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!
What? Are you blind? It clearly states that Kyle Baird has been placed in charge of PFSOP and that Doug-Doug has been reduced to a 1-star GM for too many TPK. It's plain as day.
Today's blog is being pushed back due to some technical issues. Thanks for your patience everyone. I promise it'll be worth the wait when we can finally get it up.
Today's blog is being pushed back due to some technical issues. Thanks for your patience everyone. I promise it'll be worth the wait when we can finally get it up.
Did gen con volunteer emails overload your email server? that is the only acceptable explanation, unless you were attacked by flumphs
The call for volunteer GMs has gone out and registration for events through Gen Con are just around the corner!
event reg might have been right around the corner when you wrote the blog, but with over 75% of the event tickets already sold before the blog goes up.... I think this sentence was a bit out of date :)
The call for volunteer GMs has gone out and registration for events through Gen Con are just around the corner!
event reg might have been right around the corner when you wrote the blog, but with over 75% of the event tickets already sold before the blog goes up.... I think this sentence was a bit out of date :)
Get your facts straight! Only 73% of tickets have been sold*
I don't know about that. I mean, this tournament would provide an 'in' to that part of the world, which is pathfinder-less and a full of new and wondrous items and treasure.
You folks are in for a HUGE surprise when you find out what prize the Decemvirate has their eyes on. There's a whole world of possibilities that I'd wager aren't on anyone's radar.
You folks are in for a HUGE surprise when you find out what prize the Decemvirate has their eyes on. There's a whole world of possibilities that I'd wager aren't on anyone's radar.
You folks are in for a HUGE surprise when you find out what prize the Decemvirate has their eyes on. There's a whole world of possibilities that I'd wager aren't on anyone's radar.
Tier 3-7 -- AWESOME. I've been meaning to suggest this for a while - glad someone else thought of it.
The rest... honestly, only the most up to date, mad-dash to the bank PFS GMs seem to be fully up to date on the current season plot. To me (despite having played/run perhaps 7-8 of the current season), it's half gibberish, and half spoilers.
But yay for more interactive *effect* of the missions.
Dangit, Neil! You weren't supposed to tell anyone!
Unleash the Numerian Dragons!
Jason Roeder
Venture-Captain, Missouri—Columbia
aka kikai13
Mark Moreland wrote:
You folks are in for a HUGE surprise when you find out what prize the Decemvirate has their eyes on. There's a whole world of possibilities that I'd wager aren't on anyone's radar.
Wow, Mark. That's really mean. I'm so dense that I usually don't see overarching themes until they are looming over me.