Hello, players! Today we want to shine the spotlight on the authors who contributed to Year 5 of Pathfinder Society. The Year of Unfettered Exploration may be over, but the adventures continue on!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Illustration by Justin Usher

Alison Cybe (they/them)

PFS2 #5-02: The Blackwood Lost & PFS2 #5-16: A Lie Told to Strangers

Hi, I’m Alison Cybe (they/them), and this year I’ve created Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-02: The Blackwood Lostand Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-16: A Lie Told to Strangers. If you didn’t like them, I’m sorry, I’m to blame. If you did, feel free to let me know. Both of these adventures deal with people in risk or dangers and cast the characters with their rescue. I didn’t want to brush too far beyond what is generally comfortable for people with these, as they’re my first step in creating Pathfinder adventures for folks, given that my history is much more in Starfinder. But at the same time, my writing style for adventures tends to emphasize a big range of diverse NPCs who I hope will remain memorable for players, interesting and unusual landscapes, and some dramatic punch here and there. I hope some of the work I’ve created has been able to entertain at least a few of you at some points. Anyway, you can find me on most social media sites under my name, so don’t be afraid to say hello.

Hilary Moon Murphy (she/her)

PFS2 #5-03: Heidmarch Heist

Hello all, I'm Hmm. Heidmarch Heist originated when Josh Foster came up with the idea of a theft at Heidmarch Manor. Designing the mystery for this adventure was just plain fun. I spent time considering how to cater to both the hard-core mystery buffs and the potentially clueless, so the mystery includes ample handouts and a chance to explore. I had so much fun writing this overall, that I could not pick out a favorite bit. I'll leave that as an exercise for readers of this blog (under spoilers, of course!).

And if you liked Heidmarch Heist, look out for PFS2 #6-05 Silver Bark, Golden Blades coming out this October!

Illustration by Josef Kucera

Shan Wolf

PFS2 #5-06: Ukuja, The First Wall & PFS2 Quest #15: In the Footsteps of Horror

Hi everyone! My name is Shan, and I worked on In the Footsteps of Horror, Ukuja, The First Wall, and the upcoming Infernal Infiltration. I mostly want to thank the devs who helped me craft these adventures, the editors who banged them into shape, and the fans who play them! I also want to point to and highlight the hard work the Org Play team does to make sure these adventures get into your hands as quickly as possible. Make sure to give them genuine thanks because even if you don't agree with them on everything, they're working extra hard to create fun, interesting, unique adventures that give authors like me a chance to get out there and write cool things.

So thank you to everyone who has a hand in working on these, and thank you for playing them!

Jacob W. Michaels (he/him)

PFS2 #5-08: Protecting the Firelight

Hi everyone, I’m Jacob W. Michaels (he/him), the author of PFS Year 5’s Protecting the Firelight, which was my first repeatable scenario. I had so much fun trying to create as many variations as I could, and I literally can’t figure out how many times you could play this without repeating the scenario exactly (seriously, I remember learning the mathematical formulas back in high school, but that knowledge has been pushed out of my brain by Pathfinder encounter math). I was thrilled developer Shay Snow, who’s of Indigenous heritage, entrusted me with this piece, which had a number of Native themes. I really enjoyed diving into the research—the foods that may get prepared during one part of the adventure are all based on real Native dishes, as are other aspects of the traditional ritual—and working with Shay to come up with a villain that evoked a legend from their culture. I also paid homage to a friend and fellow Pathfinder player who died unexpectedly days before I began working on the adventure. And finally, a pre-teen NPC evokes my niece and nephew and all the wonderfully assertive children of the world! Thanks as always to Paizo for letting me play in their world, and to everyone who enjoys the adventures we create.

Illustration by Rodrigo Gallo

Isis Wozniakowska (she/her)

PFS2 #5-15: Cleansing the Flame

Hey all, I'm Isis Wozniakowska (she/her), and I wrote Cleansing the Flame. Personally, I'm super proud of it and have a great time running for cons whenever I get the chance, as I've always had a particular enjoyment of orc cultures and how they've been written in second edition. And I'm especially excited to see a new era of orc gods going forward from here into Godsrain. One thing I really wanted to show in this adventure is how orcs can have a culture built up around the importance of strength and combat and how displaying that to others is such a major part of it, but to do so in such a way that isn't inherently tied to a toxic culture of survival of the fittest like was previously shown in orcs before. And as someone who struggles treating an occasionally debilitating autoimmune disease these days, several parts of the adventure (many of which I won't spoil for those of you who haven't played it) are things I was particularly excited to learn I would be able to portray for everyone. Organized Play also just means a lot to me in general, and I spend a lot of time running my own local event and popping into various cons online and locally. I hope you all enjoy it, and I hope you'll see me around at various online cons occasionally running it for people.

I'm not on social media as much as I used to be since I went back to grad school, but you can find me on BlueSky as @wozenstein, but mostly I lurk on there and Insta. I don't have any upcoming personal projects, but I can always use the support in trying to get through my Comparative Literature MA. I study Italian literature, primarily medieval and Renaissance, and currently am looking at the relationship between medieval literature and modern fantasy literature (including looking at TTRPGs as a form of literary study).

Brite Cheney (he/they)

PFS2 Quest #16: The Winter Queen’s Dollhouse

The pitch to me for The Winter Queen’s Dollhouse was “poppets trapped in a dollhouse that get awakened.” From there, I thought the most fun would be a bunch of displaced workers banding together to overcome their boss, with the players helping them to organize. I’m sure there were headlines somewhere that inspired this idea. Lol. #solidarity.

While everything I create is something I cherish, Sweeper, a stuffed sloth poppet and the main NPC, will always be my darling. I wanted her to be cute enough to appeal to kids of all ages, but self-assured enough to be the perfect leader for the mini-rebellion. Watching people's reactions to her, it seems I’ve done just that. Big shout-out to Bruno Cesar (@bcesart on Instagram) for doing an amazing job bringing her to life with his art.

You can follow me on all the socials @MrGWillickers, but I’m mostly active on BlueSky @mrgwillickers.bsky.social.

And check out my Etsy store, MrGWillickers Studio, where thanks to the new Fan Content Policy, I now include a few Pathfinder- and PFS-themed props among the things I make. https://mrgwillickersstudio.etsy.com

Illustration by Bruno Cesar

Lucas Servideo (he/him)

PFS2 Quest #20: The Dacilane Academy’s Show Must Go On

Hello everyone, my name is Lucas Servideo. I was honored to be asked to write The Dacilane Academy's Show Must Go On, not only because this would be my first time writing for Paizo, but because it was an “All Ages” Quest that would be used in the Academy at Gen Con, a program that lets families play Pathfinder and Starfinder together.

My favorite part of this experience was to add a piece of myself to Absalom by making the history behind the Muse of the Rose theater and also building on the Dacilane Academy saga of scenarios by adding in NPCs of my own and those of others into the story. I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy this quest.

To see what I am up to, you can check my Instagram @lucasringmaster, or my BlueSky @smartgoblin.bsky.social. On either, you will usually see my current miniature project, drawings, photos, or thoughts that pop up.

Hi, everyone!
It’s hard to believe that the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide releases tomorrow! This book brings Asian-inspired fantasy and folklore—from the ancient to the modern—to your table in a torrent of character options. The book contains six new playable ancestries, tons of new heritages, pages of archetypes and feats, and more to build whatever kind of Tian character captures your imagination, whether that’s a peachchild leshy that fights with a magical lightning familiar, a tanuki in high-tech armor wielding a frost fair glaive, or a yaksha cultivator who follows the heretical path of the bitter scholar.

When we started the Tian Xia project back in 2022, we knew we couldn’t do it alone—only by pooling the passion, knowledge, and shared experiences of our stellar cast of writers and designers could we bring the (now gold ENNIE award winning!) Tian Xia World Guide to vibrant life or dream up the spooks and frights of the Season of Ghosts Adventure Path. You might have heard from some of our authors back in April with the release of the World Guide, but we wanted to give everyone a chance to talk about their inspirations in the Character Guide as well. Hear from some of them below!

From all of us, thank you for supporting Tian Xia! This vast continent is yours to explore, and we can’t wait to hear what sort of stories you tell!

James Case
Lead Developer, Rules and Lore

Eleanor Ferron
Senior Developer

Ianara Natividad
Senior Editor

Eren Ahn (they/them, primarily)

안녕하세요! It's Eren again. I'm absolutely thrilled to have written the new dokkaebi goblin heritage! It's been a complete joy to turn the goblin creatures of my childhood into something I hope you will delight in. If you ever come across a pot randomly at the side of the road, make sure to leave a little treat for the dokkaebi napping inside!

As always, you can find me chatting about my writing on Bluesky and everything else on Twitter. Hope to see y'all around!

Jeremy Blum (he/him)

I worked on both the Tian Xia World and Character Guides, and it was a joy to contribute to both. For the World Guide, I took Amanandar into a new era and turned it into Linvarre, and I also wrote bios for the Avistani gods worshipped in Tian Xia, as well as new info on our favorite estranged tengu lovers, Hei Feng and Lady Jingxi. For the Character Guide, I wrote Tian innovation feats for the inventor class. Can you spot all the references I stuffed in there? There's Double Dragon, Dragonball, G Gundam, Street Fighter, the '70s Japanese Spider-Man TV show (EMISSARY FROM HELL!), Megaman, and Voltron!

When I'm not working on Paizo books, I'm a co-designer on Mappa Mundi: An Exploration + Ecology RPG for Three Sails Studios. It's a TTRPG about exploring the wild and observing the behaviors of monsters like a naturalist, and it takes place in a fantastical world vaguely inspired by Eurasia. If you like Tian Xia, please check us out, since I've just finished writing up the lore for our Chinese-inspired region of Zoumung! For more news on my current projects, check me out on Twitter and Bluesky!

A yaksha in their howling aspect (art by Alexander Nanitchkov) and a tanuki getting carried away (art by Sammy Khalid).

Alyx Bui (they/them)

I am so ecstatic to have worked on the Samsaran ancestry with Kienna Shaw! We both wanted to create a world that thrived on cooperation, even in the frigid lands of their homeland Zi Ha. It's a brilliant ancestry that incorporates some fundamental aspects of Buddhism—samsara, reincarnation, impermanence, karma, and enlightenment—and while adapted to a fantasy setting, we tried to ensure that we drew authentically from this way of life. Their power comes from the beginningless cycle of rebirth and attainment of knowledge as a result. It is truly humbling to have been able to incorporate a way of life and teachings that has so greatly influenced my own.

Rick Chia (any!)

Hey, that’s me! I had the pleasure of writing the handful of critters and blorbos in the companions and familiars section. I myself am taught in the soul-sucking ways of media production, in many mediums, forms, and (hopefully more) projects.

If you want me to write little critters and blorbos for your project :D, you can find me here.

A tropical kijimuna gnome (art by Guilherme Nery) and the imperial dragon’s aide, a heavenscribe kobold (art by Guilherme Nery).

Hiromi Cota (they/them)

Haitai! Wannee Hiromi yaibiin! I’m Hiromi, and my main contribution to the Tian Xia Character Guide was the tsukumogami poppet heritage. For those unfamiliar, tsukumogami are tools and other household objects that have gained a spirit through use and/or age. They’re one of my favorite creatures in Japanese folklore. As a playable heritage, tsukumogami have characteristics that reflect their original utility, as well as feats to customize their abilities. As living objects, they're cute and a little spooky.

My favorite part of the section is a feat called Minuscule Mentee, which allows your tsukumogami character to have their own poppet familiar, which they will presumably mentor and look after. It’s a lovely way to expand the tsukumogami community and gain a little buddy to help your character in their travels. I look forward to seeing players try this out and potentially create all-tsukumogami parties!

I had loads of fun working on Tian Xia, and I still have more fun Pathfinder things coming! Once I can talk about them, you’ll see details on my Bluesky account @hiromicota or my website.

Sen H.H.S.

Hi all, it's Sen H.H.S. A belated thank-you to those who voted for the Tian Xia World Guide for the ENNIE awards this year. I hope you enjoy the Character Guide.

Daniel Kwan

Hello! My name's Daniel! I'm the co-host of the Asians Represent Podcast and a freelance game designer and cultural consultant with over 40 game credits! The Tian Xia World Guide was my second Paizo contribution and certainly the one I'm most excited about. I had a blast bringing my love of Asian weaponry into the Character Guide. It is such an honor to be part of such a diverse team of Asian creatives who have worked so hard to bring life to Tian Xia! Fun fact, some of my fellow freelancers and I started a home game to test out many of our contributions during the development period!

Twitter: @danielhkwan Website: https://danielhkwan.carrd.co/

Jessie "Aki" Lo (she/her)

I'm a freelance writer, artist, GM, producer, editor, and TTRPG performer who just can't say no. I had the absolute pleasure of writing the backgrounds in the Character Guide and the nue in the World Guide. Tian Xia holds such a special place in my heart and I'm so glad to finally share that. A fun little fact, two of the backgrounds are based on my late grandmothers!

If you want to see more of my work in Pathfinder Second Edition, you should check out my Actual Play podcasts. Goblets and Gaysis an all-Queer, Second Edition remastered homebrew adventure, and An Unwavering Force is a Pathfinder Second Edition Star Wars actual play. You can also find me on Twitter/X doing various, questionable things.

A half-moon sarangay (art by Arthur Oliveira) and a fan dancer (art by Vira Linevych).

Adam Ma

I can't believe this is finally coming to life! Tian Xia has been a wonderful opportunity for me to engage in everything I love about fantasy. I'm thrilled to play a small role in bringing this setting to life.

If you enjoy my work on ysoki and Wanshou, you'll probably enjoy all the other TTRPG content I work on. Fans of adventure, horror, comics, and Gundam can find me on Bsky (here) and Twitter (here) as 34thGingerbread or you can visit my website: https://www.adam34th.com/

Collette Quach

Hi! I'm Collette Quach and I'm a Chinese-Cambodian designer and writer. The Tian Xia Character Guide is my first Paizo publication but you might have seen my writing in Tian Xia Days: Study Hall where I explored the Indraracha Institute of Tang Mai. I wrote and designed the hungerseed ancestry and the text about the jorogumo. I had a blast researching the mythology of our world and incorporating it into Tian Xia. I wanted to showcase the things that make us love them but also add a level of complexity that makes interacting with them much more engaging at your tables. I hope you all enjoy my little spider friends and shooting beams of energy out of your third eye!

My Twitter is @collettequach and my website is collettequach.wixsite.com/home.

A makari lizardfolk (art by Guilherme Nery) and an inventor riding her puppet (art by Mylene Bertrand).

Shahreena Shahrani (she/her)

Marhaba, hello, everyone! I’m Shahreena, a Malaysian-American gamer, freelance writer, cultural consultant, and educator. I have previously worked on a number of Pathfinder (and Starfinder) books such as Rage of Elements, Lost Omens Gods & Magic, and Absalom, City of Lost Omens. For the Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide, I had fun contributing lore inspired by the folktales I had grown up with.

In my non-gaming related life, I am an educator actively promoting diverse voices and experiences. I deliver lectures/presentations on regional and cultural studies of the Middle East and North Africa. I also bring together artists, writers, scholars, and experts to present on topics relating to Kurdish Studies in an online Speaker Series (https://www.youtube.com/@ZahraInstitute).

If you’re looking for a Middle East and North Africa specialist for your next project, you can reach me via email (shahreena_s [at] yahoo [dot] com). You can also find my retelling of world folk tales on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@storytimewithauntienina5783).

Kienna Shaw (she/they)

Hi there! I’m Kienna, and I had the pleasure of reimagining the samsaran ancestry alongside Alyx Bui. As a worldbuilding nerd, it was an exciting creative challenge to expand the lore of this beloved ancestry, ground it within the new version of Tian Xia, and bring it up to date with the play philosophy of Pathfinder Second Edition. I wanted to delve into what “enlightenment” means for the samsarans, making it a concrete goal that can be achieved through many different paths. Whether your samsaran aims to fully understand the world through studying a niche subject, mastering a skill, or exploring the wondrous dangers of the continent, I hope you’ll find the ancestry’s story and roleplay opportunities as rich and rewarding as I did.

Writing the samsarans for the Tian Xia Character Guide along with the gods Yaezhing and Jin Li in the Tian Xia World Guide was a fantastic experience from start to finish. You can find me and my other TTRPG work on Twitter as @KiennaS, Bluesky as kiennas.bsky.social, or on my website https://kiennas.com/.

Tan Shao Han

I'm happy the Tian Xia Character Guide will reach you soon! Working on Tian Xia for Pathfinder Second Edition has been the highlight of my freelance career so far!

My Character Guide contributions include designing the yaksha ancestry, lore and consulting for the wayang ancestry, and hybrid studies and an archetype inspired by wuxia and xianxia.

As a SEAsian Buddhist, yaksha stories have interested me since youth, alongside tales of nagas (whose lore I also got to consult for in Pathfinder Monster Core). These yakshas I've created are inspired by different stories, filtered through my own perspective as a devotee. While you won't find the yakshas in Tian Xia as analogous of any one yaksha tradition, my hope is that our work will be true to the ethos and themes of these spirits.

I am also happy to create new lore for the wayangs. I tried to recenter SEAsian perspectives by integrating integrated elements of Javanese mysticism (kejawèn) as well as themes of SEA's history of anti-colonial struggle. One day, we shall all be free! Well, in closing, it is my hope to inspire you to find out more about SEA's history and culture through our games. Thank you!

A yaoguai born from a wild animal (art by Sammy Khalid) and the transforming magical starlit sentinel (art by Vira Linevych).

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Dive into the history and culture of Tian Xia with the gold ENNIE award winning Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide! Then, get ready to build Tian characters when Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide drops tomorrow! Looking for adventure in Tian Xia? Investigate the horrors plaguing Willowshore in Season of Ghosts or compete for glory in the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix!

With Gen Con right around the corner, we’d like to shine a spotlight on one of the recipients of funds from this year’s Gen Con Charity Auctions—the Rose Gauntlet Foundation.

The Rose Gauntlet Foundation aims to provide a platform that grants access to education, networking, and resources for individuals who wish to pursue a career in the tabletop gaming industry. They are committed to promoting diversity and equity in the gaming community by supporting and amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups.

At Gen Con, the Rose Gauntlet Foundation hosts the BIPOC Lounge—a social, recharge, and networking space for BIPOC at the largest gaming convention in America. First introduced in 2022, the BIPOC Lounge has become an official, convention-supported feature of Gen Con. As part of the BIPOC Lounge festivities, Rose Gauntlet also hosts a BIPOC Social Mixer, Mentorship Meetings, and more!

Outside of Gen Con, the Rose Gauntlet Foundation continues doing phenomenal work to help underrepresented groups in the games industry. At PAXU, they host “Big Gay Dinner,” a social and networking event for LGBTQIA+ industry professionals. Formerly at Origins and making a space this year at PAX West, “Game Changers” focuses on women in board and roleplaying games.

Paizo is proud to support the Rose Gauntlet Foundation through our Gen Con Charity Auctions. Keep an eye out for those auctions as we get closer to Gen Con.

If you’re interested in volunteering or donating to the Rose Gauntlet Foundation, take a look at the opportunities on their site!

Happy Pride, ‘Finders!
Each year, the United States celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June in honor of the protests that took place at the Stonewall Inn, a queer club in NYC. The first Pride was a riot, and every Pride going forward is a protest. We’re here, we’re queer, we have always existed, and we will always exist.

This year’s theme for Pride Month is “Reflect. Empower. Unite.” with a focus on coming together as a community, standing up for ourselves and each other, and learning from the trials of our predecessors. Support has always been a central pillar of queer communities, and as we face new waves of bigotry and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, lifting each other up is more important than ever.

We’ve invited LGBTQIA+ Paizo employees and contributors to share their words with us for this community blog!

Also, Paizo is proud to be participating in Seattle Pride this Sunday, June 30^th! If you’re in the area, come to the parade and cheer on the Paizo kobolds in the parade!

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Zigvigix (they/them), host shirren and faction leader of the Advocates.

Alex Speidel (he/him), Organized Play Coordinator

be gay form unions

that’s it that’s the submission. what more can I say.

Avi Kool (they/he)

Hi all, I’m lead editor at Paizo and a nonbinary trans man. Being queer has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, even if I didn’t have words for it when I was young. As time has gone on, being queer exposed me to the world of social justice and activism, and I am a firm believer that no one is free until we all are free. Queer people are actively under attack in our current political climate. This is why it’s so important to me to center queer experiences in my work. At Paizo, we have the opportunity to spread awareness of queer identities to a large number of people, as well as making queer people feel seen in our books. So Paizo will continue to be queer as heck, and I’m proud to be part of that.

Basil Wright (he/they/xe)

I know that the fight for equality, freedom, and safety by my Indigenous community in the States is being echoed elsewhere, whether it's in Palestine, the Congo, Sudan, or in the United States of America. As Juneteenth goes by, I am reminded about the power of community, of the strength of those who stand beside you and uplift you and work towards a common cause. We are all stronger together. More often than not, I have found community with Indigenous creators, with Black creators, with queer creators (and many of us holding all these identities together, such as myself). I want to continue to create games and stories that highlight the importance of community, of belonging, of togetherness. We are better, together.

If you'd like to support my work, two of my games best exemplify the theme of community: Mouseia and Well Wishers, which you can find on my Itch.io page (https://kobanya.itch.io). I also have a Ko-Fi (ko-fi.com/kobanya).

Kofusachi (he/him), the pansexual god of joy and prosperity.

Carlos Cabrera (he/they)

In honor of reflecting over this past year, in 2023 I wrote that it gave me strength/I was jealous that my World of Darkness character was doing multi-gender polyamory better than me. This year I am happy to report that we are now equals! I would like to give a very special thanks to my partners for giving me their love and their time whenever able.

Looking at the year ahead, you will be able find my upcoming work as developer for the Welcome to Night Vale RPG by Renegade Game Studios. Things are about to get weird.

Caryn DiMarco (she/they)

I'm Caryn DiMarco (she/they) and you can find some of my recent work in books like Lost Omens Highhelm and Howl of the Wild. I'm proud to be a contributor to those books, and to a world like Golarion where LGBTQ+ stories, themes, and characters are the norm. TTRPGs have always been an escape for me, and seeing my identity and experiences reflected in the pages of my favorite gaming system is a comfort and a joy. 

Thank you to all my fellow authors, our wonderful devs at Paizo, and the many gamers I share tables with for coming together to show that diversity is natural and equality is attainable. Our real-life magic may be the stories we tell together, and our real-life dragons look more like bills and endless to-do lists, but the possibility of a better world is not a fantasy. Sitting down to play (or run) games with my community always reminds me of the potential within every one of us. 

Hao Jin (she/her), asexual sorceress.

Connie Chang (they/he/she)

Happy Pride, Paizo! Connie Chang here (they/he/she). I wrote Quain for the Tian Xia World Guideand a flash fiction about gay Grandmasters. Outside of Paizo, I'm the Game Master for Transplanar RPG, an all-transgender, people of color-led dark fantasy actual play channel telling stories in a noncolonial, antiorientalist multiverse. Transplanar is an ENNIE-nominated, CRIT Award-sweeping channel that has been featured in Polygon, Dicebreaker, and Gizmodo and discussed on NPR, The New York Times, and Dropout TV.

I'm thrilled to announce Transplanar's first-ever IN-STUDIO series, GODKILLER: LAST HOPE! LAST HOPE is a two-person, eight-episode show about Litany, the titular Godkiller forged for a single purpose: to slay the Immortal Emperor of Heaven—and their mother’s sister. After a monumental failure, Litany teams up with a heroic cultivator and travels across a richly layered fantasy world inspired by my diasporic Chinese heritage, learning what it means to truly become.

LAST HOPE utilizes my original holypunk duet game, GODKILLER, which is being published by Evil Hat Productions. If you're a fan of Tian Xia's Asian fantasy setting and/or queer interrogations of divinity, then tune in June 29 for the premiere of GODKILLER: LAST HOPE on Transplanar RPG's Twitch or YouTube!

Behind the scenes images from GODKILLER: LAST HOPE.

David N. Ross (he/him)

Being a gay man has always been important to my experience of RPGs. Not only has gaming been an activity I shared with my gay friends and even my now husband, but living outside gender and relationship norms has been a common experience connecting me to many fellow game designers.

My most recent Paizo work has yet to be announced, but you can get the 5e version of the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path now. Outside Paizo, I have recently been bringing adventures for Tom Cartos and the DM Lair to Pathfinder rules, and collaborating with my husband on a cooperative storytelling card game under the working title Pax Ad Astra.

Honora Tren (she/her) and Zupisha Loralu (she/her), lovers and New Valor Defense Force Guardians.

Dustin Knight (he/him)

Pride is a protest. All love is valid. Nothing I expose here can come close to supplanting these powerful words, but in the past year I’ve felt such a deep connection to these two ideas as I’ve grown to learn more about what I am and what it means to be a part of both the LGBT+ and Paizo community. You must learn to love yourself before you can properly love another. And that means being proud of yourself and your accomplishments, even though it feels like you are fighting a voice deep inside you that hates you for what you are. All love is a valid form of protest. And learning to love yourself despite what the world’s hate has planted deep inside is the ultimate act of defiance, and one I have only been empowered to face thanks to the unity of this incredible community.

Proud to Love Myself.

James Beck

Hello! My name is James Beck, I am a freelancer whose work you'll primarily find over on Pathfinder Infinite, where I have several Infinite Masters titles with Eldritch Osiris Games. One thing that I absolutely love about Golarion/the Pact Worlds is how much I can see myself in it. I love seeing fellow LGBTQ+ people that populate the world! I've been out and proud about my identity since 7th grade and one of the big draws of Pathfinder/Starfinder has always been how welcoming it is to me. Not only have the universes of Paizo been welcoming but so has the Paizo community, from fellow freelancers to Paizo staff and the broader community at large. I wish everyone across the world a happy pride! Be yourself!

Link to Eldritch Osiris Games: https://www.eldritchosirisgames.com

Arshea, Spirit of Abandon. Nonbinary deity of freedom and sexuality.

James Jacobs (he/him), Pathfinder Narrative Creative Director

The previous 12 months since last year’s Pride blog have been busy as we’ve navigated the frenzied switchover of Pathfinder from OGL content to the Remastered rules. That’s mostly all behind us now from an in-house production standpoint, and it’s a relief to be back on track exploring brand new stories. One of those tales I’m really delighted to see hit the shelves, though, isn’t an adventure or even a game. I’m talking about Liane Merciel’s upcoming novel, Godsrain. It’s the first novel Paizo’s published in a long time, and it’s helping to kick off the War of Immortals plotline, but the part I’m delighted most by is that my favorite iconic Merisiel and her wife Kyra are front and center to the plot. Bisexual representation is something I’ve been passionate about since the start of Pathfinder, with Merisiel being my chosen heroine for this quest. I can’t wait for you all to see what adventures she and the others up to while they’re also saving the world!

Katina Davis (she/her)

Representation is important year-round, but during Pride month I feel especially compelled to step forth from the shadows like a bisexual vampire to celebrate queer stories. I don’t always feel qualified to speak on queer topics because I’m married to a man and could easily be mistaken for straight. Then I remember how I once felt under-represented and less sure of my identity, and how isolating that can be. It’s taken me years to understand myself enough to find peace and joy in who I am. If I can reflect that queer joy back to even one person who might feel lonely and confused, that’s worth it to me. Just imagine the power of entire communities full of that energy!

My years working and freelancing for Paizo have been instrumental to my queer identity because they’ve introduced me to a diverse and supportive group of people that I’m incredibly grateful for. It makes sense given that we’re all tied by our love of a cooperative game—this community is one big adventuring party. We roll initiative together.

You can find my freelance credits, social media, and other links here: https://katinadavis.carrd.co/

Wat Ryshel (he/him), trans ysoki butler.

Kendra Leigh Speedling (she/her)

Hello, all! I'm Kendra, frequent Paizo contributor. You might have spotted my name most recently on Howl of the Wild and Treasure Vault. I've also got two Adventure Path volumes coming up that I'm excited to see hit people's tables: Singer, Stalker, Skinsaw Man for Curtain Call and Destroyer's Doom for Triumph of the Tusk. Part of what helped encourage me to be open about being queer was seeing others in the TTRPG community do the same, especially those whose identities more easily fly under the radar. "Unite" is the last part of the blog theme for this year, and every time I see (or write!) a queer NPC in an adventure or lore book, it gives me a sense of belonging. We're here, we're not going away, and as in any good adventuring party, it's important to have each other’s backs. Happy Pride!

Kyle Raes (he/she)

My name is Kyle Raes (he/him, she/her) and I’m pansexual and bigender. I’ve been contributing on and off again to Pathfinder for years alongside maintaining my daily blog that analyzes the various options available to characters in both Pathfinder and Starfinder.

It was seeing the sort of community that Paizo has attracted through these games that actually helped afford me the self-reflection to realize my own preferences and identity.

This community, both the players and even the writers and other staff at Paizo stayed true to themselves even with pressures out there trying to deny them that, and for that I am forever grateful, rocky times and all.

Right now, I’m between major projects, but I just this past month published my first submission on Starfinder Infinite!

Elemental Experts is a book with five archetypes for Starfinder giving both casters and non-spellcasting classes a way to go all in and specialize in a particular damage type as masters of that element! The book has all commissioned art by absolutely brilliant artists!

You can find my blog at https://dailycharacteroption.tumblr.com/

My Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/Kyle_Raes_Daily_Character_Option

And also check out my very first published homebrew on Starfinder Infinite! Elemental Experts - Paizo | Starfinder Infinite

Tiya/Tiyo Stories (she/he), genderfluid legendary wayang storyteller.

Lynne M. Meyer (she/they)

It’s impossible to talk about my queerness without talking about games, because they’ve been interwoven from the outset. I was introduced to TTRPGs by an actor friend (now spouse) who’s been playing and running games since the 1980s. Sure I’d love it, he invited me to join his upcoming campaign. I was hooked almost immediately.

I was alsostarting to come out to myself around this time.

All the characters I’ve played have explored queerness in some fashion. As I say in Thom James Carter’s book They Came to Slay: The Queer Culture of D&D, games—specifically, inclusive games with good queer rep—gave me a safe space to figure myself out and unpack years of comphet.

Icon Marsha P. Johnson said, “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” This month, I’m part of Queer Games Bundle 2024—a bundle of nearly 500 games, software, and zines from 271 queer creators across itch.io. The organizers put it best: this bundle is a direct action that you can take right now to support queer people in a life-changing way, and help nurture the diverse queer games community.

Find me on Bluesky (@lynnemeyer.bsky.social) and Twitter (@Lynne_M_Meyer).

Ixthia the Unbreakable, the nonbinary faction leader of the Exo-Guardians.

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe), Marketing & Media Specialist

It’s me, your friendly local nonbinary circus goth! Over the last fifteen years, I’ve cycled through a variety of labels—nonbinary lesbian, ace lesbian, nonbinary bisexual, trans man, nonbinary trans man, the list goes on—but through all of that change, I have had the love and support of my partners, my close friends and family, and my community. Queer community is vital—in some cases, it is literal lifeblood when bigotry causes institutions to abandon us.

Love is powerful. Love in a world that tries to shame you and hide you away is a protest. And love is a fire that cannot be snuffed out.

Last year’s Pride blog was one of the first projects I took point of here at Paizo, and I’m proud and elated to have continued the tradition through our various community and culture blogs full circle back to Pride. Even “small” acts of solidarity like this give hope and voice to people who have historically been silenced.

Keep up with me on the internet: https://twitter.com/ilananight13, https://bsky.app/profile/ilananight.bsky.social, and http://ilananight.space!

---

And, for a special Pride preview, have a sneak peek at one of the items coming in Player Core 2: the Elixir of Gender Transformation! This item was written by Avi Kool, Lead Editor.

Elixir of Gender Transformation Item 1+
Alchemical, Consumable, Elixir
Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk L
Activate [one-action] (manipulate)

This clear, bitter liquid can be ingested to change certain secondary sex characteristics. Different formulations create different changes—for example, one variety might cause the voice to deepen and promote body and facial hair growth, while another might cause fat redistribution around the hips and the growth of breasts. These changes tend to be accompanied by shifting of the fat in the face, sometimes dramatically or sometimes more subtly changing the user’s appearance. Changes from this elixir take place gradually over the course of months or years, depending on the type.

Type lesser; Level 1; Price 1 gp
The elixir must be taken every week, and changes occur over the course of a year or more.

Type moderate; Level 3; Price 8 gp
The elixir must be taken once a month, and changes occur over the course of a year.

Type greater; Level 6; Price 35 gp
The elixir must be taken once, and changes occur over the course of 6 months.

From our tables to yours, happy Pride from Paizo!

Hail and well met, Pathfinders!
Paizo’s offices are closed today in honor of Juneteenth National Independence Day (Juneteenth). This holiday celebrates the true end of chattel slavery in the United States, when the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced in Texas at the end of the Civil War.

Juneteenth celebrations date back to 1866—the first year following the freeing of slaves in Texas. Beginning with Texas in 1938, Juneteenth was eventually recognized as a state holiday by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2021, Juneteenth National Independence Day became a federally recognized holiday in the United States.

Black communities around the United States and Mexico celebrate Juneteenth in a variety of ways, from rodeos and picnics to poetry readings, music festivals, and more. Above all, Juneteenth is a celebration of Black art, music, culture, and freedom.

To see if a Juneteenth event is happening near you and get involved, take a look at the Worldwide Event Listings on Juneteenth.com.

If you can, donating time, money, or other resources to a Black-focused organization is a great way to celebrate Juneteenth! Here are some recommended organizations actively working to support Black communities:

• National Black Child Development Institute
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
• Color of Change
• The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
• The Marsha P. Johnson Institute
• National Black Justice Coalition

Take a moment today to reflect on what freedom means—and how that freedom was granted to different groups of people over time. In the words of Black feminist and activist Fannie Lou Hamer, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

In solidarity,

Rue Dickey
Marketing & Media Specialist

Hail and well met, Pathfinders and Starfinders! With Father’s Day coming up, we wanted to give you a guide for the best Father’s Day gifts for the Paizo gamer in your life—and showcase some Dad Creators!

Starfinder Beginner Box

Learn the rules of Starfinder while you play through the Starfinder Beginner Box! Dungeons With Dadrecommends this as a great starting point for playing Starfinder with the kids! The pre-generated characters and a dungeon that teaches you skills as you progress make for a great game night.

Pathfinder Beginner Box

Newly remastered, the Pathfinder Beginner Box teaches you the ropes of Pathfinder Second Edition as you solve the mysteries of the Menace Under Otari! Paul Benson from GeekDad reviewed the original Pathfinder Second Edition Beginner Box back in 2020—calling it a great resource for players, veteran and new alike!

Pathfinder Elemental Stones

Harness the power of the elements with this Pathfinder board game! Designed in-house by Paizo Games Lead Designer and proud board gaming Dad, Joe Pasini! Elemental Stones is a pattern-building game with a secret role element to keep you on your toes. Great for family game nights!

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults

Give Dad a chance to continue the adventure of the Pathfinder Beginner Box with Abomination Vaults! This best-selling megadungeon adventure path is a great follow-up to Menace Under Otari, taking adventurers deep into the dungeons of Belcorra Haruvex! Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults is available in hardcover for Pathfinder Second Edition and Fifth Edition.

It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day blog without tipping our helmets to Keskodai, the Iconic Mystic from Starfinder First Edition! Keskodai is such a dedicated father; he keeps his child with him in a protective cylinder.

Follow Keskodai’s child, Chk Chk, into Starfinder Second Edition, where he will be stepping up as the new Iconic Mystic! Keep up with the Starfinder Playtest at starfinderplaytest.com!

Check out this guest blog submitted from our friends at the Order of the Amber Die! This is part 6 in their adventures in the Abomination Vaults. Find previous entries in the links below.

The Black Powder Cadre met its match!

It took eight levels of the Abomination Vaults to finally run into something that not only exposed a severe weakness in our party, but also exploited it. Again, and again. Let’s see, what could possibly shut down a party of mostly human gunslingers? Magical darkness should be near the top of the list. Make it heightened darkness, just to mess with those darkvision elixirs. How about a community of creatures that can throw darkness back at our desperados like a box of bang snaps? Well, the caligni we encountered on level eight did exactly that, and hit us from so many directions in the dark that we had to snag a high Perception DC just to find our own wounds. Then we learned there was another community of caligni below us on level nine. Yeah, this was a rough marathon.

To get to level nine we had to get past level eight, and we were in new territory here. We had switched authors from Vanessa Hoskins to Stephen Radney-MacFarland—a grizzled veteran whose plethora of work in this industry takes us back to when our own veterans had a lot more hair. In fact, level eight of the Abomination Vaults paid homage to an adventure module that carries plenty of nostalgia around our table: Against the Cult of the Reptile God. We first played it in ‘96, and our GM liked it so much that he ran it again for us in 2005 and 2009. Level eight of the Vaults even hinted at some of our favorite scenes from the soggy, humid dungeon we remember: the infamous “mud room,” the off-limits door with a very clear warning on it, boats to traverse the level, and even the naga boss you can only reach by water.

If you need to catch up on this project:

• Introduction
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5

For this marathon we were joined again by Joe O’Brien from the Glass Cannon Network, rocking the same Beast Gunner archetype as before. Joe wanted more of our typical marathon experience this time, which means playing fourteen or more hours in a day, crashing on an air mattress near the table, then doing it all over again at 6:00 a.m. when Adam blasts our soundtrack to wake the team. You’ll eat well though, and there’s always a bonfire at the end of the weekend. To Glass Cannon fans, we’ll say that Joe handled the extreme playtime pretty well, and is starting to stack up some session hours for that Order of the Amber Die membership!

• Adventure: Eyes of Empty Death
• Marathon Length: 62 hours, 30 minutes
• Session Hours: 38 hours, 30 minutes

Highlights from Marathon 6:

□ On level eight we found ourselves surrounded in a temple by caligni stalkers and their endless darkness. Put it this way: we got good at flat checks. As if things couldn’t get worse, something called an owb showed up. A creature with a background as shadowy as the caligni themselves, this thing can turn you from our cadre’s shared blue colors to drab gray—and even turn your gun gray, which is where we drew the line. Joe came through with the Beast Gunner, landing a couple of devastating shots from his drake rifle that allowed us to walk away alive and most importantly, blue.

□ If you’ve followed our projects over the years, then you know we despise gugs, in-game and out. We came across another one, which held something called a fulcrum lens that we unfortunately needed. One of our snipers, Mazatl, practicing the Way of the Spellshot and wearing what Erick calls “dungeon camo,” crept into position. Erick is even known to wear a ghillie suit at the table to mimic his cloak of elvenkind. Can you find Mazatl in the photo? The sniper aimed for the head and landed the first shot, but the gug still tore into us for six rounds before we put it down.

□ Think you can predict what a Pathfinder megadungeon has in store for you? Enter level nine, with its 10-foot scale in the original version of the adventure. We’re going to have to lay this one out on the patio to get a full pic for the next blog. It’s also level nine where you really get a sense of just how interconnected this megadungeon is to the Darklands that surround it, which is evident as the worked stone in the levels above has now shifted to caverns. Since we’ve delved The Emerald Spire and measured its square footage, we can say that level nine is what helps the Abominaton Vaults achieve its title as the largest megadungeon in Pathfinder history!

□ A massive dungeon level just meant more reach for our shooters. We’d been waiting nine levels to see the 150’ range on both the harmona and arquebus truly rip, and honestly, in a dungeon we never thought we’d see it. When Breen spotted four ceustodaemons on some kind of guard duty, it just meant long range fun. We opened initiative, and one was on the ground before they heard the shots.

□ Level nine was full of towering bioluminescent fungi, which meant breaking out the blacklights for the truest experience. It also meant getting ourselves into a fungal forest firefight with reaper skull puffballs. Don’t be fooled by the name like we were; these things are badass. Go look at the illustration inside Eyes of Empty Death and tell us that the miniatures we had to represent them weren’t darn near perfect, too. Better yet, an exploded puffball is worth 150 gp! Zoric, the cadre’s Unexpected Sharpshooter, scored both money shots and made it rain.

Character Deaths

□ None, but everyone in this party owes another thank you to Breen, Way of the Pistolero. When you’re surrounded by hostiles and bleeding out, it’s our pistol phenom that will pull you to safety and cauterize your wounds—popping off rounds in the process.

The Arsenal

Order of the Amber Die doesn’t have a session zero before our campaigns begin. We start somewhere around session negative eight. In one of those meetings, our player captain had us brainstorm ways that we might cause awkward encounters throughout an Adventure Path by making an entire party of gunslingers. No one suggested anything close to what we came across on level eight of the Vaults. We encountered some drow who took us to their outpost on the level below, packed with none other than the Darklands equivalent of our own gunslingers: the Drow Shootist archetype and their repeating crossbows. We hit it off almost instantly, and soon we were sharing stories over a game of cards, including tales of the best and luckiest shots we’ve landed during our time in the Vaults. Even the art for Quara, their leader, showed her with a bandolier and a set of dueling boots that matched plenty of members in our cadre. She also had a scar across her face from—guess what—a gug. Naturally, we ended up at their firing range, where they allowed Vlai to have his dwarven scattergun (with large bore modifications) for a friendly competition. With all three targets destroyed in a single 15’ radius hit, we won.

Best Quote from Marathon 6

(fierce battle in a caligni temple)

Adam: “Caligni stalker is near death, cornered, attacks Axayaca. Gotta go to the Amber Die for this one.”

Matt (to Joe): “This is when the Amber Die usually goes off.”

Joe: “...”

Adam: “First attack hits… Second attack… 20! Attack you again, agile, -8 penalty… NATURAL 20!”

Current Situation

Well, we’ve made it to the final game of the season—this next marathon is the last one either way. We’re trying not to let the pressure get to us; we keep telling ourselves it’s just another marathon. If we do succeed in defeating Belcorra, then drow aid must be accounted for. Not only are they a source of items, trade, and safety, but the drow have become our friends—we certainly don’t have many on the surface. From conversations with their scouts, we’ve learned of a dragon’s lair on level nine. The drow avoid it. Which, of course, meant that we took a party vote to fight it. Come on, you know it’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any Pathfinder player to slay a dragon with a party of gunslingers!

More Content

Our table was brought to life with the help of Blue Table Painting for the miniatures, and Black Bard Studios for custom adventure-specific miniatures/terrain.

Follow Order of the Amber Die:

-Facebook
-Instagram
-X (Twitter)
-YouTube
-The Abomination Arsenal thread

Roll20's commitment to Paizo is soaring in 2024. We're listening and responding to Pathfinder and Starfinder player requests and are thrilled to share the latest updates.

New Pathfinder Character Sheet & Builder

The Pathfinder Character Sheet and Builder on Roll20 is undergoing an upgrade featuring a new look, new functionality, a completely redesigned user experience. The best part? We want your feedback to help influence the final product launching later this year!

An ever-evolving Community Preview is available on Roll20 Characters, perfect for playing with your group at your in-person or online table. Our team recently introduced Custom Effects and made significant progress in enhancing Traits handling. We’re currently focused on updating the Spells tab, so a new release should be available soon!

If you’re a Pathfinder player or GM, we encourage you to explore the preview and share your thoughts with us through our feedback form! To see what players have thought so far, take a look at our latest blog post. Stay tuned to the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster page for the most recent Roll20 updates, previews, and FAQs related to the project.

Permanent Price Cuts on Pathfinder & Starfinder

We’ve implemented permanent price reductions on nearly 100 titles on Roll20, so you can expand your Paizo library at more affordable prices!

New Pathfinder Bundles

Building on the excitement of lower prices across the board, we’re excited to announce the introduction of six new Pathfinder Bundles, curated to offer convenient single purchases based on how you play and plan your campaigns.

BONUS: enjoy an additional 10% discount when buying or upgrading to one of these bundles!

Return of the Runelords Bundle: The all-powerful Runelords, ancient rulers of Varisia, awaken once more, surging to reclaim their lost empire alongside their scheming allies in this Adventure Path that continues Pathfinder's Rise of the Runelords storylines.

Lost Omens Bundle: Explore a curated selection of Lost Omens titles for endless inspiration in Golarion's lore! Uncover jungle mysteries, diverse ancestries, bustling marketplaces, legendary creatures, Absalom's secrets, and more.

Strength of Thousands Bundle: The Magaambya, the world's oldest and most prestigious magic academy, founded by a legendary wizard, faces threats from his enemies. As heroes grow from students to teachers, they hold the fate of the academy in their hands. Can they safeguard this revered institution against its adversaries and preserve its legacy?

Deluxe Adventures Bundle: Embark on five thrilling adventures offering endless excitement and challenges! Unravel mysteries in a darkened town, face cosmic horror, navigate political tensions, confront ancient rivalries, and explore forgotten ruins with untold secrets.

Essential Supplements Bundle: Four Pathfinder supplements perfect for endless adventure and exploration! Immerse yourself in mystical realms with ancient secrets, delve into spells and sorcery, explore firearms and machinery, and confront raw primal forces in epic struggles.

Stolen Fate Bundle: When powerful forces threaten destiny, heroes chosen by a magical Harrow deck must intervene in this Adventure Path. Racing to control scattered cards of this artifact, they face a crucial challenge: losing means ruin for most of reality.

Commitment to Pathfinder Core

Roll20 is fully committed to the new Pathfinder Core Rulebook line! We offer complete rulebook integration, including monsters you can drag & drop right onto your table, and character options you can drop right onto your character sheets!

Take advantage of our Bundle Deals to save an additional 16% on our already low Core prices:

• Core Intro Bundle
• Core Advanced Bundle
• Core Mega Bundle
• Player Core
• GM Core
• Monster Core
• Player Core 2 (Pre-Order)

Nerd out with us! Why we love Pathfinder

Join Roll20 staff as they dive into their favorite parts of all the recent Pathfinder updates, including Pathfinder Core and Roll20 Characters.

Roll20 is your gateway to adventure, where every roll counts! Start your journey, customize your story, and explore like never before. Get started today with Roll20—Your adventure awaits!

Hello, explorers!
Pathfinder Howl of the Wild is now officially out! I hope everyone’s been having fun making new characters, whether they’re minotaur druids, centaur wild mimics, or awakened koi witches with the Ripple in the Deep patron who navigate on land in enchanted supramarine chairs that double as their cauldrons! I hope, too, that you’re enjoying some new animals to throw at your PCs, or just having fun reading the tale of Baranthet and the Zoetrope’s crew as they fly about Golarion!

Of course, this book had its own crew in the form of wonderful writers and designers who each brought a taste of the wild to the project and were sure to keep the writers’ room well supplied with animal gifs and links to nature documentaries. Get to know some of them below and feel free to shout out any bits you enjoy!

Light writer plate of crew upon returning from their journey, from official Zoetrope expedition logs. (Art by Ivan Koritarev)

Rigby Bendele (they/them)

When James pitched Howl of the Wild, I was immediately hooked! I want to bring a sense of embodiment to TTRPGs so that players and GMs have tools to understand what it might be like to live in a world so fantastic, so I was looking forward to focusing an Attenborourgh-style lens on Golarion’s natural world. While working on my sections—the athamaru ancestry, holdfast, some of the big game siege weapons, and the Warden of Caverns and Burrows—I hoped to make the world seem fantastical from its skies to its lowest depths. This book is going to be a great tool as I continue to run my own games and design adventures, and I can't wait to see how everyone uses it in their games.

Chris Bissette (he/they)

Hello! I'm Chris Bissette, a game designer from the UK. Writing for Pathfinder has been a dream of mine for over a decade at this point, and I'm delighted to have finally had the opportunity on Howl of the Wild. Monsters were my first love in RPGs and getting to put together the dischorans for this book was some of the most fun I've had writing games.

When I'm not writing for Pathfinder, I can usually be found working on my free and very imaginatively titled dungeon crawler A Dungeon Game. On socials, you can find me on Bluesky @loottheroom.bsky.social.

Jeremy Blum (he/him)

I wrote the ostilli host archetype for Howl of the Wild, the anti-behemoth weaponry (anybody catch the Godzilla reference in there?), and the decapod dinghy, which is basically Catbus as a giant crab. Contributing to this wonderful celebration of nature's finest offerings was a nice shift, as it immediately followed the work I did to redesign Linvarre for the Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide, which should now be in everyone’s hands. I've also penned some rad stuff for the Tian Xia Character Guide and have several unannounced Pathfinder contributions in the pipelines.

Outside of the Paizo sphere, my biggest project is Mappa Mundi: An Exploration + Ecology RPG for Three Sails Studios, a small three-man company based in the UK. It's a TTRPG about mapping the wilderness, studying monsters like a biologist instead of fighting them, and returning the art of storytelling to a voiceless world. Our recently released playtest could be used in conjunction with Howl of the Wild to run a gorgeous, monster-observing campaign that spans Golarion and beyond, since the themes are quite similar! Mappa Mundi's full release will crowdfund in 2025, so if you're interested, please follow me on Twitter and Bluesky for the latest news.

The ethereal rift chameleon (art by Adam Shafi) and the lithivorous stony bat (art by Maichol Quinto)

Brite Cheney (he/they)

Hey folks! I’m Brite (pronounced Bright), a TTRPG freelancer and prop maker. You might have seen my recent Pathfinder Quest, The Winter Queen’s Dollhouse, among other works. I had a blast writing a narrative section for Howl of the Wild and trying to capture Baranthet’s unique voice. He is so inquisitive and adventurous, yet simultaneously levelheaded. I hope you all enjoy meeting the crew of the Zoetrope and all the other wonders hidden in this book. I also hope your players “enjoy” the marp and its adorable gold-eating habits.

When not writing for or playing games, I make and sell hand-crafted props and accessories for TTRPG, cosplay, and LARP. You can find links to all my work, including where to contact me for custom commissions, at https://linktr.ee/mrgwillickers. I can also be found on Blue Sky, Mastodon, Instagram, Twitter, and all other socials @MrGWillickers.

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)

Hello, hello! I've been around the Paizo blog quite a bit this past year since joining the marketing team, but I'm super excited to be dropping myself into this blog—because Howl of the Wild is the first Pathfinder project I’ve ever written for! A thousand thanks to James Case for scooping me out of the river for this project and giving me an opportunity to work on Pathfinder. It's opened a number of doors for me, and I love getting to be a part of the game I love (and market, haha). For Howl, I worked on the hexmoth and the zoophonia muse, and I look forward to seeing what everyone does with the cool stuff in this book! Please feel free to @ me on socials about your Howl stuff. I want to see it!

Twitter: @ilananight13
Bsky: ilananight.bsky.app
Website: https://ilananight.space

Matthew Fu (he/him)

Hi everyone! I first wanted to say that it was a fantastic experience to be able to work on this project alongside so many other talented writers. Getting to see so much positive feedback on the creatures that I wrote (apothecary bee and hardhead mole) has already done numbers to lift my spirits, and seeing someone refer to my beastmaster feats as "swanky AF" really made my day. I wanted to give a quick shoutout to James Case and the rest of the Paizo team for having me on this project and allowing me to pour my heart and soul into this project. I can't wait to see what kind of characters my friends and the community at large come up with given the sheer quantity of high-quality work that can be found in this book.

Also, be sure to check out some of the other Pathfinder 2E material that I've written alongside other fantastic authors at Eldritch Osiris Games!

A centaur bard (art by Wilmar Ballespí Escarp) and a surki warrior (art by Ivan Koritarev)

Steve Hammond

Hello everyone! I'm Steve Hammond, and I wrote a few beast items, the tardigrades, and had the distinct pleasure of writing the surki ancestry! They are the first ancestry I've written, and my time working on them was really special. The response to them so far has been great, and I can't wait to see more of the characters you create with them!

I'm not really on social media these days, but I pop up in a few books here and there. Most recently, I worked on War of Immortals. Thank you all for your lovely words and praise for the book. Everyone on this team did incredible work, and I cannot wait to work with them again.

Dustin Knight (he/him)

Greetings, Pathfinders! I'm Dustin Knight, Starfinder developer and proud freelancer for the incredible tome of beasts and critters that lies before you! Working on the swarmkeeper archetype was a blast and fulfilled one of my long-time bucket-list entries of designing an insect-themed archetype. While I've yet to incorporate my own swarm of creepy-crawlies, I'm a big fan of bugs, especially bees! If you'd like to help your local pollinators, you can find resources such as Lawns to Legumes that can help turn your yard into a pollinator's paradise.

I also wrote some of the spells in Howl of the Wild, including antlion trap, summon stampede, and summon warden of the wild. You can catch me on dozens of different Paizo-adjacent Discord servers, including my own for Pathfinder Infinite creators and fans under the username KitsuneWarlock. You can also catch me at PaizoCon on the Paizo Events Discord where I'll be answering questions, posting memes, and participating in some panels! I'd love to answer as many of your questions as I can and hear about the insects you'll be using with your future swarmkeepers!

Christiana Lewis (she/her)

Greetings and salutations! This was my first ever TTRPG writing experience, and I’m so grateful to James Case and the whole team for their support. I had the unique privilege of writing up the Zoetrope’s design and seeing it be brought to life by the artists was an incredible experience I’ll never forget. Working with Paizo really set the standard for what I expect as a freelance writer. I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this special book.

I’m currently working on some other TTRPG projects, all of which will be announced in time on Twitter. You can find me at @carpechristi on all socials. In the meantime, I love streaming TTRPG Actual Plays with my friends (which, let’s be real, are just paid opportunities to flirt with each other), collecting special edition novels, and crocheting absurdly long scarves.

The spell-eating hexmoth and the spell-singing virtuosic lyrebird (art both by Vira Linevych)

Jonathan "Ryomasa" Mendoza (any)

Howdy! I'm Jonathan, and I wrote the rumindrol and the beast guns for Howl of the Wild! This book was my first experience writing for Pathfinder and Paizo in general, and I'm happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed the creative spirit and collaborative nature of working on this book alongside so many talented people! I hope you use the rumindrol to remind players who think nothing of stepping into the dark, forbidden places of the world that there is a reason we fear the unknown, and I hope that the beast guns help you attain the gunslingin', yeehawin', fantasy-anime-nonsense vibes so many of us enjoy. You can find me nerding out and/or yeehawing over on Twitter (I will never call it anything else) or reach out through my website.

Dave Nelson (he/they)

Dave Nelson is a queer and neurodivergent freelance writer and editor with multiple credits for Pathfinder. This time, he put his degree in Classics to work to bring you the minotaur ancestry and the bestiary section on hydras. They also spent hours throwing cat toys while writing the clawdancer archetype, and they watched nature videos of birds for the winged warrior archetype. He also managed to write a few new spells, like divine beasts and albatross’ curse.

You can find him lurking on Bluesky at @davicthegrey.bsky.social and an updated list of their credits at https://davicthegrey.carrd.co/.

Mikhail Rekun (he/him)

Здравствуйте, уважаемые читатели! My name is Mikhail Sergeyevich Rekun, and I’m a Russian-speaking Ukrainian-American historian, educator, and author. I’m also a Pathfinder author of long standing—if you’ve suffered at the hands of a kholo, been lost in the Dark Archive, or had to dodge a laser-bear, that is my fault. I regret nothing.

In this particular venture, I was responsible for writing the merfolk ancestry, the sky fisher, and the character of my beloved buggy protégé, Ten. The merfolk ancestry was a particularly interesting challenge—usually, the trick with ancestries is filling them out, but here, we had a veritable buffet of myth, legend, and pop culture to choose from. If you want to weep tears of pearl, lure sailors to their doom with your voice, or merely stroll down the harbor walk with your new pair of legs, Howl of the Wild has you covered.

And if you like the sky fisher, well, would you like to know where you can find even more horrific beasties? It just so happens that I am also the creative director for the Luminant Age Campaign Setting, and we have a small bestiary of vampire dogs and teleporting rats over at https://luminant-age.itch.io/. Check it out!

A merfolk fighter (art by Ivan Koritarev) and an awakened turtle kineticist (art by Damien Mammoliti)

Kai Revius (he/they)

Hello everyone! I’m Kai, and contributing to the Howl of the Wild team as a freelancer was my first foray into professional writing. I had a blast and hope to do it again in the future!

It was my joy and privilege to help bring Dr. Gulnara Pom to life, as well as provide some new animal companions, beast armor, and beast armaments. As a child, I was heavily influenced by Brian Jacques’ Redwall series and jumped at the opportunity to create my very own badger. As a Forever DM/GM, my approach for the items and animal companions was to provide players with interesting or surprising things that I would love to see at my own table. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing art of a giraffe in full barding or anything flying squirrel related! As far as items go, my favorite was a particularly stinky maul. I love when I can utilize a piece of equipment for roleplaying! The best place to find me is @KeenKoala on Twitter/X.

Simone D. Sallé (she/they)

Hi, fellow nature enthusiasts! I'm so excited for you all to tag along with Baranthet and the crew of the Zoetrope on their quest for the wardens of the wild. This has been my favorite book to work on so far, both as a writer and an edit lead, and I can't wait for everyone else to dive in (or burrow, if that's more your Speed). In addition to co-creating Baranthet with James, I got to write Baranthet's narrative introduction, conclusion, and the climactic chapter of the crew's adventure! I also upheld my contractual obligation to seed mushrooms into everything I do by way of the primal witch patrons. There are such fun new creatures, lore, and player options in this book, and I know I'm not the only one ready to build at least six new PCs.

I'm difficult to track down on social media these days, but you can always send notes to Almas University, c/o Baranthet Zamendi—he'll know where to find me.

Kendra Leigh Speedling (she/her)

Hello! I’m Kendra, frequent freelancer for Paizo (credits at klspeedling.com). For Howl of the Wild, I did the bio for Charikleia, the Techniques and Tricks story, the sharks (my favorite ocean creatures!), and the Warden of Peaks and Skies.

When writing, I had to decide the type of contest to choose the new warden. A sky race made sense for flying creatures, but I didn’t want it to be that straightforward. I thought about what qualities the wardens might value, and one that jumped out to me was the interconnection of the natural world; while nature can be harsh and unforgiving, nothing within it exists in isolation, and I felt the wardens would be mindful of that. Maybe the true test would be the candidates’ willingness to aid others and accept help in turn. I wondered if it was too trite, too saccharine. But I decided that if I often need the reminder that assistance isn’t cheating or failure, just a part of existence, well… maybe someone else might need that, too.

The storm’s rough out there. Help others fly if you can, and don’t begrudge yourself the need to shelter under someone else’s wing for a while.

The powerful ascendant griffon (art by Damien Mammoliti) and the shocking magnetic gecko (art by Maichol Quinto)

Kyle Tam

Hello everyone! I'm Kyle, a writer from the Philippines, and this is my first time writing for Paizo! For this book, I had the pleasure of introducing everyone to your favorite navigator, Lythea, and writing the thunder snake! I've written my own tabletop RPGs as well as writing for other people’s games, and I've also published my fair share of short stories, all of which you can find at https://whatkylewrites.carrd.co/.

I LOVE mermaids, so it is with absolute joy that I took on the task of bringing Lythea to life! She's basically the kind of character I'd love to play in a campaign of exploration, at one with the land, sea, and sky thanks to adaptive technologies giving her the best of all worlds. The thunder snake concept came to me by looking at electrical cords and adjustable lamps, watching the way coils and wires moved—so you can imagine it like a giant electrical plug!

Thank you so much for supporting Howl of the Wild!!!

Ruvaid Virk

Good day, friends! Ruvaid Virk, sometimes Paizo contributor, here. It's so wild that they keep letting me on these books, but I'm super grateful for it. First, I'd like to say how proud I am to have contributed to this cool book alongside other fantastic authors. Field biology was one of my favorite undergrad classes, and seeing this book come together has brought me an untold amount of joy. Only one thing could make this better for me, and that's if all of you would share your favorite parts of the book. Now, maybe you're wondering, "That's cool, Ruvaid, but what did you work on?"

Surprise, dear reader, for I have seeded a trail to answer that very question—one that can be found by tracing steps back through these sentences of mine.

That's right, it was the griffon section! Well, that, and some of the beast armaments and alchemical items.

I hope you guys enjoy this awesome book. There's a ton of cool things in here that I can't wait to play with for myself.

Should you want to know more about me or my works, you can follow me on the bird site at @Darth_Ruvaider or the sky site @darthruvaider.bsky.social. I've got plenty of exciting announcements to make this year, so stay tuned!

Andrew White (he/him)

Hello! I’m Andrew, Paizo’s digital products lead and contributor to such projects as Book of the Dead, Rage of Elements, and the first volume of an Adventure Path that just so happens to go great with all of the new character options you’ll find in Howl of the Wild! For this book, I had the amazing opportunity to write a bunch of weird new alchemical items, the ethereal wildlife section, six new dinosaurs, and the werecreature archetype. I absolutely loved working on this project, and I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the designers who not only gave me all these awesome assignments but who also let me put a devil T-Rex that shoots unholy fire beams out of its eyes into their nature book.

You can find me on Twitter and slightly-less-awful-Twitter at @plaguecontrol and @plaguecontrol.bsky.social respectively, and my freelancer portfolio at https://andrewwhite.carrd.co.

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Lastly, to celebrate Baranthet’s long journey to find the wardens of the wild, we leave you with a glimpse of their majesty, just beyond the spoiler text below:

[To gaze upon the wardens of the wild, click here]

The Warden of Caverns and Burrows & the Warden of Forests and Meadows (art by Mirco Paganessi)

The Warden of Oceans and Rivers & the Warden of Peaks and Skies (art by Mirco Paganessi)

That is all, dear readers!

Until another day,

James Case
Senior Designer

Guest Blog by Meredith Gerber (she/her) | DriveThruRPG Partner Relations Manager

The Infinite Masters Program with Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite is a group of skilled and incredibly creative individuals. Over the years, the Infinite Masters have provided some of the best-in-class titles to pair with your adventures.

“One of my greatest joys each month is getting to write a blog showcasing the top performing and newest releases on Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite. The Infinite creators have such amazing ideas, and I’m always looking forward to what they’re cooking up next.” –Rue Dickey (they/he/xe) | Marketing & Media Specialist

The Infinite Masters Program is currently by invitation only; DriveThru and Paizo take suggestions from the community about who would be great fits for the program. Infinite Masters offer support to one another, giving suggestions and constructive criticism, and fostering collaboration that has been part of our best sellers in recent years.

“Despite the vast amount of content for Pathfinder and Starfinder we generate at Paizo, our long production timelines and resource limitations mean that we can neither be as nimble or prolific as our community sometimes demands. Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite allow the community to meet their own demands for MOAR! and with much more responsive timelines. Seeing the professional and inspired creations of the Infinite community are a great joy, and provide an incredible amount of encouragement to all of us here at Paizo.” –Mark Moreland (he/him) | Director of Brand Strategy

There is no end to the Infinite community’s imagination; Masters continue to surprise us with every single release. The group has grown since its inception, with new creators invited every few months. They generate some of the coolest content to pair with your Pathfinder and Starfinder adventures and we’re grateful for not only their creativity, but their willingness to be so communicative and open about their hopes about the program.

While this is only a handful of Infinite Masters in this Infinite Masters Spotlight, we hope that you check out all the Infinite Masters and take their incredible releases with you on your next journey!

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Foam and Fortune: Adventures In Soap Scum Cove

“I enjoy writing for Pathfinder Infinite because it allows me to create intricate and immersive products with endless possibilities, engaging both players and GMs with rich storytelling experiences. Paizo's support and diverse products enable me to create varied narratives to explore wide ranging themes, energizing my creativity and passion for writing.” –Tom Robinson (he/him)

Player Core 1 Expanded

“Pathfinder Infinite is a place for me to share my love for the game we play, and its history, with others who might feel the same way. That leads to chances for great collabs like this, where we push each other to expand what it means to be part of a class” –Arkon (he/him)

Ruins of the Enigmatic

“The inclusivity of the Pathfinder Infinite community is a highlight when writing as a Pathfinder Master. Paizo offers a rich world of lore in which to base any campaign not only including Golarion, but the planes and even the gods themselves!” –Simon Hunter (he/him)

Godsrain Contingencies

“The Pathfinder Infinite program started at an interesting time in my life, proving people could enjoy what I wrote, helping with income during some financial straits, and getting on the ground floor of several burgeoning creatives. Writing can be lonely, so I love how we've tried to make a collaborative and uplifting space, and I'm going to continue to try and help—so any of you thinking about it, come in, the water’s fine, we want to support you! The Godsrain Contingencies were inspired by the Godsrain Prophecies released in the lead up to the War of Immortals. I already wished I could do something for the event but knew I had to wait for materials—but then this stellar story by Erin Roberts came out. Weekly I thought, just a little each week and somehow it ballooned into a two-month wild ride of 38 pages. I still can't wait to see what comes next.” –Heleve Savore (she/her)

Together with Elements Archetypes

“I like writing for Pathfinder Infinite because of the supportive community of authors and players. This community is what led to a collaborative project, Together with Elements Archetypes, where several writers have contributed archetypes to bring the power of the elements to all sorts of characters. Everyone's creative strengths shine with support from the community-based writing process that went into this title.” ­W. Brian Lane (he/him)

Combination Weapons Unleashed

“I really enjoy writing and creating content for Infinite since it lets me flex a lot of my creative muscles as I engage in the process of layout editing, drawing art assets for my work, and collaborating with others. Pathfinder 2e is such a huge game that there are tons of ideas just begging to be expanded upon and explored, which is what led me to make many of my products, especially Combination Weapons Unleashed. Opening up more ways to enjoy the game we all love in creatively fulfilling ways is why I continue to create!” –Conner Berkheiser (he/they)

Golarion Unseen: Ancestries

“Pathfinder Infinite gave me an opportunity to contribute to the lore that fascinates me and let others enjoy it as well. My work, Golarion Unseen: Ancestries, is my passion for these four Ancestries coming to the forefront for you all to see.” –John Holmes (he/him)

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We welcome anyone to come create within the Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite playground! Infinite Masters are not the only ones allowed to make releases! If you’re ever interested in designing for the program, check out our Get Started article and start making! We will see you on Infinite!

Hail and well met, Pathfinders! Paizo is proud to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI Month)—this May and every May!

A variety of characters from Pathfinder and Starfinder, featuring art by Roena Rosenberger, Raphael Madureira, Klaher Baklaher, Pixoloid Studios, Sammy Khalid, Alexander Nanitchkov, and Gunship Revolution (left to right)

Originally designated “Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week” in 1977, AANHPI Month was codified into the American calendar of holidays and heritage months in 1992. Each year, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) dedicates a new theme for AANHPI Month, giving a focal point to how we celebrate the contributions of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders. The theme of this year’s AANHPI Month is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation.”

According to the FAPAC press release, this theme “pays homage to the visionaries and trailblazers who have shaped our AANHPI history and continue to influence our collective future.” Anyone can help uplift these current and future leaders by supporting organizations that foster AANHPI creatives, support AANHPI mental health, and provide opportunities to AANHPI youth. The following list is non-exhaustive, but a good start for people looking to volunteer or donate:

• Stop AAPI Hate
• Asian Mental Health Collective
• National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
• Asian American Arts Alliance
• Empowering Pacific Islander Communities

This year, we at Paizo would like to take a moment to spotlight some phenomenal AANHPI creators, reviewers, and streamers in the Paizo sphere! For starters, we’re proud to be sponsoring an all-AANHPI cast stream of Mountain of Sea and Sky, showcasing character options from the upcoming Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide! Catch the stream Saturday, May 25 at 6 p.m. Pacific time on twitch.tv/stellaluna!

Looking for more AANHPI creatives in the TTRPG space to follow? Here’s some community recommendations!

• The Rules Lawyer
• The Gallant Goblin
• Goblets & Gays
• The Atomless
• Unwavering Force
• Asians Represent
• Tablestory - Gatewalkers

A hearty thank-you from all of us here at Paizo to the wonderful AANHPI creatives, players, and community members that help make our worlds brighter and better!

In Solidarity,
Rue Dickey
Marketing & Media Specialist

Hello everyone,
James, Eleanor, and Ianara here, your leads for the Tian Xia project. As of yesterday, the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide is officially out! This is a region of our setting that we know many of you (not to mention us at Paizo as well!) have been looking forward to for some time, and it’s great to be able to share this look into the continent with you. Tian Xia takes inspiration from Asian fantasy and folklore, and we knew that we wouldn’t be able to bring this vast range of stories to life without an all-star team of writers and designers, many of whom also worked on the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide, which releases in August. Get to know some of them below!

James Case
Senior Designer

Eleanor Ferron
Senior Developer

Ianara Natividad
Senior Editor

Eren Ahn (they/them primarily)

안녕하세요, 여러분! My name is Eren, and I had the incredibly fun opportunity to refresh Daikitsu and Lao Shu Po for the Tian Xia World Guide as well as contributing some lore around the mystical imugi. As someone who loves exploring the relationship between mortality and divinity, it was an absolute dream to have the opportunity to expand on Tian Xia's pantheon. I hope you all fall as deeply in love with the Lady of Foxes and Old Rat Woman as I did while writing them.

You can find me sporadically talking about my writing on Bluesky (by the time you're reading this, I'll have posted more detailed threads on my contributions for this book, if you're interested in reading about my process) and talking about everything else on Twitter. You will also see me in a couple of months for the Tian Xia Character Guide!

Alyx Bui

Hear ye, hear ye! Here come the imperial dragons of Tian Xia! I had the pleasure of crafting and writing on the Imperial Dragons and the peoples and land of Zi Ha! This was a massive collaboration between so many talented writers and artists—Basheer Ghouse to place Arindham, a forest dragon within the Valashmai Jungle, with Jay Zhang to place Luong Phung, a sea dragon within Xidao, with Jacky Leung to place Shen Ra, a sky dragon within Po Li, with Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen to place a sovereign dragon, Pham Duc Quan within Xa Hoi, and Grady Wang to place an underworld dragon, Zhu Long, within Chu Ye.

For Zi Ha, it was brilliant to connect with Kienna Shaw, as we placed the samsaran peoples and their origins in this magical land. We wanted to make sure that we inserted a non-colonial view of this world. I wanted joy and wonder to come out of these harsh, wintery lands—from bioluminescent fungi and large, carnivorous plant hunting to festivals that honor the mountain peaks, dragon cycles, and the long day and night phases. Enjoy the epic lore of Shei Long, a Sky Dragon, and the moon deity Tsukiyo! Continue the conversation with me on X (Twitter) @daredevilalyx!

Two rulers of Tian Xia, Empress Amatatsu Ameiko of Minkai (art by Gunship Revolution) and Empress Nai Yan Fei of Goka (art by Vira Linevych)

Banana Chan (she/they/he)

I'm Banana and I wrote a bunch of stuff for Tian Xia, but what I need EVERYONE to know about is the Great Flood, based on the creature Xiangliu. It's one of my favorite mythical creatures because of how silly it looks in drawings, but if you could see it in real life, it would probably be a body horror disaster. It has the body of a giant snake or eel with nine human heads attached to it. I'd been wanting to write about the Xiangliu for the longest time, so I'm extremely grateful that Paizo gave me that opportunity.

Connie Chang (they/he/she)

Hey there! I'm Connie Chang, and I wrote Quain, a location full of wuxia fantasies, grandmasters, and cultivation! As a queer and trans diasporic Chinese person, I'm a huge fan of the wuxia and xianxia genres as a way to explore historical fantasy beyond western imaginations—so of course I jumped at the chance to help create something with Paizo. I'm especially interested in seeing the stories that will bloom from centuries-old, deeply complicated rivalries between grandmasters!

Social media: Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch

The exuberant pixiu (art by Gunship Revolution) and the monstrous Great Flood (art by Mylene Bertrand)

Hiromi Cota (they/them)

Hai tai! Wanne Hiromi yaibiin! Hi! I’m Hiromi! For folks unfamiliar with me, I’ve worked on over a hundred books and games, usually as a writer or game designer. I’m excited to have worked with Paizo, as I’ve wanted to for years. I’m even more excited to say that I also got to work on the Tian Xia Character Guide and pen the tie-in fiction The Matsuri! Hopefully, I’ll have more opportunities to work with Paizo in the future. If I do, you’ll find out about them from my Bluesky account @hiromicota!

For the Tian Xia World Guide, I worked on Kwanlai. I had fun providing an in-world explanation as to why Kwanlai is principally populated by tengu (a Japanese creature) but has a Chinese name. The answer, in short, is colonialism. In real life, Japan colonized Uchinaa and foisted the exonym “Okinawa” upon my people. So, it was natural for me to depict the Lung Wa conquering the nation of Ootoya and foisting the exonym “Kwanlai” on the Ootoyans. Another fun tidbit in the writeup is takoyaki (battered and fried octopus) becoming a popular snack due to Wanshou (a nation ruled by a kraken) attacking Kwanlai.

Dana Ebert (she/her)

Dana Ebert (nonchalant female human writer) is a common author to find credited in Pathfinder publications, and the Tian Xia World Guide is no exception. Known for fanciful and often extravagant prose, her work reimagining Minata is most evident in phrases like "swallowing dragons like krill" and "churned the sea like a mortar and pestle." In addition to authoring the chapter on Minata, she contributed substantial Minata-adjacent content to the Tian Xia Character Guide. When she's not writing for Pathfinder, Dana is a full-time content creator at TPK Brewing Co., a tabletop roleplaying-themed brewery she co-owns in Portland, Oregon.

The sorrowful dragon Luong Phung (art by Gunship Revolution) and the draconic emperor Pham Duc Quan (art by Gunship Revolution)

John Godek III (he/him)

Hi! I’m John, a mixed-race Filipino American gamer, gamemaster, freelancer, and podcaster. For the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide I wrote the Oceans of Tian Xia as well as several new Tian ships, along with Yamatsumi the mountain god and General Susumu. I was very excited to work on these as I spent my early childhood in Hawai'i and Philippines, and later sailed the seven seas as I started my career.

As a freelance game designer, I’ve written mostly for Paizo but also some for Evil Robot Games and Legendary Games. As a gamemaster, I earned my 5th Nova in 2021 and have volunteered at dozens of gaming conventions. As a podcaster, I produce three podcasts on the Know Direction Network: Digital Divination, with Paizo Senior Designer Jason Keeley and D&D Designer Ron Lundeen; Intrepid Heroes, an RPG actual play where we just completed the Devastation Ark AP and soon begin a Scum and Villainy adventure run by Jason Keeley; and Presenting - Gamers Making Games, a podcast where I have interviewed over 100 game designers, developers, artists, and editors. In addition, I am also GMing a Fists of the Ruby Phoenix campaign and playing Outlaws of Alkenstar and Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse. In my non-gaming life, I am a university professor teaching entrepreneurship and social venture creation in the Seattle area.

You can reach me on Twitter @JohnGodekIII and find my podcasts at https://knowdirectionpodcast.com/ or on YouTube.

Daniel Kwan (he/him)

Hello! My name's Daniel! I'm the co-host of the Asians Represent Podcast and am a freelance game designer and cultural consultant with over 40 games credits! The Tian Xia World Guide is my second Paizo contribution and certainly the one I'm most excited about. I had a blast bringing my love of weapons, horror, and mythology to life for the project. It is such an honor to be part of such a diverse team of Asian creatives who have worked so hard to bring life to Tian Xia! Fun fact, some of my fellow freelancers and I started a home game to test out many of our contributions during the development period!

Twitter: @danielhkwan Website: https://danielhkwan.carrd.co/

Two of Tian Xia’s deities, the goddess of liminal spaces, Lady Jingxi (art by Carl Springer), and the lovers-turned-rivals Mugura and Nrithu (art by Carl Springer)

Jacky Leung (he/they)

Hey, everyone! I'm Jacky Leung, and it's been a while since I worked freelance for Paizo. Tian Xia was an amazing experience to revisit as a player and a creator. I had the pleasure of writing for Po Li and expanding life in a country ruled by the theologic elite and how people governed by oracles thrive despite its previously sheltered portrayal in earlier works. I had the opportunity to provide faces to the extremely secretive Oracular Council that governs Po Li, introduce the equally secretive Lapis Watchers, and expand new iconic locations for players to explore such as Tuotuo, the Enlightened City—a historical education center containing special archives housing racks of prophecies and oracular writings. Beyond the nostalgic glamor lies also the Emperor's Footprint, a site rumored to contain mystical properties, a supposed asteroid, and stunning panoramic beauty—just highly dangerous and full of monsters, I'm sure it's fine. I hope folx gets to experience the social and political dissonance that awaits them when adventuring through Po Li; it was a fantastic challenge.

You can find me on Twitter/X under @deathbymage and Bluesky under deathbymage.bsky.social. You can find my website and portfolio here: https://deathbymage.carrd.co/.

Jessie "Aki" Lo (she/her)

I'm a freelance writer, artist, GM, producer, editor, and TTRPG performer who just can't say no. Tian Xia was my first big Paizo gig, but if you want to see more of my little grabby hands making a gorgeous mess of Pathfinder 2e, you should check out my podcast! Goblets and Gays is an award-winning, Pathfinder 2e Actual Play podcast. With our first campaign "Blood of Kings" wrapped up, we're in the middle of releasing our second campaign "Tyrant of the Dark Star". ToDS is a grim dark Pathfinder 2e Remastered actual play set in the gothic-horror homebrew world of Noxlight.

Goblets and Gays Twitter and Podlink

A woman demonstrating the technology of ancient Yjae (art by Alexander Nanitchkov) and a member of the seafaring Nisama people (art by Riley Spalding)

Adam Ma (he/him)

Hello friends! I'm so excited for you all to sink into this beautiful world. For many of you it will be a marvelous opportunity to immerse yourself in a land rich with cultures perhaps outside your own. I'm right there with you. This was my first contribution to Pathfinder's rich world, and I never expected to go so deep into exploring my own culture and heritage through the lens of Wanshou's horror and paranoia. Just remember, if anything bad happens to your party while exploring this flooded land, it's definitely not a coincidence and probably your party member's fault. You know which one I'm talking about.

I work on all kinds of TTRPG content, so if you're into grand adventure with a bit of horror, then we'll get along great! If you're a fan of my contribution to Tian Xia and want to follow my other work you can find me on Bsky and Twitter as 34thGingerbread - or you can visit my website: https://www.adam34th.com/

Tan Shao Han

Hi! I'm Tan Shao Han / 陈绍涵 (family name Tan/Chen, 陈; generational name, Shao 绍; personal name, Han 涵), a TTRPG creator, lecturer, and cultural consultant from Singapore, Southeast Asia. I'm proudly part of the RPGSEA TTRPG design movement based in Southeast Asia! I grew up a steady diet on wuxia media (movies, books, TV series, manhua), and am happy to re-imagine and create settings (the histories, lands, and peoples of Goka and Songbai) in the Tian Xia World Guide to inspire the telling of new wuxia-influenced stories in your Pathfinder games! It has been an absolute privilege to work on the Tian Xia books, alongside great colleagues and supervisors whom I now have the pleasure to call my friends.

Outside of freelancing with Paizo, I also run an indie TTRPG company, Curious Chimeras. If you're interested in more of my takes on Chinese fantasy, check out my recent indie games: Swordfarer, a wuxia journaling game of jianghu melancholia and friendships and Shrine, a xianxia storytelling game of karma, despair, and reincarnation. To find out more about the other amazing TTRPGs and creators from Southeast Asia, please check out https://across-rpgsea.com/ as well!

Urakadussi, the High Matriarch of Xidao (art by Sammy Khalid), and Zhanagorr, Divine Savior of Wanshou (art by Nicholas Phillips)

Ruvaid Virk (he/him)

Hello, y’all! Ruvaid here. You may have seen my name in previous Paizo books such as Dark Archive, Impossible Lands, and Rage of Elements. For the Tian Xia World Guide, I wrote the entry for the nation of Hongal. I have a deep appreciation for Mongolian culture from which Hongal draws inspiration, and I endeavored to bring as much respect to my words as possible. I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading about Hongal as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

If you’re looking for a South Asian/Muslim freelancer for your next project, or should you simply wish to perceive me, you can find me on Twitter @Darth_Ruvaider, or the other one @darthruvaider.bsky.social. Until next time, and happy Pathfinding!

Grady Wang (he/him)

Howdy, I'm Grady and my work on Chu Ye in the World Guide was my first-ever assignment for Paizo! I'm so excited that it's finally out! This nation has incredible potential for grand stories, from its historical contributions to medicinal knowledge to the present-day four-way clash between its greedy oni ruling class, a scrappy humanoid rebellion, an underworld dragon out for revenge, and a jealous god. I was also thrilled to be able to draw upon my Chinese and Taiwanese heritages to expand Chu Ye’s culture and its experiences under occupation.

My next contribution will be in the Character Guide coming later this year, which contains Tian Xia’s unique takes on medicine. You can also find me online at The Gallant Goblin where my partner and I review TTRPG products on https://www.youtube.com/thegallantgoblin, sell kobold plushies at heroplush.com, and produce expanded content for Pathfinder at https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/, where we just released the first community print-on-demand product, Adventures in Jalmeray, which is an anthology of three adventures set in Jalmeray (Lost Omens: Impossible Lands) designed by an all-Desi team of writers!

A member of the spellcasting dovlokhuud (art by Vira Linevych) and a magical student of Tang Mai (art by Carl Springer)

Hey! It’s your fledgling and greenhorn Rulelord Pete here. If there’s three things to know about me, they’re that I am a consummate GM, I think the next iconic should be a shoony, and I want people to try new games! However, it’s not always that easy. Branching out in our collective hobby requires many people to commit time, money, and energy to sit at a table and engage with unfamiliar rules. There are many who might want to try something new but aren’t able to because they can’t find anyone to play with. If this sounds like you, then there’s hope.

The mods at r/Pathfinder2e saw a need to help bring Pathfinder to new players, and thus Beginner Box Days were born! This year, events will be running between April 13th and April 21st. Using the power of the internet, we have been able to connect new players hungry to try Pathfinder Second Edition with experienced GMs. So, how can you get involved?

RUN A GAME! GMs can register their game at RPGChronicles.net using event code 2716006. Once you set up events for both the Upper and Lower levels, players will be able to join your game starting TODAY! You can run games in your local time zone or even in a non-English language to help introduce the next generation of Pathfinder players to the game. Just make sure to get a Beginner Box module version for your VTT of choice or request a FREE PDF copy from Paizo through our form at BeginPF2.com.

PLAY A GAME! Starting TODAY players can register themselves for both levels of Paizo’s remastered Beginner Box adventure: Menace under Otari! Each level is designed to slowly introduce the player to important aspects of the game, from combat to skills to puzzles! The Upper Level is the starter level, where you’ll investigate Tamily Tanderveil’s basement to investigate who (or what) is stealing her fish. This level is best for people who are brand new to playing Pathfinder or any TTRPG. The Lower level introduces more challenges as you begin to uncover the menace under the logging town of Otari, putting your new skills to the ultimate test! Players can play one level, or both, by finding a slot that matches their availability and signing up on BeginPF2.com.

EARN SOCIETY CREDIT! Both GMs and players can earn society credit that you can use on your first official character. The Beginner Box is played in Adventure Mode so you can try any class or ancestry that your GM will allow, or play any of Paizo’s remastered pregenerated characters if you just want to get rolling! To earn society credit, simply add your Paizo Organized Play number on RPGChronicles when you create or sign up to a game. We will be reporting all sessions, but it is not necessary to join Pathfinder Society to participate in Beginner Box Days.

Paizo has also given us a stack of vouchers we’ll be raffling off to players and GMs, which we’ll distribute after all games are reported. Also, Rise of the Rulelords podcast and Team + Publishing are giving away 3 physical remastered Beginner Boxes, and Team + will be raffling away bundles of their best-selling class expansions! So don’t wait! Begin your next adventure, or help someone start their own at BeginPF2.com!

Guest Blog From:

Rulelord Pete
Beginner Box Days Organizer

We’ve mentioned before that every now and then, someone makes a typo and realizes that they’ve accidentally created a pun or joke so bad that they must immediately drop it into their team’s work chat, triggering a wave of snickering when we were in office, and now a wave of reaction gifs via the office chat. We’ve even statted them up for previous April Fools’ Day posts.

It’s been so fun that I’ve started stashing anything I’ve deemed April Fools–worthy, to the point where if someone else deems it worthy of The List, I’m summoned to add it immediately. Around a month ago, I added to the goblins’ ever-full dance cards by releasing The List into the wilds of the Paizo Chat. So with a year’s worth of out-of-context inspiration, the goblins responded to me with this year’s foolish wonders!

Maryssa Mari
Web Content Manager

Wordsmith

With every strike of a wordsmith’s hammer, a new onomatopoeia is formed. They swiftly grab the word as it flies off the anvil before nailing it to the pages of our favorite comics. POW! WHAM! SPLAT! The hammer crafts each and every sound. The humble wordsmith is often overlooked by their artisan peers, whose pictures are the primary focus of readers. However, many don’t realize that while pictures can be sent to the printing press, sounds are not captured so easily on the page and must be hammered into place by a skilled wordsmith.

While most wordsmiths are content to forge their words out of sight of the public, they are fierce defenders of their work and are quick to fight anyone who belittles it. They know the pen is mightier than the sword, but the hammer is mightiest of all, and they use it mercilessly to SMASH! through their foes.

Though many wordsmiths are dwarves, they come from all kinds of backgrounds, each bringing their own unique sounds and noises from their culture. Tengu wordsmiths particularly favor onomatopoeias similar to bird calls like cawfor crows or okalee for red-winged blackbirds. Meanwhile, leshy wordsmiths favor sounds inaudible to most non-plant creatures, such as the tr-tr-tr that reflects the sound of a plant growing.

Wordsmith Creature — 4

Medium, Dwarf, Humanoid
Perception +10; hearing (precise) 60 feet
Languages Common, Dwarven; truespeech
Skills Athletics +10, Crafting +14, Occultism +10, Scribing Lore +12
Str +4, Dex +3, Con +4, Int +6, Wis +2, Cha +2

Items anvil and hammer (sterling artisans’ toolkit)
AC 19; Fort +13, Ref +8, Will +11
HP 70; Resistances sonic 7

HP 70; Resistances sonic 7
Word Warp [reaction] (auditory, occult) Trigger The wordsmith is the target of a linguistic effect; Effect The wordsmith twists the words and attempts to counter their foe’s utterances with their hammer (counteract +16, 3rd rank).
Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] hammer +14 (forceful, occult, sonic), Damage 2d6+4 bludgeoning damage plus 1d6 sonic plus forge onomatopoeia

Ranged [one-action] TWANG! +13 (range 60 feet, occult, sonic), Damage 2d4+4 sonic damage

Occult Innate Spells DC 24, attack +14; 2ndnoise blast, ventriloquism (at will); 1stcommand; Cantrips(2nd)figment, message; Constant(5th)truespeech

Forge Onomatopoeia (occult, visual) The wordsmith slams their hammer against a creature, creating a visual onomatopoeia like CRACK! or SMASH! that flies off at the site of impact. The target of the strike must attempt a DC 24 Will save.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature is stupefied 1 for 1 round.
Failure The creature is stupefied 1 for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The creature is stupefied 2 and gains weakness 1 to sonic damage for 1 minute.

Mightier than the Sword (occult) Any hammer gains the forceful trait, can’t be disarmed, and becomes a +1 striking hammer while the Wordsmith wields it.

By Felix Dritz
Editor

---

Moowhip

Disarm, Finesse, Grazing, Professional (Cook), Reach, Tech
Price 10 credits; Damage 1d4 S; Bulk 1
Hands 1
Type Melee; Category Advanced; Group Flail

Moowhip: The self-replicating nanites in this handheld weapon can use the kinetic energy of your swings to turn air into interwoven monofilament sharp cheddar cheese fibers capable of cutting through any enemy or any hunger.

Grazing: If you Strike with this weapon and your next action is to use an ingested consumable or Interact with the weapon to eat some of the generated food, restore 1 Hit Point per weapon damage die.

Professional: A weapon with this trait can be used as a tool for the listed skill. Add the weapon’s item bonus to attack rolls as an item bonus to skill checks using the listed skill. Your proficiency with this weapon is equal to your proficiency with the listed skill (up to your proficiency in simple weapons).

By Dustin Knight
Starfinder Developer

---

Chain Letters of Golarion

Armiger Khelum,
If this letter comes across my desk one more time, I’ll be reporting you to Lictor Stought. I understand the fear one carries when confronted with the possibility of hags, but I can reassure you that the Bloddey Glass Hag is not one to fear because she does not exist.

“You are now cursed!! You must copy this letter and send it on or you will be killed!!! In a fortnight at twilight the Bloddey Glass Hag will crawl out from under your mattress! This isn’t a joke! She will stab your chest and pull out your eyeballs with a fork and if you don’t have eyeballs she will pull out your liver and if you don’t have a liver she will pull off your skin and use it to make a newe dress! And then she’ll take your corpse and she’ll stuff it under your bed or she’ll put you in the closet! What will your Maralictor tell your family??? It won’t be funny then! Send this letter to ten other Hellknights to break the curse! Remember, the Bloddey Glass Hag is watching you sleep!!!”

This is ridiculous, armiger.

I’ve sent copies of this to my fellow Paralictors, the Master of Blades, the Maralictors, and the Paravicar of our Order, just so they also have copies of this... ghost story of yours. I don’t want to see it again.

Signed,
Paralictor Shudi Osra

---

Kreighton,
Never let it be said that I’m not grateful for the random bits and bobs that you’re able to submit to the archive that tell us more about pre–Age of Darkness Kyonin. But this one does seem a little... strange. Perhaps you could provide more context?

— Gorm

“I was dining with my youngest child at the Viridian Crystal, and we had the most wonderful little cakes. I asked the chef’s familiar if we might have the recipe and the little jay twittered and said that while he couldn’t give away the lady’s recipe, I would be able to purchase it. Of course, being quite sensible I requested the price and was told ‘two pieces.’ This seemed very reasonable, so I accepted, and I was told it would be added to my bill.

The next day, I was going through my letters and found my bill from the Crystal, and I was being charged two platinum, 32 silver. Of course, 20 silver for dinner, 12 silver for the lovely crystal tiara I purchased for my child, but apparently the two platinum were for the recipe for the little cakes! Well, I threatened to take this up with the Edasseril family, only to be told that I could put the recipe wherever I wanted, so here I am. I’m sharing this recipe with everyone I know and hoping that they’ll send it to everyone they know, and I hope that Chef Avie Vandlade enjoys her comeuppance!

Viridian Crystal Cakes

• 1 and a quarter cups flour, weighed
• Three-fourths cup and two tablespoons fine white sugar
• Three-fourths teaspoon baking powder
• One-fourth teaspoon baking soda
• One-fourth teaspoon salt
• Six tablespoons unsalted butter, soft
• Two tablespoons oil (vegetable)
• One whole egg and one egg yolk, at room temperature
• One and one-half teaspoons vanilla
• One-half teaspoon butter flavor
• One-half cup soured cream, room temperature

Activate your fire elemental and put your oven at cake temperature. Well grease a half-foot round pan.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt gently in a medium bowl. Add softened butter and oil and mix until it looks like delicate sand.

In a small bowl, combine egg, yolk, vanilla, butter flavor, and soured cream. In batches of three, add the wet to the dry and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl for any pockets of dry goods and make sure everything is fully combined. Once all thirds are in, beat for another half-minute until fully incorporated.

Pour into round pan, bake for around 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes clean. Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cut into small circles or squares. Top with chocolate frosting.”

Dearest Gorm,
Yes, of course, I realize this letter was slightly obtuse. Cake temperature is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
With care,
Kreighton

---

Do YOU want to be RICHER than ABADAR? Do YOU want to be PRETTIER than SHELYN? Do YOU want to be STRONGER than KURGESS?

Send my letter to your TEN CLOSEST FRIENDS and YOU will receive the BLESSINGS OF THE GODS!

If you THROW THIS LETTER OUT then YOU will find NORGORBER in YOUR HOME in ONE WEEK!

By Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

The Whispering Tyrant awaits… Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors has officially launched into Steam Early Access! Developed by BKOM Studios in partnership with Paizo, this roguelite bullet hell survivor game allows you to experience the renowned world of Golarion through a whole new lens. Arm-in-arm with a trusted ally, delve into Gallowspire and confront the legendary villain Tar-Baphon!

As it exits Early Access, Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors introduces a host of highly requested features from the community, as well as UI improvements, overall gameplay balancing, and Steam Deck compatibility. Players may now brave the depths of Gallowspire with a friend in both local co-op and Steam Remote Play. Escape incoming damage in a blink of an eye with the all-new dash mechanic, and gain run-deciding buffs with a strategic sip from the potion belt. With the addition of dedicated chapters, faster character progression, hyper mode, and new Pathfinder collectible cards with official artworks that provide permanent upgrades, every attempt towards sealing away the disgraced lich-emperor brings great reward.

Within the depths of Gallowspire lies the disgraced mythic lich Tar-Baphon, one of Pathfinder’s most ancient and powerful villains. While sealed away beneath his ancient seat of power, he has been deftly plotting his grand return. As the magic that contains him begins to fail, three fearless heroes will rise to the occasion, tasked with venturing into Gallowspire's depths to defeat Tar-Baphon and repair the wards that seal him away.

Step into the role as one of three daring heroes and battle through the horrors of Gallowspire. The Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue all come with their own strengths and talents that will aid them in their efforts against Tar-Baphon. Choose an ally to fight alongside you as you slay hordes of Tar-Baphon’s undead minions, collect and upgrade your arsenal of spells and weapons, and extinguish Gallowspire’s callous bosses. There will be many failures throughout your journey, but aided by an ancient medallion, the heroes can escape death and grow stronger with each attempt.

Prepare to face Gallowspire's hordes for as long as it takes…Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors launches on April 4th. Brave heroes can buy Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors on Steam in Early Access today, or try the demo, as they await the Whispering Tyrant’s return. Wishlist and follow the game on Steam to get notified of the launch. Keep up to date with all the information by joining the official Discord server, Facebook page and following BKOM Studios on X.

Features:

• Choose your class: Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue—each featuring unique talents, powers, and playstyles.
• Invite a friend to take over one of your heroes, to act as your companion. Even if you are playing solo, your companion always follows you into battle. Your companions will be as powerful as you have grown them to be!
• Run the gauntlet of Gallowspire! Delve into battle and overcome all four sections and their bosses to mark a successful run.
• Multiple Gameplay mechanics: dash, potion belt, aiming, unique feats for each character, and much more.
• Defeat enemies and collect their essence to obtain and upgrade your powers during the run.
• Earn experience to level up your heroes, and spend talent points to permanently enhance and customize their powers based on Pathfinder 2nd edition mechanics.
• Collect cards showcasing official Pathfinder art to unlock permanent upgrades for all your heroes.
• Complete quests, engage in challenging boss fights, and battle the Whispering Tyrant himself.
• Customize your challenge level across 5 tiers of difficulty. The quest to contain Tar-Baphon is endless!

The Deep Levels!
We’ve delved a lot of dungeons throughout Order of the Amber Die’s history. We’ve delved a few megadungeons too. There is this cool thing that happens when you pass the two-thirds mark of a megadungeon; in 2014, it happened when we reached the eleventh level of The Emerald Spire. In our earlier years, it happened when we reached the third poster map of the Ruins of Undermountain. It happened again during this marathon, when we landed on the eighth level of the Abomination Vaults. You’re close to the end. You can feel the immensity of the megadungeon above you, instead of below you. Barring teleportation, it takes longer and longer each time you trek back up to the surface. Everything is a bit more serious—the pressure to succeed is greater. You’re in what we call “the deep levels” of a megadungeon. Just reaching the deep levels is enough for hand-slaps and hugs around the table, but in the back of your mind is what awaits at the bottom.

To reach the deep levels of the Vaults, we first had to get past some devils who ran the prison level. Quite a few of them actually, but as devils go, one was more important than the rest. Determined to reach the bottom of this megadungeon and stop Belcorra, we cut a deal…with the devil. This is Order of the Amber Die and we’re playing the Black Powder Cadre, so one deal wasn’t nearly enough. We cut DEALS with devils. You can’t hand our GM a whole section of the Adventure Toolbox titled “Infernal Contracts,” without expecting him to entice us into nearly every contract available. Yet, when Adam asked our party of gunslingers if we had Legal Lore, you’d think the answer would be nothing short of silence and smirks. Instead, our Player Captain argued two marathons ago that every human gunslinger in the group should take Clever Improviser, which Matt said was one of the best feats in Pathfinder 2E. Legal Lore, you say? Why, we seem to have a party of outlaws and aspiring attorneys here!

If you need to get caught up, here is our story from the other levels of the Abomination Vaults:

• Introduction
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

This marathon saw a couple of gunslinger cameos as additions to the Black Powder Cadre. Grundak, “son of Bashdak,” is an orc gunfighter who joined us with his Barricade Buster from Pathfinder Treasure Vault. It’s worth adding that the clip on the Barricade Buster was impressive; the rest of us were busy reloading while the rookie was plugging away. We were also accompanied by a new companion from Pathfinder Lost Omens Impossible Lands, following the Way of the Triggerbrand and offering some potential melee backup. Our final cameo was from Auralee, playing the cocky yet enigmatic “Lady Sniper,” who likes to wait a while before unslinging her arquebus and quick-scoping a kill.

• Adventure: Hands of the Devil/Eyes of Empty Death
• Marathon Length: 59 hours
• Session Hours: 40hrs, 30min

Every marathon feels different, and for this one we played our hours on level seven under the red light, which made for some serious immersion. We spent most of our three-day weekend trying to locate fragments of a pentagram that would allow us access to the levels below—along with permission from Urevian, a phistophilus. Tess Rajani, wife of Carman Rajani (the future mayor of Otari), signed away her firstborn in what she swore was a deal that outwitted even a contract devil. To make this moment even more intense, Adam laid an actual contract in front of Theodora to sign!

Highlights from Marathon 5:

□ Some of the devils in this megadungeon wield wicked Hellforged weapons. On level seven we found the Hellforge itself, then riddled its smith with bullets. Did you think we’d pass up a new forge, when one of us is married to the most famous blacksmith on this side of Kortos? “The Rajani Hellforge” is now operational, and ready to give Carman the boost to his reputation he’ll need in the next run for mayor! Should we mention our ownership of the Hellforge was part of the deal we signed?

□ Just like the levels above, we encountered more bearded devils on level seven. It could be something that every group experiences while playing the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path, but sustaining an infernal wound from a barbazu is definitely a rite of passage in the Black Powder Cadre. Thanks to PathfinderGuns & Gears, Cauterize effectively shuts down the worry of dying from one of these wounds, and it leaves a nice scar – we like to show them off.

□ We came across a gug that wanted nothing to do with us. Out-of-game, our vets have something personal against gugs. We faced them in The Emerald Spire Project, The Giantslayer Endeavor, and The Strange Aeons Experiment. Now one was right in front of us, sitting quietly in some kind of prison cell. We made a firing line and let the powder fly— only to be served once again by the power of a gug, regardless of what Pathfinder edition we’re in! Across the team, its Furious Claws ability spread out 207 damage in a single round with a few critical hits in there. The ground was littered with facedown gunslingers, and it’s the closest we’ve been to TPK.

□ We stumbled across one of the most memorable chambers of the entire Abomination Vaults so far: a stasis prison, holding an array of nasty creatures that formed a threat level high enough to cause the Core Rulebook to combust. Luckily, it wasn’t the prison that opposed us, but its witchfire warden. Our guns have names, and it was Vlai’s scattergun called “Collateral” that lit up the air like flak. Keep flying lady, you’re easier to hit.

□ One of the things we love about delving a megadungeon is how you get to make a different entrance onto each level, and level eight was hard to beat. We descended on an elevator into a large cavern filled with water, docks, and a few boats. Cypress Hill prepped the scene with “Cock the Hammer” as we spotted forms moving below – undead forms to be precise. One ran for a door and only made it to the handle. Another tried to launch a skiff and never had a chance. We dumped lead on them until the shouts of “cease fire!” echoed off the walls.

Character Deaths

□ With the assistance of devils, kind of dying doesn’t count. It’s all in the fine print.

The Arsenal

There were the occasional doubters when we started this all-gunslingers project. After reaching level eight of the Abomination Vaults, it’s about time to take some credit for just how well this party has handled the majority of what this megadungeon has presented. Let’s be clearer: we’ve just downright trashed a lot of encounters. First off, each gunslinger’s Initial Deed means that many of us start combat with hands free, which means on round one we can draw silversheen, a redpitch bomb, or even grab an edge if we need to. Do you think it’s a ghost? Have our Way of the Drifter draw her ghost touch shortsword. Oh, it a levitating seugathi? Pull! A hulking bone gladiator with resistance? Rocked it with concussive weapon traits. Creatures that climb walls? Just lead them a bit. Fearsome gibbering mouthers? Here’s some extra bludgeoning damage from the harmona gun. Mobs that rush you? That’s what hip-firing with Risky Reload is for. Just make sure to act out blowing on the tip of your barrel after the last shot is fired.

Best Quote from Marathon 5

(staring down a denizen of Leng and his companion—a giant crawling hand)
Zoric: “We should try talking to this guy.”
Tess: “Can’t talk to the hand…”

Current Situation

We disembarked from the elevator down to level eight, then Vlai gave the order: search and destroy. After cleaning out a couple of rooms containing bog-soaked undead, we debated whether or not we wanted to use one of the skiffs to explore the waterways down here. Water and firearms don’t mix, so we’ll likely keep scanning for another path around the level.

More Content:

Our table was brought to life with the help of Blue Table Painting for the miniatures, and Black Bard Studios for custom adventure-specific miniatures/terrain.

Follow Order of the Amber Die:

-Facebook
-Instagram
-XTwitter
-YouTube
-The Abomination Arsenal thread

Lore Masters is releasing a new question pack, aimed at broadening knowledge and proficiency in the spells featured in Player Core.

The pack contains 1,625 questions, comprehensively covering all 325 spells included in Player Core. Its distinct structure sets it apart from other question packs: each spell is accompanied by five questions, each reflecting a different level of difficulty. This design is beneficial for a wide range of players, from those just beginning their journey in wizardry to more seasoned spellcasters, providing challenges and engagement at various skill levels.

Another notable aspect of this question pack is the option to filter questions based on magical traditions—arcane, divine, occult, or primal. This feature allows players to customize their learning experience according to their specific area of interest or expertise in magic.

While the pack does not delve into every detail of each spell, it serves as a valuable resource for understanding key aspects of spellcasting, such as spell rank, casting time, range, and duration. The questions are carefully crafted to emphasize these essential elements, aiding players in grasping the fundamentals of magic and its use in the game.

This pack is highly recommended for those looking to deepen their knowledge of the magical arts.

Download Pathfinder: Lore Masters here:
App Store | Google Play

Greetings, adventurers! We’re Natural Pengu, and we’re developing the Natural Pengu Mobile VTT. We want to bring Pathfinder to your phone and make it available for everyone, from beginners to veterans alike.

We’ve been listening, and your feedback has been very valuable. Today, we’re thrilled to share some significant changes to our platform.

1. The Core Platform: Free and Accessible to All

The core platform is now free for all users! Simply log in at https://pengustudios.com, and you’ll have immediate access to Natural Pengu Mobile VTT and the Player Core Toolkit.

Remember, Natural Pengu Mobile VTT is still in Early Access, so there will be missing features and bugs.

2. GM Unlocks Rules for All

We want to make it easy for you to start a game. If you’re the GM of a room and you own Pathfinder Player Core on Natural Pengu Mobile VTT, your players can access those rules while playing in your room. It’s our way of lowering the threshold for your players to join your game.

3. Snack-Sized Adventures

To make it even easier and faster to start playing, we’ll regularly release Natural Pengu content packs. These include snack-sized mobile adventures with stories, maps, monsters, NPCs, and lore that you can access and play immediately on our VTT.

4. Help Us Keep the Dream Alive

Creating and maintaining a virtual tabletop needs funding, and we trust our community to support us in this endeavor. Simply put, we need to make money to survive. Here’s how you can contribute and support us if you like what we do.

• Content Packs: Buy our content packs that give you snack-sized mobile adventures, stories, maps, monsters, NPCs, and lore. You can either access select packs through one-time purchases or subscribe and get every pack upon release. More information on content pack subscriptions coming soon.
• Paizo PDFs & Integrations: Purchase Paizo PDFs and Natural Pengu Mobile VTT integrations from our marketplace.
• Subscription Tiers: Consider subscribing to our Founder or Legend plans. Right now, only Legends can upload their own art and maps to their Natural Pengu Mobile VTT rooms.
• Kickstarter Campaign: You can pledge to support our ongoing development with our upcoming Kickstarter campaign. Your contribution will directly shape the future of our platform. Sign up for our mailing list to stay updated here: https://pengustudios.com/mailinglist.

Thank You for Your Support!

To our incredible community, thank you for your support and valuable feedback. We can’t wait to hear more about your adventures on Natural Pengu Mobile VTT!

Hail and well met, Pathfinders and Starfinders!
February is recognized in the United States of America as Black History Month, a time when we honor the contributions of Black people to culture, cuisine, science, history, and more. The theme of this year’s Black History Month is African Americans and the Arts, focusing on art as a vehicle for empowerment and a way to preserve history and community.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s cover image for Black History Month, featuring a collage of photos of Black artists and musicians

In honor of Black History Month, Paizo reached out to our Black contributors, content creators, and community members and asked them to share their projects, their joy, and their art! We’re proud and grateful to have such a phenomenal community here at Paizo.

Basil Wright

Basil Wright (he/they/xe)

Basil Wright (he/they/xe) is a Black and Seminole Game Designer and Sensitivity Consultant located in Florida. When writing for Paizo, they wrote The Aucturn Dilemma, a Starfinder bounty. His work has also appeared in All the Witches, Backchannels (Backwater Games), and is forthcoming in Jukebox. Xe has provided sensitivity consulting for MCDM Productions, Brotherwise Games, and many others. 

Currently, Basil is finishing Pelogos, their horror TTRPG about death, grief, and the afterlife. Players can either be an underwater paranormal investigator called a Lantern Keeper, or a sea ghost called an Echo, and can help the living come to terms with their loss. Once that project is complete, they'll be turning their attention to Rancher’s Respite: Call of Nature, an expansion to Rancher's Romance; both are a homage to their mother's expansive love of werewolf rancher romance novels. Their other long-term project is The Afrodyssey, where they intend to translate all 24 books of Homer's Odyssey into African American Vernacular English.

When xe's not working on games, Basil is either playing video games (visual novels, horror, etc.) or (lovingly) pestering xir sibling to make xem more banana jam for xir Monte Cristo sandwiches.

Links

• The Aucturn Dilemma: https://paizo.com/products/btq02ete?Starfinder-Bounty-11-The-Aucturn-Dilemma
• Website: https://towerofbasil.wordpress.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kobanya_kana
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kobanya.bsky.social

Dan ‘Pan’ Grosset

Dan 'Pan' Grossett started the Cosmopunk podcast (@Cosmopunkpod) with 3 friends and quickly found himself charmed by the passion and friendliness of the Paizo AP Streaming / Podcast community. 

A huge fan of science fantasy, they can be found on Twitter (@Stellarencore) taking part in several other Starfinder shows like: 

• Emergency Power (@EmergencyPwrPod)
• Horizons Unknown (https://youtu.be/-WNurouqtdQ?si=aFArWg6hD61aFQP4)
• Spaceflix & Kill (https://youtu.be/YF9MZ0sL-W4?si=UMUEPhWgrborzCAN).

They are looking forward to Starfinder 2E while helping set up crossover events and dipping their toes into the world of Pathfinder 2E with Euro-focused group, Hoard Of Tales (@hoard_of_tales).

“Coming to the hobby fairly late, I was kicking myself for not taking up TTRPGs sooner. It's been a great source of new adventures and new friends. If you're even halfway curious but worried about what others may think, or about sticking out at the table, I promise you that if you find a good group and jump straight in, you won't regret it! More and more black folks are making their voices heard in the Tabletop RPG space, so lend us yours!"

Social Media:
Twitter.com/stellarencore
Twitter.com/cosmopunkpod
https://cosmopunk.carrd.co/

Lin and Becka

Lin & Becka | Ten Times Ten

Lin and Becka invite gamers of all kinds to where video games and tabletop adventures collide, a channel they have lovingly deemed Ten Times Ten.

While they have over a decade of combined experience, both past and present, as Game Masters, players, and innovative homebrewers, their passions extend beyond the TTRPG space as well.

• Explore their TikTok with their ongoing episodes of Fascinating Playable Races for players, as well as their episodes of Crypt of the Dungeon Master, where they showcase monsters to enhance any game master’s arsenal.
• On Spotify, they host deep conversations related to various forms of media, including video games, movies, and more.
• Join in their Twitch for exposure to their favorite games and to observe local tabletop events unfold.
• On YouTube, their channel offers videos that present a mix of their gaming knowledge, ventures, reviews, experiences taste-testing unusual snacks, and more!

Ten Times Ten is not just a channel; it's a community where gaming enthusiasts can find a fun and unique perspective on the gaming world, all while they keep it 100~.

Quinn Murphy

Quinn Murphy's journey with RPGs started when he "inherited" his brother's copy of Chainmail at the age of 11. He started running games for his friends and hasn't stopped for over thirty years. Though he's been building games his whole life, he started doing it professionally in 2009. Since then, he's written for a wide range of products and companies, including (but not limited to): Paizo (Pathfinder, Starfinder), Wizards of the Coast, Kobold Press, Magpie Games, and Onyx Path Publishing. Quinn loves TTRPGs of all shapes and sizes and relishes the thrill of finding the perfect form-factor to express a setting or idea. He believes that Imagination is for Everyone.

With his own company, Thoughtcrime Games, Quinn is currently running a Kickstarter for Community Radio, a wacky improvisational TTRPG inspired by Welcome to Nightvale.

Shan Wolf (he/they)

Hi everyone, I am a freelance game designer and contributing author on both the Pathfinder and Starfinder Lines. My credits include Starfinder Bounty #4: Poacher’s Prize, the Adventure Toolbox for the first part of the Drift Hackers Adventure Path, Starfinder Ports of Call, the Adventure Toolbox for the second part of the Strength of Thousands Adventure Path, Pathfinder Lost Omens Highhelm, as well as a few other projects.

My primary focus as a writer is in Black and Indigenous liberation narratives, monster creation, archetype creation, history and lore, and writing revolutionary and inherently anti-colonialist themes. Besides that, I am a huge Pathfinder and Starfinder booster. I love these games as they help bring to life amazing fantasies about being heroes and saving the world, or Universe, and that is always something I’m interested in doing, or just talking about in general.

If you’re interested in my work or hearing my views, feel free to take a look at my twitter, @Fenrirs_Chosen.You will see an outspoken and passionate advocate for Black liberation and making the tabletop space more open, safe, and inclusive.

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We also want to spotlight some Black content creators and performers in the Pathfinder and Starfinder community! The shows on this list feature Black hosts, GMs, players, and/or producers—give them a listen and support them year-round!

• Tablestory—Gatewalkers Actual Play
• Know Direction
• Cosmopunk: A Starfinder Podcast
• Outcast and Outclassed—Pathfinder Actual Play
• Unwavering Force—Pathfinder Actual Play
• 20XX: A Drift Odyssey—Starfinder Actual Play
• The Atomless & SAGA—Starfinder Actual Play

If you’re a Black content creator in the Pathfinder or Starfinder space, we would love to hear from you! Shoot an email to community@paizo.com and introduce yourselves.

Thank you again to our Black contributors, content creators, and community members!

Howdy, folks! It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these blogs, and in that time, we’ve added some wonderful new folks to the Creative Department and had a couple of former Paizo creatives return to lend their expertise to Pathfinder and Starfinder. Since it has been a while, some of these folks have been with us for quite a few months, but you didn’t know that and that’s no reason not to join us in welcoming them. It’s been great having new people and new voices on the team in design, development, art, and edit to add their keen experience and varied experiences to the fabric of the Paizo Creative Department.

Michelle Kim

Hey everyone! I’m Michelle, a developer on Pathfinder’s Narrative team. I started off as a freelance writer for Paizo so you’ll see my name pop up in projects like Season of Ghosts, Howl of the Wild, and Lost Omens Divine Mysteries as well as some other unannounced products down the pipeline. I’m a big fan of horror ttrpgs like Call of Cthulhu, Ten Candles, and Bluebeard’s Bride but also a huge sucker for mecha games like Spectres of Brocken. I’ll play almost anything; crunchy? Yes. Narrative? Also yes.I have a few personal projects in the works including a Joseon setting supplement for Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG. If you want to find me on socials, I’m on Twitter at @_missmyk_ and on Bluesky at @missmyk.bsky.social.

Lynne Meyer

Hello! I’m Lynne (she/they), a queer, autistic, chronically ill femme originally from Chicago. Since joining the editing team last June, I’ve been living my best Leslie Knope life in Indiana and working on incredible stuff I can’t wait for you all to see.

Named a 2021 Queer in Games Awardee by Rainbow Game Jam, I’m best known for my work on the ENNIE Award-winning Uncaged: Goddesses and Uncaged Anthology. In my free time these days, I’m usually doing one of three things: playing the Chief Medical Officer in my Star Trek Adventures home game; doting on Izzy, my ancient, beloved kitty; or drinking way too much coffee as I wrap writing for the upcoming All the Witches TTRPG. I’m an unapologetic dice goblin, an em dash enthusiast, and an octopus stan who thinks that the Dumbo Octopus is the cutest thing ever. Come say hello on Bluesky (@lynnemeyer.bsky.social) and Twitter (@Lynne_M_Meyer).

Joshua Birdsong (he/him)

Hello Paizo fans! I am Joshua Birdsong. I am now the newest Designer on the Rules & Lore team. I am very excited to work among such an experienced team, and I am still (and hopefully always will be) learning so much. I cannot wait to help make awesome stuff for our game! I believe my first debut will be in Monster Core! You can find me @impr0phet.
DFTBA

Adriana Gasperi

I am Adriana Gasperi from Caracas, Venezuela, I am a graphic designer, traditional and digital illustrator, and fine artist in Portland, Oregon since 2017. I have been painting cats since 1995 my brand name is Gatos Ilimitados (unlimited cats) https://www.instagram.com/adriana.gasperi.art/ and lately I have been also painting all kinds of animals, and pet portraits. I have been vegan for the animals for about 8 years and belong to an international group of vegan artists called The Art of Compassion Project where we donate art related to animals and veganism. I live with my husband and 6 cats in downtown Portland. I love my job at Paizo and also the diversity and inclusiveness of the company, I enjoy working from home. I am a true crime documentary and podcast fan, Serial Killers is one of my favorite podcasts, as thrillers and horror movies (especially classics), film noir, American Horror Story, and all their new ones like American Crime Story, actually everything Ryan Murphy creates and produces, The Shinning and Psycho are two of my favorite movies.

Jason Keeley

Who, me? I guess you could say that I’m one of those “returning faces,” having come back to Paizo last year to take a position as a Senior Developer on the Pathfinder Rules & Lore Team! In my career at Paizo, I’ve been an editor, a developer of Starfinder Adventure Paths, and more! I’m thrilled to be working with second edition and with the rest of this team, who are an honest-to-goodness bunch of rock stars. You can find me at herzwesten on a lot of the social medias and if you want to see the type of things I get up to in my spare time, check out This Compleat Breakfast (a game about cereal mascots) on my itch.io page!

Felix Dritz (he/him)

Greetings fellow finders of the paths and stars! I’m Felix, one of the editors who sift through the many words you read. This means I check for general errors, discrepancies, formatting, and ensure it has that recognizable Paizo style.

I was first introduced to Pathfinder Organized Play in 2016 by accident, and I never left. So many kind and supportive people adopted me into this community, and I’m overjoyed that I get to support the games they love. It’s been a surreal journey to get here, but now I’m at a desk editing for a game I adore and the community I love.

When not editing for Paizo, I’m usually homebrewing my ever-expanding Pathfinder 2nd Edition setting. If I’m not editing or writing, then I’m likely playing Pathfinder, GMing at local game stores, mashing buttons on a videogame controller, or cooking. I’m not active on social media, but I hope to meet you around the table someday!

Bill Fischer

Bill Fischer has been creating strange and terrifying worlds for role-playing games for over 30 years. He is the author of The Runewild Campaign Setting published by Sneak Attack Press and has done both writing and editing for Kobold Press, Goodman Games, Roll For Combat, AAW Games, and EN Publishing. He lives in Minneapolis, MN with his partner and children.

Mike Kimmel

Hello! I’m Mike Kimmel, and I’m thrilled to be the newest member of the Starfinder team. Since coming on board in September 2023, I’ve been hard at work with my colleagues to create Starfinder Second Edition. While my prior work as a developer for Pathfinder Society Organized Play mostly involved adventure design, I’ve been able to stretch my narrative and game design muscles on the Starfinder team in all sorts of interesting ways these past few months. Alas, I can’t talk much about the things I’m working on—yet—but stay tuned for more Starfinder news in the coming weeks! I can’t wait for you to see what we’ve got in store for you.

Aside from working on games, I like to play them, too! I’m a fan of cooperative games of all kinds, and I also enjoy relaxing with a nice cup of tea and a challenging permadeath videogame. When I get a chance to run an RPG campaign, I tend to lean into horror themes—the spookier the better. If you’d like to chat about games, recommend a good book to me, or play some chess, you can find me on various Paizo-related Discord channels or drop me a line at mike.kimmel@paizo.com. Please note that I am not accepting glitch gremlins or other mischief at this time!

Simone D. Sallé (she/they)

Hi again! I’ve been in the Paizo orbit as a temp, freelance, and full-time contracted editor since 2018. I joined the staff as a senior editor in 2022 and have been having a wonderful time wrangling words with the creative team ever since! While we’ve worked on a lot of great projects lately, I’m particularly excited for everyone to see <em>Pathfinder Howl of the Wild</em> in May, which has some extremely fun new ancestries and mechanics, incredible art, and a heartfelt story.

Unsurprisingly, words and games fill a lot of my time outside of work as well: I have a spreadsheet of SFF book recs for anyone who asks, a handful of Pathfinder and indie TTRPG campaigns on my calendar, and an overflowing queue of Steam games that I frequently ignore to revisit Subnautica (my beloved). I also do freelance editorial work as Wildwood Editing for projects like Queerfinder and Luminant Age. I’m grateful to my Disreputable Dog, Penny Kibeth, for reminding me to take a break from screens and get some fresh air every day.

Editors largely operate behind the scenes, and our best work is invisible, but I can confidently say that I work with some of the finest professionals in the industry, and it’s a delight to learn, grow, and help shape the games I love with them and everyone else at Paizo. I’m not as active on social media these days, but if you track me down I’m always thrilled to discuss conscious language in storytelling, the merits of style guides, and how we can make our worlds—both real and imagined—better for everyone.

Dustin Knight

Greetings, Starfinders! I’ve had the honor of being a member of the Starfinder team for a little over a year and working here at Paizo is still a dream come true! I’m currently moving into my dream home in St. Paul, Minnesota, running a Firefighters of Absalom campaign, Where There’s Smoke, and playing in an incredible Starfinder campaign, Teenaged Wasteland. I’ve been a freelance author and publisher on Pathfinder Infinite for the past few years, as well as avid tabletop gamer, and Paizo-sphere discord lurker! I’m honored to help manage the rules of one of my favorite games in one of its most exciting eras and you may have seen me drop the FAQs and Errata updates for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game. I’m also thrilled to see everyone’s excitement and enthusiasm for Starfinder Second Edition, as working on a new Core Rulebook line with such an incredible team has been my developer hoop dream for decades. Feel free to hit me up using any of the various Paizo discords, including my own discord channel for Pathfinder & Starfinder Infinite fans and authors at http://www.infiknight.net, or email me at dustin.knight@paizo.com! You can also follow me @kitsunewarlock.bsky.social and, as always, please send memes!

Season’s greetings, Pathfinders and Starfinders! It’s December, which puts us right in the middle of a whole host of holidays and celebrations. We’ve reached out to our staff and contributors to ask about their favorite traditions for the winter (or, in the case of our southern hemisphere friends, summer) holidays!

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Eren Ahn (they/them)

Hello! I’m Eren (they/them, primarily), and you’ll see some of my work in the upcoming Lost Omens Tian Xia books for Pathfinder Second Edition. My family didn’t have too many winter traditions growing up (I got presents on Christmas for the first ten years of my life and tteokguk (rice cake soup) on New Year’s after that), but since I started living on my own, I adapted some traditional dongji rituals to celebrate the solstice. For me, this means making patjuk (red bean porridge) and leaving a small bowl of it on my windowsill overnight for any wandering spirits. I’m fond of winter, cold snaps and polar vortexes and all, and it’s a calming ritual to look forward to in my generally fast-paced life.

James Jacobs (he/him)

I’m James Jacobs (he/him), Narrative Creative Director for Pathfinder, and for me, the winter holidays are traditionally when I wander some 800 miles south to spend time with my family and to relax in my hometown of Sandpoint/Otari/Point Arena. There were a few years there during the pandemic when this tradition got interrupted, but things are mostly back to normal there. Bad weather might step in to keep me here in Washington (as it has a few times in the past), but otherwise the long journey south beckons with its promises of hanging out with family, relaxing in the redwoods of Northern California, visiting some local landmarks (during Thanksgiving I visited the Point Arena Lighthouse, which is the tallest lighthouse on the west coast of the United States, and which you’ve also seen if you watched movies like Forever Young or Need for Speed), and hoping for a bigfoot sighting or two.

Joshua Birdsong (he/him)

Hi everyone, I’m Joshua Birdsong. I am a designer for Paizo. I am very excited and humbled to be part of such an amazing team, and I look forward to helping create some awesome books for all of you! My favorite holiday tradition is consuming an entire container of chocolate hazelnut pirouline wafers on Christmas day! If you need to get in touch, you can find me on Twitter at @impr0phet. Don’t forget to be awesome!

Lynne M. Meyer (she/they)

Hello! I’m Lynne (she/they), the newest member of Paizo’s editing team. I’m pagan but grew up in a Protestant family. My holidays aren’t complete without pfeffernusse, a traditional German spice cookie. When I was growing up, my German grandmother lived with us and taught me to bake. She had pfeffernusse every Christmas—and only at Christmas. I looked forward to it every year.

When she passed, the tradition stopped. Years later, when I started dating the man who’d become my husband, I decided to bring it back. I even used my grandmother’s antique measuring cups.

It turned out that pfeffernusse is his favorite cookie! Pfeffernusse became my signature bake. Pre-pandemic, I’d make as many as ten dozen to share with our families. Times are different now, and those celebrations are happy memories. Circumstances make it difficult to see our families in person, and I’ve since lost my father as well as a brother.

Yet pfeffernusse remains part of my Yule. It’s the one holiday tradition I keep without fail. It ties me to my past and my present with love. Every year, when the aroma of anise hits me, I’m a little girl again, celebrating Christmas with my family.

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)

Growing up and living in a very mixed-culture household means I celebrate a wide variety of holidays during December (Christmas Eve with my in-laws, Chanukah, the Solstice, and “Witch-mas” with my mom—Christmas day, but it’s goth and we make hot chocolate and exchange gifts). One tradition that transcends all of these holidays, though, is making fudge!

I use my grandmother’s fudge recipe (included below), which has been handwritten, photocopied several times, and taken a picture of via a phone to wind up in my hands. It makes 5 pounds of fudge—no more, no less, and no ratio editing allowed. And now you can make it too!

Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups of white sugar
• 2 cubes (8 oz) of butter
• 1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 18 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped)
• 1 (7 oz) jar of marshmallow fluff
• 2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Steps

1. Cook the sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and vanilla over medium heat until the mixture comes to a slow boil.
2. Beat with electric mixture for seven (7) minutes, continuously.
   1. My wife and I take turns holding the mixer for this step, as it can start to ache.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add in chocolate chips, marshmallow fluff, and nuts (optional).
5. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed.
6. Pour into 13” x 9” baking pan and chill in fridge until set (about 2 hours).
   1. If you’re like me and want to eat hot, kind of un-set fudge, half an hour on the counter is enough to make it cool enough to eat, but still warm and soft.
7. Cut into cubes and enjoy.

(Makes five pounds)

Tomas Gimenez Rioja (he/him)

Tomas (he/him) has written for Pathfinder Lost Omens Divine Mysteries.

Here in Argentina the holidays are during summertime. In the coast city in which I live, we usually spend the days going to the beach, and resting at home after that. Some card and board games are often played as well. On Christmas and New Year's Eve I meet with my family, and many others from my father's family, and get some asado (fantastically grilled meat from here). After midnight, once presents are opened, or exchanged, or a toast is made if it's New Year's Eve, it's time to meet with friends, where we spend the rest of the night playing games, might get a holiday-themed one-shot going, and go see the sunrise together when it comes.

Whatever you’re doing for the holidays this season, we hope you have a wonderful season! And to sweeten things up a bit, Paizo is offering our annual midwinter holiday sale!

Illustration by Kent Hamilton

Holiday Sale!

From now (Friday 12/15) through Monday, January 15, take 10% off a single order* on Pathfinder and Starfinder products at the Paizo Store using the code holiday24 at checkout.

* The holiday24 code stacks with Paizo Advantage and other discounts. Not valid on subscriptions, preorders, backorders, Foundry VTT products, or non-Paizo downloads. Code expires at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on January 15.

Koonííni'ííni, Pathfinders and Starfinders!
November is recognized in the United States of America as Native American Heritage Month—a celebration of the indigenous peoples of Turtle Island and our contributions to art, culture, environmental conservation, and more! This year’s theme is Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity—showcasing the wide diversity of indigenous cultures and ways of life.

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we’ve reached out to some of our Native contributors, who have built items inspired by their cultures!

David N. Ross

I write for Pathfinder, Starfinder, and sometimes other games, and am a whiz a converting between systems. When I’m not working on freelance for various clients, I am developing a storytelling card game with my husband. You can find me on Twitter @DavidRossWorlds Bluesky @davidnross and via other contact options on my linktree: https://linktr.ee/davidnross

My mother’s family has always kept at least one dreamcatcher, a traditional Anishinaabe ward against bad dreams. It’s true that nightmares have always been fortuitously rare for me at least, especially since my grandma gave me one of my own. It certainly doesn’t hurt that mine reminds me every day I see it of family even when I am far away.

Dreamcatcher — Item 6
Magical
Price 180 gp
Usage affixed to a structure, tent, or tree; Bulk L

This willow hoop is strung with a web of plant fibers and fragrant sweetgrass and adorned with beads. The dreamcatcher automatically attempts to counteract any spell or magical effect that would force a sleeping creature within 10 feet of it to attempt a saving throw (counteract DC 20, counteract level of 3). An effect counteracted by the dreamcatcher creates a minor decoration representing it to appear in the dreamcatcher’s web, wobbling occasionally like a fly in a spiderweb, that vanishes when exposed to sunlight. A creature adjacent to the dreamcatcher can study such a decoration to attempt to Identify the Magic that triggered its creation. The dreamcatcher only triggers once per night.

Mahpiya

Bannock holds a special place on the prairies as a symbol of our adaptability and resilience. We were introduced to the food through the fur trade, and it stuck with us as we were forced into the reservation system, turning government rations into nourishment for our people. The process of making bannock itself is the process of learning our history. I carry memories of listening to my mothers, my grandmothers, and the other elders in my life (pidamayeye, Kokum Brenda and Grandma Bear) as we cooked together, shared food, and shared stories, both of our own lives and the lives of those who came before. Through food we remember our past, and the stories that guided us through it.

You can find me slowly trying to figure out bluesky @Mahpiya. Just don’t ask me for the recipe, it’s a family secret.

Bannock of Echoing Wisdom — Item 3
Alchemical, Consumable
Price 10 gp
Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk L
Activate 10 minutes (manipulate)

Cooked over a campfire and dipped into wozapi, bannock of echoing wisdom instills you with voices of the past, allowing you to recount any story you’re heard.

After eating the bannock, your mind is filled with the images, words, body language, and cadence of a story you have previously heard, allowing you to recount the story effortlessly with perfect memory. You gain a +1 item bonus to Performance checks to recount this story and a +1 item bonus to Recall Knowledge about subjects discussed within the story. These bonuses last 24 hours or until you make your next daily preparations, whichever comes first.

Marlowe Miller

Nawwih! The sun-blessed corn pounder is based on one of my favorite and most memorable Caddo stories, "The Young Man and the Cannibals." In it, a young man is trying to find his brothers and finds they've been eaten by a family of cannibals. The young man is saved by an unseen, unknown force (later revealed to be the Sun) from death by long-nosed iron mask and told to run, take a corn pounder from an old woman cannibal, and kill the cannibal family. I love this story because of the iconic symbols of the corn pounder and the long-nosed iron mask, and how it speaks to the running theme in our cultural hero stories of taking leaps of faith and persevering even in the direst of situations.

I'm a pretty solid social media hermit, but I can be found on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter @diwasti_ or on bluesky @diwasti.bsky.social. Alternatively, I can be emailed directly at genesysfrog@gmail.com!

Sun-Blessed Corn Pounder — Item 5
Uncommon, Magical
Price 150 gp
Usage held in 2 hands; Bulk 2

Nine rings line the haft of this mighty wooden corn pounder (a +1 striking greatclub), topped by a broad head with sun symbols burned into the surface. The narrow end is worn smooth from years of use. A very long time ago, this corn pounder was used to slay cannibalistic undead in an act of desperate survival by a young man, and the nine rings represent the nine brothers killed by the cannibalistic undead. While wielding the sun-blessed corn pounder, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attacks against undead creatures.

Activate—Beseech the Sun [free-action] (concentrate, fire, light) Frequency once per day; Trigger You critically succeed at a Strike against an enemy; Effect You call upon divine powers to aid you in your time of need. Searing sunlight erupts from the broad head of the sub-blessedcorn pounder. After the normal effects of the critical hit, the target must attempt a DC 21 Fortitude save.

Failure The target is stupefied 1 until the end of the target’s next turn.

Critical Failure The target is stupefied 1 until the end of your next turn, and you deal an additional 1d4 fire damage to your next damage roll against that creature before the end of your next turn.

Shay Snow

Not many Caddo recipes have survived to the current day, so the few recipes I have access to, I treasure. Caddo fish relish is a recipe I remember my aunties and Yeye preparing in large batches before canning it in mason jars and storing it away to eat with pretty much anything. It’s spicy and briny and we’ve always joked could be used as a weapon in a pinch! Some Caddo language learning time: this relish is made with daháw (onion), hasahk’uh ch’ántinu’ (unripe green tomato), and kah’án:k’as (spicy pepper)!

Fish Relish — Item 1+
Acid, Alchemical, Bomb, Consumable, Splash
Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk L
Activate [one-action] Strike

This canning jar is secured with a screw top metal lid and filled to the brim with a chopped mixture of onions, green unripe tomatoes, various hot peppers, and plenty of spices and vinegar to ensure a spicy, pickled mix perfect for eating with freshwater fish. In a pinch, the relish can additionally be used as an offensive bomb that will also perfectly complement an unconscious enemy.

Type mild; Level 1; Price 4 gp
The mild fish relish bomb deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage, plus 1d4 persistent acid damage and 1 acid splash damage.

Type spicy; Level 3; Price 10 gp
You gain a +1 item bonus to attack rolls. The spicy fish relish bomb deals 2d4 bludgeoning damage, plus 2d4 persistent acid damage and 2 acid splash damage.

Type well-preserved; Level 11; Price 250 gp
You gain a +2 item bonus to attack rolls. The well-preserved fish relish bomb deals 3d4 bludgeoning damage, plus 3d4 persistent acid damage and 3 acid splash damage.

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)

Hey all! Rue here again, still a proud Indiginerd and the Marketing & Media Specialist here at Paizo! One of the joys of my experience as a game designer is getting to see my cultures brought to the table in a variety of systems and settings. Finally, the stories that we were punished for singing can be told to new generations.

The ghost dance was part of a resurgence of Arapaho culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and remains a cultural tradition and festival for North and South Arapaho peoples. Through the ghost dance, we reconnect with our ancestors, as well as send our energy forward to future generations, so that our knowledge can be shared, along with our triumph and sorrow. An act of protest at its inception, the ghost dance remains a symbol of Arapaho culture’s resilience. As the sun sets only to rise again, we too shall continue to rise.

Ghost Dance Dress — Item 5
Invested, Magical
Price 125 gp
Usage worn; Bulk L

This flowing dress is fringed in ribbons with beads and feathers woven in. Delicate hand-embroidery, beadwork, and dyeing turns this garment into a moving representation of the cycles of life and death, rain and drought, growth and burning. The ghost dance dressconnects the living and the dead. You gain a +1 item bonus to Diplomacy checks against spirits.

Activate—Ghost Dance [one-action] (concentrate) Frequency once per hour; Effect The rhythm of your ancestors’ feet upon the ground spurs you on, giving you a +1 circumstance bonus to your next melee Strike before the end of your turn.

Activate—Wind Cry [two-actions] (manipulate) Frequency once per day; Effect The wind whips up around you, whispering and shrieking of the shadows that have passed here. The ghost dance dress casts fear with a DC of 21.

Thank you so much to our contributors for sharing these snippets of their culture with us (and giving us more items for our game tables).

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)
Marketing & Media Specialist
Arapaho Nation

GOBLIN DOWN!
The Black Powder Cadre took a hit in this marathon, and lost one of its founding members. Like we said in our last report, author Vanessa Hoskins will surprise you. No finger-pointing amongst the team here—we got surprised—plain and simple. Before we get to what happened, this daring all-gunslingers project has lasted longer than many of us expected, so get caught up if you need to:

• Introduction
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Summer marathons are usually grinders for us, and that’s exactly what we did for this one. It was too hot for any post-session fire pit gatherings, so we just kept playing until enough voices called it. The second day of this marathon saw an eighteen-hour run, and came within sight of our record for the longest session on the Paizo blog. We even had our friend Joe O’Brien—from the Glass Cannon Network—with us again, returning as Axayaca, the Beast Gunner from Arcadia. Joe wanted the full Order of the Amber Die (OAD) experience this time, so on the day he was here we decided to push until O’Brien threw in the towel. We’ll offer this to Glass Cannon fans: Joe can grind!

If you’ve read our reports from years past, you’ll know one of the main secrets to playing the longest sessions in the industry is actually our GM. It’s Adam who will drag you long into the wee hours of the morning, jumping around behind the screen at every natural 20 along the way. He’s just been this way since ’87, and we keep making the mistake of thinking he’ll slow down.

• Adventure: Hands of the Devil
• Marathon Length: 63 hours, 40 minutes
• Session Hours: 44 hours, 30 minutes

It’s for extreme marathons like this one, that we keep a couple of critical care nurses in the Order—you probably think we’re kidding. Now we can officially welcome our newest member, who can roleplay all day, straight after a night shift: Theodora Marcantonis! We’re always on the lookout for hardcore gamers, and while vetting Theodora, we learned she possessed a platinum trophy in God of War: Ragnarök, and spent her precious time between shifts playing Pathfinder:Kingmaker and Pathfinder:Wrath of the Righteous on PlayStation. SOLD! Everyone in OAD gets the team jersey of their choice, and we’re proud to have pink as the newest color at our table. Tess Rajani, Way of the Drifter, has moved from a cameo in our project to a full-time gunslinger in the Black Powder Cadre!

Highlights from Hands of the Devil:

□ We finished out the last blog on level five, with the party having woken a massive amalgamation of discarded flesh and bone. The behemoth surged to life, possessing unexpected speed and maneuverability. We opened with a torrent of gunfire from the balcony, but it responded with a salvo of its own: shards of bone that tore through the Cadre, forcing us into a fighting retreat. We leapfrogged back through the level, managing to hold the monstrosity’s advance at a couple of key locations where it couldn’t afford to press into our firing line. When our options dwindled, we made our final stand on the staircase up to level four. It closed with the party, and Vlai plunged his scattergun into its gooey hide. Click – BOOM! The resulting explosion caused the behemoth to decompose into a necrotic gas that curdled the flesh of the closest gunslingers. You get one Hero Point for an entire day during a marathon, and we burned them all here.

□ The Laboratories level of this megadungeon means you’re really in it now, and level six did more than any level so far to put the “Abomination” into Abomination Vaults. Disgusting fleshwarps of varying sizes, seugathi researchers performing experiments best left off this blog, and even scientific viewing galleries were intermixed within the chambers we explored. We use our soundtrack to stay immersed, and there’s good reason why we chose Chevelle’s Peach as the song for this level.

□ You know that rule about not stepping into a portal by yourself? Yeah, well this is OAD and we’ve always said that there are few absolutes in Pathfinder. Tess strode right into a teleporter that landed her in some kind of testing grounds, complete with a seugathi taking notes on how quickly its destrachan subject would annihilate her. She decided the best course of action was to run like hell and lead the reptilian aberration toward our party; after all, we brought guns to this megadungeon. As it turned out though, the destrachan brought artillery. It let rip with 201 damage to the Cadre in a single area-of-effect blast from its Destructive Harmonics, creating a new pedestal of statistics among our enemies so far. For the record, you can go through a portal by yourself in this game and survive.

□ In case you needed more from our “Vanessa will surprise you” theme, here it is: there is a tavern in this megadungeon. Yup, full of morlocks and such, ready to kill you or crack a beer—your choice. Stay long enough, and you’ll end up in a battle of the bands versus Shadow Malice. Think of an all-star lineup that only the Darklands can produce: duergar on drums, xulgath on guitar, caligni on bass, and ratfolk on vocals. We survived the solo portion of the competition due to the adept acrobatics of gunslingers, but the group section was a major problem—made worse when Shadow Malice let it rip with “Shout at the Devil” at full volume, even out-of-game. It was daunting to try and show them up with just one roll and a +8 Performance modifier. That is, until Breen’s natural 20 made us the hottest new band of the Abomination Vaults! When the crowd yelled for our name, we looked to Zoric, the naming phenom who once accidentally coined us “The Blue Coat Adventurers.” This time, he looked right back at the party and made it clear: "hey, don’t look at me.” The bartender screamed out Zoric’s response in Undercommon. Then several other denizens screeched the name in unison: “DON’T LOOK AT ME!” It was too late; Zoric had done it again.

□ While confronting a seugathi and its latest fleshwarp creations known as dreshkhans, we once again met our match in the ballistics department. Dreshkhans have an ability known as Needle Spray, or “Death Blossom” as those of us who grew up watching The Last Starfighter call it. If it wasn’t for our Player Captain making Risky Reload a mandatory feat in this party, we might have needed more word count for the Character Death section.

Character Deaths:

If you give our GM an assassin with free reign to target a single PC, murder will happen. Adam already proved it when he was given a carte blanche assassin during Strange Aeons. This time it was Maloika the Miserable, our ever-curious goblin, who squeezed through an arrow slit into a series of long-unused guardrooms. Inside, lingered Siora Fallowglade, the greater shadow and chief assassin of Belcorra herself—determined to slay again after 500 years. Adam claims that, because he acted out a kill emote from Assassin’s Creed, that’s why he rolled a critical hit to open combat against the goblin. At least it was quick.

The Arsenal:

Maloika is gone, and it sits hard with us, perhaps hardest with his Sniping Duo partner: Zoric. The goblin had grand plans to hang up his guns, then use his relationship with the market owner to open his own megadungeon collectibles store in Otari. We’re carrying on Maloika’s dream, by continuing to take advantage of the organization rules in the PathfinderGamemastery Guide. Our newest followers and lieutenants have overseen construction, which was built over the ruins of the Thirsty Alpaca. We’ve already named the store: Ayla’s Oddities & Collectibles. We even have plans to haul the giant gong out from the arena level, the same one the goblin shot with his harmona gun to wake the behemoth. We’ll make sure it rings every morning when the store opens—in honor of Maloika.

Best Quote from Marathon 4:

(after Vlai managed to hit three party members with one blast from the scattergun)

Axayaca: “Why do you shoot your friends? Do you derive some pleasure from it?”

Vlai: “It’s nothing personal.” (reloads)

Current Situation:

We blasted our way through levels five and six, and just set foot on level seven. It smells like soot. The temperature feels warmer here for some reason, and runes are carved on the walls. Lock and load…

More Content:

Our table was brought to life with the help of Blue Table Painting for the miniatures, and Black Bard Studios for custom adventure-specific miniatures/terrain.

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Welcome to the Future, Starfinders!

It’s time to celebrate the release of the incredible Starfinder Enhanced! This book gives so many awesome options to any and every class in our game, and none of it would be possible without a squadron of fantastic authors. I’m personally honored to have helped develop their work following the legendary developers John Compton and Joe Pasini, who went above and beyond bringing this incredible book to life. Without further ado, let’s give our amazing authors the opportunity to show us all the awesome projects they have and help celebrate the release of their wonderful work. If you liked a section, consider letting them know in the comments and following them on social media!

Dustin Knight
Developer

Illustration by Paulo Magalhães

Ivis K. Flanagan

Hi all! I'm Ivis K. Flanagan, freelance writer and teacher. Working on Starfinder Enhanced was an awesome highlight for me, as I got to work on a variety of sections: Themes, the Mystic Class updates, and some new creature companions. The creature companions were probably my favorite—and I cannot wait for everyone to get a look at the new furry (and not so furry) friends that I, among others, have gotten to bring to your table.

Outside of Starfinder Enhanced, you can find my work in other Starfinder releases, as well as Pathfinder and other companies. A full list of my current credits can be found here. As for me, when I'm not writing, you can often find me GMing games for anyone who wants to play! If you want to reach out about future projects, playing games, or just to chat, you can find me on Bluesky or email me at ikflanagan at gmail.com.

Jason Keeley (he/him)

Hi folks, I'm Jason Keeley (he/him) and come with me... to the stars! I contributed the narrative starship combat section to Starfinder Enhanced and it was an interesting challenge to streamline the normal starship combat rules while retaining some of the use of currently printed starship stat blocks. Hopefully, those who are looking for a more condensed experience will enjoy it! When I'm not doing things for Paizo, I spend my time recording for the Know Direction network, collaborating with Joe Pasini on puzzles, and generally working on other TTRPG projects—like my cereal mascot game This Compleat Breakfast, available for free at https://herzwesten.itch.io/this-compleat-breakfast! You can usually find me under the name "herzwesten" on most social media platforms.

Jessica Catalan

Hi everyone! My name’s Jessica Catalan and I’m the Starfinder Society Developer and a freelance author who primarily writes for the Pathfinder and Starfinder RPGs. My past works as a freelance author for Paizo include eight Organized Play scenarios, one adventure module, five Adventure Path volumes, cover credit on two hardcover books, and a whole lot more! Starfinder Enhanced is very much a love letter to Starfinder, and is packed to bursting with new options for every aspect of the game, as well as new subsystems, alternate ways to play, and enhanced versions of a few classes. Whatever kind of characters you play, and whatever kind of games you run, there’s something in Starfinder Enhanced for you. In addition to working on Starfinder Enhanced on the clock as a member of the Starfinder team, I worked on it as a freelance author. In short: I wrote a LOT for this book. Picking a favorite contribution is a challenge, but I’m most proud of creating novians and holograms (including initial pitching of these species) and writing the new uses for Resolve Points, which will provide players of all classes and builds a lot of fun new tricks. I hope the love and enthusiasm that everyone put into this book resonates with you and that you enjoy the huge amount of new options at your disposal. Now get out there and make some novians! Until next time, Starfinders!

Illustration by Sammy Khalid

John Compton

I’m John Compton, and Starfinder Enhanced was my final project as a Starfinder developer. What a fitting finale, too! Starfinder Enhanced gave me space to explore several big ideas that I’d aways wanted to see in the game, particularly the custom and upgradeable weapons and armor. You’ll also see my handiwork in the enhanced envoy, solarian, and witchwarper, as well as the several sections I developed before blasting off to the Pathfinder narrative team.

John Curtin (he/him)

Hi, my name is John Curtin (he/him) and I had a blast contributing some of the feats and nanocyte options to Starfinder Enhanced! My primary design driver here was asking myself "what, as a player, would make me really excited to see as a potential option," and I my most fervent that at least one GM out there finds out about one of my options from a player and goes "...you can do what now?? That's awesome!!" Here at Paizo, I’ve got more Starfinder credits upcoming, but in true freelancer fashion, the projects I’m most excited to tell everyone about are still under NDA. To hear about my latest and greatest, you can follow me on BlueSky @curtinwrites, on the remains of Twitter @Curtin_Writes, and explore the currently inactive @StarfinderFacts.

John Godek III (he/him)

Hi! I’m John, a gamer, gamemaster, freelance author, and podcaster in the Seattle area. I earned my 5th Nova for Starfinder Society two years ago and have worked on a dozen freelance assignments for Evil Robot Games, Legendary Games, and Paizo. My most recent work includes this summer’s Starfinder Society Scenario #6-04: Secrets Long Submerged and next year’s Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide and Character Guide. For Starfinder Enhanced, I had the opportunity to create new class options for the mechanic, technomancer, and vanguard, plus new augmentations, magic items, and hybrid items.

When I’m not playing, GMing, or writing, I produce three podcasts on the Know Direction Network: Digital Divination, a Starfinder talk show with Paizo Senior Developer Jason Keeley; Intrepid Heroes, a Starfinder actual play whose cast has included Eleanor Ferron, Rob Helm, Scott Keim, Ron and Stephanie Lundeen, Jason Tondro, and Mark Woolcott; Presenting - Gamers Making Games, an interview show where I chat with game designers, developers, artists, and editors.

You can reach me on X (Twitter) @JohnGodekIII and find my podcasts at KnowDirectionPodcast.com or on YouTube at GamingDivination.com. I am always looking for folks to interview!

Illustration by Sammy Khalid

Kate Baker

Hello! I’m Kate Baker, and I was delighted to contribute to Starfinder Enhanced! There is so much cool stuff coming your way in this book. I specifically worked on new grenades, and with so many grenades in the system already, I got to be very creative with introducing new options. I hope your PCs have fun with the new bombs! You can follow more about what I’m up to on BlueSky at @katebakerGM.

Kim Frandsen (he/him)

Hello everyone, I'm Kim, and I'm from Denmark. I've been writing since 2016 when I took part in the RPG Superstar competition (finished in the top 32 too!) and I've been writing, editing, and laying out books ever since. I worked on the Envoy, Operative, and Soldier options and I hope you like what we all made. If you want to see more of my work or get hold of me, you can find me through my beloved Beyond the Horizon over at https://www.beyond-the-horizon-games.com/ — You might have seen my work in various places as well — I freelance a lot and I'm one of the Infinite Masters on PathfinderInfinite. :)

Michael Bramnik (he/him)

Hello there! This is Michael Bramnik, often writing for Paizo's organized play adventures and elsewhere, but now I am here helping Enhance your Starfinder experience! For this book, I had the privilege of writing the Archetypes and Tech Items, and can't wait to see what you think of all of them. From the Major League Coach (who draws on sci-fi sports from other books as well as ones influenced by my SFS experiences) to the musical Audocyte (who emulates my constant need for music almost everywhere I go), each of these archetypes enhance aspects of the science fiction/fantasy genre in ways I hope each of you will love!

Feel free to keep up with my ongoing projects if you'd like (https://canisdirus.carrd.co/), and happy gaming!

Koonííni'ííni, Pathfinders and Starfinders!

Today, October 9th, is recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the United States of America. In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Paizo offices are closed today. While we’re closed, we wanted to take a moment to recognize this holiday and suggest some resources for you to learn more!

Firstly, we would like to acknowledge that Paizo’s headquarters in Redmond, WA lies within the traditional homelands of the Duwamish and Sammamish tribes of Coast Salish peoples. Following the Treaty of Point Elliot in 1855, these tribes and others were consolidated and relocated to the Tulalip Tribes of Washington Indian Reservation. Since time immemorial, they have hunted, fished, gathered, and taken care of these lands.

If you are interested in knowing about the tribes and nations whose land you may be living on, here is an interactive map tool.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the indigenous peoples of Turtle Island, Alaska, and Hawaii for their contributions to art, culture, history, and society. It also acknowledges the solemn truth of the atrocities committed against indigenous peoples over the course of this nation’s history. By celebrating the indigenous people of this country—past and present—we honor our ancestors and keep Native traditions of land, air, and water sovereignty alive.

If you have the means, a wonderful way for those settling in these lands and their children to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day is to donate money, time, or community service to your local tribal community, or participate in an environmental conservation project in your community.

Some larger scale non-profits and organizations to support nationwide include:

• Native American Rights Fund
• Redhawk Indigenous Arts Council
• National Urban Indian Family Coalition
• Indigenous Justice
• Spirit of the Sun

As we take today off here at Paizo, thank you for taking a moment to read this blog and celebrate the work of our indigenous relatives and ancestors, not to mention the work of indigenous people across the games industry. We look forward to showcasing some more indigenous creatives here at Paizo for Native American Heritage Month in November!

Hohóu, in solidarity

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)
Marketing & Media Specialist

¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana!

September 15th through October 15th is recognized in the United States as Hispanic Heritage Month, recognizing the independence dates of many Latin American countries, including Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Chile. Since 1988, the United States has celebrated Hispanic and Latine contributions to American culture during this month.

The theme of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month is Prosperity, Power, and Progress! In celebration, we’ve invited some of our Latine contributors and coworkers to speak on our blog.

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Joseph Blomquist (he/him)

¿Qué es la que hay corillo?

This month’s theme of prosperity, power, and progress is a chance to talk about growth in my freelance work. I’ve worked for a slew of companies over the years on reviews, rules, and narrative work. I’ve had the chance to include elements of the islands I love in the games I love. And over time, my stories, word counts, and NPCs have (some literally) grown.

If you’ve played my previous adventures here at Paizo, you know that I try to toss in a lot of theme and character into the background. For example, in SFS 2-21 Illegal Shipment, I leaned into the claustrophobia of Fogtown; in PFS 4-02 Return to the Grave, the dark haunted forests of the Gravelands were as much a character as the fallen NPCs you face; and the upcoming PFS 5-05 The Island of the Vibrant Dead is set on an island inspired by the Caribbean paradises I only visited in my youth.

Yet how much can ambiance prepare you for what is to come? How ready are you for giant robots versus kaiju in both Mechageddon! and Pacific Rim coming for you ahorita? Everything that went into my scene building has grown to encompass the scale of what is coming soon. And I can’t wait to share it with you.

Carlos Cabrera (he/they)

Hi everyone. I am a third party and Paizo freelancer for Pathfinder, voice actor, and as of last year and concurrently along with my daughter, burgeoning board game designer! With this year’s theme I thought I would highlight where I’ve come from personally, professionally, and culturally.

The board game design I sold felt more my own than my usual work. It was made without outline or prompt, pitched, and sold, and not so much a piece of a greater whole as RPG books go (which I still do, gratefully). Then a cousin of mine reminded me I said at 9 years old I wanted to make my own game. I was 39 then, so you can imagine how emotional I was that it took me that long.

In addition to that accomplishment, I have special reason to be proud this month. As a mixed-race person of color, I have had my words in print, my voice and likeness in video games, and I’ve become more comfortable with myself, using aspects of my own culture in the characters I create—be it in LARP or future works. Eventually that will include my own logo, and for my daughter’s works as well.

To see more of what our Latine contributors bring to Paizo, take a look at these previous Hispanic Heritage Month blogs:

• Hispanic Heritage Month 2022
• Hispanic Heritage Month 2021

We’re so happy to have a diverse set of voices contributing to the games we make here at Paizo, because we know their perspectives make our worlds richer and better!

L’shana tova!

September 15th at sundown marks the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of a new year, and the beginning of the High Holy Days for Jewish people. In celebration of the new year, we’ve gathered submissions from some of our Jewish employees and community members!

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James Beck (he/she/they)

And for my first action, I blow the shofar to inspire courage. Hello! My name is James Beck. I am a Jewish author who wrote for Lost Omens Firebrands (specifically the Fire’s Finest & Passenger). I felt at home to tell Jewish stories in Numeria as I related to the story of the androids and the struggles they went through with the Technic League. In my works either with Paizo or Eldritch Osiris Games, I try to bring in themes and values of Jewish culture that I grew up with such as tikun olam (repair the world). Pathfinder/Starfinder have greatly emphasized the idea of adventurers trying to make the world or universe a better place to live in. Jewish culture teaches us to be curious and to explore and I feel honored to be part of this community where I can explore different ideas and learn about all that has come before. Thank you Pathfinder and Starfinder community for giving me a chance to learn and grow not only as a writer but as a person as well. You can find me @geekjames513 on twitter!

Michael Bramnik (he/him)

Why is this knight different from all other knights? I know, I know—wrong holy day!

Hello there, and L’Shana Tova! I’m Michael Bramnik (https://canisdirus.carrd.co), a Jewish freelancer for Paizo and elsewhere in the industry. I’ve had the privilege of writing for Starfinder Enhanced and several other things this past year, but the one that stands out for me today is Pathfinder Society #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was. Though far from being a universal opinion, I have heard firsthand that RPGs aren’t as popular in our communities because of things taken from Jewish myth or folklore and then “twisted.” The character Vrisk was my way of putting a positive spin on golems in RPGs to combat this—something I’m very proud of.

Beyond that, I’d like to offer something fun to help celebrate the new year. This probably won’t ever become PFS-legal, mind you, but maybe it could be a fun addition to your home game?

Ram's Horn
Uncommon, Concussive, Nonlethal, Propulsive
Price 10 gp; Damage 1d4 B; Bulk L
Hands 1; Range 10 ft.; Reload 0
Type Ranged; Category Simple; Group Brawling

Each of these eloquently-crafted horns curves in unique ways. They can play musical notes as well as rupture eardrums in combat through staccato blasts.

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)

Wishing a happy new year to all of my fellow Jewish nerds—may your apples be crisp and the honey linger on your lips. As a practicing Jewish witch, I have a deep love for the spirituality of our religion and culture, and how the world’s cycles interact. Jewish ritual magic—for protection, for wellness, for family and love—inspires a lot of my design work when it comes to magic in fantasy games. It is equally important to get the sigils and designs right as it is to have the right thoughts held in your heart and mind while completing them. Rituals in Judaism are rooted in tradition, but like all aspects of our faith, are deeply personal, and every family—or even every person—might practice them slightly differently. No one ritual is correct, there is never only one answer—and there is always room for change. I love getting to incorporate this philosophy in my work, and remind everyone that questioning the world and “the way things are” is a vital part of living.

Avi Kool (they/them)

Hi all, Avi again, still here at Paizo, still Jewish. I’ve had the privilege of bringing a Jewish perspective to my work from my heritage as both an Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jew, and from my upbringing in Reform Judaism. This includes the opportunity to write characters inspired by my family history (see Arhan Benimaya in the Kraken’s Ink Tattoo section of Pathfinder Lost Omens Grand Bazaar), and I hope we can bring more aspects of Jewish folklore and history into Pathfinder as time goes on. I’m particularly interested in telling accurate folklore around Jewish monsters, because Judaism is full of monsters! Whether that be the terrifying “biblically accurate angels” (a misnomer, because these descriptions aren’t from the Bible originally, they’re from the Torah) or golems or the Leviathan, Jewish lore is bursting with material suited for TTRPGs. I’ve even recently been learning about the history of dragons in Judaism—believe it or not, many medieval Jewish manuscripts feature illustrations of dragons in the marginalia! They didn’t teach me about that in Hebrew school. There’s also the shedim, Judaism’s precursor to the Christian demons. Shedim are shapeshifters that can turn invisible, and it’s said that you could throw ashes to the ground to render their footsteps visible. I have also read that the tradition of using salt to ward off spirits originates in Judaism. As you can see, Jewish lore contains bountiful material to be adopted respectfully in TTRPGs, far beyond what we’ve seen published by any company. I might just write it myself!

Jacob W. Michaels (he/him)

Shana tova (happy New Year), Paizo community. I’m Jacob W. Michaels, one of Paizo's Jewish freelancers. I’ve gotten to work on a number of products for Paizo; this year, that includes the potions section in Pathfinder Treasure Vault, the Findeladlara article in Pathfinder Adventure Path #189: Dreamers of the Nameless Spires, and Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-11: Prisoners of the Electric Castle! Part of what I love about Judaism is our tradition of telling stories, and particularly stories that provide meaning. I like to think I bring that tradition to role-playing games. We tell stories together—and part of that is just for fun (though fun is 100% reason enough for some of the stories we tell together), but part of it reaches deeper. We build a sense of community through our stories, hopefully finding things we have in common, even when we live across the world from each other. Through these games, we find friendship. And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Judaism in my work. May this coming year bring more sweetness, more joy, more games, and more time well spent together.

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For all those celebrating—Shana tova!

The roguelite bullet hell survivor launches into Steam Early Access today!

The Whispering Tyrant awaits… Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors has officially launched into Steam Early Access! Developed by BKOM Studios in partnership with Paizo, this roguelite bullet hell survivor game allows you to experience the renowned world of Golarion through a whole new lens. Arm-in-arm with a trusted ally, delve into Gallowspire and confront the legendary villain Tar-Baphon!

Within the depths of this gothic tower lies the disgraced lich-emperor Tar-Baphon, one of Pathfinder’s most ancient and powerful villains. While sealed away beneath his ancient seat of power, he has been deftly plotting his dark return. As the wards that contain him begin to fail, three fearless heroes will rise to the occasion, tasked with venturing into Gallowspire's depths to defeat Tar-Baphon and repair the wards that seal him away.

Take up arms as one of three daring heroes and battle through the horrors of Gallowspire. The Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue all come with their own strengths and talents that will aid their efforts against the disgraced lich. While they’re all skilled heroes, the task of sealing the Whispering Tyrant away is too much to bear alone. Choose an ally to fight alongside you as you slay hordes of Tar-Baphon’s undead minions, collect and upgrade your arsenal of spells and weapons, and extinguish Gallowspire’s unyielding bosses.

There will be many failures throughout your journey, but the heroes can escape death and grow stronger with each attempt by using the power of an ancient medallion. Only those who find the strength to break through Gallowspire may face the Whispering Tyrant himself. But one victory will not be enough to seal him away forever. The heroes must confront him over and over to buy Golarion the time it needs to prepare for Tar-Baphon’s seemingly inevitable return.

Fall, rise, and grow ever stronger… Face Gallowspire's hordes again and again—for as long as it takes!

Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors is now available on Steam Early Access for $6.99. Brave heroes can take advantage of a 20% launch discount for a limited time. Additionally, a special Bullet Hell Survivor Bundle with Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors, Soulstone Survivors, and 20 Minutes Till Dawn is available at a special 10% discount. Keep up to date with the game’s development by joining the official Discord server and following BKOM Studios on X.

Features:

• Choose your class: Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue. Each features unique talents, powers, and playstyles.
• Select a second hero to fight alongside you as a companion character.
• Run the gauntlet of Gallowspire! Overcome all four sections and their bosses to mark a successful run.
• Defeat enemies and collect their essence to obtain and upgrade your powers during the run.
• Earn experience to level up your heroes and spend talent points to permanently enhance and customize their powers.
• Collect and spend treasure to unlock permanent upgrades for all your heroes.
• Complete quests, defeat bosses, and battle the Whispering Tyrant himself.
• Customize your challenge level across 5 tiers of difficulty. The quest to contain Tar-Baphon is endless!

Hello, elementonauts! Pathfinder Rage of Elements has been out for a while now, and we hope you’ve been having a great time with your kineticists, elementals, travels to the elemental planes, and all sorts of new spells, items, and monsters. We wanted to take this chance to recognize the great authors who came together to make this project special.

This book was initially concepted by Mark Seifter (who you’ll hear from shortly) before he headed over to his current gig. I took over as the design lead to shepherd the book along. Most of my work was outlining, coordination, and a massive amount of changes to switch the book to the Remastered rules late in the process.

Before we get into everyone’s bios, I must talk about the contributions of Jessica Redekop and Sen H.H.S., who share cover credit with me. Getting that level of credit requires a massive amount of work, and they were both wonderful to work with and superb writers. Jess’s enthusiasm for the planes and building out fun characters made the book such a fun read, and Sen H.S.S.’s ideas for putting the elemental cycle into the game and Pathfinder setting and creating the Plane of Wood were invaluable and incredibly creative. I’d also like to shout out Paizo’s own Andrew White, who brought the Plane of Metal to life, and James Case, who plunged into the Plane of Water with aplomb. And Kent Hamilton’s beautiful concept art for elemental metal and wood helped guide designs throughout the process, especially of monsters and locations.

In addition to the authors with full bios below, this book features excellent writing by Jason Bulmahn, James Case, Jessica Catalan, Andrew D. Geels, Luis Loza, Michael Sayre, Shay Snow, Levi Steadman, Mari Tokuda, and Linda Zayas-Palmer!

Logan Bonner
Pathfinder Lead Designer

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Illustration by Lucas Melo

Logan Bonner (he/him)

(That’s me.) I’ve been designing tabletop RPGs since 2006, and am the Pathfinder Lead Designer, doing overwatch on the game rules as a whole. Lately I’ve been blooding, sweating, and tearing the Pathfinder Remaster books. After being one of the four designers of Second Edition, I’ve led Pathfinder Secrets of Magic to help set the template for how we could stretch our legs with rulebooks in Second Edition, and later led Pathfinder Book of the Dead, the remastered books, and at least one upcoming, unannounced tome. My biggest writing contribution to Rage of Elements was the kineticist class (with some expert help from the rest of the design team, so you can blame/thank Michael Sayre for the Ambush Bladderwort). You can find me on Twitter as @loganbonner and on Bluesky as @loganbonner.bsky.social.

Patrick Hurley

Along with previous Paizo publishing credits, Patrick Hurley has had short fiction appear in dozens of magazines and book anthologies, including Factor Four, Galaxy's Edge, Abyss & Apex, and New Myths. As well as being managing editor at Paizo, Patrick is a graduate of the 2017 Taos Toolbox Writer's Workshop and a member of SFWA. To read more of Patrick's stories, check out his author website: www.patrickhurleywrites.com.

Jason Keeley (he/him)

Hi folks, I'm Jason Keeley and I'm excited to have contributed even a small part to Rage of Elements. I've recently returned to Paizo as a Senior Developer for the Rules & Lore team, which means that all I've written for Pathfinder Second Edition has been training for this time! When I'm not doing things for Paizo, I spend my time recording a couple of podcasts in the Know Direction network, collaborating with Joe Pasini on puzzles, and generally working on other TTRPG projects—like my cereal mascot game This Compleat Breakfast, available for free at https://herzwesten.itch.io/this-compleat-breakfast! You can usually find me under the name "herzwesten" on most social media platforms.

Jon Morgantini

Hello there! I'm Jon, the Community and Social Media Manager here at Paizo. My work was focused on creatures of air and earth for Pathfinder Rage of Elements. It was my first freelance writing opportunity and it was so much fun! It's been very heartening to see the reaction to the book from everyone. I definitely have other projects coming down the line so you will just have to keep an eye out for my name in other places! When I'm not writing, I'm usually lost in Hyrule or perhaps some far corner of the galaxy, if not rereading the Wheel of Time series or whatever the dark fantasy du jour is. You can find me @loremasterjon over on Bluesky, where I soon hope to pontificate about writing my own Pathfinder Second Edition–compatible setting. In the meantime, play ALL the games!

AJ Neuro (he/him and they/them)

Pura Vida! I'm AJ, a Costa Rican game designer. Writing the elemental backgrounds for Rage of Elements was my first official contribution to Pathfinder, but I've also written for the recently announced Pathfinder War of Immortals! A few of you might have also seen some of my free resources for the Pathfinder community. I'm also a professional GM, and I run both official Pathfinder Second Edition adventures on Golarion, and adventures of my own making in my setting of Ex Nihilo! If you'd like to join one of my groups, or would like me to GM for your group, don't be shy and shoot me a message. By the way, we're actually a DID system, but we generally prefer to present as an individual; it's just easier for us (waves at all the other plurals reading this) :)

Illustration by Ivan Koritarev

Jessica Redekop (she/they/he)

Hello! I'm Jess, and I like elementals, the planes, and the elemental planes. I got to write a lot of Rage of Elements (enough to get my name on the cover!) but my favorite section is the introduction to the air chapter, with the mercurial air narrator, Shanaria.

I love this book and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to write such a large portion of it. A book focused on the elemental planes, giving them the compelling and interesting presentation they've always deserved, is like my ultimate dream project. It's weird to feel so early in my career but to have already achieved something so monumental and important to me. I hope Rage of Elements helps to open the elemental planes in your games as fun, cool places your characters want to explore!

When I'm not writing, you can find me on the Know Direction podcast network as a cohost of Legend Lore and cast member on Tavern Rats, a new actual play. On the social medias, I'm @tectonomancer.bsky.social.

Mark Seifter

Hi everyone, Mark Seifter here! For those who don't know me, I've been the design lead on over 100 tabletop RPG game titles and worked on even more for Paizo and various other companies in the tabletop RPG industry, and I was one of the four leads on the creation of Pathfinder Second Edition.

I love writing about elemental options, and in Rage of Elements, I especially enjoyed working on the elemental eidolon, which I hope gives you a fun and different playstyle than the existing options. I also authored the Lysianassa deity entry, the aether and void sidebar in the introduction (which turned out even more interesting with the advent of void damage), and more! I hope you enjoyed them.

You can check out my Twitch stream, Arcane Mark, with Linda Zayas-Palmer at twitch.tv/arcanemark and the Roll for Combat Live stream with Stephen Glicker at www.youtube.com/@RollForCombat.

Sen H.H.S.

Hi all! Sen H.H.S. here and long time no see! Working as the cultural consultant and cover author of Rage of Elements was a wild ride, and I'm delighted that everyone is enjoying the book. I hope to hear your stories about your adventures in the returning Planes of Metal and Wood sometime in the near future. As a cover author, I worked on a little bit on everything, from some metal, wood, earth, fire, and water spells and items, to the four elemental lords Ayrzul, Kelizandri, Laudinmio, and Shumunue. I also did the introductions for the Plane of Wood and the Churn of Elements, plus creatures such as the nightwood guardian, ore louse, marajau, and some fire elementals. (Lava otters are the best!) I hope all of those help make your upcoming planar adventures all the more exciting! As for what's coming up, please mark your calendars for the Season of Ghosts Adventure Path, which begins with Pathfinder Adventure Path #196: The Summer That Never Was at the end of this year! You can find me nowadays on Bluesky at @senhhs.bsky.social or you can see what I'm retweeting on Twitter @SenHHS. My website is https://senhhs.carrd.co/.

Illustration by Ivan Koritarev

Shahreena Shahrani (she/her)

Marhaba everyone! I’m Shahreena and I've been freelancing for Paizo for about five years. Rage of Elements was a particularly exciting project to work on, as I was not only involved as a writer, but also as a cultural consultant. I was inspired by the creative muse in pre-Islamic poetic traditions to create gennayn; by stories of nightmarish spirits to contribute to jaathoom; by Middle Eastern hospitality to create faydhaan shuyookhs; and by the storyteller Shahrazaad, from Alf Layla wa Layla, or 1001 Nights, to develop Shazathared.

Beyond writing, I helped reconceptualize the genies. You may have noticed the cleanup of similar-sounding genie names, new genie lore and abilities more engaged with folklore, and old genie names changed to theme-appropriate names. (As someone raised in a Muslim household, I was especially happy to contribute to the removal of “shaitan” for earth genie!) I also engaged in Arabic grammatical discussions on nonbinary terms of address in search of ways to address genie nobles—fun times! I hope you enjoy these genies as much as I enjoyed working on them.

If you're looking for a Middle East specialist for freelance work, feel free to contact me on Discord at Shahreena1.

Solomon St. John (they/them)

Greetings internet. I go by Sol day-to-day and, in addition to being one of the freelancers who contributed to Rage of Elements, I was also the editing lead, a role I also fill for both Pathfinder and Starfinder Society over in Organized Play.

Versatile heritages are one of my favorite features in all of Pathfinder Second Edition, so I leapt at the chance to write the talos heritage; I also wrote the accompanying creature stat block, the section on zuhra genies, and all of the wood elementals from wood wisps to the twins of rowan. That last bunch was especially fun, since I could draw inspiration from all sorts of places—from wooden dolls and obscure folklore like the vegetable lamb, to clonal organisms like the IRL “trembling giant” and the existential concept of growth itself. It’s my largest Paizo writing contribution to date and I’m delighted you all finally get to enjoy the fruits of our hard work.

My next Paizo project is just around the corner, so keep an eye out for Starfinder Society Scenario #6-07: Race for the Dustwarren Cup. Find me online @stjohnsol.bsky.social for a quiet feed of reblogs and cat photos.

illustration by Zach Causey

Ruvaid Virk

Hiya folks! My name's Ruvaid, and I've been a writer for Paizo for a little while now. You might have seen some of my past work like the alter ego archetype from Pathfinder Dark Archive, the retrieval prism talisman, or a large part of the Niswan entry for Jalmeray in Pathfinder Lost Omens Impossible Lands. It was a blast working on Rage of Elements with a lot of awesome people. This time, I got to really light the spark of imagination to bring you the entry for Ymeri, Queen of the Inferno, some of the new fire spells (like one where you can summon a bunch of fire ants at someone), a giant metal puzzle cube (the pelegox), and a fiery barbecue spitmaster (the brochmaw, who is also unofficially named Chimothy Chunger). If you want to see more of me and my work, I'm on Twitter (for now) @Darth_Ruvaider and BlueSky @darthruvaider.bsky.social.

Andrew White (he/him)

Hello! I’m Andrew, full-time member of Paizo’s tech team (and, lately, project coordinator for a bunch of Paizo’s virtual tabletop projects, most notably our premium Foundry adventure modules) and freelance contributor to 15+ Pathfinder and Starfinder releases that you know about so far, including Pathfinder Secrets of Magic, Pathfinder Book of the Dead, the upcoming Pathfinder Howl of the Wild, Starfinder One-Shot #2:The Great Grav-Train Robbery, and Starfinder Adventure: Drift Crisis Case Files. Rage of Elements was one of my favorite projects to date, and I had an absolute blast (this is not a kineticist joke, unless you want it to be) writing the lore of the Plane of Elemental Metal, its thirteen new elementals, and its divine reality-munching isopod Ferrumnestra, the Lady of Rust. You can find me on Twitter at @plaguecontrol (or Twitter-but-not-on-fire at @plaguecontrol.bsky.social), or you can listen to the Elemental Metal playlist that I made just for you at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6BahPTNUQjId2OIurnKMrJ.

TabletopTown and Paizo are teaming up to put Pathfinder (and Starfinder) in your pocket. Coming in the fall of this year, TabletopTown is a mobile platform designed for the asynchronous play of tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) of all sorts, and this partnership will allow players and game masters access to the Paizo library through the marketplace, an in-app location for users to find and sell games, characters, and stories.

TabletopTown stands behind Paizo’s commitment to open gaming through the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License. The TabletopTown marketplace supports user-generated content and indie creators alike, allowing them to buy, sell, and share content freely, openly, and ethically. TabletopTown is fully system agnostic, and with its creator tools at their disposal, designers can build and share their games, modules, and characters, no coding experience necessary. Find new games and worlds to explore or visit familiar favorites like Golarion and Absalom Station!

Paizo’s worlds are rich with deep lore, intricate mechanics, and elaborate world building that goes beyond a scribble on a notes app during a tabletop session. Celebrate the details that make your game unique with searchable indexes, easy to reference descriptions, and intuitive content organization.

All of Paizo’s adventures will be available to buy and explore in the app, opening up new worlds and stories for game masters to investigate and make their own. With access to Pathfinder and Starfinder, game masters can quickly pull entries from their respective bestiaries and bring strange and mystical creatures like a Pleroma to life with all its stats, descriptions, and avatars added in a single tap. It’s easy to use and, for the game master, easy to depict!

With the entire ruleset at their fingertips, players can enjoy as much rules lawyering as they want to, or they can avoid cluttering the chat with things that would usually require looking up in a table of contents.

At launch, beginning players will have a variety of prebuilt character sheets at their disposal; this way, grandma’s desire to play a juggernaut champion doesn’t require pages of research! More experienced players can build out their own intricate lore and stat blocks with existing game mechanics for the skeleton of the character. Those players can then add modifications whenever they like, making use of home-brewed rules to get the details just right!

Get ready for an amazing adventure as Pathfinder Lore Masters, the ultimate knowledge and trivia-focused mobile game that explores the rules and lore of the Pathfinder universe, heads your way!

With passion and dedication, the Lore Masters team has crafted this game from their love of tabletop RPGs, boasting years of combined experience in game development, roleplaying, and game mastering. "Our excitement knows no bounds as we eagerly await the moment when every Pathfinder fan can challenge each other's knowledge,” says the Lore Masters team. “The game's progress has been fantastic, and we're proud to share that a demo build is already in Paizo's hands. We're actively working on their feedback and integrating features like user profiles and progression for our release."

Immerse yourself in Pathfinder's rich world, challenge fellow fans, and discover new depths of knowledge. The game will feature over 6,500 questions from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Pathfinder Lost Omens World Guide, and Pathfinder Rage of Elements. Engage in thrilling multiplayer challenges, compete on leaderboards, and choose questions from five difficulty levels across various categories.

Mark Moreland, Paizo's Director of Brand Strategy, shared his enthusiasm, saying, "We're very excited to bring the world of Golarion to Lore Masters. This engaging trivia game is a great way to immerse players new and old in the lore and rules of Pathfinder.”

Pathfinder Lore Masters will be available on both iOS and Android in October 2023, and players can pre-register to download as of today.

For more updates and information, visit the Lore Masters website at www.loremasters.com

Though Lost Omens Highhelm has been out for some time now, we wanted to take one last look at the book and the authors who made it possible. Dwarves are known for their fine crafts and the work these authors put into Highhelm would make any dwarf proud to display this book next to their finest blades and armor. As these authors share a bit about them and their work, consider letting them know if you like their work in the comments or following them on social media!

Luis Loza
Creative Director

Art by Mirco Paganessi

Caryn DiMarco

Hello, my name is Caryn DiMarco and I was thrilled to contribute The Depths section of Lost Omens: Highhelm. I had a lot of fun thinking about the different countercultural elements that might bubble up in a less-structured part of the city and how they would interact with the dominant customs that shape the rest of Highhelm.

If your PCs ever venture out of the main city, I hope they take the chance to learn the local legends (and perhaps rescue some local daredevils) at Diomira's Drop, splurge for a snail mucin facial at The Smelted Bank, or perhaps get in on the action at The Fight Pits!

Michelle Jones

What's up gamers! It's ya girl, Michelle Jones, here once again, back to provide you with the finest player options in all of King's Crown (and the only player options in King's Crown... cause I wrote them all). If you want weapons that literally deal death, then there's no topping Ornmarr's Fell Arms. If you want stealthy, political intrigue, there's plenty for that too. And for the GMs who love to confound and terrify their players, I have created a special gift in the bestiary, known as the Bloodstorm.

If you want to keep up with me, you can follow me on twitter @AleshaKills or check out my indie projects at Aleshakills.itch.io

Art by Sandra Posada

Matt Morris

I’m Matt Morris, and I’ve been lucky enough to do freelance writing for Pathfinder and Starfinder for several years now, working with Paizo and a few third-party companies, including Everybody Games and Rogue Genius Games.

I was excited to expand on the cultures, subcultures, and countercultures of the great city of Highhelm, as well as to bring the fiery god Angradd into Second Edition. My favorite contribution to the book was the gazetteer of the Five Kings Mountains; it has everything you need for an adventure right outside Highhelm's doors. If you need directions from Fort Dagh to Mount Gustus, I'm your guy!

I keep an up-to-date list of my work on my Paizo profile, and I’m always looking for interesting projects, so feel free to contact me if you are looking for a reliable writer!

When not writing, I’m teaching high school English near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dave Nelson

Dave Nelson is a queer and neurodivergent freelancer who learned way too many facts about goats and mules writing for this book. He also wrote the Stalwart Defender, details on the dwarven pantheon, and the new animal companions.

Art by Sandra Posada

Mikhail Rekun

Приветствую, уважаемые читатели! My name is Mikhail Sergeyevich Rekun, and I’m a Ukrainian-American author and historian. You may know me from prior works such as Dark Archive,  Impossible Lands, and The Mwangi Expanse, alongside a couple dozen other Pathfinder works.

Here in Highhelm, the section I wrote up was limited to King's Crown. So, if you get yourself eaten by a very charming shadow ooze or caught in a nuclear explosion created by a dwarven apocalypse cult, blame me (I am not sorry).

When not working on bringing nukes into Golarion, I'm the Creative Director of the Luminant Age campaign setting, a post-apocalyptic weird fantasy swashbuckler. It also has nukes (we call it the omphalic flame), alongside mecha-cultists, psychic angel-trees, and whatever-it-is a Masqued Strix is. You can find us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LuminantA (assuming Twitter still exists when this goes up) or check out our published products at https://luminant-age.itch.io! And for a real treat, check out our forthcoming Kickstarter, Paragons of the Luminant Age, a book full of archetypes and NPCs—including the Esseweaver, written by the one and only Mark Seifter!

Erin Roberts

Hey y’all, I’m Erin Roberts and I had the absolute pleasure of writing the Stonebreach section of Highhelm (including the Stonebreach options). I’ve lived in cities my entire life and getting a chance to give some love and new depth to a fictional city was a real joy. I was especially excited to work on Stonebreach, the most working-class area of Highhelm, and try to capture the hardworking, hard-playing, sometimes hard-up but rarely hardhearted vibe that I envisioned being a part of daily life there.

In addition to being a city dweller, I’m a writer of stories and games. I usually have at least two projects going at any one time and was thrilled to be recognized this year as one of the winners of the Diana Jones Awards Emerging Designer program. I have lots of cool stuff coming up, including an article in the final issue of MCDM’s Arcadia (out in late July). To keep up with what I’m up to, visit me at linktr.ee/erinroberts.

Art by Sandra Posada

Shan Wolf

Hi, my name is Shan, and I helped write some of the Dwarven Gods, including one of my favorites: Trudd! I've been writing for Paizo for a bit now, and every project I get on is better and better. I truly hope ya'll enjoy Highhelm because it's an amazing book put together by amazing creators!

If you want to learn more about me or my work? I'm at @Fenrirs_Chosen on twitter!

And of course, we also want to thank our other authors for their great work on Highhelm!

• Piper Amatrudi: King’s Heart (page 60), King’s Heart Options (page 72), Defenders of Highhelm (page 106), Highhelm Gear (page 112), Pagulin (page 131)
• Dan Cascone: History (page 12)
• Dana Ebert: Notable Figures (page 38), From Dwarven Legends (page 114)
• Sen H.H.S.: Folgrit (page 119)
• Stephanie Lundeen: A King’s Wish (page 6), Highhelm Overview (page 8), Gazetteer Introduction (page 44)
• Liane Merciel: Trade and Industry (page 20), The Clans (page 30)
• Owen K.C. Stephens: Government, Law, and Crime (page 16)
• Andrew White: Draangvit (page 118), Magrim (page 122), Graul (page 130)

Art by Sammy Khalid

BKOM Studios and Paizo are thrilled to share that Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors will be launching into Steam Early Access on September 14th. Experience Pathfinder through a whole new lens and oppose the legendary villain Tar-Baphon in this roguelite bullet hell survivor game!

The disgraced lich Tar-Baphon was sealed away beneath his ancient seat of power, Gallowspire, but he has cunningly devised the means for his escape. As the wards that contain him begin to fail, three brave heroes step into Gallowspire’s depths, tasked with battling through his army of undead to put an end to his plans.

Players storm Gallowspire as one of three mighty heroes: Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue. While each has their own strengths and talents that will aid their efforts against Tar-Baphon, the task at hand is too much for a lone hero. Choose an ally to fight alongside you as you slay hordes of enemies, collect and upgrade your arsenal of spells and weapons, and eradicate Gallowspire’s terrifying bosses.

There will be many failures throughout your journey, but aided by a mysterious amulet, you can escape death and grow stronger with each attempt. Only those who find the strength to break through Gallowspire may face the eternal emperor. But one victory will not be enough to seal away the Whispering Tyrant forever. Heroes must confront him again and again to buy the world of Golarion the time it needs to prepare for Tar-Baphon’s seemingly inevitable return.

Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors launches into Early Access on September 14th. Those eager to face Tar-Baphon and his undead legion can wishlist Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors on Steam. Gamescom attendees can be the first to face the Whispering Tyrant with a hands-on demo. Keep up to date with all the information by joining the official Discord server, liking the game on Facebook, and following BKOM Studios on Twitter.

Features:

• Choose your class: Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue—each featuring unique talents, powers, and playstyles.
• Select a second hero to fight alongside you as a companion character.
• Run the gauntlet of Gallowspire! Overcome all four sections and their bosses to mark a successful run.
• Defeat enemies and collect their essence to obtain and upgrade your powers during the run.
• Earn experience to level up your heroes, and spend talent points to permanently enhance and customize their powers.
• Collect and spend treasure to unlock permanent upgrades for all your heroes.
• Complete quests, defeat bosses, and battle the Whispering Tyrant himself.
• Customize your challenge level across 5 tiers of difficulty. The quest to contain Tar-Baphon is endless!

Hail and huzzah, Starfinders and Pathfinders!

We had a spectacular time at Gen Con in Indianapolis with record-breaking attendance, full Organized Play tables, full demo tables, a gorgeous booth, brisk sales, exciting Pathfinder and Starfinder Society specials, and community awards galore!

At the Show

From customers to content creators to the media, we loved saying hello to everyone who came to see us at panels, Exhibitor Hall at Booth #203, Demo Hall C, and the Sagamore ballroom!

The Paizo-related Crit Awards winners included:

• Best Player | Paizo: SuperDillin
• Best GM | Paizo: DeadAussieGamer
• Best Upcoming Youtube (2 Years or Less): WafflesMapleSyrup
• Best Villain: Azin by No Quest for the Wicked, a Starfinder podcast
• Best TTRPG-Related Charity/Community, Wellness Org, or Event: Rue's TTRPGs for Trans Rights

The ENNIE Awards also announced their Gold and Silver winners.

Congratulations to all the nominees, finalists, and winners—the tabletop roleplaying game community is better for your contributions.

We partnered with the Gen Con Blood Drive this year to give out digital Beginner Boxes for their raffle giveaway. They exceeded their Gen Con record in Day 1 and had over 1000 individual donors throughout the weekend!

And Beyond!

Thank you to everyone who joined us online this weekend, whether that was on our Events Discord for Organized Play games, or on Twitch or YouTube for our prerecorded panels!

• Paizo Keynote Address 
• Pathfinder Rage of Elements–Designer’s Commentary
• Pathfinder Remaster Preview
• Lost Omens Highhelm & Sky King’s Tomb—Developers’ Commentary

In case you missed it, we announced:

• The Starfinder Second Edition is coming and you can download the free Field Test
• You can also save the date for the Pathfinder Playtest of two new, fresh classes starting on September 1. We’ll be livestreaming at 4:00 p.m. Pacific on Thursday, August 31 at twitch.tv/officialpaizo. During the stream, we’ll reveal the two new classes, some of their abilities, and the iconics representing them, so players can dive right into the playtest the following morning.
• You can buy Pathfinder Rage of Elements and Pathfinder Sky King’s Tomb Adventure Path at your local bookstore, game store, or the Paizo Store.
• The Starfinder Society is electing a new First Seeker, and your voice matters!

Hopefully you also took the opportunity expand your gaming options with the 23 for 23% off Gen Con 2023 Sale!

In case you missed it (we did) the Infinite Masters got together and created a Pathfinder Infinite Megabundle filled with content for our setting, lore, and rules. It is still going on so check it out!

Thanks for playing Starfinder and Pathfinder at Gen Con and beyond this year!

Greetings, players! We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be attending PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, PA this December! We’ll be running scenarios, bounties, and demos for Pathfinder and Starfinder Society. We’ll also be running demos of our board games for the first time!

This show will also be your first chance to demo the brand new Starfinder Second Edition! Our volunteers, led by a member of the Starfinder design team, will be showing off this exciting update to our game.

We’re now soliciting volunteers for the show! We are currently seeking volunteers for the following roles:

• Game Master: Run tables of Organized Play Scenarios
• Bounty GM: Run bounty tables for Pathfinder (Second Edition)
• SF2 Demo GM: Run demo tables for Starfinder (Second Edition). Applicants should have strong Starfinder knowledge (both lore and system) and preferably have related demo experience.
• Board Game Demo GM: Run demo tables for Goblin Firework Fight and Elemental Stones. Applicants should have strong board game knowledge (both our games and general board games) and preferably have related demo experience.
• Headquarters (HQ): Answer player and GM questions, seat players, handle conflicts and disputes, and report games after completion

Please read this important information before applying:

• Volunteer applications will be reviewed and accepted or rejected by the PAX Unplugged Organizing Committee. Filling this form out does not guarantee acceptance; you will receive an email with further information from the PAXU committee.
• PAX Unplugged schedules will be assigned by the committee. You will be asked for your preference of system and level, but you will not necessarily be able to choose the specific scenario(s) you run. The committee’s intention is to assign people to run the same scenario multiple times during the weekend. There is a free-form field at the end of the form to enter specific requests, though there’s no guarantee they will be honored.
• Reward information is listed in the table below. GMs who do not qualify for a badge will still need to purchase one.
• Applications will be processed on a rolling basis, beginning no later than August 28. The earlier you get your application in, the more likely it is you’ll get the scenarios you want. Please be patient as we put the final details on the convention internally before we send out GM emails!
• Please note that we will not be providing hotel rooms for GMs. All GMs will need to provide their own accommodation. Parking reimbursement is available for 7+ slot GMs if requested.
• Any questions about the GM signup process should be sent to the committee at paxunplugged[at]gmail[dot]com.

Rewards Table

Blocks	Parking Pass	Hardcover Product	Exhibitor Badge	In-Game Reward	Voucher
7+ blocks	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
6 blocks		✓	✓	✓	✓
5 blocks			✓	✓	✓
4 blocks			✓	✓	✓
3 blocks			✓	✓	✓
2 blocks				✓	✓
1 block				✓	✓

*Definitions for rewards:

• Exhibitor Badge: a badge for the duration of the event.
• In-game reward: A reward for characters based on the current organized play GM reward programs. Pathfinder Society (Second Edition)/Starfinder Society is Achievement Point rewards at the Premier Plus (2.0x) level. Benefits for board game & SF2 Demo GMs are TBD.
• Hardcover Product: GMs at this tier will be able to choose between Pathfinder Player Core, Pathfinder GM Core, or Starfinder Enhanced.
• Parking Pass: Reimbursement for parking at up to $30/day.
• Voucher: earn one voucher for $10 spendable on paizo.com for every block run.

PAX Unplugged 2023 Volunteer Application

Major Conventions Planning Server

Anybody interested in volunteering at PAX Unplugged should join the OPF Major Conventions planning server by clicking the image below. Follow the instructions in #welcome to get access to the relevant channels. All important information will be conveyed on this server as well as via email, so please join the server!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Brad Fiske and Nicholas Ruchlewicz
PAX Unplugged Organizing Committee

Hello, Pathfinders! We’ve got some exciting news to share.

Paizo is announcing a partnership with Mirrorscape, an all-new XR tabletop gaming platform, to make Pathfinder and Starfinder available in authentic 3D and augmented reality.

Mirrorscape, which is set to launch on iOS and Android on July 25th, has generated excitement among tabletop roleplaying gamers as an exciting experience that lets players interact with game pieces, terrains and minis in authentic 3D, whether they are around the table or around the world. Coverage from Wired, Wargamer, GamesRadarand Dicebreaker has been overwhelmingly positive, so buzz is growing! With Mirrorscape, players will be able to connect and play the legendary quests and adventures in the Pathfinder and Starfinder universes they know and love from the tabletop anytime, anywhere on their mobile devices.

Mirrorscape has already partnered with names like Dwarven Forge, Fat Dragon Games, Hero Forge, Reaper Minis, and Norse Foundry to create digital twins of the terrain, minis, and dice players love to make your adventure awesome. Your world-building will be easy and intuitive with terrain that stacks and snaps in place, or you can drop down pre-built maps for ready-made adventures. A Free Starter Set includes enough pieces to build caverns and dungeons and up to 10 free minis.

Mirrorscape is 100% aligned with Paizo’s vision for open and inclusive gaming and the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License. The Mirrorscape platform is designed to support a wide variety of rulesets and homebrew campaigns. As partners, Mirrorscape and Paizo will empower user-generated content and support, not restrict, player creativity.

Using the magic of AR on the iOS or Android device in your pocket, you can enjoy digital play on your actual tabletop with digital dice that bounce just like the real thing. In the near future, Mirrorscape is also planning to release its platform on AR glasses and headsets, meaning it won’t be long until players can experience the magic of a fully immersive AR tabletop where players can move their minis and build vast worlds for exploration with their hands, thanks to hand tracking and gesture control.

Get ready to download Mirrorscape on Apple App Store or Google Play on July 25th, and be ready for your next Pathfinder or Starfinder adventure in amazingly authentic 3D!

It’s been a little over a year since I took over the helm at Paizo as president, and I wanted to give everyone a look behind the scenes at what’s been happening during that time as well as provide a look ahead.

United Paizo Workers

Before I became president, I was leading negotiations with the UPW to create the tabletop industry’s first-ever collective bargaining agreement. This wasn’t an easy task, and we didn’t always see eye-to-eye on all the issues, but we worked together for more than a year and found compromises to create an agreement that I believe works for both the company and its employees. That’s not the end of the process, of course, as the leadership team continues to work with the union on many day-to-day matters that running a company requires.

We’ve had customers and companies reach out to us in concern about the unionization process. Yes, becoming unionized is serious business and brings significant changes, but it’s also brought an opportunity for the union and the management team to form stronger bonds that will serve us well in the future. To other business leaders in the industry who are concerned about unionization, I offer the immortal words of Douglas Adams: Don’t Panic!

Rise of the ORC

As some of you noticed earlier this year, there was a thing that happened with the Open Gaming License (OGL). Paizo and other publishers made the decision to leave the OGL and begin publishing under the Open RPG Creative (ORC) license. This wasn’t a decision we took lightly, but Paizo can no longer operate under a license that a corporate giant believed they could change, shake up, or cancel whenever it wanted to.

That decision had other impacts, however. Abomination Vaults 5E, Starfinder’s Scoured Stars and Mechageddon! Adventure Paths, the Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide, and Pathfinder’s Howl of the Wild rulebook all had to move to 2024 to make room for the Player Core and GM Core ORC Remastered rulebooks coming out in November.

The shift to the ORC license will also necessitate a change to our Compatibility License and Community Use Policy. We’ll have those available for public comment soon, and final versions will be released before the new Remaster books come out in November. We’re also taking the opportunity to introduce a new fan policy I think many artisans are going to love.

Reorganizations

I’ve been working with other members of Paizo’s leadership team to streamline operations throughout the company. The biggest changes have been merging the customer service team into the sales team, organized play into the marketing team, and the entirety of marketing under the sales and operations teams. These independent silos weren’t working the way they should, and now that they’re all under the same umbrella, they better share and work toward common goals to support our customers, distributors, and local game stores.

The creative team also saw some changes, primarily merging teams that specialize along narrative (organized play scenarios, standalone adventure modules, and Adventure Paths), rules & lore (Lost Omens and general Pathfinder rulebooks), and Starfinder lines. We’ve also added the ability for us to create games outside of our traditional RPG fold, and you’ll see the first of those efforts, Elemental Stones, launch this fall. Pre-order it today!

Mostly Remote

With virtually all of Paizo working remotely since the start of the pandemic, we decided that Paizo would remain a remote workforce even after most lockdown protocols ended. We’re in the process of closing down our Redmond offices and warehouse, and we’ll be moving our warehouse operations a few miles up the road to Woodinville over the coming months. Outside the warehouse team, Paizo employees have additional states eligible for remote work (currently Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington).

As we vacate the Redmond offices, we’ll likely have some downtime for Paizo.com and the forums as we move those servers to a new data center. We’ll let you know about that when we get a bit closer to the move.

New Technology

We’ve been operating Paizo’s finances on basic software for decades, but the time has come to invest in a new platform that can give us the business intelligence and integrations we need. Too many people at Paizo spend hours every week manually building reports from Excel files, so this change should result in a win for everyone. We’re in the final stages of moving over to a shiny new financial and analytics platform, which we’ll then use to integrate with a…

New Store

Yup. We’ll be replacing the current Paizo Store with a shiny new one. We’re still working out timelines for that, so stay tuned for future updates. The new finance platform needed to happen first, since the store needs to plug into something that can handle all the data. Some of the goals of the new store are to:

1. Provide a responsive design across mobile, web, and tablet.
2. Allow for an easy checkout process with more payment methods available.
3. Offer a more robust reward program than the current Paizo Advantage.
4. Allow for more robust subscription options, like the ability to skip a shipment or start with a specific book.
5. Allow sidecarts for subscribers.
6. Better organization and a Paizo-branded experience.

New Forums

The community is important to us, and we are investigating new platforms to provide a better forum experience (along with preserving the content of the current forums). As we finalize our decision, we’ll provide more updates to the community.

Licensing

Paizo’s goal with licensing is to serve the Pathfinder and Starfinder communities with amazing products from partners that resonate with gamers. We want to make your game experiences better, whether you play around the table at home, across a virtual table, or at your favorite local game store or convention. We’re looking for partners with a passion for the Pathfinder and Starfinder brands that can bring experiences to you in new ways and attract a wider audience.

That’s why we partnered with Owlcat on the Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous games, and also why we’ve partnered with BKOM on Gallowspire Survivors and the Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults ARPG. Not only are these games fun for a large number of current Pathfinder and Starfinder players, but they’ll also bring in nufriends to experience tabletop for the first time.

Bringing those new players into our games means making character creation easy, which we’ve done by partnering with Demiplane and Hero Lab Online. We have more work to do for new players, but we’re leveling up with new tools and an awesome community to guide them to amazing gaming experiences.

The Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite programs have allowed community creators across the world a generous license to produce their own Pathfinder and Starfinder material using Paizo’s intellectual property, and make money for their efforts. Both communities continue to grow, and we're seeing more new, innovative material from Infinite creators every month.

Pathfinder Fiction

The fiction industry has been struggling for years outside a handful of very successful authors, and our previous Pathfinder Tales novels had the same challenges. We’re going to be trying out some new strategies to ensure making novels is profitable, but that means we need to create one!

Novels let us tell stories in ways that our game products can’t and can reach a wider audience of fantasy readers, so I’m pleased to announce that we’ve greenlit a standalone Pathfinder novel for release in 2024. What that novel is about, and who its amazing author is, will be revealed in due time—but prepare to be entertained (and for some major, longstanding canon questions to be answered)!

I’m really excited about the future, and I look forward to working with the Paizo team and our community to bring Pathfinder and Starfinder to wider audiences. What can you do to help? Take the opportunity to invite someone new to your gaming group, never miss another release by signing up for a subscription, make a leap into the Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society, and support your favorite local game store as you continue to explore the worlds of Pathfinder and Starfinder.

Thanks again for supporting Paizo! Here’s to continuing to create lifelong friendships through gaming.

Jim

STILL ALIVE!

Yup, that’s exactly what we were shouting at the end of this marathon, since our party of gunslingers was somehow, someway, still alive. Not only that, the Black Powder Cadre is coming off a clean run in this latest marathon, where we rifled out enough critical hits to make clutch situations look easy. In case you need to catch up on Order of the Amber Die’s project, here’s a good place to start:

Introduction
Part 1
Part 2

We plan our marathons around the schedules of the teachers in our group, so we had a little more time off between sessions this time around. This gave us a chance to catch up with Rob Pontious of Know Direction, who put together a closer look at the project so far. Since Rob is also an OAD member, he delved into some of the big questions surrounding our project, including this one: why did we choose to play all gunslingers? Give it a read and find out! In the meantime, here are the stats on the latest marathon:

• Adventures: Ruins of Gauntlight and Hands of the Devil
• Marathon Length: 56hrs, 35min
• Session Hours: 35hrs, 30min

As this was our third marathon, our goal was to finish up Ruins of Gauntlight and head down into the middle levels of the Abomination Vaults. On levels five through seven of the megadungeon, we entered the next volume of the Adventure Path, Hands of the Devil. Most importantly for us, though, was that we squared off against Vanessa Hoskins, an author we hadn’t faced before. After playing more than 150 published adventures by dozens of writers over the years, it’s a fresh treat when we encounter someone whose work we aren’t extensively familiar with. We still have a chunk of the adventure to play through, but here’s one thing that even our most jaded dungeon crawlers agreed on: Vanessa will surprise you, so expect anything.

Highlights from Marathon 3

• Just because this Adventure Path focuses on a massive dungeon doesn’t mean that everything takes place there, and it certainly doesn’t mean that there aren’t great opportunities for roleplaying. In search of a Roseguard icon known as the Cooperative Blade, we pursued the slighted blacksmith, Carman Rajani, to a forest cave outside of town. The smith got the jump on us and was able to do to an overconfident Tess what no man had done thus far—maim her with one of the biggest hits of the campaign! Carman had the party’s attention, and Tess listened with bated breath as he talked about being the new, rightful mayor of Otari. She brashly offered the party’s aid—as the future Mrs. Rajani, of course. Carman found his way to Tess’s heart and helped the Black Powder Cadre find their way to a deeper level of the megadungeon.
• In case you can’t tell, we like to test RPG absolutes. This time, we tackled the adage “never split the party.” Two characters became separated when they were shoved down a chute by an invisible creature on level four. One of them was Maloika, and goblin curiosity being what it is, he led Zoric on a foray of their own. What happened next was a cinematic moment that will stand out long after our project is over—reminiscent of the first time we saw the pirate ship in The Goonies. As the pair waded through a watery passage of unworked stone, into view came the long-sought remains of the rogue Otari himself—one of the original members of the Roseguard!
• Our old buddy, Joe O’Brien from the Glass Cannon Network, joined us on our third day of dungeon-crawling while rocking the Beast Gunner archetype. We welcomed this new gunslinger into the Cadre by aiming straight for his head, after several characters became confused by a gibbering mouther accompanied by grothlut fleshwarps. Big props, though! Joe survived a precarious PvP shootout and then offered up his Hit Point total for the last few rounds: one!
• We’ve got a bunch of soccer fans in the Order who are eager for the Women’s World Cup this summer, and we’re also known to grab seats together for Philly Union matches. Many thanks to Vanessa, who gave us something we’ve always wanted: our first VIP box, complete with a screen showing the best camera angles! The only problem was that the box overlooked a creepy arena instead of a soccer field, and that a couple of poltergeists wouldn’t give up their chairs from the last match. Instead of fighting them for the best spot in the house, we simply showed them what they had been struggling to find for the past 500 years: a way out of the megadungeon.
• While exploring some old holding cells in the Vaults, we came across several disgusting amalgamations of aged flesh and bone known as shanrigols. These unused remnants of fleshwarping experiments seemed like they could be dangerous, but we were just too tempted by a key that gleamed inside one of the heaps. Since they didn’t attack immediately, we seized an opportunity unique to a party of gunslingers. Our front characters knelt, the back ones stood, and we created a perfect two-rank line formation that would have made the Duke of Wellington proud. Weapons aimed, we waited for Vlai’s order. FIRE!

The Arsenal

We’ve tried to describe our GM’s style a few different ways over the years, but for this campaign, just imagine yourself in the bullet ballet of a John Woo film. Think muzzle flashes in the dark, black powder cartridges falling in slow motion to the dungeon floor, the distinctive crack of a ricochet as it mars a statue, and the crunching sound that wood makes when a door gets splintered open with a scattergun. Oh, and there are plenty of “click-clicks” around the table, because reloading is just plain fun and it happens A LOT. Adam loves to make sound effects, and for this campaign we all join in. Toss in some of Zack Hemsey’s “Nice to Meet Me” in the background, and you’ve got a feel for what it’s like at our table.

Character Deaths

Zero. We might be getting cocky.

Best Quote from Marathon 3

(Maloika, being severely mauled by Jaul Mezmin, a werewolf)

Sean: “Dude, please, I can’t die to this guy; it’s part of my character’s story. I have to defeat him and tell Keleeno.”
Adam: (stands, picks up the Amber Die) “Forget your PC’s story. The Amber Die writes the stories here! (throws it across the entire table) NATURAL 20, BABY!”

Current Situation

Breen’s dragon-mouth pistol and Vlai’s scattergun helped us get past Volluk, the swarmy mini-boss on level four. We proceeded to shoot through level five, but when we said author Vanessa Hoskins will surprise you, we meant it. We eventually found ourselves on a balcony overlooking an arena, and down on the floor—lying dormant—was a reddish, gargantuan-sized mound of discarded fleshwarping materials. Better yet, behind this monstrosity was a 15ft. diameter gong, suspended by sturdy chains. What red-blooded adventurer could resist the temptation to shoot a patio-sized gong with the biggest firearm in Pathfinder Guns & Gears? Thus, a harmona gun was loaded, shouldered, and discharged. The gong shuddered loud enough to be heard over in the Emerald Spire. Then, the behemoth shuddered.

We’re about to blow open a whole new meaning for pink mist.

More Content

Our table was brought to life with the help of Blue Table Painting for the miniatures, and Black Bard Studios for custom adventure-specific miniatures/terrain.

Follow Order of the Amber Die:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube
• The Abomination Arsenal thread

This is it! After months of collaborative work, we are pleased to present the final version of the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License! The license is a system-agnostic, perpetual, and irrevocable open gaming license that provides a legal “safe harbor” for sharing rules mechanics so as to encourage collaboration and innovation in the tabletop-gaming space. After much commentary and iteration, the ORC License and accompanying ORC AxE (Answers and Explanations) document are now final and ready to be used by game publishers large and small.

We’ve posted the final drafts below. The public commentary portion of this process is now complete, and there will be no further changes. We’re grateful to everyone who contributed thoughts, criticisms, and suggestions since this process started back in February. We literally could not have done it without you, and we look forward to the amazing products the community will create using this license in the future.

The final text of the ORC License has been submitted to the Library of Congress and formally published on the website of Azora Law, the legal firm that conceived of and drafted it. All currently posted versions of the final ORC License text should be considered the Interim Final ORC License and ORC AxE. As soon as copyright registration is finalized, these documents will be updated with the final copyright registration number, which we expect will be ready in about six months. In the meantime, publishers are free to begin using the ORC License right now. No other elements of this document will be changing in the future.

Azora Law Managing Partner Brian Lewis and representatives from Paizo, Chaosium, and other publishers will be offering a panel on the ORC License at the upcoming Gen Con Indy 2023 in early August, where we will answer questions about the license and give suggestions on how best to use it.

From a purely Paizo-based perspective, we will shortly be updating our Community Use and Pathfinder Compatibility Licenses to incorporate the finalized ORC License. Watch this space in the coming weeks for more information regarding these company-specific documents.

Thanks again for helping us to get there. Now let’s make some games!

Download the Orc License

Download the Redlined Orc License

Download the Orc AxE

Download the Redlined Orc AxE

Join the conversation

We did it! “Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults” is 100% funded on Kickstarter!

From everyone at BKOM Studios, we are extremely thankful for your support. We couldn’t have done this without you! Thanks to you, together we're gonna create something legendary. We can’t wait to have you join us soon... down the Abomination Vaults!

For the occasion our CEO, Frederic Martin, wanted to say a few words:

Hello, Fred Martin here. I’m one of the founders of BKOM Studios and have had the privilege of working alongside a really passionate team of game smiths for the last 26 years and counting. I’m also a lifelong fan of fantasy stories where elves, dwarves, goblins and sorcerers share the stage as the main villains and heroes.

I felt like I had to say thanks. Big thanks in fact. Huge thanks to you, the supporters of this project, who have allowed us to reach this point in the campaign. Huge thanks to my colleagues, who are working very hard on this initiative because they also believe in it. And huge thanks to Paizo for entrusting us with such a precious IP and adventure path.

All the good vibes you are sending are really fueling our conviction that this game is going to become an awesome reality. The energy behind your contribution is also encouraging others to join. And thanks to that, we reached our goal and we are hopeful for the last week of the campaign. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say thanks, on my behalf, and on behalf of the incredible BKOM team.

Let’s make this game!
Fred Martin
Team member at BKOM Studios

But it doesn’t end here, there’s still time to unlock some stretch goals! The Potion-Crafting System with Nezrin Fizzletop's Alchemitorium has already been unlocked! It allows adventurers to craft their own customized potion by mixing and matching different ingredients found within the Vaults. Create potions for healing, protection, self-strengthening, speed, or anything in-between!

The Wardrobe system and one alternate outfit have also been unlocked! Amelia Candlebright can fix up her grandmother's tailoring shop in town and offer bespoke tailoring and aesthetic options. Defeat enemies to collect rare dyes and fabrics which can be used to swag out your hero. Because at the end of the day, we all know adventure is really about: fashion!

We also revealed the Runesmithing System & Kargas' Runeforge! The runesmith Kargas Featherstone offers a quest to retrieve ancient runes, which he can use to customize your weapons and armor.

And there’s more to reveal yet. Who knows, maybe even a certain iconic goblin alchemist!

There’s a few hours left in the campaign. Thanks for sharing the page and continuing to make some noise: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bkomstudios/pathfinder-abomination-vaults

—The BKOM Team

Golarion and the Pact Worlds are filled with people of all sorts – this is just a small collection of our wonderful trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming characters!

Two of our iconic heroes- Mios, the Iconic Thaumaturge (they/them) and Kyyduh, the Iconic Evolutionist (they/them).

The world is frightening for a lot of trans people right now – with our rights under attack at local, state, and federal levels here in the United States and around the world. Trans people and queer performers like drag queens are being forced back into hiding in a cruel movement that threatens to set us back decades.

But we will not be erased – and we will keep making art and worlds that show trans and queer people that we belong. We have always been here, and we always will be – the world is richer with us in it.

In celebration of the gender diversity of both our settings and our community, this blog is a collection of trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming canon characters across Starfinder and Pathfinder – as told by their writers and people who see themselves in those characters.

l’setsya Wyrmtouched (she/her), a ganzi spellcaster with flowing blue hair.

Amber Stewart (she/her)

Il’setsya Wyrmtouched began as my arcanist PC in Rise of the Runelords, where she gave me an in-character outlet to express my inner self every week through a CN, wildly unfiltered, fun by any means character. She was and remains a whole lot of -GOALS- with a bucket of common PC characteristics of mine taken to a delightful extreme: after magically transitioning via a protean artifact, the Lethe Wall of Galisemni, she’s magically skilled and silly, with high intelligence, low wisdom, a fifteen-foot-long tail, happily married to her half-faerie dragon wife. Seriously, what’s not to love? I first wrote about her and her Wyrmtouched siblings in Planar Adventures and later, when I serendipitously needed a protean-linked NPC in my volume of Agents of Edgewatch, “Ruins of the Radiant Siege,” she was right there, practically begging for the job. Of course, a whimsical hedonist who’s a literal agent of manifest chaos isn’t going to work with every party, but she’s a fun challenge, and in that role, she was my attempt to make as close to a patron saint of Chaotic Neutral transwomen as I could.

Tesyovensku (they/them), a fetchling witch

Ashton Sperry (they/them)

Howdy! I'm Ashton, your nonbinary friend on the internet and occasional freelancer for the great folks at Paizo. And now I get the opportunity to tell you all about one of my proudest achievements in my freelancing career!

Tesyovensku is a nonbinary fetchling I wrote up for Lost Omens: The Grand Bazaar. You may have even had the chance to encounter them in a certain Pathfinder Society scenario! Getting to create a character whole-cloth who shares my gender identity was a thrilling experience, and I'm so glad they've resonated with so many people out there.

Tesyovensku's story is also one about triumph over adversity, something that I think many of us are struggling to achieve these days. The future for the queer community seems bleak, and honestly, if my little contributions to Paizo's canon can provide a glimmer of hope, then I am deeply honored and touched to have made things a little bit better. Together, we can all pull through—and maybe have a nice cup of tea while we're at it.

Arhan Benimaya (he/him), a human tattoo artist.

Avi Kool (they/them) – Lead Editor

Arhan Benimaya (he/him) is a human trans man from Cheliax who fled religious persecution as a child with his family before settling in Absalom. He used his art skills to help support his family and save for a serum of sex shift, and he grew up to be a successful tattoo artist in Absalom’s Docks District. His boyfriend is an azarketi dockworker named Brine, and the two of them can be found in Arhan’s shop along with Arhan’s service dog, Apple the mastiff. You can read more about Arhan in Pathfinder Lost Omens: Grand Bazaar!

Mios Uriev (they/them) is a nonbinary human from Caliphas, Ustalav, and the iconic thaumaturge. They worked as a night coach driver before being bitten by a werewolf, but using their extraordinary resourcefulness and willingness to try anything, they cured themself—though they’re still not quite sure which cure they attempted did the trick. Upon realizing they were cured, Mios gave up the life of a driver and decided to try their hand at adventuring, knowing that all monsters have weaknesses, if only you can find them. You can read more about Mios at https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6si2a?Meet-the-Iconics-Mios.

Brent Bowser (he/they)

I was struggling to find the voice I wanted for Vidrizix (NB Dragonkin) in Starfinder Bounty #8: Lost Dragon's Legacy, so I started using mine as a placeholder. The more I fleshed out the character and their relationships, the more I connected with them. I replaced instances of "he" with "they." It felt so right with Vidrizix that I realized I should do the same for myself.

Vidrizix (he/they), a purple dragon kin.

Dana Ebert (she/her)

I've been a Paizo contributor for three years now, and I'm not ashamed to admit that my all-time favorite NPC is still Iltara Clavela (she/her), who I created for Lost Omens: Grand Bazaar and put a lot of myself into. Her story has all my favorite tropes—fey blessings, ill-fated bargains, and the power of names. While Iltara was far from the first trans woman in Pathfinder, she was the first NPC whose shop offers gender-affirming transmutations to patrons! If you haven't seen this artwork by @hailiiz of Iltara and Ralliadra, a fellow trans shopkeeper from Grand Bazaar, you should check it out!

Tragellon Pearlcask (he/him), a muscular dwarf crab fisher.

John Compton (he/him) – Senior Developer

Tregellon Pearlcask (he/him)
The sky citadel of Highhelm has many mouths to feed, and local dwarves of the Pearlcask clan have developed sophisticated aquaculture that supplies the city with a wide variety of shellfish. In Pathfinder Adventure Path #193: Mantle of Gold, something sinister has sneaked into Tregellon Pearlcask’s caves, afflicting his prize crab (whose art we can’t wait to show you). His being a trans man isn’t crucial to the adventure; it’s just who he is, and he openly affirms it with Pearlcask humor. He’s described as “dressed for working on the water, wearing little beyond sturdy trousers, a teal sash around his waist, and several pearl studs in his ears. He’s muscular, with a horizontal scar under each pectoral ("Molting scars,” he acknowledges with a knowing wink, if asked)."

Michael Bramnik (he/him)

Hello there! To quote a friend, I might be, “straight enough to calibrate a Kinsey scale,” but I long for the day when months like these are no longer needed except purely in celebration. I fervently believe that LGBTQ+ visibility and positive representation are vitally important if we are ever going to move on to a better future.

For Pathfinder Society #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was <spoiler> the character of Alyreha (who is encountered with a different name at first) is trans. I made this decision because of her study into the magic of True Names. Having been honored to escort friends to their procedures in the past and seeing just how much more “them” they were afterwards—it just felt right for the story of someone finding herself. </spoiler> It can be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment (but is more pronounced in Isis Wozniakowska’s #4-10: Arclord’s Abode) because I think that normalization might be the most important aspect of representation, or, to use a movie quote from my childhood that taught me this lesson quite early, “peoples is peoples”—a lesson I hope future allies will learn. For this and all months to follow, I wish you all the best.

A floating skull with pink magical glow.

Rue Dickey (they-he-xe) - Marketing & Media Specialist

While I haven’t had the joy of writing any published trans characters (yet), I have seen myself in so many Paizo books- it’s one of the reasons I love the games we make and am so happy to be a part of this company! Above all, Arhan Benimaya(he/him) from Lost Omens: Grand Bazaar spoke to me very strongly as a Jewish trans man. Seeing someone who looks like me and whose story echoes with my heart made me even more certain that Golarion was a place for me.

Shay Snow (they/them) – Pathfinder Society Developer

Kyyduh is the Starfinder iconic evolutionist, which I worked on and helped create with the Starfinder team earlier this year. If you ask Kyyduh about their gender, their answer will be "Gender? don't even know 'er!" The agender pahtra uses they/them pronouns, no matter what form or shape they adapt while being an evolutionist. They identify as bisexual, with no true preference to gender, and they’ve identified as agender since they were a tiny kit shedding their first canines. They have ADHD and struggle to focus on verbal instructions, but when given written instructions they can adapt and pick up almost any skill presented to them.

Creating Kyyduh was a special experience for me, and allowed me to explore agender expression through a character that I knew would be public-facing. I was a little nervous when the blogs went live, unsure of how the Paizo community might feel about a nonbinary iconic, however I was genuinely overjoyed when I saw so many cheerful and welcoming comments, validating Kyyduh’s identity and disability. Kyyduh’s a bright, cheerful pahtra and will be facing so many upcoming adventures in the Starfinder universe!

Domakayo (he/him), a Vesk in a glittery bodysuit.

Tineke Bolleman

Domakayo (he/him), from Starfinder Society Scenario #3-15: Frozen Ambitions - The Preluria Connection. He is a little ode to drag performers.

Domakayo is a performer living on Vault of Vorlath. He performs in bars and has a dedicated fanbase. Domakayo dresses in his well known glitter bodysuit and discoball tail extension, and paints his scales in vibrant colors to mimic and exaggerate the colorations of female Vesk. His dance performances are lively and are punctuated by crushing items, a play on old fashioned Vesk courtship dances.

Domakayo loves expressing himself through his dance performances and the transformation he goes through before getting on stage. He has no stage name, finding comfort in using his own name and being who he was not allowed to be back home.

Rhenei Aldori (they/them) from The Swordlord's Challenge  always felt pressured by the demands of Ysoki society. Ysoki have a relatively short lifespan, and in Rhenei’s family there was a big emphasis on settling down while young and having kids. Classic gender roles never seemed to fit. Mom. Dad. Nanny. Caretaker. Babysitter. Even if not pressed into a parental role, their family would still press them into a caregiver role. When Rhenei clearly stated they did not wish any of this, there was a huge fallout. Rhenei left their home, and eventually ended up studying Aldori swordlord. After training, Rhenei swore the swordpact and is now Rhenei Aldori.

Rhenei loves expressing themselves by wearing colorful clothing.

---

We’re happy to be able to bring so many of these characters to life here at Paizo—and to let our trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming community members know that they are safe, welcomed, and celebrated here.

If you’re looking for ways to help the queer community—especially queer youth—this Pride, consider donating to the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, volunteering with a local or online queer youth center, and speaking out against transphobia when it pops up around you. The proceeds of Paizo’s Pride Pins – available in Vigilant, Goblin, or Skittermander – benefit Tabletop Gaymers, an organization dedicated to making sure LGBTQIA+ players feel safe and welcome at the table.

Trans pride, trans power, trans rights!

Juneteenth Flag, credit Nafsadh, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

—General Order No. 3; Galveston Texas, June 19, 1865
https://www.tsl.texas.gov/ref/abouttx/juneteenth.html

While many American history classes conflate Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation with the end of slavery, it took several years before the order reached states like Texas—and it wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 that slavery was properly abolished. It should also be noted that while slavery was banned as an institutional practice, it still exists in the prison industrial complex and disproportionately affects Black Americans.

Black communities nationwide have celebrated Juneteenth for decades, but it was adopted as a national holiday in 2021 (and celebrated as a state holiday in some states prior to that). This year’s theme is Waves of Freedom—honoring the history of Black Americans and affirming every person’s right to equity and dignity.

Fannie Lou Hamer at a protest, credit to William J. Smith.
“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” —Fannie Lou Hamer

In celebration and solidarity, take some time today to support Black-owned businesses, organizations, and individuals in your community. Take a look at the US Chamber of Commerce’s directory of Black-owned businesses or do a search for a directory in your area. Consider donating to a charity that works for the freedom, empowerment, and success of Black Americans, just a few of which are listed here:

• NAACP Legal Defense Fund
• Southern Poverty Law Center
• National Black Child Development Institute
• National Black Justice Coalition
• The Loveland Foundation

Monetary support isn’t the only way to show up for Black communities on Juneteenth. Check with your local NAACP branch for volunteer opportunities or events happening this month. This holiday is a celebration—and a reminder that slavery’s impacts are far from gone.

In solidarity,

Rue Dickey
Marketing & Media Specialist

I’m Aaron Shanks, Director of Marketing, and it is my privilege to introduce to you a group of professional geeks I call Paizo’s marketing+ team! Alex Spiedel, Organized Play Coordinator; Jon Morgantini, Community & Social Media Specialist; and Rue Dickey, Marketing & Media Specialist all report to me, but this group of adventurers needs more than four. So, I regularly borrow the talents of Raychael Allor, our Licensing & Marketing Coordinator, and Maryssa Lagervall, our Web Content Manager, who join us from the licensing and technology teams, respectively. Together we form Volt—er, a skilled and dedicated group to help you play Starfinder and Pathfinder!

As Director of Marketing, I lead our team of marketers in the creation and execution of a strategic marketing plan to promote Paizo products. I understand that there isn’t a single marketing program that’s 100% effective and am always seeking to try out new things in a rapidly evolving world. (So. Much. Change.)

But enough about me. I get to manage and work with United Paizo Workers. Let’s talk about them!

Illustration by Brian Valeza

Alex Spiedel, Organized Play Coordinator (he/him)

Alex is responsible for the day-to-day administration of Paizo’s Organized Play programs, including campaign management, volunteer relationships, communications, and technical operations. He’s also in charge of all Organized Play activities at conventions, from building and implementing con schedules to helping the on-site events run smoothly. His passion for making Org Play the best it can be—and his hunger for dice—knows no bounds.

Rue Dickey, Marketing & Media Specialist (he/they)

Rue (they/he/xe) is a nonbinary, mixed-Indigenous-Roma-Welsh, disabled creator living on unceded Kalapuya territory with xir two spouses, tiny dog, and long noodle baby. Queer rage and joy in equal parts are a focus of his design and they strive to create space at the table for stories that the world has tried to keep quiet. They would like to make the world just a little brighter—by bringing these stories into the spotlight. Rue spends xir limited free time building outlandish costumes and is proud to be a never-recovering circus goth.

Rue is the newest member of the marketing team! They’re our liaison to external press and news media—coordinating interviews, previews, and reviews to ensure that Paizo products get the recognition they deserve and the coverage we need to continue to thrive. Behind the scenes, xe coordinates the day-to-day marketing functions and makes sure everything goes smoothly.

Jon Morgantini, Community & Social Media Specialist (he/him)

Jon is a Paizo brand ambassador. This is the most normal job he’s ever had. He’s a 20-year military veteran of two services, has driven limos for celebrities, and previously worked at a funeral home. As Community & Social Media Specialist, he now works his wizardry on social media, and he knows what makes forums safe and fun to participate in. When not working, Jon can most often be found reading dark fantasy or techno thrillers and getting lost in Hyrule.

Jon produces content across all Paizo social channels, but the whole team of marketers spreads the word about the amazing Pathfinder and Starfinder gaming products that we release each month. Steve, Jon’s WizKids Goblin roommate, takes much of the credit.

Raychael Allor, Licensing & Marketing Coordinator (she/her)

When not fulfilling her role as an ever-tired cat mom, Raychael is involved in all of Paizo’s licensed partner marketing efforts, from concepting new campaigns to implementing those plans at conventions, across social media, and to the Paizo community. Her work with licensed partners involves not only communication and coordination with a wide variety of people from all over the world, but also interdepartmental coordination to make sure everyone is on the same page, no matter the project.

In short, Raychael is a vital member of the marketing and licensing teams and gets the opportunity to work on a wide variety of exciting projects—and tell the world about them!

Maryssa Mari, Web Content Manager (she/her)

Maryssa is officially part of the tech team. As Paizo’s Web Content Manager, she reports to the Director of Technology and partners collaboratively with teams across the company. She helps wrangle Paizo’s non-store online content, web page design, and is Keeper Of The Blog Schedule™. Her job is to be aware of the shenanigans Paizo gets up to online and provide assistance when needed.

When she’s not being a nuisance valuable member of the company chats, Maryssa enjoys hiking, crafting, 48-hour gaming marathons before forgetting her steam library exists, and keeping upcoming spoilers from the hoard of roommates.

Illustration by Franklin Chan

In conclusion…
Our marketing+ team is a fun and imaginative group made up of highly creative and smart people who are passionate about the products we produce. Someone let them all into the same room and now they scheme and create chaos together! They may or may not be half a dozen kobolds and skittermanders in cloaks—we haven't been able to confirm—and some of them escaped containment from other departments and won't leave ours. Please send help. Please play with us!

Adventures ahead,

Aaron Shanks

“P.S. Save the Date! Paizo LIVE will return on Friday, June 30. This team is planning regular episodes the last business Friday of every month.

“P.P.S. This team will all be at Gen Con, physically, so look for us there. This also means that we’ll be pre-recording a few streams for your enjoyment. We aren’t planning any live streams at this time.”

The roguelite bullet hell survivor from BKOM Studios and Paizo arrives on PC in 2023.

BKOM Studios and Paizo are excited to announce “Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors,” a roguelite bullet hell survivor game arriving on PC later this year.

Players battle through Gallowspire, a legendary Pathfinder locale, as one of three heroes—and alongside an ally of their choosing—until they face the immortal villain who awaits within. To get there, they must slay hordes of enemies, collect and upgrade an arsenal of powerful spells and weapons, and overcome deadly bosses—while growing stronger with each attempt.

Setting:

Gallowspire is a legendary tower of darkness in Pathfinder's world of Golarion. Here, the lich Tar-Baphon, one of Pathfinder’s most ancient and powerful villains, remains sealed away while plotting his dark return. But as the wards that contain him begin to fail, three fearless heroes will rise to the occasion, tasked with venturing into Gallowspire's depths to defeat Tar-Baphon and repair the wards that seal him away.

Reaching Tar-Baphon is no simple task: an endless horde of undead and fiends stand between the hero and their goal—with a diverse array of powers which will challenge the player’s tactics at every turn.

But one victory will not be enough to seal away Tar-Baphon forever: the heroes must face him many times to forestall his return for as long as possible. And when the heroes fall, they rise again, ever stronger… to face Gallowspire's hordes once more, for as long as it takes.

"Pathfinder: Gallowspire Survivors" is now available to Wishlist on Steam. Keep up-to-date with all the information by liking Gallowspire Survivors on Facebook, following BKOM Studios on Twitter, joining the official Discord server, and visiting BKOM’s official website.

Features:

• Choose your class: the Fighter, Wizard, or Rogue—each featuring unique talents, powers, and playstyles.
• Select a second hero to fight alongside you as a companion character.
• Run the gauntlet of Gallowspire! Overcome all four sections and their bosses to mark a successful run.
• Defeat enemies and collect their essence to obtain and upgrade your powers during the run.
• Earn experience to level up your heroes and spend talent points to permanently enhance and customize their powers.
• Collect and spend treasure to unlock permanent upgrades for all your heroes.
• Complete quests, defeat bosses, and battle the Whispering Tyrant himself.
• Customize your challenge level across 5 tiers of difficulty. The quest to contain Tar-Baphon is endless!

What an amazing response we have received from Pathfinder fans on the Abomination Vaults game Kickstarter campaign! Already above 75% and going strong.

You are showing us that there’s a genuine appetite for this game, and this gives us even more energy and enthusiasm that will in turn be channeled back into this project. There is still some ground to cover, but everyone at BKOM wants to thank all who have been supporting us thus far. This game wouldn’t feel as tangible without the community’s support.

Available on GOG

First, some good news: many of you have been asking for it... and today we're super happy to give it to you!Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults will be available on GOG! At the end of our campaign, pledgers will be able to choose through a form we'll send you whether you'd like to receive your digital copy of the game for Steam or GOG.

Two Stretch Goals Revealed

As we are getting closer to our main funding goal, the time has come to share with you the first two Stretch Goals of our campaign. We are pretty excited about them! We've received a lot of feedback and questions from the community regarding customization, so we know many of you will be thrilled to learn these Stretch Goals are all about giving players more customization options that will enhance the way you play and look in the game.

Introducing Nezrin Fizzletop’s Alchemitorium, a potion-crafting system, and Talia’s Tailoring Emporium, a wardrobe system that will come with the Brimstone Set, an awesome alternative outfit. We’ll give you more details on these in the next few days!

Add-ons

Last week, we introduced some new add-ons to the campaign. We added the possibility to add an Extra Digital download (Steam) for all our pledgers. For those who pledged to one of our Collector’s boxes or Special Tiers, we also added the option to complete your miniature collection in order to get the full party of four, and the possibility to add the Custom Dice Set & Bag designed by FanRoll.

For the moment, as per Kickstarter rules, physical shippable add-ons will only be available for backers already pledging for a shippable reward. But please note that pledgers will be able to add digital rewards as add-ons at the end of the campaign via the Pledge Manager.

Miniatures Reveal

We were also thrilled to reveal a sneak peek of Ezren and Amiri’s exclusive miniatures. We’ll make you wait a bit more to discover Harsk and Kyra, but know that our design team is putting the finishing touch on them, making sure they look amazing.

New Reward Tiers

Since many of you in the community asked for it, we decided to add a new digital bundle to the campaign: the Double-Up Digital Bundle. With this bundle, you’ll get two digital downloads of the game (Steam) for you and a friend to partner up and play Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults.

And we’re not done yet! We love receiving feedback from the community about our current rewards and getting ideas on what you would like. We’re still early in the campaign and many surprises are still yet to come.

Please continue to spread the word and watch this space as more exciting stuff is about to be revealed! Be sure to join the conversation on Discord to help us shape the rest of the campaign. Let’s turn this epic quest into a reality! We are working hard at it.

Support The Kickstarter!

—the BKOM Studios team

Hi gay happy Pride!

Pride month is a time to celebrate queer joy, a time to be out and proud about our existence. Pride is a protest and always has been. For every victory, like the Respect for Marriage Act or the removal of the ban against gay men donating blood, there are just as many setbacks to equality. States like Florida and Texas pass law after law banning discussion of queer issues in schools and gender-affirming medical care, which whips the outrage machine into a frenzy and leads to Target employees being attacked over the yearly Pride collection. The LGBTQ+ community wonders every day what new attacks on our freedom, our right to simply exist, await us in the news.

The theme of this year’s Pride is “Rage and Resilience.” In recognition and celebration of our wonderful community of LGBTQ+ staffers and freelance contributors, we asked them to submit something about what gives them strength. We hope you enjoy hearing from them and encourage our community members to share their own responses in the comments!

Happy Pride, everyone! May you all get a new set of rainbow dice that rolls as well as mine does.

Alex Speidel (he/him)
Organized Play Coordinator, known bisexual

The story proceeds dramatically, as it usually does

Solatra (credited as Sasha Laranoa Harving; nov/nov)

Age 15. I came out as pansexual. My community was fairly progressive, but I still encountered people who thought I should just pick an easier label.

Age 16. I came out as aromantic. Anyone who had met me knew I was a hopeless romantic, in love with love, and told me it was a phase.

Age 17. I came out as a trans lesbian. I was met with anger, derision, mourning someone who did not die.

As time went on I debated if any of those things were accurate at all. I felt anger at myself for not figuring it out earlier, at my community for not letting me express myself.

Fast forward. Age 27. I'm out and proud as a xenogender aromantic pansexual lesbian. It is the multiplicity of my existence, the fact that I can be all of these things at once and love with all my heart that makes me strong.

Find what makes you strong and let it lift you up, and when people tell you your identity is wrong, know that they are simply too weak to accept your truth. In adversity there is community. In love there is life. Be strong. Together.

James Jacobs (he/him)
Pathfinder Narrative Creative Director

I find strength from friends and family, but thinking it over, I’ve got a potentially unexpected answer to the question “What gives me strength?” Horror gives me strength. I understand that the genre isn’t for everyone, but it defines who I am. From a kid watching horror movies with my dad, or while reading horror comic books and novels given to me by my grandparents, or while writing horror stories for school, the genre of fear has always given me strength. Whenever I finished a story (be it a movie, novel, game session, campfire tale, or whatever), I felt stronger, especially while growing up amid horrors both small (those endless school bullies) and enormous (the threat of nuclear apocalypse). There’s a reason horror sees its greatest growth during times of despair—and when times are good, the genre falters. It’d be nice to live in a world where I didn’t need horror to feel strong, but in the meantime, horror helps me continue my journey toward that world. Especially when I get to share my love of horror with friends or family, so… huh. I guess friends and family ARE at the core of it all!

Carlos Cabrera (he/they)

It gives me strength/I am jealous that my World of Darkness character is doing multi-gender polyamory better than me right now.

Mios, the iconic thaumaturge. Mios is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.

Marlowe Miller (they/he)

As a genderfluid Caddo person who has had my gender questioned by strangers since I started middle school, I know that I'm able to make a change just by existing as a visibly queer person. My mere presence challenges the public's preconceived notions of trans people. It's scary sometimes, I won't lie—but it's unavoidable and a responsibility I must bear. I couldn't do it without the help of my chosen family, both here at home in Alabama and in other states.

People question why I stay here when the law is becoming more hostile by the day. I stay in Alabama because I love the queer communities that flourish here, and because I know that if there weren't so many trans and gender-nonconforming people down here in the South, our lawmakers wouldn't be trying to legislate us out of existence. I stay in Alabama because there are people down here who can't leave and we need to stand together to survive. I stay in Alabama because it's my home, and I'm determined to keep it and my communities safe from people who would see it all destroyed. What gives me strength and keeps me going? Community.

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)
Marketing & Media Specialist

Hey, I’m Rue (they/he/xe), and I’m a mixed race, nonbinary, disabled creator, as well as Paizo’s Marketing & Media Specialist! I’ve been doing freelance writing with Paizo for about a year—my first writing credit is in our newly announced Pathfinder Howl of the Wild, and I’m new here on the marketing team! Above all else, my friends and family give me strength. I have the joy of living with my two wonderful spouses, Rina and Jalen, and I know that they’ll always be there for me just like I’m here for them. My parents are proud of me even if they don’t necessarily understand what I do. It’s wonderful to know that I’m surrounded by people who I love and who love me back. Another thing I find strength in is the goodness of people—and how our community is quick to come together to support those in need. Running two very successful fundraisers for trans rights didn’t just help monetarily; it also showed folx in Florida and Texas that we care about them worldwide. And we won’t let them be erased. We’re here, we’re queer, and we won’t be erased.

Eren Ahn (they/them primarily)

If I'd been asked this prompt last year, I would have written a lot of flowery prose about the importance of family and friendships. I still draw strength from my community; I love and appreciate all of the people I've been fortunate enough to build relationships with, both being born to them and forging them through time and long conversations at 1:47am.

That being said, this year I've reached a level of self-confidence and inner strength I never had before. For the first time, I feel focused and at ease enough to fight for myself in both my professional and personal life. I draw strength in being able to live my life in appreciation of myself, and I hope that's a sentiment many others can agree with. I find a lot of peace in knowing that I always have myself in my corner. I don't know if I would be as happy as I am now without them.

You'll see my work in both Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia books, and as of this being published, I'll have announced the first creature-focused module a friend and I are collaborating on! You can learn more about that on my Twitter @chromathesia.

Amber Stewart (she/her)

I’m Amber Stewart (she/her) and what gives me strength is seeing how my work and that of my peers serves as an idealized mirror for players to see themselves represented in-game, or as a playground to explore their identity in fantasy. Coming to recognize and accept where you fit on the spectrum of orientation and gender identity is a unique thing for each of us, and TTRPGs can be part of that process—it absolutely was for me. You might not immediately recognize that something in-game reflects part of who you are, and play can help unlock some of that identity and provide an avenue for you to explore it: I know that playing female PCs (at an ever-increasing frequency over time) was for me part of my journey to accepting myself as being trans, and then as an outlet to explore that identity well before anyone in my family but my partner was aware.

Now, I might play to my own experiences more than not in my content, but with a broad freelance community, we get a LOT of voices represented. It’s cool, inspiring, and wholesome to see and I’m ever prouder of this community with each passing year.

Kendra Leigh Speedling (she/her)

Hello! I'm Kendra Leigh Speedling, bisexual (and demisexual) disaster and frequent freelancer for Paizo. You may have spotted my name on several books recently, including Pathfinder Treasure Vault and To Defy the Dragon, a Starfinder standalone mech adventure that might help tide you over until Mechageddon!.

It’s a tough time to be queer, especially for our trans and nonbinary friends and family. I’m not as recognizably queer as many others, which has advantages and disadvantages. I could stop talking about certain aspects of myself and pass as straight, but I don’t want to. My pithy answer to what gives me strength is spite. My more heartfelt answer is community, both among LGBTQ+ folks and allies in the Paizosphere and among my other queer friends. The bigots are vocal, but acceptance is increasing overall, particularly in younger generations. I think the recent backlash against us is driven by their fear that they're losing.

Sometimes I come across historical photos online, grainy black-and-white images of queer couples, of people proudly wearing clothes associated with a different gender, and I feel a sense of community across time. We have always been here. We will always be here. And we are worth celebrating.

Brent Bowser (he/they)

Growing up in a small farm town, I used to think there was something wrong with me because I was the only one. Gaming helped me find myself and others like me. I've volunteered with the Organized Play campaign for over ten years, and the caring, generous, accepting friends I've made saved my life. And if bigots and jerks don't feel welcome in Organized Play, then I've done my job.

Jessie "Aki” Lo (she/her)

My name is Jessie Lo, better known as Aki/Akino, and I’m a Bisexual Asian-Canadian freelance artist, writer, and community content creator.

Tons of things bar me from opportunities to create within this space, but what I find that gives me strength is spite. Spite is my biggest motivator, it empowers me to persevere when I feel like I can’t. As a queer woman of colour, I already live in a world where I have to work harder to get by. As an Asian woman, I am constantly fighting the stereotype of being obedient and quiet. However, I genuinely could care less of what others think, so as long as I succeed and continue to uplift marginalized voices with my work, like co-producing my multi-award winning Pathfinder Second Edition podcast Goblets and Gays. It's incredibly surprising what a healthy amount of spite can do for your motivation. Truthfully, I’m just a loud little hater who can find ways to empower and support myself and my community.

If you’d like to see more queer, spite-fueled projects, please continue to support me. https://twitter.com/akinomii_art

Caryn DiMarco (she/they)

I'm Caryn DiMarco (she/they), and my freelance work from Paizo ranges from Pathfinder Society adventures to contributions to the Lost Omens and rulebook lines. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to work with a team of freelancers, developers, editors, and more that represents the richness and complexity of the LGBTQ+ community.

Those spaces we make for ourselves and each other are a key part of what keeps me resilient. I find it easy to get overwhelmed by bad news (especially when it's so widespread). When I do, I'm able to remind myself that the small actions we take to make people feel welcome and safe make a difference. Whether that's making sure our settings represent the diversity of our world, taking steps to keep the games we play inclusive, or simply sharing the bits of LGBTQ+ culture that sustain us, all of our individual efforts become something bigger and more powerful when combined.

Grady Wang (he/him)

Growing up, the pervasive message about strength was that it comes from within—the action hero who goes it alone, the player character who levels up after each struggle, the message that boys need to suck it up. As I grow older, I’ve learned that personal strength only carries you so far. True strength comes from opening yourself up to others, even if it also makes you vulnerable. For me, strength comes from community.

I am so lucky to have found an amazing community in tabletop. From the inclusivity at cons to the thoughtful and empathetic team at Paizo to the generosity of my fellow freelancers, I have learned and grown so much. My goal is to give back and encourage the same behaviors that inspire me to stand up for my beliefs and live my truths. One such way is through the Queerfinder zine series on Pathfinder Infinite, which aims to introduce queer-identifying aspiring designers and artists to veterans in the industry. Another is working with the Storytelling Collective to provide resources for designers of all backgrounds. If your dream is to work in tabletop, please feel free to reach out. We are all stronger together.

Lovely Ria is a Pact Worlds pop icon chosen by Desna. Ria is nonbinary and uses xe/xem/xer pronouns (pronounced “zee,” “zem,” and “zer”) to represent xer genderfluidity and connection to the queerness of the alien cosmos. Ria’s wild travels took xem all the way to Cynosure, home of goddess Desna

Jenny Jarzabski (she/her/xe)
Starfinder Senior Developer

Hi, I’m Jenny Jarzabski. Working with the Starfinder team is one of the things that fills me with pride and fuels my hope every day that a better world is possible.

When encountering a Starfinder NPC (nonplayer character), you can assume that character is queer unless explicitly stated otherwise. This is only partly a joke considering the myriad weird and wonderful celebrations of queer identities in the setting.

Examining society’s gender constructs and ultimately turning them upside down is a long and proud tradition for sci-fi creators. As we create infinite fictional worlds, we imagine humanity’s own infinite possibilities. Here on Earth many people recognize multiple genders in humans, though the truth is more complex and subtle even than “male,” “female,” and “nonbinary.” In the fictional worlds of Starfinder, understanding has progressed even further. Add aliens to the mix and it gets super interesting!

For example: maraquoi, a fur-covered simian species, have seven genders that each play a different role in reproduction. Shirrens—an insectoid, choice-obsessed people who broke away from the destructive Swarm—present three genders: female, host, and male. Astrazoans are shapeshifting echinoderms with no inherent concept of gender, and synthetic lifeforms like anacites and androids can choose to adopt humanoid gender roles and pronouns or create their own.

I’m proud of my personal contributions to our queer cosmos, not to mention the fantastic additions to the Starfinder setting made by dozens of queer creators. To those creators: I’m honored to help amplify your voices and develop your work. Because of you, the Starfinder multiverse is a more beautiful, diverse reality.

Starfinder is set far in Pathfinder’s future, in an era when many alien cultures have already achieved peace and prosperity, and social progression has advanced beyond the norm here on Earth. This vibrant reality is imperiled by threats from both beyond the stars and in their own backyards, but even in the face of these dangers, a Starfinder character can proudly be who they are. And that’s why Starfinder’s worlds are worth fighting for, just like ours.

Dustin Knight (he/him)
Starfinder Developer

After years of contemplating the definition of love, I find an endless source of strength in the seemingly endless journey to completely learn what it means to love oneself. It might seem a little intense to bring this up in a blog post for a tabletop RPG company, but I couldn’t have made it this far on my continuing journey toward self-acceptance and self-respect without these games, this community, and these annual blog posts. The commitment to love expressed and confirmed time and time again by this community has helped me learn who I am and accept that with pride instead of guilt or shame. There is an unparalleled cathartic magic to roleplaying and storytelling, and I draw endless strength from the idea that my contributions to our hobby may help others down their path of self-acceptance and self-love.

Katrina Hennessy (she/they)

I hesitated to write this, not only because life is at its chaotic best, but because I feel I don’t belong. I’m not really a part of the LGBTQ+ community, yet I’m not not part of it. For most of my life I knew I didn’t fit, but I played my part anyway. I am a happily married woman with adult offspring, but I still don’t fit in The Box where most of society automatically places me.

The Paizo community provided strength and support to learn by allowing me to witness others on their own path, providing hints and a direction to look. I think I now know which labels apply, but it doesn’t really matter. All of this has helped me better accept myself and feel less different. I won’t say normal, as I’m not sure that is a word that should ever be applied to any human being. Everything about humans (and probably most living creatures) exists on a spectrum.

So, if you aren’t sure where you belong on the spectrum, that’s OK. If you want to poke around and try to work it out, this is a great community to be in while you do so. No obligations to make announcements, fly flags, or anything else. Nothing wrong with doing so and please accept and respect those who do. Being quietly personal about your status also deserves respect.

Andrew Mullen (he/him)

I’m Andrew, and a few months ago I realized I’m bi! That was sort of a weird thing to have happen, seeing as I’m a dude in his late 30s with a wife and a toddler. I guess when society assumes you’re heterosexual, and your attractions mostly match up with that, then you assume you’re straight, too.

I draw a lot of strength from my family. When I told my wife, Melissa, about the realization, she was just glad I’d discovered something about myself. As we talked more, she projected a very uncomplicated and sincere sense of affirmation. What better than that, when you’re open and vulnerable in unfamiliar territory? My parents and close friends were similarly supportive!

You know how the right acts like it owns the “traditional” family? Well, queer folks of all stripes are out here having families that look like a 1950s all-American ad. It’s very satisfying to disprove and reject bigotry by being myself.

Alexi J. Greer (they/them)

I remember living in Orlando in 2021, with my polycule and gathering of queer and trans friends. I didn’t know what would happen in the next two years, but there was something in the air that made me pause that summer. “I think we should seriously consider moving up near your family in New England,” I told my fiancé. I worked through illness and sleepless nights to make the move work, but it did. Then it wasn't even three months before I was messaging my friends down in FL. "Stay strong and keep going. We're going to make a plan to bring you up here."

What gives me strength are the people I care about and my determination to see them happy. And my confidence that we can fight for happiness; not just our own, but others' too. Happiness should be chased, not negotiated for as if it were a commodity to be rationed out. Evil pretends to represent the majority, but it's a boldfaced lie. There's a wider world that wants you here, with us, and shining as your full self. And if you're in need, I know I'm not alone when I vow to support you too.

For the last several months, numerous publishers, including Paizo, have been working hard on the ORC License, a system-agnostic, perpetual, and irrevocable open gaming license that provides a legal “safe harbor” for sharing rules mechanics and encourages collaboration and innovation in the tabletop gaming space. In collaboration with hundreds of publishers and other interested parties on the ORC License Discord, we’ve been group-editing the license and related Answers and Explanations (AxE) document, kicking the language into shape and making sure that the license is as solid as possible, and works for as many publishers as possible.

We’re nearly at the end of the process. Thanks to all the hard work of everyone listed above, we’re now ready to release the third draft of the ORC License and AxE. We believe this draft is solid enough to be the final draft of the ORC License but know from past experience that new text can bring the opportunity for new errors or requests for clarification. The community has been phenomenally helpful in refining the language of this license. Now it’s time to take one last look and provide any final comments you may have before we lock the license terms in the very near future.

We have provided a redline version of both the ORC License and the AxE below to help you better compare the differences between the Third and Second Drafts. If you wish to start fresh with a “clean” copy of the Third Drafts, those have been provided as well.

We’ll keep commentary open on the official ORC License Discord for the next few days, with an eye toward locking the final version of the license by the end of next week. During this time, we’ll fold any necessary improvements into each document and release a Final Interim ORC License at www.azoralaw.com/orclicense, paizo.com, and elsewhere. Publishers will be able to use this version of the license to publish material under the ORC License by including the proper ORC Notice.

At the same time that the Final Interim ORC License is published, these documents will be filed with the United States Library of Congress, who will issue copyright registration in about six months. Once the registration is issued, Azora will publicly release the ORC License (including the final AxE). The only change between the Final Interim ORC License and the ORC License will be the addition of the TX number in Section III.a.

So, we’re very nearly there! Please help us over the finish line by taking a look at the Third Draft and providing your feedback on the official ORC License Discord. Thank you again for your assistance!

Download the Orc License

Download the Orc License Redlined

Download the Orc AxE

Download the Orc AxE Redlined

Join the conversation

This is the moment you have been waiting for! We’re super happy to announce that BKOM Studios, in partnership with Paizo, has launched the Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults’ Kickstarter campaign. This game is the first-ever co-op Hack and Slash ARPG based on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and is set to release on PC (Steam)!

Up to four players lead iconic Pathfinder heroes into the farthest depths of Gauntlight Keep, battle deadly monsters and abominations to reach the evil sorceress Belcorra Haruvex and put an end to her vile schemes once and for all.

In addition to getting a copy of the game when it launches, our backers have access to rewards such as the game’s artbook, private early access, a custom dice set and bag, miniatures, different ways to be a part of the game’s production experience and more! Be sure to check it out!

Back the project on Kickstarter now and join us down the Abomination Vaults!

For more information please contact:

Sophie Grenier
Director, Communications & Marketing, BKOM Studios
sgrenier@bkom.com

PaizoCon South Pacific is happening again at the historic Quarantine Station in Sydney, Australia this June/July!

This year, we’re doing things a little differently and have embraced a spooky theme to celebrate the shortest days of the year here in the Southern Hemisphere. A boatload of Pathfinder and Starfinder Society content will be on offer over the weekend, alongside ghost tours and other activities that will let you catch up with other players from around the region. Activities will include:

• Low level sessions of Pathfinder Society 2E and Starfinder; beginners welcome!
• A whole pile of OP scenarios, a module, and even short adventures to play, so as to provide something for everyone.
• Dinner at The Hold on Sunday, July 2^nd (https://thehold.com.au/)

A weekend-pass is $70, or you can purchase individual sessions at $15 per person. Tickets are purchased through Warhorn via PayPal. All the details can be found here or at Warhorn, and you can keep up with the conversation on Discord. 

Please contact the organisers (Sandra Wilkinson or Nik Beattie) by email (nsworgplay@tutanota.com) or via the PCSP section in the NSW Discord (https://discord.gg/dkkPNpxGn9) if you have any questions or queries about the convention, they will be more than happy to help you out!

PaizoCon South Pacific Organisers

Share your unique vision with the pros! Get thoughtful and detailed feedback on your illustrations from Paizo’s art directors. Learn what we look for and how to get there. We are here to help! Sign up to have our team review your portfolio, and we’ll give you a 10-minute constructive critique on your work. Reviews will be held Friday, May 26th starting at 10 am and going to 3 pm. We’re offering early sign up for ticket holders, and then we will open it up to anyone interested.

How To Sign Up:

• Click on one of the links below that corresponds with a Paizo Art Director.
• Click on the highlighted date on the Calendar.
• Choose one of the available times and hit “next.”
• Follow the prompts and fill in your name, email, and link to your portfolio.
• We’ll see you at your scheduled time in the Paizo Events Discord in one of the Portfolio Reviews channels.

Guidelines:

• Reviews will be done over Discord; please remember what time you signed up and join the Discord chat at your time as to not intrude on someone else’s review.
• Please only choose one art director to sign up for a time slot with, we have a limited number of times and want to give as many people a chance as possible.
• Please link to your portfolio so we have a chance to review your work beforehand.
• Please no AI generated work.

We can’t wait to see your work!

Sign Up With Sonja!

Sign Up With Kyle!

Sign Up With Kent!

Sign Up With Adam!

A very fond hello to everyone. I’m Nath (Anathema), the project coordinator for Foundry Virtual Tabletop (Foundry VTT). I’m joined by Viviane (Cora), who leads content development on our Pathfinder products. Some of you might remember our discussion of that development process in the Bestiary Token Pack blog post. We were also honored to attend last year’s PaizoCon and are excited to return this year.

It’s incredible to think that it has only been a year since we announced our partnership with Paizo and released the Beginner Box as the first of several pieces of Pathfinder content for Foundry VTT. With each release, we set ourselves a very high bar on quality and it’s thanks to our partnership with Paizo and the hard work of everyone involved that we have been so successful. Words cannot express how grateful we are for the outpouring of appreciation and support from the community with each release, and we hope to continue meeting or exceeding your expectations with Kingmaker’s forthcoming release.

What sometimes goes unnoticed is the other group contributing to this partnership, one equally deserving of praise and thanks. While the Pathfinder content for Foundry VTT is developed in-house by us, or by Sigil Services on behalf of Paizo, the world-class implementation of the underlying game system which we all rely on is entirely produced and maintained—free of charge—by a passionate group of fans. The Pathfinder Second Edition Volunteer Development Team have been hard at work supporting Pathfinder for Foundry VTT’s entire existence, and we want to take

this opportunity to spotlight their great work.

As a quick note: last year, the team led the community in raising more than $10,000 for the Extra Life charity. If you’d like to contribute to their ongoing charity efforts, please check out their team page and donate!

So, who are the volunteer developers? According to the game system’s open-source repository, 184 people have directly contributed to the project since its inception. We’ve invited some of the core members of the team to introduce themselves, talk about their work on the system, and give the community a peek behind the curtain at all that goes into creating and maintaining a tool that powers so many peoples’ games every single week.

---

Tim (TMun)

Hi everyone, I’m Tim. I’m presently the volunteer project coordinator for the Pathfinder Second Edition system on Foundry VTT. As the public face of the volunteers, my role is to be the point of contact for Foundry, Paizo, and other commercial interests with the volunteer base. I also set the overall guidance for the system. My most important job is being the arbiter of how rules are to be implemented if there is disagreement within the development team. I will also likely become a five-glyph Pathfinder Society GM during FoundryCon. All 150 of my table credits will have been earned using Foundry VTT!

I originally started working on the system when Foundry VTT went into open beta at the start of the pandemic. I had randomly picked up a Pathfinder Second Edition Core Rule Book at a local charity thrift shop for $5 and it seemed like it was meant to be. I pretty much immediately fell in love with the game. My first contribution to the Pathfinder Second Edition VTT system was data entry—starting with the Iconics, as I wanted to introduce some friends to the system. Over time, I took on bigger and bigger tasks, most notably a marathon session over two and a half days to get all the Advanced Player’s Guide in, and a three-month project to input all the missing Pathfinder Society scenario NPCs. When the team grew to the point where some organization was required, I was ‘elected’ by the other developers to take over coordinating the project. As for why I do it? Giving back to a community is very important to me—especially because, in a lot of cases, the work I shared was work I was going to do anyway. Why not let everyone benefit from the effort?

The thing I’m most proud of is the community that we’ve built. It took a lot of effort to coordinate with Paizo, but I think everyone is glad that we have. The commercial products that have come out so far show the power that Foundry brings to the virtual tabletop realm and the exceptional nature of the Pathfinder Second Edition system. I think the best illustration of our community’s strength has been the charity fundraising. Very early in the project, people began asking us to set up a Patreon or to accept donations. We deliberated and made a conscious decision that that was a bad idea—money makes things hard, especially with an open-source project. Instead, we decided to ask people to donate that money to charity on behalf of the project. Initially, it was toward food banks—at the start of the pandemic that was the greatest need. Then we moved on to animal shelters toward the end of the pandemic as people could no longer handle their “pandemic pets.” Most recently, we supported Extra Life, as Paizo had a super team that we could join as part of the larger community. I am privileged to be able to say that, last year, the community raised over $10,000 for Extra Life and the Children’s Miracle Network of hospitals!

Viviane (Cora)

Hello again! That’s right, I’m here too! Even before I worked for Foundry, I was busy supporting the system's development efforts as their community manager.

I first got involved in the project several years ago, when I decided to look into what it would take to submit some minor corrections to the creatures in the Age of Ashes adventure path. I didn't know the first thing about software development at the time, but with some help from the other volunteers, I was able to send in my first merge request. Since then, I've continued to sporadically submit minor updates to the system data, and I also maintain a module called PF2E Exploration Effects. Along the way, I learned a great deal about programming, and about modding Foundry VTT specifically. Unlike the other awesome people here, however, my direct contributions to the system have always been minor.

As the team's grown over the years, keeping it organized has become more and more of a monumental task. Some community members like Tikael and Shandyan have worked hard to maintain wikis, style-guides, and other documentation to help users and developers keep track of it all. Others spend a lot of time in community spaces, offering support and troubleshooting assistance to anyone who needs it. That's where I got my start! At the time, aside from a single channel on the [Foundry VTT Community Discord](https://discord.gg/foundryvtt) server, there was no "officially" designated location specifically for Pathfinder Second Edition community engagement and discussion. I decided to help remedy that by spinning up a Discord server to serve double purpose as a community hangout and a place for staging development efforts. By managing channels and roles, moderating discussions, writing blog posts, and otherwise engaging with the community, I hope to allow the programmers to get their work done as smoothly as possible.

Richard (stwlam)

Hi all, I am Richard and am known in the Foundry VTT community as the Shark That Walks Like a Man (“stwlam” for short). I help coordinate development of the code infrastructure of the system. My path to this role began during the height of COVID-19 through helping a friend who was GMing a different game for the platform, by implementing some features he desired for his campaign. When that was done, my attention turned to what I really wanted to play: Pathfinder!

My contributions to the project were initially small and targeted: adding and improving fundamental game mechanics I personally wanted to make use of as a player. This grew significantly over time; in the last two years I’ve had my hands in just about everything, but my primary focus has been on implementing rules for “things that happen on a map,” such as vision in areas of darkness and flanking during combat. My role as a volunteer development coordinator also has me reviewing and merging in new features, improvements, and bug fixes from our community contributors, who number close to 200 individuals since mid-2020.

Carlos (Supe)

Hello internet, my name is Carlos Fernandez—sometimes referred to as Supe—and I'm one of the developers and maintainers of the Pathfinder Second Edition implementation for Foundry VTT.

Around 2 years ago, I started playing Pathfinder and my group settled on Foundry VTT more or less from the start. Even at that time, it was one of the best implementations of Pathfinder on a VTT, but it did lack quite a number of features we take for granted today and I saw a chance to work on some of that thanks to the open nature of the platform.

I started with a module, a type of optional add-on in the Foundry VTT ecosystem, to add support for persistent damage. After that, I started adding features and fixing bugs in the main system itself. One thing led to another and now I'm one of the core contributors of the system.

As for my role, I add new features, fix bugs, and help prioritize what to add. Currently, I’m working on improving support for afflictions (such as poison and diseases). I’ve also been contracted by Foundry to work on some new features for the Kingmaker Adventure Path. Look forward to it!

Kevin (fryguy)

I’m Kevin and I’m most well-known as the creator of “PDF to Foundry,” a module which takes in a published Paizo adventure PDF, converts the assets (such as text and images), and loads those assets into a Foundry VTT world, populating it with journals, scenes and actors. With the creation of the amazing quality adventures that are now sold on the Paizo store, I have taken a break from adding recent adventures because they cannot compete with the quality of the ones that are being sold.

I was one of the earliest contributors to the Pathfinder Second Edition implementation for Foundry VTT, with one of the first pull requests merged back in October of 2019, only a few months after the creation of the repository. Over the years, I have implemented several big features, such as the held/worn/stowed tracking for items, and the ability score builder, but most of my time is spent on “PDF to Foundry.”

Ian (Tikael)

Hi everyone, I’m Ian. Most people in the community know me as Tikael. I’m one of the data entry coordinators for the Pathfinder Second Edition system on Foundry VTT, and I normally handle adding and reviewing new automation on our ever-growing compendiums.

When we took our tabletop game online in early 2020 I had plenty of downtime and nothing to fill it with. I decided to spend some of that time learning how the Foundry VTT system worked and helping to fill in gaps in the data entry, most notably the Paizo blog content, including the April fools monsters. As I became more proficient with the system and its data entry, I began to make small scripts to make my life easier, which have morphed into our current set of tools to speed up our data entry for the system. I’ve also made or collaborated on more than a dozen modules for Foundry, including automation helpers like the PF2E Companion Compendia and implementations of third-party content like Hopefinder or the Pnoll ancestry. I’ve also enjoyed helping third-party creators get their own content into Foundry and have tried to make the process of learning how to do it as painless as possible.

Playing Pathfinder is my hobby, and the Pathfinder community has been one I’ve been a part of since 2009. Helping coordinate data entry for the system has given me a way to give back to that community but it’s also had some great fringe benefits. I’ve been able to work on premium content for Foundry like the premium adventure path modules and the Battlezoo modules by Roll for Combat. It’s also given me a chance to work alongside this great team and learn from them. I can confidently say that I am a better programmer now than I was 3 years ago, and that the growth in my skills as a dev comes almost entirely from my experience working on this team.

Ian (Spartan)

Hi everyone, I’m (also) Ian! I go by SpartanCPA in the Pathfinder Second Edition Foundry community, and I’m also one of the data entry coordinators. These days though, I might be more known for the Bestiary Token Pack, available on the Paizo website. I also create the tokens for the Sigil APs, so if you plan to or have been enjoying the quality premium content released for Pathfinder Second Edition on Foundry VTT, you’ve likely seen my token work.

I started working on the system implementation in February of 2021 and I immediately got started on making the NPC actors nicer to use. Like Tikael said above, that eventually opened up into work for Battlezoo, Foundry, and Sigil on premium products. I hope everyone continues to enjoy the system. I can personally attest that a lot of people work very hard to make it as good as it is.

---

Common Questions

Are there any big plans the PF2e dev team are working on?

Development is always ongoing, and anyone is free to work on any functionality they’d like to see. There are no deadlines or due dates, but some of the bigger goals being chipped away at are expanded support for afflictions, and general improvements to the UI

How will the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster affect the Foundry VTT system?

We look forward to the changes that are coming and are very interested to see what they actually are. From a development perspective, we do not expect the remaster to be a substantial challenge to support.

In cases where rules have been updated, we will treat the remaster the same way we treat any official errata. This means that changes will be made to keep the system in line with the most up-to-date version of Pathfinder Second Edition. Anyone who would like to is welcome to stay on an older version of the system, but we do not otherwise plan to include both old and new versions of the same content side by side—it would add an unnecessary maintenance burden. We recognize that this may not make everyone happy, but in some cases, it would double the work of the developers during each and every future update.

In places where content simply is not reprinted, the decision is a little different. We don't want to remove officially published creatures or spells if they are still compatible with the system's rules. For example, we do not plan to remove creatures from the Bestiary just because they were not included in the Monster Core book. However, it's possible that mechanical changes in the remaster- such as the removal of alignment- will still affect those creatures.

At this time, it is really hard to try and commit to anything, as we don't have the exact contents of the remastered books available. However, our contacts at Foundry and Paizo have promised to get us early copies of the rules as soon as they're available, and we are very excited to see what the remaster means for Pathfinder.

How can I contribute to the system?

As a volunteer project, we're reliant on people like you to get new releases out! We’re in especially dire need of Typescript programmers. If you’re even remotely interested, please do consider paying us a visit. All of our organization and planning happens on our community Discord server, which is also the best place to come and chat with us.

We recognize that participating in development can be daunting, and so we do what we can to make it easier. Our Discord server has dedicated channels for answering development questions, and there are also some useful resources on our Wiki.

What’s next for Foundry VTT in terms of premium content?

The Stolen Fate adventure path is releasing every month, which we definitely recommend. I hear there’s a cool official Harrow Deck module you can use it with, too?

On Foundry’s side, work continues on Kingmaker, as well as one or two other unannounced projects. We’re hoping to have more to discuss at PaizoCon, so please be sure to join us there on Friday, May 26th at 4:00 PM PDT.

Check out this year's Streaming Schedule and join us on twitch.tv/officialpaizo for PaizoCon Online 2023!

Friday May 26th

10 am – 12 pm PDT
PaizoCon 2023 Keynote
Exciting news and upcoming products at our annual Keynote, hosted by Erik Mona.

12 – 2 pm PDT
Pathfinder Remastered
Join the Pathfinder designers as they talk about the upcoming Pathfinder Remaster releases! Topics include an explanation of what the Remaster project is and what kinds of updates and improvements fans can expect.

2 – 3 pm PDT
News from Organized Play
The Organized Play team shares exciting news about our programs and upcoming adventures.

3 – 4 pm PDT
Secrets of the Pact Worlds
Join the Starfinder team as they reveal new projects and behind-the-scenes talks about the Starfinder setting's direction moving forward. Learn about upcoming adventures and get a chance to ask the developers some of your pressing questions!

4 – 5 pm PDT
Introduction to Foundry
Join Viviane(Cora) and Shane(Anathema) for a discussion about Pathfinder products for Foundry VTT, A preview of the forthcoming Kingmaker premium content module, a look at the recently released Harrow Deck module, and some audience Q&A

5 – 6 pm PDT
Pathfinder 2E on Fantasy Grounds Unity
Bryce will walk you through the resources available for online virtual tabletop (VTT) play using Fantasy Grounds Unity. He'll introduce the built-in Pathfinder 2E ruleset, available modules, how to build a character, level up, run an adventure, encounters, combat, and as much as he can fit in one hour!

6 – 7 pm PDT
Mini Painting with WizKids
[Description coming soon]

Saturday May 27th

9 – 10 am PDT
Pathfinder NEXUS Dev Update/Q&A
Join Demiplane CDO Adam Bradford for the latest updates from Demiplane for Pathfinder NEXUS, including previews of the upcoming character tools!

10 – 11 am PDT
Primal Previews
Join the Pathfinder Rules & Lore team as they reveal the secrets of elemental power and primal realms! This panel will include previews and discussion on Pathfinder Rage of Elements and other upcoming Pathfinder releases that explore Golarion, from the Inner Sea to its wildest and most remote regions!

11 am – 12 pm PDT
Ask the Paizo GMs
Get answers about the games you love from the people who make them! Paizo staff will be on hand to field your questions from the Twitch chat. (Another Ask the Paizo GMs panel is on Sunday May 28th at 3 pm PDT if you can't make this one!)

12 – 1 pm PDT
Secrets of Golarion
Learn about what's between the covers of the Lost Omens books and what's behind the scenes. Join some of the crew steering the world of Golarion to hear about what's going on in the world and what's coming. We'll be answering as many questions as we can—but not all secrets will be revealed.

1 – 2 pm PDT
Pathfinder Adventures
Come join the Pathfinder Narrative team for a discussion about Pathfinder Adventures, be they stand-alone modules, Organized Play scenarios, or full Adventure Path campaigns! We'll be chatting about several upcoming adventures, answering questions, and previewing some upcoming surprises—including an announcement for what we've got planned for the 200th Pathfinder Adventure Path volume!

2 – 3 pm PDT
Infinite Possibilities: How to Write for Pathfinder Infinite
Join Infinite Masters Dustin Knight, James Beck, Tony Saunders, and Vanessa Hoskins as they relay their experiences, offer advice, and answer questions about how to publish on Pathfinder Infinite, including where to find creator resources and collaborative creator spaces!

3 – 4 pm PDT
Check Yourself: Self-Editing for Games Writers
Paizo's editors share their insight on common writing pitfalls to avoid, following a style guide, using inclusive language, and other ways to strengthen your writing, whether freelancing for companies like Paizo or publishing your work on other platforms.

4 – 5 pm PDT
BKOM Studios' Pathfinder Game
Discover BKOM Studios' latest Pathfinder video game!

5 – 5:30 pm PDT
GMing Pathfinder on Roll20
Join us for a conversation about GMing Pathfinder using the Roll20 virtual tabletop platform.

Sunday May 28th

9 – 10 am PDT
Digital Map Tools in Fantasy Grounds Unity
Joshua will introduce Fantasy Grounds Unity and how it can work with Paizo's Flip-Tiles, Flip-Mats, and map packs to enable online or local virtual tabletop play for Pathfinder and Starfinder. He'll cover using dynamic line of sight, snapping tiles into place, manipulating tiles, adding or modifying lights, adding FX, and using image brushes for advanced effects. Using this in-game allows for preplacement of encounters, linking story entries, hiding and revealing enemies automatically, opening and closing doors and windows, and approval of player movement.

10 – 11 am PDT
WizKids Interview
An interview with Mark Moreland about the process of making WizKids minis.

11 am – 12 pm PDT
Build an Adventure Workshop
Learn tips and tricks to building a one-session adventure from some of Paizo's adventure developers.

12 – 1 pm PDT
Into the Darklands
Dig deep beneath the surface of Golarion to find the wonders, dangers, and mysteries of life below. Join us for a discussion of the Darklands and how they tie into the upcoming Lost Omens Highhelm book, the Sky King's Tomb Adventure Path, and more!

1 – 2 pm PDT
Starfinder Nuts and Bolts
Get an in-depth look at the upcoming Starfinder Enhanced book from the people who made it! Learn about the new enhanced core classes and get previews on new class content, new species, new feats, and a whole lot of new content that we just can't wait to reveal!

2 – 3 pm PDT
Mysteries in RPGs
Who doesn't love a good mystery? They can be great to include in roleplaying games, but sometimes, the search for clues can derail the best-laid plans of even the most talented GM. In this panel, we'll discuss techniques on how best to present mysteries in your games, chat about our own mysterious inspirations, and maybe even shed light on some mysteries that we've presented but haven't yet answered—as long as that mystery isn't "How did Aroden die?" of course!

3 – 4 pm PDT
Ask the Paizo GMs
Get answers about the games you love from the people who make them! Paizo staff will be on hand to field your questions from the Twitch chat. (Another Ask the Paizo GMs panel is on Saturday May 27th at 11 am PDT if you can't make this one!)

---

See you soon!

Don't forget to join us on the PaizoCon Discord for even more programming! We'll be announcing our Digital Content guests soon. They'll be hanging out in our online "exhibition hall" with their own channels to answer questions, show off their amazing products, and host panels of their own via Discord stages!

If you're interested in gaming, don't forget to purchase a ticket and sign up on Warhorn to get access to our Organized Play games and non–Organized Play activities!

We can't wait to see you all at PaizoCon Online 2023!

BKOM Studios and Paizo are proud to reveal Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults, the first ever co-op ARPG based on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game!

Up to four players lead iconic Pathfinder heroes into the farthest depths of Gauntlight Keep, battle deadly monsters and abominations to reach the evil sorceress Belcorra Haruvex and put an end to her vile schemes once and for all.

The wicked sorceress Belcorra Haruvex has returned to haunt her forsaken home of Gauntlight Keep. There, she covertly assembles an army of monsters, beasts, and abominations with which to take her revenge against those who wronged her in life. Brave heroes are needed—to venture forth into these long-forgotten depths, defeat Belcorra’s abomination army, and put her wicked soul to rest… for good.

The game has players delve ever deeper into Gauntlight Keep—a sprawling megadungeon teeming with foul monsters and grotesque abominations—to slay the evil sorceress who has reawakened at its farthest depths. In order to tell a rich story from both the perspective of the adventure and its participants, the game will feature four iconics from the Pathfinder universe, including Amiri and Ezren.

The project is set to be launched on Kickstarter later this month. Players who would like to stay informed or get notified when the campaign starts can now visit the pre-launch phase page here.

“Launching a Kickstarter campaign for ‘Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults’ gives us the opportunity to share our own excitement and anticipation around the project with the IP's fans, from the get-go,” says Frederic Martin, CEO at BKOM Studios. “With Kickstarter, we can directly reach players and supporters, and offer them a chance to bring the game to life with us.” He adds, “And by creating this communication channel with the fans, the campaign is a vehicle that allows us to build an even stronger, deeper, and more meaningful game, which we believe every Pathfinder enthusiast deserves.”

In the weeks leading to its launch, more details about the campaign and the title on “Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults” will be revealed on our Twitter, Discord, Twitch, and Facebook accounts. Be sure to follow us.

To be notified when the Kickstarter campaign launches, be sure to hit the notify me button here

SAVE UP TO 80% ON KOBOLD MOVING SALE!

The Paizo goblins and the kobolds at Kobold Press have been sharing the same warren for many years as small-folk allies. But the kobolds have outgrown their space in our warehouse, so they've found a new one that's just right. They must unload some of their loot to avoid hauling it to their new lair. They claim to be Strength-challenged and can't carry it all! (We know kobolds are strong as we are, but who wants to carry it when it’s better to sell it?!)

For the next few months, you can get great deals on a wide array of new and classic Kobold Press titles: 60% off select 5e titles and 80% off select Kobold Quarterly, 13th Age, or 4E titles! But don’t move slowly, the best titles will go quickly!

Each book you order will unburden a poor kobold who otherwise will have to schlep these tomes through the dangerous, monster-infested terrain of the Midwest.

Won’t you help an innocent, defenseless kobold today?

(We know this might sound like a kobold feigning weakness to ambush, but we goblins will vouch for them. This time.)

Kobold Warrens Moving Sale

*Discount does not stack with other discounts. Sale ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on June 30, 2023.

Our second marathon is a wrap, so let’s get to it! In case you haven’t caught up on the first report, our party of gunslingers succeeded in delving the top level of the Abomination Vaults, but at a cost. We fared much better on this marathon: we started to click more as a party and improved on some of the combat strategies needed to pump lead into every monster in a megadungeon. It’s hard to say at this point, but if we play as well through the remaining marathons as we did here, we might just gun down the entire Abomination Vaults.

Order of the Amber Die (OAD) members are spread out across the country, with about twelve-to-fifteen active members at any given time. As we’ve shown in other blog reports, they’ve flown in from places like Washington, Rhode Island, and North Dakota to our headquarters in New Jersey for days of gaming. It’s also the norm for members to drive up to eight hours to be here. For this marathon we really tapped into our membership with numerous cameos (all gunslingers of course), turning the marathon into a mini reunion. The encounters got a bit harder with more characters, but more guns meant more fun!

• Adventure: Ruins of Gauntlight
• Marathon Length: 59 hours
• Session Hours: 34 hours, 30 minutes

Our party, the Black Powder Cadre, picked up where we left off by exploring levels two and three of the megadungeon. We also continued developing our organization by employing the Pathfinder Second Edition organization rules, along with adding new gunslingers to our core four-character roster. We’re a sizeable band, though the Black Powder Cadre doesn’t exactly take the usual approach. We gave a false party name to town authorities, took the books we recovered from the Vaults for ourselves, pickpocketed patrons in a tavern to foster competition from another establishment, and lied to the mayor about a nefarious incident involving Otari’s foremost librarian. What can we say, we like working together!

Highlights from Ruins of Gauntlight

• The symbol of the Black Powder Cadre is the harmona bird, and each of us wears a different shade of blue to represent it. You can imagine our reaction when we ran into a cult of blue-robed ghouls on level three of the Vaults. Someone had to establish dominance over this precious primary color, and it wasn’t gonna be them. A fierce clash in the library ensued and, despite improving our skillset with the dying condition, we prevailed.
• Megadungeon crawling is dirty business; so far two characters have acquired Cocytan Filth and two more picked up Ghoul Fever. We’d like to thank our sponsor and friend Vandy Banderdash, head priestess of the Dawnflower Library! Frankly, Vandy is one of the main reasons we haven’t TPKed yet.
• When we decided to bring this many firearms into a megadungeon, we knew there would be some heroic displays of marksmanship along the way. The first nod goes to a cameo from Auralee, a veteran of The Slithering Salve, who joined the Black Powder Cadre during this marathon as “Lady Sniper.” She once put down four critical hits in two rounds, with a staggering 36 damage scored from a single bullet as a 2nd-level character. Vlai’s dwarven scattergun holds our next favorite record though, with six allies hit in just one blast from the boomstick.
• We finally came across something that could outduel us: a wood golem. It beat us to the draw and fanned out 103 damage across four targets with a single splinter volley—respectable by any desperados standards. We pulled steel and returned fire, but in the end decided to run. We'll be back for another showdown in the next marathon.
• We probably shouldn’t have picked a fight with a bearded devil, but someone had an itchy trigger finger. Before we knew it, two PCs were on the ground in horrible fashion. Mazatl, practicing the Way of the Spellshot, scoped in hard and held his breath. The devil’s chest exploded with a sound that was only slightly less gratifying than the natural 20 as it landed on Erick’s copy of Pathfinder Guns & Gears.

The Arsenal

We're a party consisting entirely of gunslingers, so what makes each character stand out—what gives them identity—isn't the same as other parties of the past. In this campaign, it's your weapon and the way you use it that separates you from the rest. The sound of a harmona gun is unmistakable, and you won't be hearing anything for a while after Maloika fires it. The quick grouping of holes that tears open the enemy in front of you comes from Breen, our pistolero. When a ghoul's dome bursts into pieces from the far end of the hallway, that's Mazatl, our sniper. And that sting in your back? That's Vlai with the scattergun. Out of game, it's just as important to distinguish your gunslinger from the rest, and that's where our props come in. Each player's weapon has been crafted and custom-painted to look like the one they have in-game—it helps to have an artist at the table!

Character Deaths

None. Props to Matt, our player captain, for the pre-marathon strategy posts in the Google Classroom.

Best Quote from Marathon 2

Town notary: "And your party's name?"
Zoric: "Umm... the Blue Coat Adventurers."
Town notary: "Very well..."
Party (to each other, bristling with firearms): "Seriously, 'Blue Coat Adventurers'?"

Current Situation

The Pathfinder community was right when they said that we would run into some issues with a party consisting entirely of gunslingers. That being said, this is OAD, and over the years you've seen how competitive we can get. We've adapted to our main weakness, which is any enemy with a high Armor Class. We've taken advantage of our strong point, especially on level three, which is mass combat. In fact, the more enemies the better—we make our own ammo and have plenty of it! We've managed to clear most of level two and three at this point, discovered Otari's ghost once again, and followed it down to level four. We've done pretty well with discovering lore, so we have a decent idea of what once happened on the upper levels of the Vaults. As for what lies beneath, that's a different matter…

More Content

Our table was brought to life with the help of Blue Table Painting for the miniatures, and Black Bard Studios for custom adventure-specific miniatures and terrain.

Follow Order of the Amber Die:

• Facebook
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• The Abomination Arsenal thread

If you have ever wanted to try out Pathfinder Second Edition, the mod team at r/Pathfinder2e has a perfect opportunity for you! During the last week of April, dozens of GMs and hundreds of players will be gaming with the Pathfinder Beginner Box during Beginner Box Days!

From April 22-30th, new players curious to try Pathfinder can join experienced Game Masters as they play through the Pathfinder Beginner Box adventure: “Menace Under Otari”! This two-session adventure is designed to guide players through combat, exploration, skills, and even puzzles! The upper level teaches the basics of Pathfinder gameplay, while the lower dungeon puts them in advanced practice.

Player sign-ups opened on April 1st! You can find info to sign up on the Beginner Box Days website at BeginPF2.com. Then join the r/Pathfinder2e Discord channel to connect with your Game Master and other players! The organizers will primarily use Discord as to communicate updates (or deals) as well as host virtual playrooms.

Do you want to be involved? Why not introduce the next generation of players to Pathfinder?! The Beginner Box is also a great adventure to try out being a new Game Master as well!

Game Masters will be able to register their sessions until April 17 by going to RPGChronicles.net and creating an event. Just select either the Beginner Box Upper or Lower level (or both!) using event code 2711409 and include your Discord username. GMs can choose any number of virtual platforms to run on, including Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, or the deluxe Foundry VTT module! GMs can also receive a FREE PDF of the Beginner Box when they sign up on the website by April 17 on the GM Info page!

So what are you waiting for? Begin playing the world's preeminent, award-winning roleplay game during Beginner Box Days!

In January, Paizo and an alliance of more than 1,500 tabletop RPG publishers announced our intention to support the development of the Open RPG Creative (ORC) license, a system-agnostic, perpetual, irrevocable open gaming license that provides a legal “safe harbor” for sharing rules mechanics and encourages collaboration and innovation in the tabletop gaming space. The ORC is not explicitly a Paizo license, but is intended for the common use of the entire games industry, across a wide variety of games and platforms. Over the last several weeks, we have been working closely with Azora Law, an intellectual property law firm that works with Paizo and several other game publishers, to develop and refine a working draft of the ORC license for public discussion and refinement.

The first public draft of the ORC license is now complete, and we welcome the feedback of individual publishers on the official ORC License Project Discord, found here.

You can download a copy of the ORC license and its associated FAQ/AxE (Answers and Explanations) document below. We will continue to refine the license and add to the FAQ based on public feedback provided on the official Discord. Azora will be soliciting commentary and feedback through that platform between now and Friday, April 21, at which point they will incorporate that feedback and release another public draft. If additional rounds of public commentary are required, the process will continue until the license is complete and meets the needs of the majority of participating publishers. It is our intention to wrap up the entire process by the end of April if possible.

Thank you for your interest and participation in public conversations regarding the ORC license during the weeks it has taken us to put together this preliminary draft.

That work is now complete, and the next phase begins.

Download the Orc License

Download the Orc AxE

Join the conversation

Are you ready for the return of PaizoCon Online 2023? Join us Memorial Day weekend, May 26th–29th, as we once again bring events to your screen with an amazing long weekend of panels, giveaways, and, of course, gaming!

If you’re new to Pathfinder or Starfinder, PaizoCon is an annual weekend-long event where we celebrate our team, our community, gaming, and all things Paizo!

The entirety of this year’s convention is online. This year things will be slightly different: parts of the show you know and love will remain free, but we’ll also be having a ticketed event with community-run games and activities at the same time!

How it works: After purchasing your ticket, please navigate to your E-tickets page to add your Discord (name#numbers) and Warhorn email, so we can add the “Ticket Purchaser” role in our Paizo Events Server and Warhorn, which will give you access to sign up for games on Warhorn.

Game sign-ups: Both Organized Play and Open Play games will be available on April 17 through Warhorn. Stay tuned!

PaizoCon livestreams: We’ll be providing the full schedule of online Twitch and Discord panels soon, including Erik Mona’s annual opening keynote.

Friday art portfolio reviews: The opening Friday of PaizoCon, the Paizo art team is offering portfolio reviews on a first-come, first-served basis. Stay tuned for more information and registration!

Friends of Paizo: Join not just us, but multiple friends of Paizo in the Discord this year. Chat with, ask questions of, and learn more about the amazing work of teams like Foundry VTT, Roll20, Abyssal Brews, and more!

We look forward to seeing you all online this year! Stay tuned for more updates and announcements about PaizoCon 2023!

Get your tickets today!

Pathfinder Lost Omens Firebrands is here! Just like with any rebellion, there were a lot of people that put in work to make this book possible. Among them are the wonderful authors for Firebrands. We wanted to give them a chance to share their excitement for the book, as well as some information about themselves and their projects. If you’ve enjoyed these authors’ work, let them know in the comments below or by following them on social media!

James Beck

Hello, my name is James Beck, a Jewish LGBTQ+ freelance writer, and I wrote Passenger and the Fire’s Finest faction! You might know me either as one of the members of Eldritch Osiris Games, which is a workers’ co-op publishing house; Osiris on deadly d8; or @geekjames513 on Twitter, where you can find me geeking out heavily with the PF2e community! I was so honored to be working on a book that let me explore themes of freedom and exploration and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have. Everyone on the project was super supportive and awesome to work with and it was a true honor to be a part of the process!

Art by Roberto Pitturru

Rigby Bendele (they/them)

In Firebrands, I was excited to revisit the gods Picoperi and Thisamet for Pathfinder Second Edition, who are azata empyreal lords. During this process, I thought a lot about what type of people would focus their worship on these deities. After all, deities devoted to pranks and celebrations aren’t as all-encompassing as gods of community or commerce! Thinking about the dangerous lives of Firebrands was a perfect framing for these deities since celebrations and merriment are necessary to keep up the hard work of revolution. I also took a dive into the pirate’s life with Besmara and the Firebrands operations in the Shackles. Again, my focus was on thinking about how the life of a revolutionary Firebrand would intersect with life on the seas and shores. This section was a joy to write, and I hope the salt-crusted Shackles operations provide campaign hooks for your own adventures—be they against the Red Mantis, Chelaxian incursions, or the environment.

Jessica Catalan

Hi everyone! My name’s Jessica Catalan and I’m the Starfinder Society Developer and a freelance author who primarily writes for the Pathfinder and Starfinder RPGs. For Pathfinder Lost Omens Firebrands, I wrote the Life of a Firebrand and Vaunter’s Carnival sections, notable figures Iqani Truthspinner and the Mockingbird, the gods Chaldira, Grandmother Spider, Marishi, Milani, and Nivi Rhombodazzle, avatar statistics, and the spells. I’m particularly fond of Iqani Truthspinner, as well as Tanglehop, a character inspired by my daughter who you’ll find in Vaunter’s Carnival. I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of Firebrands, and I hope that the love and enthusiasm that everyone poured into this book resonates with you and your fellow gamers. Take care of each other out there. The world could use a few more Firebrands!

Art by José Luis Islas López

Dana Ebert (she/her)

Working on Firebrands was an amazing adventure, during which I fell in love with so many of the colorful characters I got to create for it. While Ayaanala, Hollow Hart, and Sahru Sital stand out as some of my favorites, Ishii Bunji will always be close to my heart, because I created him as a love letter to the transmasc community. I started out knowing I wanted to show that this wholesome chubby trans guy could also be immensely powerful and desirable, and with each successive draft he gradually transformed from an insatiable warrior into someone whose strength comes from kindness and inner joy. A kind of strength that, I’d like to think, can defy tyrants. Thomas Coughlin is also an important character to me, for far more personal reasons. He was named after a very dear friend of mine, who passed away shortly before this project started. Thomas loved roleplaying games, and being able to name a character after him in a book like this felt like the best way to honor his memory. All my love and thanks to this amazing community, this writing team, and the staff at Paizo, who continue to make Pathfinder one of the best TTRPGs in the world. Cheers!

Sen H.H.S

Hi everyone, it’s Sen H.H.S.! Yeah, I’ve been popping up a lot lately because there are just so many fun things to write about and create for Golarion. For Firebrands, other than writing about their relationships with other organizations or nations, I also wrote Jin Li, a new God of Dares who’s a carp that leaped so high that he turned into a dragon! In fact, according to my chat records, he leaped so hard that my computer crashed while writing about him. I am most likely making and retweeting a lot of memes about him after the release, which you shall be able to find on Twitter @Senhhs. See you all there and three cheers to the Firebrands book release!

Art by Firat Solhan

Matt Morris

I'm Matt Morris, and I’ve been lucky enough to do freelance writing for Pathfinder and Starfinder for several years now, working with Paizo and a few 3rd-party companies, including Everybody Games and Rogue Genius Games. I managed to smuggle some information about Firebrand activities in Galt and their other campaigns around the Inner Sea into this book. (I used the hidden pockets in this fashionable jacket! Thanks, Yelayne, and you other gods watching over chaotic shenanigans.) I keep an up-to-date list of my work on my Paizo profile, and I’m always looking for interesting projects, so feel free to contact me if you are looking for a reliable writer! When not writing, I’m teaching high school English near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jessica Redekop (she/they/he)

Hello! I’m Jess. You might recognize me from the Treasure Vault author’s blog last month. In Firebrands, I wrote Arshea, Silverspice Zzapo, and the new feats in the Other Archetypes section. I think they speak for themselves, but if you somehow aren’t sold on Firebrands yet let me answer the question on everybody’s mind: yes, there are new feats for the dandy archetype. Look forward to more of my work in Rage of Elements when it releases later this year. Outside of writing, you can find me on the Know Direction network as a cohost on the Legend Lore podcast and cast member on the upcoming Tavern Rats actual play podcast. I’ll also be a judge for this year’s RPG Superstar competition. To keep up with everything I’m doing, you can read my tweets on the tweeter, where I'm @tectonomancer.

Art by Roberto Pitturru

Shahreena Shahrani

Marhaba, apa khabar semua? Hello, how’re y’all doing? Shahreena here, and I helped write the Faith section of Lost Omens Firebrands. I am fascinated by communities of people and their cultural practices, and had a lot of fun thinking and writing about how they relate with others in this fantastical setting. Speaking of faith, to fellow Pathfinders fasting and celebrating this month, Ramadan Kareem! When not gaming, I teach regional and cultural studies of the Middle East and North Africa, and deliver lectures/presentations on hot topics to government agencies and personnel. I also enjoy working on retelling world folklore on my YouTube channel: Storytime with Auntie Nina. If you’d like to contact me about working together, guest/public speaking opportunities, and/or learn more about my projects, you can reach me at: shahreena_s@yahoo.com.

We also want to thank our other authors for their great work on Firebrands!

• Joan Hong: Ranik Helt (page 46), Firebrand Backgrounds (page 75), Magic Items (page 84), Services (page 92)
• Aaron Lascano: Beacons across the Inner Sea (page 6), Campaigns (page 98), Katapesh (page 118)
• Luis Loza: History (page 8), Factions (page 24), Nightwave (page 28), Devrin Arlos (page 40), Karthival (page 43), Options Introduction (page 74), Firebrand Training (page 76), Equipment (page 82)
• Ron Lundeen: Other Groups (page 34), Mwangi Expanse (page 104), Old Cheliax (page 108)
• Stephanie Lundeen: Silver Ravens (page 32), Shensen (page 48), Lubaiko (page 62)
• Erin Roberts: Salt Breakers (page 30), Shimali Manux (page 49), Vulmia Manux (page 51)
• Michael Sayre: Firebrand Training (page 76)
• Ruvaid Virk: Other Archetypes (page 78)

Creating a dangerous dungeon to challenge adventurers is a lot of work. While the various architecture aeons, drafter devils, engineering elementals, and other dungeon designing minions here at Paizo are generally great at their job, there are some times when the rooms they create don’t quite hit the mark. While we typically just set those aside for incineration at a later date, we were running out of space at the delving warehouse. To clear up a bit of space, we figured that we could just set a few of those unused rooms out on the curb for anyone to pick up. So, today on April Fools’ Day, we invite you to come on by and grab any of these rooms and throw them into your next dungeon!

Rooms Designed by Cosmo Eisele (Director of Sales), Vanessa Hoskins (Developer), and Luis Loza (Creative Director)

Art by Addison Rankin

Chamber of Bouncing

This large chamber looks inconspicuous at first glance. There are open doorways at either end of the chamber. The floor and walls of the room are magically enchanted to forcibly bounce creatures that come in contact with them. A creature that moves through the room finds itself springing and bouncing around. Every time the creature moves 5 feet, they are bounced 10 feet in the same direction. This bouncing doesn’t count against the creature’s movement. Creatures that collide against a wall are bounced back 10 feet in the opposite direction. Alternate versions of these chambers include trapped doorways that magically move along the length of the walls, making it difficult to reach an exit while bouncing around, or glass walls within the room that are effectively invisible to the naked eye and serve to block the bouncing in the chamber.

Crawler’s Room

This room contains a miniaturized version of the very building in which it’s located. The miniature building takes up the entirety of the room, blocking access to the door on the opposite of the chamber. The miniature’s doorways are large enough for a person to crawl inside. Creatures that enter the room are subject to a magically-enhanced gravity, causing the creatures to collapse to the ground. Reaching the other side of the room requires crawling through the building replica and traversing the miniaturized dungeon. The miniature version of this room doesn’t contain its own miniature and is instead filled with small piles of treasures.

Grand Sycamore Ballroom

This vast chamber is large enough to contain a legion. Hanging high on the walls, out of the reach of most, are massive tapestries displaying legendary heroes, each standing thrice as tall as they would appear in life. The room is filled with a carefully positioned pattern of round tables, each surrounded by eight chairs, and sporting different colored adornments, arranged in broad sections. In the center of the room, against the far wall, stands a magnificent stage. A long table at the front edge of the stage has four chairs for the Grand Coordinator and their closest officers. Several double doors exit the room on all four sides.

Helpful Warning Room

This 10-foot-by-20-foot room has a packed dirt floor and unlocked wooden doors at both ends. In the center of the room there is a long gash cut through the dirt, and a notched and rusty shield stuck into the floor in the exact center of the gouge and room. Scrawled upon the shield, in an obviously unskilled hand, is the word “TRAP!” written in red paint with an arrow pointing straight up. Following the arrow up shows an enormous greataxe attached to the ceiling and rigged to swing through the room when a barely concealed tripwire is tripped. This obviously is the source of the gouge, and the swinging axe is easily avoided when the trap is tripped. Upon closer inspection, there is another scrawled word on the head of the axe itself in the same red paint: “BOOM!” This word is painted on top of a fireball rune (Core Rulebook 524), which goes off when the axe head swings within 20 feet of the party.

Visualizer Chamber

The walls of this room are decorated with colorful artwork. All objects and creatures within the room have their appearance drastically altered, resembling stylized artwork that’s made up of small groupings of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow dots. Anytime a creature would speak or make some other sound within this chamber, the sound doesn’t occur normally. Instead, a large image of the words or sound effect appears in the air near the creature. This alteration to appearance and sound doesn’t prevent creatures from acting normally, casting spells, and so on.

StartPlaying is excited to announce our newest partnership with Paizo: Pathfinder Play Weekends!

Paizo, publisher of award-winning games Pathfinder and Starfinder, is partnering with StartPlaying to make it easy for new and longtime players to find Pathfinder groups with seasoned Game Masters hosting everything from campaigns to one-shots. Whether you want to learn to play or delve into the Abomination Vaults, you’re sure to find something exciting during Pathfinder Play Weekend.

“Paizo is excited about this new partnership. We’ve designed Pathfinder to be easy to learn, streamlined to play, and offer deep character customization starting at level one, with meaningful choices at every level. The StartPlaying professional Game Masters are ready to get you started and keep you playing every month at Pathfinder Play Weekends,” says Aaron Shanks, director of marketing at Paizo.

Pathfinder Play Weekend will be a recurring event taking place on the last weekend of every month, Thursday to Sunday. The first event will run March 23rd through the 26th. You can find open games here.

Pathfinder Second Edition has been leading a TTRPG boom since January of this year. Paizo sold through what was planned to be an eight-month supply of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook in two weeks. Meanwhile, interest in StartPlaying listings for Pathfinder has increased exponentially. Pathfinder Play Weekends will help meet this demand by matching eager new players and veteran fans with games for all skill levels. Pathfinder 2E offers a variety of gameplay styles and tones, from silly flower garden one-shots to deadly dungeon crawls to free-form kingdom building sims.

"We're always excited to make it easy for people to find and play games," said Devon, StartPlaying co-founder. "We know the best way to make the hobby grow is to remove barriers to entry, and professional Game Masters are incredibly invested in providing an amazing experience to players and making them feel welcomed."

StartPlaying games is the premier online platform for finding open TTRPG games with professional Game Masters. GM profiles show their skillsets and ratings from players, allowing users to easily find someone whose style matches their preferred experience. Users can also refer friends to the service to claim a $10 credit toward a future game–perfect for inviting buddies to a new Pathfinder campaign!

Toward the end of last year, Paizo went through several departmental reorganizations to more accurately reflect the types of products we create and allow various subject matter experts to work more closely with the peers whose efforts mirror or complement their own. We’ve also had some new additions to the team (and more to come, so stick around through the end of this blog) whose names we’d like you to know. I’ll let everyone, including me, introduce themselves in their own words!

Jason Bulmahn

Hello everyone, I am Jason Bulmahn and I am the Director of Game Design at Paizo, in charge of the entire Rules and Lore team. I first got my start with Paizo back in 2004 as the Managing Editor of Dragon magazine but then served as the Lead Designer for the first edition of the Pathfinder RPG. Today, I work on setting the goals and design objectives of our games, envision major projects that won’t even be announced for several years, coordinate game ideas with our partners, and work to ensure that the team has everything they need to succeed.

At night, I leave behind my guise as a mild-mannered game designer and turn into… yet another game designer, working on my own Pathfinder 2E setting called Eventide. I also tinker with other games under the name Minotaur Games, creating a zombie apocalypse hack of Pathfinder 2E called Hopefinder. You can find me streaming Wrath of the Righteous most Tuesday nights on Twitch and playing other games on Saturday afternoons (twitch.tv/JasonBulmahn). I can be found on almost every social media platform (just search for Jason Bulmahn), but I am most active on twitter @JasonBulmahn.

Michael Sayre

We meet again! I’m Michael Sayre, the Design Manager for the Rules & Lore team. My direct reports include Creative Director Luis Loza, Senior Designer James Case, Senior Developer Eleanor Ferron, and Developer Landon Winkler. I coordinate between them, our Lead Designer Logan Bonner, and the other teams in and beyond the creative department to plan and facilitate the creation of hardcover rulebooks, Lost Omens books, and a variety of other product types. I also do design and development work, leading and writing for those same books. You can follow me on Twitter as @MichaelJSayre1.

Logan Bonner (he/him)

Hello, out there! I’m Logan Bonner, the Pathfinder Lead Designer. That means I’m on overwatch for the game rules as a whole, looking for opportunities to introduce new systems and options and to make sure they come out at a pace that’s neither too slow to be exciting nor so fast it overwhelms folks and makes it too hard to keep up. Also, to make sure all the pieces fit together well. Rules sustainability and consistency, basically. One of our big goals with Second Edition was to give the books in our Rulebook line a better grounding in the lore of the world, and people have been really enjoying all we’ve added to make their characters and games feel more immersive. I’m looking forward to this new team structure, which will let us blend the story, world, and rules in more fun ways.

You can find me on Twitter, where I’m @loganbonner, or occasionally on Mastodon as @loganbonner@dice.camp.

Luis Loza

Hi, everyone! I'm Luis Loza, Creative Director for the Rules & Lore team. You might now my work from helping create the Lost Omens line of settings book, and I'm going to continue helping shepherd the setting as Creative Director. I look forward to some of the exciting events we have planned in the future of the Lost Omens setting and I hope you'll enjoy the ride! I live on a variety of places online, but the easiest spots to find me are on my twitter account (@donatoclassic) and my personal website.

James Case

I’m James Case, Senior Designer here at Paizo. My responsibilities include proposing, leading, and developing new rulebooks; designing new classes, subsystems, and supporting products; and training freelancers and new members of the team. You can follow me on Twitter at @toriariaria.

Eleanor Ferron (she/her)

Hi, I'm Eleanor Ferron, a Senior Developer on the Rules & Lore team. I work on the Lost Omens line with Luis Loza to bring the world and setting of Golarion to life!

Landon Winkler (they/them)

Hi, I’m Landon Winkler, a Developer on the Rules & Lore team. I’m new to the team, so still very much learning the ropes. Mostly, I just want to create fun creatures and other bits of stories for everyone to use. I love playing support, so getting these things polished up for your table is a great way to do that behind the scenes. On the off chance you need to get in touch with me, I can be reached at @landonwinkler as long as Twitter lasts. Cheers!

---

If you’re interested in joining this team, we’ve actually opened up two new positions! We’re looking to hire one new designer and one new developer for the team, whose responsibilities will be in helping us plan and create the new content produced by the Rules & Lore team. While industry experience is strongly preferred for people interested in these positions, these are not intended to be senior positions, and we do have room for talented and interested parties who are earlier in their TTRPG careers and might have great ideas but need a little more training and experience. You can see the specific requirements of these positions here on our Careers page.

Hello again, PaizoCon lovers! As registration for the convention draws near, we're excited to announce that this year we're bringing community games and other events back to PaizoCon! Prior to 2020, a huge part of our programming consisted of a wide variety of games and other events led by Paizo staff or your fellow con attendees. The reinstatement of our community events schedule is a return to form for Paizo, and we hope you'll join us for all the excitement and fun!

PaizoCon's community events make it possible for Paizo staff, freelance authors, third-party publishers, and talented GMs of any background to host an assortment of unique experiences for appreciative players from all over the world.

PaizoCon Attendee Information

Here are just a few delightful things players might experience:

• Many different RPG systems, including (but by no means limited to) Paizo's own Pathfinder and Starfinder.
• A vast assortment of published adventures and homebrewed content.
• All manner of genres, degrees of seriousness, and maturity levels.
• Shorter or longer games or games that start at times that are more convenient to you.
• Playtests or premieres of upcoming third-party adventures by the next big author or company, or by some of your familiar favorites!
• Trying to survive Cosmo's terrifying gauntlet of Killer Clowns!¹

We're thrilled to offer such experiences once again!

Event Host Information

But of course, these wonderful events require people to envision, plan, and run them. That's where you come in. Now is your chance to run the game you've been planning for years, and to give your players an experience they'll be talking about until next PaizoCon!

This year's event application process is designed to make it easy for you to describe what you want to host, so that we can help attendees find exactly what they're looking for. PaizoCon attendees who wish to run one or more events for PaizoCon 2023 should review the following information, then fill out the application linked below.

Rules

• PaizoCon attendees may apply to run one or more events.
• Applications will be accepted for about 3 weeks and will be processed on an ongoing basis.
• Events need not be tabletop RPGs—if you want to run your own panels, workshops, mini-painting corners, board games, party games, or something completely different, let us know and we’ll see what we can do for you!
• Filling out the application does not guarantee that your event will be accepted. Paizo staff will review all applications and approve them based on variety, application quality, and scheduling needs.
• Accepted events will be scheduled a timeslot and will be listed on net alongside other scheduled PaizoCon events. A voice and text channel on the PaizoCon Discord server will be made available during the scheduled timeslot. Any other necessary arrangements—virtual tabletops, alternate voice chat applications, etc.—must be made by the applicant and included in the application.
• By default, the content for all events is expected to adhere to the Pathfinder Baseline. Deviations from the Baseline are to be disclosed in the application, and such deviations will be published in the schedule so attendees are aware of what to expect. All events must adhere to the PaizoCon Code of Conduct—no exceptions.
• Applicants who are approved to run events for 12 hours or more will receive a free attendance badge for PaizoCon 2023, and our gratitude. Applicants who do not qualify for a free badge will still need to purchase one.
• Any questions about the sign-up process should be sent to paizocon@paizo.com.

Important Dates

Please note that some of these dates are tentative and subject to change.

• March 3 (Fri): Event applications open
• March 27 (Mon): Event applications close
• April 17 (Mon): VIP & non-OP games open for signup
• May 26–29 (Fri–Mon): PaizoCon 2023

Fill out the application here!

¹Clown presence not guaranteed.

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Over the last few months, the world has seen a huge upsurge in interest, use, and quality of algorithm-generated imagery and text. Since we launched the company in 2002, Paizo has made its reputation with the assistance of countless traditional artists and writers, who are just as integral to the success of our games as our in-house editors, art directors, designers, and developers. The ethical and legal issues surrounding “AI art” and writing prompt programs—and the serious threat they pose to the livelihoods of partners who have helped us get to where we are today as a company—demand that we take a firm position against the use of this technology in Paizo products.

In the coming days, Paizo will add new language to its creative contracts that stipulate that all work submitted to us for publication be created by a human. We will further add guidance to our Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite program FAQs clarifying that AI-generated content is not permitted on either community content marketplace.

Our customers expect a human touch to our releases, and so long as the ethical and legal circumstances surrounding these programs remains murky and undefined, we are unwilling to associate our brands with the technology in any way.

Stated plainly—when you buy a Paizo product, you can be sure that it is the work of human professionals who have spent years honing their craft to produce the best work we can. Paizo will not use AI-generated “creative” work of any kind for the foreseeable future.

We thank the human artists and writers who have been so integral to our success in the past, and we look forward to working with them for many years to come.

Hello!
I’m Michael Sayre, the design manager here at Paizo and one of the cover authors for Pathfinder Treasure Vault alongside Mark Seifter and Kendra Leigh Speedling. I was the voice for both the plucky kobold Purepurin and the mighty dragon Valashinaz, as well as the writer for the new base weapons, story-based crafting, and a wide variety of other items scattered throughout the book, like the new thrower’s bandolier previewed in the “Varmints in the Vaults” blog.

As proud as I am of the work I did on Treasure Vault, I’m even more proud of the freelancers whose contributions made this book possible, so we’re taking this opportunity to let some of them tell you a little about themselves and the work that they did on this book. Without further ado…

Mark Seifter

I'm Mark Seifter, Roll for Combat director of game design, and Paizo's former design manager as well as one of the four leads on the creation of Pathfinder Second Edition. In Treasure Vault, I wrote a variety of topics, but the parts I'm most excited about are the crafting variant rules and nature crafting sections, including the magic gardens! Check out Arcane Mark, my Twitch stream with Linda Zayas-Palmer, Tuesdays at 7 PM Pacific, and Saturdays at 10 AM Pacific at https://www.twitch.tv/arcanemark, as well as my Roll for Combat live YouTube stream with Stephen Glicker at https://www.youtube.com/c/RollForCombat/.

Discord: https://tiny.cc.arcanemark
Twitter: @markseifter

Kendra Leigh Speedling

Hello, all! I'm Kendra Leigh Speedling, and I'm one of the cover authors on Treasure Vault! My sections were: alchemical foods, artifacts, cursed/intelligent items, grimoires, missives (with Jessica Catalan), relics, spellhearts, staves, and wondrous consumables. I love cool loot, so this book was awesome to work on! I can't pick a favorite item, but the cooperative waffles have apparently been making a splash, so I'll tell you I gave them that form to celebrate the return of the mithral waffle iron in PF2. I played a PF1 sorcerer who not only bought one, but liked it so much that he put one of his scant two skill ranks every level into Craft (waffle). And he always made the party breakfast.

Twitter: @KendraLS

Jessica Catalan

Hi everyone! My name's Jessica Catalan and I’m the Starfinder Society Developer and a freelance author who primarily writes for Pathfinder and Starfinder. For Treasure Vault, I contributed to the wands and missives sections. Treasure Vault was a delightful, collaborative book to work on, and I look forward to seeing all the new tricks, treats, and treasures it contains unleashed on gaming tables! Enjoy!

Andrew Geels

Hi there! I wrote for Treasure Vault’s specific magic shields, alchemical bombs, and elixirs sections. This is the fourth Paizo book I’ve written for, and probably the one I’m most excited to see get used! Magic shields were a blast to write, especially with new shield types. The starfall shield in particular is one of my favorites (turning into a meteor is cool), but I also love entries like the warding escutcheon, and the door-themed stone tower shield that becomes a door or a stone tower. Making new bombs and elixirs with weird niches was a fun challenge. I can’t wait to hear stories of trueshape bombs turning the tide against werewolves, or numbing and soothing tonics pulling parties through deadly fights.

Twitter: @PinBarbarian Website: pinstripedbarbarian.com

Yvonne Hsiao

Happy Treasure Vault Day everyone! This is Sen.H.H.S., you friendly Taiwanese TTRPG writer, back again with-- you guessed it-- more fulus! You can find the first set of fulus I wrote back in Secrets of Magic. After you've showered Treasure Vault with love, don't forget to check on recent and upcoming publications to which I have also contributed, such as Lost Omens: Firebrands, Starfinder Ports of Call, and last but not least, Rage of Elements! To see what else I'm hyping up these days, you can follow me on—

Instagram: senhhs_writes
Twitter: @SenHHS
Website:https://senhhs.carrd.co/

Dustin Knight

Greetings, Pathfinders! Since writing weapon runes for Treasure Vault, I've become the Developer for Starfinder. And while my focus has shifted to the other side of the Gap, I'm so happy to keep busy as a freelancer and Pathfinder Infinite contributor during what free time I can scrape together. Feel free to hit me up on twitter, where I can't wait to hear about all the shenanigans caused by the nifty items in this book (especially the authorized rune).

Twitter: @WarlockKitsune

Jacob W. Michaels (he/him):

Fire burn and caldron bubble. Fillet of a fenny snake, In the caldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog.

Hi everyone, I'm Jacob W. Michaels, and I'm hoping the potions I created for Treasure Vault won't lead you to your doom, like the witches did Macbeth. It was a lot of fun adding some potions to the mix, and playing with options outside the traditional spells-in-a-jar formula. If you like these items, check out my work on Pathfinder Society or other rule books, Adventure Paths and Lost Omen titles, and raise a glass—of Cayden's Brew or some nonalcoholic potion of your choice—to Valashinaz and the wonders of her hoard.

Matt Morris

I’m Matt Morris, and I’ve been lucky enough to do freelance writing for Pathfinder and Starfinder for several years now, working with Paizo and a few 3rd-party companies, including Everybody Games and Rogue Genius Games. I was excited to trade some magic weapons to the mighty Valashinaz! (I'm still waiting for the kobolds she promised would clean out my garage, though.) I keep an up-to-date list of my work on my Paizo profile, and I’m always looking for interesting projects, so feel free to contact me if you are looking for a reliable writer! When not writing, I’m teaching high school English near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Website: https://mattmorris.carrd.co/#

Jessica Redekop (she/they/he):

Hi! I'm Jess, and I wrote some fun new catalysts for Treasure Vault. I hope you have fun with them! My favorite is the Euphoric Loop, which lets you get a little more out of charm during combat encounters where you know the spell can't last. If you'd like to see more of my work, I also wrote the items in the Material Changes shop of Lost Omens Grand Bazaar, and perhaps later this year you will even see my name in, on, or generally just around Rage of Elements...?

Twitter: @tectonomancer

Mari Tokuda

Hi! My name is Mari Tokuda, and I worked on the mystical, magical oils of the Treasure Vault. Uhhh, so who am I, anyway? I love dogs and have an irrational fear of anthropomorphic food. What? It's creepy!

Professionally, I'm an ENNIE Award-winning writer (I was one small part of the team that won 2022's Best Writing category). Mostly, I'm a big, old nerd who specializes in creating games and fiction. Do you like tabletop games? You must if you're here. Well, I've worked on a bunch of them! Do I love them? So. Much. Let's be friends! You can find me on-

Facebook: mari.tokuda.writes
Twitter: @MariTokuda
Website: https://www.maritokuda.com/

We’re in the heart of Black History Month! In honor of Black excellence in the tabletop industry and beyond, here are some wonderful creators in our community to introduce themselves and share some of the amazing work they’ve done.

---

Isis Wozniakowska (she/her)

Hey all, Isis Wozniakowska here, I wrote Starfinder Society Scenario #3-21 and #5-04 as well as the upcoming Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-10, and I've done work for Pathfinder Secrets of Magic, Pathfinder Dark Archive, Starfinder Interstellar Species, and more to come.

I got into this whole TTRPG writing thing by answering an open call for writers of color, which is not the kind of thing I can advise when a lot of people I know ask me how to get into this. It's something I think about a lot, how I sometimes feel like I've gotten more chances as a writer lately because I can answer these specialized calls for people who come from specific backgrounds. It's taken me months to come to terms with that possibility of having my own privileges recently as the creative world tries to diversify its talents. And it's been especially complicated for me as someone who spent her formative years living with a white European father in a nicer city than people with my skin color often do.

But I think these days I've finally learned that these opportunities are important because they're the kinds of opportunities that my mother's family couldn't have had years ago, and that my dad as an immigrant never had the luxury of being offered either. So I'm here, I'm creating fantasies and cultures in a world as diverse as our own. And I'm proud to call myself a Black writer or a Mixed writer or whatever other adjectives need to be thrown in front of there to remind myself that I'm here building a name for myself and my family going forward. And I can be proud of the fact that I get to have opportunities that people like myself would have never had in generations before me.

If you want to find more of me, my Twitter is a @wozenstein, and you can always keep an eye out for more Paizo work from me in the future.

Shan Wolf (he/they)

Hi everyone, I am a freelance game designer and contributing author on both the Pathfinder and Starfinder lines. My credits include Starfinder Bounty #4: Poacher’s Prize, the Adventure Toolbox for book 1 of the Starfinder Drift Hackers Adventure Path, the Starfinder Ports of Call hardcover, the Adventure Toolbox for book 2 of the Strength of Thousands Adventure Path, and the upcoming Lost Omens Highhelm sourcebook. My primary focus as a writer is in Black and Indigenous liberation narratives, monster creation, archetype creation, history and lore, and writing revolutionary and inherently anti-colonialist themes.

Besides all that, I am a huge Pathfinder and Starfinder booster. I love these games as they help bring to life amazing fantasies about being heroes and saving the world, or universe, and that is always something I’m interested in doing, or just talking about in general.

If you’re interested in my work, or hearing my views, feel free to take a look at my twitter @Fenrirs_Chosen and you will see an outspoken and passionate advocate for Black liberation, and making the tabletop space more open, safe, and inclusive.

Erin Roberts (she/her)

Happy Black History Month, y'all! I'm Erin and in addition to being a prose writer and a creative writing teacher, I've been a freelancer for Paizo for a couple of years—how time flies! I've written for a few Lost Omens books, bringing things like Impossible Cake (Pathfinder Lost Omens Grand Bazaar), the Tunwalkers (Pathfinder Lost Omens Knights of Lastwall), reflections on time from the Ladies of Shadow tea and assassination guild (Pathfinder Lost Omens Travel Guide), and a look at the artists and buildings of Golarion (Travel Guide) to their pages. I've also had fun in space, writing a bounty (Starfinder Bounty #3: A Green Place) and adding to vlaka lore (Starfinder Interstellar Species).

Outside of the Paizoverse, I’ve written for D&D (Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel), World of Darkness (Hunter: The Reckoning Fifth Edition) and several awesome 3PP and indie projects (including Anansi’s Tapestry of Lives and Moonlight on Roseville Beach). What’s next? I’m a game writer for a future Foundry VTT project and you can catch my freelance work in projects like Pathfinder Lost Omens Firebrands, Pathfinder Lost Omens Highhelm, and other fun places not yet revealed by the mythical powers that be. I also chat with a bunch of writing folks every week as one of the hosts of the Writing Excuses podcast, new every Sunday. I usually share whatever shenanigans I'm up to next on Twitter at @nirele, so feel free to follow me there!

Third Party Kon is ready to celebrate the PaizoVerse! TPK is a celebration of the PaizoVerse's rapid expansion in all its forms during the President's Day weekend, February 17-20. As Paizo and other publishers announce their support for the Open RPG Creative License (ORC), there has never been a better time to make or try third party content. The mods at r/Pathfinder2e have seen the incredible growth of the community even before the age of the ORC, and TPK wants to recognize that.

So how can you get involved?

GAME MASTERS: Run a game for players! Our Game Masters page has a great selection of free third party scenarios made by outstanding authors like Mark Seifter of Roll for Combat, Shawn Pommier of Eldritch Osiris Games, and Matthew Ninness of Sinclair's Library!

We also have instructions to sign players up to your game through RPGChronicles! Games will be hosted on the r/Pathfinder2e Discord server. We definitely recommend trying one of our scenarios out, or using a Foundry VTT-ready bounty available on Paizo’s website. Remember, you can use third party options in tables that still get credit for Organized Play using Adventure Mode if you’re running an Adventure Path, the Beginner Box, Standalone Adventures, or a One-Shot Product!

If you need help designing a homebrew one shot, World Anvil is giving 40% off any yearly subscription using the code TPK2023 at checkout!

PLAYERS: Try new options available from Pathfinder Infinite authors and masters! Our Players page lists many 3PP ancestries, items, archetypes, and even classes like the Legendary Medium from Legendary Games to try! As GMs register games with us, you’ll also be able to join them! Find your GM on the r/Pathfinder2e Discord TPK Channel, then make a character to play!

EVERYONE: TPK is hosting a 24-hour stream from Friday to Monday of actual plays and creator panels, featuring some of the most well-known voices in the community! Visit our Stream Schedule to see what you might want to watch.

You should also support the content creators making the PaizoVerse so diverse! We’ve teamed up with DriveThruRPG to sell a TPK MegaBundle of third party products! The sale will go live during the weekend on our website, so make sure you don’t miss out on your chance to get tons of great stuff at a steep discount.

CREATORS: There’s still time to join the TPK MegaBundle sale and submit your own demo options for players! Visit the TPK Creators page to find out how! We’ll be accepting demo material up to February 15th.

Start your adventure into the #PaizoVerse at #TPK23!

Paizo continues celebrating the spirit of Open Gaming with 25% off select Starfinder releases that introduce you to the Pact Worlds! Explore the world now with a free PDF copy of Starfinder Pact Worlds. Simply add the PDF to your cart, and use discount code OPENGAMING at checkout. Offer valid through 11:59 PM PST, February 18, 2023.

Want to try Starfinder yourself (or pick up a copy for a friend)? Use code OPENGAMING for 25% off any or all of the following through 11:59 PM PST, February 18, 2023.

Starfinder Beginner Box — $39.99 $29.99

Explore the Galaxy! Launch into an exciting universe of science fantasy adventure with the Starfinder Beginner Box! Create and customize your own futuristic hero to play through challenging adventures and action-packed battles against dangerous foes! With streamlined rules, this deluxe boxed set is the ideal introduction to the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, an imaginative tabletop roleplaying game for 2-7 players. Welcome to the best launchpad for a lifetime of pulse-pounding adventure among the stars—the only limit is your imagination!

Starfinder Core Rulebook (hardcover) — $59.99 $44.99
Starfinder Core Rulebook Pocket Edition (softcover) — $19.99 $14.99

Blast off into a galaxy of adventure with the Starfinder Roleplaying Game! Step into your powered armor and grab your magic-infused laser rifle as you investigate the mysteries of a weird universe with your bold starship crew. Will you delve for lost artifacts in the ruins of alien temples? Strap on rune-enhanced armor and a laser rifle to battle undead empires in fleets of bone ships, or defend colonists from a swarm of ravenous monsters? Maybe you'll hack into the mainframe of a god-run corporation, or search the stars for clues to the secret history of the universe or brand new planets to explore. Whether you're making first contact with new cultures on uncharted worlds or fighting to survive in the neon-lit back alleys of Absalom Station, you and your team will need all your wits, combat skill, and magic to make it through. But most of all, you'll need each other.

This massive 528-page hardcover rulebook is the essential centerpiece of the Starfinder Roleplaying Game, with rules for character creation, magic, gear, and more—everything you need to play Starfinder as either a player or Game Master! The next great adventure in science fantasy roleplaying takes off here, and the Starfinder Core Rulebook is your ticket to a lifetime of adventure amid the stars!

Whether you join us in the Desna's Path galaxy or explore the stars with one of the many other publishers producing great stories in their own settings, we thank you for supporting Open Gaming!

Those of you excited for a campaign filled with strange shenanigans have no doubt been paying attention to the Gatewalkers Adventure Path. If you get to play in this one, you’ve probably already picked up your free Gatewalkers Player’s Guide and started coming up with your character. If you’re planning to GM this campaign, you’re probably eagerly awaiting the first volume to hit your local game store’s shelves so you can get to prepping.

As you all prepare to dive into the mysteries, dangers, and friendships this Adventure Path offers, let’s take a look behind the curtain and get to know the authors who brought this trio of adventures to life.

James Sutter
Pathfinder Adventure Path #187: The Seventh Arch

When Gatewalkers architect Patrick Renie hit me up to write for this AP, I didn’t think I had time. Then I heard the pitch, and I made time. As the author of the Pathfinder First Edition Campaign Settings The First World and Distant Worlds, as well as a former Starfinder Creative Director, I've always been a sucker for Pathfinder’s fey realm and other planets, and the chance to write an adventure that visits both was simply irresistible. As soon as I finished writing, I immediately turned around and launched my own Gatewalkers campaign, and I hope your group does as much laughing and screaming as ours!

If you’re interested in checking out more of my TTRPG work, you can find it at jameslsutter.com —but my big release this year is actually a young adult romance novel! Darkhearts is a queer rom-com all about falling in love with the boy who stole your chance at rock stardom, and you can preorder it now!

Jason Keeley
Pathfinder Adventure Path #188: They Watched the Stars

Hi, folks! I'm Jason Keeley, game developer person and author of the second volume of the Gatewalkers Adventure Path. I'm a big fan of "weird stuff" in adventures, so I was happy to contribute to an Adventure Path that is thematically linked to the "weird stuff" book, Pathfinder Dark Archive. Moreso than any other adventure I've written for Paizo, “They Watched the Stars” is a bit of a road trip, so I got to include a bunch of strange vignettes the players can encounter on their way from point A to point B.

I would love to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil the surprises in store. I will say that one of my favorite bits is the initial encounter with a halfling ghost pirate captain and the new construct I designed that protects their derelict ship. How's that for a tease? If you want to talk about more weird stuff with me, you can find me on Twitter @herzwesten. And maybe check out my free game about cereal mascots, This Compleat Breakfast, available on itch.io here!

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Adventure Path #189: Dreamers of the Nameless Spires

Hi there! I’m James Jacobs, one of Paizo’s creative directors and the author of the Gatewalkers finale! I came to this project pretty late in the process but was delighted to join forces with “TEAM J.” The plot of Gatewalkers—with its ties to elves, aliens, and conspiracies—was really up my alley, but particularly the last adventure that heads into the frozen north. Horror and cold go together perfectly, and being able to dive into inspirations like Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, John Carpenter’s The Thing, and the quest for the Northwest Passage in Dan Simmons’s The Terror was a blast to say the least, as well as drawing inspiration from real-world explorations like Shackleton’s search for the south pole. And finally, extra thanks to Michael Sayre for help and for getting things started with the heart of this particular story; I hope I did it justice!

Over the course of the last week, more than 1,500 tabletop RPG publishers, from household names going back to the dawn of the hobby to single proprietors just starting out with their first digital release, have joined together to pledge their support for the development of a universal system-neutral open license that provides a legal “safe harbor” for sharing rules mechanics and encourages innovation and collaboration in the tabletop gaming space.

The alliance is gathered. Work has begun.

It would take too long to list all the companies behind the ORC license effort, but we thought you might be interested to see a few of the organizations already pledged toward this common goal. We are honored to be allied with them, as well as with the equally important participating publishers too numerous to list here. Each is crucial to the effort’s success. The list below is but a representative sample of participating publishers from a huge variety of market segments with a huge variety of perspectives. But we all agree on one thing.

We are all in this together.

• Alchemy RPG
• Arcane Minis
• Atlas Games
• Autarch
• Azora Law
• Black Book Editions
• Bombshell Miniatures
• BRW Games
• Chaosium
• Cze & Peku
• Demiplane
• DMDave
• The DM Lair
• Elderbrain
• EN Publishing
• Epic Miniatures
• Evil Genius Games
• Expeditious Retreat Press
• Fantasy Grounds
• Fat Dragon Games
• Forgotten Adventures
• Foundry VTT
• Free RPG Day
• Frog God Games
• Gale Force 9
• Game On Tabletop
• Giochi Uniti
• Goodman Games
• Green Ronin
• The Griffon’s Saddlebag
• Iron GM Games
• Know Direction
• Kobold Press
• Lazy Wolf Studios
• Legendary Games
• Lone Wolf Development
• Loot Tavern
• Louis Porter Jr. Designs
• Mad Cartographer
• Minotaur Games
• Mongoose Publishing
• MonkeyDM
• Monte Cook Games
• MT Black
• Necromancer Games
• Nord Games
• Open Gaming, Inc.
• Paizo Inc.
• Paradigm Concepts
• Pelgrane Press
• Pinnacle Entertainment Group
• Raging Swan Press
• Rogue Games
• Rogue Genius Games
• Roll 20
• Roll for Combat
• Sly Flourish
• Tom Cartos
• Troll Lord Games
• Ulisses Spiele

You will be hearing a lot more from us in the days to come.

Greetings, players! Somehow, it’s once again time to start recruiting volunteers for our major conventions! At this time, we’re opening applications for Gen Con Indianapolis 2023. Information on Gen Con Online, as well as other PaizoCon events, will happen at a future date. Please read all the information in the convention’s section before filling out the application form, and let the team know if you have any questions!

Gen Con Indy 2023

Gen Con Indianapolis will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana from August 3-6, 2023. While we intend to participate in Gen Con Online, this application is only for the in-person show. New content at this show includes the launch of Pathfinder Society Year 5, the new Pathfinder Society Special and the second American run of the Starfinder Society interactive special, and new Starfinder Society scenarios (including your first chance to meet the new First Seeker Candidates).

We are currently seeking volunteers for the following roles:

• Game Master: Run tables of Organized Play Scenarios, Bounties and Quests
• Headquarters (HQ): Answer player and GM questions, seat players, handle conflicts and disputes, and report games after completion
• Demo GM: Run quick demos for new players, giving them a short Pathfinder/Starfinder experience before quickly turning the table over for the next group. Our Demo GMs may receive an Exhibitor badge in compensation for the fast and furious nature of the position, subject to availability.
• Academy GM: Run games for young children (under 18) and their families and provide a safe, welcoming environment for our youngest gamers. This position requires proof of a completed background check.

Please read this important information before applying:

• Volunteer applications will be reviewed and accepted or rejected by the Gen Con Organizing Committee. Filling this form out does not guarantee acceptance; you will receive an email with further information from the Gen Con committee.
• Gen Con Indy schedules will be assigned by the committee. You will be asked for your preference of system and level, but you will not necessarily be able to choose the specific scenario(s) you run. The committee’s intention is to assign people to run the same scenario multiple times during the weekend. There is a free-form field at the end of the form to enter specific requests, though there’s no guarantee they will be honored.
• Reward information is listed in the table below. GMs who don’t qualify for a badge will still need to purchase one.
• Volunteers will be accepted on a rolling basis and schedules should be assigned within two weeks of your application. Once your schedule is assigned and you confirm, you are considered to be committed to attending the event.
• Adventure authors interested in running tables of scenarios they have written should fill out the volunteer form and then follow up by emailing genconleads@gmail.com. Please note we have a limited number of tables and the schedule is fairly locked-in at this stage, but we’ll do our best to get you slotted into your scenario if it’s on the schedule.
• Gen Con has indicated that they do not plan to have any mask or vaccination requirements for the event. They have also prevented us from enforcing a mask mandate within our spaces. We will work to ensure the safety of all our attendees as best we can under this policy. At this time we are still evaluating our options such as obtaining air purifiers, reducing player count to ensure safe distancing, and increasing the distance between tables. We will be sure to provide hand sanitizer and masks on-site for any who want them.
• Any questions about the GM signup process should be sent to the committee at genconleads@gmail.com.



Rewards Table

Blocks	Housing	Product	Player Badge	Volunteer Attire	In-Game Reward	Voucher
7+ blocks	X	X	X	X	X	X
6 blocks		X	X	X	X	X
5 blocks			X	X	X	X
4 blocks			X	X	X	X
3 blocks			X	X	X	X
2 blocks				X	X	X
1 block				X	X	X

*Definitions for rewards:

• Player Badge: a badge for the duration of the event. GMs must have a Player badge before registering to play games. Demo GMs may receive an Exhibitor badge if our allotment allows.
• In-game reward: A reward for characters based on the current organized play program GM reward programs. Pathfinder Society (first edition)/Pathfinder Adventure Card Society is paper boons, Pathfinder Society (second edition)/Starfinder Society is Achievement Point rewards at the Premier Plus (2.0x) level.
• Product: a physical copy of a Paizo product, chosen from a list of recent releases prior to the convention.
• Volunteer Attire: One shirt per day of volunteering (unless volunteer received shirts in the previous year).
• Voucher: earn one voucher for $10 spendable on paizo.com or at the Paizo booth for every block run.
• Housing: GMs will be housed at two volunteers per room. More volunteers (up to four) may be added to one room if all volunteers agree. More information is available on the application form.

Important Dates

Note that these dates are from Gen Con directly; other dates specifically relevant to us may be added.

• January 29: Indy badge registration begins
• February 12: Indy housing portal opens
• May (dates unknown): Indy event catalog goes live, Indy event registration begins

Gen Con Indy 2023 Volunteer Application

Major Conventions Planning Server

Anybody interested in volunteering at PaizoCon Online or Gen Con should join the OPF Major Conventions planning server by clicking the image below. Follow the instructions in #welcome to get access to the relevant channels. All important information will be conveyed on this server as well as via email, so please join the server!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Heather Vigil, Kevin Baumann, Rebecca Fehn and Joe Mathos
Gen Con Organizing Committee