Greetings one and all! My name is Jay Loomis, and I'm one of the new editorial interns here at Paizo HQ. I share a desk with Cassidy, whom you have already met (though I haven't, due to a temporal displacement in our schedules).
Welcome Our New Intern, Jay!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Greetings one and all! My name is Jay Loomis, and I'm one of the new editorial interns here at Paizo HQ. I share a desk with Cassidy, whom you have already met (though I haven't, due to a temporal displacement in our schedules).
I'm a graduate student at the University of Washington, Bothell in the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Poetics program. My path to grad school was long and winding, and involved a ton of professional experience in technical and expository writing, management and team dynamics, desktop publishing and a smidgeon of graphic design, among many other areas. That's a roundabout way of saying that I'm kind of old for an intern. I look forward to bringing my experience to bear as I learn more about the world of RPG publishing.
Coming to Paizo is one step in the fulfillment of a dream to make RPGs that started when I was 10. That was a long time ago (here's a hint: that was the year that I got Star Frontiers, Marvel Superheroes [the original in the yellow box], and The Adventures of Indiana Jones Role-Playing Game, all published by TSR) so it feels really good. My interest in design hasn't lain dormant in the intervening years. I'm always designing games of one sort or another. I have accumulated a lot of theory, and have helped my peers learn about designing games as the president of the Game Design Club at school. Last year I was fortunate enough to be the editor of the critically acclaimed Dungeon World, published by Sage Kobold designs.
In the rare moments that I am not playing or talking about roleplaying games or doing homework (or playing or talking about other tabletop games) I enjoy blacksmithing, stage combat and European martial arts (swords!). I like making things with my hands and (when time allows) walking in nature and relaxing at home with my wife and two cats.
I can't wait to dive deeper into the inner workings of Pathfinder and to tell you about it here on the blog!
The last six weeks have been quite a slog for the development and editorial pits here at Paizo. We worked day and night, and most weekends, getting over two dozen products scheduled for Gen Con ready to go. To celebrate, many of us are going to kick back and actually take a whole weekend to unwind—maybe soak up the Seattle sun while it's out (yeah, we get sun sometimes!), go catch Iron Man 3, or even just sleep in while we can.
We Survived!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Gen Con Crunch breakfast! Liz made delicious pancakes!
Happy editors and developers working on some exciting products due out this summer.
The last six weeks have been quite a slog for the development and editorial pits here at Paizo. We worked day and night, and most weekends, getting over two dozen products scheduled for Gen Con ready to go. To celebrate, many of us are going to kick back and actually take a whole weekend to unwind—maybe soak up the Seattle sun while it's out (yeah, we get sun sometimes!), go catch Iron Man 3, or even just sleep in while we can.
On behalf of the editing staff, I'm pretty stoked to say that we're proud of the work we've done. We're not just happy that the slog is over; we're happy that we knocked this year's product schedule out of the park!
Sometimes we don't get to game, and for those times, it's nice to curl up to a good book. Check out Pathfinder Tales: The Wizard's Mask by that wizard of fantasy, Ed Greenwood.
In case any of you out there are wondering, here're the names of the Gen Con heroes who've worked 50+ hour weeks to put more awesome into your gaming lives:
Judy Bauer, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Christopher Carey, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, James Jacobs, Ryan Macklin, Rob McCreary, Mark Moreland, Erik Mona, Jessica Price, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sonja Morris, Sean K Reynolds, Sarah E. Robinson, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, Patrick Renie, and Andrew Vallas, along with our interns Jay Loomis and Cassidy Werner.
We hope you enjoy the books and accessories! If you'll be at Gen Con, come by and say hi!
Greetings! I am Aslan. Cassidy (Mom) told me she introduced herself to all of you, but I was far more popular than she could ever hope to be. Considering she's one of my subjects, I think this is only fitting.
Welcome Aslan, Intern Champion!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Behold the symbol of my dominance.
Greetings! I am Aslan. Cassidy (Mom) told me she introduced herself to all of you, but I was far more popular than she could ever hope to be. Considering she's one of my subjects, I think this is only fitting.
Mom brought me home earlier this year. All she was looking for when she walked into the pet store was a puppy fix, but per my previous brainwashing of the pet store staff, they put me in her arms instead. That she could be easily manipulated was immediately obvious. I pretended to be a loving, docile creature like all the other rabbits and ten minutes later, we were en route to my new domain.
Once we arrived, I put my master plan into action, transforming a previously unsophisticated realm into the grand kingdom of Livingroom. I used my powers of persuasion and adorably fluffy ears to secure my influence over Mom and her fiancé (Dad). I arranged for daily tribute deliveries of pellets, hay, and leafy greens. A castle was built in my honor. Cassidy's mother, who has become a powerful ally and my Grand Minion, intervened during my castle's construction to insist I be given a turret. While I was initially annoyed at her presumption, the turret has become one the most important pillars of my rule as it allows me survey my domain. Grand Minion will be spared my wrath.
Chew Toy Dragon is defeated!
After ensuring my own kingdom's stability and training my minions to see to its day-to-day administration, I set forth to forge relations with a neighboring realm. Random, their dignitary, traveled from the far-off land of Duvall to meet with me. (Between you and me, he's the funniest-looking rabbit I've ever met.) After establishing both trade and security treaties, we cemented our bond by joining forces to purge Livingroom of its greatest threat: Chew Toy Dragon. Together, we defeated the abomination, stripping it of its teeth and forcing it to pledge its fealty to us.
Currently, I'm working on my greatest challenge yet: communicating my insatiable need for carrots and raisins to Mom and Dad. Though they seem earnest in their attempts to please me and provide me with these items on occasion, I am beginning to suspect they are taking directives from The Vet, self-appointed court dietician and my greatest enemy. Despite my suspicions, I will allow Mom and Dad to remain in my kingdom... for now. In the meantime, I will lurk in my castle, plotting new conquests and my next campaign with Random.
Until next time, loyal subjects.
Aslan Emperor of Livingroom
Nibbler of Dragons
Lord and Master of all He Surveys
I'm Cassidy Werner, one of the new interns at Paizo. I'd like to say that I, along with my counterpart Jay, am one of the new rulers of Internistan. Unfortunately, our office has been relocated away from the warehouse and we have yet to find the Internistan flag.
New Intern Alert!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
I'm Cassidy Werner, one of the new interns at Paizo. I'd like to say that I, along with my counterpart Jay, am one of the new rulers of Internistan. Unfortunately, our office has been relocated away from the warehouse and we have yet to find the Internistan flag.
I graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in International Studies, dreaming that I would one day become a diplomat. However, it was gently pointed out to me that I do not have the temperament for diplomacy. Since I usually play gold draconic bloodline sorceresses and love nothing more than casting indiscriminate fireballs, I was forced to agree.
Previously, I've worked as a horseback riding teacher, stagehand, carnie, barista, and, mostly recently, a college admissions official. After growing weary of crushing the dreams of starry-eyed high school students for a living, I did some soul-searching and decided to pursue my true passion: writing. The folks at Paizo have kindly taken me in to teach me the publishing business and I couldn't be more excited.
In my spare time, I enjoy archery, lock picking, futilely attempting to train my lion-headed bunny Aslan, and- of course- gaming. My fiancé and I currently play in two Pathfinder campaigns and are maxing out our Borderlands II characters.
I'm originally from St. Charles, MO and went to the University of Missouri—St. Louis where I got my Bachelors in Psychology and Theatre, and my Masters in Education with a focus on Andragogy. I have had many jobs in my 25 years of life, from opera singer to security guard, and now I am the newest customer service representative at Paizo, having left my previous job as a receptionist at Microsoft.
Introducing Justin Riddler
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
I'm originally from St. Charles, MO and went to the University of Missouri—St. Louis where I got my Bachelors in Psychology and Theatre, and my Masters in Education with a focus on Andragogy. I have had many jobs in my 25 years of life, from opera singer to security guard, and now I am the newest customer service representative at Paizo, having left my previous job as a receptionist at Microsoft.
I began playing RPGs in the late '90s in the wake of Pokémon leaving the Magic and L5R worlds starved for players. I learned to play at my local game store and have been pursuing the hobby ever since. I started with 3rd Edition and then 3.5, before branching out into other game systems. My fiancé first introduced me to Pathfinder during the open beta test for the Advanced Players Guide.
In the summer of 2011 we moved to Redmond, WA so my fiancé could work towards his Masters degree. Shortly after our move I began playing Pathfinder Society, then GMing Pathfinder Society, then coordinating Pathfinder Society, and before I knew it I had picked up running Pathfinder Society four nights a week! I became the Venture Lieutenant for the Seattle area in September 2012 under Venture Captain Kyle Elliot.
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...
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.
Please Welcome Our New Pathfinder Society Developer!
Today is an exciting day for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Pathfinder Society has been given a new developer who will be dedicated solely to helping me strengthen and grow organized play. John Compton comes to Paizo from Atlanta, GA. This is not the first time I have worked with John. When I was the acting Venture-Captain in Atlanta, John was one of my store liaisons. The store where he helped coordinate, along with current Georgia co-Venture-Captains Kyle and Nani Pratt, has been the fastest-growing store and currently has the largest regular player base in Georgia.
Please Welcome Our New Pathfinder Society Developer!
Friday, February 22, 2013
Today is an exciting day for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Pathfinder Society has been given a new developer who will be dedicated solely to helping me strengthen and grow organized play. John Compton comes to Paizo from Atlanta, GA. This is not the first time I have worked with John. When I was the acting Venture-Captain in Atlanta, John was one of my store liaisons. The store where he helped coordinate, along with current Georgia co-Venture-Captains Kyle and Nani Pratt, has been the fastest-growing store and currently has the largest regular player base in Georgia.
John has as much passion about improving Pathfinder Society as I do. He brings some awesome ideas with him and I think all of you will be happy with the results. John will introduce himself and some of his goals in the Pathfinder Society blog post scheduled for March 4. Until then, I am sure he will have his hands full catching up with the plans we have already put into motion for the future of Pathfinder Society. Please join me in welcoming him to Paizo Publishing!
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
There's a new soldier here in the Paizo editorial trenches. Help me welcome game designer and editor Ryan Macklin to the Paizo crew. For the past several months Ryan has been working to make our products even more awesome as a contractor. We've been so impressed by his skill, his twisted imagination, and his pleasant smelling pipe that we've pulled out a chair to make him a full-fleged member of the Paizo team.
Welcome Ryan Macklin!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
There's a new soldier here in the Paizo editorial trenches. Help me welcome game designer and editor Ryan Macklin to the Paizo crew. For the past several months Ryan has been working to make our products even more awesome as a contractor. We've been so impressed by his skill, his twisted imagination, and his pleasant smelling pipe that we've pulled out a chair to make him a full-fleged member of the Paizo team.
Who's Ryan Macklin you ask? I'll let him introduce himself in his own words.
I've tinkered with games ever since I was 8 years old and tried to make a solitaire variant of Monopoly. (Spoiler: it was pretty awful.) In 2007, people started giving me money to make and edit roleplaying games, and I became a full-time game designer and editor in 2012. You might know me from various Evil Hat Productions or Margaret Weis Productions products, various indie RPGs, my years of game podcasting, or various places on the Internet where I've been prone to mouth off.
Outside of playing tabletop RPGs, I'll throw down when it comes to playing deckbuilding games, almost anything BioWare makes, and novel iOS games... though my favorite game by far is called "drinking scotch." If you want find out more probably useless stuff about me (with the occasional piece of accidental wisdom), visit my blog at RyanMacklin.com. Or follow him on Twitter, @RyanMacklin. Don't worry, I won't share that horrible solitaire Monopoly variant.
A few weeks ago I gave Pathfinder fan and friend of many of us here at Paizo, Paris Crenshaw, a tour of our office. Last Saturday, Commander Crenshaw returned the favor by giving a bunch of Paizonians a tour of his workplace, the USS Nimitz!
Paizo Tours the USS Nimitz
Sunday, December 23, 2012
A few weeks ago I gave Pathfinder fan and friend of many of us here at Paizo, Paris Crenshaw, a tour of our office. Last Saturday, Commander Crenshaw returned the favor by giving a bunch of Paizonians a tour of his workplace, the USS Nimitz!
The weather was quite frightful—pouring rain and freezing winds—but inside the supercarrier was delightful. Paris gave us an amazing tour, assisted by Lieutenant Commander Lucas Jung, RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32.
Approaching the USS Nimitz on the pier at the Naval Station in Everett, WA.
We paused for a group photo up in the flag mess where the Admiral's staff dines.
We stopped by the Admiral's office where the décor included a table whose surface was covered in challenge coins.
The fact that Pathfinder Society Challenge Coins would be totally awesome was not lost on any of us.
How can you knot be impressed by this fancy rope-work!
Winding our way through the ship we got to see the nerve center where the fleet is monitored from, the tactics center, and some other fancy control rooms. The banks of computers, switches, radar screens, and buttons made a truly impressive sight to behold, but sadly, no pictures allowed.
It was a good thing Paris and Lucas were there to show us around, as the interior is easy to get lost in.
Looking down the length of the ship.
Scuttle holes allow for emergency access in case regular exits are blocked.
Possibly the most exciting part of the tour was getting to go up to the pilot house, the bridge, and the air traffic control room at the very top of the ship’s tower. While we couldn’t sit in the Admiral’s chair on the bridge, we did get the opportunity to sit in the Air Boss’s chair and see what he sees from his perch in the air traffic control room.
Sutter feels the need, the need for speed.
Myself and my son Mikey by the USS Nimitz bell.
Everyone had a wonderful time and we are incredibly grateful to Paris and Lucas for showing us around. It was quite an amazing experience! (And of course, we left a nice big box of rulebooks for the crew to enjoy in their library after we left).
... From the Publisher: Changes Are Coming! Friday, November 2, 2012 As we move into the last two months of 2012, the editorial staff is hard at work on the playtest for next year’s Mythic Adventures, the warehouse staff is eagerly awaiting the arrival of our big winter hardcover, the NPC Codex, and the web team is cranking away at the exciting new Paizo Game Space virtual tabletop. Everyone has smiles on their face as they complete major tasks for 2012 and as they begin to think about what’s...
From the Publisher: Changes Are Coming!
Friday, November 2, 2012
As we move into the last two months of 2012, the editorial staff is hard at work on the playtest for next year’s Mythic Adventures, the warehouse staff is eagerly awaiting the arrival of our big winter hardcover, the NPC Codex, and the web team is cranking away at the exciting new Paizo Game Space virtual tabletop. Everyone has smiles on their face as they complete major tasks for 2012 and as they begin to think about what’s coming in 2013.
The management and finance teams, in the meantime, are hard at work finalizing 2013’s budget. This multi-month process involves solidifying the editorial schedule for the year, making go or no-go decisions on marketing programs, new employee hires, and everything else with a cost associated with it. While we always remain open to new opportunities on short deadlines, when the budget for a year closes, you end up with a good snapshot of every product, employee, convention, or other initiative we plan to do in the year. It’s a time when things get locked in, and when decisions can no longer be put off into the future.
As a result, it’s the best time to make important changes to Paizo’s product lines and general strategy. Since we’re about to put the lid on the 2012 budget, I wanted to take some time here in the Paizo Blog to speak with my “publisher voice” and let you in on a few important developments that are scheduled to hit in 2013.
Branding Changes for GameMastery
Paizo’s line of GameMastery accessories dates back to the time before Pathfinder, when we were a magazine publisher just dipping our toes into the RPG game publishing field for the first time. The maps and card products released under the GameMastery line were designed to work with any fantasy RPG, and we wanted a name for the line that suggested the widest appeal to the widest number of customers, regardless of what system they played. Since its launch, we’ve released more than 100 Map Packs and Flip-Mats, and dozens of Item Cards, Face Cards, and other card-based accessories to help you run your campaigns.
Card and map subscriptions are at an all-time high, and the design department keeps finding ways to make each release improve upon those that came before it. We have plenty of terrain types, dungeon maps, and other settings yet to go, and if anything the rate of card sets will increase in the future. We now plan to produce a set of Item Cards and Face Cards for every Adventure Path we publish, with additional rules-oriented releases similar to Chase Cards, Condition Cards, and the Critical Hit deck in development as I write this.
As time has gone on, and as the Pathfinder RPG has become not just a dominant brand here at the Paizo offices but also in the game industry in general, more and more of our GameMastery accessory releases have started to tie into Pathfinder adventures or the Pathfinder rules themselves. As a result, we’ve decided to retire the GameMastery brand, and beginning in February of next year, GameMastery Map Packs, Flip-Mats, and Card releases will come out under the Pathfinder brand.
This change allows us to reexamine how we package our maps, and gives us the chance to improve them to make using the products easier. For Flip-Mats this means packaging the maps with a wrap-around cover similar to the one used for our Pathfinder GM Screen, which gives us more space to preview what the maps look like, highlight key features, and (really importantly) to allow customers (and retailers) to shelve their maps “spine out” for easier sorting. Map Packs will feature a similar packaging metamorphosis, and will now come in a small box for easier storage and display.
Many (even most) of Pathfinder Map Pack, Flip-Mat, and Card releases will still be “rules agnostic” and suitable for use with a variety of systems, but the truth is that the Pathfinder brand has a cachet with buyers, distributors, and customers that GameMastery does not, and this change will allow us to get our products into a wider network of stores. When they make it into those stores, they’ll also be shelved with other Pathfinder products, making it easier than ever for Paizo fans to find what they’re looking for.
Pricing Changes
A close look at our budgets has convinced us that we need to make some price changes on some of our product lines to keep up with rising production costs. Starting in February 2013, Pathfinder Map Packs and Pathfinder Flip-Mats will rise in price from $12.99 to $13.99.
Also starting in February, the monthly Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes, which have held steady in price for 66 consecutive volumes, will increase to $22.99 (subscribers will pay the new discounted price of $15.99, plus their other subscription benefits like the Pathfinder Advantage discount and free PDFs). Additionally, the monthly Pathfinder Player Companion line will shift from $10.99 to $12.99.
This is the first time we have ever raised prices on the Adventure Path, and we agonized over the decision. In truth, we probably should have raised the price a few years back when the cost of paper and printing increased with inflation and increased global demand at the end of 2008, but we wanted to hold the line as long as possible. We must do it now to keep the high standard of quality we publish each month, and we hope that you’ll find the few extra bucks well worth the investment.
Keep your eyes on the Paizo Blog for more updates about upcoming products and exciting new releases for 2013. It promises to be a huge year for Paizo and the Pathfinder RPG, and we can’t wait to share some of our exciting plans with you.
Your support has been integral to the Paizo story these last 10 years, and we look forward to sharing the next 10 years with you!
Sincerely,
Erik Mona Publisher
P.S.: Look for your regularly scheduled Friday Pathfinder Battles miniature preview blog right here later this afternoon.
... Lisa Stevens Gamerati Interview Thursday, June 21, 2012A few weeks back Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens joined a hangout on Gamerati+ where Gen Con owner Peter Adkison and numerous other participants asked her a variety of questions about Paizo, Pathfinder Online, her gaming history, and whatever else came to mind. Check out what was asked and what insider info she had to share! ... You can check out the rest of the video interview at the Paizo Publishing channel on YouTube. Thanks to Ed Healy for...
Lisa Stevens Gamerati Interview
Thursday, June 21, 2012
A few weeks back Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens joined a hangout on Gamerati+ where Gen Con owner Peter Adkison and numerous other participants asked her a variety of questions about Paizo, Pathfinder Online, her gaming history, and whatever else came to mind. Check out what was asked and what insider info she had to share!
You can check out the rest of the video interview at the Paizo Publishing channel on YouTube. Thanks to Ed Healy for putting this interview series together. You can find more news and interviews from gaming industry luminaries at Gamerati.
... Meet the Intern: Savannah Thursday, June 14, 2012Hello all! ... I'm Savannah Broadway, the newest resident of Internistan, which was established by my fellow intern, Jerome. For those of you that were wondering, he's still alive and well as far as I know—our schedules don't often overlap, lest we be forced to knife-fight to the death over the computer. I don't know if you all remember the pictures of the desks of previous interns, but our realm has relocated to the warehouse. On the...
Meet the Intern: Savannah
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Hello all!
I'm Savannah Broadway, the newest resident of Internistan, which was established by my fellow intern, Jerome. For those of you that were wondering, he's still alive and well as far as I know—our schedules don't often overlap, lest we be forced to knife-fight to the death over the computer. I don't know if you all remember the pictures of the desks of previous interns, but our realm has relocated to the warehouse. On the plus side, this means access to a lovely set of windows that mostly overlook bushes and bit of the parking lot, and getting to listen in on whatever music the warehouse crew is currently playing.
I'm new to the state of Washington, having temporarily relocated here from tiny southern Illinois. Next fall will be my junior year at Southern Illinois University Carbondale studying Creative Writing and working in the Preservation lab. I've been into reading and writing for as long as I can remember, but I started roleplaying games about two and a half years ago. Since then I've loved the storytelling aspect of the game, both as a player and a GM. I enjoy running bards, barbarians, a few sorcerers, and once a chaotic good necromancer with an undead dodo familiar named Percy.
Working at Paizo (even for the week or so that I've been at it) has been a blast. The first time I pulled into the parking lot I saw that the car next to me sported a pair of fuzzy d20s and knew that I had found the right building. My tasks so far have been writing summaries for some of the Pathfinder Tales, working on maps, and updating the infamous Rules Database. Also on the list is braving Cosmo, who hasn't quite given up on insisting that I bring him coffee and likes to try to act like a ninja. On another note, you'll be able to see my very first work for Paizo in the upcoming Pathfinder Adventure Path #59: The Price of Infamy.
All in all, I'm sure that this summer will be a blast. The database may be intimidating and the mouse wheel may refuse to scroll down, but I can't think of any other place I'd rather intern. With any luck, I'll see you all at PaizoCon!
Fuel for the Machine! Monday, May 21, 2012A gigantic, pepperoni-, tomato-, and beer-scented thank you from all of us here at Paizo to Venture-Captain Jason Roeder (kikai13 on the boards) and the entire Missouri Pathfinder Lodge for the surprise stack of more than a dozen pizzas that showed up for lunch today. It's been a hectic series of weeks here at the office, with teams getting our year's major hardcover release—Ultimate Equipment—out the door, starting up a Kickstarter for...
Fuel for the Machine!
Monday, May 21, 2012
A gigantic, pepperoni-, tomato-, and beer-scented thank you from all of us here at Paizo to Venture-Captain Jason Roeder (kikai13 on the boards) and the entire Missouri Pathfinder Lodge for the surprise stack of more than a dozen pizzas that showed up for lunch today. It's been a hectic series of weeks here at the office, with teams getting our year's major hardcover release—Ultimate Equipment—out the door, starting up a Kickstarter for Pathfinder Online, working on the debut issue of the Pathfinder comic book, closing out the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path while gearing up for the launch of the Shattered Star Adventure Path, preparing the monthly relaunch of the Pathfinder Player Companion line, and still getting all of our other Gen Con releases off to the printer. We're in the home stretch, but there's still tons to be done before our hardest of deadlines next Friday. But with that in mind, a free lunch (and a few beers care of brewmeister Jeff Alvarez) made for the perfect break before heading back to the grind. Thanks again to Jason, the Missouri Pathfinder Society crew, and all our readers—you all really are the best!
... Kicking Off Pathfinder Online Wednesday, May 9, 2012You've probably heard that Paizo is working with Goblinworks to produce Pathfinder Online, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. Goblinworks has been giving you snippets of our plans in the biweekly blog posts on goblinworks.com, and we've been getting your feedback on the Pathfinder Online messageboards here on paizo.com. Well, we're now ready to kick off the next phase of Pathfinder Online. ... Today we announced a...
Kicking Off Pathfinder Online
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
You've probably heard that Paizo is working with Goblinworks to produce Pathfinder Online, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. Goblinworks has been giving you snippets of our plans in the biweekly blog posts on goblinworks.com, and we've been getting your feedback on the Pathfinder Online messageboards here on paizo.com. Well, we're now ready to kick off the next phase of Pathfinder Online.
Today we announced a Kickstarter project to help us build the Pathfinder Online Technology Demo. Go take a look at the press release or visit the Kickstarter project page to find out what this Kickstarter is all about, and then come back here so I can share some details you'll want to know. Don’t worry, I’ll wait right here...
...Did you read it? Pretty darn cool, huh?
Goblinworks.com has its own blog today talking about the Kickstarter, so head over there when you're done here for more details on that. What I want to talk about here is the Thornkeep book!
Since the Pathfinder Online Technology Demo itself isn’t something that we can offer to Kickstarter patrons, we had to go outside the box for our Kickstarter rewards, and the Thornkeep book seemed like the perfect answer.
Thornkeep has a Pathfinder Online logo on the cover, but make no mistake—Paizo is handling this book just like any of our other Pathfinder products. It's set in the very same world of Golarion as our other roleplaying products, and contains 100% official Pathfinder campaign setting material for use with the Pathfinder RPG.
The first half of the 64-page Thornkeep book is a Pathfinder RPG sourcebook covering the town of Thornkeep and its surrounding area. Thornkeep is part of the River Kingdoms area, which is the setting for Pathfinder Online. (You could also drop Thornkeep into almost any wooded area in your own campaign setting.) As we mentioned in one of our earliest Pathfinder Online blog posts, Thornkeep is one of three starting locations for PCs in the MMO—it's the chaotic frontier town that Ryan dubbed our "hive of scum and villainy" (think a fantasy version of Deadwood). (You even helped us name Thornkeep in our first online poll!)
We thought it would be cool to allow folks to explore Thornkeep's various dark corners in their Pathfinder RPG sessions before Pathfinder Online is released. We will be using this book as our guide when we're building its digital equivalent. We're even going to have a small dungeon in this book that will map directly to the one featured in the Technology Demo. So not only will you be getting a guide to one of the towns in Pathfinder Online, but you'll also be getting the first look at how content from the RPG transitions to Pathfinder Online, as well as how content from the MMO might find its way to your gaming table!
Rich Baker, author of Thornkeep!
When we were looking for somebody to write the sourcebook material for us, we went to our good friend Rich Baker. This is Rich's first time working on Pathfinder, but he has been involved with classic D&D campaign settings from the Forgotten Realms to Birthright, and we figured it would be fun to see how he would approach Thornkeep! I've seen his partial turnovers already, and they're awesome!
So what about the second half of the book? That's going to be a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Pathfinder Online, including excerpts from our internal design document, plus design sketches and early artwork for the MMO, as well as essays from Goblinworks and Paizo team members designed to give you insight into the making of the MMO. Consider this a backstage pass to all of the goings-on at Goblinworks!
Of course, we couldn’t have a cool product like this without a Wayne Reynolds cover. The cover image you see here is a mock-up—Wayne should have the real Thornkeep cover done by PaizoCon, and we plan to unveil it at our banquet!
Thornkeep isn't the only Kickstarter reward, though. There are lots of fun rewards for folks at all levels of pledge support! You could even come to Paizo for a day, play a Pathfinder game with your dream Paizo GM, and have a four-hour dinner with your GM, Goblinworks CEO Ryan Dancey, and myself. Check out all of the Kickstarter rewards and help us get to the next step in the development of Pathfinder Online. We wouldn’t be here without you!
... Daigle Comes Calling Monday, March 19, 2012You may have already heard that longstanding Paizo freelancer, messageboard crusader, flumph preservationist, and all around great guy Adam Daigle has officially signed on as Paizo’s newest developer. Well, this week he showed up at the office, terrified and disheveled after several straight days of driving all his belongings up from Texas in a truck he’s absolutely not qualified to drive. ... In order to show him what swell folks we are, a...
Daigle Comes Calling
Monday, March 19, 2012
You may have already heard that longstanding Paizo freelancer, messageboard crusader, flumph preservationist, and all around great guy Adam Daigle has officially signed on as Paizo’s newest developer. Well, this week he showed up at the office, terrified and disheveled after several straight days of driving all his belongings up from Texas in a truck he’s absolutely not qualified to drive.
In order to show him what swell folks we are, a couple of us headed over to help him move into the Paizo dormitories (AKA a nearby apartment complex). Since fewer than 24 hours is clearly enough time to get his life in order, he’s already set up in the office, learning the ropes by trying not to fall asleep while whimpering quietly in his new cube. Pretty soon he’s going to find out about all the projects he’s already late on, and when he does, I thought it might cheer him up to have a nice welcome thread on the blog.
So please join me in saying: Welcome, Daigle! Now get to work!
Daigle arrives in true Paizonian fashion.
Captain of Industry Wes Schneider proves he’s not above sparing some time for the little people.
Hobo Beard Patrick says, "I could totally live in here..."
Daigle knows that the key to moving is properly labeling the boxes.
“Get back in there, Renie! You don’t come out until Blood of Angels is developed!”
Mark Moreland is ashamed.
Sutter obeys the golden rule of moving: Always make sure that it’s the owner who drops the expensive thing.
... Welcome to the Screaming Jungle Tuesday, January 31, 2012Behold, the beaming excitement of the new interns! (Shhhh... Don’t tell them that enthusiasm is about to wither away as they enter the Editorial Pit of Despair known as crosschecking every feat, spell, trait, and magic item in the Advanced Race Guide.) Everybody, please give a warm welcome Alexandra and Jerome! ... Christopher Carey ... Editor ... Hi, I’m Alexandra and I’m a new Paizo intern here in the Editorial Department. I’m not...
Welcome to the Screaming Jungle
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Behold, the beaming excitement of the new interns! (Shhhh... Don’t tell them that enthusiasm is about to wither away as they enter the Editorial Pit of Despair known as crosschecking every feat, spell, trait, and magic item in the Advanced Race Guide.) Everybody, please give a warm welcome Alexandra and Jerome!
Christopher Carey Editor
Hi, I’m Alexandra and I’m a new Paizo intern here in the Editorial Department. I’m not quite sure exactly everything I’ll be doing, but I’m very excited! I’ll know I’ll be showing up around the messageboards so here’s a little about me:
I’m currently going to college and finishing up my AA in Digital Gaming while working about 25 hours a week at my part-time job, doing this internship, and trying to have a social life. In my free time, I love to play RPG games and post on Tumblr. My friends and I run a Dragon Age fan blog there. Dragon Age is one of my favorite games but I’m currently playing Skyrim whenever I can. I really like to read fanfiction and write my own short stories. My favorite TV show is Supernatural, and even though it’s totally ruined now I still love it.
I’ve lived in the same place forever, so after I get settled with my life, I hope to do a lot of traveling and exploring of other cultures to feed my inspiration. I’d love to go all over Europe and Southeast Asia and check out all the fashion and food. I’m Jewish, so I’d also love to visit Israel and finally learn Hebrew.
Well, there’s me. Thanks for reading!
Alexandra Schecterson Editorial Intern
Hello!
This is Jerome, one of the new interns here at Paizo Publishing. It’s my first month on the job, and I’m excited to discover what makes Pathfinder tick. At first blush, the answers seem to be coffee, banter, and hoards of figurines!
I’m a relative neophyte to the RPG scene, having discovered Pathfinder only a few years ago. However, in the short time that I’ve been playing and GMing, I’ve become enamored of the creativity and collaborative spirit that Pathfinder brings out in people. I’m excited to see those same attitudes at work within the Paizo staff.
I’m a long-time strategy and athletic gamer with roots in Go, soccer, and 8-bit cartridges. I continue to game regularly, and have burgeoning interest in independent game design. I’ve also pursued (with varying degrees of success) kung fu, story games, Starcraft, ballroom dancing, and girls. My childhood habit of reading has blossomed into a love of writing that promises to delight and infuriate me to the grave and beyond. Hopefully I’ll have the chance to try my hand at writing for Paizo someday soon!
I’m excited to be working with Paizo, and look forward to seeing you all on the messageboards!
... Encounters with Flying Cats Tuesday, August 30, 2011 ... Fresh meat! We have to keep the cave raptors downstairs fed!Hi there! My name is Meredith Kniest, and I'm the latest edition of the Paizo Intern. I've been asked to explain a bit about myself and my experience at Paizo so far, which frankly is an awesome relief from staring at Excel spreadsheets. Oh, the joys of interning. ... I'm currently a senior at the University of Washington studying English and French. After having scoured...
Encounters with Flying Cats
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Fresh meat! We have to keep the cave raptors downstairs fed!
Hi there! My name is Meredith Kniest, and I'm the latest edition of the Paizo Intern. I've been asked to explain a bit about myself and my experience at Paizo so far, which frankly is an awesome relief from staring at Excel spreadsheets. Oh, the joys of interning.
I'm currently a senior at the University of Washington studying English and French. After having scoured internship postings in the greater Seattle area for months, and with gloomy national job forecasts echoing about my brain in the available space between Shakespeare and Balzac, I was beginning to resign myself to a long and dismal job search. That's when I came across Wesley's ad for an editing internship with Paizo. With a peculiar amount of trepidation did I apply—after all, the closest I've ever come to playing a tabletop RPG was creating fantasy adventures for my little brother using Playmobil people and Lincoln Logs, long ago, in the dusty days before Zelda took her first three-dimensional step, when Doug was the best show on television.
Three weeks into the position, I've learned a great deal about the Pathfinder universe, though I still feel like the greenest noob since Leeroy Jenkins, especially around the other Paizo employees, whose daily conversation—Hey, have we ever used flying cats as monsters? and Do we have a rule for wading through water?—flits by my ears like Miles Davis at a fifth-grade band concert.
My first intern assignment is to continue a job begun by interns of yesteryear: cataloging all of the Pathfinder rules not included in the Core Rulebook.
Yes, ALL of them.
It took me a couple of days to comprehend the daunting scale of this task. It's doubtful that it will be finished by me. Or by anyone, ever. I was discouraged, I won't lie. I had hoped to really wow my new employers with amazing ninja cataloging skills. (Hey, I take pride in my work. It keeps me going after caffeine has worn off.
However, I've been finding solace and diversion in the compelling, sometimes morbid storytelling that seems to make Pathfinder unique. I'm used to video game storytelling. Pathfinder is on a whole new, deeper, infinitely more variable and complex level than video games are capable of. Often I completely forget to catalog a rule or a stat block because I'm gripped by the lycanthropy of Duristan Silvio Ariesir or the perversions of the Runelords of Runeforge.
Feel free to send me your prayers, your derision, or any obscure Pathfinder rules you can think of. I'll be here, reading about the Blood Veil in Korvosa and, possibly, forgetting to do my job.
... Illustration by Tyler Walpole. Widescreen version here. ... PaizoCon Is Here! Friday, June 10, 2011PaizoCon 2011 starts today! The massive event schedule lists all of the awesome activities attendees can expect to take part in, but here are some of the real gems that I'm looking forward to. ... At the show guests and Paizo staff will have the opportunity to wine and dine together during Saturday's banquet. One of the reasons I'm excited about the banquet is the opportunity to meet and...
Illustration by Tyler Walpole. Widescreen version here.
PaizoCon Is Here!
Friday, June 10, 2011
PaizoCon 2011 starts today! The massive event schedule lists all of the awesome activities attendees can expect to take part in, but here are some of the real gems that I'm looking forward to.
At the show guests and Paizo staff will have the opportunity to wine and dine together during Saturday's banquet. One of the reasons I'm excited about the banquet is the opportunity to meet and hang out with fellow Paizonians. Having gotten to know so many of you on the messageboards, it will be fun to finally meet some of you face to face! In addition to CEO Lisa Stevens's welcome and Publisher Erik Mona's preview of upcoming Pathfinder products, James Jacobs and Jason Bulmahn will be showcasing some really cool things about our upcoming products. I can't say here what they'll be, but you all should be very excited!
One of the neatest things about PaizoCon is the myriad opportunities to get the inside scoop on Pathfinder, Paizo, and the old days at TSR. Between “The Future of Paizo" on Friday, and seminars on writing for Paizo throughout the entire weekend, on Saturday there's a seminar on the "Secrets of TSR" with the likes of Ed Greenwood, Lisa Stevens, Ryan Dancey and maybe even Jeff Grubb himself!
Speaking of seminars, there are quite a few about the history of the industry, how to begin writing for RPGs, and breaking into the game industry. Here's a brief list of some of the seminars that you should try and get to: "Publishing in Kobold Quarterly," "Secrets of a Small Press Publisher," "Writing for the Pathfinder Society," and "Auntie Lisa's Story Hour" with Paizo CEO Lisa Steven's herself!
Finally (and perhaps best of all), expect to play lots and lots of games. Pathfinder Society scenarios will be run every day throughout the convention, and special events such as Stephen Radney-MacFarland's "Shootout in Old Korvosa," Jason Bulmahn's "Cursed Lot IV," and master of horror James Jacobs's "The Siege of Windy Hollow" (a Pathfinder RPG variant set in an apocalyptic earth ravaged by the Elder Mythos) are sure to be crowd pleasers. I might even have to sit in and watch some of these games being played—they sound that awesome.
We're super excited about this show and will be updating the blog throughout the weekend with news-bites, pictures, and updates. For those of you who can't make it, here's a wallpaper of the PaizoCon 2011 mascot: Unk the goblin!
Relief! Thursday, May 19, 2011We’re all still reeling from the big push to get our Gen Con releases out the door, but you know what never gets old? Signing books. ... You may remember that a while back we put up a bunch of autographed books (including the gold-foil Special Edition copies seen here) as an auction to try to raise money for tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Well, it turns out that the Paizo community members found it in their hearts to give most generously, and now we’re holding...
Relief!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
We’re all still reeling from the big push to get our Gen Con releases out the door, but you know what never gets old? Signing books.
You may remember that a while back we put up a bunch of autographed books (including the gold-foil Special Edition copies seen here) as an auction to try to raise money for tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Well, it turns out that the Paizo community members found it in their hearts to give most generously, and now we’re holding up our end of the bargain. Mr. Wayne Reynolds himself—on loan from England—was in here earlier this week signing copies, and as you can see, we’re busily collecting signatures from everyone else here at Paizo. (Pictured here is only the first wave of signatures from the editorial pit. By the time the rest of the company is done with it, it’ll be a game of its own just trying to figure out who’s who....)
... Volunteer or Run an Event at PaizoCon 2011! Wednesday, April 13, 2011Are you attending PaizoCon 2011? (If not, tickets are still available!) If yes, have you thought about volunteering to run an event at the show? What makes PaizoCon so great isn't just the interaction with the Paizo staff or the ability to play in a staff-run game, it's also the ability to sit and game with your fellow Paizo community members as well as run a game for those community members! We're not beholden to a...
Volunteer or Run an Event at PaizoCon 2011!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Are you attending PaizoCon 2011? (If not, tickets are still available!) If yes, have you thought about volunteering to run an event at the show? What makes PaizoCon so great isn't just the interaction with the Paizo staff or the ability to play in a staff-run game, it's also the ability to sit and game with your fellow Paizo community members as well as run a game for those community members! We're not beholden to a single system at PaizoCon. Want to run a Pathfinder RPG one-off? Great! How about a board game slot where you teach some folks your favorite board game ever? Also great! How about you playtest an upcoming scene in your home campaign with a willing audience? Perfect! There's no end to the ideas you could develop and run at PaizoCon 2011.
We're only taking event submissions until April 27, 2011 (2 weeks from today). So post below in the following format:
Title:
System:
Short Description:
Number of Players (Min/Max):
Character Level:
Pregens Provided (yes/no):
Maturity Rating (Everyone (6+)/Teen (13+)/Mature (18+)):
This is the also the official call for Pathfinder Society volunteers for PAIZOCON 2011! Volunteers will receive $10 in Paizo.com store credit useable whenever they want to use it, for each slot they volunteer for, plus an awesome volunteer package of product in addition to the attendee bag o' goodies. (And I mean AWESOME! As in, we only had to drive it 3 miles from our warehouse AWESOME. Like, we're really close to the show so we can bring really cool stuff AWESOME!)
Look through the list below and email me the games/slots you can volunteer for!
Here's where we need help:
Friday 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.
Need: 16
Friday 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Need: 16
Friday 6:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. (Grand Melee)
Need: 16
Saturday 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Need: 16
Saturday 1:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Need: 16
Sunday 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Need: 16
There are 6 slots in which we need volunteer assistance. In order to get the goody bag mentioned above, you need to volunteer for a minimum of 2. The more volunteers I get for these events, the more events we can run. So please take some time to run one or two events and help Paizo and the Pathfinder Society make this the best PaizoCon possible!
We hope to have the event schedule live for sign-ups very soon. Details forthcoming.
At this time we're only seeking volunteers from those who have purchased a badge and plan to attend the show.
All volunteers can email me: hyrum.savage@paizo.com with the subject line PAIZOCON 2011 Volunteer.
Special Charity Event Ends Today! Thursday, April 7, 2011 ... Illustration by Wayne Reynolds I'd like to take a moment to remind folks about the Japan Quake and Tsunami Relief Auction we started last week. For those of you that don't remember, last Thursday we announced that Paizo would be auctioning off the Wayne Reynolds original painting of Nakayama Hayato, the iconic samurai found in Ultimate Combat, our 256-page hardcover release for Gen Con 2011 and three copies each of a special...
Special Charity Event Ends Today!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Illustration by Wayne Reynolds
I'd like to take a moment to remind folks about the Japan Quake and Tsunami Relief Auction we started last week. For those of you that don't remember, last Thursday we announced that Paizo would be auctioning off the Wayne Reynolds original painting of Nakayama Hayato, the iconic samurai found in Ultimate Combat, our 256-page hardcover release for Gen Con 2011 and three copies each of a special edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook and Pathfinder RPG Bestiary. There are only a few hours left in these auctions so please visit the Paizo eBay storefront before 10 a.m. PDT to take part in this special charity event!
Paizo Annouces Japan Relief Auction Thursday March 31, 2011Yesterday we published on the blog the official Meet the Iconics for Nakayama Hayato, the iconic samurai from the city of Oda in distant Minkai. The son of the chief falconer and his wife, Hayato—whose name means falcon—quickly proved just as proficient with the dangerous birds as his father, emulating their proud and fierce natures. In time, Hayato grew to become a powerful warrior, rising to the position of head samurai...
Paizo Annouces Japan Relief Auction
Thursday March 31, 2011
Yesterday we published on the blog the official "Meet the Iconics" for Nakayama Hayato, the iconic samurai from the city of Oda in distant Minkai. The son of the chief falconer and his wife, Hayato—whose name means "falcon"—quickly proved just as proficient with the dangerous birds as his father, emulating their proud and fierce natures. In time, Hayato grew to become a powerful warrior, rising to the position of head samurai of the Nakayama holdings. When his master's son died in a drunken duel at the age of twenty, Lord Nakayama began to look more and more to Hayato as a son, even allowing him to take the family name. Hayato no longer lives in Minkai but now makes his home in the Inner Sea region, upholding the samurai code he has sworn.
In yesterday's blog post we announced that, in partnership with Wayne Reynolds, Paizo would auction the original painting of Hayato, along with staff-signed Special Edition copies of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and Pathfinder RPG Bestiary. These special edition copies of the rulebooks are limited to fewer than 100 copies each, and available only to Paizo staff members. But now, you can own a copy, too! With gilt pages and gold foil cover lettering, and signed by the entire Paizo staff and cover artist Wayne Reynolds, this collectible first printing merits a special place on your gaming bookshelf. All proceeds from the auctions will be donated to the Red Cross Society, an organization with extraordinary disaster response capabilities. It has mobilized eleven teams to heavily damaged communities in Japan to provide assessments and first aid and to supply emotional support and relief.
"All of us at Paizo have been devastated by the recent events in Japan, and when Wayne Reynolds contacted me with the idea to auction his original Pathfinder art, I knew this was a tangible way Paizo could help those impacted by the destruction," said CEO Lisa Stevens. "We're hoping to harness the power of our fans in an effort of goodwill to help those in need."
Hayato will appear in August 2011's Ultimate Combat, a 256-page hardcover reference that reveals the martial secrets of the Pathfinder RPG rules like never before. Hayato represents the samurai class, a warrior with more honor, dedication, and resolve than any other. Trained from an early age in the art of war and sworn to the service of a lord, the samurai holds a position of power and respect. In him, the common folk see honor and sacrifice. He is an honorable warrior, dedicated to the realm and the leaders that guide it.
Meet the Iconics: Hayato Wednesday, March 30th, 2011Honor is strength. It is a maxim that Nakayama Hayato has known since birth, and one whose barbs he still feels deep in his flesh. Yet Hayato also knows a deeper truth: that just as a sword must bend to avoid breaking, so too must honor. And the more rigid the steel, the easier it shatters. ... Illustration by Wayne Reynolds Hayato was born a retainer on the estate of Lord Nakayama Hitoshi, just a few days' ride from the great city of Oda in...
Meet the Iconics: Hayato
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
Honor is strength. It is a maxim that Nakayama Hayato has known since birth, and one whose barbs he still feels deep in his flesh. Yet Hayato also knows a deeper truth: that just as a sword must bend to avoid breaking, so too must honor. And the more rigid the steel, the easier it shatters.
Illustration by Wayne Reynolds
Hayato was born a retainer on the estate of Lord Nakayama Hitoshi, just a few days' ride from the great city of Oda in Minkai. The son of the chief falconer and his wife, Hayato—whose name means "falcon"—quickly proved just as proficient with the dangerous birds as his father, emulating their proud and fierce natures.
It was while accompanying his father on one of Lord Nakayama's hawking outings that he first came to the lord's attention. At eight years old, Hayato was assigned the honor of being the personal attendant to the lord's son, Masao, assisting the privileged child with his falcon. All went well until the noble son, still new to the sport, mishandled his bird and nearly lost an eye for his trouble. The furious lordling prepared to kill the falcon then and there, but Hayato interceded, explaining the boy's error. Enraged even further, Masao began beating Hayato, drawing the attention of the rest of the hunting party. Though Hayato bowed low and accepted the savage blows of his master, he neither cried out nor begged for mercy. When Masao finally tired, Lord Nakayama himself addressed the bloody servant child, asking him why he had been so bold as to correct his superior. Without faltering, Hayato bowed to the lord and said simply, "Because it was the truth."
From that point on, Lord Nakayama took the young Hayato under his wing, frequently assigning him duties within the manor house, engaging him as a companion for his son, and seeing to his education in matters both martial and intellectual. In time, Hayato grew to become a powerful warrior, rising to the position of head samurai of the Nakayama holdings. When Masao died in a drunken duel at the age of twenty, thus depriving Lord Nakayama of an official heir, the bereaved lord began to look more and more to Hayato as a son, even allowing him to take the family name.
Yet Masao's death was only the beginning of the Nakayama family's misfortune. It was shortly after this episode that the Nakayama estate was visited by Kaneka Yoshiro, a traveling lord and government official with a position high in the Imperial Court. With considerably more prestige and official sway than Nakayama, Kaneka was received with full honors—yet it quickly became apparent that the guest was interested in more than just hospitality. Within a few days, Kaneka's cunning insults, lewd advances toward Nakayama's wife, and barely concealed challenges to Nakayama himself left Hayato's lord with no choice. Honor forbade him from allowing the slights to stand unanswered, yet challenging a governmental superior was as good as a death sentence.
In the end, honor won out, just as Kaneka knew it would. Nakayama challenged Kaneka to a duel, and was quickly slain by the talented swordsman. In recompense for the "insult" Kaneka had suffered, the Imperial Court allotted all the Nakayama holdings to Kaneka. Nakayama's widow, faced with the prospect of a dishonored existence among peasants, had no choice but to accept Kaneka's proposal of marriage if she wanted to retain her position.
Though the Nakayama samurai were bound by direct order of the court to honor their new arrangement—and plied with substantial gifts by their new master—Hayato saw the theft for what it was. Several nights later, having watched Kaneka's celebrating guards drink themselves into unconsciousness, Hayato crept into his former master's bedchamber and confronted the usurper even as he lay sleeping with his new wife. Though Kaneka screamed for his retainers, in the end it became clear that his only option was to fight. Taking up the sword that Hayato tossed onto the bed, Kaneka did everything he could to kill the samurai quickly, yet Hayato would not be denied his revenge. At last, bleeding from several terrible wounds, Hayato succeeded in getting past the noble's guard, ending his short-lived dominion over the Nakayama estate in a fine spray of blood.
As Kaneka fell to the floor, pink froth spilling from his lips, Hayato dropped his sword and knelt beside it. Knowing that to attack any lord in this manner—let alone the man the government considered his rightful master—would bring sure execution, he drew his tanto and prepared to die with his honor intact.
A hand on his shoulder stayed his blade. When Hayato looked up, he beheld Lady Nakayama—now Lady Kaneka—in her dressing gown, its yellow silk stained with the blood of her most recent husband. With tears in her eyes, she thanked Hayato for avenging Lord Nakayama and returning the estate to her control. Yet with her next breath, she condemned him forever. Taking his hand in her own—an undreamed-of show of affection and familiarity—the noblewoman forbade Hayato from taking his own life. Instead, she snuck him out of the manor and into a carriage bound for Oda, with only a string of coins, his armor, and a command to live as best he could. When the morning sun rose, it found Hayato on a caravan traveling north, bound for the icy reaches of the Crown of the World and from there on to the mysterious lands of the Inner Sea.
Now in his mid-thirties, Hayato is a hard man who keeps to himself. Though he has long since learned to speak Taldane, he remains terse by nature, feeling that everyone in his new home speaks too much but says too little. He operates as a fearless and talented mercenary—or ronin, as he terms it—for those whose cause seem righteous, yet refuses to bow to anyone regardless of status, saying only that he has had his fill of masters. Hayato is loyal to those few friends who can get past his stone-faced demeanor, yet remains secretly tortured by his conflicting senses of honor. To continue living as a masterless samurai—let alone one who has committed a great crime—is shameful, yet to deny Lady Nakayama's command would be equally shameful. With no clear answer, Hayato has temporarily shelved the problem. Yet deep in his heart, he harbors a secret hope: that perhaps one day he might raise an army of champions and take it back over the Crown of the World, rooting out the corrupt politicians of his homeland and restoring the honor of himself, his adopted family, and the samurai code he was born to uphold.
James Sutter
Fiction Editor
NOTE: Artist Wayne Reynolds and Paizo Publishing will be auctioning off the original art for Hayato, with all auction proceeds being donated to the Red Cross to help Japan recover from the earthquake and tsunami—check this blog tomorrow for details on how you can help!
... Illustration by Dan Scott. Wallpaper design by Crystal Frasier. Widescreen version here. ... Bark at the Moon! Friday, March 4, 2011Last week we showcased the cover art from Howard Andrew Jones' Pathfinder Tales novel Plague of Shadows. This week we go back to the beginning and give you a wallpaper based on Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross, the novel that launched the entire line. If you haven't read it yet you really should. It's got fighting, murder, mystery, true love, werewolves,...
Illustration by Dan Scott. Wallpaper design by Crystal Frasier. Widescreen version here.
Bark at the Moon!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Last week we showcased the cover art from Howard Andrew Jones' Pathfinder Tales novel Plague of Shadows. This week we go back to the beginning and give you a wallpaper based on Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross, the novel that launched the entire line. If you haven't read it yet you really should. It's got fighting, murder, mystery, true love, werewolves, ancient magics, curses from beyond the grave, and even dead Pathfinders! Best of all, if you know any Pathfinder Tales subscribers, they may have received a free copy to give away...
And tune into this spot on Monday as Pathfinder Designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland guest-blogs and things get... explosive.
... Illustrations by Christophe Swal. Wallpaper design by Crystal Frasier. Widescreen version here. ... The Pathfinder Society Needs You! Friday, February 11, 2011One of my duties here at Paizo is to oversee the Pathfinder Society, the organized play program for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. In Pathfinder Society Organized Play, your character is a member of the Pathfinder Society, seeking fortune and glory all over the face of Golarion. Pathfinders are a diverse bunch of scoundrels and...
Illustrations by Christophe Swal. Wallpaper design by Crystal Frasier. Widescreen version here.
The Pathfinder Society Needs You!
Friday, February 11, 2011
One of my duties here at Paizo is to oversee the Pathfinder Society, the organized play program for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. In Pathfinder Society Organized Play, your character is a member of the Pathfinder Society, seeking fortune and glory all over the face of Golarion. Pathfinders are a diverse bunch of scoundrels and wanderers. Their loyalties lie on all shores of the Inner Sea, and beyond their adventures as Pathfinders, they often find themselves mixed up in the murky politics of Absalom and the five nations who seek to control the City at the Center of the World from behind the scenes. The campaign centers on the sprawling city of Absalom, where five factions (for now) engage in a shadow war for control of the city's politics and economy.
Pathfinder Society Organized Play is a constantly evolving mega-campaign played by thousands of players and the adventures you experience are shared by players around the world. Play is organized into Seasons, throughout which the actions and achievements of you and your fellow Pathfinders create an ongoing storyline. Each season consists of at least 28 Pathfinder Society scenarios (short, 4-hour adventures) set in a variety of exotic locations across Golarion.
Currently, the Society is waging a secret war against the Shadow Lodge, former Pathfinders working to bring the Society to its knees. This wallpaper, designed by Crystal Frasier with art from Christophe Swal, showcases some of what the Pathfinder Society is all about.
If you want to learn more about the Pathfinder Society, and the entire Pathfinder Society Organized Play program, head on over to the PFS Page to learn more.
... We Be Goblins, You Be Food! Wednesday, February 2, 2011One of the hardest things about working at Paizo is not talking about the awesome products that are being worked on but haven't been announced yet. Especially when you're the marketing guy and it's your job to tell people about the awesome products that we're working on. This year's Free RPG Day release, We Be Goblins! is a perfect example of this; it's been in the works for months but I haven't been able to say anything until now....
We Be Goblins, You Be Food!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
One of the hardest things about working at Paizo is not talking about the awesome products that are being worked on but haven't been announced yet. Especially when you're the marketing guy and it's your job to tell people about the awesome products that we're working on. This year's Free RPG Day release, We Be Goblins! is a perfect example of this; it's been in the works for months but I haven't been able to say anything until now.
Cover Illustration by Tyler Walpole
We Be Goblins! is an adventure by Richard Pett for 1st-level characters in which you get to play a horde of malicious and murderous goblins that have stumbled upon one of the greatest treasures in goblindom—fireworks! Unfortunately, the tribe member responsible for the discovery has already been exiled for the abhorrent crime of writing (which every goblin knows steals words from your head). To remedy this situation, His Mighty Girthness Chief Rendwattle Gutwad has declared that the greatest heroes of the tribe must venture forth to retrieve the rest of the fireworks from a derelict ship stranded in the marsh outside Sandpoint in order to prove yourselves as the Licktoads' bravest goblins. And yet even once you've proven your mettle, the adventure is just beginning—for the ship in question is far from uninhabited, and Vorka the cannibal goblin would like nothing better than a few tasty visitors...
We Be Goblins! is a complementary adventure to August's Pathfinder Player Companion: Goblins of Golarion (which I also just announced right there—sneaky, eh?) and an optional prequel to Pathfinder Adventure Path's upcoming Jade Regent Adventure Path. This special 16-page Pathfinder Module will initially be made available as Paizo's contribution to Free RPG Day on Saturday, June 18. Print editions will be available for sale exclusively on paizo.com beginning the following Monday, and a FREE PDF will also be released that day.
... Have the Intern Do It Wednesday, January 19, 2011Greetings! If you are reading this then by the grace of Cayden Cailean my message has slipped past the wards. [Ha! You only think they have….] I have been interning with Paizo since late October of 2010, so my deepest apologies for the belated introduction. They keep me really, really busy here [Oh yes we do! Get back to work!] I am a Philosophy major with a Law Degree who has (probably due to a geas) decided to make a move and break into...
Have the Intern Do It
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Greetings! If you are reading this then by the grace of Cayden Cailean my message has slipped past the wards. [Ha! You only think they have….] I have been interning with Paizo since late October of 2010, so my deepest apologies for the belated introduction. They keep me really, really busy here [Oh yes we do! Get back to work!] I am a Philosophy major with a Law Degree who has (probably due to a geas) decided to make a move and break into the gaming industry. Now you may be thinking, “Lawyer? Asmodeus? Chelish evil empire?” but you have it all wrong. [No, I think we have you pegged just about right…] As a youth I sharpened my teeth on 2nd Edition, and then continued on to 3rd Edition and 3.5. I was introduced to Pathfinder last year and rejoiced that the classic feel of the game was being kept alive. Since starting here my eyes have been opened to many things (some of which I can not speak of) [You better not! You'll miss out on Lilith Ninja Cookies if you do get too chatty.] that I had taken for granted for so long. The biggest thing being the amount of work that goes into every single thing that ends up on a game store shelf. Uh oh, I can hear them coming, drums in the deep; it is time to feed the kobolds. I will endeavor to send more messages when I can, but until that time, may your tankard always be full!
Things Are Afoot in Redmond! (Pt. 2) Monday, January 17, 2011The new year continues to move on and tomorrow we'll be announcing who the Top 32 winners of RPG Superstar 2011 are. Keep an eye on the blog because at 2 p.m. PST we'll have the complete list of winners. ... Hyrum. ... Marketing and Organized Play Manager ...
Things Are Afoot in Redmond! (Pt. 2)
Monday, January 17, 2011
The new year continues to move on and tomorrow we'll be announcing who the Top 32 winners of RPG Superstar 2011 are. Keep an eye on the blog because at 2 p.m. PST we'll have the complete list of winners.
... Illustrations by Mauricio Herrera and Peter Lazarski. Widescreen version here. ... Long Live The Gorilla King! Friday, January 14, 2010It's no secret that I love gorillas, apes, and monkeys. My avatar here at Paizo is a monkey, my personal Facebook icon for a long time was a Bili Ape, and I'm always calling my kids little monkeys. (They are the Savage Horde, after all.) When I asked the art department to create a series of wallpapers, you can only imagine my delight when Crystal showed me...
Illustrations by Mauricio Herrera and Peter Lazarski. Widescreen version here.
Long Live The Gorilla King!
Friday, January 14, 2010
It's no secret that I love gorillas, apes, and monkeys. My avatar here at Paizo is a monkey, my personal Facebook icon for a long time was a Bili Ape, and I'm always calling my kids little monkeys. (They are the Savage Horde, after all.) When I asked the art department to create a series of wallpapers, you can only imagine my delight when Crystal showed me the wallpaper below. It's about as perfect a wallpaper as I could ask for: the Gorilla King, swarms of monkeys in the background, and all of the Pathfinder hardback covers. It's been on my computer since Crystal finished it a week ago, and now it can be on yours.
... Illustrations by Vincent Dutrait and Kieran Yanner. Widescreen version here. ... You Tried to Kill Him, Now Try to Save Him! Friday, January 7, 2010A few years ago we released a little family board game of murder in the dark. Kill Doctor Lucky had you racing to see who can kill Doctor Lucky while nobody was looking. It was a great product and has provided hours of fun. A few weeks ago we released the sequel, Save Doctor Lucky. This time you're on a titanic cruise ship sailing across the...
Illustrations by Vincent Dutrait and Kieran Yanner. Widescreen version here.
You Tried to Kill Him, Now Try to Save Him!
Friday, January 7, 2010
A few years ago we released a little family board game of murder in the dark. Kill Doctor Lucky had you racing to see who can kill Doctor Lucky while nobody was looking. It was a great product and has provided hours of fun. A few weeks ago we released the sequel, Save Doctor Lucky. This time you're on a titanic cruise ship sailing across the Atlantic with one very lucky old man and an errant iceberg that's just hit the ship. Doctor Lucky is a charismatic and well-respected philanthropist with a heart of gold. Of course, you secretly hate the old bastard, and you're probably going to try to kill him someday. But killing him aboard a sinking ship would be pointless. So you've decided to save his life instead, and do it while someone else is looking. That way, even if you go down with the ship, you'll at least go down in history. And now you can include this lovely wallpaper on your computer as you float to the bottom of the sea.
Room For Improvement Monday, January 3, 2011It's a brand new year, and if there's anything the turning of a year is good for—other than spending New Year's Eve partying while dressed like post-apocalyptic air pirates and biosculpted mutants, like Editor Judy and I did—it's taking stock of how far we've come, and how we might do better. ... While there's always plenty of room for personal improvement (and no, Wes, I don't need any suggestions on that front), here I'm really...
Room For Improvement
Monday, January 3, 2011
It's a brand new year, and if there's anything the turning of a year is good for—other than spending New Year's Eve partying while dressed like post-apocalyptic air pirates and biosculpted mutants, like Editor Judy and I did—it's taking stock of how far we've come, and how we might do better.
While there's always plenty of room for personal improvement (and no, Wes, I don't need any suggestions on that front), here I'm really thinking about Pathfinder Tales. In the last year—heck, in the last six months—we've come a long way, from just a dream of publishing Pathfinder-related novels to having two excellent books on the shelves, a third off at the printer, and a thriving line of free, serialized short stories and novellas available on the website every week. Not too shabby!
Yet we want more. Not just to publish more novels—because we will—or to find and woo more excellent authors to join our camp—because we are—but to assure both that the books continue to get better, and that they manage to make it into people's hands.
Which is where we turn to you. If you're reading this blog, odds are good that you're one of the hardcore Paizonians, the folks who post on the messageboards, play the games, and read the books. And we want to know what you think. Therefore, if you have a free minute—maybe the kids are down for a nap, or your boss just left for lunch—please post in the comments thread and answer a few Pathfinder Tales questions for us:
1) Is there anything you'd like to see more of or less of from the novels or web fiction?
2) What do you think would help new readers unfamiliar with Pathfinder pick up the novels if they ran across them randomly in a bookstore?
3) Which cover art do you like the best? Why?
4) Are there any fantasy-related book blogs or online communities that you think might enjoy Pathfinder Tales, if only we were to advertise/send review copies/etc?
5) Any other ideas for how we can get more books into readers' hands?
Thanks, and we look forward to hearing what you think!
... Illustrations by Eric Belisle and Wayne Reynolds. Widescreen version here. ... Release the Hordes! December 31, 2010It’s the last day of 2010, and once again the Paizo offices are closed, this time in honor of the new year. It’s been an amazing 2010 here at Paizo, and we managed to cap it with a great new hardcover book. Bestiary 2 has begun to arrive in stores and in hands around the world, making it easy to surprise your players with new monsters during your games this weekend. Bestiary...
Illustrations by Eric Belisle and Wayne Reynolds. Widescreen version here.
Release the Hordes!
December 31, 2010
It’s the last day of 2010, and once again the Paizo offices are closed, this time in honor of the new year. It’s been an amazing 2010 here at Paizo, and we managed to cap it with a great new hardcover book. Bestiary 2 has begun to arrive in stores and in hands around the world, making it easy to surprise your players with new monsters during your games this weekend. Bestiary 2 is full of some great adversaries for you to defeat, and the poster we recently released will help you keep track of which ones have met their demise at the hands of your players. In honor of both the new year and the release of Bestiary 2, here’s another great wallpaper from our art team!
... Illustration by Matt Dixon. Widescreen version here. ... Happy Holidays! December 24, 2010None of us are in the office today, we're hither and yon, fording rivers and traveling through woods, celebrating the holiday weekend with family and friends. However, we hope you enjoy this week's wallpaper and that you have a wonderful holiday, eat as much great food as you can, and have the chance to decorate your home with the finest crystals available. ... From all of us, to all of you, may you...
Illustration by Matt Dixon. Widescreen version here.
Happy Holidays!
December 24, 2010
None of us are in the office today, we're hither and yon, fording rivers and traveling through woods, celebrating the holiday weekend with family and friends. However, we hope you enjoy this week's wallpaper and that you have a wonderful holiday, eat as much great food as you can, and have the chance to decorate your home with the finest crystals available.
From all of us, to all of you, may you have a joyous crystalhue!
Misfit Monsters Podcast Monday, December 13, 2010 ... A few weeks ago, I got the chance to speak with the folks at Know Direction, a monthly podcast devoted entirely to all things Pathfinder, brought to you by the folks from 3.5 Private Sanctuary and the Tome Show. We talked at great length about Misfit Monsters Redeemed (which I had the privilege of developing), as well as the Pathfinder Chronicler fanfiction contest and Paizo's recent hires from the Pathfinder community. If you're curious...
Misfit Monsters Podcast
Monday, December 13, 2010
A few weeks ago, I got the chance to speak with the folks at Know Direction, a monthly podcast devoted entirely to all things Pathfinder, brought to you by the folks from 3.5 Private Sanctuary and the Tome Show. We talked at great length about Misfit Monsters Redeemed (which I had the privilege of developing), as well as the Pathfinder Chronicler fanfiction contest and Paizo's recent hires from the Pathfinder community. If you're curious about what exactly went into Misfit Monsters, head on over to the episode's webpage to listen. (The interview takes up approximately the last quarter of the show.)
For the record: That high, goofy quality to my voice is just my cell phone. I sound way manlier in person, kind of like a young James Earl Jones. Just ask Wes! (On second thought, don't ask Wes.)
... Extra, Extra, Read All About It! Thursday, December 9, 2010The past year has been a great one for Paizo and Pathfinder and we've been happy to help spread the Pathfinder message far and wide. Last week we had the opportunity to sit down with the fine folks from the Atomic Array podcast. It's their 50th episode and they wanted to make it a Pathfinder show, so we had James Jacobs take the time to talk to them about the upcoming Inner Sea World Guide hardcover (due in February). They also...
Extra, Extra, Read All About It!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The past year has been a great one for Paizo and Pathfinder and we've been happy to help spread the Pathfinder message far and wide. Last week we had the opportunity to sit down with the fine folks from the Atomic Array podcast. It's their 50th episode and they wanted to make it a Pathfinder show, so we had James Jacobs take the time to talk to them about the upcoming Inner Sea World Guide hardcover (due in February). They also had Greg Vaughan on to talk about his just released module, The Witchwar Legacy. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here.
With the holiday season already here, we couldn't be happier to have been featured on Wired.com's Geek Dad Holiday Buying Guide. Every year the Geek Dad site puts together a list of the coolest products available that year. This year we had 5 products mentioned, a Paizo first!
... The Gorilla King Wants You to Game! Tuesday, December 7, 2010I've been a gamer for most of my life, starting with 1st Edition when I was a wee lad. A couple of years later I distinctly remember walking into a Save-On (now CVS) Drug to buy the original Red Box edition. After that I gamed throughout junior high and high school, (Go Gondos!), and even when I was in Argentina for a couple of years and didn't have the opportunity to game, I thought about gaming a lot, and when I got back and...
The Gorilla King Wants You to Game!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
I've been a gamer for most of my life, starting with 1st Edition when I was a wee lad. A couple of years later I distinctly remember walking into a Save-On (now CVS) Drug to buy the original Red Box edition. After that I gamed throughout junior high and high school, (Go Gondos!), and even when I was in Argentina for a couple of years and didn't have the opportunity to game, I thought about gaming a lot, and when I got back and went to college, the gaming continued. Since then I've continued to game, including after I got married and even after the arrival of the various members of the Savage Horde. (Hi kids!) I'm currently playing in Sean K Reynolds's high-level drow game, playing Daeanu Azrinae, a 15th-level drow noble rogue (swashbuckler) who's working for the Matron in an attempt to keep the other PCs focused on who attacked us; I'm co-GMing Kingmaker with Lisa and her group at Chateau Stevens-Wertz; I'm gearing up to run a Gamma World game during lunch using the new version just released by WotC; I've just made a character for a 4e game being run by some new friends here in Redmond; and I'm in the planning stages for a Pathfinder game tentatively titled The Dregs, where the PCs will be made up of adventuring group outcasts created by rolling 3d6 for stats, straight down the row, old school style. In fact, just about everyone in the office plays in a ton of games somewhere, with Rob McCreary and James Jacobs the current leaders, with somewhere around 20 hours a week each spent gaming.
Why am I telling you all of this? It's because I'm a firm believer in the importance of actually playing games, and I'm hoping to have this The Gorilla King Wants You to Game! blog idea become a semi-regular feature were I talk about the various games going on here at Paizo. After a decade in the industry, it's become clear that too many game designers and industry folks don't play games anymore, of any kind. But that's not how we roll here at Paizo. We're all HUGE gaming geeks and we love all kinds of games, from boardgames to TCGs, to video and standard card games. There's even talk of setting up some Warhammer 40k battles once the craziness of the holiday season settles down. It's refreshing to work for a company where we not only make games, we play them too. (I also think that playing games helps you make awesome games, but that's for a blog on another day.)
So this holiday season try to get some gaming in, of any kind. Don't have a local group? Head down to your local store and play in a Pathfinder Society scenario or two. Don't have a local store nearby? Try Infrno, d20 Pro, Skype, or some other virtual tabletop. Technology today makes it easier than ever to find a way to game. If all else fails, I bet your Aunt Martha knows how to play Monopoly. Although I bet she might like Settlers of Catan better.
And while you think about ways to get your gaming grove on, check out this very cool piece from the upcoming Inner Sea World Guide hardcover, due for release in February.
... Give the Gift of Gaming Thursday, December 2, 2010Last night marked the first night of Hanukkah, and today is the seventh day of the traditional holiday shopping season. Christmas carols have invaded my car radio on the drive to and from work, and the flood of wishlists from friends and family have my inboxes overflowing. But this past weekend, I saw some of the spirit of the season exhibited in our own community and wanted to remind everyone of the tools paizo.com offers to help you show...
Give the Gift of Gaming
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Last night marked the first night of Hanukkah, and today is the seventh day of the traditional holiday shopping season. Christmas carols have invaded my car radio on the drive to and from work, and the flood of wishlists from friends and family have my inboxes overflowing. But this past weekend, I saw some of the spirit of the season exhibited in our own community and wanted to remind everyone of the tools paizo.com offers to help you show your appreciation for your online friends!
This weekend, one of our generous Pathfinder Society members gave the gift of several scenarios to a fellow board member so that she could review them. Gifting products (either downloads or physical merchandise) was a new feature introduced to paizo.com around this time last year, but anyone can do it! When looking at your shopping cart, before proceeding to checkout, be sure to click the "show gift options during checkout" button to gain the ability to give the contents of the order as a gift to a fellow Paizo customer, either anonymously or with a message.
I know that I, for one, love wishlists, and used to fill my Amazon wishlist up throughout the year to send to family and friends around the holidays and my birthday so they could see alternatives to getting me socks, calling cards, and scratch-off lottery tickets. Paizo offers the same thing, and whether you use one to list products to buy yourself in the future or to list for others, wishlists are a great way to organize your desired products. When someone (either a relative you direct to the site or a random friend from the messageboards) orders something for you from your wishlist, they'll be able to send it directly to the address you specify and it will be removed from the list so you don't get duplicated items. Start your own wishlist by going to the "My Wishlists" tab at the top right of any page on the site. Who knows who out there on the boards wants to share the holiday spirit with you.
... Triops stock image by Steve Jurvetson, Wikipedia Commons. Blinky himself not pictured, by virtue of not being found when we checked the bowl for his corpse... ... Death of a Three-Eyed Wonder Tuesday, November 30, 2010Do you have an office pet that you can use to terrorize your coworkers? Is your terrifying office pet a living fossil that evolved just as the first terrestrial creatures set foot on land? Does your terrifying, living fossil office pet bear a striking resemblance to an...
Triops stock image by Steve Jurvetson, Wikipedia Commons. Blinky himself not pictured, by virtue of not being found when we checked the bowl for his corpse...
Death of a Three-Eyed Wonder
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Do you have an office pet that you can use to terrorize your coworkers? Is your terrifying office pet a living fossil that evolved just as the first terrestrial creatures set foot on land? Does your terrifying, living fossil office pet bear a striking resemblance to an aboleth? No? Well, then perhaps you should upgrade your office pet. Might I suggest... a triops?
Meet Blinky (so dubbed by Sutter). Blinky was hatched from an innocuous-seeming package of bark and detritus a mere two months ago. Even when he was a little filter-feeding larva, I could see the evil glint in Blinky's three eyes. He was destined for great things. He exercised dutifully, swimming around his bowl. He learned to hunt in that bowl, chasing down and consuming his weaker triops brethren. He had to absorb their power, as he knew he had to be strong. He moved onto the faster crustaceans that had the gall to hatch along with him, punishing them for swimming in his bowl as if they were his equal. He ate his broccoli and avoided his peas (a creature after my own heart).
It was not long before he had grown over an inch long. That's when he knew he was ready. Ready to escape his bowl and cause terror.
Alas, the poor creature has shuffled off this mortal carapace. Was it the new plant I introduced to the bowl just before the long weekend? Was it the cold seeping through the window? Was it the excitement of fulfilling his life-long goal of terrorizing Wes as he sleeps? Or was it Wes himself, intent on a mission of assassination and horror-eradication? I'm betting on Wes.
Don't worry, Wes. The next generation is already gestating. Soon, they will be larval, and before you know it, they will be tiptoeing through the vents, watching you type. Watching you with their three eyes. Waiting for you to sleep. The triops are coming for you, Wes.
... Happy Thanksgiving! Thursday, November 25th, 2010We’re all out of the office today being gluttons. All except for Crystal’s baby otyugh, who’s just not old enough for solid food quite yet. Maybe next year little guy. Happy Thanksgiving and see you all Monday! ... Illustration by Crystal Frasier ... F. Wesley Schneider ... Managing Editor
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 25th, 2010
We’re all out of the office today being gluttons. All except for Crystal’s baby otyugh, who’s just not old enough for solid food quite yet. Maybe next year little guy. Happy Thanksgiving and see you all Monday!
... Where Do I Hang My Greatsword? Monday, November 15, 2010Coming to work at Paizo is like coming home. When I first started working at Wizards of the Coast I worked with Erik, had regular chats with Jason, and Lisa and Sean were always nearby, stalking the shadows, waiting to strike. ... Those were good times and I'm looking forward to revive them in my new digs. I'm excited about doing more work on the Pathfinder RPG. Throughout the development of 4e I watched its rise with keen interest....
Where Do I Hang My Greatsword?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Coming to work at Paizo is like coming home. When I first started working at Wizards of the Coast I worked with Erik, had regular chats with Jason, and Lisa and Sean were always nearby, stalking the shadows, waiting to strike.
Those were good times and I'm looking forward to revive them in my new digs. I'm excited about doing more work on the Pathfinder RPG. Throughout the development of 4e I watched its rise with keen interest. As a subscriber, I was already a Paizo fanboy. I wanted to see the solutions that Paizo would put forward, because I love RPGs and I know there is never a single solution to a design challenge. I also wanted to see my friends succeed.
Paizo's solutions were stellar and so it was no surprise that the successes have been triumphant.
When I left Wizards and was invited to work on the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide as a freelancer, I jumped at the chance. When Paizo invited me to join their staff, I eagerly leaped again. Now amidst many old friends and quite a few new ones, I look forward to making sure that you, the Pathfinder player, get the game you deserve with each and every product: a game that's exciting, evocative, and fun. So my job is to make sure you at least get what you're accustomed to and more. It's going to be a fantastic challenge.
... Lunchtime Painting Party Wednesday, November 10, 2010As a miniatures fanatic, I'm always encouraging other people to try painting. Many people complain they don't have enough time, it's hard to paint at home because they have kids or don't have space, and so on. For a time, we had a weekly painting group meeting in the evening after work, but since Gen Con 2009, the move to the then-new building, and due to the frantic pace of publishing increasingly popular books, that fell by the...
Lunchtime Painting Party
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
As a miniatures fanatic, I'm always encouraging other people to try painting. Many people complain they don't have enough time, it's hard to paint at home because they have kids or don't have space, and so on. For a time, we had a weekly painting group meeting in the evening after work, but since Gen Con 2009, the move to the then-new building, and due to the frantic pace of publishing increasingly popular books, that fell by the wayside. Recently we started up a lunchtime painting get-together, meeting every Tuesday from noon to 1 in the upstairs conference room. Why Tuesday? Because my high-level drow game is on Tuesday nights, and this gives me an opportunity to get some last-minute painting done for the upcoming game!
Clockwise from the lower left we have Ross (painting some 40K marines), Liz (painting a serpentfolk for the Serpent Skull Adventure Path), Crystal (working on a Privateer gun-toting troll), Sara Marie (painting her PC for Rob's game), Rob (painting his badger mini an appropriate shade of "Rummy Tum Tugger purple"), Andrew (showing his art skills on a Reaper imp), Hyrum's hand (also working on some 40K marines), and the back of my head (applying some metallic base coats to some deep ones).
It's nice to work in a place where painting weird monsters is normal. It's also nice to have a regular schedule to get some painting done, even if it's just a little bit. Even if you don't work for a game company, maybe you can find a time and place to paint. And you might get someone else interested in gaming!
Attack of the Podcasts Monday, November 8, 2010A short while after Gen Con, Jason Bulmahn sat down with the fine folks from the Games With Garfield podcast to talk about Pathfinder, Paizo, gaming, Golarion, and a lot of ideas and theories about game design and development. We even find out that Jason beat Richard Garfield at Magic: The Gathering! You should definitely listen to it here. ... The Chronicles: Pathfinder Podcast guys return to the Council of Thieves Adventure Path with an...
Attack of the Podcasts
Monday, November 8, 2010
A short while after Gen Con, Jason Bulmahn sat down with the fine folks from the Games With Garfield podcast to talk about Pathfinder, Paizo, gaming, Golarion, and a lot of ideas and theories about game design and development. We even find out that Jason beat Richard Garfield at Magic: The Gathering! You should definitely listen to it here.
The Chronicles: Pathfinder Podcast guys return to the Council of Thieves Adventure Path with an interview with AP author Richard Pett, a new necromancer character-concept build, conversions of all five Abishi to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and an in-depth review of The Six-Fold Trial. You don't what to miss this one, so check it out here.
... Cookies for Everyone! Friday, October 15, 2010If you haven't already heard, it's my happy duty to announce the newest member of the Paizo staff: Liz Lilith Courts. And here she is, ladies and gentlemen: ... Wes Schneider ... Managing Editor ... A long time ago, in a galaxy quite near, I was a subscriber to two very special magazines. When I heard that some new company had taken over my beloved magazines, I immediately went to this strange newcomer's website to see what was up. I was...
Cookies for Everyone!
Friday, October 15, 2010
If you haven't already heard, it's my happy duty to announce the newest member of the Paizo staff: Liz "Lilith" Courts. And here she is, ladies and gentlemen:
Wes Schneider
Managing Editor
A long time ago, in a galaxy quite near, I was a subscriber to two very special magazines. When I heard that some new company had taken over my beloved magazines, I immediately went to this strange newcomer's website to see what was up. I was delighted and intrigued by what I found—a like-minded community enthused about roleplaying games, and wonder of wonders, so was the staff!
A little over five years later (and a not-insignificant amount of cookies), I have been happy to call many of the people on the Paizo staff friend. Now, though, I get to call them coworker and see the level of dedication they give to the products they put out every month for our gaming pleasure.
While I am a young padawan learning at the foot of masters, my compatriots Cosmo and Sara Marie will be showing me everything that makes Paizo's Customer Service department awesome. After one day looking over their shoulders, I know that I have much to learn—maybe some of their awesomeness will rub off on me.
Time to go feed the cave raptors—I think Crystal knows where they are at, but I don't think they eat cookies... I may need to arm myself, just in case.
... Illustration by Florian Stitz ... Nobody Expects an Intro Set! Thursday, September 30, 2010This past Monday I spoiled on the Paizo Twitter feed that we're beginning the process of working on a Pathfinder intro set. Jason quickly retweeted it and it spread from there. So, what do we mean exactly when we say an intro set? First off we're not 100% sure of anything yet. What we do know is that it'll be useful for more than a couple of sessions, will be a great PFRPG teaching tool, and will...
Illustration by Florian Stitz
Nobody Expects an Intro Set!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
This past Monday I spoiled on the Paizo Twitter feed that we're beginning the process of working on a Pathfinder intro set. Jason quickly retweeted it and it spread from there. So, what do we mean exactly when we say an intro set? First off we're not 100% sure of anything yet. What we do know is that it'll be useful for more than a couple of sessions, will be a great PFRPG teaching tool, and will help us get more people playing Pathfinder. It'll probably come in a box, it might have counters and/or tokens, probably a Flip-Mat or two, most likely cover a good range of levels, and have a handful of classes and a good collection of feats. Essentially it'll be everything you need to get people playing, and learning, the game. Because the more people playing, the more opportunity for gaming, and we can all do with more gaming right?
We're at the very beginning of this process and nothing is set in stone though. Getting some feedback would be really helpful, though, so what would you like to see in an introductory Pathfinder product?
... Illustration by James Zhang ... The Savage Horde Has Descended On Seattle! September 24, 2010Way back in August I began to make some cryptic references to moving to the Emerald City of Seattle, leaving the reasons why a mystery. People began to guess, but all was revealed a couple of Tuesdays ago by Paizo as I was driving a rented U-Haul up the 5 from San Diego to Seattle. Turns out I was relocating the Horde from sunny Southern California to the green, and very wet, Pacific Northwest in...
Illustration by James Zhang
The Savage Horde Has Descended On Seattle!
September 24, 2010
Way back in August I began to make some cryptic references to moving to the Emerald City of Seattle, leaving the reasons why a mystery. People began to guess, but all was revealed a couple of Tuesdays ago by Paizo as I was driving a rented U-Haul up the 5 from San Diego to Seattle. Turns out I was relocating the Horde from sunny Southern California to the green, and very wet, Pacific Northwest in order to work here at Paizo as the new Marketing Manager.
What does that mean exactly? Well, I'll be working closely with Erik Mona, our fearless publisher, making sure you the fans know what we're producing, when it's coming out, what we're planning, and other cools bits of news. In addition, I'll be working with the rest of the staff in getting them on podcasts, interviewed by blogs and magazines, and out in the wild spreading the glory of Pathfinder and Paizo.
I'll also be working on some new ways of keeping you the fans involved in what we're doing and ways you can help us out. So if you have any specific ideas, please leave them in the comments below.
BTW, have you had a chance to look at our new FAQ system? What we've done is put a link that says "FAQ" on messageboard posts. If you hit this link it will mark the message, letting us know that there's something you think we need to clarify, explain, or outright fix, and then have included in the official FAQ for the product. Every message you flag for us will be brought to the attention of our developers, letting them know someone has a question or needs a ruling. (FYI, those with more "flags" will go to the top of the list.) You can check it out here.
New Art! Thursday, September 16, 2010Paizo sure has been hiring quite a few new people of late. I came on board as a Developer at the beginning of the month, and we just announced yesterday that Hyrum Savage will be joining the team as Marketing Manager. The third new hire of the fall is none other than Andrew Vallas, who started after Labor Day. As Graphic Designer he's been a lifesaver, taking some of the workload off Art Director Sarah Robinson as she puts the finishing touches on Save...
New Art!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Paizo sure has been hiring quite a few new people of late. I came on board as a Developer at the beginning of the month, and we just announced yesterday that Hyrum Savage will be joining the team as Marketing Manager. The third new hire of the fall is none other than Andrew Vallas, who started after Labor Day. As Graphic Designer he's been a lifesaver, taking some of the workload off Art Director Sarah Robinson as she puts the finishing touches on Save Doctor Lucky. So far, Andrew's time has been taken up with last minute changes to the Bestiary 2 as we approach the finish line for shipping that to the printer, and laying out Pathfinder Player Companion: Inner Sea Primer and Pathfinder Module: The Godsmouth Heresy.
Andrew first found Paizo while using art from Pathfinder as mini-painting inspiration and through the Planet Stories line of fiction. He attended PaizoCon in June, where he not only played his first Pathfinder game after last rolling dice during the days of 2nd Edition, but he attended the art seminars and met with Sarah, and the rest is history.
And since Andrew works so hard in Paizo's Art Department, we thought it fitting to use his introduction as an opportunity to display some of the incredible art coming to your gaming table next month in Pathfinder Adventure Path #39: "City of Seven Spears"!
Bestiary Breakdown Tuesday, September 7, 2010Greetings, fun-sized friend morsels! What's the scoop? Tom Rex here, bringing you the latest that's outrageous, from the present to the Cretaceous! (Tom wrote that himself. Tom took some poetry classes in college.) And today that means another blog picking up the slack from James Jacobs. ... According to Boss Sutter, Jacobs was supposed to write a blog post titled Bestiary Breakdown. Which is accurate because, thanks to the Bestiary 2, James Jacobs...
Bestiary Breakdown
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Greetings, fun-sized friend morsels! What's the scoop? Tom Rex here, bringing you the latest that's outrageous, from the present to the Cretaceous! (Tom wrote that himself. Tom took some poetry classes in college.) And today that means another blog picking up the slack from James Jacobs.
According to Boss Sutter, Jacobs was supposed to write a blog post titled "Bestiary Breakdown." Which is accurate because, thanks to the Bestiary 2, James Jacobs is indeed breaking down! Ha! If you don't believe Tom, just observe the attached exclusive photographs. (Tom apologizes for the blurriness. The cameraman was both rude and delicious, and Tom's hands are built for holding massive prey in place while it's thrashing, not operating tiny iPhone camera.)
As you can see, James Jacobs was not having a good day—at least not until he reached the dinosaur section. Then things got better. Tom does what Tom can to keep the little people happy. (Tom has read the philosophy behind Kobe beef.)
... Map Swallows Desk—Editors Next?! Thursday, September 2, 2010Remember that big ol' map that we started working on a while back? We're chugging away at it (with no signs of gibbering yet), and are moving ever closer to the final version! ... I have to say, it was painful to fold the working map up, even gently, and not just because it reminded me how short I am! I was irrationally afraid of damaging it, yet that was the only way to wrestle it onto my desk without committing Ultimate...
Map Swallows Desk—Editors Next?!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Remember that big ol' map that we started working on a while back? We're chugging away at it (with no signs of gibbering yet), and are moving ever closer to the final version!
I have to say, it was painful to fold the working map up, even gently, and not just because it reminded me how short I am! I was irrationally afraid of damaging it, yet that was the only way to wrestle it onto my desk without committing Ultimate Sacrilege—cutting it up.
It's hard to tell at this resolution, but the map is covered in handwritten notes: names of cities, islands, rivers, and ruins; arrows showing where existing labels should be moved to; circles grouping multi-word names; and check marks verifying locations or spellings. There are about a thousand or so notes in all, written in a variety of hands, some of which would make doctors swoon with jealousy. The thought of verifying all of those tags on the final version is a source of both terror and glee. (Tom Rex recommended we write our signoffs in our own blood to increase accountability, but his slavering makes suspect he cares more about softening us up than accuracy.)
... The Rumors Are True Wednesday, September 1, 2010There's been some speculation recently on the messageboards about my recent move from New York to Seattle, some even claiming that I'm the newest Paizo employee. Those assumptions are correct. ... Frequent blog readers may recall that I worked a week at Paizo HQ back in June. At the end of that week, Erik, James, and Lisa asked if I’d like to come on board to work in-house on setting continuity and Pathfinder Society scenario development....
The Rumors Are True
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
There's been some speculation recently on the messageboards about my recent move from New York to Seattle, some even claiming that I'm the newest Paizo employee. Those assumptions are correct.
Frequent blog readers may recall that I worked a week at Paizo HQ back in June. At the end of that week, Erik, James, and Lisa asked if I’d like to come on board to work in-house on setting continuity and Pathfinder Society scenario development. I've fostered quite a reputation as a "canon lawyer" with all my work on the PathfinderWiki and PaizoCon trivia contests, so this was an offer I simply couldn't decline. In fact, working for Paizo is a dream come true that I can't quite wrap my head around yet.
It took me two months to close up the decade-long chapter of my life in New York City and open a new one here on the left coast, but after a 3,000-mile U-Haul drive with my brother, here I am! I’m not quite sure what exactly my job is going to entail, but I imagine my presence on the boards won’t change (though I won't be going by yoda8myhead going forward). Hopefully I'll still have time to work on the wiki.
Now that I have the power, this also means I can put up all the art previews I requested—sometimes demanded—as a fan. I've been waiting a long time to put the following in a blog post:
... Jacobs is a Slacker Friday, August 20, 2010 Today's blog was supposed to be from James Jacobs, something to do with a map for Smuggler's Shiv. Unfortunately, Mr. Jacobs has allowed himself to be trapped in meetings all day, and was unable to get us the required information. Since we all understand that flagrantly placing the good of the company over the needs of the messageboards is flatly unacceptable, Mr. Jacobs has been placed on temporary suspension to think about what he's done. As...
Jacobs is a Slacker
Friday, August 20, 2010
Today's blog was supposed to be from James Jacobs, something to do with a map for Smuggler's Shiv. Unfortunately, Mr. Jacobs has allowed himself to be trapped in meetings all day, and was unable to get us the required information. Since we all understand that flagrantly placing the good of the company over the needs of the messageboards is flatly unacceptable, Mr. Jacobs has been placed on temporary suspension to think about what he's done. As such, I'd like to introduce his replacement.
I hope you'll all join me in welcoming Tom Rex to the staff. Tom's been angling for Mr. Jacobs' job for years, and though his editing skills are understandably a bit out of date, he's shown a remarkable level of enthusiasm and can-do spirit. A former newspaperman, Tom is already adjusting to his new role, and his trademark catchphrase—"What's the scoop, chief?"—will surely never get old. Welcome, Tom!
... Illustration by Tyler Walpole ... Paizo Fight Song Tuesday, August 17, 2010If you know anything about me (and I'm not saying you should), you probably know that I'm Paizo's fiction editor as well as one of the developers. What you may not know is that, in addition to working on the campaign setting and making sure authors like Dave Gross are fed and walked regularly, I'm also a musician involved in various extracurricular bands and projects. Usually that doesn't affect my job at Paizo...
Illustration by Tyler Walpole
Paizo Fight Song
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
If you know anything about me (and I'm not saying you should), you probably know that I'm Paizo's fiction editor as well as one of the developers. What you may not know is that, in addition to working on the campaign setting and making sure authors like Dave Gross are fed and walked regularly, I'm also a musician involved in variousextracurricular bands and projects. Usually that doesn't affect my job at Paizo much, save for that one time when Jacobs and I, in the first and only performance of Operation Banjo Thug, ambushed Wes with some impromptu talkin' blues. (An experience from which he's never entirely recovered and which, without witnesses, he can't verify as having actually happened.)
A while back, however, Jacobs and I were sitting around after work talking about what a Paizo theme song would sound like. We decided that it would really need to have two distinct elements: a big industrial section like Nine Inch Nails' "Just Like You Imagined" (300 had just come out), and a classic, Conan-style orchestral piece. And of course, no soundtrack would be complete without an homage to The Omen's big choral theme, which we in the office will forever refer to as "Sawhorse Middle School," for reasons I won't go into here.
The idea never quite left my head, and a few months ago I sat down on a Saturday and decided to do something about it. The resulting track was received with much hilarity at the office—which was really what I was going for—and people ended up liking it so much that they voted to use it as the theme song for Paizo at the ENnies this year.
While it's hard not to be proud of the awards we won—Best Publisher? Best Game? It literally does not get better than that—in my secret heart, my favorite part of Gen Con this year was hearing the fight song blasted over the PA every time someone from Paizo went up to accept an award.
Now that we're home, it occurs to me: why stop there? Hopefully some of you reading this blog would be equally amused by the track. As such, I give you my attempt at a Paizo fight song, "Pathfinder Est Domine."
Vote on the Costume Contest! Thursday, August 12, 2010We’re back from Gen Con, and in addition to the usual scramble to meet deadlines and recovery from horrifying illnesses contracted by shaking hands with approximately ten bajillion people, that means it’s time for everyone to vote on the contestants in the Third Annual Gen Con Pathfinder Cosplay Contest! ... We had an extraordinary number of contestants this year, and all of them did bang-up jobs! Yet only one can be the official winner of...
Vote on the Costume Contest!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
We’re back from Gen Con, and in addition to the usual scramble to meet deadlines and recovery from horrifying illnesses contracted by shaking hands with approximately ten bajillion people, that means it’s time for everyone to vote on the contestants in the Third Annual Gen Con Pathfinder Cosplay Contest!
We had an extraordinary number of contestants this year, and all of them did bang-up jobs! Yet only one can be the official winner of the grand prize (both a pile of Paizo store credit and bragging rights), which is where you come in. At the bottom of this blog, you’ll see a link for comments. Sound off and place your vote for the best costume in that thread. You have until the end of the weekend to make your selection. On Monday morning, we’ll tally all the votes, and announce the official winner in a blog post next week.
Ready? Here are this year’s fine contestants, in no particular order:
Lora as Feiya, the iconic witch.
Jason as Damiel, the iconic alchemist.
2009 contest champion Kelly as Harsk, the iconic ranger. (Maybe he’s a little tall for a dwarf, but how can you say no to a hand-made crossbow and his adorable animal companion, Biter?)
Blake as Nethys.
David as a paladin of Iomedae.
Corienne as a Tien monk.
2008 contest champion Tiffany as the Harrower from the campaign setting hardcover. (You can’t see her wayfinder here, but it came with its own ioun stone!)
Noel as Trifaccia from Pathfinder Adventure Path #12. Look out, he's got a whip!
Honorable Mention: Jodi as Amiri, the iconic barbarian, who despite her amazing costume has removed herself from the running, on account of already being Sean Reynolds' girlfriend (and isn't that prize enough?).
2010 ENnie Award Voting Begins! Friday, July 16, 2010Voting begins today for the 2010 ENnie Awards, so drop whatever you're doing and head on over to the ballot box at EN World! ... Voting continues through July 25th, but don't wait! Vote for your favorite games, products, and publishers today!To remind you before you head off to cast your votes, here's what Paizo and some of our incredibly talented friends are in the running for! ... Best Adventure Pathfinder AP #31: Stolen Land (Paizo...
2010 ENnie Award Voting Begins!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Voting begins today for the 2010 ENnie Awards, so drop whatever you're doing and head on over to the ballot box at EN World!
Voting continues through July 25th, but don't wait! Vote for your favorite games, products, and publishers today!
To remind you before you head off to cast your votes, here's what Paizo and some of our incredibly talented friends are in the running for!
... 2010 ENnie Award Nominations! Tuesday, July 13, 2010Nominations for the 2010 ENnie Awards are live and we couldn't be blown farther away! Paizo products are up for awards in 11 categories, with related Pathfinder projects showing in even more. Unbelievable! A huge thank you from all of us here at Paizo to all of our readers for your endless enthusiasm and help in expanding our rules and worlds, as well as boundless appreciation to everyone at ENWorld for organizing and hosting one of the...
2010 ENnie Award Nominations!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Nominations for the 2010 ENnie Awards are live and we couldn't be blown farther away! Paizo products are up for awards in 11 categories, with related Pathfinder projects showing in even more. Unbelievable! A huge thank you from all of us here at Paizo to all of our readers for your endless enthusiasm and help in expanding our rules and worlds, as well as boundless appreciation to everyone at ENWorld for organizing and hosting one of the most highly anticipated event in gaming year after year.
But this year's ENnie Awards are just kicking off. Head on over to ENWorld to check out all the nominees and prepare for this Friday (July 16th) when the voting booths open and you can cast your vote for your favorite RPG rules, accessories, products, and projects.
Thanks again from all of us here at Paizo Publishing and we'll see you at the ENnies!
Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinators—Apply Now!
... Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinators—Apply Now! Friday, July 2, 2010At long last the time has come to open the doors to the wide world of Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinators. This plan has been a long time coming and thanks to years of player and GM feedback, I think we now have a plan in place to turn over some of the responsibilities for organizing and growing Pathfinder Society to local and regional volunteers, many of whom have already been doing so since the beginning....
Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinators—Apply Now!
Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinators—Apply Now!
Friday, July 2, 2010
At long last the time has come to open the doors to the wide world of Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinators. This plan has been a long time coming and thanks to years of player and GM feedback, I think we now have a plan in place to turn over some of the responsibilities for organizing and growing Pathfinder Society to local and regional volunteers, many of whom have already been doing so since the beginning.
A few fine-print notes before we get started:
1. The Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinator is a volunteer position. Regional coordinators are not Paizo Publishing employees. They are not official representatives of the company. Applying for the volunteer position of regional coordinator means you acknowledge these restrictions.
2. A Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinator must be willing and able to fulfill a list of monthly volunteer duties as noted below.
3. A Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinator must always strive to act in a professional, positive, and outgoing manner when functioning in their capacity as volunteers for Paizo Publishing.
4. You must be 18 years of age or older and you must be willing to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with Paizo Publishing.
Assuming you're still on board, here's the regional coordinator volunteer position in greater detail:
What is a Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinator?
A regional coordinator is a local and regional organizer and point of contact for Paizo Publishing's worldwide organized play campaign, Pathfinder Society.
Regional Coordinator Volunteer Duties and Expectations
1. Organize a minimum of two Pathfinder Society Organized Play convention or game store appearances per month in your local or regional area of responsibility.
2. Attend PaizoCon or Gen Con and work for Paizo at one (or both) of those conventions annually. Non-USA regional coordinators will be expected to attend large local conventions to be named later.
3. Maintain and update monthly a full report of local game stores including contact information, manager's name, what Paizo products they carry, and whether or not they're running Pathfinder Society Organized Play events (with or without your assistance).
4. Build a positive rapport with all local game store managers and employees.
5. Provide the campaign coordinator with frequent feedback from game stores, volunteers, and players in your local area or region of responsibility.
6. Be a Paizo Publishing product expert. Familiarize yourself with all of our product lines and be comfortable talking about all of them.
7. Game Master a minimum of one Pathfinder Society Organized Play session per month.
9. Build and maintain monthly an email list of local volunteers.
10. To the best of your ability, ensure that all Pathfinder Society Organized Play sessions run in your local area or region of responsibility are reported and reported accurately.
11. Be the go-to contact for your local area or region of responsibility; assist local game days, game clubs, conventions, or any other such group wanting a Pathfinder Society Organized Play presence at their event.
12. Ensure that all Pathfinder Society Organized Play events in your local area or region of responsibility are entered into the event-finder at paizo.com/pathfindersociety.
Rewards for Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinators
1. Free attendance at PaizoCon or Gen Con (or both), including free badges, a portion of a hotel room, booth vouchers, and possible product rewards. In order to receive the free attendance, the regional coordinator must arrange his or her own travel to and from show, must provide for his or her own food, and must volunteer for a minimum of eight slots at Gen Con and a minimum of four slots at PaizoCon.
2. Pathfinder Society Organized Play Regional Coordinator dinner at PaizoCon or Gen Con (or both).
3. Free PDFs of every new PDF product Paizo Publishing releases added to your My Downloads section on paizo.com.
4. Annual exclusive special scenario available to regional coordinators and 5-star GMs only for one year.
5. Messageboard tag in the Pathfinder Society messageboards: Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinator. (Note: this tag will trump all other tags while posting on the Pathfinder Society messageboards.)
6. Special exclusive events at PaizoCon and Gen Con.
Local and Regional Targets
As we begin our regional coordinator program, we are only seeking candidates for the following local and regional areas. If you do not live in one of these areas, please do not apply. As we grow, we plan to expand our regional coordinator program into more locations worldwide—so if you don't see your area on here yet, don't despair! We may be coming soon to a region near you.
USA:
Atlanta, GA
Raleigh, NC
Tampa, FL
New York City, NY
Columbus, OH
Indianapolis, IN
Chicago, IL
Detroit, MI
Milwaukee, WI
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
Austin, TX
Houston, TX
Denver, CO
Seattle, WA
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Las Vegas, NV
Cincinnati, OH
Knoxville, TN
Northern Virginia-Greater DC Area
Boston, MA
Minneapolis-St Paul, MN
Europe:
United Kingdom
Ireland
France
Belgium-Netherlands
Germany
Spain
Italy
Asia-Pacific:
Australia
How to Apply
Send an email to pathfindersociety@paizo.com with the subject Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinator. In this email, please attach a copy of your normal employment resume in .doc, .txt, or .rtf format that includes your employment history, job skills, education, and anything else that displays a history of professional employment. Please ensure that your resume includes your physical mailing address, full legal name, phone number, and email address.
Additionally, please include a separate document in .doc, .txt, or .rtf format that contains the following information:
1. Detail your involvement in Pathfinder Society Organized Play over the last two years.
2. Detail conventions, events, game days, clubs, and so on that you have organized and run.
3. Detail your roleplaying game history.
4. List how many stars you currently have on your Pathfinder Society Organized Play GM rating.
5. List your Pathfinder Society ID # and the email address associated with your paizo.com account (if different from your email address in your resume).
6. Detail any conventions, events, game days, clubs and so on that you plan to attend this year.
7. Finally, detail two ideas that you haven't seen Paizo try that, in your opinion, will help grow Pathfinder Society Organized Play in your local area or region.
While you do not have to be a member of Pathfinder Society Organized Play to apply for this volunteer position, preference will be given to those who display a solid history of involvement with the Society. I will update this paizo.com blog post frequently (and the associated discussion thread) as I fill positions.
Please make sure you follow all of the instructions above. I look forward to hearing from you!
My Magical Week at Paizo Monday, June 28, 2010 When Erik Mona called me during my weekly game of Council of Thieves, I suspected it was for some purpose other than to earn me a free reroll. (Note: Any time a Paizo employee calls you during a Pathfinder game, it is required that your GM allow you one rerolled d20.) Erik’s reason for the call was to ask me to stay in Seattle a week longer than I’d planned after PaizoCon in order to help fill the massive Inner Sea map for the Pathfinder...
My Magical Week at Paizo
Monday, June 28, 2010
When Erik Mona called me during my weekly game of Council of Thieves, I suspected it was for some purpose other than to earn me a free reroll. (Note: Any time a Paizo employee calls you during a Pathfinder game, it is required that your GM allow you one rerolled d20.) Erik’s reason for the call was to ask me to stay in Seattle a week longer than I’d planned after PaizoCon in order to help fill the massive Inner Sea map for the Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Poster Map Folio for release later this year.
That I said yes should go without saying.
Working at Paizo, even for a week, is a dream come true. Whether I’m casually catching glimpses of new art for the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 and the Pathfinder Campaign Setting: World Guide—The Inner Sea, playing an oracle of bones using final Advanced Player’s Guide rules in Josh Frost’s office game, or taking part in a super-secret editorial meeting to work out some exciting products on the 2011 calendar, the last five days still seem partially unreal.
But don’t let me discount the huge amount of work that gets done on a daily basis in the Paizo offices, and the vast pile of work yet to do. I have personally gone through every Adventure Path volume through Souls for Smuggler’s Shiv and have mined almost 500 specific, named locations, many of which will appear on the final poster map. Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens has been covering the Pathfinder Modules line and just got through Cheliax in the campaign setting hardcover (the Katharevousa River, which flows by Kintargo, has yet to be tagged on a map, for example). Needless to say, this is a massive project. While there’s still a long way to go, I can already tell that this map will absolutely blow the mind of anyone who’s ever hoarded RPG maps or who (like me) has a penchant for world continuity and canon.
Thanks to the members of the messageboards and PathfinderWiki who helped with suggestions of extremely esoteric and obscure locations from the last 3 years of Pathfinder products. Look for the Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Poster Map Folio in stores and on paizo.com this fall.
Mark Moreland (aka yoda8myhead)
PathfinderWiki Administrator
... Not Our Fault! Thursday, June 10, 2010For one reason or another, occasionally a mistake slips through into one of our printed products. I know that's a shock. I'll give you a moment to recompose yourself. ... Fortunately—if you can ever call such things fortunate—they're not always our fault. From the time production files leave our tender care to the moment a fully realized book reaches your door, countless mysterious hands work and tinker in ways neither editor nor reader...
Not Our Fault!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
For one reason or another, occasionally a mistake slips through into one of our printed products. I know that's a shock. I'll give you a moment to recompose yourself.
Fortunately—if you can ever call such things fortunate—they're not always our fault. From the time production files leave our tender care to the moment a fully realized book reaches your door, countless mysterious hands work and tinker in ways neither editor nor reader should dare interfere. Most of the time such mysterious forces rise and pass leaving behind no evidence at all. Sometimes not.
Pathfinder Adventure Path #35 includes one such instance of "not." Although it's too late to correct the thousands of books already sailing their way to our warehouses, we can preempt them.
Here's the deal, and I've probably already overplayed it: there's a map on page 33 of #35 that got "garbled" (you'll see when you get it). It's not unusable, but it's not pretty, and it's one of the most baffling snags we've ever seen, likely having to do with vicious data-gnawing file gremlins or other computer-age equivalents of "acts of God." Regardless: not pretty. So, hidden behind the spoiler below is the map as it should appear. It's of one of the final encounter areas of War of the River Kings, so I'd suggest all GM-fearing Kingmaker players NOT look.
Spoiler:
Cartography by Rob Lazzaretti
The volume is still awesome, with some really nasty new threats and particularly cool new rules for martially minded rulers. But we just wanted to fill everyone in as soon as we found out so there's no surprises and so you have everything you need to run the adventure as easily as possible right out of the book. We're totally sorry for the half-page mystery map you'll be seeing, but hope the version here prevents the snafus from slowing down your game.
... Intro Monday, June 7, 2010Where to begin... I suppose I should begin with, well, an introduction. So hello, my name is Kelley, I'm a new editorial intern here at Paizo. It's pretty exciting. The crowd here seems awesome—my kind of crazy. ... I'm a little ashamed to say that I've actually never played the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. I've played D&D once or twice in my not-so-distant-but-still-distant-enough past. Usually I ended up just reading the books and manuals for fun. Mainly...
Intro
Monday, June 7, 2010
Where to begin... I suppose I should begin with, well, an introduction. So hello, my name is Kelley, I'm a new editorial intern here at Paizo. It's pretty exciting. The crowd here seems awesome—my kind of crazy.
I'm a little ashamed to say that I've actually never played the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. I've played D&D once or twice in my not-so-distant-but-still-distant-enough past. Usually I ended up just reading the books and manuals for fun. Mainly I'm a fantasy book buff—can't get enough of them. I love to write—and edit. I think editing is almost as fun as writing, strangely enough. So I'm hoping I can get my feet wet here while I work with the editorial team. I graduated from the UW with an English Creative Writing degree (and I refuse to become a teacher, so don't even ask), so with any kind of luck, I will one day fulfill my ever-optimistic dreams of becoming an editor.
With that said... you'll be seeing a lot more of these posts from me as the weeks go on. Once I start getting my hands dirty, I'll let you all know how much awesome fun I'm having (or beg you to come rescue me... we'll see how it goes.)
... Photography by Gary Teter ... It's Huge! Wednesday, May 26, 2010The way the story goes, Erik walked into the copy shop with a disc holding the map of the Inner Sea Region and asked the employee there to make the image as big as he could. ... Okay, here we go, the man said, holding up a sheet maybe two feet high. ... I don't think you understand, Erik replied. I need this big. ... Thus it was that last Friday, Erik and Wes came into the office holding a map of the Inner Sea Region that,...
Photography by Gary Teter
It's Huge!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The way the story goes, Erik walked into the copy shop with a disc holding the map of the Inner Sea Region and asked the employee there to make the image as big as he could.
"Okay, here we go," the man said, holding up a sheet maybe two feet high.
"I don't think you understand," Erik replied. "I need this big."
Thus it was that last Friday, Erik and Wes came into the office holding a map of the Inner Sea Region that, when unrolled, measured seven feet tall and six feet across. As we all stood around it in shock, looking down on it in mingled wonder and terror, I think the same two thoughts were in everyone's brains. Here was the world we'd created...
...and now we needed to fill it.
For of course that's why we had the map printed. With the forthcoming World Guide: The Inner Sea (a revised and expanded version of the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting hardcover, fully updated to the Pathfinder RPG) and the Inner Sea Poster Map Folio, it's time for us to finally buckle down and crank our own obsessive tendencies to the max as we attempt to place every location that's featured in a Pathfinder game product in its appropriate place. And of course, as if that madness weren't enough, the forthcoming world guide also presents a ton of new adventure locations and notable sites for regions that previously only had a few dots on a map. While there are still countless places left open for GMs to populate and describe as they see fit, this is our attempt to create something truly comprehensive to satisfy even the most detail-oriented GMs.
This, of course, is madness. I'm sure that within a month, we'll all be gibbering on the floor as the ink staining our fingertips reaches toxic levels. But until then, the Map will be on the wall, watching us, daring us to try to fill it in. How much of our hubristic attempt to catch everything makes it into the final map folio is anyone's guess—it may be that printing every tag would result in type too small to see with the naked eye—but you'll know when you see it that the Paizo editorial team gave their all to make it as accurate as they could, boldly chucking interns and coworkers into the line of fire. That's how much we care!
... Departing Blog Monday, May 24, 2010Well, it was a fun adventure, but sadly, my journey as an editorial intern with Paizo must come to an end. The length of my internship seemed only a few weeks at most, though it has indeed been several moons, and other responsibilities vie for my attention. ... I’ve gotten a taste of all this industry has to offer while working here, from the exciting realm of creative writing and development, manifesting wondrous creatures as well as legendary...
Departing Blog
Monday, May 24, 2010
Well, it was a fun adventure, but sadly, my journey as an editorial intern with Paizo must come to an end. The length of my internship seemed only a few weeks at most, though it has indeed been several moons, and other responsibilities vie for my attention.
I’ve gotten a taste of all this industry has to offer while working here, from the exciting realm of creative writing and development, manifesting wondrous creatures as well as legendary characters, to the slightly less glamorous—but nonetheless vital—task of alphabetizing spell lists and creating tables. Oh, I shall never forget the sea of tables I created for Paizo. If one can imagine mountains—nay, alps—of Excel spreadsheets, then one has ideated but a fraction of the truth. I could go on for paragraphs about the plethora of tables, which, if pasted side-by-side on a wall and gazed at from afar, might resemble ancient Osirian hieroglyphics that tell of brave adventurers, or perhaps an epic tale of Thassilonian lore scrawled across countless scrolls, or maybe even the systemized end product of a sleep-deprived college student who happens to write about dragons and stuff.
Poetic reminiscences aside, it’s been a good experience. I’ve still got another year of college left up at Western Washington University, but this internship has helped reinforce my dream of writing material for tabletop games such as Pathfinder, and assured me that I am on the right track. Perhaps you’ll see my name in future products, loyal reader, and you’ll be able to excitedly gather your comrades, your shaky hands barely able to retain their grasp on the Adventure Path or module clenched between your sweaty fingers, and you’ll show all your friends and say, “Look! I commented on that guy’s blog post before he became famous!” And everyone will look at you in awe, and solemnly utter things like, “Dude, are you hyperventilating?” and “Woah, are your palms sweating over this? Do you need a doctor?”
Until that fateful day, readers, I bid you farewell, and thank you for bearing with my garrulous blog posts and lack of proficiency in regards to the realm of corporate salesmanship. (On an unrelated note, buy more Paizo stuff! It’s good! Real good!)
Over the Mountain Tuesday, May 11, 2010Working at Paizo is awesome—there can be no question about that. Most days—those days when I'm in my happy-hippie, all-is-right-with-the-world mood—I show up to work and think, Wow, we're all so lucky to be editing RPGs all day! How did we ever get so lucky? That's most days. ... And some days, we *&#@ing earn it. ... Last Saturday was one of those days. Every year around this time, we start to reach the mission critical phase on our...
Over the Mountain
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Working at Paizo is awesome—there can be no question about that. Most days—those days when I'm in my happy-hippie, all-is-right-with-the-world mood—I show up to work and think, "Wow, we're all so lucky to be editing RPGs all day! How did we ever get so lucky?" That's most days.
And some days, we *&#@ing earn it.
Last Saturday was one of those days. Every year around this time, we start to reach the mission critical phase on our Gen Con products, and it's all hands on deck trying to get them out the door in time for the do-or-die ship date which will allow them to be at Gen Con. This year is no exception, and while most of the big products (such as Dave Gross's Prince of Wolves—more on that soon!) have already been put to bed, the Advanced Player's Guide is still in the last, messy phases of its birth. Thus it was that Saturday found me, Rob McCreary, Judy Bauer, Sarah Robinson, Wes Schneider, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona in here for more than 11 hours on Saturday to try and get things handled. (It should be noted that Chris Carey was in his Fortress of Editorial Solitude, having been saddled with the final proofing of Before They Were Giants, and Sean was busy moving. I'm pretty sure Jason was in a coma somewhere.)
Even with most of the Editorial Pit on hand, weekend workdays still feel different than normal ones. Everything's a little looser, and what professionalism we cultivate tends to get abandoned (though I did not, as originally planned, wear my jammie pants).
All of this is necessary to explain the photographs, I promise.
You see, when we moved into our new office last September, it was immediately noted that the otherwise normal-looking office building is bordered on two sides by a big field of brambles (reportedly haunted by vagabonds and feral corgis) and a big grassy ridge. At several points since the move, Wes and I have looked up at the ridge and wondered what mysteries might lie, Narnia-like, just over its crest.
Around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, having just finished editing chunks of the classes chapter of the APG until my eyes were ready to bleed, I decided I needed something stronger than caffeine to keep me going, and stormed into Wes's office.
"Wes," I said, in my most inspiring voice, "It is time. We're going over the mountain."
Wes looked at me for a moment.
"Yeah, okay," he said.
Thus it was that everyone save Erik and Sarah (who had left for the evening) and Jacobs (who's too old and wise for such things) trooped outside on our Voyage of Discovery. Leaping over the drainage ditch, we scrabbled up the steep, grassy rise and came out into a magical wonderland!
Photography by Rob McCreary
Well, okay, maybe it was a gravel pit. But the point was, we had gone over the mountain! And for what it's worth, the gravel pit was pretty cool. Wes and I spent a few minutes running up the mountain of rubble to get a view of the surrounding countryside, then noticed the idling dump trucks and realized it was an active gravel pit—one which might not appreciate a bunch of trespassing nerds—and beat a hasty retreat to recommence editing.
And there you have it—the wild excitement of a Saturday at the Paizo offices!
(EDITORIAL NOTE: Sutter and Wes would like any authority figures to know that the preceding anecdote is entirely fictional; that they in no way condone trespassing, accidental or otherwise; and that they're both too pretty for jail.)
This Week at Paizo Friday, May 7, 2010It's been a busy week at Paizo... and we're not done yet. ... Sean The 'K' is for Konfident Reynolds reassures me of what he already knows.My desk midweek: ground zero for much chaos. (To answer the inevitable question here: Yes, I use them as bookmarks.) ... It may drive us crazy, but putting out so many products does make for some pretty awesome hauls. ... F. Wesley Schneider ... Managing Editor ...
This Week at Paizo
Friday, May 7, 2010
It's been a busy week at Paizo... and we're not done yet.
Sean "The 'K' is for Konfident" Reynolds reassures me of what he already knows.
My desk midweek: ground zero for much chaos. (To answer the inevitable question here: Yes, I use them as bookmarks.)
It may drive us crazy, but putting out so many products does make for some pretty awesome hauls.
... Don't Tell Wes! Tuesday, May 4, 2010Paizo Productivity Tip #47: If you hide Wes's shoe in a high place on Friday evening, he can't go home and has to stay and edit all weekend. ... James L. Sutter ... Fiction Editor ...
Don't Tell Wes!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Paizo Productivity Tip #47: If you hide Wes's shoe in a high place on Friday evening, he can't go home and has to stay and edit all weekend.
... Maro's Alchemy Tracking Sheet Thursday, April 15, 2010 ... Alchemy Tracking Sheet ... I'm playing an alchemist in Josh Frost's Tuesday night game. Though I've played many caster characters in my day, including some with item creation feats, the alchemist class is very reliant on consumable items—the mutagens, bombs, extracts, potions, and alchemical items it creates. Inspired by Crystal Frasier's use of our GameMastery Item Cards for her character's scrolls, I started to assemble a...
Maro's Alchemy Tracking Sheet
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Alchemy Tracking Sheet
I'm playing an alchemist in Josh Frost's Tuesday night game. Though I've played many caster characters in my day, including some with item creation feats, the alchemist class is very reliant on consumable items—the mutagens, bombs, extracts, potions, and alchemical items it creates. Inspired by Crystal Frasier's use of our GameMastery Item Cards for her character's scrolls, I started to assemble a collection of potion and alchemical cards for my character, Maro. However, given the number of formulas he knows, plus three mutagens, bombs, and the many alchemical items already in the game (plus more to come with Adventurer's Armory later this month), I ended up with more than 20 cards, and given that on any round I might be using any of them, sorting through them wasn't as efficient as I'd like. So I built a one-page alchemist tracking sheet.
Using a combination of item card art, public domain art, things I drew myself, and some manipulation with a graphics program, I now have a sheet that shows Maro's three mutagens, his bombs, bottles for his known extracts, and bottles for 12 of the most common alchemical items he may make, buy, or carry. Now when he prepares a Dexterity mutagen (which he calls his "snake potion"), I draw one box by the green mutagen bottle, and mark it off when he drinks it. Each day, I draw a box by his bomb bottle for each of his daily uses and mark them off as he throws them. Boxes go by the alchemical items he has and are likewise marked off. The last section is extracts and potions, which serves a dual purpose as he can create an extract or potion from any formula he knows. If he makes a potion, I draw a box by it and write "P" in it so I remember it's a potion (usable by anyone in the party); if he makes an extract that day, I draw a box with an "E" in it so I know only he can use it.
This tracking sheet also makes it easy if the other PCs need to grab a potion while Maro is unconscious; presumably he's explained which potions are which or labeled them, and any ally trying to find a cure wounds potion on his unconscious body can immediately tell what to look for and if he has any available. It also prevents the ally from trying to drink his extracts (which don't work for anyone but him).
The tracking sheet I use actually has the names of Maro's mutagens ("bear potion," "gorilla potion," and "snake potion") and formulas (cure light wounds, disguise self, enlarge person, expeditious retreat, jump, shield, and true strike) on it. I thought as a generic tool for any alchemist the sheet is more useful without those names so you can customize the list for your alchemist (or potion-brewer) PC, so the version here has blank spaces in those areas. If you want to type your potion names onto the tracking sheet instead of writing them by hand, the font I used is "The Alchemist" by S. John Ross's Cumberland Fontworks (see page 2 of that link). He has some really cool fonts on his site (and some other gaming stuff). The fonts are free for noncommercial use, and he gave permission for Paizo to use the font in this blog post. Thanks, S.J.R.!
... My First PaizoCon Tuesday, April 13, 2010I have a confession to make—it's been 7 years since my last convention. But that dark time in the desert will soon come to an end, because in just two months, I'll be going to PaizoCon! ... I'm really looking forward to meeting some of the writers and artists whose work I've been breathing in for the last few months, such as Wayne Reynolds (whose owlbear guards the entrance to the editorial pit), Wolfgang Baur, and Greg Vaughan. ... I'm also...
My First PaizoCon
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
I have a confession to make—it's been 7 years since my last convention. But that dark time in the desert will soon come to an end, because in just two months, I'll be going to PaizoCon!
I'm really looking forward to meeting some of the writers and artists whose work I've been breathing in for the last few months, such as Wayne Reynolds (whose owlbear guards the entrance to the editorial pit), Wolfgang Baur, and Greg Vaughan.
I'm also totally excited to meet our fans, the people I ultimately work for—both because gamers are a fun bunch, and also because the better I know how you all think and talk about Pathfinder, the better I'm able to ensure that our content, and particularly its language, will make sense and appeal to you. (Side note: did you know that gamer English has been held up as an example of language evolution? It's true! The phrase "to sleep someone" got a shout-out in Pinker's The Language Instinct.)
I'm determined to get in on at least one or two games, too (remember, there are just two more days to post event submissions!). On that note, I'm off to browse the event listings. I could swear I saw a reference to the Arkham Boy Scouts in there somewhere...
... It's Alive! And It's in My Head!! Monday, April 12, 2010Words aren't supposed to float like this, bobbing in this slow, mildly nauseating way before my watering eyes. This sucks. And if you were at Norwescon this past weekend, I blame you. Con crud: it happens every time we go to a convention—and this time I didn't even go! ... My office quarantine makes me but one gross cog in a large, messily predictable, sick-machine. Every 3 minutes Jason, through the wall to my left, coughs...
It's Alive! And It's in My Head!!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Words aren't supposed to float like this, bobbing in this slow, mildly nauseating way before my watering eyes. This sucks. And if you were at Norwescon this past weekend, I blame you. Con crud: it happens every time we go to a convention—and this time I didn't even go!
My office quarantine makes me but one gross cog in a large, messily predictable, sick-machine. Every 3 minutes Jason, through the wall to my left, coughs twice. Every 1 minute and 20 seconds, to my right, James "Harumpghs"—as Jacobses do. Every 25 seconds I sniff, punctuated by nose blowings after every 15, and with cycle-marking sneezes after every 30 blows. It's not pretty. I especially don't envy Chris, Judy, Rob, and Sutter outside our doors listening to this sickly symphony. Although, if anyone forgot their watches today, they can measure the time by the rising tissue tide.
Now that I've set the gross factor for your week, how does this pity party tie into Pathfinder and RPGs and everything you've come to expect from Paizo? Well, we're foolishly here at work aren't we? And never ones to let little things like our collectively decomposing bodies stop us from bringing new elements to your campaigns, please accept the following gaming grossness, along with an appropriately awesomely awful illustration from Jeff Carlisle (that unfortunately we didn't have room for in the GameMastery Guide, but I'm sure will find a home down the line). Now, back to trying to build a Skinsaw mask out of tissues and mucus...
Creeping Contamination (aka Creeping Crud or Con Crud) Type disease, contact or inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 14 Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day Effect 1d2 Wis damage and target is fatigued. Any creature that comes within 5 feet of one infected with con crud must save or also become infected (whether or not this save is successful, the target is immune to the infected creature's con crud for 24 hours); Cure 2 consecutive saves
... Rummy-Tug-Tugger Contest Results! Friday, April 9, 2010 ... Illustration by Silvia Gonzalez ... So! After taking a week to make the agonizing choice, Rob McCreary has selected the winner of the Rummy-Tug-Tugger illustration contest! The winning illustration was done by Silvia Gonzalez; we’ll be autographing a copy of the NPC Guide and sending it out to Silvia as thanks for the great illustration! ... Illustration by Mikael SebagIllustration by Duane Lacher ... Actually, there were a lot...
Rummy-Tug-Tugger Contest Results!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Illustration by Silvia Gonzalez
So! After taking a week to make the agonizing choice, Rob McCreary has selected the winner of the Rummy-Tug-Tugger illustration contest! The winning illustration was done by Silvia Gonzalez; we’ll be autographing a copy of the NPC Guide and sending it out to Silvia as thanks for the great illustration!
Illustration by Mikael Sebag
Illustration by Duane Lacher
Actually, there were a lot of great illustrations. We took time last week to sit in the editorial pit and look them all over, and Rob had a tough time making the final choice. And so he wanted to show a few honorable mentions as well; one by Mikael Sebag (who sent in a super-rotund and kind of cute version) and another by Duane Lacher (who sent in a much scarier version). Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest; it was great seeing what you all came up with. And that makes me wonder... would folks like to see us do more art contests like this? Let us know in the comments to this post!
... Norwescon 33 Quick Recap... Tuesday, April 6, 2010This past weekend was Norwescon 33, a fantasy/SF convention near Seattle, Washington. In recent years it's started to pick up some RPG momentum (thanks to the tireless efforts of Tim Nightengale, founder of PaizoCon), and we had several Paizo staffers attend to talk about fiction and gaming (including a most awesome two-hour workshop about learning how to paint miniatures). In addition to the many people dressed in steampunk, fantasy, BSG,...
Norwescon 33 Quick Recap...
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
This past weekend was Norwescon 33, a fantasy/SF convention near Seattle, Washington. In recent years it's started to pick up some RPG momentum (thanks to the tireless efforts of Tim Nightengale, founder of PaizoCon), and we had several Paizo staffers attend to talk about fiction and gaming (including a most awesome two-hour workshop about learning how to paint miniatures).
In addition to the many people dressed in steampunk, fantasy, BSG, and Star Wars costumes, there were seminars about writing, getting published, game design, world design, and being a better Game Master, plus Josh Frost and a gang of volunteers ran more than a dozen games for Pathfinder Society Organized Play!
Photo #1 is from a panel called "Ask the Gamemasters," featuring Sean K Reynolds (me!), Erik Mona, and Jason Bulmahn. Photo #2 is a pic by Tim of the "Underwater Ninja Tigers! (or A Friendly Discussion on Monster Design)" panel, with James Jacobs, Erik, Wolfgang Baur, and the illustrious panel-crasher Jonathan Tweet! Overall, it was a good show for us and gave us some ideas for neat stuff at PaizoCon this year!
... Introducing Rummy-Tum-Tugger! Monday, March 22, 2010Every other Thursday evening, I run my Shadow Under Sandpoint campaign for the editorial folks. I started the game several months ago for three reasons—as a team-building exercise, as a way for we editors to get more familiar with the game we created, and because it sounded fun. Several of the PCs from this campaign appear in the recently released NPC Guide, in fact... but not all of them. ... When Rob McCreary joined the Paizo...
Introducing Rummy-Tum-Tugger!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Every other Thursday evening, I run my "Shadow Under Sandpoint" campaign for the editorial folks. I started the game several months ago for three reasons—as a team-building exercise, as a way for we editors to get more familiar with the game we created, and because it sounded fun. Several of the PCs from this campaign appear in the recently released NPC Guide, in fact... but not all of them.
When Rob McCreary joined the Paizo editorial team, I invited him to join the game (which brought our total number of players up to a staggering total of nine!). After a false start with a half-orc (who soon left the party to seek fame and glory as our iconic inquisitor), Rob settled on a gnome summoner inspired by another of our new iconic characters. Yet unlike the iconic summoner, who has some sort of weird chicklizatrice type monster as an eidolon, Rob went for a different critter entirely.
His character is named Balazar, and his eidolon is named Rummy-Tum-Tugger (no relation to a certain similarly named feline superstar). When Rummy-Tum-Tugger first showed up, I asked Rob to describe him, but that didn't really help. It seems that every session, something new comes up and folks have to revise what they think Rummy-Tum-Tugger looks like. "Wait, his teeth shoot ice?" "Huh? He has six limbs?" "He's PURPLE?"
There's only one solution. A contest!
Break out your pencils, pens, paints, and Photoshops, because whoever draws Rob the best and most accurate depiction of Rummy-Tum-Tugger not only gets the satisfaction of helping my poor group of PCs visualize what their newest member actually looks like, but I'll sweeten the deal by sending that person a copy of the NPC Guide, signed by the entire Paizo editorial staff!
To enter, simply email your illustration to me at james.jacobs@paizo.com as a .jpg attachment by the end of the month—keep the file small (600 KB or less). Rob will then pick his favorite picture of them all and that'll be the winner, and we'll show it off in a blog post at the start of April.
And now, the details! Rummy-Tum-Tugger is a Medium-sized eidolon. He's got the quadruped base form, and looks vaguely like a purple badger with six legs, each leg tipped with scary sharp claws. His jaws are filled with BIG sharp teeth that are caked with even sharper razor-sharp ice. Oh, he also has a gore attack. Some sort of horns or spikes or something. Did I mention he's purple? He also wears an amulet of mighty fists. And he can talk. And he likes cheese, but since he's lactose intolerant poor Balazar has to constantly watch Rummy-Tum-Tugger's cheese intake.
Official Call for PaizoCon and Gen Con Volunteers!
... Official Call for PaizoCon and Gen Con Volunteers! Friday, March 19, 2010Hello! ... This is the official call for volunteer GMs and assistants to help Paizo Publishing run events at PaizoCon 2010 and Gen Con 2010. (If you're looking for the Origins Game Fair volunteer thread, click here.) ... Paizo Con 2010For Paizo Con 2010, I need a minimum of 20 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society Organized Play and I'll keep taking volunteers until the slots are full! Below you will find the reward...
Official Call for PaizoCon and Gen Con Volunteers!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Hello!
This is the official call for volunteer GMs and assistants to help Paizo Publishing run events at PaizoCon 2010 and Gen Con 2010. (If you're looking for the Origins Game Fair volunteer thread, click here.)
Paizo Con 2010
For Paizo Con 2010, I need a minimum of 20 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society Organized Play and I'll keep taking volunteers until the slots are full! Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at PaizoCon 2010 as well as the events and slots for which I need volunteer GMs. I also need 2 volunteer assistants for the show—these folks will not GM, but will instead run Pathfinder Society HQ and will be my go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society. Volunteers must volunteer for a minimum of 2 slots and the volunteer assistants are volunteering to split time at HQ for the entire show. PaizoCon 2010 volunteer GMs and volunteer assistants receive the following:
(Volunteer GMs) A $10 per slot credit voucher for the Paizo sales area
(Volunteer Assistants) A $15 per slot credit voucher for the Paizo sales area
All PaizoCon 2010 volunteers can email me: josh@paizo.com with the subject line PaizoCon Volunteer. I can only take volunteers for Paizo Con who have purchased a badge to the show.
Keep in mind that you're volunteering for a slot, not a specific event. I'll assign people to events inside the slot they've volunteered for and I won't take requests.
For Gen Con 2010, I need a minimum of 50 volunteer GMs and I'll keep taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled! I also need 3 Volunteer Assistants for the show—these folks will not GM, but will instead run Pathfinder Society HQ and will be my go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society. This year I'm also seeking 4 "booth volunteers." These folks must be highly knowledgeable about all of Paizo's products lines, must be well kept, clean, and professional, and must be able to stand and move for up to 6 hours at a time. Booth volunteers will work the Paizo booth sales floor, answer questions, and let Paizo employees know when product needs to be restocked. Booth volunteers will not work the register and will not have access to the back area of the booth. Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at Gen Con 2010 as well as the events and slots for which I need volunteer GMs and booth volunteers.
Keep in mind that you're volunteering for a slot, not a specific event. I'll assign people to events inside the slot they've volunteered for and I won't take requests.
Volunteer Tiers and Rewards
Volunteer Assistant FULL! No more needed.
Booth Volunteers FULL! No more needed.
Tier 1 GM Volunteers
Tier 1 GM volunteers are my workhorse, every day GMs. They are invaluable to making the show a success! Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 8 slots. Tier 1 GMs may feel free to volunteer for more than 8 slots if they so desire. I only have room for 24 Tier 1 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts that you won't be able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:
A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2010 badge
A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Marriott Downtown Indianapolis
A $10 per slot voucher for the Paizo booth (to be used in the Paizo booth on Sunday only)
A FREE autographed copy of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player's Guide hardcover at Gen Con
A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2010 T-Shirt
Tier 2 GM Volunteers
While the rewards for volunteering for this tier are smaller, the majority of my volunteers will come from Tier 2. Tier 2 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 4 slots. Tier 2 GMs receive:
A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2010 badge
A $10 per slot voucher for the Paizo booth
A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2010 T-Shirt
Tier 3 GM Volunteers
This is the minimum volunteer level. Tier 3 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 2 slots. Tier 3 GMs receive:
A $10 per slot voucher for the Paizo booth
A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2010 T-Shirt
Volunteering for One Slot
While we will gladly accept anyone who wants to run just one slot during the show, there are no rewards for doing so other than our thanks.
When Volunteering...
Please be specific about what slot you are volunteering for. I will assign folks to scenarios on an as-needed basis, so you really only need to tell me the slot(s) you're volunteering for (since I won't take requests). I will update the needs in the thread below as I receive volunteers, so you may look there to remain up to date on where we still need help. Lastly, you must have a gencon.com account and you must include your gencon.com account # in your email or I won't be able to get you a badge (obviously this is only for volunteers who are volunteering for 4 or more slots).
... The Best Laid Plans... Wednesday, March 17, 2010I hate airing our dirty laundry in public... ... Who am I kidding, I relish airing our dirty laundry in public, but professionalism and good taste often makes doing so... inadvisable. But this is a special situation and in this instance it's easy to talk around the specifics so to protect the innoce—well, in this case, to protect the guilty. As we've been trying to show off our editorial processes with this project, even more reason to...
The Best Laid Plans...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
I hate airing our dirty laundry in public...
Who am I kidding, I relish airing our dirty laundry in public, but professionalism and good taste often makes doing so... "inadvisable." But this is a special situation and in this instance it's easy to talk around the specifics so to protect the innoce—well, in this case, to protect the guilty. As we've been trying to show off our editorial processes with this project, even more reason to let you all in on how things sometimes play out around here.
The product in question: From Shore to Sea, our Pathfinder Module partnered with Wolfgang Baur's patron-fueled Open Design venture.
The topic: Sometimes we get screwed.
So, let's backtrack a little bit. Here's something most folks didn't notice—unless you've been getting emails from me or really enjoy reading the credits pages of our projects. Around October of last year my title here at Paizo totally didn't change. What comes after that title did, though. Thus, "Managing Editor of Pathfinder" became "Managing Editor of Paizo Publishing." The distinction: now I'm not just in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly for Pathfinder Adventure Path, but everything else we publish too. And, as a special bonus challenge, that it all happens in a timely manner. That's been the real trick. It's like telling someone to build a number of towers (one for each product line) but, hey, for fun, let's start at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon, in this case, is our "schedule debt," a sizable hole with depth markers called Dragon and Dungeon magazines, the Pathfinder Campaign Setting, the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, and other beautiful fiascos that have gradually meant nearly everything we publish has fallen off its intended tracks. A real nasty peril when you've got thousands of gamers rightly demanding the products they've subscribed to and expect from month to month. But with my shiny Paizo-brand carrot and Paizo-brand stick, and the incredible efforts of our insanely talented and even more dedicated designers, editors (with a special nod to Judy Bauer, Chris Carey, Rob McCreary, and James Sutter), and folks at all levels of the company who have sacrificed nights, weekends, sleep, and meals to write and edit, those towers have reached up and up toward the light. The first tower to break the surface was the Pathfinder Module line with From to Shore to Sea, scheduled to go to print, on time, March 5th.
Or rather it would have, if the art we ordered actually came in. Oh, I don't just mean came in on time, I mean, was going to come in at all. What we got on the due date instead of a half dozen illustrations was an apology from Joe "You'll-Never-Work-in-this-Town-Again" and a very empty "good luck!" Lame. Now, art directorix Sarah Robinson is a goddess for a variety of reasons, but the power she employed in this particular crisis was to bat her eyelashes via email and coax a whole host of fantastically talented artists to take up the slack, and in record speed. What that did mean, though, is that instead of going out on time, From to Shore to Sea is now going out next week, three weeks behind my precious schedule. Ugh.
Illustration by Dan Scott
Wolf set us up with this great plan, author Brandon Hodge pulled together a fantastic adventure, the Open Design patrons made a host of inspired suggestions, and Rob developed this thing into a fine addition to our Pathfinder Modules line in record time. And Dan Scott, our ever reliably awesome cover artist, did the incredible cover I’ve attached here. (Again, Dan: great and timely work. We love Dan’s stuff.) Yet despite top-notch materials and everyone who touched the adventure doing heroic work, sometimes things still don't work out the way they should. Sometimes it makes things frustrating and stressful, but never, ever boring.
From Shore to Sea will be awesome, there's no doubt about that, and I'm more excited about this one than I am about most. But, sadly, this one has had a bumpy journey, and my first tower breaking the surface will likely have to wait for City of Strangers in the Pathfinder Chronicles line later this month. Missing a deadline sadly isn't something new, so don't go adjusting orders or rechecking release dates; this happens sometimes and no one outside this building ever hears about it. Our website and warehouse teams are also quite adept—to our chagrin—at picking up our slack. And, should all our plans continue to work and there are relatively few additional catastrophes, you shouldn't ever hear me griping about our "editorial debt" again.
So just a heads-up for all the folks who have been invested in and keenly anticipating Open Design's From to Shore to Sea: it's awesome and it's coming, but sometimes the path from author to your hands has some unanticipated adventures. And expect a very boring blog post from me in a few months announcing that all our product lines are, at last, shipping to the printer on time. It might not matter much to folks outside these offices, but here, it's going to be cresting the top of a very tall hill.
... Illustration by Patrick Renie ... The New Guy Tuesday, February 16, 2010Well, Friday was my first day as the new Editorial Intern at Paizo, and I must say I'm not disappointed. ... One of the first things I noticed in the office was that everyone spoke like a GM at all times, talking about drawing up maps and discussing the finer points of the gnomes of Golarion. It's awesome. Being the only Pathfinder GM in my group back home, my players often don't understand the work that goes into...
Illustration by Patrick Renie
The New Guy
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Well, Friday was my first day as the new Editorial Intern at Paizo, and I must say I'm not disappointed.
One of the first things I noticed in the office was that everyone spoke like a GM at all times, talking about drawing up maps and discussing the finer points of the gnomes of Golarion. It's awesome. Being the only Pathfinder GM in my group back home, my players often don't understand the work that goes into running a game, which, as I'm sure many GMs can attest to, is a little frustrating at times.
At any rate, it has been a fun transition, going from an environment in which I am the most experienced and rules-learned person at the table to Paizo, where I am practically the polar opposite. It puts GMing into perspective, to be certain; crafting the world of Pathfinder is a bit more daunting a task than designing a two-level dungeon for Saturday night's session. Which makes me all the more excited to work here.
... Memories Wednesday, January 27, 2010As many of you know, having followed this internship period with great fervor (I have been assaulted by paparazzi no less than seven times), I will soon be vanishing from this land. ... There are some benefits to my departure. Once more I will be addressed by other people as Matt and not starving intern, which is less of a title really and more of the beginnings to a declarative statement (read: Starving interns, bookmark this PDF!). ... Some of my best...
Memories
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
As many of you know, having followed this internship period with great fervor (I have been assaulted by paparazzi no less than seven times), I will soon be vanishing from this land.
There are some benefits to my departure. Once more I will be addressed by other people as "Matt" and not "starving intern," which is less of a title really and more of the beginnings to a declarative statement (read: "Starving interns, bookmark this PDF!").
Some of my best memories were those times when I could ride someone's coattails into the building, having been given no keys of my own. This I savored in lieu of the alternative: braving the main entrance thorough the customer service lair, wherein waits Cosmo, destroyer of worlds. Though I was threatened only once by way of nerf gun, I was also accosted in the name of a ham sandwich, which I have yet to procure. It would be incorrect for me to suggest that I tremble at every sound I hear, but at times I do flinch and shrink away from what I fear may be the inevitability of Cosmo's ham-sandwichless wrath.
I remember relearning a lot of gaming. It's a well-kept secret (among staff here, even) that I landed this internship without much gaming experience at all. So little, in fact, that I had only three d20 Modern sessions under my belt and one 3.5 session. By that token, I'm completely thrilled to have been given this opportunity, as well as to have played in Crystal's campaign (mentioned by Tyler here).
I remember the sparse but consistently entertaining vignettes of the life experiences of Sean K Reynolds. I remember data entry, copy edits, development meetings, manuscript styling, playtests, teaching myself Photoshop on a whim, arranging battles between weresabretooth tigers and the lava dragon on my desk, drinking lots of tea, bookmarking PDFs, and repairing Planet Stories manuscripts. I remember teaching Wes the intern's point of view on free food: "Do not question free food, for it is both free, and food." I remember my first editorial pass on Pathfinder Society Scenario #36: Voice in the Void. I remember how its writer soon came to work for us. I remember the occasional free meal, sometimes paid for by you, the wonderful fans.
In fact, I remember everything fondly with the exception of Highway 520, that notoriously temperamental highway and bridge that separates the Paizo offices from "mainland" Seattle. To the hour of traffic I sat in each night after departing, I bid you adieu.
To all my fellow Pathfinder fans, I'll likely see you on the messageboards, and to the rest of the staff... I'll see you at PaizoCon '10. Wish me luck in my senior year of college, and more than that, luck in finding a job afterwards!
... Photography by James Jacobs ... New Addition to the Paizo Family! Monday, January 25, 2009I have a pet pseudodragon! He guards my desk against unwanted intruders, shreds lackluster manuscripts for nesting material, chirps when I forget to go home at night, helps with insomnia, and spell checks documents for me! And if I can brag a bit... he was made by my mom for my birthday a few weeks ago! Apparently, it took her two years on and off to get him just right, with articulated and posable...
Photography by James Jacobs
New Addition to the Paizo Family!
Monday, January 25, 2009
I have a pet pseudodragon! He guards my desk against unwanted intruders, shreds lackluster manuscripts for nesting material, chirps when I forget to go home at night, helps with insomnia, and spell checks documents for me! And if I can brag a bit... he was made by my mom for my birthday a few weeks ago! Apparently, it took her two years on and off to get him just right, with articulated and posable wings and legs, a tail filled with sand from the Point Arena beach (washed and cleaned, of course!), and sparkly hair that doesn’t quite show up as well in the photo as it does in real life. His name is Gwangi. Gaze upon his majesty!
And PS: That’s a map of the entire Stolen Lands just behind Gwangi. Think of it as an "accidental Kingmaker preview," even if you can’t really make out the details.
... And We're Back! Monday, January 4, 2010Hey hey everybody! It's a brand new year and we're already back at it. We're elbows deep in the next volume of Kingmaker, the GameMastery Guide and Advanced Player's Guide are both coming together, the NPC Folio is nearing completion, we got new Pathfinder Society Scenarios up just before the new year, and a ton of other things we're not quite ready to show off yet are simmering away. It's nice to be back in the thick of things. ... But more than...
And We're Back!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Hey hey everybody! It's a brand new year and we're already back at it. We're elbows deep in the next volume of Kingmaker, the GameMastery Guide and Advanced Player's Guide are both coming together, the NPC Folio is nearing completion, we got new Pathfinder Society Scenarios up just before the new year, and a ton of other things we're not quite ready to show off yet are simmering away. It's nice to be back in the thick of things.
But more than anything, what's already floored me this year are our fantastic players and readers.
In regards to two bizarre personal items I, for some reason, prove especially particular: key chains and calendars. I suspect it's because these are things I have to look at every day, so I want things I'll more than just like. At the same time they're essentially personal accessories, so they should also reflect their owner's tastes and character. It's this kind of over thinking that typically means I have no keychain and often leads me to go for years without a physical calendar.
Not this year, though! I returned from my vacation to a package containing a flattering letter and a calendar from one of the players in my Bastardhall Playtest from PaizoCon '09. Aside from being a jaw-droppingly, spot-on, I-couldn't-have-done-better-myself calendar (full of awesome black-and-white moody photos of haunted real-world castles and sites), the fact that someone remembered and enjoyed that cobbled together playtest so much was a fantastic compliment. So much so, that it's energized me to set to work outlining Ustalav in much greater depth and prepping a new monthly Pathfinder campaign to carry on where my fantastic playtesters left off.
So thanks to Jason R. for the incredible New Year's gift (it's totally going on my office wall) and to everyone here on the boards who reads our stuff month after month and keeps us going not just with subscription dollars, but with endless support, enthusiasm, shared stories, well-considered feedback, and countless other surprises. Thanks again everybody and I can't wait to see what you all come up with in 2010!
... All Work and No Play Friday, December 18, 2009The holidays approach, and the Paizo staff is working overtime to get a few more products out the door before a short holiday break, but sometimes you have to sit down, relax, and enjoy some good food and good company. Last Friday was Paizo's holiday party at JM Cellars winery in Woodinville, with wine tasting, handmade pizza by Veraci Pizza, and a white elephant gift exchange. Here's a small selection of the photos from the event (and...
All Work and No Play
Friday, December 18, 2009
The holidays approach, and the Paizo staff is working overtime to get a few more products out the door before a short holiday break, but sometimes you have to sit down, relax, and enjoy some good food and good company. Last Friday was Paizo's holiday party at JM Cellars winery in Woodinville, with wine tasting, handmade pizza by Veraci Pizza, and a white elephant gift exchange. Here's a small selection of the photos from the event (and apologies in advance for the "mood lighting").
... At Times, a Marathon Wednesday, December 9, 2009Comrades and Comradettes, ... Much has happened here at Paizo since I last wrote. While here, I had the privilege of watching Wayne Reynolds's iconic character sketches come in one by one, and stood in the circle of other staff gaping and gawking. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly?), nobody's favorite is the same. In my unartistic opinion, that is simply a testament to the skill of our Mr. Reynolds (who caught the Firefly pun?), who can...
At Times, a Marathon
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Comrades and Comradettes,
Much has happened here at Paizo since I last wrote. While here, I had the privilege of watching Wayne Reynolds's iconic character sketches come in one by one, and stood in the circle of other staff gaping and gawking. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly?), nobody's favorite is the same. In my unartistic opinion, that is simply a testament to the skill of our Mr. Reynolds (who caught the Firefly pun?), who can capture six new and distinctive characters in a way that appeals differently to everyone—player, GM, intern...
As for what I've been working on, two jobs have demanded the majority of my time here. The first was patchworking the freelance texts that are to be a part of our GameMastery Guide into chapters, and then styling them to match our Paizo house style.
An ongoing task has been the dreaded Rules Database—something Wes has apologized for countless times. When it's finished, it'll be a series of Excel spreadsheets that catalogues each and every monster, magic item, feat, spell, trait, piece of equipment, prestige class, monster template, and trap that has ever appeared in a Paizo RPG product (both in the 3.5 rules set and our shiny new PFRPG rules set). Did I mention the "each and every" part? It's still in the process and nowhere close to being edited—what with all the other craziness people actually pay for taking up nearly every waking hour—but eventually it should be something pretty cool.
I've also done a lot of copyediting, a few development passes of elements for Kingmaker, and am now working on a bit of Planet Stories styling. It's all very exciting!
Until the next time, keep it classy, enjoy the playtests (the last two coming up soon!), pick up the new Powers comic, listen to the Rush discography, and watch Serenity four or five times.
... Happy Erik Mona Day (Observed)! Wednesday, November 11, 2009No one here at Paizo really understands the significance of the 8th of November, or how it came to be known as Erik Mona Day—especially not the pseudo holiday's namesake. But sure enough, like the semi-reliable working of a clock with too many numbers, on or about the 312th day of the year strange deliverymen track their way to Paizo's door with flatteringly inscrutable prizes. Typically, it's pizza—glorious free...
Happy Erik Mona Day (Observed)!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
No one here at Paizo really understands the significance of the 8th of November, or how it came to be known as Erik Mona Day—especially not the pseudo holiday's namesake. But sure enough, like the semi-reliable working of a clock with too many numbers, on or about the 312th day of the year strange deliverymen track their way to Paizo's door with flatteringly inscrutable prizes. Typically, it's pizza—glorious free pizza in all the flavors of the Papa John's rainbow. This year, though, on perhaps the first Erik Mona Day with our publisher actually present at the office, it was fruit. Chocolate covered fruit. On pointy sticks. A delicious gift that suggests a world of devious and appropriately adventuresome extracurricular projects.
So thanks all you weirdos who chipped in to make this another awesome Erik Mona Day (observed)! We can't say how much we appreciate it, or how far this goes toward making the long nights and weekend days worthwhile.
But now, back to snacking. We we've got a lot of fruit to go through and that punji pit outside Jason's office isn't going to build itself.
... From Prague to Paizo in 31 Days Wednesday, November 4, 2009One day, not so long ago, a bright-eyed young expat freelancer was shaken from the idylls of his honeymoon with the news that Paizo Publishing, in the far-off, fey-haunted Evergreen State, had decided to add another lost soul to the depths of its editorial pit. ... Knowing that such a summons could not go ignored for long, I immediately made arrangements to return to my homeland, kissed my new wife goodbye, and boarded a roc bound...
From Prague to Paizo in 31 Days
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
One day, not so long ago, a bright-eyed young expat freelancer was shaken from the idylls of his honeymoon with the news that Paizo Publishing, in the far-off, fey-haunted Evergreen State, had decided to add another lost soul to the depths of its editorial pit.
Knowing that such a summons could not go ignored for long, I immediately made arrangements to return to my homeland, kissed my new wife goodbye, and boarded a roc bound for Seattle. After a trying ordeal of canceled flights and missed connections, a harrowing attack by a crag linnorm, and an unexpected stay in Vancouver, I finally arrived on the cobbled streets of Redmond, ready for my first day in the hallowed halls of Paizo Publishing.
Having previously dealt with the famous Golem of Prague, I easily avoided the guardian golems at the gates, and working my way past booby traps, false doors, and nightingale floors, successfully infiltrated the sanctum sanctorum of editorial privilege. Rather than allow myself to be ignominiously thrown in shackles into the editorial pit, I rappelled down using braided ferret-fur rope (world-renowned for its flexibility and tensile strength) and staked my claim in an unoccupied and strangely cube-like side cavern.
Sadly, all my precautions were in vain, as I soon discovered that most of Paizo’s minions had apparently decided to make “Rob’s First Day on the Job” a workshop holiday. No doubt they’re imposing some sort of quarantine on me to avoid whatever virulent European plagues I brought with me. It’s been pretty quiet so far… maybe too quiet. I can sense the grammar ghouls and style sphinxes lurking in the darkness beyond my cave’s walls, waiting to vex me with riddles of usage and voice when I least expect it.
But as the ghosts of forgotten manuscripts and spectres of excess verbiage slain on the altar of editorial fiat howl about me, I remain firm, resolute, and even optimistic. How many stat blocks might I save from disgrace? How many guarded secrets can I pry from the clutching fingers of jealous writers? How many fabulous treasures might I recover from the depths of development hell?
Stay tuned, loyal readers, and I’ll do my best to bring you all the wonders of Golarion and beyond that Paizo has to offer. And not even the blue pencil-wielding troglodytes of punctuation will stop me!
... But Erik Mona Day Isn't for Weeks… Friday, October 30, 2009Between the slurping of soda and gnashing of teeth garbled thanks issued forth to Pathfinder Wiki mastermind Mark Moreland (yoda8myhead on the boards) and all of our other fiscally indulgent readers who sent about a dozen pizzas the way of the beleaguered Paizo staff this morning. Happy to forget ungracious questions like why, all of us here wanted to extend our full-bellied thanks to our awesome/insane (awesomely insane?) readers...
But Erik Mona Day Isn't for Weeks…
Friday, October 30, 2009
Between the slurping of soda and gnashing of teeth garbled thanks issued forth to Pathfinder Wiki mastermind Mark Moreland (yoda8myhead on the boards) and all of our other fiscally indulgent readers who sent about a dozen pizzas the way of the beleaguered Paizo staff this morning. Happy to forget ungracious questions like "why," all of us here wanted to extend our full-bellied thanks to our awesome/insane (awesomely insane?) readers for the totally unexpected gift.
Photography by Joshua Frost
Also, just a note so you can prepare your Viking helms, Erik Mona Day, which typically falls on November 8th, will be observed Monday November 9th this year.
Interns! Mash them, smash them, dissolve them in energy drink!
... Illustration by Tyler Clark ... Interns! Mash them, smash them, dissolve them in energy drink! Wednesday, October 28, 2009During my first week, I was surprised to find there is a significant lack of chaotic evil in the office. I was not whipped by a winged baboon-devil while organizing the archive, and I am given free coffee that I did not have to make myself. I was expecting that Matt and I would be told early on to prove our worth by enduring psychological torture or some bloody...
Illustration by Tyler Clark
Interns! Mash them, smash them, dissolve them in energy drink!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
During my first week, I was surprised to find there is a significant lack of chaotic evil in the office. I was not whipped by a winged baboon-devil while organizing the archive, and I am given free coffee that I did not have to make myself. I was expecting that Matt and I would be told early on to "prove our worth" by enduring psychological torture or some bloody nonsense, but so far I have not had to pull my sawtooth sabre from where it is taped beneath my desk and pounce on him like an unsuspecting puppy with a remote-activated bomb collar. Though we are treated well, our nametags haven't arrived yet, and my Paizo-embroidered handkerchief scratches my nose a bit.
Well, we are on to introductions, children of Zo; I am Editorial Intern Tyler. I dwell in a cubicle with Editorial Intern Matt. He's quite nice, and sometimes I actually believe that we are not plotting each other's deaths via falling gargoyles and sabotaged car engines. Even though we don't actually have a bloody rivalry, I am still generally a happy person. I like half-orcs and barbarians, though I occasionally dabble in sorcery and the bluff skill. There are times I lie awake in bed having elaborate fantasies about being John Connor. I'm friendly to all woodland animals as long as they're cute and more than ten feet away. I don't know much about cars. I eat at Subway too much. I like Lady Gaga because she is a classy lady and could be a villain from Cheliax. In addition, I like to talk about myself (to myself), whine too much to family members, and I'm famous for once telling a story that, in its entirety, lasted 4 hours.
I'm somewhat new to the Paizo family, but so far this internship has been really fun. Hopefully I'll get to know some of you on good terms, and the rest won't hate me enough to complain.
... To Boldly Go... and Do Awesome Stuff Monday, October 26, 2009Questions are springing to your mind just about now, I suppose. Synapses are firing, tickling with neuron transfers. Questions like Who is this fellow? What is he doing here? What is his favorite flavor of ice cream? ... These questions are to be answered in due time, of course, and to facilitate these ends, I must insist that you take a seat around the Campfire of Good Times while I spin some lore. ... In a dark time not so...
To Boldly Go... and Do Awesome Stuff
Monday, October 26, 2009
Questions are springing to your mind just about now, I suppose. Synapses are firing, tickling with neuron transfers. Questions like "Who is this fellow? What is he doing here? What is his favorite flavor of ice cream?"
These questions are to be answered in due time, of course, and to facilitate these ends, I must insist that you take a seat around the Campfire of Good Times while I spin some lore.
In a dark time not so long ago, there was a young English Major at the University of Washington. His days were filled with classes, homework, and more horribly, lots and lots of retail work. One can only take so much retail work, but this young adventurer had need to pay the bills.
Nevertheless he applied for an unpaid publishing internship and now only works retail on the weekends, which, though undeniably a poor economic decision, is one more spiritually rewarding, as it allows him to do Awesome Stuff and be surrounded by Awesome People.
This includes but is not limited to: seeing products before they make their way to the press, copyediting said documents, and more generally, watching the creative process as it happens.
I can tell already that my time here at Paizo will be uniquely rewarding in these things alone, and it is my pleasure to be among these great people and to serve you great fans. If you want to see the first fruits of my labor, pick up Pathfinder Society Scenario #35: Voice in the Void by Rob McCreary, due out October 28th. And if you find any proofreading errors, uh… blame someone else. What do you expect to come out of a desk like this?
I'm still working on the decorations, but you guys said you wanted pictures of the new place... And for the record, my favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla. Bow to the versatility.
... Happy (early) Anniversary, Paizo! Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Greetings Paizonians! Tomorrow is Paizo’s seventh anniversary! In celebration, I thought I would share with you Paizo’s most closely guarded secret: the Golem’s stats! For months I have watched the foolish drunkards Vadid and Nahk as they’ve braved the Paizo vaults, and while they’ve had the guardians distracted with their bumbling antics, I secretly gathered information on their nemesis, the Paizo Golem. Finally, I have assembled...
Happy (early) Anniversary, Paizo!
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
Greetings Paizonians! Tomorrow is Paizo’s seventh anniversary! In celebration, I thought I would share with you Paizo’s most closely guarded secret: the Golem’s stats! For months I have watched the foolish drunkards Vadid and Nahk as they’ve braved the Paizo vaults, and while they’ve had the guardians distracted with their bumbling antics, I secretly gathered information on their nemesis, the Paizo Golem. Finally, I have assembled enough clues to piece together a complete picture of this mysterious being, and I present them here, compatible with the upcoming Pathfinder RPG!
The Golem
The tall, dusty shelves loom high overhead, reaching ever upward to the high-vaulted ceiling and stretching forever away into dusk and shadow. Before the endless walls of yellowed scrolls, leather-bound tomes, and crystal balls of unknowable secrets stands an immense, silent figure. A single, pale light from behind it frames its hulking silhouette. It stalks forward on thundering limbs and the shadow it wears falls away, revealing a smooth, iron-black body, devoid of any features but the two fiery orbs that regard the intruders with a powerful, burning intellect.
The Golem CR 20
XP 307,200
N Huge construct Init +6; Senses low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20
DEFENSE AC 36, touch 14, flat-footed 34; (+2 Dex, +4 deflection, +22 natural, –2 Size) hp 370 (20d10+260); fast healing 10 Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +15 Defensive Abilities construct traits; DR 15/adamantine; Immune magic
OFFENSE Spd 40 ft. Melee 2 slams +36 (2d12+18/19-20) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. Special Attacks depthless knowledge, shatter the earth, sweeping charge Spell-like Abilities (CL 20th)
At will—arcane lock, arcane sight, comprehend languages, daze (DC 19), detect magic, identify
3/day—alarm, crushing despair (DC 23), dimensional anchor, greater arcane eye, hold person (DC 22), locate object
1/day—bull's strength, crushing hand (DC 28), dimension door, discern location, dominate monster (DC 28), forcecage (DC 26), greater dispel magic, mage's disjunction (DC 28)
STATISTICS Str 46, Dex 14, Con —, Int 20, Wis 29, Cha 28 Base Atk +20; CMB +40; CMD 56 Feats Alertness, Critical Focus (slam), Dodge, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception), Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Toughness Skills Appraise +11, Bluff +15, Climb +24, Diplomacy +15, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcane) +15, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (engineering) +13, Knowledge (geography) +15, Knowledge (history) +15, Knowledge (local) +15, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (nobility) +13, Knowledge (planes) +15, Knowledge (religion) +15, Linguistics +11, Perception +20, Sense Motive +17 Languages any; telepathy 100 ft. SQ sturdy stride Gear The Heart of Lore
ECOLOGY Environment the labyrinthine corridors of Paizo Publishing, realms of knowledge and learning, and anywhere imagination runs free and inspired Organization solitary Treasure immense arcane library worth 500,000 gold pieces
SPECIAL ABILITIES Shatter the Earth (Su) As a standard action, the Golem can slam its fists down onto the ground, directing energy into the surface and causing it to ripple outward in all directions for 15 feet. Any creature standing in the area takes 2d12+18 points of damage and must succeed at a DC 38 Reflex save or be knocked prone. In addition, the ground becomes buckled and smashed and is considered difficult terrain. The save DC is Strength-based. Sturdy Stride (Ex) The Golem completely ignores difficult terrain. Sweeping Charge (Ex) The Golem can charge at a target even through squares occupied by other creatures of Large size or smaller, battering them effortlessly aside. Any creature occupying a square on the path toward the target must make a DC 38 Reflex save or be thrown 1d4x5 feet, suffering 2d8+18 damage and knocked prone. This save DC is Strength-based. Depthless Knowledge (Su) As a full round action, the Golem can capture the knowledge of any creature within 30 feet. When using this ability, the Golem's eyes seem to swell, becoming deep, endless pools. The target must succeed at a DC 29 Will save or become a mindless vegetable for 1d4 rounds, unable to perform any action. During this time, the Golem can use any skill or feat possessed by the victim as if it itself had the skill or feat, adding the victim's skill ranks to its own if it already possesses them. In addition, the victim's BAB, if higher, replaces the Golem's, and the Golem gains all of the victim's spells, able to cast them without their requisite components (if any). Any such spells used by the Golem are considered cast when the victim regains control of his senses. The Golem can only capture the knowledge of one target at a time. Any creature that succeeds at its Will save is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours. This save DC is Charisma-based.
A traveler from beyond the stars, this ageless being came to Earth during a time when vast, steamy jungles and nameless, forgotten terrors crawled across the face of our planet. A caretaker of lore and knowledge of both this world and of others, the Golem has marched across the bones of countless epochs in an endless quest for information, searching always for the unknowable, and questing eternally for the unattainable. His midnight black body appears to be constructed of highly polished iron, though the mysterious black metal is unknown to any Earthbound scientist. Forged by hands long lost to the Universe, the Golem is the last of its kind.
The Golem contains the powerful artifact known as the Heart of Lore, which appears as a radiant ball of pure, crystalline energy that it keeps stored in its broad, powerful chest. This item grants the Golem a +4 deflection bonus to its Armor Class, fast healing 10, and 200 extra hit points.
History
The Golem once slaved for its masters, a long-extinct race of space travelers and explorers who, after eons of existence, catalogued and explored much of our galaxy and even beyond, using a powerful blend of science and magic to reach out to the far corners of existence. To help them acquire and protect all of this collected knowledge, they constructed a potent servitor class, a race of obedient constructs that hungered for knowledge and lore as much as they.
But nothing withstands Time, and eventually the species began to fall into extinction, and their servitors along with them. Until when at last only the Golem remained, the remainder of the species bound their collected knowledge into a powerful artifact—the Heart of Lore—and infused it within the Golem, so that it would be forever the caretaker of their posterity. The Golem then set out into the Universe, exploring countless worlds—Golarion among them—settling for millennia at a time before finally moving on. Earth is but the latest stop on its everlasting voyage.
Habitat & Society
The Golem is driven by an insatiable hunger for knowledge, though it does occasionally stop for prolonged periods, allying itself with scholars and artisans whom it finds worthy, and sharing with them the tales it has accumulated over the course of its incredibly long and storied existence, so that they in turn can share them with others—for it is not only the duty of the Golem to collect knowledge and tales, but to ensure that they are never forgotten. However, the Golem is very particular about with whom it chooses to share its knowledge, and any attempt to acquire its information or possessions without its consent are dealt with most severely.
... Paizo Twitter Friday, April 24, 2009We've been tweeting! As of yesterday afternoon Paizo has its very own Twitter account. Come join the more than 200 Twitter users already getting nearly 24-hour-a-day updates on all sorts of Pathfinder info, Pathfinder RPG details, and other Paizo ephemera! Follow along on the Paizo Twitter page right here. ... There's also a new Twitter page for Planet Stories, where you can get endless updates on all your favorite pulp science fiction and fantasy...
Paizo Twitter
Friday, April 24, 2009
We've been tweeting! As of yesterday afternoon Paizo has its very own Twitter account. Come join the more than 200 Twitter users already getting nearly 24-hour-a-day updates on all sorts of Pathfinder info, Pathfinder RPG details, and other Paizo ephemera! Follow along on the Paizo Twitter page right here.
There's also a new Twitter page for Planet Stories, where you can get endless updates on all your favorite pulp science fiction and fantasy stories and authors as well as other exciting news on all our upcoming adventures!
A Day at the Office Thursday, February 12, 2009The Paizo office isn't just all about the RPGs and trade paperbacks—it's amazing what goes on around here. The other day, I came to work early just to participate in Pierce Watter's weekly taijiquan lesson. It's a great way to start the day; I learned the qigong warm-up exercises, the beginner's pushing hands exercise, and ten ways to kill a man with an eyelash. ... Pierce is very knowledgeable about taijiquan (as his 40 years of martial...
A Day at the Office
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The Paizo office isn't just all about the RPGs and trade paperbacks—it's amazing what goes on around here. The other day, I came to work early just to participate in Pierce Watter's weekly taijiquan lesson. It's a great way to start the day; I learned the qigong warm-up exercises, the beginner's pushing hands exercise, and ten ways to kill a man with an eyelash.
Pierce is very knowledgeable about taijiquan (as his 40 years of martial arts training, being the founding editor of Internal Arts magazine, and multiple magazine articles in Kung Fu magazine will attest), and perhaps even more knowledgeable about various Chinese teas. Each day, Pierce prepares a pot of tea, and after the lesson he offered me some of his delicious brew (there's nothing quite like sharing a pot of tea with Pierce Watters while talking to him about Chinese tea culture, taijiquan, or his tenure at TSR).
So, with my day already off to a great start, there was only one way to top it: work on Pathfinder products. I was particularly pleased with this day; David and I completed the first two big projects we were assigned, and we gave an editing pass over a chapter of the upcoming sourcebook Pathfinder Chronicles: The Great Beyond, A Guide to the Multiverse. (This book is going to be great; what we read has David and me very excited to see the rest!)
By six o'clock, I was ready to call the day a success, go home and get some dinner (I had skipped lunch), watch some of The Office, and pass out. Little did I know that there was still more awesome headed my way: Sean K Reynolds approached and invited us to join him in his weekly after-work session of miniature painting! Even though I was starving, I had to check it out. So David and I hopped on over to the meeting room where Sean showed us the ropes of this delicate art while assuring us that the process is actually quite simple.
The really cool part was him unveiling a foam case filled with his as-of-yet unpainted miniatures and allowing us to choose one, saying with a smile, "You paint it, you keep it!" How cool is that?! (Incidentally, I chose what looks like a human female rogue, masked and hooded and wielding a longsword.) I'm really excited about these sessions, even though I still find the task a bit daunting. He says it's easy to learn, but then you look at his, and they're seriously works of art.
But you know what, even if I'm totally horrible (which I'm fairly certain will be the case, since I can't even stay in the lines of a coloring book... that's right, I color), it will still be a lot of fun. Also, Sean has some very entertaining anecdotes of various games he's played in with other famed game designers (which kept me there far longer than my growling stomach would have liked). David and I decided these stories absolutely need to go up as blogs, and we'll also be posting pics of our sloppy attempts at miniature painting once we finish our first ones (well, David's might actually be good).
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and certainly a great way to bookend what is just another day at the office!
... It Just Keeps Coming Tuesday, October 28, 2008Paizo is a very busy place. For any given month we're publishing six or more books, plus novels, item cards, and maps. I feel like those vaudeville acts where the guy's spinning plates on top of poles, keeping them all balanced. ... I love it. I love being busy—I'd rather be busy than bored. Since I started at Paizo in July, I've developed at least 12 different products. And that doesn't count planning for future products (like the...
It Just Keeps Coming
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Paizo is a very busy place. For any given month we're publishing six or more books, plus novels, item cards, and maps. I feel like those vaudeville acts where the guy's spinning plates on top of poles, keeping them all balanced.
I love it. I love being busy—I'd rather be busy than bored. Since I started at Paizo in July, I've developed at least 12 different products. And that doesn't count planning for future products (like the Pathfinder RPG) or giving feedback on other peoples' projects. Sure, sometimes we get behind, but I often say, "Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute," and we buckle down and work that much faster.
This very day I'm helping finish up Osirion, Land of Pharaohs and Pathfinder Chronicles Guide to Absalom, doing back cover copy for an as-yet-unannounced surprise, starting a development pass on Dragons Revisited, doing a quick development pass on Pathfinder Society scenario #7, doing a pagination for Clash of the Kingslayers, writing an art order for Guide to Katapesh, and reviewing sketches for the next item cards set. Phew! It's fast-paced and crazy, but it is very satisfying when the books arrive in the warehouse and I know that our team worked really hard to get them done. And this is a fairly typical day. I checked our schedule page for October and of this month's releases, I developed or helped develop four of them and wrote another. You may think that working for a game company is nothing but sitting around, rolling dice, and eating pizza, but it's actually a lot of intense crunch-time labor.
One of the editors of Dragon back in the '80s or '90s wrote an editorial about the monthly magazine business, and how you're always counting down toward the issue's deadline. The first day of working on a magazine is Deadline Minus 30, the next is Deadline Minus 29, and so on. And the day after you ship the book isn't Deadline Plus One—it's Deadline Minus 30 for the next issue. It never stops! You always have something to work on.
Speaking of which, I have three more things I need to finish before the end of the day. Time for some caffeine fuel! And maybe some delicious pie....
