2014 Art Review

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

As we close out 2014, I wanted to end on a high note and give you one last year-end blog. I went to our Managing Art Director Sarah Robinson and Senior Art Director Andrew Vallas to get some help rounding up some favorite illustrations from the past year. Seeing how great their selections were, I also asked various members of our editorial team to pick a few of their own favorites to add. So here are some of our best illustrations from 2014!

Let's start off with some covers! The above are selections were made by Andrew, Sarah, and Developer John Compton.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Monster Codex Illustrated by Wayne Reynolds, Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lost Treasures Illustrated by Igor Grechanyi,
Pathfinder Module: Plunder and Peril Illustrated by Kiki Moch Rizky, and Pathfinder Player Companion: Alchemy Manual Illustrated by Kerem Beyit

Monsters and gods are up next! The above selections were made by Andrew, Sarah, and Designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Monster Codex Illustrations by Subroto Bhaumik and Jason Rainville, Pathfinder Adventure Path #80: Empty Graves Illustration by Johan Grenier,
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Mysteries Illustration by Ralph Horsley, and Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods Illustration by Yu Cheng Hong

Brigh and Zyphus are two of the many Golarion deities featured this year. The above selections were made by Adam Daigle and myself.

Pathfinder Adventure Path #86: Lords of Rust Illustration by Johan Grenier, and Pathfinder Adventure Path #89: Palace of Fallen Stars Illustration by Matias Tapia

And to round out this art blog, some portraits of deities, monsters and important characters of 2014!
The above selections were made by Andrew, Associate Editor Judy Bauer, Editor Ryan Macklin, Developer Rob McCreary, and Managing Editor James L. Sutter

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Monster Codex Illustration by Tim Kings-Lynne, Pathfinder Adventure Path #80: Empty Graves Illustrations by Ekaterina Burmak,
Pathfinder Adventure Path #84: Pyramid of the Sky Pharaoh Illustration by Johan Grenier, Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods Illustration by Maichol Quinto, and
Pathfinder Tales: The Redemption Engine Illustration by Eric Belisle

What was your favorite piece of Pathfinder art from 2014?

Mark Moreland
Developer

New Scenarios for a New Year

Monday, December 29, 2014

Illustration by Jason Pederson

With the exception a few summer conventions releases, scenarios traditionally come out on the last Wednesday of the month. This time that's December 31st, which probably makes these adventures feel less like the December 2014 scenarios and more like a capstone to an exciting year of Pathfinder Society Organized Play plus a wonderful ringing in of the new year—at least that's how I'm going to brand it. Both adventures start with time-honored, familiar concepts from 2014 and while pursuing new plots that make 2015 particularly worth celebrating.

One of the Society's old friends (and I use the term loosely) resurfaced earlier in the season while Pathfinder agents investigated a case of magical espionage in Absalom. Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin believes any threat to the city is a threat to the Society, and an ally has since divined the the source of these incursions: Stonespine Island, home to the infamous Okeno pirates and a generous helping of gnolls. In Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-11: The Slave Master's Mirror, author Sam Polak sends the PCs through one of the most notorious slaver cities on Golarion and into the rugged wilds to put an end to this villain's plans.

Just over a year ago, new initiates to the Society received a replayable opportunity to learn what it really means to be a Pathfinder in Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-08: The Confirmation. It remains one of the most popular scenarios published to date, and it quickly became apparent that I should schedule a second Tier 1-2 adventure for release in Season 6. Back in the spring, Mark Moreland and I concocted a basic outline that could match The Confirmation's excellence, introduce newer players to another central feature of the Society, and provide opportunities for replay with a different experience each time. At PaizoCon, I pitched the idea to the author I knew could handle such a challenge: Thurston Hillman. After months of bouncing ideas off each other, I wrote a final outline, sent it off, and let Thursty run with it. The result is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-10: The Wounded Wisp, a mundane assignment that quickly spirals into a gripping investigation of the Pathfinder Society's past that takes the PCs to some of the Society's and Absalom's most famous sites in pursuit of centuries-old secrets from the Grand Lodge's darkest days. It dovetails nicely with The Confirmation, serving as a great prelude, sequel, or even standalone adventure.

This weekend I had the pleasure of being back in Georgia for the recent holiday and visiting a few of the GeorgiaPFS events. I can proudly report that my 7th-level warpriest pregenerated character had a blast in Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: The Green Market, and the ranger Agna has finally dispatched the first of her many pirate rivals in the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild adventures. I hope that everyone else's end of year has been as satisfying.

John Compton
Developer

Bright and Happy Holidays from Paizo!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Illustration by Ben Wootten

As 2014 comes to a close we've taken the time to reflect on our community, our customers, the products and projects we've spent countless hours on, and all the moments in between that have made this year so special.

This year we sent Pathfinder into space with Iron Gods Adventure Path and the Technology Guide, released the comprehensive tome dedicated to Golarion's deities, Inner Sea Gods, and debuted 10 new classes in the Advanced Class Guide, and revisited some of the best and most iconic monsters in the Monster Codex. We also had the best convention year EVER at both PaizoCon and Gen Con with more people participating at our Pathfinder Society tables than any previous year. And speaking of Organized Play, the Adventure Card Guild launched this fall! Our community voted in another RPG Superstar, helped us continue to redefine and improve our forum community, and the PRD even got a facelift.

None of these successes would be possible or as momentous for us without you. To show our appreciation, you can now use the holiday15 promotional code at checkout to receive a discount on a order on paizo.com. More details on this discount code can be found in on our store blog.

Thank you very much from everyone here at Paizo for your continued support, and have a wonderful holiday season! We can't wait for you to see what's in store for 2015!

Best wishes and happy gaming,
The Paizo Staff

Pirate's Promise Sample Chapter

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

In Pirate's Promise, Torius Vin is perfectly happy with his life as a pirate captain, sailing the Inner Sea with a bold crew of buccaneers and Celeste, his snake-bodied navigator and one true love. Yet all that changes when his sometimes-friend Vreva Jhafae—a high-powered courtesan and abolitionist spy in the slaver stronghold of Okeno—draws him into her shadowy network of secret agents. Caught between the slavers he hates and a navy that sees him as a criminal, can Torius continue to choose the path of piracy? Or will he sign on as a privateer, bringing freedom to others—at the price of his own?

Chapter One: Auspicious Arrivals

Raucous laughter shook every cup and tankard in the bar. Windy Kate wiped ale from her chin and handed over a silver coin, having just lost a bet that she could drink a tankard without touching it with her hands or spilling any. Torius Vin leaned comfortably against the bar, close enough for a good view, but far enough to avoid getting wet.

"They're a noisy lot." The barkeep scowled as he refilled Torius's glass.

"Just a little well-deserved celebration." Torius sipped the fine spiced rum. The barkeep might not like Stargazer's boisterous crew, but he couldn't complain about the coin they were spending.

"We might be noisy, but we smell good!" Grogul drained his tankard and thumped it down on the bar, grinning at his captain. "Damn near forgot what it was like to be really clean. Thanks again, Captain."

"The least I could do." After a month at sea, springing for a stint at Trillia's Bathhouse for his entire crew had been worth every scarab. Besides, he could afford it.

Torius sipped, surveyed the well-mannered debauchery, and sighed in contentment. The scam they had just pulled off had been a near thing, but even after subtracting Vreva Jhafae's cut and the crew's shares, he had more gold than he could imagine spending. He could buy another ship and still have enough to live handsomely for years.

"A shame Celeste couldn't join us." Grogul accepted his refilled tankard and quaffed a third of it.

Torius doubted that Celeste regretted using all her daily transformation spells on the trip to Trillia's. Lunar nagas didn't sweat, and a quick swipe with a damp cloth was enough to cleanse her scales of dust and dirt, so their trip to the bathhouse had been a novel experience. He smiled as he recalled her look of delight as she immersed her human form into the hot, sudsy water, reveling in the luxury.

"She's busy planning our trip to the Observatory anyway."

More laughter rang from the betting circle. One of the caravan guards with whom the Stargazers were competing had spilled ale all over himself, and good-naturedly handed a silver back to Windy Kate. She wiped the ale from his chin with a sultry gleam in her eye amid the hoots of the onlookers.

"When you leavin'?" Grogul asked.

"Oh, not for a few days, at least. I need to discuss the alterations to Stargazer with Snick, and set up an account that she and Thillion can draw on for the work."

Grogul snorted. "Give that gnome free rein, and she'll spend you into the poorhouse."

Torius couldn't deny the truth of that. He'd already ordered Thillion to keep Snick's modifications under close supervision.

"And how long's this little vacation gonna take?" Grogul sipped his ale and narrowed his eyes at his captain, but Torius just grinned.

"A few weeks at least, more likely a month. Why? Are you bored already?"

"Just thinkin' about the crew sittin' in Katapesh for so long with nothin' to do. Boredom and money are a dangerous combination."

"Once Stargazer's back to her old self, Thillion could run a load of cargo up to Absalom or Sothis."

"Aye, that might keep 'em out of trouble." Grogul scratched his chin in thought. "Fenric should be able to handle the crew for a simple cargo run."

"Fenric?" Torius cocked an eyebrow. "And where will you be?"

"With you, of course. The desert's a dangerous place! Got a few others picked out to—"

A harsh shout and a crash brought the festivities to an abrupt halt.

"Uh-oh." Grogul slammed his tankard down, his eyes suddenly as sharp as the two kukris tucked through his sash.

Torius followed his bosun's gaze and saw Fenric with a bared cutlass in his hand. The Stargazers and caravan guards glared at one another across the tankard-littered table. Between them, Windy Kate slumped in a chair, spilled ale dampening her lap. Two more Stargazers sprawled in similar conditions nearby.

The hairs stood up on the back of Torius's neck. Something was wrong. Later in the evening, after much more drinking, passed-out crew members would not have been an untoward occurrence. But this early? Not a chance.

"No fighting!" the barkeep bellowed over the growls of the crowd.

"I'll handle this." Torius strode forward, Grogul at his flank. "What's going on here, Fenric?"

The bosun's mate pointed his cutlass at one of the caravan guards, a swarthy man with short-cropped hair and a long, angular jaw. "That motherless son of a scrub slipped somethin' in Kate's ale! She's out like yesterday's bilge water! Troy and Fenthis, too!"

"That's a load of camel dung!" the man protested. "They just can't hold their booze!"

One glance and Torius knew the man was lying. But why would they be drugging his sailors? He bristled with rage when he considered that they might be slavers out to supplement their stock by preying on the unwary. Whatever they were, they were outnumbered. Though Torius had no doubt that his score of pirates would prevail over a dozen caravan guards, a fight would be bad. Katapesh was their home port, and the Zephyr Guard enforced the laws of the Pactmasters with unwavering efficiency. A little diplomacy was called for.

"Stow your blade, Fenric." The man dutifully slid his cutlass into its sheath. Torius nodded toward the door as he glared at the caravan guards. "Now, you all move on to another bar. We don't like your tricks and we're not going to play your games."

"You move on! We were here first!" Spittle flew from the leader's bared teeth, and his hand edged closer to the hilt of the gleaming axe at his hip.

"Now friend, you really don't want to start something you can't finish." Torius nodded to his grim-faced crew. "We don't want trouble, but—"

Six more Stargazers suddenly crumpled to the floor, taking the pirates' numerical advantage with them. Torius's stomach clenched, and as he reached for his cutlass, he realized just how much trouble they were in.

The leader's eyes gleamed with malice as his face and form changed. His jaw elongated and opened wide, baring prominent canines dripping with saliva. Thick fur sprouted from his skin, and his legs bent backward into the limbs of a bipedal canine.

"What in the name of Gozreh?" Torius doubted if even the sea god could give him an answer. He recognized the features and coloration of the jackals he'd seen in the wildlands around Katapesh. Only those were much smaller and didn't clutch weapons in claw-tipped hands.

The leader's axe flashed as the werejackal lunged at Torius.

"Stargazers!" As Torius drew his cutlass to parry, a kukri flashed past his ear to cut a deep line in the werejackal's neck, ruining the creature's aim. Torius turned his parry into a slash that opened the other side of his assailant's neck, and the beast went down in a spray of blood.

The barkeep's high-pitched shouts rose over the din, but none paid heed. Accustomed to fighting in tight quarters and on uneven footing, the pirates reacted as a single unit. Fenric kicked the table into two more charging werejackals and fought off a third, while the remaining Stargazers formed up to protect their unconscious comrades.

Grogul snatched up the fallen werejackal's axe and stepped to Torius's side. "Come on!" His bellow shook the walls and, from the sudden doubt in the eyes of the leaderless werejackals, their morale as well.

In the brief lull, Torius considered reining in his pirates, but the werejackals had obviously been trying to kidnap some of his people, either to sell as slaves or to have for dinner. To let them go without a proper lesson simply wouldn't do. Torius grinned at the snarling creatures. "It's time we taught these curs how to heel! Have at 'em, Stargazers!"

The pirates leapt to the attack, battle cries rising from their throats. The werejackals met the assault with blades and gnashing teeth. Torius's new opponent was a quick creature wielding a jagged scimitar and a set of fangs capped with sharpened steel. Parrying the scimitar with his cutlass, Torius drew his fighting dagger and plunged the blade into the toothy maw. Teeth like sabers raked the back of his hand, but the tip of the blade pierced the back of the creature's throat. Hot blood gushed out over Torius's hand and the werejackal fell twitching to the floor. To his left, Grogul's axe reduced his opponent's skull to a spray of shattered bone and meat, while to his right, Fenric scored a deep gash in his adversary's arm.

In no time, half of the werejackals were on the floor, either bleeding or dead. The survivors disengaged and dashed for the exits. The Stargazers let them go, chasing them only with a resounding cheer of victory.

"For Stargazer!" Torius thrust his cutlass high in the air.

His crew cheered and waved their weapons in menacing arcs, more inebriated by their victory than the ale and rum they'd imbibed. Only two Stargazers had taken wounds, neither serious. Torius wiped his sword clean on the tattered shirt of the werejackal leader, snapped it into its scabbard, and bellowed for a round of drinks. The barkeep was nowhere to be found, however, so Torius took the liberty of grabbing a bottle of rum from behind the bar and emptying it into the cups and tankards of his cheering crew. The ones who had fallen unconscious roused easily enough, though they were upset at having missed the fun. Windy Kate, Troy, and Fenthis blinked in confusion, unsure of what had happened.

Torius raised his cup high and shouted for silence. "To the crew of Stargazer! Best damn buccaneers in the whole Inner Sea!"

Torius quaffed his rum amid the cheers of his crew and started pouring the next round, but their celebration was interrupted by a hard-toned shout from the tavern's entrance.

"Drop your weapons in the name of the Zephyr Guard!"

As one, the Stargazers turned toward this new threat. Torius heard a low growl from his bosun's throat, but he knew instantly that this was not a fight they could win. A half-dozen troops flanked the Zephyr Guard squad leader, who had not even drawn her sword. She had no need to. The monstrous aluum that ducked low to enter the tavern ensured her safety. Humanoid in shape, but twice the height of Grogul, the aluum eyed them passionlessly. Created and controlled by the Pactmasters, the virtually indestructible magical constructs were powered by the bound souls of executed slaves and prisoners, and knew no mercy.

"Stand down, Stargazers." Torius waved his crew back and strode forward, executing a respectful bow to the squad leader. She wore no badge of rank other than the gleaming blue gem dangling around her neck. She needed no other badge, for that trinket commanded the hulking aluum. "I'm glad you arrived. We were beset by these creatures and had just managed to fight them off." He waved a hand at the dead werejackals.

"He wrecked my bar!" The barkeep advanced from behind the Zephyrs. He pointed at the broken furniture, blood, and gore that littered the floor. "I'm ruined!"

"Oh, you're not ruined, man," Torius argued. "Nothing that a carpenter and a little soap and water won't fix! And we didn't do any of the wrecking! Three of my people were drugged, several more rendered unconscious, and we were attacked. You saw it happen!"

"I saw nothing of the kind!" A gleam of avarice outshone the despondency in the bartender's eyes for just a moment, but long enough to show Torius the game he would play. The werejackals were long gone, so the only source of gold left was Torius. "These ruffians were loud and drunk and looking for a fight!"

"We were not." Torius turned to the Zephyr Guard squad leader. "Please, ma'am, my name is Captain Torius Vin. I'm a guildsman in good standing, and these are my crew. Ruffians we are not! We were simply celebrating our arrival in port, and ended up defending ourselves from these creatures. This was not our fault, but since the guilty parties have fled, I'll be happy to pay for the damages."

"I'm pressing charges!" The barkeep folded his arms over his skinny chest in defiance. "It'll take a month to put this place to rights, and I'll lose my lease if I can't bring in customers. My livelihood is ruined!"

Torius refused to even look at the man for fear that he couldn't keep his hands from around his lying throat. "That's a complete fabrication. My crew can have this place spit and polish by tomorrow evening, and I'm willing to do so out of my own pocket. He's after more than his due."

"And what about the rumors? My business will be ruined when the whole city finds out that there were murders here!"

"Nobody's been murdered!" Torius rounded on the man, so furious at the accusations that his hand slipped unthinkingly to the hilt of his sword. "You're lying just to get more money out of me, and I won't stand here and—"

There’s far more to Vreva than meets the eye.

"Enough!" The Zephyr Guard squad leader's shout rivaled Grogul's. Everyone fell silent. "Master Helwek, Captain Vin has offered to pay for damages and repair your establishment out of his own pocket. That sounds fair to me. Will you not have an end to this without bringing the guard into it?"

"I'm pressing charges!" the bartender repeated, his face red. "Disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, destruction of property, and loss of livelihood due to wanton negligence."

"Public drunkenness? Gozreh's guts, man, it's a tavern!"

"Arrest this man! I insist!" He pointed a shaking finger at Torius.

Torius seethed, but managed to compose his face before turning to the squad leader. "My people want no trouble with the Zephyr Guard, ma'am. We'll go quietly, but you better add one more charge to that list."

The woman's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What charge might that be, Captain Vin?"

"Assault."

Now it was the bartender's turn to look confused. "But I wasn't—"

Torius doubled up his fist and cut the bartender's protest short by laying him flat out on the floor. Turning back to the Zephyr Guard squad leader, he dusted off his hands and smiled. "Lead on to the gaol! I hope you've got room for all of us, because Stargazers stick together! Grogul, get Windy Kate and the others."

Amid another round of cheers, the boisterous pirates hoisted their still-woozy mates onto their shoulders.

The squad leader only shook her head and said, "This way, Captain."

∗ ∗ ∗

Vreva paused for a moment at the second landing, just out of sight of the room below, and took a deep breath to still her pounding heart.

*You ready for this? You seem nervous,* Saffron said from the crook of her arm, keeping his meows low.

She looked into the bright yellow eyes of her friend and familiar and smiled. "You're such a worrier," she whispered back. "Of course I'm ready."

She took another breath, and her body responded to the long-practiced technique, calming her singing nerves. Raising her head and moving with majestic grace, she continued down the sweeping marble stair that led to the opulent entry hall of the Inn of the Eighth Sin.

A joyful shout brought all eyes to her, and impromptu applause rose from the crowd. Vreva beamed in the light of their adoration, sweeping an appreciative gaze across the crowd as if astounded that all this fuss was for her. At least fifty Okeno notables—some clients, some not—and a scattering of unknowns crowded the room. It was enough to turn any woman's head, if that woman wasn't more worried about her head ending up in a noose.

"Quopek, you sly dear." At the bottom of the stairs, Vreva playfully slapped the innkeeper's shoulder. "A surprise welcome-home party for me? How sweet of you!"

"Nothing but the best for Okeno's foremost courtesan!" The fat man quivered with excitement. Of course he was happy to see her; he earned ten percent of her profits, and her long absence had undoubtedly cut into his cash flow.

Vreva curtsied with consummate grace and waded into the throng, accepting kisses from those she knew, and proffering her hand to those she did not. Everyone jostled to catch her eye. Her reputation, it seemed, had grown during her sabbatical.

"Absence apparently does make hearts grow fonder," Vreva whispered so quietly that only Saffron could have heard her. None could understand their secret language, but talking to a cat could draw attention. They'd long practiced the art of conversing covertly, even in crowds, her whispers seeming nothing more than an owner's senseless endearments to a beloved pet.

A callused hand caressed the curve of her buttocks, and she barely suppressed the urge to slap it away.

*Absence evidently makes the heart grow randy, too.* Saffron's hiss at the slaver captain needed no interpreter.

"Oh, be civil, Saffron!" Vreva chided. She kissed her familiar on the head, then whispered, "You forget yourself! Now scout the room and report back!" Dropping the cat to the floor, she turned to her groper with a smile. "My apologies, Captain. We've been aboard ship for the better part of a week, and my poor kitty is in a snit."

"No offense taken, Mistress Jhafae," the slaver gushed, giddy with her attention. "We've got cats aboard Hell's Razor, you know. Keeps the rats from chewing up the merchandise!"

Vreva laughed at the supposed witticism, bestowed a smile and subtle caress sufficient to leave him dazzled and momentarily speechless, and continued circulating through the crowd.

"You look gorgeous, my dear. Absolutely gorgeous!"

"Where have you been? It seems like you've been gone for ages!"

"Mistress Jhafae, you simply must put me at the top of your calendar. Even my wife has complained about how edgy I've been, and only you ..."

Compliments, promises, pleas, and questions battered her like waves against a rocky shore, but Vreva responded with the glib dissemblance she had perfected long ago. The physical contact, however, set her teeth on edge. A hand on her arm or a kiss on the cheek roiled her stomach, while the more intimate caresses forced her to suppress violent reprisals. Weeks among pleasanter company had dulled her ability to block the revulsion she felt for these people.

I never thought I'd miss Torius and his boatload of pirates so much!

Vreva caught an empathic flush of urgency, then a flash of delight, and the flavor of seasoned meat flooded her mouth. Someone had dropped a tidbit, and Saffron had pounced. Quashing the sensation with a sip of wine, she broadcasted a thought of stern disapproval.

You have a job to do. Do it! He couldn't actually hear her thoughts, but would get the gist.

"I hope you are quite finished traipsing all around the Inner Sea, Mistress Jhafae."

Vreva recognized the voice and turned to the rotund slave merchant behind her.

"It was just a little holiday, Master Werreg." She accepted his kiss of greeting and did not flinch as his pudgy fingers caressed her hip. Werreg might be a fat lecher, but he was also an important member of the local merchants' council, and a font of information.

"I heard that you were spirited away by the Ruby Prince himself!" Looking pleased by his attempt at flattery, Werreg gave her an ingratiating smile. "I was worried that you'd succumbed to his charms and gone away for good!"

"How could I ever leave my dear friends here?" Vreva caressed his sweaty cheek, tracing the nerve along his jaw. "It was not the Ruby Prince whose company I kept. Just a ...special friend who asked a favor." That was true enough. Torius was a friend, or as close to one as she had. And Quetaal, the commander of the Sothis Guard, with whom she'd kept company there, had been like a breath of fresh air compared to these sniveling traders in human flesh.

"A toast to your favors." Werreg raised his glass, leering openly at her. "May they never run short of supply!"

Laughing, Vreva lifted her own glass in acknowledgment, but as her lips touched the rim, panic surged through her. Then a jolt of pain between her shoulders snapped her head back.

Saffron! The glass trembled in her grasp, and her vision glazed over as she concentrated on Saffron's mental cries. Rage, panic, fear ...trapped!

"Are you all right, Vreva?" Werreg's voice snapped her attention back to a circle of concerned guests.

"Yes, I ...I'm fine. Just a moment's fatigue." Sipping her wine, she attempted to quell the emotional onslaught from her familiar before it overwhelmed her. Considering her arsenal of spells, she silently cursed. Her magic was subtle, tailored to the boudoir, not the battlefield, and certainly not a room full of people. She had to disengage herself from this crowd and find Saffron. Vreva handed off her glass and made her excuses. "I've yet to recover from my voyage. The wine, I'm afraid, is going to my—"

"Is this yours?"

Vreva turned to the unknown man. He wore a snug headscarf in the Keleshite manner, and his beard was trimmed to a neat point. His clothes were rich, and the long whip at one hip and the scimitar at the other gave him a rakish appearance. She might have thought him handsome, except that he dangled Saffron by the scruff in one large, callused hand. The sight sent a surge of ice water through her veins.

"I caught it running loose." He held the cat out, sneering as if he'd just as soon wring the feline's neck.

"Saffron!" The familiar's relief echoed her own as she took the panicked cat in her arms. The ice water turned to fury, and Vreva glared at the man. "I don't know you, sir, but molesting my pet is not a means to garner my favor."

*He smells like blood!* Saffron spat and hissed, mewing dangerously. *His boots and that snake at his belt stink of it! I only sniffed, and he grabbed me!*

"My pardon, Mistress Jhafae." The man nodded and touched his forehead with a flourish. "I am Captain Heclech, master of Sovereign Chain out of Katheer. You must forgive my reaction, but where I'm from, animals belong in cages or on plates, not running free to soil a man's boots."

"My pardon, Captain Heclech, but I must not forgive you." Vreva was dismayed at the harsh words and acerbic tone that tumbled from her lips, attributing them to the waves of rage from Saffron that surged through her mind. "This is not your home, but mine, and in my home, my pet is afforded the same regard as any guest."

*‘Pet' my pink, puckered ass!* Saffron hissed.

"Shhh." She stroked his chin to ease his temper.

"Your home?" Heclech looked around the inn's opulent hall. "I was under the impression that this was Master Quopek's establishment. He keeps many men and women of your sort, does he not?"

"Master Quopek does not keep me, Captain. I come and go as I please." She tried to keep her tone civil, but could not disguise her dislike for the man.

"A fact that has left us all pining for the last many weeks, Captain," Werreg interjected from beside her.

"Yes." Heclech's eyes flicked to the merchant with a sneer of distaste. "This is why I came here, to see this woman who commands such obedience from men."

"I do not command anything, Captain Heclech." Vreva regained her composure and gave him a sultry smile. "They offer their respects willingly."

"Along with a good bit of gold." Werreg laughed, obviously trying to diffuse the situation. "I daresay we're all a bit richer for her recent absence, but I for one intend to pay my respects to her as soon as she'll have me."

"Where I'm from, women of her ilk do not have the respect of men." Heclech turned his eyes to Werreg and grinned a challenge. "And men who curry the favor of such women are little better than dogs."

Werreg paled, his blubbery chins quivering with rage, but he obviously knew better than to take up the man's challenge.

"And in this city, Captain, it's considered rude to insult a lady." The voice over Vreva's shoulder was low with a slight rasp, like well-oiled steel sliding across a fine whetstone.

She recognized the speaker even before Saffron said, *The wine man's behind you.*

Vreva felt a hand settle onto the small of her back and urge her aside. She didn't know whether to be relieved or agitated.

"And this particular lady has friends in very high places." Her champion stepped forward. His dark hair, pale complexion, and richly brocaded clothing marked him as Chelish, while the hand on the gleaming rapier at his hip marked him as a swordsman. Vreva knew that he was neither, but something else entirely.

"If you wish to do business in Okeno, Captain Heclech, and not be shunned like a plague-carrying rodent, you should apologize, and reconsider your opinion of Mistress Jhafae."

"And you are?" Heclech's hand drifted to the scimitar at his waist.

"Captain Fieson Templeton of Devil's Dawn." He made a short, courtly bow, and nodded to Vreva. "Chelish merchant and close personal friend of the lady."

"And by whose authority do you threaten me?"

"Threaten?" Fieson laughed, but his mirth didn't reach his eyes, and his gaze never left Heclech. "Oh, that was no threat, Captain, just a bit of advice. If you treat the lady with contempt, her friends will see to it that you do no business here. It's that simple." He shrugged. "Insult her again and I will personally feed you your own testicles. Now that," he added in a helpful tone, "was a threat."

"Gentlemen, please, you mustn't—"

"She's nothing but a high-priced prostitute!" Heclech stepped aggressively forward, and Vreva eased back a step, realizing the futility of attempting to placate the two men. "And you pay for her favors because you could never earn the attention of—"

The sounds of tearing silk and a wet plop on the marble floor interrupted his tirade.

Heclech's eyes flung wide, his voice caught in a strangled cry. Fieson stepped back as the larger man collapsed to his knees, hands clutching at the flood of crimson down his legs. The crowd gasped, and Vreva turned away, pressing a hand to her mouth in feigned shock. She knew Fieson did not threaten idly and, while he might not be skilled with a sword, he was entirely apt with the stiletto he wore strapped to his forearm beneath his sleeve. His cut had both gelded the man and severed one of the large arteries in his leg.

*Good!* Saffron purred as the man fell into the spreading crimson pool. *Now he smells like his own blood!*

"Captain Templeton! What is the meaning of—" Quopek stepped through the onlookers and gaped. "Abadar's key, man, what have you done?"

"The man insulted our guest of honor." Fieson casually cleaned and sheathed his blade. "After I warned him about his conduct, he insulted me with his hand on his sword. With Mistress Jhafae so near, I had no choice but to carry through with my warning. For her safety, of course." He bowed to Vreva, then the innkeeper. "My apologies to Mistress Jhafae, and to you, Master Quopek, for the mess. I'll be more than happy to pay for the cleanup."

"Well!" Quopek assessed the dead man, the stained marble floor, and the crowd. "I really should call the city guard about—"

"Please, Master Quopek." Vreva stepped forward, fanning herself with her hand as if she might faint. The blood affected her not one bit, but she had a façade to maintain, and needed to avoid calling official attention to the incident. "Captain Templeton was only defending my honor. I've never seen this man before, and I wonder at his motives for coming here. He picked the fight, sir, and he picked it with the wrong man."

A buzz of confirmatory assertions swept through the crowd, lauding Captain Templeton. In the end, Quopek merely called for a flock of slaves to clean up the mess, and shifted the reception to the common room. Vreva sighed with relief as she allowed Templeton to escort her to the new venue. Envious glances followed them as the captain leaned in close.

"I have a present for you, Vreva."

She beamed up at him. "How sweet of you, Captain. And in gratitude for your gallant defense of my honor, you shall have my first appointment. Is tomorrow afternoon good for you?"

"I am at your disposal, my lady," he said with a satisfied smile.

Chris Jackson is the author of the Pathfinder Tales novel Pirate's Honor, as well as the short story "Stargazer," also starring Torius, Celeste, and the rest of their bold crew. For information on his many other award-winning novels and novellas, check out jaxbooks.com or follow him on Twitter at @ChrisAJackson1.

Illustration by Eric Belisle.

Season of the Shackles: The Halfwayish Point

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

The inaugural season of the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild is underway, and players across the globe are testing their mettle against not-so-lone sharks and a very frisky dragon turtle. Curious about the story so far? You’ve come to the right place!

Before I get to that, though, you should be aware that weekly scenario downloads will resume in January, as the goblins in the Paizo workshop take a much-needed holiday.

Beware, me hearties—story spoilers for Adventure #1 of Season of the Shackles lurk below.

Adventure 1 begins with normal, friendly, totally not-a-pirate you, innocently hiring passage on a Shackles ship for what you thought was a, well, perhaps not a three-hour tour, but a nice safe voyage from island to island. The ship’s navigator, one Jemma Redclaw, had other plans.

She seemed friendly. No hint of dastard to be seen.

Your first night aboard, as you slept the sleep of the naive, Redclaw and her hand-picked band of sailors mutinied. You woke up on a pirate ship as esteemed guests. Guests who were forced to participate in a seemingly endless series of near-fatal encounters with sharks, a brine dragon, a disgusting undead former captain, sharks, every angry animal on this side of the world, a lady who seemed to be one-third octopus, one-third seacat, and one-third humanoid. You’ll be having nightmares about that last one for a while.

After dispensing with Captain Redclaw and her scurrilous band, you realized that a pirate’s life can be a good one. You’ve got your own ship, your own crew (who seem to understand the laws of personal hygiene in a way that Redclaw’s mates, unfortunately, did not), and your eye on the horizon.

Next week, we’ll talk about Love Plots and the naming of scenarios.

Before we go, though, a note from Vic Wertz about Skull & Shackles Adventure Deck 4:

Due to a printer error, adventure deck 4 of Skull & Shackles, Island of Empty Eyes, included 6 copies of the henchman Gholdako and 1 copy of the henchman Ghol-Gan Obelisk; it should have had 6 Ghol-Gan Obelisks and 1 Gholdako. And due to our own error, it has 1 fewer Blink Spider than you’ll need when you have 6 players.

We’re going to solve this problem by making a pack of cards that includes 5 Ghol-Gan Obelisks, 1 Blink Spider, and—in the interest of turning lemons into lemonade—The Land of the Blind, a brand-new scenario that makes use of those extra Gholdako cards.  We’ll be providing that for free to customers who purchased Island of Empty Eyes from paizo.com, and we’ll also be sending copies through our distributors as well. With luck, we’ll have them in time to send them out along with January’s release of Adventure Deck 5, The Price of Infamy.

In the meantime, when you play the scenario "Home Sweet Home," we suggest proxying with Buccaneers (that is, setting the Ghol-Gan Obelisk to the side, adding Buccaneers to the location decks instead, and referring to the Obelisk whenever you find a Buccaneer).

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

Stories from the Field: What to Do When New Players Arrive

Monday, December 22, 2014

With several new changes to improve Pathfinder Society Organized Play on the way over the next several months, one of the things I want to do to add to that improvement is feature venture-officers' knowledge about coordinating and organizing game days, as well as tips and tricks for all aspects of organized play. It's one thing to offer advice from here in Redmond, Washington. It is another to offer advice from the field. At least once a month, I hope to feature a blog, titled Stories from the Field, that is written by a venture-officer who wants to give back to the community through the Pathfinder Society weekly blog.

Dominick Trascritti, the Venture-Lieutenant of Tampa, Florida, has written this month's Stories from the Field blog. I reached out to all the VOs, and Dominick was one of the first to reply. He does some incredible work in Florida, especially by organizing PFS at several large conventons in central Florida each year. Thanks Dominick! Below is the article he wrote for the Pathfinder Society community.

The lifeblood of any organized play campaign is new players. More players mean there are more opportunities for everyone to play. For the good of the community, it is essential we help them avoid an uncomfortable start to the Pathfinder Society. This article offers some good practices to encourage new players, which in turn work to build a community.

Illustrated by Lydia Schuchmann

Organizers, game masters, and seasoned players are the face of the campaign for those first four to five hours. Each has a role in that first session, and a smart organizer will take steps to ensure the player gets a good first campaign experience.

Setting the tone with the organizer, GM, and a few seasoned players avoids common mistakes. Don't badmouth other game systems, editions, or groups. Keep a positive tone about the community. Represent the hobby well. Everyone on that team answers questions or helps the new player find the answer. A player who asks questions is more comfortable and engaged.

As an organizer of a game day or convention, preparation leads to a smooth event. A smart organizer is ready for new players at every game session. It is a great idea to set aside seats or a whole table just for new players. Always have Pathfinder Society player numbers preprinted and a clean printed copy of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play on hand. Organizers should leave nothing to chance for that new player's experience.

Prepare a binder of the standard pregenerated characters for players to use and organize them so that its easy to read and select a character. Keep the binder filled with extra copies, and don't forget to have flyers for future events inside the front pocket. Using folders that fit inside a three ring binder looks good and makes it is easy to use and refill. I don't put blank character sheets or inventory forms in the binder. I try to keep it simple. Keep an extra set of cheap dice, pencils, and a miniature or two handy that you don't mind losing or don't mind giving to new players.

At the game day, make sure you arrive early. It is important to greet new players when they walk in and make them feel welcome. Give them the time to look around, ask questions, and receive a seat assignment. Often times a new player is a fish out of water, so to speak, so make sure to be considerate of the player's needs at what may be an awkward time for them. Learn their name and use it. Be direct, and keep it simple.

Make sure you give the new player a little attention while you seat them at the new player table. The Game Master is the second link in the chain. Introduce the table's Game Master and at least one other player. Give the new player simple directions and ask them if they need dice or a miniature.

Illustrated by Jason Rainville

The GM sets the expectations for the player by asking a few questions: what is the player looking for in an RPG or who is their favorite movie character. Use this to gently suggest a pregenerated character that might favor the new player's interest and playstyle. Sometimes new players want to make a new character before or during the first session. If there is little or no time to create a new character, explain that there are differences in Pathfinder Society and that keeping it simple with a pregenerated will start the action faster. Explain the 2nd-level rebuild rule and that they can use their own character at the next session.

Get the new player into the action right away. Explain the basics of the dice and character sheet, but save deeper explanations of game mechanics until the player needs to know the exact details. It is better to give prompts like "Roll a d20 to see if you hit" or "Roll a d20 to see if you resist being charmed" to a new player. Give them something to do, and they will feel part of the table. If they look frustrated, they are likely not having fun.

On the new player table, a smart organizer will "stack the deck" by including a seasoned player at the table to help others learn. This helps the GM focus on the game and running the table while ensuring the player has questions answered in a timely manner. A smart GM uses the seasoned player to give the new player a little attention. A peer who knows the ropes in the game is helpful to everyone and keeps the table moving.

As the game goes on, the GM should engage every player and treat the new person like part of the team. Nothing bores a new player like being treated as if they have a practice sword or only the "marshmallow" monsters attack them. A GM owes it to the player to present a challenge, even if the threat is more perceived than real.

Illustrated by Jason Rainville

The seasoned player can suggest actions for the new player, but let the new player control their own character. If they want to do something unusual, explain the consequences. Mistakes are great learning experiences. A new player that feels they pull their weight in the party often returns to the gaming table. Let the new player enjoy belonging as a member of the party.

When the game is over, explain the tracking sheet and the Chronicle. Give the new player the basics of the new character creation in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, and suggest they use the Core Rulebook to create their own character for the second session. Again, make sure to keep it as simple as possible. Explain that at the third session they might use any other books they may own that fit the theme of their character and are listed on the Additional Resources page. It is important to set the expectation that they will have to own books to get fancy feats, traits, spells, or any number of other character options. Telling a new player that they can use a shiny new character next session is a great selling point, so use it!

An organizer should talk to the new player after the session and chat about the recent game. Make sure to keep the conversation friendly, and address the player by name. Encourage them to come to the next game, and exchange contact information. Avoid forcing a hard commitment. It is better to give them wiggle room and leave a positive impression.

One-on-one interaction grows the community of Pathfinder Society players. It may be time-consuming to prepare and welcome new players, but the invested effort makes the community a more welcoming place for newcomers and returning participants alike. The Pathfinder Society is not for everyone but everyone is welcome.

If you have tips and tricks that have worked with recruiting and retaining new players, please share those here. As a community, we serve each other best when we share ideas and tools that make all of our jobs just a bit easier. Thanks again to Dominick for writing the very first of our Stories from the Field blogs.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Mike Brock
Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator

Interregnum

Friday, December 19, 2014

As a famous pin-headed man once said, "I have such sights to show you."

Only the timing's off. WizKids has not yet solicited the spring Pathfinder Battles set, and until they do (which should happen imminently, but at this point is unlikely before the Christmas holiday) I can't show off any of the numerous awesome images I'd love to unleash on you as a special gift from Santa.

But leaking images out of the elves' workshop before their time is a good way to disappear in a suspicious sleigh accident, so I'm afraid there's nothing I can do but look over these images myself and smile about what's in store.

What is in store, you ask? Let's do a quck recap of what we (I) know so far:

1. Starting in January we've got at least six monthly Iconic Heroes Sets, each featuring six premium sculpts with premium paint jobs and six exclusive cards for use with the smash hit Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. We've already revealed the contents of the first three sets in digital form. For the first set, we've shown every step in the process, from digital sculpt to paint master to final production figures. I'm looking at my own sample of those final figures right now, and I'm still amazed we were able to pull of the quality of detail on the set. It's really going to set a new standard for paint application on prepainted figures.

   Folks have been asking for nonrandom "visible" prepainted plastic figures since the very beginning, and at least as far as Pathfinder Battles is concerned, this is exactly what people have been demanding from the start. I certainly hope all advocates for the line have plans to buy these. If for whatever reason they don't sell well, I think it's fair to say we'll probably never see another release like this in the future.

   No pressure.

   We're currently shipping the most recent full set, The Lost Coast, to positive reviews. If you're considering an Ongoing Pathfinder Battles Subscription, now would be a great time to sign up. Subscribers who have had at least one full release ship to them will be eligible for a 30% discount on Iconic Heroes sets. In order to unlock this discount for the first set, which releases in late January, you've got to have a full set ship before then. No time like the present for a present to youself!

2. We currently plan to release two full sets in 2015, one in the Spring and one in the Winter. I've approved paint masters for the entire Spring set, and I've got to say it includes some of my favorite models we've produced to date. This will be the first set to benefit from digital sculpts, and the degree of control that's given us over fine details is really staggering. As usual, this set will "flesh out" a couple of key monster types (including a major one people have been demanding from the start, but which we've not yet included in a single set).

   Both sets will include a type of figure we've also never done before, and these special figures will be in addition to the normal number of figures per set (45). I can't reveal more on pain of death, but this is one of the elements I'm most excited to share with you.

3. The second set in 2015 is currently scheduled to include a VERY special case incentive figure unlike anything we've ever done before. I'm super stoked about it. It's so special that it may not happen. The workshop elves are still measuring and evaluating, but ooooh, boy it'll be awesome. We're in the process of reviewing digital sculpts from this set.

4. The line is healthy, and we're continuing to plan into 2016 and beyond. I'm currently pulling together the set list for the first 2016 set, and am always looking for new ideas to fill in the blank spots.

   What figures are you especially hoping we include in future sets? I'll give some oblique hints in the comments below if people make particularly good guesses, and I look forward to translating some of your suggestions into the setlists I'm working on now! Help a brother out!

Things are going to go dark here in the Friday Publisher Preview for the next two weeks as the Publisher takes a much-needed winter vacation. We'll be back on January 9, and I certainly hope I have some cool new images to reveal then.

In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas, and try to get some gaming in over the holidays!

Erik Mona
Publisher

Keep Your Eyes on the Stars!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

All of the Round 1 RPG Superstar 2015 entries are in! Go get voting and help us find our Top 32! If you have any questions about voting, check out our Voting FAQ, or email us at contest@paizo.com.

Vote Now!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Feast Your Eyes on the Island of Empty Eyes (and the Feast of Spoils)!

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Once upon a time, there was a girl who had to write a blog. And she really didn't want to because she was sick and could only see out of one eye and because it was Thanksgiving morning. She turned on the parade (because that would help productivity, obvs) and things didn't get any better. Apparently "parade" now means listening to the hosts attempt to make witty banter in between random performances of Broadway songs. She had signed up for giant balloons and marching bands, not this random showcase of songs from Broadway shows that paid money to be featured. She had reached the point where she was a) angry at a parade and b) had not actually written more of her blog because she was TOO BUSY BEING ANGRY AT A PARADE. Great Googly Moogly! Just as she realized that the marching bands and balloons probably hadn't reached the witty banter station and the performances were just filler until then, the marching bands and balloons showed up. And she lived happily ever after and kindly elves wrote her blog for her.

By now you've probably figured out that I am the girl in that (mostly true) story. And you're thinking, "Surely you weren't sick on Thanksgiving or dividing your attention between work and fun?! And surely-er, you wouldn't be the sort of person who gets mad at parades?" Sadly for me, the part about being sick and the part about being a person who gets mad at parades is true and the part about kindly elves finishing my writing is a complete fabrication.

Even with many of these things being true (I mean, seriously, what kind of person yells at their TV because the parade is wrong?!), it is still the holiday season and there are still many things to be thankful for. I'm going to focus on things related to the Adventure Card Game because that's what we're here to talk about. I am extremely thankful that you are taking some of your time to read this blog (even if you're only reading it to procrastinate doing work). And I'm thankful that you love this game that we all work so hard on (and I'm thankful I get to work on it!). I'm also thankful that it is my eye that is not working properly and not my fingers because that would make typing real tough. Enough with the warm fuzzies. Let's jump into the awesome stuff to look forward to.

Obligatory Shark Section

Hold on to your peg legs, kids—The Island of Empty Eyes has the biggest, baddest shark we've ever had!

She's got more teeth than you've got... well, anything.

This shark is not going to put up with any of your nonsense. None of it. And if you bring any nonsense, she's going to eat you and your ship. Speaking of eating...

Other Awesome Stuff Section

These are things to be thankful for. Even if some of them hurt you. And all of them are delicious. Or they find you delicious. Small details.

You guys ever listen to the Beach Boys? They actually put out a fantasy-themed album. It featured a track called "Koko, NO!" Seriously. They did.

(sing) Off the Fever Seeeeeeeeas, there's a tree called Koko, no! For the love of Besmara, stop pelting me with coconuts!!!

So, I love Koko. Koko lobs first, and asks questions later. And if you let her ask questions later, she'll just throw some more coconuts at you. It's not the best for people who intrude on Koko and her domain. If you've managed to keep your wits about you and have the wherewithal to use Fire against Koko, that'll help. But you better knock her out or it's more coconuts to the noggin' for you! When life, or Koko, gives you coconuts, there's only one thing to do. You put the lime in the coconut and drink 'em both up...

I don't know if you like dinosaurs as much as I do but if you're cool you probably like dinosaurs at least a little bit. So check this out—an entire location ALL ABOUT DINOSAURS! And a dinosaur Henchman!

Rampaging Triceratopses are just the buckin' broncos of the Dinosaur Corral. Yee-haw!

I hope you loaded up on Animal allies. And hopefully, you haven't been burying very many cards. If you don't have Animal allies to help you out and you've been burying cards left and right, who cares? Sweet dinosaur cards will make up for that! Unless you get eaten because that jolly little orange dinosaur finds you delectable. It's pretty hard to come back from being devoured. Your fault for being tasty!

There are also some good things in this set. I mean, I gotta give you some reasons to be thankful for the game. Check out this Saltbox.

A salty gun for a salty sea dog.

As you can imagine, this gun is similar to the Pepperbox (which is totally awesome, right?) except it's even better against monsters with the Aquatic trait. Because, just like a Pepperbox shoots pepper and makes things... um... sneeze, a Saltbox shoots salt and gets water things all shrivelly. Nevermind that they live in saltwater. That's none of your business.

Did I mention sweet dinosaur cards? This one is even friendly!

This is my Pteranodon and I shall call him Pterrence.

So, this flappy fellow will pick you up and drop you off somewhere else and let you explore. Plus, there's a d6 in it for you if you have to fight something. I'm pretty sure Pterrence's strategy is to make a loud, squawky sort of sound to distract your opponent. He doesn't really look like a biter. [Ed: I don't see any teeth in there. He must be a gulper.] Anyway, he's adorable and he helps you win. AND HE'S A DINOSAUR! Be careful though, he'll probably try to eat the pturkey at your Pthanksigiving dinner. His ptable manners leave something to be desired.

There's something else that fits in the category of awesome stuff, but I don't want to spoil the surprise. I don't use this word lightly (or ever, except for right now) but seriously, it's amazeballs. If things go well, it'll be the first thing you see when you open your boxes. I so wish I could see people's faces when that happens.

Scenario Preview AKA The Important Stuff

H'okay. So here we are in the part of the blog that is supposed to give you useful information and not just the ramblings of a crazy person.

These cards really make me want mustard.

By now you've realized that I'm going to walk you through The Feast of Spoils, which really is a feast of spoils. So many plunders! And some pretty ridiculous loot to boot. And all this food stuff is making me really hungry for our Thanksgiving feast. Probably I'm going to stop writing until after I eat. Food-coma writing is a little easier to understand than hunger-pang writing.

Some time later...

If you haven't noticed already, the blessings deck is a little wacky for this adventure. I am a big fan of messing with the blessings deck so I'm particularly excited for this. The Shipwrecks also happen to mostly be good things. You still get your turn (and who cares about any bad lycanthropes you might encounter on that turn—there's no blessing on top of the blessings discard pile to pump them up) and you get a chance to add some plunder to your ship. In a six-player game, that's eight chances! You might not hit them all if you burn through the game really fast, but you've got a good chance to add a fair amount of goodies for your party at the end of the scenario. Of course, if you don't succeed, you'll have to encounter The Pirate Council. You remember them, right?

The Pirate Council, or as I like to call them, the plunder plunderers.

Yeah, it's these guys again. Hopefully you don't fail at repairing a ship, and if you fail at that hopefully you don't fail at being charismatic or diplomatic. Just, don't fail. It's really that simple. So, that's just the nonsense with the blessings deck. Let's take a peek at what's actually happening in the rest of the locations.

The locations aren't anything to be too preoccupied with, but they will contain a Ruffian henchman or The Eel.

These guys are why we can't have nice things.

Eventually you'll get a few of the Ruffians out of the way and be able to finish off The Eel when you meet him. He clearly took lessons from Koko on how to lob stuff at you and your ship. Except he's not throwing coconuts. He's tossing bombs around like there's no tomorrow. If you aren't careful all that hard-earned plunder will just float away. So, be careful... which is like telling a triceratops not to rampage. Not as easy as it looks.

Anyway, here's hoping that was a fun preview of The Island of Empty Eyes and I'm crossing my fingers that your brain won't melt when you open it and see our special surprise for all of you. Oh, at the end of this scenario you'll get a class 4 ship feat, so I might as well show you one of the cool new ships.

Aren't you thankful for a ship full of werewolves? I know I am.

As always, thanks for reading and for those of you who celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends eating tasty foods (I know I enjoyed my Tofurky!) and playing some games. No, happy elves did not get me to finish this during the parade. I decided writing with a food coma would be a better choice. And since I don't have a clever piratical way to sign off...I'm just going to leave this here.

*mic drop*

Gary Gaby Weidling
Adventure Card Game Developer

Keep Your Eyes on the Stars!

Monday, December 15, 2014

The deadline for Round 1 of RPG Superstar 2015 is tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16 at 2:00 PM Pacific time! We've had a number of lively discussions and great advice, but in the end it’s all about the item. Don't miss the chance to be part of the Superstar experience, be sure to get your submission in well before the cut-off!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Piracy on the Sanctioned Seas!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Illustration by Mariusz Gandzel

For many Pathfinder Society players, the end of the year is a time to reunite with friends and family—and get the old gaming group back together! If you haven't heard the news, there's a new Pathfinder Module at large: Plunder & Peril. Ready for some more tidings of good cheer? It's now sanctioned for Pathfinder Society Organized Play! You can download the Chronicle sheet from the product page or Additional Resources page.

This module is actually a set of three smaller adventures that can be played back-to-back to tell a bigger story, and there's a Chronicle sheet for each part of the module. If one of your characters is feeling particularly piratey, you can apply all three Chronicle sheets to her and earn a fourth sheet as a bonus! For even more swashbuckling action, combine this module's rewards with those for theSkull and Shackles Adventure Path to create a true Pathfinding terror of the high seas (it's now possible to get a character from 1st- to 14th-level playing almost nothing but pirate-themed adventures)!

Is that still not enough ship-to-ship action for you? In conjunction with Tannis O'Connor, I have added a little something extra to the Chronicle sheets for those of you participating in the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild's Season of the Shackles.

Happy gaming!

John Compton
Developer

Iconic Heroes Set #1 Final Photos (Part 2)!

Friday, December 12, 2014

We're just about a month away from the first release in our Iconic Heroes line of premium prepainted plastic figures. We've already shown the first in-hand photos of the finished figures for three of the figures in the set: Valeros, Seoni, and Sajan. This week we'll round out the set with looks at the final three figures.

These are NOT paint masters. They are not pre-production samples. They are finished figures representative of what the actual product will look like when it hits stores and subscribers in January. Incidentally, due to labor problems on West Coast ports, the official release date for Iconic Heroes Set #1 has moved from January 15 to January 28, 2015. Mark your calendars!

Up first this week is Seelah, Human Paladin. Seelah was the fifth Pathfinder iconic hero ever to appear in prepainted plastic. She had a figure in our first full set, Heroes & Monsters, and while her original miniature looked good in general, she came across as a little short compared to some of her iconic brothers and sisters, and I've always been itching at the chance to giver her another shot. I'm happy to say WizKids delivered admirably this time around. This version has Seelah wearing a full helmet, and the cool graphic stamped on the front of her shield must be seen to be believed—it's that good.

I've always been a fan of the original Lini figure from way back in Legends of Golarion. The new version of Lini, Gnome Druid is much more dynamic, with a sense of "three dimensionality" somewhat lacking in the original version. Of course, a druid is nothing without an animal buddy, so we've made sure to include...

I'm really happy with how the Droogami figure turned out. Lini's animal companion has never looked better. For starters, this is the first great cat figure we've yet produced that looks more ferocious than "furry." This version comes complete with a saddle!

Each Iconic Heroes set comes complete with 6 exclusive Pathfinder Adventure Card Game cards associated with the characters in the box.

Iconic Heroes sets begin in January and continue monthly from there. Beyond that, I've seen paint masters for the next full set (which should be announced imminently) and digital sculpts for the set after that. I'm currently putting together a set list for the first release in 2016. And I can't wait to show all of that awesome stuff to you! Soon.

Soooooooooooooooon!

Erik Mona
Publisher

Get Ready to See Stars!

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

It's that time of year again, we're beginnig to announce details for the next RPG Superstar™ contest! Every year, Paizo holds an annual open-call RPG design competition to give the best and brightest aspiring game designers a chance to show the world their talent. This year, we're going to be shaking things up a bit.

For starters, I'll be acting as your host throughout the contest. For those of you who have no idea who I am, my name is Owen K.C. Stephens and I was brought on as a developer by Paizo earlier this year. I work primarily on the Pathfinder Modules and Pathfinder Player Companion lines, and I have a long history of writing for Paizo on a number of products. Since the prize for winning RPG Superstar™ is an adventure we'll publish in one of our RPG Modules, I'm getting involved in the contest early and will be helping oversee it this year.

The contest itself is going to be ramping up the degree of difficulty in several rounds as a result of how consistently amazing the entries have been year after year. We're convinced the talent pool exists to make several of the stages tougher than previous years, and that the best contestants are going to thrive under the pressure. That shouldn't discourage anyone from entering! Instead, think of this as an even better test of your skills. Anyone who makes it to the last few rounds of this year's contest should be confident they have what it takes to get work in the tabletop RPG industry.

What won't change is the core concept and processes we've developed over several years of RPG Superstar™. We have some surprises for you, and some rounds will have new challenges, but things will seem very familiar to fans who have followed the contest for several years. Where things significantly change from previous contests, I'll provide extra guidance on how we envision the round going, and why we made the change.

The first big change: entries for Open Call are not wondrous items, as they have been in every other year of the contest. Instead we're asking contestants to create a magic item from one of the following categories: armor, shield, weapon, staff, ring, or rod. As always, the magic item should conform to the rules and format given in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook for items of that type. In the case of a magic suit of armor, shield, or weapon, it should be an example of a specific armor, shield, or weapon, rather than one created by adding magic special abilities. Think breastplate of command and life-drinker, rather than a +1 ghost touch chain shirt or +1 keen flaming bastard sword. Further if you decide to do a magic staff make sure you have a concept that elevates it above a "spell-in-a-can" with multiple spells. We are, after all, looking for Superstars!

We're making this change to the first round for a number of reasons. First, we want to strongly encourage contestants to create something new, rather than re-submitting an item they've used in previous years (even if they've modified it since then). Secondly, we want to see how well people can do with a surprise and a tight deadline. Writing in the RPG industry is often done with short schedules and sometimes the needs of a project change after you've already started working on it. By shaking things up in the first round, we'll get finalists who know they can handle the chaos and pressure of writing for RPG projects in real-world conditions.

Open Call is otherwise very much as past years. The open call begins today, and you need to have your entry in by December 16 at 2:00 PM Pacific time. We'll be maintaining public voting for these initial entries as we've done for the past 2 years. So your magic item will initially be judged by being presented to voters along with another randomly determined item. That means if you submit a magic ring it'll be compared to many items that aren't rings, so be sure you present something that can stand up to competition in any form. The top 32 items will be determined by the community along with feedback and oversight from our judges for this round, and those 32 competitors will face other game design challenges in the remaining rounds of the competition!

So loosen up your creative muscles, start crafting a magic item, and get ready to be the next RPG Superstar™!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

Tips for Holiday PACG-ing

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Can you smell the season's tidings in the air? No, not the crisp-cold scent of pine logs in your neighbor's fireplace in the wintry morning breeze. It's the smell of fresh ink and cardstock. Welcome to that special time of year, boon and bane to gamers everywhere.

With BGG.CON behind us, we wave goodbye to another convention season as all the treasures they promised now appear in Friendly Local Game Stores across the land. Our arms are laden with new games to play and hope for a long snow day lingers on our bright, eager faces—board game season is here!

As holiday schedules wreak havoc on dedicated adventuring groups, there's treasure to be snatched from Old Man Winter's icy grip... if you dare! Or, to put it another way, no one wants to spend another family gathering sulking in the corner and searching her pudding for plums when there's adventuring to be done!

Tip 1: Play with Strangers! (or as strange as you can get)

Have you played PACG with strangers yet? I highly recommend it. It's the fun of Pathfinder in bite-sized, no-DM-needed pieces in a handy, portable box. Organized play through the Adventure Card Guild also has the magical power to be more fun than it should be, even with the most incongruous of game groups. This is where I could ramble on about the nuances of the cooperative game design principles that guided the game's development, but let's just say a wizard did it. And no, Mike Selinker is not actually a wizard. (He's a sorcerer—it's a nuanced but important distinction.)

One of the best parts of my job is getting to play games with all kinds of people. BGG.CON was especially delightful, getting to play with fans of the game and new players alike. I got to outrun ghosts with a power gamer whose character deck is tuned like a well-oiled machine. I hammered Hammerheads with a father and daughter pair who, much to their delight, won with a pirate (as Jirelle the swashbuckler) and uncovered buried treasure while sporting both an Eye Patch and a Parrot.

Little known fact: any single character can win Skull & Shackles by displaying perfect pirate fashion sense.

Tip 2: Try Organized Play

So your regular gaming group is in shambles this month because one does not simply incur the disappointment of grandmas. Or, locked in your wintry fortress, you've already played through the S&S adventures so far. Enter the glorious balm of Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild scenarios, played in your very own home!

Slip them into your Base Set on their own (for an off-the-books experience) or play with Class Decks and the Guide to Adventure Card Guild Organized Play. You can break out Card Guild scenarios for a quick dose of fresh PACG without the guilt of cheating on your regular adventuring group. Would Sir or Madam enjoy a shark-hunting rampage? Might I suggest Season of the Shackles Scenario 1-B: The Lone Shark?

Tip 3: Snow Day Marathon!

Forget the cold and gloom outside; spend your snow day with hot toddies and hours free to chase down villains all over the Shackles. How far can you get through the Skull & Shackles adventure path in one day?

Don't have a snow day? No problem. 'Tis the season for holing up with friends on a weekend once the gilded lights come down. (Who am I kidding? I consider it an accomplishment if I clear up the decorations by Valentine's.) Happy Board Game Season, everybody!

Liz Spain
Adventure Card Game Designer

End the Year on a High[-Level] Note!

Monday, December 8, 2014

I could swear I've written this blog before, and I could swear it has started a different way each time.

In fact, this blog has been about a year in the making, ever since I took a copy of Paizo's second 64-page model with me over Thanksgiving break to begin working on that adventure's sanctioning document. It's been through about four revisions since then, each one not quite turning out as I had envisioned before other priorities put an end to my edits.

Something changed with this last go-around. I put an end to saying, "No, this is too silly to be a boon" and began asking, "What needs to happen to make this a boon?" I began taking out some of the weird limitations and tweaked the language in the Seeker Arc Option section (yes, a seeker arc option!) to make it easier to schedule and play. I began experimenting with ways to let the player choose the rewards. I began to open up some stranger options, and I began to write something other than a number in the "GP Gained" box. In the end, the Chronicle sheets began to look like the Chronicle sheets should for a high-level module full of clockwork, mutants, and gunpowder: awesome.

Really there's only one thing left to begin: playing Pathfinder Module: Wardens of the Reborn Forge, now sanctioned for the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign. One important thing has come to an end: the long wait for this fine opportunity for high-level play. You can download the rules and Chronicle sheet on the product page or the Additional Resources page.

Bwa ha ha! Sanctioned for Organized Play at long last!
Illustration by Dieter Miller

Check by next week when I continue spreading the holiday cheer with some Treasure and Terror... or was that Jewels and Jeopardy?

Happy gaming!

John Compton
Developer

Promo-Ho-Ho!

Friday, December 5, 2014

We interrupt this regularly scheduled weekly Pathfinder Battles preview to deliver on something I've been promising for a while. We've finally managed to sort a bunch of our unused promotional repaint figures from 2013 and 2014, and I wanted to share them with you as soon as I could! All six are currently available for ordering exclusively on paizo.com. Like previous promo figures, these will not last forever. I think they make great "stocking stuffer" gifts for fellow gamers, so I wanted to get them up in time for the holidays (and because people keep reminding me I've been promising to do so for ages). We'll pick up with the Iconic Heroes Set #1 in-hand photo previews next week. For now, let's look at what Santa has in store in the promo department!

The Bloodbriar Goblin Raider is a special promotional miniature designed to promote the Pathfinder Online game. As the Kickstarter for that project grew and grew, the originally planned single figure turned into a set of 10, and this figure was created all over again and included as part of the 10-figure sealed Emerald Spire Promo Set. That left us with the original run of the figure, which has since been distributed in limited quantities at regional conventions. This version of the Bloodbriar Goblin Raider is based on the same paint master as the figure in the Promo Set, but as it was produced in a different production run, there are slight differences in the paint application. The base is also different, featuring the GoblinWorks logo instead of the Emerald Spire set designation. The figure is a promotional repaint of the Goblin Commando on Mount figure from the Rise of the Runelords Pathfinder Battles set. The goblin is a Small figure on a Medium mount and base.

The Shadowfire Elemental is a promotional repaint of the Medium Fire Elemental figure from the Shattered Star set. It was originally produced in 2013 as a convention promo figure, but was incorporated into the 10-figure Emerald Spire Promo Set to support the Pathfinder Online Kickstarter effort. That left us with the original run of the figure, which has never before been distributed. This version of the Shadowfire Elemental is based on the same paint master as the figure in the Promo Set, but as it was produced in a different production run, there are slight differences in the paint application. The base is also different, featuring the Paizo logo and "2013" instead of the Emerald Spire set designation. Statistics for the Shadowfire Elemental template can be found on page 157 of the Emerald Spire Superdungeon. The Shadowfire Elemental is a Medium figure.

The Lava Lurker is a promotional repaint of the Medium Earth Elemental from the Shattered Star set. It was originally produced in 2013 as a convention promo figure, but was incorporated into the 10-figure Emerald Spire Promo Set to support the Pathfinder Online Kickstarter effort. That left us with the original run of the figure, which has never before been distributed. This version of the Lava Lurker is based on the same paint master as the figure in the Promo Set, but as it was produced in a different production run, there are slight differences in the paint application. The base is also different, featuring the Paizo logo and "2013" instead of the Emerald Spire set designation. Statistics for the Lava Lurker can be found on page 155 of the Emerald Spire Superdungeon. The Lava Lurker is a Medium figure.

The Hellfire Wisp is a variant promotional repaint of the Will-o'-Wisp figure from the Wrath of the Righteous set. It was originally given out in 2014 at the Origins Game Fair and Dragon Con, and has subsequently appeared at other regional events. It features the Paizo logo on the bottom of the base in the place of a regular set designation. The Hellfire Wisp is a Medium figure.

The Goblin Raider is a variant promotional repaint of the Goblin Pyro 2 figure from the Legends of Golarion set. It was originally given out as a sales incentive in 2014 at the Paizo Booth at Gen Con Indy. It features the Paizo logo on the bottom of the base in the place of a regular set designation. The Goblin Raider is a Small figure.

The Slaver Demon is a variant promotional repaint of the Horned Demon figure from the Wrath of the Righteous set. It was originally given out as a promotional "thank you" to participants in the Gen Con Special Pathfinder Society event at Gen Con Indy 2014. It features the Paizo logo on the bottom of its base. The Slaver Demon is a variant Kalavakus Demon, whose game statistics appear on page 78 of Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2. The figure is a Medium miniature.

And that's it for this week! I've got to go tend to some ornery reindeer up on the roof.

Cheers!

Erik Mona
Publisher

Occult Society Revisited

Monday, December 1, 2014

Almost a week has passed since the Occult Adventures playtest closed, and I've heard very positive feedback from the Design Team about the playtest contributions of Pathfinder Society players. Thank you for participating in the playtest and helping us tweak the classes and make Occult Adventures the best Gen Con release yet. Note that as of the playtest's conclusion, creating characters using the playtest versions of the Occult Adventures classes is no longer legal; only those who unlocked the ability to play a psychic character can continue to use that PC before the book's publication and inclusion on the Additional Resources page.

This year we put together something different for Pathfinder Society: we offered a four-part boon to incentivize playtesting and reward those who ran a lot of tests across a wide range of levels. The Chronicle sheet addressed a few concerns we have had during past RPG hardcover playtests, such as limited higher-level playtest reports and a glut of playtest characters running around the campaign between December and August using non-final versions of the classes. Mark Seifter and I worked together to build an incentive to assist the designers while also keeping the impact of the playtest to a minimum after it wrapped up. We also knew that unlocking that fourth and final boon would be difficult but that we wanted to reward anyone who was so dedicated to the playtest process.

I'm certain there are ways to improve the process even further, and I would like to hear your feedback on what went well and what could be better in the organized play playtest. Did this Chronicle sheet inspire you to try a class and provide feedback? Were you more inclined to test just one character to unlock as many boons as possible, or did you try out several classes? Did you or anyone you know unlock the third boon (6 play credits) or the fourth boon (9 credits)? Did the boons strike a good balance between being attractive and not being game-breaking? Did you find the Chronicle sheet easy to use and understand? These are just a few questions on my mind, and if you have related feedback about some other aspect of how we handled the playtest for Pathfinder Society, let me know here.

John Compton
Developer