Desna, Lady Luck, the Song of the Spheres and the Tender of Dreams, has aligned the stars to bring out-of-this-world Starfinder and Pathfinder joy to us all this month of PaizoCon 2022.

Starfinder Drift Crisis

COSMIC CATASTROPHE
Hyperspace is broken! In a catastrophic instant, commonplace faster-than-light travel, made possible by the Drift, fails. Travelers vanish midflight, communications scramble, and the Drift’s progenitor god Triune falls mysteriously silent. In the aftermath, empires cling to far-flung holdings, opportunists exploit the chaos, and everyone demands to know what triggered this crisis—and how it can be solved. With Starfinder Drift Crisis, you can dive right into this galaxy-spanning adventure and determine what happens next! Featuring:

• More than 100 new player options, from class options and themes to equipment, feats, and spells!
• Twenty detailed adventure seeds that provide a framework for playing a framework for playing through dozens of Drift Crisis stories, whether in encounters, adventures, or entire campaigns.
• Deep dives on the myriad effects of the Drift Crisis on factions, worlds, systems, and the galaxy at large.
• A toolbox with a vast store of information for running adventures in the Drift Crisis, from dozens of unique treasures and 20 new creatures to rich nonplayer character profiles and information on adapting Adventure Paths.

This product is part of the Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscription.

Starfinder Flip-Mat: Drift Crisis

A TRIP INTO TROUBLE!
The hyperspace plane of the Drift is malfunctioning, slowing interstellar trade and travel for all spacefaring citizens of the galaxy! This jumbo, double-sided Starfinder Flip-Mat features a hex grid map of a typical expanse of the Drift on one side, perfect for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game’s starship combat system. The other side is a standard 1-inch-square grid showing the interior of a technological structure—such as a Drift beacon, the satellites that help make Drift travel possible, or a high-tech temple to Triune, the tripartite deity who resides in the Drift. Starfinder Flip-Mats present ready-to-use science-fantasy set pieces for the busy Game Master. With Starfinder Flip-Mat: Drift Crisis, you’ll be ready for this setting-changing catastrophe!

This product is part of the Starfinder Maps Subscription.

Starfinder Adventure Path #45: The Culling Shadow (Horizons of the Vast 6 of 6)

WHO’S THE BOSS?

An enemy armada invades! The heroes of New Horizon must launch their own forces to withstand the attack and eventually take the fight to the evil cult’s leader on the dark side of the moon. But to truly save their home, they must face the monster at the source of the deadly radiation, which threatens to kill every sentient creature in the system!

This Starfinder Adventure Path volume concludes the Horizons of the Vast Adventure Path and includes:

• “The Culling Shadow,” a Starfinder adventure for 11th-level characters, by Landon Winkler.
• Ways to continue your Horizons of the Vast campaign beyond the final fight, by Isis Wozniakowska.
• A toolbox featuring a description of the Negative Energy Plane, options for players to harness the power of that void, a collection of dangerous creatures, and a glimpse at a frozen, chalky world, by Ivis K. Flanagan, Jenny Jarzabski, Georg Mir, Andrew Mullen, Hilary Moon Murphy, Dave Nelson, Jess Nevins, Thea Seals, and Landon Winkler.
• Statistics and deck plans for an AbadarCorp long-haul freighter, by Landon Winkler

This product is part of the Starfinder Adventure Path Subscription.

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Knights of Lastwall

TAKE UP ARMS!
When the lich Tar-Baphon escaped from his prison, he destroyed the vigilant nation of Lastwall. Though its cities fell, the people of Lastwall didn’t falter! Knights of Lastwall takes a detailed look at the courageous knights who rose up to continue the fight against the undead hordes threatening the world. This book contains information on joining the knights, details on important members of the organization, new options for knightly characters, and details for playing a valiant, knightly campaign!

This product is part of the Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscription

.

Pathfinder Book of the Dead Pocket Edition

THE DEAD ARE RISING!
This blasphemous tome brings the shambling menace of the undead to the forefront of your game. If you wish to stem the ghostly tide, you’ll find tools and skills to fight against the undead hordes. Or you can join the other side and turn your character into a ghost, ghoul, lich, mummy, skeleton, vampire, or zombie! You’ll also find new haunts, as well as information about the undead-plagued lands within the Lost Omens campaign setting, perfect for adding undead to your next adventure! A massive bestiary section full of undead creatures brings more threats for GMs and summonable creatures for players, including more versions of classic undead like vampires, skeletons, and zombies. This book also includes “March of the Dead,” a grim and dangerous adventure themed around an undead uprising!

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults Hardcover

ENTER THE MEGADUNGEON!
Spiteful evil stirs beneath the mysterious lighthouse called Gauntlight. When the lighthouse emits an eerie glow, locals suspect that something sinister threatens the countryside. Brave heroes must explore the ruins around the lighthouse and delve into the dungeon levels beneath it. Hideous monsters, deadly traps, unexpected allies, vengeful ghosts, and more await the heroes who dare to enter the sprawling megadungeon called the Abomination Vaults! The Abomination Vaults Adventure Path is a complete campaign taking heroes from 1st to 11th level.

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults Special Edition Hardcover

Pathfinder Adventure: Shadows at Sundown

FEAR THE SETTING OF THE SUN!
It has been well over a decade since Queen Ileosa was defeated, but the city of Korvosa still fears the evil tyrant’s legacy. And so when ghosts of the sinister queen manifest on the streets after dark, the need for new heroes arises! Pathfinder Adventure: Shadows at Sundown is an adventure for 11th-level characters written by Landon Winkler. While a standalone story, it builds upon themes and plots from years of adventures set in the Varisian city of Korvosa, and includes new monsters and new challenges to test the mightiest heroes. Who will save the city of Korvosa from the dangers that hide in the Shadows at Sundown?

Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Shadows at Sundown

FEAR THE NIGHT!
The Cathedral of Pharasma, goddess of death, has long stood watch over the city of Korvosa’s sprawling graveyard. This Flip-Mat details the cathedral itself, as well as the catacombs that exist below, suitable for use in play with Pathfinder Adventure: Shadows at Sundown or for any cathedral and attached catacomb found in your own campaign.

This product is part of the Pathfinder Maps Subscription.

Pathfinder Adventure Path #179: Cradle of Quartz (Outlaws of Alkenstar 2 of 3)

A TICKING TIME BOMB

Time is of the essence for a motley gang of outlaws if they’re to settle the score with the sinister rival who ruined them. Somewhere amid the weird and wild wastes of the Spellscar Desert lies an abandoned clockwork temple called the Cradle of Quartz. But while redemption and a fresh start might be nice perks, the outlaws seek something far more valuable among the Cradle’s time-warped halls: revenge.

The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path continues with “Cradle of Quartz,” a complete adventure for 4th- to 7th-level characters.

This product is part of the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription.

Pathfinder Deck of Endless NPCs

Creating a new character every time the players enter a shop or chat with a local on the street can be a real challenge, but the Deck of Endless NPCs makes it as simple as drawing four cards from the deck. These cards combine to form a unique NPC, each with their own role, motivation, personality trait, and secret agenda! With over 100 million different combinations, you are sure to get an interesting new character every time!

This product is part of the Pathfinder Accessories Subscription.

Pathfinder Alchemy Deck

THE LAB IS OPEN!
Who needs magic when you have science? A healing elixir, explosive bomb, or liberating solvent can make all the difference in a day filled with harrowing adventures. The Pathfinder Alchemy Deck contains cards detailing every alchemical item in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook and the Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide, including bombs, elixirs, mutagens, poisons, and more! Each card features statistics, descriptions, and beautiful full- color illustrations. Keep each flask and vial at the ready!

This product is part of the Pathfinder Accessories Subscription.

Pathfinder Flip-Tiles: Campsites

WHO’S ON WATCH
Flip-Tiles: Campsites is a stand-alone expansion suitable for use with any Flip-Tiles set, with 24 full-color, double-sided, 6 × 6-inch tiles stunningly crafted by cartographer Jason Engle. Whether your group is exploring a remote wilderness, stuck inside a sprawling dungeon, or simply trying to avoid spending money at an inn in the city, these campsites will help you plan out your evening. Suitable for experienced Game Masters and novices alike, this product fits perfectly into any GM’s arsenal. Wet, dry, and permanent markers erase from the tiles, and convenient packaging makes for easy storage. Why map out every single campsite by hand when Flip-Tiles can do it for you?

Highlights include:

• Forest Clearings
• Swampy Isles
• Hilltops and Lodges
• Deserts or Tundra
• Dungeons and Caves
• Urban Camps

This product is part of the Pathfinder Maps Subscription.

---

Plus, new Pathfinder and Starfinder Society Scenarios will release on Wednesday, June 1.

Start your collection with a subscription today!

Shop the Paizo Store and your favorite local game store today!

Last year, we at Game to Grow were featured on Paizo’s blog as part of Autism Awareness Month. Some autistic members of our community shared their own experiences learning and growing while playing RPGs. This May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re happy to be back with more from the frontiers of gaming therapy.

In the past year, Game to Grow has continued to rise to meet the emerging needs of individuals worldwide. We’ve broadened our RPG-based services to serve a wider group of individuals and address a new range of challenges. Specifically, we’ve expanded our youth program to serve youth in the foster care system and youth in hospitals, and we have new groups specifically for LGBTQ+ youth. We’ve also expanded our adult programming to provide RPG groups focused on empathy, empowerment, and personal exploration. Our individual counseling program now has even more geek-friendly therapists steeped in the language of game lovers to facilitate personal growth. Game to Grow’s training program has had over 1,000 professionals trained in the Game to Grow Method, multiplying the number of people around the world who can continue to grow with games.

So how does it work? How are RPGs such a powerful tool for insight, growth, and change for so many people?

When using RPGs as a tool for growth, Game to Grow and our trainees leverage some of the built-in benefits of playing RPGs to help players gain new insights, build new skills, and develop social confidence. Below are some of the benefits you might consider the next time you play. In our training program we call these the “Core Capacities.” The next time you play, we encourage you to think about each of these as a muscle. The more you work and flex the muscle, the more you can build strength!

Regulation
When playing games like Pathfinder, there’s a 5% chance a player will roll a 1 any time they roll their d20. As all players know, this can be incredibly frustrating! Because RPGs are so unpredictable, they’re wonderful opportunities to build the skill of regulation: the ability to handle both unpleasant and pleasant stress. Playing RPGs helps to build the ability to stay regulated, even to enjoy the peaks and valleys of triumph and disaster.

Collaboration
RPGs like Pathfinder are games of fellowship. No one character—no matter how meticulously a player has created them—is capable of handling every obstacle alone. RPGs remind us that we are stronger when we work with others and build on each other’s ideas. This is true on and off the RPG table!

Planning
When players are given an opportunity to solve problems together, they can plot, plan, and scheme. This is more than just looking before leaping, this is using logical sequencing and critical reasoning to construct plans based on facts and evidence. (Plans, of course, never go as planned. See why regulation is such an important skill!?)

Perspective-Taking
Though our characters might be, none of us are mind-readers. We have to actively work to communicate and understand the thoughts, feelings, and desires of others. In RPGs, this is built into the game! We are, but also aren’t, our characters. We’re constantly navigating player knowledge and character knowledge and communicating about both with our fellow players. Communicating clearly about our internal state, and confirming our assumptions of others’, is an incredibly valuable skill!

Pretend Play
Something often overlooked, especially for adults, is the life-enriching magic of play. Play is when our imaginations come to life, when we lose track of being perfect rule-followers, and when we become fully-engaged agents of change in our own lives. Play isn’t just important, it’s essential, and RPGs provide such a bounty of opportunities for true play!

These Core Capacities are just the beginning! To learn more about our methods or to join a group, please visit us at www.gametogrow.org.

We also always like to ask players themselves: What have you learned about yourself through playing RPGs? How have they helped you learn, grow, and change? Let us know in the comments!

Welcome to our Creator Spotlight blog series! Nearly every Monday, we’ll focus on a different wonderful industry creator, as an individual, including Paizo staff, freelancers, contractors, podcast players, streamers, YouTubers, licensed partners, and more. The format is a list of standardized questions from which interviewees can choose. Request the Creator Spotlight form by emailing marketing@paizo.com. This week we're shining a spotlight on our PaizoCon guest of honor, Vanessa Hoskins! Let’s get started!

---

Name: Vanessa Hoskins
Pronouns: she/her
Role (if not staff): Freelance Author, PaizoCon 2022 Guest of Honor
Social Media Handles: Twitter @NinjaCatVanessa

Tell us about yourself. What is your bio? What's your story behind the bio? Why do you do what you do?

A few weeks ago folks got my dry, more business-y bio in the PaizoCon 2022 announcement blog. While it’s true that I started writing for Pathfinder in 2013, it’s difficult to get to know a person through a formal bio. So let’s get informal.

I’m a queer transgender woman, though I only discovered this about 5 years ago. I literally discovered this about myself through playing and writing for Pathfinder. While I was writing Pathfinder Society Special 8–99: The Solstice Scar, I devised the character of Medda Spiritbearer, a central NPC to the adventure. While writing it, a trans friend of mine was talking about how there could be more trans representation in Pathfinder Society (there’s loads now, but back then we just had one character and she was… played for laughs. It wasn’t good.) I thought, “I can make Medda trans, sure!” I started researching transgender women, what it means to be trans, and even got a popular trans consultant to assist with writing the character. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the way trans women experienced the world, the feelings they had about themselves, were startlingly relatable. I came out about a year later. You can read more about that here.

I’m a non-athletic video-game nerd at heart. I love playing on PC and consoles, you name it. I find gaming in all forms to be an engaging form of puzzle solving, storytelling, and dopamine production all rolled into one. Some of my favorites are the Final Fantasy series, Super Metroid, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Street Fighter II.

I have a film degree! …but I’ve never used it professionally. Even though I’ve been trained as a writer and director, by the time I graduated I had a steady job in Information Technology and the film industry was in a bit of a slump, so entry level jobs were difficult to find. However, I do find use of my degree constantly while working on creative projects. The axiom “Always preserve your options,” has resonated with me throughout my careers. Essentially, “don’t limit yourself to a decision before you have to.” In film this meant shooting in color, even if you wanted black & white as an end result. By shooting in color, you have more “channels” of light to adjust before desaturating everything. And if you want to keep that red umbrella red? You can isolate it from the filters instead of having to colorize it later.

My passion for TTRPGs is greater than just about any other form of entertainment. I’d rather be rolling dice with friends than watching a movie, going to the park, or just about anything. It’s my #1 thing I’d want to do with my spare time, given the option. Dice and characters and settings! Oh my!

Tell us about a project you are particularly proud of!

I’m extremely proud of Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-07: From the Tome of Righteous Repose. It was the first evergreen PFS scenario to start above 1st level, and it’s essentially a build-a-dungeon. When I was asked to write it, I remember thinking about how so many evergreens at the time were the same story and maps over and over, but with slightly different foes. I wanted something that really felt unique at the table, and gave GMs the creative control to homebrew their own dungeon crawl (within a limited number of pre-approved options). There’s even a way to roll up a random set of challenges, which is how I always run it. I allow the players to roll on the tables just before running the adventure, so I don’t even know what I’m running until we get started.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

Pop culture mostly? But not just what’s popular now; I draw from the cartoons I watched as a kid and books I read as a teen. I also play the “what if” game a lot where I take a set of given circumstances and ask myself “what if ___ is really happening?” or “what if the NPC is really a ____?” These brainstorms usually land a few chunks of gold (or at least silver) that I can then build into a fun adventure!

What are your goals or dreams as a creator?

I’d LOVE to open my own video game studio and make the kinds of games I loved as a kid. So… that’s just what I’m doing with Ninja Cat Games. It’s a little start-up studio I’m still trying to get off the ground, but so far it looks like it might just be a rocket ride!

How have you seen immersive fantasy worlds and cooperative strategic play bring people together and create lifelong friendships?

Through the Organized Play system, mostly. After having volunteered as a Venture–Captain for years, and gone to Gen Con for even longer, I’ve meet people from all over the country—all over the world! It’s really amazing, and I feel really lucky to have met so many awesome people in all different places around the world. Sometimes my wife will mention a city or European country and I interject, “—Oh, I have some friends who live there!”

Sitting and a table and sharing an experience with other people, and working together towards a common goal, is a way to open lines of communication and friendship like nothing else. And because the players are all working together rather than against each other, there’s no animosity like in… say… competitive professional sports.

What piece of advice that you have been given as a creator that is either so great that you have to tell us about it, or so awful that you have to warn us?

I have two good pieces of advice, and they go hand in hand:

1. Everyone is late at some point. I rallied against this for a while early in my career. I’d say “Not me! I’ve never been late and I don’t intend to start now.” Then… then I had some really challenging months and fell far behind several projects. I even had to “give back” some assignments or parts of assignments so that I could take care of the things going on in my life. I was devastated. I’d never been late before. I was so PROUD of that… but that’s just what it was: pride. It’s ok to be late, and it’s ok if you fall behind sometimes. You just need to…


2. Communicate with your Developer. Let them know about issues you’re having, parts of the plot that aren’t jelling, or a monster ability that you can envision conceptually but just can’t get in words. And if you’re overwhelmed and not be able to turn your words in on time (and within 5% of the word count), then just talk with them. They might be able to buy you more time. They might want to re-assign some words. That’s ok. Just communicate with them and be clear and honest about the expectations of getting something done, and with good enough quality to print.

Please tell us about your pet!

My cat, Bella, is a black American shorthair. She is a cuddle MONSTER. That’s all she ever wants is to cuddle (or to be left alone to sleep). Recently she’s decided that “tent time” is the best time: that’s when we lay in bed and lift our knees up to create a “tent” under the covers. She likes to sleep down there.,/p>

If you could be any iconic, who would you be?

If I could be any iconic I’d be Seoni. She’s hot, she has powerful magic, and these awesome magic tattoos. Plus she’s really smart and a good leader.

However… I’m probably most like Merisiel. I’m kind of a disaster, but well intentioned. I saw the wrong thing at the wrong time, much to my wife’s dismay, and when I get angered, I get can get stabby (verbally, of course).

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

New York City. It’s the greatest city in the world, and when I’m there I feel like I’m in the right place. The first time I visited is when I was about 25 and I brought my little brother along. We walked all around the city, slept on a bench, visited museums, and just hung out in Central Park. From that moment I knew that I wanted to live there someday.

Gear up and advance your squad on the path to science-fantasy bug-busting adventure with this collection of Starfinder roleplaying game rulebooks, adventures, and accessories! Whether you’re fighting the literal bugs of the insectile invaders known as the Swarm or digital glitches in Starfinder Society’s Year of the Data Scourge scenarios, this bundle is filled with the PDFs star explorers need to create heroes and set out on a bug-squashing mission in the legendary Starfinder tabletop RPG galaxy. Inside you will find the Core Rulebook, two Alien Archives, and ready-to-play adventures—along with the physical Starfinder Armory at the $35 or more tier. Best of all, you choose how much of your purchase supports World Central Kitchen.

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Today, we’ve launching the Starfinder Bug-Buster Bundle to support World Central Kitchen! The bundle’s highlights include PDFs of the Starfinder Core Rulebook, Starfinder Armory, Starfinder Alien Archive, all 6 volumes of Starfinder Adventure Path: Attack of the Swarm!—and at the highest tier, a physical copy of the Starfinder Armory!

• The $5 tier includes 11 PDFs of the Starfinder Core Rulebook, Starfinder Player Character Folio, Starfinder Alien Archive, Starfinder Adventure Path: Attack of the Swarm!: Fate of the Fifth (1 of 6), and more.
• For $10, you’ll get 23 PDFs, including Starfinder Alien Archive 2, Starfinder GM Screen, Starfinder Adventure Path: Attack of the Swarm! The Last Refuge (2 of 6), Huskworld (3 of 6), and more!
• At the $25 tier, you’ll get 37 PDFs, including Starfinder Armory, Starfinder Character Operations Manual, Starfinder Alien Archive 2, Starfinder Adventure: Junker's Delight, all 6 volumes of Starfinder Adventure Path: Attack of the Swarm, and more!

Finally, Humble Bundle is offering a $35 physical reward tier that includes all 37 of the PDF products from the lower tiers, plus a physical copy of the physical Starfinder Armory delivered right to your door! Fulfillment is handled by Paizo, and you’re responsible for shipping fees. We anticipate that domestic shipping will run in the $11-$17* range and that international shipping will be in the $30-$45* range.

Humble Bundles offer great deals and support great causes. Purchasers can decide how much of their donation goes to each participant in the bundle by expanding the “Adjust Donation” section on the right-hand side of the page, just below the Checkout button.

Thank you for supporting Paizo and World Central Kitchen!

The Paizo Team

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a non-profit organization addressing food insecurity during and after natural disasters and humanitarian crises, while also operating long-term programs aimed at improving livelihoods by strengthening local food ecosystems. Founded in 2010 by Chef Jose Andres following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, WCK has since served more than 8 million meals to those affected by disasters.

* Recipient is responsible for any additional location-based import costs, customs fees, or taxes. Some locations may have VAT or sales tax calculated and applied along with shipping & handling through paizo.com, while others may have to work with their local post office to remit payment. Shipping and handling ranges provided are estimates based on the average costs to a variety of regions. Shipping and handling costs for some locations may be outside the estimated range.

Support Charities with the Starfinder Bug-Buster Bundle Bundle

Join us for adventures May 27-30 at PaizoCon Online 2022!

PaizoCon Twitch Events

PAIZOCON ONLINE STREAM SCHEDULE

FRIDAY MAY 27

KEYNOTE ADDRESS WITH PUBLISHER ERIK MONA
10 – 11 AM PDT

Join Paizo Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Erik Mona for a peek at upcoming Paizo releases!

PATHFINDER ON FOUNDRY VTT
11 – 12 PM PDT

Foundry VTT is an installable client virtual tabletop software. Don’t know what that is? Want to learn more? This panel will get you started.

THE GALAXY IN CRISIS
12 – 1 PM PDT

Tragedy strikes the Starfinder setting's hyperspace realm, creating chaos and opportunity in a galaxy-wide event called the Drift Crisis. Learn about this galaxy-wide event, the new Drift Crisis book, and how this can impact your campaign in countless ways!

ADVENTURING DURING THE DRIFT CRISIS
1 – 2 PM PDT

Learn all about the adventures Paizo has planned for the Drift Crisis. This panel deep dives some of the upcoming plans for Adventures Paths, Modules, One-Shots, and Organized Play. Hear about what’s coming up and how you can be a part of Starfinder’s biggest event since its launch!

DECLASSIFYING THE DARK ARCHIVE
2 – 3 PM PDT

The paranormal secrets of the Dark Archive have remained hidden for too long! Join designers Logan Bonner & James Case and editors Avi Kool & K Tessa Newton as we unseal the casefiles and reveal classified info on the psychic and thaumaturge classes, new options, and stories from behind the scenes!

PUBLISHING ON PATHFINDER INFINITE
3 – 4 PM PDT

Ever wanted to publish your own material set in the Pathfinder or Starfinder settings? Now you can with Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite, hosted on DriveThruRPG! Learn about the program and find out how to get started with members of Paizo's staff and existing Infinite publishers.

ROLL FOR COMBAT PRESENTS A BATTLEZOO ADVENTURE WITH LINDA ZAYAS-PALMER
4 – 8 PM PDT

SATURDAY MAY 28

BUILDING WORLDS IN STARFINDER
10 – 11 AM PDT

Help create an amazing new science-fantasy planet in this one-hour workshop on building worlds in Starfinder. We'll discuss general concepts you can apply when designing locations in your Starfinder game and use tools like the Galaxy Exploration Manual and Starfinder Deck of Many Worlds to guide us.

CONCEPTING ALIENS FOR YOUR GAME
11 – 12 PM PDT

Let’s make aliens! Join us as our panelists discuss how they design creatures to fit the needs of their stories, worlds, and encounters—all while they create a completely new creature with the audience.

SECRETS OF GOLARION
12 – 1 PM PDT

We're not gonna tell you how Aroden died, but pretty much any other answer is up for revelation! Come to this seminar armed with your most burning questions about the mysteries of the Lost Omens campaign setting, and we'll do our best to pull back the curtain and reveal the truth!

GOLARION ADVENTURES OLD AND NEW
1 – 2 PM PDT

What goes into the creation of an adventure for Golarion? What's on the horizon and coming soon for the stand-alone adventure line? Join James Jacobs, Leo Glass, and PaizoCon Guest of Honor Vanessa Hoskins for the inside scoop!

PAIZO ORGANIZED PLAY: WHAT'S NEW IN '22
2 – 3 PM PDT

Catch up with the Organized Play team as they chat about what's coming this year! We'll be revealing the title of Pathfinder Society Year 4 and talking about what's next for Starfinder Society in the Year of Redemption's Rise.

GETTING STARTED WITH VIRTUAL TABLETOPS
3 – 4 PM PDT

Curious about playing Pathfinder virtually but not sure where to start? Join Paizo staff for a fun and informative walkthrough on the basics of virtual tabletops (VTTs), including our top tips for beginners and answers to all your VTT questions!

SUNDAY MAY 29

GAME MASTER 101
10 – 11 AM PDT

Members of the Paizo Staff share their tips for GMing Pathfinder and Starfinder!

INSIDE PAIZO PLAYTESTING
11 – 12 PM PDT

An in-depth look at how we run playtests here at Paizo, with a focus on engaging with the testers and data-driven feedback!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY STARFINDER
12 – 1 PM PDT

A celebration of all things Starfinder! Hear from past members of the team, veterans, and its newest members. From before the game’s launch in 2017 to its exciting future, this panel delves into the history of Starfinder and gives some hints on where the game may be going in the future.

ADVENTURE PATHS IN THE IMPOSSIBLE LANDS
1 – 2 PM PDT

Talk to the developers, authors, and editors of two Adventure Paths set in the Impossible Lands: the steampunk-themed Outlaws of Alkenstar and the undead intrigue-themed Blood Lords!

PATHFINDER Q&A
2 – 3 PM PDT

Come hear the Pathfinder Design team talk about the state of the game and give a preview of what’s to come in 2022 and beyond!

FIND THE PATH PODCAST PRESENTS MARK OF THE MANTIS WITH LUIS LOZA.
4 – 8 PM PDT

PaizoCon Discord Events

Join Paizo Organized Play!

Create a Paizo account with a registered player number and join in the fun!

Find a Game

Visit Warhorn to register, view scheduled events, and sign up for games. GM signups are now open; player signups open on May 7.

Discord

Join the PaizoCon Discord community, chat with friends, participate in giveaways, and more! Throughout the weekend, we'll be hosting giveaways from a number of our friends at Roll20, Syrinscape, Demiplane, and more. Keep an eye on the PaizoCon Discord for info on the Giveaway channel and how to participate!

Also, our friends at Geek Grind are offering a PaizoCon special. Use the code "PaizoCon22" for 20% off all Paizo Pathfinder and Starfinder coffee, tea, and mugs in their store!

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements and deals as we build up to our first hybrid PaizoCon!

LEARN MORE ABOUT PAIZOCON AND PAIZOCON ONLINE!

Hello, Starfinders!

This month we officially launch the Year of Redemption’s Rise with not one, not two, but three new Starfinder Society Scenarios! Let’s dive right in!

The Data Scourge is over and Absalom Station is saved! Yet, trouble continues to brew within the Starfinder Society. As suspicion and paranoia cause agents to isolate and the Society to fracture along faction lines, First Seeker Ehu Hadif embarks on a year of change. He opens the floor to all agents, giving them a platform to voice their concerns, plans, and ambitions, and to lobby for change. From these discussions, new factions are founded, reforms are enacted, and relationships begin to mend. Our first scenario

Take on the role of Starfinders tasked with assisting three minor factions integral to the future of the Starfinder Society: the longstanding Manifold Host and the newly formed Advocates and Cognates factions. Soothe the tempers of clashing agents, welcome new members to the Starfinder Society, track down and destroy lingering fragments of the Data Scourge, and help Ziggy secure a new base of operations! Wait, that last one sounds familiar…

Take the first steps toward a brighter future in the Year of Redemption’s Rise! Starfinder Society Scenario #5-01: Intro: Year of Redemption’s Rise is a repeatable scenario for levels 1–4 written by Alex Speidel. This is the first scenario in the ongoing Year of Redemption's Rise metaplot. While it is recommended you begin with Intro: Year of Redemption's Rise, the remaining metaplot scenarios in the Year of Redemption's Rise can be played in any order.

Rishir Heatru, a new Starfinder agent. Illustration by Fabio di Bernardi

In our second scenario of the month, the Starfinders have discovered a relic of dubious providence in their collection, which further investigation reveals to have been stolen by a famous, long deceased Starfinder. Rather than bury the truth, Celita and Fitch dispatch a team of Starfinders to Qidel to return the relic to the strix from whom it was stolen and to offer the Society’s heartfelt apologies. But earning the acknowledgement of those we’ve wronged takes more than pretty words, and forgiveness is far harder to come by. Starfinder Society Scenario #5-02: Road to Reconciliation is a scenario for levels 3–6 written by Shay Snow.

Illustration by Luiz Lanzarin

Finally, the Starfinder Society travels to Vesk-6 to meet with Miiyu, pahtra pop star and leader of the Pulonis Liberation Front. Miiyu asks the Starfinders to help her identify a murderous double-agent she suspects to be hiding among her inner circle. To get the Starfinders close without tipping off the traitor, Miiyu has planned this mission to coincide with another: securing an old military bunker as a base of operations for the PLF. Unfortunately, helping rebels isn’t exactly a Veskarium approved mission. To avoid the attention of the Veskarium, the Starfinders need to juggle their true mission with their public mission to investigate the mysterious Shriek. Keep a sharp eye out! Vesk-6 is dangerous enough, without having to worry that one of your traveling companions is a traitor! Oh, and did I mention this adventure has… mechs? Yes, this is our first Starfinder Society Scenario to feature mech combat! Starfinder Society Scenario #5-03: Combatant’s Concerto: Fugue of the Traitor is a scenario for levels 7–10 written by Alison Cybe.

This scenario continues the ongoing Combatant's Concerto storyline, which began with Starfinder Society Scenario #3-11: Into the Veskarium and Starfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Combatant's Concerto: Prelude to Revolution. While playing these previous scenarios enriches the experience of this adventure, it’s not required, so play away!

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

I hope you join us in launching the Year of Redemption’s Rise!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Gather ‘round, Pathfinders! We have one Pathfinder Society scenario releasing this month, and it’s an exciting one. Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-15: Cavern of the Sundered Song is our very first 2nd Edition Pathfinder Society scenario for level 9–12 characters! Many players have been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to play in this level range, and veteran adventure author Kate Baker has crafted something both challenging and exciting for them.

Irlah Kestiwhitt: Illustration by Josef Kucera

This is a non-metaplot scenario, so if you don’t quite have a character in this level range yet, the standalone nature of the adventure means that it’ll still be relevant when you’re ready. Speaking of the story, Cavern of the Sundered Song has plenty of opportunities for role-playing with some fun characters, including one you may recognize from your character’s earliest days in the Pathfinder Society: Kreighton Shaine, the Master of Scrolls! Why has he been avoiding the enigmatic scrollmaster Effeflinn Whyst for so many years, and why have the two of them suddenly disappeared into a portal leading to a dangerous, isolated cavern? It’s up to you to find out!

This adventure also includes a side mission for the Grand Archive faction. I’d love to say more about some of the wonderful places you’ll visit in Cavern of the Sundered Song, but I don’t want to spoil anything. You’ll just have to roll the dice and see for yourselves!

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer

Enter the Megadungeon!

I’m Ron Lundeen, development manager responsible for the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path. I knew this campaign would be a big hit from the start: it has old-fashioned kick-down-the-door dungeon exploration seeded with interesting NPCs, side quests, and tons of roleplaying. The authors—James Jacobs, Vanessa Hoskins, and Stephen Radney-MacFarland—really blew me away by adding exciting action sequences and compelling character personalities to every dungeon level. The Abomination Vaults present more than a place to fight monsters and grab loot (although there’s plenty of that!), but an opportunity for heroes to solve mysteries, negotiate old feuds, rescue innocent people, and much more. And, of course, the villain lurking behind the scenes is a terrifying and powerful enemy. She’s right there on the cover and, wow, does she look angry!

Cover Illustration by Setiawan Lee

This is perhaps the most approachable Pathfinder Second Edition Adventure Path that we’ve made.

• It features a more focused scope, taking characters from 1st level to 11th level (instead of all the way to 20th level, as all our previous Pathfinder Second Edition Adventure Paths have done).
• It offers the heroes a clear “home base” in the town of Otari that could be dropped into just about any campaign setting, Age of Lost Omens or otherwise.
• It extends the locale of the Pathfinder Beginner Box, which has already attracted lots of eager new players to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

With the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path, experienced GMs have enough content to make their campaign really shine, and newer GMs can trust us to give them something they can handle that will amaze their players.

Illustration by Christoph Peters

When we saw how much people loved the Abomination Vaults campaign—I was thrilled to see so many people saying it was the best megadungeon they’d ever seen—we knew it was destined for something special. The work to convert the campaign into a hardcover was already going on when the first subscribers were still playing it. I watched the Paizo forums I set up for each of the adventures, making notes about errors to be corrected and rough spots that people found difficult to understand. I filled my three volumes of the Adventure Path with dozens and dozens of sticky notes, each one marking a place we could make the campaign better—such as by fixing a reference to a room that didn’t exist, ordering some art that players felt necessary, smoothing out the treasure progression, or replacing a certain foe’s 3rd-level spell with one a little less (ahem) deadly.

We’re looking at you, Mister Beak. Illustration by Artur Nakhodkin

As it turns out, no drastic overhauls of the campaign were necessary. That meant I could really focus on how to make the campaign easier to run. This isn’t just a reprint of the three adventures bound within a hard cover. It’s been reorganized to make it even more usable and fun. As an overview, here’s what you’ll find inside:

• We open with a synopsis of the whole campaign, including the primary villain’s background, a timeline, and an easy leveling guideline: “the dungeon level your heroes are on is the character level they should be.”
• Next, you’ll find a chapter detailing the town of Otari. As the heroes’ home base and the source of numerous rumors and side missions, it’s presented right up front. We included the new backgrounds and other rules from the standalone Pathfinder Abomination Vaults Player’s Guide here, to put everything in one place.
• The bulk of the hardcover includes the next 10 chapters, each detailing one of the 10 dungeon levels.
• We included an article about the evil god lurking behind the events of the campaign.
• Near the end, an enormous Adventure Toolbox presents all the new items, spells, artifacts, archetypes, and more. This toolbox also contains nearly 30 new monsters featured in the campaign!
• I’m particularly happy with the adventure’s final page, a Glossary that gives a short summary and location for dozens of NPCs, groups, unique items, and more. This will help GMs keep details regarding NPCs with similar names in mind, such as Vandy, Volluk, and Vethris.

Picking up the entire Abomination Vaults Adventure Path in a single book is a fantastic way to bring this campaign to your table. There’s a ton of support for it, too, from the Abomination Vaults Battle Cards to licensed products like Pathfinder Terrain and Foundry Virtual Tabletop.

I hope you have as much fun enjoying this megadungeon as we did building it!

Ron Lundeen
Development Manager

Jeff Alvarez has stepped down as president due to health reasons. Paizo has named Vice President of Marketing and Licensing, Jim Butler, as its new president.

“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Jim from his days at TSR through his time working on Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition at Wizards of the Coast, and now working with me at Paizo,” Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens said. Jim is a hardworking visionary whose almost three decades of game experience makes him the perfect person to guide Paizo into its third decade.”

“I’m grateful for the trust that Lisa and the Leadership Team have placed in me to lead Paizo,” Jim Butler said. “I look forward to working with my fellow employees to lead the company into the next era of tabletop excellence.”

Jim brings decades of gaming experience to his new role, including serving as Paizo’s vice president of marketing and licensing over the last five years. Before Paizo, he has worked at TSR, Wizards of the Coast, Warner Bros./Turbine, and Trion Worlds.

“I started my gaming career as an editor and game designer, switching over to marketing and brand management when Peter Adkison wanted ‘gamers with business degrees’ running Dungeons & Dragons,” Jim said. “It’s been an epic adventure so far, and I’m excited that a new chapter has begun.”

Jim lives in Redmond, WA with his husband, Matthew, and their fur-kids: Toker, Stella, and Skylar. He’s currently playing through volume 5 of the Pathfinder Return of the Runelords Adventure Path as a kobold druid and GMing the Extinction Curse Adventure Path for Pathfinder Second Edition.

PaizoCon is only a few weeks away, and we’re looking forward to seeing many of you May 27–29 at the DoubleTree hotel in SeaTac, Washington. We’ll also host online events and seminars for those unable to make the trek.

Physical Tickets on Sale Now: If you’re looking to attend PaizoCon in person, we have tickets available now while supplies last. Visit the Paizo Store to get your tickets!

Game Signups are Now Open: Scheduling for both in-person and online games is available through Warhorn. Be sure to sync your Warhorn account with your paizo.com account so you can sign up to play.

The PaizoCon Store Returns: The PaizoCon store offers the latest Pathfinder and Starfinder releases as well as a collection of core products and accessories. Due to the limited size, scope, and staffing of this year’s show, subscription or order pickups will not be made available. All transactions will occur using credit card only. No cash sales will be allowed, and we will not have cash on hand. Please plan accordingly!

PaizoCon Livestreams: The PaizoCon theater will be available on site for attendees to watch online events as their schedules allow, including Erik Mona’s keynote address at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 27. We’ll provide the full schedule of seminars soon. We look forward to seeing online attendees on Twitch!

The Glass Cannon Network: Join the miscreants from the Glass Cannon Network for tabletop and board gaming in the Glass Cannon Network Room all weekend. And don’t miss Pathfinder Live! on Saturday at 12 p.m. when the GCN brings its trademark brand of nonsense to Pathfinder Second Edition!

Safety Precautions: Covid-19 remains an ongoing consideration, and Paizo is committed to the safety of the Paizo staff and attendees. We intend to take the following precautions to better protect attendees.

• In-person attendees must show proof of vaccination (including booster shots, if eligible) and wear masks in all Paizo-controlled spaces such as ballrooms, seminar rooms, gaming spaces, and the PaizoCon store.
• Our annual banquet has been cancelled.
• Hand sanitizer will be available in public spaces.
• We have reduced the number of in-person tickets and have capped physical attendance to the show at 500 attendees.
• We have allocated more open space in common areas to allow for better separation between attendees in the seminar rooms, OP hall (between players and between tables), and in the PaizoCon store.

We look forward to seeing you at the show whether you attend online or in person!

-PaizoCon Planning Team

While Paizo gears up for PaizoCon the last weekend in May, our partners across the Atlantic are preparing for UK Games Expo, which runs the following weekend, June 3-5. The largest tabletop gaming convention in the United Kingdom, UK Games Expo is the perfect opportunity for European Paizo fans to get their game on!

Paizo won’t have any staff in attendance but have partnered with the convention to debut Pathfinder Dinky Dungeon, a lighthearted adventure in which players navigate a floor full of tiles and face off against everything from deadly traps and monsters to being cursed to wear a silly hat for the rest of the game. We were very excited to work with the folks behind the show to develop this family-friendly sorta-LARP and hope attendees have as much fun playing it as we did working on it. Be sure to post pictures of yourselves playing Pathfinder Dinky Dungeon and tag Paizo’s social media accounts, and we’ll make sure to amplify the most embarrassing best ones!

For those Pathfinder and Starfinder fans looking for something a bit more traditional, we’ll also have a large organized play presence at the show. Here’s more information from Regional Venture-Coordinator Ian Hawthorne of the Isles Region:

UK Games Expo has long held a place in the UK Pathfinder Society’s heart. From its humble beginnings in the Clarendon Suites back in 2007, we have seen it grow until now it occupies three exhibition halls and several function rooms at the National Exhibition Centre, as well as spilling over into the board game and RPG haven that is the nearby Hilton Hotel.

Yes, it’s a big event! It's also the perfect place to play Pathfinder and Starfinder. Terry Thambipillai, VC for the Midlands Region, has coordinated a wonderful mix of PFS1, PFS2, and Starfinder games available over eight different gaming slots. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy a game or three and still be able to watch seminars, play boardgames, or shop until you drop. We have a mixture of games suited both to invested and new players—UKGE is a great place to play for the first time in a relaxed, supportive, and fun environment!

All the details on how to buy tickets and find us can be found on the UK Games Expo website. Hope to see you there!

Hello friends! With PaizoCon 2022 just a few short weeks away, we wanted to highlight our newest releases premiere at the show, as well as some of our author and VIP events. Let’s dive in!

New Releases

We’ll be launching our brand new season of Starfinder Society at the show, and our first levels 9-12 scenario for Pathfinder Society (second edition). We’ve also got tables of our upcoming Free RPG Day adventures as an exclusive preview, the new Starfinder interactive special running in Seattle and online simultaneously, and a new Pathfinder Bounty!

SFS Intro: Year of Redemption’s Rise

Seattle: Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 4 | Slot 8

Online: Slot 1 | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Slot 4 | Slot 8 | Slot 8 | Slot 10 | Slot 11 | Slot 11 | Slot 12

Play-by-Post: Paizo Forums | Paizo Forums

SFS #5-02: Road to Reconciliation

Seattle: Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 4 | Slot 8

Online: Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 4 | Slot 8 | Slot 10 | Slot 11

Play-by-Post: Paizo Forums | Mythweavers

SFS #5-03: Combatant’s Concerto: Fugue of the Traitor

Seattle: Slot 1

Online: Slot 4 | Slot 4 | Slot 10

Play-by-Post: Mythweavers

SFS Special #4-99: A Time of Crisis

Seattle: Physical Games (Slot 6)

Online: Online Games (Slot 6)

SF Adventure: Skitter Warp (Free RPG Day 2022)

Seattle: Slot 1

Online: Slot 2 | Slot 10 | Slot 11

PFS #3-15: Cavern of the Sundered Song

Seattle: Slot 1 | Slot 4 | Slot 4 | Slot 8

Online: Slot 1 | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 2 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Slot 4 | Slot 4 | Slot 4 | Slot 6 | Slot 7 | Slot 8 | Slot 8 | Slot 8 | Slot 10 | Slot 10 | Slot 11 | Slot 11 | Slot 12 | Slot 12

Play-by-Post: Discord

PF Adventure: A Fistful of Flowers (Free RPG Day 2022)

Seattle: Slot 1 | Slot 8

Online: Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Slot 4 | Slot 4 | Slot 7 | Slot 7 | Slot 8 | Slot 10 | Slot 10 | Slot 11 | Slot 12 | Slot 12

PF Bounty #19: Grim Tidings

Seattle: Slot 5a | Slot 9a | Slot 9a

Online: Slot 2a | Slot 4a | Slot 5a | Slot 5a | Slot 5a | Slot 7a | Slot 8b | Slot 9a | Slot 9a

Play-by-Post: Discord

Author Tables

We’re lucky enough to have a number of authors running one or more tables of scenarios they wrote at PaizoCon! You won’t want to miss these, as these authors know their adventures inside and out.

Seattle Tables

PFS2 #2-16: Freedom for Wishes with author Jessica Redekop - Slot 1

SFS Intro: Year of Redemption’s Rise with author Alex Speidel - Slot 2

Online Tables

PFS1 #10-03: Death on the Ice with author Scott Young - Slot 10

PFS2 #2-17: Lost Maid of Anactoria with author Scott Young - Slot 1 | Slot 4

PFS2 #3-05: Inheritor's Rite with author Elizabeth V Nold - Slot 4

PFS2 #3-10: Delve the Pallid Depths with author Caryn DiMarco - Slot 10

SF Bounty #1: The Cantina Job with author John Godek III - Slot 5a | Slot 9a

SF Bounty #2: Test Flight with author Michael Bramnik - Slot 5a

Play-by-Post Tables

PF2 Bounty #17: Sodden Stories with author Michael Bramnik - Paizo

PFS2 #3-09: The Secluded Siege with author Lysle Kapp - Paizo

SF Bounty #2: Test Flight with author Michael Bramnik - Paizo

SFS #4-12: A Festive Operation with author Ivis Flanagan - Paizo

VIP Events

Finally, we have some very special games and panels you won’t see anywhere else to highlight!

Seattle Events

Celestian’s Compass - Jessica Redekop
In this Planescape adventure, a group of clueless adventurers blitz into the Birdcage and fall on a few darks while they search for an ambitious dazzler and the artifact he bobbed from their Prime. No prior knowledge of Planescape is required.

Red Fields - Wayfinder 22 Side Trek Adventure - Ivis Flanagan
Violent clashes have recently broken out between the Ariserphia centaur tribe of the Kortos Mounts and the people of Dianne, a logging town in the eastern Immenwood. Answering the town’s call for help, the PCs must quickly discover the truth of the situation before it spirals out of control, with the fate of both settlements in their hands.

Heroes for 2nd Edition Highdelve - Dennis Muldoon Highdelve is in danger, and only true heroes can save the day! Young human cousins Brialla and Meraina, as well as Kiliuk the tempestuous half-orc and Torgen the stoic dwarf, find themselves engrossed in Highdelve’s joyous summer festival, the Brightbloom Jubilee. But all is shattered when trouble arrives to threaten not just the festival but the whole town! Can the brave young heroes save the day and become heroes for Highdelve?

Online Content Creation Q&A - Roll for Combat
Join top online content creators Stephen Glicker (Roll for Combat), Vanessa Hoskins (Know Direction, Roll for Combat), Brogan Kelley (Nonat1s), and Mark Seifter (Arcane Mark, Roll for Combat) as we discuss tips, tricks, struggles, and triumphs in online content creation, and answer all your questions. This panel covers all kinds of online content: podcasts, live streams, and videos!

Creating a Winning Monster for RPG Superstar! - Roll for Combat
Join Pathfinder 2nd edition co-creator Mark Seifter and Stephen Glicker from Roll for Combat as they explain how to build a better monster for your game, as well as how to write a winning monster for the RPG Superstar contest.

Battlezoo 2022 Future Products, Spoilers and Q&A - Roll for Combat
This year, Battlezoo brought you creatures, monster parts, dragons, dungeons, and a mega-adventure, but next year will be even wilder! Join Pathfinder 2nd edition co-creator Mark Seifter and Stephen Glicker from Roll for Combat for the big reveal of next year’s line-up.

Online Events

Red Fields - Wayfinder 22 Side Trek Adventure - Michael Bramnik (VTT) and Ivis Flanagan (Play-by-Post)
Violent clashes have recently broken out between the Ariserphia centaur tribe of the Kortos Mounts and the people of Dianne, a logging town in the eastern Immenwood. Answering the town’s call for help, the PCs must quickly discover the truth of the situation before it spirals out of control, with the fate of both settlements in their hands.

---

We can’t wait to see you all at PaizoCon! Be sure to tune into the Organized Play panel, streamed live on our Twitch channel at 2pm Pacific on Saturday, May 28th. We’ll be discussing the upcoming Year of Redemption’s Rise and revealing the name and storyline for Pathfinder Society Year 4, so you won’t want to miss out!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Wanderword, the leader in interactive audio entertainment, is teaming up with Paizo to bring Pathfinder to life on mobile devices later this year with the all-new Pathfinder Shardfall!

In Shardfall, the player will explore a rich audio environment, immersing themselves in the pirate-ridden Shackles, the heart of the Lost Omens setting’s high seas. Setting sail from a base of operations in the dangerous archipelago, they’ll survey the many uncharted islands in the region while investigating a strange magical phenomenon that could shift the balance of power in the Shackles and beyond. Will you eradicate this rising threat before it falls into the wrong hands, or are those wrong hands your own?

Prepare to raise anchor, assemble a motley crew of new and familiar faces, navigate contentious waters between opposing factions, and explore long-forgotten islands in search of treasure and unlimited power! This engaging interactive audio adventure is coming this summer–with more information to be revealed soon!

Visit wanderword.net to learn more!

OPC Musings

We are just under a month until PaizoCon! That’s not an incredibly stressful thought at all! I’m looking forward to seeing the community at PaizoCon in Seattle, as well as at PaizoCon Online. We’ll be premiering a brand new season of Starfinder Society, our first levels 9-12 Pathfinder Society adventure, and a new Starfinder interactive special. We’ll also be announcing the title and theme of Pathfinder Society Year 4 during our Organized Play panel. I hope you’re ready for all the new content!

Digital Releases

Here are this month’s digital releases, available June 1, 2022:

Pathfinder

Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-15: Cavern of the Sundered Song*
Pathfinder Bounty #19: Grim Tidings

Starfinder

Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Redemption's Rise*
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-02: Road to Reconciliation*
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-03: Combatant's Concerto: Fugue of the Traitor*

*part of a subscription

Sanctioning

Even in the height of convention season, sanctioning continues apace! Last week we posted sanctioning for Book of the Dead, including character options and the included adventure, “March of the Dead.” We also had a blog that talked about our sanctioning process regarding Book of the Dead.

Coming up soon, we have Knights of Lastwall for PFS2 and Drift Crisis for SFS. Both release at the end of May, and we’re hoping to have sanctioning ready for both on their street date. The Horizons of the Vast Adventure Path documents are in their final stages, and we hope to have those out to you soon as well. After all that, we’ll start to get weird with Dark Archive!

Boon Updates

After a discussion with some of our volunteers, we’re making a minor change to the boons which unlock versatile heritages. Each boon will have one or more languages added; characters with that heritage also have access to the language(s), as listed, though they still must take them when they would take any other language. If you previously had a character with these heritages and would like to swap one of their languages for a newly-accessible language, you may do so for free at this time. The languages added are:

• Aphorite: Utopian
• Aasimar: Celestial
• Changeling: Aklo
• Dhampir: Necril
• Duskwalker: Requian
• Ganzi: Protean
• Ifrit: Ignan
• Oread: Terran
• Suli: choose one of Ignan, Terran, Auran or Aquan; Suli with the Dualborn feat may choose two of these
• Sylph: Auran
• Tiefling: choose one of Abyssal, Daemonic, or Infernal
• Undine: Aquan

Guide Updates

In advance of the new seasons, we have some updates to the PFS and SFS Guides to Organized Play! Here are some highlights:

• In PFS2, having access to a character option (such as an item) does not make that option common in any way. This had a strange interaction with things like crafting DCs, so we’re clarifying that point to bring the rules in line with the default from the Gamemastery Guide. Having access means you can take/purchase that option, but that’s it.
• Relatedly, having access to a scroll does not inherently grant access to the spell on that scroll, but spellcasters can still purchase that scroll and then Learn a Spell to learn it.
• Also in PFS2, the rules about how to handle errata have been updated to bring them in line with the rules from SFS. If a feat’s prerequisites change, or it’s removed from the campaign, you may freely swap out the feat and any subsequent feats that depend on it. There were a couple of feats that changed with the recent APG errata, and this should cover the free swaps for affected players.
• For both programs, we have updated the requirements for 5-rank GMs regarding who can conduct evaluations. To better serve those GMs who live in remote areas or otherwise find it difficult to get evaluators at their tables, RVCs can now appoint qualified individuals to conduct evaluations.
• Finally, PVP combat is not permitted in Paizo Organized Play. Previously, engaging in PVP combat would earn Infamy, but Infamy is not meant to be a consequence for out-of-game behavior. You may not fight other players’ characters unless the scenario calls for it for some extremely specific reason.

Full details on all these changes, as well as some other minor changes, can be found in the relevant changelogs.

GM Recognition

We don’t have any new 5-rank GMs this month, so I wanted to take a moment to talk about the Campaign Service Coins! These awards are given to exceptional volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty in service to the program. The award is a physical metal coin, stamped with the user’s brand-new three-digit Organized Play ID. If someone at your table has an Organized Play ID in the 700s or 800s, they’ve received one of these coins.

Nominations for this award are accepted anytime. If you wish to nominate an individual, please email organizedplay@paizo.com with the recipient’s name and the ways they have gone above and beyond. As we return to physical events, I’m hoping to be able to travel more and hand some of these out, so knowing what events the nominee is traveling to helps as well. Anybody can make a nomination, and recipients are not limited to Venture Officers.

Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And we’ll see you at PaizoCon!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Welcome to the start of our newest blog series! Nearly every Monday, we’ll focus on a different wonderful industry creator, as an individual, including Paizo staff, freelancers, contractors, podcast players, streamers, YouTubers, licensed partners, and more. The format is a list of standardized questions from which interviewees can choose. Let’s get started!

Name: Patrick Renie
Pronouns: he/him
Title (if staff): Senior Developer
Department (if staff): Editorial

What are your goals or dreams as a creator?

I was a very shy, quiet kid. When my nose wasn’t buried in a book or my eyes glued to a video game, my head was often simply lost in the clouds. I invented all sorts of make-believe games and had multiple imaginary friends. One of my favorite books was an illustrated children’s dictionary. My teachers wrote things like “daydreamer” and “easily distracted” on my report cards.

Though I was a gifted writer, I struggled to compose anything longer than one or two pages. I didn’t like sports or group activities, but I knew how to give engaging presentations and I reveled in making the other kids laugh. I liked to doodle symbols and draw treasure maps in the margins of my homework. I loved to read books about sword-swinging knights and fireball-flinging wizards. Arithmetic and algebra came to me easily, but somewhere around geometry I hit a wall and basically gave up on math.

When I discovered tabletop RPGs, it was like opening a secret door to the clockwork of my mind. These games were full of all the things I liked: stories of fantasy adventure, sketches of crazy monsters, weird dice to fiddle with. The idea of creating my own adventures—something these books not only encouraged but gave me the tools to do—felt insane and electrifying. It was like for my whole life my brain had been this strange, almost alien machine that came without any instructions, and with roleplaying games I’d finally found the missing user manual.

Making adventures felt like a natural way to express myself. I could write stories with interesting scenery and cool villains without having to worry about protagonists’ specific motivations or settling on one ending. When I got bored with one idea, I could write about something else and come back to the first thing later. Eventually, to my astonishment, this mishmash of thoughts coalesced into something amazing—an entire world, a cohesive thing. It was like alchemy, or witchcraft. Once I got going, I couldn’t stop. I never stopped.

Today, I write Pathfinder adventures for young people who don’t fit the mold: oddballs who have weird, terrific ideas and great senses of humor. I want to inspire kids who love books but maybe struggle to focus—youngsters who might not have a lot of friends but love to make people smile, or those who burst with creative energy but whose talents don’t necessarily align with one particular discipline or trade.

If this sounds like you, then I at least hope you know you’re not alone. I know how it feels to live in a world that wasn’t designed for folks like you and me. It’s okay. We can make up our own little world instead. And in our world, everybody’s invited, no matter how much they fidget or how good they are at math or whatever it says on their report card. Anyone who wants to play is welcome.

In our world we can say, Come on in, everybody. We’ve got sword-swinging knights and fireball-flinging wizards and all sorts of other stuff too, like clockwork brains and goblin alchemists and winter witches. We’ve got all kinds of things, so come on in, everyone. Come on in and get ready, because we’re going on an adventure.

What’s the best creative advice you’ve ever gotten?

Write fearlessly. Whatever your burning idea, whatever it is you want to put into this world, it will resonate with someone else—that’s a statistical fact. Have you seen the stuff that’s out there? However silly you fear your idea might be, I guarantee there’s something far sillier already out there which is resonating with millions of people. There’s a guy on YouTube who makes sausages out of bubble gum, water, dirt, etc, then tastes and ranks them. It’s utterly ridiculous. I love it!

The best thing to do as a creator, whether you’re a writer, photographer, or sausage maker, is to work on the things that excite you. But what is that, exactly? How do you separate what you’ve been taught you should want from what you really want? You have to find that "flow state," your personal Nirvana. Here’s how: throw your phone in a lake, bury your computer in the desert, and lock yourself in a room with just a pencil and some paper. Only when you’ve totally lost your mind in your work can you catch a glimpse of the thing at the core of it all—that dynamo hidden under your flesh and bone, the self-experiencing universe inside you, transcendence, enlightenment, the Cosmic Sausage.

What I’m saying is: Get in the zone! Don’t think about recognition or what comes next, and definitely don’t listen to self-help gurus or motivational podcasts or wild-eyed windbags like me! It’s just you and the craft, buddy!

If there’s any actual wisdom at all buried in my mound of prolix drivel, then here’s the tl;dr: when you have fun writing it, readers will have fun reading it.

Make what you want. Forget the rest. That’s the only advice I can offer.

Please tell us about your pet!

My wife and I have two cats. We call them Coco and Patches. They’re the best.

Find Patrick on social media: patrick.renie@paizo.com