Almost one month done with 2019 and the organized play team's chugging away at our to-do list. Meetings over the past few weeks yielded results such as Year 2 storylines for Starfinder Society, and factions/storylines for the next iteration of Pathfinder Society. We've spent a goodly amount of our meetings talking about player feedback we collated from a variety of places - forums, surveys, convention discussions, and Facebook. Community commentary allows us the opportunity to craft a program that appeals to our player base. To all those community members who share their opinions, thank you for helping us shape the program.

Speaking of feedback and programs. February 1st launches the next installment of the Regional Support Program (RSP) for use in locations not qualifying for convention support. This year's program includes Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society boons for players and GMs. As of Friday, all new boons issued will be from the 2019 pack. To enable GMs to complete the 2018 boon, games run from Friday may either check off a box on the new 2019 boon or continue to check boxes on your 2018 boon each time you run a game at a Regional Support-qualifying venue.

New this year is a program for Online Support (OSP). We've been working on this since spinning up the online region, but it took some time to formulate a plan and then shepherd it through the appropriate channels. When discussing how best to support our online games, one of our biggest concerns involved supporting a player/GM that participated in both physical and online games. Using the same program did not seem to further the programs goals of incentivizing play/GMing. Instead of utilizing the existing RSP program, the team decided to curate a different package of player and GM boons available exclusively online. The requirements to be an OSP event include being open to public registration and ineligible for convention support.

We solicited feedback from Regional Venture-Coordinator Jesse Davis and his team of venture-officers on how to best implement OSP boon distribution. As they already manage boon distribution for online conventions, the OSP process isn't much different. The online venture-officer team will log the OSP games on a tracker, randomly allocate boons to players and recording GM participation. Once the GM completes 6 games, they qualify for Tier 1 on the boon. Tier 2 is 12 games run and Tier 3 is 24 games run. Boons are limited to one per player per quarter and one per GM per year.

If you are running an online event and would like to be part of the OSP, please reach out to the venture-captain for your venue (PbP, VTT, etc.). If you are unsure who that is, check out the online section of the regional coordinators page.

Besides meetings and releasing the OSP and updating the RSP, the team has another update on Additional Resources. From the pen of Organized Play Lead Developer John Compton…

The team's been hard at work developing January's and February's scenarios, outlining several of our final First Edition adventures, and working out the details on our next organized play season (including some really great discussions about factions based on your survey feedback). We've also submitted the sanctioning documents to War for the Crown Adventure Path and for Pathfinder Module: Seers of the Drowned City, and we're expecting those to go live alongside an upcoming blog. But as you can tell from the blog title, we've been reviewing some fun Player Companion books—Pathfinder Player Companion: Martial Artist's Handbook from November and Pathfinder Player Companion: Wilderness Origins from January—for the Additional Resources and Campaign Clarifications documents, both of which are queued to be updated on the site in the coming days.

In the meantime, I'd like to point out some of the updates coming up elsewhere in the Additional Resources document.

Adventurer's Guide 2: In general, we've been treating the "Equipment" entries of new books as though they cover items of all stripes, mundane and magical, but there seemed to be some ambiguity on whether or not the magic items on page 23 were legal. That's been clarified, and those improvised weapon magic items are legal.

Plane-Hopper's Handbook: Somehow the geniekin heritages didn't make it into the Additional Resources in December (I suspect my mind lumped them with the Alternate Racial Traits entry). Those have been formally added.

Ganzis and Planar Adventures: When we first examined the new oddities in Plane-Hopper's Handbook, we decided that this would be a good opportunity to open up more oddities choices to ganzi PCs. That spurred a review of the Planar Adventures options, too, which led to two of them being banned. What we hadn't remembered at the time was that a boon had opened up access to these already. We don't want to retroactively ban those oddities and disrupt some existing characters, so instead we're revising the benefit provided on the Touched by Chaos boon (specifically the 2018 GM Boon #2, according to my records), replacing the second paragraph that cites replacing the quibble ability. You'll also find that the quibbles in Planar Adventures are now all listed as legal.

• Previous Benefit: Ganzi characters created using Pathfinder RPG Planar Adventures as a resource gain quibble as their ganzi oddity ability. By combining this boon with another boon that allows you to create a ganzi PC, you may replace that PC's quibble or ganzi oddity ability with any other ganzi oddity option.
• Revised Benefit: Ganzi characters created using Pathfinder RPG Planar Adventures as a resource may select any one of the listed oddities. By combining this boon with another boon that allows you to create a ganzi PC, you can channel your extraplanar connection in an especially powerful way. As a free action, you can record the name of the adventure you are playing below this boon to gain a second legal ganzi oddity for the duration of the adventure. You can only have two ganzi oddities at a time, and you can only gain additional oddities in this way three times.

So, as we open up ganzi oddities overall, those who combine the two ganzi boons can still gain a limited-use benefit that lets their ganzis show off an especially potent extraplanar power.

Thanks for your continued help in identifying corrections and clarifications in the Additional Resources and Campaign Clarifications documents.

Join us next week for our monthly update on stars, cons, and travel!

Until then—Explore, Report, Cooperate!

Tonya Woldridge
Organized Play Manager

So far in our look into the forthcoming Ruins of Lastwall set of prepainted plastic miniatures from our partners at WizKids, we've seen the agents of undeath working to tighten the Whispering Tyrant's grasp on the Inner Sea region and the noble defenders of Lastwall who dedicate their lives to keeping the lich and his forces at bay. Today we look at the forces of balance caught in the middle of the conflict between good and evil.

Just as angels and daemons are the embodiment of good and evil, respectively, so too are psychopomps the extraplanar manifestation of neutrality. Working out of the Boneyard, these macabre outsiders work to maintain balance in the universe, specifically around the journey of souls through life, death, and the Great Beyond.

Illustration by Jose Parodi

Back when the set was announced, we showed off the Morrigna Psychopomp, a Medium rare figure. Two other psychopomps make their Pathfinder Battles debuts in this set, presenting a range of challenge ratings for Game Masters. The tiny uncommon Nosoi Psychopomp can be taken as an advanced familiar or serve as a guide through the Boneyard, as it did for Valeros in the Spiral of Bones comic series. The masked, birdlike figure can also stand in for a myriad of small avians (if you can overlook its four wings and haunting funeral mask).

At CR 7, the Vanth Psychopomp serves as the Boneyard's foot soldiers, ensuring that nothing disturbs the natural cycle of souls—including an army of undeath attempting to spread their foulness across an entire world. Though they have no bias toward good or against evil, these Medium winged skeletons are likely to side with the forces of Lastwall in the conflict against the Whispering Tyrant. At an uncommon rarity, collectors are likely to get a handful of them to fill out their armies.

Similarly opposed to one another are the denizens of the Negative and Positive Energy Planes, the forces of which play a pivotal role in the creation and destruction of undead. From the Positive Energy Plane come the avian Jyoti, while the Sceaduinar hail from the Negative. Like psychopomps, the jyoti and sceaduinar have no moral bias toward good or evil, but they may serve either side in the conflict nonetheless due to their affinity for positive and negative energy. Both the Jyoti and Sceaduinar are Medium uncommon figures in this set.

But it's not just outsiders holding steadfastly to their neutrality! Among the strongest forces of balance on the Material Plane are the protectors of the natural world, and one of the most disturbing of these guardians are the equine fey known as Nuckelavees. A Large uncommon figure, this aquatic monstrosity exacts vengeance on those who despoil nature, especially wetlands.

Decidedly more amenable to discussion than their fey counterparts, the enigmatic sphinxes of the deserts of northern Garund often serve as wise arbiters in disputes or quizzical guardians of ancient treasures. Ruins of Lastwall features an Androsphinx to compliment the Gynopshinx released in Pathfinder Battles: Deadly Foes a few years back. A Large uncommon figure, this regal magical beast is sure to inspire awe and respect among players and GMs alike.

While we're talking about the deserts of Osirion and its former vassal states, it's the perfect time to show off two more pieces of dungeon dressing from the set. The Afterlife Scale and Funerary Bed are both taken from real-world Egyptian concepts, the former from the scale upon which Anubis weighs the heart of the deceased to judge its worth and the latter from the actual funerary bed found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Both make stunning set pieces in an ancient tomb and could have any number of magical properties to meet a GM's storytelling needs.

Ruins of Lastwall features more figures of Pathfinder deities than any previous set, and it would hardly be fair to include Iomedae and Urgathoa without someone to represent the neutral planes. As such, Pharasma, Goddess of Death makes her debut here, sitting regally upon her throne. The oldest god in the current iteration of reality, Pharasma judges all souls upon their deaths, including fellow deities, and she makes an imposing figure, worthy of her important role in the setting. A Large rare figure, Pharasma, Goddess of Death is probably my favorite figure in the entire set.

That's it for this week's previews! Next time, we'll look at the set's offering of creatures and people who aren't necessarily involved in the conflict between the Whispering Tyrant and the knights of Lastwall but have nevertheless embraced darkness in their own ways.

Mark Moreland
Franchise Manager

Last week, perhaps you heard a great exhaling from here in the Pacific Northwest: We shipped the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Core Set and the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path to our printer Cartamundi for production.

I've said before that each set takes on the personality of one of my talented co-designers—Chad Brown for Rise of the Runelords, Gaby Weidling for Skull & Shackles, Tanis O'Connor for the Class Decks and Organized Play, Paul Peterson for Wrath of the Righteous, and Liz Spain for Mummy's Mask. Curse of the Crimson Throne is Keith Richmond's set. He came to Lone Shark in early 2015 specifically to work on that product. Four years later, he waved it out the door. I'm sure he'll tell you lots more about it soon.

However, after many months of design from the whole team, the Core Set ended up taking on my personality in a very different way. As part of our goals for these sets—which have already included adding more story and providing more variability—we wanted to subject the game to a withering assault of streamlining and clarification. The game needed to become less complex so you just get it out of the gate.

Developer/editor Aviva Schecterson and I form the editing core of Lone Shark. When we made the decision to remold—not reboot—the game around a new base set, Aviva and I pledged that we were going to clean up everything. All the rough edges, all the open bug-tracking issues, all the holes in the timing sequence, all the terms that didn't quite mean what we wanted them to mean. All of it was going to be exactly right. For one moment in time, before we found new things to complicate it, this 10,000-card game was going to be smooth.

I don't think Vic was quite ready for how far we were willing to go. Vic and I spent a solid six months in editing and polishing the two sets, renaming and rethinking concepts as we went. When we were done, we had a very different but wholly compatible set of cards—996 of them, to be exact—that continue the legacy of this deep and evolving game line.

There's one thing we knew we wouldn't change: the name of the game. The words "Pathfinder Adventure Card Game" are on the card back, and we want you to be able to mix and match generation 1 cards with generation 2 cards, so the card back can't change, nor can the name. (Also, can you tell we play a lot of Pokémon Go in the office?)

But the card fronts... man, just look what Sarah and Sonja made you.

I now wish we'd thought to give the Riding Allosaurus Wyrmsmite to chew on.

Here are a few Loot cards from the Core Set. First off, there's that Loot word. It's in a trait box in the lower right (things moved a bit, because sometimes things move a bit). And that means Loot is a trait, not a card type. It's got a check to acquire, which means that if you decide you don't want to keep it after you earn it, you can still find and acquire it later.

We also eliminated most of the "objects" in the game. No, I don't mean items like Caltrops and Compass. I mean the grammatical objects like "this card." Instead of saying "reveal this card," Wyrmsmite just says "reveal." You're holding it in your hand as you're reading it, so it's not going to be any other card. (When we need to differentiate between the card you're reading and another card, we do so explicitly, like in "Recharge this card and another card.") The display template also went through some radical changes to make it more intuitive and less of a dense wall of text.

Sometimes we changed a long phrase to a single word. The word reload is an Apocrypha term that's new to PACG, but it's a concept that has been in the game since the beginning: it just means "put on top of your deck." One word instead of six. But also, we needed that word. That's because we really wanted to use that concept. Here's how often the concept appeared in each of the Adventure Paths we've created to date:

• Rise of the Runelords: 7
• Skull & Shackles: 9
• Wrath of the Righteous: 15
• Mummy's Mask: 9
• Core/Curse of the Crimson Throne: 111

When you want to use a concept nearly three times as often as you've used it in all the Adventure Paths you've created so far, you need a new term for that. Enter "reload."

"At your location" and "at another location" went through a similar transition. We introduced local and distant to mean those things. All of a sudden, our vocabulary opened up. "A local character" was obviously better than "a character at your location," but also "a local check" was far better than "a check by a character at your location."

Rovagug gets TWO different blessings in Core. Pray he does not eat the rest.

The name "blessings deck" changed for a deeper gameplay reason. In Rise of the Runelords, the name made perfect sense because it only ever contained blessings. But in Skull & Shackles, we shuffled in the villain Brinebones. In Wrath of the Righteous, Khorramzadeh got the same treatment. In Mummy's Mask, all sorts of things—Sandstorms, Conflagrations, Forgotten Pharaoh Cultists, Sun Falcons, even scourges—ended up there. So we needed a name for that deck that didn't imply that everything in it was a blessing. We decided to focus on the deck's function as a timer, so we named it the hourglass. Once we had that, it became much easier to talk about the hour rather than "the top card of the blessings discard pile." And now nearly every blessing has a power that affects the turn while it's the hour.

Once we got rid of "blessings deck," the word deck itself got an overhaul. We simplified "location deck" to just location. (When we say "examine the top card of your location," we don't think you'll think of the card with the name of the location on it.) With those changes in place, that means the word "deck" now refers solely to character's decks.

The concept of the "adventure deck number" has also been rethought. It used to mean either of two very different things: "the scenario's adventure deck number" has been replaced with the symbol #, while the number in the upper right corner of a card is now the card's level. For example, the Veteran bane Traitor has a difficulty to defeat of 9+##, meaning 9 plus twice the number of the adventure you're playing. And his power increases the difficulty of his check by the level of the ally you discard. Tricky guy.

And now we can say things like "if the hour's level is 0, reload," which is so much better than "if the top card of the blessings discard pile has an adventure deck number of 0, put this card on top of your deck."

We've also borrowed some tricks from Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild and from Obsidian's Pathfinder Adventures app. We cull cards adventure-by-adventure, as we've been doing in PFS, and we do so by removing them from the vault, a Pathfinder Adventures term that describes the subset of cards in the box you're playing with right now.

And because we cull by level, we are able to make a sweeping change: removing the traits Basic and Elite. These have been on my hit list for a long time. New players would conflate Basic with "Base Set" too often for my taste, and Elite never pulled its own weight. Now when you build your starting deck, you do it with Level 0 cards. Easy.

We're aware these changes will alter a small number of past cards on more than a cosmetic level. Cards like Vestments of Authority and Named Bullet care about the Basic and Elite traits, and now need to care about something else. Adamantine weapons ignore powers that increase the difficulty of checks, but since the # concept moves the difficulty increase out of the powers box and into the check itself, those cards need a tweak to function properly. The rulebook includes brief conversion notes that cover a lot of these cases, such as explaining that level 0 is the new Basic. We are working on a short list of cards that need attention beyond that, and we'll happily accept your help ferreting out any more.

Speaking of new features in the rulebook, we've added a glossary that lists all of the important game terms (more than 100 of them, can you believe?) along with page references to tell you where to find the related rules. And when one of those game terms is introduced, we bold it—just like we've done in this blog post—to let you know it's a game term and to help you find it again later.

I've run out of pixels for this blog, but I've still got a lot more to show you on this subject. Next time I'll show you what we did with cards like characters, spells, items, banes, and locations. I think you'll like what you see.

Mike Selinker
Lead Designer, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game

P.S. Though the name of the game isn't changing, there is an important change to the front of the box: In addition to "A Game by Mike Selinker," each box now features the names of the designers of that set. For Core and Curse, it's me, Chad Brown, Aviva Schecterson, Liz Spain, and of course Keith Richmond. Credit well deserved, says me.

Illustration by Nicolas Espinoza

With the month of January a whole new year begins, but we're still making our way through the final months of Starfinder Society's first season. I'm excited that this month starts a very real countdown of sorts to our end-of-season finale interactive special. While the team isn't quite ready to start talking about our second interactive (more later, I promise) there are some major scenarios coming up this month that start us towards our season's end.

Let me start by saying, that despite its name, Starfinder Society Scenario #1-30: Survivor's Salvation is not a scenario that continues the story of Salvation's End (though we'll be going back to that place in due time). Author, Kiel Howell, presented this scenario to the organized play team as an exploration into something that we've got a lot of questions about since the events of the Scoured Stars: how Starfinders cope with the stresses of their occupation. Called by Zigvigix to investigate the disappearance of a fellow Exo-Guardian who spent the better part of a year within the Scoured Stars, the PCs get to see some topics addressed that we don't tend to see in our typical scenarios. Now, it wouldn't be a real scenario without a threat and a bit of a sci-fi twist to things, so for those more interested in pulling out laser guns and shooting at threats… well, Kiel's got you covered!

Onto our second scenario!

Continuing to explore the repercussions of the Scoured Stars, Starfinder Society Scenario #1-31: Treading History's Folly has the PCs retrace the steps of First Seeker Jadnura, returning to the site where he uncovered one of the mysterious Tear relics that would lead to the Society into the Scoured Stars. Vanessa Hoskins brings us a delightful look into Jadnura's past actions, as well as information that should delight those who've been following the Scoured Stars story over the course of our first season. There were moments when developing this scenario that I had chills from some of the information we were finally getting out into player and GM hands. Similarly, this scenario also goes on to remind people of a few other mysteries that we intend to showcase over the remaining months leading up to our finale interactive.

Illustration by Graey Erb

Illustration by Graey Erb

To further spur on our contingent of dedicated Starfinder conspiracy theorists, let me share one other lovely new piece of art. I can honestly say it's going to factor in quite a bit over the course of our coming scenarios. Whatever could it be?

Alrighty, that's it for January's release! As I write this, I'm going through development on February's scenarios and am already excited to talk about those. Though next month won't continue the Scoured Stars story as much as this month, I'm excited on some of the other storylines we get to follow-up on. Expect to hear back from me in a month with an update on the Dataphiles ongoing efforts and the appearance of a well-known Dead Suns Adventure Path character asking the PCs for help with a bit of a diplomatic endeavor.

Until next time,

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

A few weeks ago, Christopher Carey let me know he was leaving Paizo to begin a new adventure in California. My heart was heavy, since Chris has been a mentor and friend throughout my time here, but it was also full of joy for him, since he and his (Top Secret) new opportunity are a perfect match!

From the Paizo crew...

Jason Bulmahn (Director of Game Design): "Chris has been an institution at Paizo, or at least it seems that way. I remember when he first started, back in our old offices and one of his first tasks was editing the Core Rulebook for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. It seems like forever ago, and it was. Since then, he has touched nearly every book we've made, and all of them have been improved by his efforts, by his insight, and by his skill. As he leaves for an exciting opportunity, I have to wish him all the best, but I am sad to see him go. Best wishes my good man."

John Compton (Lead Developer): "Neither Chris nor I are terribly good at small talk, so when we both slumped into lobby chairs at Gen Con 2014(?) after a long day, we just spent a long while enjoying the silence. At some point one of us prompted the other along the lines of "We work together, but I don't feel I know you. So, tell me about yourself?" And so the floodgates opened as we swapped life stories, nerded out about our shared backgrounds in archaeology, discussed fiction, and talked way later than either of us had intended. Whether it's trying to determine what the proper demonym of a made up region should be, just walking into the other's work area to listen in on an interesting conversation about historical nuance, or explaining "yes, this NPC's purposefully acting this way, but you're right that it could do with more context," I will miss working with you Chris and have learned a lot from you. All the best in your future endeavors!"

Adam Daigle (Managing Developer): "It's been great getting to know and work with Chris over all these years. Editors are largely invisible unless you find a mistake, but they are among the most valuable part of the process of making books. They make us writers and designers look good and keep us from embarrassing ourselves. Chris has made me look like a better writer over the course of ten years (from freelancer to developer).

"It's going to be weird not having Chris here. He's been with the company over ten years, so he's taking a lot of institutional knowledge and experience with him, but I know that he's bringing skill, charm, and an amazing calmness to his next venture. We'll miss you tons, Chris! Don't be a stranger!"

Leo Glass (Editor): "When Chris interviewed me for my position at Paizo, he remarked, 'We are all so lucky to have careers working in tabletop games, working here at Paizo.' He followed those comments with a story of how almost 10 years ago he met Paizo's Publisher, Erik Mona, at a convention, spent hours talking about pulp fiction, and was subsequently hired as an editor at Paizo. The thought occurred to me that at almost every interview I've ever had, someone has remarked how fortunate they were to work where they were. But in Chris's tone, I inferred a subtle vulnerability, a sense of transparency and genuine gratitude as if he was pulling back some sort of invisible curtain, revealing to me how much working for Paizo had changed his life for the better. And he wanted to share that with me. When my offer came, those words were a big part of why I leaped off the cliff and moved whatever belongings I couldn't part with 1,600 miles across the country to join the Paizo family.

"I didn't realize it then, but after a year of working in a cubicle a few feet behind him, I have come to realize that with Chris, there is no curtain. He wasn't just being open and honest during the interview. He is consistently and steadfastly genuine every day. He treats every editor, every colleague, as an old friend, no matter how long they've been there. When he followed me on a pass, he never hesitated to compassionately and patiently walk me through what I could have improved on or what might have been missed, not to point out a flaw, but because he was invested in my success and continual improvement as an editor and Paizo's commitment to producing excellent products. As a mentor, Chris has taught me so much about how to fine-tune a sentence, edit rules text, and make sure every table, every character, every rule, is perfect. He is a fierce and meticulous defender of grammar, concision, consistency, and eloquence, and I hope that in learning from his example, I can hope to help carry on his legacy. In addition to all that, he's also damn funny, and laughing with him, especially when we were both deliriously tired right before a big deadline, always made whatever mountain of words we were climbing at the time seem a little smaller.

"Thanks Chris, for your friendship, guidance, professionalism, and mentorship. I wish you all the best in your next endeavor and can't wait to hear tales of your adventures shaping the Burroughs 'verse over a beer soon. You were right. We are lucky to work at Paizo because of people like you who make it a great place to be—who make it a family. Until we meet again, my friend."

Amanda Hamon (Managing Developer): Chris Carey is one of the most quietly loud people I know. Sound confusing? To explain: Chris has a quiet, thoughtful, and kind demeanor that enhances his skills as one of the best editors I know. In his understated but self-assured way, he always suggests the best ways to clarify game text's intended meaning—often making me, as the developer or designer, say, "Aha! Yes! That's so much better. Please use that phrase." Chris's intellectual methods and approach have helped me become a better editor myself, whether it's editing my own work or floating to Paizo's team of editors, as I did regularly early in my tenure at the company. All that doesn't even touch the second part of my assertion, though. Chris is indeed a consummate and quietly assured editor, but it wasn't until I had worked at the company for a while that I realized he's also a big deal as a fiction author. Google "Christopher Paul Carey" and you'll find reams of novels, novellas, short stories, and more that bear Chris's name. He's written an authorized sequel to Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Moon Maid—how cool is that? Chris is such a metaphorically loud authorial and editorial presence, but you'd never know it from meeting him. Chris, we're going to miss that presence here in the office, but I know you're going to go on to do even more amazing things. I can't wait to hear what they are!

James Jacobs (Creative Director): "I can't say that I remember the day Chris joined Paizo like it was yesterday, because it was over a decade ago and I've gotten that much older since then. I do remember his interview though, and being incredibly impressed by his passion for genre fiction and his attention to detail. Over the years, between the good (Bigfoot day and Lovecraft Film Festival trips even if the festival was sold out by the time we got there being but the most recent examples) and the not so good (wisdom teeth! AIEEEE! Where's a tooth fairy when you need one?), I've had the honor of calling Chris not just a co-worker, but a great friend. He played the ranger Zandu Vorcyon in my Shadows Under Sandpoint game back in the day, a man haunted by the ghouls who orphaned him. When he was building his character and agonizing over the choice of favored enemy, I mostly let him choose his own path there—knowing that whatever he chose would end up playing a significant role in the campaign to come. I suspect he chose ghouls because of the evocative illustration of them Wayne Reynolds did for the cover of Skinsaw Murders, but whatever the reason, the campaign certainly developed a ghoulish tinge. Trips to Pauper's Graves, explorations of unexpected tunnels under the Sandpoint Cathedral, and a big bad end boss of a ghoul alchemist were but three ways Chris's character decision not only helped to shape the campaign, but build up lore surrounding Sandpoint. Since this ghoulish alchemist, Kanker (see the Sandpoint book for his stats!), ended up blowing up Sean K Reynold's cleric in the campaign's climactic battle, you can, in a way, say that Chris was responsible for killing of the party's cleric! Thanks for the monster ammo, Chris! And never fear… Zandu is in good hands. Hands that might inflict paralysis as they reach up out of the loamy sod from a shallow grave, but… well, no. They're chaotic evil hands. Still, I'm sure Zandu can take care of himself and persevere and triumph. If only because I know that you will as well, Chris, in what comes next! Congrats, man, and I'll miss ya!"

Jason Keeley (Developer): "I began my career at Paizo as an editor sitting right next to Chris, so he was constantly subjected to my questions about style and grammar and for that, I thank him. Later, I pestered him into letting me write one of the Pathfinder's Journals for the Strange Aeons Adventure Path and for that, I am so grateful. Chris is a talented, thoughtful person and we are going to miss him so much here!"

Lyz Liddell (Editor): "Chris is a rock—in all the best ways! He's been around for so long that it's hard to imagine our team without him, and he has the institutional knowledge and experience that comes with having worked on an entire edition of the game. He's always been around to answer questions, provide helpful insights, and carry on even when things get really rough. He's also tremendously supportive, both in words and in actions, as a team member and as a colleague and friend. I'm hugely excited to see him move on to a job that is such a phenomenally good fit for him, but we're gonna miss him like crazy!!"

Ron Lundeen (Developer): "Chris is the kind of editor every developer wants to work with. He certainly has the skill and tenure to say, "you did this wrong, we should do it this way," but that's not Chris's style. He's both collaborative and thoughtful, and he's eager to entertain discussions about how to approach a final product with the ultimate user—the gamers who will use it at their table—in mind. I'll always value my discussions with Chris about how to make a product both clear and compelling. Thanks, Chris, and I know you'll excel in your next adventure!"

Robert G. McCreary (Creative Director): "Just over 9 years ago, I was hired as an assistant editor for Paizo, and I joined James L. Sutter and Chris Carey as the third member of the editorial team. Since that time, many things have changed—I moved to the development side of things, Chris became senior editor, and the editorial team has grown much larger than just three people. But what hasn't changed is the high regard I have for Chris, both as a professional colleague and a friend. Since my very first day at Paizo, Chris has shared his exceptional knowledge and editorial mastery with me, making me both a better editor and better developer. Of course, I'm not the only one who has benefited from Chris's expertise, as Paizo's entire editorial staff can attest.

"Chris was also my first Gen Con roommate as a Paizo employee, and our late nights after the con discussing our favorite pulp and sci-fi authors blossomed into a true friendship that I will always treasure. I'm so excited for Chris about the new opportunities that have opened up for him, and while I'll miss him, I know he'll continue to excel in what I hope is his true dream job. Good luck, Chris, and if I ever wake up confused on Mars like another Virginian, I know who to get in touch with!"

Sonja Morris (Art Director): "Chris is awesome, both as an editor and a person—I will miss him very much."

Adrian Ng (Editor): "Chris, thank you for being a mentor and a friend during our time together at Paizo. I wish you the best in your adventures on Barsoom—no doubt, you'll do great!"

Patrick Renie (Developer): "Chris Carey is a great editor and a fantastic guy. During my first GenCon with Paizo in 2011, Chris was basically my rock; we were rooming together and I was totally overwhelmed by the convention but Chris taught me the way to stay sane during it all (go to bed early and drink lots of water). I'll never forget our desperate search around the convention center for a Starbucks, a cafe, one of those Seattle's Best vending machines—anywhere we could get a latte. (We had to settle for energy drinks.) His ability to consistently write and edit so much fiction is nothing short of awesome, and I'm not sure he knows how much of an inspiration he is to me when it comes to getting words on paper. While his departure makes my heart ache, I am so excited for his next adventure, since I know that anywhere Chris goes magic is sure to follow."

Michael Sayre (Developer): "I am really, really bad at saying goodbye, but I feel like I would regret not saying something about Chris and the positive impact he had on me during this last year. Chris and I bonded over a shared love of Edgar Rice Burroughs stories. We had a lot of great conversations that built from this, especially during a few evenings at GenCon where other people with similar shared interests were able to join us. Chris is someone whose quiet wisdom is readily appreciated, and will be sorely missed in his absence. I regret that we didn't have more time and opportunities to converse, since every time we did I felt like I left the conversation a little better off than before we spoke. Best of luck in your future endeavors my friend!"

Owen K.C. Stephens (Starfinder Design Lead): When I first arrived at Paizo there was a tricky transition for me, from freelancer who never had to touch a manuscript after I turned it over to developer who needed to shepherd it and answer questions about it at every step, including editing. Chris was a crucial part of my coming to understand how that process worked, and I will always be grateful to him for his professionalism, vast knowledge base, and friendly approach to such collaboration. It's safe to say Chris made me a better writer, and a better developer. All of that in addition, of course, to being someone with who I could discuss John Carter, Opar, and Carson of Venus. :)"

Jason Tondro (Editor): "Professionally, working with Chris has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am, quite simply, a much better editor now than I was a year ago when I was hired, and most of that is due to Chris's guidance. He's been a wonderful mentor, but also a good friend. Chris and I are only a month apart in age, and that meant we had a lot of shared experiences. I could always count on him to know my TOS references, and he could count on me to know who Tars Tarkas was. I remember, when I interviewed for this job, I quoted Francis Bacon. He thought I was sucking up to him, because he was working on a Bacon-related project and had been for years. No, we had just both read all the same books! I will miss Chris every day. But I count myself incredibly fortunate I got to work with him at all, and there is no one in the world more qualified for his new position. Congratulations, my friend."

Pierce Watters (Director of Sales): "Best regards to Ignatius Donnelly. Break a leg!"

Chris started at Paizo in the last week of the first Campaign Setting book, then launched straight into the playtest for First Edition. During the 10+ years since then, he has helped us through two playtests and the birth of Starfinder, has edited about 150 Adventure Path volumes, and has shepherded Pathfinder Tales and Pathfinder Comics—plus working on over a thousand other products. (Phew!) During that decade, Chris has been a voice of reason and professionalism, working smoothly with everyone in the department no matter how stressed out and wild-eyed we've gotten. He mentored many of us when we started out here, ensuring we learned good habits and set high standards—but also building up our self-confidence. And in addition to his expertise at editing, he is a font of surprising knowledge, ranging from Mongolian history and Baconian conspiracies to how to determine the gender of a skeleton from its skull.

On top of all that, Chris has also maintained a simultaneous career as an author of numerous novels, novellas, short stories, and comics, and as an editor of several short story compilations—check out his work!

On a more personal level, Chris has been a rock for me during my time at Paizo. He has taught me a ton about editing, and about when to compromise and when to stick to my guns. He's also funny, kind, and compassionate, and has been there for me during family crises and whenever I needed a sympathetic ear. I'm a better person for having known him, and I'm going to miss him heaps.

Good luck and best wishes, Chris!

Judy Bauer
Managing Editor

Illustration by Tawny Fritz

January brings us two scenarios that build on more recent stories, taking us to the forests of Iobaria and back into the Hao Jin Tapestry.

Taking us to Iobaria is Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-12: Breath of the Dragonskull, a Tier 1-5 scenario written by yours truly that has the Pathfinders returning to the town of Mishkar to help out some old friends who are in a bit of a jam. The PCs will have to navigate both a delicate political situation and a blazing forest fire if they are to complete their mission successfully.

When I developed Pathfinder Society #9-18: Scourge of the Farheavens, I realized that the story of the people of Sarkoris, whose homeland was devoured by the Worldwound, were people I wanted to get to know better. Breath of the Dragonskull touches on a lot of stories that I really care about and wanted to spend a little more time with and I jumped at the opportunity to write it. As we look forward to a new edition where the heroes of Wrath of the Righteous have successfully closed the Worldwound, I thought it would be a great opportunity to revisit the god-caller Nelket and her deity Dolok Darkfur as the Society makes good on its promises from #9-18 and helps the Sarkorian refugees and their allies retake their new home.

Since announcing goblins as a playable race in the next iteration of the Pathfinder RPG, we've seen much commentary about the status of goblins and how they fit into Golarion. Not only what their role not just in the Society is, but also in the larger world. As we've done previously, the team took advantage of using the ongoing narrative of the Pathfinder Society to explore how goblins, specifically forest goblins, of all alignments handle situations. Though one thing hasn't changed, goblins still love burning things. I did mention that there's a forest fire, right? You'll get to see how goblins interact with less populated ecosystems and might even find some roots that could grow into goblin PCs when the new Core Rulebook releases in August.

Illustration by Tom Ventre

Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-13: Fragments of Antiquity is a Tier 5-9 scenario that takes the Pathfinders once more into the unraveling demiplane known as the Hao Jin Tapestry. The PCs endeavor to discover the fate of the legendary sorcerer Hao Jin as they trek their way through an ancient library filled with deadly traps crafted by a clan of clever kobolds.

Kobolds, libraries, and strange planar phenomenon present a robust and challenging mix of encounters for a group of players to confront, but veteran scenario author Sam Polak was excited for the challenge. The Scalebreaker kobolds are a memorable addition to the organized play catalogue of NPCs. Attentive and diplomatic players may even have the opportunity to figure out which kobolds are responsible for their particular woes as they traverse the library depths. It'll be up to the players to decide if the Scalebreakers are friends or foes, but kobold chieftain Bridge-and-Logs gets to make an early appearance here in the blog, courtesy of Tom Ventre!

Michael Sayre
Organized Play Developer

Last time we looked at previews of April's Pathfinder Battles: Ruins of Lastwall set from WizKids, we saw the amassed forces of good defending the world from the Whispering Tyrant's minions. Those are all well and good (pun intended) for PCs and their allies, but what fun toys does the set hold for GMs?

Illustration by Ekaterina Burmak

The lich's primary agents are the Whispering Way Cultists, depicted here as a Medium common figure. The most nefarious aspect of the Whispering Way is that its cultists can be hidden among any population, secretly advancing the Whispering Tyrants' goals. When discovered, however, the vassals of undeath fight viciously to see their plans through to fruition.

As numerous and threatening as Whispering Way cultists are, they pale in comparison to the Tyrant's undead minions. While many of these are mindless skeletons and zombies, often raised from the fallen legions of his vanquished enemies, these hordes need leaders. One powerful undead creature often serving in this role is the Murderous Undead, a Medium uncommon figure.

Not all skeletons are mindless, however, and despite their lack of vocal cords, lips, and lungs, they often speak for their lich lord, proclaiming the tyrant's edicts in conquered lands or acting as envoys to potential allies. The Skeletal Speaker, a Medium uncommon figure, makes a great skeletal diplomat or even a spellcasting skeletal champion.

While the remains of mortals make excellent potential servitors, sometimes the agents of undeath need more powerful help from beyond the borders of this reality, in which case they might summon or make a deal with an outsider like a thanadaemon. These deacons of the Horseman of Death, Charon, ply the waters of the River Styx, ferrying souls through Abaddon. Thanadaemon is a Medium rare figure.

Last, we have the ultimate undead, or rather the premier undead, for she was the very first soul to escape the River of Souls and extend her existence outside the normal cycle of death and rebirth. Yes, Urgathoa, Goddess of Undeath makes her Pathfinder Battles debut in this set as a Medium rare figure. Wielding her imposing scythe and exemplifying both the decay of undeath and the debauchery of gluttony, it is to her glory the Whispering Tyrant and all his undead minions do their sinister work. All hail Urgathoa! All hail the Pallid Princess!

Game Masters looking to add some scenery to their undead encounters should be excited by another piece of dungeon dressing from Ruins of Lastwall, the Stone Cairn, a remnant of a culture now as dead as the corpse or corpses buried beneath it. When the gravestones or burial markers from the Cemetery of the Fallen don't quite fit your needs, consider using a Stone Cairn instead.

That's it for this week's preview. Check back next time for a look at the champions of balance stuck in the middle of the war for the souls of the Inner Sea. I'm pompously psyched to show them off!

Mark Moreland
Franchise Manager

PaizoCon is a convention dedicated to our Paizo gaming community spending a weekend together gaming, learning, hanging out and celebrating the fun and creativity of gaming. Our community includes so many wonderful fans, players, employees, our friends and families, authors, artists, podcasters, RPG industry guests, and business partners. We hope that no matter why someone is choosing to attend PaizoCon, they feel welcomed and part of this amazing community.

In addition to the games, workshops, seminars, and other events that Paizo employees host, we also welcome members of our RPG community to run events. We encourage those running events to be creative as they wish with the content they choose to use for games, seminars, or workshops. This is an opportunity for us to share what gets us excited about gaming, whether its running a favorite published adventure or exploring experimental game mechanics or campaign settings.

If you’d like a dedicated time and space and the opportunity for PaizoCon attendees to sign up for your event in advance, fill out the link below for each event you’d like to run. If you’d like to run the same event more than once, you can indicate in the notes. There are 22 fields to fill out that help me understand how best to include your event on the PaizoCon programing schedule. If you wish to review the questions before starting the survey, I’ve provided the questions in the PaizoCon forum thread "2019 Event Submissions". Provided you include your correct email address, the survey tool will email you your responses when you click the submit button. You should also be able to go back and edit your survey information after submission, though I would appreciate a heads up if you make significant changes to your event as I may begin scheduling submitted events prior to March 1. You are welcome to email me at paizocon@paizo.com with any questions about the venue, rooms, scheduling, content, running events on behalf of another company, etc.

Submit Your Event
Event Submissions Close March 1, 2019

I look forward to see you in May!

Sara Marie
Customer Service & Community Manager

The Organized Play Foundation (OPF) is putting the final touches on their call for volunteers for Paizo organized play programs. Paizo requested volunteers for Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild, Pathfinder Society Academy, Starfinder Society, and Pathfinder Society version 2 at PaizoCon, Origins, Gen Con, UK Games Expo and PAX Unplugged. Registration launches on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 6:00 AM Pacific time. To register, visit OPF Convention Volunteer Page and complete questionnaires for the events you wish to attend. Due to how requests are processed by convention organizing committees, you will need to complete a different questionnaire for every event you wish to volunteer for. Registering early on will ensure maximum choice of program and level of volunteerism, though cancellations mean volunteers are often accepted up to the week before the event.

Each convention will offer a volunteer incentive package based on the number of blocks an individual volunteer. While volunteer incentives vary between each convention, potential offerings include rooms, badges, printed Paizo products, credit for use at Paizo.com, t-shirts, free scenarios, and in-game rewards. The listings on the Organized Play Foundation will outline each conventions incentive package.

Check back next week as the organized play developers preview this month's scenarios for Starfinder Society and Pathfinder Society!

Until next time—Explore, Report, Cooperate!

Tonya Woldridge

Organized Play Manager

Welcome to 4719, Pathfinders! We in the Paizo word mines are hard at work putting together a huge slate of new products for the year but that doesn't mean that I can't take a few minutes to show off some of the new figures coming out this April in the next set of Pathfinder Battles prepainted plastic miniatures from our partners at WizKids.

The Ruins of Lastwall set features lots of figures useful in playing out the conflict between the knights of Lastwall and the forces of the lich lord known as the Whispering Tyrant. For nearly 900 years the stalwart Knights of Ozem have stood watch over the lich's prison from their fortified capital of Vigil, the last remnant of the forces of good whose victory in the Shining Crusade saved the world from the tyrant's grasp. And now players and GMs will have all the figures they need to amass their own army of paladins, knights, and regimented soldiers of light.

Illustration by Craig J. Spearing

The first two figures were drawn from the same inspiring piece of art from the Pathfinder library, this stunning half-page illustration of Lastwall's forces preparing for battle by Craig J. Spearing. In the foreground, we have the Lastwall Soldier, a rank-and-file soldier in the crusader army. Wearing a simple cloak of the purest white, emblazoned with the holy symbol of Iomedae, this Medium common figure is one you'll be glad to have multiples of.

Towering over the soldiers is the Lastwall General atop his rearing charger. His polished gold plate and raised standard serve as inspiration to his subordinates and paint an intimidating picture for the forces of undeath rallied against them. A Large uncommon figure, the Lastwall General can also serve as a PC cavalier or paladin when mounted.

I showed off the Lastwall Knight (Medium uncommon) back in September when the set was announced, but she's not the only elite figure in the set. Check out the Lastwall Paladin with his banner and longsword issuing a challenge to the forces of evil. He's a Medium uncommon figure, so collectors should end up with a few of him to add variety to their Lastwall army or to serve as PCs, cohorts, or prominent NPCs from the ranks of the Knights of Ozem.

When these noble warriors fall in battle, they deserve a fitting final rest. In the catacombs of Vigil lie the remains of countless paladins and soldiers who dedicated themselves to keeping the Whispering Tyrant contained in his prison. The Crypt Wall set dressing depicts one of these catacomb niches, complete with four removable shelves and three decaying corpses so you can customize your use of it.

The Knights of Lastwall don't stand alone against the forces of evil, though. No, the Great Beytond is full of powerful beings who want to see the Whispering Tyrant's forces turned back from their ambitions of conquest. Among them are the noble gold dragons who call Golarion's plains home. The Large Gold Dragon here (Large uncommon) is just one of the mortal beings who may come to the knights' aid (or serve as wise advisors or “quest-givers” for PCs).

From beyond the borders of our realities, the celestial hosts of the upper planes may be summoned or called by powerful clerics or arcane spellcasters, the most formidable of which is the Empyrean Angel. First appearing in Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 and coming in at a whopping CR 20, this Large rare figure is sure to awe all who see it when it appears on the battlefield.

No celestial force is more interested in the outcome of the long war with the Whispering Tyrant than the goddess, Iomedae, who was herself a knight of Ozem before ascending to godhood. The first of five gods making their Pathfinder Battles debut in this set, Iomedae, Goddess of Valor is a Medium rare figure, perfect for GMs running the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path or for players of paladins or clerics of the goddess who might attempt to emulate her appearance beyond simply wearing her holy symbol.

That's it for this preview, but it's far from the last you'll see of Lastwall. Check back next time for a look at the agents of undeath working to undermine the knights' efforts and spread their cold, evil will across the Inner Sea region.

Mark Moreland
Franchise Manager

The Starfinder Character Operations Manual Playtest is just about to wrap up—but if you haven't yet made a character with these playtest classes and given us your feedback, there’s still time!

The open playtest period for the biohacker, the vanguard, and the witchwarper classes ends on Wednesday, January 16. So if you'd like to help us provide the best new classes possible for this late 2019 release, grab the free playtest PDF, make a character or two, and run them through their paces.

Then, share your thoughts via our surveys or playtest forums. More information about participating in the Character Operations Manual playtest is available here! And if you'd like to read our thoughts about some of the feedback we've already received, including a few design aspects we already know we’ll address, check out this previous blog.

With your help, the stars are the limits for these new classes. We can’t wait to hear what you think!

—The Starfinder Team

Last Wednesday I was on a plane bound for Washington, D.C. and MAGFest. I returned Monday from one of the highest energy conventions I've attended. Trevor and the tri-state crew, as well as help from Pennsylvania and further afield, delivered four days of Starfinder Society and Pathfinder Society adventures. This week, I'm catching up on tasks so that I can fly out to SCARAB next week. Come hang out and say hi! If you're interested in which conventions Paizo staffers will attend in 2019, check out the listing at the bottom of the blog.

I received multiple queries on when the call to volunteer would go out for PaizoCon and Gen Con. With the formation of the Organized Play Foundation and their oversight of volunteers, the call will originate from the OPF and Paizo will boost the signal. At this time, Paizo is requesting OPF solicit volunteers for PaizoCon, Origins, Gen Con, UK Games Expo and PAX Unplugged. It is our hope to have everything coordinated by next week so that we can receive questionnaires and respond quickly.

Finally, as we move into 2019, I want to say thank you to the community that keeps making Paizo organized play programs - Starfinder Society, Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, and Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild - fantastic places to play. Without the volunteers and players, we would not have the renaissance in RPGs we are currently experiencing. Huge huzzahs and I look forward to meeting more of you in 2019.

Campaign Coins

December was a quieter time for travels, as I only attended PAX Unplugged, and did not present any campaign coins. There is still the one outstanding coin from PaizoCon Asia-Pacific that has not yet reached its recipient. As we are in the turning of the year and the last few months of our original Pathfinder Society campaign , I thought this a fitting time to list all those who've received a Campaign Service Coin for their dedication to our hobby.

Recipients

Name	New Number	Con Received
Kyle Elliott	701	PaizoCon 2014
Kristie Schweyer	702	PaizoCon 2014
Stephen White	703	PaizoCon 2014
Alistair Rigg	704	PaizoCon 2014
Art Lobdell	705	PaizoCon 2014
Myron Paul	706	PaizoCon 2014
Eric Brittain	707	PaizoCon 2014
Michael Azzolino	708	PaizoCon 2014
Robyn Nixon	709	PaizoCon 2014
Auke Teeninga	710	PaizoCon UK 2014
Dave Harrison	711	PaizoCon UK 2014
Rob Silk	712	PaizoCon UK 2014
Zrinka Znidarcic	713	PaizoCon UK 2014
Jon Cary	714	Gen Con 2014
Steve Miller	715	Gen Con 2014
Joe Jungers	716	Gen Con 2014
Seth Gipson	717	Gen Con 2014
Garrett Gottschalk	718	Gen Con 2014
Dominick Trascritti	719	Gen Con 2014
Todd Morgan	720	Gen Con 2014
Bob Jonquet	721	Gen Con 2014
Del Collins II	722	Gen Con 2014
Lucas Servideo	723	Gen Con 2014
Andrew Christian	724	Gen Con 2014
Dan Simons	725	Gen Con 2014
Brent Jans	726	Gen Con 2014
Jon Dehning	727	Gen Con 2014
Jester Deren	728	Gen Con 2014
June Soler	729	Gen Con 2014
Michael McNerney	730	Gen Con 2014
Karim Majeri	731	PaizoCon UK 2015
Benoit Gros	732	PaizoCon UK 2015
Mark Langereis	733	PaizoCon UK 2015
Chris Brockley-Blatt	734	PaizoCon UK 2015
Gael Aubort	735	PaizoCon UK 2015
Brett Sweeney	736	Gen Con 2015
Eric Clingenpeel	737	Gen Con 2015
Jason Roeder	738	Gen Con 2015
Richard Gilbert	739	Gen Con 2015
Michael Costello	740	Gen Con 2015
Derek Boobyer	741	Gen Con 2015
Seth Brummond	742	Gen Con 2015
Michael VonHasseln	743	Gen Con 2015
Daniel Flood	744	Gen Con 2015
Martin Shelby	745	Gen Con 2015
Dan Cornett	746	Gen Con 2015
Chris Hays	747	Gen Con 2015
Vanessa Hoskins	748	Gen Con 2015
Angus MacLennan	749	Gen Con 2015
Tersha Choy	750	Gen Con 2015
Michael Meunier	751	Fall 2015
Sebastian Schirrmeister	752	Fall 2015
Wolf Vituschek	753	Fall 2015
Florent Fournol	754	Fall 2015
Ray Diaz	755	PaizoCon 2016
David Montgomery	756	PaizoCon 2016
Robert Hetherington	757	PaizoCon 2016
Jesse Davis	758	PaizoCon 2016
Luke Woods	759	Origins 2016
Jen McTeague	760	Origins 2016
Pete Pollard	761	PaizoCon UK 2016
Terry Thambipillai	762	PaizoCon UK 2016
Vincent Colón-Roine	763	PaizoCon UK 2016
William Boyle	764	PaizoCon UK 2016
Paco Sanchez	765	PaizoCon UK 2016
Michael Eshleman	766	Gen Con 2016
Brendan Green	767	Gen Con 2016
Joanna Gore	768	Gen Con 2016
Rigby Bendele	769	Gen Con 2016
Kristen Gipson	770	Gen Con 2016
Jean-Marc Comeau	771	Gen Con 2016
David Jacobsen	772	TotalCon 2017
Wendy-Ann Francis	773	Dundra Con 2017
John Francis	774	Dundra Con 2017
Mark Stratton	775	WYC 2017
Carol Tierney	776	UKGE 2017
Allison Ooms	777	WYC 2017
Chad Newman	778	Origins 2017
Alexander Lenz	779	PaizoCon UK 2017
Tesifonte Negro	780	PaizoCon UK 2017
Nils Janson	781	PaizoCon UK 2017
Ian Hawthorne	782	PaizoCon UK 2017
Glen Shackleton	783	Gen Con 2017
Joe Mathos	784	MarsCon 2018
Paul Reese	785	MarsCon 2018
Mike McKeown	786	MarsCon 2018
Troy Schnack	787	Quad City Fest 2018
Jack Brown	788	PaizoCon 2018
Keith Apperson	789	PaizoCon 2018
Louis Manko Levite	790	PaizoCon 2018
Simon Kort	791	UKGE 2018
Sebastian Hirsch	792	UKGE 2018
Brent Bowser	793	Origins 2018
Bobby Harring	794	Origins 2018
Gustavo Cruz	795	PaizoCon UK 2018
Jim Torbet	796	PaizoCon UK 2018
Caner Unsal	797	PaizoCon UK 2018
Lau Bannenberg	798	PaizoCon UK 2018
Walter Sheppard	799	Gen Con 2018
David Shaw	800	Gen Con 2018
Mike Bramnik	801	Gen Con 2018
Will Johnson	802	Gen Con 2018
Russ Brown	803	Gen Con 2018
Glen Irving	804	PaizoCon AP 2018
Redacted	805	PaizoCon AP 2018

If you know a deserving member of your community, please email me at organizedplay@paizo.com with their name, location, and the reasons you feel they should be recognized for their service. If you are able, please include what events they may attend in 2018/2019 so that we can either make awards in person (preferred) or make arrangements for deliver.

Stars and Novas

While December is usually a slower month, gamewise, we still had a couple of GMs achieve the requirements to qualify for their 5th star. To achieve this milestone, GMs run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios, as well as run a game for a venture-captain. A conservative estimate of time needed to reach 5-stars is 650 hours! To the GMs listed below, thank you very much for the time and energy you spend running Pathfinder Society games! Huge congratulations on your achievement!

• Randy Cronin
• Jonathan Farber

In looking at the first draft of the 5-nova qualifications, we realized that we could future-proof our campaigns by coming up with a format that would work for novas, glyphs, and any future recognition system we may need. We also came up with a tech component that automates parts of the process and which solves some of the issues our 4-star and 5-star GMs are experiencing with their stars not showing. This means it will take a bit longer to generate the policy, but I think it will save time and stress in the long run. WE appreciate your patience as we work through this process and will update you as soon as we have more information!

Convention Listing

Want to attend a convention in the next few months? Check out the list below! The list includes all the event support requests received to date. If you see one missing, ping the organizer and have them submit a request for support or have them email me at organizedplay@paizo.com to discuss their event. All of the conventions on the list maintain some type of web presence, be it website, social media page, or Warhorn listing, so if you are interested in attending in either capacity, check out their websites or contact the local venture-officer for more information!

2019 Organized Play Staff Travel

As I mentioned in the opening of the blog, we have lots of staff travel in 2019 and encourage you to come say hi if you are attending any of these events. Looking forward, if you are an event organizer and want to invite us out at your event in 2020, drop an email to organizedplay@paizo.com before next summer, as we put our schedule together in August.

*Staffers scheduled to attend may change without notice.

Until next time—Explore, Report, Cooperate!

Tonya Woldridge

Organized Play Manager

The year might be brand new, but the Starfinder Roleplaying Game's Character Operations Manual playtest is still rolling full steam as we work on providing you with the best new classes possible for this late 2019 release!

There are 13 days left in the open playtest period for the biohacker, vanguard, and witchwarper classes. If you haven't already downloaded the free playtest PDF, made some characters, and run them through their paces, you still have time! The playtest ends January 16, and we need your feedback to make these classes the best they can be.

Test out a character in a home game or in Starfinder Society, and then share your thoughts via our surveys or playtest forums. Links to both of those options, plus more information about the Character Operations Manual playtest are available here!

Meanwhile, here at Starfinder HQ, we're already sifting through the feedback you've sent us so far and discussing the ways we might improve the classes as a result. Based on what you've told us, there are a few design aspects we already know we'll address (though these are far from the only community-driven changes we're making!).

For the biohacker, we've heard that the mechanical balance between the classes' two key ability score options—that is, whether you choose to play an Intelligence-based instinctive biohacker or a Wisdom-based studious biohacker—is uneven. As we sculpt the class's design toward its final version, we'll endeavor to make both options equally viable.

For the vanguard, you've let us know that the class lacks a way to spend Entropy Points—the pillar of the class's core entropic pool ability—at 1st level. Designing key ways to do so will be a top goal as we polish that class.

For the witchwarper, we've heard your requests for a robust array of new spells specific to this class's flavor about pulling from infinite alternate realities to affect the surrounding world. We're already hard at work writing new witchwarper-only spells of all levels, from damage-dealing spells to battlefield control spells to buffs for the witchwarper and his allies and more.

These design concerns just scratch the surface of the possibilities for the classes' final versions—and there's still plenty of time to make your voice heard.

For those who have already participated in the playtest, we thank you, and to those who plan to still send us feedback: we eagerly await your thoughts!

—The Starfinder Team

Over the past 5 months, we've been thrilled to work with all of you to make the new version of Pathfinder the best game it can be. It hasn't been easy. The Doomsday Dawn adventure turned out to be an excellent way for us to gather data about the forward edge of the game, testing and tuning the numbers that make the game tick, but it was also quite a challenge for many (and I'm not just talking about the deadliness of Part 5).

It was an adventure unlike any we've published before. It was a test, and it’s tricky to make any test fun, but we’re excited to see that many of you had a great time with it, in spite of its challenges. Whether or not your group made it all the way to the end, we want to thank you for running through this gauntlet. The information we gleaned from our forums and the surveys has proven to be invaluable in helping us improve the game, and we have your hard work and dedication to thank for that.

For the past few months, we've been hard at work making refinements to the game, and that work is far from over here in the new year. The rest of the design team and I are going to be a little quiet over the next couple of months as we finalize parts of the game and get it ready to go to the printer. Once that hard work is done, you can expect us to start showing off the final version of the game. We can't wait to show you how it turned out!

So, from all of us here on the design team, and indeed everyone at Paizo, thank you!

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design