Who is John Compton?

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The whole Pathfinder Society community has been buzzing about the new addition to the Pathfinder Society team here at the Paizo offices. But who is John Compton, our newest developer? We'll let him tell you...

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief

My roleplaying experience began with a bequeathed copy of the 1981 Dungeons & Dragons Expert Rules from my older cousin Tim. It wasn’t until the end of middle school that I found a regular gaming group, and it was Kyle Pratt, one of the founding members and now co-Venture-Captain of Georgia, who introduced me to Pathfinder and later Pathfinder Society in early 2010. Given my training as an archaeologist, Pathfinder Society had an instant appeal. Despite an ally nearly killing off the entire party in The Prince of Augustana, our first scenario, I was hooked.

From there we, along with Nani Pratt, acted as store liaisons under Mike Brock’s leadership as then-VC. When he took on the weighty mantle of Campaign Coordinator, I cheerfully offered my services in adapting modules, writing Chronicle sheets for Pathfinder Tales, and other small-scale odds and ends, and I continued to write supplementary material behind the scenes until PaizoCon 2012. I was already excited that weekend. Not only had I participated as a suitor in the Grand Convocation the night before, but I was also still buzzed from some amazing conversations in person with the esteemed Painlord and Shivok from the messageboards. Then, Mark Moreland snagged me during the lunch break, offered me a chance to write a scenario, and asked me to write the Season 4 convention boons.

In early January, I received an exciting series of emails. First, it was Mark asking if at some point in the future, budget willing, I would be interested in a bit of freelance, part-time development work. Sure! Then I heard from Wes asking me to send in a resume for a full-time developer position. Done! A few interviews later, I was hired and swapping ideas with Mike to continue Pathfinder Society’s growth and improve the experience even more.

John Compton
Developer

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Tags: Paizo Pathfinder Society
Silver Crusade 4/5 5/55/55/55/5 ****

Welcome aboard John! Hope we don't drive you crazy *too* quickly! :P

Sovereign Court 3/5

Those aren't book behind him! It's just a wall that looks like there's a bookshelf! John Compton is a phony! A great, big phony!

Liberty's Edge 3/5

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

It's impressive how quickly you've been able to influence PFS play, John. Welcome, sir.

5/5 *

Huzzah! Always great to hear from the front (back?) lines! Grats again John, and very much looking forward to it!

Side question, are PFS blogs moving to Thursdays now?

1/5 Contributor

Welcome, and congratulations!

5/5 5/55/55/5

So what do we bribe you with, beer, cookies, bubble wrap?

Liberty's Edge 5/5

Welcome aboard John!

5/5

spies bubble wrap upon hopping into the room

eyes said bubble wrap

pounces said bubble wrap

waves :) and congratulations

Scarab Sages 4/5 5/5

/me groans

So will you be placing a Compton's Gulch somewhere in the vicinity of Druma? jp. Congratulations Mr. Compton.

5/5

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Congratulations John! It's now your sworn duty to make everything fun for absolutely everyone.

One question to Paizo - when are you going to stop snatching up all my banquet trivia tablemates!? I think John is the 5th one!

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5

One star of congratulations from me John!

Grand Lodge 5/5

Congratulations

Paizo Employee Developer

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Majuba wrote:
One question to Paizo - when are you going to stop snatching up all my banquet trivia tablemates!? I think John is the 5th one!

I wonder what would happen if you sat all by yourself one year...

The Exchange 4/5

Welcome John! look forward to working with you!

Grand Lodge 5/5 *

Welcome! I think it's safe to say we're all excited to have you. :)

Grand Lodge 5/5

Congratulations, sir!

Shadow Lodge 4/5

Congratulations!

5/5

Congrats!

Hopefully, one day we'll finally meet in person! Perhaps Nani can introduce us at PaizoCon this year?

Shadow Lodge 4/5 5/5 RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8

All I know about John is that I have a video of him, Kyle, and Kyle playing at a table and arguing about burning down an orphanage.

"I'm a bard!"

Liberty's Edge 4/5 *

Last week, a new guy shows up at the store I coordinate. I greeted him, learned his name was "John", and found him a table. He noticed we were having trouble finding a table for a couple of people, and he volunteered to GM for them. The next night, he ran a scenario for a group of people who rarely find a new scenario to play, much less together. I was impressed with the new guy.

Imagine my surprise when the next day I was chatting with the VL, who mentioned "oh by the way" who that new guy was ...

Congratulations on the new job, and welcome to the area, John!

5/5

Walter Sheppard wrote:

All I know about John is that I have a video of him, Kyle, and Kyle playing at a table and arguing about burning down an orphanage.

"I'm a bard!"

Burning down an orphanage is NOT evil, right?

5/5

The Great Rinaldo! wrote:

Last week, a new guy shows up at the store I coordinate. I greeted him, learned his name was "John", and found him a table. He noticed we were having trouble finding a table for a couple of people, and he volunteered to GM for them. The next night, he ran a scenario for a group of people who rarely find a new scenario to play, much less together. I was impressed with the new guy.

Imagine my surprise when the next day I was chatting with the VL, who mentioned "oh by the way" who that new guy was ...

Congratulations on the new job, and welcome to the area, John!

If this is the table I heard about, it was quite an introduction to John as a GM. >:)

Sczarni

Congratulations, John! And golly, another Georgian! Quick poll: How many current Paizo full-timers lived in the South before moving to Seattle?

Shadow Lodge 4/5 5/5 RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8

Kyle Baird wrote:
Walter Sheppard wrote:

All I know about John is that I have a video of him, Kyle, and Kyle playing at a table and arguing about burning down an orphanage.

"I'm a bard!"

Burning down an orphanage is NOT evil, right?

Of course not, you were trying to smoke out the bad guy that was hiding inside!!

The Exchange 5/5 RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

3 people marked this as a favorite.

Almost every major villain in literature is an orphan. The party was simply being pro-active.

5/5

Kyle Baird wrote:
Walter Sheppard wrote:

All I know about John is that I have a video of him, Kyle, and Kyle playing at a table and arguing about burning down an orphanage.

"I'm a bard!"

Burning down an orphanage is NOT evil, right?

I still don't understand why anybody volunteers to sit through you folk when it comes to GM 101...

Paizo Employee Developer

Trinite wrote:
Congratulations, John! And golly, another Georgian! Quick poll: How many current Paizo full-timers lived in the South before moving to Seattle?

*raises his hand*

I think by now we outnumber the Washington natives in the office, but I think the midwesterners have an edge on us.

Grand Lodge 5/5

Adam Daigle wrote:
Trinite wrote:
Congratulations, John! And golly, another Georgian! Quick poll: How many current Paizo full-timers lived in the South before moving to Seattle?

*raises his hand*

I think by now we outnumber the Washington natives in the office, but I think the midwesterners have an edge on us.

Heh, when I lived in Seattle, it was three months before I met someone native to the area.

Marketing Director

Welcome to the team, John!

Liberty's Edge 3/5

Welcome John! Glad you're aboard! :)

4/5 *

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens Subscriber

w00t! Congrats, John! Knock 'em dead (or at least TPK)! :-)

2/5 5/5

John's already DMing for folks there? Atlanta's loss is Seattle's gain.

Grand Lodge 5/5 * Venture-Captain, New Zealand—Dunedin

Straight outta Compton, comes a GM with attitude.....

It was a pleasure meeting John at SCARAB last month. It'll be even more of a pleasure seeing his influence on future Pathfinder products.

Lantern Lodge Customer Service Manager

Adam Daigle wrote:
Trinite wrote:
Congratulations, John! And golly, another Georgian! Quick poll: How many current Paizo full-timers lived in the South before moving to Seattle?

*raises his hand*

I think by now we outnumber the Washington natives in the office, but I think the midwesterners have an edge on us.

I throw the curve off by being a Washington native who spent my formative years in Texas and then 6 years in Michigan :D

Marketing Director

Washington native but perpetual gypsy, here! I was living in Austin before moving *back* to Seattle to work for Paizo. :)

4/5

1 person marked this as a favorite.

All his power comes from the ponytail. I've never seen him GM one awesome game without it. With the ponytail, he's unstoppable.

Congratulations John, you deserve it.

Silver Crusade 2/5

Congrats John! Hopefully I will be able to meet you at Paizo Con and game under you. I have heard great stories. Oh and I love the Atlas Shrugged reference.

Webstore Gninja Minion

I've spent some time in Texas... :D

Silver Crusade 2/5

So, I guess I now have one more reason to move to the South...

Congrats, welcome aboard, and hope to see you at a Bay Area Convention!

Liberty's Edge 4/5 5/55/5 **

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Kyle Baird wrote:

Congrats!

Hopefully, one day we'll finally meet in person! Perhaps Nani can introduce us at PaizoCon this year?

Kyle... Have you met John yet?...I hear that Nani still needs to introduce you to him...

Liberty's Edge 4/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, California—Los Angeles (South Bay)

Welcome aboard, John!!

Silver Crusade 4/5 5/55/55/5 RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8

Congratulations! Little did I know that I was playtesting a module for such an august personage at SCARAB. That playtest was one of the highlights of the convention for me. Had a blast! Once again, congratulations John!

4/5

Congrats again, looking forward to seeing some good stuff out of you!

Scarab Sages

Mark Moreland wrote:
Majuba wrote:
One question to Paizo - when are you going to stop snatching up all my banquet trivia tablemates!? I think John is the 5th one!
I wonder what would happen if you sat all by yourself one year...

Then I'd start working for Paizo, 'cause he's not going to PaizoCon or the banquet without me!

Hey, Congrats John! I had fun playing fellow suitor Karla Gessner with you last year.

The Exchange 2/5

Congrats, John! We'll sure miss you down here but I know you'll help the campaign get better and better. :)

Shadow Lodge 4/5

While I doubt John remembers he is actually the FIRST GM to ever kill one of my characters.

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