New Quests and Ancient Perils

Monday, March 27, 2017

Around the Paizo office, we've been really busy getting the upcoming Starfinder Core Rulebook out the door and launching the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild campaign—but not so busy that we couldn't bring you two great new adventures for the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild.

Perhaps two isn't quite the right number, as Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-16: House of Harmonious Wisdom is not a quest but a series of five Tier 1-5 quests. Every quest pack is a new opportunity and a new challenge—an opportunity to work with lots of new authors, and a challenge to find just the right location on Golarion to present a new set of adventures. This series presented even more opportunities because this is the first time we've released a full series of quests mid-season, it's the first time we've presented a full series of quests at multiple subtiers, and it's also the first series of quests we've centered in Tian Xia. Fortunately, the authors Jason Owen, Black, Katherine Cross, Sarah Hood, and Christopher Rowe all did admirably, creating engaging characters and fun encounters that show off the conflict between the three nations that each claims to be the rightful heir of the fallen Lung Wa empire: Lingshen, Po Li, and Quain. In collaboration with the retired folk hero Mai Chun (pictured here), the PCs must visit each of the three Successor States in search of a famous Lung Wa relic—all while evading envious rivals (like the scholar pictured here) who seek the same prize.

Because these mid-season quests with multiple subtiers are an experiment in the season's structure, we're eager to hear back from you about whether this is a something we should repeat in the future, whether it was useful for your area, and how we can improve this format.

If you're in the market for higher-level threats, you're in luck! We're also releasing Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-17: Refugees of the Weary Sky, a spiritual sequel to the Heresy of Man trilogy (though you don't need to have played the earlier adventure to enjoy this one). In collaboration with its new allies on the elemental planes, the Pathfinder Society has identified an ancient ruin dating back to the Jistka Imperium. This same ruin is one of the last holdouts of the Imperium's elementalists during its disastrous conflict with Osirion, and the echoes of that powerful magic still pervade the site. Fortunately, helping get the PCs started (and illustrated for the first time) is Venture-Captain Obo, the Society's steadfast liaison in Rahadoum, assisted by the Sapphire Sage Amenopheus, who has taken a special interest in the refuge of Osirion's ancient enemy. Don't miss this desert adventure by Jeffery Swank!

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer