Monasteries, Monuments, and Mysteries

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Illustration by Tadas Sidluahskas

Gen Con lands a little earlier each year, and while that ambitious publication schedule means there's tons of new material that arrives in early August, it means nearly two months before the next scenarios arrive in late September. The long wait is nearly over! The team's been working on a variety of Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild scenarios that highlight northwestern Avistan in dramatically different ways. Let's hear from the developers who worked on each one.

Linda Zayas-Palmer (Organized Play Developer): What better way to celebrate the approach of Halloween than with some spooky scenarios? This month, we're kicking off a new Tier 3-7 two-part series with Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-05: Mysteries Under Moonlight Part 1: Testament of Souls, by Alex Augunas. The city of Magnimar is well known for its monuments and the blessings they provide to those who perform the proper rituals before them. Now, however, several of the monuments have been corrupted by necromantic energy from an unknown source. Out-of-control flames and the eerie moans of lost spirits haunt Magnimar's people. Magnimar's Lord-Mayor Grobaras has hired an investigator—illustrated below by Tadas Sidluahskas—but with the situation worsening rapidly, the Varisian Council has asked the Pathfinder Society to step in and put an end to the corruption. If the PCs succeed here, they'll receive a unique blessing that they can use to be particularly awesome in Mysteries Under Moonlight, Part 2!

Illustration by Dion Harris

Michael Sayre (Organized Play Developer): I'm really excited to talk about this month's Tier 7-11 adventure Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-04: Reaver's Roar from Steven Hammond. Reaver's Roar takes the PCs to the town of Roslar's Coffer in Lastwall, where local legend has it a magical helm blessed by Sarenrae lies in the heart of an ancient temple known as the Bastion of Light, guarded by a fearsome beast. Will the PCs survive the Reaver of Roslar's Coffer, or will someone beat them to the prize? And who exactly is this individual illustrated by Dion Harris, and what does he have to do with the mysteries hidden within the Bastion?

John Compton (Organized Play Lead Developer): Normally we'd have just two Pathfinder Society scenarios per month, but with the ongoing Pathfinder Playtest, we wanted to ensure that there would be plenty of playtest material. This month we release the fourth and final Pathfinder Playtest scenario: The Frozen Oath, a Tier 10 adventure written by Ron Lundeen. The Pathfinder Society's increasingly reached out to freelance explorers to map areas, survey regions, and perform other long-term studies. Although goblins aren't renowned for their scholarly rigor, an increasing number of them have sought out work with the Society. A group of Frostfur goblins recently set out into the chilly Crown of the World, and only one has returned, carrying a stone tablet that suggests the group found a large monument tied to the legendary explorer Aganhei! With the summer solstice over, the PCs need to move swiftly to reach the site while the warm weather lasts.

Illustration by Tom Ventre

Unlike the previous three Pathfinder Playtest adventures, this scenario DOES NOT include pregenerated characters. As you schedule this scenario, it is important that you either include enough time for your players to build characters or have them create characters ahead of time.

Speaking of pregenerated characters, the team's been continually revising the pregenerated character format with the help of our senior graphic designer Emily Crowell. She's created several different styles that prioritize different features, such as grouping similar information together, presenting an overview of a character's abilities on the front page, using a vertical or landscape format, and more. Our aim's to get the pregenerated character survey done soon, including some of these pregenerated character formats as visuals to get your feedback on the current formats, the changes we've explored, and what else you'd like to see.

In the meantime, be sure you're continuing to playtest Pathfinder's second edition and provide us your feedback through the surveys.

John Compton, Michael Sayre, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
Organized Play Developers