The GameMastery Countdown Begins!

Friday, April 30, 2009

In just about a month (give or take a week or so), the thousands of pages we set free into the wild promise to return to us in shiny blue binding as the complete GameMastery Guide. In the weeks leading up to the GMG's release we'll be previewing some of that tome's coolest and most innovative aspects right here on the blog. What to kick things off with ended up being a real tricky decision, though. So rather than focus on any one element, I've gone through the book and snipped a handful of shots to give you an idea of what to expect merely from the text of this behemoth. Look closely and you'll likely notice that some snippets tease more than just a chart here or a new rules concept there. Also, since—aside from Christopher Burdett's thematically relevant compass rose—I've gone totally art-light here, tune in next week for a look at some of the GameMastery Guide's incredible illustrations, including its official mascot!

		Illustration by Christopher Burdett

F. Wesley Schneider
Managing Editor

Zirnakaynin Toolkit

Thursday, April 29, 2010

As you may have seen in recent blogs, I like miniatures and props when running a game. As my office is on the ground floor of the Paizo office and my Exiles of Zirnakaynin game is held in our large conference room upstairs, I have to carry this stuff upstairs for every game, and down again afterward. An interest in efficiency and expediency has resulted in me building a set of compartmentalized, easy to carry "units" of game materials. From back to front, the picture shows:

• A cardboard box containing five large cavern terrain pieces created out of extruded polystyrene foam (painted brown, drybrushed light brown to show details, with patches painted green and glow-in-the-dark to represent phosphorescent fungi).
• A craft kit containing cheap plastic minis, wooden tokens representing camping gear and building furnishings, various tokens from Litko Aerosystems, colored magnetic bases for miniatures, cheap plastic animals and bugs for summons, and miscellaneous map scenery like cages, barrels, and skull piles.
• A large plastic storage bin holding my Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, Bestiary, five foam miniatures trays (containing the PC minis, various NPC minis, monster minis, and common summonable creature minis such as elementals), two GameMastery Flip-Mats, a Pathfinder RPG GM Screen with binder clips to hold stat block pages, dry-erase markers, pens, and more Litko Aerosystems tokens, topped with four smaller foam terrain pieces (the ovoid brownie-looking things) and five larger dinosaur toys for summon monster spells.

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

Template Cover Unveiled!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Illustration by Kieran Yanner

En garde!

James L. Sutter
Editor

What a Twist!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Things continue to be very hectic around here as we ride the wave of the convention season tsunami. So much so that a few stealthy projects have slipped through the cracks here on the blog. For example, Plot Twist Cards. So here's a brief gallery of just a few of the deck's dozens of awesome illustrations, all from the delightfully demented brush of illustrator Matt Dixon. Enjoy!

Illustrations by Matt Dixion

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Behold the Walrus!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Photography by Chris Carey

We've known since the beginning that The Walrus & the Warwolf was going to be a big book. Its immense, cyclopean girth is the main reason it languished out of print for years, before Erik boldly stepped up and announced that Planet Stories would accept the challenge. But having just seen the first-bound proofing copies from the printer, it's finally hitting home just what a monster we've created.

This sucker is big. Here you can see it stacked up against all the Planet Stories books we've published so far in the extra-tall trade paperback format. Prepare for the rest of your paperbacks to quail in fear before the mighty Walrus! What's even better, not only does this book offer the best pound-per-dollar value of any Planet Stories yet (and provide a handy implement for squashing spiders or helping you reach the top shelf)—it's also really good! Why pack multiple novels in your carry-on when, at a whopping 464 pages, this book should be enough to keep you going through an entire vacation? (Maybe even an entire summer vacation, depending on your reading speed.) And as China Miéville points out in his excellent introduction, Hugh Cook doesn't believe in giving you any down time, either. This isn't just 464 pages of fantasy—it's 464 pages of pirates, monsters, wizards, battles, pirates, sex, pirates, misunderstood robots from an ancient high-tech past, and really excellent monsters! Also pirates!

As protagonist Drake Douay himself might ask—what's not to love?

James L. Sutter
Editor

Things I Learned Running a High-Level Drow Game

Friday, April 23, 2010

Wednesday night we finished session #3 of Exiles of Zirnakaynin, my high-level, all-evil, all-drow-noble campaign. This session started with getting James Jacobs and Rob McCreary caught up to the rest of the group, as they missed session #2 due to bad cases of the sicky sickies. Once sisters Alivorah (James) and Ylvirixna (Rob) reached the pleasure-haven drow city of Far Parathra, they were attacked by mysterious creatures that crawled out of the angles formed by the walls and floors of their hotel rooms. Similar creatures attacked the rest of the PCs at the end of session #2, and most of Wednesday's game involved six individual, simultaneous battles against these creatures, as all the PCs had split up for the night.

Things I learned in last night's session include:

• Even a creature of the Mythos can succumb to a baleful polymorph if you try enough times (ook ook!).
• Remembering you have Combat Casting can be the difference between successfully casting a ground-zero flame strike and eye-rolling failure.
• 14th-level fighters and inquisitors can deal a horrendous amount of damage in one round.
• Fast zombies make fine litter-bearers but poor obstacles against CR 9 opponents.
• Letting a demon possess a PC sometimes means the PC goes crazy and destroys her sister's undead lackeys.

All photos copyright Joshua Frost Photography © 2010

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

City of Strangers

Thursday, April 22, 2010

It is still coming.

	Illustration by Alberto Dal Lago

...Man, it's so tempting to leave the blog post at that, but I've got to stop with these one-line blog posts. They're too addictive!

Suffice to say, then, that City of Strangers, the new Pathfinder Chronicles guide to Varisia's outlaw city of Kaer Maga, has shipped to the printer. What you may not know is that this book has been in the works, in one form or another, for more than two years at this point. What started out as a few-page setting for Seven Swords of Sin grew into one of the first Pathfinder's Journals in Pathfinder Adventure Path #3: "The Hook Mountain Massacre." From there, with it clear to everyone around that I was in love with this city beyond any affection I'd felt for a game setting before (though a few have since come to rival it—*cough*solarsystem*cough*), it was decided that there should be a book... and not just any book. A setting that was at once a bizarre city filled with subterfuge and strange sights, but also containing a monumental dungeon that people could venture into again and again, with different tropes and themes to the various layers. Not a small order (especially considering Erik, James, and Jason had just finished writing the new Castle Greyhawk book, whose map turnovers were a million times cooler than anything I'd ever drawn). If it was going to be done, Erik decided, it had to be done right, and that meant it needed to take as long as it took. Rather than announce the project and a projected release date, we wouldn't so much as acknowledge the book publicly until it had been completely written.

And so, with nothing on the schedule, I officially unofficially began work on City of Strangers. Six months and a learning curve or two later, I turned over the completed manuscript, and the book was officially put on the schedule. If I may say so myself, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. All the gangs are there—the Sweettalkers, who sew their own lips shut, and the troll augurs, who read the future in their own entrails. The wormfolk and the Tallow Boys, the golem-crafting Ardocs and the mysterious Temple of the Child Goddess. All the districts are there, from the egalitarian Bottoms where freed slaves fight a shadow war of abolition, to the necromantic markets of Ankar-Te where zombies trail after their masters like faithful dogs. The Undercity is there, with levels like the Godsmouth Ossuary, the Dark Forest, the Forever Bore, the Still Place, and of course Xavorax, City of Silence, the city-beneath-the-city that houses the mysterious Caulborn. And despite all the words in this book, I'm perhaps most pleased with the maps—it's downright intimidating trying to design a city map of a Jacobsian or Schneiderian level of detail (especially when they're sitting 20 feet from you), yet Jared Blando did an unbelievable job of bringing both the city and the dungeons beneath it to life in a way that both mirrored and exceeded my imagination.

And now it's away to the printer, set to hit stores and subscribers this summer. I hope you enjoy visiting it as much as I have. It's been a long, strange journey...

James Sutter
Editor

Planes: Anything but Plain

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Having finished hacking away at the random encounter tables for the GameMastery Guide some time ago, I was recently set to work doing the same kind of thing for the Bestiary II. This time, however, instead of providing GMs with random encounters based on a plane's alignment, I got to make a separate table for each individual plane in the Great Beyond, Golarion's cosmos.

This is pretty exciting, because not only do these new tables utilize all the new monsters in the Bestiary II, but they also provide GMs with a plethora of inspiration, whether your PCs be traveling through the ever-shifting realm of the Maelstrom or ascending the soaring Great Spire in the Boneyard.

As if having stores of creatures to fill entire planes with isn't sweet enough, the GameMastery Guide includes an entire section dedicated to the planes, detailing the specific traits and characteristics of each plane, as well as the dangers that may await adventurers. As an example for what kind of cool details you can find in the GMG, below is art for Ymeri, the Queen of the Inferno.

Illustration by Christopher Burdett

At any rate, I've been staring at these books and their tables and creatures and stuff for weeks now, and I'm still excited about them; that means all y'all on the outside have no idea what kind of awesomeness you're in for.

Patrick Renie
Editorial Intern

Swamp Things!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

First up, an update from last Monday's post: We're all feeling much better around here. Physically at least. (The various stresses and psychoses of the editorial pit are more the topic of an encyclopedia set than a blog post... so moving right along.)

If you read Pathfinder Adventure Path's monthly Bestiary, you probably already know what a sucker I am for monsters, especially when we can double-dip, combining cool creature design with beasts from real-world folklore and mythology. Well, just a heads up, the Bestiary in Pathfinder Adventure Path #34 hits the swamp monster mother load! To spill the beans on the majority, we've got the ahuizotl, the river-dwelling eye-ripper of Central American; the leshy, the legendary green man of Slavic myth (which, as you can see by the art, I ended up taking a weird but open ended turn with that all you druid players might be particularly intrigued by); and, my personal fav, the nuckelavee of Orcadian legend—the second time I've developed this monster for a d20 game—who, thanks to artist Scott Purdy, looks INCREDIBLE!! I absolutely love bringing these monsters, with pedigrees as vaunted as classics like chimeras and goblins, to the game table, so expect a few more lethal legends by the end of the Kingmaker Adventure Path, and plenty more in the future.

Illustrations by Scott Purdy

And if you have any other obscure folklore or mythological monsters you'd love to see make their way into Pathfinder Adventure Path, don't hesitate to drop a suggestion in the thread for this post (along with a link so I can read more!).

F. Wesley Schneider
Managing Editor

Illustration by Jon Hodgson

The Unluckiest Owlbear: Part III

Monday, April 19, 2010

So it's been about a month, and you know what that means! Yup! Time to reveal Chapter Three of the saga of the Unluckiest Owlbear. I had mentioned previously how the poor owlbear was destined for greatness... and as it turns out, that greatness is that he's now the pride and joy of Owlbearton's central plaza! Gaze upon his magnificent glory, preserved for all time* for the idle entertainment of passing rubes and for the perching comfort of well-fed pigeons! What more could a proud magical beast of the woods primeval hope for?

James Jacobs
Creative Director

*At least, until next month, when the indignities continue.

Behold the Board!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Photography by Chris Carey

If you've been listening carefully in these blogs or the Tuesday Paizo chats, you may have heard us refer to "the Board" from time to time. The Board is the giant whiteboard where the entire editorial department records its priorities, status updates, deadlines, etc., and collectively attempts to slay the Gen Con dragon.

This is not that board.

Rest assured, you will see pictures of that board (complete with Wes's fabulous Product Dragon) when it's time, but from now through May that board will likely remain a secret—the place Wes goes when he needs a good cry, or the rest of us go when we decide a few minutes of elevated heart rate and panic-sweating would be good for us. (It's like the gym, but cheaper!)

This, on the other hand, is a picture of the board in the Editorial Cube. While the Editorial Pit often refers to the entire editorial department, the Editorial Cube is where the dedicated editors sit, having forgone walls in our effort to achieve a more perfect editorial hive mind. (Not that the developers don't edit, of course, but if somebody's likely to start a knife fight over semicolon usage, they probably sit in the Cube.) This board represents our recent attempt to increase organization. You can determine for yourself whether or not we've been effective. And of course, you can rest easy knowing that all future subscription products will be Verne Approved™.

James Sutter
Editor

Maro's Alchemy Tracking Sheet

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Alchemy Tracking Sheet

I'm playing an alchemist in Josh Frost's Tuesday night game. Though I've played many caster characters in my day, including some with item creation feats, the alchemist class is very reliant on consumable items—the mutagens, bombs, extracts, potions, and alchemical items it creates. Inspired by Crystal Frasier's use of our GameMastery Item Cards for her character's scrolls, I started to assemble a collection of potion and alchemical cards for my character, Maro. However, given the number of formulas he knows, plus three mutagens, bombs, and the many alchemical items already in the game (plus more to come with Adventurer's Armory later this month), I ended up with more than 20 cards, and given that on any round I might be using any of them, sorting through them wasn't as efficient as I'd like. So I built a one-page alchemist tracking sheet.

Using a combination of item card art, public domain art, things I drew myself, and some manipulation with a graphics program, I now have a sheet that shows Maro's three mutagens, his bombs, bottles for his known extracts, and bottles for 12 of the most common alchemical items he may make, buy, or carry. Now when he prepares a Dexterity mutagen (which he calls his "snake potion"), I draw one box by the green mutagen bottle, and mark it off when he drinks it. Each day, I draw a box by his bomb bottle for each of his daily uses and mark them off as he throws them. Boxes go by the alchemical items he has and are likewise marked off. The last section is extracts and potions, which serves a dual purpose as he can create an extract or potion from any formula he knows. If he makes a potion, I draw a box by it and write "P" in it so I remember it's a potion (usable by anyone in the party); if he makes an extract that day, I draw a box with an "E" in it so I know only he can use it.

This tracking sheet also makes it easy if the other PCs need to grab a potion while Maro is unconscious; presumably he's explained which potions are which or labeled them, and any ally trying to find a cure wounds potion on his unconscious body can immediately tell what to look for and if he has any available. It also prevents the ally from trying to drink his extracts (which don't work for anyone but him).

The tracking sheet I use actually has the names of Maro's mutagens ("bear potion," "gorilla potion," and "snake potion") and formulas (cure light wounds, disguise self, enlarge person, expeditious retreat, jump, shield, and true strike) on it. I thought as a generic tool for any alchemist the sheet is more useful without those names so you can customize the list for your alchemist (or potion-brewer) PC, so the version here has blank spaces in those areas. If you want to type your potion names onto the tracking sheet instead of writing them by hand, the font I used is "The Alchemist" by S. John Ross's Cumberland Fontworks (see page 2 of that link). He has some really cool fonts on his site (and some other gaming stuff). The fonts are free for noncommercial use, and he gave permission for Paizo to use the font in this blog post. Thanks, S.J.R.!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

Oh Yeah!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

	Illustration by Alex Aparin

Harsk learns the perils of not bringing a large enough kettle to the triceratops tea party on the cover to Sargava, the Lost Colony.

James Sutter
Editor

My First PaizoCon

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

I have a confession to make—it's been 7 years since my last convention. But that dark time in the desert will soon come to an end, because in just two months, I'll be going to PaizoCon!

I'm really looking forward to meeting some of the writers and artists whose work I've been breathing in for the last few months, such as Wayne Reynolds (whose owlbear guards the entrance to the editorial pit), Wolfgang Baur, and Greg Vaughan.

I'm also totally excited to meet our fans, the people I ultimately work for—both because gamers are a fun bunch, and also because the better I know how you all think and talk about Pathfinder, the better I'm able to ensure that our content, and particularly its language, will make sense and appeal to you. (Side note: did you know that gamer English has been held up as an example of language evolution? It's true! The phrase "to sleep someone" got a shout-out in Pinker's The Language Instinct.)

I'm determined to get in on at least one or two games, too (remember, there are just two more days to post event submissions!). On that note, I'm off to browse the event listings. I could swear I saw a reference to the Arkham Boy Scouts in there somewhere...

Judy Bauer
Editor

It's Alive! And It's in My Head!!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Words aren't supposed to float like this, bobbing in this slow, mildly nauseating way before my watering eyes. This sucks. And if you were at Norwescon this past weekend, I blame you. Con crud: it happens every time we go to a convention—and this time I didn't even go!

My office quarantine makes me but one gross cog in a large, messily predictable, sick-machine. Every 3 minutes Jason, through the wall to my left, coughs twice. Every 1 minute and 20 seconds, to my right, James "Harumpghs"—as Jacobses do. Every 25 seconds I sniff, punctuated by nose blowings after every 15, and with cycle-marking sneezes after every 30 blows. It's not pretty. I especially don't envy Chris, Judy, Rob, and Sutter outside our doors listening to this sickly symphony. Although, if anyone forgot their watches today, they can measure the time by the rising tissue tide.

Now that I've set the gross factor for your week, how does this pity party tie into Pathfinder and RPGs and everything you've come to expect from Paizo? Well, we're foolishly here at work aren't we? And never ones to let little things like our collectively decomposing bodies stop us from bringing new elements to your campaigns, please accept the following gaming grossness, along with an appropriately awesomely awful illustration from Jeff Carlisle (that unfortunately we didn't have room for in the GameMastery Guide, but I'm sure will find a home down the line). Now, back to trying to build a Skinsaw mask out of tissues and mucus...

Creeping Contamination (aka Creeping Crud or Con Crud)
Type disease, contact or inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 14
Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d2 Wis damage and target is fatigued. Any creature that comes within 5 feet of one infected with con crud must save or also become infected (whether or not this save is successful, the target is immune to the infected creature's con crud for 24 hours); Cure 2 consecutive saves

Illustration by Jeff Carlisle

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Rummy-Tug-Tugger Contest Results!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Illustration by Silvia Gonzalez

So! After taking a week to make the agonizing choice, Rob McCreary has selected the winner of the Rummy-Tug-Tugger illustration contest! The winning illustration was done by Silvia Gonzalez; we’ll be autographing a copy of the NPC Guide and sending it out to Silvia as thanks for the great illustration!

Illustration by Mikael Sebag	Illustration by Duane Lacher

Actually, there were a lot of great illustrations. We took time last week to sit in the editorial pit and look them all over, and Rob had a tough time making the final choice. And so he wanted to show a few honorable mentions as well; one by Mikael Sebag (who sent in a super-rotund and kind of cute version) and another by Duane Lacher (who sent in a much scarier version). Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest; it was great seeing what you all came up with. And that makes me wonder... would folks like to see us do more art contests like this? Let us know in the comments to this post!

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Run an Event at Paizo Con 2010!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Are you attending PaizoCon 2010? (If not, tickets are still available!) If yes, have you visited this thread and volunteered 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 your fellow 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 2010.

We're only taking event submissions until April 15, 2010 (a week from tomorrow). So visit the thread, tell Lilith and Timitius what you want to run (and follow their format) and we'll see you at PaizoCon this coming June!

Joshua J. Frost
Events Manager

Illustration by Scott Purdy

Kaer Maga

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

It is coming.

James Sutter
Editor

Norwescon 33 Quick Recap...

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

This past weekend was Norwescon 33, a fantasy/SF convention near Seattle, Washington. In recent years it's started to pick up some RPG momentum (thanks to the tireless efforts of Tim Nightengale, founder of PaizoCon), and we had several Paizo staffers attend to talk about fiction and gaming (including a most awesome two-hour workshop about learning how to paint miniatures).

In addition to the many people dressed in steampunk, fantasy, BSG, and Star Wars costumes, there were seminars about writing, getting published, game design, world design, and being a better Game Master, plus Josh Frost and a gang of volunteers ran more than a dozen games for Pathfinder Society Organized Play!

Photo #1 is from a panel called "Ask the Gamemasters," featuring Sean K Reynolds (me!), Erik Mona, and Jason Bulmahn. Photo #2 is a pic by Tim of the "Underwater Ninja Tigers! (or A Friendly Discussion on Monster Design)" panel, with James Jacobs, Erik, Wolfgang Baur, and the illustrious panel-crasher Jonathan Tweet! Overall, it was a good show for us and gave us some ideas for neat stuff at PaizoCon this year!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

Epic Format

Monday, April 5, 2010

Mockup Cover

I'm never too sure what to write when these blog entries sporadically fall to me. While I am only here three days a week (as opposed to the eight or so put in by the management) and not exactly the authority on "what's new at Paizo," I can tell you "what's new with Patrick in relation to Paizo and its products."

I've been formatting lots of things, mostly Word documents for the Advanced Player's Guide. This entails going through material sent in by authors, selecting chunks of text, then applying a style to said chunk. Lather, rinse, repeat. While the process may sound mind-numbing, I actually find this activity somewhat calming, peaceful—Zen-like, as it were. It's a nice break from the epic Russian literature I'm reading in one of my English classes, which takes my brain, shatters it into fine granules, and demands that I pick up the mess it's made.

Anyway. Said brutal English classes have unfortunately taken me away from my beloved Pathfinder campaign, in which the PCs are about to wrap up a huge plot arc, protecting the city from a demon-witch and the hordes of ungodly creatures she's summoned from the Abyss. I may also actually get to play in a game some time soon, which will be the first time in almost a year. Yippee!

At any rate, all the things in development here are looking super-awesome, as usual, so if you aren't looking forward to any particular Paizo product's release—well, you should be.

Patrick Renie
Editorial Intern

The NPC Guide: The Babies Are Back!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Cave raptors are sated and have finally released me from their grim, stony world—it's time to blog!

Back when I served as a lowly intern, a weary and overworked Sean K Reynolds offered me my very first Paizo gig. The encroaching Pathfinder Chronicles: NPC Guide would need dozens of generic stat blocks if GMs were to treasure it above even their own families. A not-insignificant portion of my sanity died off as I stared into the abyss of an estimated twelve billion 1st- to 5th-level nonplayer characters, but ultimately the turnover made its way back to Sean and his shiny, shiny knife.

In any creative industry, there's a phrase that goes something like, "Your babies will get cut first." Meaning that in any creative project, your favorite elements or that extra something special you really loved creating will probably end up on the cutting room floor. The NPC Guide was no exception, and several of my favorite characters ended up cold and lifeless at Sean's feet. But now, through the miracle of the Internet, I have the power to bring them back!

So behold these glorious characters, free of charge! Behold the glory that is the Internet!

Er... I mean, check out these sweet NPCs, coming straight to you as a super-sized web enhancement for the NPC Guide. This first installment of five is only the beginning; we'll toss up more batches from time to time, so stay tuned.

ALKENSTAR: GUNMARSHAL CR 3
Hero or villain, the Gunmarshal stands as a proud icon of Alkenstar's victory over the chaotic Mana Wastes. Even gunslinging rogues and bandits are influenced by honor and tradition afforded by that pride.

Spoiler:

XP 800
Dwarf fighter 4
N Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex) (+4 dodge vs. giants)
hp 22 (4d10)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities; +1 vs. fear
Defensive Abilities bravery +1
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee short sword +5 (1d6+1/19–20)
Ranged revolver +8 (1d6) or Rapid Shot +6/+6 (1d6)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 18 (22 vs. bull rush or trip)
Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Gunslinger (see below), Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (revolver)
Skills Acrobatics +5, Craft (guns) +9, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (engineering) +7, Perception +6 (+8 unusual stonework), Survival +8
Languages Common, Dwarven, Kelish, Osiriani
SQ armor training +1, stonecunning
Gear studded leather, revolver, short sword, gun cleaning kit, cigars (3), smokestick, tindertwigs (3)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Gunslinger (Ex) This character does not provoke attacks of opportunity when attacking with firearms. See page 59 of the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting.

BELKZEN: THUNDERING CHOIR MUSICIAN CR 1
Though feared for their swords and the mad gleam in their eyes, the one memory that forever haunts those who've warred against the orcs are the drums. Carried for miles across hills and rocky plains, the ominous drumbeats of orc thundering choir musicians weigh on the minds of men like the heartbeats of tireless predators, never stopping, never slowing. The thundering choir musicians are fierce warriors, but the rhythm of their drumbeats and chants is their foulest weapon, whipping other orcs into murderous frenzies and inspiring terror in the hearts of even the bravest men.

Spoiler:

XP 400
Orc bard 2
CE Medium humanoid (orc)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception –2
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1
Weaknesses light sensitivity
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee longsword +4 (1d8+3/19–20)
Ranged masterwork sling +2 (1d4+3)
Special Attacks bardic performance (13 rounds/day, standard action), countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +1
Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +3)
1st (3/day)—cause fear (DC 12), cure light wounds, remove fear
0 (at will)—dancing lights, daze (DC 11), message, resistance, summon instrument
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 6, Cha 13
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Extra Performance
Skills Appraise +5, Craft (leather) +5, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility) +0, Perform (Percussion) +6
Languages Common, Orc
SQ bardic knowledge +1, versatile performance (percussion), well-versed
Combat Gear thunderstones (4); Other Gear studded leather, longsword, masterwork sling, bullets (20), lucky human foot, masterwork drums

DRUMA: KALISTRADE PROPHET CR 1
By achieving wealth, the Prophets of Kalistrade prove themselves more righteous than those around them. They travel to discover converts and new business opportunities, furthering their enlightenment. Part entrepreneur, part cultist, they open doors and pull strings for those they consider friends, or financially hinder their detractors.

Spoiler:

XP 400
Human expert 3
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor)
hp 10 (3d8–3)
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff +2 (1d6)
Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d8/19–20)
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12
Feats Persuasive, Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion]), Profits of Kalistrade (see below)
Skills Appraise +7, Bluff +1, Craft (jewelry) +6, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (local) +2, Knowledge (nobility) +3, Knowledge (religion) +5, Linguistics +5, Perform (Oratory) +0, Profession (merchant) +7, Ride +1, Sense Motive +8
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Kelish
Other Gear padded armor, light crossbow, quarterstaff, copy of The Prophecies of Kalistrade, mercenary contracts
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Feats The Kalistrade prophet has the Profits of Kalistrade feat, which grants him a "resource pool" of 300 gp, allowing him to obtain goods of this value even in settlements too small to have something that expensive. See page 73 of the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting.

FIVE KINGS MOUNTAINS: DWARVEN TRADITIONALIST CR 2
In the eyes of some dwarves, the civilizations of the surface world slowly erode dwarven culture and values, tearing away at their heritage like the rain wears away great stone monuments. Elves bear inefficient frippery, while humans buck the social order, and the less said about halflings and gnomes the better. These traditionalist, xenophobic members of dwarf society would love nothing more than complete isolation from other cultures, and perhaps even to return to the depths of the Darklands. While this usually amounts to little more than talk, the numbers of these radical conservatives swell on occasion into dangerous political groups and gangs.

Spoiler:

XP 600
Dwarf expert 2/warrior 2
LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 18 (+7 armor, –1 Dex, +2 shield) (+4 dodge vs. giants)
hp 30 (4 HD; 2d8+2d10+10)
Fort +5, Ref –1, Will +4; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee masterwork dwarven waraxe +5 (1d10+1/×3)
Ranged light hammer +2 (1d4+1)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 13 (17 vs. bull rush and trip)
Feats Alertness, Power Attack
Skills Craft (armor) +7, Knowledge (engineering) +3, Knowledge (history) +3, Perception +0 (+2 unusual stonework), Profession (blacksmith) +8, Sense Motive +5
Languages Common, Dwarven
Combat Gear caltrops (3), potion of bull's strength; Other Gear masterwork banded mail, masterwork heavy steel shield, masterwork dwarven waraxe, light hammer (2), genealogy books, masterwork artisan's tools

GEB: BLOOD LORD INITIATE CR 2
The practical seat of power within Geb rests with the Blood Lords. Administrators and necromancers both, any family of repute attempts to position their members within its ranks. The most fortunate embrace undeath, gaining immortality as vampires, ghouls, or other intelligent undead.

Spoiler:

XP 600
Ghoul necromancer 2
NE Medium undead
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 24 (4 HD; 2d8+2d6+8)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, undead traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +3 (1d6+1 plus disease and paralysis) and 2 claws +3 (1d6+1 plus paralysis)
Ranged ray of frost +4 (1d3)
Special Attacks channel negative energy (DC 15, 6/day), grave touch (1 round, 6/day), paralysis
Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +4)
1st—cause fear (DC 14), shield, reduce person (DC 14), ray of enfeeblement (DC 14)
0 (at will)—arcane mark, bleed (DC 13), detect magic, ray of frost, read magic
Prohibited Schools illusion, conjuration
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 15, Con —, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Command Undead, Improved Channel, Scribe Scroll, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +6, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Linguistics +9, Perception +5, Profession (politician) +6, Spellcraft +10, Stealth +7
Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Kelish, Osiriani, Vudrani
SQ arcane bond (amulet)
Combat Gear scroll of mage armor, wand of true strike (15 charges); Other Gear acolyte robes, government seal, spellbook

Crystal Frasier
Production Specialist

Developer's Diary: They Came From Beneath the Sea!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

As Wes mentioned a couple of weeks ago, our Open Design partnership project From Shore to Sea has had a few problems on its way through development and editing. But I'm happy to tell you that we are now in the final stages of getting this thing out the door and into your hands!

Senior Art Director Sarah Robinson found a great artist, Damien Mammoliti, to pick up where the last one left off, and once that art came in, she put everything together in record time. Finally, there are some faces to go with the names (some of them pretty creepy, but faces nonetheless!). Coupled with Andrew Hou's fantastic, action-packed chapter openers, this adventure is finally coming together. And once we had the art, editorial questions like what is the correct plural of octopus (octopi? octopuses? octopodes?) were easily resolved. Here's hoping that the ocean between here and China is safely free of giant cephalopods.

Illustration by Andrew Hou

For a final sneak peek at From Shore to Sea, take a look here at Valeros trying to save some hapless (and disturbingly fishy) villagers from more of those pesky giant tentacles. And be careful when you go swimming. You never know what might be lurking beneath the waves!

Rob McCreary
Assistant Editor