The Gem

by Gary Kloster

Chapter One: Gods and Crocodiles

Outside, the children of Thirty Trees laughed and their parents talked, monkeys chattered in the canopy and birds sang to the morning sun. But inside the little house that Jiri shared with Oza, the only sound that mattered was the muted clicks of the clay pots her teacher was packing into his bag.

"They think I'll burn the village down." Jiri swung her feet and her hammock stirred beneath her, an unsteady motion that matched her mood.

"They don't think that." Oza, shaman of Thirty Trees, pulled the ties of his bag tight. "Well, not all of them."

"Most of them." Jiri's feet kicked too hard, and her hammock tipped. Used to its treachery, she dropped out before it could dump her. "They don't trust me. They only made me a Mosa because you wanted them to, and they love you. But I'm not you, Oza."

"Thank the spirits." Oza stood, the short braids of his graying hair brushing against the baskets of dried herbs and roots that hung overhead. "If there were two of me, we'd need a bigger house."`

Jiri frowned up at her teacher. She didn't like being reminded that her growth had stopped well before she had wanted it to, leaving her shorter than any other adult in Thirty Trees. "You'd have to make it bigger, or you'd choke on all the old-man farts," she grumbled.

Oza laughed, and Jiri smiled a little at the sound, but inside...

They don't trust me. Her eyes rose to the cone of their roof. They had replaced the thatch that had burned, but she could still see the charred beams from that night. One nightmare, and I almost killed us.

Oza's laughter faded when he saw her gaze shift, and his face grew serious. "It's been almost a year, Jiri, and that was the last time."

Oza was right. Almost a year had passed since that night Jiri had woken in terror from her dream of being trapped somewhere dark, somewhere deep, and seen the flames birthed by her anger and fear dancing overhead. But she still remembered that surge of joy, of triumph, that had flooded through her at the sight of the fire twisting like red and yellow vines through the thatch. She also remembered how that triumph and joy had crumbled into horror when she realized what she had done.

If it hadn't been raining, if Oza hadn't been ready with his magic, the whole house would have burned. Maybe the whole village.

Jiri had worked so hard since then. Practicing the meditations that Oza had taught her, walking the spirit world with him, learning to control her magic and her ability to call the spirits to her, to bargain with them for their power. She had learned control. The water bucket no longer sat full beside Oza's hammock. But...

The spirit of fire is always there, waiting, so eager for me to call it, so eager to serve. To burn, and destroy. Jiri rubbed her hands together, hands that should have been marked with scars from all the times she had burned herself with her magic as a child. Oza had always been there to heal her, though, to fix the damage that she had caused. And now he was going, leaving her alone for the first time that she could remember. Jiri realized heat was gathering in the fists her hands had made, and the feel of it was comforting and terrifying all at once.

She breathed, in and out, focusing on herself, separating her spirit from the fire, putting its bright magic to the side. When she had control again, she looked up and found Oza's eyes on her, serious and patient.

"Mosa Jiri Maju," he said. "There will always be those who don't trust you. What matters is that you trust yourself. Like I trust you." Oza brushed back Jiri's long braids with a calloused hand. "You are strong in magic. You may be stronger than me someday. That's a dangerous blessing, and there will be times it feels like a curse. But your spirit is good. You will be a great shaman for your people."

"Even if they're not sure they want to be my people?" Jiri asked.

"They may not have that choice," Oza said. He smiled again, though his eyes stayed serious. "You may be shaman to more than this one village, this one tribe, someday. But for the next two days, you are the shaman of Thirty Trees. Which I'm sure will still be standing when I come back from Kibwe."

"Unless that giant crocodile we had three years ago comes back. Or that band of charau-ka that tried to raid us last harvest."

"Why worry small?" Oza said. "Why not both at once?"

"Because then we'd just feed the charau-ka to the crocodile and poison it." Jiri frowned at her teacher. "But what if—"

"What if dragons, or kongamato, or inkanyamba, or any other of the great beasts I've taught you about? What if demons or the Gorilla King himself? Then you can send someone to fetch me. Kibwe's less than a day away. But I think what you need to be ready for is spider-bites, fireweed itch, and arguments over how often you should bless the mango trees. Those are things I know you can handle." Oza hoisted his bag to his shoulder and reached out his hand. Jiri touched his palm with hers, and they gripped fingers for a long moment. Then Jiri let go with a sigh.

"Gods, spirits, and ancestors, may they watch, protect, and guide," Oza said in farewell. But he had barely stepped out the door before a thickset older man stopped him. It was Mazi, the wara of Thirty Trees.

Everyone in Thirty Trees respects Oza's wisdom.

"Shaman! Thank all my ancestors that you have not left yet. I need to speak to you about something urgent."

Jiri twitched, fear flooding into her, and relief that Oza was still there.

"What is it?" Oza asked.

"It is a matter that is best kept quiet," Mazi said. The village's leader stepped close to Oza, and Jiri had to strain to hear him. "Something bit me. In a very, ah, tender place. The itch is unbearable."

"Ah." Oza turned back toward his house, catching Jiri's eye. His face was serious, but his eyes weren't. "Jiri will be able to help with that."

"Yes. Jiri. Well." Mazi shifted uncomfortably, and Jiri noticed how the wara was carefully holding the loose cotton of his mud cloth away from his skin. "Couldn't you—"

"I follow the spirits, Wara," Oza said solemnly. "And they say I must be off. Jiri will heal you." Oza looked once more at Jiri, the corner of his mouth barely crooked into a smile. She frowned back at him, but smoothed her face carefully as she stepped out into the morning sun.

"Wara. Please, let me help. Or would you rather wait until Oza returns?"

Mazi watched the older shaman stride away and sighed. "No. Just... no fire," he said as he shuffled past her, into her house.

Jiri turned her back on all the other villagers who happened to be standing around outside, hiding their smiles with varying degrees of success.

"No fire," she said.

Maybe the giant crocodile wouldn't have been so bad.

∗ ∗ ∗

"I'm sorry," Jiri said. "She's dead."

"Ancestors cry." Dama shifted her baby on her hip and sighed. "White Ear was my best milker, but she was never the smartest goat. Drowning in a puddle, though? I didn't think she was that stupid."

Jiri pulled her feet with some difficulty out of the deep mud and splashed out of the pool that her neighbor had found White Ear bobbing in. "It's surprisingly deep," she said, wringing out the bottom of her shirt. Yesterday, after Oza had left, it had started raining. This was not unusual in the Mwangi, where rained most days this time of year. But this rain had been heavy, and had lasted through the night, only clearing after dawn. Now the jungle steamed and dripped in the morning sun, and the children were sliding through the red mud and playing in the little streams that ran between, and sometimes through, Thirty Trees' houses.

Their parents seemed less amused.

"Neh." Dama shook her head. "Mud everywhere, and now I have to butcher a goat. At least we'll eat well tonight. Join us?"

"Thank you. I—"

"Jiri! Where's Oza?"

Jiri spun when she heard her name and saw the young man running up. Hadzi. The boy that Oza had been teasing her about for the past year, the boy that she had such trouble looking at when he was looking at her, but whom she could stare at quite happily when he was doing anything else. For a moment Jiri was acutely aware that she was covered in mud and goat hair, her braids an unruly tangle around her face. That feeling flashed away, though, when Hadzi splashed to a stop in front of her. He was breathing hard, covered in mud and soaked in water and sweat, and his eyes were wide in his handsome face.

"Oza's still in Kibwe. What's happened?"

"Boro." Hadzi gasped his brother's name. "In trouble. At the river."

"Take me," Jiri said, and she followed when he turned and started to run again.

∗ ∗ ∗

They reached the river too early.

Rain-swollen, the dirt-red water had spread far beyond its usual banks. Jiri splashed through it behind Hadzi, stumbling over hidden brush, hoping not to fall into a hole, eyes searching for crocodiles.

"Here," Hadzi said, rounding the big gaboon tree that marked where the trail they were trying to follow turned toward the river's usual banks. "Oza's gone! I brought Jiri!" he shouted as he disappeared behind the tree's buttress roots.

Jiri thought she might have heard a curse answer Hadzi's shout, but she was too distracted to worry about it when she came around the tree. Below her, the jungle opened up and she could see the river proper. Normally narrow and placid, it had become a red-brown monster, its center churning with foam and drifting debris as it rushed by. Close to them, a great pile of branches and small trees had caught against the massive, moss-covered stone that normally stood at the river's edge. Tangled in that wrack of limbs and roots was a boat, one of the big river ships that ran cargo between Kibwe and the outer villages. Clustered on the stone over the wreck was a group from the village, young men and women mostly. Out on the snag, Jiri spotted Fumo, Hadzi's father, balanced on a tree trunk beside the boat, holding something that lay half in the water.

Boro.

Jiri splashed her way down toward the stone. The water rose rapidly, over her knees, to her waist, almost up to her arms, and she cursed her shortness as the current shoved at her and she had to half-swim to reach the outcrop. Hands grabbed her when she got close, yanking her out of the dangerous water, but she didn't feel much safer perched on the moss-covered rock. Still, the stone was much more certain than the unsteady wrack of logs. Carefully, Jiri stepped out onto a broken tree trunk. Then she dropped to her hands and knees and crawled forward, moving from trunk to branch to trunk toward Fumo, ignoring the constant shaking of the brush beneath her.

The man clung to a thick log, arms wrapped around Boro, holding him up. Boro's teeth were locked in pain, and he was twisted at a strange angle, his right leg under the water. Caught, Jiri realized, trapped by some shifting branch. Without his father's hold, he would be jerked down and crushed between the logs or drowned.

Fumo looked at her, his arms shaking. "I can't hold him like this much longer."

Gods and crocodiles, Jiri thought, staring at Boro. What would Oza do?

What can I do?

Then one of the women crouching on the stone behind them shouted.

"Look out!"

Jiri looked up and saw it, a black-green shape being swept along by the river's current, but angling toward them. It could have been a fallen tree—it was big enough—but she knew what it was immediately.

"Gods and crocodiles," she swore again, watching the massive reptile swim toward them.

Coming Next Week: River dangers in Chapter Two of Gary Kloster's "The Gem."

Gary Kloster is the author of the Pathfinder Tales novel Firesoul, featuring the further adventures of Jiri. His short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Fantasy, Apex, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Writers of the Future 25. Find him online at garykloster.com.

Illustration by Davi Blight.

Parade of Tributes: Wrath of the Righteous Characters

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Today we're going to talk about the character line-up for the next Pathfinder Adventure Card Game release, Wrath of the Righteous. As usual, each character in the set will have a premium character playmat created by our friends at Ultra•PRO. Mats will be available in two packs: one containing the 7 characters from the Wrath of the Righteous Base Set, and one containing the 4 characters from the Character Add-On Deck.

Speaking of the Base Set, here's your first look at the finished box, which features an all-new cover painting by Wayne Reynolds.

We showed off this box for the first time at last week's GAMA trade show and received lots of raves!

On to the characters!

Base Set

Alain
Alain the cavalier makes his ACG debut in this set, and he comes to the party with a shocking lack of tragedy in his backstory. Alain is an entitled scion of nobility who grew to manhood entirely convinced of his own competence in all things. As a brash young man, Alain gathered whatever funds and personal effects he could carry. He then declared himself a sellsword, setting off for the "crimson poetry of the fray." Today, whether leading soldiers in a suicidal charge or booting serving girls out of his bed in the morning, Alain cares little about the people around him. More than money, love, or lust, Alain cares about his reputation. With every encounter, he strives to increase his own legend, whether as a scoundrel or saint. Perhaps the only creature he truly values is his horse, Donahan. Exceedingly well trained, and having accompanied Alain for longer than any of his human compatriots, Donahan represents everything Alain looks for in a partner: absolute loyalty, absolute trust, and absolute obedience. Donahan is a new type of card called a cohort—we'll explain how those work in an upcoming blog.

Balazar
Summoner Balazar and his eidolon Padrig make their debuts in Wrath of the Righteous. Balazar grew up in the magical academies of Quantium in Nex after that region's Arclords stole him from his family. More interested in pranks and anarchy than his studies, Balazar was inevitably expelled. He set off on the road to Ecanus, a city infamous for its twisted magical experiments. The masters of Ecanus sought one who could look into a rift known as the Void Chasm and maintain his sanity. As they forced the gnome to stare into the Void, he heard a voice. "I will help you," it said in reassuring tones. "Give me form and allow me to leave this prison, and you and I will become as one." Balazar imagined a huge snakelike creature with a beak, and Padrig took form. Now the gnome and his strange companion wander the world, having fun and causing trouble in equal measure. Like Alain's horse Donahan, Padrig is a cohort card.

Enora
Enora the halfling arcanist makes her ACG debut in this set. She's motivated by a love of knowledge. Enora was a star student at the Occularium, a child of two professors at the august center of arcane learning. While performing field research in a half-flooded temple to Nethys, the god of magic, Enora uncovered a stone tablet that radiated a magical aura unlike anything she had ever encountered before. Touching her hand to the tablet flooded Enora's mind with magical revelations, knowledge beyond her wildest dreams, and a sense of a much vaster world of magical discovery than she had ever imagined. Today, Enora travels the Inner Sea searching for knowledge, be it secular or religious in nature.

Harsk
ACG fan-favorite Harsk returns for a third time! Few things made young Harsk happier than crouching in a tree stand in southeastern Varisia with his crossbow, listening to the wind through the forest leaves and waiting for deer or larger prey to wander by. After the brutal slaughter of his brother by giants, however, Harsk's view of his place in the world changed. Now the dwarven ranger seeks to forever be the voice of justice in wild places, preserving nature's balance and preventing the sacrifices of noble men like his brother.

Imrijka
Imrijka the inquisitor makes her Adventure Card Game debut in Wrath of the Righteous. Half-orc orphans aren't a common sight in the church of Pharasma, goddess of fate and death, but Imrijka isn't a common half-orc. She wears a mysterious disk that might hold the key to the truth of her parentage. Taken in by the church's high exorcist and trained as an inquisitor, Imrijka brings judgment to all who would violate the laws of life and death. Imrijka's seen it all, and she faces the future with courage and faith.

Kyra
Kyra's third appearance in the Adventure Card Game pits her against demons and heretics, but facing off against long odds is nothing new to this cleric of Sarenrae. Kyra grew up in the shadow of one of the Dawnflower's shrines. When bandits attacked her small town, Kyra watched as the priestesses did their best to reason with them—and when that came to naught, she decided to end them before they could do more damage. Unfortunately, the bandits were too strong, and the village burned. Kyra was one of the few survivors. On the smoking ruins of the shrine, she swore her life and sword arm to Sarenrae. She pledged to protect those who could not protect themselves, vowing not to spare the blade when the time for redemption passes.

Seelah
Fans of the RPG version of the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path will not be surprised to see our iconic paladin Seelah make her second appearance here. Seelah first encountered warriors in Iomedae's service in the town of Solku, where her family had fled after witnessing horrible atrocities in the land of Geb. When a group of Iomedae's knights arrived to defend Solku from marauding gnolls, Seelah was immediately taken with their beautiful, shining armor. Within an hour, she had stolen a particularly fine helm with a golden bird upon its brow. Days later, Seelah was wracked with guilt and horror as she saw the paladin whose helm she had stolen struck down by a blow to the head from a gnoll's flail. As penance, Seelah joined the knights of Iomedae, hoping to carry on the good work that the fallen paladin might have done. You'll note that one of Seelah's powers mentions the new Corrupted trait—we'll talk about that in an upcoming blog too!

Character Add-On Deck

Adowyn
Adowyn the hunter and her wolf Leryn make their first appearance in Wrath of the Righteous. As a girl, Adowyn accompanied her father into the perilous Fangwood on a trading expedition. One night a diseased bear charged into their camp, savaging Adowyn's father before she could even cry out. Using the bow her father had carved for her, she sank arrow after arrow into the beast, tears streaming down her cheeks. At last, the bear fell. The creature was dead—but so was her father. Adowyn spent months in the blighted forest alone, mourning her father and learning to survive by wit and arrow. During her isolation, she rescued a lean gray wolf and nursed it back to health, giving it her father's name as a last measure of grief and farewell. Now Adowyn and Leryn wander the Inner Sea region as bounty hunters, searching fruitlessly for the mother she left behind. Leryn is a cohort card in Wrath.

Crowe
The Shoanti bloodrager Crowe debuts in Wrath of the Righteous. Crowe was born under an auspicious sign during a thunderstorm that scoured the Storval Plateau one burning autumn evening. As a youth, Crowe often got into fights and then claimed he didn't remember how the scraps had started. He would feel his heart beating against his ribs. He would hear the blood thrumming in his ears, and that would be the last thing he recalled. After these amnesiac rages took the lives of a dozen horses and several of his tribe members one night, Crowe set out on his own with only his rage, his shame, and the power of the storm that coursed through his blood to help him make his way.

Seoni
Back by popular demand, Seoni makes her third appearance in this set. The tattooed sorceress has long wandered the world, though her goals remain a mystery. Seoni's runic tattoos play an influential role in her personality. Coming from a culture where tattoo magic maintains a strong following, hers are simultaneously a manifestation of her power and a tool to aid in her castings. The sheer number adorning her skin, as well as the similar patterns woven into her clothes, are a mark of status among her tribe, although many of the so-called "civilized" residents of Varisia look upon such body modification with distaste.

Shardra
Dwarven shaman Shardra Geltl makes her Adventure Card Game debut here. As she grew into adolescence, Shardra discovered that objects could speak to her. The voices of stone and wood kept her company when her outward existence became fraught. They taught her much about the stories and histories of her people. A fall while out walking brought Shardra into an ancient cavern. Her journey into that holy place began her lifelong friendship with a spirit creature resembling a tuatara, whom she named Kolo. With Kolo the crag tuatara at her shoulder, Shardra now wanders the world, uncovering lost treasure and listening to the tales it has to tell. Kolo is a cohort card in Wrath.

Free RPG Day Promo Card

Ekkie
We've already told you about Ekkie, the promo character we're releasing for Free RPG Day, but we wanted to show you her Ultra•PRO mat!

Until next week, Pathfinders!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

Remembering Mike McArtor

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Yesterday brought the sad news that our old colleague, Mike McArtor, had passed away. Mike joined the Paizo staff back in the "magazine days," as an editor on Dragon Magazine. He was a mainstay of office campaigns, a pillar of our editorial operation, and once the magazines went away, Mike was one of the earliest architects of Pathfinder and the world of Golarion. He left Paizo in 2008, on the eve of the Core Rulebook launch, but his creative legacy remains an important part of the DNA of the Pathfinder world. His positive attitude and welcoming friendliness, I hope, also helped to shape the DNA of Paizo itself. We're a much larger, much different company than we were in those now nearly mythical magazine days, but we like to think Mike's spirit hung around and continued to influence the company years after he left.

In recent years, Mike was an editor for Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast. That kept him in the Seattle game professional orbit, and many of us found ourselves running into Mike again and again at public events and parties. He was always a warm, friendly guy, and it was fantastic to see him still working in the field, obviously loving his job.

News of Mike's death yesterday hit many of us hard, and it wasn't long before some of Mike's friends and former colleagues shared some remembrances of his time at Paizo and the quality of his character. (Or, in the case of a guy who went through at least four characters in our office Age of Worms campaign, the quality of several of his characters.)

Here are some of those remembrances:

James Jacobs

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Mike McArtor is gone. Been thinking back on all the antics and shenanigans we all got up to back in the early days of Paizo, and I realized that Mike was not only one of the first people I ever gamed with at Paizo after I started working here... he was also the first Paizo GM I ever had. His game was a crazy one—his only real rule was that none of the player characters could be humans, because in the campaign he wanted to run, the humans were the monsters. We all got to pretty much choose anything we wanted as far as our character's race, and he used various books and house rules to help us build the characters we thought up... pretty much anything and everything was on the table. Our group had, among others, an air elemental, an ogre mage, a gold dragon, and some sort of dwarfataur thing (part dwarf, part lion, part beard). My character was Torak, an awakened deinonychus who had hopes of some day growing himself a pair of wings so he could fly.

Mike was instrumental in helping us all make it through when we shifted away from the magazines and started working on our own brand of products for Paizo. He was one of the three folks who handled the module line and the campaign setting line in those days, and in fact he pretty much single-handedly got the first hardcover version of the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting put together—he wrangled all the freelancers and handled much of the book's initial developing and editing. He also wrote the second installment of the Second Darkness Adventure Path—you know, the one where you get trapped in a lighthouse that breaks off its foundation and rolls down a hill into the ocean, and oh yeah, the lighthouse is filled with alien dog monsters whose bite turns you into zombies?

But if there was one book I'd have to pick that Mike worked on as my personal favorite, that'd hands-down be the Guide to Korvosa. It's still one of my favorite books in the campaign setting line; the amount of details he packed into that thing were invaluable in helping me build the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path, and it's a book I still reference today whenever I'm looking at designing new cities for the setting. While the city of Korvosa itself is from my homebrew setting, and while I was originally the one who was going to write the book, it became quickly apparent that I wouldn't have time... and Mike brought things to Korvosa that I never would have imagined. Things that, today, are what Korvosa is all about. From the little things, like the names for coins or those fun little squabbles between imps and pseudodragons, all the way up to elements that have become defining and iconic staples of our campaign world, like the name Jeggare or the infernal-minded Acadamae itself.

After I heard the news that he'd passed away, I went looking through my computer for any pictures I had of Mike, and it was tough. He never did like his picture to be taken, and I mostly respected that by not taking many pictures of him... I kinda wish I'd taken more now though. The only two I found, though, sum up Mike perfectly.

He was cool, and he was just about one of the friendliest, most peaceful guys I've ever known.

So indeed, Mike, my friend.

Stay cool, and be at peace.

F. Wesley Schneider

Mike and I started at Paizo the same week in 2003, joining Dragon magazine as assistant editors. You couldn't have chosen two people with more diametrically opposed tastes. We didn't agree on much, but that can be a good thing more often than you might think—especially when it comes to telling stories. Mike edited the same articles as me for years. Every day I found pages covered with his blue notes on my desk, challenging my design, correcting my grammar, and suggesting that maybe my articles needed more obscure historical factoids... or ninjas... or gnomes. Usually gnomes.

Our birthdays were the same week, too. When I was new here, Mike guaranteed I never spent a birthday alone.

Mike's most of the reason I know anything about editing. He taught me to see the value in other people's passions. He baffled me with how he could make friends with anyone. He proved that no matter the game, you can always play a ninja. He forced me to accept that some people can wear Micky Mouse sweaters unironically. Even now, there's plenty I'd argue with him about, and I doubt either of us would ever budge. But, even so, for all the candid corrections, all the enthusiastic suggestions, all the contrary perspectives, and all the countless other ways he was an honest, accepting, loving guy, I'll always be grateful.

Stephen Radney-Macfarland

I never had the opportunity to work with Mike McArtor. I worked at Wizards while he was at Paizo, and I was at Paizo during his stint with Wizards. But I did game with him, and always enjoyed the way we played and sometimes clashed at the table. Over my many years of chucking dice and playing roles amid a pile of books and the scattering of miniatures, I've found you can learn the measure of a person by gaming with them on a regular basis. I can tell you that Mike was one of the kindest, most sincere, and generous people I have ever had the opportunity to know. I will always cherish the roles he played around the table and the life he lived. Goodbye, my friend. You are missed.

Liz Courts

Mike was a sensei. In the very earliest days when I stepped into the Paizo board community pool, he was a warm and inviting presence. While my first attempts to pitch an article to Dragon Magazine died when the license ended, he still encouraged me to continue writing, a bit of motivation that later led to the formation of the (now ENnie Award-winning)Wayfinder fanzine. Without him, the tongue-in-cheek appellation of "gninja" that I use to this day would not be a thing, and marks of his subtle touch are everywhere, in both Pathfinder and in the Paizo community. He is sorely missed.

James L. Sutter

Mike McArtor was one of the first friends I made at Paizo: a majestic Assistant Editor of Dragon who deigned to take notice of a lowly editorial intern. Early on, he did me two big favors: the first when he let me write a Class Act article—and the second when he quietly killed it rather than let me embarrass myself in front of the rest of the staff with my own ignorance.

As time went on and I joined the editorial team in earnest, Mike and I bonded over a lot of things. We co-wrote articles. We formed a writers group with James Jacobs to work on our fiction. We codified The Rule—Paizo's system for when to use numerals versus spelling out numbers—and posted it on a support pillar with all the ceremony of Martin Luther nailing The Ninety-Five Theses to a church door. (Many years and an office change later, it still hangs in the Editorial Pit.) He would teach me about game balance and grammar, and in exchange I would try to shock him with tales of bohemian adventures and advise him on how to talk to girls. It was a good system.

Something you need to understand about Mike was that he was, at heart, a paladin. Or maybe a samurai. The point is, he believed in being a Good Guy, and honestly lived according to a code of honor. He was nice to everybody, and if you were his friend, there was never any question that he'd be there for you.

But let's not make this too mushy. If anything, Paizo's editorial team was built on its sense of humor, and there were pranks galore in the early days. One of my favorite memories of Mike was when, due to scheduling conflicts, I had to drop out of Jason Bulmahn's Eberron game that we'd been in together for years. To have some fun with it, I secretly arranged with Jason to punk everyone by killing off my character (tellingly named "The Kid") in the most spectacular way possible. When the time came, halfway through the session, everyone was shocked as my character was reduced to smoldering ruin.

But none more so than Mike. After a heartfelt, Darth-Vader-esque "NOOOOOOOO!", he tried desperately to save me, only to fail at every turn. I think there were actually tears in his eyes as I cleaned up my dice and walked—apparently heartbroken—out of the game. It was some of my best acting, and when Jason and I revealed the next morning that it had all been a setup, folks had a good laugh.

Except for Mike, who missed the explanation, and who later tracked me down to offer earnest condolences and make sure I was all right. I felt like a total jerk explaining the truth (even though he agreed it was pretty funny), but it drove home what I already knew: that Mike was a thoughtful guy who legitimately cared about people.

Mike moved on from Paizo while Pathfinder was still in its infancy, but if you've ever run a game in Korvosa, or worshiped Shelyn, or fought dragons, or interacted with any of a thousand other elements he contributed to the game, then you've been touched by his creativity.

Thank you, Mike. It was a privilege to know you, and none of us would be where we are without you. And as was drunkenly pointed out at many a joint birthday party—you had a heart of gold.

Jason Bulmahn

Just over 10 years ago, I moved to Seattle and one of the first friends I made out here was Mike McArtor. Mike and I both worked on Dragon. Along with Wes we were the ones responsible for developing the entire magazine month after month.

Being gamers, I soon started up an office game set in Eberron and Mike was one of my players. A lot of friendships were forged around that table and Mike, with his easy smile and good nature, was a huge part of that. I also killed Mike's characters... a lot. Mike had a tendency to make characters that would rush headlong into danger and I ended up using his PC as the "example" of how hard core my game was on more than one occasion. Mike would always laugh when his character was mulched, disintegrated, or charred. He always had another ready for the next session.

Years later, we both played in the office Age of Worms playtest. Mike's first character was a mute ninja (Mike loved ninjas). I honestly can't remember how he died.. but I am sure it was "quietly". His second character was a druid that was killed by his own animal companion. His third was Frothlethimble, a murderous, backstabbing gnome.

How I hated that character. Mike loved to goad on my honorable dwarf with his nasally gnome voice. We had a damn fine time going back and forth threatening to kill one another. At one point I even forced a confrontation with the rest of the party over which one of us would stay. After that, Frothlethimble promised to kill me in my sleep. Gar (my dwarf) had heard enough. In the next fight, against a mindflayer, the entire party was stunned except Gar. After putting down the aberration, Gar turned to Frothlethimble and his axe swung one more time.

Its the only time I have ever intentionally killed a fellow PC.

Mike laughed and laughed. That is what I loved about Mike. He was kind, he was honest, and he was a good man. I will miss him.

Erik Mona
Publisher

This Year the Winner is Bringing the Axe!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The winner of RPG Superstar 2015 is Monica Marlowe! She will be writing an adventure for our Pathfinder Modules using her winning adventure pitch for Down the Blighted Path, which will release next January!

Monica first won over judges and voters with a magic weapon that helps a cleric aid her party members when they face off against incorporeal undead, an idea drawn from her own experience as a player. She followed that up with the map for a dwarven lady’s stronghold, a new take on a classic "headless" monster, a battle in a vile "hanging garden" of trapped cages and undead, and finally an adventure that brought many of those elements together into a tale of vengeance, undeath, and duty. At each stage she came up with an interesting and unexpected idea and left the voting public wanting to see more. We’re very excited to begin working with her to develop her vision for a Darklands adventure, and congratulate her on winning RPG Superstar!

Thanks and congratulations also go out to all the contestants, staff, judges, and especially the voters who picked an awesome set of finalists! RPG Superstar wouldn't be possible without the community's participation, and we're grateful for the ongoing support the contest receives.

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

The Plot Thickens

Monday, March 23, 2015

Illustrations by Marek Madej

Earlier in the year, I posted a lengthy update regarding the Faction Journal Cards we announced at the end of 2014. I encourage you to check out that blog if you didn't have a chance to read it before. As many of you likely recall, these cards are a new way for the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign to address factions, including faction goals that can apply to a wide range of adventures and allow the PC to earn up to three faction-specific rewards over the course of a season. Over the past week, Linda Zayas-Palmer and I have put in a lot of work on these cards.

With that to look forward to, let's also take a look at the upcoming scenarios—as well as two of the talkative personalities that appear this month. The first scenario, Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–16: Scions of the Sky Key, Part 3: The Golden Guardian, is the last installment of this Tier 1–5 series that has sent the PCs to Sargava's Bandu Hills and later to the Kaava Lands. Having acquired a powerful weapon, the PCs hope to incapacitate the legendary warden that watches over the dwarven ruins of Ashkurhall. Those who have played through the first part of the series will no doubt encounter some familiar foes, and the author Mikko Kallio has done an excellent job of presenting these creatures by combining a few classic features with just as many very clever twists. All told, it's a thrilling conclusion to a very fun three-part series.

On a related note, Mikko is one of the three RPG Superstar 2014 finalists as well as a judge for this year's contest. By the time this blog goes live, there's probably only a narrow window left to vote, but I strongly encourage you to at least check out the submissions from the various rounds—especially if you're interested in participating in the Pathfinder Society Open Call.

The second scenario this month is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–17: Fires of Karamoss, which in a way is also part of a series. Really it's the spiritual successor of one of the season's first adventures, in which the PCs explored part of the Red Redoubt of Karamoss, a siege fortress rife with advanced technology. It seems the earlier discoveries have uncovered a more sinister plot, and it's up to the PCs to delve deep into the tower's foundation to save a major find—if not Absalom itself! The author is one of Paizo's own: the talented Joe Homes. Working only a few dozen feet away from an author makes it really easy to bounce ideas back and forth, and Joe really impressed me with his ability to introduce charming NPCs into what could have easily remained a straightforward dungeon crawl. The result is an exciting adventure with a healthy helping of both memorable roleplaying and engaging battles.

John Compton
Developer

Runelords in Uganda

Friday, March 20, 2015

We first featured the Butterfly Project last April in the Paizo Blog, and are excited to present this update from the director of the project, Ben Parkinson, about this Ugandan Pathfinder group.

When I first picked up Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Rise of the Runelords I was extremely unsure that the kids would like it. We played 3 straight games and failed the first time on the Poison Pill scenario, then immediately replayed it and won quite easily. They are looking forward to the last scenario and then moving onto the next adventure shortly after.

Obviously these are our more experienced kids, though they are still young (aged 13, 13, and 15, respectively), but they grasped the issue of developing their decks to improve their chances in the game, making their character more versatile and mitigating character weaknesses. Also, it was good to see the way each character had a role to play in the game and prompted them to work as a team.

We started the Reign of Winter Adventure Path last Thursday with a slightly new group of kids, some of whom are straight out of the village in Northern Uganda. Putting them into a snow scenario was quite interesting and the session was quite enjoyable.

I am continuing my blog on the forums and more people are following it these days. Also, we have had a generous number of Pathfinder Modules and other hardback materials donated by one of Paizo's writers, which we are shipping by container in May to Uganda.

Very best wishes,

Ben Parkinson
Butterfly Project Director, Uganda

Jenny Bendel
Marketing Director

Welcome Jason Keeley!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

In the last week, you may have noticed Wes introducing two new developers here on this blog. Sadly, this has led the editorial team to the only logical conclusion: the developers must be bolstering their forces in preparation for an assault across the cube wall, in which they'll attempt to annex editor space. I can assure you, however, that the editors aren't about to go down without a fight, which is why we've hired a brand new word-warrior: editor Jason Keeley!

While I go secure the perimeter defenses, here's Jason to introduce himself:

Hello! I'm Jason Keeley, the newest editor here at Paizo. I'm thrilled to be working with this group of talented people.

I was introduced to RPGs shortly after college. Before that, I had only played video games like Might & Magic and Baldur's Gate, so I was familiar with the concept, but I didn't realize how quickly tabletop gaming would become such a huge part of my life. Soon after, I discovered Paizo through Dungeon magazine, and started running the Savage Tide Adventure Path. Many, many APs later (I even ran two at once!), I felt ready to begin contributing to the game I enjoyed so much. I contributed a short story and a monster to issues of Wayfinder, wrote a grimoire of spells for Fat Goblin Games' Vathak setting, and, most recently, made it to the top 16 of RPG Superstar 2015. I would have liked to continue in the contest, but, as you can see, the Golem came calling for me!

Outside of Pathfinder-related material, I edit stories for the swords-and-sorcery e-zine Worlds Without Master, as well as function as the editor-in-chief of my own (small) imprint, Pantheon Press. Our flagship product, Fortune's Fool, a Tarot-based RPG, won a Judge's Choice ENnie in 2011!

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, all kinds of gaming, and looking at funny pictures on the internet. Especially funny pictures of dogs.

Jason Keeley
Editor

Please help us welcome Jason to Paizo! With any luck, he'll survive the initial skirmishes. (If the photo is any indication, he's clearly no stranger to international espionage...)

James L. Sutter
Managing Editor

Firesoul Sample Chapter

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Firesoul is a tale of Jiri, who was found as an infant in the ashes of her village and taken in by a neighboring shaman to be trained as a powerful jungle druid. When Aspis Consortium mercenaries release an ancient evil that burns her adopted home to the ground, Jiri must gather a group of her own to uncover the secrets of a lost nation and stop the fire spirit—and the greedy treasure hunters trying to leash it for their own ends—before it lays waste to the entire Mwangi Expanse.

Chapter Two: The Pyre

There were no animals.

Jiri could still hear them in the jungle all around, the birds, monkeys, and bats, but their familiar cries were all distant. Even more unsettling, no insects flashed iridescent in the thin sunbeams that filtered down through the canopy, or swirled around her, eager to feast on her blood or sweat.

Ever since she was old enough to walk, Jiri had been warned never to pass the statue of the Mango Woman.

What tainted aura warned the animals to stay away?

Whatever it was, it touched the plants, too. Around her, the undergrowth grew thinner, sparser. The ground beneath the trees finally turned into empty red earth, mottled with patches of gray. Scarred ground, burned ground. The trees that arched over them looked the same: Their bark looked charred, and their leaves curled in, tattered and black. Twisted, injured, dying, they clawed at the empty sky, and the mud steamed between their roots.

"There's something here."

Jiri barely breathed the words, but Oza caught them. The old shaman nodded, but his hand touched his mouth.

Jiri locked her teeth together. They were hunting, and she should be silent, but...It was in the ground, in the tortured trees, in the air: a smell like smoke, a faint brush of heat. Some spirit touched the world here, something old and terrible, and Jiri burned with its presence.

With a deep, silent breath, Jiri forced the feeling back, locked it down and drifted like a shadow behind her teacher as he stalked forward. Just ahead of them, past the crumbling corpses of a few more trees, the Pyre rose.

It stood in the middle of a small, shallow lake, the black water a still mirror that refused to reflect the clouds and sun overhead. The Pyre stood like a stony splinter in the water's dark eye, a jagged rock cracked and blackened, as if touched by some ancient inferno. Ashes crowned its shattered peak, and the air over them twisted with a shimmer of heat.

Jiri stared at that warped curtain and her concentration disintegrated.

Like flames, like...In her head she saw fire and flame, dancing all around her. Tall and beautiful, and everything was turning to smoke and ash, burning and rising and whirling and going away, even the screams...

Oza's fingers pinched hard on her earlobe, and Jiri gasped into the palm of his other hand, the one he pressed against her lips. The shaman's dark eyes were inches from hers, blocking the Pyre, staring at her until she nodded. Then he slowly took his hands away. Angry at herself, Jiri looked past him at stone and ash and—

Jiri jerked her eyes away from the broken mirror of heat that hovered over those ashes. She didn't understand what it was that she had seen there, but she didn't want to see it again.

I don't.

Instead, she forced her eyes to trace over the fire-blackened cliff that the ashes rested on. Halfway up she found the door, the opening like a wound in the rock. The stone that had once covered it like a scar now lay in the water below, a slab the size of a hippo, and Jiri wondered how the intruders had moved it.

And how do we move it back?

Oza touched Jiri's hand, motioning for her to stay by the blackened trunk of the dead tree they had crept up behind. Then he stepped into the open and began to chant. Rough and low-pitched, the words scraped through the shaman's lips, a call to the bones of the earth.

They answered.

The ground shifted at the pool's edge, stone tearing through dirt skin. Oza's hands rose, and mud twisted like tendons around the rough rock, snapping it together into a crude parody of a man. An avalanche on thick legs, the elemental towered over them, staring down at the man who had called it into the world with gleaming eyes of gem. When Oza pointed, the earth spirit lurched into the water and splashed toward the Pyre, its rough hands reaching.

Stone ground against stone when the elemental grasped the great slab, and dirty water poured from its body as the rocks that formed it shifted. Slowly the earth spirit began to lift the massive boulder, scraping it against the Pyre's cliff face, until at last it raised it back into place, covering the door's dark opening. Jiri watched the stone man work, so tense with triumph that she almost missed it when the water behind the elemental began to swirl.

The thing broke the surface of the pool with a roar, sunlight flashing off slick green skin and black scales. Smaller than the elemental, but still much larger than Jiri, it looked like some hideous amalgamation of gorilla, crocodile, and toad. Lunging up, it dug great claws deep into the mud and stone flesh of the elemental. It pulled the giant back, and its teeth flashed. The sound of those great fangs scraping against stone tore the air like a shriek.

Not a beast, not a spirit—gods and ancestors, what is that thing? Jiri was scrambling back, her spear up, a puny, useless threat raised between her and the monster. And how can it smell so bad?

It reeked of stagnant water and dead things, rot and gangrene and something else, something acrid and bitter and unnatural. The smell made Jiri's stomach heave, her eyes run, and she had to wipe her tears away to see the thing snarl and attack again.

The monster's claws gouged deep into living earth as it pulled itself up, climbing the elemental. Lunging forward, it drove its fangs into the earth spirit's head. With a vicious twist of its neck, the scaly thing ripped the lumpy stone head free from the thick, muddy shoulders and spat it down into the dark water.

Terror and nausea tore through Jiri, but she held her place, not running. Forcing herself to look away from the battle, she found Oza. His eyes met hers, flashing with warning.

"They left us a demon, Jiri. Stay back, and be ready to run."

The shaman turned away from her before Jiri could answer that. His hand drew a circle over his head, and he shouted for the spirits of fire. A spark gathered in Oza's hand, grew bright and hot into a flame that shot away from him, toward the demon.

The fire twisted in the air, thickened, red flame taking the shape of a mamba racing with gaping jaws toward the demon that still had its claws deep in the elemental's stony back. As Oza's spell neared it, the stinking thing jerked its claws apart, making mud gout like black blood as it tore the earth-wrought spirit apart, roaring with triumph. Then the fire serpent slammed into it, and the roar into a howl. For a moment, the demon stood, a misshapen shadow wrapped in flame. Then it fell, vanishing beneath the dark water with a splash.

For Jiri, fire solves many problems.

"Is it—" Jiri started, eyes watering from the sickening smell of the demon, but Oza cut her off.

"No." His hands were moving, drawing jagged lines in the air as he called the spirits again.

He hasn't told me to run yet.

That was something, wasn't it? And before it had fallen, the elemental had shoved the stone back over the gap that had been opened in the Pyre. Jiri watched the dark water shimmer, and for the first time since the demon had surfaced she felt her own power, burning like a coal beneath the dead ashes of her fear.

Stepping from her hiding place, Jiri reached for the spirits. When she felt them answer, felt life and resilience boil into her, she moved forward and brushed her hand across her teacher's back, letting the power flow into him.

"Thank you," Oza said, voice harsh with strain as he held tight to the magic the spirits had given him. "Now by all those who came before you, stand back."

For a moment Jiri didn't move, her hands hot with magic. But she couldn't disobey Oza. She took one step back, another, and then the water before them split.

The demon broke the surface roaring, claws reaching, eyes flashing hate and hunger. Oza roared back, cutting the air before him with his spear, and the water between the demon and the shaman shattered with spray. Vines exploded up, green and thick as a man's leg, twisting into knots around each other as they rose. Thorns covered the vines, long as spearpoints, and they scraped over the demon's hide as the great tangle surged over it.

Jiri felt anger and triumph burn through her, and without thinking she raised a hand. A flash of fire burst from her palm, striking the demon, barely singeing it.

"Back," Oza snapped again, and then he began to call out another summoning.

In the water, the demon tore at the vines. Thorns gouged it, but their sharp points couldn't penetrate its reeking hide. The demon ignored them, ripped one of its arms free, and lashed out.

Oza moved back, barely staying out of reach of those huge claws, and finished his call. The water behind the demon surged and swirled, roiled by the thing taking shape beneath its surface.

Rumbling something like a curse, the demon pulled itself free of the vines and lunged after Oza, claws spread. Jiri shouted and threw fire again, barely a spell, more her rage and fear flung out into the world to destroy. But her attack sizzled to nothing against the thing's slimy hide.

The demon swung its head and tiny crocodile eyes found Jiri. Its thin lips skinned back, showing its terrible teeth, and the monster hunched like a toad, ready to spring.

Jiri stared at the demon, knowing it was going to kill her, but she raised her spear and called for the spirits, determined to draw blood before she died.

Then the tentacles caught it.

Striking like snakes, they wrapped around the demon, a hundred suckers biting down. In the black water, the slimy, giant-eyed thing Oza had pulled from the spirit world clacked the beak that lay in the center of its nest of tentacles and jerked the demon back.

"Jiri, go." On the muddy bank, Oza was reaching for his necklace. "Run!" he shouted, and the word slipped into a roar as the shaman changed, grew claws and fangs and black-striped fur.

Jiri clutched her spear, paralyzed.

But we're winning.

Tentacles wrapped the demon, and the great tiger Oza had become slashed its claws between them, spilling stinking gouts of blood. If Jiri stayed—

The demon threw back its head, and roared a word.

The twisted, evil power of it broke the air. It tore through Jiri's body like poisoned hooks, filled her lungs like filthy water. The world shuddered around her, dimmed, and Jiri felt herself being ripped away, sent into darkness.

No.

She held on with all that she could, straining for light, for heat, for life, and suddenly she was back in her body, sprawled retching in the mud. Dully, she could see the demon, laughing as it tore limp tentacles off its hide. The massive tiger crouched before it, his gray-shot muzzle bent and dripping blood.

"Oza," Jiri groaned.

The cat raised his head and his eyes met Jiri's, old and stern. Then he turned and leapt at the monster, roaring, even as the demon wrapped its claws around him.

"Oza," Jiri said again, but she pulled herself up, made herself turn and stagger away, doing what those eyes had ordered her to do. Stumbling into a run, she whispered as she moved, begging the spirits to hide the tracks of her passage.

Running beneath the dead trees, Jiri tried not to listen to the booming laughter that echoed behind her, hideous and triumphant.

Purchase the whole novel here!

Coming Next Week: Gods and crocodiles in Chapter One of Gary Kloster's "The Gem."

Gary Kloster is the author of the Pathfinder Tales novel Firesoul. His short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, Fantasy, Apex, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Writers of the Future 25. Find him online at garykloster.com.

Illustration by Davi Blight.

We've Got Class, And We Know It

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

You've asked, so we've answered! Last August, we released seven Class Decks for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. These decks provide new characters and boons that can be added to any PACG Adventure Path, and they're your gateway to the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild Organized Play program. You've made it clear that you want more, and we're happy to oblige.

This August, we'll begin new monthly Class Deck releases, starting with the paladin in August, the monk in September, and the druid in October. After we complete the 11 core classes with the barbarian in November, we'll begin exploring classes outside the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. As with the previous Class Decks, each deck contains 109 cards, including boons that can take your character from the start to the end of any Adventure Path. Meet Maznar, a character from the upcoming Druid Class Deck:

Illustration by Mariusz Gandzel

Maznar is part of a small sect of dwarf druids revered by his people and by many inhabitants of wild places. He follows the Green Faith, a philosophy that commands respect for nature. Maznar draws on the power of his spells and his animal friends to protect himself and his party.

There's one big difference between the previous seven Class Decks and the new one. After hearing a lot of feedback, we decided to focus each new deck on three characters instead of four. This allows us to add more support for each character and her roles throughout her entire progression while continuing to bring you innovative character designs. Pre-order the Paladin Class Deck today!

Adventure Card Game Team at Portland's GameStorm This Weekend

The card game design team will be at GameStorm in Vancouver, WA this weekend, testing various goodies. Come find us in the Game Lab at the Vancouver Hilton!

Until next week, Pathfinders!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

What Time Is It?

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

It's adventure pitch time! It's been a long, strange road, but the last round of RPG Superstar 2015 is finally open to voting and participants can see the adventure pitches of our Top 4 contestants! One of those contestants is going to earn the voter's confidence and support, and go on to write their adventure pitch into a full adventure for the Pathfinder Modules line!

RPG Superstar™ 2015 Top 4

Brian J. Fruzen — Milwaukee, Wisconsin Round 5 Journey into Midnight Round 4 The Gloomsworn Path Round 3 Geomaw Round 2 Salvation's End Round 1 Pyrolastic Spike Monica Marlowe — Cincinnati, Ohio Round 5 Down the Blighted Path Round 4 The Hanging Gardens of Karexin Round 3 Narrick Round 2 Firebrand's Redoubt: Stronghold of Lady Delbera Axebringer Round 1 Spectre Blight

Kalervo Oikarinen — Helsinki, Finland Round 5 Bellflower in the Dark Round 4 Fellforge Chapel Round 3 Dread Glutton Round 2 Ancient Cyclops Stronghold in the Icerime Peaks Round 1 Fate-binder Christopher Wasko — Connecticut Round 5 The Hollowheart Conquest Round 4 Darkblight Fallow Round 3 Deeplit Round 2 The Drowning Temple Round 1 Windstrider Mail

So, what's it going to be? "Journey into Midnight" by Brian J. Fruzen? "Down the Blighted Path" by Monica Marlowe? "Bellflower in the Dark" by Kalervo Oikarinen? Or "The Hollowheart Conquest" by Christopher Wasko?

One of these new authors is going to get to add something to Golarion forever. It's up to you, the Paizo fan community, to decide which one!

So go read the entries, give it some thought, and vote for your favorite adventure pitch!

Vote now!

Owen K. C. Stephens
Developer and RPG Superstar Host

The England GM Team Marches on its Stomach

Monday, March 16, 2015

Every once in awhile, I receive a neat story from the field that I think others might be interested in. Stories that provide insight into how Pathfinder Society is played or how communities work together to bond are very interesting reads—whether that be playing a game in the middle of the desert or what gamers in Turkey are like.

Today, I bring you a story sent to me from Paizo's co-recipient of the 2014 Volunteer of the Year award, campaign service award recipient, and England Venture-Captain Rob Silk. Here is his awesome write up.

It's tough when you are far from home and you are running three games a day at a long games convention. The adventures run over time, and the next game slot draws nigh. All your players have rushed to the restaurant queue and it's a l-o-n-g queue. The food is expensive, and it doesn't look too healthy. A hardworking GM is a hungry bear!

You need "The Wyrd Sisters Kitchen." Over here in England, our GMs' welfare is often cared for by these two superwomen, Chris Brockley-Blatt and Carol Tierney. They set up a cook house on site and, for a very modest fee, GMs can subscribe to their between-game meals. The food is delicious, and the company is convivial. It's for "GMs only" so we can support each other with confidential moans and groans or tips and hints between the games. There is always time for a group hug, and no one goes away hungry. When it's really tough going and you just can't get away from the GM screen, they even deliver to your games table!

This has been a huge help in recruiting GMs because Pathfinder GMs are the only ones who can get this benefit. Many other games systems look jealously on while we go off to eat this lovely grub. We have a team of very happy healthy GMs thanks to these wonderful Wyrd Sisters. The original third "sister" was Tonya Woldridge, who was in right from the start but went on to Venture Captain in Canada. So you can imagine the calibre of these amazing lasses who are also our Venture Lieutenants and GMs, and who organise their own Pathfinder conventions and raise money for charity. We love 'em.

Thanks for the write up, Rob! And thanks to Chris, Carol, and Tonya for your efforts to help make PFS awesome! I always enjoy hearing unique stories from the field and hope you do as well. If you have an interesting story from the field you think others would be interested in, please email it to me along with some photos.

Have a great gaming week and I look forward to reading other's comments about The Wyrd Sisters Kitchen.

Mike Brock
Global Organized Play Coordinator

Deeper into the Dungeon

Friday, March 13, 2015

We're just a few days away from next week's GAMA Trade Show, where I intend to show off about half of June's Dungeons Deep set for our Pathfinder Battles line of prepainted plastic gaming figures. In preparation for that, WizKids sent us a very early production set of the figures, and I've got to say, I'm absolutely THRILLED with how this set has turned out!

For starters, the Gargantuan Red Dragon limited edition "case incentive" figure is one of the best figures we've done to date, and easily ranks as my favorite Pathfinder Battles dragon thus far. From the moment I set the figure up in my office I've had a parade of Paizonians pounding on my door to get a closer look. It's phenomenal.

I'm also pleased with the general utility of the Dungeons Deep set. From "dungeon dressing" props like chests and braziers to enemies like four different gnoll figures, a large ooze, and dungeon critters like giant centipedes and beetles, I see the figures in this set hitting game tables again and again, which really excites me.

Here's an early look at three additional figures that I'm excited about, even more so now that I've got production-run samples in-hand.

First up this week is the Deinonychus, a creepy little dinosaur from page 84 of the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary. We're excited about this guy not just because he's a dinosaur, but because it's one of our first chances to create a feathered dinosaur more in fitting with modern science's understanding of how dinosaurs might actually have looked. As a common, Medium miniature, case subscribers can be sure to get a whole pack of them to menace their player characters.

Previous animals like ravens, falcons, and even pigs have proven popular additions to the Pathfinder Battles line. Now that we're venturing into the dungeon, it's only fitting that we include the Bat in Dungeons Deep. The Bat is a Small, common figure.

I mentioned gnolls up above. This guy here, the Gnoll Leader, is perfect for the Big Boss of a gnoll encounter. His breastplate even has the symbol of the evil beast-god Rovagug printed on it. Awesome! The Gnoll Leader is a Medium, rare figure.

That's it for this week. Expect a bunch of cool photos to leak out of the GAMA Trade Show next week. I'll still be in Las Vegas next Friday, so there's a good chance those photos won't show up here until a week from next Friday, but keep your eyes on the Internet.

They'll be out there!

Erik Mona
Publisher

So, How Do I Use Syrinscape in my Pathfinder Game?

Thursday, March 12, 2015

You're playing Pathfinder on game night, and you're ready to add Syrinscape's custom-made Pathfinder Adventure Path SoundPacks to the session. Simply follow these step-by-step instructions for bringing epic sound to your gaming table.

How do I prepare?

• Download the Syrinscape Fantasy Player for free.
• Stock-up on custom-made Pathfinder Adventure Path SoundPacks, created specifically for the Pathfinder RPG's most-popular Adventure Paths, and don't miss the official monster sounds created to bring the most horrific creatures of Golarion to life, in earth rumbling surround.
• Create your Sound Campaign, where you can organize your sounds so everything you need for the session is right at your fingertips.

What audio equipment should I use?
You want the floors to rumble with those dragon roars, don't you? Syrinscape will work on any PC, MAC, Android Tablet or iPad, but to get the most out of Syrinscape's beautiful audio, we recommend plugging into a Surround Decoder via HDMI, or connecting to a portable Bluetooth speaker. Something with a crisp treble and a good dose of bass will really help maximize the impact of Syrinscape's immersive audio.

How easy is Syrinscape to work during the game?
Very easy! Let's say you're starting in a medieval town, because really, most proper Pathfinder adventures start there, right? Syrinscape has several town settings, such as "Brindol Town" or "Local Heroes" from the Pathfinder Adventure Path Burnt Offerings SoundPack. Once you've selected the town setting, you can choose your MOOD for different flavors of town life, such as Main Street, Market Street, and of course, a tavern. When you're ready to begin, simply touch the MOOD button, and Syrinscape takes care of the rest by gently fading up a highly realistic town ambience. Every now and then a cart might go past, or a hawker selling their wares might cry out, or the local bard might chime in with a tune every now and then. Syrinscape does all the work.

What next?
Syrinscape provides so much more to your gaming session than dynamic ambient background sounds. Are your players ready for the big dramatic reveal, like an epic dragon raid? Choose your dragon from the Syrinscape library, and when you're ready, touch the MOOD button to set off the chaos. It's best not to warn your players, so you get the maximum impact from the first terrifying roar!

Is that really all there is to it?
Yes! Adding the amazing Sounds of Syrinscape to your game is so easy! And just wait till you see the dropped jaws of your players when you surprise them with the incredible realism and immersion that Syrinscape brings to your Pathfinder game.

For more tips and a live demo, check out the video, How to Use Syrinscape with your Pathfinder Game.

Have fun, good gaming; now go make some noise!

Benjamin Loomes
Creative Director
Syrinscape

Strategy Guide Art Preview!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

With the Strategy Guide shipping out to players at long last, it's time to take a look at a few pieces of the fantastic art contained within its pages.

The conjurer, a wizard theme, summons extraplanar creatures to aid and defend his party, augmenting their fighting capabilities with magic.
Illustration by Mark Molnar

The stargazer cleric uses divination to predict threats she might face, prepare her spells as needed, and employ her magic to deadly effect.
Illustration by David Alvarez

The trickster is an expert in appearing to be something she's not and hiding in plain sight, and this rogue uses magical performances in battle to win the day.
Illustration by Maichol Quinto

The smasher is a barbarian whose destructive rage lets her bash down otherwise insurmountable obstacles.
Illustration by Mark Molnar

Each theme has an associated icon that appears throughout the text to indicate theme-specific character building ideas and other tips.
Illustration by Bryan Sola

Combat tips and tricks enable players get the most out of their character's class, skills, and even size.
Illustration by Tim Kings-Lynne

Ideas for better roleplaying and storytelling offer players and GMs a spectrum of tools for making their game richer.
Illustration by Bryan Sola

Discussion of narrative play situations such as solving mysteries, meeting important NPCs, and exploring help players find ways to let their characters shine both in and out of combat.
Illustration by David Alvarez

Check out all the options and more excellent artwork in the new Pathfinder RPG: Strategy Guide by ordering a copy today!

Jessica Price
Project Manager

Diamond in the Rough

by Evey Brett

Chapter Four: Crimson Flowers

"He's resting, although not comfortably," Chakori said. She'd taken Anandi into the foyer outside Ravi's room, although they left the door cracked open. "I've done what I can for him. The rest he's going to have to do on his own."

Anandi handed her another purse.

She tucked it away in her pocket. "Tell me again why you're going to such trouble over this one?"

"It's business. Besides, if I'd left him behind, he would have been killed." And he still might, if the Maurya-Rahm find out what he told me.

"Do I sense your icy heart melting a little?"

He eyed her, discomfited by her bluntness. "A courtesan doesn't love. You know that."

"That's your own stupid rule. Besides, I never said you had to. It's just..." She gestured to her patient. "He's pretty. Or he will be, at least."

"He's a low-caste orphan, raised in filth. It doesn't matter whether he's pretty or not. He can't stay here." Even if I weren't afraid for his life.

"You're just worried that the Maurya-Rahm will hear you're consorting with a pirate's brat, which will keep you on their bad side."

"Don't go there."

She just stared at him. "You're an intelligent, capable man, but you can be so damn blind, sometimes."

Before Anandi could think of a reply, she walked away.

Damn her. And damn Ravi. Once Asa answers my request...

Although there was no guarantee Asa would get his message at all.

∗ ∗ ∗

Anandi was sitting at Ravi's bedside when the half-elf woke, none too happy to see him.

"Damn you." Ravi's expression was wild with hatred. "This ain't what I wanted. You didn't even ask. This is torture. The captain was never so cruel."

"He left you in that awful little cabin to lie in your own filth and then he let his crew treat you like an animal. Tell me, did you enjoy being used and ridden like a pony?"

"He didn't... they didn't... Damn you." Ravi clenched his jaw, anger mingled with grief.

"I plucked you out of hell and set you down in paradise."

"Some paradise, keeping me locked up in here. Get me some wine, at least."

"Not until you tell me who paid the captain to kill me."

Ravi laughed. "How the hell should I know?"

Anandi hadn't known anyone so frustrating other than the Maurya-Rahm. "You told me you did."

A bitter smile twisted Ravi's lips. "You brought me here for nothing, fancy man. Cap kept it a secret."

The nickname was growing irritating. So was Ravi's attitude. "My name is Anandi. You may address me as Master Anandi."

Ravi caught his wrist in a bruising grip. "Master of what?"

Taking a bit of enjoyment in his patient's discomfort, he said, "I'm an instructor of courtesans."

Ravi's face went slack. He sank back against the pillows, looking even more wan and exhausted. "I should have known what kind of a fancy man you were when you started feeling me up back there in that cave. Most men are rough, but you..."

"I'm not the kind that gets a man drunk and drugged in order to sleep with him. Neither do I beat him to make myself feel better."

"You're a self-righteous son of a bitch."

"And you're an annoying little bastard."

"Go to hell."

"You first."

Ravi threw a pillow at him, but missed. "I'm the captain's boy. Not yours. Take me home."

"He'll kill you. He tried, remember?"

"He was after you. Not me." A second pillow followed the first. This time, it hit Anandi on the shoulder. Ravi's laugh was bitter and chilling. "I know why you brought me. You just want the same as everyone else, Master Anandi. I've heard the whispers. You only got your position because you used to be—"

"Shut up." Anandi clenched a pillow, barely resisting the temptation to use it to smother the insolent youth.

Ravi's face tightened into a mask of hatred. "What are you waiting for?"

"For you to realize I'm not your enemy." He threw the pillow back at Ravi and stalked toward the door.

From behind him came the sound of either choked laughter or sobbing. Anandi didn't bother to see which it was.

∗ ∗ ∗

Later that evening, Anandi had his answer from Asa.

"He will not see you, but he bade me give you this." The Maurya-Rahm handed him an envelope sealed with Asa's mark along with a small, silk-wrapped item.

Anandi waited until she left to open the envelope. The card inside was scented with Asa's favorite cologne.

Dearest Ari,
Your service to Jalmeray has not gone unnoticed. This is but a small token of my regard.

A.

Anandi walks the razor's edge between love and politics.

The terse, emotionless message in Asa's hand dashed the last of his hopes. Anandi opened the package. Inside the silken wrappings was a wooden box containing the dried fragile petals of a white flower, the kind found in the gardens near the thakur's palace. The two of them had spent hours there, laughing, talking, and making love. Once, Anandi had teasingly plucked a bloom and tucked it behind Asa's ear.

This, he was sure, was the same flower. He dumped the petals into his palm, heartbroken by the gift, and feeling whatever love he'd once had harden into an impenetrable ball. Anything he'd once shared with Asa was finally, definitely over.

He sank down onto his bed, suddenly exhausted. The trip had been a death sentence. That was all. Likely Asa hadn't even known he was gone.

A cramping pain shot through his hand and fingers. Anandi cursed and flexed his fingers, which were sluggish and slow to respond. Inspecting his hand, he saw that one of the petals had turned crimson around the edges. Anandi pushed it aside to see blood welling from a pinprick in his palm. How...?

A sudden, agonizing pain lanced up his arm. A moment later, it receded and he drew in a shaky breath. His hand had gone numb and frozen in a fist that crushed the fragile petals.

Panicked, Anandi surged to his feet just as a new cramp flared through his chest, so excruciating it took his breath away. Whimpering in pain, he staggered into the hallway toward Ravi's room.

Oh, gods. Irori spare me. Why would Asa...

But Anandi knew his former lover too well. Asa would never poison him, but the other Maurya-Rahm would.

The guards took one look at him and paled. "Help..." Anandi croaked. One guard caught him as he collapsed. The other raced toward the healer's quarters.

The cramps came more frequently, jabbing at his gut. Numbness spread throughout his body until it was all he could do to keep breathing.

"Fancy man?"

Anandi could just make out a blurry figure crouched beside him.

Ravi took the guard's place and slapped Anandi's face, causing it to burn and sting. "Did you eat something? Touch something?"

"The box..." It would have been easy to conceal a needle.

Ravi pried the box from Anandi's hand and used the silken wrapping to hold it for inspection. "Damn."

Anandi couldn't answer. He could barely drag air into his uncooperative lungs.

Ravi set the box aside and laid Anandi flat on his back. "Breathe, damn it." He curled his fingers together, one hand atop the other, and placed the heel of his hand in the center of Anandi's chest. He pushed down. Hard.

Oh, hell, that hurts.

Ravi kept up the compressions. "Don't leave me here alone, you bastard. You owe me."

Anandi supposed he did, but it was a little late for that, now. Poor Ravi. The Conservatory would throw him into the streets if the Maurya-Rahm didn't kill him first.

Footsteps pounded down the hall. "What have you done, you filthy devil?" Chakori's sharp cry cut through Anandi's rapidly fading awareness. "After all he did for you..."

"I didn't!" Ravi protested. "I ain't the kind to poison a man!"

So what kind are you? Anandi wondered as blackness swallowed him.

∗ ∗ ∗

From the angle of the sunlight, it was late morning when Anandi woke. His aching body felt too heavy to move.

"Easy," Chakori said. She was sitting in a chair next to his bed. "I almost lost you. In fact, I would have, if it weren't for..." She nodded at Ravi, who hovered nearby, looking uncomfortable.

"Thanks." It wasn't enough, but he was too tired to say more.

"We know who did it. We traced her through her operative, and when she was interrogated, she panicked and tried to make a run for it. I don't know what kind of pressure the Maurya-Rahm who conducted the interrogation put her under, but she confessed to forging Asa's note and copying his seal in order to poison you. Seems she'd overheard Asa mention how much he missed your company, and given the success you've made of yourself at the Conservatory, decided to eliminate you before your influence grew any stronger. The Maurya-Rahm—how shall I put it?—have one fewer member in their prestigious ranks this morning."

Anandi winced. At least that meant Asa still cared about him. "Leave us," he said to Chakori. When she was gone, Anandi asked, "How...?"

Ravi shrugged. "Cap seen a lot of men stuck by a lionfish and taught me what to do."

"Why?"

Jaw set, Ravi said, "I ain't the kind to let a man die if I can help it. Even if it's a man that kidnapped me." After a while, he sighed and took the chair vacated by Chakori. "You were right about Cap, you know. I thought..."

"You thought he loved you." Like Asa loved me until he couldn't and sent me away to keep me safe.

Ravi nodded and slumped in defeat. "What happens now? I ain't any use to you."

"Not true." Anandi gazed at the young half-elf, past the flushed face, seeing once again the inner strength and intelligence that had allowed Ravi to survive for so long. "You're my diamond in the rough. Once I get you cut and polished, you'll shine like few other men do."

As he'd hoped, Ravi's eyes glittered with desire. "Why me? Why not some other poor pirate's brat?"

"I'll show you."

He summoned a djinni who procured Ravi a set of silk pantaloons, a matching vest, and sandals. Ravi already had a gold hoop in his ear, which Anandi left, but he hung a thick gold chain around Ravi's neck. Then Anandi sat Ravi on a stool, had the djinni fetch his cosmetics with which he added color to Ravi's cheeks and eyes and drew long, intricate designs to highlight his features.

When he was done, he turned Ravi to face the mirror. "There. That's a man who can have anything in the world that he wants if he knows how to get it."

Ravi was silent for a long time as he stared at his reflection. "Like you? Do you have everything you want?"

"I did, once."

"And now?"

"Now..." he shrugged. He ached for Asa's touch, but it was gone, never to be his again. He took Ravi's hand in his. "Now I have a diamond. The question is, how brightly will you shine?"

"Brighter than all the stars in the sky," Ravi said, and squeezed.

Coming Next Week: A sample chapter from Gary Kloster's upcoming Pathfinder Tales novel, Firesoul!

Evey Brett is the author of numerous novels and short stories. She holds a Master's degree in writing, and is a graduate of the Clarion Writers' Workshop, the Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices, and Taos Toolbox. Find her online here.

Illustration by Mike Burns.

Choose Your Own Adventure—How to Make Cards for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Before I get into this week's blog, let me tell you the best thing that happened to me at a fantastic PAX East. Through designer Chad Brown, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game fan Jim Wnorowski contacted me at the con about helping with his wedding proposal to his girlfriend, Sarah. As I came out of my Tabletop Deathmatch panel, Jim flagged me down. He "introduced himself," and then introduced me to Sarah, a self-proclaimed fan of my games. Jim then asked me if I had any promo cards.

"Oh, yeah," I said, "I wasn't going to give those out till my 100 Games You Absolutely Must Know How to Play panel on Sunday, but I think I've got one in my bag." And then I proceeded to fish around in my shoulder bag for at least a minute, unzipping every pocket and shuffling around every piece of paper, while Jim sweated out the delay.

"Oh, here's one!" I said after the agonizing wait, and gave them a card that Jim had created. This one was something special. He got down on one knee as she looked it over.

Jim gives Sarah a card, then begins his move step.
Photos by Eric Neustadter.

I would be lying if I said Sarah said yes immediately. In fact, her brain locked up, discombobulated from all that was going on. But after a paralyzing few seconds, her mind re-engaged and she leapt into Jim's arms and said yes. And that is the best thing that happened to me at PAX East.

I bring up this story both because it's awesome and because Jim created his card on the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Community Card Creator, a spiffy new tool from DriveThruCards that allows you to make your own cards for the game. I've seen lots of fans experimenting with it, so I thought I'd revisit some guidelines I use for making cards of similar power level and compatibility to the ones in the game. Note that not all the features of the card creator are live yet, so some of this won't work on the site today. But eventually, it all will, and you'll have this as a resource. I hope you find this useful as you make cards that work with ours!

Brainstorming

Start with a concept, such as "an underwater fortress," "a divine alchemist," or "a vampire monk." You can come up with something on your own, or take some inspiration from Paizo books, real-world concepts, or other universes. Just make sure it's something where you can say "I thought of something new, and here it is."

Then, for most types of cards, think of what adventure deck number that concept matches. If you imagine your concept as something only really powerful characters can deal with, then maybe a 5 or 6 is appropriate. If it's something that anyone can handle, use B or 1. This decision will affect several aspects of your cards.

Depending on what type of card you're creating, some additional guidelines might be useful.

Banes

Monsters and barriers should scale in difficulty against the ones in the box. For noncombat checks, a good baseline difficulty is 6 to 10 plus twice the adventure deck number. However, if you're aiming solely for a skill that isn't one of the big six (Strength, Dexterity, etc.), keep in mind that most characters will be rolling a d4. So keep the numbers low in that case, unless you really want only those who have the skill to succeed.

For combat checks, consider a difficulty of around 8 to 10 plus 2.5 or 3 times the adventure deck number. You can start adding monsters and barriers with multiple checks after adventure 3 or so. The powers should be reasonably simple through adventure 3, and then start getting more bizarre. If the powers usually reduce the character's ability to fight, such as by dealing damage before you act or by requiring multiple checks, you might want to reduce the difficulty by 2 to 5.

Henchmen should be tougher than the average monster you can imagine in your scenario, so increase the difficulties from the previous paragraph by an amount roughly equal to the adventure deck number. If you expect to want to use the henchman in multiple adventures, consider giving it the Veteran trait and a power that uses the adventure deck number. The henchman should always say it gives a chance to close the location, unless it doesn't.

Villains can have difficulties of as much as 10 higher than your average bane. They should always have something special about encountering them. When a villain shows up, everyone at the table should be invested in the outcome. Villain powers that scale with the number of characters present, the number of locations, or the number of open locations help reinforce this.

Boons

Boons should have checks to acquire in the neighborhood of 4 to 8 plus twice the adventure deck number. Watch out for boons that can only be acquired by skills that not all characters have. If a boon has a recharge check, aim for a difficulty 2 higher than the check to acquire.

Loot should be pretty darn awesome.

Characters, Roles, and Tokens

Characters should be tightly balanced against the ones in the box. Each character should start with 15 cards on her Card List. Add up the dice in your character's skills; if it's more than 42, you're probably aiming too high. The character should have no more than 1d12 in any skill. She should have 15 skill feat checkboxes, 10 card feat checkboxes, and 4 power feat checkboxes on her character card; no skill or card type should have more than 4 checkboxes.

Roles should have 12 power feat checkboxes each, including the 4 from the powers on the characters they advance. Save your craziest powers for the roles.

Tokens should tell intriguing backstories that make you want to play the characters again and again.

Story Cards

Adventure Paths list a set of at least 3 adventures. They should specify what happens to cards in the box as the adventure progresses. You can add adventure path powers that typically refer to things that happen between games.

Adventures need a set of scenarios, usually 3 or more. We recommend that you specify an play order, or it can be hard to keep track of which ones have been completed. Pick a reward that is on the level of "a card feat" or "a skill feat." As with adventure paths, if adventures have powers, they should not be of the kind that you must remember to consult frequently, because players will forget about them.

Scenarios generally need at least one villain and some henchmen that are appropriate for the power level of your characters. Powers can be simple or complex; think of something that sets your scenario apart from others and implement it. Your location list should have eight locations, unless you're doing something wacky. A standard scenario will have two more locations than you have players. Be careful when setting rewards; you don't want to give out too much for success. Make sure to put any lasting benefits in the Rewards section. You want people to be able to replay your scenario multiple times without skewing the rest of the campaign.

Locations and Support Cards

Locations should have fairly simple powers in each section. Watch the difficulty on noncombat checks to close locations, as these do not scale well. If you want a power that continues after closing, put it on the back as well.

Ships should have noncombat checks to defeat in the 6 to 12 range, and similar Craft checks to repair. Most have powers that make them harder to fight in the Encountering section, and they'll usually have a power in the Commanding section that allows you to discard cards from the blessings deck to trigger effects. You're looking for simple, frequently usable powers here, as you'll refer to them a lot during play.

As these new types of cards start to roll out for the Card Creator, experiment with them and see what you come up with. And if you decide to make an Engagement Ring card, be aware that it might take me just a little while to find it in my bag.

And again, congratulations, Sarah and Jim!

Mike Selinker
Adventure Card Game Designer

They Still Appreciate My Mastery Of Fire

Monday, March 9, 2015

We've got a few new faces in the editorial pit these days. One you've already met and a few we'll introduce soon, but we couldn't hope to pull off all our upcoming schemes without inviting back at least one familiar soul.

Some of you may recall an upstart goblin poking around the Paizo offices some five years ago, stealing ears and feeding the cave raptors. A goblin who vanished—under mysterious circumstances no less—after her ill-advised journey into the wildest depths of the warehouse.

That goblin was me. I have returned! Rejoice!

For those of you less versed in goblin lore: I am Crystal Frasier, author, illustrator, cartographer, and Paizo's newest assistant developer. What does an assistant developer do, you ask? That is an excellent question! I'm glad you asked! Moving on...

As I mentioned, I spent a fun five years working for Paizo as a production assistant and digital products assistant before leaving for a spell to make it on my own as a freelance writer, artist, and general awesome girl. But a freelancer's life is an isolated one, and without my shining smile to warm their days, Paizo employees began to wilt.* So for my own good and theirs, I have returned to beam my glorious radiance down. Also to develop books and edit statblocks—but mostly the beaming.

I've been gaming since the early nineties, when my love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics lead me into the seedy world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness roleplaying game. From this harmless gateway RPG, I explored Dungeons & Dragons, Silver Age Sentinels, GURPS, West End's Star Wars, and eventually Pathfinder. In those few minutes a week when I'm not playing tabletop games, reading game manuals, running games, writing game material, or dreaming about running games for Hayley Atwell, I like to read comics, make candy, and walk my corgi, Calamity.

It's good to be back.

Someone's got to feed those cave raptors!

Crystal Frasier
Assistant Developer

Please join us in welcoming Crystal back to Paizo!

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief

*Wes's Note: We value imagination in our storytellers.

New Scenarios on the Horizon

Monday, March 9, 2015

This year both PaizoCon and Gen Con happen earlier in the year, and that means planning those conventions' adventures takes place even earlier on my end. As Mike and I have noted in several blog posts in early 2015, there are many Special events in addition to the full cast of scenarios. Now that we've finalized our plans for the Pathfinder Society Organized Play convention season and added product pages to , I would like to formally introduce you to our Special event schedule and the rest of Season 6, the Year of the Sky Key:

• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–20: Returned to the Sky (Tier 7–11)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–21: Tapestry's Toil (Tier 5–9)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–22: Out of Anarchy (Tier 1–5)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–23: The Darkest Abduction (Tier 7–11)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–97: Siege of Serpents (Tier 1–11)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–98: Serpents Rise (Tier 7)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–99: True Dragons of Absalom (Tier 4)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–00: The Sky Key Solution (Tier 1–11)

I want to make sure we have our cover designs finalized for the Season 7 scenarios before they appear on the website with their own product pages, but I'm sure you would appreciate hearing little more about what's in store there.

• Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–01: "Between the Lines" (Tier 1–5): Rival explorers have beaten the Pathfinders to a valuable site in Katapesh, but fortunately most of the riches—including the obscure text the Society sought in the first place—have ended up in the capitol's extensive bazaars. What is at first a routine shopping trip spirals out of control as the PCs uncover the writing's secret past—and secret messages.
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–02: "Six Seconds to Midnight" (Tier 3–7): A strange confluence of circumstances leaves the researchers of Uringen understaffed and in need of able-bodied assistants. Conveniently, recent Pathfinder Society experiments call for a rare reagent found only in that area, and the two organizations have negotiated a mutually beneficial deal. Can the PCs reach the secluded settlement in time to witness this extraordinary event—and handle the phenomenon's aftermath?
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–03: "The Bronze House Reprisal" (Tier 5–9): A recent assault on the Pathfinder Society has renewed hostilities with the Aspis Consortium, and clues left behind point to one of its masterminds: the gold agent Maiveer Sloan. By infiltrating one of the Consortium's artifact-smuggling operations, the PCs can sabotage their rivals' criminal operations and send a clear message: No attack will go unanswered.

There are lots of exciting adventures in the works!

John Compton
Developer

Short But Sweet!

Friday, March 6, 2015

With ToyFair behind us and the hobby game industry's annual GAMA Trade Show only about a week away, things here at Preview Central are busier than a four-armed girallon in a handshaking contest. Expect a few more trade show photos to leak at GAMA, but until then, I wanted to show off a digital sculpt of two figures I'm very excited for in June's Dungeons Deep set.

Up first is the Mad Prophet, a deranged gnome culled from the pages of the NPC Codex. This maniac has my favorite eyes in the set since the Leaping Boggard in The Lost Coast and I think he doubles easily for a fanatical gnome spellcaster player character (which is to say, "a" gnome spellcaster PC). The Mad Prophet is a Small, uncommon figure.

Speaking of short player character minis, here we have the Sundering Axe, one of my favorite female dwarf images in the NPC Codex. The Sundering Axe is just as happy to flatten you with her hammer than to cleave you with her axe. Take your pick, orcs! The Sundering Axe is a Medium, uncommon figure.

That's it for this week! I've got to ration these guys out, as it's a long time until June!

See you next week when I'll reveal more new figures from the Dungeons Deep set!

Erik Mona
Publisher

Character Building in the Strategy Guide

Thursday, March 5, 2015

In anticipation of its impending release, here's a quick walkthrough of how the Strategy Guide helps players build characters:

1. Take the character theme quiz to find your theme.

2. Read your theme description.

3. Choose a race.

4. Visit your theme's class section and begin filling out your character sheet.

5. Purchase your starting equipment.

6. Fill in additional details.

7. Read through the intro to playing the game, and check out the specific combat tips for your theme.

8. Start your adventure!

Tune in next week for a Strategy Guide art preview!

Jessica Price
Project Manager

Welcome Linda Zayas-Palmer!

Thursday, March 5, 2015

We're thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Pathfinder development team: Linda Zayas-Palmer! Linda blew us away with the development, design and editing chops she demonstrated on our blind test for the position. She also chose a nosoi psychopomp for her avatar, proving we chose well.

I'll let her introduce herself in her own words:

Hi, everybody! My name is Linda Zayas-Palmer, and I'm the new assistant developer at Paizo. I'm so excited!

I've always enjoyed RPGs and reading fantasy novels. In 2008, when Mark Seifter asked me if I would be interested in joining his 3.5 game, I jumped at the chance to join my first campaign. Since then, I've played and GMed 3.5, FATE, Mutants and Masterminds, and, of course, primarily Pathfinder. After an Adventure Path and a half, the pile of supplemental stories and subsystems I'd been building finally grew large enough that I decided to write for people other than my gaming group, and started freelancing.

In addition to my home games, I've been quite active in Pathfinder Society. I was Venture Lieutenant of Boston, along with Mark, and I recently earned my 5th GM star. If you haven't already checked out your local Lodge, even if you think home games are more your style, give it a shot! PFS has a lot to offer.

Other than tabletop roleplaying games, I enjoy a variety of board and video games, as well as linguistics, math, singing, and teaching.

Linda Zayas-Palmer
Assistant Developer

Please help us welcome her to the Paizo crew!

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief