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.

Mark Moreland
Developer

Illustrations by Eric Belisle. Widescreen version here.

Rivals!

Friday, May 27th, 2011

It's Friday, and even though Hyrum's out at BookExpo America this week, he and Crystal still managed to set us all up with another awesome wallpaper—this time featuring some of the excellent art in the new Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Rival Guide. Now wasn't that thoughtful?

Enjoy the long weekend, and we'll see you all on Tuesday!

James Sutter
Fiction Editor

Illustration by Kekai Kotaki

Pathfinder Fiction News and Podcast!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

It's always a good day when we get to announce the next Pathfinder Tales novel, but today is especially important for me, as today I get to announce the November release of Death's Heretic, the new Pathfinder Tales novel by—well, me!

Death's Heretic is the story of Salim Ghadafar, a desert warrior forced against his will to work as an agent of Pharasma. When a powerful merchant in Thuvia is assassinated on the eve of receiving the sun orchid elixir, an elixir capable of reversing aging, few people are surprised—after all, immortality is a risky business. Yet when the merchant's soul goes missing from Pharasma's Boneyard and a mysterious note offers to ransom the man's spirit back to his family in exchange for the elixir, it's time for the church of the death goddess to step in and find out who would dare steal from the Lady of Graves herself. With his unique skill set, Salim should be perfectly suited to the mission. There's only one problem: The investigation is being financed by the murdered aristocrat's daughter. And she wants to go with him.

Illustration by Lucas Graciano

Along with his uninvited passenger, Salim must unravel a web of intrigue that will lead them far from the blistering sands of Thuvia on a grand tour of the Outer Planes, where devils and angels rub shoulders with fey lords and mechanical men, and nothing is as it seems...

This book has been a long time in coming, and I'm obviously pretty excited to finally be able to talk about it. Yet rather than ramble on the blog (there'll be time for that closer to the release date), I'd like to direct you over to the brand new, all-Pathfinder-Tales episode of the Atomic Array podcast! In addition to talking with me about Death's Heretic and the line as a whole, Ed and Rone also interview Pathfinder Tales authors Dave Gross, Robin D. Laws, and Howard Andrew Jones. It's nearly two-hours of hard-hitting fiction questions and anecdotes regarding Pathfinder Tales, so check it out, and feel free to ask your own questions in the comments thread below!

Last but not least, we've also unveiled the final cover art for Master of Devils and Death's Heretic, painted by Lucas Graciano and Kekai Kotaki, respectively. That's all from the Pathfinder Tales front for now, but stay tuned next week for the beginning of an all-new story from Robin D. Laws as part of our free weekly web fiction!

James Sutter
Fiction Editor

The Web Fiction Cometh!

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Illustration by Daren Bader

Here at the Paizo headquarters, we know that our community is made up of busy folks. (After all, we're insanely busy, and we work at a company that makes books about goblins.) We know that the average person surfing our website probably has half a dozen tabs open, is following a dozen different messageboard conversations, is scrolling through his or her email—all while trying to look productive in case the boss walks by.

Which is why we're switching things up to save you one extra mouse-click per week! Yes! Starting next week, we're going to begin serializing the weekly web fiction as part of the Paizo blog, making it that much easier for you (or your RSS reader) to catch each installment. You'll still be able to find both the latest episode and the whole archive of free web fiction stories collected under the "web fiction" tab at the top of this page, but now it'll pop up here as well.

But that begins next week, with Robin Laws's "The Ironroot Deception." This week, we've got a different Robin-related treat: a sample chapter from his newly released Pathfinder Tales novel The Worldwound Gambit. Click here to get a first look at veteran con man Gad as he attempts to put together the perfect team of thieves and scoundrels for a job in the demon-infested Worldwound—folks like an obsessive and socially oblivious halfling lockbreaker, or a demon-hunting bard-turned-junkie. And of course, as this chapter reveals, no con would be complete without some heavy artillery in the form of an insane, pyromaniac spellcaster...

James Sutter
Fiction Editor

Ultimate Cantrips

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Illustration by Craig J Spearing

It didn't take long for many of you to notice that there were no 0-level spells in Ultimate Magic. We made finding this omission easy when we inadvertently left some 0-level spell names in the section containing sample spellbooks. While future printings of the book will fix this problem by deleting the mention of those 0-level spells, until then, we thought you might like to see the developed 0-level spells that didn't make it in the book.

The following spells are different from your standard cantrips. They are rare cantrips. Spellcasters that gain access to all 0-level spells at 1st level do not gain access to rare cantrips. A spellcaster gains access to rare cantrips only by uncovering their secrets in some other way. Some are guarded by jealous mages, while others are lost in missing libraries or molder on forgotten scrolls.

These cantrips are not legal in Pathfinder Society play. Note that penumbra was changed into the higher-level spell protective penumbra. The cantrip version is similar, but does not replace its higher-level counterpart.

Breeze
School evocation (air); Level sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a miniature fan)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature or object
Duration 1 hour (D)
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
You create a light wind that blows against the target, from a direction of your choice. The breeze grants the subject a +2 bonus on saves against very hot conditions, severe heat, breath weapons, and saves against cloud vapors and gases (such as cloudkill, stinking cloud, and inhaled poisons). This spell does not function without air or underwater.
You can only have one breeze active at any one time. If you cast this spell while another casting is still in effect, the previous casting is dispelled.

Drench
School conjuration (creation) [water]; Level sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature or object of size Large or smaller
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Reflex negates (object); Spell Resistance yes (object)
A sudden downpour soaks the target creature or object. The rain follows the subject up to the range of the spell, soaking the target with water. If the target is on fire, the flames are automatically extinguished. Fires smaller than campfires (such as lanterns and torches) are automatically extinguished by this spell.

Jolt
School transmutation [electricity]; Level sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect spark of electricity
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance Yes
You cause a spark of electricity to strike the target with a successful ranged touch attack. The spell deals 1d3 points of electricity damage.

Penumbra
School evocation [darkness]; Level sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a bit of soot)
Range touch
Target creature or object touched
Duration 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
This spell keeps the creature or object touched slightly in shadow. The target of this spell does not suffer any penalties or blindness caused by bright light, such as those from light sensitivity or light blindness.
You can have only one penumbra spell active at any one time. If you cast this spell while another casting is still in effect, the previous casting is dispelled.

Root
School transmutation [earth]; Level sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a pinch of dirt)
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 minute (D)
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
This spell strengthens the subject's connection to the ground below, bolstering its defense against combat maneuvers. It gains a +2 insight bonus to its CMD to resist being moved or tripped and a +2 competence bonus on all Acrobatics checks made to balance or remain standing on earth, sand, stone, or a similar rocky substance.

Scoop
School evocation [force]; Level sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect 6 inch diameter container of force Duration concentration
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes
You will a small vessel of force into existence. As a move action, you can direct the container up to 15 feet per round in any direction, though the spell ends if the distance between you and the container ever exceeds the spell's range. You can dip the container to pick up or drop a liquid as a move action. The vessel holds up to 1 pint of liquid or small objects, weighing up to 5 pounds. You can also gather up a pint of liquid or small objects spread cross a surface with 1 minute of careful concentration.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

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.

Mark Moreland
Developer

Illustrations by Jared Blando and Ryan Portillo. Widescreen version here.

Anybody Have a Mirror Handy?

May 20, 2011

One of my favorite movies as a kid had an awesome medusa put on the silver screen by Ray Harryhausen, a true master of physical special effects magic. The medusa in this wallpaper, from Tomb of the Iron Medusa reminds me a lot of that iconic one and now I really want to make a fighter with a divine heritage to chop her head off, in order to win the hand of the princess.

What's your iconic medusa memory?

Hyrum.
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

Relief!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

We’re all still reeling from the big push to get our Gen Con releases out the door, but you know what never gets old? Signing books.

You may remember that a while back we put up a bunch of autographed books (including the gold-foil Special Edition copies seen here) as an auction to try to raise money for tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Well, it turns out that the Paizo community members found it in their hearts to give most generously, and now we’re holding up our end of the bargain. Mr. Wayne Reynolds himself—on loan from England—was in here earlier this week signing copies, and as you can see, we’re busily collecting signatures from everyone else here at Paizo. (Pictured here is only the first wave of signatures from the editorial pit. By the time the rest of the company is done with it, it’ll be a game of its own just trying to figure out who’s who....)

James Sutter
Fiction Editor

New Books and Epubs!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

It's an exciting day over here in the Pathfinder Tales department! Not only does today introduce the final chapter in Erik Mona's "Two Pieces of Tarnished Silver" (which you can read right here for free), but it's also the release date of two things that folks have been anxiously awaiting for a while now.

Illustration by Daren Bader

The first is Robin Laws' The Worldwound Gambit, a rollicking heist novel set in the demonic madness of the Worldwound. Hitch a ride with veteran con man Gad as he gathers the perfect team of scoundrels and thieves to infiltrate a cult's living tower deep in demon-held territory. Together they'll attempt to pull off the biggest job of their lives, saving their home from destruction and keeping business booming. Along the way, they'll have to deal with insufferable paladins, a dangerously seductive priestess, their own quirks and faults—and of course, plenty of demons. By turns hilarious and disturbing, Robin's new book is a dark, witty romp that will show you Mendev and the Worldwound like you've never seen them before.

Illustration by Jason Engle

The second thing we're proud to unveil is the latest batch of Pathfinder Tales ePubs, which includes not just several of the web fiction stories, but the first three Pathfinder's Journals from Pathfinder Adventure Path, available now in compiled electronic form, complete with all their original illustrations! For years, people have been asking for compiled versions of the journals for ease of reading and transportation—in fact, before he worked here, Mark Moreland compiled all the Eando Kline stories into a self-printed chapbook to read on his commute—and we're glad to finally be able to oblige. Appearing in this first batch are "Hell's Pawns" by Dave Gross, which marks the first appearance of Varian Jeggare and Radovan; "Dark Tapestry" by Elaine Cunningham, which follows the adventures of half-elven Pathfinder and desert druid Channa Ti; and "The Compass Stone: The Collected Journals of Eando Kline," which presents the entire epic journey of Pathfinder Eando Kline from his first appearance in Pathfinder Adventure Path #1 to the stunning conclusion in #18. Much longer than a typical web fiction story, both "Hell's Pawns" and "Dark Tapestry" are full-length novellas, while Eando's story is roughly as long as a Pathfinder Tales novel! "The Compass Stone" also comes complete with a new foreword by yours truly, discussing the evolution of the Pathfinder's Journal, and of Eando's story in particular. Joining these journals are the compiled web fiction tales "Lord of Penance" by Richard Lee Byers and "The Secret of the Rose and Glove" by Kevin Andrew Murphy.

And this is just the beginning! We hope to unveil the next novel in the Pathfinder Tales line fairly soon, and you can look forward to seeing further batches of web fiction stories and Pathfinder's Journals compiled for your electronic reading enjoyment at regular intervals. Because when it comes to Pathfinder fiction, more is better!

James Sutter
Fiction Editor

Powerful Words

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

It is just about here. The newest addition to the Pathfinder RPG line releases this week and you should be able to find Ultimate Magic online or at your local game store any day now. For our final look into this mighty tome of magic, we are going to look at the Words of Power chapter.

Words of power is an alternative system of spellcasting that allows the wordcaster to create spells using any of the words that he knows. While these spells still consume specific slots, what goes in each slot each day depends entirely upon what words the wordscaster knows and how he wants to combine them.

This system went through significant revision throughout the playtesting process. Originally, the system was based on points, with each word added to a spell costing a set amount. A wordcaster could add nearly any number of words so long as the spell slot in question had enough points to pay for them. While this was supremely flexible, most found the point tracking to be too cumbersome and prone to abuse. The new system allows a wordcaster to add one effect word of a level equal to the spell slot used, or multiple words of a lower level. In addition, each spell can have one of a number of different target words (which are not counted against the total number of words in the spell) and they can include one or more meta words (which add power and flexibility to the spell). This means that most spells can be built quite easily if that is what the caster wants (which is certainly the case on the GMs side of the screen), but each can also be carefully crafted out of multiple words to create interesting and unique effects. Take the following effect words for example.

Accelerate (Time)
School transmutation; Level alchemist 2, bard 2, magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, summoner 2
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
Target Restrictions selected
The target of a wordspell with this effect word can take one additional move action each turn. This move action can come before, after, or between other actions, but not during a full-round action.
Boost: If the target takes a full-attack action, it can, instead of taking an extra move action, make one additional attack at its highest attack bonus.

Perfect Form (Body)
School transmutation; Level alchemist 4, bard 4, cleric 4, druid 4, magus 4, sorcerer/wizard 4, summoner 4
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
Target Restriction personal, selected
The target of a wordspell with this effect word receives a +4 enhancement to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.

Accelerate is a simple enough word, granting its target an additional move action. Perfect form is also relatively straight-forward, granting a +4 bonus to physical ability scores. One of the great things about this system is that the two could be combined by any class capable of casting both into one 5th-level wordspell that enacts both effects simultaneously.

Things get really interesting with the addition of meta words. These words allow a spellcaster to access even greater powers without, necessarily, using up a higher spell slot. For example, the boost meta words can be used with the accelerate word to grant an extra attack instead of a move action. Boosting the selected target word allows a wordspell to affect more than one target, but this has the side effect of increasing the level of spell by three levels. While meta words add a great deal of flexibility to how a wordcaster uses his magic, there is a limit to the number of meta words a wordcaster can use per day. Take a look at this powerful meta word.

Irresistible
Level 5
Targets of a wordspell with this meta word must roll their saving throws twice and take the worse result. This meta word increases the level of all the effect words in the wordspell that allow a saving throw by two levels.

As you can see, there are a great deal of possibilities with the words of power system, especially with over 120 effect words at your disposal. And with that, we wrap up our look at Ultimate Magic. We hope you use it to add a bit of magic to your game. In the coming months, expect to hear a lot about the companion to this book, Ultimate Combat, due out in August. Until then.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

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.

Mark Moreland
Developer

Lotteries! Seminars! A Ton of Games!

Friday, May 13, 2011

The PaizoCon 2011 lottery ends today (and you have signed up for the lottery right?) but have no fear, we have a lot of games, seminars, and other events for you to do while at PaizoCon 2011! Want to design a new spell, feat, or even archetype for your campaign? Are you a freelancer looking for tips on how to become a better mechanical designer? Come to the RPG Design: Crafting Rules That Work seminar, where the Pathfinder RPG design team gives tips and tricks for designing some of the more complex rules elements in the game. Or how about learning to paint miniatures from some of the best in the business at the Learn to Paint seminar hosted by Reaper? Some of our other partners are also running events, like Open Design and their Building a Shared World seminar and the Open Design/Super Genius Games Secrets of a Small Press Publisher seminar.

Not interested in seminars? The folks behind JourneyQuest and Dorkness Rising will be showing their films throughout the show and the Pathfinder Society will be in full force running over 81 events!

Whatever your interest is, we've got it covered! Make sure you're where it's at this June, PaizoCon 2011!

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

Illustration by Craig J Spearing

Editors at Work

Thursday, May 12, 2011

While we soldier on through our biggest deadlines of the year, please enjoy this piece of art from Pathfinder Adventure Path #47: Ashes at Dawn. Dude looks like I feel.

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Adventure Begins Here!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The first RPG product I ever purchased came in a red box, with a fighter laying the smack down on a red dragon. I was 12 and I've never stopped gaming since. I suspect that this fall some young whippersnappers will see this Beginner Box, pick it up, and begin their own journey into this great hobby of ours. With this amazing art from Wayne Reynolds, how can they not? And what can you do to make their journey easier?

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

Feat of Magic

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Due to hit subscribers and store shelves in just a few days, we are continuing our look into Ultimate Magic. This week we are diving into the feats chapter, with a bonus look at spells.

At 20 pages long, the feats chapter is by no means huge, but it does feature a little something for just about every spellcaster in the game, with a few options for nonspellcasters thrown in for good measure. While a number of these feats are here to complement one of the new archetypes, some fill out some holes left by the APG. For example, Extra Evolution gives the summoner more points to use when building his eidolon. Looking through the feat lists, though, I am drawn to the feats that allow characters to explore the game in new and interesting ways. Take a look at this one.

Eldritch Heritage
You are descended from a long line of sorcerers, and some portion of their power flows in your veins.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Skill Focus with the class skill of bloodline selected for this feat (see below), character level 3rd.
Benefit: Select one sorcerer bloodline. You must have Skill focus in the class skill that bloodline grants to a sorcerer at 1st level (for example, Heal for the celestial bloodline). This bloodline cannot be a bloodline you already have. You gain the first-level bloodline power for the selected bloodline. For purposes of using that power, treat your sorcerer level as equal to your character level – 2, even if you have levels in sorcerer. You do not gain any of the other bloodline abilities.

Bloodlines—they're not just for sorcerers anymore.

Moving on, this book has a number of metamagic feats, as well, for every spellcaster to play with. While a number of these add effects to spells that deal a specific kind of energy damage, my personal favorite (due to some recent frustrating encounters) has to be this one.

Piercing Spell (Metamagic)
Your studies have helped you develop methods to overcome spell resistance.
Benefit: When you cast a piercing spell against a target with spell resistance, it treats the spell resistance of the target as 5 lower than its actual SR. A piercing spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Not surprisingly, this book also includes a sizable number of new spells for every spellcaster in the game. There are new symbol spells, new spells for the polymorph subschool (undead anatomy has been long awaited), and plenty of unique spells for some of the newer spellcasting classes (like witch and inquisitor). In addition, there are a lot spells designed specifically to add a bit of interesting flavor to the spellcaster's arsenal. Looking to flesh out your evil bard? Take a look at this spell.

Illustration by Tyler Walpole

Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You create a spectral choir and conduct its tortured, ghostly moans, deluding listeners into believing they are suffering the torments of the dead. The transparent singers occupy a 10-foot cube, but they are intangible and do not interfere with creatures in any physical way, nor can they be attacked. Creatures within 30 feet of the choir experience wracking pain that causes them to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. Individuals who exit the area of effect take these penalties for an additional 2 rounds before the delusion wears off.

I was about to wrap up the blog right there, but then I remember seeing this spell. I will end with this festive magic. Next week, we will wrap up our previews with one last look at the words of power alternative spellcasting system. Enjoy.

Snapdragon Fireworks
School transmutation [fire, light]; Level bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S, V, M (a bundle of sulfur wrapped in cloth)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect dragon-shaped fireworks
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes
A favorite display at halfling midsummer festivals, this spell lets you create fireworks in the shape of tiny dragons. Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction. The pyrotechnic takes a zigzag path from you to that square, always missing creatures and objects in its path, and detonates in that square with a bang and a colorful burst of fire and light. Creatures in the target square take 1d4 points of fire damage and are dazzled for 1 round (Reflex half, a successful save negates the dazzled condition). Normally when this spell is used as part of a festival, the chosen target is high in the sky to increase visibility and protect observers.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

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.

Mark Moreland
Developer

PaizoCon Limited Event Schedule!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Right now, on the PaizoCon 2011 page, you can view the official event schedule for Paizo's premier summer convention. Included are seminars, panels, and game sessions run by the Paizo staff; games and panels run by some of our guests and industry friends; and game sessions run by you, the fans.

We will decide things much as we did last year—namely, with a lottery. The lottery opens on Tuesday, May 10 at 2:00 P.M. PDT, and you will have until Friday, May 13 at 2:00 P.M. PDT to make your choices. Instructions on how to make those choices will be included on the website. We are following the format established last year: The lottery this year will only include fan-run game sessions, staff-run game sessions, and exhibitor and guest-run sessions. It will not include panels, some seminars, or any of the Pathfinder Society scenario slots. Once the lottery results are announced on May 16, the panels, seminars, and scenarios will open for general signups 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 the 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.

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

The Beginner Box

Thursday, May 5, 2011

For many months now, a good portion of the staff here at Paizo has been slaving away in secret, working on a project that has only been mentioned in hushed tones and vague inferences. While its existence has become common knowledge, few outside the halls of Paizo know much about this rumored product. Well, the time for secrecy is over! Now it is time to take our first look at the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box!

Personally, I have wanted to do this project since the early days of the Pathfinder RPG. A beginner set not unlike this one is what got me into gaming over 20 years ago. While I can't go into all the details of this impressive box just yet, it is time to give you some of the basic details about what to expect from the Beginner Box and what it will contain.

First off, this box is designed to contain everything that a new gamer needs to begin playing the Pathfinder RPG, from dice and pawns to a simplified rules set and an exciting starter adventure. There are enough rules in this box to take characters all the way up to 5th level, and plenty of tools for the GM to create countless hours of play. But that's not all. Take a look at this list of components.

• A 64-page Hero's Handbook, detailing character creation, spells, equipment, and general rules for playing the game
• A 96-page Game Master's Guide packed with adventures, monsters, magical treasures, and advice on how to narrate the game and control the challenges faced by the heroes
• A complete set of 7 high-impact polyhedral dice
• More than 80 full-color pawns depicting tons of heroes, monsters, and even a fearsome black dragon
• Four pregenerated character sheets to throw you right into the action
• Four blank character sheets to record the statistics and deeds of your custom-made hero
• A durable, reusable, double-sided Flip-Mat play surface that works with any kind of marker

Suffice it to say, that is a lot to pack into one box. I am going to have a lot more to say about this particular product in the coming months (especially during the banquet at this year's PaizoCon). Until then.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Orcs, Giant Scorpion Robots, and Barbarians: An Interview with Tyler Walpole

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

A couple of weeks ago we interviewed Ed Greenwood, our Guest of Honor at PaizoCon 2011. This time I had the pleasure of interviewing Tyler Walpole, our Artist Guest of Honor this year.

Tyler is one of those artists who just gets it. I don't think he's created a piece I don't love and it's going to be awesome to see him at PaizoCon this year. From orcs battling giant monsters single-handedly, to lone barbarians taking on giant arachnid robots, Tyler's art is dynamic, detailed, and just plain awesome. Tyler's definitely on the list of artists I want to paint murals in every room of my future mansion when I win the lottery.

And he's an illustrating machine, doing work for us (seriously, look how awesome the Master of the Fallen Fortress cover is), IDW on the D&D comic, Hero Games, and a ton of other high-profile companies. We're lucky to have him with us at PaizoCon, and if you're coming out, you should definitely see if you can buy him enough drinks to get a sketch.

And now, on with the interview!

1. A brief bio, where you are from and how you started in the industry?

I am a self-taught illustrator who lives in Des Moines, Iowa. I spent several years trying to break into the comic book industry as a penciler. That ended up being a bit like pounding my head against a brick wall. Lots of offers to do work for free, but no professional (i.e., paid) work. In 2000 I decided to forgo my annual trip to Wizard World Chicago, and instead created a portfolio of black-and-white interior illustrations and went to Gen Con. I talked to every art director I could find on the showroom floor. When I got home, I had an offer to do some work for Palladium Books, and that worked out pretty well, so I kept pursuing more and more game work (and added color into the mix) until I had enough coming in to make the jump to full time. I've managed to stay pretty busy ever since.

2. When did you discover your creative talents?

I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I spent a lot of time in grade school being told not to draw on my homework... now drawing is my homework!

3. What inspires you?

I take inspiration from everything. Movies, games, books, walks in the park, all of it! I have a pretty active mind, and almost anything can germinate in there and come out as something useful for my art.

4. How would you describe your style?

Oh man, I have no idea. John Romita, Jr. once described his work as "Deadline Style"... its as much as I can get done by the deadline. Working in a publishing environment has sort of dictated that I also have a "Deadline Style." One of these days I'm going to spend just as long as I please on something. I'll go back to you after that happens. ;)

5. Do you have a favorite story or character?

Let see... I'm pretty satisfied with most of the covers I've done, my favorite is probably the Orcs of Golarion. It's essentially a Conan vs. the Monster illustration... only in this case Conan is an Orc, and he's dual-wielding axes. Sarah pretty much let me do my own thing on that one, in design terms, and I really enjoyed it.

6. Who are your favorite artists, writers, and/or influences?

Well, here again, it could be just about anybody. Some of my favorites include Donato Giancola, Dan Dos Santos, Todd Lockwood, Greg Manchess, Frank Frazetta, James Jean, Phil Hale, Mike Mignola, Kevin Nowlan, Adam Hughes, Bill Willingham, and Jim Butcher.

7. How do you juggle freelance work and life?

I skip out on a lot of sleep. No, seriously, I skip out on a lot of sleep. I love my job, but I'm married and have two sons. I do my best to make it to every family function, school event, and baseball game. But, many nights, once everyone is in bed, I sneak back to the studio to make sure I'm on top of my deadlines, and squeeze in some time to develop my own projects.

8. Describe yourself in 5 words.

Living the dream. So grateful!

9. What's the best thing to happen to you recently?

Besides being Artist Guest of Honor at PaizoCon 2011, you mean? I found a publisher for one of those projects!

10. Any advice for aspiring artists?

Practice your art. All. The. Time. Whatever you decide to do, whatever voice emerges through your art, or writing or music, honor it, and do it the best you can... the business part of it will follow. People are drawn to excellence in many forms, so don't try to be like the other guy. And keep at it!

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

Mastering Magic

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Every Tuesday until the book's release, we are going to be examining the new rules and options you will find in Ultimate Magic. This week we are exploring one of my favorite chapters of the book, Mastering Magic.

The goal of this chapter is to give players and GMs a bunch of tools for expanding the role of magic in their game, from rules on building and expanding constructs to a bunch of new animal companions. It includes a treatise on designing spells and rules for conducting duels between spellcasters. While most of these will not come up in your everyday play experience, when the time is right, having a well-explained system for binding outsiders could become the central focus for an entire adventure. One of the new systems we added is called Spellblights. Similar to a curse, a spellblight is an affliction that can be contracted by a spellcaster upon casting a spell in an area of spellblight or as a product of bestow curse or similar magic. Here is just one of the possible spellblights you might contract.

Hemoculysis: A spellcaster with hemoculysis bleeds from her eyes whenever she casts a spell. The volume and duration of this flow depends on the level of the spell, lasting 1 round per level of the spell. While bleeding from the eyes, the spellcaster is considered dazzled and takes 1 point of bleed damage. Casting additional spells while the eyes are already bleeding resets the duration of existing hemoculysis by the spell level, provided it's greater than the current duration. The sight of the spellcaster's eyes bleeding is horrifying, and she gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks and a –4 penalty on Bluff and Diplomacy checks for the duration of the bleeding.

As you can see, a spellblight is not something you generally want to contract. This chapter contains four pages filled with new familiars, including their stat blocks. Take a look at this list.

Familiar	Special Ability
Blue-Ringed Octopus	Master gains a +3 bonus on Swim checks
Donkey Rat	Master gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
Fox	Master gains a +2 bonus on Reflex saves
Goat	Master gains a +3 bonus on Survival checks
Greensting Scorpion	Master gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks
Hedgehog	Master gains a +2 bonus on Will saves
House Centipede	Master gains a +3 bonus on Stealth checks
King Crab	Master gains a +2 bonus on CMB checks to start and maintain a grapple
Pig	Master gains a +3 bonus on Diplomacy checks
Scarlet Spider	Master gains a +3 bonus on Climb checks
Thrush	Master gains a +3 bonus on Diplomacy checks
Turtle	Master gains a +1 natural armor bonus to AC

There are some fun options in that list in terms of mechanics and concept. That said, one of my favorite parts of the chapter is the list of premade spellbooks, some of which feature preparation rituals, which are special effects a caster gains access to when he prepares spells from that spellbook. Take a look at the Book of the Grave.

Book of the Grave (Level 6 Necromancer)
This tome reeks of decomposing flesh or some even fouler stench. Grave mold clings to the worm-eaten cover, and dirt stains the pages. Some pages have been torn out.
Protection The edges of the first three pages are coated with nitharit poison (contact; save Fort DC 13; frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes; effect 1d3 Con damage; cure 1 save).
Opposition Schools Enchantment, transmutation
Value 780 gp (1,230 gp with preparation ritual)
Spells
3rd—blood biography, ray of exhaustion, vampiric touch, vitriol
2nd—command undead, create treasure map, ghoul touch, spectral hand, stone call, web
1st—burning hands, chill touch, disguise self, mage armor, protection from good, ray of enfeeblement, sculpt corpse, shield, true strike, ventriloquism
0—standard plus penumbra
Preparation Ritual
Breath of the Grave (Su) As a swift action, spend this boon's effect to breathe a 15-foot cone of rotting stench. Creatures within the cone must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + your highest caster level in a class that prepares spells) or be sickened for 1 round. This spends the boon. After this boon has been spent, you take a –4 penalty on Diplomacy and Stealth checks until you prepare spells again.

Well, that wraps up our preview for this week. Next week we will take on some feats.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

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!

Mark Moreland
Developer