Full Moon, Hot Blood

Thursday, October 25, 2018

As we brainstorm adventures, the team often comes up with ideas that we have to shelve for months or even years before they come to fruition. When we were looking at our season's schedule months ago, we had several open Tier 3-7 slots, and at long last there was the opportunity to realize one of my dream two-part series that's perfect for the Halloween season. It's been floating in my head since a shortly after Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-16: Destiny of the Sands, Part 3: Sanctum of the Sages, which has a somewhat famous and temporary character augmentation. The idea that we could use that concept for something as strange as a monstrous template, though... that's always been a bit of a dream. Thankfully, Linda was ready to take the lead on developing our Mysteries Under Moonlight series, and she's going to jump in to say some more.

Illustration by Leonardo Santanna

In last month's adventure, Mysteries Under Moonlight, Part 1: Testament of Souls, the PCs received a unique blessing. Put this blessing to use in Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-07: Mysteries Under Moonlight, Part 2: The Howling Dance, a Tier 3-7 scenario by Crystal Malarsky. Crystal has a real knack for atmosphere, which is perfect for this spooky adventure. Race into the haunted Mushfens swamp on the trail of an evil being who has been spreading corruption through Magnimar and beyond. Save innocent spirits from a creeping malevolence, face your fears, and put an end to a terrifying ruler. Trust me, the grinning skull surrounded by tormented spirits so delightfully illustrated by Leonardo Santanna does not have your PCs's best interests in mind.

Linda Zayas-Palmer
Developer

My first love in the Pathfinder campaign setting was far and away Katapesh, both where my first AP experience takes place in Legacy of Fire, but also the adopted home of my first Pathfinder Society character. We've wanted to do more of a follow-up to the Liberty's Edge developments from Pathfinder Society Special #9-00: Assault on Absalom, and Katapesh feels like the ideal place not just for that, but also to meet some enterprising goblins who have adapted quite admirably to city life (including their leader, illustrated by Marko Horvatin).

Illustration by Marko Horvatin

The Tier 1-5 adventure Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-06: Treason's Chains from Adam Meyers—the publisher at of Drop Dead Studios and author of their third-party sourcebook Spheres of Power. Treason's Chains takes the PCs to Katapesh, where the Pathfinders must assist Venture-Captain Roderus in his final act as a venture-captain of the Pathfinder Society: organizing his own retirement party! It's not all fun and games though, as the PCs must navigate a treacherous web of ambition, betrayal, and worse when the long-running feud between two venture-captains, human seer Wulessa Yuul and the half-orc potions merchant Phlegos Dulm, finally comes to a head as each makes their move to seize the opportunities created by Roderus's pending absence. The PCs will have some help along the way though, including unexpected allies like this individual illustrated by Marko Horvatin.

Michael Sayre
Developer

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

Concluding Season 9, Heralding Season 10

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Every year, the number of scenarios released for Gen Con is huge, especially since it typically combines all the scenarios for July and August at once. This year's been an exception insomuch as the number of scenarios is positively immense with 15 different adventures across four different campaigns: 6 Pathfinder Society scenarios, 4 Starfinder Society scenarios, 3 Pathfinder Society Playtest scenarios, and 2 Pathfinder Adventure Card Guild adventures! It's so much that we're breaking our preview blogs into three different posts.

Thankfully, preparing so many adventures has been much more approachable thanks to our growing organized play staff. To reflect this, I've asked each scenario's respective developer to chime in with their own perspective on these excellent adventures.

Speaking of scenarios, by now Gen Con GMs should have received many of these in their downloads already. As of the time I'm writing this, we've completed all of our work on #9-24, #9-25, #10-01, #1-18, #1-19, Playtest #2, Playtest #3, and (just now) #10-00. Many of these have already been arriving in GM downloads, and most of the other adventures are just going through final checks over the next day or two. That means that anything you don't have yet should be arriving soon. Keep in mind that when we cued Gen Con GMs to receive these scenarios, you would have received a notice that you have them in your downloads; this is a placeholder file that's replaced with the actual file once they're on the website. We're regularly running the report to grant new scenarios as they're finalized.

With that, let's get a preview of the Pathfinder Society adventures coming up.

Michael Sayre (organized play developer): I enjoyed a journey across Golarion as I developed scenarios that took me from the ocean depths, to the savannas of the Mwangi Expanse, all the way to the Crown of the World, so I'll jump right in to sharing some of that journey with you!

The first scenario I'll be discussing is the Tier 5-9 adventure Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-24: Beneath Unbroken Waves from Kate Baker—who also wrote Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Scenario #1-08: Sanctuary of Drowned Delight. Beneath Unbroken Waves takes the PCs to the islands and waters off the coast of Jalmeray, where the Pathfinders meet a group of undines who have discovered the ruins of a monastery containing martial arts techniques lost to Golarion…until now! It's not all fun and games in this coastal setting though, as the PCs will also encounter deadly threats like this individual illustrated by Maja Djeke!

John Compton (Organized Play Lead Developer): Ever since Season 7, the organized play team's been including more seeker-level (i.e. level 12+) content in the campaign, which is a delight because it opens up a whole new caliber of narrative. A year ago, the Pathfinder Society helped thwart the so-called Fiendflesh Siege that threatened Absalom. In doing so, we learned that several of the Society's old foes had teamed up to coordinate the siege, and the Pathfinders have taken it upon themselves to personally track down these villains. Agents realized their first victories in Qadira in this season's Adventure Card Guild scenarios, and we've now cornered two of the masterminds in the Five Kings Mountains. There they've taken over an ossuary sacred to Magrim—dwarven god of the afterlife also featured in the upcoming Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Faiths of Golarion—and established such potent defenses that only an elite team of Pathfinders stand any chance. Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-25: Betrayal in the Bones is a Tier 12-;15 scenario that concludes Season 9 on a high note. Not only has the author Tom Phillips brought his storytelling flair and devious encounter design to bear, but the scenario also answers numerous questions that we've been waiting to reveal since as early as Season 2. How did an ex-venture-captain use that fateful wish? Why did a particular faction leader take the actions she did? And how will it all end in these final confrontations?

Linda Zayas-Palmer (organized play developer): The Year of the Ten kicks off with a multitable interactive special for both the Roleplaying Guild and the Adventure Card Guild: #10-00: The Hao Jin Cataclysm (links here for the Roleplaying Guild and Adventure Card Guild versions). Long ago, the legendary sorcerer Hao Jin built a demiplane by tearing locations and peoples out of Golarion and stitching them together into an eclectic realm, bound together by the strength of her magic. The Pathfinder Society has made numerous excursions into this Hao Jin Tapestry demiplane over the years, cataloguing sites of forgotten history and forging alliances with isolated cultures. However, the demiplane is now in critical condition. Unless the Pathfinder Society acts quickly, the plane's very fabric will rip apart. It won't be an easy fix, however. The Society's allies on the Hao Jin Tapestry are in peril, as malevolent forces prey upon the chaos and actively accelerate the destruction. Even the tapestry's own repair mechanisms have malfunctioned horribly and now terrorize its inhabitants. Will you help save the demiplane from certain destruction? Mike Kimmel is the author for the RPG portion of this adventure, and Ron Lundeen wrote the ACG portion. If you want to discover the role this magnificent phoenix (illustrated by Marko Horvatin) has to play in the adventure, come join us at Gen Con or another convention near you.

Linda: Author Nicholas Wasko brings us the first Tier 1-5 of the season, Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-01: Oathbreakers Die. In most places, guilds that trade in death would have to operate undercover. In the setting for this scenario, Daggermark, the Assassins Guild and the Poisoner's Guild are effectively part of the government. Here, a Pathfinder agent who knows too much has been marked for death. The local Venture-Captain Istivil Bosk, illustrated below by Tom Ventre, has concocted a daring plot to save his life. Is your PC brave and skilled enough to save an ally without falling prey to an assassin's blade?

Michael: Moving on to our Tier 3-7 offering forces us to ask the question: "Do ants have bones in Golarion, or do the bones just belong to the ants?" Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-02: Bones of Biting Ants, by Sean McGowan, takes place in the savannas of the Mwangi Expanse, where the PCs have been summoned to assist the lone survivor of a past Pathfinder expedition. Daring the many dangers of the sweltering savannas, the PCs must help Ulfen skald Stuinvolk Hundrakson reclaim not just the lost relics of his previous expedition, but also a piece of himself that never escaped the deaths of his allies. Bad memories and Mzali border-guards won't be the fearsome threats the party faces though, as this fearsome foe illustrated by Akim Kaliberda shows!

Michael: The final stop in my personal tour around Golarion takes us far away from warm coastal waters and sultry savannas, to a markedly different setting. Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-03: Death On The Ice, by Scott D. Young, sees Venture-Captain Bjersig Torrsen sending the PCs on a chilling trek north to the Crown of the World, where a Pathfinder expeditionhas uncovered more than they bargained for beneath the polar ice. The PCs won't be alone on their dangerous journey though, as the snowy owl Kuokei leads the party ever-northward towards his master, the ranger and archaeologist Svala Ice-Rider. Svala's Varki ancestry gave her the insight to begin unraveling an ancient riddle from the Pathfinder archives, but will the PCs find the last piece of the puzzle in time to rescue Svala from a frigid fate? I hope so, because if not, this might be the only time you get to see Svala's illustration from artist Benjamin Widdowson!

Join us next week for a look at our upcoming Pathfinder Society Playtest scenarios!

John Compton, Linda Zayas-Palmer, and Michael Sayre
The Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild team

Deception, Betrayal, Redemption

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

PaizoCon is just a few days away, and that means some great adventures are already in GMs' hands. Sure, Gen Con is important for releasing piles of new scenarios and kicking off a new season, but PaizoCon's where we love debuting adventures that really appeal to the engaged fans who attend that convention. The organized play team's been saving three scenarios for just this opportunity, and that's not to mention the delightful pair of adventures published for Starfinder Society this month. With our expanding cast of developers, you'll get to hear from each of the Pathfinder Society developers about their respective projects.

This year at PaizoCon we're debuting Pathfinder Society Special #8-99C: The Solstice Scar, the penultimate version of the evolving storyline that began one year ago. We've brought on Kalervo Oikarinen to write the last two parts of the adventure, including both this fifth chapter as well as the final piece that debuts early in 2019. If you're new to the whole Solstice Scar phenomenon, I encourage you to check out the blog that details this experimental format and its schedule.

As a low-spoiler overview, the Pathfinder Society has been helping a Kellid following recover a potent relic—a morally upstanding favor made all the more urgent because that relic keeps a powerful supernatural evil at bay every winter solstice. Thanks to the relic's recent theft, the Society and Kellid following have been working overtime not just to recover it, but also to track down the tools necessary to end the slumbering evil forever. In Version C, the PCs are fending off an invasion, seeking out a long-lost Shining Crusade paladin in the frozen Tusk Mountains, and finally vanquishing a powerful curse in the Northern Fangwood in Lastwall.

The adventure is exclusive to a handful of conventions until Gen Con 2018, after which anyone can play it at events with three or more tables.

Next up, Linda's got some news about our higher-level scenario this month. As she warns, there are some spoilers about an earlier Season 9 scenario in the second paragraph.

I'm excited to see what everyone thinks of this month's Tier 7-11 offering, Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-20: Fury of the Final Blade. Author Lyz Liddell has edited quite a few Pathfinder Society scenarios, and it's awesome to have her writing for us too. Lyz's writing is immersive, creative, and beautiful, and this scenario was truly a joy to work on. If you haven't yet played Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-02: A Case of Missing Persons, I recommend checking that out first, because there are spoilers ahead. So without further ado, here's a preview of what's coming up next in the Liberty's Edge story—with a little more context for people who were baffled by the product page.

Illustration by Marko Horvatin

Liberty's Edge faction leader Colson Maldris is no stranger to crossing lines of propriety in what he believes to be the service of the greater good, and he's learned that his agents are willing to bury his indiscretions. This time, he's taken more drastic action than ever before. After a wealthy man was cleared of treason charges under dubious circumstances and several troubling measures for punishing debtors received serious debate on the floor of Andoran's senate, Maldris became convinced that Andoran's elite had become an untouchable class destined to destroy democracy and bring de-facto slavery to the nation. The only way forward in his mind was bring those treacherous "nobles" before a jury of people who he believed could give them a more just trial for their crimes than Andoran's courts—the citizens of Galt. In exchange for several concessions from the Galtans, such as a promise that Galt would not to use their infamous soul-trapping guillotines to carry out a sentence, Maldris arranged for the people he believed to be most guilty of corruption to be kidnapped and transported to Galt. Yet with the captives in their hands, Galtan authorities were quick to discard the promises they made to Maldris, forcing Maldris to take action against them. If the PCs don't act quickly and carefully, Maldris's rash actions could spark an international incident and possibly end in a gruesome fate for both the captives and Maldris himself. For a peek at what may happen to Maldris, check out this portrait by Marko Horvatin.

But hey, when we're thinking of NPCs with controversial reputations, we can't ignore Grandmaster Torch. Michael gives us some insights into the lower level May adventure.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-21: In the Grandmaster's Name takes place in Druma, where the PCs have been sent to intercept an agent of the enigmatic Grandmaster Torch. Similar to a certain low level adventure from Season 5, this adventure is an opportunity for players to insert themselves into one of Torch's cryptic plots. In addition to continuing one of the longest and most polarizing storylines of the Pathfinder Society campaign, author Jenny Jarzabski brings some very unique challenges and story elements to this scenario, weaving her background as a sommelier into an adventure that climbs into the luxurious estates of Kalistocratic high society.

In addition to the excellent opportunities to undermine Torch and several other longstanding villains in the Pathfinder Society campaign, In the Grandmaster's Name has also been a fun opportunity to present elements of Druman society, from hardworking, handsome half-orc bartenders to confident and capable tieflings. These illustrations by Sebastian Gomez really highlight the possibilities as well as the colorful characters you'll certainly meet during this adventure.

Illustrations by Sebastian Gomez

That's it for now. Be sure to check out the Starfinder Society blog today, too, and check in regularly for news updates from PaizoCon this weekend. See many of you at the show!

John Compton, Michael Sayre, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
Pathfinder Society Developers

No Trick, But a Serious Treat!

Monday, October 24, 2016

October scenarios always present an interesting challenge because they coincide so well with Halloween yet are also early enough in the season that I'm itching to develop the yearlong metaplot further. In the past we've had some creepy October adventures like Hall of the Flesh Eaters and To Judge a Soul, Part 2: Karma Reclaimed, but we've never had one with explicit Halloween imagery. This time, I carved out a piece of the Season 8 schedule like a chunk of pumpkin flesh from a cheerful jack-o'-lantern, tentatively naming the adventure "No seriously, Halloween." Linda and I didn't know quite what the plot would be until we combined it with another concept that had been percolating in our collection of madcap ideas. Then it all came together so beautifully that Linda couldn't resist writing Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-06: Reaping What We Sow herself. If we follow the jack-o'-lantern analogy, Linda is the candle—so often a cheerful source of light and warmth. From within the haunted depths of a jack-o'-lantern fortress, however, her creative energies shine with a truly sinister radiance. In this Tier 1-5 adventure, the PCs travel to a small town in northern Galt on a mission of peace and redemption, yet it can so quickly become a tragedy of blood and tears. Come for the Shelynite pumpkin-carving festival! Stay for the legacy of vengeance and terror (with notes so a GM can lighten the mood or play up the horror as befits the audience)!

Illustration by Marko Horvatin

In the office, we keep track of our long project queue with notecards. Early in the writing process for #8-06, Linda took a few artistic liberties with the scenario's project card, which I have photographed and spoilered below.

#8-06 Spoilers!

Illustration by Giorgio Baroni

The concept of an evergreen 1st-level adventure dates back to the First Steps adventures, and with The Confirmation in Season 5, it turned into something of a yearly tradition to release another evergreen adventure near the end of the calendar year. This has worked really well, providing players of all experience levels an infinitely replayable scenario designed to let the GM change several components to enhance the experience. This year, we made two big changes before we reached out to Andrew Hoskins to write the next evergreen adventure. First, we've changed the level, as Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-07: From the Tome of Righteous Repose is a Tier 3-7 scenario replayable for all of those levels. This helps address one of the big concerns that there are lots of low-level adventures—not that that's a bad thing—yet comparably fewer adventures that help a PC travel beyond the Tier 1-5 range.

Because we expect #8-07 will see a lot of play, we also aimed to increase the replayability beyond that of its evergreen predecessors by varying not only the creatures involved but also the location and the plot itself. The adventure allows the PCs to travel to three different locations and face off against one of four Major Threats, each of which has an assortment of possible Linked Threats (i.e. lieutenants and favored minions). On top of that, there are sundry additional monsters, traps, and hazards that a GM can use to populate the dungeons, each of which varies depending on whether the site appears in Lastwall, Ustalav, or the Hold of Belkzen. Don't fret though, as GMs just need to prepare what they plan to run, not every option. With Andrew Hoskins' writing, Linda's development work, and the guidance of our newest in-world venture-captain Shevar Besnik, you're in for many great adventures to come.

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer

Delve Into Alien Worlds

Monday, September 26, 2016

Illustration by Marko Horvatin

Once Gen Con ended in August, Linda and I had a chance to breathe after pushing ourselves to create an immense number of adventures for the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. By breathe, of course, I mean we kept busy with sanctioning a big pile of modules and Adventure Paths (many of which we're queuing for a big release next month); outline and assign a big chunk of Season 8's adventures; and perform some long-range planning that takes us through 2017 and beyond. When it came time to start developing September's adventures, it had been so long since we'd done any scenario development that the process seemed strangely alien.

Thankfully, that coincides nicely with these adventures, both of which deal with very alien people, places, and things.

For the first of these adventures, Isabelle Lee takes us back to Numeria for the first time since Season 6 with Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-04: Wardens of Sulfur Gulch. Pathfinders recently uncovered hitherto unknown surveys of the Numerian landscape by the famous Gojan the Sharp, and Venture-Captain Holgarin Smine believes one of these sites in particular merits exploration. To reach the ruins, the PCs must first impress the Kellid tribe (including one of its mystics, pictured here) that claims the region as its own—and that's even before the Pathfinders can uncover the dangerous legacy that lies within Sulfur Gulch! Whether you love technological adventures or seek the camaraderie of robot-hating peers, this Tier 7-11 adventure has something for everyone.

Illustration by Marko Horvatin

When we first announced Season 8: Year of the Stolen Storm, we mentioned this year would enjoy a considerable connection to the elemental planes. Now that we've kicked off the season properly, we're taking our first jaunt to the Plane of Earth with Jenny Jarzabski as the pilot in Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-05: Ungrounded But Unbroken. The shaitan genies of the Opaline Vault aren't as easy to impress with words as they are with actions, and the best way to demonstrate the Society's worth is by working directly for one of the shaitans' finest: the genie Faiza, pictured here. This Tier 1-5 adventure with Sovereign Court connections allows even novice adventurers to play a big role on another plane, with challenges that take them to strange urban sites and bizarre wilderness realms.

As a closing note, as the Pathfinder Society team spins up the Pathfinder Society scenario subscription, we're encountering some new, very necessary logistical steps. We've already taken steps to ensure our production schedule accommodates these going forward, but we're unable to compress our timeline further for the September scenarios to account for those challenges. Regretfully, that means that the September scenarios are delayed by one week (now debuting October 5, 2016). We're sorry for the inconvenience, and future months' publications should be back on schedule.

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer

Goblins Cut and Goblins Fight!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Ever since we published Ranzak as the first promo character, goblin fever has surrounded the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. And now that we are almost ready to release two full goblin decks into the wild, we can take a moment to peel back the (literal) veil on Goblins Fight!

The cast of characters include two faces familiar to fans of the We Be Goblins Pathfinder Modules: Reta, the female goblin commando with her stolen wedding veil; and Chuffy, the male goblin knifer covered in exploding pustules. Rounding out the triumvirate of fighting goblins is Ak, who comes to us from the fifth issue of Dynamite's Pathfinder Goblins! comic. Ak is a male goblin runt with the most wretched expression ever worn by a goblin—this stems from his being average at fighting and incompetent with magic, compared to his compatriots. Fortunately, he is blessed by the goblin gods and can bring some well-timed assistance to the table.

And what would the Licktoad goblins be without their tribe's namesake? Each goblin has a pet frog ally that helps cause mayhem in the most civilized setting. Chuffy carries Fat Frog, who is springy and sprongy like our favorite sneaky goblin. Spotol accompanies Reta, strengthening her Constitution. (Reta likes Spotol so much that she even gave him his own white veil!) Ak's favorite toad, Redbutt, confers Strength on his owner. Everything is easier to face with your pet at your side.

Illustration by Marko Horvatin

Goblins Fight! expands the choice of blessings. Many of the new blessings feature cool stained-glass art, including Blessing of the Boss, Blessing of Lady Lastbreath, and Blessing of Bark Breaker. Of course, what would a goblin deck be without a blessing just for them? Blessing of the Gobs is all you would expect: helpful to goblins; painful and chaotic for others.

The deck includes a good smattering of weapons, spells, armors, and items to help the goblins on their path to world domination. Well, maybe not enough to take over the world, or even the county, but enough to put them at the top of the goblin heap. And in case they get hungry on the way, we offer up some pickles!

So come try out the new Goblins Fight! Deck, releasing at Gen Con 2016 and at game stores on August 4. Inject some serious mayhem into the Season of the Runelords with Chuffy, Reta, and Ak in Pathfinder Adventure Card Guild play or send them to the Shackles in Skull & Shackles, to the Worldwound in Wrath of the Righteous, or home to Sandpoint in Rise of the Runelords. And in October, you can try out their tomb-raiding skills in Mummy's Mask!

Check back next week when we preview the Goblins Burn! deck!

Tonya Woldridge
Organized Play Coordinator

Pathfinder: Origins—Not Just a Comic Book Anymore!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Short blog today, because this week brings the Origins Game Fair to fabulous Columbus, Ohio. It's a 5-day show, and if you're in the region, I highly recommend checking it out. Good food, great games, and a wide range of stuff to entertain every type of gamer. In the last few years, the board and card game area has gotten bigger and better, and the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is part of that growth.

Organized Play Coordinator Tonya Woldridge will be on the scene, helping Venture-Captain Mike McNerney run many, many tables of Pathfinder Society. The Roleplaying Guild offerings will be packing the Franklin rooms at the Hyatt end of the convention center as usual, and Adventure Card Guild play will be moving from the demo hall to the area right at the end of the breezeway near the Franklin rooms. Tonya hopes to have some iconic Pathfinder character art there to guide your way, but if you head for Franklin you'll be hard-pressed to miss the ACG area.

In that ACG area we'll have Season of the Runelords running, as well as demos of October's Mummy's Mask Base Set. The area will be open for most of the day, with 5 slots Wednesday through Saturday (check the program book for times) and 2-3 slots on Sunday. Tonya also snuck a few as-yet-unreleased class decks into her luggage; those of you who can keep quiet might get to play with them.

Double Art Spoiler!

Since I've got less to say this week, you get more pretty pictures!

From the Goblins Fight! Deck, we have Reta Bigbad's lucky pet toad Spotol.
Illustration by Marko Horvatin

From the Gunslinger Class Deck, the Cannon Master.
Illustration by Suzanne Helmigh

Until next time, Pathfinders!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

PaizoCon Brings Out the Best

Monday, May 23, 2016

Illustrations by Marko Horvatin

Convention season for us is a lot like hosting a large gathering of family and friends for a major holiday: preparing way more dishes than usual, aiming for more spectacular fare than we would otherwise cook, and fretting about whether great-aunt Matilda will critique how we made the pie crust. From dicing the first onion to the moment where everyone sits down and takes the first bite of food, there's always the question of whether everything turned out just right. Sometimes, though, you can just tell that everything's fallen into place before even seeing your guests' expressions. In my extended analogy, while Tonya, Todd Morgan, and Bob Jonquet have handled our seating arrangements and sending out invitations, I think my co-chefs Linda, Thurston Hillman, and Jason Keeley can agree that the menu this year turned out great.

Illustration by Dion Harris

One year ago, I ran an increasingly infamous session of Pathfinder Society Special #6-98: Serpents Rise at PaizoCon for a handful of noteworthy hooligans. One of the chief takeaways from this event was the tradition of shouting "Druma Lodge" whenever somebody mentioned Druma, lodges, money, or a host of other keywords that we have developed since then. The esteemed contributor and Pathfinder Society author Thurston Hillman was among the more...rambunctious participants, and after the game we got to talking about how the Society had done so little in Druma and what a Druman adventure [Druma Lodge!] might look like. Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-22: Bid for Alabastrine has grown and evolved in really amazing ways since then, including the incorporation of some Serpents Rise metaplot, so if you have a Spoils of the Siege boon, it might pay to have it on hand to show the GM during this adventure. As fair warning, this Tier 1-5 adventure features both roleplaying and dealing with people whose outfits cost more than your PC might earn by 10th level. Be prepared to hobnob with the high'n'mighty—including these two kalistocrats depicted by Marko Horvatin—but keep an eye out for danger!

The uninitiated might assume that I invite editors to write adventures because their manuscripts are pristine and a delight to develop. Although that's true, I've also found that Paizo's editors—including Justin Juan with #5-21: "The Merchant's Wake" and Joe Homes in #6-17: "Fires of Karamoss"—are among the more creative narrators and insightful creators to work on the campaign. This time I was especially familiar with editor Jason Keeley's work on the Pathfinder Comics backmatter and his discerning feedback while editing scenarios, so I felt that this was the guy who could handle a high-level adventure set on another plane. I have since confirmed how delightfully inventive he can be, especially in portraying otherworldly NPCs. Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-23: Abducted in Aether concludes the Master of Spells mini-arc of Season 7 and features several popular NPCs, including the commanding night hag depicted here by Dion Harris (who has also created the excellent artwork for the earlier parts of this story).

Illustration by Javier Charro

PaizoCon's not complete without a special event. In addition to Pathfinder Society Special #6-97: Siege of Serpents, last year players had the special opportunity in Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-98: Serpents Rise to portray capable Aspis Consortium agents who got to (figuratively and literally) punch Pathfinders in the face. I've really enjoyed hearing from players about their experience with the accompanying pregenerated characters and how they hoped to see those characters appear again in the organized play storyline. Over the course of Season 7, authors have helped us incorporate this motley cast into several more adventures, and it only made sense to get the gang back together for one more epic heist in Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-98: Serpents' Ire. And epic it is. Even if you're not terribly familiar with the campaign setting, there's a lot of action, a splash of intrigue, and hefty serving of the unexpected. If you enjoy the organized play metaplot, keep an eye out for all sorts of extras that might hint at what's happening elsewhere in the world and what is to come. This was an absolute blast to write (including the *ahem* lovable Iaovin Ratarion, depicted here by Javier Charro), and I hope folks enjoy playing and GMing it.

In fact, I might need to assemble another group of yahoos to do just that. You'll know it's us because while everyone else in the room is signing Chronicle sheets, we'll still be stuck on the first scene thanks to having spent hours designing a team uniform, hiding bodies, and coming up with elaborate plans to attack buildings that have nothing to do with the adventure. PaizoCon is great like that.

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer

Back to Cherished Haunts

Monday, January 25, 2016

I recently returned from Columbia, South Carolina, where I was a guest at SCARAB, a gaming convention with a very strong Pathfinder Society presence operated by Regional Venture-Coordinator Delbert Collins II. This was my fifth year making the trip, and it's always a really great opportunity to see familiar faces, play a few adventures, and shout my throat raw while GMing. The kill count stayed relatively modest, barring two gentlemen laid low during Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-11: Ancients' Anguish who acknowledged their characters' demise with admirable grace and both came back to life in order to finish what they had started. I also enjoyed my first chance to actually play Pathfinder Society Special #6-98: Serpents Rise, as presented by Venture-Captain Matt Polkowsky.

The two slots on Monday were eerily repetitive yet uniquely enjoyable because I first played then GMed Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-13: Captive in Crystal. The first table (expertly run by Venture-Lieutenant Landon Hatfield) had some of the most bizarre characters, including a kitsune cleric of Daikitsu who stayed in Tiny fox form, a body-building monk/paladin of Kurgess (for some reason I never considered Kurgess as a patron of paladins, but it was fun), and an extraordinarily plucky investigator/swashbuckler fashioned after Nancy Drew—all teamed up with my "cleric" of the reformed Church of Razmir. When I ran the same adventure a few hours later, I had the pleasure of introducing a player's black blade magus to his intelligent sword ("What's your blade's agenda? Oh, would you like me to help you come up with one? Oh good..."), which kept whispering promises about something called "the Reclamation." We figured out that the chaotic good scimitar has somewhat cutthroat dreams of destroying Taldor and conquering it in Qadira's name, and by the end of the adventure, the magus had secured substantial resources that might fuel Kelishite aggression against their northern neighbors.

All in all, it was a great deal of fun. If you have a chance to make the trip to SCARAB in the future, I strongly encourage you check it out.

Illustrations by Marko Horvatin

In the meantime, why not plan ahead to experience some new stories together? This month we have two new adventures debuting this week. The first launches a three-part, Tier 1-5 series called "Faithless and Forgotten," in which infernal Cheliax opens its borders once more to Pathfinder explorers. During Let Bygones Be, the PCs are among the first sanctioned Pathfinders to travel Cheliax in decades, and their first destination is a relic of the Chelish civil war. In order to get there, they'll need to travel through the fortified port of Corentyn, where the streets are dangerous despite—or perhaps because of—the brutal regime's guards. It's up to the PCs to make a good first impression and make the most of this preliminary foray. Of course, the last time we traveled to Cheliax on official business, the Pathfinder Society had an official liaison to that nation: Paracountess Zarta Dralneen. Always one for formality, Cheliax has issued a new liaison to the Grand Lodge. As you can imagine, Zarta is going to be so thrilled to meet her replacement. This was also a great opportunity to revisit some known locations and personalities in Corentyn, including one Zefiro Balinger who plays a rather central role in the upcoming adventure.

About three years ago, the organized play campaign retired the Lantern Lodge as a playable faction, and it's certainly easy to assume that the Lantern Lodge itself (an estate in Goka) just faded into obscurity. In fact, the faction retired largely because it had fulfilled its goals of achieving recognition and resources for the Society's exploration of Tian Xia. I like to revisit the continent several times a season, and this month we're doing something a little different. Rather than just letting the players know that Venture-Captain Amara Li is still in charge of a thriving lodge, this time the PCs are working for her directly to hunt down an Aspis Consortium aggressor. What's more, this adventure has special metaplot opportunities for former members of the Lantern Lodge faction. That's not the only unique element in Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-15: The Deepmarket Deception. We're also exploring a hitherto unseen part of that metropolis: the Deepmarket tunnels that crisscross the city's foundation and overflow with smugglers and illicit commerce. Prepare for a Tier 3-7 challenge that expands on the events of Pathfinder Society Special #6-98: Serpents Rise!

John Compton
Developer

A Case of Disappearing Persons

Monday, July 6, 2015

The last of the Season 6 scenarios are out the door, meaning Gen Con is right around the corner. Linda Zayas-Palmer and I are keeping our noses to the grindstone as we develop the huge amount of adventure content that's on its way, including three new scenarios, six new quests, a new Special that features kobolds, and a new interactive special. But the important thing is that we're still here, which is more than we can say for several VIPs the Society dearly wishes to find in this month's adventures!

Illustrations by Marko Horvatin and Dion Harris

When a Chelish blockade closed up the town of Pezzack, the Pathfinder Society could do little to stop it. As rumors stir of dissent and rebellion in Cheliax, venture-captains have learned that one of the Society's top informants still resides in Pezzack. Extracting him should be a simple matter, right? It's only a matter of sneaking past one of the strongest armadas, finding one person in the ramshackle ruins of a dying town, and then smuggling him out—easy! When I created this outline, I knew it needed someone who could juggle a whole lot of canon to weave an intricate and exciting story, and freelance editor and frequent Pathfinder Wiki contributor Garrett Guillotte was a top pick. He's done a stellar job of presenting Pezzack in all of its politically twisted, war-weary glory in Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-22: Out of Anarchy. In commissioning art, it was hard to resist depicting the gnome professor at the Academy of Applied Magic who helps the PCs navigate Pezzack's strange politics.

Our other adventure returns to a country that Pathfinder Society has not visited in a long time—Ustalav—in Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-23: The Darkest Abduction. The Society's never been popular in Ustalav, and Venture-Captain Basia Kalistoff has done what she can to fight the stereotypes of grave robbing, underhanded tactics, and general seediness. When noteworthy citizens began disappearing in Karcau, Kalistoff saw her chance and offered her lodge's services to Countess Sasandra Livgrace. I knew returning author Jerome Virnich would be the right author for the job, especially given his work on Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Occult Mysteries and his credits in the upcoming Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Hell Unleashed. This adventure was also an opportunity to depict Venture-Captain Basia Kalistoff, whom we last met in Season 1.

Back to work for me!

John Compton
Developer

Pathfinder Society at PaizoCon

Monday, May 18, 2015

PaizoCon is nearly here! That means a big batch of adventures are heading out the doors and landing is our volunteers' downloads. In the past, we have released June and July scenarios all at once and run a playtest of the upcoming Gen Con Special at PaizoCon. This year the assortment is a little different, due in large part to the convention's four-day schedule and shift to Memorial Day weekend. We've instead released the May scenarios a little earlier than usual and have created two new Special events specifically for the convention. Let's see what's in store.

The Numerian device known as the Sky Key is finally coming together as we track down its last remaining pieces. Travel to the star-strewn wastelands of Numeria's interior in Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-20: Returned to Sky—back where the dwarves first found the Sky Key. Perhaps you would rather return to the Hao Jin Tapestry demiplane in Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-21: Tapestry's Toil. On second thought, you won't want to miss either one!

Of course excitement is on its way to the Grand Lodge, too, thanks to the imminent Grand Convocation. Everyone's invited—apparently including some of the Pathfinder Society's foes in Pathfinder Society Special #6-97: Siege of Serpents. We're also trying something a little different with Pathfinder Society Special #6-98: Serpents Rise, in which the players get to experience the adventure from another organization's perspective.

All of this calls for some art! I present the Statue of Durvin Gest (based on a line drawing from way back in Pathfinder #18) and the Sky Key itself. After all, where's the fun in assembling a technological artifact if we don't get a great illustration?

Illustrations by Marko Horvatin

See you at PaizoCon!

John Compton
Developer

Long Time, No See

Monday, November 24, 2014

Over the past year, I have polled people in person and through the Pathfinder Society blog about which rarely-visited locations they would like to see more. This month we're returning to locations left largely untouched over the past four years or more, and I couldn't be more excited about the destinations!

The first release is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-08: The Segang Expedition, which takes Pathfinders to Jalmeray for the first time in nearly five years (not counting the excellent Cult of the Ebon Destroyers! Rumors of a new shrine are too promising to pass up, and the Society quickly assembles a team to check it out. However, the expensive campaigns in Varisia and Mendev have taken their toll, and the PCs learn that they are accompanying several wealthy patrons who have their own agendas in the jungle. Author Benjamin Bruck has done an excellent job in spinning a compelling story with engaging NPCs, and today we're previewing a picture of one of these individuals: Baron Bomande Rudyahm. Can you tell where he's from?

Illustration by Daniel Dussault

Even years later, players still talk about the Society's first trip to Bloodcove, a dangerous port virtually owned by the Aspis Consortium and thoroughly hostile to Pathfinder agents. I'm really excited about this season's adventures in the Mwangi Expanse, and I'm especially pleased that with author Justin Juan's help we're able to return to this memorable city built on mangrove roots at the mouth of the Vanji River in Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-09: By Way of Bloodcove. It seems the Aspis Consortium is planning a major operation in the Expanse, and it's up to the PCs to find out what it is while evading the Consortium's agents. Allow me to introduce you to one of these rogues, a local fixer named Na'alu.

Illustration by Marko Horvatin

For the GMs, I've already begun to implement some of the changes announced last week, such as preliminary work on scenario length and inclusion of a blank, untagged version of each new map. Expect more changes in place with December's scenarios.

John Compton
Developer