The Starfinder Society & The Lorespire Complex

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

It has certainly been an exciting and successful launch for Starfinder and the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. With Gen Con 50 behind us, the Organized Play team thought it was a good idea to take a bit of a look at the organization that defines our living campaign: the Starfinder Society.

Starfinder Society History

Much of the established background for the Starfinder Society can be found in the Starfinder Core Rulebook and the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide. Both of these resources provide overviews of the Starfinder Society, with the Roleplaying Guild Guide focusing more on recent events and serving as a direct lead-in to our current story line: the Year of Scoured Stars.

Sufficed to say, the Starfinder Society is reminiscent of the Pathfinder Society of old. In fact, much of the Starfinder Society is based on incomplete notes and hidden records relating to the Pathfinder Society. Both organizations are, for example, based around the concept of exploration, with the Starfinder Society having begun as a group keenly interested in exploring the mysterious event known as the Gap. The first Starfinders explored a galaxy made recently accessible thanks to the advent of Drift travel, seeking to chart the temporal edges of the Gap and figure out what they could about this setting-defining event. The audacity of such an endeavor brought many interested parties into the Society's fold, and during these early years, the Society flourished.

When it became evident that the Gap was not something that could be solved with a few decades of research, the Starfinder Society branched out to other avenues of exploration. They strove to reconnoiter the very fringes of reality and beyond, bringing back alien technologies and filling servers with the records of previously undiscovered species. This renaissance of exploration, involving far more organizations than just the Starfinder Society, brought with it a terrible price: the Stardust Plague. This pathogen slew millions across the Pact Worlds and led to strict quarantine rules for any operation partaking in extra-solar expeditions.

Expect to see more light shed on the Society's history (especially that of the Exo-Guardians faction) in this month's scenario, Starfinder Society #1-04: Cries from the Drift.

Starfinder Society Leadership

The Starfinder Society is divided into several tiers of leadership that largely departs from its Pathfinder Society predecessor. The various venture-captains form the informal base of leadership within the Starfinder Society. These experienced Starfinders tend to the numerous Society lodges in the galaxy and present field agents with their missions.

The Forum is an elected body of Starfinders that manages the Starfinder Society as a governing force, voting on the allocation of resources, the elevation of Starfinder field agents to special positions, and finally, holding a vote to decide the future direction of the Starfinder Society in the form of the First Seeker. Unlike the masked Decemvirate group from Pathfinder Society, knowledge of the Forum's membership is open information. Sufficed to say, several faction leaders, venture-captains, and even some notable Starfinders are members of the Forum.

The First Seeker is the elected leader of the Starfinder Society, and it's this person's proposed initiatives that shape the current overarching mission for the Starfinder Society. As we have discussed in previous blogs, the First Seeker gives us an in-setting reason to transition between the storylines our seasons present. When we had our first meetings about establishing what the various roles meant for the Society, I remember (alongside John and Tonya) explaining the First Seeker's term as being a temporary position, which they abdicate once their stated mission is complete. Many First Seekers have died in pursuit of their respective missions, and for those who succeed… well, that depends on the specific mission and temperament of the given First Seeker. In our final pitch for this concept, I equated a First Seeker's departure as being like the “The Long Walk” from a certain post-apocalyptic comic series—I think only Erik Mona caught that reference.

The previous First Seeker was a kasathan named of Jadnura, who led the Starfinder Society on its disastrous mission into the trinary star system known as the Scoured Stars. Following the disappearance of Jadnura, the Society held together under the leadership of its current nominated First Seeker, Luwazi Elsebo. Expect to see some movement on Luwazi's (as well as our overall season's) major storyline in next month's scenario, Starfinder Society #1-05: The First Mandate

Finally, we have the enigmatic assembly of uploaded intelligences known as Guidance. This amalgam of uploaded Starfinder consciousnesses, makes its debut in Starfinder Society #1-01: The Commencement. Beyond its role in that scenario, as well as its current refusal to fully declare Luwazi Elsebo as First Seeker (she is only the nominated First Seeker, after all), there is not much to say about Guidance right now.

Insidious finger tapping...

The Lorespire Complex

The Lorespire Complex is the home of the Starfinder Society on Absalom Station, not to mention the organization's primary base of operations. Thanks to the effect of the mysterious Starstone, Starfinders from across the galaxy can return to the Lorespire Complex in only a handful of days. Much of the Starfinder Society's success is directly related to maintaining this prime real estate onboard the Pact World's most important installation.

Countless chambers and meeting halls fill the Lorespire Complex, including well-known areas like the First Seeker Ilyastre Memorial Museum, or the formal Skyreach Room gala hall. The Lorespire Complex also houses countless Starfinders and visiting dignitaries in pristine dormitories. Beyond the eponymous spire, other structures cover the greater campus. The Archives contain the Society's incredible wealth of physical assets, along with vast data vaults ostensibly under the watchful eye of Historia-7 and her Dataphiles. The Hall of Discovery houses the elected Forum and First Seeker during their regular debates and meeting to steer the Starfinder Society. Other less known—or simply avoided—installations exist on the grounds of the Lorespire Complex, including the holding cells of the Adamantine Bastille, the mystical communication devices of the Communion Vaults, and the deadly proving grounds known only as the Perplexity.

Well, I hope that this additional insight into the Starfinder Society and its base of operations proved useful. I for one can't wait to share more news about our upcoming plans and scenarios in the weeks and months to come. Look forward to our next Starfinder Society blog, where I talk about a scenario that really proves why space can be a dangerous place...

Until next time!

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

A Folio for the Flawed

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Look, I'm tired of trying to be the perfect hero. Ever since I started offering up my services—and working with a never-ending succession of random strangers—I've done the right thing, put others first, and bit my tongue, all without asking anything in return. And sure, the villagers I've saved have been grateful, and that's... nice. But whoever said virtue is its own reward never had to pay a bar tab. And hey, I do a lot of good in this world, from undoing ancient curses to putting down the world-ending-threat du jour, so why shouldn't I let loose on occasion? To be clear, I'm not talking about embracing some sort of chaotic neutrality in the name of being a jerk—I just want to be myself and get my due.

Lucky for me, I found this book, and it's full of antiheroes: folks who worry less about sanctimonious social norms and focus instead on turning their flaws into fortes. This is the kind of heroism I can get behind; to hell with all that dour do-goodery. Take the vindictive bastard, an ex-paladin archetype, for example: she lives up to the label (given to so many exes) by using her vindictive smite against those who've hurt her friends. Or the blatherskite, a gunslinger who runs away from danger faster than he runs his mouth—and that's saying something.

Illustrations by Alyssa Davis and Forrest Imel

Now, some of these antiheroes had it real bad in the past, giving them good reason to approach this whole adventuring thing with a chip on their shoulders. There's a multitude of backgrounds that result in the traits and drawbacks they carry with them today. Some were criminals, some get a raw deal in their dealins with a religion or some other group, and some have backgrounds that're downright tragic. But even these sad sacks can transform their personal tragedy into something productive (if unconventional): there are spiritualists whose phantoms draw their abilities from lifelong suffering, and there are bloodragers who summon the strength of a martyred ancestor to become an embodiment of righteous wrath.

Illustration by Forrest Imel

Of course, treading too far down the path less traveled can get you in a heap of trouble. Before you know it, you forget why you're bending rules and start breaking them just for the fun of it, leaving yourself susceptible to corruption. Sure, you might get better at forging evidence and using forbidden magic, but you'll eventually end up overwhelmed by hate and turning on your closest allies. Happens all the time.

On the other hand, a lot of great tactics and tools are opened up to those who put aside the idea of a fair fight. Even when losing a brawl, you can accomplish all kinds of feats, like using your bloodied visage to sicken your enemies or taking someone down with you when you're tripped. And a swig from a vial of reckless courage will give you the temporary guts needed to face down the most horrific monsters. Or you can throw a portable hive at your enemies and let them explain a fair fight to a wasp swarm.

After seeing all the options available in this book, I think I've made up my mind—it's the antihero's life for me! But I'll tell you what: I leave it to fate to decide. I'll flip this coin, and if it comes up Desna, I'll start living life in the gray area between right and fun. Otherwise, it's the straight and narrow for me, I promise.

Here goes...

Illustration by Alyssa Davis

Desna's Coin Price 8,000 GP

Slot non CL 5th Weight &mdash Aura Faint Abjuration

This gold coin has two blank faces, but its owner can cause the holy symbol of Desna—a butterfly with suns, moons, and stars on its wings—to appear on either face at will. This proves especially useful when performing coin flips, as the owner of a Desna's coin can essentially guarantee that the result will go in her favor.

As one would expect of an item associated with the goddess of luck, a Desna's coin confers on its owner an uncanny ability to fortuitously avoid sudden threats. As a result, its bearer gains a +2 luck bonus on Reflex saving throws.

Construction Requirements Price 4,000 GP

Craft Wondrous Item, divine favor

Joe Pasini
Developer

Sutter's Send-off

Monday, September 11, 2017

Last Friday, James Sutter announced that he was leaving the Paizo family and moving on to focus on his writing career. We will miss James and wish him the best, so we decided to send Sutter off the best way we knew how—with embarrassing stories and photos—and the occasional heartfelt goodbye.

My earliest memories of James L. Sutter are of a childlike gelfling spirit with an emo haircut, some kid recruited into Paizo through back channels by Lisa Stevens to fill whatever role she thought necessary at the time. These were the early days of Paizo, where our business was magazines and our org chart was a circle with everybody's name in it. Those without a specific duty inherited from our previous incarnation as the Periodicals Department of Wizards of the Coast tended to flit from job to job, doing what needed to be done, eventually accruing enough responsibility and expertise for a job description to calcify around previously unclaimed duties that had essentially fallen to the floor. James helped with some of the company's non-D&D magazines, with customer service, and with getting Reaper miniatures uploaded onto the new paizo.com webstore, but he'd never really worked on the magazines I oversaw at the time. That all changed when we needed an assistant editor, and Sutter was only too happy to join our staff. In fact, this was about the same time that I formally became Publisher at Paizo, which netted me a private office down the hall and a tearful goodbye to the Editorial Pit, the tiny room that once housed our entire gaming-mag operation. Sutter himself sat in my old desk next to James Jacobs, and for a few years he even had to tolerate a couple of drawers filled with a half-decade of junk I was too busy (or lazy, take your pick) to clean out.

The young kid from the Seattle Stranger's editorial office took to the drawer-sharing situation with aplomb and a great attitude, traits that I would come to appreciate (and rely on) in the future. But then he was just Young James Sutter, an intern-made-good who frankly reminded me a lot of myself, and who, over time, I began to realize could have a huge future at Paizo. Once upon a time, after all, I had been the youngest guy on the D&D team, and the youngest member of my creative team in the Dark Days of public relations, before I managed to turn D&D freelancing into a career. And here, somehow, I'd found myself in charge of the whole editorial operation. What might the future hold for this ambitious young editor?

As it turned out, the launch of the Pathfinder RPG gave James plenty of opportunities to impress me even more. He'd already helped me (along with Pierce Watters and Chris Carey) run the editorial side of Planet Stories, Paizo's short-lived but much-loved classic sci-fi and fantasy reprint series, and with a new game coming we knew we'd need a fiction line to accompany it. Free web fiction, at first, but even at the very start I knew we wanted to have novels eventually, and that Sutter—already with a reputation as one of the strongest among a coterie of strong writers—would be just the guy to helm it.

There was only one problem. James Sutter was a rock star.

I don't mean a figurative rock star, like a guy who always overdelivers on his turnovers or an editor who routinely improves the work of some of the industry's top writers. I mean an actual, literal rock star for a series of local heavy metal bands that always seemed (at least to me and my fellow Paizo senior managers) like they were a lucky break away from making it big. I saw big things for James Sutter here at Paizo, but if he wanted to take advantage of them, he needed to go in with open eyes and every part of his being. We gave him a choice: Rock star or RPG star. James chose RPG star, and we've all been the richer for it over these past 13 years, during which James has been absolutely essential.

Like Golarion's star system? You can thank me for the idea of giving the planets equal treatment to the outer planes, but beyond a couple of tired pulp pastiches (my specialty!) of Mars and Venus, that's pretty much all Sutter.

Enjoyed the Pathfinder Tales line? Sutter wrote two of the novels himself, but he also edited every single one and contributed creative ideas to all of them. There literally would not have been a Pathfinder Tales line without him, and even now, as his days at Paizo dwindle into hours, he's still helping me find a new publishing partner to continue the line in the future, no doubt with future James Sutter Pathfinder stories yet to be told.

Enjoy the fun fiction bits at the side of the two-page chapter openers in all our hardcover books? James wrote about 95% of those. Love our comics? James wrote about a quarter of those, too.

Oh, did you like Starfinder? I put James in charge of Paizo's biggest product launch ever because of the success he had brought to all of those projects listed above, because he created the planets that form the core of the primary star system, because I knew he knew enough about the creative and business sides of publishing to make it work, and because I knew, after all these years, that he really was a rock star, and one that blazed with the incandescent creative power of a sun.

It turns out, after 13 years, that this rock star really cannot be contained by the band he's toured with this past decade or so. Having grown to something considerably more adult than a gelfling intern, Sutter leaves Paizo as one of its greatest champions, a face on a growing Mt. Rushmore of gaming whose contributions will last far longer than his time here in the office. You'll recognize his face on that mountain as the one with the expression of a master player in the middle of the sweetest solo he has ever played. Our rock star is all grown up and about to break out on a solo career. You'll see him out there in the wilderness at the center of the spotlight, with a legion of fans throwing the horns in his direction.

And you'll also see him here, in the pages of Pathfinder products yet to come and in the timeless creations he leaves behind. Pathfinder wouldn't be Pathfinder without James L. Sutter. Paizo wouldn't be Paizo, either.

So long, James L. Sutter. Thanks for everything you have done for Paizo, for me, and for all of our players and fans. I think I speak for all of us when I say we can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Erik Mona
Publisher & Chief Creative Officer

---

Once upon a time, there was a mystical, magical land called Jamestopia. Here, agents of Operation Banjo Thug wandered where they wished, content in the knowledge that their domain was protected and that the impromptu puppet shows they had become known for could be performed without fear. In Jamestopia, the view of the river was unparalleled, even if for some time the smell of sewage wafting in from sources unknown (likely other, lesser realms which didn't have the word "James” in their title) got distracting. And even when the world changed and we moved offices and Jamestopia fractured (AKA Sutter and I ended up sitting in different parts of the building), the concept of Jamestopia remained. Even when James Sutter drifted even further from the land of dragons and elves into the land of SPACE dragons and SPACE elves… the concept remained.

But now, Jamestopia has suffered a mortal blow, and there remains but one agent of Operation Banjo Thug to hold back the onrushing advent of the mundane. It's not going to be the same, representing the whimsical and nonsensical on my own.

There are a lot of fond memories, be they mice in the drawers or orange skin from too much carrot juice or adventures in creative sitting posture or impromptu discussions about the possibility of there being a space elevator somewhere in Varisia, and while Jamestopia is going away, those memories will remain.

I'll miss ya lots, Sutter!

And you DO REALIZE that now I get to do whatever I want with a certain LAWFUL EVIL gold dragon, right? MWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

James Jacobs
Creative Director

---

My first real encounter with James was when he reviewed my editing test for Paizo with me at a New Year's party (Seattle's a small world) while wearing a Steampunk officer's uniform and a sword.

While his dress sense in the office is more conservative, he has always brought the same flair, sense of fun, and dedication to doing and being all the things all the time. Since that disconcerting day, James has been my peer, my boss, and then my peer again, but always a friend, a mentor, and an ally. We've commiserated about impossible deadlines and tough decisions, cried on each other's shoulders about family crises, and cheered each other's successes. Dude, I'm going to miss you here so much, so you'd better do tons of amazing things (including writing for us!)

Judy Bauer
Managing Editor

---

Sutter has always been friendly and upbeat, even during those unfortunate crunch times. If it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't be at Paizo, and I'll miss him sorely. Good luck out there, pal!

Jason Keeley
Developer

---

I first met Sutter at PaizoCon 2008, when I was still a "super-fan”, known for my message board handle and my involvement in the PathfinderWiki. I remember his enthusiasm when I showed him the print-on-demand paperback Pathfinder's Journal compilation I'd made to more easily read Eando Kline's adventures during my New York City commute. I like to think I was the inspiration for the Pathfinder Tales line he would eventually helm.

During that convention's Grand Convocation event, a bemused Wes sat at his assigned station, providing Harrow readings (with a glass of wine, of course) for eager Pathfinder Society players like myself. Next to him, over-the-top Sean K Reynolds acted out the part of a medium, channeling the gods in a live-action casting of commune. Enter Sutter, who had been lurking over Wes's shoulder as "Chumley”, Herr Schneider's loyal imp companion. When I approached Sean and asked him to channel Zon-Kuthon, Chumley took the opportunity to possess the open divine vessel and puppet him into giving me entirely non-Kuthite responses. Needless to say, the photos I got of Sutter manipulating Sean like a marionette were priceless.

And the hijinks haven't slowed down ever since. Sutter has always been a constant source of new ways of looking at seemingly old, unsolvable problems, and has never been shy about his more eccentric personal traits—communal living, dumpster diving, and Star Trek body painted naked bike rides not the least among them. He's taught me a lot about the creative process, the logistics of getting books made, building one's online persona, and more. I'll miss him in the office, but know that as long as we keep putting out books about space and the First World, he won't be too far away.

Mark Moreland
Franchise Manager

---

Sutter's had my back since I first started freelancing with Paizo. He's always been tremendously supportive, encouraging, positive, and willing to take time out of his (incredibly busy) schedule to encourage and advise. He's a model for how to give credit where credit is due—though he really could stand to give himself his share of that credit. I'm lucky to have been able to work with him and even more lucky that I can count him as a friend.

Lyz Liddell
Editor

---

Meeting James Sutter is like being swept up in a cyclone made of flashing neon lights, skydivers' screams, and pulsing electronic dance music: you have no damn idea what's going on, but whoa are things fun. Sutter's enthusiasm for everything creative immediately struck me the day I met him. Since then, it seems like the cyclone hasn't stopped, as we've worked on everything together from brainstorming Pathfinder canon to the massive undertaking that was the Starfinder RPG. As that project took shape, I also learned a thing or two about managing from Sutter, and the admirable depths of his experience for Paizo.

In the end, when push came to shove, I knew I could be my weird self around Sutter. And, I'll let you all in on a little secret: it's because he's weird, too!

Yeah, I know, Sutter. I'm rude!

Amanda Hamon Kunz
Development Coordinator

---

I've only been working at Paizo for a few months now, so I don't have the awesome, "way back when” stories that others are sharing. However, I did work with Sutter quite a bit for the marketing of Starfinder. I can say that there were evenings when I would burst into his office and say, "They need a 700-word article, in an hour!!” and Sutter would give me a look. The look was a combination of annoyed, tired, amused, and determined. In every one of those situations, I got the 700-word article with time to spare. The guy is a machine that creates and creates. It's been a blast working with him and he'll be missed.

Dan Tharp
Marketing Coordinator

---

When James L. Sutter started at Paizo, he looked like he was about 12 years old. To top it off, we already had a few James' in the office, so he got relegated to being referred to as Sutter or Young James. Well, Sutter eventually turned 21 and discovered the wonders of alcohol, and being 21 he also thought that he was invincible. And so the stage was set for one of the most epic nights of drinking the editors of Dragon and Dungeon had ever seen.

We in the developer's pit would sometimes take jokes a bit too far. Such was the case with our quoting of the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic "Total Recall”. Responding to any deadline with "Two Weeks" was common practice. Crying out like Arnold at any injury was accepted as normal. We enjoyed the flick so much that we thought it would be a great idea to get together and watch the movie, complete with mars themed drinks and food. Seeing as we are all gamers, I dug up the rules for a Total Recall themed drinking game. We gathered at Wes' place late one Saturday to partake in our favored film.

It all started great until we realized that drinking every time the word "recall” or "mars” was said was going to lead to disaster. Well, many of us realized that… but not Sutter. He vowed to keep pace with me, matching drink for drink. He was, after all, invincible, despite the fact that he was literally half my weight and about a foot shorter than me. As the movie drew to a close, I was quite tipsy. Sutter… well, Sutter was ruined. Incapable of coherent speech and unsteady on his feet, it was clear that he had drank more than enough. Soon after, it was Wes' kitchen sink that paid the price.

A lot has happened since those early days of Paizo. Sutter went on from editing dungeon to working on Pathfinder and eventually managing our fiction lines and overseeing the creation of Starfinder. He may not have been invincible then, but he sure seems like it now.

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design

Big Things in Little Packages

Monday, September 11, 2017

Hello, this blog heralds the return of licensing blogs since the chaos of GenCon and a certain other, fairly large product release! This week we will be focusing on pint sized miniatures from the Pathfinder Battles: Maze of Death set, which will release in November of this year. These critters may be small, but they pack a big punch, starting with the "Pretty” Goblin, a small common figure. The first thing you might notice is her hair. You might think, "wait, Pathfinder goblins don't have hair! Whats going on here”. I think you know...

Next, we have the Ratfolk Artillery, a small common. I think this miniature is great for anyone who wants to play a ratfolk. I really like the pose, and Wizkids did a great job on the texturing of the fur.

Then there's the Halfling Butcher, small common. Unlike the stereotypical halfling, this guy is not happy to see you. He wants to know what you are doing in his shop. This miniature reminds me of a halfling cook turned slayer that a certain Adam Daigle played in a session with Ben Loomes of Syrinscape.

Next is the Ratfolk Alchemist, a small uncommon. I really like this miniature, both for the detailing on her robes and potion bottles, but also for the steaming beaker.

The Dero Artillery, a small uncommon, is based off of art from the Strange Aeons Adventure Path. I feel this miniature accurately captures the "only a little sane” aspect of dero. A note that this miniature and the dero magister will be changed to match the preexisting dero miniatures from the Shattered Star set, in terms of hair and skin color.

Speaking of nightmare fuel, here we have the Pugwampi Gremlin, a small uncommon. This miniature is creepy because at once, I want to laugh at it, try and pet it, and run screaming from the room all at the same time. So much cuteness and homicidal violence in such a cuddly package.

Finally we have the Dero Magister, a small rare. I love the clear, crystal staff, and all the gems and potions on this guy.

Sleep tight, and we will see you next week!

Michael Kenway
Director of Licensing

Sutter's Last Blog

Friday, September 8, 2017

See that photograph? That's the oldest picture I have of me in the Paizo offices, taken by former Paizo Art Director Sean Glenn back in early 2006. At that point, I had already been at Paizo for a year and a half, working my way up from website image wrangler and editorial intern to Paizo's sole customer service person, then at last into a coveted Assistant Editorship on Dungeon. Much like Jon Snow, I knew nothing. While I'd spent my college years practicing to be a journalist, and had a whole adolescence of RPG gaming under my belt, I was a rank amateur when it came to professional game design—living proof of the "fake it till you make it" strategy. (I actually bought my first 3.5 rulebooks with the money from "Shut In," the first Dungeon adventure I co-wrote with Wes Schneider.)

It was a crazy time. All of us in the Editorial Pit were pretty much broke—until Paizo brought me on full-time, I'd been teaching SAT prep classes at night and living off some modest Wheel of Fortune winnings—but it didn't matter, because I was spending every day learning about games and world-building from my coworkers. Folks like James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Wes Schneider, and Jason Bulmahn, who remain in my eyes some of the world's foremost experts on what makes fantasy cool. We would argue furiously. We would go out drinking (once I finally turned 21, that is). We would occasionally all ditch work—with Lisa's approval—and go to the movies in the middle of the day. Wes would orchestrate elaborate pranks. Jacobs and I taped off our combined cubicle and declared it the Independent Republic of Jameslandia, within which he would draw me sticky-note cartoons or perform impromptu puppet shows with his collection of Godzilla plushies.

It was, in short, freakin' magical.

Smash cut to September of 2017, and I've been at Paizo for 13 years, almost to the day. A lot's changed. The company is huge. Pathfinder's a household name in RPG circles. I've run a novel line, managed critical teams through high times and crises, written probably millions of words about Golarion, and now find myself Creative Director of Starfinder—a game which, after more than a year of grueling (but exciting!) work, has just had one of the biggest launches of anything Paizo's ever done. Watching the frenzy at Gen Con this year, walking down the line signing autographs and chatting with folks who'd been waiting for two hours or more to buy the Starfinder Core Rulebook, was one of the most satisfying moments of my career.

Which is why it's time for me to leave. As of September 12th, I'll be stepping down as Starfinder's Creative Director and resigning from Paizo to write full-time.

Sound crazy? Let me explain:

As a kid, I was heartbroken when Bill Watterson ended Calvin & Hobbes. I couldn't understand how somebody could do such great work—work that touched so many people—and then just stop. In the last few years, however, I think I've finally begun to understand. By walking away when he did, Watterson ensured that Calvin & Hobbes would never slowly slide into mediocrity. He'd never burn out and start to resent it. He gave us the best of what he had to give in that arena, and then he moved on. So even as I miss those characters, I salute his artistic integrity. And it's in that same spirit that I'm now leaving Paizo.

I'm extremely proud of everything I've helped to create here at Paizo, but of course Starfinder is my most recent baby. While the world is just now getting its first taste of the game, the production times involved mean that we on the Starfinder team have been living it for a year and a half, and I've actually already overseen the whole first year of releases. But as much as there's still plenty more I'd love to explore with Starfinder, I can't escape the fact that I've been making RPGs at Paizo for my entire adult life, and it's time now to devote more than a few scattered hours each week to my other artistic loves—particularly fiction and comics.

Does that mean I'm done writing for Pathfinder and Starfinder? Heck no! If anything, I hope that no longer working for Paizo full-time means I'll have more time to write for both games as a freelancer. And while it's hard to give up Starfinder's captain's chair, I'm positive that Rob, Sarah, Owen, Jason, and the rest of the team are going to continue to take the game in amazing new directions. As both a fan and a freelancer, I can't wait to see where they go.

After 13 years, there are far too many people to thank, so I hope everyone will forgive me if I keep this short and just shout out a few of my fellow old-timers. To Lisa, who scraped together a job for an ambitious kid. To Erik, the editor-in-chief who slapped a copy of his own adventure "The Whispering Cairn" down on the new editorial intern's desk and challenged him to find things wrong with it. To Jacobs, for educational movie nights and teaching me what makes adventures fun. To Sarah, who taught me how to work well with artists, and Bulmahn, who taught me that you should never bring algebra to a drinking contest. To my longtime partner in creative crime, Wes Schneider, for always having my back and consistently forcing me to up my game. To Chris Carey for being my fiction buddy, and Judy Bauer for kindly but firmly teaching me to be a better, more mindful person. And to everyone else—thank you. There's no one here that I haven't learned from or laughed with at some point.

Last of all, I want to say one giant thank you to everyone reading this. I've always found the Paizo community unbelievably supportive, and for the last 13 years you've been the reason I'm able to live the dream. Whether you're one of the superfans who sent us pizzas during those first big Pathfinder crunches or a new friend trying out Starfinder for the first time—thanks.

All right, no more stalling. It's time for me to cue up the Annie Lennox track from the end of Return of the King and sail off into the west. I hope some of you will continue to drop in and say hi on my Twitter at @jameslsutter and my Facebook author page, or keep up with my latest work on jameslsutter.com.

It's been an amazing adventure. Now on to the next!

James L. Sutter
Creative Director Emeritus

Regional Support, Retail Support, and Promotional Boons Launch into the Stars!

Friday, September 8, 2017

With the successful launch of Starfinder Society at Gen Con 50, the team now turns its eyes on releasing Starfinder Society versions of the current Pathfinder Society programs. There is a lot of text to read, so I'm keeping my introduction short. All of the following text has been added to Paizo's organized play program Policies and Perks pages.

Updated Organized Play Regional Support:

• Program Goals: Encourage growth and support events that don't qualify for Paizo convention support.
• Qualifying Location: Any location with an associated venture-officer of any rank, from agent to regional coordinator.
• Qualifying Event: Any public event at a qualifying location.
• Pathfinder Society Program Dates: Yearly, starting in February and ending January 31 of the following year (effective 2017 dates are February 13 to January 31, 2018).
• Starfinder Society Program Dates: September 8, 2017 to January 31, 2019.
• Administration: Allocated by the Regional Venture-Coordinators.

Event Submission Process

1. Venture-officer (VO) plans an event, either one off or reoccurring, for their location.
2. VO completes a Support Request Form, noting which organized play programs running, and sends to their Regional Venture-Coordinator (RVC) to indicate interest.
3. RVC confirms VO status and confers with VO about implementing the program.
4. RVC adds event to the regional support tracker.
5. RVC sends a regional support package to VO. Package includes GM tracking cards, player boons, and a tiered GM boon.
6. VO advertises event as Regional Support Program qualified.
7. VO runs event(s) and provides rewards as applicable
8. VO reports on event statistics to RVC.
9. RVC inputs data on regional support tracker.
10. OPM reviews data and revises program as necessary.

Rewards

• Players have a 10% chance per game played at an event to win a boon, which is the same rate as a player at a convention. VOs will determine the method of boon distribution for their venue, after consulting with their RVC. Some suggested methods include rolling a 19-20 on a d20, earning a token each game played with each token increasing the likelihood of receiving a boon, or entries into a raffle.
• GMs earn a race boon with different levels of reward. If a GM runs 6 games at qualifying events, they earn Reward A. If they GM 12 games at qualifying locations during the program period, they earn Reward B. If they GM 24 games at qualifying events over the course of the program period, they earn Reward C.

Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Retail Incentive Program:

This program is designed to encourage players to reward retail locations that are providing space for Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild players. Locations utilizing the program should advertise its presence to their clientele. We realize that each location is unique, and has an overriding right to determine what is best for their business, so participation in this program is not mandatory. In cases where the specifics of the program don't align well with the retail's procedures (for example, if they don't provide receipts, or they run daily tabs), the event coordinator should work with the retailer to best approximate the intent of the policy.

Game stores and other retail locations are an important part of the Starfinder Society community, and it's important to support them so that they continue to provide support for Starfinder Society play. Under this program, players can redeem receipts in exchange for modest benefits for the entire party.

Redeeming a receipt simply involves showing it to the event coordinator, who marks the receipt to denote that it was used. A player can only use a receipt in this way on the day of the purchase, and only for an event at that venue. The receipt need not include Paizo products—any products the venue sells count as qualifying purchases. Players cannot acquire or redeem receipts during their own turn or during any player's encounter; otherwise, players can acquire and redeem receipts during play only when doing so does not significantly disrupt gameplay.

If the combined value of the receipts redeemed by players at the table exceeds $10, all of the characters at the table receive the ongoing benefit described below, and each character chooses one of the single-use benefits described below. If the combined value exceeds $50, you may use the enhanced version of the applicable benefits instead. (In countries that use currencies other than US Dollars, use approximate equivalents of $10 and $50; don't worry too much about figuring out the exact exchange rate.) The ongoing benefit lasts for up to 5 hours, and each character may use their chosen one-time benefit once in each scenario played during those 5 hours. Characters can only receive the benefits once during any 5-hour block. No matter how many receipts the players have, the table can never use the same benefit more than once during a game session; they can, however, gain both benefits during a session.

Ongoing Benefit (for all characters)

Harder to Kill: Reduce the number of Resolve Points required to stabilize by 1.
Enhanced Version: Reduce the number of Resolve Points required to stabilize by 2.

Single-Use Benefits (each character chooses one)

Cheaper Healing: Before the end of the session, you can use the benefit to reduce the Fame cost of purchases listed on the Basic Purchasing Plan boon* by 1 (minimum 0). Qualifying purchases include dispel magic, lesser restoration, make whole, remove affliction, break enchantment, greater dispel magic, restoration, regenerate, or raise dead.
Enhanced Version: Reduce the cost above the cost by 2.
*Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide page 27

Recover from Wounds: Anytime you spend a Resolve Point to regain Stamina Points through resting, you can recover 2 points of ability damage.
Enhanced Version: Increase the amount of ability damage recovered to 4.

Bonus Wealth: If you do not use the subsidized healing benefits above, you can instead choose to roll twice and take the higher result when rolling a Day Job check.
Enhanced Version: You also increase the credits you earn from the Day Job result by 50%. This does not stack with other boons that apply to Day Job checks.

The benefits gained from this program are in addition to benefits such as the Accessory Perks referred to in the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide or on the Accessory Perks page.

Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Accessory Perks & Promotional Boons:

A character can only slot one Promotional boon, unless she has a special rule that overrides this (such as the Acquisitives Sponsorship Social boon).

Slotting Promotional Boons: A Promotional boon is slotted at the same point in a scenario when other boons are slotted. To slot a Promotional boon, the player must meet the prerequisites listed with the specific boon. These prerequisites most often include physical possession of a physical gaming accessory.

Name	Description
Promotional Bonus	Gain a once-per-session bonus on skill checks
Promotional Convention Support	Gain a once-per-session Hit Point boost
Promotional Record Keeper	Gain a once-per-session stamina regain or lower a starship skill check DC
Promotional Reroll	Gain a once-per-session reroll
Promotional Service Award	Gain a once-per-session boon swap

Promotional Bonus

You have brought an accessory that displays your visible support to Paizo's organized play program. This grants you a skill bonus based on the faction your accessory promotes.

Prerequisites: Bring and display a qualifying faction pin to the game.

Benefit: Once per session, while wearing a Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Faction Pin matching the faction your character currently champions, you may add 2 to any skill check. If you apply this benefit to one of your faction's favored skills, listed below, you instead roll 2d4 and add the result. For this roll you also treat the faction's favored skill as if you were trained, even if you don't have a rank in it.

• Acquisitives: Bluff and Profession
• Dataphiles: Computers and Engineering
• Exo-Guardians: Athletics and Intimidate
• Second Seekers (Luwazi Elsebo): Diplomacy and Perception
• Wayfinders: Life Science and Survival

Alternatively, once per scenario, while wearing a Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Faction Pin, you may add 2d4 to a Culture skill check. For this roll you also treat Culture as if you were trained, even if you don't have a rank in it.

Promotional Convention Support

You have brought an accessory that displays your visible support to Paizo's organized play program. This grants you a onetime boost of Hit Points during a scenario.

Prerequisites: Bring and display an authorized convention support item to the game.

Benefit: Once per session, as a standard action, you can heal a number of Hit Points depending on your Reputation Tier with All Factions. If your Reputation Tier is 0 or 1, you regain 1d8 Hit Points. If your Reputation Tier is 2 or 3, you instead regain 3d8 Hit Points. If your Reputation Tier is 4, you instead regain 6d8 Hit Points.

Special: You can only slot this boon if the scenario is being run at the convention associated with the authorized convention support item. For an item to be considered an authorized convention support item, it must have prior approval from the Organized Play team. Event organizers are encouraged to email organizedplay@paizo.com to verify the validity of convention items for this purpose.

Promotional Record Keeper

You have brought an accessory that displays your visible support to Paizo's organized play program. This grants you the ability to reduce the Resolve Point cost for a Stamina rest or to improve a starship-related skill check.

Prerequisites: Bring and display a Starfinder Player Character Folio to the game.

Benefit: You can use this boon, once per session, in one of two ways. The first option is to reduce the Resolve Point cost of resting to regain Stamina by 1 (down to 0 RP). The second option is to reduce the DC of any single starship combat check (including a gunnery check) by 4; this decision must be made before making the check.

Promotional Reroll

You have brought an accessory that displays your visible support to Paizo's organized play program. This grants you a onetime reroll during the session.

Prerequisites: Bring and display a qualifying t-shirt or messenger bag to the game.

Benefit: You can reroll a single d20 roll you make during the course of the scenario. You must follow all the reroll rules as listed on page 243 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook when using this reroll.

Special: When a player uses a free reroll, she may present her Organized Play membership card (available on their My Organized Play page) and receive an additional +1 for every GM nova she has earned, for a maximum of a +5. Note, this bonus applies to the higher result of the reroll, not just the second roll.

Promotional Service Award

You have proven your dedication to Paizo's organized play program. This grants you the ability to swap out a boon during a scenario.

Prerequisites: Bring and display a qualifying campaign service award (i.e. campaign service coin or Wayfinder).

Benefit: You can reroll a single d20 roll you make during the course of the scenario. You must follow all the reroll rules as listed on page 243 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook when using this reroll.

Alternatively, once per session, by spending ten minutes (including as part of spending a Resolve Point to regain lost Stamina), you can swap out any one boon for another boon that occupies the same boon slot. The boon you replace cannot be one with limited uses that you have already activated this adventure, though you can swap out a boon that you had to cross off your Chronicle sheet during play. You cannot use this ability to replace a slotted boon with a boon that uses up or take place during Downtime. You cannot use this ability if you've already used the reroll option provided by this boon.

Special: When a player uses a free reroll, she may present her Paizo Organized Play membership card (available on their My Organized Play page) and receive an additional +1 for every GM nova she has earned, for a maximum of a +5. Note, this bonus applies to the higher result of the reroll, not just the second roll.

This boon's second ability overrides the standard rule that once a boon is slotted it cannot be changed.

Until next time—Explore, Report, Cooperate!

Tonya Woldridge
Organized Play Manager

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Strategy #13—Building a Party: Other Considerations

Thursday, September 7, 2017

This is the thirteenth installment of our strategy blog written by game historian Shannon Appelcline. You can read all the installments here.

Great Pathfinder Adventure Card Game parties will have characters in different roles and will contain sets of powers that work well together. However, there are a few other characteristics you should consider when assembling a party.

Vary your niches

Make sure you have characters who fill a variety of niches. Choose some magic-users and some fighters; some characters who help with non-combat targets and some who support fighting; some who are great when grouped together and some who are great alone. You're going to face a variety of challenges, so make sure you have a variety of abilities to meet them.

Corollary #1: Especially vary complementary characters. If you've chosen two characters who will often work together, try to make them as different from one another as you can.

Vary characters by primary skills

There are six dice-based skills in PACG: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Among your party, try to have good dice in each of these primary skills. If each skill is supported by at least one character with a d8, that's great; if your whole party tops out at a d4 or a d6 on something, consider how to fix that.

Vary characters by secondary skills

Here's a breakdown of the secondary skills and the number of characters in Rise of the Runelords who have each: Acrobatics [2], Arcane [3], Craft [0], Diplomacy [3], Disable [1], Divine [4], Fortitude [3], Knowledge [3], Melee [4], Perception [2], Ranged [1], Stealth [1], Survival [3]. (You could make a similar list for any of the other adventure paths.)

Ideally, you'll want each of these skills covered, meaning you can send someone to defeat each card and close each location. Absent that, choose characters that offer a wide spread of skills; work particularly hard not to add any characters to your party whose skills are totally redundant. Also, look carefully at the skills that are most common among the characters published with the adventure path you're playing, because they're probably the most important. The fact that none of the Runelords characters have Craft lets you know that you can get by without it. Similarly, missing Acrobatics or Stealth generally won't be a big deal in Rise of the Runelords, but you should think more carefully before voiding Diplomacy or Survival.

Corollary #1: Choose characters that have a lot of skills, especially if you have fewer players. The fewer characters you have, the harder it is to cover all the skills. So for low player-count games, consider characters who have three or four secondary skills over those who have just two.

Corollary #2: Manage gaps with cards. If you have gaps in your skill coverage, put cards that help with those skills into your deck. Just as a Masterwork Tools can cover a missing Disabler, a Burglar can help with both Disable and Stealth. (Remember which characters have those boons so you can send people where they need to go!)

Sometimes you just need friends in low places.

Vary characters by cards

There is nothing sadder in PACG than acquiring a great card and having to throw it out at the end of the scenario because nobody has room in their deck for it. This is also a pragmatic issue: You're only going to get so many great cards each game, so the more of them you can keep, the better your party becomes. So for each type of boon, you want at least one character whose deck list is strong in that type.

Corollary #1: Consider subtypes too. Covering a range of card subtypes with your characters can be even more important. In particular, if you can have arcane and divine spell users, and melee and ranged weapon users, and characters proficient with both light armor and heavy armor, then you're more likely to be able to use everything you acquire. Certain characters can even be even more specialized: If you have the sword-wielding Kyra from the Cleric Class Deck, you may want someone who can use the great melee weapons that aren't swords; if you have Lirianne, you may want someone to take the ranged weapons that aren't firearms. (Of course that way lies absurdity; there will always be some cards you can't use, but minimize them!)

Don't ask what happens if they find a card that has the Firearm trait and the Sword trait...

Corollary #2: Consider blessings too. Most characters tend to prefer specific blessings, either to complement certain skills or to overcome deficiencies in certain skills, or because their role cards provide benefits for using them. Try and spread these out too, so that you can happily use the maximum number of blessing types.

Vary characters after the fact

Sometimes, you can vary characters as they develop over time. Amiri, Kyra, and Valeros might initially all pick from the same set of weapons, but you might be able to specialize each during play, due either to power feats or to combos built by acquiring other boons.

Take what you want

You should never follow any of this strategy advice if it's impacting your fun, and that's especially true when you're picking characters. Yes, it's great to have characters that work well together, that can answer all of the game's challenges, and that make optimal use of your cards. But don't let it stop you from taking the character that you'll enjoy playing the most.

Don't be afraid to abandon characters

So you've carefully built your party... and you find out it doesn't really work. Two character powers clash (like Merisiel and Valeros) or two characters are fighting too much for cards (like Ezren and Seoni). Don't be afraid to dump one of the characters that's clashing and replace them, particularly if it's still early in the adventure path! The end result will probably be better play.

Choosing your party is just the first part of the metagame; how you improve those characters over play is even more important (and is the topic of the next article).

Shannon Appelcline
Game Historian