It is a rare occasion when a person can combine two fun events into one. On this Monday after the Super Bowl, I get to do just that!
First, I want to welcome two new Venture-Captains to the ranks in areas that have been in serious need of strong organization for some time. The first is St. Louis, Missouri. Originally, St. Louis wasn’t on my list. However, that quickly changed when Brett Sweeney emailed his interest in becoming a Venture-Captain. He provided a very good resume and some outstanding answers to my interview questionnaire. There already seems to be a very strong base of players in the region and I am excited to see how Pathfinder Society grows in St. Louis, as well as the rest of Missouri, now that we have the entire state covered with an awesome group of Venture-Officers.
I also get very excited when we are able to assign a Venture-Captain to a region, or in this case a state, that has had little to no Venture-Officer presence, but has been longing for someone to step up to the task of organizing Pathfinder Society. I’ve known Martin Shelby for more than 10 years, have played roleplaying, board, card and miniatures games with him during that period, and know his organizational and gaming skills are up to the task. When he moved from Atlanta to Nashville last year, I already had my sights on setting him up as a Venture-Captain there. We talked about it last year at Gen Con and he wasn’t prepared to take over the reigns. However, five months later, he has decided that he would like to see how fast he can grow Pathfinder Society in middle Tennessee. He will be our first Venture-Captain in Tennessee and I foresee good things happening for the growth of Pathfinder Society in the state.
Now, on to the second fun event for this week—another holiday blog (and anyone who knows me knows how much I love a good brew)! Creative Director James Jacobs wrote the below description of Merrymead and you will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character. Merrymead is mentioned on page 248 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide.
The month of Calistril is much anticipated, if only because it signifies the end of winter and the inevitable (and usually much welcomed) onset of spring. And no time is more infused with this eager anticipation than the second day of the month—a day set aside in most areas of the Inner Sea as the holiday known as Merrymead. A key element of Merrymead, of course, is the consumption of the last of the previous season’s alcohol. Traditionally, this is intended to be little more than a communal sharing of mead supplies (a legacy of the holiday’s original origins in central Druma), but today, most celebrants use Merrymead as an excuse to get completely smashed on whatever source of booze is available. In high societies, aristocrats celebrate with the uncorking of bottles specifically set aside for the event, while in the city slums, roving gangs of celebrants carouse from bar to bar. It is here that the notorious “mead riots” generally happen, when not-quite-drunk-enough merrymakers, faced with the inevitable situation of there being more carousers than alcohol, grow violent and destructive. Cities with strong histories of mead riots generally draw upon additional troops from the militia to help keep the peace... yet sometimes, it can be hard to draw upon those troops when they themselves have been looking forward to their own Merrymead celebrations!
Welcome to our new Venture-Captains and Blesse... hic... Happ... hic... fun Merrymead all!
The Dawn of a New Era: Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.1
Monday, January 30, 2012
Illustration by Kevin Yan
When I arrived back in late September as the new Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator, I had hundreds of people requesting hundreds of changes to the way Pathfinder Society Organized Play was run. It was definitely enough to make my head swim with all the different requests and it took me a few weeks to get a grip on the way change should be handled. Pathfinder Society has some very good things going for it, but there were some rulings and fundamental practices that needed to be looked at to see if we could make organized play better.
The first step was to talk with Developer Mark Moreland. He was the current institutional knowledge on all things Pathfinder Society. I rolled of out my list proposed alterations and requests and we talked for the first few weeks about what could be changed, what should be changed, and what should remain the same. After quite a few hours-long meetings, we finally knew what improvements we wanted to focus on. I also want to take a quick second to thank Mark for all of his help, not just on the guide but with everything, in helping me to transition into this position. Without his help, thoughts, insight, and advice, this job would be a tenfold more difficult than it has been. Mark was the caretaker for a long while for Pathfinder Society and I appreciate everything he did to bring it up to the level it is today. He has more love and has poured more heart and soul into the campaign than anyone else I know and I thank him for that.
After my list of goals and changes was completed, I approached the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants for their input. I felt it was important to get more ideas and different perspectives from the leaders of Pathfinder Society. There was much debate and discussion. Changes and tweaks were made to refine the direction I wanted to take Pathfinder Society. After a week or so, we finally decided that most changes were in good working order. However, we felt, as a group, that it was important to hear what the fanbase had to say about such sweeping changes to organized play. We knew that there would be people who were outright opposed to some of the changes while others would wholeheartedly agree with them. Whatever the outcome, we still felt it important to allow folks to have their input heard. So, I listed a series of proposed changes on the Pathfinder Society General Discussion messageboard.
After a week or so of listening to input from players, GMs, coordinators, and store owners, we brought all the discussions back to the Venture-Captain messageboard. We held firm to some of the changes we believed in, but altered other proposed rules changes where all of you made very good points. Once we had all the rulings in place for after a final review, I wrote them into the new Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.1.
I will post a complete list of changes, additions, and deletions that vary from version 4.0 to version 4.1 on the Pathfinder Society General Discussion messageboard. However, I did want to list some of the bigger changes here.
We added all current Paizo shirts as available for a reroll.
We have changed the way pregenerated characters work. Gone are the days when playing a pregenerated character in a scenario for the first time left the player empty-handed. Now, if the player is playing a non-1st-level pregenerated character, he or she may choose instead to apply the Chronicle sheet to a newly created 1st-level character.
We added a new chapter titled, Chapter 6: Sanctioned Modules. There are big changes to sanctioned module play. Gone are the artificial leveling up or down of a character. Now, the sanctioned modules must be played by a character within one level of the module’s starting level. I know this is not a popular decision for some. However, campaign leadership feels this change is what is best for the campaign. Death and use of consumables now have consequences. New Chronicle sheets have been completed for all 15 sanctioned modules that adjust the wealth received to be in line with wealth received when playing the equivalent number of scenarios. These Chronicle sheets are available for download on their respective product pages.
We have opened up play beyond 12th level. While there are no 13th-level or higher scenarios on the schedule, a retired Pathfinder Society character may play and continue to advance in levels utilizing the sanctioned modules. To facilitate the higher-level advancement, the Fame and Item Purchases chart has been expanded to an upper limit of 99 points of Fame and 800,000 GP. Guidelines for purchasing scrolls of levels 7, 8 and 9 have also been included.
A section on alignment infractions has been added.
There are a few more changes and those will be detailed in the post on the Pathfinder Society General Discussion messageboard. I want to thank Mark, the Venture-Officers, and the fanbase for input into the new guide. I think the changes are what is best for the campaign, will help to strengthen the campaign for the future, and make the overall organized play experience a better one for new and veteran players alike.
On a side note, the guide’s numbering system is off due to the first season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play being labeled Season 0. At Gen Con this year, we plan to align the guide’s version number with the current season. Instead of listing the Season 4 guide as version 5.0, it will be titled Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.2. Once Season 5 is upon us at Gen Con 2013, the guide will then be titled as version 5.0 and we will move forward from there.
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
With the coming of the new year, we continue to grow Pathfinder Society at a tremendous rate. With that, I want to make sure we have good leadership in place so that continue to grow and expand. Over the past few months, we added three more Venture-Captains who have not yet formally been introduced, and today we are adding even more to the growing list of Venture-Captains.
I am excited to add three new areas to our Venture-Captain regions. The first is Kansas City, Missouri. Seth Brummond fills an important role in an area ripe for growth and that has been wanting a Venture-Captain. Not only will he be serving western Missouri, but will also be able to help organize and coordinate growth of Pathfinder Society in eastern Kansas.
The second new area is Albany, New York. The capital region of New York has seen an explosion of growth in Pathfinder Society activity over the past several years and I look forward to seeing the direction Evan Whitefield takes Pathfinder Society.
The third new area is Houston, Texas. I know that Houston has seen sporadic Pathfinder Society play and is just waiting for someone to step in and get things organized. Robert Vaughn is just the person to hit the ground running as we watch the Houston Lodge grow.
We also have had two Venture-Captains step down due to real-life responsibilities. I wish fair winds and following seas to both Rene Ayala from Arizona and Neil Shackelton from Toronto. Both of them have done an outstanding job establishing a foothold for Pathfinder Society in their regions and the new Venture-Captains have big shoes to fill.
Assuming Rene’s responsibilities, Jason Leonard has been appointed as Venture-Captain of Arizona. Assuming Neil’s responsibilities, Robert Trifts has been appointed as Venture-Captain of the Ontario region of Canada.
In addition to the new Venture-Captains above, we have added the following Venture-Lieutenants to help some of our current Venture-Captains reach out to areas in their regions that are either too far away to cover on a regular basis, or are too numerous to cover at all. They include the following:
Albany, NY – Brett McLean
Arizona – Cody Lucas
Central/Southern Illinois – Shaun Burton
Indiana – Chris Bonnet
Oregon – Todd Tepper
San Diego, CA – Terence Brawley
Virginia – Jeremy Hitchcock
Wisconsin – Matthew Starch
Melbourne, Australia – Ryan Koetsveld
Ontario, Canada – Jeff Mahood
Denmark – Jacob Trier
We are still in need of additional Venture-Captains in some regions and you can find the list here. If you are interested in applying, please contact me after reviewing the application process in the previous link.
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
For PaizoCon 2012, we plan to make this the biggest and best PaizoCon yet! I am scheduling 150 tables of Pathfinder Society over three days. In addition, we are bringing back the Grand Convocation interactive. Finally, we are debuting the GM 101 sessions that will hopefully be a hit so we can continue to offer it at future shows. It should be an awesome time.
I need a minimum of 45 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games and I'll keep taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled! I also need 2 Volunteer Assistants for the show—these folks will not GM, but will instead help me run Pathfinder Society HQ and will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society. There may also be special or unique roleplaying opportunities to play the part of a NPC in the Grand Convocation, so please let me know if that is something that might interest you. However, do not narrow your choice to a specific NPC as it may remove you from consideration.
Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at PaizoCon 2012. Keep in mind that you're volunteering for slots, not a specific event. We will let you know the slots you have been assigned to before the lottery goes live. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule with your friends who are also attending PaizoCon 2012. Please let me know via email which days you will be at the convention and how many slots you are volunteering for at PaizoCon 2012.
Volunteer Tiers and Rewards
Volunteer Assistant: 2 needed, treated as a Tier 1 GM
Tier 1 GM Volunteers: Tier 1 GM volunteers are my everyday GMs. They are invaluable to making the show a success! Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 5 slots. Tier 1 GMs may feel free to volunteer for more than 5 slots if they so desire. I only have room for 20 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'll be able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:
A FREE 3-day PaizoCon 2012 badge
A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions.
A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.
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 3-day PaizoCon 2012 badge
A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions.
A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.
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 Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including subscriptions.
A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.
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 days you are volunteering for. I will assign folks to scenarios on an as-needed basis, so you really only need to tell me the day(s) you're volunteering for. 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 paizo.com account and you must include your paizo.com email 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).
Slot 1: Friday 8 AM to 1 PM Slot 2: Friday 1 PM to 6 PM Slot 3: Friday 7 PM to 12 AM (Grand Convocation Interactive) Slot 4: Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM Slot 5: Saturday 1 PM to 6 PM Slot 6: Sunday 9 AM to 2 PM
All PaizoCon 2012 volunteers please email me at mike.brock@paizo.com with the subject line PaizoCon Volunteer.
Thanks in advance for volunteering, good luck, and have a great spring convention season!
Oh, and one more thing! Don’t forget, next Monday Paizo Fiction Editor will be hanging out in the Paizo chat room at starting at 6 PM PST. Come talk fiction!
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
Everyone loves goblins, right? And by extension, folks are keen on their goblinoid brethren, the militaristic hobgoblins and the sadistic bugbears. Well, this month we introduce a new goblinoid subtype humanoid to Golarion—the kijimuna, a native of the Dragon Empires of Tian Xia. These CR 2 creatures are known for their wild, bright red hair and their wide, mischievous grins, and enjoy fishing almost as much as playing pranks and practical jokes on unsuspecting targets. Much like their Inner Sea cousins, kijimunas have a deep-seated fear of a single creature, in this case the octopus, and when faced with an octopus, a kijimuna either flees in terror or desperately fights. Unlike the other goblinoid races, however, kijimunas are not innately evil, and typically have chaotic neutral alignments.
Using the Beginner Box to Create a Pathfinder Society Character
Monday, December 26, 2011
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and is looking forward to an exciting new year. I am sure quite a few folks gave or received the Beginner Box as presents this past weekend. Inside that box, there is a flyer for Pathfinder Society that includes a link to the website but no explanation of how to integrate the play or rules from the Beginner Box into use for Pathfinder Society play.
One of the earliest experiences I had during my first week at Paizo was Erik Mona, our publisher, handing me the Beginner Box and advising me we needed to have a guide that allowed players to create a legal Pathfinder Society character using just the Beginner Box rules. As I had not seen it until that moment, the task seemed quite daunting.
Like many of you, I had looked forward to the release of the Beginner Box with much anticipation and I liked what I found inside. I was scheduled to go to a trade show the following week and the airplane flight gave me plenty of time to read through everything in the box. The pawns also served as a good conversation piece for the people seated near me on the plane between Seattle and Chicago. It was at 36,000 feet that I started formulating ideas of what I thought should be included in a character creation guide.
Once I was back in Seattle, I posted a list of ideas and solicited suggestions from the Pathfinder Society Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants. We brainstormed a good bit about what I had missed that should be included or what I had placed in it that should be taken out. We worked at the phrasing of sentences, brainstormed several more times about missed ideas, and finally arrived at the finished free product. The guide provides a step–by–step walkthrough of the Pathfinder Society character creation process while referring you back to the Hero’s Handbook. These instructions allow for a seamless transition from the Beginner Box to Pathfinder Society play. A special thank you goes out to Boston Venture-Captain Don Walker for his incredible amount of wordsmithing that went into the final document.
If you have any questions, especially if you are new to Pathfinder and Pathfinder Society, please visit the Pathfinder Society messageboards. Our Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants are more than happy to answer any questions you might have, whether they are about how to find a local Pathfinder Society game or about how some rule works that is found in the Core Rulebook but not in the Beginner Box.
If you have never experienced Pathfinder Society, I encourage you to make a New Year’s resolution to give it a try. If you can’t find a game in your area, there are options for play-by-post Pathfinder Society sessions. If you are a veteran of the campaign, I look forward to working with you in 2012 to make Pathfinder Society even better than it is now.
Night of the Pale is mentioned on page 249 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide. We are advised it is a night of morbid revelry, as people wait indoors for the ghosts of last year’s dead to pass by their homes.
Creative Director James Jacobs wrote the description below of the Night of the Pale and beneath that you’ll find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character.
Illustration by John Gravato
Not all of Golarion’s holidays and festivals are times of rejoicing and delight. Holidays worshiped by dark and sinister cults and religions tend to be hidden affairs, their rituals and ceremonies involving cruelties and vile practices that send shivers of fear through gentler society. Scholars suspect that the Night of the Pale—a holiday that traditionally takes place on the last day of the year, the 31st of Kuthona—has links to several sinister religions, but today no one church has specific association with the event. Nonetheless, the Night of the Pale is an event that many look forward to all year, whether in fear or excitement.
On the Night of the Pale, it is said that the ghosts of those who died during the previous year manifest upon the world and come to visit the homes they lived in during life. Although some might think that the chance of seeing even the shade of a dearly departed one might be a blessing, the Night of the Pale is not a time for tearful reunions, for these ghosts, tradition says, do not return out of love for those they left behind but out of darker compulsions. Lingering jealousy, unfinished arguments, or the simmering need for revenge are said to be what compels the dead to return to torment the living on the Night of the Pale.
The evening of this night in many communities is celebrated by a morbid feast, the food prepared with themes revolving around graveyards, the dead, and other spooky traditions. This feast, on one level, helps the celebrants to make light of their fears while sharing good company with similarly nervous neighbors, but at another level is believed to placate vengeful spirits as toasts are raised to the memories of the recently departed. These feasts include retellings of favorite memories of the departed, in hopes of reminding the approaching ghosts of brighter and kinder memories than those that compel them to return. The feast always ends at least an hour before midnight in order to give participants time to return home, decorate doors and windows with salt and other trinkets taken from the feasting table (salted bread baked into crook-like shapes are a favorite, as these can be hung from doorknobs and eaves) to ward off evil spirits, and hide in their bedrooms until dawn. Brave youths and adventurers often deliberately stay out after midnight, either to dare the ghosts to challenge them or simply for the thrill of bucking tradition. Every Night of the Pale, it seems, there are disappearances among those who stay out after midnight, although whether these vanishings are the result of dissatisfied locals taking the opportunity to run away from home, murderers or wild animals or other mundane dangers, or the vengeful spirits carrying off their victims depends upon the circumstances.
The morning after a Night of the Pale is also the first day of the new year—a time that many celebrate more as a relief for surviving the night before than in anticipation of what the new year might bring, although regional preferences for how this day is celebrated vary enough that no single tradition holds over the other. Save, of course, the lingering fears of what dread spirits might come knocking upon warded doors one year away...
As always, I am interested in reading your thoughts on future holiday write-ups and boons. This is especially true in regard to the various equinoxes and solstices.
Download the Night of the Pale Boon! - (111 KB zip/PDF)This Boon is no longer available as of 1/9/12.
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
A year ago, Pathfinder Modules were sanctioned for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. As Atlanta Venture-Captain for a year, I appreciated the fact I could offer the sanctioned modules to local players, especially those who had played every scenario that had been released. But the rules that were established bothered me. No negative effects carried over from module play, even death or consumable use. Many players I talked with felt that sanctioned module play was not as good as it could be because of the rules put into place. One of my top goals when hired as Campaign Coordinator was to reevaluate sanctioned modules and see if we could change the way they worked to make them a more valuable part of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign.
What I would like to see in the comments to this blog are what you do and don’t like about the below proposal. How will this proposal affect your game in both a positive and negative way. Once I review feedback over the next few weeks, the Venture-Captains, Venture-Lieutenants, and I can decide what changes we want to make in the upcoming 4.1 update to the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
Spoiler:
Pathfinder modules are produced for a wider audience than just Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Because modules are structured differently from scenarios, the specific rules changes needed for playing sanctioned modules in Pathfinder Society Organized Play are presented below.
How to Play
Sanctioned modules are generally three times the length of a standard Pathfinder Society scenario and will likely take players two or three 4—5 hour sessions to complete. They do not contain Pathfinder Society faction missions, nor are they tiered for play by characters over a wide range of levels. Thematically, modules do not assume the characters are members of the Pathfinder Society. GMs and players are encouraged to create a reasonable plot hook for their characters’ participation.
Legal Pathfinder Society Characters
Players have the following three options when playing sanctioned modules for Pathfinder Society:
A player must use an existing Pathfinder Society character (without modification) within one level of the module’s starting level.
For modules below 9th level, a player who does not have a character in the correct level range may use a Pathfinder Society pregenerated character available on paizo.com. In this case, the chronicle sheet must be linked to an existing Pathfinder Society character and applied when that character reaches the level of the module. The linked character must be declared before play begins and recorded on the scenario reporting sheet.
As mentioned in Chapter 5 of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, if you have already played the sanctioned module and wish to play it an additional time for any reason, you must inform the GM that you have already played the sanctioned module. If you spoil the plot for the other players at the table, the GM has the right to ask you to leave. You are free to replay the sanctioned module in order to meet a minimum PC requirement (see Chapter 7), but if you already have received a player Chronicle for this sanctioned module for any of your PCs, you do not earn any additional rewards beyond having a good time. The Tier 1 exception still applies for Tier 1-—2 modules.
Conditions, Death, and Expendables
Whether playing your own character or a pregenerated character, all conditions (including death) not resolved within the module carry beyond the end of the module. Likewise, any wealth spent or resources expended during the course of the adventure are tracked and must be recorded on the Chronicle sheet.
If you are using a pregenerated character, calculate the cost of any consumables used and mark this cost on the Chronicle sheet. Any remaining conditions are applied to the linked character when the Chronicle sheet is applied to that character.
The one exception is when a character remains dead at the conclusion of the module. In this case, the linked character is permanently dead and removed from play immediately. In resolving any conditions on a pregenerated character, Prestige Points and gold from the linked character may be used to pay for the cost of the raise dead or resurrection spell.
Applying Credit
All players receive a Chronicle sheet unless, at the GM’s discretion, they are replaying the module for no credit. If a player uses an existing Pathfinder Society character for the adventure, he must apply the Chronicle sheet to that character immediately. A player who uses a pregenerated character must apply the Chronicle sheet to his linked Pathfinder Society character when that character reaches the starting level of the module.
A GM who runs a module may likewise apply the Chronicle sheet to one of her Pathfinder Society characters. The GM must decide which of her characters will receive the Chronicle sheet when the module is completed and the Chronicle sheets are filled out. Playing a module from beginning to end earns a character 3 XP and 4 Prestige Points if that character is on the normal advancement track or 1.5 XP and 2 Prestige Points for characters on the slow advancement track. There are no day job rolls when playing a sanctioned module.
If a character dies and is brought back to life, the GM must determine the rewards for that character. The minimum possible reward is 0 GP, 1 XP and 1 PP on the normal advancement track or 1/2 XP and 1/2 Prestige Point on the slow advancement track. If a character participates in more than 2/3 of the module, he should receive full rewards. GMs and active players are encouraged to hasten the return of a character waiting to be raised from the dead.
Players who do not complete each game session earn 1 fewer XP and Prestige Point for each session missed. This also applies to players who join later sessions; they receive 1 fewer XP and Prestige Point for each session missed. In both cases players earn a minimum of 1 XP and 1 Prestige Point (or 1/2 XP and 1/2 Prestige Point on the slow advancement track). If a character earns more XP than she needs to reach her next level, she may not choose to switch advancement tracks at the new level earned.
As always, each player may receive credit for each module once as a player and once as a GM, in either order. Players must accept a Chronicle sheet for their character the first time they play a module. A player may replay a module at the GM’s discretion, but the player may not receive more than one player Chronicle sheet per module. The only exception is Tier 1—2 modules. A player may only play a Tier 1—2 module for credit once with a 2nd-level character, but may use additional 1st-level characters to replay the same module for credit.
Running Multi-Session Modules
Since sanctioned modules can be multi-session events, Pathfinder Society characters may not be used in other Pathfinder Society events until they receive a Chronicle sheet for the module. This does not apply to a player using a pregenerated character until the linked character reaches the starting level of the module.
GMs are advised to work with players who miss the final session of the module in order for those players to receive their Chronicle sheets.
Retirement and Beyond
In the interest of allowing Pathfinder Society characters to extend their adventuring careers, and to utilize sanctioned Pathfinder Modules to their fullest enjoyment, I would like feedback on allowing Pathfinder Society characters to advance past 12th level for sanctioned module play only.
The level cap for the campaign is still 12. There are no current plans for us to publish any Pathfinder Society scenarios of 13th level or higher. However, there are more modules on the schedule that are 13+ levels. We do have some stand-alone, Tier 12 scenarios on the radar for those that do not wish to play Eyes of the Ten, but wish to play three additional scenarios at 12th level and then retire. Just as with every other Pathfinder Society Scenario, Eyes of the Ten is not open for replay and that isn't going to change. So, the addition of more Tier 12 scenarios, or another retirement arc, allows for players to have options.
This part of the proposal would allow people to play a “retired” character through higher-level sanctioned modules, receive credit, and not have to play an artificially leveled character. This also helps to balance the wealth-by-level curve as presented currently at the end of Eyes of the Ten that presents 13th-level wealth for 12th-level characters. Right now it is difficult for us to plan special retirement events for 12th-level characters mentioned 3 years ago because characters’ wealth-by-level is so imbalanced.
Mark and I have discussed this and here is how I plan to incorporate advancement for 13th level and higher. This will open up the extended career of Pathfinder Society characters if people want to utilize modules in that manner.
Spoiler:
Once you reach 12th level, it would require 3 XP to advance to 13th level and beyond as normal. We will adjust the Eyes of the Ten arc so you receive 2 XP after Part 1 and 1 XP for Parts 2, 3, and 4. Once you complete Parts 1 and 2 of Eyes of the Ten, you may advance your character to 13th level. Mark and I reviewed Parts 3 and 4 and all CRs are higher than 13 so there shouldn't be a significant effect on the play of either of those. Once you complete Eyes of the Ten, you will still be 13th level and one XP short of advancement of 14th level. This will allow you to roll right into playing Academy of Secrets at level for the module. Any character who has completed Parts 1 and 2 of Eyes of the Ten may advance to 13th level.
At 13th level, you can then play your Pathfinder Society character in Academy of Secrets and receive full credit as normal, but you may play it at 13th level. We will be adjusting the gold received at the end of Academy of Secrets.
Upon completion of Academy of Secrets, the character would receive 3 XP and be one short of 15th level.
In the future, Paizo will release additional high-level modules that will also be sanctioned for play. We will eventually sanction The Witchwar Legacy once it is possible for someone having played everything to reach 17th level. We will make gold adjustments accordingly for those Chronicle sheets.
To help GMs and players use their Pathfinder Society characters in retirement and beyond, both the wealth and Fame tables will be extended beyond their current limits.
The above changes would not go into effect until version 4.1 of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play is released. Also, I am very aware that people might be in the middle of a multiple-play session for a sanctioned module, or be involved in a play-by-post game that takes months instead of one or two game sessions.
If these changes were to go into effect, I plan to grandfather in modules caught in the middle of multiple sessions when this goes live. I also plan to assign a Venture-Captain as the coordinator for this endeavor. Players and GMs will have a month to register their games as "grandfathered" games. After that time, no new module play should begin under the old rules. These registered "grandfathered" games have until the start of Season 4 to complete their games and report such to the Venture-Captain.
So there you have it. This is a proposal to modify play of sanctioned modules to bring them more in line with standard scenario play, as well as open options for players to extend the life of their Pathfinder Society characters. As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I would like to hear what you do and don’t like about the above proposal, and how this proposal would affect your game in both a positive and negative way if put into place.
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
Tomorrow marks the official launch of RPG Superstar 2012, Paizo’s annual open-call RPG design competition! That means a lot of excitement here at the Paizo offices, because if this year’s Superstar is anything like the previous four, we’re about to discover some serious design talent that will help us years into the future.
And while winning the chance to write a published Pathfinder Module is great, it’s also important to remember that RPG Superstar offers value to more than just the single winner. This year, the three finalists will also earn a contract to write a Pathfinder Society Scenario, a downloadable adventure sanctioned for play in Paizo’s worldwide Pathfinder Society mega-campaign. The first Pathfinder Society Scenario from last year’s finalists, Jerall Toi’s The Edge of Heaven just came out last week, and the two additional sequels that make up the “Quest for Perfection” campaign arc are all being written by RPG Superstar finalist and semi-finalist alumni.
Speaking of prizes for finalists, did you know that Pathfinder Adventure Path developer Rob McCreary first came to our attention as a finalist in the first year of RPG Superstar? He didn’t win the final challenge, but his hard work and excellent creativity made him a natural choice when a staff position opened a few years ago, and he’s now one of the most important elements of Paizo’s monthly editorial effort here at the Paizo offices.
This year’s competition begins tomorrow with an open call that asks you to submit an original wondrous item by January 6, 2012. If you can use your 300 words wisely (and awesomely) enough to earn a place in the judges’ Top 32, you’re on your way to what might just become a RPG design career! As a special treat, we plan to include selected wondrous items from this year’s Top 32 in 2012’s Ultimate Equipment Pathfinder RPG hardcover, which will also include selected favorites from previous years.
See paizo.com/rpgsuperstar for more details, a complete RPG Superstar calendar, and rules for Round 1.
So start sharpening your pencils and shaking up your creativity. The next RPG Superstar could be you!
With a continuing effort to strengthen the entire Pathfinder Society program, as well as to continue tying up loose ends, Winter Witch and Death’s Heretic have now been incorporated into the Pathfinder Society.
Because of the differences between reading a novel and playing a game, there are specific rules needed for using sanctioned content from a Pathfinder Tales novel during play and we'll be providing a Chronicle sheet for players to use with their characters. You can download the Chronicle sheets on their respective product pages.
Sanctioned novels you ask? How do you sanction a novel? Because Pathfinder Tales novels are stories first, there is no easy way to sanction items, spells, feats, or other special abilities whole cloth. Therefore, the Chronicle sheets use the following rules.
Only items, feats, boons, or abilities found on the Chronicle sheet are legal for play.
Each player must have a copy of the Chronicle sheet with his or her character at all times.
In order for the Chronicle sheet to be considered legal for play, the player must show to the GM a copy of the Pathfinder Tales novel, either in printed or digital format.
A Chronicle sheet may be applied to each character the player currently has or creates in the future.
GMs are advised to work with players to make the sanctioning of Pathfinder Tales Chronicle sheets easy and fast. As long as the player has a copy of the book, she should be able to use the Chronicle sheet just like any other.
If you would like to learn more about the Pathfinder Tales line, please visit paizo.com or your local bookstore. Other novels in the line include Master of Devils by former Dragon Magazine editor Dave Gross, and Plague of Shadows by Howard Andrew Jones.
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
In just a few days, the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign will take its first steps into the Dragon Empires of Tian Xia, as the Pathfinder Society pursues ways to ensure victory in the forthcoming Ruby Phoenix Tournament. The premiere Tian adventure for Pathfinder Society players is RPG Superstar 2011 finalist Jerall Toi's The Edge of Heaven, which kicks off the three-part series The Quest for Perfection. Adventuring high in reaches of the Wall of Heaven (Golarion's equivalent of the Himalayas), it's no surprise the PCs may run into a yeti or two. Just watch out for falling foo dog statues.
The Jestercap blog and boon seemed well received last month so I decided to try out another holiday this month.
Seven Veils is mentioned on page 249 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide. We are advised it is a celebration of brotherhood between all civilized races, marked by interracial masquerade balls. I thought this seemed like a neat holiday and decided it should be expanded upon.
Once again, creative Director James Jacobs wrote the description the holiday, and you will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character.
Illustration by Eric Belisle
Diversity is a fact of life in the Inner Sea region—not only do numerous human ethnicities mix and live among each other throughout the area, but races entirely separate from humanity dwell there as well. It’s not uncommon to see elves brushing shoulders with humans in marketplaces, gnomes working as merchants in dwarven settlements, or tengus serving aboard ships mostly helmed by humans. Indeed, two of the more widespread races in the Inner Sea region—the half-orc and the half-elf—are the specific results of diverse unions.
The holiday known as Seven Veils, which takes place on the 23rd of Neth in most realms found in the Inner Sea region, is a celebration of this diversity—a time when social boundaries break down even further in a day-long event filled with dancing, feasting, and courting. The evening traditionally closes out with the Seven Veil masquerade, a ball wherein the participants wear disguises that either hide their actual race and/or gender (often using minor magical trinkets and spells) or specifically disguise these features as entirely new characteristics. At the end of the ball, the participants remove their disguises to their partners, often with unpredictable and sometimes delightfully awkward results. Traditionalists and conservative minds often find the Seven Veils masquerades to be scandalous or off-putting, yet they remain particularly popular in most of the larger cities of the land.
Historians note that the original "Dance of the Seven Veils" has a much different genesis than one promoting diversity—the mysterious cult of Sivanah, goddess of illusions, mystery, and reflections, is generally cited as the source of this festival, and indeed, worshipers of the goddess (herself known as the Seventh Veil) count the 23rd of Neth as one of their most sacred of days. What rituals the church of Sivanah performs on this date, however, are unknown to outsiders, for the cult enjoys its secrets. This secrecy has, unsurprisingly, given rise to all manner of sinister rumor, yet when Seven Veils rolls around each year, its eager participants are quick to set aside rumor in preference for the night’s fun and games.
I am interested in reading your thoughts, not only on Jestercap and Seven Veils, but also on future holiday write-ups and boons. This is especially true in regard to the various equinoxes and solstices.
Download the Seven Veils Boon! - (111 KB zip/PDF)This Boon is no longer available as of 12/12/11.
P.S. Don't forget to check out the Pathfinder Tales author chats on tonight, November 21, hosted by Master of Ceremonies Dave Gross!
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
As we continue to expand Pathfinder Society to areas where players are looking for organization, it is important to me to find the right people to serve as ambassadors of the game, to present a positive light for new players, and to try to bring veteran players who have left back into the fold. Three more Venture-Captains have been chosen to fill those roles.
The Venture-Lieutenant program was established just a few weeks ago but we are already seeing the positive results from it. One of these is the promotion of Tracy Windeknecht. She served a short time under Mark Garringer when he was a Venture-Captain of Indiana. Since Mark has stepped down, I have chatted with Tracy and have utmost confidence she will pick up right where Mark left off and continue to grow Pathfinder Society in Indiana.
I am also excited to add two new areas to our Venture-Captain regions. The first is Virginia. Paul Rees has a unique region due to the high population of military in his area. Pathfinder Society is a perfect mesh for gaming interest due to deployment schedules and transfers. But Paul is not just taking care of the coast. He is there to help all of Virginia.
It also is exciting to add our third Canadian Venture-Captain, Brent Jans. Edmonton already has a strong core of Pathfinder Society players. In truth, Brent and several other people were already doing a terrific job organizing Pathfinder Society in that area. After talking with Brent, and hearing some of his ideas, I am excited to see how much more Pathfinder Society can grow in this area of Canada.
In addition to the three Venture-Captains above, we have added the following Venture-Lieutenants to help some of our current Venture-Captains reach out to areas in their regions that are either too far away to cover on a regular basis or where there are too many locations in a region to cover at all. They include the following:
Chicago – Brad Ruby
Connecticut/New York – William Wadhams
Los Angeles – Brian Darnell
Minnesota – Andrew Christian
New York/New Jersey – David Santana
New York/New Jersey – Vincent Colon-Roine
San Francisco – Joshua Archer
United Kingdom – Rob Silk
Vermont – Myles Crocker
Washington D.C. – Bruce Chang
We are still in need of additional Venture-Captains in some regions and you can find the list right here. If you’re interested in applying, please contact me after reviewing the application process in the previous link.
Welcome aboard to all my new captains and lieutenants!
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
Just a week ago we sanctioned seven new modules for use in Pathfinder Society play. With a continuing effort to strengthen the entire program, as well as to continue tying up lose ends, Prince of Wolves and Master of Devils have now been incorporated into the Pathfinder Society.
Because of the differences between reading a novel and playing a game, there are specific rules needed for using sanctioned content from a Pathfinder Tales novel during play and we'll be providing a Chronicle sheet for players to use with their characters. The Chronicle sheets are available for download on the product page for each novel.
Sanctioned novels you ask? How do you sanction a novel? Because Pathfinder Tales novels are stories first, there is no easy way to sanction items, spells, feats, or other special abilities whole cloth. Therefore, the Chronicle sheets use the following rules.
Only items, feats, boons, or abilities found on the Chronicle sheet are legal for play.
Each player must have a copy of the Chronicle sheet with his or her character at all times.
In order for the Chronicle sheet to be considered legal for play, the player must show to the GM a copy of the Pathfinder Tale novel, either in printed or digital format.
A Chronicle sheet may be applied to each character the player currently has or creates in the future.
GMs are advised to work with players to make the sanctioning of Pathfinder Tales Chronicle sheets easy and fast. As long as the player has a copy of the book, she should be able to use the Chronicle sheet just like any other.
If you would like to learn more about the Pathfinder Tales line, please visit paizo.com/pathfinder/tales or your local bookstore. Other novels in the line include Winter Witch by New York Times best-selling author Elaine Cunningham, and the forthcoming Death’s Heretic by James L. Sutter.
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
Since I have been involved with Pathfinder Society, one thing I have heard mentioned by players on numerous occasions is that they wish they could learn more about Golarion and incorporate that knowledge into their Pathfinder Society character. After thinking on different ways to make this happen, it occurred to me that Golarion has quite a few holidays mentioned in Faiths of Balance, Faiths of Corruption, Faiths of Purity, and The Inner Sea World Guide. As in the real world, where holidays are important to all of us, holidays in Golarion are important to our characters and the NPCs spread out across the world.
Every so often, I will write a blog that details a holiday in Golarion to help Pathfinder Society characters share in the spirit of the holiday. Creative Director James Jacobs wrote the description below for the first holiday in this series: Jestercap, mentioned on page 249 of The Inner Sea World Guide. At the end of the description, you will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character.
Jestercap occurs at the end of the month of Lamashan, traditionally on the 27th (although a few regions have taken to moving the exact day around slightly so it always falls on the last Starday of the month, allowing people who wish to celebrate in excess to have the following day of rest to recover). While Jestercap has been embraced with excited open arms by the gnome communities of the Inner Sea region, its original genesis is said to have been in one of Taldor’s coastal cities not long after King Aspex the Even-Tongued broke from the nation, significantly weakening Taldor’s power and beginning that nation’s long decline. The holiday was originally intended to distract the distraught Taldan populace with a night of revelry and comedic entertainment, but the antics of jesters simply weren’t enough. Over the course of the first few years, Jestercap evolved from a holiday of observation to a holiday of participation. Today, the holiday is a time where anyone can pull pranks or jokes or japes on companions, on neighbors, and (most typically) on rivals, with the understanding that provided no lasting harm is done, any humiliations inflicted before midnight are to be taken in stride. Of course, come morning the day after, there are inevitably jokes that went too far, and grudges and feuds borne from Jestercap antics have a way of lingering for months to follow.
Download the Jestercap Boon! - (115 KB zip/PDF)This Boon is no longer available as of 11/14/11.
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
Looking for a chance to check out the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box and celebrate the biggest Pathfinder RPG release since the Core Rulebook? Then you’ll want to head to your local game store for the Beginner Box Bash!
Venture-Captains across the world are organizing gaming days on October 29th and 30th to bring together Pathfinder players, debut the Beginner Box, teach new gamers how to play, and introduce players new and old to the Pathfinder Society Organized Play Program. The day’s events include four new, one-hour quests highlighting the Beginner Box characters and rules. Special Beginner Box Bash punch cards allow players to keep track of their adventures and learn more about the Pathfinder RPG and Pathfinder Society. Those who complete all four adventures will receive a special reward: a Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet to welcome them into the Pathfinder Society (or to enhance any existing Pathfinder Society character).
Ready to find out where and on what day the Beginner Box Bash is happening in your area? Just check for your region on our Beginner Bash page for all the locations currently signed up. This list is still expanding, so be sure to check back for updates as we get closer to the weekend of the 29th. Additionally, if you’re a game store owner, or want to get your local game store involved in the Beginner Box Bash, there’s still time! Please contact your regional Venture-Captain for details.
As always, we couldn’t pull off such an exciting event without the help of all of our amazing Pathfinder Society Game Masters. We know our Game Masters’ time is valuable, and we want to thank them in advance for all their effort. To show our appreciation, all Game Masters who run four events during the Beginner Box Bash can expect their own special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet. If you’re a Pathfinder Society Game Master interested in running games at your local Beginner Box Bash, please contact your local Venture Captain for details.
Thanks to everyone for all their enthusiasm and support for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, and we’ll see you at the Beginner Box Bash on October 29th and 30th!
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
One of the things I often heard complained about over the past year was that players did not have enough scenarios to play. Many times, they had played every scenario of a particular tier and were in a holding pattern to continue adventuring with their favorite characters.
The problem was noted and added to my list of to do items, and getting the remaining Pathfinder modules sanctioned for Pathfinder Society play was one of my top priorities. Thanks to the help of JP Chapleau, John Compton, Nick Gray and Joseph Caubo, (who combed through the modules to provide me with lists of items, as well as flavor text and ideas for Chronicle sheet boons) Pathfinder Society now has seven additional modules for sanctioned play. The list includes: Carrion Hill, City of Golden Death, Crypt of the Everflame, Curse of the Riven Sky, Masks of the Living God, Realm of the Fellnight Queen, and From Shore to Sea.
Additionally, the Chronicle sheet for Feast of Ravenmoor has been updated to include a new boon.
For those who have not had a chance to play through Carrion Hill, I highly recommend it as a Halloween weekend game. Enjoy and good gaming!
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
I was always taught to deal with bad news first and then move on to good news. It is with a heavy heart that I announce the resignation of Doug Miles, the Detroit Venture-Captain. Doug was Pathfinder Society’s first five-star GM. He has been an avid supporter of Pathfinder Society and he will be sorely missed. I had the pleasure of meeting and GMing side by side with Doug at Dragon Con two years ago and was able to take some observations of watching his GMing style and incorporate it into my own. On a positive note, Doug has some very exciting life changes he is preparing for in the near future and the Paizo and Pathfinder Society wish him well.
"It's been a privilege to see Pathfinder Society grow year after year, and to have promoted a game that has exceeded expectations on so many levels,” said Miles. “If it weren't for the support and encouragement of the players and GM volunteers in this campaign, I would have never come as far as I have. I am most grateful for all the friends that I have made through the campaign, both in person and on the messageboards. Although I can no longer live up to my Venture-Captain obligations, and thus am stepping down, I hope to stay in touch with PFS and look forward to watching its popularity continue to expand."
It also saddens me to announce we are losing another member of the Venture-Captain team in Mark Garringer from Indianapolis.
"Due to family and personal reasons, I have to take a step back from my involvement in Pathfinder Society," said Garringer. "I believe in organized play and where Mike is taking things, and I want to thank him for all he has done already. I thank Paizo for the opportunity and friendships I've been able to make."
This is not the only change to our existing Venture-Captain corp. Bob Jonquet is moving south of Chicago to the southern area of Illinois. This does create additional opportunities for Pathfinder Society, however, as I have created a new region—Central & Southern Illinois. Bob has been named the Venture-Captain of this new region and I look forward to seeing how he can grow Pathfinder Society in a new area.
A final change to our existing Venture-Captains is the stepping down of Dane Pitchford in Seattle. Due to his life becoming even more busy and hectic, he did not feel he could devote as much time to the position as it deserves. I did not want to lose Dane from the Venture-Captain family and so I offered him a new position that he graciously accepted. He has been reassigned to his new position, Venture-Lieutenant (Seattle).
We are also adding 13 new Venture-Captains in 10 new regions! Please welcome the following:
Boise, Idaho – Clarence Garrett
Portland, Oregon – Alex Greenshields
Las Vegas, Nevada – Doug Daulton
Seattle, Washington – Chris Jarvis
Salt Lake City, Utah – Eddy & Stephanie Roberts
Central/Southern Illinois – Bob Jonquet
Chicago, Illinois – Rene Duquesnoy
South Carolina – Del Collins
Wisconsin – Sean Hanlin
Winnipeg, Canada – Scott Young
Perth, Australia – Callum Prior
Sydney, Australia – Alistair Rigg
Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia – Zrinka Znidarcic
For another exciting change, I am also instituting the Venture-Lieutenant program. As Venture-Captain in Atlanta, I learned quickly I could not run everything on my own. Trying to spread myself among nine stores, with more than 240 square miles, and still maintain a life was impossible. So, I choose to handpick store liaisons, or Venture-Lieutenants, to help me. They were my right-hand people who helped me ensure Pathfinder Society continued to grow, while meeting these needs of the players in the different stores. Each was assigned to a store or area in Georgia I could not get to regularly. This paid huge dividends in that we had tremendous growth in the region.
So, I have worked with the Venture-Captains to choose Venture-Lieutenants to assist them in their regions. If the region is spread out among many miles, or has more game locations than they can handle, I have let the Venture-Captains choose two Venture-Lieutenants to assist them.
This is not an inclusive list as more will be added, but as of the writing of this blog, the following have been chosen as Venture-Lieutenants:
Arizona – Jason Leonard
Atlanta, GA – Joseph Caubo and John Compton
Austin, TX – Bill Oppenlander
Chicago, IL – Garret Gottschalk
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX – Marcus Mayes
Des Moines, IA – Derek Boobyer
Denver, CO – Scott Crosson
Dunedin, FL – Kristy Schweyer
Indianapolis, IN – Tracy Windeknecht
Missouri – Michael Von Hasseln
Omaha, NE – Clint Blome
Raleigh, NC – Joe Jungers
Seattle, WA – Dane Pitchford
Toronto, Canada – Robert Trifts
Winnipeg, Canada – Myron Pauls
Croatia – Maja Skvorc
Each of these new Venture-Lieutenants, as well as any chosen in the future, will receive a messageboard title to identify him or her as such. It is encouraged that you still work with your regional Venture-Captain for all of your Pathfinder Society needs.
We are still in need of additional Venture-Captains in some regions and you can find the list here. If interested in applying, please contact me after reviewing the application process in the previous link.
Good-bye to an old friend and welcome aboard to all my new captains and lieutenants!
Mike Brock Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
One of the results of an early-August Gen Con and a Pathfinder Society release schedule based on putting out material at the end of the month is that it always seems like an eternity between when a new season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play kicks off in Indianapolis and the next set of scenarios comes out at the end of September. But the wait is over and Season 3 continues with two exciting new adventures, released last week.
As we mentioned in the store blog last Wednesday, both of this month’s scenarios include elements from past scenarios—in this case from the very first season of the campaign! One of my goals as developer on the Pathfinder Society Scenarios line has always been to give a larger sense of continuity within the campaign. Now that we’re into the first full season that I mapped out from square one, it was the perfect opportunity to start implementing some of this.
Brand new threats from Bestiary 3 are sure to torment poor, unfortunate souls in two new Pathfinder Society Scenarios. Illustration by Alberto Del Lago.
In Pathfinder Society Scenario #3—05: Tide of Twilight, the Pathfinder Society sends the PCs on a mission resulting from research into a relic attained way back in Pathfinder Society Scenario #23: Tide of Morning from June 2009. While the two scenarios can be played in either order and the ties between them are loose, players and GMs who played Tide of Morning at PaizoCon two years ago will recognize some thematic elements and subtle allusions to the early scenario. And who knows, if folks like this spiritual sequel style, more missions may come about as a result of the information gleaned from the lorestone of the Verduran Forest next season.
Going back even farther, Pathfinder Society Scenario #3—06: Song of the Sea Witch features a prominent NPC from the very first scenario ever, and one of the most popular scenarios to date, Pathfinder Society Scenario #1: Silent Tide. In Silent Tide, the PCs spent much of the adventure working to undo the effects of hapless historian Yargos Gill’s meddling in things beyond his understanding, and yep, you guessed it; Yargos is at it again. Players from a certain faction who saved Yargos from his first adventure with the Pathfinder Society will also note that the effects of their actions have impacted the storyline, and their fulfilled faction mission from Silent Tide speaks to their new faction mission in Song of the Sea Witch.
I’m eager to hear what folks think of these homages, both what you think worked well, and what could make the campaign’s internal continuity even stronger. Further, what NPCs, locations, magic items, or dangling plot threads would you like to see woven back into the Pathfinder Society tapestry in scenarios to come? Comment below!
Next week, Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock has some exciting announcements to make about the organization’s growing army of volunteer coordinators.
Pathfinder Society Welcomes New Campaign Coordinator, Venture-Captains!
Monday, September 12, 2011
On Thursday of last week, Paizo announced the hiring of Mike Brock as the new Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator. Mike has been one of the campaign's most prolific and successful regional coordinators in Atlanta, Georgia since the venture-captain program was launched a year ago, and we're all excited to see what great new innovations he can bring to the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign as a whole. Mike won't start for another few weeks, as moving from Atlanta to Seattle is quite an endeavor, so hold off on asking for rules clarifications and the like, but feel free to congratulate him and wish him the best of luck here or on the existing congratulations thread.
In addition to announcing Mike as the new Campaign Coordinator, it's also my pleasure to announce another wave of venture-captains! Some of these newly appointed regional coordinators will be working in areas that have long been crying out for a venture-captain, while some will be stepping into the rather large shoes left empty when Mike leaves Atlanta to come work at Paizo HQ. If you're in one of these venture-captains' regions, drop them a line to see how you can help grow Pathfinder Society in your area. Conversely, if there still isn't a venture-captain in your region, check out the details on applying for the position here.
Atlanta, GA
Kyle and Nani Pratt
kyle.pratt@georgiapfs.org & nani.o.pratt@georgiapfs.org
Boston, MA
Don Walker
BostonPFS@gmail.com
Dallas/ Ft. Worth, TX
Jon Cary
DFWVentureCaptain@gmail.com
Iowa City, IA
Todd Morgan
PFSIowa@gmail.com
Washington, DC
Dan Simons
pfsventurecaptaindc@gmail.com
Congrats again to Mike and all six of our new venture-captains, and thanks for all your hard work thus far! The Pathfinder Society is in good hands and can only get better from here.
So some of you may or may not know that we updated some parts of our Community Use Package the other day. Some of you may or may not know what that even means, which is a darn shame, since we put out some really cool, really free stuff that people don't even know about. In addition to the Player's Guides for each new Adventure Path we put out every six months, below is a list of some neato things that we put on our site that you can use for free under our Community Use Policy.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document
At Gen Con, I realized that a lot of people didn't know that you don't even need to buy most of our products to enjoy them, and that we put up all our rules on our own website for free. It's kind of this insane marketing scheme we have, where we like our customers so much that we give you all the rules you need to play our game for free, and it totally works. It's called the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document, and it's a giant archive of all our rules, so that you can play the game without even opening your book up. It's searchable, official, totally free, and updated often.
Community Use Package
The Community Use Package consist of files we provide freely on our website, including big ol' maps of our world, symbols to put on your own maps, character sheets, and other cool icons and logos to use as you may. We're pretty down with our fans using things we make to express their appreciation for our products, and you can use a lot of our campaign setting stuff for your own needs as long as you comply with our Community Use Policy.
Pathfinder Society Introductory Scenarios
Pathfinder Society Organized Play is getting pretty popular. We just kicked off Season 3 of Pathfinder Society a couple months ago, and to commemorate the event we released three free full-length scenarios to introduce new and veteran players alike to the exciting world of our organized play campaign! Scroll down to the bottom of the linked page here and check them out! In addition, you can get yourself a free copy of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play on our website as well.
Free RPG Day
If you don't know about Free RPG Day already, you've been missing out. But that's okay! Because you can still download the products we release on these esteemed occasions on our website. Our last Free PRG Day product was the module We Be Goblins, which is an absolute blast, and in the past we've put out the much-acclaimed Master of the Fallen Fortress module and the Pathfinder RPG Bonus Bestiary, which includes plenty of baddies to throw at your players.
This past weekend was PAX Prime at the Seattle Convention Center, and we had a strong Pathfinder presence in rooms 202 & 203. But have no fear, Pathfinder Society faithful in other parts of the country (or locals who missed getting in on the sold-out show); here are a few conventions where you can participate in Pathfinder Society Organized Play over the holiday next weekend!
Be sure to check Pathfinder Society Event Central frequently for more conventions, game days, and ongoing games offered in your area. If you're an event organizer who wants to make sure others hear about your convention or game store game, be sure to update your event so it appears on the calendar.
It's been over a week since Gen Con wrapped up, and a little less than that since we returned to business as usual here at Paizo HQ. But even though we're back in the swing of deadlines and such, the rush of Pathfinder Society at Gen Con still has me feeling high!
Over the course of four days and ten slots, we seated over 3,000 excited Pathfinders, many of whom played their first Pathfinder Society scenario during the convention. And though we sold out almost every event months before the show, I'm proud to say that nearly everyone who wanted to get into a game with generic tickets was able to do so. We only had to turn people away in two of the ten slots!
Our Friday night special, Blood Under Absalom, was a smashing success, and we were able to get everyone who wanted to play a seat, pulling in extra tables from the hall to ensure that no one was left out. The result was 51 tables (out of a sold-out 45) of Pathfinders of all levels running through the same adventure, GMed by none other than the incomparable Tim Hitchcock.
In addition to the rewards all players get for surviving a Pathfinder Society Scenario, we had additional prizes that players and GMs could try to win by unlocking the Pathfinder Society treasure chest. Inside were signed copies of hardcover rulebooks, free map packs and flip mats, Pathfinder Tales novels, and even exclusive Pathfinder Society boons. Some players walked away with Chronicle sheets granting them access to non-core races like aasimar, tiefling, tengu, and dhampir, and everyone who played a scenario or delve got a Gen Con exclusive boon granting them weapon proficiency with one Eastern weapon from Ultimate Combat. For those Pathfinder Society players and GMs who couldn't make it to the show, we'll be trying similar promotions at regional conventions and game stores in the coming months, spearheaded by our invaluable Venture-Captains, so keep an eye out for your chance to get some exclusive Pathfinder Society Chronicles in your area.
Thanks to everyone who spent valuable time and money ensuring Gen Con 2011 was the most successful Pathfinder Society convention to date. Without all our Venture-Captains, HQ volunteers, and over 50 GMs per slot, thousands of gamers would have missed out on the launch of the Year of the Ruby Phoenix and hours of fun exploring Golarion! Keep an eye on this blog in the coming months for early information about our plans of next Gen Con, including how you can volunteer to help make Gen Con 2012 an even bigger success!
P.S. Check out this awesome Wayne Reynolds art from the first two Jade Regent adventure path volumes. See, Shalelu's hair is blond!
Congrats to PFS player Chris Cook, whose PC, Phunc, was voted MVP at his table in last night's delve, and was randomly drawn from 51 MVPs for our grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to next year's Gen Con! We're looking forward to seeing you again in 2012.
Last night this mob of PFS players all amassed for the Gen Con special event, Blood Under Absalom. In the end we seated everyone who came to play in the sold out event, with 51 tables (out of 45 planned) and ran the event for nearly 325 players!
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XX: Gen Con Is Here!
Monday, August 1, 2011
This is it, folks! The 20th installment in the Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play blog series by yours truly. On this, the first of August, we're literally just hours from the kickoff of Pathfinder Society's fourth year, Season 3: The Year of the Ruby Phoenix!
So what can Pathfinders expect from Gen Con this year? Well, for starters, we have an exclusive Chronicle that we'll give to all players and volunteer GMs who play or run either a scenario or delve event in the Pathfinder Society room (rooms 231–234)—the largest such space we've ever had at Gen Con, I might add.
"From ashes of Shadow, the Ruby Phoenix rises."
Everyone who plays a session of either type of event will get a key (or a coin that can be turned in for multiple keys) to possibly open our HQ Treasure Chest. Inside is a chance to win a number of great prizes including Pathfinder Society branded memorabilia, signed copies of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game hardcovers, GameMastery map products, Pathfinder Tales novels, and 15 different Gen Con boons for use with your Pathfinder Society character!
"But, Mark," you're surely saying, "all the Pathfinder Society events at the show are sold out, or nearly so!" Well, yes. That's true. But we'll have up to 5 tables of hour-long delve events running through most of the day to give those who can't get into ticketed games a chance to play Pathfinder and possibly win some of the above-mentioned boons and prizes. So even if you didn't get a spot in one of the over 400 tables of Pathfinder Society going on at the show, stop by rooms 231–234 to get your Pathfinder on at your convenience!
And Paizo's presence isn't just in the organized play rooms, either. We'll have almost everyone in the company in the booth at one time or another, so stop by and see who you can chat up or have sign your new copy of Ultimate Combat. On Saturday at 3:00 we'll be having our annual Pathfinder costume party, so if you have an iconic getup or even a costume for your favorite personal Pathfinder character, stop by the booth then for group pictures and a chance to win some great prizes as the fans on paizo.com vote to choose their favorite costumed attendee.
I could write another three pages on all the great stuff we have in store for everyone at Gen Con, but as I leave in less than 24 hours for the fine city of Indianapolis, I'd better cut this short (sic) and get those last few little details ironed out before I pack up my travel toothbrush and prepare for my appointment with the TSA. See you all in Indianapolis!
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XIX: Retuning the Rules
Monday, July 25, 2011
We're just over a week away from Gen Con 2011 and the launch of Pathfinder Society Organized Play's fourth year, dubbed "The Year of the Ruby Phoenix", and the entire editorial staff seems to be under the permanent effects of haste and insanity. While I'm burning the midnight oil from both ends (sorry 'bout the mixed metaphor, but it's accurate), I thought I'd make a short post to preview some of the revisions to the campaign rules themselves, as will appear in the newest version of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, which we'll have out shortly.
For full details on these and other changes, you'll have to wait for the full rules, but here's a hint at some of what's in store. Note that none of these rules go into effect until August 4, 2011, when the revised Guide will actually become legal and valid.
The nearly out-of-print Seekers of Secrets will be removed from the Core Assumption, replaced with the brand-new Pathfinder Society Field Guide, releasing at Gen Con. This book includes new Prestige Awards unique to each of the 10 factions, new archetypes, spells, equipment, and a section on vanities, which are purchasable with Prestige Points and allow you to own a business or a manor house, have minions and servants to provide you bonuses, and grant you membership into exclusive clubs like thieves' guilds and hunting lodges.
Day Jobs are being simplified, and will now be a single Craft, Perform, or Profession check, with all relevant modifiers. Some vanities or Prestige Awards will allow you to use different skills for such checks, including the much requested Sleight of Hand.
Characters will be able to switch factions by paying Prestige Points to represent the fewer favors their new faction owes them. All PCs will receive one free faction change beginning on August 4 that must be used before the first session played in Season 3. If you don't play any Pathfinder Society during Season 3, you'll have to pay to change factions in Season 4.
New PCs will no longer be restricted from purchasing magic items at character creation. They will still be limited by having only 150 gp to spend on such items, and can't buy anything not on the Always Available list, but now you can start with a scroll or a potion if you've got the money for one!
Characters of new factions playing old scenarios will do a faction mission from one of the original five, earning prestige as if that mission had been tied to your faction all along. The pairings will be: Grand Lodge > Osirion; Lantern Lodge > Qadira; Sczarni > Taldor; Shadow Lodge > Cheliax; and Silver Crusade > Andoran.
Since Season 3 will feature only one faction mission per scenario, with a second Prestige Point tied to the completion of the overall scenario, Season 0 scenarios with 1 Prestige Point available can be run as written, while scenarios from Seasons 1 and 2 will treat one faction mission as the overall objective and the other as the faction specific objective to maintain the same 2 Prestige Points per scenario.
The Guide will also include rules for rebuilding elements of characters using open playtest rules, or when an errata or FAQ of an existing rule causes it to work significantly differently than before.
I guess that's about all I have time for at the moment, because I still have to get the guide polished off and ready to go, not to mention our four new scenarios and Gen Con special, Blood Under Absalom. (The art you're seeing here is a sample of what players in these new adventures have in store, by the way.) Oh, and revised pregens. Yeah, those are finally coming out, as well.
Next week, in the twentieth and final installment of the Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play blog series, I'll talk a little about some of the exciting gaming opportunities we have planned for Gen Con and reveal the heretofore unmentioned exclusive prizes players in Pathfinder Society and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game delve events will have a chance to win at the show!
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play Part XVIII: Ensure the Decemvirate doesn't take advantage of Pathfinder agents.
Monday, July 18, 2011
For decades, a growing segment of the Pathfinder Society's membership has become disillusioned with the Decemvirate. Whether they hold personal grudges against the masked leaders of the Society for slights they feel were never remedied or watched too many of their friends suffer for the good of a Society that seemed to thank them very little, these rebels' numbers have surged in recent years, swelling the Shadow Lodge's membership. In 4710 AR, several fringe cells of the underground resistance movement broke off from the main body of the Shadow Lodge, and began a series of open attacks on the Grand Lodge and those loyal to it. The Decemvirate, recognizing that there was a real problem to be addressed, quelled the rebellion by bringing the Shadow Lodge back into the fold, acquiescing to some of their demands, and sending strike forces to hunt down and eliminate remaining cells of radical Shadow Lodge agents. Many still feel the Decemvirate has further to go to remedy the injustices carried out in the Society's name, though they are glad to be in good standing with the Society once again—even if many also believe they were brought back into the Grand Lodge so the Ten could keep a closer eye on them.
Well, folks, here we are. Just over two weeks left before Gen Con and only two Pathfinder Society Season 3 preview blogs left before the Year of the Ruby Phoenix kicks off. That means we're up to the last of the 10 factions from which players may choose their PCs' allegiance. Since the Year of the Shadow Lodge began, a not-insignificant portion of the players in the Pathfinder Society campaign have asked, "How do I join the Shadow Lodge?" In two weeks, they can do so easily.
The Shadow Lodge began as a clear villain organization who wanted to use the Pathfinder Society's resources for their own gain. But over time, as more and more people expressed dissatisfaction with how the Decemvirate treated the body of their organization, the more we at campaign HQ started to wonder ourselves what the implication would be to have PCs working for the Shadow Lodge.
In the end, we realized that the villains the Shadow Lodge represented would need to evolve to better fit the campaign. Luckily for us, we made this decision in plenty of time to get that evolution to take place over the course of Season 2 such that now, looking back on the Year of the Shadow Lodge, someone can follow the metaplot and watch how the organization went from evil mustache-twirling villains to Pathfinders with legitimate complaints against their leadership. By Season 2's conclusion, those playing all the scenarios over the course of the season can see that some of the Shadow Lodge's agents were too easily manipulated and misguided by influential members of the group into initiating open hostility with the Grand Lodge in hopes of destabilizing it.
Now, however, everything's been smoothed over, at least for the most part. Both the Shadow Lodge and the Decemvirate have a way to go before they trust one another fully, and both sides now must follow through on their ends of the bargain. As the first sign of the Society's willingness to do so, a new service has been added to those which may be purchased with Prestige. Beginning in Season 3, a PC may pay 5 PP to have her body recovered by a rescue team. This means you no longer have to worry about being left in a sealed tomb or abandoned on another plane of existence. As long as your body still exists (meaning no disintegration), you can get out!
Members of the Shadow Lodge, for their part, must now help the Pathfinders quell any remaining rebel cells that may exist throughout the Inner Sea region, including any featured in Season 2 scenarios that a new player or someone catching up on missed scenarios may play a year or two down the line.
So there you have it: the 10 factions available for play in Season 3 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play! Next week, we'll take a look at the revised Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play and go over a few of the more notable rules changes or clarifications you can expect to find within. See ya next Monday!
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XVII: Use the Pathfinder Society's Resources To Do Good in the World
Monday, July 11, 2011
When the existence of so many factions within the Pathfinder Society began to become apparent, many were dismayed, especially those who took umbrage at the Society's resources being used for ethically questionable purposes or personal gain. Unable to eliminate such elements as the Shadow Lodge from the ranks of the organization, an influential group of Pathfinder clerics, paladins, and servants of good-aligned deities banded together to form their own faction—the Silver Crusade—as an answer to these undesirable offshoots of the Society. While a crusade in name only, the Silver Crusade models itself after the staunchly good silver dragon, making a valiant effort to use the Society's influence, reach, and resources to do good throughout the Inner Sea region and beyond.
If there's one thing the faction system has taught us since Pathfinder Society Organized Play began just a little less than three years ago, it's that players want to be good guys. Until now, that means most people have been playing Andoren Pathfinders who fight against tyranny, oppression, and slavery. But what about those paladins who don't want to be asked to act against the law or clerics who are less concerned with politics than they are healing the sick and helping the downtrodden?
The answer, of course, is the focus of this week's blog, the fourth of five new factions and one I expect to be very popular among players currently in Andoran only because of lack of other "good" options. This faction is the Silver Crusade, led by Sarenite paladin Ollysta Zadrian, an ex-Pathfinder with countless connections within the organization. While the faction's name may bring to mind knights in shining armor and religious zealotry, it's less a traditional campaign or holy war than a crusade of the mind and motivations—a group of like-minded Pathfinders set on helping one another spread the word and good will of their respective faiths wherever the Decemvirate may send them.
Continuing our previews of Pathfinder Society tie-in content in the forthcoming Pathfinder Society Field Guide, here's a look at one of the faction-specific prestige awards members of the Silver Crusade can purchase with their Prestige Points once they've earned enough Fame.
Beacon of Good (Fame 5, 2 PP) The Shining Crusade gives you a shining wayfinder (see page 55) emblazoned with the emblem of a silver dragon. If you lose your shining wayfinder, you can purchase a new one for an additional 2 PP. Members of the Silver Crusade who are caught selling shining wayfinders for their own
profit are exiled, and must switch factions.
Now I bet you're wondering what a shining wayfinder is, right? It wouldn't be much of a tease if I gave you everything, though, would it? Oh, okay. You've been patiently reading these for 17 installments now, so I guess I can give a bit more: a shining wayfinder functions like a normal wayfinder, but also lets the user cast detect evil at will and protection from evil on herself once per day.
That's all you get from me this week, though. No more. You're just going to have to wait until next Monday for me to talk about the fifth and final new faction: the Shadow Lodge! Have a good week, Pathfinders.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XVI: Use Pathfinder Missions as a Front for Personal Gain
Monday, July 4, 2011
A loose affiliation of Varisian swindlers, thieves, and smugglers, the Sczarni don't have much in common with the average Pathfinder. But to many, there's little distinction between someone who robs the grave of an ancestor and someone who cons one out of her night's dinner. Thus, when Sczarni and Pathfinders come to town, both are often lumped into the same category by suspicious natives and watchful legal authorities—troublesome people to watch out for. Though not officially allied, many Pathfinders work with local Sczarni throughout the region to aid one another in surviving, hopefully gaining a leg up in their own endeavors in the process.
Since the earliest days of Pathfinder, Varisians have been a large part of the world. We did, after all, start out with three Adventure Paths set in Varisia. So it was only natural that we include a faction aligned with what is arguably our most thoroughly developed part of Golarion. But we didn't just want an ethnic Varisian faction, as we'd then need Ulfen, Kellid, Mwangi, and Garundi factions as well. Similarly, a political faction didn't seem right given the fractured nature of Varisia's three major city-states, as we would have had to choose which city would get a faction and which wouldn't. So we started to think about what elements of Varisian life most aligned with the Pathfinder Society.
The Sczarni seemed to fit quite well, so we went with them. I swear there was no knee-breaking involved in the decision. People have, after all, been asking for a long time to make Sleight of Hand checks as their Day Job rolls. The fact that people wanted to play pickpockets and con artists seemed fairly obvious. We expect this faction to appeal to people currently playing Taldor-faction PCs, and many of its faction missions will deal with deception and pilfering with a more criminal than political manipulation bent.
Anyone who's played the Pathfinder Society Quest: Ambush in Absalom will recognize the faction's head, a man named Guaril Karela, who operates all of Absalom's Sczarni activity out of his dockside curiosity shop, the Pickled Imp. He'll likely assist the Pathfinder Society in getting goods or people past unfriendly city watchmen, through hostile territory, or even out of some legal binds they may find themselves in. If he and those agents loyal to him happen to make some money along the way, how does that hurt anyone else?
That brings our new factions revealed to three, leaving just two more to go before Gen Con! Next week, we'll look at the Silver Crusade, the new "good guy" faction that should appeal to paladins, clerics of any good-aligned deity, and characters who want to help others while they travel the world working for the Decemvirate. Until then, all you Americans, enjoy the day off, and we'll see you tomorrow!
In the buildup to our print deadline for Gen Con, we saw a fair amount of book schedules get a bit of "compression," with books that should be being worked on (and thus previewed) a month apart being separated by a few weeks. Or in this case... ONLY a week. Last week we previewed some art from Dungeons of Golarion, but the Pathfinder Society Field Guide is right on its heels! And what kind of field guide would it be if it didn't have a section that talked directly about the things eager new Pathfinders might face in the field? Challenges like daemon-spawning portals, angry dinosaurs, and vengefully violent six-armed animated statues?
Well... no one ever said that being a Pathfinder was easy, I guess.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play Part XV: Spread the wisdom of Tian Xia within the Inner Sea
Monday, June 27, 2011
While the Pathfinder Society makes its home in the Grand Lodge of Absalom, its membership comes from and travels to all corners of the known world. Outside the Inner Sea region, one of the highest concentrations of Pathfinders is on the continent of Tian Xia, and specifically in the metropolitan city of Goka. Most Tian Pathfinders operate independently of their brethren in Absalom, but occasionally agents cross the Crown of the World, make the treacherous naval voyage south around Casmaron, or simply teleport to travel between the two hubs of activity. The Lantern Lodge represents Tian interests in the Inner Sea region, ensuring that Pathfinder Society agents far to the east of the Decemvirate’s direct view are considered in organization-wide affairs.
When we first announced the forthcoming Jade Regent Adventure Path, one of the first questions to pop up on the Pathfinder Society forums was whether the campaign would be going to this distant land. The answer is undoubtedly yes, my loyal Pathfinders, but we won't be abandoning years of development in the Inner Sea region; the campaign is still going to be based out of Absalom.
But we've got Asian-influenced archetypes in Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat, and the new ninja and samurai alternate classes in the latter, so we needed to find a way to justify these characters existing in the Inner Sea region, and explain why we hadn't seen them around before. The simplest solution was to introduce a branch of Pathfinders focused on Tian Xia or from there, who may have just recently set up a presence in Absalom.
Thus, the Lantern Lodge was born. Headed by a Gokan venture-captain named Amara Li, the Lantern Lodge represents Tian interests in the Inner Sea and promotes cooperation between Pathfinders on both sides of the world. Whether the Lantern Lodge provides a home away from home to natives of Goka, Minkai, Nagajor, or the fractured Successor States of Imperial Lung Wa while they venture into Avistan and Garund on their own explorations, or whether it provides resources for Pathfinders from the Inner Sea region who want to experience the wonders of Tian Xia, the Lantern Lodge has an important role to play within the Pathfinder Society as a whole.
At this point, there are no plans to add Tian Xia-based PC races to the campaign, but those who want to play a ninja, samurai, or exiled Tian noble now have a faction whose missions fit their flavor, all within the context of the Pathfinder Society as a whole. Instead of swearing allegiance to a country thousands of miles from their homeland, they can remain loyal to the lands that birthed them on the other side of the Wall of Heaven mountains.
Two new factions down, three to go! Next week, we'll look at the Sczarni, the loosely organized Varisian criminal network, and see how they fit in with the Pathfinder Society. What could these two organizations possibly have to gain from allying with one another? Find out next week—same path-time, same path-channel.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XIV: Loyalty to the Decemvirate Above All Else
Monday, June 20, 2011
Regardless of a Pathfinder's nation of origin, all members of the Society consider the Grand Lodge in Absalom a second home. It is in this vast complex of sprawling towers, libraries, and reliquaries that so many Pathfinders receive their training, and within the Grand Lodge's walls, the masked leaders of the Society secretly guide the organization from their chambers at the peak of Skyreach's central tower. While many Pathfinders find their loyalty to the Society but one of several alliances to outside political or religious factions, most Pathfinders hold the strongest allegiance to the will of the Ten and the Pathfinder Society itself. Those who do not taint their dedication with distractions from other superiors are the pride of the Grand Lodge, and are rewarded for always putting the orders of the Decemvirate before their own personal wants and desires.
Since very early in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign's history, folks have asked not to belong to a faction, wanting to play a Pathfinder first and foremost. Because of the nature of Prestige Points and the prominence of faction missions as an integral part of Pathfinder Society Scenarios, doing so hasn't been possible to date. But with the advent of five new factions, we saw the opportunity to give these dedicated Pathfinder agents what they were looking for—a way to play a blue-blooded Pathfinder within the faction system. And thus, the Grand Lodge faction was born.
Headed by the Grand Lodge's chamberlain and steward, Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin, the Grand Lodge faction rewards Pathfinders who put the interests of the Decemvirate and the Pathfinder Society above all else. Members of this faction will still get a distinct faction mission each scenario, but their tasks will often coincide with the overall adventure objective or otherwise serve to promote loyalty to the Decemvirate and the well-being of the Pathfinder Society as a whole.
In the upcoming Pathfinder Society Field Guide, each faction will receive a full-page write-up including a headshot of the faction head, an overview of the typical member of the group, and a hint at how those loyal to the cause increase their Fame score within their faction. In addition to this flavorful background, each faction will feature a handful of new boons that may be unlocked with Fame and purchased with Prestige Points, available only to members of that faction. Check out the following boon available to Grand Lodge Pathfinders who attain a Fame score of at least 20 and spend 2 Prestige Points:
Aspis Hunter (Fame 20, 2 PP) You gain special training in foiling the efforts of the Society's largest external enemy, the Aspis Consortium. You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls and on weapon damage rolls against Aspis agents who wear clearly visible insignia showing their affiliation and rank.
One new faction down, and only three months after we first announced the number of factions would be doubling next season. From here out, it's all new factions, all the time until just before Gen Con, so stay tuned to this spot each week for a glimpse at the next one. In one week's time, I'll give the first glimpse at the Lantern Lodge, the Tian-aligned faction within the Pathfinder Society.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XIII: PaizoCon Success!!!
Monday, June 13, 2011
For hundreds of avid Pathfinder Society players, this past weekend likely produced countless memories that won't soon be forgotten. This weekend, after all, was PaizoCon, and one of the pillars of the show was the wide array of Pathfinder Society games and special events being run from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.
We planned for 16 active tables each slot and ended up pulling in extra GMs for nearly every one, filling as many as 21 tables on Saturday morning. While there were lines of hopeful players filling the hallway outside the four PFS gaming rooms each slot, Hyrum and I are proud to say that not a single gamer was turned away from Pathfinder Society play who showed up within 15 minutes of the start of a slot. In total, we had nearly 80 tables go off, most of which were for brand-new 1st-level characters created by participants new to the Society.
On Friday night we ran an exclusive event called the Grand Melee, in which the Decemvirate tested the participants to find the most skilled and most promising agents for future endeavors. Over five continuous encounters, each tiered table was put up against increasingly powerful foes, culminating in a combat rated at CR +4 for the lowest tier and CR +5 for the higher tiers. In the end, the winning table scored 173 points in Tier 1–2 (followed closely by a Tier 5–6 table with 164 points.
Not only did players compete with one another for special prizes in the Grand Melee, but all of the event's GMs were battling to provide the hardest challenge and the most enjoyable experience for their tables. In the end, the running was close, but San Diego Venture-Captain Eric Brittain came out ahead. As a reward for his GMing performance in the event, he will receive his next GM star for free, bumping him from 2 to 3 in a single event.
Speaking of GM stars, Hyrum and I were proud to see two active 4-star GMs earn their 5th stars during the convention. Congratulations are in order for Kyle Baird and Missouri Venture-Captain Jason Roeder. Welcome to the ranks of our most valued GMs, guys!
On Saturday afternoon, Hyrum and I announced the five new factions, the names of which were quickly tweeted and leaked onto the messageboards. We'll be covering all five of these new player options in the coming weeks starting with the Grand Lodge faction next week, so be sure to check the blog on Monday morning to see more details than simply the basic premise and name of the first of our five new factions.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XII: Power through Political Manipulation
Monday, June 6, 2011
Since the Age of Enthronement, no nation in the Inner Sea has had as wide-reaching and influential an empire as the kingdom of Taldor. Sadly, decadence and overconfidence led to the empire's relatively swift decline centuries ago, as vassal after vassal broke free from the crown. Despite its waning influence worldwide and constant internal political strife, Taldor is one of the five nations most strategically poised to take control of Absalom from within. Using the same tactics of espionage, sabotage, blackmail, and deception employed by Taldan nobility for millennia, agents of this political faction hope to manipulate the nobility and citizenry of Absalom to recognize the nation's rightful place as the natural ruler of humankind throughout the region.
Illustration by Ryan Portillo
The Taldor faction has, since the very beginning of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, been in a near-dead heat with the Qadira faction, a fitting rivalry given the nations' longstanding feud. In the end, we decided that the inability of either nation to pull ahead and truly challenge Osirion or Andoran for the top spot on the faction ladder meant something needed to change. So we shook things up...
Taldor isn't going anywhere, but the faction will be led by a new political manipulator in place of Baron Jacquo Dalsine (who many pointed out over the years was so uninvolved that he never even bothered to spell his name correctly when he signed it on faction missives). Lady Gloriana Morilla, pictured here, is also a member of Taldor's thriving noble hierarchy, but she's somewhat less concerned with looking good and throwing a good party than she is with restoring Taldor to its long-lost glory. She knows that the longer the nation rests on its imaginary laurels, the more its influence and gods-decreed dominance slip away from the Grand Prince and his loyal subjects. Expect the missions given to Taldan characters to focus more on the political intrigue that defines the faction starting in Season 3, though characters will still be encouraged to look good and make grand spectacles of themselves while carrying them out.
Lady Gloriana and all 10 faction leaders are featured in the upcoming Pathfinder Society Field Guide, with a headshot of each as well as a brief overview of their backstories, motivations, and personalities. We'll also be featuring them as prominent NPCs in adventures set in Absalom, so faction members will get the chance to directly interact with the very people who dictate so much of their adventuring careers.
Come back next week for a recap of PaizoCon 2011, the new scenarios released there, and the exclusive events attendees will have the option of playing. After that, we'll dive headlong into the first of the new factions to be officially announced. This is where it gets good!
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play Part XI: Pick Your Pace
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Well, loyal Pathfinders, I have returned from a weeklong adventure in which I conducted an ancient ritual at the prophesied time to eternally bond me with an intelligent magic item of incredibly high Charisma that now occupies my left ring slot. And whether the Rapture came or not, I'm in heaven (though there's little time to take in the sights as we scramble to get the finishing touches on all the great new Pathfinder Society material debuting at PaizoCon in little more than a week).
But enough about me and my new cohort (or am I the cohort?). Let's talk about one of the biggest changes coming to Pathfinder Society Organized Play next year: variable advancement tracks!
Illustration by Maichol Quinto
Currently, all Pathfinder Society PCs level at the same rate: 3 XP to level up, which breaks down to three scenarios per level, or at the most 37 scenarios between character creation and retirement after a completed 12th-level adventure arc. For someone playing only a handful of scenarios a year at large conventions, this means they can play the same PC for years and years and still feel like they're actually getting something out of those few sessions they play at Gen Con or PaizoCon annually. But for players who participate in the campaign on even a bi-weekly basis, they will have leveled a character from inception to near retirement in just over a single year.
We’ve listened to the feedback, and feel there's a simple solution already present in our rules system. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game includes several different advancement tracks to allow GMs to run their campaigns at the pace that works best for them and their players. While most of our products to date assume the medium advancement track, some groups prefer using the fast or slow progressions to move more quickly to higher-level play or to savor each step along the way to 20th level. Pathfinder Society Organized Play will be implementing a similar optional advancement track beginning in Season 3.
Players who enjoy the three-scenario-per-level pace don’t need to do anything. For you, nothing will change. But for those who want a slower progression, you can opt instead to move at half-speed, earning only 1/2 XP, 1/2 the total maximum gold, and a maximum of 1 Prestige Point per scenario. Because the net gain per level will be the same whether you use the slow track over six adventures or the normal track over three, PCs will be able to choose which progression they'll use for their next level each time they gain a level.
In addition to allowing individuals to operate at their own pace, this plan should allow small home groups or even growing store and convention groups to cooperate to ensure that higher-level PCs slow down enough for new players or replacement characters to catch up, condensing the level spread to make things easier for event coordinators. I'm sure there are other benefits to these new options that we haven't even thought of in-house yet. What most excites you about this new development?
Be sure not to miss next week's Monday blog for a look at the fifth of the existing factions: the decadent empire of Taldor. Anyone who's already played The Dalsine Affair likely already has an idea of at least one change that will be coming to this faction—a change that players of the four new scenarios at PaizoCon are likely to notice right away.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play Part X: Dominance Through Trade
Monday, May 23, 2011
The western tip of the vast, continent-spanning Padishah Empire of Kelesh, the Satrapy of Qadira serves as the gateway between the wealth and resources of eastern Casmaron and the eager ports and markets of the Inner Sea. Its singular position as the funnel through which Casmaron's wealth f lows has painted Qadira's outlook on the world, and from the richest trade prince of Katheer to the lowliest caravan driver of the vast southern deserts, Qadirans recognize that the way to true power and influence is through trade and economic dominance. And no single city or nation is more strategically placed to rule the markets of the entire region than Absalom, which is why the satrap has invested substantial resources and his best agents in ensuring that Qadira gains control over trade in Absalom and—shortly thereafter—the entirety of Avistan and northern Garund.
The weekend is over and now there's profit to be made! And that's Qadira's bag. In many ways, it's the most accessible faction for those of us living in the real world, because, you know, we all understand how much power comes with money. It is nice, after all, to be able to buy the things you need and to charge what you think you're worth for the services you provide to others.
Illustration by Ryan Portillo
So we already talked about a few changes coming to some of the other factions, but Qadira is one of the two getting the largest shakeup. I don't want to spoil anything, especially in light of two new scenarios coming out later this week, but I will say this: the change is going to take place "on screen." So once people have played the scenario in which the proverbial stuff hits the fan, use this thread to discuss it. Just use spoiler tags, or at least charge your fellow Pathfinders a fee for the information you possess. After all, what true Qadiran wouldn't profit when profit can be had?
And you're likely wondering who the mysterious stranger is in this blog post. Well, I'm not going to say. At least not for free...
Come back next week for a look at how to get ahead in the Pathfinder Society, or how to take your time and enjoy the scenery a bit more. Next Monday's blog is likely to make a lot of players very happy.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part IX: With Prestige Comes Fame
Monday, May 16, 2011
One of the unique elements of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign is the presence of factions and each character's growth within her faction using the prestige system. It's undergone some changes over the last three years, most notably the tying of maximum buying power to total prestige at the start of Season One. Well it's changing again, and in a way we think will streamline the system for ease of use for GMs, authors, and most of all, players.
Faction missions aren't going anywhere, but they are going to change a bit. Instead of there being two faction missions for each of the 10 factions, each one will have only a single difficult mission to earn that faction's Prestige Point (PP). A second Prestige Point will be tied to several success conditions of the main Pathfinder Society mission. Thus, an Andoran faction Pathfinder can get his faction Prestige Point by freeing the slaves from the gnoll's camp, while he gets a second Prestige Point by retrieving the ancient Lamashtan relic that Venture-Captain Eliza Petulengro sent him after in the first place. This is a direct response to fan feedback that there needed to be more reward for actually completing the main mission of a Scenario. Also, it means our authors only have to design 10 faction missions instead of 20—the same number they're already doing.
You might notice I capitalized Prestige Point up there. That's because it's a new game term we'll be using from here on out. No longer do you need to track CPA and TPA. Prestige Award—the expendable resource gained and spent in the course of an adventurer's career—is now expressed as Prestige Points, and the total number of Prestige Points gained in the course of a career is now called "Fame." Fame is a constant score like Strength or Charisma, while Prestige Points fluctuate like hit points or wealth.
In addition to eliminating the confusing CPA/TPA wording, this newly codified system means we can offer cool new abilities tied to Fame and costing a set amount of Prestige Points. Check out the following faction resource that will be available to members of the Andoran faction, from the forthcoming Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Pathfinder Society Field Guide:
Liberation (5 PP) In the event that you are captured and forced into slavery, the faction mounts a rescue operation, freeing you from servitude without any material or physical effect. Any cost or penalty normally associated with being enslaved (including magical effects such as dominate person) is negated at no additional cost to you.
That'll cost 5 PP and can be spent anytime, regardless of how much Fame the PC possesses. Other resources, like granting a character a noble title or a military position, will require reaching certain Fame thresholds before Prestige Points can be cashed in to actually gain the benefits. All 10 factions have a number of these in the Pathfinder Society Field Guide, and we have ideas of other places they may appear in the future.
Until next week, take a look at this mysterious faction symbol. It's one of the new ones, and one I would have revealed next week had we gotten enough new followers on our Facebook page. I guess I'll just be talking about how things are shaking up within the Qadira faction in next Monday's blog—same Path time, same Path channel.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part VIII: In the Secrets of the Past Come Tomorrow's Triumphs
Monday, May 9, 2011
Osirion is among the oldest human nations of the Inner Sea region—its founding marked the end of the Age of Anguish. Over its long history, it has experienced centuries of incredible power as well as generations of subjugation under foreign rule, as its ancient might was lost to desert sands and forgotten with the passage of time. With ambitions of once again being the most influential and powerful nation in the Inner Sea region, Osirion knows that Absalom is its largest competitor for the position. So while the nations of Andoran, Cheliax, Qadira, and Taldor battle among themselves for control of the City at the Center of the World, Osirion delves deep into its history to resurrect the secrets of the past. As a sleeping giant, it amasses its power to swoop down on its unsuspecting enemies when they have weakened one another, using the strength of history to secure its future dominance.
Whether it's the faction's Egyptian inspirations or it's unassuming modus operandi, Osirion has been one of the most popular factions since the earliest days of Pathfinder Society Organized Play. In many ways, this faction's ideals fall most closely in line with the baseline mission of the Pathfinder Society, and that's not changing with Season 3.
Back in the fall, we tried something new: We started introducing faction leaders as NPCs and plot elements within scenarios beyond just signing their names at the bottoms of faction mission handouts. And we began with Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, head of the Osirion faction. As far back as PaizoCon 2010, there were hints that not all was as it seemed with the Sapphire Sage, and with the onset of the Shadow Lodge conflict, his part in the overall metaplot was revealed.
I know not everyone has played the scenarios in question, so I won't post any spoilers (and I ask all comments below to use spoiler tags as necessary) but I will say that observant Osirian players may have noticed their missions are coming from some lowly scribe named Otoneraphim of late. The subplot with Amenopheus will be resolved at PaizoCon in the two-part Tier 1–7 series Shadow's Last Stand, so you've got a little over a month to catch up on past installments in this story before the "season finale".
As part of the increase in metaplot within the campaign, more venture captains and faction heads will play larger roles in scenarios during the Year of the Ruby Phoenix, and many of the faction-specific metaplots will involve their respective faction heads. I'm eager to hear what people think of this, and specifically how you have or haven't liked the way we used Amenopheus as a major player this season. Stop by the Pathfinder Society section of the messageboards and make your opinions heard!
Next week we'll continue looking at some of the campaign rule changes in store for next season, specifically those dealing with prestige. The following Monday, we'll look at another of the 10 factions, but which one depends on you. We're just a few fans away from hitting 4,000 followers on Facebook; if you, the fans, can spread the word and help us add 250 new fans before the end of the week, I'll move one of the five new factions up in line and make it the following week's blog topic, revealing its symbol as an even earlier preview.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part VII: Introducing the Year of the Ruby Phoenix
Monday, May 2, 2011
In August 2010, Pathfinder Society Organized Play entered the Year of the Shadow Lodge, and the ongoing conflict with this separatist splinter group within the Pathfinder Society has been a consistent plot element in many of the season's scenarios. We've seen prominent members of the Society and at least one faction betray the Decemvirate, and the Shadow Lodge conflict only gets more twisted as we wrap up to the dramatic conclusion at PaizoCon.
In August, with the launch of Season 3, Pathfinders the world over will embark on the most exciting Pathfinder Society adventure yet, a metaplot arc we've named the Year of the Ruby Phoenix.
In the Year of the Ruby Phoenix, the Pathfinder Society (as well as various other factions both allied with and opposed to the Society) set their sights on the Ruby Phoenix Tournament, a world-renowned fighting competition that occurs only once a decade in distant Tian Xia, and more specifically on the incredible collection of prizes available to the tournament's victor. In order to cement the Society's victory, Pathfinder agents will be sent throughout the Inner Sea and beyond to collect allies, uncover obscure lore, and retrieve magical weapons to augment their representatives in the tournament.
The search for the perfect "ringer" will culminate in the tournament itself, which will be released as an as-yet-unannounced Pathfinder Module: The Ruby Phoenix Tournament, which will continue the pattern of being sanctioned for Pathfinder Society play. After the PCs' inevitable victory, the treasure chosen by the Decemvirate as the prize awarded to them by their representatives' win will propel the adventure into unexplored territory for the remainder of the season!
The Year of the Ruby Phoenix kicks off at Gen Con with four all-new scenarios! RPG Superstar 2010 finalist Jim Groves brings us The Frostfur Captives for levels 1–5. RPG Superstar contestants Dennis Baker and Benjamin Bruck have authored the Tier 3–7 scenario Sewer Dragons of Absalom and the Tier 7–11 scenario The Kortos Envoy, respectively. And the master of the dungeon crawl, Mike Shel, rounds out the quartet with his Tier 5–9 romp, The Ghenett Manor Gauntlet.
As if that weren't enough, Pathfinders attending Gen Con (and special conventions thereafter) will have the chance to qualify the Pathfinder Society for the Ruby Phoenix Tournament in the underground pit fights of Pathfinder Society Special: Blood Under Absalom by veteran special designer Tim Hitchcock.
As if being the first to play these incredible adventures weren't enough, for the first time ever, we'll have opportunities for Pathfinder Society players and GMs to play a role in establishing Pathfinder Society canon, win special unique prizes from the Paizo store, and even a giant grand prize that we'll be announcing in the coming weeks. The call for volunteer GMs has gone out and registration for events through Gen Con are just around the corner! Don't miss your chance to be among the first to take part in the Year of the Ruby Phoenix.
Next week we'll take a look at the Osirion faction and what might be in store for those Pathfinders loyal to the Ruby Prince and the Sapphire Sage, Amenopheus!
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part VI: Establish Order, No Matter the Costs
Monday, April 25, 2011
The proud empire of Cheliax once spread across two continents, but fell to diabolical rule after 30 years of civil war following Aroden's death. Chelaxians believe their nation superior to the others in the Inner Sea region, and won't let something as simple as the death of their patron god prevent them from attaining their prophesied age of glory. The ruling House Thrune and its allies rose to power amid chaos, and established order with the help of the armies of Hell; they maintain control decades later with the same regimented organization of their infernal minions. Though Cheliax already controls the Arch of Aroden, and thus the western entrance to the Inner Sea, Queen Abrogail II's strategists know that control of Absalom is vital if Cheliax hopes to establish order throughout the region. They believe that victory is well within their grasp, and that it will come on the backs of the weak.
We led off the parade of factions two weeks ago with a look at Andoran, which is far and away the most popular faction. Though Andoran's neighbor geographically (and alphabetically in the list of ten factions), Cheliax couldn't be more different than its freedom-fighting rivals. Not only are the lawful-evil tendencies of the organization at direct odds with the chaotic good spirit of liberty, but the faction has also been the least popular in terms of active members in all three seasons of Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why, though. These are the "bad guys" of the Pathfinder Society campaign. They're the ones who send players on missions to spread the influence of Hell and the Infernal armies of the House of Thrune. If there's one thing we can learn from the trend in membership between the Andoran and Cheliax factions, it's that players want to be heroes!
So what happens to Cheliax going forward? So far, nothing, though faction leader Paracountess Zarta Dralneen's flagging leadership has certainly caught the eye of her superiors. It'd really be a shame for her to be punished personally for the fact that she represents the "bad guy faction." I know I'd personally hate to see her replaced, since I love reading her innuendo-drenched faction missives. I just hope Queen Abrogail and her lackeys are as amused by her suggestive tone and rampant hedonism as most Cheliax faction players are.
Luckily, we won't be gauging a faction's success on its membership numbers next season, but rather the rate at which active members succeed at faction missions. And while there are many disparaging things the champions of good can say about Cheliax, that they aren't dedicated isn't one of them. Then again, we've already said there will be another "good guy" faction next year. What would happen to Cheliax's resolve if we were to add another "bad guy" to keep things even? Will newly added prestige awards allowing Cheliax faction PCs of all classes to advance in the ranks of the Hellknights be enough to keep the already low number of faithful from jumping ship? Only time (and maybe some prayers to Asmodeus) will tell.
Check back next Monday for a look at the new scenarios and special events we'll be offering at Gen Con to celebrate the launch of Season 3!
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part V: The Quest
Monday, April 18, 2011
The hardest part of organizing and running Pathfinder Society events is selecting what adventures to offer on a given day. A coordinator needs to have an idea of how many players will show up, how many GMs will volunteer, what level range all participants will want and be able to play in, and most importantly, what people have and haven't played before. The sanctioning of Pathfinder Modules for Society credit was the first step in adding to coordinators' arsenals of available adventures, and last week we unveiled yet another set of material for Pathfinder Society play: Pathfinder Society Quests.
Pathfinder Society Quests are two- to three-encounter mini-adventures covering two subtiers designed to be run in under two hours. Whether you need to run them when a party moves like a greased snake through a Teflon pipe through an adventure and has a few hours to kill before the end of their scheduled slot, after poor dice rolls result in a TPK in the first half of an adventure, or as a short demo or delve event at a game store or convention, Pathfinder Society Quests scratch many itches. These short missions don't include faction missions, and provide no XP or gold, but they do come with unique item access or specialized boons. And as if that weren't enough, they can be replayed as often as you want, even with the same character.
The first Quest in the line is the Tier 1–5 adventure "Ambush in Absalom," by yours truly, which can be found in the spring issue of Kobold Quarterly (available in print or PDF here). The adventure's Chronicle can be found on the KQ #17 product page or at the bottom of the Pathfinder Society Additional Resources page. Over time, we'll release more Quests, both in other venues and on paizo.com. Eventually, Pathfinder Society Quests released elsewhere will make their way to paizo.com for all members to access. Stay tuned for more information about how you can submit your own Pathfinder Quests for inclusion in this exciting new program!
Next Monday we'll continue examining the existing five factions and what changes might be in store for them next season with a look at Cheliax, whose members are very vocal, but aren't so great at recruiting others to their cause.
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.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part IV: Freedom and Democracy For All!
Monday, April 11, 2011
The young nation of Andoran threw off the shackles of aristocracy when its liege nation Cheliax adopted an official policy of diabolism after Aroden's death, and has since established itself as the Inner Sea's largest democracy. Though free from the tyrannical rule of Taldor and Cheliax, Andoran hopes to see tyranny in all its forms wiped from the Inner Sea, and its allies strive ever to increase their own presence in Absalom, which they see as the key to ending slavery and oppression's hold on the weak and poor of Avistan and Garund. Through the efforts of the Steel Falcon branch of Andoran's elite military Eagle Knights—especially the work of the naval Gray Corsairs—the nation aspires to advance its ideals abroad through diplomacy and battle.
Congratulations, Andoren Pathfinders! Since the very beginning of Pathfinder Society Organized Play at Gen Con 2008, your faction has been the clear frontrunner in terms of popularity, and with a huge army come huge successes. Though the faction war isn't a zero-sum game, we're happy to call Andoran the clear victor in the first three seasons of Pathfinder Society play.
But, you're probably asking, if Andoran's victory didn't bring about the collapse of Cheliax nor the abolition of slavery throughout the Inner Sea, what was the point? As the first step in making character choices matter and faction prestige count, we'll be introducing several changes to the faction from an in-world perspective to reflect its increasing influence in Absalom.
First, we've given the faction a new symbol, displayed for the first time in this very blog post. While the symbol is changing, shirts with the old faction will still earn players a free reroll per session. This symbol will replace the clip-arty falcon currently displayed on the paizo.com messageboards and Pathfinder Society membership cards.
Additionally, Captain Colson Maldris, the highest-ranking Eagle Knight in Absalom and leader of the faction, will be receiving a promotion for the successful forwarding of his organization's goals—a promotion that should open up additional doors for him among Absalom's complex upper classes and increase his chances of further cementing Andoran's influence in the Inner Sea, that is, as long as his agents in the Pathfinder Society continue to perform with such diligence and aplomb.
We'll also be shifting the faction's alignment from neutral good to chaotic good, to emphasize the less lawful tactics of sabotage, subterfuge, and incitement to revolt the Eagle Knights often employ to see tyrannies topple and democracy thrive. For those Andoren paladins out there, don't fear. With the advent of five new factions next season, Andoran won't be the only obviously good-aligned faction. But if you don't want to change factions and have been doing okay with most past missions, you won't see a huge shift from the Andoren status quo when the faction's alignment officially changes.
Tune in next Monday for a look at the newest addition to the arsenals of both GMs and event coordinators, and a change to our open call submission process to increase authors' chances of being published in official Pathfinder Society sanctioned adventures.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play Part III: The Rules that Govern the World
Monday, April 4, 2011
Continuing our series of Monday blogs on the future of the Pathfinder Society, today let's talk about the campaign documents that outline the rules of the campaign.
The Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play has seen several incarnations since the campaign began in summer 2008. Currently in version 3.0.2, it has grown to a dense, 38-page PDF including the basics for players, GMs, and coordinators, as well as many explanations and clarifications of rare corner cases. While most of these rules are staying the same, the nature of any campaign is that it evolves. And the current document is simply too unwieldy for us to continually update, re-layout, and re-edit (not to mention print, for all of you following along at home). Today, we'll be updating the document to version 3.0.3 with a few revisions noted below; this will be the last revision to this document until we release version 4.0 in July.
A few months ago we moved the list of Additional Resources to their own page on the website where we can more easily update them without needing to redo the entire guide every month. This has worked out really well for us, and we plan to keep updating it here. This table of information has been removed from v3.0.3, replaced with instructions to find this information on paizo.com instead.
Additionally, we replaced the old replay rules section on page 18 with the new rule implemented on the messageboards in October outlining the 1:1 player/GM credit rule. We've clarified the Play! Play! Play! rule on page 17 to try to eliminate the misconception that the rule should negate every other rule in the book, while maintaining its intent of encouraging people to find creative solutions in order not to have to turn people away. Finally, we clarified a rule that was incorrectly interpreted in past versions of the guide regarding animal companions with Intelligence scores of 3 or higher (page 20).
So what's in store for campaign documentation in the future? Great things!
In July, we'll release not one but three new campaign documents, each with a different target audience. The first will be a 4-page introduction to the campaign with only the basic overview of the campaign and how someone can get started right away. This will be aimed at people new to the campaign who wander up at a game store or convention and just need the bare minimum to get started right then and there. We'll also have a longer, more detailed version of the player's campaign guide with extended information on additional options and explanations of factions, traits, day jobs, spending Prestige, and so on. The third book will be a GM- and coordinator-oriented information about creating sessions, reporting, and other organizational elements of the campaign.
Many of the specific corner cases and campaign specific rules that don't really belong in something everyone's expected to download and print before participating in the campaign will be moved to an online FAQ instead. This will allow us to more quickly address rules clarifications in a single, easy-to-find location instead of continually bloating the PDF campaign documents. We will have the FAQ up and full of information by the time Season 3 kicks off, and maybe even sooner if the deadline gods smile upon us.
Check back here next Monday for a glimpse at the first of next season's 10 factions—the freedom-loving nation of Andoran—and see what changes they've brought about in the last three years of dominating Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part II: Where Once There Were Five...
Monday, March 28, 2011
Since Hyrum and I first joined the Pathfinder Society Organized Play team last fall, we've had huge goals for what we wanted the campaign to be. Hyrum has coordinated organized play for huge networks of people in the past while working for Upper Deck Entertainment and had hopes of seeing Pathfinder Society reach the same number of players. Meanwhile, I began my foray into Pathfinder Society as a player and GM and wanted to see the concerns of the average participant addressed and the overall quality of the campaign continue to increase, and to explore the setting I loved to a whole new degree.
So we started plotting.
And after months of subtle hints and minor alterations to the status quo, we're ready to start announcing the larger changes that are on the horizon with Season 3. We started last week with announcements of the conclusion of the Year of the Shadow Lodge metaplot and the First Steps intro adventure arc to be released in July. Every Monday between now and August 8 (the day after Gen Con ends), we'll have a new Pathfinder Society-related blog about some of the new or changing rules elements of the campaign.
First up: Factions!
When Pathfinder Society was announced roughly three years ago, players were promised in-world consequences for their actions within their factions. This competitive aspect of the campaign was abandoned at the end of Season 0, but we're bringing it back... sort of. Factions will matter more in the overall metaplot of the season, and successes reported in certain scenarios within a small window of time after release will influence future scenario development. Each faction will have its own storyline over the course of the season involving specific NPCs, locations, and events. If you want cool stuff to happen to or within a particular faction that season, complete your missions and report the results; if some factions have less than stellar performances, their stories may be less positive, but players' actions will still influence what does occur.
Also, there will be ten factions next season to expand the options available to players. The five existing factions aren't going anywhere (though those that didn't perform as well in the last three seasons may see some shakeups) and mechanics for existing members to change factions will be outlined. We'll be dedicating a blog post to each of the ten factions in the coming months—beginning in two weeks with the most successful faction to date.
Be sure to check back here next Monday for another big announcement about the future of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign involving the official campaign rules documents.
The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part I: PaizoCon and Beyond
Monday, March 21, 2011
Though we're still in 2011's first quarter, we in Pathfinder Society Central are already plotting out details of Season 3, which will officially begin in August at Gen Con. Before we can move into the next season, however, we need to conclude Season 2. I guess now's as good a time as any to announce the final four scenarios of the current season—The Year of the Shadow Lodge.
At PaizoCon, as always, four new scenarios will debut to tie up all the loose ends with the ongoing metaplot of the season, and foreshadow the themes and challenges of next year. In this case, we've got the two part Shadow's Last Stand arc, set in the Andoren capital of Almas. Part I is At Shadow's Door, by Steven Robert, and Part II is Web of Corruption by Patrick Renie. Pathfinder Society campaign coordinator Hyrum Savage will send the PCs deep into undead-ruled Geb in You Only Die Twice, and Michael Kortes will pit the PCs against a team of deadly assassins in The Mantis's Prey. Players closely following the conflict between the Shadow Lodge and the Decemvirate will find all their questions answered in these four action- and intrigue-packed scenarios.
Because we've got some fairly significant changes and expansions coming to the campaign as it enters its fourth year, we decided to vary things up a little with July's releases. Instead of two standalone adventures left dangling between the conclusion of one year-long story arc and the introduction of another, we'll be putting out a three-part, first-level adventure arc called First Steps, designed to act as an introduction for new players, or old players starting new PCs. In this series, PCs will undertake their first missions as Pathfinders, learning what it means to be a member of the world-spanning organization, getting familiar with Absalom—their new home base—and meeting the heads of all the factions as well as some of the Society's most persistent enemies.
Adam Daigle starts it all off with In Service to Lore, followed by Stephen Radney-MacFarland's To Delve the Dungeon Deep. Larry Wilhelm wraps it all up with A Vision of Betrayal. PCs will end the series at second level, and choose their faction at the series' conclusion, deciding which of the motivations or play-styles most fits their character. As if this weren't exciting enough, all three scenarios will be available for free.
Stay tuned to this blog for more announcements about the future of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign in the coming weeks.
It seems like only yesterday we released the February Pathfinder Society Scenarios, Joshua J. Frost's Shades of Ice—Part I: Written in Blood and open call author Martin Long's The Flesh Collector, but we're already gearing up for the next batch, due out in a few weeks.
Illustration by Jeffrey Lai
In addition to trying out new authors through our open call process, Pathfinder Society Scenarios now let us test out new artists we may like to use on other projects, and I'm very pleased with the two pieces that will show up in this month's scenarios, both by Jeffrey Lai. One depicts an NPC intent on killing the Pathfinders, while the other is a missing Pathfinder the PCs must save from a terrible fate. I'll let you guess which this is.
Pathfinder Tales: Plague of Shadows Sanctioned for Society Play
Monday, February 28, 2011
A short while ago we sanctioned the Pathfinder Modules Godsmouth Heresyand Cult of the Ebon Destroyers for use in Pathfinder Society play. This was a needed change to help expand play options for players and to strengthen the entire program. As we roll into March it's time for another change: the sanctioning of Pathfinder Tales novels for use in the Pathfinder Society.
Illustration by Darren Bader
The Pathfinder Tales novel Plague of Shadows has now been incorporated into the Pathfinder Society. This new option provides fans of the novels with an additional way to use content from the book in a sanctioned format. Because of the differences between reading a novel and playing a game, there are specific rules needed for using sanctioned content from a Pathfinder Tales novel during play and we'll be providing a Chronicle sheet for players to use with their characters. You can download this Chronicle by going here.
Sanctioned novels you ask? How do you sanction a novel? Because Pathfinder Tales novels are stories first, there is no easy way to sanction items, spells, feats, or other special abilities whole cloth. Therefore, Plague of Shadows Chronicle sheets use the following rules.
1. Only items, feats, boons, or abilities found on the Chronicle sheet are legal for play.
2. Each player must have a copy of the Chronicle sheet with his or her character at all times.
3. In order for the Chronicle sheet to be considered legal for play, the player must show to the GM a copy of Plague of Shadows, either in printed or digital format.
GMs are advised to work with players to make the sanctioning of Pathfinder Tales Chronicle sheets easy and fast. As long as the player has a copy of the book, she should be able to use the Chronicle sheet just like any other.
If you would like to learn more about Plague of Shadows or other novels in the Pathfinder Tales line, please visit paizo.com or your local bookstore. Other novels in the line include Prince of Wolves by former Dragon Magazine editor Dave Gross, Winter Witch by New York Times best-selling author Elaine Cunningham, and the forthcoming The Worldwound Gambit by gaming legend Robin D. Laws.
I'd love to hear your comments on this update to Society play. Please post them in the comments!
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.
As the days get longer and the snows begin to melt (okay, so maybe not the last part) word comes in from Pathfinder Society events throughout the world, proving that it takes only a month for our esteemed agents to recover from the inevitable lull of the holiday season to pick up adventure and exploration anew on the cusp of spring.
Photography by Adam Daigle
In Houston, Texas, nearly 30 tables of Pathfinder Society were played in the final weekend of January, including the Year of the Shadow Lodge multi-table special. Attendee and Pathfinder Society author Adam Daigle sent the following pictures to me over the weekend, showing that Team Cheliax was present in full force.
Cover illustration by Joe Wilson
That same weekend, on the other side of the pond, European Pathfinders were making their mark on Conception, one of Great Britain's largest gaming conventions. UK Venture-Captain Dave Harrison ran several tables of The Midnight Mauler, the Tier 1–7 scenario by Paizo's own Crystal Frasier available now only to 4-star GMs and Venture-Captains. Reports from players at the table are that this is a new favorite, so don't miss the chance to get in on this memorable event at your next local convention. Contact your nearest Venture-Captain to find out when The Midnight Mauler will be offered in your area!
Have a report from a recent convention or game day in which Pathfinder Society made a particularly large showing? Did any of your regional players create their own Pathfinder team regalia or did someone run a unique event or incentive? Stop by the Pathfinder Society Organized Play messageboards and let us know. Reporting back to the Decemvirate is one of every Pathfinder's duties, after all.
Every time a new book comes out in any of our product lines, Pathfinder Society players and GMs fill the messageboards with questions about the legality of including new rules elements in their PFS games. The list of available resources has, until recently, been updated in the ever-growing Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play in Chapter 13. Last week, with the release of the Ultimate Combat Playtest PDF, we moved the contents of Chapter 13 to a special page on paizo.com at http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/resources. In the near future, we will be laying out the contents of that page as a simple, easy-to-print PDF which will also be kept up to date. We will notify all Pathfinder Society members and customers who have downloaded the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play whenever new content is added to this document, just as we have done with new updates to Chapter 13.
This is the first in several steps we are making to put the most commonly referenced material in as easily updatable and available a spot as possible. Stop by the Pathfinder Society messageboards and leave your feedback on how we can better get changing information into your hands!
P.S. Hyrum also wants me to tell everyone that he will be announcing two new Venture-Captains in the coming week, so stay tuned!
With the advent of a new calendar year, we here on the Pathfinder Society Organized Play creative team have, like so many others during this season, made a New Year's resolution. No, it's not that we'll eat less junk food, nor is it that we'll exercise more (we are gamers, after all). It's actually something I expect some readers may be upset to hear: we're making an effort to recycle less.
Use recycled art, I mean.
Beginning with January's scenarios, each new Pathfinder Society scenario will contain at least one new piece of art, generally a depiction of a prominent monster, NPC, or ally. We still may use existing art when we can, but this is one of the first steps in expanding the scope of Pathfinder Society scenarios into new areas. As the program continues to grow, so do our art budgets.
Last month saw the release of the third Pathfinder Society Scenario set in the fan-favorite Absalom location of the Blakros Museum. All three scenarios in the unofficial series remain among the most popular scenarios to date, and even two and a half years later, Nicolas Logue's Mists of Mwangi is not only highly reviewed, but a bestseller in the line, and one of the most frequently reported scenarios of all time. Though the structure of Pathfinder Society Organized Play has seen several changes since the start of Season 0, including the adoption of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Mists has proven itself a perennial classic.
Thus, it was the first scenario that popped to mind when we began the task of converting Season 0 scenarios from 3.5 rules to the Pathfinder RPG. I'm proud to announce that the conversion process is complete, and we've updated the layout to match current standards. Starting later today, anyone who has previously purchased the 3.5 version of the scenario will also have access to the updated version, and both will be available for future download for new purchasers. The chronicle sheet has been removed from the 3.5 PDF, and the only legal version for sanctioned play from now on is its replacement.
We have several other conversions in the production pipeline we hope to squeeze in among all the new books we're working on, and will release them for public consumption as soon as possible. Don't forget to stop by the Pathfinder Society messageboards and let us know what you think of the conversion, and which other scenarios you'd like to have updated in the near future.
Early last year a promise was made, a promise to those GMs who go beyond the call of duty. The promise was a special scenario, exclusive to 4-star Game Masters and Venture-Captains. Hints were dropped by Mark Moreland back in October that something special was coming, and now I can tell you that the special 4-star GM scenario will be released in January and enjoyed worldwide soon after.
"The Midnight Mauler," a Tier 1–7 scenario written by the always amazing Crystal Frasier, sends members of the Pathfinder Society to the former crown jewel of Ustalav's royal courts, the decaying city of Ardis. Tasked by the Society to look into the fate of Absalom's former Master of Blades Vonran Vilk, what they find will lead to exploration, diplomacy, murder, haunted pasts, and tragic love. Can the PCs discover the identity of the Midnight Mauler before it kills again? Find out in 2011!
How About Some Pathfinder Society for the Holidays?
Thursday, December 16, 2010
It's a crazy busy week here at Paizo HQ, as we all strive to get a jump start on the holiday season. At the moment, we have the Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide hardcover in the final approval stages before it heads to the printer, as well as the first wave of Ultimate Magic showing up on the editorial wall. Despite these major projects and the impending absences of many staff members as people head home for the holidays, we managed to slip a few little Pathfinder Society projects in between the cracks!
While we generally release Pathfinder Society scenarios the final Wednesday of the month, this month we've got two scenarios ready to go live weeks early, in anticipation of the hectic nature of that final week of the year. It's not yet clear when they'll go live for sale, but keep an eye out for Pathfinder Society Scenario 2–11: The Penumbral Accords by Owen K.C. Stephens (which sees the Pathfinder Society return to fan-favorite location Blakros Museum for yet another adventure) and Pathfinder Society Scenario 2–12: Below the Silver Tarn by Crystal Frasier (which pits the Pathfinders against the imprisoned spirit of a pit fiend in a rugged mining village) within the coming days.
If two new scenarios aren't enough to sate your hunger for Pathfinder Society over the holiday break, why not get in on a game of The Godsmouth Heresy, the first adventure in the Pathfinder Modules line sanctioned for Pathfinder Society credit. It's a longer adventure and doesn't conform to many of the standards of Pathfinder Society scenarios, and thus requires additional rules to supplement its play for PFS credit. We've put together a free PDF document that includes these additional rules and the module's Chronicle, which will be available on the module's product page by the end of the week.
Finally, we've made a few changes to the Heresy of Man series by Greg A. Vaughan and Kevin Wright based on customer feedback. These revised and clarified scenarios will be replacing the existing PDFs, so if you've purchased any of the three scenarios already, you'll get an email detailing what changes we've made and be able to download the updated version from your My Downloads page.
What are your holiday PFS plans? Drop by the Pathfinder Society messageboards and let us know.
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.
We've got a lot of incredible products coming out in the next few months, and it's no secret that this blog's readers love previews. While this blog does feature a new piece of art, I thought it'd be a waste not to mention another way we preview upcoming material: Pathfinder Society Scenarios.
Since print products generally need to go to the printer months before they come out for general consumption, there's a pocket of several weeks between when something's done when we know its finalized content. Pathfinder Society Scenarios are pdf-only products, and don't require the same lead-time in the production process, and that means that sometimes we can slip in some actual mechanics from complete but unreleased products.
I hope to continue the trend of including sneak previews of upcoming material into Pathfinder Society Scenarios, both to reward active players with new content before it's widely available and to make adventures as awesome as they can be by using all the tools at my disposal. Be sure to check out the two new scenarios releasing today as well as two additional scenarios the last Wednesday of every month.
Addendum: Unfortunately, due to Seattle's inability to clear roads of ice and snow, we are still without an editorial staff. Final edits are being made from home, but can't be entered into the document outside the office. Thus, today's scenarios will be a little late. We expect to have them up no later than Tuesday of next week. We apologize for the delay, and appreciate your patience.
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.
Early this month I posed a challenge to the community to report their Pathfinder Society events in exchange for an extra-early preview of art from the forthcoming World Guide: The Inner Sea. Well, I'm overjoyed to report that the targets we set were the definition of an underestimate of what you folks were capable of. Not only did the number of events taking place in October surpass our monthly average, the total number of previously unreported events that finally got reported exceeded our expectations to a level we haven't seen since we sold out of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook before it was even released. Seriously. I'm incredibly proud of the entire PFS community, and all of you should be too! I knew people were playing, and now we can actually see how much our fans are enjoying the campaign.
As a lawful being through and through, I will now uphold my end of the bargain. Though there are still a few days left in October to increase your numbers even further, the targets are already clearly blown out of the water. Thus will I release the hostage art. And this isn't just any art, mind you, but an image James Jacobs specifically didn't want to reveal until much, much later. Cries of triumph echoed from Erik's office, through the editorial pit, and as far as the warehouse when we saw the numbers, though, so you all get what you earned.
BEHOLD!
Illustration by Tyler Walpole
Now that you got what you wanted, don't stop reporting. I plan to keep the rewards coming for your hard work!
A few weeks ago we announced 13 Regional Coordinators that we're calling Venture-Captains. Since then, Mark and I have been going through the entire Pathfinder Society program and starting the process of making sure Season 2 ends with a bang you'll all remember, making plans for Season 3 (which will be awesome, trust me), and going through all of the rules for the Society program itself. In between all of that, I've reviewed a number of Venture-Captain applications and chosen a few new Coordinators. We're still not finished naming new Venture-Captains, but rather than sit on these names I thought it was more important to get them announced and out there building the Society in their area. And so, without further ado, here are your new Venture-Captains!
Canada – Ontario (Toronto)
Neil Shackleton
VCNeilOnt@gmail.com
Oh, before you head over to the messageboards, you should scroll down a little to check out what my new desktop image is. Isn't it amazing? It's the cover to Matt Goodall's RPG Superstar adventure Cult of the Ebon Destroyers done by a good friend of mine, Kieran Yanner. And speaking of RPG Superstar, we're hard at work preparing for the 2011 round, so start getting ready for it. Who knows, this time next year I could be putting the cover to your adventure on my desktop.
There has been a lot of talk on the Pathfinder Society section of the messageboards about low-level scenarios and a potential lack thereof. Well, we're listening, and have taken steps to fix the problem. While it's too late in the game to change the release schedule for October or November, in December we will be releasing a new Tier 1–5 scenario set at Absalom's famed Blakros Museum. Existing Pathfinder Society Players will surely recognize the iconic location, previously seen in fan-favorite scenarios #5: Mists of Mwangi and #35: Voice in the Void. The Penumbra Accords, written by Guide to Absalom author and Super Genius Owen K.C. Stephens, will replace #2–11 in the release schedule, and Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained will wrap up the Tier 12 "Eyes of the Ten" adventure arc later in Season 2.
Illustration by Damian Mammoliti
Additionally, we will be releasing at least one low-level Pathfinder Society Scenario each month from now on, so you'll never run out of new material to run for seasoned and rookie Pathfinders at your local game day.
In other news, we've begun commissioning the conversion of Season 0 Pathfinder Society Scenarios from their original 3.5 rules set to the Pathfinder RPG, and will be re-releasing them in waves as they are completed. I've also assigned the first 4-star GM exclusive scenario, called The Midnight Mauler, and we expect to have it available to 4-star GMs and Venture-Captains to run exclusively for a year before it's made public.
There's a lot more in the works as well, and Hyrum and I are thrilled about the exciting new changes on the horizon. We welcome feedback from existing players and GMs, so stop by the Pathfinder Society messageboards and let us know what you think of the present state of the Society and where you'd like to see it go from here.
It's no secret that the most popular entries in this blog are art previews, and we love showing off the beautiful work of all the great artists who have created the visual look and feel of Golarion and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. But all the attention on art has brought to our attention the bargaining power we hold as your art peddlers.
Players in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign have probably noticed that Season 2 has centered around the mysterious Shadow Lodge, and we plan to carry this theme through to the end of the year. We're also planning an even more intricate metaplot for Season 3, in which PCs' successes, failures, and faction prestige will have a direct impact on future scenarios and world canon as a whole. But this means that we need to see a much higher rate of reporting from GMs and event coordinators.
With the announcement this week of our first 13 PFS regional coordinators (whom we're calling Venture-Captains, naturally) it's now even easier for PFS participants to get event support and organizational assistance near their local game store or convention, but there are surely uncounted sessions that have gone unreported in the past few years. We need to see these numbers, as they'll allow us to focus resources toward where you play, as well as plan for the future of the Society, as we see what scenarios are played most often, and which factions have the most players and average prestige.
So! If we see 600 newly reported PFS sessions in the month of October, I'll preview some exclusive new art from the upcoming World Guide: The Inner Sea. We will be previewing the book when its release date approaches, but my gut tells me you want to see some art sooner rather than later. So get out there and start a PFS group for your friends or at your local game store! Report that session you ran over the summer that you haven't yet. Show us you want the art now!
P.S. (from Hyrum) If you report over 700 tables, we'll spoil a piece of art James Jacobs specifically said not to reveal.
Guest Blogger Blake Davis Announces Special PFS Event
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Illustration by Andrew Hou
The Year of the Shadow Lodge is coming to Redmond, WA! Clear your schedules, as you won't want to miss this unique Pathfinder Society event coming up this Saturday, October 2nd at the Redmond Games and Gizmos at noon.
Year of the Shadow Lodge is a unique Pathfinder Society adventure in which multiple tables of Pathfinders work together throughout the mission. Pathfinders from levels 1–11 are welcome to come join and share their skills to help fight an epic battle that threatens Absalom's Grand Lodge itself.
As a special treat, since Games and Gizmos is one of Paizo HQ's local game stores, several members of the Paizo staff will be present and participating in the event! Events Manager Joshua J. Frost will be dusting off his own PFS character to play alongside one lucky table, and Developer Mark Moreland will be GMing. Other Paizo VIPs may stop by to observe and mingle with fans and players as well!
Details for holding yourself a spot can be found in this thread in the Pathfinder Society messageboards. Players can show up on October 2nd and hope for a space, but signing up as indicated on that thread is recommended due to limited space and to ensure there are enough GMs.
The event is also still looking for a few GMs to lead their fellow gamers through the stunning adventure, and as with any PFS adventure, GMs can apply credit for the scenario to one of their own level-appropriate PCs.
As of this past Gen Con, Pathfinder Society Organized Play has officially entered its third year with the launch of Season 2. In addition to the 28 new scenarios players can expect over the next year, Season 2 presents a new aspect of organized play that members of our online community have been very vocal about wanting since the very beginning: metaplot!
Approximately half of the season's scenarios will center around the Shadow Lodge, a mysterious organization set on destroying the Pathfinder Society from within. These scenarios, as with most, can be played in any order, but frequent PFS players will notice a lot of easter eggs between adventures. There are already several scenarios available to kick off the plot arc, but the biggest release of the season is one you won't see on the downloads page.
Year of the Shadow Lodge is an exclusive Pathfinder Society Special by fan-favorite author Tim Hitchcock, designed to be run at any game store or convention with at least three simultaneous tables of PFS. Spanning levels 1–11, this scenario allows both new and seasoned players to take part in an epic adventure to save the Grand Lodge itself! Year of the Shadow Lodge played to rave reviews at both PaizoCon and Gen Con (at which 36 tables played simultaneously!), and you can run it at your own event to the same response.
If you run a local convention or organize Pathfinder Society at a game store (or if you know the person who does), contact pathfindersociety@paizo.com to find out how to get your hands on this exclusive event! It won't be available for purchase on the paizo.com web store until next summer when Season 3 begins, so launch Season 2 in style with a memorable gaming experience only authorized events can offer.
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?).
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!
Next month I travel to Europe for a Pathfinder Society whistle-stop tour of several exciting events. I start with an event in Copenhagen on July 9, head down to Wiesbaden, Germany for an Ulisses-Spiele event on July 11, swing over to Utrecht and Leiden in the Netherlands for a pair of back-to-back events on July 13, skip down to the south of France in beautiful Lyon for a Black Book Editions event on July 15, and then make my way north to Birmingham for a weekend of Paizo Con UK events from July 17 through July 18. Then, just when it's getting started, I wing my way back to Paizo on July 19.
Quite a trip—one that I'm very excited to embark on—but before I get down to the details of each stop, I'll give a little background on why Paizo is sending me through the European Union and the UK to participate in Society events.
When the Society first started, we knew we eventually wanted to build a dedicated network of volunteer coordinators—we call them Regional Coordinators. These folks would be our go-to men and women who could help organized local conventions, game days, and hobby store events as well as function as our core of volunteers at Paizo Con, Gen Con, Dragon Con, Paizo Con UK, Games Expo UK, Gen Con Australia... well, you get the idea. We are now ready to make a big deal about our coordinator system (watch for a blog post here next week), but before we can really get started I need to know where our largest communities in Europe are, and who among them are the most dedicated. I already had a good idea of who and where these folks were in the US, Australia, and Canada, but I had only a vague notion of our hardest-core European groups. Thus a trip was ordered, and now I head for Europe next month to participate in local events and talk to their organizers about possibly becoming a regional coordinator for their city or country.
Here are the details:
Copenhagen, Denmark—July 9, 2010 Address: Støberiet, Blågårds
Plads 3, 2100
København Ø
Time: Two slots, 12:00–17:00 and 18:00–23:00
Additional Details: You must email Henrik Garde to sign-up. This event is free.
Wiesbaden, Germany—July 11, 2010 Address: Nachilfeinstitut Faultier
Adolfsallee 59
65185 Wiesbaden
Tel: 0611-505870-7
Time: 10:00–18:00
Additional Details: This event will be held at the tutoring center "Faultier" ("lazybones"). There are a large number of single rooms so groups don't disturb one another and enough tables and chairs for larger groups. The center has a microwave and an electric water boiler for Tea and instant coffee free of charge. The station across the center covers all the other needs (bakery, McDonalds, Asia Snack and Mr Doener). A big thank you in advance to Michael W. and the team of the tutoring center for giving us the permission to use their facilities. Across from the tutoring center there is the department store called "Lilien-Care" with a parking deck where you can park your car for a fee of only EUR 3.00 for the whole day. Around the center there are several more parking areas too but we recommend that you use the parking deck. You can find free parking lots behind the Wiesbaden main station in the direction of the Schlachthof and behind the Motel One. Finally, we recommend that you come by public transit. The center is in only 2 minutes walking distance from the Wiesbaden main station and from the central bus station. This event is free.
Utrecht, Netherlands—July 13, 2010 Address: Labyrinth
Oudegracht 207
Utrecht
Time: 11:00–16:00 (the event might run later—I leave at 16:00)
Additional Details: This event is free.
Lyon, France—July 15, 2010 Address: Trollune
25 rue Sébastien Gryphe
69007 LYON
Time: Two slots, 14:00–19:00 and 20:00–01:00
Additional Details: This event is free.
Birmingham, United Kingdom—July 17–18, 2010 Address: Aston University Business School
Birmingham, UK
Time: Several gaming and panel slots on the 17th and 18th—see the Paizo Con UK website for details.
Additional Details: This event requires the purchase of an event badge. See the Paizo Con UK website for details.
If you live in Europe or plan to be there during my trip, stop by one of the events and say hello! I hope to see you all there!
Have you ever wondered just what is inside those siege castles outside Absalom? Have you ever smelled the heady stench of troglodytes in the morning? Have you always wanted to join the Pathfinder Society, but could never figure out just how to impress them? Or do you want to know just a little more about the Advanced Player's Guide?
Well, you're in luck! Free RPG Day is almost upon us! On Saturday, many of you can go to your Friendly Local Game Store and pick up all sorts of free RPG products, including Paizo's own offering, Master of the Fallen Fortress, by yours truly. Check the official Free RPG Day Retailer Locator to see if stores in your area are participating.
(PaizoCon attendees will each get a free copy of the module at the show, and, starting Monday morning, everyone will be able to download a FREE PDF or buy a $5 print edition right here at paizo.com, so no need to despair if your store isn't on the Free RPG Day list!)
So what's all the hoopla about? Master of the Fallen Fortress takes a group of 1st-level PCs into one of the ruined siege castles that litter the Cairnlands outside Absalom. While it's a standalone Pathfinder Module, the adventure can also be used as an introduction to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Paizo's constantly evolving, worldwide mega-campaign. And even better, it gives a preview of the six new iconic characters from the upcoming Advanced Player's Guide, statted up as pregenerated characters to get you right into the action!
Adventure is coming your way this weekend, just around the corner and down the road. Defeat the Master of the Fallen Fortress, rescue a captive Pathfinder, and on the way, say hi to Alahazra, Alain, Balazar, Damiel, Feiya, and Imrijka for me!
(To allow GMs to prepare to run Master of the Fallen Fortress on Free RPG day, we're releasing the Chronicles Sheet and pregenerated character sheets as a free download here (1.2 MB zip/PDF).)
Right now, on the PaizoCon 2010 page, you can view the official and final event schedule for Paizo's premier summer convention. Included are seminars, panels, game sessions run by the Paizo staff, and game sessions run by you.
We will decide things much as we did last year—namely, with a lottery. The lottery opens on Monday, May 17 at 2:00 P.M. PDT, and you will have until Friday, May 21 at 2:00 P.M. PDT to make your choices. Instructions for how to make those choices will be included on the website, but we are doing something different this year that bears mentioning. This year's lottery will only include fan-run game sessions, staff-run game sessions, and limited-slot seminars. It will not include panels, some seminars, or any of the Pathfinder Society scenario slots. Once the lottery results are announced on May 24, the panels, seminars, and scenarios will open for general sign-ups on a first-come, first-served basis. As these things are not as limited on space (or limited at all, in some cases), we wanted you to get a first crack at those limited events through the lottery and then fill the rest of your schedule with Society scenarios, open seminars, and open panels.
Below is the full schedule for event registration for Paizo Con 2010.
Today:Event Schedule is live and ready for review. 5/17 2:00 P.M. PDT: Event selection for lottery begins. 5/21 2:00 P.M. PDT: Event selection for lottery closes. 5/24 2:00 P.M. PDT: Lottery results announced; general sign-ups and event ticket trading begin. 6/4 2:00 P.M. PDT: General sign-ups end. 6/11 2:00 P.M. PDT: Event ticket trading closes; tickets are now final. 6/18 9:00 A.M. PDT: PaizoCon 2010 registration opens at the Coast Bellevue Hotel. 6/18 12:00 P.M. PDT: PaizoCon 2010 begins!
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!
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).
Nothing ruins a session of Pathfinder RPG more than a badly drawn map. You sit in your chair, your character sheet and dice firmly in hand, and stare at the crudely drawn map the GM sketched on the mat, struggling to discern exactly what those squiggles on the board are supposed to be.
"So, where's the door?" you ask and the GM points to a series of more complicated squiggles in the mass of squiggles. You put your mini down on the map and your GM sighs and says something like, "That's not even a room," and moves your mini over a few squares—like you could even see a room in the spaghetti shapes spattered on the mat.
Good maps make for good adventures. A bad map, whether it's drawn on a mat by your GM or published in a printed adventure, can ruin everything. If you can't tell where anything is supposed to be or what those squares, lines, tags, squiggles, or eraser marks are supposed to represent, it's going to be awfully difficult to explain them to your players—or, heck, to even figure them out for yourself. Pathfinder RPG, like its predecessor, is a game wherein eventually minis come out, get placed on 5-foot squares, and action happens. That action can either happen in a lavishly detailed temple of Cayden Cailean, or it can happen on a board that looks like a cross between a blood stain and a chalk board full of combinatory mathematics.
I have a handful of authors for the Pathfinder Society scenarios who turn over absolutely amazing maps with every adventure—sometimes these maps are so good I question why we're sending them to a professional cartographer to, essentially, just be colored. Tim Hitchcock is easily my best author-turned-map artist. The sample map below was his turnover for the temple of Cayden Cailean in Absalom for Pathfinder Society Scenario #40: The Hall of Drunken Heroes. As soon as I opened that image I knew exactly what the hall looked like, where everything was, how to get in and out, and where every set of stairs, every door, and every window was. In my art order to Mike Schley, the Pathfinder Society cartographer (and an amazing artist), I simply said, "Awesome author turnover—follow his lead."
Turnover by Tim Hitchcock
I wish I could say it was always like that. I wish I could say every turnover we receive at Paizo is art and requires no extra work on the part of the developers. I wish I could say every turnover had a one-line art order to the cartographer like mine above. Unfortunately, we receive a lot of really bad maps. That's not to say we have a lot of really bad designers or anything—far from it. It's more to say that perhaps we haven't emphasized enough what a gargantuan pain in the tail slap a bad map turnover is. Let's say you're designing a small 5,000-person city for us. Your map turnover comes in with 5 box shapes, a circle, and a few smudges. Now, we can read through your text and pull out all of the relevant tags and information about the city and add those to the map (which we'd rather not do, mind you) but, in the end, we're going to have to redraw that map ourselves—which is time we should be spending making the adventure or city write-up better, rather than fixing the turnover.
A good map, like Tim's, tells us immediately everything we need to know about the location. I don't have to redraw his map and I don't have to send a novel with the map order that includes tags and descriptions for every room so the cartographer can get the map right. Were we to send our cartographers the bad map example from above, without also sending along the entire article that goes with it, we'd get back a nicely drawn, full-color drawing of 5 box shapes, a circle, and a few smudges. Our cartographers are awesome, but their base for quality is only as good as the hand-drawn map they receive. A cartographer should be able to open the author's map and immediately get to work turning a good map into a great map rather than reading a wall of text and then turning a terrible map into a mediocre map.
A lesson for all of you would-be future Paizo authors and current Paizo freelancers: a map turnover can make or break your submission. When you're done drawing it, look it over with a careful, discerning, player-focused eye. If you drew that map for your table of players, would they have any idea what it was on first glance or would they, like the first example, put their mini in the wrong place when combat started? Your map doesn't have to be a work of art—it just has to be interpretable so our artists can make it one.
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!
I love RPG Superstar. I love reading the RPG Superstar threads, I love reading the new ideas, I love the discussions, arguments, and the passion involved in every post. There is a small side effect to RPG Superstar, however, that I'm not sure everyone is aware of: open call submissions for Pathfinder Society vanish.
What's that mean for you? Well, let's assume 500 people submitted to RPG Superstar (I'm not going to reveal the actual number). The odds that one of those 500 people will make it past the initial round is (rounded up) 1 in 16—not bad, but still kind of a long shot. It also means that more than 450 of you won't make it—it's just a mathematical fact.
Here's another mathematical fact: of the last 10 submissions I received for the open call, I accepted 2 of them. That's 1 in 5. Those are good odds. If you don't make it past round one of RPG Superstar (or, heck, round 2, 3, 4, etc.), don't give up! There's another avenue out there to see your name on a Paizo publication and that's the Pathfinder Society Organized Play open call. Give it a shot—the worst I'm going to do is say no.
This is your friendly neighborhood events manager letting you know that the continuing open call is off to a great start! Since the queries come in at a slower clip when there's no due date, I'm actually able to respond to each one with a few words of advice and encouragement. As of yet, no one has submitted a completed manuscript, but I hear rumors that at least two people are working on them. I've also received a few queries that I would call close but not quite there yet, and also received a query from Tim Hitchcock and Mark Moreland to write a scenario that, in my opinion, will kick seven truckloads of kobold butt when it comes out.
If you're interested in writing for Pathfinder Society Organized Play, check out our rules and guidelines page for instructions on submitting a query or full manuscript. I hope many of you are busy writing over the holidays, and that my shiny new 2010 inbox is full of your ideas.
Beginning today, I am opening the door to the Pathfinder Society Organized Play open call not for a week but for a long, unspecified length of time. I am looking for three specific types of adventures (detailed below) for Pathfinder Society. I am NOT seeking generic Pathfinder RPG adventures nor am I asking you to pitch me a new Pathfinder Adventure Path. Any submissions that aren't specifically for Pathfinder Society Organized Play scenarios will be ignored.
Instead of asking you to send me a 750-word outline, I'm asking you to send completed adventures. A completed adventure cannot exceed 12,000 words and must (MUST!) follow the style for a Pathfinder Society Organized Play adventure scenario as established by the Season 1 scenarios. Those of you not brave enough to send a completed adventure can instead send me a short (less than 500 words) query instead that quickly describes the adventure. I will review completed adventures and queries as I receive them and respond appropriately. If I receive one that I like (especially if I receive a completed adventure that I like), I will likely give that author a contract and pay him or her for the adventure. If I receive one that I 80% like, I will likely ask that author to rewrite elements and resubmit for possible future publication. There is no guarantee at any point in this process that I will give you a contract and pay you for your work.
By making the opening the open call for a longer period of time, I hope to see an increase in the quality and volume of submissions. Paizo uses the Pathfinder Society Organized Play open calls to find new talent for our other product lines—maybe that new talent is you!
And now for some rules:
Rules of Submitting for the Pathfinder Society Organized Play Open Call
1. Only submit Pathfinder Society scenarios or scenario ideas. I won't even respond to other queries.
2. If you submit a complete 12,000-word adventure, you must include a scan of this PDF with your signature on it with your submission. If your submission lacks this PDF, it will be rejected without being read. The PDF is NOT necessary for 500-word queries.
3. All submissions must be made via email to pathfindersociety@paizo.com.
4. Your submission must be in .doc, .rtf, or .txt format.
5. Your submission must include your full legal name, physical mailing address, email address, and a contact phone number on the top of the first page. This does not count toward word count.
6. Your submission file (not the agreement PDF) must be named LASTNAME_TITLE.EXTENSION such as FROST_AMONGSTTHELIVING.doc.
7. The subject line of your submission email must be labeled the same: LASTNAME TITLE.
8. Allow 72 hours for a response before resubmitting. Allow for more time on a holiday weekend.
9. Read at least one season 1 scenario (you probably want to read all of them) before submitting. I can usually tell in about the first 50 words if you've actually read or played in a scenario.
10. Failure to follow any of the above rules will result in a rejection.
General Guidelines
Here are a few tips for your scenarios or scenario ideas:
1. Use our setting details to make your own story, don't cram your story so full of our canon that it reads like a Frankenstein's monster of other authors' work. Read this post for an example.
2. Understand that Pathfinder Society is not a good-aligned organization, nor is it evil. Also understand that evil characters are not allowed in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Also understand that all scenarios must be PG-13.
3. Avoid child endangerment stories. It's cheap, it's trite, and I'm tired of reading them.
4. Not really looking for comedies.
5. I am really looking for high adventure stories with drama, action, and roleplay.
6. Speaking of roleplay, I'd love for someone to knock me dead with a good murder mystery scenario. And I mean really good in the sense that after 4 hours of game play at a convention every class of player walks away from the table satisfied. Tall order, I know, but I'd love to see it happen.
7. #5 and #6 do not mean that all I want to see are high adventure stories and murder mysteries. If you have a really good idea that's neither of those two, I want to see it.
8. Only send me your best ideas and your (very important) BEST-WRITTEN ideas. You may send more than one idea.
9. NO EASTER EGGS. What I mean by that is this: don't be cute and include a reference to your favorite comic book/movie/song/etc. If we catch it, you're done. If we don't catch it, we could get the pants sued off of us. Just don't do it.
10. Passive voice is a rejection in the making. Read this website and this thread to understand passive voice.
Erik and I are headed tomorrow for city that never sleeps, the bright neon-flashing beacon in the desert, that sultry metropolis of lights, chips, and the clatter of dice. Yes, that's right, Erik and I are headed to Riddleport—I mean Las Vegas! We're bringing our dice, our pre-planned scenarios, adventures, and speeches, and hopefully the appropriate amount of clothing and toiletries. Why are we going there? Has Paizo given its publisher and events manager a much-needed rest in America's resort town? Nope! We're going there to play some Pathfinder RPG at NeonCon!
Erik is the special guest for the show and will give the keynote address for GamesU, NeonCon's game design and storytelling "unconference," while I am a not-so-special (Daigle would say, "very-extra-special") guest and will be assisting Doug Daulton, the show's coordinator, with all things Pathfinder Society. Erik plans to once again slaughter innocents in his continuing playtest of the Spire of Nex and I shall do my best to avoid slaying Pathfinder Society characters during Lost at Bitter End and The Prisoner of Skull Hill. Let's hope we're successful in our endeavors!
If you're anywhere within driving, flying, teleporting, or ethereal jaunt distance of Las Vegas this weekend, come by NeonCon, play some games, have some fun, and ply Mr. Mona and myself with food, drink, and the dazzling lights of the city. They say whatever happens there, stays there—so if we kill one of your favorite characters during a Pathfinder RPG session, heed the motto. We have reputations to maintain!
Unless you've been kidnapped by goblins and held hostage in their dingy lair, you're likely aware that we are about to release a new book in our Pathfinder Chronicles line called Seekers of Secrets. Seekers covers just about everything you can imagine with regard to the Pathfinder Society. It describes in detail how your character can join the Society, the history and origins of the Society, a gazetteer of the Society's activities in the Inner Sea region, detailed maps, brand new ioun stones and new rules for using them with a Pathfinder's wayfinder, three new prestige classes, and new feats. All of that in 64 pages!
Because this book covers the Pathfinder Society so well and because it contains a great deal of magnificent new material for Pathfinders everywhere, we've decided to include this book as part of the core assumption for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. What this means for you as a Pathfinder Society GM is that you will likely see references to the new rules, magic items, feats, and prestige classes in future Pathfinder Society scenarios. What this means for you as a Pathfinder Society player, is that everything contained within this book is legal for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play and you may begin using the material from this book immediately.
I hope you enjoy everything inside Seekers of Secrets. The authors (Tim Hitchcock, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor) have done a bang-up job bringing us a detailed glimpse into the inner sanctum of Pathfinder lore and adventures. If you're ever in the Starrise Spire in Mendev, tell Venture-Captain Jorsal of Lauterbury I said hello!
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.
Hey there future scenario authors! Don't forget that the open call for Pathfinder Society Organized Play closes on Friday, October 30 at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time. Below are the details. Good luck!
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on the guidelines for the current round, write a 750-word outline that includes the following:
a. A title (if necessary, some times they are already titled)
b. A brief introduction that acts as a prologue for the scenario
c. A brief summary of how the PCs proceed through each encounter
d. A brief summary of each encounter—minimum six encounters with one encounter detailed as optional
e. A brief conclusion—what happens if the PCs fail or succeed
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_ YOURLASTNAME. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, or a Plain Text or Rich Text Format file—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_LAST NAME, i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_17_Dayon.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society scenario 45—one of the March 2010 releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
10/15/09—Open call begins
10/30/09—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
11/9/09 through 11/13/09—Submissions review completed—selections and rejections notified
Guidelines
**SPOILER ALERT: Do not read the guidelines below if you wish to avoid spoilers for upcoming scenarios.**
Pathfinder Society Scenario 45
Title: none; up to the author
Setting: Absalom
Story: The Minotaur Prince of Absalom has been kidnapped (see pages 35–36, Guide to Absalom). Why has he been kidnapped? Who did it? Why does the Pathfinder Society care? Your submission must include Grandmaster Torch (see Pathfinder Society scenarios #1 and #14) in one form or another—it's up to you how much of a role he plays.
Level Range: Tier 1–5; Tiers 1–2 and 4–5
Pathfinder Chronicles: Seekers of Secrets talks about the tests to become a Pathfinder and the training members receive if they pass, but the carrot that convinces most applicants to try is the chance to explore strange places, discover exotic treasures, and be published in the Pathfinder Chronicles. This illustration encompasses all aspects of those rewards, from the young Pathfinder referring to the Chronicles for clues on how to open a strange sealed door, to the female Pathfinder so impressed with Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin that she cut her hair just like his, to their overzealous companion too intent on unearthing a cache of wayfinders and ioun stones to heed his fellows' warnings.
Illustration by Craig J. Spearing
Of course, few could blame him for this eagerness. The Pathfinders are said to have enough treasures in their vaults to buy and sell all of Absalom—surely an exaggeration, but greed is a powerful lure, and many join the Pathfinder Society just to get their hands on as much magic as possible.
Pathfinder RPG Open Call for Pathfinder Society Organized Play
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hello and welcome to another installment of the Pathfinder Society scenario open call using the new Pathfinder RPG rules! Most months we'll open one of our Pathfinder Society scenarios to you, the general public, to search for new authors and new ideas for use in Paizo's worldwide organized play campaign. We're looking for authors who have a clear and concise writing style, who have solid and creative ideas for adventures, and who are capable in every way of following instructions and meeting deadlines. And while we're seeking new authors through this process, we certainly encourage previously published authors to participate as well.
Speaking of new authors, special congratulations go to paizo.com messageboard regular Yoda8MyHead, who was selected as the author for the previous open call. His scenario, #43: The Pallid Plague, will come out this February. Be sure to pop into the Pathfinder Society messageboards and congratulate Yoda on this assignment!
As always, keep the following guidelines in mind when submitting:
1. Don't break our world. If you submit something that breaks part of our world, it'll be auto-rejected. The scenarios are 4-hour adventures—epic story arcs, world-shattering events, wars, mass famine, etc. don't have a place in them.
2. Understand Pathfinder Society Organized Play before you submit. Specifically, understand that the Pathfinder Society is an organization of vagabond scholars, thrill-seeking treasure hunters, and extreme explorers. They are not necessarily the "good guys," they don't get "hired" for their adventures, and they're not generally looking to make the world a better place. Submitting generic 3.5 "save the day" adventure ideas will decrease your chances of getting to write one. There are plenty of resources out there to give you a feel for the Society: the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #1, and the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting all have information on the Pathfinder Society.
3. Read one or two scenarios before submitting (particularly 29 through 32).
4. Pathfinder Society Scenarios must be no more offensive than PG-13. Scenarios are played in public at public settings and children will be playing them. Submissions that include violence toward children will be auto-rejected.
5. This is not a contest. This is more like an interview for a job—you're showing me your best idea and I'm deciding if the combination of your idea and writing skill equals you being selected as our next scenario author. We need authors—not winners. And I really want to stress the author part of that. Only send me your best work that is reflective of your writing style. I can teach someone the rules system—I can't teach someone to write.
6. I don't have time to return every submission with feedback. Feel free to post your rejected proposals to the Pathfinder Society messageboards for peer review. For those of you not submitting, please give feedback to those who do and are rejected.
7. Lastly, I posted some general feedback on recent submissions here. Please read that thread before submitting.
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on the guidelines for the current round, write a 750-word outline that includes the following:
a. A title (if necessary, some times they are already titled)
b. A brief introduction that acts as a prologue for the scenario
c. A brief summary of how the PCs proceed through each encounter
d. A brief summary of each encounter—minimum six encounters with one encounter detailed as optional
e. A brief conclusion—what happens if the PCs fail or succeed
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_ YOURLASTNAME. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, or a Plain Text or Rich Text Format file—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_LAST NAME, i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_17_Dayon.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society scenario 45—one of the March 2010 releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
10/15/09—Open call begins
10/30/09—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
11/9/09 through 11/13/09—Submissions review completed—selections and rejections notified
Guidelines
**SPOILER ALERT: Do not read the guidelines below if you wish to avoid spoilers for upcoming scenarios.**
Pathfinder Society Scenario 45
Title: none; up to the author
Setting: Absalom
Story: The Minotaur Prince of Absalom has been kidnapped (see pages 35–36, Guide to Absalom ). Why has he been kidnapped? Who did it? Why does the Pathfinder Society care? Your submission must include Grandmaster Torch (see Pathfinder Society scenarios #1 and #14) in one form or another—it's up to you how much of a roll he plays.
Level Range: Tier 1–5; Tiers 1–2 and 4–5
The most frequent request I get from players, GMs, and convention coordinators is, "What scenarios will be out by [date]?" I get this question enough that I've decided to keep a rolling 2-to-4 month schedule up on paizo.com/pathfindersociety. This rolling schedule has some unique challenges—for example, scenarios aren't assigned to authors as far in advance as, say, Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and so I often know very little about a scenario coming up in three months beyond a potential title, tier-level, and location. The open call further complicates this as those scenarios are usually just tier-level and location with no additional details.
That said, it seems to me that the most important details for convention coordinators especially is the tier-level of a given future scenario. So we're going to keep you apprised of that, even if we don't know much else about the scenario.
Without further ado, here's a peek at the future scenarios coming from Pathfinder Society Organized Play!
Pathfinder Society Scenario #35: Voice in the Void
Description TBA. Due out 10/28/09.
Written by Rob McCreary
Tier 1–7
Pathfinder Society Scenario #36: Echoes of the Everwar Part I: The Prisoner of Skull Hill
Description TBA. Due out 10/28/09.
Written by Joshua J. Frost
Tier 7–11
Pathfinder Society Scenario #37: The Beggar's Pearl
Description TBA. Due out 11/25/09.
Written by James F. Mackenzie
Tier 1–7
Pathfinder Society Scenario #38: No Plunder, No Pay
Description TBA. Due out 11/25/09.
Written by Larry Wilhelm
Tier 7–11
Pathfinder Society Scenario #39: Citadel of Flame
Description TBA. Due out 12/30/09.
Written by Steven Robert
Tier 1–5
Pathfinder Society Scenario #40: Hall of Drunken Heroes
Description TBA. Due out 12/30/09.
Written by Tim Hitchcock
Tier 7–11
Pathfinder Society Scenario #41: The Devil We Know Part III: Crypt of Fools
Description TBA. Due out 1/27/10.
Written by Larry Wilhelm
Tier 1–7
Pathfinder Society Scenario #42: Echoes of the Everwar Part II: The Watcher of Ages
Description TBA. Due out 1/27/10.
Written by Greg A. Vaughan
Tier 7–11
Skyreach: This five-towered fortress, visible from miles away over Abaslom's skyline, is the heart of the Pathfinder Society. Here the Decemvirate rules and make its rare pronouncements beneath the enchanted skylights of the Great Hall in the central tower, and both resident and visiting Pathfinders sequester themselves in cozy lounges to study, socialize, and plot future missions. Packed tight with chambers ranging from well-known ballrooms named after nations to innumerable trophy rooms and museums to rows of featureless doors identified only by number, Skyreach is a warren that only the Decemvirate understands completely. The majority of its mysterious spaces are off-limits to all but those specifically invited by Ambrus Valsin, the venture-captain who runs the daily operations of the Grand Lodge at the Decemvirate's command.
Meticulous with details and annoyed by inefficiency, Ambrus makes a point to supervise all important duties within the Grand Lodge, and keeps a long list of relatively safe but time-consuming jobs on file, ready to hand out to rookie Pathfinders to keep them busy and out of the way of more experienced agents. Tall and meticulously groomed, Ambrus doesn't appreciate backtalk and reserves particularly strenuous assignments for those who annoy him.
Hey there future scenario authors! Don't forget that the open call for Pathfinder Society Organized Play closes on Friday, October 2 at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time. Below are the details. Good luck!
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on the guidelines for the current round, write a 750-word outline that includes the following:
a. A title (if necessary, some times they are already titled)
b. A brief introduction that acts as a prologue for the scenario
c. A brief summary of how the PCs proceed through each encounter
d. A brief summary of each encounter—minimum six encounters with one encounter detailed as optional
e. A brief conclusion—what happens if the PCs fail or succeed
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_ YOURLASTNAME. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, or a Plain Text or Rich Text Format file—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_LAST NAME, i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_17_Dayon.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society scenario 43—one of the February 2010 releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
9/17/09—Open call begins
10/2/09—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
10/12/09 through 10/16/09—Submissions review completed—selections and rejections notified
Guidelines
**SPOILER ALERT: Do not read the guidelines below if you wish to avoid spoilers for upcoming scenarios.**
Pathfinder Society Scenario 43
Title: none; up to the author
Setting: Falcon's Hollow, Andoran
Level Range: Tier 1–7; Tiers 1–2, 3–4, and 6–7
Pathfinder RPG Open Call for Pathfinder Society Organized Play
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hello and welcome to the first installment of the Pathfinder Society scenario open call using the new Pathfinder RPG rules! Most months we'll open one of our Pathfinder Society scenarios to you, the general public, to search for new authors and new ideas for use in Paizo's worldwide organized play campaign. We're looking for authors who have a clear and concise writing style, who have solid and creative ideas for adventures, and who are capable in every way of following instructions and meeting deadlines. And while we're seeking new authors through this process, we certainly encourage previously published authors to participate as well.
As always, keep the following guidelines in mind when submitting:
1. Don't break our world. If you submit something that breaks part of our world, it'll be auto-rejected. The scenarios are 4-hour adventures—epic story arcs, world-shattering events, wars, mass famine, etc. don't have a place in them.
2. Understand Pathfinder Society Organized Play before you submit. Specifically, understand that the Pathfinder Society is an organization of vagabond scholars, thrill-seeking treasure hunters, and extreme explorers. They are not necessarily the "good guys," they don't get "hired" for their adventures, and they're not generally looking to make the world a better place. Submitting generic 3.5 "save the day" adventure ideas will decrease your chances of getting to write one. There are plenty of resources out there to give you a feel for the Society: the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Pathfinder #1, and the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting all have information on the Pathfinder Society.
3. Read one or two scenarios before submitting (particularly 29 through 32).
4. Pathfinder Society Scenarios must be no more offensive than PG-13. Scenarios are played in public at public settings and children will be playing them. Submissions that include violence toward children will be auto-rejected.
5. This is not a contest. This is more like an interview for a job—you're showing me your best idea and I'm deciding if the combination of your idea and writing skill equals you being selected as our next scenario author. We need authors—not winners. And I really want to stress the author part of that. Only send me your best work that is reflective of your writing style. I can teach someone the rules system—I can't teach someone to write.
6. I don't have time to return every submission with feedback. Feel free to post your rejected proposals to the Pathfinder Society messageboards for peer review. For those of you not submitting, please give feedback to those who do and are rejected.
7. Lastly, I posted some general feedback on recent submissions here. Please read that thread before submitting.
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on the guidelines for the current round, write a 750-word outline that includes the following:
a. A title (if necessary, some times they are already titled)
b. A brief introduction that acts as a prologue for the scenario
c. A brief summary of how the PCs proceed through each encounter
d. A brief summary of each encounter—minimum six encounters with one encounter detailed as optional
e. A brief conclusion—what happens if the PCs fail or succeed
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_ YOURLASTNAME. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, or a Plain Text or Rich Text Format file—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_LAST NAME, i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_17_Dayon.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society scenario 43—one of the February 2010 releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
9/17/09—Open call begins
10/2/09—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
10/12/09 through 10/16/09—Submissions review completed—selections and rejections notified
Guidelines
**SPOILER ALERT: Do not read the guidelines below if you wish to avoid spoilers for upcoming scenarios.**
Pathfinder Society Scenario 43
Title: none; up to the author
Setting: Falcon's Hollow, Andoran
Level Range: Tier 1–7; Tiers 1–2, 3–4, and 6–7
Pathfinder Chronicles: Seekers of Secrets was delayed a long time, probably because of several nasty curses brought on by too-curious chroniclers into forbidden lore. The book is finally out the door, which means it's time for some previews! This time it's an excerpt from one of the book's many biographies of notable Pathfinders and a hint about how some powerful individuals bind their ioun stones to their flesh to keep these treasures safe.
Eliza Petulengro: Absalom's newest venture-captain hails from war-torn Galt. She is a talented diviner with a photographic memory for text, names, and faces. Soft-spoken and polite, she has a pleasant habit of calling initiates by name even after meeting them only once. Though she appears bookish, this is just a facade to deter suitors and keep her affairs private.
Implanting Ioun Stones: Not all the secrets of the ioun stones lie with the Azlanti. While the First Humans mastered the intrinsic powers of the stones, uncovering new attributes and binding them to devices, the Thassilonians explored the interaction of ioun stones and the living mind and body, and in time devised a means of implanting an ioun stone within the flesh. This process, originally believed irreversible, protected the ioun stone from harm and theft while still providing its full powers to the owner.
With the release of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, there are a lot of new faces here on the board, so we thought that this would be a good time to say hello and to give folks a quick tour of the site.
I suspect that many of the new folks are here because of the Pathfinder RPG, so there is no better place to start than our new Core Rulebook. Of course, we have much more in store for this game, so you definitely want to visit the Pathfinder RPG main page where you can see a summary of all of our upcoming products. Be sure to check out the Bestiary Preview and the Pathfinder RPG Conversion Guide, both of which can be downloaded for free. All you need is an account. Tip to the wise, make sure you have the most recent version of Adobe Reader installed on your machine to read these pdfs. Both of these free products, along with a host of other valuable free documents, can also be found on the Pathfinder RPG resources page, which also contains our community use policy (for those thinking about setting up a fan website) and the compatibility license (for those planning to make products using the Pathfinder RPG rules). The resources page also has the most recent errata document for the Core Rulebook, which contains a number of small changes and fixes to ensure that your game is running smoothly.
Next up, if you need to quickly reference the Pathfinder RPG online, there is no better resource than the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (or PRD for short). The PRD contains all of the rules from the game, organized just like the Core Rulebook, making them easy to find. If you are playing your game in reach of a computer, I might recommend a bookmark or three.
We really want paizo.com to be a great community for gamers of all stripes, whether your passion is the Pathfinder RPG, other RPGs, board games, card games, or anything in between. Our messageboards are home to thousands of gamers just like you, looking for advice, sharing stories, forming groups, and getting answers to rules questions. If you are navigating the messageboards, look out for the following forums.
First up is the Pathfinder RPG messageboard, which includes a large number of useful forums. The General Discussion Forum is where you can discuss nearly anything related to the game, from reviews to announcements. The Rules Question Forum is where you can ask questions about the game. If one of your fellow fans does not help you out, one of our staff will try to help get an answer to your question. There is a lot of great discussion going on right now on the boards about the game, but I do want to take this moment to offer some advice. The rules are brand new, and there is a lot of information to digest. Before posting, make sure to take a good look through the book to see if your question is answered elsewhere. Since the game is a revision to the 3.5 rules, there are a number of discussions going on right now comparing the two and weighing the pros and cons of each change. While this is only natural, I do want to remind folks that many of these changes are designed to have a specific effect or to work in combination with other changes, making the whole of the game easier and better to run. If the rule in question still doesn't work for your group, do not hesitate to change it. It is your game after all, and you should feel free to change it in any way that would add to the fun and excitement of your campaign. Alright, back to the tour.
Next up in the Pathfinder RPG section is the Pathfinder RPG Products Section, which includes two forums for discussing individual products. One for Paizo products and one for any 3rd party product that is compatible with the game. After those forums are the Community Content forums. The first of these is the House Rules Forum, which contains a host of tips, tricks, and suggestions used in the games of fellow messageboard members. This forum also includes brand new rules content created by fans. The second forum is the Conversions Forum, which contains fan-made conversions of a host of 3.5 rules and products, making them easier to use with the Pathfinder RPG.
In addition to the Pathfinder RPG forums, you will find an array of other forums for our other products. The Pathfinder General Discussion Forum is for talking about any product with the Pathfinder logo, focusing on products that are compatible with the Pathfinder campaign setting (such as the Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Companion, Pathfinder Modules, and Pathfinder Accessories products). The Pathfinder Adventure Path Section contains a forum for each one of our Adventure Paths. These products represent complete campaigns, taking your characters from 1st level to the heights of power. The forums contain tips, tricks, and tools to use for each Adventure Path, as well as a number of great stories and anecdotes from the campaigns of fellow members.
This is also a good time to talk about the Pathfinder Society. This program allows you to play the Pathfinder RPG around the world, using the same character for each event. Pathfinder Society events can be found at most major conventions and in a number of game stores. In addition, your GM can download these PDF adventures and run them for you at home. For discussion about these exciting events, check out the Pathfinder Society Forums.
Concluding our tour of the messageboards, you might want to investigate the Paizo Community Forums, which includes forums for 3.5, 4th edition, board games, card games, play-by-post games, movies, books, television, and the always busy off-topic discussion (drive up your post count with a 3-word game today!).
Before this blog gets way too long, I want to take a moment to talk about the Paizo Store, which features just about every RPG, board game, card game, miniatures game, and accessory known to man. Be warned, there are a lot of good products hiding in there, and my wallet has paid for my curiosity mightily over the years.
It's already starting to feel like a ghost town here at Paizo headquarters as the majority of the staff packs up and heads off for Gen Con Indy. With the debut of the Pathfinder RPG, we're totally excited, but also expecting the convention to be four days of absolute madness. So what are we doing? Oh, we're adding fuel to that fire, of course! There's already going to be tons of opportunities to get Paizo swag just by stopping by our booth, but in addition to the Pathfinder RPG, the annual Paizo delve, tons of Pathfinder Society Events, and way more, we're adding buttons! That's right, special, collectible Gen Con '09 Pathfinder Buttons. For as long as they last on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we'll be giving away a different button, allowing you to show your love for the grim gray maidens, those madcap goblins, or the lovely Seoni. So hurry on over to the Paizo Booth (#2312) every day to pick up the whole set!
And that's it! We're off. We'll see you all at Gen Con Indy!
PAIZOCON is tomorrow! 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:
As I mentioned in Tuesday's "Countdown to PAIZOCON" blog, guests and Paizo staff will have the opportunity to wine and dine together during Saturday's banquet. One of the reasons I'm most excited about the banquet is the opportunity to meet 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 Publisher Erik Mona's preview of upcoming Pathfinder products and CEO Lisa Steven's keynote address, attendees can expect one very special surprise. I can't say what it is (under pain of death), 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 Pathfinder RPG and the Future of Paizo" on Friday, and "What's New with Pathfinder?", "Secrets of TSR Revealed!", and the "Pathfinder Fiction Discussion" on Saturday, guests should expect to get firsthand knowledge about the juicy details of the publishing industry, as well as an exciting look at all of the goodies (and there are many!) that Paizo will be working on in the near future. I plan on attending as many of these seminars as I can!
Speaking of seminars, there are a ton about how to begin writing for RPGs and break into the game industry. Here's a brief list of some of the seminars that I hope to attend myself: "How To Break Into Print in Kobold Quarterly," "Designing Dungeons with Monte Cook," "Secrets of the Publishing Industry—Your Questions Answered," "Pathfinder Society Open Call Workshop," "Build a Pathfinder Society Scenario with Sue Cook and Joshua J. Frost," and "Game Design Self-Editing Workshop by Sue Cook."
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 Sean K Reynold's "Into the Scarlet Monastery" (a Pathfinder RPG rendition of one of the most iconic dungeons of the most iconic MMO), Jason Bulmahn's "Fight Club" (wherein you characters will be brutally savaged by monsters), and master of horror James Jacobs's "Unspeakable Futures" (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.
I've quickly run out of space in my excitement to tell you about the ridiculously fun things to expect at PAIZOCON, so I'll end with this:
PAIZOCON approaches! In less than a week's time, Paizonians from throughout the country and around the world will arrive in Bellevue to take part in the furious and fun convention here at the Coast Bellevue Hotel. As a little teaser for what to expect, I spoke to Events Manager Joshua J. Frost and Pathfinder Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn about some of the most exciting events attendees can anticipate.
On Saturday, PAIZOCON attendees will enjoy an enormous banquet, as the Paizo staff and attendees mingle with one another, swap stories, and chow down on delicious food. Highlights of the banquet include a preview of the Pathfinder RPG and a Q&A with Jason Bulmahn, a five-round quiz game with special prizes, a keynote address by CEO Lisa Stevens, and a preview of unannounced products by Publisher Erik Mona.
Jason Bulmahn's Fight Club will also be a particularly fun highlight of PAIZOCON. Only one word most accurately depicts the Fight Club: Meatgrinder. To put it simply, players are seated around four tables and given a stack of 3rd-level characters to chew through. Jason runs around each table activating monsters; it's up to the players to accomplish the task of slaying impossibly tough creatures (or each other!) with their measly characters. Expect death and mayhem. Points are distributed according to damage dealt to monsters and who delivered the killing blow, and subtracted when a character dies. Prizes will be awarded for—among other things—the most points, the most damage dealt, the most deaths, and the quickest death.
The Pathfinder Society also boasts a number of special events for PAIZOCON. To begin with, attendees will be able to run through all four June scenarios, as well as a mid-level and high-level scenario, using pregens or their existing Pathfinder Society characters. On Friday, Pathfinder Society will host an Interactive, in which attendees can battle against one another using their Society characters in a Grand Melee and participate in a joust. These are just a sampling; other activities will be included in the Interactive as well!
It should be noted, however, that characters must bring their own Society characters to participate in the Interactive—to create a Pathfinder Society character, just head to the Pathfinder Society homepage and download the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
I hope you're all as excited and impatient as I am for the craziness to ensue this weekend!
In celebration of the launch of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook
at Gen Con 2009, Paizo is offering a large assortment of events for players young and old, veterans and noobies, casual and grognard alike. In addition to an assortment of seminars, Paizo's premier organized play system, Pathfinder Society, will have four scenarios for 1st-level characters (with 2 additional scenarios for higher-level experienced players) available for play throughout the show from 8 A.M. on Thursday through 5 P.M. on Sunday. Slots start at 8 A.M., 1 P.M., and 6 P.M. and run for four hours. Look for such titles as The Decline of Glory, Tide of Morning, The Devil We Know, Part 1: Shipyard Rats, The Devil We Know, Part 2: Cassomir's Locker, Sniper in the Deep, and Drow of the Darklands Pyramid to further explore the Pathfinder RPG rules and the Pathfinder Society Organized Play experience. On Friday and Saturday night, Paizo will also offer an interactive event for all levels of Pathfinder Society entitled Betrayal in Absalom that turns Indianapolis into an interactive City at the Center of the World for players to run an RP and combat-laden scavenger hunt. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams each night. Lastly, every day of the show during dealer hall hours, Paizo Publishing will run a delve at their booth that's designed to be a meat grinder event that quickly shows off the PRPG rules set as well as handing out prizes to those lucky enough to survive. For those of you who just want to play and aren't interested in the Pathfinder Society, there will be pre-generated characters available for every slot of Pathfinder Society events with the exception of the interactive—the interactives both require you to have a character for Pathfinder Society ready to go.
For those of you signed up for Gen Con and ready to go, a summary of events is listed below including links to each event's sign-up page. You must be logged in to the Gen Con website for the links to work. We've also included a running total (frequently updated in this thread) of how many tickets remain for each event and slot. Online ticket sales for Gen Con 2009 end on June 27, 2009. So don't delay in reserving your spot for one or more of Paizo's Gen Con events!
Official Call for Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2009 Volunteer GMs and Assistants!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Hello!
This is the official call for volunteer GMs and assistants to help Paizo Publishing run events at Gen Con 2009. (If you're looking for the Origins volunteer thread, click here.) In order to be sure that Gen Con 2009 is the best possible play experience, I need a minimum of 42 volunteers (54 volunteers total on Friday and Saturday night) with no maximum—I'll keep taking volunteers until the slots are filled! Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering as well as the events and slots for which I need volunteers. This year, I'm also creating a new "Volunteer Assistant" position for the show—these two folks will aid me in all manner of things and will be my right and left hand man/woman throughout the entire show. They will be rewarded handsomely for their time. Speaking of our rewards, we've DOUBLED the voucher amounts you get for volunteering this year and increased the number of hotel rooms available for Tier 1 volunteers. By doing this, I hope to see even more people working for us at Gen Con.
Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell everyone in your game group! We need volunteers!
One last thing to keep in mind: you're volunteering for a slot, not a specific event. I'll assign people to events inside the slot they've volunteered for and won't take requests.
Volunteer Tiers and Rewards
Volunteer Assistant
The volunteer assistants will work closely with me every day of the show from 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. to help muster slots, gather tickets, answer questions, and run HQ. The volunteer assistants may also be used as gophers, lunch-gatherers, or errand-runners. Reliable, punctual, and guaranteed-to-be-at-the-show applicants ONLY please. This position is limited to two volunteers and will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers I've worked with in the past (i.e., at Gen Con 2008 or Gen Con UK 2008). Volunteer assistants will only be used as GMs to cover GMs that are MIA. Volunteer assistants receive:
A FREE 4-day badge
A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room
A $150 voucher for the Paizo booth (to be used in the Paizo booth on Sunday only)
A FREE black & white photocopied version of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook before the show after signing an NDA
A FREE autographed copy of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook hardcover at Gen Con Wednesday evening
A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2009 T-Shirt
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 18 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. Tier 1 GMs receive:
A FREE 4-day badge
A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room
A $10 per slot voucher for the Paizo booth (to be used in the Paizo booth on Sunday only)
A FREE black & white photocopied version of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook before the show after signing an NDA
A FREE autographed copy of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook hardcover at Gen Con Wednesday evening
A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2009 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 badge
A $10 per slot voucher for the Paizo booth (to be used in the Paizo booth on Sunday only)
A FREE black & white photocopied version of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook before the show after signing an NDA
A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2009 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 (to be used in the Paizo booth on Sunday only)
A FREE black & white photocopied version of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook before the show after signing an NDA
A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2009 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.
Events by Slot
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 Gen Con volunteer thread on the Pathfinder Society messageboards as I receive volunteers, so you may refer to that thread in order to remain up to date on where we still need help.
I've spent a huge portion of this week thinking about and planning for Gen Con 2009. As most of you know, we're launching the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game at Gen Con, which means we're also kicking off Season 1 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The first slot of the show, Thursday morning, will be a character creation/conversion seminar with Paizo employees and volunteer GMs who have all seen the rules ahead of time and will be available to answer questions and help you either build a new character or follow our soon-to-be-released conversion guidelines for Season 1. We'll cut everyone loose before the dealer hall opens so they can hop in what will assuredly be a long line for the RPG hardcover itself and then let everyone flow back to the Org Play area to finish their characters alongside their shiny new (possibly autographed) Pathfinder Roleplaying Game books.
The real fun kicks off Thursday afternoon when we launch Season 1 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play! We have four outstanding scenarios written by four outstanding scenario authors (if I do say so myself) who will all be in attendance at Gen Con and will likely GM their own scenarios once or twice as surprise GMs throughout the show. Tim Hitchcock and the Werecabbages are brewing a brilliant Friday and Saturday night interactive event for the Pathfinder Society that I cannot reveal the details about yet as the lycanthropic vegetable club would stake me and eat my brains for doing so. Rest assured, when Tim pitched me the idea, I ran screaming through the office declaring it the best idea since horseshoes.
Here are some quick summaries of the four scenarios we'll be running at Gen Con 2009:
Pathfinder Society Scenario 29: The Devil We Know, Part 1: Shipyard Rats (Tiers 1–7) by Joshua J. Frost
When simultaneous kidnappings of Pathfinder and Aspis Consortium agents rock Cassomir's imperial shipyards, the Society orders you to join forces with hated Aspis agents to solve the mystery. Can you work together with the enemies of the Society to uncover the source of the kidnappings, or will you perish in the shipyards of Cassomir? Written for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Pathfinder Society Scenario 30: The Devil We Know, Part 2: Cassomir's Locker (Tiers 1–7) by Joshua J. Frost
The Pathfinder Society dispatches you into the catacombs beneath the shipyards known as Cassomir's Locker to uncover the source of a shamanistic rat cult that's breeding monstrous vermin never before seen on Golarion. After thwarting a double-cross and delving into the dirty dungeons below, will you find the artifact that powers Cassomir's Locker in time or will you bring about the destruction of Taldor's most important port? Written for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Pathfinder Society Scenario 31: Sniper in the Deep (Tiers 5–9) by David Eitelbach & Hank Woon
When rumors stir of a hidden treasure ship in Absalom's Flotsam Graveyard, the Pathfinder Society sends you beneath the Inner Sea to investigate. Mayhem, undersea adventure, and chaos are to be had in this rousing rampage beneath the roiling waters of Absalom's harbor. Written for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Pathfinder Society Scenario 32: Drow of the Darklands Pyramid (Tiers 7–11) by Sean K Reynolds
A rogue band of drow are plaguing the artifact shipping lanes of Osirion and the Pathfinder Society has sent you to stop them. When the drow capture an entire caravan laden with Society relics, the Decemvirate orders you into the Darklands to track down the drow and their stolen cargo. You'll travel beneath Golarion, fighting through caverns of hideous creatures to reach the fabled Darklands Pyramid—will your survive the journey, or become a slave forever? Written for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Lastly, I want to congratulate the selectees for the final 3.5 Pathfinder Society Organized Play Open Call: Elizabeth Leib and James MacKenzie! They're writing #28 Lyrics of Extinction and #27 Our Lady of Silver respectively. Congratulations!
Open Call for Pathfinder Society Scenarios 27 & 28
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Hello and welcome to another installment of the Pathfinder Society Scenario Open Call. Last week I selected the authors for scenarios #23 and #24 and they are, respectively: Steven Robert (Tide of Morning) and Tim Hitchcock (The Decline of Glory). Congratulations, guys!
That brings us to the open call round for #27 and #28 (#25 and #26 were assigned). This month's open call is the last open call for OGL 3.5 and the last open call until September. I'll repeat that: this is the last open call until September. So if you're waiting to get involved or submit, this is your last chance for a while. With the launch of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the fact that we have to start writing scenarios with the new rules in the next few months, we've decided to assign the first PRPG scenarios to current scenario authors who could include those authors selected to write #27 and #28.
As always, keep the following guidelines in mind when submitting:
1. Don't break our world. If you submit something that breaks part of our world, it'll be auto-rejected. The scenarios are one-shot, 4-hour adventures—epic story arcs, world-shattering events, wars, mass famine, etc. don't have a place in them.
2. Understand Pathfinder Society Organized Play before you submit. Specifically, understand that the Pathfinder Society is an organization of vagabond scholars, thrill-seeking treasure hunters, and extreme explorers. They are not necessarily the "good guys," they don't get "hired" for their adventures, and they're not generally looking to make the world a better place. Submitting generic 3.5 "save the day" adventure ideas will decrease your chances of getting to write one. There are plenty of resources out there to give you a feel for the Society: the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #1, and the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting all have information on the Pathfinder Society.
3. I need to feel that you've read or played a few scenarios before submitting. I'll get this sense through your proposal—our scenarios have a very specific flow to them and your outline should follow this flow. Read one or two before submitting.
4. Pathfinder Society Scenarios must be no more offensive than PG-13. Scenarios are played in public at public settings and children will be playing them. No more submissions that include violence toward children, please.
5. This is not a contest. This is more like an interview for a job—you're showing me your best idea and I'm deciding if the combination of idea and writing skill equals you being selected as our next scenario author. I need authors—not winners. And I really want to stress the author part of that. Only send me your best work that is reflective of your writing style. I can teach someone the rules system—I can't teach someone to write.
6. I just don't have time to return every submission with feedback. Feel free to post your rejected proposals to the Pathfinder Society messageboards for peer review. For those of you not submitting, please give feedback to those who do and are rejected.
7. Lastly, I posted some general feedback on recent submissions here. Please read that thread before submitting. It'll help. I promise.
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society Scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on the guidelines for the current round, write a 750-word outline that includes the following:
a. A title
b. A brief introduction that acts as a prologue for the scenario
c. A brief summary of how the PCs proceed through each encounter
d. A brief summary of each encounter—minimum five encounters
e. A brief conclusion—what happens if the PCs fail or succeed
f. You no longer need to submit mission ideas with your outline
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_YOURLASTNAME. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, Notepad, or Real Text format—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled SCENARIO NAME_SCENARIO#_LAST NAME, i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_17_Dayon.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society scenarios 27 & 28—the July releases and last OGL 3.5 scenarios. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
• 2/12/09—Open call begins
• 2/20/09—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
• 3/6/09—Submissions review completed—selections and rejections notified
Guidelines
**SPOILER ALERT: Do not read the guidelines below if you wish to avoid spoilers for upcoming scenarios.**
Pathfinder Society Scenario #27
Suggested Title: Our Lady of Silver
Setting: Qadiran City (political intrigue scenario that pits wealthy merchant lords against one another)
Monster: Open
Level Range: Tier 5–9; tiers 5–6 and 8–9
Pathfinder Society Scenario #28
Suggested Title: Lyrics of Extinction
Setting: Mwangi Expanse (ancient culture destroyed by fell song—travel to the ruins to recover a copy of it)
Monster: Open
Level Range: Tier 7–11; tiers 7–8 and 10–11
PLEASE NOTE: Pathfinder Society Scenarios are written with a 4-hour time limit in mind. Your outline should reflect 4 hours of solid game play.
For Pathfinder Society Scenario #15: The Asmodeus Mirage (coming this month), Adam brings us the imp, a little red devil perched on the skull of an inanimate gargoyle statue. Be sure to visit Adam's deviantArt page and check out more of his work.
Didn't Make the RPG Superstar Top 32? Try Pathfinder Society!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The 2009 RPG Superstar contest drew in hundreds of entries from around the world in a contest to crown the ultimate new roleplaying game design talent. It took the judges six weeks to reduce the mountain of entries to the 32 finalists and a handful of alternates. That means hundreds of you didn't make it into the RPG Superstar Top 32—that means that hundreds of you should submit for the Pathfinder Society Scenario Open Call!
You submitted to RPG Superstar not only hoping to win an RPG Design contest, but also hoping to get a chance to see your name on a Pathfinder Module sitting on the shelf at your local game store. Pathfinder Society Scenarios may not be sold in stores, but getting your name on one is no less prestigious—you get to see your name on a product being used in hundreds, maybe even thousands, of organized play tables around the world.
Alternatively, and perhaps even more importantly, being selected to write a scenario for Pathfinder Society Organized Play does one other thing for you: it gets your foot in the door. Write a good scenario, one that blows me away with its writing style, imagery, ideas, and maps, and I'll be in the editorial pit the moment after I read it saying, "This is the person you want for X assignment!" Writing a scenario gets you noticed, may get you additional writing work, and keeps you fresh in our minds when thinking of new talent to tap for new projects.
Our current open call runs through midnight tomorrow—plenty of time to get a submission in for at least one of them! I hope to see yours in the submission stack.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #13 & #14 Art Sneak Peak
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Check out the dretch and the giant centipede—featured monsters from next week's Pathfinder Society Scenario #13: The Prince of Augustana and Pathfinder Society Scenario #14: The Many Fortunes of Grandmaster Torch. The dretch was designed by Kevin Yan and the giant centipede was designed by Ben Wootten. Enjoy!
Open Call for Pathfinder Society Scenarios 23 & 24
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Hello and welcome to another installment of the Pathfinder Society Scenario Open Call. Last week I selected the authors for scenarios #21 and #22 and they are, respectively: C. Robert Brown (The Eternal Obelisk) and Larry Wilhelm (Fingerprints of the Fiend). Congratulations, guys!
That brings us to the open call round for 23 and 24. I'm going to continue with the looser, open format style with some general guidelines. We received far fewer submissions last round than before and I'm hoping that had more to do with RPG Superstar and the holidays than it did with the open format chasing submitters away. Prove me right! As always, keep the following guidelines in mind when submitting:
1. Don't break our world. If you submit something that breaks part of our world, it'll be auto-rejected. The scenarios are one-shot, 4-hour adventures—epic story arcs, world-shattering events, wars, mass famine, etc. don't have a place in them.
2. Understand Pathfinder Society Organized Play before you submit. Specifically, understand that the Pathfinder Society is an organization of vagabond scholars, thrill-seeking treasure hunters, and extreme explorers. They are not necessarily the "good guys," they don't get "hired" for their adventures, and they're not generally looking to make the world a better place. Submitting generic 3.5 "save the day" adventure ideas will decrease your chances of getting to write one. There are plenty of resources out there to give you a feel for the Society: the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Pathfinder #1, and the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting all have information on the Pathfinder Society.
3. I need to feel that you've read or played a few scenarios before submitting. I'll get this sense through your proposal—our scenarios have a very specific flow to them and your outline should follow this flow. Read one or two before submitting.
4. Pathfinder Society Scenarios must be no more offensive than PG-13. Scenarios are played in public at public settings and children will be playing them. No more submissions that include violence toward children, please.
5. This is not a contest. This is more like an interview for a job—you're showing me your best idea and I'm deciding if the combination of idea and writing skill equals you being selected as our next scenario author. I need authors—not winners. And I really want to stress the author part of that. Only send me your best work that is reflective of your writing style. I can teach someone the rules system—I can't teach someone to write.
6. Finally, I just don't have time to return every submission with feedback. Feel free to post your rejected proposals to the Pathfinder Society messageboards for peer review. For those of you not submitting, please give feedback to those who do and are rejected.
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society Scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on the guidelines for the current round, write a 750-word outline that includes the following:
a. A title
b. A brief introduction that acts as a prologue for the scenario
c. A brief summary of how the PCs proceed through each encounter
d. A brief summary of each encounter—minimum five encounters
e. A brief conclusion—what happens if the PCs fail or succeed
f. You no longer need to submit mission ideas with your outline
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line SCENARIO NAME_##_YOURLASTNAME. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, Notepad, or Real Text format—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled SCENARIO NAME_##_LAST NAME, i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_17_Dayon.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society scenarios #23 & 24—two of the four June releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
• 1/15/09—Open call begins
• 1/30/09—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
• 2/6/09—Submissions review completed—selections and rejections notified
Guidelines
**SPOILER ALERT: Do not read the guidelines below if you wish to avoid spoilers for upcoming scenarios.**
Pathfinder Society Scenario #23
Suggested Title: Tide of Morning
Setting: Andoran wilderness (classic forest adventure archetype suggested)
Monster: Open
Level Range: Tier 1–5; tiers 1–2 and 4–5
Pathfinder Society Scenario #24
Suggested Title: The Decline of Glory
Setting: Taldor frontier (warring gangs, towns-at-war archetype suggested)
Monster: Open
Level Range: Tier 1–7; tiers 1–2, 3–4, and 6–7
PLEASE NOTE: Pathfinder Society Scenarios are written with a 4-hour time limit in mind. Your outline should reflect 4 hours of solid game play.
As part of our continuing effort to showcase upcoming conventions that are running Pathfinder Society Organized Play events, here are several shows coming up in January and February that have let us know they are doing so. If you're local to any of these fine conventions, please show your support for Pathfinder Society by GMing or playing few Pathfinder Society Scenarios there. Spread the word!
If you know of any future conventions that plan to run Pathfinder Society Organized Play scenarios, please put their con coordinators, organized play coordinators, or RPG coordinators in contact with me. I'd love to use the blog to support as many shows as possible. With your help, we can support them all.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #11:The Third Riddle
by Clinton J. Boomer
When Pathfinder Colm Safan entered the Nethys-linked heart of the fabled dungeon known as the Ravenous Sphinx, the Pathfinder Society expected to solve one of Osirion's greatest riddles. Months passed with no word from Safan and you and your fellow Pathfinders find yourselves dispatched into the desolate wastes of Osirion's notorious Parched Dunes to find the sphinx, find Safan, and uncover the mystery he sought. With a band of cloaked riders on your trail and a trap-filled dungeon ahead, will you solve the third riddle before time runs out?
This Pathfinder Society Scenario is designed for 1st to 5th-level characters (Tiers: 1–2, 4–5). This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can be easily adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the 3.5 edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #12:Stay of Execution
by Alison McKenzie
When a petty thief named Hadge gets a lucky break and makes off with a powerful divination focus of the Pathfinder Society's masked leadership, you and your fellow Pathfinders set out to the sparsely populated Taldor frontier to find him and recover the focus. When the local governor tosses Hadge into the brutal Porthmos Prison for a minor crime, your mission suddenly becomes a jail break. Will you free Hadge and uncover the location of the focus before the gangs of Porthmos tear him apart?
This Pathfinder Society Scenario is designed for 1st to 7th-level characters (Tiers: 1–2, 3–4, 6–7). This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can be easily adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the 3.5 edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game.
Before I get into the new open call format as well as the next round of open calls, I want to talk about the submissions for Pathfinder Society Scenarios #19 & 20. I received nearly as many submissions for 19 & 20 as I did for 17 & 18, but the difference this time was that I received almost all of them for 19: Skeleton Moon. The other scenario, 20: Demon Haunts the Devil's Hall, received an incredibly low number of submissions, and after looking through them again and again none of the submissions wowed me sufficiently to select the submitter as the author. I then spent some time thinking about our submissions process and I think our process may be to blame for the reduction in submissions for 20. I asked for 20 to include a non-SRD monster (the nabasu) that many submitters probably weren't familiar with and I asked for no undead (because we've been undead heavy lately) in a scenario where the monster (again, the nabasu) could potentially create undead with one of its powers. These two errors on our part, I believe, led to a serious reduction in submissions and because the pool was so small, there weren't a lot to choose from. In the end, I had to choose none of them. Instead, we've removed Devil's Hall from the schedule, to appear later in season 1, and replaced it with a later scenario I'd planned to assign rather than open. So for the 19 & 20 round, I'll select an author for 19 only and the new 20 will be written by an existing freelancer.
That brings us to the open call round for 21 & 22. I'm going to test a more open format for both, though I'm still going to suggest a few key items on each—items that are necessary either for art resources or simply to keep game play spread around the Inner Sea region. These restrictions will be relatively minor and shouldn't hamper creativity overmuch. I am, however, opening this test with a few caveats:
1. Don't break our world. If you submit something that breaks part of our world, it'll be auto-rejected. The scenarios are one-shot, 4-hour adventures—epic story arcs, world-shattering events, wars, mass famine, etc. don't have a place in them.
2. Understand Pathfinder Society Organized Play before you submit. Specifically, understand that the Pathfinder Society is an organization of vagabond scholars, thrill-seeking treasure hunters, and extreme explorers. They are not necessarily the "good guys," they don't get "hired" for their adventures, and they're not generally looking to make the world a better place. Submitting generic 3.5 "save the day" adventure ideas will decrease your chances of getting to write one. There are plenty of resources out there to give you a feel for the Society: the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Pathfinder #1, and the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting all have information on the Pathfinder Society.
3. I need to feel that you've read or played a few scenarios before submitting. I'll get this sense through your proposal—our scenarios have a very specific flow to them and your outline should follow this flow. Read one or two before submitting.
4. Pathfinder Society scenarios must be no more offensive than PG-13. Scenarios are played in public at public settings and children will be playing them. As an aside, the number of submissions that involve violence toward children is staggering—no more of those, please.
5. This is not a contest. This is more like an interview for a job—you're showing me your best idea and I'm deciding if the combination of idea and writing skill equals you being selected as our next scenario author. I need authors—not winners.
6. Finally, I just don't have time to return every submission with feedback. I did that with the first round, for 17 & 18, and it stretched my resources and time very thin.
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on the guidelines for the current round, write a 750-word outline that includes the following:
a. A title—the more evocative the better
b. A brief introduction that acts as a prologue for the scenario
c. A brief summary of how the PCs proceed through each encounter
d. A brief summary of each encounter—minimum five encounters
e. A brief conclusion—what happens if the PCs fail or succeed
f. You no longer need to submit mission ideas with your outline
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line SCENARIO NAME_YOURLASTNAME. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, Notepad, or Real Text format—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled SCENARIO NAME_LAST NAME, i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_Dayon.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society Scenarios #21 & 22—the May releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
• 12/11/08—Open call begins
• 12/19/08—Submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time
• 1/9/09—Submissions review completed—selections and rejections notified
Guidelines
**SPOILER ALERT: Do not read the guidelines below if you wish to avoid spoilers for upcoming scenarios.**
Pathfinder Society Scenario #21
Suggested Title: The Eternal Obelisk
Setting: Qadira
Monster: A medusa
Level Range: Tier 5–9; tiers 5–7 and 8–9
Pathfinder Society Scenario #22
Suggested Title: None
Setting: Rural Cheliax
Monster: Open
Level Range: Tier 7–11; tiers 7–8 and 10–11
PLEASE NOTE: Pathfinder Society Scenarios are written with a 4-hour time limit in mind. Your outline should reflect 4 hours of solid game play.
As part of our continuing effort to showcase upcoming conventions that are running Pathfinder Society Organized Play events, here are two shows coming up in December and January that have let us know they are doing so. If you're local to either of these fine conventions, please show your support for Pathfinder Society by GMing or playing few Pathfinder Society Scenarios there. Spread the word!
If you know of any future conventions that plan to run Pathfinder Society Organized Play scenarios, please put their con coordinators, organized play coordinators, or RPG coordinators in contact with me. I'd love to use the blog to support as many shows as possible. With your help, we can support them all.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #9: Eye of the Crocodile King
by Christopher Self
Arcanamirium transmuter Maren Fuln found a magically sealed amulet in the school's library and kept it as a shiny bauble. Little did he know the amulet contained an entity far worse than he imagined and by unsealing it, he loosed a revenge-obsessed horror into the sewers beneath the school. Can the Pathfinder Society halt the beast's plan in time, or will he build his army of revenge and sow chaos in Absalom?
This product is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 5th level characters (Tiers: 1–2, 4–5). This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the 3.5 edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #10: Blood at Dralkard Manor
by Shane Cottom, Steven T. Helt, and Joshua J. Frost
Venture-Captain Juberto Savarre plans to retire soon and he's set his sights on spooky Dralkard Manor in southern Andoran. With the locals swapping tales of hauntings and missing persons, Savarre sends Pathfinders in to uncover the truth. Are the stories just tall tales or will the Pathfinders find themselves drenched in blood at Dralkard Manor?
This product is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 7th level characters (Tiers: 1–2, 3–4. 6–7). This scenario is designed for play in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This scenario is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the 3.5 edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game.
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on a summary (or summaries) posted here on the Paizo daily blog as well as on the Pathfinder Society Write For Us page, write a 750-word outline that includes the following (read published scenarios for samples of how these are done, keeping your word count in mind):
a. An introduction
b. A summary of the complete story
c. Five unique or dynamic encounters tied to the overall plot
d. A conclusion
e. Five short suggestions for possible faction missions
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line [SCENARIO NAME] [YOUR LAST NAME]. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, Notepad, or Rich Text format—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled [SCENARIO NAME]_[LAST NAME], i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_Dayon. Failure to submit your entry in one of the requested formats (i.e., just pasting it into your email) and failure to properly name your file may disqualify your entry.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count. Failure to include this information will disqualify your entry and you won't receive feedback at the end of the process.
4. Once all submissions are in, the Pathfinder Society coordinator will take two weeks to review submissions and select an author for each open scenario. You will receive an email confirming receipt—please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission. The coordinator will attempt to respond to all submitters with feedback, but this may not always be possible.
5. If you are selected to write a scenario, you will be emailed instructions that include your word count, due date, and contract.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society scenarios #19 and #20—the April releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
• 11/13—Open call begins with summaries posted here on the Paizo daily blog and on the Pathfinder Society Write For Us page
• 11/21—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
**SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THE SUMMARIES BELOW IF YOU WISH TO AVOID SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIOS**
Pathfinder Society Scenario #19: Skeleton Moon
This scenario must contain the following:
1. Takes place on the Isle of Kortos outside the walls of Absalom in a ruined siege castle.
2. Since all of the siege castles around the City at the Center of the World are pretty well picked over, your outline should contain a good reason why this one or part of this one isn't.
3. The "boss" monster for this scenario must be an assassin vine—feel free to play around with the stats—templates, advanced, etc, but no half-dragon vines.
4. No undead. No cults. Something creepy is going on there.
5. This is a three-tiered scenario intended for 1st to 7th level characters (Tier 1–7; Tiers 1–2, 3–4, and 6–7).
6. Keep in mind that you only get 1/2 of a page of maps—don't suggest a scenario that exceeds this restriction.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #20: Demon Haunts the Devil's Hall
This scenario must contain the following:
1. Takes place in the summer estate of a low-ranking member of House Thrune of Cheliax.
2. The estate is infested with nabasu (from the Tome of Horrors) (but why?).
3. No undead. No cults. Expound on why the nabasu are in this devil-worshippers summer estate.
4. This is a two-tiered scenario intended for 7th to 11th level characters (Tier 7–11; Tiers 7–8 and 10–11).
5. Keep in mind that you only get 1/2 of a page of maps—don't suggest a scenario that exceeds this restriction.
Basic Outline:
Please keep the following basic scenario outline in mind when writing your 750-word summary:
Warning: If you wish to avoid spoilers about future Pathfinder Society scenarios, do not read this blog post.
Next week we begin our second open call for Pathfinder Society scenarios. Our first open call went quite well and we were happy to announce that Matthieu Dayon and Craig Campbell will write #17—Perils of the Pirate Pact and #18—The Trouble with Secrets respectively. Every single entry was given some kind of feedback and, hopefully, this sort of feedback helps our submitters to craft entries that better fit the types of stories we're seeking.
Our first open call went well and I, personally, learned a lot. Because of what I learned, I'm making a few changes to the submission guidelines to help speed up the entire process. The new, revised, submission guidelines are as follows:
1. Based on a summary (or summaries) posted here on the Paizo daily blog as well as on the Pathfinder Society Write For Us page, write a 750-word outline that includes the following (read published scenarios for samples of how these are done keeping your word count in mind):
a. An introduction
b. A summary of the complete story
c. Five unique or dynamic encounters tied to the overall plot
d. A conclusion
e. Five short suggestions for possible faction missions
2. By the due date, email your outline to josh@paizo.com with the subject line [SCENARIO NAME] [YOUR LAST NAME]. Your summary must be in a MS Word document, plain text, or Rich Text format—these are files ending in .doc, .txt, or .rtf. Your file must be titled [SCENARIO NAME]_[LAST NAME], i.e., PerilsofthePiratePact_Dayon. Failure to submit your entry in one of the requested formats (i.e., just pasting it into your email) and failure to properly name your file may disqualify your entry.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count. Failure to include this information will disqualify your entry and you won't receive feedback at the end of the process.
4. Once all submissions are in, the Pathfinder Society coordinator will take two weeks to review submissions and select an author for each open scenario. You will receive an email confirming receipt—please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission. The coordinator will attempt to respond to all submitters with feedback, but this may not always be possible.
5. If you are selected to write a scenario, you will be emailed instructions that include your word count, due date, and contract.
6. Failing to follow any of the instructions above will immediately disqualify you from the open call.
The open call that starts next week is for Pathfinder Society scenarios #19 and #20—the April releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
11/13—Open call begins with summaries posted here on the Paizo daily blog and on the Pathfinder Society Write For Us page
After reviewing nearly half of the submissions for the Pathfinder Society Open Call, I want to address a few recurring issues and errors. Please note that not all of these issues and errors result in automatic rejection and don't assume your submission was rejected if you feel any of the items below apply to it. I have not yet selected the finalists.
Understanding the Pathfinder Society
This is the most important gaff I've seen—authors who don't really understand Golarion's Pathfinder Society. Either the submitter hasn't read the entry in Pathfinder #1 and the entry in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting or he or she is choosing to ignore it. Submitting a proposal for Pathfinder Society Scenario #17—Perils of the Pirate Pact and completely ignoring the motivations of the Pathfinder Society in your submission makes it feel more like a generic adventure and less like a scenario that should necessarily focus on Golarion's famed organization of vagabond explorers and thrill-seeking treasure hunters.
Avoid Passive Voice
Don't do it. Don't use it. Remove it from your writing style altogether. Passive voice is boring, distracting, and authors who use it often miss opportunities to approach a description from an evocative direction. For an excellent guide to passive voice, read this webpage from Purdue's English Department. Removing passive voice will strengthen your submissions and strengthen your final turnover.
Spelling Errors and Grammatical Errors
Use your spell check, have a friend read your submission, read your submission out loud—each of these is a great way to find errors. While one or two errors won't necessarily eliminate your submission, repeated errors will as they show a lack of attention to detail.
Use the Clues
In the summary for #17, for example, there were three clues: ettercaps, a book stolen from a Pathfinder Society venture-captain, and dead pirates dangling in spiderwebs over the River Sellen. Not using the clues from the summary in your submission makes your submission much less likely to be accepted.
Elaborate X
Many submissions spend more time on elaborate names, elaborate concepts, or elaborate scenes than on a good solid plot. While cool names, concepts, or scenes are cool, I'd rather see much more time spent making the plot flow well and making it make sense than submitters throwing spider pirates and complicated NPC names at me. You have one page to wow me—wow me with a good plot.
All in all, this has been a positive experience and I feel confident that I'll be able to reply with feedback to each submission. Check back on the Pathfinder Society messageboards and the Pathfinder Society website on Monday for the names of those selected for the Pathfinder Society open call. And importantly, don't let a rejection keep you from submitting for the next round!
Since we launched Pathfinder Society in August, I've received a lot of email from convention coordinators. They ask how they can run Pathfinder Society events at their shows, or seek more information about the Society, or sometimes just let me know that they're on board and plan to run events. Since they're helping us, I want to do something in return for them. Once a month, from now on, I'll use my weekly Pathfinder Society blog to detail conventions that plan to run Pathfinder Society events in the next month. I'll even give you links to their shows (when I know them or can find them) and links to threads on our messageboards when coordinators from each show are asking for volunteers to run Society events. Here are the shows debuting Pathfinder Society between now and the end of November:
If you know of any future conventions that plan to run Pathfinder Society, please put their con coordinators, organized play coordinators, or RPG coordinators in contact with me. I'd love to use the blog to support as many shows as possible. With your help, we can support them all.
As I've said before, I love my job! I get to take a look at things and see stuff before it comes out. As a gamer and as a fan, that right there is worth the price of admission. One of the things I like most about our products is our great artists and the fantastic illustrations they produce for us. Sometimes, however, a particular piece of art cannot come to the fore, as it's part of a greater whole, like a cover. So, because I can, I now present to you, unfettered from their PDF restraints, the art you see lurking behind the titles of the latest Pathfinder Scenarios Mists of Mwangi and Black Waters.
Quite a few folks have asked me via email and on the Pathfinder Society messageboards how they can help spread the world about Paizo's organized play RPG program and get more players, from newbies to veterans, involved. To that end, we've whipped up a helpful one-sheet that you can download here as well as from the Pathfinder Society Organized Play home page. Below is a suggested list of places where you can display said one-sheet:
Give a copy to your local game store manager or owner
Post a copy on the activities board at your college or university
Print out several black-and-white copies and hand them to your friends at your local game day or home game
Send the PDF to everyone you know who might be interested in a new organized play system using the 3.5 edition rules
Send the PDF to a local game convention coordinator
Climb a tall building and hang a 200-foot-wide banner made from the PDF for all to see*
Post a copy in your cubicle at work so you can answer questions from other members of our secret gaming cabal who might recognize the logo
Link to the PDF from your blog, MySpace, online dating singles profile, Facebook, or any other networking website
Read the PDF aloud into a web cam and post your video blog on YouTube
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on a summary posted on the Paizo daily blog (see below), write a 750-word outline following the format of already available–for–sale scenarios.
2. By the due date, email said summary to josh@paizo.com with the subject line [Scenario Name] Submission.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Once all submissions are in, the Pathfinder Society coordinator (Paizo's events manager) will take two weeks to review submissions and select an author for each. You will receive an email confirming receipt—please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission. The coordinator will attempt to respond to all submitters with feedback, but this may not always be possible.
5. If you are selected to write a scenario, you will be emailed instructions that include your word count, due date, and contract.
The current open call is for Pathfinder Society Scenarios #17 and #18—the March releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
10/9 Open call begins with summaries posted on the Paizo Blog and at paizo.com/pathfindersociety (see below)
**SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THE SUMMARIES BELOW IF YOU WISH TO AVOID SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIOS**
Pathfinder Society Scenario #17: Perils of the Pirate Pact
A gang of River Kingdoms pirates begs the Society for help after several members are found dead dangling in spider webs stretched across the Sellen River near Numeria. They offer an ancient text as a reward—an ancient text they originally stole from a Pathfinder venture—captain.
This is a three-tiered scenario intended for 1st to 7th level characters (Tier 1–7; Tiers 1–2, 3–4, and 6–7). It must include pirates, spiders, and at least one ettercap. It must be set on the Sellen River near the Numeria border in the River Kingdoms.
Pathfinder Society Scenario #18: The Trouble with Secrets
A secret vault beneath the Grand Lodge remains sealed after more than a century to hide an embarrassing event in the Society's past. When reports surface that the vault is open, the society sends the PCs to seal it and keep the Society's darkest secret forever hidden.
This is a two-tiered scenario intended for 5th to 9th level characters (Tier 5–9; Tiers 5–6 and 8–9). It must include at least one vampire and must be set beneath the Grand Lodge in Absalom.
Basic Outline:
Please keep the following basic scenario outline in mind when writing your 750-word summary:
Intro (1,000)
Encounter #1 (750)
Encounter #2 (750)
Encounter #3 (750)
Encounter #4 (750)
Encounter #5 (750)
Conclusion (500)
Faction Missions + Summary (1,900)
Extra words (345)
TOTAL WORD COUNT: 7,000
PLEASE NOTE: Pathfinder Society Scenarios are written with a 4-hour time limit in mind. Your outline should reflect this limitation.
Good luck and may the prowess of Cayden Cailean guide your keyboard.
Coming Soon: Open Call for Pathfinder Society Scenarios
Thursday, October 2, 2008
** Warning: if you wish to avoid possible spoilers about future Pathfinder Society scenarios, do not read this blog post. **
Good news! Next week we begin our first open call for Pathfinder Society scenarios. What do we mean by "open call?" We mean:
1. Not every scenario we release is written via the open call process
2. Outline submissions are based on summaries, rather than true open calls
Rules for submitting Pathfinder Society scenario outlines are as follows:
1. Based on a summary (or summaries) posted on the Paizo daily blog as well as on the Pathfinder Society page, write a 750-word outline following the format of already posted and available-for-sale scenarios.
2. By the due date, email said summary to josh@paizo.com with the subject line [Scenario Name] Submission.
3. Include your full legal name, email address, physical mailing address, and a contact phone number at the top of your submission—this text does not count toward your word count.
4. Once all submissions are in, the Pathfinder Society coordinator will take two weeks to review submissions and select an author for each open scenario. You will receive an email confirming receipt—please allow 72 hours for a response before resending your submission. The coordinator will attempt to respond to all submitters with feedback, but this may not always be possible.
5. If you are selected to write a scenario, you will be emailed instructions that include your word count, due date, and contract.
6. Failing to follow any of the instructions above will immediately disqualify you from the open call.
The open call that starts next week is for Pathfinder Society scenarios #17 and #18—the January March releases. The full schedule for this submission period is as follows:
10/9—Open call begins with summaries posted on the Paizo Blog and at paizo.com/pathfindersociety
10/17—Submissions due by 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time
10/31—Submissions review completed
11/3—Decision announced on messageboards and paizo.com/pathfindersociety after authors are chosen and notified
While we won't begin accepting scenario outlines until next week, here are a few hints to get your brain juices flowing:
Now that I've shaken the plague of pneumonia from my fragile lungs, I've set about getting the Pathfinder Society back on track and that begins with unveiling the soon-to-be-released September scenarios. Without further ado:
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5: Mists of Mwangi
Pathfinder Lugizar Trantos recently returned from the Mwangi Expanse with haunted eyes and a pack full of strange idols. Absalom's famed Blakros Museum purchased his pieces and Lugizar vanished. The strange monkey idols he pulled from the misty jungles of Mwangi carry with them a fell curse, and now their power has laid claim to the museum. Can the Pathfinder Society uncover the source of the curse in time, or will the Blackros Museum be forever lost to the mists of Mwangi?
Written by Nicolas Logue
Pathfinder Scenario #6: Black Waters
The Pathfinder Society seeks the ancient ruby ring of the salamander and it falls to a team of Pathfinders to find it. Last seen in the Tri-Towers Yard, a once elite academy for the youth of Absalom, the ruby ring is now lost in the Drownyard, all that remains of Tri-Towers after it was destroyed a decade ago in the great quake. The Pathfinders must risk the strange black ichors and salty brine to find their prize—will they risk their very souls as well?
Gen Con was a great success! We saw nearly 400 characters made for Pathfinder Society and handed out 600 registration cards for new players and Game Masters. Our fine volunteers rocked the Pathfinder Society room in ICC 101-102 and all of the players were enthusiastic, excited, and fun. The room was filled with laughter, chaos, and the roar of critical successes. Nick and I had a good time and everyone's positive and negative feedback was heard, written down, and (in many cases) will be incorporated in the next version of the guide. Season 0 is our playtest season—we're happy folks are helping us test it.
We learned a few lessons at Gen Con, both from the organization standpoint and from the standpoint of GMs and players. We know a little more about how to organize the event, how many tickets to sell for each slot, and how many GMs to gather to run it smoothly. We learned that a bull horn (thank you, Lou) is the most valuable asset of the room and we learned that people really DO want to sport the colors of their faction and wear their shirts with pride (and free re-rolls).
Thanks everyone who was there for making it a great success. We'll see you next year. Until then, found your local chapter of the Pathfinder Society and hook another bunch of recruits into becoming Pathfinders. We know they'll love it.
Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play Sneak Peak
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Though we're working hard to get the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play PDF released on Friday, we thought we'd take a small break from the action and show you a few of the faction feats that'll be available in our organized play system. During character creation, after you've chosen your faction, you'll get to choose one free bonus feat from your faction's unique feat list. There are six available feats per faction to choose from—here's a sample feat from each faction:
FREEDOM FIGHTER
Your family has long battled the foes of freedom and you are skilled in waging guerilla campaigns against oppressors.
Prerequisite: Andoran Faction
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Hide skill checks. In addition, you receive a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls when you attack a flat-footed foe during the surprise round.
SCION OF THE NINE HELLS
Your bloodline is mingled with powerful fiends and you rarely fear their fire.
Prerequisite: Cheliax Faction
Benefit: You gain fire resistance 2. This resistance increases by +1 for every six levels you possess, to a maximum of 5 at 18th level.
STAY DEATH'S EMBRACE
Your studies of death and your devout worship of Pharasma have unlocked many secrets of the great beyond. As a result, it is harder to send you there.
Prerequisite: Osirion Faction, worshipper of Pharasma
Benefit: You have a 25% chance to stabilize each round when below 0 hit points. Once stable, you become conscious one round later, although you are still disabled.
Normal: You have a 10% chance to stabilize each round when below 0 hit points.
HORSE LORD
Your people are masters of battling on horseback and you have mastered their rare skill.
Prerequisite: Qadira Faction
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Ride skill checks. While mounted, you also receive a +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class.
VINDICTIVE
Prone to endless fueds, your people simply do not forgive a slight easily.
Prerequisite: Taldor Faction
Benefit: You receive a +1 bonus on attack rolls made against creatures that damaged you in the previous round with a ranged or melee attack.
Keep your eyes on the Pathfinder Society Organized Play website this Friday!
On Wednesday night, Nick and I joined dozens of potential Pathfinder Society Organized Play players and GMs in a moderated chat to discuss lingering questions about Paizo's soon-to-launch RPG org play system. Moderator Lilith from the Paizo messageboards did a fantastic job fielding and then passing on questions to Nick and I. During the chat I said:
"The drop dead [to release the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play PDF] is August 8. If we can have it out before then, we will. We'll be sneaking a few key items into Friday's blog, though, as a way to stave off the ravenous hunger of the early devotees of Pathfinder Society."
I have kept my word! Click here to download (820 KB zip PDF) a sneak peek at the Pathfinder Society Character Record Sheet and a sample Pathfinder Society Chronicle minus all the text it would normally have as a chronicle for Pathfinder Society Scenario 01: Silent Tide. I know it's not a sneak peek at character generation, but at least you have a clean slate to stare out for another week.
To read the rest of the chat log for Wednesday night's Pathfinder Society chat, click here and scroll down about halfway.
Gen Con 2008 is roughly 22 days from the moment you read this blog. Paizo is unveiling more new products, hosting more new events, and cramming more game play into the Paizo booth than we have ever done at any convention. To give a taste of what you'll find at this year's supreme gaming event and to make those of you who can't make it seven flavors of raving envious, here's a full list of Paizo events we'll debut at the show:
Pathfinder Society Organized Play
Though most of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play events are totally sold out, there are still a few that have open slots. If you didn't sign up for these slots during pre-registration, no problem! Grab yourself two generic tickets per slot at the show and come ready to play. Keep an eye on the Pathfinder Society website for character creation guidelines that should be posted around August 1. The following slots still have availability:
Slot 2: Thursday 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
Scenario #3: Murder on the Silken Caravan
Scenario #4: The Frozen Fingers of Midnight
Slot 7: Sunday 8 A.M. to 12 P.M.
Scenario #3: Murder on the Silken Caravan
Slot 8: Sunday 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
Scenario #1: The Silent Tide
Scenario #2: The Hydra's Fang Incident
Pathfinder Adventure Path Preview: Ascension of the Drow
Though this event is completely sold out, we'd be remiss to not include it in the list of Paizo events at Gen Con. Ascension of the Drow is a Nicolas Logue-run Paizo mega-event that will determine the ruling house of a Drow city to be featured in Pathfinder #16. More than 100 players, Game Masters, and special guests will play a variety of Drow, demons, and maybe even gods as they battle for total supremacy.
Assault on Falcon's Hollow: a Paizo Delve
Last year's delve went smashingly (pun intended) and we knew for this year's delve that we'd need to line up an even greater number of monsters to raise our tallies of PC deaths and TPKs even higher! Come by Paizo Booth #2221 during dealer hall hours, grab a pre-generated Pathfinder Roleplaying Game character, and test out the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game's combat system while you protect the tiny village of Falcon's Hollow from a ravenous horde of horrendous undead. Accomplishing pre-determined goals will win you and your party keys. Those keys just might open our treasure chest, winning you fame, fortune, and some free stuff. Sponsored by Dwarven Forge.
Paizo Publishing Seminars
Judging by pre-registration numbers alone, we may very well "sell out" most of our seminars at Gen Con this year (they're free to attend for Gen Con attendees.) Pre-registration numbers are the highest attendance counts we've ever had for Gen Con seminars and the show hasn't even started yet!
Writing for Paizo
Thursday 5 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Marriott — Indiana Ballroom C
Sticking with 3.5: the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Future of Paizo
Friday 5 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Marriott — Indiana Ballroom C
Pathfinder Adventure Path Preview
Saturday 5 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Marriott — Indiana Ballroom C
Worlds of Their Own Author Signing
Many of today's best (and best-selling) fantasists got their start writing shared-world fiction supporting roleplaying games. Worlds of Their Own collects more than a dozen thrilling tales, providing an exciting overview of the original worlds and characters of authors who achieved their greatest fame writing stories they do not own. Worlds of Their Own presents an unprecedented sampler of fantasy and science-fiction adventure tales from some of the best-loved and best-known authors in the genre.
Worlds of Their Own authors Ed Greenwood, Paul S. Kemp, Michael A. Stackpole, Greg Stolze, and Editor James Lowder will be on-hand in our booth on Saturday, August 16, 2008 from 2:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. signing copies of Worlds of Their Own. Copies of the anthology will be available for sale in the booth.
Worlds of Their Own Mega-Signing
Saturday 2:30-3:30 PM
Paizo Booth #2221
The Gamers: Dorkness Rising Signings The Gamers: Dorkness Rising will finally be unleashed upon the world at Gen Con! Paizo is the exclusive hobby distributor for Dead Gentlemen Productions and we're pleased to host a full-time signing area in our booth throughout the show. If the dealer hall is open, someone involved with The Gamers: Dorkness Rising will be in our booth signing copies of the DVD. As of today, we expect the following folks to spend time in our booth:
Don Early, Producer
Matt Vancil, Writer / Director
Nathan Rice, Lodge / Sir Osric
Steve Wolbrecht, Composer
Scott Brown, Leo / Turk / Flynn the Fine
Christian Doyle, Gary / Fastidian / Luster
Matt DeMille, Production Designer / Art Director / Set Decorator
Brian Lewis, Cass / Rennard / Brother Silence
Jen Page, Luster (Female) / Professor
The Gamers: Dorkness Rising Signings
Thursday through Saturday 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.
Sunday 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.
Paizo Booth #2221
We hope to see you there!
(If you don't get the blog title, think Beatles. You're welcome for getting that song stuck in your head.)
Continuing the idea of the July 10 blog post, we thought we'd give you another sneak peak at the Pathfinder Society Player's Guide and touch on some of the 3.5 OGL base classes that might not mesh well with the "Freedom over tyranny!" theme prevalent in both the nation of Andoran and the Andoren faction of the Pathfinder Society. We also threw in a few other base classes just to give you an idea of possible themes for your Andoran-based character.
Andoren Pathfinders
Andorens are particularly suited to the life of a pathfinder. Natural explorers with the bravery to face ominous frontiers of mystery and danger, these sons and daughters of freedom are perfect candidates for membership in the world's most elite adventuring society.
Barbarians: The freedom fighter tradition is a long and gloried one in Andoran. Past freedom fighters prowled hard stony hills and dense forests, striking out against Chelish oppressors in brutal, guerilla assaults. Freedom fighter tactics are a point of honor among the old revolutionary families, and training in these warrior traditions have passed from father to son over many generations. Also found among the Andoren ranks are former gladiatorial slaves, refugees from less enlightened regions of Golarion. These peerless warriors embrace the dogma of freedom and Common Rule and lend their ferocious fighting skills to the defense of their new home.
Fighters: Andoran's military traditions are myriad. Before their independence, Andorens often served as the vanguard in the armies of Cheliax and Old Taldor. The finest naval captains and dragoons of Old Taldor's armada were also largely Andoren, and the tradition of excellence in combat on land and sea persists now that the nation's independence is won. Brave, intelligent, and tactically-minded warriors serve in Andoran's modern military, and the best among them eventually earn the mantle of the Eagle Knights. The threats against Andoran's fledgling democracy are very real, and only the best, most highly-trained military men and women can keep the armies of darkness at Andoran's borders at bay.
Rogues: There is a saying among Andoran's thieves: "You can't eat freedom." While liberty is the right of every citizen, Andoran was forged by the mercantile class and is fueled by gold and silver. In the teeming cities of Augustana, Carpenden, and Oregent, the unwashed masses are slaves to poverty instead of a dictator's lash. The burning desire for freedom instilled in all Andorens often manifests as a complete disregard for law and order resulting in outbreaks of larcenous behavior. A great number of the privateers in service of His Excellency are little more than pirates granted letters of marque to prey on the nation's many enemies and the host of slaver ships sailing the Inner Sea. Merchant consortiums and patriotic nobles maintain circles of spies to pry into the affairs of the nation's enemies as well as rival groups inside Andoran's borders.
Wizards: The musty tomes and old ways of wizardry are unpopular in Andoran, as the fledgling democracy is more concerned with the bright prospects of the future than they are the clouded secrets of the past. Wizards in Andoran are confined mostly to large cities, though some remote training academies exist in the wild frontiers where research into fel magics can be conducted without interference. Many Andoren wizards focus their studies on breaking enchantments and liberating the minds and souls of those oppressed by evil magic. Necromancy and any magic that enslaves others are widely frowned upon, and the open practice of either can earn one a prison sentence. Beyond these taboos, magical research is fairly unrestricted. While it may be unpopular, the right of citizenship gives every wizard the freedom to delve into any studies they wish so long as they do not harm others.
Good question! We're hearing this one and others like it on the Pathfinder Society messageboards, so we thought we'd use today's blog to give you a sneak peak at the Chelax section of the Pathfinder Society Player's Guide soon-to-be-released here on paizo.com. All of the base classes will be covered in the final Player's Guide. Below we've included just a few of the classes folks are having a hard time imagining as non-evil Chelish faction members.
Chelish Pathfinders
Since House Thrune rose to prominence, reclaiming the past glories of Cheliax and re-establishing their footholds across the world has been their primary goal. Chelish armies amass in the ruthless homeland, and their agents push far and wide seeking to expand the diabolic empire's influence. Chelish culture is widely popular, and their fashions show up in most nations across Avistan and Garund. House Thrune places a high priority on discovering the relics of the past and controlling the revelation and interpretation of historical finds. The noble houses of Cheliax encourage the populace and even their own scions to join the Pathfinder Society and seek treasures of ancient power to bolster the empire.
Barbarians: Cheliax is built on law and order. The empire runs smoothly with the help of its infernal allies, and they tolerate no disruption to the nation's workings. Barbarism does not thrive among the devil-bowing culture of Cheliax. Still, there are blood pits in Westcrown where men become beasts to the deafening roar of the crowd and the hot spray of an enemy's blood. Cheliax's most fierce battle-raging warriors are cultivated from slaves who earn a place in the military only after brutal escapades in the blood pits. Other conscripts in the army of Cheliax are drawn from captured Shoanti of Varisia who sometimes pledge their loyalty to House Thrune and join the Pathfinder Society in the empire's service.
Druids: Cheliax's colonial holdings of old inspired several orders of wardens dedicated to safeguarding the majesty of the natural world. When House Thrune seized control of the crumbling empire, they bent these earthly wonders to their own infernal uses and even today most of the empire's natural resources are ruthlessly hewn and sent to the new capital at Egorian for whatever sinister purposes House Thrune sees fit. A few of the druidic orders of old persisted, doing their best to stem the burning of the land, and convincing the noble houses to slow their voracious ravaging of the landscape, lest the resources run dry. The Black Wardens survived by dedicating themselves to Asmodeus dogma, claiming they grow the trees to stoke the fires of his dark glory. Other orders like the Sisters of Oak maintain their vigil over the landscape with no official ties to the Church of Asmodeus, but doing so sometimes creates friction between their order and the government of Egorian. Still as the country's natural resources wane, the government of Cheliax cannot afford to eradicate these druids, and are forced to form tenuous agreements with them in order to save their nation's landscape from utter destruction.
Monks: Monastic orders abound in Cheliax, most steeped in martial arts once trained in the smoldering depths of the Nine Hells. The coveted martial arts of devil kind are now practiced by the Chelish in secret sects and monasteries all over the empire. Several of these orders are attached to the Chelish legion, and in particular the martial art of Hamatulatsu, learned from barbed devils, is practiced by monks in military service. Other orders include the Sidaal Thram, an order of glaive wielding martial arts masters who wear long bears braided with barbs and blades, as well as the spiked chain wielding Order of the Razored Shackle, who wrap themselves in the kyton's chains and engage in horrifying self mutilation as part of their path to excellence.
Paladins: Paladins are a rare sight in Cheliax. Before House Thrune rose to power, the shining servants of Iomedae and her slain patron Aroden rode throughout Old Cheliax. Some are still there and do the best they can to serve her glory in a nation much overshadowed in darkness. They see it as their divine duty to bring the empire back to a path of temperance, or at least to balance the evils of their homeland. More than a few paladins of Aroden still believe their god will return someday to bring the nation back into the light. These paladins remain to herald his return, and hold on to the burning idea of Old Cheliax, a sprawling empire whose glory was a beacon in a dark and savage world.
Rather than spend a lot of time in today's blog wowing you with words, I thought we'd skip right to the brand new icons designed for the Pathfinder Society Organized Play factions by Paizo's own Art Director, Sarah Robinson. You may not know her name, but you certainly know her work, as she is the mastermind designer behind the layout for the Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes landing in your mailbox monthly. Sarah has put together five fantastic representations of the factions based on their national flags (soon to be debuted in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting hardcover.)
Once the Pathfinder Society website is running at full functionality, your faction choice will be represented as one of the above icons resting comfortably next to your name on the paizo.com messageboards. You'll be able to show off your faction choice with even more pride once we launch our line of faction-specific T-shirts in the very near future. Rumors that you get a small benefit at the game table when you wear your faction shirt to an official Pathfinder Society Organized Play event should be started immediately.
Frozen Fingers of Midnight: A Pathfinder Society Scenario Sneak Peek
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Last Saturday night, Craig Shackleton gathered together a number of Paizo Origins attendees in the lobby of the Drury Inn in Columbus, OH and ran us through the first ever installment of a Pathfinder Society Scenario. The aptly named Frozen Fingers of Midnight kept a bunch of us up way too late as we explored Absalom in service of the Pathfinder Society. Our mission was to find the cause of a freezing sickness that had infected a highly-regarded emissary from the Land of the Linnorm Kings.
Ever the bunch of roleplaying fanatics, we created a freak show menagerie of characters too weird to live and too rare to die:
Erik Mona was Ecritus, a pathfinder in service to the Cheliax faction and a Cleric of Asmodeus with a voice much like the Monarch from The Venture Bros. cartoon on Adult Swim. Barely able to tolerate his less intelligent brethren, Ecritus used every opportunity available to him to manipulate his fellow pathfinders into doing his bidding.
Michael (a representative from the company printing the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game beta) played Angelo, a pathfinder Paladin in service to the Andoran faction and completely unsure of the terrifying rabble the Pathfinder Society assigned him to in order to solve the mystery of the freezing sickness. A quiet, jovial sort, Angelo spent most of the scenario in the background, steering clear of Ecritus and Jason Bulmahn's character.
Jason played Dar-An'Sumat, an Osirion necromancer obsessed with sending the dead to their proper resting place in Pharasma's embrace. Ever the loyalist, Dar was also a member of the Osirion faction, and while trying to complete his faction's mission in the scenario, spent a great deal of time with his hooks, cotton cloth, and flensing knives sending the deceased foes of the party to the great beyond. Jason was decidedly creepy in this role.
Chris Self, Paizo's Sales Manager, played a sorcerer of the Cheliax faction named Blase. In any other group of pathfinders, Blase would be creepy and strange, but when put up against the creepy and strange Osirion and Blase's fellow Chelaxian, he was pretty tame. Chris played him dark and goth-like.
My own character was an Ulfen barbarian with an incredibly long and unpronounceable name in service to the Qadiran faction. He was a member of the Pathfinder Society because the society's goal of protecting and seeking knowledge matched his own. Cast out from the Land of the Linnorm Kings as a youth, he wandered the Inner Sea educating himself in the ways of more civilized peoples. I played him as a smart, well-spoken Dolph Lundgren-type who saw violence as a last resort and would blackout when flying into a rage. He was fun to play and very difficult to roleplay around some of his more violence-first-then-questions-asked adventuring companions.
Lastly, and certainly not least, was Nicolas Logue as the Ulfen cripple and albino rogue, Thalg Sickeyes. In Nick's own words from the Post Your Gen Con Character Concepts Here! thread on the Pathfinder Society messageboards, "His bloody birth ended his mother, thus he claimed his first life before he took his first breath. He was born with his left arm crippled. It remains palsied to this day. Thalg is an albino, with sickly yellowed pupils and stringly white hair." Click the link to the thread to read more about Nick's decidedly twisted take on an Ulfen rogue.
Our first foray into a Pathfinder Society scenario was a blast. Craig Shackleton has written a fantastic little adventure for Gen Con and I'm positive everyone who gets a shot at playing Frozen Fingers of Midnight will be impressed as well. Who knows, if you're lucky, you may even get Craig as your GM.
Stranger things have happened.
And now, pictures:
From left to right around the table: Jason, Erik, Nick (already in character), Craig, Chris, and Michael all prepare characters for Frozen Fingers of Midnight.
Craig draws a map.
Jason (in character) brandishes a knife as he talks of sending guards to the afterlife. Erik (in character) looks on disdainfully.
Ooooh, a sneak peak at one of the battles in Frozen Fingers. What could all those miniatures mean?
With Origins kicking off today, the clatter of dice is deafening. The roar of gaming swells in my heart. Thousands of like-minded gamers gather here in Columbus under one banner to draw steel, hurl eldritch might, call down the fury of the gods, and maybe pick a pocket or two.
And this is just the beginning. In only a few short weeks, Gen Con shall be upon us, as well as the inauguration of Season 0 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The torches of the Pathfinder Lodge Hall shall blaze to life and hundreds of heroes, scoundrels and vagabonds will gather to begin their epic adventures. Their legends may change the face of Golarion.
But first, they have to be born of your wild imaginations. Creating a character for Pathfinder Society is not much different from creating a PC for your regular home campaign, with a few minor alterations. Here's a quick preview of what you'll see in the Pathfinder Society's Player's Guide for Season 0:
Faction: Every Faction has its own unique history, culture, style and specialty. Each has their own modus operandi in the ongoing shadow war for control of Absalom, and each offers the Pathfinders in their service different boons. Choosing your Faction is as important as choosing your character class or race; it defines your character in the campaign, and ties your Pathfinder to one particular nation's destiny. Before you choose your Faction, peruse each carefully and pick the most exciting one. Once this choice is made, it cannot be changed until the end of Season 0 (after next year's Origins in June of 2009), so choose wisely.
Are you born and bred in Cheliax and a firm devotee to the cause of Asmodeus, or are you a former slave of the Chelish regime who escaped to Andoran and now you serve your adopted homeland in their struggle for freedom? You don't necessarily have to be from a nation to be a member of their faction (for example you may play an Ulfen barbarian from the Land of the Linnorm Kings in the service of Taldor's empire). The majority of loyal faction members are most likely patriots born and raised in their homeland with family ties and at least some sense of nationalism, but anything is possible.
Race and Class: All of the core races and classes in the PHB are available in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Yes, even gnomes.
Abilities: In Pathfinder Society Organized Play, all characters are created equal. No dice are used to generate your Pathfinder. Instead, every character's ability scores are generated using a point-buy system similar to the one featured in the Pathfinder RPG Alpha Release. You shall tailor your PC's abilities to best suit your vision of who they are, and to best fulfill your favorite tactical combinations.
Skills: All of the skills in the PHB are available to your character—even the Craft and Profession skills.
Feats: All of the Feats in the PHB are available to your PC with one notable exception: Item creation does not exist in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, therefore the item creation feats are not available. In place of Scribe Scroll at first level, wizard PCs may choose Spell Focus instead.
In addition to the feats in the PHB, characters in Pathfinder Society Organized Play also have access to special Faction Feats that further tie them to their nation of choice and offer them unique abilities catering to the flavor of these diverse cultures.
Alignment: You cannot play an evil character in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 gp. All good and neutral alignments are allowed though (EXCEPT NEUTRAL EVIL... nice try, buddy).
Character Background, Physical Features, and Beliefs: Above we've crafted the mechanical skeleton of your character. Now it's time to flesh them out. Let's give your character some personality and some fun quirks to roleplay. Make them a real person with motivations, distinctive physical and emotional traits, and a unique and interesting personal history.
Items and Equipment: After completing all of the above, your Pathfinder is alive! He or she is a whole person dedicated to a faction hailing from a distinct racial background, with a chosen class, abilities, skills, and feats, not to mention a rich character background, distinctive physical traits and personal beliefs. The only thing missing is their clothes. That's right. Your character is naked right now! They are also completely unarmed and have no food.
Every character in Pathfinder Society Organized Play begins the campaign with 150 gp of spending cash. All the armor, weapons and equipment in Chapter Seven of the PHB are available for purchase as well as a bevy of items and special weapons from the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting hardcover. (Sorry, folks, no firearms for now.)
Is your appetite suitably whetted? Have any character ideas yet? If so, drop by the messageboards and tell us all about your Pathfinder. No, really, tell us about your character! I, for one, can't wait to meet them. See you at Gen Con. You bring the dice, I'll bring the Mountain Dew.
Exploring Paizo's Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part 5
Thursday, June 19, 2008
We know that a pathfinder's loyalties are often split between the Society and the nation that birthed them. We ask only that you endeavor to keep your interests in discovery and exploration ahead of your country's interests.
—Venture Captain Alissa Moldreserva
In Part 1, we unveiled our first faction, Andoran, and spoke a little about the faction system we'll use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. In Part 2, we announced our second faction, Cheliax, and we talked briefly about faction prestige, how it's earned, and what it means for the world of Golarion as well as what it means for you as a member of the Pathfinder Society. In Part 3, we revealed the third faction for Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Osirion, Land of the Pharaohs. In Part 4, we brought you the fourth faction: Qadira, desert frontier kingdom, gateway to the massive continent of Casmaron, and the westernmost satrap state of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh. For Part 5, we uncover the final faction: Taldor, Golarion's decadent, failing empire with its fingers still gripping hard on the shores of the Inner Sea.
TALDOR
Decadent Failing Empire
The sun of Taldor's empire has set. It is up to us to see it rise again in our time.
—Baron Jacquo Dalsine
Old Taldor once ruled the entire northern coast of the Inner Sea, from gold gilded Oppara to the wild frontier of Varisia. Now it's reduced to a quarter of its former glory. As Old Taldor's gaze turned ever inward, its vassals and conquered colonies slowly slipped away without a fight. Andoran and Cheliax broke off hundreds of years ago, and few in Taldor had either the desire or the motivation to go to war to stop it. Why bother dealing with petty trifles in the countryside when your own political destruction is taking place in the lime light of Taldorian high society?
It's easy to forget Taldor's former glory and dismiss the entire country as a band of narcissistic fools who spend more time preening their wigs than they do defending their borders or quelling the unrest roiling within their great cities. Little do most know that while the majority of Taldor's upper crust are more concerned with this season's fashions than the well being of their collapsing empire, a few of the world's most dangerous operatives are honed in the constant battleground of Oppara's feuds. Old enmities between ancient houses have engulfed the Gilded City in shadowy violence and assassinations for hundreds of years, and more than a fair share of skilled adventurers have come up surviving the feuds, either as hired muscle or scions of noble houses mixed up in these simmering cauldrons of bloodshed.
Taldorians are decadent bon vivants, favoring rich foods, ornate attire, and jeweled accoutrements for even the most minor of casual affairs. To a Taldorian, appearance is an expression of power, and a keen sense of fashion represents a keen mind. Their appreciation for the arts extends beyond fashion and painting, dabbling in sorcery, dueling, and the murky strategies of politics and war. A Taldorian mind, when raised to ire, is a dangerous thing, and the rest of the Inner Sea is about to receive a painful reminder of this timeless fact.
Goals: Get Back in the Game
Petty differences and ancient feuds have slowly ground Taldor down from a great polished stone to a whittled nub. The key to restoring the empire's sense of purpose lies in finding an enemy to galvanize Taldor's splintered factions, an endeavor worthy of rediscovering the nation's august past glory. Seizing the political reins of Absalom is the perfect medicine for the wasting disease deep in Taldor's bones.
Methodology: Wolf and Tiger
Our weakness must now be our strength: centuries of petty infighting have afforded us one weapon – surely there is no one who can claim as true a mastery of intrigue as we Taldorians!
—Baron Jacquo Dalsine
Taldor's strategy for seizing control of Absalom lies in turning its enemies against one another. Misdirection and psychological warfare are the orders of the day. Taldorian missions involve sparking old enmities between Qadira and Osirion, driving Cheliax and Andoran to rekindle their old war. "Sick the wolf on the tiger and the hunter's work is done" is an old Taldorian saying, and the mantra by which Taldor's agents create havoc around the Inner Sea.
Check back in a week to learn more about Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Don't forget to check the Pathfinder Society messageboards as well to learn about some awesome opportunities to help launch Paizo's organized play at this coming Gen Con!
Exploring Paizo's Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part 4
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The life of a Pathfinder is filled with constant peril, but this I can promise: you won't see the shining spires of Alkenstar cloistered in some stuffy academy or manning the walls of Absalom in a guardsman's helm.
—Venture Captain Alissa Moldreserva
In Part 1, we unveiled our first faction, Andoran, and spoke a little about the faction system we'll use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. In Part 2, we unveiled our second faction, Cheliax, and we talked briefly about faction prestige, how it's earned, and what it means for the world of Golarion as well as what it means for you as a member of the Pathfinder Society. In Part 3, we unveiled the third faction for Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Osirion, Land of the Pharaohs. For Part 4, we bring you the fourth faction: Qadira, desert frontier kingdom, gateway to the massive continent of Casmaron, and the westernmost satrap state of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh.
QADIRA
Desert Frontier Kingdom
Let them sit on their thrones and revel in their power. They still need spice for their meat, cloves for their breath, and incense for their barbaric stench. Let their taxes flow to our golden coffers as fast as we can collect them.
—Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri
The westernmost satrap of the Padishah of Kelesh, Qadira is a kingdom with the power of the sprawling Casmaron empire at its back. Qadira is Kelesh's doorway to Avistan, and is perhaps the single most valuable piece of real estate on Golarion. Rivers of spice and gold flow through its capital of Katheer, and Xerbystes II, the Satrap of Qadira, boasts correctly that his kingdom holds the wealth of any other three on the Inner Sea.
Qadira has long been a power to be reckoned with. Taldor has felt the bite of their scimitars and nearly lost their entire empire in the struggle. Osirion bowed before them for over three thousand years. The war drums of Katheer have been silent for an age, but they never stopped waging their wars. Gold is their weapon now, spices are their shield, and their incredible trading power is their armor.
Qadirans value wealth above all else and they seek to make their fortunes abroad. The wealth of Absalom, and more importantly the trading opportunities proffered by control of the great city, has long drawn the gaze of the satrap's most powerful merchant princes. Many Qadirans are ready to leave their deserts behind for the promise of lustrous Absalom gold.
Goals: No Life without Trade
The world is small and gets smaller everyday. The key to power is trade. Qadira couldn't care less who sits on the Grand Council of Absalom, so long as the Qadiran trade fleet dominates the harbor. Qadira plans to rule the Inner Sea's trade and then bleed their enemies' coffers dry. Collecting debts and supplying the demands of other nations' peoples is how Qadira plans to rule. If their kingdoms slave to send gold east, the satrapy remains contented.
Methodology: All that Glitters is Power
You can always pay someone to murder your enemies.
—Pasha Muhlia Al-Jakri
The Qadiran faction seeks trade and economic advantage above all else. They seek to break their enemies' monopolies and enforce their own. They offer wares and goods no one else can supply and destroy competition with a ruthlessness that put the devil-bowing Chelish to shame. Qadiran missions involve a greater plan, usually embarrassing or defaming an economic rival, or ruining the business of another nation's trade companies.
Check the blog again on Thursday when we reveal the final faction for Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
Exploring Paizo's Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part 3
Thursday, June 12, 2008
As for your life and limb I make no promises, young novice. Rest assured that you shall never succumb to boredom and your exploits will be sung and scripted for the common folk to marvel.
—Venture Captain Alissa Moldreserva
In Part 1, we unveiled our first faction, Andoran, and spoke a little about the faction system we'll use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. In Part 2, we unveiled our second faction, Cheliax, and we talked briefly about faction prestige, how it's earned, and what it means for the world of Golarion as well as what it means for you as a member of the Pathfinder Society. For Part 3, we unveil the third faction for Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Osirion, Land of the Pharaohs.
OSIRION
Land of the Pharaohs
We must find the strength of mountains buried in our past and bring it to bear on those fools who think we are nothing but dust in the wind.
—Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage
Osirion was once the most glorious empire of Golarion. Pharaohs ruled as gods on earth, their monuments towered over even Thassilon's mightiest, and their armies could churn a kingdom to mud and blot out the sun on wings of death.
Now, Osirion ages from millennia of foreign rule under the rulership of the youthful Ruby Prince Khemet III, who hearkens back to the ancient days of Osirion's glory. One year ago, Khemet opened the vast deserts of Osirion – long closed by the Keleshite overlords who held the nation as a satrapy of Qadira – to foreign exploration. Today the great treasures and arcane formulas of the living gods of ancient Osirion are unearthed for the entire world to see, and the ascendancy of the Land of Pharaohs is at hand.
Most Inner Sea nations view Osirion as a relic from a bygone age. In truth, Osirion is a slumbering giant that, when awakened, could wash away all fledgling challengers with the power of its traditions.
The Osirion are wise people who look deep into the past for answers to present troubles. Their sense of history gives them a unique perspective on the ebb and flow of power in the political landscape of the modern Inner Sea. Many folk of Osirion are of old Garundi blood, bronze—skinned, and gifted with the noble bearing of the ancient pharaohs. It would take a special brand of fool to ignore this semblance of power and dismiss the Osirion faction as less of a threat than any of the other four factions clamoring for control of Absalom.
Goals: Uncover the Power of the Past
In bygone ages, the pharaohs of Ancient Osirion created wonders beyond reason. They concocted potent arcane plagues to decimate their enemies and erected mighty monuments capable of entrapping the souls of deities. Let the other factions jockey for meager political fancy or table scraps like favorable economic sanctions. Osirion is interested in rediscovering the powerful artifacts of its heritage, and preventing their theft by aggressive powers such as Cheliax. Once these powers are returned to their rightful hands, no one shall dare breach Osirion's borders again.
Methodology: Hide Your Power, Lest the Enemy Seek to Take It from You
The grasping hands of petty thieves cannot take what they do not know you have.
—Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage
For centuries now, the other powers of the Inner Sea have regarded Osirion as an impotent nation of conquered people. Osirion wouldn't have it any other way. Since the Ruby Prince ascended the ancestral throne a few decades past, Osirion has been gathering its power and preparing to make a bid for supremacy on the Inner Sea. Most of the Osirion faction's missions involve quietly undermining the power of their enemies. Osirion agents in Absalom plant the seeds of dissolution with a whisper or a poisonous draught, never with a naked blade, and never with a witness. Just as most of the Great Emerald Sphinx is buried beneath the sands of Osirion's deserts, so is the nation's power carefully hidden in secret brotherhoods and spies loyal to the pharaonic throne. When Absalom sits firmly in Osirion's grasp, then Khemet III shall declare himself Pharaoh in the tradition of his ancestors and Osirion's Second Golden Age shall follow.
Check the blog again on Tuesday for more information on Pathfinder Society Organized Play!
Exploring Paizo's Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part 2
Thursday, June 5, 2008
No barfly at the local tavern who blusters on about his "adventures" shall ever know the heart-pounding rush of facing down the winds of Abendego on the prow of a pirate king's ship, or the majesty of the dawning sun cresting the Sphinx's brow at Sothis.
—Venture Captain Alissa Moldreserva
In Part 1, we unveiled our first faction, Andoran, and spoke a little about the factions system we'll use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. In this segment, we'll talk briefly about faction prestige, how it's earned, and what it means for the world of Golarion as well as what it means for you as a member of the Pathfinder Society.
Missions and Prestige
You gain faction prestige by succeeding in specific missions. In a single scenario there will be one to three missions dedicated to your specific faction, all tasks that if completed give your faction an advantage in Absalom's shadow war. You might need to make sure a crime lord dies, protect an innocent merchant, save a kidnapped child, hand off an important missive, foil an assassination, or steal an important communiqué. Whatever the mission, a positive outcome earns you and your faction anywhere from one to three points of Faction Prestige. Every Pathfinder Society Scenario offers the same potential amount of Faction Prestige to each faction. It's up to you to make sure your faction scores higher than its competitors.
As you advance in Faction Prestige your faction rewards your excellent service. At the same time, the factions with greater prestige gain power and their star rises in the ongoing storyline of the season. Every month a Pathfinder Missive (our monthly newsletter) will let everyone know which factions are increasing in dominance over the city of Absalom and which factions are being nudged ever closer to ignominy and ineffectualness. At the season's conclusion, the faction scoring the most Faction Prestige rules Absalom from behind the scenes, while its enemies gnash their teeth and their kingdoms suffer the consequences. Having a Pathfinder in the winning faction gains that character access to rewards you wouldn't otherwise be able to obtain. (More on rewards later.) Every season ends in June at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH. July is a "bridge" month between seasons during which the loosely connected storyline of the previous season comes to a close while foreshadowing the new season to come. Faction Prestige is reset in July, so that when the next season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play kicks off at Gen Con, every faction once again has the possibility to rule Absalom from the shadows.
And now a sneak peek at Cheliax, the Infernal Empire, and the second unveiled faction for Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
CHELIAX
Infernal Empire
Asmodeus himself smiles upon our endeavor and we shall not rest until the entire world trembles before Him.
—Paracountess Zarta Dralneen
When Aroden died, some say the soul of Cheliax perished with him. The once mighty empire tore itself apart, and only through the power of three noble Houses, each steeped in deviltry, was order restored. The empire runs on the backs of fiends now, a perfect machine of hellfire and blood, where morality surrenders to the needs of law and order. It's easy to curse Cheliax as a nation of devil-lovers, but few can argue with the results of their fiend-binding craft. House Thrune, the greatest of its diabolic noble families, has brought the empire under control once more. Cheliax rises like a dark star, as strong as ever, despite the recent losses of Galt and Andoran to rebellious forces.
Asmodeus proves as powerful a divine patron as Aroden ever did, shepherding his people toward glory and dominance of the Inner Sea. His plans reach eons into the future, and the minor setbacks of yesterday are all factored into the cost of doing a devil's business. The Chelish always plan for a long campaign, and never trifle over today's skirmishes. In the end all will burn in hellfire. It is only a matter of time and calculated conquest.
The pale-skinned Chelish believe themelves superior to all other peoples. Their compact with great devils gives them power beyond measure, and no other nation of the Inner Sea can compete with their summoners and warlocks when it comes to trafficking with dark forces. These devils require payment for their service, often offered up in the form of tender flesh and boiled blood. Slaves are an important resource of the Chelish as are artifacts of ancient power whose secrets are revealed to them by their timeless patrons. Even as Andoran revels in its newfound freedom, the tendrils of Cheliax's empire continue to expand. Arcadia lays open before them and Sargava is ready to fall under their hellish sway. The Inner Sea will fall with the rest as soon as Absalom rests firmly in the bloodied hands of House Thrune.
Goals: Hell on Golarion
The Chelish plan to spread the dark influence of Asmodeus across the face of Golarion. They bring order to chaos, quell the troublesome concepts of freedom and self-determination, and leave broken souls eager to accept the bondage of slavery in their wake. The world must come to terms with the order of things. Mortals serve at the knee of greater powers. The devils of the Nine Hells are Golarion's natural overlords and if the rabble gathered along the coast of the Inner Sea can't be made to understand this simple fact, then they will be purged in a torrent of fire.
Methodology: The Kiss and the Lash
A true corrupter can convince a man to hand over his soul, a blissful smile on his face.
—Paracountess Zarta Dralneen
The Chelish are masters of seduction as well as pain. They bring their enemies to heel with promises of aid, riches, and glory, but keep them in line with cruel lashes and hellfire. The Chelish faction wins others to its dark cause with temptation. Lust, power, riches, vanity, the Chelish offer all, and cater to the sinful nature in every man to bring him low. If a foe cannot be seduced, he must instead be scourged. Many missions of the Chelish faction involve tempting upright people into darkness and vice, and then threatening to expose their sins unless they aid the empire as dutiful agents. The tricks of devils have claimed men's souls since time immemorial and they serve the Chelish well in their quest for control of Absalom.
Check the blog again on Thursday for more information on Pathfinder Society Organized Play!
Exploring Paizo's Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part 1
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Your life may very well be cut short, but your legend shall live forever. Strap on your blade, finish memorizing that spell and grab your pack. Your first journey awaits. The time to find your Path is at hand.
—Venture Captain Alissa Moldreserva
Pathfinder Society Organized Play centers on the sprawling city of Absalom, where five factions engage in a shadow war for control of the city's politics and economy. As you play, the outcome of your adventures, actions, and deeds affect events on a global scale, turning the tide of secret wars between some of Golarion's most powerful nations. The fate of the world is literally in your hands.
During the months of June, July, and August, Nicolas Logue and I will be writing a series of blog posts to peel back the curtain surrounding our plans for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Premiering at Gen Con this August, Pathfinder Society is Paizo's first foray into the world of RPG organized play.
One piece unique to our RPG organized play system is factions. Every faction has its own unique history, culture, style and specialty. Each has its own modus operandi in the ongoing struggle for control of Absalom, and each offers the Pathfinders in their service different boons. Choosing your faction is as important as choosing your character class or race. It helps define your character in the campaign and ties your Pathfinder to one particular nation's destiny.
And now, a sneak peek at Andoran, birthplace of freedom, and the first unveiled faction for Pathfinder Society Organized Play.
ANDORAN
Birthplace of Freedom, Fledgling Democracy of the Inner Sea
The days of kings are long gone. We are the future of humanity, and of all peoples. Ruled by no crown or scepter, we instead rule ourselves.
—Captain Colson Mardris, Eagle Knight of Andoran
From humble beginnings as loggers and merchants, the Andorens proved themselves survivors on a hard frontier. Even before they won their independence they were an impressive people. Brave explorers and canny merchants, they were the first to sail the sea beyond the Arch of Aroden. They settled distant colonies, hewing a life from wild lands and an inhospitable coastline fraught with peril. The power of Old Taldor's navy rested on the shoulders of capable Andoren commanders whose skill at arms, fiery tenacity, and naval puissance was unrivaled in the empire's glory day.
Andoran shrugged off the auspices of Old Taldor when Qadira invaded the empire. Shortly thereafter they shattered Cheliax's diabolic chains. Now Andoran holds the reins of its own destiny in the strong hands of its people. They are the first government of the Inner Sea to entrust its power to its own citizens instead of dolloping it upon the crowned brow of a king. Their weapons are innovation, a stubborn dedication to idealism, and a firm belief in the potential of humanity. The Andorens are a hard people, dedicated to freedom for all, and unable to sit by and watch as the world around them submits to savagery and tyranny.
Goals: Common Rule for All
Andoran would see the tyrannic empires who once ruled them brought down. They would see slavery abolished and those who would buy and sell people punished in the extreme. They would bring the torch of freedom to the world's darkest places and banish mysticism, diabolism, and fear. Common Rule must be spread across each horizon.
Methodology: Light the Fires of Freedom
Our greatest weapon is the tyranny of our enemies.
—Captain Colson Maldris, Eagle Knight of Andoran
The Andoran faction attacks its enemies from within. They find dissidents, freedom fighters, and revolutionaries among the populations of their foes and offer them covert aid, equipment, intelligence and the funds they need to topple the tyrants. Missions assigned to Andoran faction members tend toward helping dissident groups within the other factions, though anything that shakes these tyrants' power is a worthy cause for an Andoren to lend himself to.
Paizo Publishing today unveiled the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, a tabletop fantasy roleplaying game that will serve as the anchor for the company's popular line of Pathfinder adventures, sourcebooks, and campaigns. Today marks the beginning of a year-long Open Playtest of the new rules, which are based upon the popular 3.5 rules available under the Open Game License. The Pathfinder RPG is designed with backward compatibility as one of its primary goals, so players will continue to enjoy their lifelong fantasy gaming hobby without invalidating their entire game library. The first Pathfinder RPG Alpha release is available now as a free 65-page PDF download at paizo.com/pathfinderRPG. Until the finished Pathfinder RPG's release as a hardcover rulebook in August 2009, all of Paizo's popular Pathfinder-brand products will continue under the current 3.5 rules set.
"I'm really excited to work with the playtesters to make this the best game possible," said Jason Bulmahn, Paizo's Lead Designer. "In the spirit of the Open Game movement, the Pathfinder RPG is really your roleplaying game. It's a huge thrill to get to lead the design process."
Paizo will issue additional Pathfinder RPG Alpha releases in the coming months, covering new changes and additions to the 3.5 rules. Gamers can download, read, and participate in the free open playtest by setting up a paizo.com account and joining the discussion with Paizo's design staff at paizo.com/pathfinderRPG. The Pathfinder RPG will be backward-compatible with the 3.5 rules, and the staff has kept this goal as a primary focus since design began in 2007.
This coming August, Paizo will release a massive, full-color, softcover Pathfinder RPG Beta release for $24.99. This book will be available on paizo.com, at Gen Con, as well as through hobby distribution at local game stores. Just like the Alpha releases, the Beta release will be available as a free PDF download on paizo.com. As Wizards of the Coast's core 3.5 rulebooks are expected to go out of print with the release of 4th Edition, Paizo will use the Pathfinder RPG as a replacement for the 3.5 core rules. The Pathfinder RPG Beta release will represent Paizo's first published take on an updated 3.5 system, and playtesting will continue through spring 2009, when Paizo will incorporate the open playtest feedback and create a hardcover Pathfinder RPG for release in the hobby trade, bookstores, and paizo.com in August 2009.
Paizo hopes to support 4th Edition with fan-created online conversions of its Pathfinder products and a complete line from its partner company, Necromancer Games, a trend-setter in the original Open Gaming movement. Necromancer has already announced a new 4th Edition version of their award-winning Tome of Horrors monster encyclopedia, and has plans for additional player and GM support products.
Today, Paizo also announced the hiring of Nicolas Logue to run the Pathfinder Society organized play campaign, a massive mega-campaign to launch at this year's Gen Con. The Pathfinder Society will feature events at major conventions, retail stores, and home play as a way to involve thousands of players in a constantly evolving campaign environment fueled by downloadable scenarios released by Paizo. Nicolas Logue is a long-time Paizo contributor to the print versions of Dragon and Dungeon as well as the Pathfinder Adventure Paths and Pathfinder Modules line. He also co-runs an annual competition at Gen Con called Iron DM that will continue to be co-run by Nicolas Logue and his Iron DM compatriots. Nick begins working at Paizo in April.
"Nicolas Logue is one of the most energetic, personable gamers I have ever met," said Erik Mona, Paizo's Publisher and the co-founder during his tenure at Wizards of the Coast of Living Greyhawk, the largest organized play RPG campaign in history. "Running a successful organized play campaign involves a magical combination of cool ideas, organizational skills, and enthusiasm. Nick is absolutely the perfect man for the job, and I'm thrilled that he will be joining us here at Paizo."
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