Pathfinder in 2008!

Monday, December 31, 2007

Wow. Here we are at the end of 2007—I don't know about you, but it kind of snuck up on me. Things have been crazy busy here at Paizo over this last year, between the end of one era of monthly product and the beginning of another. Launching Pathfinder was great fun, but it was also a lot of work. Fortunately, Team Pathfinder has just about recovered from the triple duty of working on magazines, launching Pathfinder, and going to Gen Con—all just in time for our second Adventure Path to begin!

There are a lot of "Best of 2007" lists out there on the internet, and I suppose I could do something along the lines of "James's Favorite Moments of 2007" here, but to tell the truth I'm more excited about what we've got planned for 2008 in Pathfinder. We've got the contents planned out to volume #18, and even though a lot of those adventures and articles haven't yet been written (or even commissioned!), I do have a pretty good idea of what's coming next year for Pathfinder. And after reading the following list, you will too!

Listed here are 12 exciting things you can expect to show up in the pages of Pathfinder over the course of 2008. I'm only going to list one thing for each month, and as we get further out, details are more and more likely to change, but at this point they're pretty set in stone. Some of these details I might have mentioned on the Tuesday night chats, while I'm pretty sure I mentioned a few others last week at the book signing, and at least one of the following is something I haven't talked about outside of Paizo yet at all.

January: The Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path ends with a trip into the Kodar Mountains, and inevitable confrontations with abominable snowmen, giant-sized giants, dragons, and worse, in the ancient ruined city of Xin-Shalast, pictured here.

February: Pathfinder's second Adventure Path begins! Curse of the Crimson Throne is a much more urban campaign, filled with politics, plagues, and peril above and below the streets of Korvosa, the largest city in all Varisia.

March: Our exploration of Golarion's deities continues with Abadar, Master of the First Vault, written by Sean K Reynolds.

April: Want to know more about the rakshasas of Golarion and find out what role they play in Curse of the Crimson Throne? Then be sure not to miss the April Pathfinder!

May: There've been quite a lot of requests for more information about the Shoanti—Varisia's tribes of barbaric nomads. Those questions will be answered this month, in "The Shoanti Way of Life."

June: Check out your map of Varisia. Particularly, that little note in the east that says "To the Hold of Belkzen" and has an arrow pointing off the map. In June, we reveal where that little arrow is pointing. HINT: Belkzen involves orcs. LOTS of orcs.

July: The final adventure in Curse of the Crimson Throne, "Crown of Fangs," appears in July, marking Adventure Path master Tito Leati's first appearance in Pathfinder. I've looked at his maps of Castle Korvosa, and all I can say is wow. Actually, I can say more, but I'd better move on to August before I do.

August: Pathfinder's third Adventure Path begins! The Second Darkness Adventure Path answers the question of what Golarion's drow have been up to, and starts out in the lawless city of Riddleport. Assuming I ever finish writing this volume's adventure, that is…

September: Not everyone in Riddleport's out to rob you. A lot of the folk there just want to have fun. Worshipers of Cayden Cailean would fit right in, which is why in September we'll be exploring his faith in detail. Bring your tankards!

October: There's something sinister afoot in the Mierani Forest in western Varisia, particularly in the abandoned elven city of Celwynvian. Alas, you'll have to wait until October to find out exactly what waits for your PCs here!

November: By now, you know that Second Darkness features the drow as primary antagonists. And as logic dictates… that means the campaign should eventually head down below. We still haven't quite settled on a name for the vast reaches of caverns that riddle Golarion's underworld, but by November we will. I hope. Because that's when we're running a Gazetteer of the regions below that pertain to this month's adventure!

December: This MIGHT slip into January, depending on if we come up with a few different ideas, but before Second Darkness comes to an end in early 2009, you can expect to see a big, juicy article that talks about the demon lords of Golarion. They're who the drow worship, after all! And one or two of them might just be trapped here on the Material Plane with your characters…

So there you go! Something (hopefully) to look forward to each month for the entirety of 2008. Of course, the list above just scratches the surface of the adventures and supplementary articles and monsters you'll discover in Pathfinder in 2008—the bestiary will keep going strong, as will Eando Kline's adventures in the Pathfinder Journal. Cayden Cailean and Abadar are only half of the deities we'll be examining in 2008, and the drow are certainly not the only (or even the most dangerous) foes your PCs will face in the deep below.

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

Long Live the Queen!

Friday, December 28, 2007

Queen Ileosa Arabasti, the beautiful young wife of Korvosa's current monarch, isn't very popular among the nobles and citizens of her city. Not that she cares all that much about what those lesser fools think of her. Keeping the rabble happy is her husband's job, after all—Ileosa's got more important things on her mind. But what could those things be?

Stay tuned in to Pathfinder, for as we begin our second Adventure Path, Curse of the Crimson Throne, Queen Ileosa's plans for the city should quickly become obvious.

HINT: Now's not a good time to move to Korvosa.

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

Quick Drop, Sudden Stop

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Hangman's Noose is the first real murder mystery adventure set in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting. As such, it includes a host of suspects, both charming and nefarious. And while each one might have had a hand in the mistrial that caused the haunting in this adventure, one of them truly deserves to hang. If your PCs can't uncover the culprit by dawn, their necks might hang in the murderer's place. Here are just a few of the suspects.

Halgrak: (at right) Known as "Five Toes" due to his mangled foot, this menacing half-orc is a local smith by trade. When things begin to turn sour, though, he quickly becomes certain that everyone is doomed.

Patrissa: Despite her overindulgences, this former adventurer is still quite attractive, wearing a fine dress and expensive jewels. Once locked inside the courthouse, she is certain to turn to the heroes for protection.

Sir Rekkart: (above) This staunch, aging paladin of Iomedae was a part of the jury ten years ago, and is certain that justice was served. Persuading him otherwise might just be an impossible task without solid proof.

Tablark: This grizzled old dwarf has held just about every job one could have in the city of Absalom. When things seem grim, the heroes can count on this dwarf to remain steadfast and confident in victory.

Is one of these jurors to blame? Maybe it was one of the others. Next week, I'll be back to give you a few more suspects to investigate.

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

RPG Superstar Top 8

The voters have spoken! Congratulations to the Top 8—we're all looking forward to your monsters in Round 4.

Christine Schneider, Neu-Isenburg, Hessen (Germany)     Arthelia "Lady of Legends Undone"     Theocracy of Carnamach, Arcane Anvil Clinton Boomer, Macomb, IL (USA)     Abzirael Ul-Shadai, the Cackling Whirling     Cyrehllan, The Isle of Cold Tears, Crown of the Breaching Legion Jason Nelson, Seattle, WA (USA)     Avinash, Master of the Catspaw Marauders     Bereket, Phial of Ebon Flame Joe Outzen, Saint Louis Park, MN (USA)     Kotalya, Mistress of Demonlake     Moros Akalein: The Wandering Nation, Torch of Solidity

Joseph Yerger, Sarasota, FL (USA)     Voeren van Premie, Herald of Than Aivel     The Prison Colony of Saran, Elemental Quiver Neil McClean, Cantebury (United Kingdom)     Henrietta "Hetty" Miller, Murderous Midwife     The Enlightened Kingdom of Vramaire, Shroud of Old Souls Rob McCreary, Prague (Czech Republic)     Onuyaka, the All-Seeing Eye     Iskandria, Coin Belt of Beguiling Russell Taylor, Eugene, OR (USA)     Seskadrin, Satrap of the Ahestian Sea     Eluraelon, Gloves of Force Shaping

Note: As of Round 4, the schedule has been adjusted to give the judges an extra day to evaluate and comment on entries. Voting windows will now begin on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays.

Happy Holidays from Paizo

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Here at Paizo we are pleased to bring some joy, with a little ditty that was on our Holiday Card. Seasons Greetings!

(Sung to the tune of Jingle Bells)

Sneaking through your yard,
Going through your stuff,
Hope you didn't like your dog; we got a little rough!
Tied him to a stump.
Lit the stump on fire.
Maybe you'll wake up in time to put out puppy's pyre!

Now we're in your house,
It's fancied up so nice!
With shiny things set all about, there's lots to break and slice!
Here's a stocking full,
And there's a gift-wrapped toy,
For a bit we stand agog—there's so much to destroy!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

In a pile, Goblin style!
What could be more fun?
Breaking toys for girls and boys
Until we're finally done!

When you wake, hearts will break;
Because we've had our way!
This is great! Let's celebrate!
A Goblin Holiday!

Making Monsters, Lamashtu Style

Monday, December 24, 2007

In Pathfinder #5, we have the second in our series of articles exploring the deities of Golarion. This time around, master of all things divine Sean K Reynolds talks about Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters and one of Golarion's most notorious deities. After all, she's not just the one the goblins and gnolls and all sorts of other monsters worship—she's the one who MAKES a lot of the monsters in the first place. And if you happen to worship her, well, you might just learn how to make a few monsters of your own. We're not sure WHAT it is this gnoll ranger of Lamashtu is clutching, but it certainly qualifies as a monster!

Oh, and by the way, that's what a Golarion gnoll looks like. He's probably a lot better-groomed than most, though. Gnolls aren't that fond of personal hygiene as a general rule.

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

U2: Hangman's Noose Cover

Friday, December 21, 2007

With Guardians of Dragonfall about to hit our warehouse, the time grows near to take a look at our next GameMastery Module. So, in preparation, here is the cover to U2: Hangman's Noose. It sure looks like Seoni has just about had enough of adventuring... maybe even breathing. Need more info? Here is the back cover copy.

GameMastery Module U2: Hangman's Noose

Ten years to the day after the most horrible injustice in Absalom's history, an implacable spirit returns to have his vengeance upon those who sent him to the gallows. Unfortunately for the heroes, they are among the jury of the damned, and come dawn they will all hang if they fail to find the true culprit.

Hangman's Noose is an urban-based adventure for 1st-level characters compatible with the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. This adventure includes details on the terrible crime, those who took part in its cover-up, and the crumbling courthouse where the crime, trial, and execution all took place.

This adventure is set in the metropolis of Absalom, one of the largest cities in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, but it can be easily adapted for use in any setting. For more information on this city, check out U1: Gallery of Evil and the Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer.

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

Elementals of Magic

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Long ago, before the Age of Darkness, in a time when powerful empires of magic ruled the land the arcanatons were first seen on Golarion. Drawn by the confluence of magical power, these creatures are the raw stuff of arcane energy given life and form. Powerful in their own right, when given a source of magic upon which to feed, they become nearly unstoppable.

But times change and empires fall. In the darkness that followed Starfall, much was lost, and as power left the world these creatures of arcane energy withered and died, deprived of the magical power that they needed for sustenance. Only a few linger still, tied to the rare relics of power that still remain from those ancient times.

Long the self-proclaimed masters of magical power, the many races of dragons thrived on Golarion while humanity was still little more than savage beasts. It was they who learned the secrets of summoning and binding these creatures of elemental magic, and they yet remain the dragons' servants, ever watchful for arcane adepts that would plunder the treasures of their masters. When it came time to construct an important symbol of their power, it was inevitable that they would choose to include arcanatons among the Guardians of Dragonfall.

Jeremy Walker
GameMastery Assistant Editor

Voting for Round 3 Entries Is Now Open!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The RPG Superstar Top 16 have created their villains and the judges have had their say. Now it's your turn! Vote for your four favorite entries.

Alexander MacLeod, Raleigh, NC (USA)     Torquil Wiesel, Ghost of the Stoneburg     Freeholds of Karistynia, Malleus Maleficarum Andrew Black, Florence, KY (USA)     Kalyani Yafa, High Priestess of the Scaled One     Spine Peaks, Goblin Strand of Ears Christine Schneider, Neu-Isenburg, Hessen (Germany)     Arthelia "Lady of Legends Undone"     Theocracy of Carnamach, Arcane Anvil Clinton Boomer, Macomb, IL (USA)     Abzirael Ul-Shadai, the Cackling Whirling     Cyrehllan, The Isle of Cold Tears, Crown of the Breaching Legion Erik Anderson, Pittsfield, MA (USA)     Mwana, Queen of the Slithering     Ghost Hound Kinships of the Rolling Plains, Charts of the Shadow Voyage Hal Maclean, Hubbards, Novia Scotia (Canada)     Durgal Maldar "the martyr eater"     Beria "Under New Management", Nausea Pill James MacKenzie, Tucson, AZ (USA)     The Haunter of the Hills     Land of the Stained Peaks, Leash of the Shadowhound Jason Nelson, Seattle, WA (USA)     Avinash, Master of the Catspaw Marauders     Bereket, Phial of Ebon Flame

Joe Outzen, Saint Louis Park, MN (USA)     Kotalya, Mistress of Demonlake     Moros Akalein: The Wandering Nation, Torch of Solidity Joseph Yerger, Sarasota, FL (USA)     Voeren van Premie, Herald of Than Aivel     The Prison Colony of Saran, Elemental Quiver Neil McClean, Cantebury (United Kingdom)     Henrietta "Hetty" Miller, Murderous Midwife     The Enlightened Kingdom of Vramaire, Shroud of Old Souls Rob McCreary, Prague (Czech Republic)     Onuyaka, the All-Seeing Eye     Iskandria, Coin Belt of Beguiling Russell Taylor, Eugene, OR (USA)     Seskadrin, Satrap of the Ahestian Sea     Eluraelon, Gloves of Force Shaping Samuel Kisko, Morgantown, WV (USA)     Fleshstripping in Zopotishto     Yithnai, Migrus Locker Walter Pullen, Seattle, WA (USA)     Elsie, The Hand Collector     Olanra: undersea enchantment, Blindspot Orb William McNulty, Philadelphia, PA (USA)     Limro the Constructor     Akram Zafir, Mask of the Elemental Guardian

Towers: A Harrow Game

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The Harrow Deck has a wide variety of uses, from a divination tool to a common game played for coppers in taprooms across Golarion. The game is known as Towers, and it is included in the Harrow Deck.

Towers is a simple gambling game for two to four players. At the start of the game, six special cards are laid out from the Harrow Deck, forming the base of the towers. Each player is dealt a hand of three cards. Players take turns placing cards from their hand onto the towers, trying to rid themselves of as many cards as possible while blocking the way for opponents to do the same. If you can't play some of your cards, they accrue as debt owed to the other players. As the game progresses it becomes harder and harder to play your cards and your debt can really spiral out of control. The game comes to an end when no one can play any more cards. At that point, each player's debt is tallied and players must pay the difference to those with a lower value.

The game is simple to learn, but has some complex strategy for those who are eager to fleece their opponents. A word of caution: This game can be addictive and I would hate to see someone lose a vorpal sword over a few bad hands.

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

Fumble at the Printer

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

With all the hustle and bustle around here with installments of Pathfinder and GameMastery Modules going out the door, it is easy to forget some of the other projects we have cooking here at the Paizo Labs. One such product has been called for since the moment its predecessor hit store shelves. So, without further ado, I am here to announce that the GameMastery Critical Fumble Deck is off to the printers (and has been for a couple weeks). We are hoping to see this product sometime next month and we will be running some previews as we get a bit closer. Until then, here is an image of the box to tide you over. Take a good look, but be careful: If you fumble, you just might "Shoot Your Eye Out: The attack hits you and is a critical threat. You must roll to confirm the critical hit." Enjoy!

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

Meet the Iconics: Seelah

Monday, December 17, 2007

Although still viewed by many theologians and traditionalists as a newcomer to the world's faiths, Iomedae the Inheritor seems poised for greatness among the divine. Certainly her numerous orders of paladins have risen swiftly to take on the vaunted role of paragon in many societies. Evangelical in their exuberance to spread word of her wisdom, Iomedae's missionaries were pivotal in the defense during the fabled Siege of Solku. They sacrificed their lives saving the town from gnoll slavers, and although none of them survived the siege, their presence lived on. Particularly in the eyes of young Seelah.

Seelah's family came to the walled town of Solku as pilgrims fleeing the atrocities of distant Geb to the distant south. Unfortunately, they traded one peril for another, and within months of their settling in Solku, the gnolls of White Canyon began their infamous pillaging. Seelah's parents were slain in the first of these raids, leaving her orphaned at the age of 14 in a strange town. She did what she must to survive on the city streets, pickpocketing and bullying and even hiring herself out as a mercenary. When a group of Iomedae's knights arrived to defend Solku, Seelah was immediately taken with their beautiful, shining armor, and within an hour she had stolen a particularly fine mithral helm with a golden bird upon its brow. Yet then, something strange happened—Seelah became overwhelmed with guilt at her theft. For days, she agonized over the act, trying (and failing) several times to pawn the helm. During the Battle of Red Hail, Seelah realized that one of the bravest knights, a woman named Acemi with hair in long braids, fought the battle without her helm. This was the woman's undoing—in holding Solku's gates, she took a mortal wound to the skull from a gnoll's flail. The woman's heroism carried the day, but that evening she died of her wound.

Wracked with guilt, Seelah approached Acemi's body as her companions prepared for her pyre. They watched silently as Seelah placed the stolen helm over the dead woman's head, and then climbed onto the pyre aside her to join her in death. The paladins were moved beyond words—they had known from the start that Seelah had stolen the helm, but Acemi had forbidden her brothers and sisters from collecting it, hoping that the helm would bring the desperate orphan enough money to survive for another few months. The knights of Iomedae took Seelah in that night. Although she has come to terms with Acemi's death, Seelah still regrets the theft that ironically brought her into Iomedae's arms. She originally came to Iomedae out of guilt, but in the past several years, that guilt has transformed into a powerful love and faith in the Inheritor.

The young paladin wears her hair in Acemi's style and is trained in the use of the longsword. In so doing, she hopes to carry on the good work that Acemi might have done had she not fallen at the Battle of Red Hail. It's the least she feels she can do to make up for a death that she allowed to happen.

Seelah debuts as a pregenerated character in volume 7 of Pathfinder and in GameMastery Module W2: River Into Darkness.

James Jacobs
Editor-in-Chief, Pathfinder

Planet Stories Subscriptions

Friday, December 14, 2007

I don't have a lot of time to read these days. It seems like every time I turn around, there's more work to be done, or a social engagement... you all know the drill. So when it comes to buying novels, I tend to be pretty conservative. There are so many books to sift through out there that buying at random, or based on a 30-second perusal, just isn't viable—who can afford to start reading a random novel, only to realize halfway through that it sucks? It's inefficient, and as a result, I rarely pick up a book that hasn't already been recommended by someone I trust.

Which is why the new Planet Stories subscription option is so amazing. This isn't some big churn-and-burn corporate fiction imprint—it's a shortlist of book recommendations straight from Erik Mona himself (with a little vetting from science fiction and fantasy scholar Pierce Watters, plus yours truly). Every one of these books bears his stamp of approval, and if you're perusing this site, odds are you share some of Erik's tastes. In fact, as he explains in his editorial, simply being a gamer is enough of a reason to pick up some of these novels—after all, you didn't think the genre just sprang full-formed from nowhere, did you? Gygax and his roleplaying contemporaries drew heavily on ideas from many of the authors we're featuring, and you might be surprised how inspiring and relevant some of those texts remain. More than just fun reading, these books are practically a correspondence course in the history of sci-fi and fantasy—our genre's Great Books series.

Now, at last, you can sign up to have them delivered to your door each month as they come out... and at 20% off the cover price! What's more, if you sign up before the new year, you have the option of purchasing any or all of the books that have already come out at the same 20% discount.

These are not some random novels. This is Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan. This is Michael Moorcock, the mind behind Elric of Melniboné. This is Leigh Brackett, who wrote The Empire Strikes Back, and C. L. Moore, one of the first female SF authors, who created both Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry (the original female sword-and-sorcery protagonist). This is Gary Gygax, without whose creation of Dungeons and Dragons our industry would not exist.

As C. J. Cherryh writes in her introduction to Northwest of Earth, "This is an important book. Read it. Make sure your kids and grandkids read it. It's timeless, and it's that good." As much could be said for all the books in our line.

So please, this holiday season, check out the new Planet Stories subscriptions, then sit back and let Uncle Erik make a few recommendations....

James Sutter
Editor, Planet Stories

Dragonfall First Look

Thursday, December 13, 2007

With GameMastery Module E1: Carnival of Tears shipping out to all of your waiting hands, it is time to turn our attention to the next module, J2: Guardians of Dragonfall. Over the next few weeks we will be previewing some of the monsters and villains behind this draconic plot involving one of the more interesting locales in the Pathfinder Chronicles world, but for now, here is a look at a great piece of art from the module. Stay tuned.

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

RPG Superstar Top 16

Wednesday, December 12

Here are the top 16, chosen by you:

Alexander MacLeod, Raleigh, NC (USA)    Freeholds of Karistynia, Malleus Maleficarum Andrew Black, Florence, KY (USA)    Spine Peaks, Goblin Strand of Ears Christine Schneider, Neu-Isenburg, Hessen (Germany)    Theocracy of Carnamach, Arcane Anvil Clinton Boomer, Macomb, IL (USA)    Cyrehllan, The Isle of Cold Tears, Crown of the Breaching Legion Erik Anderson, Pittsfield, MA (USA)    Ghost Hound Kinships of the Rolling Plains, Charts of the Shadow Voyage Hal Maclean, Hubbards, Novia Scotia (Canada)    Beria "Under New Management", Nausea Pill James MacKenzie, Tucson, AZ (USA)    Land of the Stained Peaks, Leash of the Shadowhound Jason Nelson, Seattle, WA (USA)    Bereket, Phial of Ebon Flame

Joe Outzen, Saint Louis Park, MN (USA)    Moros Akalein: The Wandering Nation, Torch of Solidity Joseph Yerger, Sarasota, FL (USA)    The Prison Colony of Saran, Elemental Quiver Neil McClean, Cantebury (United Kingdom)    The Enlightened Kingdom of Vramaire, Shroud of Old Souls Rob McCreary, Prague (Czech Republic)    Iskandria, Coin Belt of Beguiling Russell Taylor, Eugene, OR (USA)    Eluraelon, Gloves of Force Shaping Samuel Kisko, Morgantown, WV (USA)    Yithnai, Migrus Locker Walter Pullen, Seattle, WA (USA)    Olanra: undersea enchantment, Blindspot Orb William McNulty, Philadelphia, PA (USA)    Akram Zafir, Mask of the Elemental Guardian

---

Silas McDermott was among the top 16, but elected to drop out of the competition before voting closed, allowing the 17th-highest vote-getter to advance.

How good? Hou good!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

While we haven't completely finished the cover for Michael Moorcock's Lord of the Spiders, the sequel to City of the Beast, we wanted to jump the gun a bit and show off this great new painting from Planet Stories' go-to artistic visionary Andrew Hou. His cover for our first Moorcock book is one of my favorites, and I'm excited to see such a fitting successor!

Michael Moorcock is a living legend, one of the writers who helped define sword sorcery fantasy (heck, he created the term "multiverse"), and I'm glad that in republishing his work, we're able to do it the sort of justice it deserves.

James Sutter
Editor, Planet Stories

Oh no! Otyugh!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Wayne Reynolds continues his streak of brilliant artwork for Pathfinder—this background for the cover of Pathfinder #7, the first installment in the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path, shows us that there are much worse things than alligators living in the sewers.... I particularly love the little details, like the inn's sign  or the Hellknight about to take the monster out singlehandedly before the iconics get the chance. Click on the image to download a larger version.

James Sutter
Assistant Editor, Pathfinder

The Harrow Deck Cometh!

Friday, December 7, 2007

One of the most innovative things I've seen in D&D occurred back in the original Ravenloft, where the villain's motivation, treasure placement, and adventure goals depended upon the results of an in-game fortune-telling session. Even years later, I still recall that feeling of surprise and excitement when I first looked through that adventure. With Curse of the Crimson Throne, Pathfinder's second Adventure Path, we'll be trying something similar.

The Harrow deck is our fortune-telling tool for this Adventure Path. The deck itself is a 54-card deck broken down into six suits of nine cards each. While, in-game, these six suits and the card images themselves are "in character," it draws a lot of its inspiration from the mechanics of the game as well. The deck's six suits each symbolize one of the six basic attributes all characters are built around: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. And in each of those six suits, we have nine different cards for each of the nine alignments. Therefore, we have a chaotic evil Wisdom card, a neutral good Strength card, a lawful neutral Dexterity card, and so on.

Of course, the actual art on each of these cards hides its genesis in the rules behind symbolism and metaphor, so you don't have to worry about any weird self-aware metagame strangeness popping up (I doubt very much you'd ever hear a Varisian say something like, "that chaotic evil king has a really low charisma!"). The Harrow deck itself is an ancient divination tool used by the Varisians to tell the future and divine fortunes. Think of it as an RPG-version of the tarot deck.

Each of Curse of the Crimson Throne's six adventures are also tied in theme to the six suits of the Harrow deck, and as you play through this new Adventure Path, Harrow deck readings can provide valuable insights, helpful bonuses, or even unexpected perils and dangers. You can expect to see some recurring themes throughout the Adventure Path tied to the Harrow deck, but we'll be going beyond that. Players will be able to select a feat, "Harrowed," that'll let them use draws from the deck to hopefully tip fortune in their favor. Visit a rough-and-tumble bar down on the waterfront in Korvosa and you'll be able to gamble away your treasure in a game of Towers, a gambling game created by lowbrows and scoundrels using the Harrow deck (and designed by industry veterans Jason Bulmahn, Mike Selinker, and Teeuwynn Woodruff). And just as the infamous Deck of Many Things was inspired by the tarot deck, there might be a powerful magic Harrow deck waiting to bring all matter of mayhem to your group at some point in Curse of the Crimson Throne.

And the best part? We're making a Harrow deck you can use yourself, whether as part of your campaign, in readings of your own, or just as a fun fantasy-themed card game. Over the next several weeks, we'll be showing off Kyle Hunter's artwork for the Harrow deck here on our blog. Keep an eye out, and see if you can figure out which image goes with the chaotic evil strength card versus the one that goes with the lawful good one!

James Jacobs
Editor-in-Chief, Pathfinder

Pathfinder Book Signing!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

On Wednesday, December 19, Oroboro Games of Bellevue, WA will host an exclusive free book signing and Q&A to celebrate the launch of Pathfinder #4. Fans of Paizo and Pathfinder will get a unique chance to talk to Erik Mona, James Jacobs, and F. Wesley Schneider about Paizo's new home for adventure: the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting. Erik and company will offer a sneak peek at Golarion, the world of the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, including a first-ever look at the world map and art from the Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer (due out this February). Bring your Pathfinder books and your questions for Erik, James, and Wes. Though Pathfinder #2 is sold out except for limited quantities at paizo.com, volumes #1, #3, and #4 will be available for purchase, as well as the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide.

Pathfinder #4 Book Signing
December 19, 7:00pm
Oroboro Games in the Lake Hills Shopping Center
545c 156th Ave SE
Bellevue, WA 98052
Click here to view with Google maps

Joshua J. Frost
Sales & Marketing Director

Entries for Round 2: Design a Country

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The top 32 finalists have completed the assignment to design a country for Round 2, and the judges have weighed in—now it's up to you. Vote for up to five of the following:

Alex Handley—Kerpiquan: the Land of Lost Civilisations Alexander MacLeod—Freeholds of Karistynia Andrew Black—Spine Peaks Chad Patterson—Steppenland Chris Nichols—Iolandis Christine Schneider—Theocracy of Carnamach Clinton Boomer—Cyrehllan, The Isle of Cold Tears Daniele Nanni—Agregia Erik Anderson—Ghost Hound Kinships of the Rolling Plains Hal Maclean—Beria "Under New Management" James MacKenzie—Land of the Stained Peaks Jason Nelson—Bereket Jeb Boyt—Vendithian Union Joe Outzen—Moros Akalein: The Wandering Nation Joel Flank—Ulmlinzi-Kiwanja Joseph Yerger—The Prison Colony of Saran

Laurens de Haan—Cumavea Mauricio Quintana—The Country of Nelvia Michael Kogan—Calidune Michael Raper—The Grand Duchy of Draeth Neil McClean—The Enlightened Kingdom of Vramaire Rennie Saunders—Idalia of the Twisted Lands Rob McCreary—Iskandria Robert McRae—Drei-Conità Robert Nichols—Laraklan, Nexus of Magic Ross Byers—Terram Russell Taylor—Eluraelon Samuel Kisko—Yithnai Silas McDermott—Kestria - "A nation on the edge." Walter Pullen—Olanra: undersea enchantment William Cronk—Malar, 'The Shattered Empire' William McNulty—Akram Zafir

Faster Than A Speeding Buick

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

When flipping through GameMastery Module E1: Carnival of Tears, one thing immediately jumped out at me. There is a creature, known as a quickling, in the module with a speed of 240 feet. At first I though this must be a misprint, but Jeremy assured me that it was correct. This fey, called Prig in the module, is so blindingly fast that catching him is half the encounter. Fortunately for you, he is in the mood for mischief, not evasion. To celebrate the upcoming release of Carnival of Tears, I thought I would give you a few fun facts concerning this speedy antagonist.

1. Looking back at D1: Crown of the Kobold King, if Prig started at the beginning of the dungeon, he could make his way all the way down to the king, slap him in the face, and make it back to the surface in four rounds with time to spare.

2. If he had an open road, Prig could run from one end of the Bloodsworn Vale, featured in W1: Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale, and back again in a little over one hour, since he has a land speed of just over 109 mph.

3. With a running start, Prig could easily jump over the underground lake featured in D2: Seven Swords of Sin.

4. Check out U1: Gallery of Evil—Prig could run 16 complete circles around the Gauthfallow Mansion in exactly 1 minute.

5. Using his Spring Attack feat, if Prig started out 100 feet away from Scepter (from J1: Entombed with the Pharaohs), he could run up, pinch his nose, and then run away, ending his movement outside the range of every single one of Scepter's spells and his wand rifle.

6. In E1: Carnival of Tears, Prig can use his Jump skill (+100) to easily clear 25-foot-tall tents and cause no end of havoc for your PCs.

Jason Bulmahn
GameMastery Brand Manager

Dragons of Golarion

Monday, December 3, 2007

So in Pathfinder #4, we finally get around to talking about dragons in our world. We knew going in that this volume's adventure would feature Pathfinder's first official dragon fight (immortalized by Wayne Reynolds in the alternate cover to Pathfinder #1), but we didn't want to stop there. Dragons are the name of the game, and we needed to make sure that ours were distinct enough so that they looked different, but at the same point they had to look like dragons. That meant horns, sharp teeth, long necks, wings, the works. And further, we needed to know about their history, gods, society, clans and bloodlines, physiology and psychology, language, variants, and more.

Fortunately, Mike McArtor is not only exuberant when it comes to dragons, but he's also a great writer (and should it come to it, I know where he lives if his promised words end up being late). They weren't, and in Pathfinder #4 you'll be treated to "Dragons of Golarion: The Myth and the Flame," an article that covers the basics of the dragons of our world.

Oh, and it's got head shots of all ten classic dragons; the five chromatics and the five metallics. Wes will only let me show you two of those ten, so I guess I'll go for the two big guys: gold and red. Check out their majesty!

James Jacobs
Editor-in-Chief, Pathfinder