A New Advanced Class Guide!

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Last summer saw the release of the Advanced Class Guide, a mighty tome filled with 10 brand-new classes, and a bevvy of new rules to support them. Many of you probably noticed that the book had a small problem with the cover, using the Adventure Path logo instead of the usual Roleplaying Game logo.

Today, I am happy to announce that this problem, along with a number of other updates and rules clarifications, have been corrected in the newest printing of the Advanced Class Guide! Inside you will find clarifications to a number of classes and archetypes in the book, dispelling some confusion and bringing the power level of some of the classes and archetypes in line with their counterparts. You will also find revisions to a variety of feats, spells, and magic items.

The update document for this book has been up for a couple months now, and I am happy to announce that the newest printing contains all of these changes and you will also find them updated in our online Pathfinder Resource Document! For those of you with a first printing of the book, you can find the update document, noting the big changes that bring it inline with second printing, right here!

• First Printing to Second Printing (v1.0)—Download (2.3MB zip/PDF)

Grab your copy today!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Beyond the Pool of Stars Sample Chapter

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

In Beyond the Pool of Stars, Mirian Raas comes from a long line of salvagers—adventurers who use magic to dive for sunken ships off the coast of tropical Sargava. With her father dead and her family in debt, Mirian has no choice but to take over his last job: a dangerous expedition into deep jungle pools, helping a tribe of lizardfolk reclaim the lost treasures of their people. Yet this isn’t any ordinary dive, as the same colonial government that looks down on Mirian for her half-native heritage has an interest in the treasure, and the survival of the entire nation may depend on the outcome...

Chapter One: Homecoming
Mirian

Every day, dozens of transport ships plied the waters between Sargava's southern port and its capital, Eleder. Stacks of square-cut logs, crates of ivory, and packets of dried medicinal plants came north. Baskets of luxury goods and bright bales of Mulaa cloth went south.

These goods were shepherded by folk who sailed the route several times each week, so accustomed to the trip they scarcely came out from under the sun-bleached awnings or looked up from their deck benches. Although the occasional wanderer, pilgrim, or explorer might admire the rocky surf or the lush coastline, it was rare for the regulars to give much heed to either, and unheard of for them to crowd the rails.

But then, it wasn't every day they saw a pirate ship. When the Red Leopard's lookout cried warning, the passengers surged for a view of the doom to come.

Mirian Raas pushed her way through the throng. Despite the more pressing concerns, muted cries of outrage followed her wake. A pasty colonial woman openly scowled at her.

Mirian ignored them. She reached the Red Leopard's starboard rail with the bulk of the mob to her right. She gripped it tight, searching through the tattered mist hung above the uncharacteristically dull waves. The fog had risen on the heels of afternoon rain, graying the turquoise waters and throwing a smoky curtain across the horizon. It lent a more fearsome aspect to the fast-moving raider astern—a two-master flying a snapping black banner with a sword in a skeletal hand.

Mirian scanned the pirate vessel swiftly, only to have her attention stolen by a startlingly familiar little ship beyond it, just visible through the fog.

The pirate ship had swung out from beyond the bluff, emerging only a quarter league aft, and the other passengers hadn't the wit to see from its trajectory that its target wasn't the Red Leopard. Mirian glanced back to the quarterdeck and read the same conclusion in the eyes and activities of the crew there. The raider was aimed for the little caravel flying Mirian's family pennant.

Mirian would have recognized the lines of The Daughter of the Mist anywhere, even if the blue flag with a golden swordfish weren't waving from its main mast. The ship's sails were reefed, so Mirian knew the salvagers were below water searching for treasure, her brother Kellic probably leading.

The Daughter was swift and nimble when underway, but her crew was about to be caught flat-footed. They didn't stand a chance against the surprise attack.

Not unless...

Mirian turned and fought back through the frightened crowd. She'd spent long years inland, but her sea legs were still good, and she had no trouble running the rolling deck once clear. In moments she stood near the wheel and Captain Akimba.

The captain cocked a skeptical eyebrow at her arrival. He was a spare, dark-skinned Ijo man with a blunt nose; he cut a rakish figure with his tricorne hat and well-tended light blue coat. He'd struck Mirian as both perceptive and good-natured as they'd traded pleasantries earlier that day.

She greeted him with a sharp nod. "Captain, we've got to help that ship."

Akimba shook his head. "We can't, Miss Raas."

The stubby helmsman beside him goggled at the notion.

She continued her argument. "Between the Leopard and the Daughter, we'll have enough men to stop her. I'm sure there's a bounty on that pirate—"

Akimba's mellow voice held little warmth. "You can't know how many that pirate's fielding, or how many are on that caravel."

"Fine. Just get me close, then."

His brows furrowed. "What?"

They were running out of time. Mirian struggled to keep her impatience checked. "Damn it, Captain, tack a few degrees starboard! You'll pass close enough for me to swim for it."

He blinked, dumbfounded, his broad-voweled accent more pronounced. "You want to go over the side? Alone?"

Illustration by Tyler Jacobson

"Aye!" And from the pouch at her side she withdrew a small emerald. She grabbed his right hand and placed the gem in his calloused palm. "For the risk."

He frowned, clearly weighing her sanity.

"That's my family's ship, Captain. My brother's aboard." He was probably below, but she was striving to be succinct.

Understanding dawned on Akimba even as his frown lines deepened. "I'm sorry, Miss Raas." He sounded sincere. "There's nothing you can do."

"There's little risk, and you're being well compensated."

Akimba stared at the gem. His voice softened as he met her eyes. "I can't take this. Not in good conscience. You'd be killed."

She showed teeth in a mirthless grin. "That's my look-out, Captain."

He stared at her only a moment longer before his fingers closed over the emerald. His voice deepened as he roared an order. "Helmsman, tack us four points to starboard!"

Even as the thickset man at the wheel growled acknowledgment, Akimba was shouting orders to the men in the masts. The cluster of passengers shifted along the deck and a handful advanced toward the helm, presumably to protest at a course change that even they could see put them closer to the pirate's line.

"I've got to get my gear," Mirian said.

"Make it fast," Akimba growled.

She dashed for the port gangway, threw herself down the ladderlike stairs, and pushed through the tiny door to her cabin. Precious seconds flew as she unlocked and opened the curved lid of her sea chest.

Mirian withdrew the weathered sword belt and the sheathed cutlass that hung from it. After a moment's hesitation she pulled off her blouse, leaving her torso garbed only in a tight undershirt. She dropped the garment into the chest.

She fumbled off her sandals, then slung her sword belt over one shoulder, put the key to the lock, and bowed her head briefly. Eyes closed, she asked for blessings—from Desna, goddess of luck, and from her ancestors. For the first time, she realized the latter now included her father. "Guide my hand," she finished.

She dashed barefoot up to the weather deck. Chilton, the handsome first mate, addressed a gaggle of middle-aged colonial merchants and their families. Akimba was at the wheel, the air of immersion in his duties shielding him from the protestations below. A steady wind belled the sails and tore holes in the mist. The pirate was slowing as she neared the Daughter. For a moment the view was clear enough that she saw marauders readying swords along the pirate's taffrail. The numbers indeed looked daunting.

Akimba glanced at her. "Closer than I dare, Miss Raas." He looked almost apologetic. "You know my first duty is to the people and property entrusted to the Leopard." He continued before she could thank him. "I'm sure you have some special salvaging gear, but think: what can one person do here?"

"Never underestimate the element of surprise, Captain. You'll ship my dunnage to my mother at the Raas estate?"

"Aye, woman. You've paid me for both shipping and your suicide. May Gozreh bless you. Go!" He sounded angry, but she touched his shoulder in gratitude, for he'd brought his ship to within four cable lengths. She held off promising him a drink when next she saw him. Like most Ijo, Akimba probably had a healthy belief in sea ghosts. She didn't want to sound like she planned to haunt him.

Mirian felt the eyes of the ship's crew and passengers as she ran for the rail, and heard them speculating about the mad native woman.

She'd show them mad.

Mirian dove neatly over the side and passed seamlessly into a white-capped wave with the tiniest of splashes.

The water of Desperation Bay in the spring was only a little cool. The salt in her eyes was the worst transition, though one she'd expected. She kicked on, swimming steadily as her eyes adjusted.

Already the twin rings she wore had powered into effect. In appearance, they were virtually identical—plain black bands etched with sharp-tipped waves. Above water they seemed unremarkable. Below, they were something else entirely.

The ring on her right hand granted her the ability to move through water with the same ease she moved through air. Though she could still push against the water to swim, there was somehow no drag or delay in her actions.

More obvious were the magics activated by the ring on her left hand. The moment she'd struck the water, yellow translucent gills had blossomed along her neck. Matching flippers encased her naked calves, and glowing fins extended from her elbow to her wrist, tapering as they went.

These rare items were her heritage, one of two matched sets of arcane tools handed down from her eccentric great-grandmother. When she'd last seen the other pair, they'd been in her father's possession. She assumed they were now worn by her brother, likely somewhere underwater nearby.

Mirian surfaced to get her bearings, rising only far enough to see the Daughter's hull, dead ahead.

She kicked onward, felt her curly hair streaming out to brush her shoulders. A school of silver minnows darted past, pursued by a trio of hand-sized yellow arrow fish. Far below, a sea turtle browsed in a patch of sea grass waving on the edge of the drop-off to deeper waters

She spotted the pirate's hull as it swept up beside the Daughter, a dark shape that blotted light. Grimly, she kicked with her full strength, willing herself to swim with all her might. Every moment she delayed might cost a life.

Agonizing minutes later she reached the pirate ship's side. There were no sharks, the gods be praised. Maybe these pirates weren't the sort who threw bloodied victims overboard.

Or maybe they just hadn't gotten started yet.

Mirian focused on the pirate's hull, looking for weakness as she kicked along. It probably lost a knot or two whenever it moved, owing to the barnacles encrusted everywhere. Yards of seaweed dangled from the keel like weird undersea banners.

Mirian opened the stiff pouch that dangled from the left side of her belt and grasped the haft of the third tool that was her family legacy. Here in the shadows, the wand was only a slim dark stick the length of her forearm. In direct sunlight it was a dull ivory banded in green. According to family record, her great-grandmother Mellient had waded into battle with a sword in one hand and her wand in the other. But Mirian Raas had little to no magical aptitude. Sometimes the wand refused to work for her, even when she gave it her full concentration. It was the most challenging of all her magical tools—and the most deadly. It was also the only one that required maintenance. After that Bandu assault outside Kalabuto, she had only seven charges remaining in the weapon. She'd have to make every one count.

She leveled the wand and concentrated. A stream of bubbles left her mouth as she said, "Sterak."

A line of green energy streamed from the wand's tip, striking the tarred planks with an audible hiss, burning a head-sized hole through the port hull halfway between keel and waterline. The rupture sent more bubbles streaming toward the surface. The expanding edges glowed green as the acidic energy ate into the wood.

She swam on. Three more times she struck. By the last she thought the ship might truly be listing: an undeniable distraction.

Mirian swam straight on to the smaller hull of the ship she knew so well. The Daughter showed little sea growth, but then her father and Rendak always meticulously saw to her care. Mirian had so often navigated to the starboard ladder that she could practically reach it with her eyes closed. She hung suspended beneath it for an agonizing minute to undo the jute knot securing her hilt, hoping her delay didn't mean people were dying above. But there was no going forward until she had her sword free.

As the twine drifted, she saw a flash of movement from below the pirate ship. A distant creature swam toward her with a glowing yellow eye.

She readied the wand.

Only when she saw a second light behind the man carrying the first did she understand. She was looking at salvagers returning from the deeper water, each carrying a glowing, fist-sized stone. The man in front was a shirtless, paunchy colonial with a black fringe beard and receding hair: Rendak, the Daughter's first mate and a seasoned salvager. His mouth enclosed one end of a tube that stretched over one shoulder. Mirian knew it was attached to one of the enchanted air bottles her grandfather had purchased when the salvaging team grew larger.

Rendak halted a few yards from her, his expression torn between pleasure and concern. He'd obviously noted the strange ship, as well as Mirian. Perhaps he thought she'd arrived on it. The second figure swam up beside him, his lips likewise about a tube that led to a shoulder pack—Gombe, the broad-shouldered Mulaa salvager who'd joined the team a year before Mirian left. Where was Kellic?

Explanations and a reunion would have to wait.

She pointed to the hull and gave the salvagers a hand sign that signified pirates. Rendak's eyes widened. He was a little heavier, a little grayer than she remembered, but he still looked more than capable. Bald Gombe was trim and fit.

She then pointed to the lights and brought her hands together. Rendak nodded and dimmed the glowing stone. That was new equipment. Gombe hesitated before doing the same.

Three against forty or so was better than one against forty or so... Mirian pushed the odds from her mind and focused her attention on the ship. She thought she heard shouts above. Hopefully that was the pirates expressing outrage at the calamity overtaking their foundering vessel.

She indicated herself and the ladder, then pointed the salvagers toward the ship's prow. Rendak gave a thumbs-up.

Mirian waited just below the surface, watching as the two men swam for the Daughter's prow. Despite the irk of additional delay, she judged it best to time their attack to occur at the same moment as her own.

She breathed out while still underwater, then took a slow breath after breaching the surface. It was a hard fight not to cough. Magical assistance or no, her lungs had to acclimatize once more to air. She steadied herself with the ladder.

From the deck came the sounds of men shouting for others to stand still, the clomp of boots.

There was no telling how many pirates were really up there, or whether they'd actually been inconvenienced by her attack on their ship's hull. She might have overestimated the damage, or it might not yet have been noticed.

She supposed she'd find out. She started stealthily up the ladder, through the mist.

Purchase the whole novel here!

Best (Dressed) Characters Ever

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

There are many ways to attempt to win at adventuring. You can pry up every loose board in the dungeon to drain the local economy of every last mote of gold dust. You can gather wild tales of that time you defeated a Vulture Demon with nothing but a sharpened chicken bone. Or, if you don't like your friends much, you can be the last one standing when the battle ends. But wealth is hollow, tales can be fabricated, and standing alone is... well, lonely. The true pathfinder of style wins by making it look good, period.

It takes a higher standard than a brown woolen cloak to make it as a character in the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. Live fast and make it through Adventure Deck 6, or die pretty.

This week, the PACG team struts their choices for best dressed character in a walk-off of lethal fashion.

Liz Spain

Swashbucklers are generally a flouncy bunch, but Jirelle pulls off an outfit that elevates practicality to fabulous. Eschewing the common brown or black, Her studded leather jerkin and chaps are a sumptuous dark indigo trimmed in gold, giving the impression of stars in a sea of midnight. Her tall boots, practical for charging through rough underbrush or hiking rocky terrain, punctuate her lithe elvenesque silhouette with cuffs that won't quit. Heck, even her buckler is painted to match.

Gorgeous but deadly.

To top it all off, Jirelle rakishly dons a crimson worsted wool cloak lined in gold silk. A bold color choice for the battlefield, the cloak can be employed to distract enemies and entrap their weapons. Better yet, the cloak, scarves, and long hair will flow as she turns to look amazing in any duel while keeping enemy strikes from targeting the important squishy parts. After all, clothing is a much a verb as a noun. Jirelle makes it work.

Mike Selinker

As with all critical decisions, it is de rigueur to approach the selection of the most fashionable character scientifically, rather than through such fallible methods as "personal taste" and "saying anything to get the thumbscrews removed." I have devised an unassailable four-part methodology:

1. Eliminate all monochrome outfits. Approximate percentage of candidates remaining: 50%.
2. Eliminate overuse of brown. Approximate percentage of candidates remaining: 15%.
3. Eliminate visible belly buttons. Approximate percentage of candidates remaining: 3%.
4. Of the remaining candidates, pick the one that Liz Spain is most likely to dress as.

Thus, the only plausible answer is Radillo. Don't thank me. Thank science.

When Radillo says jump, you say, "Yes ma'am."

John Compton

A character with plenty of pockets, bells, whistles, and doodads is all well and good, but what captures my imagination is a character whose dedication to an in-world ideal is such that she tries to emulate it in flesh. As someone who is playing a cleric of Nethys through the Mummy's Mask Adventure Path (RPG-style), and as someone who really appreciates how our campaign setting presents the god of magic, I love Zarlova's personal sense of style.

Dedication to god, dedication to style.

Sure, plenty of Nethys's faithful worshippers dress in black and white, representing the god's half-scorched, half-healthy body. Zarlova has taken it a step further and paid someone to tattoo her right half in bone-white patterns, shaving that side of her head just to show off the ink. I also like how she's tossed aside the notion of a perfectly symmetrical black-and-white garment and instead embraced diagonal swathes of color that are as unpredictable-yet-visually-appealing as magic itself. Even her staff of two intertwined snakes shows off Nethys's dual nature. When it comes to fashion, Zarlova's sensibilities are like her magical prowess: unrivaled and the envy of all.

Tanis O'Connor

I'm going to cheat, unsurprisingly enough. My take is that the best-dressed character in the game is the one wearing only his birthday suit.

Meet Gronk.

He's... too sexy for his clothes...

Though he occasionally spends time as an elf, Gronk the druid knows his bark is better than his bite when he's in his woodsiest form. No shirt, no shoes, no service necessary for this hunk of forest manliness. Who needs a hat when your head can double as a piercing weapon? And his oaken codpiece goes with everything!

You'll get the deets on the Gronky goodness in next month's Druid Class Deck preview.

Brian Campbell

My choice is Wrathack. Wrathack has an axe that is actually two axes, because her weapon has an axe at either end. Battleaxes deal a lot of damage, and she has two of them forged together, which makes her double axe the best fashion accessory a hero can have. Also, she's wearing bloody feathers that she ripped off the wings of an angel, which is badass. And she's wearing armor, which is obviously better than not wearing armor. I would like her outfit more if she wore more black, or if it was stained with more blood, but the fact that she has more axes than any other adventurer means that she wins.

Hell yeah! That's badass... but it still needs more blood.

Vic Wertz

Ranzak is the best-dressed character. (Parrots count as "attire," yes?)

He definitely wins best appendages.

Keith Richmond

Merisiel is a true mistress of fashion, from her peacock-like fan of shoulder knives down to her meticulously worked leather boots.

You get a dagger! You get a dagger! Everybody gets a dagger!

What other character has so mastered the intricate accessorizing of blades, incorporating a full dozen into her costume? Her dagger hilts even match her studded leather armor.

Merisiel employs a full array of colors, with rich red leather armor, blue garments, gold threading, silver studs, black sheathes and straps, and a dashing accent of green and yellow to catch the eye.

Those familiar with Merisiel's abilities know, however, that her true strength is that she is only seen when and where she can steal the show.

Gaby Weidling

Feet feats! Gaby here with my picks for best footwear! If you know me, you'll know I have a small shoe problem. I love shoes (particularly sneakers) and am inspired to buy shoes by the most random stuff. Hopefully I'll escape this blog without ordering any new shoes. And because I'm that kind of person, I'm going to show a picture and you'll have to guess whose feet I've chosen. Ready, go!

Best Kicks!

Can you recognize these sweet winged shoes? They belong to none other than our beloved [redacted]! These shoes are intimidating and totally badass. They may also finally push me over the edge to buy these shoes I've been eyeing for months. Anyway, nobody is messing with you when this is your footwear.

Best Pointy Toes!

I LOVE [redacted]'S BOOTS! They are shiny. They have pointy toes. They have designs. These shoes might finally push me over the edge to get a pair of poulaines. Here are some extra whimsical ones I will probably impulse purchase later today: All I need is to add some shiny metal and I'll be, dare I say it, even more stylin' than [redacted].

Best in Shoe

The tail in this picture is sort of a giveaway but these boots of [redacted]'s are my most favorite. I love that there's some color here. Most of our people are just tromping around in brown boots...which is probably practical but not necessarily the prettiest. These boots are a glorious green and they have some nice silver detailing. Luckily (or unluckily) I don't have my eye on any boots like these, so I guess I'm safe. Perhaps I'll have to commission a pair. I could use them to cosplay [redacted] or a fancy-footed Slytherin!

Answers!

1. Wrathack (you have no idea how many times I started typing "Hatrack" and had to start over) won "Best Kicks" with her angel-skin boots.
2. Tontelizi won "Best Pointy Toes" with his shiny, stabby toes.
3. Lini won "Best in Shoe" because, seriously. Those boots.

Paul Peterson

If we wish to have a discussion, then it should really be about which character is the "second-best dressed" as the top spot is unassailable.

You can point out the buckles or bows or boots or what have you for other characters, and then nod and say "Those are indeed fine," but NONE of those baubles can compare to the majesty of Balazar's Splendiferous Hat.

See this hat? That's status!

Just look upon it and marvel. What else could compare? Nothing even comes close. It is splendiferous, after all. Look at how it completes Balazar's look. Gaze in wonder as it sets off Padrig's scales. Truly it is the pinnacle of magical haberdashery.

And not only is it awesome in its majesty, but it is also said to be alive, and to counsel wise Balazar in his many travels. What other mere accoutrements listed by others here can equal that feat? None.

Chad Brown

Oddly enough, I picked first (as far as I know, anyway), but I'm adding my section last. That's good for me, because it lets me take a look at what my fellows have done. Let's see... hmm...

Sorry, everyone; hats are great, but then you have to decide between Balazar and Alahazra. Just like in Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, two good but very similar answers cancel each other out. Likewise, all that footwear is awesome, but even Gaby can't pick just one (or two). Also, despite what Tanis might try to tell you, "wild shaped" is not the same thing as "dressed." For all we know, Gronk is wearing mustard yellow spats and white shoes—well into Lamashan, even!—underneath all that bark. Automatic disqualification on account of not being dressed!

All that aside, there are several good criteria listed, and one character who, in my opinion, excels across the board: Olenjack, dwarven guild leader and pillar of the community. Awesome coat, great styling. Beard jewelry—tasteful yet refined—alongside a respectable amount of stabby. Plus, while Ranzak may have a parrot—excuse me, a Magic Bird—even he doesn't have have a screaming howler monkey wearing a pirate hat for a belt buckle.

As Olenjack might say, "Check and mate."

Your Choice

Now that you've seen our choices, who's your best dressed character? Write your answers in the comments below. Make it work!

The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Team

Three New Faces

Monday, September 28, 2015

Illustrations by Marko Horvatin and John Derek Murphy

This month the Pathfinder Society is sending PCs to two regions little explored by the campaign. The first is Tamran, an oft-assaulted city that serves as the capitol of Nirmathas in its ongoing conflict with Molthune. We've known that a Pathfinder lodge existed in Tamran for about a decade; in fact, that lodge's foundation is the reason that Molthune became so hostile to the Society (clearly the Decemvirate were picking sides). What was never clear was who operated it. When you play Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-07: Trouble in Tamran, you'll get a more formal introduction to Venture-Captain Oraiah Tolal. She's a fascinating character in part because she combines so many elements rarely seen in the canon roster of venture-captains: she's a divine spellcaster, her patron is one of the "minor deities," and she's a halfling. Of course, there's much more to her than aligning with a few in-world demographics, and I look forward to her giving more missions in the future.

In Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-06: To Judge a Soul: The Legacy Lost, we traveling even further afield into territory never touched by a published adventure: north-central Tian Xia, beginning in Amanandar. The adventure also spends substantial time in Jinin (also never before seen) and Wanshou (only visited once last season). At the center of it all is Venture-Captain Bakten, an accomplished samsaran whose history the players can explore in depth rarely seen in any adventure. For now, let's settle for a quick visual before playing the first of this two-part series.

Finally, there's one more leader who deserves introduction: the Pathfinder Society's global organized play coordinator. We're waiting until my new colleague starts work tomorrow to pull back the Decemvirate mask, so check back then for the official announcement!

John Compton
Developer

The Surviving Monsters are Revealed!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Round 3 is over, and we've revealed the Top 8's winning bestiary entries. This is an important benchmark, because contestants that make it this far are considered experienced enough to be disqualified from future seasons of RPG Superstar! Go check out the winners, and tell our contestants what you think.

That also means that the design phase for Round 4 has begun! Our remaining Top 8 must put together a location and an encounter within that location, using one of three provided maps. This is a major challenge, and it's their best chance to show they have the chops to design adventures. The encounter designs will be revealed on October 5th, and voting doesn't end until October 18th, to give fans a chance to playtest the encounters!

Get ready for some creative encounters, we're near the beginning of the end of RPG Superstar Season 9!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

Bringing the Hell's Rebels Prequel to Life!

Saturday, September 26, 2015

One of the most incredible highlights of my game design career was the opportunity to see Tom Beckett and an incredible cast of elementary school students adapt and perform my adventure, "Burnt Offerings," as a play. They even had a giant hermit crab fight on stage! Well, he’s at it again, this time with a prequel to Hell’s Rebels, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what sorts of mayhem he’ll unleash this time! Here’s Tom with more details:

"Night of Ashes" takes place during the events immediately preceding In Hell's Bright Shadow, the first adventure in Hell's Rebels. Working with the Paizo team, we are using NPCs, locations and plot points from the Adventure Path to recreate the traumatic events leading up to Barzillai Thrune's take over of the city of Kintargo.

The show centers on a young Hellknight who is conflicted between her commitment to the Law and her commitment to her City. When Grand Inquisitor Thrune orders her companion killed and an entire Opera Company arrested alongside a young Baron, she is forced to keep the actors from further harm and lead them to safety. The survival of this small band intermingle with the machinations of the arch villain of the Adventure Path.

Tom Beckett

The "Night of Ashes" Kickstarter will allow Tom and the team to create a professional recording of the production. There's only a few days left of the campaign, so get a look at the awesome pre-production work and help realize the "Night of Ashes" project!

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Short and Sweet

Friday, September 25, 2015

This week's figures come from The Rusty Dragon Inn set of prepainted fantasy Pathfinder Battles miniatures. With amazing paint masters, great digital sculpts, and lots of creatures and NPC types not previously available in prepainted plastic, The Rusty Dragon Inn is shaping up to be one of my favorite sets ever!

This week, I'm previewing a few of the set's "shorter" figures, to account for this week's relatively short blog!

Up first is the Dwarf Wizard, a stalwart who appears on the cover and interior of the Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex. Quite a mustache on this guy, who is showing off some elemental power by turning his hand to stone. I think it's safe to say... he packs on HELL of a punch! (Ahem.) The Dwarf Wizard is a Medium, uncommon figure.

It's long been a goal of mine to provide male and female figures for all of the primary Pathfinder class types (arcane spellcaster, rogue, warrior, cleric, roughly speaking). The Rusty Dragon Inn has proven very helpful in that regard, allowing us to grab some of the coolest images from the NPC Codex and bring them to you in prepainted plastic. Here we have the Gnome Wizard from that volume. Honestly I think she also works well as a gnome rogue, if you want to play it that way. The Gnome Wizard is a Small, uncommon figure.

Like the NPC Codex, the Pathfinder RPG Monster Codex has likewise been a great resource for this set, and from its pages come this week's monster, the Kobold Trapmaker, a Small, uncommon figure. This guy is a good example of a figure that I think looks even better in hand than in its 3D render, and I can't wait to add him to my kobold army.

That's it for this week! As one of my favorite Doctors once famously said:

"Sorry, must dash."

Erik Mona
Publisher

He Lives, He Dies, He Lives Again!

Friday, September 25, 2015

I have received word from the beyond, and we have a winner for our Rasputin Redesign Challenge! Look closely into my eyes, and I will share secrets with you...

Redesigning Rasputin presents a multitude of challenges for those that picked up the gauntlet—not only backwards engineering a base starting point with ability scores, but also rethinking tactics, equipment, and stylistic approach. (And having to re-engineer entries to pick a winner was also challenging for the judges!) In the end, there can be only one winner, and that winner is: Iammars, with Grigori Rasputin, cult master mesmerist!

Grigori Rasputin, cult master mesmerist:

Grigori Rasputin  CR 17

XP 102,400
Male middle-aged human mesmerist (cult master) 18
NE Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Perception +22
Aura unholy aura (DC 22)

Defense

AC 23, touch 18, flat-footed 23 (+5 armor, +4 deflection, +4 insight)
hp 185 (18d8+92)
Fort +15, Ref +16, Will +26; +4 vs. death effects, domination, mind-affecting effects, and possession
Defensive Abilities fortification 50%, stitched soul; SR 25 vs. good

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee mwk dagger +12/+7/+2 (1d4–2/19–20)
Ranged mwk Nagant M1895 revolver +14/+9/+4 (1d8/×4)
Special Attacks bold stare (disorientation, sapped magic, susceptibility), hypnotic stare –-3, manifold tricks (5), mental potency +3, mesmerist tricks 18/day (faked death, fearsome guise, free in body, gift of will, meek facade, mesmeric mirror, psychosomatic surge, reflection of weakness [DC 28]) Mesmerist Spells Known (CL 18th; concentration +27)
6th (4/day)—demand (DC 27), overwhelming presence (DC 27), project image, true seeing
5th (6/day)—cloak of dreams (DC 26), feeblemind (DC 26), primal regression (DC 26), psychic asylum
4th (7/day)—freedom of movement, phantasmal killer (DC 23), restoration, greater synaptic pulse (DC 25), thoughtsense
3rd (7/day)—bestow curse (DC 22), confusion (DC 24), dispel magic, displacement, fear (DC 22), synaptic scramble (DC 24)
2nd (7/day)—aversion (DC 23), false life, levitate, mirror image, pilfering hand, placebo effect (DC 21)
1st (8/day)—faerie fire, heightened awareness, ill omen, psychic reading, quintessence, vanish (DC 20)
0 (at will)—dancing lights, detect magic, detect psychic significance, light, prestidigitation, read magic

TACTICS

Before Combat Within the Thrice-Tenth presbytery (area H6), Rasputin enjoys the benefits of the World Engine’s unholy aura and insight bonus to his AC. Rasputin casts cloak of dreams, displacement, false life, freedom of movement, levitate and mirror image. Aside from false life, these effects are not factored into his statistics.
During Combat Rasputin uses his stare to try to get his spells to stick on the PCs. He uses spells like confusion, overwhelming presence and primal regression to try to stop the PCs from acting properly. If a PC is being particularly troublesome, then they become the target of phantasmal killer.
Morale On the precipice of claiming his mother’s mythic power, Rasputin relies on his stitched soul to preserve his life, and fights to the death again and again until slain permanently.

STATISTICS

Str 7, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 28
Base Atk +13; CMB +11; CMD 29
Feats Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Diehard^B, Ectoplasmic Spell^B, Great Fortitude, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Leadership, Quicken Spell, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Specialization (ill omen), Toughness
Skills Bluff +30, Diplomacy +45, Heal +19, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Perception +22, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +23, Use Magic Device +30
Languages Church Slavonic, Common, Russian
SQ fanatical devotion, fanatical stare, glib lie (DC 33)
Gear +1 moderate fortification chain shirt, mwk dagger, mwk Nagant M1895 revolver with 21 metal cartridges, belt of physical might +2 (Dex, Con), greater talisman of danger sense, greater talisman of healing power, greater talisman of warrior's courage, headband of alluring charisma +6, lucky horseshoe, mask of the mesmerist, ring of immolation^{AP 11}

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Stitched Soul (Su) Rasputin’s soul is stitched to his body with threads of fate, and he clings tenaciously to life. He gains Diehard as a bonus feat. In addition, when first reduced to a number of negative hit points equal to or greater than his current Con score, Rasputin dies, but he springs back to life 1d4 rounds later as if the target of a resurrection spell. If killed a second time, the Mad Monk again comes back to life 1d6 rounds later, as if the target of a raise dead spell (upon his return, he loses 50% of his remaining unused spell slots as if they had been used to cast spells). Only after Rasputin is slain for a third time do his soul’s stitches finally unravel from his corpse, releasing his malignant spirit into the ether.

Not only did Iammars swing for the fences in his entry, he nails it with choices that recreate the encounters in "Rasputin Must Die!" (like using project image to harass the PCs). To quote Brandon's commentary, "And just as I clung to historical accuracy to get to the germ of my Rasputin, this guy goes and uses the archetype's bonus Leadership feat to get a cohort, and pulls Anna-[redacted]-Vyrubova out of the history books and inserts HER into the action. Just awesome." Of course, it would be silly to not include Anna, so here you go!

Anna Vyurbova, biggest fan:

Anna Vyurbova

Female human psychic 16
N Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Perception +6

Defense

AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, +1 natural)
hp 158 (16d6+100)
Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +17
SR 28
Weaknesses wheelchair bound

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft.
Melee mwk dagger +10/+5 (1d4–1/19–20)
Ranged mwk Nagant M1895 revolver +11/+6 (1d8/×4)
Special Attacks agonizing wound (1 round, DC 24, 4/day), painful reminder (3d6, 4/day), phrenic amplifications (mimic metamagic, ongoing defense, overpowering mind, turning shield, undercast surge), phrenic pool (9 points) Psychic Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th; concentration +22)
1/day—detect thoughts (DC 12), telepathic bond
Psychic Spells Known (CL 16th; concentration +22)
8th (3/day)—horrid wilting (DC 25), psychic crush IV (DC 25)
7th (5/day)—simulacrum, tower of iron will III, waves of exhaustion
6th (7/day)—contingency, dream travel (DC 22), mass inflict pain (DC 22), mental barrier V
5th (7/day)—explode head, life bubble (DC 21), psychic asylum, spell resistance, synapse overload (DC 21)
4th (7/day)—black tentacles, break enchantment, dimension door, mass pain strike (DC 20), thoughtsense
3rd (7/day)—analyze aura, dispel magic, displacement, heroism, vampiric touch
2nd (8/day)—bullet ward, false life, mirror image, pain strike (DC 18), pilfering hand, resist energy
1st (8/day)—burst of insight, comprehend languages, heightened awareness, ill omen, magic missile, persuasive goad (DC 18)
0 (at will)—daze, detect magic, detect psychic significance, light, mage hand, read magic, resistance, stabilize, virtue
Psychic Discipline Pain

TACTICS

Before Combat Anna casts heroism on both herself and Rasputin, while also casting displacement, false life, heightened awareness, life bubble, mirror image, and spell resistance. Displacement, life bubble, and mirror image are not factored into her statistics.
During Combat Anna attempts to do as much damage to the PCs as possible, making liberal use of quickened explode head combined with horrid wilting and psychic crush.
Morale Anna fights until her contingency whisks her away, her pain overcoming her and stopping her from doing anything else.

STATISTICS

Str 8, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 23, Wis 14, Cha 13
Base Atk +8; CMB +9; CMD 18
Feats Combat Casting, Empower Spell, Fearsome Spell, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (necromancy), Spell Perfection (explode head), Toughness
Skills Bluff +22, Diplomacy +22, Heal +16, Knowledge (arcana) +29, Knowledge (nobility) +29, Knowledge (religion) +29, Sense Motive +23, Spellcraft +27
Languages Common, Russian
SQ live on (6d6, 7/day), mercies (dazed, nauseated, sickened, stunned), power from pain (max. 2)
Combat Gear bead of force, lesser persistent metamagic rod, wand of cure light wounds, wand of enervation (22 charges); Other Gear +1 mithral chain shirt, cloak of resistance +3, headband of mental prowess +2 (Int, Wis), ring of protection +1

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Contingency: When Anna is brought down to 25 hit points or less, she dimension doors away.

Wheelchair Bound: Anna can only move around in her wheelchair. Her speed is reduced by 10 feet unless both hands are free.

Iammars is the winner of a custom Paizo.com avatar selected from Occult Adventures, as well as $25 in store credit! But Iammars' entry wasn't the only one that got our attention. Milo v3's reanimated medium, Rannald's reanimated medium/formless adept psychic, Charlie Bell's mesmerist, and two interpretations of the occultist class from Meloriel and Corneleus Idaho were also among our favorite entries. Implement choices for the occultists, playing up the "why can't you just stay dead" for the medium, and solid tactical choices with Rasputin's new class made selecting our finalist a worthy encounter for our judges!

Thank you so much to everybody who entered—it was a (kinetic) blast to read through them all!

Until next time,

Brandon Hodge
Contributor

Liz Courts
Community Manager

Inner Sea Races: Rules for Every Race

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Illustration by Mattias Fahlberg

In previous previews of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Races we've highlighted the cultures, heritages, art, and secrets you'll find in this massive hardcover. But what we haven't said much about are the rules—and there certainly are a ton of them. A whole chapter, in fact, heaped with new feats, spells, magic items, alternate racial traits, and plenty more! Regardless of your race, you'll find new tricks and tools that are perfect for your character and that make your rooting in the Inner Sea's lore more meaningful than ever before.

For example, check these out:

Child of Two Fates

You have learned to make the most of your torn existence.

Prerequisites: Knowledge (local) 5 ranks, half-elf.

Benefit: Once per day, you can select a teamwork feat that a human or elf ally within 30 feet possesses. You can ignore any race, ethnicity, or racial trait prerequisites, but you must still meet any other prerequisites for that feat to gain this benefit. You're treated as if you possess that feat for up to 1 minute, as long as you stay within 30 feet of the ally whose teamwork feat you have chosen to emulate.

Champion's Bout (Shoanti)

School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 3, cleric 3, mesmerist 3

Casting Time 1 round

Components V, S

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Targets two creatures

Duration 1 round/level

Saving Throw Will negates (see text); Spell Resistance yes (see text)

You allow two chosen champions to fight without interference. The two creatures must be willing in order for the spell to work. After you cast this spell, any creature attempting to aid or hinder either of the two targets in any way must succeed at a Will save or lose its action instead (spell resistance applies). A creature that fails its Will save against champion's bout cannot attempt to interfere again. If a creature successfully interferes with the bout, the spell ends immediately.

Duplicitous (Kitsune)

Many kitsune prefer to avoid the attention they often attract from human neighbors and attempt to convince all around them that they are human. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks. This racial trait replaces kitsune magic.

And there's plenty more where those came from. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Races hits store shelves next week! Have you figured out where you're getting your copy?

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief

Prayers Answered—Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Deck 5

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

In the last adventure, the players gallivanted around on the corpses of murdered demon lords competing for the blessings of the demon lord who killed them. What could possibly top that? Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth definitely ups the ante again.

Iomedae has a little problem: her Herald went and got himself captured by the demons and hauled off to a prison in the Abyss. This situation cannot be allowed to continue, and she needs the best the world has to offer. But who has the right resume for such a job? Perhaps a ragtag team that has pushed back the demon hordes, led crusader armies into the heart of the Worldwound, freed a former crusader stronghold, and ventured into the Abyss to stop the production of elixirs that grant mythic powers to demons.

But first, there must be an interview.

Performance Review

The RPG adventure "Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth" begins with the players being summoned into the presence of the god Iomedae. Even for mythic characters, this is not something that happens every day. She tests them to see if they are worthy of the task she has for them. Her tests don't involve combat; they're questions, and they're the types of questions a god might ask. They are hard questions. They are tricky questions. There seem to be real consequences for getting them wrong and real rewards for getting them right, not the least of which is being sent to the Abyss again to rescue the Herald.

The real question, though, is how to model this in the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. Well, we took some liberties and made up some new rules, and those are some of my favorite things to do.

The scenario Audience with the Inheritor has a lot of features that make it unique. First, you treat the villain, The Lady of Valor, differently. She's not shuffled into a location with the henchmen; she goes into the blessings deck instead. This makes a huge difference. For one thing, it means that you only have to worry about the villain popping up at the start of your turn. Once that's over, you're free to explore to your heart's content. A less obvious benefit is that you will never end the scenario without finding the villain. And as long as there are still cards in the blessing deck, you always know you will get to meet the Lady at least one more time.

She also has a singular power: her check to defeat is increased by 10 for each character in the game. Everyone will need to contribute each time she's encountered in order to defeat her. Failure also means that every character takes 1d10 damage they can't prevent, and then she goes back into the blessing deck.

You rang??

It's not as hopeless as it looks, though. The characters have some powerful tools to help them in their tasks; remember that Iomedae wants them to win! First of all, the locations in this scenario are the friendliest you are likely to find anywhere. There are only 4 banes (plus the henchmen) among all 6 locations. It's practically a treasure trove. There's a new location called Heaven that is especially nice—players get to add a die to their checks against Deities (guess who!) for each marker on the card. You can get markers by closing the location, but the henchmen are also a big help. If you defeat them, they add markers to Heaven as well. By the end of the game, you could have 8 markers on Heaven, and I'm sure 8 dice would really help against the Lady.

Bloody well rite!

Interesting Choices

Once the players pass Iomedae's little test, they are dispatched to the Abyss (again) to secure the release of her Herald. They must journey through the realms of Baphomet, the lord of minotaurs and mazes, to a magical prison where the Herald is being held.

Along the way, many cool things can happen, but the last scenario contains two of the coolest.

First, it contains an optional fight. After the players defeat the Herald, they can simply end the scenario... or they can go and try to kick a Demon Lord's butt first. It's totally up to the players and will probably depend heavily on how they feel and what cards they have. Baphomet is no joke, and it might be wisest to simply take the win when you can get it. If they can defeat him, though, they get an extra piece of loot: the Amulet of the Abyss!

Are you ready?

The second cool thing also occurs at the end of final scenario as part of the reward. One of the players can choose to trade in his mythic path card for one of two mythic paths that represent assuming the mantle of the Herald of Iomedae. One of the paths is more suited to melee or divine characters, the other to ranged or arcane ones. The choice is up to the players, but it's a one-time offer.

The benefits package is pretty good.

Labyrinthine Challenges

AD5 adds several extra tricky banes to the game as well. One of the most clever is the Corruption Demon. With a 25 combat check to defeat, he's no slouch, but that isn't where his true strengths lie. If a player can't make a difficult Intelligence or Knowledge check, her character is going to get carted off to the Middle of Nowhere, and that place is rough. And that's not the demon's only trick. If he's undefeated, he deals damage, and then instead of going back into the deck, he gets displayed next to a character and reduces all non-physical skills to a d4. Fun times!

He just keeps asking "Are we there yet!?"

Also of note is the Xenarth. You only need a modest 24 to defeat it, but if the location deck isn't nearly empty, the Xenarth is turn up again like a bad penny. Oh, and you might take 2 Acid and 2 Poison damage as well.

"Demon sharks. Why did it have to be demon sharks?"

The barriers are very entertaining as well. There's a Temptation, of course, but I think the most interesting barrier here is the Magic Ray Fusillade. Unless you're Ezren, you're going to find the 18 check to defeat fairly difficult. And if you fail, someone is going to get hit for a LOT of damage in very small buckets.

Pew Pew Pew!

A-mazing Prizes!

The Bureau of Totally Made Up Facts tells us that every year, hundreds of people get lost in the mazes of the Abyss, never to return. They leave a variety of useful items for adventurers to discover, though some are not always so nice.

Now where's that ol' redemption card?

This set has so many good spells that I just want to call them all out, but my favorite is Elemental Bombardment. It doesn't do anything too crazy. It's primarily just a damaging spell. But I love the idea of summoning a giant elemental high up in the sky, from which it plummets directly onto your opponent and then it gets up and beats on them.

What's that whistling sound?

The real standout boons, however, are the allies in this set.

Let's start with one that really highlights what playing in a mythic campaign is all about. The main storyline and goal of the first PACG Adventure Path, Rise of the Runelords, is to defeat one of the ancient Runelords who has returned to the land. He's the big baddie of the set, and it takes all of the players' efforts to defeat him at the end of the AP.

Here we have Runelord Alderpash. Not only is he not the major villain of this set, he's a prisoner of Baphomet who can become your ally. HE WORKS FOR YOU! Now that's mythic! And he's pretty awesome as well, adding 2d4+1 and an elemental trait to a combat check, or you can just banish him to permanently close any location.

More like "Alderwuss."

There is also Orengofta, a demon who's hoping to cash in on the players by betraying them... until he notices how powerful they are, and then he's glad to help them. In this case, he helps by looking for the villain, and if he finds one, he can put it on top of your dresser. But if he doesn't find one, there will be Hell the Abyss to pay.

Follow me not...

Here's a little trick you should know about these allies: Not one of them has a check to acquire. Instead, you're going to have to do something to free them from their prison cells. And I'm sure you'll never regret doing it...

Games are often about the stories you can tell to your friends about things that happen while you're playing them. I'd be hard pressed to come up with a better story than: "First we had tea with the Lady of Valor. Then we went to the Abyss and fought our way to the Ineluctable Prison where we rescued the Herald of Iomedae, and I got these lovely Baphomet horns to hang above the fireplace."

Paul Peterson
Adventure Card Game Designer

Announcing Pathfinder Metal Dice!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Are you ready to roll? Our latest collaboration with Q-workshop is a step beyond for Pathfinder and dice fans! Today, they've launched their first Kickstarter project to create a new 7-dice fully metal set of Pathfinder dice. This new set will push the boundaries of dice production, with each die featuring an intricate design, fine 3D detailing, and subtle finishing.

This image is a visualization and finished product may vary.

We know that fans of Pathfinder really love dice, and so do we! If you follow our Pathfinder Adventure Path line, you may recognize Q-workshop from their line of themed dice sets. Each of these sets has been designed to tie into the visual themes of the Pathfinder Adventure Path campaigns, complete with etched detailing and vibrant colors.

This Pathfinder Metal Dice Set project will be a truly awesome technical achievement in dice production. While Q-workshop has always been at the forefront of making the beautiful dice sets, and has produced in metal, no set has ever been created quite like this. The success of this Kickstarter will enable them to continue to do more unique and exciting projects in the future.

"We are really excited," says Agnieszka Przychodniak, Project Manager at Q-workshop, "both because this is our first Kickstarter project and also because of the technological side of this endeavour—it's quite a challenge! We are really looking forward to creating this dice set together with the Kickstarter community."

Help Paizo and Q-workshop get metal! Check out the Kickstarter, or subscribe to get a look at the designs and get all the updates!

Chris Lambertz
Community & Digital Content Director

Blast from the Past

Monday, September 21, 2015

With the Year of the Serpent in full swing, many players have had an opportunity to clash with the Society's old enemy, the Aspis Consortium. While that organization plays a major role in the season's plotline, Linda and I are also revisiting some older stories, continuing more recent narrative threads, and exploring places that the campaign has never seen. We'd like to pull back the curtain a bit on how we came up with the outlines for the August scenarios. As you might guess there are some MINOR SPOILERS ahead—more to help you choose which character to play, and less to ruin the story.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-04: The Ironbound Schism

It's been years since we've had a good rumble with giants, and I wanted to give a tip of the hat to the recently concluded Giantslayer Adventure Path. Also, there have been some great options appearing in books like the Giant Hunter's Handbook, and I like knowing that there are some fun adventures out there that give specialized characters a chance to shine.

Things really started to come together when I spoke with Rob McCreary—senior developer and lead developer for Giantslayer—and confirmed that the Adventure Path had not traveled to Averaka. I love Averaka. In part it's because I like the idea of a town eking out a living while clashing with giants. Even more than that, I really like having a proud settlement comprised almost entirely of half-orcs who are working to define themselves not as what they are not (i.e. full humans or full orcs) but what they are: a distinct people worthy of respect and free to live their lives without fear of persecution. Add to that its location in an old Thassilonian kingdom, and we couldn't resist. We put a pin in the isle of Flintyreach and started writing.

Of course, this isn't just any slugfest with giants. While Linda and I wrote it, we added in some twists that should keep the combats interesting and the players guessing. Break out your titan-felling champions, your scholars of Thassilonian lore, and your loyal members of the Scarab Sages faction (they have a fun metaplot opportunity here), and set sail for Averaka!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-05: School of Spirits

Whether on the forums or at conventions, I get a lot of questions about when we'll revisit some beloved loose thread that has been dangling for years. It can be a lot of fun to realize that a past author or developer left room for a sequel, and it's all the better when scores of players cite the original as one of their favorite adventures. At long last the timeline and stars aligned, and we devised a follow-up to a choice Season 0 scenario: Black Waters.

We're heading back into the Absalom's decrepit Precipice Quarter, once the elite neighborhood of Beldrin's Bluff and now a run-down eyesore inhabited by cutpurses and ghost stories. A former resident who barely survived the earthquake years ago has returned to sift through the wreckage for some key to her past, and who better to help her than a team of Pathfinders?

I was very particular when considering the author for this adventure, both because it involves some deep character development and because it follows in the footsteps of such a popular scenario from the earliest days of the campaign. I was very pleased to have Alex Greenshields (author of #5-02: The Wardstone Patrol, which features several very powerful NPC scenes), and he did a great job of illustrating how a central NPC has weathered the intervening years.

I strongly recommend playing this after Black Waters. This is also a great adventure for members of the Liberty's Edge faction, who have a strong metaplot opportunity. We can't wait to hear what you think of it.

John Compton
Developer

Creeping, Crawling, and Claw-Claw-Biting—It's Time to Vote!

Monday, September 21, 2015

The voting for round 3 of RPG Superstar has begun! The survivors of round 1 and round 2 have provided potential new threats to inhabit Golarion! If you want to see what our contestants—Charlie Brooks, William Collins, Jason Evans, Mark Griffin, Taylor Hubler, John Leclaire, Crystal Malarsky, Brian Minhinnick, Walter Sheppard, Jeffrey Swank, Robert Thomson, Philip Tucker, Isaac Volynskiy, Nick Wasko, and Garrick Williams have dream up, you can go check out and vote for their entries now!

While good adventures often center around the acquisition (or destruction!) of creative magic items, monsters are much closer to the heart of what makes memorable adventures in an RPG session. Whether they are dastardly foes, friendly supporters, or just creatures with their own needs and concerns, monsters are among the things PCs interact with the most often. A good monster must combine memorable visuals, an interesting ecology or backstory, solid narrative roles, and well-designed, engaging game mechanics to keep GMs and players interested. The ability to produce monsters that hit all those elements is an excellent sign of a Superstar game designer!

So check your equipment list, make a Perception check, and roll for initiative, because a whole pack of new monsters just entered the field!

Vote Now!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

Where Are You From?!

Friday, September 18, 2015

This Inner Sea Races art preview focuses on human ethnicities. Our next preview will be non-human humanoid races. Enjoy!

Illustration by David Alvarez

Illustrations by Mariusz Gandzel, Eva Widermann, Keri Ruediger, and Nemanja Stankovic

Sarah Robinson
Managing Art Director

The Inner Sea Races Heritage Appendix

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Illustration by Carolina Eade

The majority of Inner Sea Races focuses on how the human ethnicities and non-human races of Golarion see themselves, are seen by others, fit into the world, and interact with one another. However, Chapter 4 focuses on the mechanics of building and equipping characters of different races and ethnicities, and contains a wealth of different traits, feats, spells, and equipment for creating a vibrant character immersed in the culture and practices of his or her homeland. It also features a handy heritage appendix, which summarizes the mechanical effects of choosing a particular race for your character in one place.

One of my favorite features in this chapter is a short section written by Creative Director James Jacobs, explaining that a character raised in a region where Taldane (Common) is not the most widely spoken tongue can choose their regional language as their starting language instead of Common. From a mechanical perspective, it makes sense to give all characters a language in common. However, from an in-world perspective, it seems odd that a character born and raised in Wati would grow up speaking Taldane and have to learn Osiriani as a second language, rather than the other way around. So, I'm glad that Inner Sea Races allows players and GMs to choose to represent that Taldane isn't a native tongue for many of the residents of the Inner Sea region.

Whenever the Common tongue is listed as a race's starting language (or among the race's available choices for starting languages or bonus languages), you can substitute for Common any of the other widely used human languages listed on page 6 (for example, an elf who was born and raised in Varisia might choose Varisian as one of the bonus languages she knows due to a high Intelligence score, or a gnome raised in an isolated monastery in Jalmeray might speak Vudrani as his native tongue rather than Common). In these cases, Common always remains an option to choose at a later date if you wish.

In other news: aquatic elf enthusiasts, rejoice! The heritage appendix in Inner Sea Races now presents the stats for aquatic elves in the same format as those for all the other races of the Inner Sea region. You'll be able to find them on page 242!

Jessica Price
Project Manager

Down On Your Luck, Friend?

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

I know your sob story. It's written on your face, same as everyone else's. The world just rolled over and dumped you on your butt. Know you don't know how to get a roof and three squares without a coin in your pocket, and don't know how to put coin in your pocket without a good night's sleep and a full belly.

Luckily, we know all these things. Lots more of us than you, after all—all of us hungry and scraping but still getting by. We know what you can eat. Hell, we know who you can eat. The city streets aren't just a bunch of people; they're nature—screwed up, turned-around, greedy, grasping, vicious nature. You can be one of the lucky ones, riding on top of it all like princes in a yacht, thinking you're master of it all but never seeing a hint of what goes on for real. Or you can be like the rest of us: Down below, stinking of it and getting by like any other animal. You can be a deer or a squirrel, maybe, but I advise being a wolf, friend. Wolves don't come to such sudden and unpleasant ends. Ain't food for no one, except maybe those useless sorts who think they're on top, and you don't see their sort down here in the gutters so often.

Illustrations by Vicky Yarova and Anson Tan

We got a book right here: Make yourselves Heroes of the Streets. Blend in, bite back, and don't be anyone's meal ticket. Find a warm place to sleep and do it all again tomorrow. You can be scum like the rest of us—learn to be an Alley Witch, or a Street oracle, or a Slum Shaman—or sell your soul and work for the town guard as a Constable Cavalier or Lamplighter Investigator. The book don't care. You think you're too wild for the city? The book don't believe you. The book's seen Hunters and Bloodragers twist themselves—urbanize themselves—to fit this place before it ever saw the city twist itself to fit them. The book's got spells to make the best of the stunty little plants here and there, or to walk you big, mean monster pet right under a guard's nose. The book's got feats to help you get by in all the dark, forgotten bits every city seems to have. The book tells you where you people fit, so you can fit in with 'em, or spit in their eye for wiping you off their boots.

Coin Shot

School transmutation; Level alchemist 1, antipaladin 1, bard 1, bloodrager 1, magus 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S
Range touch
Target up to three coins touched
Duration 10 minutes or until discharged
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object)

You turn up to three coins into deadly projectiles that gain the velocity of a bullet when thrown. The coins retain their normal appearance but can be used as simple thrown weapons with a range increment of 20 feet and a critical multiplier of ×2. The transmuted coins are treated as ammunition for the purposes of drawing them. Like firearm bullets, the coins deal bludgeoning and piercing damage, and attacks with them are resolved as touch attacks within the first range increment. Regardless of whether a transmuted coin hits or misses the target, it is destroyed after the attack. Only you can make attacks with the coins, though other creatures can safely handle them without discharging the spell.

You can make a single ranged attack with a coin as part of casting this spell. Different types of coins create different bullet effects. Copper coins deal 1d4 points of damage. Silver coins deal 1d6 points of damage and count as silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Gold coins deal 1d8 points of damage and count as masterwork weapons. Platinum coins deal 1d10 points of damage, count as masterwork weapons, and are treated as adamantine weapons for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness. All coin bullets deal an additional 1 point of damage per 2 caster levels (to a maximum of an extra 10 points of damage at 20th level).

You think you've seen the worst the city has to offer? The book will teach you how to be the worst the city has to offer. It's short—just 32 pages—and easy to read. Just a few happy coins and the book is yours...

Crystal Frasier
Assistant Developer

"I Do Not Seek Answers, But Rather to Understand the Question"

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Before I get into specifics, I want to thank Hawkmoon again for last week's excellent Best Character Ever blog, even though he was almost completely wrong. If you've got a pitch for a blog, hit us up at pacg@paizo.com!

Now, let’s talk monks. The design team loves to talk about what makes a monk a monk. Is it a desire for self-perfection and superior discipline? Ridiculous aerial gymnastics? The ability to punch something really, really hard? Nobody was willing to admit that one of these qualities was clearly more important than the other two, so we just used all three. Let’s meet the band!

Birdwoman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Wing Nuance)

Fun fact: the design team immediately nicknamed this character “Rooboocoop” after I named her. These are the people I have get to work with.

First up is Rooboo, a tengu monk. As anyone who’s played Skull & Shackles through knows, tengu are Pathfinder’s bird people. You’ve seen the Tengu Rookery and the Jinx Eater, but never a tengu character.

My favorite thing about Rooboo is her avian power suite. She can fly away from situations she can’t handle, and, like a magpie, she’s good at grabbing shiny things. Movement is a bit of a thing with her, as you can see from her Flowing Monk role. Move twice on a turn? No problem. Dance away from trouble? Ain’t nothin’. She can even blow her allies out of harm’s way with some downdraft action.

You’ll also notice she has a very unusual combat power. We’ll get to that later.

When Your Fist/Elbow/Knee/Foot is a Hammer...

You may make the first strike. I shall make the last.

Athnul, named after a character I played in a campaign long ago, brings some old-school martial arts to the party. She’s a bare-handed terror who takes Runelords Sajan’s unarmed strike and gives it a twist. She’s not here to overcome barriers. Athnul is here to punch things until they die.

Her Keen Strike Monk role is based on an archetype from Inner Sea Races called the Hamatulatsu Master. This version of Athnul is about finding the most effective way to cause pain, and she’s willing to help her party members do the same. As a side note, I’m very fond of adding a little support to a primarily self-sufficient character. This is a co-op game, after all, and hybrid characters can show people the fun in playing a different kind of character than the type they usually select. This Athnul also gains some spell-like abilities, as represented by the Divine skill feat.

Kamas and Rochins and Temple Swords, Oh My

Who's the best character now?

We’ve also created a new version of our iconic monk Sajan for this deck, affectionately referred to in-house as Stabby Sajan. As you can see, he’s interested in weapons that have the Slashing trait, and he’s got a variant of his original blessing-recharge power that’s got a little more kick to it. This Sajan is rarely without the means to defend himself. Those who guard the temple don’t go unnoticed by the gods.

We wouldn’t give you a Sajan that wants weapons and then leave you with only a wellspring of resentment. Instead, we’ve created more than 10 new weapons in this deck, including a fancier temple sword or two.

Time to bust out your war fan katas!

These new temple swords use the Strength/Dexterity/Melee listing you might remember from the Iconic Heroes promo card, while the bulk of the new weapons in this class deck allow characters with the Acrobatics skill to show off a little. Any character with the Acrobatics skill can make use of these, so the Rogue Class Deck’s Wu Shen and the Sorcerer Class Deck’s Amaryllis just got a little love. (For a peek into the design crystal ball, consider what other sorts of characters might use such weapons.)

That’s it for this week. Next week, Paul Peterson returns with the goods on Wrath of the Righteous’s Adventure Deck 5!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

Pathfinder-by-Post

Monday, September 14, 2015

In my brief stint handling both development and campaign coordination duties, I've had a chance to interact with many of the venture-captains and venture-lieutenants while fulfilling convention support requests. One of the most surprising was for PbP Gameday IV from Jesse Davis, venture-captain of online play (PbP stands for play-by-post, explained more below). To give you a sense of perspective, some of our larger regional conventions over the summer run about 120 sessions of the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild; this request had 149 sessions with 81 GMs—and that wasn't counting any of the ones who already had their scenario PDFs. I was very excited to share the news of how strong the online play community is and the wealth of gaming opportunities available for anyone with an internet connection.

I'll let Jesse take it from there.

A few weeks ago John mentioned 25 great new reasons to attend a convention this season. But sometimes—for a variety of reasons—you just can't always attend a convention in person. Are you doomed to miss out on those 25 great reasons? Hardly! Online Play is here to give you a shot at those prizes and opportunity to play those special events without having to leave the comfort of your home.

We have two perfect events coming up to give two great aspects of online play a try.

The first is the Play-by-Post event starting September 19th. Play-by-Post is an asynchronous, text-based form of online play that allows for more time to explore role-play and story, and it is a terrific way for new GMs and players still learning the rules to experience Pathfinder in a slower, more deliberate form of gameplay. And for more experienced players, it is a chance to explore roleplaying opportunities not always available at a real-time table with a tighter schedule.

Check out the PbP Gameday IV event as well as its list of games. There are over 170 PbP games to choose from, including many tables of the interactive Special, #6–97: Siege of Serpents and the 4-Star exclusive, #6–98: Serpents Rise.

If you are more interested in Real-Time Virtual Tabletop play, our next opportunity is AetherCon IV, coming up November 13th–15th. AetherCon is a terrific online convention offering panels and many games, including panels with Paizo staff and other industry favorites, for the low, low price of FREE. There will be over a hundred tables of Pathfinder Society Organized Play at AetherCon, including the interactive Special #7–00: The Sky Key Solution and the 4- and 5-Star exclusives #6–98: Serpents Rise.and #6–99: True Dragons of Absalom.

Collectively, there are 300+ tables of roleplaying possibility online—and just as many chances to win prizes and boons usually only seen at local and regional gaming conventions. So don't miss out! Give online play events a try! You don't have to wait for an event to experience the great gaming opportunities that online play has to offer; check out the Grand Lodge for Online Play on Paizo.com to find a VTT game that interests you, or check out the PbP forums on Paizo.com and get in a game there. We hope to see you at a virtual table soon.

If you have any questions about online play, you can contact the venture-officers for online play at PFSOnlineVOs@GMail.com.

Jesse Davis
Venture Captain—Online Play

I'm really excited to see so many opportunities for online play, and I encourage you to give both play-by-post and virtual tabletop formats a try. Thank you, Jesse, for providing this update.

John Compton
Developer

Beware, Monster Crossing Ahead!

Monday, September 14, 2015

Today we reveal our Top 16, who have survived the Open Call of creating magic items, and the dreaded Map Round (which is the newest of our challenges, having just been introduced last year). These 16 worthy contestants now have until September 17 to submit their entries following the Official Rules for round 3.

So as we turn our thoughts to Round 3, both voters and contestants are likely to wonder what judges are looking for in an RPG Superstar monster entry. Luckily, two of our judges have offered fairly extensive thoughts on that question. Developer Adam Daigle has a whole thread with more than a years worth of advice, obsercvations, and commentary! Adam has been in charge of assigning and developing so many freelance monsters for Paizo over the years that "I write monsters for Adam" is a common identifying statement as at any Pathfinder-freelancer gathering.

Our other judge to offer specific notes about monster design is Neil Spicer, a winner of RPG Superstar and one of our most prolific and popular judges. I offer his advice below, as he sent it to me.

"Going into monster design, a freelance designer has to recognize certain basic elements of the game (IE: the give-and-take of all the variables upon which it's mechanically founded). The most important defining characteristic (which has a trickle down effect) in monster design is its Challenge Rating (CR). The rules for Round 3 will either tell you what that'll be, or you'll have to determine it for yourself (IE: CR X). Thus, the "test" for the monster round isn't just determining if you can cook up a really great idea for a monster. That's expected! But, it's also to see how well you can interpret what a CR X monster is meant to have, mechanically-speaking, that distinguishes it from a CR X-1 or a CR X+1 monster.

Aside from the mechanical aspects of what a CR X monster should generally have (which can be derived from the table for monster design in the Core Rulebook), you've also got to know certain foundational elements about monsters. For instance, unlike NPCs, monsters should be built around the non-standard array for their ability scores (IE: 11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10) before applying racial adjustments. Any adjustments after that should always come in even-numbered increments (IE: +2, +4, +6, etc.). That means for a basic monster design (one without class levels), you should end up with three odd-numbered ability score values and three even-numbered ability score values. Personally, I think you should also decide on a monster's role (combat, skill, spell, etc.) to get an idea of which ability scores should stand out versus which should be more muted. Monster roles are also a good guideline for determining what kind of society intelligent monsters come from and how they think.

Lastly, once you've got that foundation, you can start building in universal monster abilities, special abilities, and other considerations to round out what makes your monster unique and special. In my opinion, for RPG Superstar, I think the wisest course in monster design is to demonstrate two things: 1) the ability to blend in existing abilities and rules by referencing them the proper way rather than reinventing the wheel and wasting word count, and 2) the ability to innovate while showing us something entirely new with a signature special ability that gives us a new way to surprise players with what your monster can do. Now all of that is on top of having a really compelling idea for a monster that fits its design niche and the terrain in which you'd find it. The monster design round is once again that perfect blend of Superstar ideas built with Superstar execution, both in the mechanical side of things and the professional polish you bring with your submission.

So, that's pretty much my baseline tactics for creating monsters as well as how I tend to assess them when judging for RPG Superstar and voting alongside the general public. I look for maximized creativity around an interesting idea, and then execute it to the best of my ability using the existing rules and monster abilities in the game, as well as crafting something new to give my monster a unique identity/niche at the gaming table."

There you have it! I also encourage both contestants and voters to read through both the Official Rules for the entire contest, and the rules for Round 3, to ensure that every requirement is met, and that everyone understands what this round is (and isn't) about.

So shut the city gate, batten down the hatches, light the torches, and call out the guard. The monsters are coming!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

Bugbear Brigade

Friday, September 11, 2015

I can't believe it's already Friday, which means it's time for another installment of the Friday Publisher Preview! I'm still a bit giddy from our recent in-office review of the paint masters for November's The Rusty Dragon Inn set of prepainted plastic Pathfinder Battles miniatures. The set looks absolutely fantastic, and I couldn't be happier with the communications and production standards WizKids and Paizo have been able to achieve with this set. It really feels like we are firing on all cylinders at the moment, and I'm thrilled to think of what the future has in store.

We've spent some time recently focusing on the NPCs, townfolk, and bar denizens of the set, so this time around I wanted to get back to the monsters. In this case—bugbears!

Since the very start, I've had a personal goal to have at least one kind of "focus creature" per set. My experience shows that if you can get multiple figures of one type (say, orcs, goblins, and the like) in the same set, paint application and sculpt details tend to be more consistent. For this set, my focus creatures are ghouls (most of which we've previewed already) and bugbears (most of which we haven't).

I previewed the Bugbear Tyrant back in June. This week, I'd like to show some of his companion bugbears. A tyrant isn't a tyrant without someone to boss around, after all.

Up first this week is the brutish Bugbear Lurker, whose image comes from the opening illustration of the bugbear section of the Pathfinder RPG Monster Codex. His statistics appear on page 25 of that volume. Bugbear Lurkers double as any kind of nasty bugbear menace, so I decided to slot this guy into the common rarity to help you build up a small gang of them. The Bugbear Lurker is a Medium figure.

Next is the Bugbear Mystic, our take on the bugbear bloodmage from page 26 of the Monster Codex. It's also a goal of mine to create both male and female figures for all the major humanoid races, and in this case the Monster Codex has been something of a godsend in terms of art reference. The Bugbear Mystic is also a Medium common, all the better for building a little bestial cult of your very own.

Perhaps my favorite bugbear in The Rusty Dragon Inn is the Bugbear Flesh Glutton, from page 22 of the Monster Codex. These unruly beasts so love the taste of intelligent creatures that they have grown to a disgustingly large size. The Bugbear Flesh Glutton is a Large, uncommon figure, perfect for peppering your growing bugbear brood with a few loutish brutes.

These three bugbears add to the Bugbear Tyrant to flesh out the Pathfinder bugbear ranks (which also includes a base common Bugbear Warrior from Legends of Golarion and the bow-wielding Bugbear Hero from way back in the Rise of the Runelords set.

What other humanoid "focus creatures" would you like to see in future sets? Drop some suggestions in the comments and we'll chat about it until next week, when I return with another batch of previews from The Rusty Dragon Inn!

Erik Mona
Publisher

10 Secrets from Inner Sea Races

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Illustration by Eva Widermann

Today we take a look at 10 little known facts about the races and cultures of Golarion. Check out Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Races, releasing this month, for more!

1. In southern Garund lies the catfolk nation of Murraseth. Non-catfolk are rarely allowed inside its borders, and rumors persist of a great danger hidden at Murraseth’s center.
2. Merfolk, cecaelia, siyokoy, and tritons are all rather appalled at the way gillmen plunder the ocean for "treasures," then exaggerate the history and importance of these objects when selling them to land-dwellers.
3. Strix families are usually organized around sibling relationships, rather than romantic partners.
4. Kellids often interpret arcane magic in a spiritual context.
5. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Taldans do not believe that their empire is in decline.
6. The Order of Transcendent Reclamation is a school of gnomes dedicated to attaining and surviving the Bleaching in order to achieve what they believe is a metamorphosis into a higher form of being.
7. Halflings consider unexpected greetings to be an unlucky omen, so they often nod at one another silently and wait for recognition before speaking a greeting out loud.
8. The first drow noble house, Dolour, gained its name when its founder, Arishkirah, murdered her mother and rejected her family name of Alevonnar.
9. Only about a quarter of orc warriors survive to see their twentieth year.
10. Stories of Karfus the Golden-Horned, a tiefling merchant prince, have drawn many other tieflings to follow the Prophecies of Kalistrade.

Jessica Price
Project Manager

There's Adventure in the Air—September and Winter 2016 Releases

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Today the skies are shining overhead in Redmond, where in the Paizo office we've been recovering from a busy and exciting convention season. But we all know and feel the loom of pumpkin spice, sweaters, and clouds that's ahead from our respective desks. And if your group is anything like mine, the end of September marks the start of regular game nights. And what better to kick off this glorious season by revisiting the Pathfinder related releases headed your way?

Illustration by Romanov Pavel

This month we're releasing our third Pathfinder Campaign Setting hardcover (under the Pathfinder RPG ruleset), Inner Sea Races. This 256-page volume delves into the history, culture, and powers of the the denizens of the Inner Sea, including in-depth coverage of the seven core races, and features of the uncommon races like goblins and tengu. You'll also find an array of new feats, spells, character traits and more to add flavor to your own character or home game. Our Project Manager, Jessica Price, has just kicked off our series of previews into the pages of Inner Sea Races, so look out for more information and art previews in the coming weeks!

Download Standard | Download Widescreen | Download Mobile

Illustration by Ekaterina Burmak

But what about the folks that just kicked off their own Hell's Rebels adventure? The second volume, Pathfinder Adventure Path #98: Turn of the Torrent, takes your rebel band of do-good "miscreants" through the paces as they gather allies and establish their might with the Silver Ravens. Evil is running through the streets of Kintargo, and I won't spoil it for you, but your group should probably get on that. For reasons. Your Hell's Rebels character might want to take some notes from this month's Player Companion, Heroes of the Streets for inspiration as well!

Maybe your group is more into throwing down some cards? The fifth installment of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Wrath of the Righteous is coming out, and it's got demons. A whole lot of them. But what if you don't have a group? You might want to look into the Pathfinder Adventure Card Guild, where you could bring our favorite monk, Sajan from the new Monk Class Deck, to the table in fist-to-claw-claw-bite demon combat.

We also brought back the long-awaited Pathfinder Combat Pad! Now armed with more magnets, this latest printing helps keep tracking initiatives in your game just that much easier. And if this isn't the only reprint you've been holding out for, we're happy to announce the next two installments of our Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics line, City Streets and Prison, are now available.

Here's a complete look at what's releasing this September:

• Pathfinder Adventure Path #98: Turn of the Torrent
• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Deck 5: Herald of the Ivory Labyrinth
• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Class Deck: Monk
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Races
• Pathfinder Player Companion: Heroes of the Streets
• Pathfinder Combat Pad
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: City Streets
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat Classics: Prison
• Pathfinder Map Pack: Forest Dangers
• Pathfinder Pawns: Giantslayer Adventure Path Pawn Collection
• Pathfinder Legends–Mummy's Mask #1: The Half Dead City
• Pathfinder Tales: Beyond the Pool of Stars

November 2015 and Beyond!

In addition to our announcements made in the last roundup blog, which included the announcement of Pathfinder Adventure Path #100, today we're adding the latest Pathfinder Comics series: Hollow Mountain! The first volume is authored by our very own Executive Editor, James L. Sutter, where our heroes find themselves in a position where they just may have to try to get along with some the most notorious villains out there.

It might seem like 2016 is the very distant future, but not here! As we approach the new year, our Hell's Rebels Adventure Path concludes and the counter Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path will begin. Fans and followers of RPG Superstar will also see the release of our 2015 winner Monica Marlowe's module Down the Blighted Path in January as well (and I suggest you check out the hopeful module writers in the current competition going on now!).

The January 2016 lineup includes:

• Pathfinder Adventure Path #102: Breaking the Bones of Hell (Hell's Rebels 6 of 6)
• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Class Deck: Alchemist
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Hell's Rebels Poster Map Folio
• Pathfinder Player Companion: Arcane Anthology
• Pathfinder Module: Down the Blighted Path
• Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Noble Estate
• Pathfinder Tales: Pirate's Prophecy

The February 2016 lineup includes:

• Pathfinder Adventure Path #103: The Hellfire Compact (Hell's Vengeance 1 of 6)
• Pathfinder Adventure Card Game—Class Deck: Inquisitor
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Darklands Revisited
• Pathfinder Player Companion: Blood of Shadows
• Pathfinder Map Pack: Urban Sites

As always, the release dates are subject to change, but you can see the most up-to-date information on the Product Schedule page, or on each individual product page.

Chris Lambertz
Community & Digital Content Director

Hawkmoon's Best Character Ever: Sajan

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Now that most of the design team has told us about their favorite characters, we thought we'd invite PACG messageboards MVP Hawkmoon to tell us who his favorite character is.

The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is a game about rules. At its core, it's really about one rule, the most important rule, appropriately named "The Golden Rule." That rule starts out with this sentence: "If a card and this rulebook are ever in conflict, the card should be considered correct." A character really shows what makes him special when he gets to break those rules. What makes Damiel great? Recharging potions that should be banished. What makes Darago special? Putting cards in your hand that would normally go back in the box. Those powers let you break the rules and bring the most fun to the game.

Everyone who plays this game learns two rules pretty quickly: You can only play one card of each type per step or check, and if you don't have a way to determine which skill you are using, you have to use Strength or Melee. The Best Character Ever gets to break both those rules on a regular basis, and his name is Sajan.

Rise of the Runelords Sajan can go crazy with blessings, and he's got a deck full of them to do just that. Anyone who has ever played him for a few adventures has probably enjoyed rolling over 100 on a check. Nothing makes you want to buy more dice for the game more than Sajan does. In fact, if you want to answer the question of how many dice of each type you could possibly ever need at one time, the answer has to involve Sajan (and is probably somewhere north of sixty dice). If you play Sajan, you'll usually save some time if you start your turn by saying "I'm going to need ALL the dice."

Sajan doesn't need a card to determine the skill for his check. His powers do that for him, and they let him throw some traits on there, too. Sajan won't have a problem with those pesky monsters that need you to use the Magic trait to defeat them. He's got some magic in those flaming fists of his.

But before I go too much further, let's look at the basics. One of the first things I do when deciding on a character is see if I can find his weakness. The easiest way to do this is to find the d4 in his stats. For Sajan, you'll notice the distinct absence of a d4 on his character card. Don't bother searching the back of the card either. It isn't misplaced. It just isn't there. That's right: no d4. The worst he'll do is a d6. Your friends won't complain when Sajan encounters the card they really want. He's got a d6, so just throw him some blessings, and he can acquire it. It's not like Valeros running into that spell Ezren has wanted for the past two adventures. You're worried about a nasty barrier? No problem. Sajan's got a d6 and loads of blessings to take care of that. He's also a template breaker. You thought Ezren was a bit odd with no blessings? How about a guy that starts with only three of the six types of boons? And more than half of those are blessings!

Now, let's examine his roles, Drunken Master and Zen Archer. Both roles give you ways to soak up non-Combat damage, and they both let you draw a card at the start of your turn. I consider that to be a safer way to increase your hand size. Since the card isn't in your hand, you are less likely to lose it when someone else does something foolish and that leads to you taking damage. Also, it keeps other players from greedily asking for all your blessings. Now, yes, as a Drunken Master he must draw 1 card. And yes, that can have some negative consequences, namely, getting him killed. But if you aren't recharging lots of cards with Sajan anyway, then you aren't playing him right.

My personal favorite role is Drunken Master, for this reason: "After you play a boon with the Liquid trait, you may succeed at a Fortitude 6 check to recharge it instead of banishing it." Throw in some skill feats to improve his Constitution, and at 1d6+4, that 6 is almost a guarantee. Give him the Amulet of Fortitude or a similar card, and it is a guarantee. Sajan was Damiel before being Damiel was cool. As a Drunken Master, almost no check is impossible. Give him a Potion of Healing, and he can go all-in, playing his massive amounts of blessings on other characters' checks and then healing them all back in. Or better yet, give him allies he can use to heal himself. (Father Zantus and the promo Poog of Zarongel were constants in my deck throughout Rise of the Runelords.) When my wife and I played a four-character party through Rise of the Runelords, Sajan was probably the biggest reason we didn't need a character with the Divine skill to heal us. And Drunken Master gets bonus points for probably being the most thematic role in the game.

But Zen Archer is no slouch either. He's recharging those ranged weapons he would otherwise discard. Give him some bows, and he can help with combat at other locations for the cost of a recharge. And don't miss the fact that his "go crazy with blessings" power still works, even when he plays a weapon to determine the skill for his check.

Recharge, recharge, recharge. Sajan's character card and both his roles center on recharging things. That's what he does! He can do it so often that you should get to see your whole deck multiple times in a game. And what's more fun than that? No waiting around for that particular card to come back up! Instead, you'll see it next turn… and probably again two turns after that.

And that is what makes him the best. Recharge cards, cycle your deck, shrug off non-Combat damage, and roll an unseemly number of dice. What's better than that?

Hawkmoon
Resident Adventure Card Game Expert

Next week's blog will bring you a whole new version of Sajan as we preview the Monk Class Deck!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

Unroll the Maps!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

We just unveiled the Top 32's Round 2 entries, making their maps available for everyone to check out and vote on! This round is a major change of pace for contestants who managed to win public support by creating interesting and intelligible magic items, and those who go on to become our Top 16 will have already proven they have a wide range of adventure-design skills!

While obviously the community can vote however it pleases, we do have comments from a great set of judges available to give some critique and guidance to contestants and fans alike. I especially want to point out that when considering the maps, voters shouldn't get too distracted by artistic talent (or lack thereof). A map entry should be evocative, clear, and interesting, but we're not looking for publishable, finished images. These maps should be ready to be sent to a professional cartographer, who can take care of creating appealing and consistent visuals. What a professional cartographer can't do is make a great map from a designer's turnover that's 75% blank space, or doesn't clearly communicate what it represents, or that details a boring place. That's where the designer should shine by creating and communicating great ideas.

Also, don't get too distracted by details in the prose descriptions of the encounters that might happen at these locations. If a map is dull, but the description sounds like the contestant had a neat idea for something to happen there, it's still a bad map. This isn't an encounter-design challenge (that comes later), it's a mapping round. The prose element of this round can be used to help give a sense of context, but I hope voters will give preference to creativity, clarity, and the ability to describe an interesting location that makes GMs want to run an encounter there.

So go take a look, see what creative cartography our newest Superstars-in-Training have produced, and use your votes to help determine which of them are going to earn the chance to help shape the Pathfinder RPG in years to come.

Vote Now!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host

Introducing Pathfinder Class Packs for Hero Lab

Monday, September 7, 2015

Getting started with Hero Lab just got less expensive for players, making it easy to discover for yourself why Hero Lab is Paizo's official, in-house standard for character creation. You can now unlock your favorite classes in Hero Lab with new "Class Packs"—everything from seven essential rulebooks, all for only $29.99!

Each Class Pack unlocks 3-4 Pathfinder classes and includes everything from seven of the most popular Pathfinder rulebooks (see below). For only $29.99, simply choose your favorite Class Pack and start creating characters with the software that just won its third ENnie award. To unlock more classes, you can pick up additional Class Packs for only $6.99 apiece!

How Do Class Packs Work?

• Create and manage characters from the 3-4 classes unlocked by each Class Pack. For example, if you select the Druid Class Pack, you'll unlock the Druid, Oracle, Shaman, and Spiritualist classes, allowing you to build characters from those four classes in Hero Lab.
• Class Packs include everything from seven essential rulebooks: the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Magic, Advanced Class Guide, Occult Adventures, and Ultimate Intrigue (when it releases in spring 2016.) All archetypes for unlocked classes are included, as well as all feats, spells, gear, optional rules, and everything else from those rulebooks—it's all you need to create characters with your unlocked classes.
• Further add-ons like Advanced Race Guide, the Summon Monster creature package, and Player Companion packages can be readily integrated with Class Packs. They are purchased and behave just like they do in Hero Lab today.
• Hero Lab users who already use another game system, like Shadowrun or Mutants & Masterminds, can get started with their first Class Pack for only $20! Simply add the Pathfinder Class Pack option you want to your Hero Lab license through our website.
• For our existing Pathfinder users, if you feel that Class Packs are a better fit for your style, you can switch to the new Class Packs for free! Be sure to review all the details before converting, as it's a one-way, one-time option. The conversion option is also a limited time offer, so don't miss out!

While the info above covers the most important details about Class Packs, we know that many prospective users will have questions and/or want more information. We've provided extensive details on our website, plus we've assembled a comprehensive FAQ. So check out those links to our website learn more!

Already own Hero Lab? Then tell your friends! You can share this blog entry using the social links at the top of the page. Getting started with Hero Lab is more affordable than ever!

Now that I've shared this great news, I'm heading back to prep for my own Pathfinder adventure this weekend. To my fellow gamers out there, may the dice be with you!

Colen McAlister
Lead Developer
Lone Wolf Development

More from the Rusty Dragon

Friday, September 4, 2015

It's a gorgeous Friday afternoon in Seattle, and I'm on vacation. After an utterly amazing PAX Prime weekend in which we ran more than 3,000 Pathfinder demos in four days, I'm exhausted and reveling in a genuine four-day weekend away from work.

But almost nothing can keep me from sharing my enthusiasm about our Pathfinder Battles line of prepainted fantasy miniatures. Not vacation, not sleep, not even my brand new Xbox One. I've got the goods, my friends, and I feel compelled to share them!

This week started with a bang on Tuesday, when I returned from PAX to spend a couple of hours looking over the paint masters for the entire The Rusty Dragon Inn set of miniatures, which releases in November. Sometimes paint masters arrive in the Paizo offices a few at a time, but every once in a while we get the while thing all at once, and it's possible to get a "big picture" of what the entire set will look like all together.

And I'm here to tell you, the entire set looks GLORIOUS. The Rusty Dragon Inn is filled with useful figures, from bands of ghouls and bugbears to horses, bar staff, monsters, and NPCs galore. On a production note, we had far fewer changes and comments on this set than any previous offerings. From the sculpts to the paint masters, I feel like the Paizo and WizKids teams are really gelling together better than ever before. These figures sailed through our approval process.

Although the set contains several savage humanoids, genuine monsters, and undead beasties, the theme of the set emphasizes characters and creatures you might expect to find in a fantasy tavern, the titular Rusty Dragon Inn.

We've already seen tavern denizens like the Serving Girl, Merchant, and Half-Elf Bard, but that Dancing Girl we revealed several weeks ago has got to have something to dance to if the tavern's really going to be a top night spot, and today's duo of previews is here to oblige.

First up this week is the Dwarf Bard, a drum-banging buff-master who marches to his own beat. He's also got a stringed instrument across his back when the situation calls for more subtlety. He's slated at the uncommon rarity—I figured two or three dwarf drummers wouldn't look out of place in a band of dwarves—perhaps accompanying a noble or command unit. The Dwarf Bard is a Medium figure.

This Half-Elf Enchanter isn't really a musician, but the way she wields her wand and her fancy outfit give her the demeanor of an orchestra conductor. During the approval meeting I put her alongside the set's other musicians and the dancer, and she looked right at home. Her look—wild hair color and all—comes from the NPC Codex. The Half-Elf Enchanter is a Medium, rare figure.

That's it for previews this week. I wish I could tell you about our in-office meeting with WizKids's president on Wednesday afternoon, and about the absolutely amazing ideas and developments we discussed there, but it's getting late, and after all, I am supposed to be on vacation today.

It'll have to wait for future Friday Publisher Previews!

Until then, I remain...

Erik Mona
Publisher

A Look at Cultures in Inner Sea Races

Thursday, September 3, 2015

With the release of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Races just around the corner, we're kicking off previews of the new content heading your way today! Here's a look at one of the books new features:

Each human ethnicity and non-human core race has a sidebar giving tips on how to play a character from that culture. These tips include both elements that are common to that culture, such as the likely educational background and religious attitudes for characters from that culture, and descriptions of the way other residents of the Inner Sea region are likely to view them. Above are examples from two human ethnicities and two non-human races.

Look out for more content sneak peeks of Inner Sea Races in the coming weeks!

Jessica Price
Project Manager

The Making of the "In Hell's Bright Shadow" SoundPack

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

The first volume in the new Hell's Rebels Adventure Path, "In Hell's Bright Shadow", is a fantastic adventure needing equally fantastic sounds. But where exactly does one record a skeleton battle in progress, or an exploding fairy? Follow along in the attached video for just a few of the creative ways Team Syrinscape brought "In Hell's Bright Shadow" to life.

Skeleton Battle—Redact & Revenge SoundSet

"In Hell's Bright Shadow" calls for a Skeleton Battle. We had drums and a disturbing undead mumbling all sorted, but how to do the clinking of rib bones? We can't have skeletons without that sound! The secret to making the sound of lots of little bones clinking together is... Lego! Yep, with a handful of pink Lego pieces, and a bit of audio processing, the result is a sound that's not only peculiar, but creates a sense that something not held together in quite the normal way is trying to stab you.

Giant Rat Battle—Fair Fortune Livery SoundSet

This one should've been simple enough to create. Just find some Rodents of Unusual Size and record them, right? I tried that—they ate my microphone! And sound samples from real-world rats weren't nearly monstrous enough for what awaits players in this encounter. The solution here was Australia's Tasmanian Devil, whose maniacal scream is part of how the animal got its name. Thanks Australia!

Bloodthirsty Rioters—Aria Park Protest SoundSet

Next, the protest and riot scene challenged us to come up with the sound of a lawless rabble. What sort of people sound riotous, disrespectful of order, and generally dangerous? Of course, politicians! That's right—these samples came from open-source recordings of the English Houses of Parliament. That's what I call leadership!

Fan-Sourced Voice Actors

While many of Syrinscape's beastly sounds and unique voices come from our own voice boxes combined with a lot of fancy audio processing, maintaining variety in the audio content is one of our biggest challenges. This year at PaizoCon and again at Gen Con, we thought we'd try having gamers contribute their own madness to our library of source sounds, and wow, did you deliver! Some of my favorites:

• The Grimple Cackles in the Fair Fortune Livery SoundSet —supplied by Jason Bainter and Nathaniel Bassett at Gen Con. Wow!
• The lemures in the same SoundSet.
• The chough in the Waspnest.
• And the thugs in the Aria Park Protest.

THANK YOU, and keep the sounds coming! In fact we are more than happy to continue to accept sounds, just email them to benjamin@syrinscape.com.

Exploding Fairy—Rebuild the Ravens SoundSet

Last but not least came the age-old question, "What exactly does it sound like when a fairy explodes?" This was indeed the conundrum with which I was faced. In the end I settled on a slowed down balloon pop, combined with a light sprinkling of sped-up fairy dust wind chimes. If we ever get the chance to witness the real thing, I'll make sure I pull out my recorder quick-smart.

I hope you've enjoyed my musings on sound creation, and I hope you enjoy our work on this amazing In Hell's Bright Shadow SoundPack. In particular it's been fantastic to work with the two composers, Kyle Johnson and Michael Gordon Shapiro, who have breathed a great breath of fresh air into the music available in Syrinscape.

For the first time Syrinscape is releasing a new SoundPack simultaneously with Paizo's latest Pathfinder Adventure Path. GMs and players who now have access to the latest volume, Pathfinder Adventure Path #97: In Hell's Bright Shadow, also have the opportunity to experience this latest AP with sound from the get-go with the In Hell's Bright Shadow SoundPack. Give it a try with a free 30-day trial subscription, but be warned—after a session playing this excellent adventure enhanced with fully immersive sound, your players will never want to play without Syrinscape again!

Benjamin Loomes
Creative Director
Syrinscape

Wrath of the Righteous—The Long-Awaited "Adventure 7"

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Of all the questions we get asked about the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, one gets asked most often. It first showed up when we were coming close to releasing the last adventure in Rise of the Runelords, "Are you making any adventures for my characters who completed Rise of the Runelords?"

And Vic said, "There are no immediate plans for an official set where you can use your characters that have completed an AP."

Then we got asked it again as we came close to completing Skull & Shackles. "Are you making any adventures for my characters who completed Skull & Shackles?"

And Vic said, "There are currently no plans for additional content for characters that have completed an Adventure Path."

And for the most part, that was true. But I said, as quietly as I could, so no one could hear, "Okay, but I might have some plans." In fact, it was...

A Cunning Plan That Cannot Fail

My plan was for my design team to do some shenanigans with the power curve on Wrath of the Righteous. Developer Chad Brown talks a lot about it in this blog on power curves. They have different curves: Rise of the Runelords is character-linear and difficulty-parabolic, while Skull & Shackles is difficulty-linear and character-parabolic. But both of them end in roughly the same place: a character who can go toe-to-toe with Karzoug the Claimer has a roughly similar chance against the Hurricane King. When you complete adventure 6 in either of those APs, you are a mighty hero indeed.

Illustration by Ekaterina Burmak

The thing is, those sets couldn't just keep climbing, because they had maxed out their story progression. There wasn't anything more we could add to the cards in those sets other than more dice and higher difficulties, and eventually, that would be unsatisfying. Sure, it's fun to roll 12 dice once in a while, but if you're doing it on every turn, the high will soon mellow out.

You would need something else to build a spike in difficulty beyond where we were at the end of those APs. Thankfully, Wrath had "something else" in spades. It had cohorts, it had a d20, and it had Corrupted cards. All of those tweaked the power level without increasing the number of dice rolled. (You may notice I left something off that list. We'll get to that.)

And as we designed it, we realized that Wrath is a perfect place to bring your conquering heroes from the first two adventure paths, maybe using some of that nifty loot you got from completing those final adventures. You just need a few small tricks and a whole lot of gumption.

Illustration by Diego de Almeida

How to Use Wrath as "Adventure 7"

First, finish another Adventure Path, whether it's Rise of the Runelords, Skull & Shackles, Season of the Shackles, or one of the many homebrews. Record the state of your character on your downloadable character sheet, if you like. If you haven't finished an AP, go to the Conquering Heroes thread or the Conquering Pirates thread and copy some of the ones you find there.

That's what we did, anyway. We grabbed Hawkmoon269's Ezren, Aolhelm's Kyra, and isaic16's Merisiel and Seelah. (Check out that not-so-paladinly weapons list!) Note that these were not optimized characters: Merisiel has some items that only work in Skull & Shackles, Ezren has a Divine spell, and so on. Where there was only one of something, we replaced it. (I particularly liked swapping the angel Ayruzi out for the demon Zuvuzeg on Seelah's list.) Otherwise, they went in as-is.

Second, get the Wrath of the Righteous Base Set and adventures 2, 3, and 4, plus the Wrath Character Add-On Deck if you have more than 4 characters (or just because you want to). Dump them into the box and then remove all the Basic cards. However, if there are Basic boons you specifically want to keep, do so. (I highly recommend keeping all the Blessings of Ascension. Trust me on this.)

Third, you know those mythic path cards I pointedly forgot to mention when I talked about Wrath's power curve? Yeah, screw 'em. You don't get mythic paths, because you're not the mythic heroes that blew up the wardstone in Wrath. You're the guys who beat Karzoug, for Pulura's sake. You don't need no stinkin' mythic paths.

But here's a tip: Even though you don't start with any mythic charges, you can still use them. Those Blessings of Ascension are great for generating charges, and every time you kill a mythic bane, you'll get one too. So when you find a Terraform or Anarchy Hammer, you can still power it up. Just get yourself some charges along the way. (A very small number of cards, like Lend Mythic Path, won't work at all. If you hit one of those, chuck it aside and draw a new card of the same type.)

Illustration by Jon Neimeister

Fourth, start with scenario 4-1: The Abyss Gazes Also. You're going into the Abyss! After defeating Karzoug or the Hurricane King, you were drawn through a magic portal that chucked you into the pits of despair. Will you find your way home? Run through adventures 4, 5, and 6 and find out!

FYI: While you can keep all of your cards from the previous AP, treat any card in your deck that has an adventure deck number higher than the adventure deck number of the current scenario as if it had the adventure deck number of the scenario. (So when you're playing chapter 4 of Wrath, treat those cards from RotR or S&S 5 and 6 as if they're from Adventure Deck 4.) Why did your hexing suddenly drop in power, Feiya? You're in the Abyss! Things are crazy there.

Fifth, when you get a reward, claim it! But hey, what about when you've already checked your last card feat or power feat and you're awarded another one? Just make it a skill feat. We've done the math, so you're good there. When you're done with the final scenario of Wrath 6, your set of feat boxes will be real close to entirely filled in. Now that's a hero.

It's possible some of your power feats won't be particularly great in Wrath. (I'm looking at you, Pirate Queen Jirelle.) Well, life's tough in the Abyss. But if you want to make some mods, swapping out a trait like "Pirate" for one like "Aberration," fine. Just don't make a habit of it. The idea is that you're taking your characters from those adventures into the Abyss, so it's up to you to see how you survive. If you want to play a character that's built for Wrath of the Righteous, then start a character (be it Ezren, Jirelle, Sajan, or Lini) anew and enjoy it. This is explicitly for people who want to see what their Rise of the Runelords or Skull & Shackles conquerors would do if they pushed on to even more perilous heights (or depths, as the case may be).

Oh, and hey, now you have something to do with that loot you picked up at the end of the previous Adventure Path!

So that's "adventure 7." If you haven't picked up Wrath of the Righteous and you're wondering what to do with your Runelords or Shackles characters now, give Wrath a try. You asked for a chance to adventure beyond set 6, and we've given it to you. It's your choice to take the plunge into the Abyss.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

Mike Selinker
Adventure Card Game Designer

Ladies and Gentlemen: Your Top 32!

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Today we announce the Top 32 in RPG Superstar Season 9! These contestants have won the approval of their fellow fans by accumulating the votes needed to set themselves apart from all other entrants. Their items will be available for everyone to peruse, and over the next few days our judges will comment on all the items to ensure our contestants get the feedback they need to improve as the contest proceeds.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
Charlie Brooks Horseshoes of the Storm Rider William Collins Fate-Woven Braid of the Norns Kalyna Conrad Crow Brother's Cloak Bill Davies Storm's Wrath Jason Evans Starsling Buckler Shane Fogerty Choker of the Queen Bee Mark Griffin Ebon Fury BJ Hensley Brooch of the Monarch Vadims Hesins Quill of Leng Mike Hill Purging Lotus Bell Kiel Howell Bottled Cloud Taylor Hubler Spiraled Madu Joseph Kellogg Banshee's Tongue John Leclaire Hide of the Hagfish Elizabeth Leib Glaive of the Lion-Hearted Crystal Malarsky Figurine of Wondrous Power, Ruby Butterfly	Brian Minhinnick Lava Lash Kris Newton Gown of Many Graves Mark Nordheim Swindler's Grasp Donald Robinson Daylight Diadem Chris Shaeffer Caber Twig Walter Sheppard Thornweave Jarrett Sigler Shark Toothed Maw Jeffrey Swank Boots of Ethereal Wake James Thomas Blade of The Ice Stalker Robert Thomson Phantom Corsair Boots Brandon Thorne Cloak of the High Plains Wind Philip Tucker Scattertracks Isaac V Wolflord's Fang Nick Wasko Banshee's Wrath Garrick Williams Shattered Blade Daron Woodson Defender's Door
Alternates
Kim Frandsen Brass Helmsman Frank Gori Iounic Pipes	Robert Guthrie Scallywag's Tooth Stephen Stack Leviathan's Terror

I want to take a moment here to issue a big "Thank You" to all our voters! This year our slate of items was selected entirely by public vote, rather than having the popular vote select a pool from which our judges made the final choice. Nearly a quarter of a million votes went into this selection, and we culled the bottom percentage of items 5 times throughout the contest, leaving us with just the top third of entries for the final push through the weekend. None of this would be possible without our dedicated fans and the community as a whole, and we really appreciate all the time and effort that has been put into making sure we have the best possible set of contestants going into Round 2.

We will also in due course reveal what items failed to make the Top 32 and our 4 alternates, but did make it into the top 100. Those won't be presented in any particular order (so no one will be tortured by knowing they were item #37), but for participants who want to know if they got close, we'll have the information available.

For our Top 32 and 4 alternates, today also represents the moment when they discover they definitely have a map to turn in by 11:59 PM Pacific time on September 3. The official rules of Round 2 have been available for a few days, but I encourage any contestant who hasn’t done so to read them in their entirety. While we are allowing 50 words of description this year, this is still the map round, not another example of the encounter round (which we'll still have later). Use your 24 x 30 grid to present an area that inspires GM with ideas for encounters and adventures. Make sure your visuals are clear, and that a cartographer would have no questions about what is supposed to go where. A cartographer can't read your mind, so if you don’t make it clear what's a road and what's a river, you risk having a boat in the middle of an alley (which is fine if that's part of a fascinating location you've thought up, and not so much if you wanted a mermaid pool).

Good luck to everyone! I look forward to seeing what new adventure locations you'll all create!

Owen K.C. Stephens
Developer, RPG Superstar Host