twitch)
With the Tian Xia World Guide out and the Character Guide coming soon, join the team as they share their inspiration, process, and maybe some favorite art from the guides! We’ll be answering as many questions as we choose—but not all secrets will be revealed.

2 p.m.–3 p.m. PDT
Therapeutic TTRPGs (Twitch)
Clinical professionals from Take This join Paizo staff for a panel on therapeutic TTRPGs and safety in therapeutic roleplay.

3 p.m.–4 p.m. PDT
Walking the Tightrope: Balancing Encounters in Your Adventure (Twitch)
Want the perfect mix of monsters, mayhem, and roleplay? The Paizo devs are here to talk about their favorite tips and tricks to balancing encounters!

4 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 9 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

4 p.m.–5 p.m. PDT
Suit Up, Save the World! (Twitch)
Join developer Jenny Jarzabski and the authors of the Starfinder Mechageddon! Adventure Path as they talk about their inspiration, process, favorite mechs, monsters, and spoilers!

4 p.m.–8 p.m. PDT
The lightless Beacon: Call of Cthulhu 7E (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
In the mid 1920s, the passengers of the SS Essex County must investigate an unlit lighthouse off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts. Was the lighthouse's lantern extinguished by inclement weather, or is something more sinister afoot?

This session will use Foundry VTT and be run by Paizo's Software Architect, Brian Bauman. Players will be provided with pregenerated characters.

5 p.m.–7 p.m. PDT
Bixby’s Mail Adventure Part Two: The Mailening (Twitch)
Join GM Alex Speidel, Paizo staff members Katina Davis, Rue Dickey, Valentine Luneau and former Paizo staffer Jackson Wood on another wild Pathfinder adventure! Bixby has one job: deliver a letter through the Maze of the Open Road. What could possibly go wrong?

8 p.m.–9 p.m. PDT
Mapmaking With Dungeon Alchemist (Twitch)
Join us as we use Dungeon Alchemist to make professional quality, custom maps for your Pathfinder games in seconds!

10 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 10 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

Back To Top ^

Monday, May 27th

4 a.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 11 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

10 a.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 12 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

4 p.m. PDT
Organized Play Game Block 13 (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Pathfinder and Starfinder Society scenarios begin at the start of this timeslot. Shorter adventures, such as Quests or Bounties, may also be available. Visit the tabletop.events schedule for full details on all Organized Play offerings!

4 p.m.–8 p.m. PDT
Chickens in the Mist (Tabletop.Events & Discord)
Student reporters for the local university paper investigate rumors of a cockfighting ring hidden in the homesteads adjoining Big Thicket National Preserve in eastern rural Texas.

System: Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
This session will use Foundry VTT and be run by Paizo's Software Architect, Brian Bauman.

Back To Top ^

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Other Activities!

If you’ve already bought a ticket, keep an eye on your inbox as we release early sign ups for art and writing portfolio reviews! If you haven’t bought a ticket yet, don’t worry, we’ll be sending out another sign up email before review slots open up to the public on April 17.

Game Signups!

As said in a previous blog we’re doing game signups via Tabletop.Events this year. Game sign ups open to ticket purchasers on April 17 at 9 a.m. PDT, with GM early sign ups opening on April 10 at 9 a.m. PDT!

See you soon!

Don't forget to join us on the PaizoCon Discord for even more programming! Some of our partners and digital content guests will be hanging out in our online "exhibition hall" with their own channels to answer questions and show off their amazing products!

If you're interested in gaming, don't forget to purchase a ticket and sign up on Tabletop.Events to get access to our Organized Play games and non–Organized Play activities!

We can't wait to see you all at PaizoCon Online 2024!

Get your tickets for PaizoCon Online 2024 today!

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on April 24, 2024.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-14: Poisonous Council*

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-15: Cleansing the Flame*

Pathfinder Quest (Series 2) #18: Student Exchange

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-16: Dawning Fate*

*part of a subscription

Convention News

Convention season is in full swing! There are dozens of local conventions happening this spring around the world and online. Check out the Paizo Conventions Calendar for details on everything going on in the months to come.

Of course, the convention looming largest on my mind is PaizoCon! We’re less than two months away from Paizo’s first major convention of the year, and I cannot wait. Badges are on sale now; stay tuned to the blog later today for more news on signing up for events.

Sanctioning Updates

The Pathfinder Remaster has gained another pillar! Last week we released Pathfinder Monster Core, available now on paizo.com or at your FLGS (with an exclusive sketch cover!). Sanctioning for Pathfinder Monster Core has also been added to the Pathfinder Character Options page, though the vast majority of this content is only relevant for those of you with summoning spells.

Additionally, the Pathfinder Core Rulebook got a slight tweak thanks to the Remaster. Any deity who grants dreaming potential instead grants their followers illusory scene, effective immediately.

Unfortunately, I botched the calendar, so the sanctioning documents for Seven Dooms for Sandpoint have been delayed slightly. At press time for this blog, they’re not ready yet, but I expect them to be available very soon!

This month sees the release of the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide, the first of our two Tian Xia-focused books, to be followed by the Tian Xia Character Guide at the end of August. I expect sanctioning for this book to go live on street date! After that, May sees two exciting releases with Howl of the Wild and Mechageddon!, the final Adventure Path for Starfinder First Edition.

GM Recognition

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th rank!

5th Nova (SFS1): Joel Hager

That’s all from me this month, folks! Until next time - Explore! Report! Cooperate! And enjoy the eclipse!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hail and well met! With April kicking off, we’ve got a handful of Paizo streams to announce! Be sure to follow us on twitch.tv/officialpaizo to be notified when we go live!

Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors Launch – April 4 at 9 A.M. Pacific

Paizo Community Manager Jon Morgantini joins the BKOM team for this special launch day co-op playthrough of Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors!

Paizo LIVE – April 5 at 4 P.M. Pacific

Join us Friday, April 5^th for this month’s Paizo LIVE! We’ll be chatting with James Case about the upcoming Pathfinder Howl of the Wild rulebook, the Starfinder team about Starfinder Second Edition, and James Jacobs and Bill Fischer about Abomination Vaults for 5^th Edition!

War of Immortals Kickoff – April 16 at 4 P.M. Pacific

The wait is over! Join members of the Pathfinder team as they lay out the War of Immortals Meta Event! Plus—an extra special (godly) death announcement!

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We’ve got some very fun stuff to unveil this month. We hope to catch you at one of our streams! If you can’t make it to the stream live, be sure to watch the VODs on our YouTube channel!

As I near the end of my review of the Godsrain Prophecies, I’m reaching the part of any research project that’s the most daunting—the conclusion. While it will of course be up to my Lady to decide what, if anything, to do with these prophecies, I plan to present her with the two or three reasons for their existence that I believe are the most plausible (other than them all being true, which I maintain is nearly impossible).

Unfortunately, this need for clarity means that I must dismiss (or at least deemphasize) one of the more exciting ideas I have come up with thus far: that these are a collection of the gods’ fears. I have noted throughout these pages that there are responses to the gods’ deaths in each of the prophecies that seem out of character, either for the other gods or their followers, but I don’t believe this lack of consistency is due to these being reflections of what a god would worry over. In truth, I am not sure that gods fear anything at all. Is fear not driven by a sense of mortality, or at least, the potential for one’s role in the world to change or end at a moment’s notice? I wonder if, instead, the “prophecies” are intended to help the gods develop fear, to remind them that they are not beyond the reach of death and give them a small taste of mortal terror. Though to what end, I do not know. Who would want to give a god a nightmare?

–Yivali, Apprentice Researcher for the Lady of Graves

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The “Death” of Irori

Irori is not one for dying. Death is common. Death is normal. Death is there for mortals who have not yet mastered how to reach new levels of perfection, who have not willed themselves into attaining the divine. Death might take some weaker god if given the right circumstances, starting with those cheaters who let the Starstone grant them power, grabbing godhood like some prize for drunks and thieves and zealots. But for a god like him, who’d worked and willed himself to godhood? Death is something of the past and he is moving forward.

Irori’s never rested long, no matter his successes. There’s always some new path to take at any well-earned milestone, some new technique to master, some new knowledge to find. Yes, it was good to be a god, if for no other reason than to share new possibilities with those who’d turn their will toward doing better with their lives. But he is one of many gods—some virtuous, some indolent—and so there must be something more, some way that he can still evolve. Some new route toward perfection.

Irori works with diligence, the way that he has always done, reaching beyond the world he’s known to better what he has become. Until one day, he grasps it all—the spaces in the sum of things, the power in the truth of everything that was or will be. And though total enlightenment is only for a moment, slipping between his fingers like a cloud of windblown sand, he still can feel the barrier between himself and something more, as pliable and thin as what once kept him from divinity. While he has it in his reach, he passes through the boundary, as bracing and as easy as a step through falling water. Irori, once a mortal, is now much more than deity.

Irori savors everything, if only for a moment. He takes a breath in every plane, his heartbeat now a multiverse, and feels the coursing power as it crashes through his veins. But he has departed our reality, has left a tear along the border of the way of things, and everything, on every plane, begins to shift toward him, as if he were a beacon for something within the Great Beyond—a single life, a single god, become a singularity. Gruhastha is the first to fall, the Keeper’s arms stretched uselessly, hands grasping at the emptiness he finds beside Irori’s feet. He’s swallowed by a void that somehow still contains a multitude, his body torn asunder in a bright and blissful darkness, his lips mouthing his gratitude, his throat choking on screams.

Irori is a magnet now, pulling those closest to him; Chaldira’s luck lost in a cry while Magrim’s runes go tumbling, some force dragging them both to places even he can’t follow. All he can do is close the gap before it sunders everything, using the power that he holds, still far beyond what it once was, to fix whatever he has done (or is doing or one day will, time half-unraveling in his hands). As he repairs the barrier, still dripping with the power that he touched from passing through it, Zon-Kuthon comes to stand beside him, image of the blinding void reflected in his longing eyes, and Nethys tries to touch the power nestled just beneath his skin, hands clawing unknown patterns of magic in the air. Both soon become his shadows, hounding every move he tries to make, Zon-Kuthon chasing memories and Nethys seeking answers, with Torag always close behind, holding his brother Magrim’s blade with vengeance on his mind. Some of Irori’s followers also trail behind him; those who were deep in prayer at the moment that he moved beyond, unable to unsee the void, dedicate themselves to its return, doing whatever they can to hasten the end of all things.

But Irori has a new path now, divinity left far behind as he masters the power that’s now deep within his bones. He sees things now—beneath the ground, between the breaths, inside the skin—and knows that they will take him where Gruhastha and the rest have gone, that what tore them apart will help him make himself anew. If there are prayers for him to hear, he is no longer listening. If rakshasas take his guise and use his faith to build their power? If Urgathoa’s clerics tell his followers that next time he will end the world and they should eat and drink and die with no thought for tomorrow? How can he care when there’s a new path for him to gain perfection? And if the world unmakes itself, if he had to unmake the world, if that brings him enlightenment, then that’s what it must be.

What lies beyond divinity, and who better than Irori to first achieve such exquisite perfection that he leaves even other gods behind?

---

Well, that was certainly involved. Multiverses? Singularities? Bright voids? And yet, in all of that, I almost see a pattern. I have tried not to reference other prophecies in my notes here; if my Lady chooses to read them out of the original order that I chose, I would hate for her to learn a piece of information in these notes that would be better divulged by the original text. Still, I am reminded of the prophecy regarding Desna, which also mentions a void. And there are similarities between this prophecy and the one for Nethys, not only in their reciprocal mentions but in their fascination with the fundamental properties of our universe. Perhaps instead of looking at the prophecies individually, I should be looking for these types of commonalities—could things that are repeated be elements of some underlying message, or a hint as to what among these “prophecies” might be true amidst the overstatements and suppositions? If there was ever a time to make a chart, that time is upon us.

About the Author

Erin Roberts has been thrilled to be able to contribute a few small threads to the fabric of Golarion in the pages of books like Lost Omens Firebrands, Lost Omens Highhelm, and Lost Omens Travel Guide. In addition to her work for Paizo, she freelances across the TTRPG world (and was selected as a Diana Jones Award Emerging Designer Program Winner in 2023), has had fiction published in magazines including Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, and The Dark, and talks about writing every week on the Writing Excuses podcast. Catch up with her latest at linktr.ee/erinroberts.

The next morning dawned bright and clear, no trace of the previous day’s storm left on the horizon. Dr. Pom joined me on the research deck for our customary morning tea, sipping in companionable silence until we’d finished our first cup and were contemplating our second.

“How are you feeling, Baranthet?” she asked kindly as she held out her cup for a refill. “That was an intense day of travel yesterday.”

“Quite well, thank you,” I said as I poured, reveling in the wisps of aromatic steam rising from our mugs. “How are you? Are you used to storms like that where you’re from?”

She took a moment to consider this, her eyes following the gulls soaring over the cliffs. “We did have some mighty storms, yes, but it’s different now,” she said thoughtfully. “The instinct to seek shelter is the same, of course, but there’s... a deeper appreciation, I suppose. A sense of thinking about the past and the future, whereas before there was only the present moment. I find joy in their beauty and feel appreciation for the sheer primal power of the skies. Though,” she said with a laugh, “I never expected to be flying in those skies in the middle of one!”

“Neither did I,” I admitted, grinning. “A humbling and awe-inspiring experience, to be sure!”

We sat in comfortable silence for a while as the others drifted in for breakfast or set about their tasks for the day. I wondered idly where my Spiridendra book had gone and what we might find next in our journey as I watched Telero and Ten examine one of the ship’s wings—they’d been busy checking and recalibrating this and that after the flight through the storm the day before. For my part, it was nice to have a slower morning before returning to the expedition.

“It’s wild, isn’t it,” Dr. Pom said softly, “looking back on the changes you’ve weathered in your life?” Her eyes met mine, and though we were close in years, I sensed she wasn’t talking merely about aging.

“I certainly never thought I’d go from ink-stained librarian to bold explorer,” I said fervently, and she chuckled, her small spectacles slipping down her striped snout. “When you awakened, did you ever plan on having such adventures?”

“It was hard to make plans at all, at first.” She adjusted her glasses and looked back out over the cliffs. “Awakening is... a turbulent time, for most. There’s a lot of information to process all at once, and many of us are overwhelmed by the concept of a vaster and more specific future than what we’d previously had the capacity to consider. But I always felt called to be a healer,” she added, and smiled again. “I know what it’s like to be hurt, and afraid. It gladdens me to provide comfort and support where I can.”

I reflected on this as I watched Telero hoist Ten higher up the wing, where they began to hammer at one of its joints. Suddenly, tension released in an explosive pop, the wing springing back into place… and catapulting our mechanic overboard, falling past Telero’s arms to land with a thud and a yelp in the water below.

“Goodness, not again!” Dr. Pom and I were on our feet at once, tea abandoned. Grefu surfaced in the waves near our mechanic (no doubt he was enjoying his morning constitutional), and swam Ten over to the research deck, hoisting them aboard. Their eyes blinked rapidly at us as we gathered around.

Dr. Pom knelt next to them, illuminating the lamp at her shoulder and setting her bag down as she looked them over.

Light writer plates of Dr. Gulnara Pom and Whose Antenna Is Askew (“Ten”), from official Zoetrope expedition logs. Art by Gunship Revolution.

“It’s my fault, Professor,” Telero said in anguish. “I tried to catch them—”

“It is not his fault; the wing was badly jammed from the storm; it was more badly misaligned than I thought,” Ten chirped in their customary staccato tone, their eyes glittering as Dr. Pom shone her light in one and then the other. “Do not fret; I feel fine; and that should be the last of the repairs!”

“I keep telling you to use your safety lines when you’re doing repairs,” said Dr. Pom, ignoring this tale of triumph as she peered into her patient’s eyes. “You seem coherent, but I’d like to confirm, please. What’s your name?”

“Whose Antenna Is Askew,” they replied promptly, wiggling the appendage in question. “You know me; I am the ship’s mechanic; you’ve patched me up many times before.”

Dr. Pom smiled wryly and looked up at me. “They’re all right.” She rummaged about in her belt, retrieving a slip of paper and weighing several powders and herbs onto it. “Take this before you tuck in tonight. It should help your carapace mend.”

An aggrieved Telero relaxed slightly next to me as Ten withdrew the frayed checkered cloth that was always at their toolbelt and dried their face. “Telero; now the repairs are done; do you want to check the cliffs for geodes?” they said, pointing at the shore.

Dr. Pom and I left the young friends to their explorations as they boarded the airskiff for shore, but I checked in on our mechanic later that evening. They were in the engine room, as usual, cleaning various gears and leaning close to the engine to listen to its steady hum.

I knocked on the doorframe. “Doing all right, Ten?”

They jumped and dropped what appeared to be an armful of wrenches, the tools clanging on the floor and narrowly missing their feet. “So sorry; you surprised me; please come in; hello.”

“Oh! The fault is mine,” I said, crouching down to help them collect everything. “You’re still feeling well?”

Ten nodded. “My carapace is very tough; it’s held up through worse falls; I am fine; thank you.”

I smiled at their earnest assurances. “I’m glad to hear it! And the Zoetrope? Everything running smoothly?”

“Running like a dream,” Ten said, casting their expert eye over the complex machinery that made our expedition possible. “The good kind of dream; the ones with friends; and cookies; and adventures. Like what we have.”

How had I been so fortunate as to find such bright, kind, brave, and talented companions? “Like what we have,” I agreed, handing over the last of the wrenches. “A dream come—”

“Come quick!” a voice yelled from above. “One of the specimens has escaped from the menagerie!”

About the Author
Baranthet Zamendi cultivated his love of the natural world at a young age, enamored with his grandmother’s awe-inspiring tales of the legendary Wardens of the Wild. He briefly attended Almas University before returning home to rebuild Droon’s public library, eventually becoming its head archivist. His upcoming book on the crew of the Zoetrope and their search for the wardens is his first, but he’s already planning his next adventure.

Support for Mr. Zamendi by
Simone D. Sallé is a senior editor at Paizo and has written for numerous Pathfinder and Starfinder books, including more of Baranthet’s tale inPathfinder Howl of the Wild, the primal treatise and witch journals in Pathfinder Secrets of Magic, and Starfinder Bounty #12: Under Pressure. When she’s not extolling the virtues of the en dash, she enjoys playing as many narrative games as her schedule allows and wandering the woods with her Disreputable Dog.

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Hi everyone! James here again to talk about the last two ancestries featured in Howl of the Wild. We’ve saved the awakened animal and surki for last, as they’re quite different from the ancestries we’ve put out so far! Each uses its heritage in a pretty different way than any ancestries we’ve published previously, so we’ll be previewing those here instead of some feats.

 The awakened animal freely chooses their size (from Tiny to Large) as a part of character creation, which also determines their starting Hit Points. Afterward, they choose a heritage that represents their general body plan. Your heritage will usually give you some suggestions for an unarmed attack that replaces the fist attack that most ancestries get, but given how broad the animal world is—some aquatic animals have wing attacks, after all—these are treated as suggestions to work out with your GM rather than as hard restrictions. The climbing animal heritage showcased below is great for a bipedal animal, like Dr. Pom.

Climbing Animal Heritage

You are an animal whose limbs are adapted to grab, climb, and brachiate. You might be dexterous and ready to use tools like a chimpanzee or otter, or you may simply be a quick climber like a bear, raccoon, or sloth.

You have a land Speed of 20 feet, a climb Speed of 20 feet, and one animal attack of your choice (typically claw, fist, or jaws; see the animal attacks sidebar).>[?

Surkis also approach heritages in an unusual way. Surkis absorb magic as larva and young adults, which accumulates in nodes throughout their bodies. All surkis freely choose a tradition of magic at character creation that represents the type of magic they most consumed as a larva, which affects the tradition of their magical abilities (plus a few others). Then, they also choose a heritage. A surki can then, later in life, undergo metamorphosis to develop these nodes into unique magic-projecting organs. Each surki heritage has a base ability as well as two possible directions they can evolve the ability later by taking feats such as the 9th-level Grand Metamorphosis. Surkis can even gain multiple heritages or change their heritage late in life with various feats as well! We can take a look at this with the light-emitting lantern surki heritage below:

Lantern Surki

The nodes in your abdomen are particularly luminous. You can use an Interact action to shed light from your abdomen in a 20-foot radius (and dim light for the next 20 feet). This is a magical light effect with a level equal to your own. You can change the color of the light or extinguish it with another Interact action.

Evolution Your abdominal nodes have evolved into a pair of secondary limbs that project a magical focusing lens. You gain the Lantern Beam action.
Lantern Beam [one-action] (light, fire, magical) Requirements Your lantern light is shining; Effect Your lenses focus your light into a searing beam. You deal 5d4 fire damage to all creatures in a 30-foot line, with a basic saving throw against the higher of your class DC or spell DC. Your lantern light then extinguishes, and you can’t use this ability or use your lantern light again for 1d4 rounds. At 11th level and every two levels thereafter, the damage increases by 1d4.

Evolution Secondary light emitters grow from your shoulder nodes that flash in time with your lantern. You gain the Lantern Strobe action.
Lantern Strobe [two-actions] (light, magical, visual) Frequency once per hour; Effect As you pulse your lantern, your emitters flash erratically, disorienting your opponents that see it. Each opponent in a 15-foot cone must attempt a Fortitude save against your class DC or spell DC (whichever is higher). On a failure, the creature is dazzled for 1 round. On a critical failure, the creature is blinded for 1 round and dazzled for the following round.

“But wait,” you might be asking. “My explosive surki sorceress, Blastrellina, isn’t just a surki; she’s also a nephilim because she fed upon the lingering unholy magic of the Worldwound! How will these ancestries interact with versatile heritages?” We know that versatile heritages are very popular, and so if you want to take one with either an awakened animal or a surki, you can! In this case, you still select a heritage purely to define your character’s story and cosmetic appearance, and you gain some basic benefits but not their specialized heritage abilities. However, you can take either the Late Awakener or Secondary Adaptation feat later to gain these benefits.

The awakened animal ancestry is embodied by the ship’s doctor, Dr. Pom, and the surki ancestry by its mechanic, Whose Antenna Is Askew (“Ten”)! Art by Gunship Revolution.

It’s hard to believe it, but our next chapter is the conclusion to this run of Zoetrope logs! If you don’t think you can wait that long for more Howl of the Wild, be sure to tune in to this Friday’s Paizo LIVE, where we’ll be talking a bit more about the book!

But that, explorers, is a story for another day.

James Case
Senior Designer

For the fourth and final chapter of the Zoetrope Logs, click here.

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Pathfinder Howl of the Wild releases May 22, 2024 and is available for preorder now. Customers who subscribe to the Rulebooks product line will receive the book and a complimentary PDF upon release!