Tiffany as Cleric of Desna	Kelly as Pactmaster of Katapesh

And the winner is...!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The votes for the First Annual Gen Con Pathfinder Cosplay Contest are in, and after a hard battle, the winner is... both of them!

Yes, it seems that our messageboard horde saw too much merit in Tiffany's fantastic starknife and Kelly's unnerving Pactmaster mask to let either of them go unrewarded. (And in a way, Tiffany started this whole idea with her costume last year, so perhaps we should consider this the 2008 and 2009 awards.) Regardless of how you parse it, the result is that both Kelly and Tiffany will be receiving $50 in Paizo store credit. Congratulations to them both, and special thanks to messageboard poster Taig who offered to foot the bill for the second prize—we may not have taken him up on it, but we always love seeing the generosity of our community.

As for all of you who didn't have time to compete this year: there's always time to start preparing for next year's contest! Time to start collecting those giant crab legs for your Rovagug suit, hitting the gym in preparation for the Merisiel outfit, or shaving the family dog and training it to carry your goblins—I mean "beautiful children"—on its back. The possibilities are endless!

(P.S: I'm ashamed to admit that Tiffany's contact information was lost in the shuffle of Gen Con. Tiffany, if you're reading this, please email me at james.sutter@paizo.com to claim your prize!)

James Sutter
Editor

Illustration by Frances Tsai

Book of the Damned: Moloch and Stygia

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Now that we're back from the adventures, misadventures, and unexpected romances of Gen Con, it's again time to talk about one of our upcoming books, Princes of Darkness, Book of the Damned Volume I. I'll just quote Master Schneider's text.

Illustration by Kieran Yanner

Moloch: All who burn join the armies of Moloch. A being of seething wrath, the Lord of the Sixth embodies both absolute discipline and directed destructive force. General of Hell's Armies, Moloch endlessly trains his infernal legions to be the greatest martial force in the multiverse.

Whatever body Moloch might have once possessed was consumed in flame long ago. Now, the General of Hell is an embodiment of the most devastating, inhuman aspects of war, a creature of fearsome black metal and spiked armor encrusted with the blood of countless opponents. With his clawed gauntlets he exerts the strength of a titan to heft the blood-soaked sword Ramithaine and the horned battleaxe Goreletch. Even in his most tempered moods, flames leap from Moloch's eyes, flaring nostrils, and every other joint and chink of his scorched armor, this blaze growing more wild as the archfiend's ire rises. He never removes his armor, though on the rare occasions where it has become damaged in the heat of battle, nothing lies beneath but flames and the faint outline of withered, fire-charred bones.

Stygia: Every lie spoken throughout the planes condenses as a drop of poison to flood Stygia, the fifth layer of Hell. Amid the tangled swamps and fetid jungles rise moldy ruins, mired temples to false deities, and whole blasphemous cities. The waters of the Styx mix with the layer's venomous bogs, creating vast noxious moors before flowing into vast black seas. Dilapidated avenues paved with cracked stones—remnants of empires that never were—cut through these dense bogs, though they regularly succumb to unexpected floods of stagnant water. Travelers who brave the paths or manage to fight their way through the swamps for long enough inevitably discover examples of the layer's countless ruins, overgrown temples and cathedrals, disparate crumbling monuments, and fortresses upturned as if flung by gigantic and careless hands. Most of these decrepit structures—drawn in their entirety from innumerable mortal worlds—still bear artifacts and artistry from forgotten epochs, typically idols and icons of deities and divine forces unknown to even the longest-lived inhabitants of the multiverse.

In the mountainous scriptorium called the Library of Oaths, diabolical clerks record every mortal oath with a damning consequence. These records prove binding, and those who break their words are damned to eternity in Stygia for as long as their vows remain within the library vault.

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

Cosplay Contest Part Deux: Choose Your Champion!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Another Gen Con has come and gone, and as all the editors crawl out from where we've been hiding in fetal positions beneath our desks, recovering from the exhaustion and excitement, we're forced to conclude that this was the best convention yet. The release of the Core Rulebook was a rousing success, the ENnies were kind, the community was more welcoming than ever, and our favorite industry professionals were just as zany and fun as last year. Yet all that in no way lessened the excitement of...

PATHFINDER COSPLAY!

Despite the relatively late warning (next year's contestants: consider this your starting gun), we doubled our Pathfinder cosplay turnout this year. That's right: two intrepid individuals spent portions of their con wandering around in full Pathfinder regalia, forever winning our hearts (and potentially $50 dollars in store credit). This year's contestants were Tiffany as a cleric of Desna (whose same costume last year inspired the contest, and hence is allowed to compete this year as well—unfortunately, only last year's photo is available) and new challenger Kelly, who wowed us all with his incredible rendition of a Pactmaster of Katapesh.

Tiffany as Cleric of Desna	Kelly as Pactmaster of Katapesh

Which costume is the best, and most deserving of reward? It's a tough question, but it's up to you to decide. If you want to weigh in on the matter, or just congratulate them both on their amazing costumes, head over to the Pathfinder Cosplay Contest thread on our messageboards and make your voice heard. Votes will be collected for roughly 48 hours, at which point we'll announce the winner here on the blog. So what are you waiting for? Let the voting begin!

James Sutter
Editor

Welcome to Paizo

Friday, August 21, 2009

With the release of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, there are a lot of new faces here on the board, so we thought that this would be a good time to say hello and to give folks a quick tour of the site.

I suspect that many of the new folks are here because of the Pathfinder RPG, so there is no better place to start than our new Core Rulebook. Of course, we have much more in store for this game, so you definitely want to visit the Pathfinder RPG main page where you can see a summary of all of our upcoming products. Be sure to check out the Bestiary Preview and the Pathfinder RPG Conversion Guide, both of which can be downloaded for free. All you need is an account. Tip to the wise, make sure you have the most recent version of Adobe Reader installed on your machine to read these pdfs. Both of these free products, along with a host of other valuable free documents, can also be found on the Pathfinder RPG resources page, which also contains our community use policy (for those thinking about setting up a fan website) and the compatibility license (for those planning to make products using the Pathfinder RPG rules). The resources page also has the most recent errata document for the Core Rulebook, which contains a number of small changes and fixes to ensure that your game is running smoothly.

Next up, if you need to quickly reference the Pathfinder RPG online, there is no better resource than the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (or PRD for short). The PRD contains all of the rules from the game, organized just like the Core Rulebook, making them easy to find. If you are playing your game in reach of a computer, I might recommend a bookmark or three.

We really want paizo.com to be a great community for gamers of all stripes, whether your passion is the Pathfinder RPG, other RPGs, board games, card games, or anything in between. Our messageboards are home to thousands of gamers just like you, looking for advice, sharing stories, forming groups, and getting answers to rules questions. If you are navigating the messageboards, look out for the following forums.

First up is the Pathfinder RPG messageboard, which includes a large number of useful forums. The General Discussion Forum is where you can discuss nearly anything related to the game, from reviews to announcements. The Rules Question Forum is where you can ask questions about the game. If one of your fellow fans does not help you out, one of our staff will try to help get an answer to your question. There is a lot of great discussion going on right now on the boards about the game, but I do want to take this moment to offer some advice. The rules are brand new, and there is a lot of information to digest. Before posting, make sure to take a good look through the book to see if your question is answered elsewhere. Since the game is a revision to the 3.5 rules, there are a number of discussions going on right now comparing the two and weighing the pros and cons of each change. While this is only natural, I do want to remind folks that many of these changes are designed to have a specific effect or to work in combination with other changes, making the whole of the game easier and better to run. If the rule in question still doesn't work for your group, do not hesitate to change it. It is your game after all, and you should feel free to change it in any way that would add to the fun and excitement of your campaign. Alright, back to the tour.

Next up in the Pathfinder RPG section is the Pathfinder RPG Products Section, which includes two forums for discussing individual products. One for Paizo products and one for any 3rd party product that is compatible with the game. After those forums are the Community Content forums. The first of these is the House Rules Forum, which contains a host of tips, tricks, and suggestions used in the games of fellow messageboard members. This forum also includes brand new rules content created by fans. The second forum is the Conversions Forum, which contains fan-made conversions of a host of 3.5 rules and products, making them easier to use with the Pathfinder RPG.

In addition to the Pathfinder RPG forums, you will find an array of other forums for our other products. The Pathfinder General Discussion Forum is for talking about any product with the Pathfinder logo, focusing on products that are compatible with the Pathfinder campaign setting (such as the Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Companion, Pathfinder Modules, and Pathfinder Accessories products). The Pathfinder Adventure Path Section contains a forum for each one of our Adventure Paths. These products represent complete campaigns, taking your characters from 1st level to the heights of power. The forums contain tips, tricks, and tools to use for each Adventure Path, as well as a number of great stories and anecdotes from the campaigns of fellow members.

This is also a good time to talk about the Pathfinder Society. This program allows you to play the Pathfinder RPG around the world, using the same character for each event. Pathfinder Society events can be found at most major conventions and in a number of game stores. In addition, your GM can download these PDF adventures and run them for you at home. For discussion about these exciting events, check out the Pathfinder Society Forums.

Concluding our tour of the messageboards, you might want to investigate the Paizo Community Forums, which includes forums for 3.5, 4th edition, board games, card games, play-by-post games, movies, books, television, and the always busy off-topic discussion (drive up your post count with a 3-word game today!).

Before this blog gets way too long, I want to take a moment to talk about the Paizo Store, which features just about every RPG, board game, card game, miniatures game, and accessory known to man. Be warned, there are a lot of good products hiding in there, and my wallet has paid for my curiosity mightily over the years.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide Classes

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Now that Gen Con is over, it is time to look into the future of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Over the next year, we have a number of fantastic products in store for you, but the one that has me the most excited is the Advanced Player's Guide. We gave a few hints about this hefty 320-page tome at Gen Con during the Pathfinder RPG Q&A seminar, but I wanted to take a moment to bring the news to you directly.

First off, this book is set to release at Gen Con 2010. It will include a host of new options and avenues for characters built using the classes and features in the Core Rulebook. That means you can expect to find new barbarian rage powers, new sorcerer bloodlines, new bardic performance options, and a host of other tricks and tools to modify the 11 core classes. The book will also contain a number of feats, spells, and magic items to expand your game. We are providing all of these in one book so as to avoid spreading out the goodness over a host of tomes, which tends to just make things difficult to find and use. Some of this material will be leaked early through this blog to use right away (and to help us playtest some of the more tricky aspects).

In addition to the expansion of the core classes, this book will also contain six new base classes. They are called base classes because they go from level 1 to level 20, but they are not core classes. Confused? Allow me to explain. We are making an assumption that these new classes will take a role in our world (and possibly yours) that is less common. You will not find them in every adventure, nor will they appear in every product. That means that you can introduce them to your game in a more limited fashion, without having to retcon them into every facet of your campaign.

Of these six classes, I am ready to talk, in a limited fashion, about four of them. I should note that these classes are still being designed and everything you read here is subject to change. That said, we are really excited about the ideas, and hope that you will be too.

When working out some of the initial concepts for these classes, we had two primary criteria that each needed to fill: a conceptual niche and a mechanical niche. This means that each class we come up with needs to include mechanics that we do not currently explore with one of the 11 other classes, as well as its own conceptual space.

The first class I want to look at is the Cavalier. While traditionally, this class has been focused on mounted combat, we have learned that classes such as this suffer terribly by the circumstances of the adventure. As such, the cavalier is going to have some aspects that make it a great mounted combatant, but it will also focus on directing and controlling a battlefield through a system of class features that allow it to enhance allies, unnerve opponents, and challenge foes. Unlike a bard, the cavalier will focus on individuals instead of large numbers, allowing it to have some greater effects. The class will not rely on spells or magic to get the job done, but it will be a bit more skill-focused than some of the other martial classes, especially when it comes to Charisma-based skills.

Next up is the Alchemist. Now, I know what you are thinking. Brewing alchemist fire and crafting tindertwigs is not the stuff of adventurers, and hardly enough to build an entire class around. On that, I would agree, but we are taking this in a slightly different direction. Think of the alchemist a bit more like Dr. Jekyll. He brews up elixirs, mixes up unguents and powders, and crafts all sorts of tricks to use in a fight. While some of these will certainly mimic spells, others might allow him to gain fiendish qualities, breath fire, or even transform into a puddle of living ooze. At higher levels, he will be able to use some of his concoctions on others, granting them some of his strange abilities. This class will work like an arcane caster, in that he will prepare his alchemy for the day and use them as day goes on, as they most likely do not keep for long. There will undoubtedly be a host of new alchemical items in the book for him to tinker with as well.

Next up is the Summoner. I should note that the title for this one is still a bit temporary as it does not quite convey the concepts we are looking for. This class is focused on the creation or summoning of a monster combatant or guardian. Think of it as a sort of arcane animal companion that is a magical beast, outsider, or aberration instead of an animal. While the class will still be able to cast arcane spells, in a bit more of a limited fashion than a sorcerer, it will have a number of abilities to enhance and empower its creation. Some of these will be able to be applied on the fly, while others will happen only when the summoner gains levels. The class will have a list of abilities that can be added to a monster as you gain levels, with more powerful abilities made available to use in your monster's construction at higher levels. To top it off, the class will be a bit variable in theme. You could be a pious summoner, creating a divine champion to guard and protect you, or you could be a foul chirurgeon, creating your monster from the corpses of other dead monsters.

Finally, the last class I want to talk about is the Oracle. This class is a spontaneous divine caster that is not devoted to any one god. Instead it is devoted to a particular concept or domain. The oracle draws his power from all the deities that support that concept, but none of them particularly hold any domain over him. A great example here would be Hercules, who would make a great oracle of strength. The class provides spontaneous divine casting, but the focus provides a host of other abilities and powers. You could expect feats of great might from the oracle of strength, while the oracle of fire is probably going to be able to roast you alive if you anger him. Think of the oracle more as an expert on a single topic and less as a seer of the future and you are close to the theme we are going for. I am really excited about what this class could do and the roleplaying options it presents. I might even have to give my current character a break to play an oracle as soon as the class is ready.

That covers four of the six classes in the book. I am planning on releasing information about the other two next month, at a seminar taking place at Gen Con Australia, in Brisbane. These classes will be put up for public playtest well before the book goes to print, and as soon as the schedule is finalized, you will find it here on this blog. I hope to have some more news on these classes, as well as a few sneak peaks before the playtest, as they develop. Stay tuned.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Campaign Setting

Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 04:15 PM Pacific

Hmm. Looks like this post from the ENnie awards got jammed in the intertubes.

Jason and Erik go Gold for Best Campaign Setting for Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

While We Were Gone

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

While some of us were back in blissful Seattle sipping ice tea and lounging on the beaches and others of us were still trekking back from Gen Con—drunk on our own sleep deprivation and tears—Ashton Sperry, paper minis mogul and N’wah from the boards, decided to drop by. While most of us missed him, he certainly left his mark. Here are just a few of the scribbles that followed in Ashton's wake. Sorry we missed you man, but thanks for the post-its! It really made getting back to the old grindstones all the more bearable!

For everyone else! Expect more reports from Gen Con starting bright and early tomorrow morning! It was great to see a ton of you at the show and, as always, we had a fantastic time. For folks who couldn't make it, though, tune in to the blog and messageboards for what you missed!

Illustrations by Ashton Sperry*

F. Wesley Schneider
Managing Editor

*Except the stick figure. That's Sean's. Ashton wrote the note.

Victory dinner

Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 06:19 PM Pacific

The Paizo staff is having our annual end of GenCon dinner at the Brazilian steakhouse. Ummmmm...meat...ummmmm.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Deconstruction

Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 02:52 PM Pacific

The lights have been dimmed, and the air conditioning has been turned off. This is where the fun ends.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Pathfinder 101

Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 07:51 AM Pacific

The Reaper sculptors swung by the booth to get a crash course on the Pathfinder product line. Have I mentioned how excited we all are?

Lisa Stevens
CEO

All of the following is true.

Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 07:32 AM Pacific

This is Elena, with her autographed core rulebook. She's studying for her Ph.D in genetics. She's a Pathfinder Society player.

You should be a Pathfinder Society player too.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

The Father of Open Gaming

Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 03:05 PM Pacific

Ryan Dancey stopped by to pick up his copy of the Pathfinder RPG. Without his championing of the Open Game License, this book and indeed Paizo would not have been possible.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Can you believe they're married?

Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 10:10 AM Pacific

Cheliax wife, Andoran husband. Can it get more perfect?

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

New Taldor Recruit

Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 09:32 AM Pacific

8 years old and he's already a loyal Taldan power-attacking and cleaving his way to glory.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Pathfinder: The Next Generation

Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 07:19 AM Pacific

This is Katie and her brand new Pathfinder RPG rulebook, signed by Jason and myself. She's excited to read the new rules and roll up a new character. Welcome Katie!

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Bat in the hotel!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 07:50 PM Pacific

Tim Hitchcock yelling at a bell man with a bird net chasing a bat flying around the hotel, "Dont hurt him!! He's my roommate and he's LARPing!!!"

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

The Big One!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 06:38 PM Pacific

Lisa takes silver for Fan's Choice--Best Publisher! Wizards takes the Gold.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Product of the Year

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 06:33 PM Pacific

Gold goes to 4E PH!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Best Game

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 06:30 PM Pacific

4E takes Best Game against some strong, strong competition!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Monsters

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 06:16 PM Pacific

4E MM takes Best Monster/Adversary. PFRPG Bestiary next year, I hope!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Adventures!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 06:11 PM Pacific

Erik & James take gold for Best Adventure for Pathfinder 19!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Flipping Out!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 06:03 PM Pacific

Flip-Mat Waterfront Tavern takes the gold for Best Minis Product!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Best Rules

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 05:36 PM Pacific

The 4E PH takes Best Rules. Hopefully we'll be there next year!

By the way, some have wondered why the Beta wasn't nominated for anything. Simple answer--we didn't submit it!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Kobolds!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 05:16 PM Pacific

KQ takes the gold for Best Writing!

Where's Wolf?

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Maps!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 05:11 PM Pacific

Wes accepts the Gold for Best Cartography for the Second Darkness Map Folio.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Cover Art

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 05:03 PM Pacific

We just won the silver for Best Cover Art for Howl of the Carrion King.

Sorry my camera is misbehaving.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Standing Up

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 04:58 PM Pacific

Dave Arneson just got a standing ovation, and Kobold Quarterly won silver for Best Website.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Dreamy!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 04:32 PM Pacific

Erik Mona and Jason Bulmahn flank Paizo's ENnie Dream Date winner, Paul Rees.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Waiting for the ENnies

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 04:30 PM Pacific

The ENnie awards are about to begin!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Amiri!

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 08:56 AM Pacific

The mini love keeps coming! Here is the painted mini for Amiri, whomi play in Jason's campaign. Awesome!

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Amazing Maps

Fri, Aug 14, 2009 at 05:30 AM Pacific

One of my most prolific Pathfinder Society GMs, Doug (pictured left in the white shirt), impresses me at every show with his hand-drawn maps on giant graph paper. Even more jaw-dropping for me is when I come to observe one of his tables and see his version of a map I just drew (and submitted to map god Mike Schley) a few months ago. It's a level of surreal that, even after 5 years of RPG design, I still get a kick out of seeing.

Thanks to all of my GMs for their hard work and thanks to all Pathfinder RPG GMs. You guys are hardcore and we dig it.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Action Valeros!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 09:46 PM Pacific

I stopped by and chatted with Bobby Jackson, Reaper sculptor extraordinaire. Here is his Valeros sculpt as it is nearing completion! If it isn't 100% obvious, this is Valeros from the cover of the Core Rulebook. Sweet!

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Chocolate covered bacon

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 05:49 PM Pacific

Fleece66 from the boards just fed me chocolate-covered bacon. Mmmmmmmmmm tasty.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

At the Werecabbages dinner

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 05:26 PM Pacific

Wes, James, Sean, and Sarah at the Werecabbages dinner.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

The Servers Are No Longer on Fire (For Now)

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 04:32 PM Pacific

I'd like to apologize to everyone who tried to get to paizo.com today and get their PDF of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook and weren't able to get in. We thought the site would be ready but didn't quite anticipate the pent-up demand for this product. It really has been an astounding amount of traffic.

To keep up with the onslaught, we've rewritten some core code dealing with personalizing downloads, and disabled the messageboards and the search box. I hope to bring the messageboards back sometime tomorrow, but can't make any guarantees about when that might be or whether they'll stay up.

On a positive note, we've added a bunch of free stuff that you'll want to explore! Check out the Pathfinder RPG Reference Document, the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary Preview, the Council of Thieves Player's Guide, the Pathfinder RPG errata (1.2 MB zip PDF), and the updated Character Traits (516 KB zip PDF). They're all listed on the new Pathfinder RPG Resource Page.

Gary Teter
Software Developer

Fresh Pile

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 04:00 PM Pacific

Fresh pile o' books waiting for tomorrow's crowd.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Pathfinder Society off to a good start

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 03:54 PM Pacific

62 tables launched in the first 2 slots.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Paizo Delve Action

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 12:04 PM Pacific

Wes running the delve.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Where did they go?

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 11:52 AM Pacific

Pile o' books getting smaller and smaller.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Lunch

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 09:18 AM Pacific

At lunch. Spine broken. Mango tea best thing ever. Hope site not broken yet.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

The line from hell!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 08:46 AM Pacific

The line is starting to wind down to reasonableness. But this morning was chaos! I was trying to keep to the back of the line and it grew faster than I could walk. It stretched twice around the booth, past the art show and towards the bathrooms. Wow! I must have signed 300 autographs today. :)

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Almost There

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 06:55 AM Pacific

This is what the crowd looks like waiting to get into the dealer hall. I suspect that many of them will be heading our way. 5 minutes to release.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

My precious!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 06:46 AM Pacific

Lisa Stevens
CEO

The first Reaper green!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 06:44 AM Pacific

Here is a green of the first Reaper mini. It is Arael from the cover of Bastards of Erebus. Sweet!

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Chris Pramas buys his Pathfinders!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 06:36 AM Pacific

Lisa Stevens
CEO

It's official! We have grognards!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 06:16 AM Pacific

Lisa Stevens
CEO

It has begun!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 06:15 AM Pacific

The line forms!

Lisa Stevens
CEO

A mountain of goodness!

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 05:41 AM Pacific

We just unveiled the mountain of RPG books. This will be the last time it looks so pretty! Calm before the storm.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Proud papa

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 05:22 AM Pacific

Jason introduces the RPG to Pathfinder Society Organized Play members.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

It begins...

Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 04:31 AM Pacific

Here's a tiny part of the line that's formed outside the convention center.

VIGs (folks who paid Gen Con extra for a Very Important Gamer package) get in in 90 minutes, with general admission an hour later.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

The Edition Wars Are Over!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 10:07 PM Pacific

From where I sit, it's August 13, the official release date of the Pathfinder RPG. And as a co-owner of Paizo Publishing and someone with a significant role in what some refer to as "the edition wars," I have an announcement to make:

The Edition Wars are over, and we have all won.

You like 4th Edition? Great--Wizards of the Coast has some fun stuff coming out for you, and there are quite a few third parties expanding the scope of the 4E world too.

You like 3.5, but want to see it evolve? We've got you covered with the Pathfinder RPG, and more companies are coming on board to support that all the time.

You like 3rd Edition and want to keep playing it as it is? Congratulations--you can. And since the Pathfinder RPG was designed with compatibility in mind, you'll be seeing a lot of new stuff coming out that you can easily use with your game.

You like more than one of the above, or perhaps something completely different? That's fine, too.

So let's put an end to the talk about why the games you're not playing are lacking, and keep the focus on why the games you are playing are keeping your attention.

This town *is* big enough for the both of us.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Shiny!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 07:56 PM Pacific

Lilith, Lisa Stevens, and Daigle at the contribtors party, with Lilith's Core Rulebook.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

He missed PAIZOCON!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 07:53 PM Pacific

Nick Logue sees the fan-made Wayfinder for the first time.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Un-putdownable!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 07:47 PM Pacific

They just can't stop looking at the Core Rulebook!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

The secret of our success

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 07:34 PM Pacific

A big part of why our products look so good: cover artist Wayne Reynolds and art director Sarah Robinson.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Wayne Reynolds and the Hardcover

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 05:57 PM Pacific

'nuff said.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Hint: it's not a "beastiary"

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 05:50 PM Pacific

Hmm. What's that we're showing off at the party?

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Party!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 05:49 PM Pacific

Party oooooover heeeeeere!! Gen Con GMs, Paizo staff, and contributors gather for food, fun, and a Bestiary preview.

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

We have a lot of contributors!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 05:47 PM Pacific

A shot from the super-secret Paizo contributor party.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

The Opposite of Grim

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 05:34 PM Pacific

So we've announced our new partnership with Reaper for new Pathfinder miniatures!

They're excited, we're excited...

And I hear they have something nice to show off at the show. We'll try to get you pictures in the next day or so.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

The New MECCA

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 05:23 PM Pacific

The Indianapolis Convention Center, home of Gen Con, as seen from our hotel room.

I first came to Gen Con with WotC in 1993, the year we released Magic: The Gathering on a mostly unsuspecting audience. Back then, it was at the MECCA convention center in Milwaukee.

The feeling I get about tomorrow's Pathfinder RPG launch reminds me a lot of how we felt at Wizards before Magic came out.

Good times!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Indiana Jonesin'

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 04:31 PM Pacific

Welcome to Indianapolis. For the next four days, this is the gaming capital of the world.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Denver? I hardly know 'er!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 1:47 PM Pacific

After a brief layover in Denver, we're off to Indy to join up with the rest of the crew. I'm sure they're having lots of fun setting up the booth!

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Silly Tired

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 1:44 PM Pacific

The booth is done, a billion books are ready, and I'm that silly tired that comes from two long hot fun days of setup. Very excited to kick this thing off tomorrow. Oh, quick note: the RPG pile o' books itself is larger than most booths here. :-)

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Almost Here!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 12:37 PM Pacific

A strange black craft has descended upon the Paizo booth. I wonder what it could be?

Find out tomorrow morning.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Goin' to Gen Con!

Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 10:36 AM Pacific

Welcome to our near-live Gen Con blog! These are being sent from our iPhones and other tiny, tiny devices, and not going through the usual editing process, so you might see a few more typos than normal. Here's the plane that's taking Lisa and me to Gen Con... or at least to Denver.

Vic Wertz
Technical Director

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Preview #14

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook releases tomorrow at Gen Con and game stores around the country. Over the past 14 weeks, we have look at all of the core classes and one of the prestige classes that can be found in the book. We've taken a look at a host of feats, spells, and magic items, as well as a few other rules bits along the way. This week, we are investigating the most important rule in the game. Not surprisingly, it is also one of the first rules in the book.

This is your game.

The rules in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook are presented to help you tell the stories that you want to tell. They are organized to help speed up play and enrich your world. You might find that, through play, some of these rules do not suit your style of play or do not serve the story you are trying to tell. Feel free to change them. Sit down with your group and discuss what "house rules" you are going to use as part of your campaign. Add, subtract, or even polymorph these rules to fit your needs. If you are the Game Master, you should work with your group to determine what changes are appropriate. If you are a player, remember that the GM is the final arbiter, but do not be afraid to make suggestions or bring new rules to the table for him to review. When you play the Pathfinder RPG, we want to make sure that you have fun. The rules are there to serve that goal, not to stand in the way.

Since this is the last preview, I want to take just a moment to thank all of the playtesters that spent countless hours playing, reviewing, and critiquing the Beta version of the game. I think you will find that they had a large influence on the final design and deserve a great deal of credit for all of its improvements. It was a lot of work to weed through over 100,000 messageboard posts, but the final game makes all of that effort worth it. If you were part of the Alpha or Beta playtests, I would like to say thank you.

As of this posting, a number of folks have already received their rulebooks, and discussions are already taking place on our messageboards about the changes and additions to the game. So, instead of talking about the rules, I wanted to close this preview with a look at some of the fabulous art that you will find in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. The Core Rulebook is available in stores and at our booth at Gen Con starting tomorrow. See you on the boards.

Illustrations by Jason Engle

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Pathfinder Swag!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

It's already starting to feel like a ghost town here at Paizo headquarters as the majority of the staff packs up and heads off for Gen Con Indy. With the debut of the Pathfinder RPG, we're totally excited, but also expecting the convention to be four days of absolute madness. So what are we doing? Oh, we're adding fuel to that fire, of course! There's already going to be tons of opportunities to get Paizo swag just by stopping by our booth, but in addition to the Pathfinder RPG, the annual Paizo delve, tons of Pathfinder Society Events, and way more, we're adding buttons! That's right, special, collectible Gen Con '09 Pathfinder Buttons. For as long as they last on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we'll be giving away a different button, allowing you to show your love for the grim gray maidens, those madcap goblins, or the lovely Seoni. So hurry on over to the Paizo Booth (#2312) every day to pick up the whole set!

And that's it! We're off. We'll see you all at Gen Con Indy!

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Testing 1-2-3

Mon, Aug 10, 2009

This is a test of the Jason Inclusion Subsystem of the Near-Real Time Blog Enhancement Praxis (Syntactic/Mobile).

This test includes subdivisions of supplied Jason-related content.

Gary Teter
Software Developer

The Reviews are Coming In!

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook releases in just four days and the first reviews are coming in. So far, they are very positive.

Pen and Paper Games has posted up a good review. While the reviewer would have liked to see more bridging material between 3.5 and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, I am happy to announce that we will be releasing a free conversion PDF on the same day as the Core Rulebook. This 18-page conversion guide covers most of the big changes to the game and walks you through converting a character (along with a host of other rules elements).

Chad Perrin managed to grab a copy early from his retailer and has posted a review on his blog. Chad gives his honest impressions of the book and gives it five bullets out of five.

Finally, there is the Game Geeks preview over on You Tube. Check it out!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Pathfinder Costume Contest at Gen Con!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Here at Paizo, we have many different levels of experience with cosplay, from Art Director Sarah Robinson's complete disdain for anything other than the latest trendy fashions (seriously, the woman has every purse in the western hemisphere) to Jason Bulmahn's days playing a lumbering oaf at midwestern renaissance fairs (how little things change!), to Wes Schneider who may, in fact, be a Pokémon. But the one thing we all have in common is that we love the idea of people dressing up as Pathfinder characters.

We never thought such things were possible until we met Tiffany, a real-life cleric of Desna, at last year's Gen Con, and thanks to her we're now convinced that anything is possible. Which is why I'm filled with glee to announce the First Annual Pathfinder Gen Con Cosplay Contest!

Here's the deal: At some point during Gen Con, you show up to the Paizo booth dressed in your best Pathfinder costume (faction shirts and other official Paizo merch don't count). We should stress that we're looking for monsters and characters with obvious ties to our world itself, not generic cosplayers (that wizard hat could be from anywhere), or people dressed up like actual Pathfinder books (very clever) or members of the Pathfinder staff (the world already has one James Jacobs, and one is enough for everybody). In addition to drawing a crowd of happy Paizoites, the contestants will have their pictures taken. Those folks with the best costumes, as decided by us, will end up on the Paizo blog once we return from Gen Con, at which point we'll allow the posters on our messageboards to pick their favorite. What criteria that mad and merry crew will use is anybody's guess—creativity? recognizability? skin-to-clothing ratio?—but whoever they select as the best Pathfinder cosplayer will walk away with fifty dollars in store credit!

So what are you waiting for? Get out that sewing machine and hot glue gun, send your party members on a run for foam rubber and acrylics, and show us what you're made of!

James Sutter
Editor

ENnies 2009 Dream Date Auction

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Do you like awards shows?
Do you like sitting with Paizo Publishing at awards shows?
Do you like sitting with Paizo Publishing at awards shows and walking away with a pile of loot, such as a signed copy of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, a copy of Pathfinder #19, a Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting, a GameMastery Flip Mat, and a copy of the Gary Gygax novel, Infernal Sorceress?

If you answered yes to these questions, than the 2009 ENnies Awards Dream Date Auction is for you. This is your chance to sit with Paizo during the ceremony and to support the event at the same time! At the event, we will regale you with tales of daring stat block formatting, stories of narrowly missed printing dates, and the bone-chilling saga of stair rules that were nearly forgotten. In other words, we are going to have a good time and you get to join in on the fun!

Help us earn bragging rights by having the largest auction ever. Bid today!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Preview #13

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook is set to release in a little over a week, on August 13th, 2009, and in anticipation, we are releasing a preview of the game each week until the game hits store shelves. Since we’re done looking at the core classes, this week we’re exploring the heights of power with Seltyiel, the iconic eldritch knight.

Seltyiel
Male half-elf wizard 5/fighter 5/eldritch knight 10
LE Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +9; Senses low-light vision; Perception +21
DEFENSE
AC 25, touch 19, flat-footed 20 (+6 armor, +4 deflection, +5 Dex)
hp 174 (15d10+5d6+70)
Fort +18, Ref +17, Will +12; +2 vs. enchantments, +1 vs. fear
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +2 keen axiomatic shocking burst longsword +24/+19/+14/+9 (1d8+7/17–20)
Ranged ray +22 (by spell)
Special Attacks force missile (9/day), intense spells +2 damage
Spells Prepared (CL 15th)
7th—grasping hand, prismatic spray (DC 23), spell turning
6th—chain lightning (2, DC 22), disintegrate (DC 22), form of the dragon I, greater dispel magic
5th—cone of cold (2, DC 21), polymorph, teleport, wall of force
4th—dimension door, ice storm, stoneskin, wall of fire (2), wall of ice
3rd—dispel magic (2), fireball (4, DC 19), fly (2), haste (2)
2nd—invisibility (2), mirror image, scorching ray (3), see invisibility
1st—magic missile (3), shield (2), true strike (2)
0 (at will)—detect magic, mage hand, mending, ray of frost, read magic
Prohibited Schools: enchantment, necromancy
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 23, Wis 8, Cha 10
Base Atk +17; CMB +19; CMD 38
Feats Arcane Armor Training, Critical Focus, Critical Mastery, Disruptive, Empower Spell, Greater Weapon Focus (longsword), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Penetrating Strike (longsword), Power Attack, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Spellbreaker, Staggering Critical, Tiring Critical, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword)
Skills Diplomacy +26, Fly +28, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (arcana) +29, Knowledge (planes) +29, Perception +21, Spellcraft +29, Stealth +25
SQ arcane bond (bat), armor training +1, bravery +1, diverse training, elf blood, spell critical, weapon training (heavy blades +1)
Combat Gear cube of force, potion of cure serious wounds (4), quicken metamagic rod, rod of cancellation, scroll of limited wish (2), staff of evocation, wand of lightning bolt (CL 10, 50 charges); Other Gear +2 keen axiomatic shocking burst longsword, +4 etherealness leather armor, belt of physical perfection +2, boots of teleportation, cloak of resistance +5, hand of glory, headband of vast intelligence +6, orange prism ioun stone, pearl of power (two spells), ring of protection +4, ring of regeneration, ring of wizardry (III), vibrant purple ioun stone (dimension door, shield)

Starting off, the eldritch knight prestige class works much as it did in 3.5, but we’ve added a few abilities to spice things up. The class provides Seltyiel with a fast base attack progression and nine levels of spellcasting (bringing his total caster level up to 14th, although the orange prism ioun stone puts his caster level at 15th). The class also grants three bonus feats, at 1st, 5th, and 9th. With these he can select any of the combat feats that he qualifies for (same as a fighter). In addition, starting at 1st level, Seltyiel gained diverse training, which adds his eldritch knight levels to both his fighter levels and his arcane spellcasting class’s levels for the purposes of qualifying for feats. This allows him to take feats that would normally be reserved for 15th-level fighters and wizards (but more on that later). Finally, upon gaining his 10th level in eldritch knight, Seltyiel gained the spell critical feature. Whenever Seltyiel scores a critical hit, he can cast any spell as a swift action without increasing the spell’s level. The spell does not provoke an attack of opportunity and must include the target of the critical hit as one of the spell’s targets or put him within the area of the effect. Its bad enough to be hit with a critical, but to add a cone of cold on top of it can truly be devastating.

Although quite capable in melee combat, Seltyiel has a wide variety of powerful spells at his disposal as well. Grasping hand can grapple foes with a +26 bonus on its combat maneuver check. Form of the dragon I allows him to take on the shape of a Medium dragon of any color, gaining its attacks, breath weapon, and a host of resistances and other abilities. Polymorph mimics a host of other spells that allow him to change shape, allowing him to become an animal, humanoid, or even an elemental. Although not incredibly powerful for a 20th-level character, four fireball spells are nothing to overlook.

Beyond spells, Seltyiel has a vast number of feats which increase his combat prowess. Many of these feats are for fighters only, but Seltyiel qualifies thanks to his diverse training class feature. Arcane Armor Training allows Seltyiel to spend a swift action to reduce his armor spell failure chance by 10%, which eliminates it altogether in his case. Critical Mastery is a fighter-only feat that allows Seltyiel to apply the effects of two critical feats to a successful critical hit. In his case, that means that anyone who is struck with a critical hit is both staggered (can only take a standard action each round) and fatigued, thanks to Staggering Critical and Tiring Critical. This is, of course, in addition to the 1d10 electricity damage from the sword and a free spell (thanks to spell critical). Seltyiel also possesses the Disruptive feat (another fighter-only feat), which makes it harder for spellcasters to cast on the defensive while he is adjacent (+4 to the DC). To top it off, he has Spellbreaker (fighters only, once again), which allows him to take an attack of opportunity against foes that fail on their check to cast defensively. Finally, Seltyiel has the Penetrating Strike fighter-only feat. This feat allows him to ignore 5 points of damage reduction with every attack made with his longsword (except for DR/—). Greater Penetrating Strike ignores 10 points of DR (and 5 points of DR/—), but Seltyiel couldn’t quite qualify for this feat, which requires you to be a 16th-level fighter.

I should also spend a moment talking about Seltyiel’s specialization. Being an evoker, he gains intense spells at 1st level, granting him a bonus on damage spells equal to 1/2 his wizard level (in this case, only 2 because the levels of eldritch knight don’t count). He also gains force missile, which acts like a magic missile that he can fire one at a time, up to 9 times per day, adding his bonus from intense spells to each missile. Seltyiel is also a half-elf, which comes with a +2 bonus to one ability score of his choice, the Skill Focus feat for free, and the ability to pick two favored classes (in this case, fighter and wizard).

Finally, lets take a look at Seltyiel’s potent magic items. At this level, Seltyiel has around 880,000 gp of magic items, but much of that is spent on a number of particularly expensive items. Both his armor and his sword take up nearly a quarter of his total value, but items like the quicken metamagic rod, staff of evocation, and ring of wizardry (III) eat up a fair amount as well. Of note is his ring of regeneration which now restores 1 hit point per round and makes him immune to bleed damage. It’s certainly useful, allowing it to regain all of his hit points in just over 17 minutes, but costs 90,000 gp.

There’s only one more preview left before the release of the Core Rulebook! Accordingly, next week on the day before the game releases, we’re going to take a look at the most important rule in the game...

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Richard Pett Strikes Again!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I've been warning folks that Richard Pett's "The Sixfold Trial," (part two of the Council of Thieves Adventure Path) is a weird one, but until you get your copy and check it out, it's hard to anticipate just how weird it is. And I mean that, of course, in a good way. Not only does this adventure give the PCs a chance to ham it up on stage (while trying to survive the production of a play whose actors generally end up dead during the course of the performance), but it also features a banquet with all manner of outlandish dishes and numerous opportunities to make powerful political enemies. And all of that happens before you hit the dungeon!

Of course, even in the dungeon the weirdness doesn't stop. One of my requests to Rich when he took on this project was, "Make the dungeon feel like it was designed by the artist Escher." Turns out, Rich also channeled M. R. James, Dante, Freud, and more, with strange psychological tests, deadly curses, devious traps, and more awaiting your PCs within. Yet it's the Outcast King who takes the crown. Check him out, in all of his handsome majesty! (And no, I'm not going to reveal what he is!)

Illustration by Tyler Walpole

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

Illustration by Frances Tsai

Princes of Darkness

Monday, August 3, 2009

lllustration by Kieran Yanner

Wes is a pretty creepy guy. He always wears black and red, never smiles, lights creepy candles at his desk, and his voice is a spine-chilling hiss.* What better person to write Book of the Damned, Vol. I, Princes of Darkness?

This book is a seven-course feast of lore about Hell, devils, and Asmodeus. You get descriptions of all nine layers of Hell, each layer's archdevil ruler (such as Dispater, the Iron Lord of Dis), new hellish spells and magic items, a new diabolist prestige class (and her imp "animal companion"), information about the influence of true names and sigils on controlling devils, promotion and demotion among the ranks, five new kinds of devils (including the levaloch, soldiers of Malebolgia), and excerpts from an ancient book penned by an exiled angel about the nature of Hell and the origin of Asmodeus himself. The art is beautiful and evocative; art director Sarah Robinson has outdone herself yet again, producing a beautiful book about the ultimate place of evil.

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

*Wes is actually very nice, outgoing, and fun to work with. And I'm not just saying that because he's hissing. A lot.