Hello Starfinders!
Breaking News from the Vast!

The planet Kortus IV, (which the Starfinder Society previously visited in Starfinder Society Scenario #5-13: Finding the Forgotten), is under attack by the nefarious Organization—now revealed as the fanatical Order of Dawning Fate! First Seeker Ehu Hadif has put out an emergency call, asking all experienced Starfinders and available allies of the Society to travel with all haste to Kortus IV and evacuate as many civilians as possible!

Spoilers

Reports indicate that this horrific assault is being led by one of the founders of the , the undead dragonkin Sozirenn! According to Ongie, a one-time inhabitant of the town of Braerton on Kortus IV, “The Order believes that Kortus IV has outlived its usefulness, and is moving to eradicate all signs of their presence from the planet.”

Judging by the fleet of starships that just departed Absalom Station, a large number of Starfinders have answered Ehu Hadif’s call, and are en route to the besieged planet as we speak.

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-10: The Death of Kortus IV is a metaplot adventure for 9th- through 12th-level characters written by Alison Cybe. (Note that due to this adventure’s themes, it has a content warning. See the adventure’s product page for more information.)

Left to Right: Illustrations by Nicolas Espinoza and Josef Kucera

In other news, Aballon’s governing Insight Array has hired a team of freelance investigators to track down a missing shipment of machine parts which would have been used in the creation of a new wave of anacite citizens. Clues indicate that someone intentionally diverted this missing shipment to an unknown location, no doubt for nefarious purposes!

Starfinder Bounty #10: Those who were Taken is a short adventure for 4th-level characters written by Sara Jeffers.

Take care out there, Starfinders! It’s a dangerous galaxy.

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Greetings, Pathfinders!
During a routine investigation mission, a new portal was located in the Maze of the Open Road that seemed to have a deeply strange aura to it. A team of senior Pathfinders has been put together to travel through the portal, only to realize that it led to Ukuja, the first wall of the country of Nine Walls, the home of the Matanji orcs. A strangely well-coordinated attack by demonic forces has hit Ukuja, and it’s up to the Pathfinders to help stop it and investigate this violence further.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-06: Ukuja, the First Wall is a metaplot adventure for 7th- to 10th-level characters written by Shan Wolf.

Left to right: Illustrations by Bruno Mello and Denis Zhbankov.

Meanwhile, the Sewer Dragons are back front and center.

When last we left our favorite kobolds, they weren’t in the best of shape. Their underground warrens had been devastated by a terrifying excavation mechanism accidentally unleashed beneath Absalom (in Pathfinder Quest #10: The Broken Scales), and their greatest ally in the Pathfinder Society lost nearly all of his political power and was exhausted by evil machinations (in the Season 2 metaplot, starting with Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-05: Balancing the Scales). Chief Yiddlepode has done her best to hold the Sewer Dragons together, expecting the Society to provide swift aid, but the Society was beset by enemies of their own, and help did not come. Now Trapmaster Tok has again been emboldened to seek leadership and a break from peaceful relations. Drandle Dreng, much of his power lost due to his unmasking and the toll that possession took upon him, now turns to Pathfinder agents to help restore what he feels he has failed. Will the Sewer Dragons remain staunch allies, or will the jeers of Tok’s faction prove true? Only the Pathfinders can determine the kobolds’ future.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Sewer Dragon Crisis is an adventure for 1st- to 4th-level characters written by Genevieve Rudat Olejnik.

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hail and well met, Pathfinders and Starfinders! We’re excited to bring you some news about next year’s PaizoCon Online.

PaizoCon Online 2024 will take place May 24–27th.

Our theme for this year’s PaizoCon Online is “Educate, Entertain, Inspire!”—and we’ll be theming our content to match. Learn the basics of Pathfinder and Starfinder, enjoy broadcasted actual plays, and find out what the future holds here at Paizo!

This year we will be expanding the selection of panels and events being held in our Paizo Events Discord server. On top of public panels on our Twitch channel and the free, no ticket required hangout spaces and staff AMAs, we will be hosting ticketholder-exclusive games, panels, and social events via the Discord! Purchasing a ticket to PaizoCon Online allows you to participate in these events, as well as Organized Play and Community Play games throughout the weekend.

Introducing “PaizoCon @”

We tested the waters of a concurrent in-person event last year, partnering with KublaCon in California. This year, we’re excited to announce “PaizoCon @”, a program that brings PaizoCon Online gaming to a selection of in-person events!

We will once again be partnering with KublaCon in 2024—not only offering in-person Organized Play gaming, but also a physical space within the con to watch our livestreamed PaizoCon Online panels!

We are also very excited to be partnering with a selection of local game stores throughout the United States and beyond! Be on the lookout for an upcoming list of participating friendly local game stores!

As PaizoCon Online gets closer, we’ll have more news about the panels, events, and more! We’re looking forward to seeing you at our annual celebration of all things Paizo!

OPC Musings

I am very sorry to report to you all that Linda Zayas-Palmer’s last day with Paizo was October 20th. Linda has been with Organized Play for more than a decade, from her time as a GM to being hired at Paizo and eventually leading development. She's launched two separate Organized Play programs, which is a feat few can match. We will miss her terribly, and I will miss her especially as a partner in crime (metaphorically, of course; we never did any crimes that you can prove). If you are so inclined, please leave a nice message for her in the comments below!

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on November 29, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-06: Ukuja, The First Wall*
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Sewer Dragon Crisis*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-10: The Death of Kortus IV*
Starfinder Bounty #10: Those who were Taken

*part of a subscription

Organized Play Foundation/Guides to Organized Play Down

The Organized Play Foundation website, which hosts the Guide to Organized Play, is currently down. At press time, we do not yet have a timeline for restored service. As I have updates to share, I will post them in this thread.

That thread also contains PDF exports of the most recent editions of the Guide we have archived. We’re aware they are not the most up-to-date versions, but they should work for the time being. We’re actively working to get the Guides back up and running for you all!

Pathfinder Society and the Remaster

Last week, we released the first broad strokes of our plans to update characters to the Pathfinder Remaster! It’s a very long blog and I could recap it here, but really, it’s best if you just read it yourself; I promise it’s painless. When the books release on the 15th, these rules will be added to the Guide to Organized Play in much more detail.

Also announced in that blog was the removal of Pathfinder Schools, which are to be replaced with the easier and more fun Pathfinder Provisions. Enjoy the new consumables, whose guidelines will be ready for use in play on November 15 alongside Player Core and GM Core! For the earliest access to the new content, subscribe to the Pathfinder Rulebook line today.

PAX Unplugged

Next time a monthly update posts, I’ll be at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia! You can register for the Warhorn and sign up for games here.

Note that we are offering only a limited number of early signups for our scenario tables. Per PAX Guidelines, demo offerings such as Pathfinder Bounties, board game demos, and Starfinder 2 demos are strictly on a walk-up basis. We’re also reserving a couple of seats at our scenario tables for walk-up players as well.

We’ve still got room for a few more volunteers as well! If you’re interested in helping us show off our games to the PAX Unplugged audience, get all the info and register to volunteer here.

Sanctioning

October was a big month for us! Both Starfinder Enhanced and Pathfinder Adventure: Rusthenge hit shelves, and both are now sanctioned for use in Organized Play! Starfinder Enhanced’s rules can be found on the Starfinder Society Character Options page, and Rusthenge’s sanctioning documents can be downloaded from the product page.

Next on our list is more adventure content, with both the Season of Ghosts AP and the long-awaited (by me) Scoured Stars hardcover compilation dropping in January. After that, Tian Xia and the second half of the Pathfinder Remaster await us!

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

This month, several new Campaign Service Coins were awarded at local conventions! We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether they are a Venture Officer or not), send an email to organizedplay@paizo.com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Amie Tracey, who now holds a campaign coin and OP ID #880
Robert Wiesehuegel , who now holds a campaign coin and OP ID #881
Amber Howell, who now holds a campaign coin and OP ID #882
and Jim Dick (Xathos), who now holds a campaign coin and OP ID #905

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios, as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th rank!

5th Glyph (PFS2): Half the Sky (Charlene)

That’s all from me! Until next time: Explore! Report! Cooperate! And get ready to Remaster!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Ever since we announced the Pathfinder Remaster project, my inbox has not known peace. Every day I get asked by the Pathfinders worldwide, “how will Pathfinder Society handle the Remaster?” Every day I must give the same answer, “I don’t know yet! Ask me in 1d4 months!”

It’s now 1d4 months later and I can finally start to answer this question! With the assistance of some incredibly dedicated Additional Resources volunteers and no less than six members of Paizo staff, we are here today to present the broad strokes of our plan to convert (or not convert) your Pathfinder Society characters to the brand-new Remastered rules. While we don’t intend for our scenarios to be written using the Remastered rules until Year 6 begins at Gen Con 2024, we know the characters will need to make the switch faster.

Before we get into it, I’d like to offer a couple of disclaimers. First, the rules we’re sharing today are the broad strokes. There will be more specifics to come on release date, but we’re still working our way through specific questions like “what happens to my staff of transmutation now that transmutation isn’t a school?” We’re sharing this today to get you ready for what’s to come.

Second, these rules are still in flux. We have a pile of questions yet to answer internally (we’re having weekly meetings to do nothing but answer them), and we expect more will come from the community as time goes on. We expect this to happen! Our intention is for these guidelines to live in a subpage of the Guide to Organized Play, to allow them to be a living document we’ll update as time goes on.

Finally, we will not be able to answer every single question that comes up. Rules discrepancies and questions come up all the time at tables, and the Remaster will increase the odds of that happening. The GM always has the power to make calls on rules questions at the table. While we strive for the Pathfinder Society experience to play out the same at every table worldwide, we need to accept as a community that there will be some variance, and be patient with each other as we figure things out. This is a game, we’re here to have fun, let’s all keep that in mind as we play!

With all that out of the way, here are the current planned guidelines for Pathfinder Society and the Remaster. If you have questions/comments/concerns, drop them in the comments of this blog and we’ll do our best to answer them. Once the Remaster drops, we’ll create a separate thread in the Pathfinder Society forum for those specific rules interactions that we won’t discover until they come up in play.

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

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Objectives

When considering the Pathfinder Remaster, our intent is as follows:

• To ensure that players are not forced to rebuild characters
• To ensure that as much previous material as feasible is still useable
• To incentivize adoption of the new, Remastered ruleset
• To provide an optional method to rebuild characters into Remaster rules

General Guidance

1. Game Rules
1. Players and GMs must use the remastered rules of the game immediately where possible.
1. Example: Recall Knowledge has been updated with additional guidelines. These take effect immediately at all PFS tables.
2. Example: The Refocus activity and the focus spell rules have been updated to be more intuitive. All characters immediately begin using these rules.
3. Example: Monster abilities such as Grab are no longer automatic, but allow a free skill check to attempt the action. GMs immediately begin using this new version of the rules.
2. Character Options
1. Beginning on November 15, 2023, no new characters may be created using the class chassis printed in the Core Rulebook if the class has been reprinted in the Player Core.
1. This affects the following classes: bard, cleric, druid, fighter, ranger, rogue, witch, wizard.
2. Characters with at least 1 game reported prior to November 15 may be built using the Core Rulebook chassis.
3. Previously-existing characters with at least 1 game reported may continue their progression using the Core Rulebook chassis. They may not use the chassis in the Player Core without rebuilding.
2. If a character option has been reprinted with the same name, use the new version as if it were errata. No additional retraining is necessary.
1. Example: divine lance has been reprinted with new Remaster-compatible rules. All PCs with divine lance must update the spell accordingly.
3. If a character option has not been reprinted, characters are free to use the option as previously printed, or to select it at any time.
1. Example: the brooch of shielding has not been reprinted. Characters may still purchase and use a brooch of shielding.
2. Example: the produce flame spell has not been reprinted, but ignition takes its place thematically. Characters may learn either spell anytime they would learn a new spell, and could learn both spells if they chose.
3. Example: the oracle class has not yet been remastered. Players may still build and play oracles using the rules in the Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide.

1. An oracle who learns divine lance must still use the remastered version of the spell.

Specific Rules

1. Alignment: Alignment has been removed from the game. PCs and NPCs no longer have alignment.
1. Edicts and Anathema: To replace certain aspects of alignment, edicts and anathema are being emphasized. These are voluntary and optional, though deities and classes may introduce specific edicts and anathema which are not optional.
2. Holy and Unholy: Many previously-aligned options now have either the holy, unholy, or sanctified traits. At a GM’s discretion, enemy abilities which previously had the good or evil traits may now have the holy or unholy trait.
1. Example: A quasit’s strikes previously had the evil trait. A GM may choose to give them the unholy trait, as quasits are demonic creatures. Similarly, a quasit’s weakness to good should now be considered a weakness to holy.
2. Wizards
1. Wizards built using the Core Rulebook chassis may continue to treat spells that had their spell school removed as part of the Remaster as if they have spell schools. They must otherwise fully update their remastered spells.
1. Example: An evocation wizard may still select electric arc as an evocation cantrip. They must use the new damage as printed in the Player Core.
2. Wizards built using the Core Rulebook chassis may learn new spells printed in remastered books, but they can never treat them as having a school spell if they did not previously have one.
3. Runelords
1. On November 15, 2023, the Runelord boon will be removed from the Achievement Points store. No new Runelords may be created after this date until/unless the archetype is reprinted.
3. Campaign-Specific Rules and Clarifications
1. Pathfinder Society characters may not be sanctified to unholy. This is the spiritual successor to the previous rule forbidding PCs of evil alignment.

Rebuilding

1. On November 15, 2023, all characters with at least one game reported are granted one free rebuild. This is a full rebuild; you may completely alter a character’s ancestry, class, background, and any options selected. You may not alter the adventures a character has participated in, nor may you alter a character’s Reputation earned.
2. Upon rebuilding, your character starts with gold equal to Table X.X[Alex note: this table will be published with the full rules, and is built on our baseline assumption of earning 8 TB per scenario].
1. Alternatively, a player character may sell any and all currently-held items at face value and purchase new items as normal.
3. If you use this rebuild, indicate “Remaster Rebuild” on your character’s most recent Chronicle Sheet.
4. If, in the course of this rebuild, you wish to refund any purchased boons, please email orgplayreportingerrors[at]paizo[dot]com with your character’s name, OP ID and character number, and the boon(s) you would like to refund.
5. This rebuild must be used before December 31, 2024. A second rebuild of this type will not be granted following the release of Player Core 2.

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One Final Change

While this isn’t a direct result of the Remaster, we’re taking the opportunity to make another change. Beginning on November 15, we will be removing the Pathfinder Training from the Guide to Organized Play. Your characters who are already Field Commissioned may still take bonus downtime, and we’re not going to take away the bonus Lores or feats your characters may have already gained. However, new characters may not use this system. Quite simply, it’s an extra layer of complexity that most players aren’t engaging with, and that doesn’t add much to the program.

However, we know everybody loves free items, so they will remain in the form of Pathfinder Provisions! We’ll have a pared-down list of consumables which all agents (including formerly Field Commissioned agents) may choose from at the start of a mission. By default agents will receive healing potions, though they may choose another item or items if they prefer. The Society wants to ensure its agents come home safe!

Hello, Starfinders!

This month, we’re sending something spooky your way!
Travel to the fringes of the Pact Worlds system to explore two mysterious starships. First up is the Revelry, a massive luxury cruise liner that vanished during the Drift Crisis. Second is the Vigilance, a Starfinder Society vessel that discovered the Revelry amid frozen detritus on the very edge of the Pact Worlds system and set out to investigate. Communications with the Vigilance have gone silent, and a rescue mission has been sanctioned. Get out there, Starfinders! Fingers crossed that you make it out alive!

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-08: Lost Revelry is a horror adventure for 5th- through 8th-level characters written by Mikko Kallio.

Left to right: illustrations by Ernst Eskelsen and Fabio Di Bernardi

Meanwhile, a potential Starfinder Society ally, the scrappy ysoki Ongie, has been spotted on the planet Vesk-7. Ongie possesses intel on the mysterious Organization, a secretive and dangerous criminal syndicate that the Starfinders are working to oppose. Ongie’s intel could give the Starfinders the edge they need to turn the tables on the Organization—if they can convince her to help. Unfortunately, Organization assassins have been hot on Ongie’s trail since she faked her death and escaped their clutches on Kortus IV. If you don’t act fast, Ongie and the information she possesses will be lost forever. No pressure!

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-09: Ridgerock Rescue is a metaplot adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Charlie Brooks.

Best of luck, Starfinders!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Hello, Pathfinders, and welcome to the spookiest time of the year!

To herald in our thrills and chills season, we see the return of our old ghoul friend, Marcon Tinol! He comes to the Pathfinder Society in desperation, looking for assistance with what seems to be an invasion from unknown forces into his home among the Azlanti islands. Traveling through the Maze of the Open Road leads the Society to the Island of the Vibrant Dead, a burial island for important Arodenite clergy and, more importantly, the home of Deadhaven, a community of ghouls looking to live apart from the living. Teaming up with the lacedon Barnacle Barnaby, the Pathfinders will meet a diverse collection of ghouls and research the mysterious Ghessa, who seems to not be taking part in the Feast of the Vibrant Dead…

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-05: The Island of the Vibrant Dead is a metaplot adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Joe Blomquist.

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Alecksander Ribeiro

Hello, Pathfinders!
We have a special treat this week, as good old Drandle Dreng stopped by the Grand Lodge and an interesting flier slipped out of his pocket while he was chatting with some of the newer recruits. Let’s lean in together and see what it says, hm?

Welcome to Deadhaven!

This undead island paradise is blessed by our own beloved Pallid Princess and kissed by the waves of the Arcadian Ocean!

Come and experience our once-in-a-death experiences!

Ride the Ghoulship Rapscallion!
Experience fine, classical Chelaxian dining at Bone Appetite!
Dance your skin off during the Celebration of the Vibrant Dead!
Take part in the Feast of the Faithful!
Tour the Deadend Village!
Get caught up in our Parade of the Undead!
Grab a drink at the Dead Ringer!

To experience a little bit of Deadhaven right in your own home, Lord Walsam Calendrieu has graciously included two of his world-famous Dead on Demand cocktails! Below you’ll find his personal favorite, the Patella Colada, as well as his boyfriend’s favorite, the Necromintsy Julep.

Patella Colada

A fine cocktail invented by Lord Walsam himself and never before shared across Golarion.

1 ounce Fine Azlanti Rum
1 and 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 coconut cream (fresh cracked!)

Fill your preferred shaker with ice cubes from your icebox. Add your rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream and shake vigorously! (Don’t lose your arm!) Then strain the concoction into a lovely classic Taldan highball glass and garnish it with chunks of fresh pineapple!

If you can’t find the correct rum (or, Urgathoa forbid, if you don’t care for rum), simply replace the rum with more pineapple juice! Pineapples from Xopatl would be best, but your local strain will do just fine.

Necromintsy Julep

My beloved’s favorite drink from his time living in Absalom. What a city!

8 Absalomian mint leaves
1 sprig of Absalomian mint
2 ounces Fine Andoran Bourbon
1/4 ounce simple syrup

In a Petals cup or a rocks glass, lightly muddle the mint leaves and simple syrup before adding the bourbon. Finely crush your ice cubes from your icebox and tightly pack the glass. Stir until the cup is frosty on the outside, then top it with more crushed ice to form a dome (like that skull of yours)! Lastly, garnish the drink with your sprig of mint.

If you cannot use Andoran Bourbon, or if you simply wish for a less tipsy time, replace the bourbon with ginger beer!

Illustrations by Alecksander Ribeiro

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

The weather’s taken a dramatic turn here in Seattle. Just a week ago it was bright sunshine and beautiful skies, but now things are dark, gloomy, dramatic, and chilly. It’s the perfect weather to curl up inside with your friends and family and play some games! We’ve got some great spooky scenarios for you this season, and some wintery adventures coming up to chill your bones. Let’s get into it!

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on October 25, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-05: The Island of the Vibrant Dead*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-08: Lost Revelry*

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-09: Ridgerock Rescue*

*part of a subscription

PAX Unplugged

We're just under two months until PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia! Today we’re excited to let you know that pre-signups for our scenarios will open this coming Tuesday, October 9. You can register for the Warhorn and get ready for signups here.

Note that we are offering only a limited number of early signups for our scenario tables. Per PAX guidelines, demo offerings such as Pathfinder Bounties, board game demos, and Starfinder 2 demos are strictly on a walk-up basis. We’re also reserving a couple of seats at our scenario tables for walk-up players as well.

We’ve still got room for a few more volunteers as well! If you’re interested in helping us show off our games to the PAX Unplugged audience, get all the info and register to volunteer here.

Organized Play: Now Streaming on Foundry VTT

To show off our brand-new Society Foundry modules, the marketing team decided to put together a couple of very special liveplays for you! The first episodes of both our Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society liveplays have already aired, featuring a colorful cast of Paizo staffers capably led through our adventures by GM Jason Keeley! You can catch the conclusion to those adventures this Tuesday, October 10, and next Tuesday, October 17, on our Twitch or YouTube channel!

We hope you enjoy them—and hey, if you let my boss know you like them, we might get away with running some more…

The Perks of Board Gaming

As Paizo continues to release board games, as well as bring new licensed partners and their games into the fold, we thought we should look at how to reward players who own or play these games! As such, we’ve added a new category to the Accessory Perks page for board games!

Each current program has a listed benefit, and players who own a game and bring proof may select this benefit. However, to encourage actually playing the games, any participant in a session of a Pathfinder or Starfinder board game gains the benefit for 24 hours following the session. Why not get in a quick game of Goblin Firework Fight before your next convention slot?

Toys of Boundless Wonder 2023

For the past two years, the Northern Virginia lodge has organized a Toys for Tots event, bringing in the League of Aroden last year. This year’s event has just been announced, and they’re hoping to make it bigger and better than ever! If your local store or lodge is interested in helping to support a wonderful holiday program, and getting a chance to run this year’s Pathfinder Society special, read up on the event on the League of Aroden's blog.

GM Recognition

Order of the Wayfinder

In addition to the Campaign Service Coin, we also have one other award: the Order of the Wayfinder. This award is given out only once per year, and it recognizes a member of the community who has provided exceptional service. Typically, we give this award to individuals who have taken on a particular project and knocked it out of the park. Previously, this award has been awarded to the head of our Additional Resources review team and our Regional Venture-Coordinator for the Online region, among others.

This year’s Wayfinder was awarded at Gen Con Indy, but apparently I neglected to announce it widely until today. This year’s recipient was Heather Vigil. Heather has been the lead on our Gen Con Committee since before I was hired, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that I couldn’t run the show without her. Her depth of knowledge keeps the show running smoothly every year, and her dedication to the program is unmatched. On top of Gen Con, she runs two other conventions in Cincinnati each year, and finds time to make beautiful custom dice bags for the volunteers. She’s an absolute treasure to this organization and I’m so pleased to recognize her with this award, even if she’ll never forgive me for it.

Campaign Service Coins

This month, one new Campaign Service Coin was awarded at a local convention. We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay[at]paizo[dot]com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Gary Bush, who now holds a campaign coin and OP ID #884

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had two GMs earn their 5th rank!
5th Nova (SFS1): Noah Posthuma
5th Glyph (PFS2): Stephan V

That's all from me! Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And play some games!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hello, Pathfinders!

What’s this month’s new gossip, you ask? Well, sit tight and I’ll dish it all out!

The air is growing cooler and with that, more and more of our little Society seems to be cozying up together and I, for one, am so pleased to see it! Your lovely Venture-Gossip spent a little time in Mendev these past few months, helping out around the Starrise Spire, shuffling around some documents about demons and the Worldwound and such, and I was able to get a few drinks with the lovely Sorranda Forgeheart, our steadfast leader of the Sibling Spears. We had a raucous good time, and she was willing to tell me that she might have gotten a kiss from a certain handsome knight who spends far too much time working and not enough time laughing.

Of course, I can never stay away from the Grand Lodge for too long, and I’m always eager to see who’s popping up and causing a ruckus. And wouldn’t you know it, I showed up just in time to see a royal carriage out front! I hid behind my packages (lots of boring manuscripts of demons and boats and hurricanes), and out stepped none other than Grand Princess Eutropia! She was accompanied by Lady Gloriana Morilla and her faithful companion Taldogis, and seemed to enjoy a conversation with Society leadership and a brief tour of the Lodge. What was just fascinating was the small carriage that arrived not two blocks away and had a pair of conspicuously inconspicuous humans mirroring her movements. Perhaps some of those handsome Lion Blades?

Illustration by Katerina Kirillova

Romance also seems to be blossoming among the Grand Lodge, but to whoever sent Kreighton Shaine flowers, I must warn you—that man consumed them immediately and had no idea that they were from a paramour. However, to the lovely person who sent Urwal flowers, he immediately recognized their worth and meaning and then consumed them with a passion and ardor I haven’t seen in decades!

Illustration by Raphael Madureira

For my final update before I really get into some trouble: A beautiful woman from Jalmeray arrived recently, telling everyone that she was close friends with our own Venture-Captain Safa and dropping off a birthday gift of a gorgeous, jeweled tiger statue for her quarters within the Grand Lodge. I got a good look at it before it was moved, and the eyes are made of rubies that catch the light and seem like they’re looking right at you!

That’s everything I have for now! Next time we’ll take a dive into everyone’s plans for the Winter Solstice and which couples might be cuddled up together through the cold nights!

With adoration,
Your Beloved Venture-Gossip

Explore! Report! Cooperate! Gossip!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hello, Starfinders!

This month, we’re sending one lucky team of Starfinders to Akiton to participate in the inaugural Dustwarren Cup, a three-day boat race across the vast, shifting sand dunes of Akiton’s Dustwarren silt sea. Organized by retired racer Mimli Nurkop, eccentric scion of the fabulously wealthy (and much-gossiped-about) Nurkop ysoki clan, the Dustwarren Cup is drawing plenty of attention. So, hop aboard your racing yacht, set sail across the Dustwarren, and keep an eye out for danger! In a race this big, there’s bound to be trouble!

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-07: Race for the Dustwarren Cup is an adventure for 7th- through 10th-level characters written by Solomon St. John.

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Tom Ventre

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Greetings Pathfinders!

This month we’re going back to Magnimar, to Heidmarch Manor, where a simple delivery task will probably turn out to be anything but. Sheila Heidmarch has prepared a gift for a very discerning dragon, but a master thief has his eyes on that prize.

In Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-03 Heidmarch Heist, an adventure for PCs 5th– through 8th level, it’s up to you and your fellow PCs to ensure that the Pathfinder’s chosen gift doesn’t end up as bragging rights for an up-and-coming gang of escapees from Xin-Edasseril. Hilary Moon Murphy has put all of the flavor of Magnimar that could possibly fit into this scenario, so whether you’re a Society veteran, you’ve never set foot in the city, or anything in between, you’ll love the city as much as you hate the thief trying to ruin everything

Left to right, illustrations by Benjamin Olson and Josef Kucera

Speaking of plans gone awry, we’re also bringing you Pathfinder Quest #15 In the Footsteps of Horror. A repeatable 2 hour adventure for PCs levels 1–4, this is the second release of our new Series 2 quests, and author Shan Wolf has crafted a wonderful dungeon crawl that starts, as all excellent stories do, when the unexpected completely sends all plans off the rails.

You and your fellow PCs will have to put your mission on the backburner as you fight to survive, and hopefully to find a way back home. If you were looking for an offering in our new quest series heavier on combat, then this is the adventure for you.

Left to right, illustrations by Nicolas Espinoza and Allan Santos da Silva

And for our final option for this month, we have a trip planned for Hwanggot! Pathfinders will meet with Venture-Captain Yi Da Som and the Waterfall in order to help them prepare for a meeting with Valashinaz, the underworld dragon of myth and legend. However, upon arriving, it seems her assistant Purepurin has not only forgotten the meeting, but is busy contending with a legion of pests! Among pickle jars and treasure piles, where could this kobold be?

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Equal Exchanges – Necessary Introductions is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Michelle Y. Kim.

That’s all for now, Pathfinders! See you in October!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

Happy September! Objectively the best month of the year, and I’m not biased because it’s my birth month. With the change to fall comes a much shorter monthly update. Traditionally the winter is a quieter time for us in Organized Play, but there’s still plenty going on!

September and October are big months for local conventions, so check out our conventions calendar to find one near you! I’ve already attended Dragonflight in Bellevue, WA and Gateway in Los Angeles, and I’m looking forward to SkålCon in Minneapolis at the end of the month. After that, we’ll be knuckling down on the Pathfinder Remaster and getting ready for…pitching next year’s Starfinder and Pathfinder Society storylines? Already?!?

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on September 27, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-03: Heidmarch Heist*
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Equal Exchanges – Necessary Introductions*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-07: Race for the Dustwarren Cup*

*part of a subscription

It’s Called Fashion, Agents

We’re excited to announce some new apparel for all our Pathfinders and Starfinders! The logos for the Year of Unfettered Exploration and Year of Fortune’s Fall have been added to our Amazon store, along with the Paizo Organized Play logo. We’re working on getting these added to our main Amazon landing page, but for now the links below should take you to where you need to go.

Remember that wearing these shirts, hoodies or tote bags qualifies you for the Vestments boon in the Accessory Perks!

Pathfinder Society Year of Unfettered Exploration

Starfinder Society Year of Fortune’s Fall

Organized Play Logo

Sanctioning Updates

All’s pretty quiet on the sanctioning front this month! We’re in an unusual lull between our big Gen Con releases and the Q4 major releases of Starfinder Enhanced and the Pathfinder Remaster.

We do have one update to the Starfinder Society Character Options, however: the blessing of youth spell is now available for all precogs! This spell may only be cast from spell slots, not purchased in spell gems or similar consumables. Precog characters who wish to swap in this spell may do so the next time they level up as normal.

Pathfinder and Starfinder Society on Foundry VTT

At long last, adaptations of our Organized Play adventures are now available on Foundry VTT! The modules are available in two forms: an asset pack, which just contains the map images and tokens, and a deluxe version, which also includes the full adventure text in beautifully-styled journals.

Stay tuned to the Paizo blog for more news on how you can see these in action very soon!

First Seeker Election

The election for the Starfinder Society’s next First Seeker continues apace! Ballots are starting to roll in from all over the world and, I’ve gotta tell you, the race is neck and neck (and neck and neck). Remember that ballots close on October 31, so get out there and play SFS #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers to meet the candidates!

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

This month, two new Campaign Service Coins were awarded to volunteers at local conventions. We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay@paizo.com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Joel Hager, who now holds a Campaign Coin and OP ID #900
and Cy Merriex, who now holds a Campaign Coin and OP ID #902

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios, and run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had two GMs earn their 5th Glyph for Pathfinder Society (second edition).

5th Glyph (PFS2): Terry T, Robert Wiesehuegel

Until next time: Explore! Report! Cooperate! And say hi to Purepurin for me!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hello, Starfinders!
Breaking news!

First Seeker Ehu Hadif soon to retire! Four engaging candidates rise from the Society’s rank and file, gaining the respect and support of their fellow Starfinders! Which of these four First Seeker hopefuls has what it takes to lead the Starfinder Society into the uncertain future? The choice is yours! The time to vote is now!

Meet the candidates for the 2023 First Seeker Election in Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seeker, a repeatable adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by our very own Alex Speidel! This is your chance to personally meet and engage with our four candidates for First Seeker, perform a mission for each, and get a taste of where they plan to lead the Starfinder Society in the future. After you’ve played the adventure, visit paizo.com/firstseeker to learn more about our candidates and the election, and to cast your vote!

The future is in your hands!

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Pact Worlds system, a call goes out for freelance problem solvers! Domaaz Manhala, youngest student ever to attend Solar University, is determined to earn the respect of their peers by performing a grand experiment in the quad. Unfortunately, they’ve been unable to find the time to collect a few key components! It’s up to you to travel the Burning Archipelago to collect the missing components and assist Domaaz with their explosive experiment!

Starfinder Bounty #9: Burning Ambitions is a short adventure for 4th-level characters written by Joel Southall.

Take care, Starfinders!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Felipe Carneiro

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Welcome, Pathfinders!
This month we see the release of our new season, the Year of Unfettered Exploration!

Because no year could ever begin without a bang, we start in the Grand Lodge in Absalom, celebrating a monumental victory and the new allies that were gathered during our recent adventures! The Pathfinders are tasked with entertaining one of the new venture-captains, Taiwalei, and escorting him through a small tour of the Maze of the Open Road. However, missions are never as simple as they seem, and it appears some of the Elemental Planes ripped through into the Maze, bringing new faces, new challenges, and a whale shark of a time!

Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Unfettered Exploration is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Sen H.H.S.

Left to right illustrations by Riley Spalding and Bruno Cesar

Also this month, we’re heading back to the Blackwood Swamp to check in on the Azlanti dig site and the nearby Tskikha iruxi enclave from our two PFS intro scenarios, Pathfinder Society Scenario Intro #1: The Second Confirmation and Pathfinder Society Scenario Intro #2: United in Purpose. It’s become a bit of a training ground for initiate Pathfinders, as most of the dangers were cleared out years ago along with the most important finds. The main issue is that it’s been weeks since anyone has heard from either the Tskikha or the initiates, and Lolly Adafish, the newly-promoted venture-captain, is beside herself with worry.

It's up to you and your fellow Pathfinders to rectify this situation. As you learn what has become of the missing Pathfinders and iruxi, you’ll be faced with elemental magic gone out of control, and the choices you make will determine if everyone can make it back from wherever they are alive, including a certain young kobold who has been occasionally finding a place in this very blog over the past several months.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-02: The Blackwood Lost is an adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Alison Cybe.

That’s all for now, Pathfinders! Remember: Explore, Report, Cooperate!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hello, players! Like the blog from earlier today, we want to shine the spotlight on the authors who contributed to Year 4 of Pathfinder Society. The Year of Boundless Wonder may be over, but that doesn’t mean these adventures are going anywhere!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

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Letterio Mammoliti (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Signal from the Electric Laboratory

Hello everyone!
My name is Letterio Mammoliti (he/him) and I wrote Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Signal from the Electric Laboratory for the Year of Boundless Wonder. This adventure was truly a joy to write since it was set in one of my favorite regions, Ustalav! Without a doubt, the best part was creating the NPCs, in particular Revecka, and trying to tie some of their stories together. Besides, it is always great when you have a chance to put a few oozes and other mad experiments into an adventure!

My somewhat abandoned twitter is @Letterio_DM, where I should definitely be more active. I have worked on Starfinder Society Scenario #5-09: Counterfeit History and I have worked on Pathfinder Howl of the Wild, which was an amazing opportunity and a real blast!

As usual, I am grateful for the incredible patience and support of the editors, and it was inspiring to see amazing people working together for Pathfinder Howl of the Wild!

Alex Speidel (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-08: Battle for Star’s Fate

Greetings, Pathfinders. The stars are at rest, so I shall spare a moment for you.

My scenario was one of the last that Mike Kimmel assigned, and I’d been talking with him for a while about writing the first Crystal Key scenario because I liked the pitch of “we have to stop that weird alien from doing the things to peoples’ brains.” However, I was a little skittish about writing a high-level scenario, so I settled on Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-08: Battle for Star’s Fate, where I got to write about a sad automaton who wanted to look at the stars. As my favorite character is a cosmos oracle, I fell in love with Star immediately, and I’m so happy they’re living their best life in Golarion, right Shay? Right?

One thing I meant to talk about when the scenario was released was that I used the Deck of Endless NPCs to generate the friends you meet! Brinna, Croll, and Induren were all generated using the cards from the deck before I fleshed them out, which was a fun brainstorming exercise. Rasool was an NPC I loved in Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-21: In Pursuit of Water, one of my sleeper favorite scenarios, so I decided to bring him back, and Darius is a nod to my friends on the Foundry server who insist I promised them a carpenter class at some point. And for those who asked: the “tinker, tailor, soldier, spy” connection? Complete coincidence, honestly. The mind works in strange ways!

I do want to give a shoutout to our developers and editors. They’re the best in the business, and they stopped me from doing things like, and this is a direct quote, "creating an influence encounter larger than Bid for Alabastrine’s.” They saved you all, and I’m so grateful.

Catch me on Bluesky (@alexspeidel.bsky.social) or Mastodon (alexspeidel@dice.camp) or, y’know, here on the Paizo blog most weeks. Go now, the heavens speak to me once more.

Isis Wozniakowska (she/her)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-10: Arclord’s Abode

Hey everyone, I’m Isis Wozniakowska (she/her) and for Pathfinder this season, I wrote #4-10 Arclord’s Abode, the ending of the two-part story arc that I luckily got to share with fellow author Michael Bramnik. We put in a lot of work to make sure the two scenarios really felt like they tied into each other without alienating players who were only doing one of the two, and I think we both managed to achieve that in the best way. I love the character of our dear Arclord and how they develop across the two scenarios, and I had so much fun designing a Wizard’s manor gone haywire. Magic shenanigans are one of my favorite fantasy topics, and I put my heart into making this magic as wacky as I could.

On a more personal note, this scenario is one that I’m especially proud of looking back on because, while I was unaware at the time of writing it, my health condition was quickly starting to degrade from a condition I have that no one (including myself) realized was flaring back up until a couple months later. So, the fact that I finished it at all is an accomplishment I’m so proud of, and even more so seeing that it came out so well in the end. Organized Play has been a big part of my life since I came back to it as my main social outlet after I had my first hospitalization for this condition four years ago. So having this scenario be part of that ongoing comeback means a lot to me. So, I hope you all enjoy Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-10 Arclord’s Abode!

Art by Beto Lima

Jacob W. Michaels (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-11: Prisoners of the Electric Castle

Hi everyone, I’m Jacob W. Michaels (he/him), the author of Year 4’s Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-11: Prisoners of the Electric Castle. For inspiration, I initially turned to various escape heists in popular culture, but the adventure really came together when I realized I was writing Star Wars (Episode 4: A New Hope). You’re Obi-Wan disabling a “tractor beam,” and Luke, Han, and Chewie are rescuing Leia, and it fit perfectly (though Bremix is no Princess Leia, even if he would probably insult certain PCs’ height).

There are a few things I love about this adventure: I got to play with a couple of possible endings, where the climactic final fight depends on how you deal with challenges throughout the scenario. There are also a bunch of callbacks to first edition run-ins with Aslynn for longtime PFS players to find. (I’ve loved reactions when PFS veterans hear Thurl’s name!) My absolute favorite, though, is the moment players realize they’re 100% going to steal the Gale’s Claw. Those are the great moments you tell fellow gamers about and keep as a story for your PC.

This is my fourth adventure for Paizo, and I’m looking forward to No. 5. Thanks to everyone who lets me write them; the other amazing people who make them all come together—editing, fantastic art, layout, and everything else; and thank you for playing and having fun with them!

Matt Duval (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-14: Shattering Golden Chains

Hello! I was privileged to have Shay invite me to follow up on the fantastic fun of Letterio Mammoliti and Solomon St. John from Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-08: Foundation’s Price and Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-12: Fury’s Toll,respectively, and continue the adventures of the new Sedeq Lodge.

With the conflict with Fasiel ibn Sazadin coming to a head, I wanted to build on the groundwork laid in those prior adventures with Safa’s backstory and bring out Fasiel’s charming personality so players would be chomping for a chance to get a piece of him. It was also an opportunity to touch on the importance of properly wording wishes, which has been an ongoing problem for Fasiel since he was first introduced in Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-16: Freedom for Wishes. All the fun of diabolic contracts with a hefty topping of mischief.

There’s a little twist in the final encounter that I won’t spoil, but the player reaction to it is always delightful when I’ve run the scenario. The PCs have a lot of latitude on how to approach all the encounters, and it’s been great seeing what creative ideas players come up with.

I can’t wait to see where Safa’s adventures take the Pathfinders next!

I can be found on Twitter @sleepyfelix.

John Curtin (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-16: Dacilane Academy’s First Great Prank War

Hi, my name is John Curtin (he/him) and I had the profound honor of being asked to write Dacilane Academy’s First Great Prank War. Having a decade of experience working in schools and a long-seated love of mythology and folk tales, I loved being able to weave these parts of my life into my first Pathfinder Second Edition adventure, and the fact that I got to bring so much of my absurd sense of humor to bear was the cherry on top! My favorite part of this adventure was how silly I got to be. There are so many opportunities for chaotic fun when you’re writing fey shenanigans, and I really pushed myself to imagine what magical pranks could be and how they can get even wilder when fairy magic gets involved. I was also thrilled to return to Dacilane Academy and revisit the students and school—I hid plenty of references to the past adventures for the studious GM and Organized Players to uncover. I hope this adventure brings lots of laughs, and I can’t wait to hear the table stories that it spawns. Here at Paizo, I’ve got more Starfinder credits upcoming; you can read my words in the upcoming Starfinder Enhanced, and 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 Twitter @Curtin_Writes and explore the currently inactive @StarfinderFacts, at least until someone gets me a BlueSky invite.

Illustration by Nicolas Espinoz

Lysle Kapp (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-17: Trapping the Hag’s Claw

This past year saw the publication of my first two Starfinder Society adventures and also an adventure that took on a very personal meaning for me, Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-17: Trapping the Hag’s Claw. For this assignment, as I had done for each of the Starfinder adventures, I began by delving deep into the setting’s rich and detailed lore. The Pathfinders were to face a challenging and recurring threat from their past. The PCs were to drive a collective story about bringing a decisive end to one chapter of Society’s history and laying the groundwork for the next. During this writing process, I unexpectedly lost my mother to a stroke. Suddenly, the collective story I was writing for the PCs became my own.

Fortunately, like the PCs, I didn’t face the changing chapters alone. My developer, Shay Snow, was incredibly supportive and accommodating. Both old gaming friends and new stepped up to do some playtesting, providing much needed fun and laughter along with suggestions for improving the adventure. With this support and my own memories and losses from which to draw, I set about creating an inspiring adventure filled with numerous callbacks to previous adventures (spanning across two editions!). My hope is that the final adventure honors the work of those who came before me, lays a strong foundation for games to come, and foremost, provides players with hours of fun and excitement!

Dennis Muldoon (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-99: Blessings of the Forest

Greetings Pathfinders! My name is Dennis Muldoon (he/him). This year, I was delighted to co-author this year's interactive special, #4-99 Blessings of the Forest with Ivis K. Flanagan. I've long admired Ivis as an author, a GM, and a dedicated Organized Play volunteer (as well as a friend), and it was a privilege to get to work with her on this adventure. I'm really proud of what we came up with, and I hope you all have as much fun playing it as we did writing it. My favorite part was crafting a final confrontation to be compelling and challenging at all levels, including connections between the tiers to tie them together. I look forward to hearing the tales of the brave Pathfinders who take on this assignment! You can find me on Twitter (until Groetus finally comes for it) at @dkmuldoon. 

Ivis K. Flanagan (she/they)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-99: Blessings of the Forest

One of my favorite things to GM are multi-table specials. The energy that fills a room as everyone interacts with the same story, working towards common goals, is the epitome of what society play means to me. So, when Shay offered me the chance to co-write this year's special alongside veteran author Dennis Muldoon, I jumped at the chance!

I was excited to dive into the history of the society and help bring that forward to both new players and longtime veterans. What does it really mean to be a Pathfinder? Why have we stayed out of Kyonin for so long? And why do we want to be here now? These were all questions I explored while weaving my part of the story.

In addition to unannounced projects coming up, you can find some of my upcoming Paizo work in Starfinder Enhanced. Outside of here, I am working with some other cool people on an Adventure Path that will take you to the heart of Kong: Skull Island. Check it out on BackerKit if you want more details!

When not diving into the depths of esoteric Pathfinder lore, or digging my way through the word mines, I’m disguised as a Gifted Intervention teacher, or running quests for Auryn, my feline who has me wrapped around his paw. Virtually, you can find my list of credits on my Paizo profile, and you can connect with me on Twitter @NorseButterfly, Mastodon @NorthernDreamer@dice.camp, or Bluesky @NorthernDreamer.bsky.social, where I mostly muse about teaching, gaming, and politics. Feel free to reach out, as I am always on the lookout for cool projects and fun conversations!

Greetings, players! In today’s blog we’d like to take a moment to recognize our talented freelance authors who contributed to the most recent slate of Starfinder Society adventures. Some of these authors have been writing for us for years, while others saw their names in print for the very first time!

Tune in next week for the Pathfinder Society edition of this blog, and drop your praise for our authors in the comments below!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

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Alex Speidel (he/him)
Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Redemption’s Rise

Hi again, long time no see! I had the distinct honor of writing the Intro to the Year of Redemption’s Rise. As a first Starfinder scenario (indeed, a first, full-length adventure), this was a daunting task, but I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge.

My goal was not only to introduce the three new factions in fun and unique ways, but to give a “day in the life” of a Starfinder at the Lorespire Complex. I’m very pleased with how it turned out! I took inspiration from my time as a camp counselor and tour guide to write Charla’s tour, which was great fun (and apparently accidentally established an author trademark? Stay tuned for Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers to learn what that means). My favorite thing to do when I run this scenario is to pepper in some of my favorite NPCs; players will often encounter Olive and Violet leading Fitch’s children on a heist through the kitchen or see Barsala working away in the research labs. I also got to give Ehu what I referred to as his “Kennedy moment” in the conclusion (we must repair the Society in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard…).

You can follow me on Bluesky (@alexspeidel.bsky.social) or Mastodon (alexspeidel@dice.camp), and as mentioned above, my next scenario is another tentpole: Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers, wherein you’ll meet the new First Seeker candidates. I hope you all enjoy it!

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

Alison Cybe (they/them or she/her)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-03: Combatant’s Concerto: Fugue of the Traitor

Hi there friends, I’m Alison Cybe. Pronouns are they/them or she/her. I’m the author of the Starfinder Scenario Fugue of the Traitor.

In it, I wanted to mix a classic Agatha Christie style murder-mystery with an exploration into grassroots liberation movements; why groups of people rise to fight for themselves against oppressive cultures. Not a common mix of themes, but I’m a firm believer that the games we play can be about subjects and that entertainment media should always have something to say.

I penned the adventure over a year ago now, and I’ve had time to look back on what sections I enjoy the most and what I would change. I think the mystery section is the element that comes across the best, allows the players to get stuck in; but I would have loved it more if I’d have had more time to frame the NPCs and let the characters know them. I sometimes worry that I went overboard on the descriptions of imperialist atrocities, as that is what content warnings are for.

This year is my foray into creating adventures for Pathfinder Society, and you can find my adventure, Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-02: The Blackwood Lost, on sale this month. Inspirations for it include the covers of many prog rock albums. How is that an inspiration? Play it and see! I was also allowed to work in a subplot that’s very important to me...

You can find me on twitter @alisoncybe, on facebook as Alison Cybe, and on Discord!

Isis Wozniakowska (she/her)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Fragment of the 4th

Hey everyone, my name is Isis Wozniakowska (she/her), and I wrote Starfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Fragment of the 4^th, one of season 5’s the Drift Crisis themed scenarios for levels 9-12. It was my first major foray into writing something that high of level, though I’ve played through several Starfinder Adventure Paths and tons of scenarios of those levels and love seeing what the game can do up there and what kinds of crazy abilities players can have. My main priority was making sure the scenario really felt like a continuation of so many things the Starfinders have done across the past seasons and make sure that even in times like the Drift Crisis, they have made a good impact on the universe and can keep doing so if they stick to it. I won’t spoil anything that happens, but I’m super proud of the NPCs in it and how they remind us that Starfinder Society Organized Play is a living campaign with continuity. Aside from that I’m also just happy because it’s high level content and truly we all get that great endorphin rush when the numbers go up. Big number go BrrrRRRrrrr!

Hilary Moon Murphy (she/her)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-06: Tarnished Legacy: Historia’s Holdout

Hello! I'm Hilary Moon Murphy (aka Hmm) a Minneapolis librarian and writer. I am here today to talk about my favorite Starfinder Society Scenario #5-06: Tarnished Legacy: Historia's Holdout. I loved writing this scenario because it is part mystery, part wacky dungeon delve, and all heart. If you haven't played it yet, I hope that it surprises you in the best possible way.

One of the challenges that I faced with this scenario is that Historia Prime was a past villain who had so much awful history. Was there anything new that I could reveal about his nefarious deeds, and still keep a light-hearted tone to this adventure? It was an interesting balancing act.

(Historia's Holdout is followed by the delightful Starfinder Society Scenario #5-08 Tarnished Legacy: Star Sugar Superstar!!! written by the very talented Emily Parks, but each part of this two-part mini-arc is a complete story in itself.)

If you are looking for more of my work, I am very excited for the upcoming Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-03: Heidmarch Heist, a mystery that will offer the famous Sheila and Canayven Heidmarch their first appearances in a PF2 Scenario.

Illustration by Allan Santos da Silva

Letterio Mammoliti (he/him)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-09: Counterfeit History

Howdy!
My name is Letterio Mammoliti (he/him) and I wrote Starfinder Society Scenario #5-09: Counterfeit History for the Year of Redemption’s Rise. I had incredible fun working on this adventure even though it meant showcasing some Starfinders in a less than positive light. I got to include an arrogant espraksa, create a gang of thugs, and two dedicated archaeologists, which is always great!

It is hard to say which part was my favorite. I loved making the day of Dig Boss Hartek a truly miserable one (even before the Starfinders showed up) and I enjoyed describing the Vartaikam Bazaar and the Firewings’ operation.

My twitter is @Letterio_DM, although I am rarely active there. I have also worked on Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Signal from the Electric Laboratory.

I am glad I was given the chance to work on a Starfinder adventure, especially considering the incredible work that everyone has been doing on this amazing game.

Matt Duval (he/him)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-10: Shadow of the Vault Lord

You Starfinders wish to know the secrets of the Vault Lord? You are braver or more foolish than most! We shall indulge your curiosity before you are scattered to dust.

The tales of Salvation’s End are not dissimilar from the speculative works of your primitive entertainments, with the cursed Guiding Intelligence treating test subjects like characters from your Outer Limits or Twilight Zone. But we have transcended such simple games and prefer the more exciting adventures like your Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, watching the futile efforts of these heroes as they clash against ultimate powers like ourselves. We have always stopped watching once they find themselves in a certainly lethal trap, assured of their ultimate demise.

Our most recent target vault for conquest is an advanced center of work, entertainment and learning, an Experiential Proper Center Of Testing. With the inhabitants there under our power, the domination of this station will soon be at hand! Then we shall delight in your fellow Starfinders’ pleas for mercy before delivering the final crushing blow.

Our messenger can be found on Twitter @sleepyfelix. We thank Jessica Catalan for her good service in continuing these transmissions.

Now, farewell, Starfinders. We leave you to your certain demise with only this inoperable starship and spare parts to keep you company before oblivion.

...They escaped?! Impossible! Next time, Starfinders! Next time!

Dennis Muldoon (he/him)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-13: Finding the Forgotten

Hello Starfinders! My name is Dennis Muldoon (he/him). I was delighted to co-write Starfinder Society Scenario #5-13: Finding the Forgotten with my wife, Kate Baker. I really enjoyed working on this scenario, particularly working with Kate to make sure that all the clues were consistent with the true nature of the situation the PCs find themselves in, while avoiding being so obvious they give away the secret. I'm really proud of where this one ended up, and I hope you enjoy! You can find me on Twitter @dkmuldoon (at least until Triune finally decides it's a bad idea and shuts it down). For more of my recent Starfinder work, check out my article on Gaskari in StarfinderPorts of Call, and my volume in the upcoming Mechaggedon! adventure path, due some time in 2024!

Illustration by Tom Ventre

Rigby Bendele (they/them)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-15: Beta Test

My first credit freelancing with Paizo was Starfinder Society #2-03: The Withering World. Getting to write for Starfinder Society is always a treat. Since the games are single sessions, it forces me to have a focus on each part working just right. However, they're also part of a larger world, so I can dig into aspects of the setting that I want to explore. For Starfinder Society #5-15: Beta Test, I got to do both of these. While it's designed as a Starfinder Society adventure, it's great for anyone looking for a single session in the level 11-14 range.

I'm also excited to have my authorship on a volume of Mechageddon! announced. If you like my design style at all, you should play or run Mechageddon! when it comes out (or before, if you're a precog). It's got everything a person could want, like mechs, kaiju, and - oh no, I'm being pushed off stage so I don't spoil the ending! Well, I guess you'll have to play it to find out.

Chris Wasko (he/him)
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-16: To Catch a King

Hi! I'm Chris Wasko (he/him), and I've written a few Paizo adventures, most recently Starfinder Society Scenario #5-16: To Catch a King. The outline for this scenario was one of the most detailed I've received, with multiple set pieces, plot developments, and requests for fully-fleshed NPCs with distinct personalities and motivations. I leaned on some ideas from my very first scenario—Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-18: Faithless and Forgotten, Part 3: The Infernal Inheritance—to realize the scenario's central setting, creating a dynamic playground for PCs to explore. I particularly enjoyed writing the more antagonistic "Starfinders," figuring out their tics and how PCs could understand and manipulate them without open conflict. I'm excited for some more of my work to emerge in the upcoming Mechageddon! adventure, as well as to see some of my favorite scenarios being revamped in the Scoured Stars adventure path!

OPC Musings

Congratulations on surviving Gen Con, players! I’m assuming, anyway. Like the June update, I’m writing this before Gen Con even begins. What did you think of those new announcements? That Starfinder Second Edition sounds pretty cool! [note to future self: remove this if we don’t announce it so I don’t blow the surprise]

Seriously though, I’m SO excited to finally be able to share all the new information with you all! The new edition of Starfinder, a playtest coming up for Pathfinder, the Remaster on the horizon, and so much more. It’s an exciting time at Paizo HQ! And this blog is chock-full of information, so let’s dive right in.

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on August 30, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Unfettered Exploration*
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-02: The Blackwood Lost*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow's Seekers*†
Starfinder Bounty #9: Burning Ambitions

*part of a subscription
† released early to Venture Officers to run during the month of August

Convention News

This section usually lives at the bottom of the blog, but there’s some news I wanted to make sure had a prominent place! The OP team’s travel schedule for the rest of 2023 has been locked in. Here’s where you can come out and meet us!

August 18-20: I will be at Dragonflight in Bellevue, WA somewhat unofficially.

September 1-4 (Labor Day weekend): I will be attending Gateway in Los Angeles, CA.

Additionally, Josh Foster will be attending DragonCon in Atlanta, GA!

September 29-October 1: Jessica Catalan and I (as well as possibly others) will be attending SkålCon in Minneapolis, MN. A number of Paizo staffers and freelancers will also be at BigBadCon in San Francisco, though we don't have an official presence.

Finally, and perhaps most newsworthy...

December 1-3: Paizo returns to PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, PA! Volunteer applications are now open. This convention will be the first chance for you to demo Starfinder Second Edition with a member of the Starfinder team!

We'll also be running acquisition-focused tables of Pathfinder, Starfinder, and for the first time, board game demos of Goblin Firework Fight and Elemental Stones! I'm very excited to be returning to the show. Again, applications are now open, and we’d love to have you join us!

On top of all of these, the fall months are some of our most active for local conventions. These smaller conventions are a great way to meet your local Pathfinder and Starfinder community, so we recommend you check out our convention calendar to find one near you!

Sanctioning Updates

Has anything interesting been released for Pathfinder lately? Probably not, right?

Ah, well, except Pathfinder Rage of Elements. That’s pretty exciting, and it’s now sanctioned for play! Rules are available on the Character Options page, and there are new boons in the Boon Store for some of the Uncommon options.

For Starfinder Society, the Drift Hackers Adventure Path sanctioning documents have finally been uploaded, allowing you to earn credit for playing through the adventures!

Coming up next will be sanctioning for Pathfinder Adventure: Rusthenge and the Sky King’s Tomb Adventure Path, as well as Starfinder Enhanced. Now that we’re on the other side of Gen Con, we’re also going to be spending time working on the rules regarding the new Remastered books, which we hope to have ready well in advance of their release.

Pathfinder Class Playtest

The Pathfinder Rules & Lore team has announced the next class playtest scheduled for September 1! Pathfinder Society will support this playtest as we’ve supported all class playtests using the rules in the Guide to Organized Play. In short: you can build and play characters using the new rules and apply credit to your existing characters as if they were pregenerated characters.

Remember that GM participation in playtests is opt-in. If a GM chooses not to allow characters from a ruleset they’re not familiar with, that’s entirely acceptable! We hope you all enjoy the newest creations from the Rules & Lore team.

Starfinder Second Edition Field Tests

Starfinder Second Edition is coming! In anticipation of the full playtest in 2024, the Starfinder team has begun releasing Starfinder Field Tests. These bite-size PDFs are packed with information on upcoming classes and rules, as well as the design team’s goals and thoughts. You can download the first one at starfinderplaytest.com.

We just want to clarify that for Starfinder Society play, these options are not legal. Once we get closer to the full playtest, we’ll share the specifics of how Starfinder Society will support it. For now, please enjoy the previews and get ready to playtest at our conventions next year!

Pathfinder and Starfinder Society on Foundry VTT

Some exciting news for our Foundry GMs and players!

Starting August 30th, we’ll be giving Pathfinder and Starfinder Society the same premium treatment on Foundry VTT that we’ve been giving our Pathfinder Adventure Paths. Each of these modules will be a one-time purchase that will be updated throughout the season with new content as we release it, and will be available in both a streamlined version that only provides maps and tokens for those who own the PDFs as well as a deluxe version that also includes fully-styled journals containing all of the adventure content. Keep an eye on the Paizo blog for updates!

First Seeker Election

The polls have opened for the Starfinder Society’s First Seeker election! Agents are flocking from around the galaxy to cast their votes. The early polls are in, and the race is neck and neck (and neck and neck)!

While Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers releases at the end of the month, Venture Officers have been granted early access to maximize your opportunities to play the adventure before casting your vote. We encourage you all to get out and meet the candidates! As it’s repeatable, you can even play it multiple times for credit to get the clearest view of your options. Once you’ve done so, head to paizo.com/firstseeker to cast your vote.

Pathfinder Society Year 5 Updates

With the launch of PFS Year 5 last week, the following updates have gone into effect!

• The changeling versatile heritage is now freely available to all players, due to the Society’s adventures involving the night hag Aslynn.
• More adventurers of uncommon ancestries have joined the Pathfinder Society in the past few years, so the tengu and ratfolk ancestries are also freely available!
• Additionally, in preparation for their inclusion in the upcoming Pathfinder Player Core book, the tiefling and aasimar versatile heritages are freely available to all players.
• Boons for all of the above freely available options have been removed from the Boon Store. Players who previously purchased those boons will have them updated to grant a free use of the resurrection ritual to those characters, as we have done for past ancestries.
• Finally, due to the influx of planar energy throughout Golarion, the geniekin versatile heritage has been reduced to 40 Achievement Points! This boon has also been updated to include the talos and ardandeheritages from Pathfinder Rage of Elements.

Boon Updates

Boon Request Threads

The OP team gets requests all the time for boons for character options. Now that the Boon Store is up and running, I thought it would be best to centralize those requests in one location, so I did that! There are now Boon Request threads for Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society pinned in their respective forums. Feel free to head over to favorite the suggestions you like and add new ones if they haven’t already been posted.

Seeker of Knowledge

Just a note that, now that replays are functional, the Seeker of Knowledge boons in the boon store also now work correctly! Purchasing one of these boons grants your account 4 SFS Replays, one per reputation tier. Players who previously purchased these boons should now see four additional Replays in their account as well.

Retail Incentive Program Updates

Our Retail Incentive Program is designed to help players support the game stores and venues that host our games, often for free, while earning in-game benefits. Over the past year, we’ve heard some recommendations to improve it, and I’m delighted to share the new version of the program now!

You can download PDFs of the rules for Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society now on the Retail Incentive Program page. The major changes are:

• Adding a new “heroic” tier, unlocked when a table spends of $100 or more
• Altering or replacing boons that reduced the gold cost of healing now that those benefits primarily use Achievement Points
• Making the benefits more versatile and/or slightly more useful

Overall, the intention of programs like the RIP and the Accessory Perks is to provide incentives to players and GMs to support our products and venues. The goal is not for these to be hard rules, but to encourage GMs and organizers to adopt a “spirit of the law” reading of any of these programs to ensure all players are enjoying themselves. Thanks to all the volunteers who provided feedback on these revisions!

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

This month, two new Campaign Service Coins were awarded to volunteers by their RVC. We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay@paizo.com with their name and reasons

Congratulations to:
Bill Tobin, who now holds a campaign coin and OP ID #896
Brad Grinstead (bigrin42), who nows holds a campaign coin and OP ID #897

Until next time - Explore! Report! Cooperate! And unlock the elemental power within you!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

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

Hey there, Starfinders! The team here at Wayfinder Weekly, your one-stop shop for all the latest Starfinder happenings, are thrilled to bring you the latest in our continuing coverage of the First Seeker Election! The race to replace Ehu Hadif is neck-and-neck according to the latest polls, and your vote matters!

Our freelance political reporter, Lyta Lantrell, caught up with each of the candidates at a recent mixer in the Lorespire Complex cantina. In the interest of editorial fairness, we asked all four of them the same questions. We hope this information helps you make your choice!

What makes the Starfinders the best organization in the Pact Worlds?

Aurora Everbright: We’re the best in the business at what we do, but most importantly, we ain’t scared of nothing! Starfinders are always ready to leap into the fray or explore a new world. Whenever anybody in the galaxy needs help, we Starfinders are right there to give folks what they need.

Sarmak: My people have found that the Starfinders are valuable allies to their friends, especially the downtrodden and disadvantaged. The organization is willing to assist, but always tries to listen to the wishes of those they’re aiding for how best to contribute.

Dr. Heldin Sevaile: Why, the boundless capacity to do good! This is the finest scientific organization I’ve ever been part of, and its resources are nearly limitless!

Nykiti Lampadephoros: A light, shining in the darkness on untouched shores. A vault of treasures, kept safe from harm and those who would do harm. Also, excellent tea in countless varieties! [Nykiti’s offer to read our reporter’s tea leaves was declined for ethical reasons.]

---

How would you change the organization as First Seeker?

Sarmak: Goodness, you know, I hadn’t really considered that! The effect my presence would have…hmm. Perhaps… [He thinks for a moment.] perhaps we could do more to ensure Starfinders can learn a trade during their time with us?

Dr. Sevaile: Under my leadership, the Society would take its place among the academies and laboratories of the galaxy as a revered institute for learning and experimentation. Additionally, the discoveries we make would be used to create low-cost medicinals, further elevating our prominence.

Nykiti: The Society would become a home for those magic users who feel adrift, supplanted, misunderstood. There are many things the Society has discovered—so many loose ends! We should not let them dangle. We’ve many promising adventures to return to!

Aurora: We could be the biggest name in the Pact Worlds! We’ll turn our best agents into brand ambassadors and recruit influencers from across the infosphere to join us! Oh, and of course, we’ll use the Starfinder Chronicles to tell our story right—no more misinformation about us under my watch!

---

What’s in your adventuring kit?

Dr Sevaile: Well, let’s see here…yes, about two weeks of insect protein-based rations—care to try? [Our reporter declined this offer for gastronomical reasons.] Suit yourself! Also a sample collection kit, never know when you’ll find something interesting to take back. Ah! And an emergency beacon. Won’t make that mistake twice!

Nykiti: My “kit,” such as it is. Largely, I use my divination tools on missions. [She empties her pockets, scattering what appear to be chicken bones as well as a digital harrow deck on the counter.] I do try to bring several aeon stones and spell ampoules to use on myself or provide to allies as needed. I’m always prepared for the future.

Aurora: You know, I was just talking with a sponsor about selling Everbright Adventuring Kits! I’ve always got a hygiene kit with me—gotta look good for the vidstream! And of course, backup batteries for my vidstreaming rig. If I’m racing, I take my lucky hood ornament with me as well. It’s gotten me out of more than one scrap!

Sarmak: Much of my kit is built from what I needed on my homeworld. Radiation protections have always served me well. Along with my old engineering kit, I tend to keep scrap metal, wires, screws, that sort of thing. You never know when it’ll come in handy!

---

What’s your favorite vacation spot?

Nykiti: I had a marvelous time at this lovely resort and spa orbiting a black hole last year. The rejuvenating facial scrub! Never in my wildest foretellings could I have imagined the effects.

Aurora: I’ve been lucky enough to get courtside seats at a few professional brutaris games, and WOW! Seeing that much action up close was incredible! I’m gonna try to go to the next tournament if I can.

Sarmak: Ah, well, I suppose it’s a bit of a busman’s holiday, but I did recently travel to Arshalin to examine the Worldshards up close. The weather was dreadful, unfortunately, but I’m eager to return someday!

Dr. Sevaile: You know, I’m really more of a “staycation” fellow myself. I’ve been on plenty of missions around the galaxy, and if I go to the jungles of Castrovel or some such I’ll just end up collecting new specimens! No, if I need some time off, it’s the couch, some healthy snacks, and a Freedom and Fire marathon for me.

The four candidates for First Seeker: Nykiti Lampadephoros, Aurora Everbright, Dr. Heldin Sevaile and Sarmak. Illustrations by Nicholas Phillips

Fascinating answers from our candidates! We hope this information has informed your votes. Don’t forget to take advantage of First Seeker Ehu Hadif’s meet-and-greet sessions with the candidates, and get your ballots in before the deadline!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Nixret lowered her pack and placed it gently on the ground in front of her cot in the small barracks near the Azlanti dig site. “Finally! Field work!” She thought to herself. Of course, the field work was to be heavily supervised, and concerned a site that had been stripped of all known dangers by actual agents—not initiates like she and her companions. Still, training or not, it was a field assignment, her first time spending significant time outside of the Grand Lodge in Absalom since she first left the Sewer Dragon warrens to join the Society. Even if it wasn’t the real type of field work she read about countless times in the Chronicles, it was still one step closer to her Confirmation—and from there, her story could really begin.

Illustration by Bruno Cesar

Sure, the swamp wasn’t exactly pleasant, given the extreme humidity, endless buzzing insects, and the slight sulfurous odor making everything smell a bit like old eggs. The barracks tent would be incredibly crowded, and her instructors had been sure to instill in them that this wasn’t a vacation—if anything, they’d work harder than they ever did in Absalom. Still, she couldn’t help but envision herself finding some unnoticed Azlanti artifact during a training exercise and earning her place in a chronicle then and there. And even if the Blackwood Swamp wasn’t the most comfortable place to be doing field work, it could be far worse. The iruxi of the nearby Tskikha enclave were incredibly welcoming, and one of their chief hunters, Kazuuk, had even come out to meet them in Cassomir, ensuring the initiate’s safe arrival at the dig site. The new Venture Captain out of Oppara, a kobold like her as she was excited to discover, Lolly Adafish had set up a temporary office in Cassomir and saw to it that the initiates wouldn’t want for provisions.

But the fact of the matter was, here there was no more busywork. No more lectures dealing only with theory. No more cleaning up after a menagerie of birds as a punishment for sneaking out. This was real field work. And even if other Pathfinders had cleared the site years ago, it was still an Azlanti ruin, and she’d still be exploring it. Even if that exploration was going to be heavily supervised, she couldn’t help but look forward to what this training would show her, and what she could show her instructors. Nixtret fell backwards into her cot, grinning wildly, the sudden movement causing her companions to jump slightly in surprise. “This is going to be our moment!” she exclaimed, more to herself than to any of the other initiates. The others just shook their heads, glanced at one another, and smiled. They all knew that, regardless of anything, no one could best Nixret in a contest of daydreams.

Illustration by Diego Machuca

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hello, Starfinders!

The Starfinder Society is hard at work investigating the Organization and their operations, including Project Dawn, a plot already set in motion that threatens the lives of millions. This month, a team of Starfinders is put in touch with Almina, a Starfinder from the past who personally knew the founders of the Organization. With information about the founders in hand, the Starfinders travel to Deepwater Prime to investigate a long-abandoned archeological site that the founders once excavated. This site is believed to have a connection to Ulumbia, an ancient civilization that had little historical impact on the planet and left even less archeological evidence behind. Your job? Uncover why the Organization is interested in ancient Ulumbia, determine if the Organization is still operating on Deepwater Prime, and follow up on any leads you unearth.

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-05: Unearthing Ulumbia is a 5th- through 8th-level adventure written by Lau Bannenberg. This is a Year of Fortune’s Fall metaplot scenario.

Best of luck, Starfinders! Stay safe!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Przemyslaw Golab

Hello, Pathfinders!

I hope you’re enjoying your summer so far! The sun is out, the temperatures are high, the beach is waving—but do you know who isn’t enjoying their summer vacation yet? The Dacilane Academy. Those poor students are stuck indoors, studying for exams, and attending boring classes, so J Dacilane has come up with a fantastic idea: a prank war! Calling on the Pathfinders for assistance, J sets up a fantastic clash between students, which starts to go haywire when a caravan of chaotic fey come to investigate what’s bringing the children so much joy! It’s up to the Pathfinders to make sure that the prank war stays lighthearted, and that no one gets hurt!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-16: Dacilane Academy’s First Great Prank War is a 3^rd- through 6^th-level adventure written by John Curtin.

Left to Right: Illustrations by Bruno Mello and Nicolas Espinoza

The long-awaited finale has come for the Year of Boundless Wonder! The Pathfinder Society, having discovered the root of Aslynn’s wicked plans, has decided they’re tired of her meddling and conspired to lay a trap for the night hag. The Waterfall, a member of the Decemvirate, has concocted a plan of attack alongside the Society’s own Zarta Dralneen; they intended to lure Aslynn into a controlled dreamscape to force her into the Material Plane and finish her off once and for all! With the assistance of the Ardis Scholars and Star the automaton, the trap should work as planned, but Aslynn is nothing if not crafty…

Plan go off without a hitch?
Please, I’m not a simple witch!
These Pathfinders, they plan and scurry
Let’s squash them all, in one big flurry!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-17: Trapping the Hag’s Claw is a 7th- through 10th-level adventure written by Lysle Kapp. This is the last metaplot scenario for the Year of Boundless Wonder.

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Greetings, Pathfinders! With Gen Con just two short weeks away, we figured it was time to reveal the changes for Year 5 of Pathfinder Society Play. The good news is, there are very few, and they’re all exciting!

Illustration by Justin Usher

Ancestry Availability

Thanks to the efforts of the Pathfinder Society, as well as the ongoing events in Golarion, the following updates will be made effective August 3, 2023.

• The changeling versatile heritage is now freely available to all players, due to the Society’s adventures involving the night hag Aslynn.
• More adventurers of uncommon ancestries have joined the Pathfinder Society in the past few years, so the tengu and ratfolk ancestries will also be made freely available!
• Additionally, in preparation for their inclusion in the upcoming Pathfinder Player Core book, the tiefling and aasimar versatile heritages are freely available to all players.
• Boons for all of the above freely available options will be removed from the Boon Store as of August 3. Players who previously purchased those boons will have them updated to grant a free use of the resurrection ritual to those characters, as we have done for past ancestries.
• Finally, due to the influx of planar energy throughout Golarion, the geniekin versatile heritage will be reduced to 40 Achievement Points! This boon will also be updated to include the talos and ardande heritages from Pathfinder Rage of Elements upon its release.

Retail Incentive Program

Our Retail Incentive Program is designed to help players support those game stores and venues which host our games, often for free, while earning in-game benefits. Over the past year we’ve heard some recommendations to improve it, and I’m delighted to share the new version of the program now!

You can download PDFs of the rules for Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society now on the Retail Incentive Program page, which we’re also working on redesigning and making more prominent. The major changes are:

• Adding a new “heroic” tier, unlocked with a table spend of $100 or more
• Altering or replacing boons that reduced the gold cost of healing now that those benefits primarily use Achievement Points
• Making the benefits more versatile and/or slightly more useful

Overall, the intention of programs like the RIP and the Accessory Perks is to provide incentives to players and GMs to support our products and venues. The goal is not for these to be hard rules, but to encourage GMs and organizers to adopt a “spirit of the law” reading of any of these programs to ensure all players are enjoying themselves. Thanks to all the volunteers who provided feedback on these revisions!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

Happy July, everybody! I hope those of you who attended Pride events last month had a lovely time; I certainly enjoyed Seattle Pride. Now, however, is the month of a different sin. Tragically not Sloth, there’s too much to do!

Gen Con is less than a month away! We’ll have over 500 tables of games running in Indianapolis and several hundred sessions online as well. I can’t wait to see the Sagamore filled to the brim once again; Gen Con’s a lot of work, but the dopamine hit is worth it. After that, no rest for the wicked—we’ve got plenty to do this fall between the Pathfinder Remaster, fall conventions, and several other things I’m so close to being able to talk about.

Luckily, this month’s update is much shorter than last month’s! Look out for a blog later this month about the Pathfinder Society rule changes for Year 5, but for now, let’s dive in.

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on July 26, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-16: Dacilane Academy's First Great Prank War*

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-17: Trapping the Hag's Claw*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-05: Unearthing Ulumbia*

*part of a subscription

First Seeker Election

Last month we announced the four candidates to be the next First Seeker of the Starfinder Society! If you haven’t checked out the blog already, head over to meet Aurora Everbright, Dr. Heldin Sevaile, Nykiti Lampadephoros, and Sarmak.

On Paizo Live last week I also revealed the campaign posters for the candidates! The art team hit it out of the park with these. Head over to paizo.com/firstseeker to download the posters so you can print them out and plaster them all over your game store’s walls.

The ballot will open on August 3 with the launch of SFS #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers at Gen Con. We encourage everybody to play through the scenario as many times as you want before casting your vote! The polls close on October 31, 2023.

Sanctioning Update

We’ve had a busy month in the sanctioning mines! Last month we released sanctioning for The Enmity Cycle, the standalone Pathfinder adventure, as well as Pathfinder Lost Omens Highhelm, the latest infusion of Golarion lore. We also posted sanctioning documents for both A Few Flowers More and Operation Seaside Park, the two Free RPG Day adventures for this year (for Pathfinder and Starfinder, respectively). Remember that after Free RPG Day, these adventures are not permitted to be run for credit until July 25, 2023.

We’ve been hard at work getting Pathfinder Rage of Elements ready for Gen Con, and I think you’ll see it ready for play on the first day of the show! The Stolen Fate and Drift Hackers Adventure Paths are also ready to fly as soon as the sanctioning documents are in my hands, which should be any day now. After that, our focus will turn to the Sky King’s Tomb AP, as well as the twin knockout punches of Starfinder Enhanced and the new Pathfinder Player Coreand GM Core.

GM Recognition

This month, two new Campaign Service Coins were awarded to volunteers by their RVC. We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay[at]paizo[dot]com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Joe Blomquist, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #876
Jeff Stop, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #877

Conventions

Watch this space next month for what I hope will be some very exciting news on the convention front! I’m not able to discuss it just yet, but we’ve got some big news coming.

Until then, I’ll remind you all that in addition to Gen Con in a little under a month (!!!), there are plenty of local conventions this summer and fall. Check out our Conventions calendar to see where you can find Paizo Organized Play activities!

I told you this month was shorter! Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And, apparently, gossip?

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hello, Pathfinders!

What’s this month’s new gossip, you ask? New faces popping up around the Grand Lodge and the Maze of the Open Road!

Spotted chatting with Fola Barun and touring the Grand Lodge was a handsome man with tattoos and gorgeous hair. Rumor is his name is Taiwalei and he hails from around the Okaiyo Ocean. He’s been seen by a number of different agents shadowing venture-captains and talking about leadership strategies, while also discussing the Maze of the Open Road and its recent weird fluctuations. The most fascinating part, however, is that he seems to be juggling the attentions of both Fola and our own Mr. Available, Eando Kline! Who knows what that could bring come springtime?

Left to right. Taiwalei illustration by Carol Azevedo and Safa illustration by Felipe Fornitani.

The other face magically appearing around the Grand Lodge? A djinni! Safa hails from Qadira, though according to my sources, they’ve traveled as far as Jalmeray and, of course, all over the Plane of Air! They showed up accompanied by Venture-Captain Esmayl ibn Qaradi—no confirmation of romance between the two yet! Apparently, Safa recently saw the end of a terrible genie-binding (good riddance, I say!) and is taking the time to explore the Pathfinder Society and see what we’re all about. Rumor is that they’re planning a trip out to Jalmeray soon and plan to act as leadership for some Pathfinders. Looks like our venture-captains are about to get a breath of fresh air!

That’s all I’ve seen so far! Tune in next month when I go undercover to discover who Gorm has been visiting every Fireday, what exactly is written in Kreighton’s secret journals, when we’ll see an update from Sorrina’s new experiments, where the Waterfall has been buying all of her dresses, and why I can’t seem to get into Ambrus’s quarters anymore!

With adoration,
Your Beloved Venture-Gossip

Explore! Report! Cooperate! Gossip!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hello, Starfinders!

The Year of Fortune’s Fall continues with Starfinder Society Scenario #6-03: Project Dawn! Travel to Verces to investigate Dayside Inc., a corporation with suspected ties to a villainous criminal enterprise that the Starfinders have dubbed “the Organization.” Your orders are simple: sneak in, snoop around, and don’t get caught! But intel uncovered at Dayside Inc. hints that the Organization is planning something that will threaten the lives of millions. Who is the Organization? What is Project Dawn? And most importantly, do the Starfinders have time to stop it?

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-03: Project Dawn is a 3rd- through 6th-level adventure written by Joseph Blomquist. This is a Year of Fortune’s Fall metaplot scenario.

Left To Right Lubose illustration by Luiz Lanzarin and Pholskar Serpent illustration by Rodrigo Gallo

Meanwhile, we’re dispatching a team of veteran Starfinders to Pholskar, planet of the giants! The last team of Starfinders to visit Pholskar performed an underwater excavation at Talgradur, a sky city that plummeted into the Ithillian Sea shortly after the Gap. These Starfinders uncovered sensitive information and nefarious secrets that destabilized Pholskar’s fragile political balance. Now, on our return trip, you’ll have to navigate treacherous political waters, before diving into literal treacherous waters to further explore the flooded ruins of Talgradur. Who’s ready for a swim?

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-04: Secrets Long Submerged is an adventure for 9th- through 12th-level characters written by John Godek III. This scenario builds off the events of Starfinder Society Scenario #4-09: Through Sea and Storm. While playing this past scenario enriches the experience of this adventure, it’s not required.

Enjoy!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Greetings again, Pathfinders!

While we’ve only got one Pathfinder scenario this month, it’s definitely one you don’t want to miss!

This June, we’re bringing you another Glyph scenario, with some of our most powerful agents dispatched to Belkzen! Mahja Firehair is back and needs the Society’s help, as the forces of the Whispering Tyrant have decided that an example must be made of Belkzen’s defiance. A massive host of undead has gathered at the hold’s doorstep, and it’s only by chance that Burning Sun scouts spotted the force, giving others enough time to mount a defense in Freedom Town and call in any favors they can from their old allies. There isn’t enough time for all the holds of Belkzen to gather, and so the fate of the orcs will lie with the PCs, whose experience will be critical to preparing Freedom Town for the coming onslaught and to bringing the fight to the most powerful forces of the enemy army. The time has come for all Pathfinders to back the orcs!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-15: In Glorious Battle is an adventure for 9th- through 12th-level characters written by Luis Loza.

Left To Mahja Firehair illustration by Hannah Boving and Wight Commander illustration by João Fiuza

Here's hoping all your games are excellent!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Three years ago, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo fulfilled her mandate as head of the Starfinder Society and announced her retirement. Four prominent Starfinders stepped forward to vie for the mantle of First Seeker. Each candidate was based on the character of real-world players, and they were featured in Starfinder Society Scenario #2-07: Four for the First. Starfinder Society players from around the world cast their votes and elected Ehu Hadif Ko’ra Amares of Clan Tolar as our First Seeker.

Much like First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo before him, First Seeker Ehu Hadif has announced his upcoming retirement. With the culmination of the Year of Fortune’s Fall, Ehu will be stepping down as First Seeker, and a new first seeker will take his place for the launch of Season 7 of the Starfinder Society campaign.

This past fall, we released a boon that allowed real-world players to submit their Starfinder Society characters for consideration for First Seeker. Over a hundred experienced Starfinders were submitted, and we’ve been hard at work narrowing these Starfinders down to four.

At GenCon this August we’re releasing Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers, an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters that introduces these four candidates. By playing this scenario, you’ll have a chance to meet, question, and go on a mission for each of these four potential First Seekers! When you’re done, swing by paizo.com/firstseeker and vote for your preferred candidate to help shape the future of the Starfinder Society!

Below are a few important notes about this scenario and the First Seeker Election.

• Since so much of this scenario involves the PCs getting to know specific candidates and the types of missions to expect from them, this scenario eases the restrictions on run time. If you want to play this scenario over an extended time slot or over two sessions to make sure none of the interactions feel rushed, please do so.
• Because we want players to get to know the candidates and understand that may take multiple play-throughs, Tomorrow’s Seekers will be a repeatable scenario.
• Though players may experience the scenario multiple times, only one vote per player counts. The First Seeker election uses ranked ballot voting.
• In late June, our First Seeker Election 2023 landing page goes live! Once it’s live, you can visit paizo.com/firstseeker for more information on how and when to vote, the First Seeker candidates, and other assets, including an in-character information flier on our candidates.
• In July, visit the com blog for a First Seeker Election roundtable! This in-character blog will give you more details on all four of our candidates, including their personalities, interests, and plans for the Starfinder Society.
• Voting begins in early August, alongside the release of Tomorrow’s Seekers at GenCon, and closes October 31st, 2023. You can cast your vote at paizo.com/firstseeker. This gives our community over two months to play Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers and cast their vote for First Seeker.
• This scenario remains playable (and repeatable) after the voting window closes, players just won’t get the opportunity to vote for the new First Seeker.
• Sometime in late 2023, we’ll reveal the results of the vote, which will help to shape the direction of season seven of the Starfinder Society, releasing in 2024.

And now, it’s my honor to present a short introduction to our four candidates for First Seeker! For more information, check out Starfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers later this summer.

Aurora Everbright, artist Nicholas Phillips

Aurora Everbright

(she/her) daring halfling pilot
Aurora Everbright is an ambitious and bold Starfinder. She’s a pilot and professional racer, and she’s quite media savvy. Aurora believes that the Starfinder Society’s achievements and heroics have gone uncelebrated—a situation she intends to remedy. Aurora has pledged to double funding for the long-running Starfinder Chronicles and to collaborate with a variety of entertainment and media partners to produce a selection of new vidcasts, documentaries, vidgames, and other media for public consumption, all centered on the heroic exploits and groundbreaking discoveries of the Starfinder Society.

Heldin Sevaile, artist Nicholas Phillips

Dr. Heldin Sevaile

(he/him) brilliant half-orc scientist
Dr. Heldin Sevaile is an intelligent and altruistic Starfinder. He’s a scientist with degrees in botany and biochemistry, and a doctorate in genetics. Dr. Sevaile plans to lead a scientific expedition to catalog the flora and fauna of the galaxy, and create a library of genetic sequences. It’s his hope that scientists and scholars the galaxy over will mine this dataset for potential new medicines and treatments. He’s promised to make any new pharmaceuticals discovered by the Starfinder Society available to the public on a non-profit basis.

Nykiti Lampadephoros, artist Nicholas Phillips

Nykiti Lampadephoros

(she/her) insightful sarcesian diviner
Nykiti Lampadephoros is an insightful and mysterious Starfinder. She’s a powerful spellcaster and diviner. Her prophecies and visions often seem frivolous or nonsensical but always prove useful in the end. Nykiti aims to investigate magical occurrences and anomalies, including Kazmurg’s Absurdity, and research the magical objects left uncatalogued in the Society’s vaults and storage spaces.

Sarmak, artist Nicholas Phillips

Sarmak

(he/him) curious izalguun electrician
Sarmak is a curious and passionate Starfinder. He’s a hunter, engineer, and electrician. He has an intense interest in ancient civilizations that built megastructures or displayed advanced technological capabilities. Sarmak is in the process of organizing an expedition to a city of the First Ones on Aballon. Exploring forgotten sites built by his people, izalguuns, is also a primary interest.

I want to give a hearty and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has and will participate in the First Seeker Election! This is an exciting event that I’m beyond honored to be a part of. I look forward to sharing more information on our candidates soon!

Until then, take care, Starfinders!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

Welcome back to the OP Monthly Update! I know we missed last month, that’s entirely my fault. I was on my honeymoon, and then we announced a little thing called the Pathfinder Core Remaster, and by the time I came up for air, it was already mid-May!

Luckily it’s smooth sailing now, which is a lie, because convention season is in full swing! As I write this blog we’re doing our final preparations for PaizoCon Online. I can’t wait for this show, and I’m so excited for our upcoming shows like UK Games Expo and Gen Con. Not to mention, this fall I’ll be heading to a few local conventions! More on that soon, hopefully. For now, I’ve got a supersized OP update to deliver, so let’s get started.

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on June 28, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-15: In Glorious Battle

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-03: Project Dawn
Starfinder Society Scenario #6-04: Secrets Long Submerged

*part of a subscription

Pathfinder Core Remaster

Last month, we announced the Pathfinder Core Remaster: an overhaul and update of our Pathfinder Second Edition ruleset, a necessary but difficult maneuver given the events of recent months. I am sure that for many of you, the first question was “how will this affect Pathfinder Society?” The short answer is: we don’t know yet! The longer answer is that these books literally don’t exist fully yet; they won’t go to the printer for another month or so. Until they do, we can’t begin to answer these questions.

Rest assured that as soon as we can, the OP team will be diving into the new rule changes to figure out how to make the updates as seamless as possible for the community. For now, I ask for your patience on this topic. There will be many questions to answer in the weeks ahead, but we’ve got a steady hand on the metaphorical tiller.

FAQ and Boon Updates

In the quiet time before convention prep, the Pathfinder Society developers and I had some time to sit down and hammer out some updates to boons available in the boon store, as well as to handle some FAQs for the program. The full updates are available on the FAQ page, but here’s a summary of the changes:

• The Second Chance boon has been updated to indicate that purchasing and using this boon also covers the cost of recovering your body and any lost possessions if necessary. If a character is undead (such as a skeleton), they can use this boon to benefit from a similar ritual to restore themselves to their previously undead state.
• Similarly, an FAQ clarifies that in the event that your character ends a scenario alive but otherwise inaccessible (such as being imprisoned or transported to another plane), the Second Chance boon can be purchased and used to return your character to safety.
• Another FAQ clarifies which version of an item or character option to use in the event the option is reprinted in another book. In short, a hardcover printing of an option is considered the standard option unless otherwise stated. This applies to both Pathfinder and Starfinder Society.
• The Secondary Initiation boon has also been clarified to cover how it handles entry requirements for organizations (it handwaves them as occurring offscreen) and which ranks PCs can choose to be within organizations (anything reasonable is fair game, but no, your PCs are not fourth-mark Firebrands).
• Finally, we have issued one minor clarification to the Magic Arrow feat from the Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide, which you can find on the Character Options page as normal.

Starfinder Society Year 6 Updates

Program Changes

SFS Year 6 launched at PaizoCon Online! Hopefully, anyway; I’m writing this before the show, so if a dinosaur attacks, someone let future me know. The following Starfinder species are now considered “always available”: gnoll, hanakan, kiirinta, quorlu, raxilite, shimreen. Players are free to build characters of these species as often as they like; as always, characters with an Admittance Boon for these species gain an additional +2 to one ability score immediately.

The Achievement Point cost for a boon to play a character of the following species has been reduced to 80 Achievement Points: astriapi, cephalume, contemplative, trox, uplifted bear, urog. Meanwhile, the following species are now playable with the purchase of a boon from the online Boon Store: entu colony, huitz’plina, grippli, kitsune, kobold, psacynoid, samsaran, scyphozoan, trinir, and tryziarka.

Finally, a few more boons have been added to the Boon Store! Starfinders who enjoy having a permanent emblem of their position can now purchase the Marked Starfinder boon for 2 AcP after playing at least one session to gain a Society Subdermal Graft. Additionally, characters can now undergo a Training Montage (or Extended Training Montage) to retrain their character’s abilities! These provide more robust retraining options than the previously available mnemonic editor. Full text of these boons, as always, can be found on the Starfinder Society FAQ page.

The Guide to Organized Play: Starfinder Society has been updated with all these changes, as well as a brand-new overhaul and visual upgrade! Incredible thanks to Jared Thaler and Peter Nalepa, both of whom have worked very hard to make the guide more user-friendly and accessible. They’ve created a feedback thread on the forums for comments or questions.

First Seeker Election

Last month we formally announced Starfinder Society #6-06: Tomorrow’s Seekers! This scenario will allow you to meet the four PCs who were selected to vie for the title of First Seeker. You may note my name on the cover as the author; I’m so excited for this adventure and for you all to meet these wonderful colorful characters!

Look for some upcoming blogs where we’ll be revealing the candidates, their platforms, and a bit more about them. Campaign season begins when the ballot opens at Gen Con (August 1–4), and the voting period will close in mid-October. If you want to cast your vote, don’t miss your chance to play the scenario in that two-month period!

Sanctioning

One of the reasons we could get away with missing April’s blog was that it was a pretty quiet month on the release front! Luckily, we’ve got some new toys for you this month!

For Pathfinder Society, this month’s new release is the brand-new standalone adventure, The Enmity Cycle. The sanctioning documents for this adventure are just waiting to be exported; once they are, we’ll be sure to add them to the product page.

On the Starfinder side, the new hardcover rulebook Starfinder Ports of Call has been released and sanctioned for play! Visit the Character Options page for all the details. While you’re there, why not check out the new options from the Drift Hackers Adventure Path, which are also now sanctioned! Chronicle sheets for players and GMs will also be available on the product page for the AP as soon as they’re exported.

Coming up next, we’ll be getting sanctioning documents out for the Free RPG Day adventures (foreshadowing for the next section)! After that, for Pathfinder Society we’ve got the Stolen Fate Adventure Path and Pathfinder Lost Omens Highhelm on the docket, and Starfinder Society will be pretty quiet until the fall!

Free RPG Day

June 24 is Free RPG Day here in the United States! This initiative provides retailers with exclusive access to free RPG products from a number of companies, including Paizo. We have two adventures in this year’s kit: A Few Flowers Morefor Pathfinder and <em>Operation: Seaside Park for Starfinder

If your store is participating in this event, sanctioning documents and chronicle sheets will be available prior to the event! You’ll be able to get credit for your Organized Play characters after participating in these adventures. Free RPG Day is a great way to kickstart a new RPG group at a store, so we encourage you all to head to a participating retailerfor the event!

GM Recognition

At PaizoCon Online last weekend, I awarded three individuals with brand new Campaign Coins and Organized Play IDs. We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay[at]paizo[dot]com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Jofiane “Fi,” who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #887
Milan Badzic, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #888
and Harmeshver “Resh” Singh, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #889

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios, as well as run between one and three games for Venture-Captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Nova for Starfinder Society and one earn their 5th Glyph for Pathfinder Society (second edition).

5th Nova (SFS): Terry T
5th Glyph (PFS2): Tim Munsie (TMun)

Congratulations to our outstanding GMs and volunteers!

Conventions

It’s convention season! As this blog is posted, I’ll be getting ready for my first games at UK Games Expo in Birmingham. It’s my first official trip abroad and I can’t wait to meet our European community! If you’re in the area, come say hi!

We've also announced PaizoCon South Pacific, running from June 30–July 2 in Sydney, Australia! While I won’t be attending (this year...), the Paizo community will be turning out for a great time.

And of course, there are tons of local conventions in your area! Check out our conventions calendar to see what events are happening near you and go roll some dice.

That’s quite enough from me—thanks for sticking with the supersized update. There’s a reason we try to do these monthly! Until next time, Explore! Report! Cooperate! And have a spot of tea!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

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

Hello, Starfinders!

PaizoCon Online 2023 is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to usher in a new season of the Starfinder Society! Welcome to the Year of Fortune’s Fall!

We’re starting this year off in style with a trip to the Grand Museum of Qabarat on the planet Castrovel! The Starfinder Society has been invited to participate in the grand opening of a new exhibit showcasing civilizations of the Vast. Create a museum display using belongings from the Scoured Stars, network with esteemed archaeologists and organizations, and enjoy the gala celebration. When some unexpected guests crash the party and attempt to rob the museum, it’s up to the Starfinders to step up and save that day!

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-01: Intro: Year of Fortune’s Fall is the first adventure in the Year of Fortune’s Fall metaplot! This repeatable scenario is written by Mahpiya and is for 1st- through 4th-level characters.

Augmented Mercenary - artist Raphael Madureira

The Drift Crisis has come to an end! …Or has it?

In the wake of the Drift Crisis, navigational anomalies have emerged. Termed “Drift lanes,” these mysterious high-speed tunnels through the Drift are static, connecting distant locations in a predictable path at faster speeds that the Drift alone could enable. It’s time to hop into your starship, explore a Drift lane, and make nice with whatever people and worlds might be on the other side! No pressure!

What’s that? You want a clue to your destination? Well, just one... The people on the other end of this Drift lane call it “Jatembe’s Jaunt.”

Oh! And keep an eye out for pirates!

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-02: Drift Scars is an adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Erin Roberts.

Xibion Councilor - artist Raphael Madureira

For those of you who’ll be participating in PaizoCon Online 2023, we’ve got one more adventure hitting gaming tables this month: Starfinder Society Special #5-99: Battle for the Bulwark! Join a fleet of Starfinders under the command of Ixthia the Unbreakable as they travel into the Vast to reclaim the Exo-Guardian fortress of Sangoro’s Bulwark! Conquered by mysterious forces in the wake of the Scoured Stars Incident, Sangoro’s Bulwark has languished for years beneath a shroud of magical darkness. The Battle for the Bulwark has begun!

Written by Lysle Kapp and Cole Kronewitter, this interactive special is designed for 1st- through 8th-level characters. For further previews, check out our previous blog post on this year’s Organized Play Interactive Events.

Alien Many Meined One - artist Felipe Fornitani

Happy gaming!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Mahja Firehair - artist Hannah Boving

Hi Pathfinders! As Jessica pointed out, we’re almost to PaizoCon, and while you’ll have to wait a bit longer than that to play our new season, we’ve still got some exciting scenarios to share!

With the coming of PaizoCon, permission has been granted by the Segadan Council to venture into the interior of Arcadia! Aware of the witch coven’s plans to steal the star gun, Pathfinder agents have been entrusted with its safety and with the knowledge of where to locate the mysterious star gunsmith and receive their help. The PCs will need to journey through the mountains with the help of their guide, and then protect the gunsmith against any possible attacks before eventually making their way to Niishan on Lake Starfall. This will be the second part of the two-part Star Gun metaplot arc in the Year of Boundless Wonder.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-13: Within the Prairies is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Marlowe Miller.

Hatahas - artist Josef Kucera

The triumphant return of everyone’s favorite genie: Safa! Having finally broken free of their binder’s chains, Safa appears to the Pathfinders in the Sedeq Lodge for a personal quest: help them capture Fasiel ibn Sazadin and see that he receives mortal justice for his crimes! The PCs must infiltrate the museum that Fasiel’s holed up in and help to free the other genies and mortals that he’s captured for his nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, Fasiel’s aware the PCs are coming and has prepared for them, with some help from his most mysterious benefactor. They’ll need to be clever, quick, and most importantly, thoughtful about each move they make in the museum…

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-14: Shattering Golden Chains is an adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Matt Duval.

Mehryar Said - artist Kevin Sardinha

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Justin Usher

After a year of wonder, of treachery, of new plots and puzzles, the Pathfinder Society emerges victorious over one of their oldest, cleverest enemies. The Society is free to look to the future and see what new adventures Golarion and beyond has in store for them! With open hands and arms, the Pathfinder Society calls upon all its agents to remember their roots. Explore! Report! Cooperate!

Behind the waterfall sits an old friend, ready and waiting for the right time to make their move.

Welcome to the Year of Unfettered Exploration!

Illustration by Justin Usher

There are ten Pathfinder Society Scenarios that influence the Year of Unfettered Exploration’s metaplots, and each will be marked with a special metaplot icon on the cover. More information about both metaplots, as well as upcoming locations and characters, will be revealed during the News from Organized Play panel at PaizoCon 2023!

The Year of Unfettered Exploration’s first metaplot kicks off with Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Unfettered Exploration, an adventure for 1st- to 4th-level characters written by Sen H.H.S. This interplanar scenario takes place during a relaxing celebration at the Grand Lodge in Absalom. This scenario debuts at Gen Con 2023 with one other Pathfinder Society Scenario.

This upcoming year is all about finding new adventures, making new friends, and discovering parts of Golarion and beyond that have yet to be seen by the Pathfinder Society!

Remember Pathfinders: Explore! Report! Cooperate!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Greetings, Paizoverse! As the warm weather rolls in and the sunlight lasts longer, we want to highlight some of our shorter adventure formats you may not be aware of! Whether you want a quick game around a campfire, your game store is looking to close its doors earlier, or you just want to try out Pathfinder and Starfinder without a four-hour commitment, these adventures are perfect for a quick trip into our worlds.

You can also find these adventures at conventions worldwide, including our major conventions like PaizoCon Onlineand Gen Con. Our developers will tell you more!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Let’s start our overview with Pathfinder Society Quests.

We’ve got a new style of Quest coming out that we’re calling “Series 2.” Unlike the older format, these are much more clearly tied to Pathfinder Society Organized Play. All of these will be written for levels 1–4, and all will be replayable. Currently, Series 2 only has Pathfinder Quest #14: The Swordlord’s Challenge, where the PCs must prove their skill against the students of a swordlord challenging Marcos Farabellus, but we’ve got more on the way.

In fact, let me announce Pathfinder Quest #15: In the Footsteps of Horror, where the PCs get drawn into an unplanned dungeon delve while on an otherwise routine mission. The goal of these products is to provide short-form content that still has enough space to tell a more involved story with room for more roleplay. Quests are also a great way to introduce newer players to Organized Play without devoting the full 4+ hours a scenario might need, and provide a way to play when that length of time simply isn’t available, like a school club or a game store that closes early. We’re putting all the polish you expect from full-length scenarios here, so I hope you all give them a shot!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Allan Santos da Silva

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With that, it’s time to leave the past behind and travel to the future, with Starfinder Bounties!

Starfinder Bounties are exciting, standalone adventures designed to be played in approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Our first eight Starfinder Bounties are written for 1st-level characters and are already available for purchase! So whether you want to track down a con artist on Absalom Station in Starfinder Bounty #1: The Cantina Job, rescue genetically reengineered extinct animals from poachers in Starfinder Bounty #4: Poacher’s Prize, explore a haunted hospital in Starfinder Bounty #5: Echoes of Woe, or escort a famous athlete on her river cruise vacation in Starfinder Bounty #7: Voyage on the River Between, Starfinder Bounties are for you! Want to start off with our latest release? Traverse the frigid glaciers of Triaxus, planet of dragons, to track down a missing explorer and find the lost lair of the white dragon Arothalos in Starfinder Bounty #8: Lost Dragon’s Legacy by Brent Bowser.

Looking for something a little higher level? No problem! Our upcoming Starfinder Bounties are all designed for 4th-level characters! Be on the lookout for the first of these adventures, Starfinder Bounty #9: Burning Ambitions by Joel Southall, releasing this summer! Sounds like the perfect time of year for a trip to the sun!

Have fun out there!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Left to right, illustrations by Bruno Senigalha and Jason Smith

Hello, Starfinders!

The Station’s abuzz with bad news today! Stories claiming that a gang of Starfinders have been stealing valuable relics and hijacking art shipments all throughout Absalom Station have been hitting the infosphere and are spreading like wildfire! Radaszam looked into it—turns out they’re a bunch of imposters! Sure, we could send a team to infiltrate this gang of fakes and shut them down, but that wouldn’t do a thing to change the media narrative. We need something big! Something flashy! Something sure to sway public opinion!

Join Radaszam in his quest for (public) redemption! Infiltrate and go undercover in a gang of Starfinder imposters, find out who’s behind their shady schemes, and reveal them to the media during a joint sting operation, planned by the real Starfinder Society and Absalom Station security. Don’t forget to smile for the cameras!

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-16: To Catch a King is the final adventure in the Year of Redemption’s Rise! This exciting scenario is written by Christopher Wasko for 5th- through 8th-level characters.

Illustrations by Tom Ventre

In brighter news, we’ve got another Starfinder Bounty coming your way!

When aged and eccentric dragonkin explorer Vidrizix goes missing on his quest to find the lair of a long-deceased dragon, his friends hire a team of brave problem solvers to brave the frigid Triaxian winter, find Vidrizix, and bring him home safe. Embark on a journey to rescue this lost explorer, find the glacial tomb of the white dragon Arothalos, and claim the lost dragon’s legacy!

Starfinder Bounty #8: Lost Dragon’s Legacy is a short adventure for 1st-level characters written by Brent Bowser.

Illustration by Jason Smith

Best of luck, Starfinders! You’re gonna need it!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Welcome, Pathfinders!

Spring is springing and new lands and adventures open themselves before us! Within the vault, a broken star gun was discovered which matches the stories from the village of Niishan in Arcadia. In order to have the gun repaired and returned, the Pathfinder Society will need to obtain permission from the council of Segada to travel the interiors of the continent. The councilors are willing to meet the Society’s representatives, though a spy may be hiding among them, hungry for information about the star gun and how it might bring power to Aslynn.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-12: Negotiations for the Star Gun is an adventure for 1st- to 4th-level characters written by Mahpiya.

Illustration by Rodrigo Gallo

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Greetings, Pathfinders!

Spring is in the air, and while we’re cleaning up our homes, we’ve also cleaned up the old quest format, with the introduction of Pathfinder Series 2 Quests!

This time we’re heading to Restov! An old friend of the Society—and an Aldori Swordlord to boot—has issued a challenge to Marcos Farabellus that her best students can outdo anyone he’s trained. Marcos chooses the PCs to defend his pride in three contests of wit, skill and, of course, battle prowess. With its two-hour format, excellent opportunities for additional roleplay, and a variety of optional challenges to increase replayability, I hope we’ve crafted an experience that’s incredibly fun for someone completely new to Organized Play, as well as the most seasoned veteran.

Pathfinder Series 2 Quest #14: The Swordlord's Challenge is an adventure for 1st- to 4th-level characters written by Tineke Bolleman.

Illustration by Allan Santos da Silva

Have fun and we’ll see you next quest!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Welcome, welcome! Gather ‘round!

Today we’re giving you a sneak peek into our two upcoming multi-table interactive events for the 2023 Paizo Organized Play season! Every year, Pathfinder Organized Play and Starfinder Organized Play each release one multi-table event that can be played with as few as three tables and well over 150+ tables at the world’s largest gaming events. These are intended to be epic adventures where players work alongside each other to accomplish monumental feats and battle great evils. In the past, these events were tied to key story points for Organized Play. In recent years, our special events have been standalone adventures that tell exciting but isolated stories, making them usable at conventions and special events for many years to come. This year, we’re continuing this trend, with two exciting interactive events that are standalone, so they can be enjoyed by anyone at any time.

Starfinder Society Special #5–99: Battle for the Bulwark debuts at PaizoCon 2023 and brings us back to a location many fans have been clamoring to learn more about: Sangoro’s Bulwark.

Sangoro’s Bulwark was once among the most fortified Starfinder Society strongholds outside the Pact Worlds. Serving as the headquarters of the Exo-Guardians faction, the massive stone and metal fortress was located on a hidden planet in the Vast surrounded by interplanar anomalies. It was impossible to locate, much less attack—or so the Exo-Guardians assumed.

Shortly after the Scoured Stars Incident, in which the majority of the Starfinder Society was trapped in a distant trinary star system, Sangoro’s Bulwark was lost to unknown forces. No distress signals or survivors ever reached Absalom Station. Fearing that the dangerous weapons, technology, and experiments stored at Sangoro’s Bulwark would fall into dangerous hands, a covert mission to the nearby site of Arsenal was sanctioned, which revealed that the Arsenal had been looted and that that Sangoro’s Bulwark was obscured by a cloak of magical darkness and would require a sizable contingent to reclaim.

Now, Ixthia the Unbreakable, leader of the Exo-Guardians factions, has organized a massive operation to reclaim Sangoro’s Bulwark, rescue any survivors, and destroy whatever foul forces dared take the lives of the Starfinders stationed there. Stand alongside Ixthia, Radaszam, and Venture-Captain Naiaj in the Battle for the Bulwark! This adventure is written by Lysle Kapp and Cole Kronewitter, and is intended for 1st- through 8th-level characters.

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Sangoro’s Bulwark - illustration by Felipe Fornitani

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Pathfinder Society Special #4-99: Blessings of the Forest debuts at Gen Con 2023 and delves into the forests of Kyonin at the behest of Queen Telandia.

Along the banks of the River Lunel, one of the many rivers that flow through Fireani Forest, sits the town of Folien. Folien is a small village, but very important as it sits on a ley line node. Specifically, the point of convergence for all of these ley lines lies within the basement of the temple to Yuelral in the center of the town. This village has existed peacefully and comfortably for decades, fostering a community of creativity and support. However, among the depths of the forest sits the Tanglebriar, and Treerazer’s appointed generals are as quickly chosen and promoted as they are demoted and thrown aside. One such shamed demon seeks her revenge on her former leader and has stolen something of great importance to him, which she plans to use to corrupt the ley lines and summon someone stronger. She’s found a willing partner in a shamed Kyonin noble, who seeks to see Kyonin as we know it destroyed and driven to its knees before him.

Queen Telandia has received word of this threat and reached out to the Pathfinder Society for assistance through the last remaining member of the Leaves of Talhindir, Venture-Captain Viore Ciobanu. Join him as he, Fola Barun, and Eando Kline make the journey to Folien and stand against the demonic forces that threaten the safety of Fireani Forest! This adventure is written by Ivis K. Flanagan and Dennis Muldoon, and is intended for 1st- through 8th-level characters.

Queen Telandia Edasseril - illustration by Vlada Hladkova

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Registration for PaizoCon Online games opens next Monday! If you haven’t already, be sure to purchase your ticket now. If you’ve never used Warhorn to sign up for games before, here’s a brief explanation on how to register for the event and sign up for your games.

What’s Warhorn?

Warhorn is an online game scheduling platform. In addition to signing up for games, you can use the Discussion tab to ask questions of your GM or fellow players. Your GM can add links to the sign-in sheet and their VTT ahead of time.

Registering on Warhorn

1. If you haven’t already, create a Warhorn account. Remember the email you used, as the PaizoCon ticket purchase process will ask for this email!
2. Visit the PaizoCon Online 2023 Warhorn.
3. In the upper right corner or on the right side of the screen, click “Register.”

That’s it! You’re now registered for the event. Clearing attendees to sign up for games is a manual process. At least once every 24 hours, we’ll go through and grant the correct permissions to every user who has bought a ticket since our last check, so please be patient!

Once you’re cleared to sign up for games, you’ll receive an email from Warhorn letting you know. In the meantime, you can view the event schedule and plan out what games you’d like to join!

Signing Up for Games

1. Navigate to the listing for the game you want to join.
2. Click “Sign Up to Play” at the top of the player list.
3. For scenarios, you’re now signed up to play! For lottery games, you’ve joined the queue to potentially be selected to play in that game.

Lottery Games

Some of our events run by Paizo staffers or community members are likely to be in very high demand, and we don’t want to limit them to the fastest clickers. As such, we’re designating some games as Lottery Games in their description. Players who are interested in a Lottery Game can sign up as normal before 9am Pacific time on May 15, 2023. On this date, the signups will be closed and the players will be randomly chosen to play. Should any of these players drop, the seat will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have any questions about the signup process, be sure to drop them in the comments, or head over to the Paizo Events Discord server. We can’t wait to see you at PaizoCon Online!

PaizoCon Online 2023 Team

OPC Musings

Happy spring, everybody! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, or at least I assume they are. I live in Seattle. That’s not how it works here.

We’ve got a busy few months coming up for Organized Play! I’m going on my honeymoon at the end of April, PaizoCon is in less than 60 days, and after that–well, you’ll see. We’re hard at working churning out the next few months of scenarios. I think you’re really going to like what we’ve got planned for you!

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on April 26, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-12: Negotiations for the Star Gun*
Pathfinder Quest (Series 2) #14: The Swordlord’s Challenge

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-16: To Catch A King*

*part of a subscription

Getting Started Pages

One of the consistent problems we’ve had in Organized Play is that there’s no one-stop overview of how our programs work to give to new players. Well…not anymore! Thanks to some help from Josh Foster, our Organized Play Developer, as well as Maryssa Lagervall and Andrew White on the tech team, I present our brand new Getting Started pages for Pathfinder and Starfinder Society! These pages are intended to give new players everything they need to get started and find their gaming group. We hope you find them useful and informative! If you see any errors or have suggestions for improvement, don’t hesitate to let us know.

Sanctioning Update

This was a big month for Organized Play sanctioning!

Pathfinder Society

For Pathfinder Society, the Gatewalkers Adventure Path recently released its final volume. Chronicle Sheets and sanctioning documents are now available on the store pages.

The big news, of course, is the sanctioning of Lost Omens: Firebrands. As I announced on the forums last week, we’re trying something new by listing the reasons why certain options aren’t permitted in the campaign. This is an experiment to see if the community can handle this feedback without using it as an invitation for debate, or as ammunition against our designers, editors and writers.

Starfinder Society

This month saw the release of the Drift Crisis Case Files! We broke from tradition slightly on this book as well by sanctioning each case file as a double-length scenario. Our hope is that doing so provides organizers with some additional content to be run at events with longer slots or over multiple weeks at a retail location. Let us know how it works for you!

Upcoming

Looking ahead, the next books on our radar are the Drift Hackers Adventure Path and Ports of Call for Starfinder. It’s likely that, due to internal issues, the Drift Hackers AP will see a slight delay from street date, but we should have it (and Ports of Call) ready by PaizoCon Online. On the Pathfinder side, the next adventure release is The Enmity Cyclein May, and we won’t have another hardcover until June with Lost Omens: Highhelm, but right now we’re on track for both of those. We’ll also be working to ensure the documents for the Free RPG Day adventures for both systems are available in time for the June 24 event!

Updates

We’ve also just pushed a couple of minor changes to the Treasure Vault items on the Pathfinder Character Options page. We added a missing access condition to the polytool to bring it in line with Lost Omens: Gods and Magic, permitted the black tendril shot thanks to errata, and removed the cassisian helmet from legality. Any character who purchased the helmet can sell it back for full price.

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

While at GenghisCon at the end of February, I was able to award a Campagin Coin. We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay@paizo.com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Zach Armstrong, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #883

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Star for Pathfinder Society (first edition) and two earn their 5th Glyph for Pathfinder Society (second edition).

5th Star (PFS1): Jerry Wayne
5th Glyph (PFS2): Doug Hahn, Michelle Moniz

Congratulations to our outstanding GMs and volunteers!

Convention News

Convention season is in full swing! Our Convention Calendar is chock-full of events from around the world, and we encourage everyone to go out and support their local shows.

PaizoCon

On the PaizoCon front, tickets for the show went on sale yesterday, and we're excited to see you all! Game signups will begin on April 10 for our GMs and April 17 for all attendees. Make sure to register on our Warhorn beforehand so we can get you set up to sign up!

We’re also excited to be partnering with KublaCon in California for PaizoCon @ KublaCon! If you’re interested in playing in physical space with the community, they’re our exclusive partner for a physical event this year. You’ll be able to play all the new PaizoCon releases, including the Starfinder Special on Saturday morning, and watch the panels from their viewing space. Tickets and hotel rooms are available now on their website, and signups for games are already open on their Warhorn.

Gen Con

This week we began signups for GMs at Gen Con Online 2023! All the information is available in our blog, but GMs will be able to run the new scenarios and be rewarded as if they were attending the event in Indianapolis, all from the comfort of their home! We look forward to seeing you all virtually, we expect a great turnout for our events this year.

For Gen Con Indy, while GM applications are still open, at this stage we may not be able to offer new volunteers badges or hotel rooms. We welcome all GM volunteers, we can always use more people interested in running tables or filling in for last-minute drops!

UK Games Expo

Finally, I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be attending UK Games Expo this year! I’ll be running a few games in our Organized Play space and otherwise just visiting the show to make connections. If you’ll be at the show as well, feel free to reach out, I’d love to say hi to our UK community!

Until next time - Explore! Report! Cooperate! and show your flair with a Pathfinder pin!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Greetings, players! The time has finally come to open volunteer applications for Gen Con Online 2023. Please read all the information in this blog before filling out the application form, and let the team know if you have any questions!

Gen Con Online 2023

Gen Con Indianapolis will take place online from August 3–6, 2023. This application is only for the online show; those interested in being part of our offerings in the Sagamore Ballroom in Indianapolis should visit our previous blog on the subject.

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're 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

Please read this important information before applying:

• Volunteer applications will be reviewed and accepted or rejected by the Gen Con Organizing Committee. Filling out this form doesn’t guarantee acceptance; you’ll receive an email with further information from the Gen Con committee.
• Gen Con Online schedules will be assigned by the committee. You’ll be asked for your preference of system and level, but you won’t 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’s a free-form field at the end of the form to enter specific requests, though there’s no guarantee they’ll be honored.
• Reward information is listed in the table below.
• 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’re considered to be committed to attending the event.
• Adventure authors interested in running tables of scenarios they’ve written should fill out the volunteer form and then follow up by emailing genconleads@gmail.com. We’ll do our best to get you slotted into your scenario if it’s on the schedule.
• Gen Con Online doesn’t accept tables run in languages other than English.
• Any questions about the GM sign-up process should be sent to the committee at genconleads@gmail.com.

Rewards Table

Blocks	Product	In-Game Reward	Voucher
6+ blocks	✓	✓	✓
5 blocks		✓	✓
4 blocks		✓	✓
3 blocks		✓	✓
2 blocks		✓	✓
1 block		✓	✓

*Definitions for rewards:

• 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 PDF copy of any Paizo product valued at $29.99 or less.
• Voucher: earn one voucher for $10 spendable on paizo.com for every block run.

Note that Gen Con Online badges are free, so GMs are asked to obtain their own badges for the show.

Gen Con Online 2023 Volunteer Application

Major Conventions Planning Server

Anybody interested in volunteering at Gen Con Online 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, Joe Blomquist, Kevin Baumann, Rebecca Fehn and Joe Mathos
Gen Con Organizing Committee

Hello, Starfinders!

Lucky you! You’ve been invited to a trendy arcade run by a famous demoscene artist and vidgame programmer, who needs volunteers to beta test his latest full-immersion virtual reality vidgame! So head on down to Hidden Escape Arcade, select the color of your squox avatar, and take a super cute (and definitely not dangerous at all*) farming simulator for a spin!

*Hidden Escape Arcade is not liable for any injuries sustained while using their full-immersion virtual reality vidgames. Please game responsibly!

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-15: Beta Test is an adventure for 11th- through 14th-level characters written by Rigby Bendele.

Enjoy!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Samuel Azeredo

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Hello, Pathfinders!

This month we’re revisiting Lumna and Venture-Captain Evni Zongnoss in order to enact the plan to save the Ardis Scholars! Using the mysterious crystal key combined with Lumna’s interdimensional powers, the Pathfinders are traveling to the mysterious and dangerous Shadow Plane and into the heart of Asylnn’s electric castle! Narcela’s there waiting to offer assistance, and the Scholars desperately need the Pathfinder’s help, with all of Aslynn’s minions and lackeys creeping around her castle. The building is filled with magical items, but you must remain focused, because Aslynn has one more trick up her sleeve…

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-11: Prisoners of the Electric Castle is an adventure for 7th- through 10th-level characters written by Jacob W. Michaels.

Have a great trip, Pathfinders!

Illustration by Ernst Eskelsen

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on March 29, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-11: Prisoners of the Electric Castle*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-15: Beta Test*

*part of a subscription

Starfinder Society Year 6

The Year of Fortune’s Fall is upon us, Starfinders! This month, Jessica announced the theme for Starfinder Society Year 6, launching at PaizoCon Online at the end of May. When a mysterious and powerful criminal syndicate, dubbed the Organization, enacts a bloody attack within the Pact Worlds, First Seeker Ehu Hadif vows to bring an end to their predations. Yet, this attack is only the opening salvo in a plot destined to doom millions.

It’s up to you to unravel the plans of the Organization and bring the group’s leaders to justice! This Organization has been waiting in the wings for years, but now they must be stopped before it’s too late!

Replays

One of the most-requested features in my time here has been the ability to replay scenarios. Whether it’s because you have another character who would fit perfectly into an adventure or just because you want to help make a table fire, this has been something players and GMs have asked for constantly. I’m delighted to tell you that, thanks to the tireless work of our tech team, this is now possible!

If you check your Organized Play account, you will see that you now have Replays available for Pathfinder Society (both first and second edition) as well as Starfinder Society. Here are the rules governing these Replays, which will be added to the Guide to Organized Play during the next update:

• All players (current and future) start with 2 replays. Current players may have obtained additional replays as a thanks for your patience while we got the system up and running. [1]
• GMs will earn one replay for each GM rank they achieve. Additionally, on January 1st of each year we will run a report to grant GMs one replay per GM rank for each active system. [2]
• Additional replays for PFS2 and SFS can be purchased at a rate of 40 Achievement Points per replay. This cost does not increase over time. Players must purchase a replay prior to completion and reporting of the scenario they are replaying.
• Players must indicate to their GM when they are using a replay. When reporting a replayed scenario, the GM should check the “Consume Replay” box next to the character’s information so they earn full credit for the scenario.
• Players who replay a scenario earn full rewards as a result of their playthrough. They get access to any boons and items on their Chronicle Sheet, as well as gold, XP and Reputation, all subject to the outcome of the scenario.
• Replays are not used when GMing a scenario; GMs will continue to earn table credit and AcP for GMing a non-repeatable scenario.
• Replays can be used on sanctioned content that is scenario-length or shorter, such as One-Shots, non-repeatable Quests and Free RPG Day adventures. Replays cannot be used on long-form content such as standalone modules or Adventure Path volumes.

[1] The formula for additional replays is 2 replays for every 50 games played or GMed in the program prior to February 18, 2023.
[2] This functionality does not exist yet, tech is currently assessing the feasibility of doing so, but I'm confident in our/their abilities. If it is infeasible to do so automatically in a short timeframe I will investigate manual solutions.

As a reminder, per the rules in the Guide to Organized Play, players must inform their GMs when they are replaying a scenario, whether it’s because they are using a Replay or because it is a Repeatable scenario they have played before. Players replaying a scenario should not use metagame knowledge to ruin the experience for first-time players.

GMs are explicitly permitted to limit signups to their tables based on non-discriminatory criteria, such as limiting a run of a scenario to first-time players if they prefer.

We’re also aware of some minor issues with reduced Achievement Points or table credit that occurred as a result of this code update. We’re digging into the exact causes but hope to have fixes rolled out very soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions about incorrect counts of any points, including Replays, don’t hesitate to email orgplayreportingerrors@paizo.com. Thank you for your patience as we made these technical updates, and enjoy the new Replays!

Starfinder Errata Updates

Last month, the Starfinder team announced a host of new errata and updates to the core Starfinder rules. Any rule changes like this are always considered to apply immediately to Starfinder Society play, so these changes are now in effect at our tables.

Additionally, some of these changes address the initial reasons we did not allow certain character options for play in Starfinder Society. We’re pleased to announce that the following options are now legal in Starfinder Society play:

• Starfinder Armory: all garottes and vibrogarottes
• Starfinder Pact Worlds: mature xenolash
• Starfinder Drift Crisis: thasphalt blaster
• Starfinder Interstellar Species: Devastating Throw, Draconic Shot, Hurl Ally, ink gland augmentation, linnormling creature companion
• Horizons of the Vast Adventure Path: Zeitgeist mystic connection

The Starfinder Society Character Options page has been updated to reflect these changes, as well as to remove some additional clarifications that are now part of the core rules.

Sanctioning

Last week, with the release of Treasure Vault, we sanctioned the options for Pathfinder Society play! Delve into the vaults and discover your new favorite items! Sanctioning is posted on the Pathfinder Society Character Options pageas usual, and boons are available in the Boon Store.

This month, we’ll be taking a look at Lost Omens: Firebrands and the Drift Crisis Case Files for Starfinder, with the goal to get sanctioning for both ready for street date.  After that, while we prepare for Starfinder Ports of Call in May, we’ll be working on the Drift Hackers and Gatewalkers Adventure Paths.

GM Recognition

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios, as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Star for Pathfinder Society (first edition).

5th Star (PFS1): Gregg Homerding

Until next time - Explore! Report! Cooperate! and enjoy revisiting some favorite scenarios!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

I am Aslynn, queen of all witch covens
Those that see me know I, hag above hags
Witch above witch, the best of them slovens
My cauldron’s full of such terrible gags
(I crush their sweet little dreams in my fist)

The Pathfinders don’t know what they’re in for
They have slayed a thousand foes and monsters
But I have slayed a million and one more
No witch as strong as me, though they posture
(No caster could ever be in my midst)

They think they can stop my terrible plans
’Cause they have my leftover goods within
Oh yes, I see you, you’re there with your plans
I have such a plan, oh where to begin?
(Oh, what a plan, how to make them assist?)

I will corrupt the Dimension of Dreams
Give them something awful to really fear
As my potion brews, prepare for my schemes
I will dream of sweet horrors as I sneer
(How they’ll spread forth, onward my dears, persist!)

And once we have taken that plane of dreams
Nightmares to brew across all their nations
I’ll rule with a cold heart and wicked teams
My daughters will conquer, such creations!
(Even my betrayer, she tried to twist)

I am Aslynn, queen of all the witches
Crone of the highest order, worst of hags
My cackle leaves all mountains in ditches
Baba Yaga dreads my name, crone in rags
(Her little brat Anna’s next on the list)

Illustration by Josef Kucera

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hello Starfinders!

Thanks to that pesky Drift Crisis, Absalom Station has become overcrowded, and the Station’s inhabitants are desperate for some breathing room. With nowhere else to go, a group of ambitious and brave refugees have founded a new district in the mysterious Ghost Levels, a move that’s dangerous, illegal, and sorely needed. Under the orders of Zigvigix and Harmony of Many, a team of Starfinders are dispatched to help the burgeoning neighborhood and safely explore the surrounding region of the Ghost Levels.

That’s where you come in! But step lightly—the fate of the district (and further exploration rights) hangs in the balance.

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-14: Ghost Level Delve is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Michael Bramnik.

Left to right, Ilustrations by Fabio Di Bernardi and Samuel Jr.

But that’s not all! We’re also releasing a Starfinder Bounty this month! When famed brutaris player Visavra embarks on a much-needed vacation with her best friends, her over-protective parents hire a team of bodyguards to keep her safe. Hop aboard a luxury yacht, travel the Diaspora’s River Between in style, and escort this sports star to her hotel on frozen Nisis! What could possibly go wrong?

Starfinder Bounty #7: Voyage on the River Between is a short adventure for 1st-level characters written by Mahpiya.

Enjoy!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Hello Pathfinders! Welcome to February. What a month we have for you!

Out in Razmiran, Pathfinder agents have begun to vanish, leaving Venture-Captain Narsen anxious about his position not only within the country, but also within the Pathfinder Society. These murders have been happening at the hands of a mysterious vampire, leading investigators deep into the Exalted Wood. It’s up to a group of Pathfinders to travel into the woods, find the killer, and solve the murders—all while Razmiri politics play in the background. A strange possible ally awaits you, along with all of the answers you may or may not want!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-09: Killer in the Golden Mask is an adventure for 5th- through 8th-level characters written by Michael Sayre.

Left to Right: Ilustrations by Marko Horvatin and Nicolas Espinoza

For our more junior teams, we’re back in Nex! Arclord Alyreha has recovered her memories and knowledge of magic, so now it’s time to make sure she gets her home back! Some of Alyreha’s old enemies infiltrated her home and set off all the defenses, so now it’s up to the Pathfinder Society to help her clear them out while she refortifies her home and magic. However, it looks like someone very familiar to the Pathfinders may be waiting up in the tower…

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-10: Arclord’s Abodehttps://paizo.com/products/btq02e8w?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-410-Arclords-Abode is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Isis Wozniakowska.

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Samuel Jr.

The Starfinder Society stands proud and united, yet trouble gathers on the horizon. When a mysterious and powerful criminal syndicate, dubbed the Organization, enacts a bloody attack within the Pact Worlds, First Seeker Ehu Hadif vows to bring an end to their predations. Yet, this attack is only the opening salvo in a plot destined to doom millions. It’s up to you to unravel the plans of the Organization and bring the group’s leaders to justice! Will the Starfinder Society emerge triumphant, or will the Organization be our downfall?

Welcome to the Year of Fortune’s Fall!

Illustration by Samuel Jr

There are seven Starfinder Society Scenarios that directly influence the Year of Fortune’s Fall metaplot. Like last year, each will be marked with a special metaplot icon on the cover.

The Year of Fortune’s Fall metaplot kicks off with Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Fortune’s Fall, an adventure for 1st- to 4th-level characters written by Mahpiya. This exciting scenario is centered on a gala celebration hosted by the Grand Museum of Qabarat on Castrovel. This scenario debuts at PaizoCon 2023, alongside one other Starfinder Society Scenario.

With the launch of Year 6, the following species will become “always available” for Organized Play: gnoll, hanakan, kiirinta, quorlu, raxilite, and shimreen. Four other species will become purchasable with Achievement Points: kobold, psyacnoid, scyphozoan, and uplifted bear. Additionally, many species that were showcased in Starfinder Interstellar Species, such as contemplative and urog, will have their AcP cost reduced.

Finally, I'm pleased to announce that candidates for the upcoming First Seeker election have been selected. We’re excited to reveal these candidates and their ambitious goals in the near future. Stay tuned!

Take care, Starfinders! May fortune favor you.

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

New players can read about the story so far and start playing Starfinder Society today at StarfinderSociety.club.

Nixret sighed as she entered the expansive aviary, and immediately cringed at the cacophony of bird calls assaulting her pounding head. She—a kobold with mottled emerald and jade scales, dressed in the plain grays of a Pathfinder initiate—stood before one of the Scrolls’ many gardens of wonder, this one devoted to the production of feather tokens. Her task this morning, much to her dismay, was to tend to it. On her own.

“It’s not even a real garden,” she complained to no one in particular. “Why do they even call it that?” She took a seat on a decorative boulder, nursing her hangover from the night before, one she had yet to even sleep off. It made every merry tweet and call from the countless birds grate on her ears like sharp wire. “Oh, we have to sneak out for Longnight, they said. It’s completely different in the Foreign Quarter, they said. Master Shaine will never know, they said. Cowards. Didn’t even show up, and now I’m the one with extra chores.”

Illustration by Valeria Lutfullina

She gave a brief snort. She’d been so sure that she’d been utterly silent when returning from the revelry of Longnight, but even as she surreptitiously crawled back into the initiate barracks, there Kreighton Shaine had been, sitting right on the other side of the open window. As initiates were not allowed off the grounds of the Grand Lodge except with permission, she had expected a scolding. What she got instead was a series of impromptu haiku, about birds of all things. And just when she thought the eccentric Dean of the Scrolls was going to let her off without even a warning, she was assigned to tend to… this. Alone.

Nixret sighed again as she looked at the countless birds before her. Usually, it took half a dozen initiates to tend to a garden of wonder. All alone, the exhausted kobold dragged herself off her rock and began to collect feathers from the ground.

The Scrollmaster, strange as he could be at times, was always very clear that the materials gathered from the gardens were to be carefully collected and sorted, as Pathfinder agents being sent out on missions would often receive them as gifts to help keep them safe. As she methodically picked up feather after molted feather, her thoughts turned to two and a half years ago, when Nixret, starry-eyed, had dreamed of being one of those adventurers. She’d left the Sewer Dragons to join the Society, practically shouting to the other kobolds that she’d become a legend by the time they saw her again.

She chuckled to herself, picking a golden feather from the floor. “I expected danger and discovery, not lectures and chores. Yet here I am, cleaning up after a flock of enchanted birds.” She shook her head, though immediately regretted the act thanks to her headache. “Hardly the work of a hero-to-be.”

Still. She knew that the agents really did depend on these materials, and even though the task was tedious, she did not want to let them down. After all, within the coming year she would have her own initiation, and then, finally, she would be the one on heroic adventures, her name read across the lands in one of the Chronicles.

Perhaps, though, until then she’d think twice about sneaking out. Master Shaine might be permissive, but he also has an infuriating tendency to be exactly where you least expect to find him. And tending to squawking birds while hungover was worse than any angry lecture she could have imagined.

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Carol Azevedo

Heya!

So, people have asked me “Will Pathfinder Society players get to use the Gardens of Wonder from Pathfinder Treasure Vault? The answer is “You already have been the entire time!” In PFS, every character gets some free consumables for each adventure, usually from the Pathfinder school they’re associated with (Scrolls, Spells, or Swords). These consumables don’t carry over between adventures and are provided so that adventuring Pathfinders always have a little something extra beyond their standard kit, essentially drawing from Gardens built and funded by the Pathfinder Society. The expiration date and non-transferrable nature of the consumables help encourage PCs to use them rather than selling them into the “weapon upgrade slush fund” or holding onto them so long that they pass the level range in which the items would be most useful.

What this all means is that Pathfinder Society players got Gardens of Wonder way before everyone else! “But Mike,” you say, “School consumables in PFS last the whole session and Garden of Wonder consumables last a day, how could these be the same thing?” The answer is that the limitations on how long the consumables last is something that every GM can, and should, feel free to adjust for their players based on the type of game they run. PFS consumables essentially last for “one 4-hour gaming session”, a unit of measurement that’s standardized for organized play, but which doesn’t necessarily work with the playstyles or gaming sensibilities of every home group. If the way PFS handles things fits the adventures you run better than the default presented, use it! They’re the same concept with the same goals, just tailored for different purposes. Don’t be afraid to make the game your own!

Michael Sayre
Design Manager
Paizo Inc.

Hello, Starfinders! Welcome to 2023! It’s been an eventful start to the year and now, more than ever, I’m proud to be a part of this community and the Paizo team.

This month we’re diving back into our metaplot when First Seeker Ehu Hadif dispatches a team of brave Starfinders to find and explore a missing colony in the Vast. Abandoned by the Pact Worlds, erased from all official records, and silent for nearly a century—it’s up to you to find the forgotten! Their fate is in your hands.

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-13: Finding the Forgotten is an adventure for 7th- to 10th-level characters written by Kate Baker and Dennis Muldoon.

Enjoy!

Jessica Catalanl
Starfinder Society Developer

Left to right: Snapping Turtle automaton illustration by Beto Lima and monsterous bear illustration by Blake Davis

Hello, Pathfinders!

First off, happy new year! We hope you enjoyed your holidays!

This month we’re getting back to the Thuvian desert! A group of people have gathered around Star’s dig site, hoping to gain information from them or have Star ally with their organization. However, Aslynn has her eyes (and her spy!) set on taking Star as a new weapon and ally for her nefarious plans. It’s up to the Pathfinders to not only convince Star of their good intentions, but also to protect them when attacked by multiple villains!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-08: Battle for Star’s Fate is an adventure for 3rd- to 6th-level characters written by Alex Speidel.

Have fun and we’ll see you next month!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

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But wait, there’s more news! For some reason, orcs seem to have become very popular with our community lately. While we figure out why, we’ve decided to bend to your whims this once.

As of today, the orc ancestry/species is now always available for both Pathfinder and Starfinder Society! Our oracles indicate a striking number of these new adventurers will be trained in Legal Lore or have the Profession (lawyer) skill. Adventure onward!

Illustration by Sandra Duchiewicz

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

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

Greetings, players! Somehow, it’s once again time to start recruiting volunteers for our major conventions! At this time, we’re opening applications for PaizoCon Online 2023. Information on Gen Con Indy, 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!

PaizoCon Online 2023

PaizoCon Online 2023 will take place online from May 26-30, 2023. We are not planning a physical component to the show at this time. New content at this show will include the launch of Starfinder Society Year 6, the new Starfinder Society interactive special, and new Pathfinder Society scenarios.

We’re 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

Please read this important information before applying:

• Volunteer applications will be reviewed and accepted or rejected by the PaizoCon Organizing Committee. Filling this form out does not guarantee acceptance; you will receive an email with further information from the PaizoCon committee.
• Unlike previous PaizoCon Onlines, we will be assigning GMs to games based on their indicated preferences in the application form. There will not be a later signup date for GMs to select their games.
• 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 March 1. 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!
• Adventure authors interested in running tables of scenarios they have written should fill out this form and then follow up by emailing paizoorgplayhq@gmail.com. Anybody interested in running games outside of the Organized Play offerings (such as Infinite content, homebrew content, or games from other publishers) should email paizocon@paizo.com for more information about scheduling your offerings.
• Any questions about the GM signup process should be sent to the committee at paizoorgplayhq@gmail.com.

Rewards Table

Blocks	PDF Product	Player Badge	Early Sign-Up Access	In-Game Reward	Voucher
7+ blocks	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

*Definitions for rewards:

• Player Badge: a badge for the duration of the event. GMs must have a Player badge before registering to play games.
• 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.
• PDF Product: a PDF of any Paizo product valued at $29.99 or less. Some conventions will have specific products to choose from.
• Voucher: earn one voucher for $10 spendable on paizo.com for every block run.

Important Dates

Please note that these dates are tentative and subject to change.

• April 10 (Mon): Early player signups begin for GMs
• April 17 (Mon): Player signups begin for all badge holders; VIP table signups begin

PaizoCon Online 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

Ivis Flanagan, Mike Bramnik and David Peever
PaizoCon Online Organizing Committee

OPC Musings

Well would you look at that number at the top, it’s already 2023! Don’t forget to date your checks correctly, I know I’m forever scribbling out the previous year for the first month or so.

I’m very excited for what’s coming in 2023. Obviously we have some fantastic products coming down the line, but I’m even more excited about the future of Organized Play. We’ve got two great metaplots in the works for you, and we’re going to be working hard to make the program even better this year. It’s a new year and we’ve got a lot to talk about already, so let’s dive right in!

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on January 25, 2023.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-08: Battle for Star's Fate*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-13: Finding the Forgotten*

*part of a subscription

Pathfinder Core Rulebook Errata

Earlier this week, the Rules & Lore team announced a new errata policy, as well as posting some new changes to the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. Obviously these changes are going to affect Pathfinder Society play, so here’s how to handle them:

• All new rule changes in the 4th printing of the Core Rulebook are in effect immediately.
• Dust of disappearance has been made uncommon. Any character who previously purchased the item may keep it. It will be added to the Avid Collector - Core Rulebook boon for future purchases and characters.
• The horse animal companion rules have been updated, and apply immediately. Any character who no longer wants a horse animal companion may freely change their animal companion to a new animal. Retraining out of an animal companion entirely follows the normal rules for retraining.
• The alchemist class updates provide a number of changes and upgrades. Any alchemists built under the old rules can freely retrain their research field and any feats except those that specifically prohibit doing so (such as lineage feats). Any items purchased with gold can be sold back for the full purchase price. Retraining out of the alchemist class entirely can only be done with the normal retraining rules.
• The Core Rulebook now allows all characters to take two free ability boosts instead of the printed options for their ancestry. Newly created characters in Pathfinder Society may use this rule; previously built characters may not unless they rebuild the character from scratch with a boon.
• However, to retain the legality of numerous existing characters, the Pathfinder Society campaign will continue to offer the Voluntary Flaws optional ruleset and retain the text within the Guide to Organized Play.

Once again, these changes go into effect immediately. Please let us know if you have any questions or if we missed any updates that you’re not sure how to handle!

The Replacement of Ehu Hadif

This is your final reminder that if your character is interested in becoming the new First Seeker, time is running out! The deadline to purchase the First Seeker Candidate boon and send in your information is January 16, 2023. This is a hard deadline; after this date, submissions will be closed and we’ll begin to review the candidates and make decisions.

Toys of Boundless Wonder

Last month, multiple regions and local game stores came together for our Toys of Boundless Wonder event to play games and boost donations for Toys for Tots. The event was a smash success, with over 60 tables during the two-week event and 18 simultaneous tables playing this year’s Pathfinder Society Special! There’s a full writeup on the League of Aroden site, which I encourage you all to check out, but I wanted to include some photos here. Stay tuned for details on next year’s event!

Left to Right, photos taken by Ryan Youngbar and Trevor Peryea

Left to Right, photos taken by Patrick McElfresh and Zach Davis

Sanctioning Update

Last month, we posted boons to unlock various character options from the Blood Lords Adventure Path! Your characters can now take the Ashes mystery, cast new and horrifying spells, and more! We also updated the text of the Undead Companions boon from Pathfinder Book of the Dead to incorporate some undead companions from this Adventure Path. The full text of these boons is, as always, available on the Pathfinder Society FAQ page.

Looking ahead, the next two projects on our radar are the Fists of the Ruby Phoenix Adventure Path compilation, as well as Pathfinder Treasure Vault. Right now we’re on track to have sanctioning for both books available on their release!

GM Recognition

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Glyph for PFS2. Congratulations!

5th Glyph (PFS2): Bill Tobin

Conventions

With a new year comes new conventions! Our convention calendar is already looking rather full in January, and February and March are starting to fill out as well. Check it out and see if there are any conventions in your area to play Pathfinder and Starfinder Society!

I’m also pleased to announce two more conventions where I’ll be making an appearance!

First, I’ll be attending DunDraCon in Los Angeles, California, from February 17¬–20. It’s my first official trip to California and my first time in Los Angeles, so I’m excited to spend Presidents Day with our LA lodge!

After that, I’ll immediately be heading to Denver for GenghisCon the next weekend, February 23–26! The Mile High City is host to one of the Great Plains’ premiere conventions, and both Tonya Woldridge and I will be attending.

If you’re in the area of either of these shows, I encourage you to come out and say hi! Visiting local shows is one of my favorite parts of my job, and it’s wonderful to see the various communities come together.

Finally, for those of you eager to volunteer at Gen Con or PaizoCon this year, come back to the blog next week for some more news…

I’ll see you next week for more! Until then—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And have fun in the desert!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hello, Starfinders! This month we embark on a rescue mission to find an old friend: Envar Tamm! Another year has passed and Ilia Tamm, CEO of Arch Energy Consortium, has been unable to locate her wayward son. Now an extreme travel vlogger and a thrill-seeking social media influencer, Envar has been gallivanting across the galaxy, seeing the sights and stirring up trouble. Armed with knowledge of his travels, a team of Starfinders heads out to track down Envar and bring him home—or at least bring a message back to his mother!

Ilustration by Luiz Lanzarin

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-12: Envar’s Expeditions is a repeatable adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Kendra Leigh Speedling. Set in Near Space, the Starfinders visit four of six destinations during each playthrough, including the colossi-racked planet of Daimalko, the stormy island of Prozbyra on Gaskar III, the lightless world of Nemenar, the beaches of volcanic Pakahano, Vesk-4’s notorious Spinebreaker, and my personal favorite: the seaside town of Gruddonar on Varturan! So pack your bags and get ready for adventure!

Enjoy your travels!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Hello there, Pathfinders!

This month we’re heading to the Grand Bazaar in Absalom to help sort some of the many magical objects we received from the Onyx Alliance! With help from our wonderful friends, Biglock and Mr. Glovely, we launch into an adventure to interact with some of the most interesting shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar and bring about some of the strangest objects we’ve interacted with yet!

Illustration by Wassim Adkhal

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-07: A Most Wondrous Exchange! is a repeatable adventure for 5th- through 8-8th level characters, written by Kendra Leigh Speedling. Set in Absalom’s Grand Bazaar, the Pathfinders must work together to seek the origins of four out of six treasures, ensure that their mysteries are solved and guarantee that they end up in the hands of the bazaar’s most capable shop owners. It’s certain to be a most exciting adventure!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

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This blog is our last of the year – not just for the Organized Play team, but for all of us here at Paizo. Thank you all so much for a wonderful 2022! We hope the holiday season leads to joy, laughter and dice rolling for each and every one of you.

For all of us here at Paizo, thank you and we’ll see you in 2023!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Greetings, players! I’m pleased to let you know that the wheels have already begun to spin up for 2023’s convention season.

For our major shows (such as PaizoCon and Gen Con), we have a volunteer organizing committee that runs our organized play space. This group works closely with me, as the Organized Play Coordinator, to determine the schedule, recruit GMs, and get them everything they need to make the show a success!

Illustration by Lucas Villalva Machado

While we’re still finalizing what our presence looks like for Gen Con, we know we’re going to need a few new members of our leadership team. Applications for these positions are open until January 1, 2023. After that, I’ll anonymize the submissions and discuss them with our existing Gen Con Committee.

Please note that joining a leadership team is a significant commitment, as there is a lot of preparation work to do to get ready for a show. More information about the leadership team’s responsibilities and rewards are available in this document. If you’re not already a Venture Officer, we’ll be asking you to sign a volunteer agreement stating that you agree to these commitments. Note that anybody is free to apply for a committee; we welcome those who are not already Venture Officers!

Gen Con 2023 is seeking applicants for the following positions:

Online Committee Member

We’re looking to add one member whose sole responsibility will be to focus on Gen Con Online. This position is not required to attend the show in Indianapolis (and in fact, it will be much easier if they don’t). We’re asking them to oversee operations via our Discord during the show: coordinating with HQ, ensuring GMs have what they need, and taking responsibility for the Organized Play-related activities. It’s a tall order, so we’re looking for someone experienced with online conventions.

Academy Assistant

The Pathfinder and Starfinder Academies are our programs designed to teach young players (under the age of 18) about our games in a safe, family-friendly environment. We’re looking for someone who wants to learn about this program this year, with the goal of training them to take over next year. As a result, we’re looking for applicants willing to take on a multi-year commitment for this position. The ideal candidate enjoys working with children and families and can mentor GMs on playing with young children. A background check is required for this position at the applicant’s expense; this is only required once the position is offered and accepted, and previous checks (such as from a teaching or youth group) will be accepted.

Headquarters Department Head

At major conventions, we have a team of HQ volunteers whose task is to support GMs, answer questions from players, and muster players to tables. The HQ staff is the backbone of our conventions, and we can’t run a show without them. We’re looking for someone to serve as our Department Head for this team. They’ll work to train our in-person HQ staff on best practices, serve as backup for the team in the event of issues, and document methods for future conventions. The ideal candidate has experience with running HQ at larger conventions and is able to train new staffers quickly.

If you’re interested in any of these positions, please fill out the form below! If necessary, we’ll contact applicants with follow-up questions and notify all applicants of their status before the end of January. We’re looking forward to working with you at the Best Four Days in Gaming!

APPLICATION LINK

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hi! Those of you who have been watching the credits of recent products or the discourse on social media may have noticed some shake-ups in Paizo’s staff recently.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve done some restructuring on the editorial team, and we’ve also welcomed many new faces. This restructuring includes reorganizing the designers, developers, and creative directors into three broad teams: the Narrative Team, led by me (Linda); the Rules and Lore team, led by Michael Sayre; and the Starfinder Team, led by Thurston Hillman.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to the narrative team. The narrative team is responsible for all Pathfinder adventures, including Adventure Paths, standalone Pathfinder Adventures, and Pathfinder Society. The team also includes Starfinder Society due to its close connections to Pathfinder Society through our Organized Play programs.

And without further ado, here’s who’s who in their own words, as well as how to contact each of us.

Jessica Catalan

Hi everyone! I’m Jessica Catalan and I’m the Starfinder Society Developer! I’m thrilled to be in charge of planning, outlining, assigning, and developing our Starfinder Society Scenarios, Starfinder Bounties, and our upcoming Starfinder Society Specials. In addition to working at Paizo full-time, I’m a frequent freelance author for the Pathfinder and Starfinder RPGs. Outside of writing, I love reading and playing board games. I live in wonderful Winnipeg, Canada with my husband, two kids, and pet rabbit. You can follow me on twitter @d20diaries. If you’re interested in writing a Starfinder Bounty or Starfinder Society Scenario, reach out to me at jessica.catalan@paizo.com.

Take care, folks!

John Compton

I’m John Compton, a senior developer currently working on Pathfinder’s Adventure Paths. Previously, I’ve overseen various organized play programs’ creative content and most recently co-led Starfinder’s hardcover book production, and it’s great to be revisiting adventure design on the narrative team (starting with the recently announced Sky King’s Tomb adventures). I love a good intrigue, heist, investigation, or adventure sandbox, and I’m excited about the to-be-announced stories we have in the works. While my assignments are few and far between, I’m always interested in meeting and training up our game’s next authors. You can contact me at john.compton@paizo.com.

When I’m not playing or creating RPG content in the Seattle area, I’m usually gardening, spoiling my friends’ various pets, socializing on Discord (I’m in the Pathfinder RPG and Starfinder RPG servers), dissecting whatever narrative media I consume, or learning eclectic trivia that then seeps into my professional writing.

Josh Foster

Greetings Pathfinders and Starfinders! I’m Josh Foster, a Pathfinder Society Developer. I’m full of ideas for short adventures and can’t wait to get them on the page. I’ll be the one outlining, assigning, and developing new Pathfinder Quests—and I’m extremely excited that Quests are coming back. I’ll also be working on non-metaplot scenarios for both Pathfinder and Starfinder Societies (though mainly Pathfinder), as well as helping the narrative team with the metaplot whenever they need my overly-caffeinated input.

I’ve been a mainstay of Pathfinder Society play since way back toward the launch of the campaign. I’m a five-star GM, have helped run the Pathfinder Society programs at several stores, and served as a Venture-Lieutenant in Georgia. When not playing tabletop RPGs, I spend way too much time playing Final Fantasy XIV. I’m now living in downtown Seattle with my amazing wife and our adorable dog.

If you’re interested in writing a quest or scenario, you can contact me at joshua.foster@paizo.com.
Good gaming everyone!

Vanessa Hoskins

I’m Vanessa Hoskins, a Developer on the Narrative Team, and I get to assign talented freelancers to help shape the stories we tell on Golarion (and beyond?). I’ll be outlining, assigning, and developing long-form adventures and their backmatter. This includes Adventure Paths and standalone adventures.

In addition to serving on the board of directors at the Know Direction Network, I’m a cast member on the Adventurous! actual play. I also co-author Vellum & Lace, the first piece of serialized Pathfinder fiction on Pathfinder Infinite, with Helen Savore. Finally, I recently started Ninja Cat Games, an indie video game studio. I do all of this while living in Indiana with my brilliant wife and our adorable dog.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NinjaCatVanessa
Mastodon: https://dice.camp/@ninjacatvanessa
Contact me about work here: vanessa.hoskins@paizo.com

James Jacobs

Ahoy! I’m James Jacobs, Creative Director for the Pathfinder narrative team. I’ve been with Paizo for about a year less than Paizo’s been a thing, and over the past 19 and a half years have worn enough hats in the editorial department to make a whole family of ettins with chimera pets proud! Going forward, my focus will be on guiding the stories for all of the Pathfinder adventures Paizo will be producing, along with actually developing adventures for both the standalone line and the Adventure Path line. I’m hoping to be able to chat soon about some fun things we’ve got planned as the Adventure Path nears its 200th volume, and some new and exciting stuff we’ll be doing on the standalone adventure side. I’m also involved in other narrative-based things you’ll see coming from Paizo or our partners when it comes to stories beyond adventures.

As for myself? I’m from a small town, Point Arena, on the remote coast of northern California, but for the past half of my life I’ve been living up north in the Seattle hinterlands. (And yes, there’s a fair amount about the town of Sandpoint that’s inspired from my hometown… although we do have fewer goblins living there, especially since I moved up north!) I’m sort of a social media recluse, but I’m pretty active here on our message boards, and have started to de-lurk over on Reddit’s 2nd Edition Pathfinder page as well. Feel free to drop me a message anytime in either place, or shoot me an email at james.jacobs@paizo.com. I try to answer quickly, because who knows if I’ll get distracted chasing a bigfoot or chupacabra or mothman ten minutes from now and… wait… WHAT’S THAT NOISE! THAT HAND AT THE WINDOW……

Shay Snow

Hello, friends! I’m Shay Snow, one of the new developers for Pathfinder Society! You’ve probably seen my writing floating around, as I’ve been freelancing with Paizo since 2020 and was previously a member of Paizo’s fantastic editing team since October 2021!

While I’ve written two Starfinder Society scenarios, I’m quite new to Organized Play. However, the Emerald City Lodge has been extremely welcoming and willing to show me the ropes! I’ve enjoyed running and attending games, and I love the chance to interact with Paizo fans on the ground and get their opinions on the game and the Society. (Yes, you can tell me about your level 12 champion of Shelyn! But in exchange you must listen to me talk about my level 4 rogue!)

I’m from Watauga, Texas, a suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth, and I moved to Washington in February of 2022. I’m Native American, mixed Caddo and Swampy Cree. When not centered on tabletop games, I’m usually consuming horror content and spending time with my spouse and two cats, Beans and Sweet Corn. The best place to find me outside of my home office is on Twitter @spellsinsugar, or you can email me at shay.snow@paizo.com!

Linda Zayas-Palmer

Hi, I’m Linda Zayas-Palmer, the manager of the narrative team. My job mostly involves logistical tasks like scheduling, training, and reviewing text from developers.

I’ve been a fan of Paizo’s adventures since Pathfinder First Edition came out. The story of Rise of the Runelords inspired my home group to make the jump to Golarion, and Council of Thieves was my first-ever campaign as a GM. As for Organized Play, after positive experiences with the community at my first GenCon, I wound up joining the Boston Lodge as a player, GM, and eventually Venture-Lieutenant. Paizo’s adventures and the community around them have brought so much joy and togetherness to my life, and it’s a privilege to be part of the team that brings those kinds of experiences to the world.

In addition to my day job, I also do freelance writing for Pathfinder and Starfinder. Some of my recent projects include the raxilite section of Starfinder Interstellar Species and the final part of Roll for Combat’s Jewel of the Indigo Isles Adventure Path. Every Tuesday at 7pm Pacific and Saturday at 10am Pacific, I stream on Twitch together with former Paizo design manager Mark Seifter, under Arcane Mark (twitch.tv/arcanemark). Outside of Paizo and its products, I enjoy reading, math, teaching, solving puzzles, playing video games, watching anime, and singing.

I don’t engage much with social media, but if you’d like to reach out to me, you can email me at linda.zayas-palmer@paizo.com, or join Arcane Mark’s discord server at tiny.cc/arcanemark.

Jessica Catalan
Developer

John Compton
Senior Developer

Josh Foster
Developer

Vanessa Hoskins
Developer

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Shay Snow
Developer

Linda Zayas-Palmer
Development Manager

Greetings Pathfinders!

I’m excited to announce that we’ve decided to bring back a bit of a blast from the past: Pathfinder Quests!

Illustration by Lucas Villalva Machado

Our Pathfinder Bounties have served the purpose of short, standalone adventures since 2020. With 2023 on the horizon, however, we’ve decided that a product with a bit more length would give you all more of what you want. What that means for all of you is that, rather than new Pathfinder Bounties, you’ll soon be getting new Quests, each designed to take around two hours. (Intrepid Starfinders, you’ll still get new Starfinder Bounties, though). This will allow us to give the adventures more in-depth stories while still giving you something that can be played under strict time constraints.

The biggest difference is that Quests will be tied more deeply into Pathfinder Society than Bounties, and much like Pathfinder Society Scenarios will assume your PCs are all Pathfinders. They will reward half as much credit as a scenario—2 XP, 5 treasure bundles, and 2 reputation. Quests will have level ranges similar to scenarios. For example, the first one we’re working on is for levels 1–4. It’s set to come out in April (and might involve an Aldori swordlord). In addition to that quest, we’re aiming to have two others out by the end of 2023.

I can’t wait to show you some of the ideas we’ve got in the works for these, and I hope you enjoy playing them as much as we enjoy working on them!

Wishing you all a great holiday season!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

Happy Kuthona, players! Whether you celebrate Winter Week, First Choices, Crystalhue, Renewal or any other holiday, this time of year is one to gather with friends and family (safely) and enjoy the holidays. I hope you’re all looking forward to your favorite holiday traditions!

This month’s update may be a quiet one, but I assure you that we’re anything but quiet behind the scenes. We’ve started planning for 2023 conventions and over the past couple of weeks, I’ve also heard the pitches for the new seasons of Pathfinder and Starfinder Society. I think you’re all really going to like what we have planned for next year!

I don’t think I have another blog where I get to talk to you all directly before the holiday break, so before I go, let me just say: thank you all so much for your support of our games. We love what we do, each and every one of us, and I’m so lucky that my job puts me in such close contact with our community. I get to hear stories from your tables and experience firsthand the joy that gaming brings. I hope you all have wonderful gaming plans for the holidays, and that your cup runneth over in the new year.

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on December 14, 2022. Note the early date due to the holidays!

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-07: A Most Wondrous Exchange!*

Pathfinder Bounty #21: Against the Unliving

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-12: Envar’s Expeditions*

Starfinder Bounty #6: Songbird Rescue

*part of a subscription

The Replacement of Ehu Hadif

For those of you with Starfinder Society characters interested in becoming the new First Seeker, time is running out! The deadline to purchase the First Seeker Candidate boon and send in your information is January 16, 2023.

We’ve got quite a few candidates already, but the more the merrier! We welcome all entries and look forward to hearing about your characters.

PaizoCon Online 2023

Prior to Thanksgiving, we announced that PaizoCon 2023 will be an online-only event. We’re already hard at work planning the show, but we’re looking for attendee feedback on what you’d like to see next year! Please head over to last week’s blog post and drop your thoughts in the comments.

I can already tell you that we’ll be premiering our new Starfinder Society season and interactive special, as well as launching some new Pathfinder Society content as well. We’re looking forward to Memorial Day weekend!

Sanctioning Update

November was a very busy month for us, with major releases across both our product lines.

For Pathfinder Society, Pathfinder Lost Omens Impossible Lands is now sanctioned for play! The new ancestries are available in the boon store and the options are listed on the Character Options page. Next on our radar is reviewing the character options from the Blood Lords Adventure Path, which we hope to add via boons in the boon store. We’re also starting the process of sanctioning Pathfinder Treasure Vault, which has set a record for “most individual character options in a single book” for this edition.

One note on the Impossible Lands sanctioning: we initially listed the kashrishi’s Community Knowledge feat as Restricted. However, the community pointed out that it’s identical to the android’s Nanite Surge feat, which is legal, so we’re changing Community Knowledge to be legal as well.

Over in the Pact Worlds, Starfinder Interstellar Species is now sanctioned for use in Starfinder Society play! Enjoy the new evolutionist class as well as new options themed around 25 fan-favorite species with the sanctioning on the Character Options page. Additionally, Starfinder Adventure To Defy the Dragon is now sanctioned for credit! Players and GMs earn one level of credit for playing this adventure.

GM Recognition

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Glyph for PFS2.

5th Glyph (PFS2): Emese Kollár

Until next time, Explore! Report! Cooperate! And stay warm out there!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Greetings, Pathfinders and Starfinders! Today is Thanksgiving here in the United States. This year, I’m thankful for so much. We were able to return to physical conventions this year, and we pulled off a successful PaizoCon and Gen Con in-person in addition to their online counterparts. I got to travel to several local conventions and spend time with even more of you at your home events, and our Paizo family continues to grow with new hires.

Most of all, I’m thankful for how generous our community continues to be. Each year, we have dozens of charity events that raise money for worthy causes, and I wanted to take today to recognize some of them!

Illustration by Lucas Villalva Machado

Emerald Con, April 1–3
Right in Paizo’s backyard, this event raised $5,005 for Food Lifeline, which distributes meals to food banks, shelters and meal programs. This year’s event is in-person and online next weekend, and spots are still available!

Cosmic Crittercon 5, April 29-May 1
This year, the Crittermanders raised $5,943 for Doctors Without Borders, and once again enjoyed cookies while they did so!

GlyphCon, May 6–8
The Canadian community in Alberta raised $450 for The Hub homeless shelter in Leduc, Alberta!

Gen Con 2022, August 4–7
Our charity auction this year featured boons, custom earrings and dice bags, and signed copies of hardcover books. We raised $5,856 for The Patachou Foundation, which provides daily meals and learning experiences to underprivileged children.

SkålCon 2022, September 30–October 2
SkålCOnline, November 11–13
These two conventions in Minneapolis raised over $4400 to benefit Tubman, a local shelter, and Pawsitivity Service Dogs, which rescues dogs and trains them to act as service dogs.

Crittacon 2022, October 13–16
The Italian PFS community came together and raised €187 to improve food storage in Malawi and provide school meals in South Sudan. This funding will cover more than 200 shared meals!

Gobloween 2022, October 28–30
Boys and girls of every age joined this spooky event to raise $141 for the Monroe County Animal Shelter.

Defenders of the Healing Flame, November 5–December 31
This Extra Life team has raised over $3,600 so far for local children’s hospitals! The fundraiser is ongoing with a stream planned for December.

PF2e Foundry Community Extra Life Fundraiser, November 19
At press time, this fundraiser put on by the volunteer Foundry developers had raised over $9,100 for children’s hospitals!

We’ve also raised money for charity through five Humble Bundles this year: Pathfinder Second Edition Beginners Bundle: $35,382 for The Trevor Project and Tabletop Gaymers.

Pathfinder First Edition Character Options Bundle: $25,649 for the National Coalition Against Censorship

Stand With Ukraine Bundle (including the Pathfinder and Starfinder Core Rulebooks): $20,738,895 for Ukrainian relief

Pathfinder Strength of Thousands Bundle: $55,043 for Comicbooks for Kids Give the Gift of Pathfinder & Starfinder Bundle: Still ongoing; currently more than $22,000 raised for the Carl Brandon Society

We’ve still got more charity events this year, including Emerald Con, Cayden’s Ascension, and the Toys of Boundless Wonder drive. Thank you all so much for your generosity this year; you all get an extra Hero Point in your next session!

Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And enjoy your feasts!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hello, Starfinders!

This month, Royo, leader of the Cognates faction, dispatches a team of Starfinders into a neglected portion of the Archives to sift through dusty old paperwork and records. Sounds fun! With some aid from a few friendly Cognates, the PCs embark on an enlightening research assignment and uncover secrets about a mysterious elf, the elf’s allies, and a long-hidden chamber within the Lorespire Complex! Who? What? Why? That’s for you to find out!

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-11: Archivist’s Inquiry is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters by Katrina Hennessy. This is the fourth scenario in the ongoing story of the Year of Redemption's Rise. While it is recommended you begin with Intro: Year of Redemption's Rise, the remaining scenarios can be played in any order.

Illustration by Alexander Ngo

Take care, Starfinders!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Hello, Pathfinders!

For this month’s adventure, we’re heading to Ustalav to investigate a mysterious crystal key that seems to be causing strange psychic phenomena to whoever touches it. Similarly, the people surrounding a decrepit manor in Ardis are being struck by strong, psychic shockwaves leading them to see and hear things that aren’t there! What’s even stranger is that the signals seem to not originate from Golarion…

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Signal from the Electric Laboratory is a scenario for 7th- through 10th-level players by Letterio Mammoliti. This adventure is the first part in the two-part Crystal Key metaplot arc in the Year of Boundless Wonder!

I’d have more information for you, but I seem to be receiving a strange message…

That’s all for now, Pathfinders!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Alef Mengali

Greetings, Pathfinders and Starfinders! In the spirit of the holiday season, I want to take a moment to highlight a charity event in our community. I think it’s a wonderful cause, and it’s one you can get involved with at your local game store!

Venture Captains Nicholas Ruchlewicz (Northern Virginia) and Jimmy Dick (Missouri) have put together an event called Toys of Boundless Wonder! From November 25 to December 10, they’ll be scheduling Organized Play games in their local stores. These stores have been selected as Toys for Tots dropoff locations, so players will be able to play games and bring or purchase toys and games to donate to the charity.

Games during this event will award players bonus Achievement Points, which can be used in our online boon store to unlock new character options and ancestries. Additionally, on Saturday, December 10 they’ll be running the new Pathfinder Society interactive special event, Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-98: Expedition into Pallid Peak! The tables will all work together to delve into the dungeon and explore its treasures.

Best of all, you can join in on this event! Organizers who are interested can contact Nicholas at novaorganizedplay@gmail.com to information on how to sign up. Any participating store can earn the same rewards, and participate in the interactive special, no matter where you are in the country!

Toys for Tots is a charity toy drive run by the United States Marine Corps (USMC). For 75 years, they’ve collected new toys to send to families in need, to ensure that their children have a happy holiday season. Retailers who register as a Toys for Tots dropoff location can see increased foot traffic from community members looking to donate to a worthy cause.

Currently, the following stores are registered to participate. Additional stores will be added as organizers sign up!

Kentucky

D20 Hobbies
Lexington, KY
https://www.facebook.com/d20hobbies

Maryland

Bel Air Games
Bel Air, MD
http://belairgames.com/

Game Kastle
College Park, MD
http://gamekastle.com/stores/collegepark/

Saga Games
Frederick, MD
https://www.sagagamesllc.com/

Tennessee

Knighthood Games
Cookeville, TN
https://knighthoodgames.square.site/

Virginia

Huzzah Hobbies
Ashburn, VA
http://huzzahhobbies.com/

Gaming and Comics Pir O' Dice
Fairfax, VA
https://www.gcpairodice.com/

Hashtag Gaming Arena
Herndon, VA
https://hashtagarena.com/

Washington

Dragon Parlor Games
Spokane Valley, WA
https://dragonparlorgames.tcgplayerpro.com/

Elite Gaming Center
Spokane, WA
https://www.elitegamingcompany.com/

Wisconsin

Noble Knight Games
Fitchburg, WI
https://www.nobleknight.com/

Last year’s event was very successful and ran nearly 30 tables. We’re hoping to top that this year and see more people come out and support our local game stores!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

OPC Musings

This month I was lucky enough to attend two local conventions! CinCityCon in Cincinnati, OH and Scarefest in Asheville, NC both welcomed me with open arms. One of the best parts of my job is getting to see the effect our programs have on the community, and these two weekends were a great opportunity for that. I got to see community members rejoin games that hadn’t been seen since before the pandemic, and even run some games for players who had never played before.

Conventions are one of the most valuable ways we have to reach new players, and I’m glad I got to see it in action. It’s wonderful to know that the community has remained resilient through the pandemic, and I can’t wait for what 2023 brings. I highly recommend visiting either or both of these conventions, you won’t be disappointed!

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on November 30, 2022.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Signal from the Electric Laboratory*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-11: Archivist's Inquiry*

*part of a subscription

The Replacement of Ehu Hadif

For those who didn’t hear last week, Starfinder Society First Seeker Ehu Hadif Ko’ra Amares of Clan Tolar, House Zye, tenth devotee from the line of Ahmu, is retiring! The Lorespire Complex is already abuzz with discussion about who will replace him and how that might change the Society.

If your character thinks they’re right to take up the mantle, they can now apply! There is a First Seeker Candidate boon in the Boon Store available for all character with 45 or more Reputation with one faction. Once you purchase it, you’ll be given instructions on how to submit your character’s information. We’ll evaluate the candidates and choose the best to put up for a vote.

Good luck, Starfinders!

Sanctioning Update

In October, we released 27 new products. That’s a lot of content! Let’s take a look at what’s newly sanctioned and what’s coming up.

Pathfinder Society

Obviously, the big headline is the Kingmaker Adventure Path. This giant is now sanctioned for play; unlike previous adventures, instead of chronicle sheets for distinct parts, Kingmaker has one generic chronicle sheet. GMs should give out a chronicle for every 3 levels their players earn while establishing their kingdom.

Additionally, the Kingmaker Companion Guide is now sanctioned! This book contains seven shorter adventures featuring some of the companions, and there are chronicle sheets available for each of them. Completing these adventures will grant players access to specific character options provided by those companions.

Finally, King Merlokrep rides again in the Crown of the Kobold King adventure! This module takes some classic first edition adventures and updates them for second edition play. The module is sanctioned for play in two halves; each half grants one level’s worth of XP and commensurate rewards.

This month, our major release is Lost Omens: Impossible Lands. Our sanctioning for this book is complete and it should be ready to post on street date. After that, we’ll start work on creating boons for the character options in the Blood Lords Adventure Path, as well as clearing some time on our schedules for the upcoming Treasure Vault release.

Starfinder Society

Over in Starfinder, the Drift Crisis is ongoing, and now you can experience it with the Drift Crashers Adventure Path! This adventure is now sanctioned for play; chronicle sheets are available on the product pages, and the character options are listed on the Character Options page.

This month also brings the release of Starfinder Interstellar Species, a very exciting book that dives into some of Starfinder’s most popular species and brings the new evolutionist class to life! We’re still working on our internal review of this book, but it’s looking good for a street date sanctioning on this as well. To Defy the Dragon, the standalone adventure, will also be released in November, along with its sanctioning documents. After those two, it’s pretty quiet on the Starfinder front until the release of the Drift Crisis Case Files in early 2023.

FAQ Answers and Boons

We’ve got some answers to some new FAQs over on the Pathfinder Society page! While the big headline is the questions to “how do undead PCs even work in PFS,” there are a couple of others regarding animal companions that have been outstanding for a while now. Go ahead and check them out!

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

We award Campaign Service Coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay[at]paizo[dot]com with their name and reasons.

This month, we were able to award Campaign Coins at CinCityCon, Scarefest, and Gobloween. Congratulations to:

Erika Emrick, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #875
Jess Miller-Camp, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #878
and Landon Hatfield, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #879

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Nova for SFS, and one GM earn their 5th Glyph for PFS2.

5th Nova (SFS): Joseph Blomquist
5th Glyph (PFS2): Aerine Caerwyn

Until next time - Explore! Report! Cooperate! And build your kingdoms!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Do YOU have what it takes to become the next First Seeker of the Starfinder Society?

Three years ago, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo fulfilled her mandate as head of the Starfinder Society and announced her retirement. Four prominent Starfinders stepped forward to vie for the mantle of First Seeker. Each candidate was based on the character of real-world players who had purchased the “Rising Star” boon. These candidates were featured in Starfinder Society Scenario #2-07: Four for the First. Starfinder Society players from around the world cast their votes and elected Ehu Hadif Ko’ra Amares of Clan Tolar as our First Seeker.

Artist Beatrice Pellagatti

In many ways, Ehu is the quintessential Starfinder. He recentered the Starfinder Society around themes of exploration and research, and broadened our horizons in Near Space and the Vast. When faced with trials and tragedies, Ehu has held the Starfinder Society together, ushering us through the Data Scourge digital attacks, the devastating Drift Crisis, and inner turmoil. The future has more excitement in store for Ehu Hadif but, much like Luwazi Elsebo, Ehu has fulfilled his mandate as First Seeker. With the culmination of the (currently unannounced) Season Six of the Starfinder Society, Ehu will be stepping down as First Seeker and a new crop of Starfinder Society agents will step forward as candidates to take his place.

It is therefore my honor to announce the release of a new boon: First Seeker Candidate. This boon is available for purchase to Starfinder Society characters with at least 45 Reputation with any faction. When you purchase this boon, you’ll be directed to send us an email with specific information about your character. This boon is only available for a limited time, during the lead up to Ehu Hadif’s retirement. Your last day to submit your entry for consideration is January 16th, 2023.

If you’re one of the players who qualified and submitted your character for consideration after Ehu’s election using the “Rising Star” or “Starfinder of Note” boons, rest assured that we still have your character’s application, and they’ll be entered into consideration alongside all our new candidates! If you would like to update any previous submissions, please email us at organizedplay@paizo.com with any new information, including your character’s goal as First Seeker.

The Starfinder Society is a living campaign influenced and shaped by players all over the world. This is a tradition I’m proud to uphold. To all of our fans, players, volunteers, and GMs: thank you for your continued support and engagement. I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey with all of you!

And to all of our First Seeker candidates: I wish you the best of luck!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Hello Starfinders!
This month we’re setting a course for the Marixah Republic and Salvation’s End! Buckle up, and let’s blast off into adventure!

First Seeker Ehu Hadif’s recent reforms and internal investigations have exposed the crimes of two Starfinder agents. Join a team tasked with tracking down and apprehending these corrupt Starfinders! There’s just one complication—the corrupt Starfinders are currently on a mission in the Marixah Republic, so you’ll also have to complete that mission. And, you know what, best keep an eye out for any crimes the corrupt Starfinders have committed since they’ve been to Marixah. Those wrongs will need to be righted. Well, what are you waiting for? There are corrupt Starfinders out there smearing our good name and an archaeological site in need of protection!

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-09: Counterfeit History is an adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters by Letterio Mammoliti. This is the third scenario in the ongoing story of the Year of Redemption's Rise. While it is recommended you begin with Intro: Year of Redemption's Rise, the remaining scenarios can be played in any order.

Illustration by Fabio Rodrigues

Meanwhile, we’re dispatching a team of experienced Starfinders to the false moon of Salvation’s End to investigate a recently opened vault. Another Starfinder team, led by the dashing ryphorian Merin, is already on site and reports that the residents of Vault-23A have successfully fought off the forces of the mysterious Vault Lord—a tyrant who seeks to seize Salvation’s End as their kingdom. Buoyed by their victory, the vault residents have no desire to evacuate their home. You’ve been called in to back up these junior Starfinder agents, convince the residents of Vault-23A it’s time to leave, and learn about the Vault Lord’s forces. Better get a move on! You never know when the Vault Lord will launch their next attack.

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-10: Shadow of the Vault Lord is an adventure for 9th- through 12th-level characters by Matt Duval.

Take care, Starfinders!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Allan Santos da Silva

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Greetings, Pathfinders!

The Year of Boundless Wonders just continues to give and grow as we move forward! This month we’ll be traveling to the incredible city of Quantium, the capital of Nex in order to investigate one of the mysterious magical artifacts discovered in our introduction!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was is a scenario for 1st- through 4th-level characters. The talking (and talkative!) skull, Zykyryz, knows the secret to her past lies within this city. It’s up to the Pathfinder Society agents with her to find the clues that will piece together her mysterious history. However, as with all wondrous delights, there’s someone lurking behind the curtain, waiting to snatch Zykyryz from the Society’s hands and steal her power for their own nefarious purposes!

That’s all for now, Pathfinders!
Remember: Explore! Report! Cooperate!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

For many years, Paizo has largely set PDF pricing as a percent of the full print MSRP. While this process worked well early on, the rise of digital goods and expressions has matured, and the exceptions made for certain categories to be priced higher or lower has somewhat scrambled the logic used to build those systems.

Effective October 26 for new releases and November 1 for all other PDFs (including jpegs for some maps and card products), Paizo will be changing prices in the following categories. You’ll probably find exceptions for some products as well, but this guide covers most cases.

Product Category	Current	New
Pathfinder rulebooks	$14.99	$19.99
Adventure Paths	$17.99	$19.99
Standalone Adventures	$15.99–$17.99	$19.99
Bounties	$2.99	$4.99
Quests	$2.99	$4.99
Lost Omens sourcebooks	$24.49+	$29.99
Lost Omens Absalom	$38.49	$29.99
Lost Omens Regional	$34.99	$29.99
Flip-Mats (all)	$8.99–$10.49	$9.99
Map Folios (all)	$13.99+	$9.99
Flip-Tiles	$13.99–$24.99	$9.99
Flip-Maps	$10.49+	$9.99
Pawns	$13.99–$17.99	$9.99
Player Companions	$7.99–$10.49	$9.99
Cards	$15.99	$9.99
Bestiary Battle Cards	$41.99	$19.99
Spell Cards	$17.49–$38.49	$14.99
Starfinder Battle Cards	$41.99	$19.99
Starfinder Spell Cards	$20.99–$24.99	$14.99
Starfinder rulebooks	$9.99	$19.99

Digital sales are an important component of Paizo’s revenue, and your PDF purchases allow Paizo to continue producing all the great Pathfinder and Starfinder releases. These price changes will also affect the pricing discounts you see through Paizo Connect (My Partner Authorizations in your account settings) for those purchases. Not all Paizo licensees use Paizo Connect to offer discounts, and those that do use it offer various levels of discounts, so adjustments may result depending on the type of service they provide.

Paizo

OPC Musings

Happy October! It’s fall, and the winds of change are blowing. When this blog is posted, I’ll be on a plane to Cincinnati for CinCityCon, and then in just a couple of weeks I’ll be headed to Asheville for Scarefest. I can’t wait to see you all! Getting to visit conventions is one of the best parts of my job; it really helps remind me why what I’m doing is important. If you’re in the area of either of these conventions, come on out and join us!

Plenty to talk about this month so I won’t pontificate too much, let’s get right into it!

New Boons

Spooky Scary Skeletons (Send Shivers Down the Boon Store)

Back when Book of the Dead was sanctioned, we let you know that we had plans for allowing the skeleton ancestry in a limited capacity. Here, in the spookiest month, I’m delighted to announce that the time has come!

Those of you who have already played Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-02: Return to the Grave know that, thanks to a recent expedition into the Gravelands, several skeletal adventurers were returned to Absalom. Those adventurers have elected to join us in the Pathfinder Society as they cope with their new existence!

There is now a boon in the Achievement Point store called “Steadfast Refugee.” This boon costs 206 Achievement Points* and can only be purchased once per player. It allows you to build and play a skeleton adventurer who was traveling through Lastwall before meeting their untimely demise and rebirth

Make no bones about it: while your character may be a skeleton, they are still expected to adhere to the ideals of the Pathfinder Society. They cannot be evil, and you as a player are expected to remember that other players have various tolerance for horror themes (not to mention that “playing the xylophone with your ribs” is funny a maximum of twice per session). Playing a skeletal character is naturally more perilous; other characters built for healing may not be able to heal you, so you may have to be more self-sufficient than normal.

Other characters can also be assured that traveling with a skeletal Pathfinder does not violate their anathema in any way. Pharasma has been consulted on this one and while she’s not thrilled, she understands that these Pathfinders didn’t willingly become undead, so you are under no obligation to smite them on sight. PVP is still prohibited, even if your party member is using their own skull as a basilisk ball.

*(get it, because that’s how many bones most humans have)

Condition Removal

We’ve also added a couple of new boons for condition removal in Pathfinder Society, based on requests from the community.

First up, the Pathfinder Condition Removal boon is available for 20 AcP. It can heal a number of conditions that could also be removed by purchasing healing services with gold; however, it provides another avenue should your character find their coin purse a bit light as they slowly turn to stone. The full text is available on the FAQ page.

Second is the Penitent Pathfinder boon! Since the beginning of the campaign, we’ve said that all characters have access to the atone ritual, should they violate their anathemas enough to require it. However, it’s been unclear how one learns the ritual or casts it, so we’ve simplified it. This 20 AcP boon provides the benefits of a successful atone ritual, provided your character still spends the 30 days of downtime in penance as required by the ritual.

Sanctioning Updates

Kingmaker Adventure Path

At long last, the Kingmaker Adventure Path arrives later this month! We’re all excited to bring you this update of one of our most beloved adventures, and I’m even more delighted to announce how sanctioning will work!

This adventure is unlike any other. As a sandbox adventure in one volume, it’s nigh impossible for us to determine the exact points where Chronicle Sheets should be awarded to players… so we’re not going to. The sanctioning documents will include one generic Chronicle, which GMs are instructed to award to their players for every three levels your characters achieve. This means that once characters reach levels 4, 7, 10 and so on, a Chronicle Sheet will be awarded, up to a maximum of six. You can apply these to one character or spread them across multiple as usual.

As a bonus, we’ll also be sanctioning the adventures in the Kingmaker Companion Guide! Sanctioning the Dark Archive Case Files has gone over well, and these small personal quests with your companions are complete enough to function as standalone adventures as well. You may also find that completing these adventures unlocks new options from your companions as well…

All these sanctioning documents will be posted on the product pages prior to street date later this month. We hope you all enjoy this new iteration of the adventure!

Starfinder Adventures

In addition to Kingmaker, we’ve got two Starfinder adventures ready for sanctioning this month! Both the Dead Suns Adventure Path compilation and the final volume of the Drift Crashers Adventure Path release this month. Sanctioning documents and Chronicle Sheets for both will be posted by the end of the month as well!

The Dead Suns Adventure Path will be very similar to the previous sanctioning for the six-volume iteration, and you’ll see many of the same boons as well. There’s no new rules content in this book, so you won’t see a new entry on the Character Options page, though ownership of this compilation gives you access to any character options published in it. The Drift Crashers Adventure Path will be added to the Character Options page at the end of the month as normal.

Sanctioning Rule Updates

Finally in sanctioning news, we have two rule updates to announce. First, we’ve updated the text on the Pathfinder Society Character Options page to be clearer about how one gains access to an option printed in a Pathfinder Adventure or Adventure Path. Previously, the rule could be read incorrectly to mean that all characters had access to anything printed in an Adventure. The new text has been added to the Character Options page and is quoted below, which should hopefully be clearer to all!

Using Options from Pathfinder Adventures or Adventure Paths
Typically, characters cannot select options from a Pathfinder Adventure. However, Chronicle Sheets from sanctioned Adventures or boons from the Achievement Points store often grant characters access to options from these Adventures.

Ownership of Adventures or Adventure Paths is not required for Character Option use in the Pathfinder Society campaign, as long as rules are referenced from the official Pathfinder Reference Document (prd).

Second, with the release of the Kingmaker Adventure Path comes our first foray into producing content in-house for “the world’s oldest RPG!” We wanted to give our dedicated players a way to earn Pathfinder Society credit for running this content, even if their gaming group might be a little reluctant to switch systems. As such, the following text has been added to the Guide to Organized Play:

If Paizo has released an official conversion of a sanctioned adventure to another game system (such as the ''Pathfinder Kingmaker Bestiary (5e)'' or ''Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults (5e)''), GMs and players may play these adventures using those rules and earn credit as if they had played it using Pathfinder rules. Adventures that have not been converted by Paizo in this way must be played using standard Adventure Mode rules.

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

We award Campaign Service Coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay[at]paizo[dot]com with their name and reasons.

This month, several RVCs were able to award Campaign Coins on my behalf at Hurricon, SkålCon, and SydCon. Congratulations to:

Shane Murphy, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #864
Greg Ferguson, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #865
Sandra Wilkinson, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #867
Ryan Blomquist, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #871

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Star for PFS1, two GMs earn their 5th Nova for SFS, and three GMs earn their 5th Glyph for PFS2.

5th Star (PFS1): Kyle Ashcraft
5th Nova (SFS): Milan Badzic, Jim Crase
5th Glyph (PFS2): Brad Fiske, Ivis Flanagan, Shannon Steward

I want to recognize Milan Badzic in particular. He is, to the best of my knowledge, the first person to complete the Triple Crown, having earned the 5th rank in Pathfinder Society (first edition), Pathfinder Society (second edition), and Starfinder Society. That’s no easy feat, and I truly don’t know if we’ll see it matched anytime soon. Congratulations, Milan, and please enjoy some time off, you’ve earned it!

Conventions

As I mentioned at the top, I’ll be attending CinCityCon and Scarefest this October, and I’ll also be joining the Minnesota crew at SkålCOnline in November for some Dark Archive weirdness. But as the year closes out, we’ve got plenty of events, both online and in-person, for you to finish strong! Check out our convention calendar for all the latest listings.

Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And have a spooktacular month!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Ilustration by Fabio Di Bernardi

Hello Starfinders!
Are you ready to rock?!

This month we unleash one of my very favorite scenarios of the season upon your gaming tables—it’s big, it’s bold, it’s a little goofy, and it marks the return of Strawberry Machine Cake—it’s Starfinder Society Scenario #5-08: Tarnished Legacy: Star Sugar Superstar!!! In this delightful adventure, you’re tasked with ensuring the Star Sugar Superstar!!! music competition goes off without a hitch! Manage the newly renovated theater, handle crowds and obsessive fans, tame raging egos, and mingle with celebrity musicians, including Lita Starr, K1ng Ch0rd, Lynthia from Abysshead, and Tsuchi-ko from Strawberry Machine Cake! So crack out your dice and let’s get this show on the road!

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-08: Tarnished Legacy: Star Sugar Superstar!!! is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters by Emily Parks. This adventure is the second in the two-part Tarnished Legacy story arc. The first scenario is Starfinder Society Scenario #5-06: Tarnished Legacy: Historia’s Holdout.

Best of luck, Starfinders! The competition’s killer!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Artist Josef Kucera

Greetings, Pathfinders! We hope you’ve all enjoyed the beginning of our Year of Boundless Wonder. Our introductory scenario introduced you all to the hoard of treasures the Society is currently cataloging, and this month’s scenario will be the first dedicated to one of those artifacts!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-04: To Seek the Heart of Calamity is a scenario for 3rd- through 6th-level characters. It takes place in the heart of the Thuvian desert, and it centers around the Calamitous Dagger. This mysterious dagger seems to date back to the Jitskan Imperium, and studies indicate that it—along with its twin—is pointing to a location somewhere in the desert.

Oh, did we not mention it has a twin? And that it’s very likely in the hands of nefarious forces, which are currently working to find whatever it points to? I guess we should’ve led with that. Let me try again: Pathfinders, there’s something valuable in the desert, and someone else wants it! We can’t have that, so off you go!

Until next time—explore! report! cooperate! and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hello everyone!
Earlier this year we launched Starfinder Bounties, a line of short, PDF adventure products designed for 1st-level characters. Each bounty fills about an hour of play and can act as an easy introduction to the Starfinder Roleplaying game. Starfinder Bounties can be used as standalone adventures, strung together in any order as a series, or used as transitions and side quests in between longer adventures and campaigns. While bounties take place in specific areas, they can be used in any campaign setting. Each bounty is also sanctioned for play in our Starfinder Society Organized Play program as a repeatable adventure.

We’ve released four Starfinder Bounties so far this year, with more on the horizon. Take a peek at our bounties below!

Starfinder Bounty #1: The Cantina Job
A desperate scam artist prowls the bars of Drifter’s End, fleecing the tourists and starship crews of Absalom Station with a chunk of fake horacalcum and the chance to invest in their newly discovered starmetal vein. It’s up to the PCs to track down this fake miner and haul them back to pay their dues! Starfinder Bounty #1: The Cantina Job is an adventure for 1st-level characters written by John Godek III.

Dwarf Scammer: Art by Samuel Azeredo

Starfinder Bounty #2: Test Flight
Take an experimental starship, the Grimshaw, on a test flight on behalf of shirren starship manufacturer United Interfaith Engineering. Plot your course from Absalom Station to a Liavaran shepherd moon and back! Along the way, the PCs put the starship through its paces, avoiding dangerous hazards, performing difficult maneuvers, and dealing with Liavara’s massive wildlife! Starfinder Bounty #2: Test Flight is an adventure for 1st-level characters written by Michael Bramnik.

Art by Fabio Rodrigues

Starfinder Bounty #3: A Green Place
When an automated power plant on the fringes of Verces’ Ring of Nations goes offline, casting swaths of the city of Thamal in darkness, the government deploys repair and scouting drones to investigate. None have returned. Armed with a few aerial images of the power plant, now mysteriously overgrown with local flora, the PCs are dispatched to bring the power plant back online! Starfinder Bounty #3: A Green Place is an adventure for 1st-level characters written by Erin Roberts.

Scrap Rat: Art by Beto Lima

Starfinder Bounty #4: Poacher’s Prize
After years of work, a research laboratory on the moon of Arkanen has genetically re-engineered an extinct animal species. Before the creature can be introduced into a nearby nature preserve, opportunistic poachers strike, breaking into the facility and absconding with the once-extinct creatures. It’s up to the PCs to retrieve the valuable animals before they’re lost forever! Starfinder Bounty #4: Poacher’s Prize is an adventure for 1st-level characters written by Shan Wolf.

Art by Bruno Senigalha

Keep an eye out for our next Bounty, Starfinder Bounty #5: Echoes of Woe by Ruvaid Virk, in late October!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

Welcome to a joint update for August and September! After Gen Con I simply did not have the energy to write an update for August, and now it’s almost September, so we’ve combined them into one mega-update.

Speaking of which, I had an absolute blast at my first-ever Gen Con! It was fantastic getting to see so many community members coming out and enjoying our return to the Sagamore ballroom. Watching more than 50 tables run through Enter the Pallid Peak during the special was a real treat, and I returned from the weekend emotionally recharged (and physically exhausted). I’m already putting some plans into motion to improve the program and make it the best version of itself thanks to some conversations I had that weekend.

Illustration by Lucas Villalva Machado

Digital Adventure Releases

August 2022

These adventures will be available on August 31, 2022.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Boundless Wonder*
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-02: Return to the Grave*
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-03: Linnorm's Legacy*
Pathfinder Bounty #20: Burden in Bloodcove

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-06: Tarnished Legacy: Historia's Holdout*
Starfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Planar Bloom*

September 2022

These adventures will be available on September 28, 2022.

Pathfinder Societ

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-04: To Seek the Heart of Calamity*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-08: Tarnished Legacy: Star Sugar Superstar!!!*

*part of a subscription

Sanctioning

Newly Sanctioned: Last month we sanctioned Dark Archive for Pathfinder Society and Redshift Rally for Starfinder Society! For Dark Archive, the Character Options are available for use, and the 8 Case File adventures have sanctioning documents on the product page. They all grant 2 XP and commensurate rewards. Redshift Rally is sanctioned for play, and its Character Options are available for use as well.

Upcoming: Lost Omens: Travel Guide sanctioning is finished and ready for a street date next week, so look for those Character Options next Wednesday! Crown of the Kobold King and the Dead Suns hardcover have both had their release dates shifted to October, but we should be on track to have them both ready on release. The Drift Crashers Adventure Path should also be sanctioned around the release of the third volume in October.

We do intend to sanction the Kingmaker Adventure Path and associated content for Pathfinder Society! However, it’s a lot of content that we have not yet started reviewing, so we can’t guarantee that sanctioning will be ready for its release at the end of October. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as we make progress.

Guide Updates

Pathfinder Adventure Card Society

That’s right, there’s a PACS update! Been a while since we had one of those. We’ve long said that we intended to release one final version of the PACS Guide to cover any lingering issues and close out the program. Well, that day is today! The Guide has been updated to its final form at this time.

Major updates include the addition of Adventurer’s Packs, the sanctioning of content published on Infinite for play, and various other changes. The Guide is available for download now!

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

While at Gen Con, I was able to award a number of additional Campaign Coins. We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay[at]paizo[dot]com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Chris Johnson, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #858
Doug Edwards, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #859
Kristin Bollerman, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #860
Jim Crase, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #861
Rebecca Fehn, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #862
and Tim Munsie (TMun), who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #863

Order of the Wayfinder

In addition to the Campaign Service Coin, we also have one other award: the Order of the Wayfinder. This award is given out only once per year, and recognizes a member of the community who has provided exceptional service. Typically, we give this award to individuals who have taken on a particular project and knocked it out of the park. Previously, this award has been awarded to the head of our Additional Resources review team and our Regional Venture-Coordinator for the Online region, among others.

I am pleased to finally announce that the 2021 recipient of the Order of the Wayfinder is Barb Wilkins. Since 2018, Barb has been the one-woman show behind sending out volunteer agreements to our Venture Officers. Every year, this involves sending out literally hundreds of agreements to volunteers, ensuring that they’ve been signed and returned, and maintaining the master list of every Venture Officer worldwide. It’s a monumental task, and one that she has done for nearly four years now. Her work is undeniably vital to Organized Play, and I am delighted to have presented this award to her at Gen Con this year.

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the fifth milestone, a GM must run 150 games, which must include at least 50 unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios, as well as run between one and three games for Venture-Captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had four GMs earn their 5th Star for PFS1 and two GMs earn their 5th Glyph for PFS2.

5th Star: Zackery Kuehn, Ben Tash, Christopher Waterfield, and Denis Wishnevsky
5th Glyph: Milan Badzic and Robert Bollerman

Conventions

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be attending two regional shows this October! First up, I'll be at CinCityCon in Cincinnati, Ohio from October 7–9 (that’s over Indigenous Peoples’ Day so it’s a long weekend). Tickets are on sale now at https://cincitycon.com/; the tables I'm running will be charity tickets.

I'll also be attending Scarefest in Asheville, North Carolina from October 21–23, which is just a perfect convention for a big scaredy-cat like me! Tickets are available on their website at https://avlscarefest.com/ and game signups are on their Warhorn at https://warhorn.net/events/asheville-scarefest.

I'm looking forward to getting out to see you all this fall! I've got some fun tables planned and I can't wait.

If you’re not in the neighborhood of these shows, or you’re looking for more fun closer to home or online, check out our conventions calendar! We’ve got tons of shows coming up in the home stretch of 2023 for you to check out and support.

Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And enjoy the new Year of Boundless Wonder!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hello Starfinders!

As you may have heard, our esteemed First Seeker Ehu Hadif has organized the closure of the Adamantine Bastille, a private prison beneath the Starfinder Society’s Lorespire Complex. Now the First Seeker wants to hear from you! How should this space be repurposed? The choice is yours!

Visit paizo.com/adamantine to cast your vote in a short survey! Whether you’re a longtime participant in Starfinder Society Organized Play or a newcomer, this survey is open to all! Click the link and tell us how you want the Society to use the space! The survey also offers a chance for you to share what storylines, locations, and organizations you’d like to see the Starfinder Society feature in future adventures! This survey will remain open until the end of 2022.

Artist Beatrice Pellagatti

For more information on the closure of the Adamantine Bastille (which I’m sure goes off without a hitch), check out Starfinder Society Scenario #5-05: Boom-Block Gambit: an adventure for 5th- to 8th-level characters by Lysle Kapp!

I look forward to charting our course into the future with all of you!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Greetings, players! Those of you who are avid readers of the Paizo Blog know that when we release hardcovers, we often release author blogs to give our authors a chance to talk about what they wrote for the book. I decided that hardcover authors shouldn’t get to have all the fun, so we’ve got not one, but two author blogs for Organized Play coming your way!

This week’s blog features authors who wrote for Starfinder Society’s Season 4: Year of the Data Scourge. In a couple weeks, we’ll be hearing from the authors of PFS Year 3: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries. Enjoy!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Alison Cybe (they/them)
SFS #4-02: Settling Accounts

Hi all! I’m Alison Cybe (they/them), and I’m pleased to say that Paizo has asked me to create a few adventures for them. By now, you’ll have had a chance to play my most recent Paizo project, Starfinder Scenario 5-03: Combatant’s Concerto: Fugue of the Traitor, which is a murder mystery adventure in which you’re trying to root out an enemy agent while also exploring themes of the crimes of imperialism and radical social change conflicting with terrorism. But today I’ve been asked to discuss an earlier work: Starfinder Society Scenario #4-02: Settling Accounts.

On one level, I’m super glad, because I had the chance to introduce a new species into the Starfinder setting for this adventure. I wanted to write rabbitfolk because they’re awesome, but I also wanted to make them feel genuinely different, new, and unique to the setting. So I gave them their own unique culture, nature, and physiology. But that isn’t all I wanted to do with the adventure. I’m not ashamed to say that my adventures are political in nature. All art is political, and the games we play are as much an artform as they are hobby. Settling Accounts is an exploration into cultural contamination. It follows a Pact World celebrity whose first contact with an indigenous species, while not aggressive or of ill-intent, inadvertently causes significant and irreparable harm to the native culture. This type of story isn’t restricted to fiction; it does and has happened countless times across the world. We need look no further than studies into so-called cargo cults or the “invasion via media” in countries such as Bhutan to see it occur. Every year, we hear of more actions taken by nations to subsume and eradicate indigenous cultures such as unmarked graves in Canada’s Indian residential schools or the abuse of Australia’s Stolen Generation. We’re used to thinking of these abuses as things of the past, but they happen today. They happen now. And they do not require the point of a gun. They can happen with simple, thoughtless, arrogant belief in one’s own correctness.

Dennis Muldoon (he/him)
SFS #4-10: The Way In

Hello! I'm Dennis Muldoon (he/him), and in Season 4 of Starfinder Society I was delighted to write both SFS #4-10: The Way In and the new interactive special, SFS #4-99: A Time of Crisis. These presented very different challenges to write, and I enjoyed both quite a bit. For The Way In, I was inspired to create an adventure that felt like an action movie, complete with a villain monologue. My favorite part is the dramatic scene in the conclusion. For A Time of Crisis, I really enjoyed the process of thinking through the challenges PCs would face given the premise of the adventure, and then making sure they were represented in the adventure. My favorite part was coming up with opportunities for PCs to dictate how they solve problems and improve their situation.

Matt Duval
SFS #4-11: A World’s Ambition;
PFS #3-17: Dreams of a Dustbound Isle

Hello! I’m Matt Duval and author for Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-17: Dreams of a Dustbound Isle and Starfinder Society Scenario #4-11: A World's Ambition. I also got to write the return to Salvation’s End for this October, Starfinder Society Scenario #5-10: Shadow of the Vault Lord as well as some other adventures from prior years. Grateful to get asked back!

I went down a lengthy wiki-hole learning about gray goo scenarios for A World’s Ambition and imagining the culture and environment that might arise, but I also did a deep dive on robot dragons. I’d put dragons in everything if they’d let me, and Jenny Jarzabski’s initial email already mentioned them. Yes!! I also included some fun, subtle references that might clue in the observant about the true nature of the adventure’s omnipresent antagonist.

The Dustbound Isle is packed with my other favorite things: surreal extraplanar events, mysteries and puzzles for the players to solve, and so many tie-ins to prior adventures. I pulled ideas for nightmares from Pathfinder RPG Horror Adventures, my most-used PFS1 sourcebook.

And as for Shadow of the Vault Lord… patience. Your doom comes soon enough, feeble heroes!

I’m @sleepyfelix on Twitter, where I mostly post TTRPG stuff and occasionally pics of food I baked or critters I saw.

Ivis K. Flanagan (she/they)
SFS #4-12: A Festive Operation

Heylo! I’m Ivis K. Flanagan, and I wrote Starfinder Society Scenario #4-12: A Festive Operation. This scenario takes the holidays celebrated through the month of Kuthona that Jenny first shared with us and lets the players actually experience them. To me, holidays are about families—the ones you’re given, the ones you’re making, and, most importantly, the ones you choose to love. My goal with this “Starfinder Holiday Special” was to help others feel that love and hopefully bring a smile as well. The reunion at the end has to be my favorite part because it opens a surprise and brings together family who chose to be.

Looking forward, I’m a contributing author to a few announced and unannounced upcoming Paizo projects, including some cool stuff coming in Starfinder Interstellar Species this October. Outside of writing projects, I can be found running Organized Play games, brewing plans for another year of Extra Life fundraising shenanigans, and chilling with my cat. You can find me on twitter @NorseButterfly where I am working to post my current antics!

Scott D. Young (he/him)
SFS #4-15: Feuding Faiths

I'm Scott D. Young (he/him), and I wrote Starfinder Society Scenario #3-10: Live Adventure Extreme! and Starfinder Society Scenario #4-15: Feuding Faiths. Previously, I've written other scenarios for both Starfinder and Pathfinder 1E/2E Organized Play campaigns, and I'm currently the GM for the Young and Adventurous podcast on the Know Direction network.

For Live Adventure Extreme!, I had the great fortune to work with Thurston Hillman as my developer. Getting to add a chapter to the Society’s relationship with Zo! was a treat, and I really enjoyed the chance to take some of the established NPCs and add to their stories. As part of my research for the project I contacted Starfinder Developer Jenny Jarzabski, who had created the wonderful announcer duo of Lethea and Quill, to make sure I got the tone of her creations down accurately—I hope it worked!

In Feuding Faiths, developer Jessica Catalan and I got to explore how religion works without a monopoly on divine magic as such—very different than in pre-Gap Golarion! We also tried to broaden the view of worshippers of each of the key religions, so that the “bad guys” don’t always wear their guilt on their sleeve. (Or DO they? Hmm...) I hope people enjoy them!

You can find me hopefully running a table at a con sometime soon and as “Scott D. Young, Author” on the holosphere. (The “D.” is important—ordinary Scott Young's are everywhere, and there are even a couple of “Scott Young, Author” usernames out there!)

Michael Bramnik (he/him)
SF Bounty #2: Test Flight

Hello world! I'm Michael Bramnik (he/him), and while more of you might know me as a GM or Venture Captain over the last decade, I’ve been fortunate to have recently seen Starfinder Bounty #2: Test Flight released! Crafting Test Flight was an extremely fun process—it allowed me to tap into my background in science and engineering from when I was working towards a PhD in geophysics and as a researcher for the U.S. Army, while also giving several nods to classic spaceborne science fiction encounters at the same time. I’m most happy that the adventure allows players to have so much agency in deciding how to tackle each challenge, allowing it to be re-playable without feeling repetitive.

I'm also very excited for the upcoming release of Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-05: The Arclord Who Never Was. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and give away any spoilers, but I will say this: make sure you don’t lose your head when you play it!

If you want to get in touch with me beyond the Paizo Forums as CanisDirus, I'm also on Twitter as @CanisDirus0.

Kendra Leigh Speedling (she/her)
SF One-Shot #3: System Takedown

Hello! I’m Kendra Leigh Speedling, a freelancer for both Pathfinder and Starfinder. This past year, I wrote Starfinder One-Shot #3: System Takedown, where a disparate group of rebels must infiltrate a Veskarium military communications facility to broadcast proof of the misdeeds of a corrupt Veskarium consul on Pulonis, the pahtra home world. System Takedown has a unique twist: the rebels are livestreaming the infiltration (with their location scrambled, of course) on the channel of one of the PC pregens! So if you’re running the game on a stream yourself, your players can respond to its chat as if it were the in-game one. I provided scripted chat responses for games without an actual live chat, and I had fun coming up with things viewers of a Starfinder vid channel might say. I also enjoyed the chance to have the PCs strike back at the Veskarium’s colonization, and while the adventure doesn’t free Pulonis, it does—hopefully!—make a part of it a nicer place to live.

Other than System Takedown, my most recent work has appeared in Starfinder Drift Crisis and Pathfinder Dark Archive. I also got to keep up the tyranny-fighting theme with To Defy the Dragon, a standalone Starfinder adventure coming out in October, in which the PCs get to find ancient mechs and fight a dragon in them! If you like, you can follow me on Twitter @KendraLS for more project updates and the occasional cat picture.

G’day, players! Paizo and the Organized Play Foundation volunteers are pleased to announce PaizoCon South Pacific 2022!

The Australian community will be gathering September 23-25, 2022, at The Metropolitan Spring Hill in Brisbane for a return to physical Pathfinder and Starfinder gaming. Events will feature the new interactive special, PFS 3-98: Expedition into Pallid Peril, exclusive early access to the September scenario releases, and more!

Tickets and more information are available on their Warhorn page. GM signups will begin on August 6, and player signups begin on August 23.

If you have questions about the event, check out their Warhorn page, or email Daniel Flood at daniel[at]creakingchair[dot]com. We can’t wait to see you all in Brisbane!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Hey, all! Alex dropping in with one quick note: these are the previews for our August scenarios. They’ll be making their world debut at Gen Con Indy and Gen Con Online. After that, they’ll be available for PaizoCon Europe, and they’ll be releasing to the public on August 31st. Enjoy!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

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Hello Starfinders!

This month we’ve got two delightful releases, so let’s dive right in!

For months, the Starfinder Society has sifted through the wreckage of Histora-Prime's life, working to put an end to any of his remaining schemes and to make reparations for his many crimes. When the Starfinders uncover the existence of a hidden complex in Absalom Station’s Spike owned by Historia-Prime, a team of agents is dispatched to investigate! Explore the complex, uncover its purpose, and escape alive—if you can! Feast your eyes on one of the terrifying foes awaiting you within the—wait, why is it so… fluffy?

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-06: Tarnished Legacy: Historia’s Holdout is an adventure for levels 1–4 by Hilary Moon Murphy. This adventure is the first scenario in the two-part Tarnished Legacy story arc. The second scenario is Starfinder Society Scenario #5-08: Tarnished Legacy: Star Sugar Superstar!!! which releases in September.

Illustration by Fabio Rodrigues

Meanwhile, the Drift Crisis continues to wreak havoc on the galaxy! On Akiton, unstable planar matter ejected from the Drift has collided with the old mining town of Grat Gwaz, causing regional destruction and rapid biological mutations. From the wreckage sprouts colorful flora which quickly overtakes the region, terraforming Great Gwaz into a lush jungle paradise—a bountiful resource ripe for exploitation. At the request of famed Akitonian Starfinder Avor Stelek, a team of Starfinders is dispatched to investigate the so-called "planar bloom." Rub elbows with opportunistic gangs, hopeful citizens, and scientific investigators on your quest to determine what should be done with the planar bloom! Does the site’s bounty outweigh the danger? Or should the planar bloom be destroyed? The fate of Great Gwaz is in your hands!

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Planar Bloom is an adventure for levels 5–8 by Joan Hong. It’s one of four stand-alone Starfinder Society Scenarios directly tied to the Drift Crisis, a galaxy-wide catastrophe detailed in Starfinder Drift Crisis. While basic knowledge of the Drift Crisis enriches the experience of this adventure, it is not required. The Starfinder Society Drift Crisis Scenarios include: Starfinder Society Scenario Special #4-99: A Time of Crisis, Starfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Fragment of the 4th, Starfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Planar Bloom, and Starfinder Society Scenario #5-14.

“Hara Asula”, artist Bruno Cesar

Take care, Starfinders! It’s a dangerous galaxy out there!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Last month we previewed the final scenarios for Pathfinder Society Year 3, which can mean only one thing: this month we get previews for the beginning of Year 4, the Year of Boundless Wonder!

The first Pathfinder Society scenario for August, and for Year 4, is naturally the introduction to this year’s metaplot! The Pathfinder Society has been entrusted with a vast trove of magic items and other treasures, but an old nemesis wants to get her hands on the objects as well. The head archivist, Zarta Dralneen, has tasked a group of agents with sorting through the items in the Grand Lodge’s vaults, but the Society’s enemy has a surprise or two in store for them! When the PCs come face-to-face with unexpected enemies, they must keep their wits about them to survive—and if they do, they may gain some new allies, and valuable insight into their new enemy’s schemes! Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Boundless Wonder (Scenario #4-01) is an adventure for 1st- through 4th- level characters by yours truly. It’s a “Repeatable” adventure, so you can earn Organized Play credit for multiple characters by playing or GMing the adventure multiple times.

Biglock, artist Josef Kucera

Our next adventure takes us to the Gravelands, a haunted land brimming with undead horrors. The Pathfinder Society has learned of a settlement of refugees trapped within the mist-shrouded borders of the Gravelands. They need help, and they’re running out of time before the Whispering Tyrant’s forces discover them and add their corpses to his armies! The Pathfinder Society seizes on an opportunity to send a small group of agents behind enemy lines, chart a safe path, and get the refugees—including some unlikely new friends—to safety. Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-02: Return to the Grave is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters by Joseph Blomquist. It contains faction missions for the Horizon Hunters and Radiant Oath factions.

Illustration by Alexander Ngo

But that’s not all! We have a third Pathfinder adventure in store for August! In the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, the Pathfinder Society is in talks with Linnorm King White Estrid of the Ironbound Isles to secure the rights to explore the Isle of the Ancestors, where she famously bested the crag linnorm Boiltongue in combat. However, the talks have been disrupted by the arrival of Boiltongue’s children—five rambunctious linnorm siblings—in the city of Halgrim. Gorm Greathammer of the Pathfinder Society believes that the ensuing chaos is a test of the Pathfinder Society’s capabilities, and has sent for a group of agents to look after the linnorms and keep them from causing too much trouble while he wraps up negotiations. It’s all fun and games until… never mind, it’s pretty much a disaster from the start!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-03: Linnorm’s Legacy is an adventure for 5th- through 8th-level characters by our very own Starfinder Society Developer, Jessica Catalan. It contains faction missions for the Grand Archive and Verdant Wheel factions.

Manglefang, Illustration by Nicolas Espinoza

Explore! Report! Cooperate! Enjoy the Year of Boundless Wonder!

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hello, Starfinders!

This month, First Seeker Ehu Hadif has approved the closure of the Adamantine Bastille, a Starfinder-operated prison located beneath the Lorespire Complex. The facility’s administration has long remained a source of contention and discomfort among members of the Starfinder Society. Take on the role of the agents tasked with overseeing the transfer of the Bastille’s most violent and dangerous inmates to the custody of the Stewards! Don’t worry, I’m sure it will go smoothly! What could go wrong? Starfinder Society Scenario #5-05: Boom-Block Gambit is an exciting metaplot scenario for 5th- through 8th-level characters written by Lysle Kapp.

Meddo “The Horn” Borvakis, by Jason Smith

Take care, Starfinders!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Okay, Pathfinder Society Year 3 is coming to an end. I’ve got one more chance to shatter some sanctuaries… here goes!

We’ve got two July scenarios for the Pathfinder Society. In our first offering, a group of Pathfinder Society agents has been tasked with chaperoning a class of Dacilane Academy students on a field trip! Located in Absalom, Dacilane Academy provides a stable educational environment for children of active Pathfinders. Well, “stable” might be a strong word. Those familiar with previous incidents might recall that Dacilane Academy has seen its fair share of supernatural shenanigans. And it hasn’t seen the last of them, either! When someone says, “What could possibly go wrong on a Dacilane Academy field trip to Woodsedge Lodge?” the only thing you know to expect… is the unexpected! Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-18: Dacilane Academy’s Delightful Disaster is the debut Pathfinder Society adventure of freelance author Matt Morris. It’s a non-metaplot scenario for 1st- through 4th-level characters.

Alec, by Nicholas Phillips

Our second adventure for the month is the conclusion of the four-part “Absalom” metaplot arc in Year 3, and the overall conclusion of the Year of Shattered Sanctuaries metaplot! After learning the true culprit responsible for the Pathfinder Society’s recent troubles, and discovering an imminent threat, the Society has dispatched its toughest agents to Shadow Absalom, the twisted “dark reflection” of Absalom on the Shadow Plane. There, they must prevent a terrible foe from acquiring great power—and perhaps gain some unlikely allies in the process! Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-19: Mean Streets of Shadow Absalom is authored by Amber Stewart, one of the original creative minds behind Shadow Absalom and many other notable elements of the Age of Lost Omens. It is a metaplot scenario for 7th- through 10th-level characters and includes an Envoy’s Alliance faction mission.

Ralzin, by Allan Santos da Silva

Explore! Report! Cooperate! And… let me shatter just one sanctuary? Pretty please? Just one?

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer

Digital Releases

Here are this month’s digital releases, available July 27, 2022:

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-18: Dacilane Academy’s Delightful Disaster*

Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-19: Mean Streets of Shadow Absalom*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-05: Boom-block Gambit*

Starfinder Bounty #4: Poacher’s Prize

* - part of a subscription

Achievement Points Update

Our tech team is working hard to fix the issues with Achievement Points not being awarded properly (or, indeed, at all). Our hope is the code will be able to roll out later this week; if this changes, I’ll be sure to let you know! We appreciate your patience as we work to get this resolved.

Pins & Perks

As we announced last month our Pathfinder Society faction pins are now available! You can purchase them from the paizo.com webstore or your friendly local game store to show your Pathfinder Society pride. Starfinder Society faction pins remain in stock, and our Pathfinder Society (first edition) faction pins are now discounted!

As promised, the Organized Play Perks page has been updated to reflect the benefits of bringing these accessories with you to game days. The system has been revamped to make it easier to understand and to ensure any future merchandise counts without having to revise the policy constantly. Don your pins proudly and reap the benefits!

Pathfinder Society Year 4 Rule Changes

Last week we posted a blog discussing our rule changes for Pathfinder Society Year 4. In short, there aren’t many! We’ve added some new boons to the store and are reducing some prices on others but overall, we don’t have major changes planned. Check out the blog for more details.

Conventions

Gen Con Indy and Gen Con Online are just under a month away! We’re excited to see you all in the Sagamore Ballroom once again and we hope you’re looking forward to it. Tickets for our physical events are almost completely sold out, but more turn up occasionally, so be sure to keep a close eye on events you’re interested in! Tickets for Gen Con Online can be purchased starting this Sunday July 10, so be sure to be online to grab your seats!

After that, PaizoCon Europe will be running their events just two weeks later, from August 18-21. They’ll have the new August scenarios just as Gen Con did, so if you can’t visit us at Gen Con, PaizoCon Europe Online might be your best bet! You can find more information on their Warhorn page. Player signups open on July 15 at 12 noon BST.

My hope is very soon, I’ll be able to start announcing other convention travel for later this year. I’ve been working on a plan for how I can see as many of you as possible this fall, so stay tuned!/p>

As always, you can see upcoming conventions on our Conventions Calendar. Find your local community and support your local shows!

Sanctioning

We are delighted to announce today the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path is now sanctioned for Pathfinder Society play! Delve into the seedy underbelly of the clockwork city and thwart a deadly plan, all while earning experience for your Society characters! The sanctioning documents are available on the product pages and should be added to the landing page shortly.

This month, we should be able to post sanctioning for Pathfinder Dark Archive (both the character options and the adventures within) as well as Redshift Rally for Starfinder. It’s convention season so our schedules are pretty busy, but we’re aiming for street date on both! Looking ahead, Pathfinder Lost Omens: Travel Guide is next on our list, followed by Crown of the Kobold King and the Dead Suns compilation.

GM Recognition

Campaign Coins

I intend to award some Campaign Coins at Gen Con/Gen Con Online, as well as potentially at PaizoCon Online Europe. If you would like to nominate one or more individuals for these coins, please email the nomination to organizedplay@paizo.com no later than July 15, so I have time to consider them.

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios, as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had two GMs earn their 5th Star for PFS1, and one GM earn their 5th Glyph for PFS2.

5th Star (PFS1): Derek Larsen (Tyranius), Nathan Goodrich
5th Glyph (PFS2): Olivier Brochet aka Zog

Congratulations to our new 5-rank GMs and thank you for your dedication! If you believe you have achieved your 5th rank but haven’t been announced, email us at organizedplay@paizo.com.

Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! I’ll see you at Gen Con!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Greetings, Pathfinders! As the beginning of the Year of Boundless Wonder approaches in August, we wanted to let you know about the changes coming to the Pathfinder Society program. Aside from the updates in this blog, we don’t have any other rule changes or alterations to the program planned; this year should be quieter on that front, rather than the radical changes we’ve had in previous years.

Illustration by Nicholas Phillips

Achievement Points

We’re aware that achievement points and GM credits are still not being awarded correctly (or at all, in most cases). Tech is aware of the problem and is currently reviewing the code to fix this issue. Once it’s fixed, you won’t have to do anything but refresh your points to fix the errors. Achievement Points can still be spent currently. We hope to have good news on this front very soon!

At the end of May, we also announced that we would be awarding every player a starting player grant of 80 Achievement Points for both Pathfinder and Starfinder Society. You may use these points to unlock an uncommon ancestry, other fun uncommon options, or just as a cushion for a couple of resurrections should your low-level character meet with an untimely critical hit. The aforementioned issues with Achievement Points are also blocking this grant for a small number of users, but that should be fixed shortly as well.

Ancestry Boon Changes

With the start of Year 4 comes new adventurers! We’re pleased to announce some updates to the price of ancestry boons based on the Society’s adventurers.

As a result of the Society’s efforts on the Shadow Plane this season, the Fetchling Ancestry boon price will be reduced to 40 Achievement Points. Additionally, additional recruitment in Oprak means that the Hobgoblin Ancestry boon price will be reduced to 80 Achievement Points. Finally, the price of the Catfolk Ancestry boon will also be reduced to 80 Achievement Points. We don’t have a great in-story reason for this last adjustment, but we wanted to bring this boon in line with similar uncommon ancestries from the Mwangi Expanse.

All of these changes will take effect on July 29, 2022, in preparation for the launch of Pathfinder Society Year 4 at Gen Con the following week.

With that, I’ll turn it over to Mike to talk about some new boons coming to the boon store!

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Hello, Pathfinders! Thinking of making a new character? Want to tie your character to recent events in Pathfinder Society adventures? We’ve got seven new backgrounds, each of which reflects some sort of connection to recent and ongoing Pathfinder Society plots. You don’t need to play a specific adventure to earn the backgrounds—they’re open to everyone, for the price of 4 Achievement Points each. Maybe you’ll want to pick up one of these backgrounds because you enjoyed a Year 3 plot and want to have a character tied to that plot, or because you’re about to play some Year 3 content and want to give your character an even stronger connection to that content before playing it. Or maybe you just think it sounds cool!

You’ll find the text of these boons behind the spoiler tags below. (They don’t contain heavy spoilers for the events of any adventures.) Enjoy!

Muesello’s Student

Muesello’s Student (Uncommon Background)

You trained under Venture-Captain Muesello of the Oppara Lodge in Taldor. You learned a few of the mage-machinist’s crafting techniques, and your extensive knowledge of magic items comes in handy during your adventures as a Pathfinder field agent. Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Intelligence, and one is a free ability boost.

You’re trained in the Crafting skill and the Engineering Lore skill. You gain the Crafter’s Appraisal skill feat (Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide 204). Additionally, when Muesello is present during your mission briefings, he takes some time to catch up with you and discuss your mission. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks to Gather Information or Recall Knowledge during the Getting Started segment of such adventures. Be sure to remind your GM that you have a relevant background.

Gloriana’s Fixer

Gloriana's Fixer (Uncommon Background)

You used to run certain “errands” for Gloriana Morilla, a close confidante of Grand Princess Eutropia Stavian, the ruler of Taldor. Gloriana took note of your skills and suggested you join the Pathfinder Society, a group she’s heavily involved in herself.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You’re trained in the Thievery skill and the Underworld Lore skill. You gain the Subtle Theft skill feat.

Additionally, when Gloriana Morilla is present during your mission briefings, she discreetly checks in with you and provides some pointers. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks to Gather Information or Recall Knowledge during the Getting Started segment of such adventures. Be sure to remind your GM that you have a relevant background.

Almas Clerk

Almas Clerk (Uncommon Background)

You worked as a clerk at the Golden Cathedral of Almas in Andoran. The Pathfinder Society’s activities in the city, and its passionate defense of its mission, inspired you to join the organization. You help the Society pursue its goals and navigate the laws of Golarion’s many locales.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You’re trained in the Society skill and the Legal Lore skill. You gain the Glean Contents skill feat (Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide 206).

Additionally, when you receive a mission briefing in the city of Almas, you know just how to find the information you need. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks to Gather Information or Recall Knowledge during the Getting Started segment of such adventures. Be sure to remind your GM that you have a relevant background.

Friend of Greensteeples

Friend of Greensteeples (Uncommon Background)

You’re a good friend of Benedet, the majordomo of Greensteeples Manor in Egorian, Cheliax. You’ve learned a thing or two about surviving against all odds thanks to your close association with House Jeggare and the clandestine Pathfinder Society operations based out of Greensteeples.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You’re trained in your choice of the Deception or Society skills, and gain the Assurance skill feat with your chosen skill. You’re also trained in a Lore skill about a narrow category of creatures.

Additionally, when you receive a mission briefing at Greensteeples Manor (or a briefing from Benedet or Varian Jeggare at another location), you receive a warm welcome. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks to Gather Information or Recall Knowledge during the Getting Started segment of such adventures. Be sure to remind your GM that you have a relevant background.

Guest of Sedeq Lodge

Guest of Sedeq Lodge (Uncommon Background)

Either as a guest, event staff, or part of the construction crew, you spent a significant stretch of time at the Pathfinder Society’s new lodge in Sedeq. The lodge serves as a new home for those fleeing from oppression or otherwise seeking a fresh start in Qadira. The magic and marvels you witnessed at the lodge inspired you to find more excitement as a member of the Pathfinder Society.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Constitution or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.

You’re trained in your choice of the Arcana or Religion skills, as well as your choice of the Genie Lore or Sarenrae Lore skills. You gain the Recognize Spell skill feat.

Additionally, when you receive a mission briefing at Sedeq Lodge, your familiarity with the site and the nearby area comes in handy. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks to Gather Information or Recall Knowledge during the Getting Started segment of such adventures. Be sure to remind your GM that you have a relevant background.

Sandswept Survivor

Sandswept Survivor (Uncommon Background)

You were in the Sandswept Hall, the Pathfinder Society’s lodge in Sothis, Osirion, when it came under attack from an unrelenting horde of undead. You endured the siege and forged new bonds with your fellow survivors, then joined the Society as a field agent.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Constitution or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost.

You’re trained in the Survival skill and a Lore skill related to a specific type of undead, such as Mummy Lore or Zombie Lore. You gain the Terrain Expertise skill feat with underground terrain.

Additionally, when you receive a mission briefing at the Sandswept Hall, your familiarity with its history and staff grants further insight. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks to Gather Information or Recall Knowledge during the Getting Started segment of such adventures. Be sure to remind your GM that you have a relevant background.

Gold Falls Regular

Gold Falls Regular (Uncommon Background)

You’ve long been a regular of Gold Falls Inn, a tavern located near Droskar’s Crag in the Darkmoon Vale region of Andoran. The establishment is a frequent gathering place for adventurers, storytellers, and folk heroes. You took note of the Pathfinder Society’s growing reputation in the area and decided to join up and seek adventure and fame of your own.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Constitution or Charisma, and one is a free ability boost.

You’re trained in the Performance skill, as well as your choice of the Cooking Lore skill or Volcano Lore skill. You gain the Impressive Performance skill feat.

Additionally, when you receive a mission briefing at Gold Falls Inn or a settlement in Darkmoon Vale, you can draw on your knowledge of the region and its many stories. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your checks to Gather Information or Recall Knowledge during the Getting Started segment of such adventures. Be sure to remind your GM that you have a relevant background.

As always: Explore! Report! Cooperate!

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Watch out, Starfinders! The Drift Crisis is here!

The Drift is malfunctioning, Triune has fallen silent, and countless citizens of the Pact Worlds are lost to the chaos! Amid this upheaval, Fitch and numerous Starfinder volunteers trawl Pact Worlds space aboard the Master of Stars, searching for survivors in need of aid, derelict starships, Drift debris to investigate, and clues that might shed light on the source of the Drift Crisis itself. When a starship belonging to an ally of the Society is discovered immobile and powerless, Fitch dispatches a team of Starfinders to investigate. But the PCs’ simple quest to check in on a friend quickly becomes a rescue mission that will take them far beyond starship corridors to an annexed Drift beacon and the metaphorical doorstep of the mysterious “4th.” Starfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Fragment of the 4th is a scenario for levels 9–12 by Isis Wozniakowska.

This scenario is one of four stand-alone Starfinder Society Scenarios directly tied to the Drift Crisis, a galaxy-wide catastrophe detailed in Starfinder Drift Crisis. While basic knowledge of the Drift Crisis enriches the experience of this adventure, it is not required. The Starfinder Society Drift Crisis Scenarios include: Starfinder Society Scenario Special #4-99: A Time of Crisis, Starfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Fragment of the 4th, Starfinder Society Scenario #5-07: Planar Bloom, and Starfinder Society Scenario #5-14.

Buckle up, Starfinders! We’ll need all hands on deck to survive the Drift Crisis!

Illustration by Rodrigo Gallo

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Hello, Pathfinders! We have two Year of Shattered Sanctuaries metaplot scenarios for you this month! Let’s dive in.

Time to wrap up the “Oppara” metaplot arc, which began with Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-11: No Time for Treason and concludes this month with Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-16: Escape from Oppara. After asking for the Society’s help to investigate the suspicious actions of Venture-Captain Muesello, Gloriana Morilla has once again called upon a group of agents to confront the Society’s hidden enemies in Oppara. For the plan to work, the agents must infiltrate the hideout of an insidious group of insurgents who have been plotting against the crown. Can the agents set things right? What else might they discover as they peel back the layers of the conspiracy? This metaplot adventure by Brent Bowser is for 3rd through 6th level characters.

Illustration by Alecksander Ribeiro

Meanwhile, Pathfinders at the Grand Lodge have had troubling dreams of late. Stranger still, while each Pathfinder’s dream is slightly different, they share many elements, as if they contain some sort of hidden message. The Society’s leaders believe the dreams to be a cry for help from someone trapped in a dangerous, otherworldly dream realm, and it’s up to a group of capable agents to enter the dream and learn the truth! Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-17: Dreams of a Dustbound Isle is an adventure for 7th through 10th level characters written by Matt Duval. It includes faction missions for the Radiant Oath and Verdant Wheel factions. As part of the four-part “Absalom” metaplot arc for Year 3, this adventure follows on the events of Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries and Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-06: Struck by Shadows. The arc concludes with the upcoming Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-19: Mean Streets of Shadow Absalom.

Illustration by Raphael Madureira

Explore! Report! Cooperate!

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hey adventurers, it’s Mark from Campaign Coins here again. We’ve loved watching the Pathfinder Society expand and evolve with Pathfinder Second Edition with all-new factions and adventure seasons. I especially love reading through the splendid Lost Omens Pathfinder Society Guide, which brilliantly showcases how the society is as much a part of the world of Golarion as it is in our real world of Organized Play in stores and conventions. Mad respect to all venture captains and heroic society members who run and play games.

We’re here to celebrate those bonds of friendship and adventure with an all-new range of Pathfinder Society Faction Pins. These are the biggest, brightest and most beautiful pins we’ve made so far. Each new pin has two vertical butterfly clasps so that they fix in position on a garment, bag, or lanyard.

The big four are present, with pins for Envoy’s Alliance, Grand Archive, Horizon Hunters and Vigilant Seal, and we also could not resist including Verdant Wheel and Radiant Oath. They look amazing as a full set. We’ve also made a Paizo Organized Play pin, if you want to show your love equally for Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society without pinning yourself down (sorry, you probably took 1d4 bludgeoning damage from that. I regret nothing).

Wearing a pin or any Organized Play accessory during an in-person or online Paizo Organized Play session gives you an in-game bonus. You can view the full details at the Organized Play Perks page. We hope your new pin brings you luck, but if you’re playing a tabletop roleplaying game among friends, then you’re already a winner as far as we’re concerned.

You can also still get our Starfinder Society pins. But, the arrival of the new Pathfinder Society pins means that we are phasing out production of the legacy faction pins, so Silver Crusade, Liberty’s Edge, Concordance and our old favorite The Exchange (because coins) are now on sale at 25% off until sold out. Grand Lodge will remain in print for now, because everybody loves the Glyph of the Open Road. Get out there and start exploring!

Mark Morrison
Campaign Coins
campaigncoins.com

Late last year, in my new role as the creative lead for Pathfinder Society Organized Play, I sat down to plan the plots and themes for Year 4. One of my first experiences on the Organized Play team back in January 2021 was to sit in on the pitch meeting for Pathfinder Society Year 3: Year of Shattered Sanctuaries. It was thrilling to see what Thursty had planned for the year, and I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out.

A few months later, I learned that “how it turned out” was going to be my job! I knew that I wanted Year 3’s plot to lead naturally to Year 4, and that Year 4 should continue to solidify the role of the Pathfinder Society in Golarion. I also knew that I wanted Year 4 to “feel” different from the seasons that had come before. So, what to do?

At some point—I can’t quite remember when—I began to think of each “season” of Pathfinder Society as one of the four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. (Living in the Pacific Northwest, I might describe our seasons as “wet,” “more wet,” “spiders,” and “wildfires,” but I digress.) Perhaps it was the fact that I am often introspective as fall turns to winter (when I happened to be brainstorming the Year 4 themes), or perhaps it was the simple fact that we’ve often described a year’s worth of content as a “season” of Organized Play. Whatever the reason, it was easy to decide which seasons corresponded with the three current seasons of Pathfinder Society.

artist Dion Harris

The Year of the Open Road was spring. It was a season of new beginnings, new relationships, allies, and adventures. Doors (and magical mazes) opening up to exciting places. A fresh start. A new edition! Brand new characters!

That meant Year of Corruption’s Reach was summer, a season of grand adventure, epic tales, and exploration of the distant land of Iobaria. There were several transitions on the Pathfinder Society development team during this time—quite appropriate for the transition to our current plot, the Year of Shattered Sanctuaries.

artist Sebastian Rodriguez

To me, this season represents autumn, a season of change, reflection on the past, and preparation for the future. Appropriately, during the Year of Shattered Sanctuaries, the Pathfinder Society’s past looms large. We saw the campaign’s focus shift to the Inner Sea lodges of years past. In a way, the Society has spent Year 3 hunkering down, cleaning house, reflecting on the past, and preparing to deal with whoever has been behind all of the problems arising at these Inner Sea lodges.

artist Maurice Risulmi

So, I knew Year 4 needed to be winter. Often, winter represents sorrowful things. Loss. Isolation. Despair. Darkness. For a long time, I considered taking the campaign in a grim direction in Year 4. However, for many reasons, I decided that a year of darkness and despair is not what the campaign needs at this time.

Winter is dark, but it is also a season which many people endure with light, hope, comradery, and gifts. And so the Year of Boundless Wonder came to be.

artist Nicholas Phillips

Yes, there is a powerful evil enemy who has been lurking behind the scenes and causing problems throughout the Year of Shattered Sanctuaries. Yes, her identity will soon be revealed. Yes, she has a major part to play in the Year of Boundless Wonder. But, in the face of such wickedness, the Pathfinder Society won’t fall to despair. It won’t dwell on the darkness. It will continue to walk new roads, fight against corruption, bolster its sanctuaries, and see the world’s wonders.

The whole team has worked hard to ensure this next year of Pathfinder Society brings wonder and excitement to new players and veterans alike. I can’t wait for you to experience the adventures for yourself!

Explore! Report! Cooperate! Wonder abounds!

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

I’m gonna drop a hot take at the top of this blog: I think PaizoCon was a success this year! Everybody who’d been there before couldn’t help but comment on how different it felt, but as someone with no base of reference, I had a great time. We ran over 100 Organized Play games in the ballroom, including our first hybrid special. I got to hang out with some of my awesome coworkers and meet some fantastic community members, and I spent way too much money in our store!

No, it wasn’t a perfect show. There are things to iron out before Gen Con and things to improve for next year. A non-zero number of people (myself included) tested positive for COVID after the show (I’m doing fine, thanks for asking). Overall, I’m so thrilled with my first physical PaizoCon

I have a ton of things to talk about in this blog—it might be the longest blog I’ve ever written—so strap in, and let’s blast through these updates!

Digital Releases

Here are this month’s digital releases, available June 29, 2022.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-16: Escape from Oppara*

Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-17: Dreams of a Dustbound Isle*

Starfinder

Starfinder Society Scenario #5-04: Fragment of the 4th*

*part of a subscription

Illustration by Nicholas Phillips

Year of Boundless Wonder

At our PaizoCon panel, Pathfinder Society developer Mike Kimmel announced the title for Year 4: Year of Boundless Wonder! We’re very excited for this new metaplot, featuring a treasure hoard full of wondrous items and treacherous secrets. More information about the year’s stories, as well as any rule changes, will be forthcoming between now and the year’s launch at Gen Con Indy and Gen Con Online. For now, be sure to check out our panel on YouTube and the announcement blog.

Achievement Points Update

I have good news and bad news!

The good news: last week, tech rolled a code update that, among other things, should start every new player with 80 Achievement Points for both Pathfinder and Starfinder Society and retroactively grant those points to current players as well. One of the most consistent complaints about the program at large is that new players can’t play weird characters from the jump. This 80 AcP grant is enough to purchase an uncommon ancestry, some new character options, or just resurrect your character a couple of times after making… interesting choices. We hope that this will ease a new player’s introduction to the system and benefit those of you who have been working diligently to save up for something shiny as well!

The bad news: doing so apparently broke AcP entirely in new and exciting ways. We’ve had reports of some people not seeing the grant yet, and other reports of events not awarding AcP for sessions anymore. Obviously, this is a problem, and tech is actively working on fixing it. Please know that fixing this is my highest priority, and I hope to see the issues resolved soon. Thank you all so much for your patience!

PFS Faction Pins

A couple of months ago on Paizo Live!, I announced that we’d be getting new faction pins in the store for PaizoCon. Unfortunately, thanks to shipping chaos, they missed it by one day and arrived just after the show closed. Luckily, they’re now available in the Paizo store!

Paizo Organized Play
Envoy’s Alliance
Grand Archive
Horizon Hunters
Radiant Oath
Verdant Wheel
Vigilant Seal

The Accessory Perks page has had an update in the works for some time. Now that these pins have arrived, that will hopefully be the motivation I need to put the final touches on the page and get it live so that these pins provide an in-game benefit. Until then, enjoy the bling!

Major Convention Recruitment

We’re currently recruiting GMs for Gen Con Online as well as PaizoCon Online Europe! Earlier today we posted a blog with more information on both, so for the sake of brevity here I will link you over there for more information.

Sanctioning

We released a ton of products, and sanctioning for other products, in May. So many that I don’t have time for fun commentary and I’m just going to list them all out!

Pathfinder Society

• A Fistful of Flowers (sanctioning documents, in advance of Free RPG Day this month)
• Abomination Vaults (sanctioning documents)
• Pathfinder Lost Omens: Knights of Lastwall (Character Options)
• Shadows at Sundown (sanctioning documents)

Starfinder Society

• Drift Crisis (Character Options)
• Horizons of the Vast Adventure Path (Character Options and sanctioning documents)
• SF One-Shot #4: Before the Storm (sanctioning documents)
• Skitter Warp (sanctioning documents, in advance of Free RPG Day this month)

Upcoming

Next on our sanctioning radar, in no particular order, are:

• Dark Archive
• Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path
• Redshift Rally
• Pathfinder Lost Omens: Travel Guide

New FAQ Answers

Prior to PaizoCon, we posted a couple of new answers to crafting-related questions on the PFS FAQ page. I will reproduce the text here, but the most current version can always be found on that page.

Can I upgrade permanent items?
Yes, players may upgrade permanent magical items or items made from special materials using the Crafting rules on page 535 of the Core Rulebook. Players may not upgrade adventuring gear or consumable items in this manner.

Can I pay the cost difference to upgrade a permanent item instead of using Craft to do it myself? Yes. The Pathfinder Society has numerous crafters that assist their fellow agents. Use the rules for upgrading magic items on page 535 of the Core Rulebook.

GM Recognition

Campaign Coins

At PaizoCon, we awarded six new Campaign Service Coins. These Coins are given to volunteers who go above and beyond the typical volunteer duties to support their communities and Organized Play. Nominations are always accepted; volunteers may be nominated by emailing organizedplay@paizo.com with their name, region and a description of their service. As we begin to return to physical events, we hope to resume awarding these in-person, so letting us know what upcoming events they’re attending is also useful.

Congratulations to: David Peever, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #852
Jocelyn Hamilton, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #853
Preston Hudson, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #854
Dennis Muldoon, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #855
Glen Parnell, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #856
Nicole Heits, who now holds a Campaign Coin and Organized Play ID #857

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th Star for PFS1 and one GM earn their 5th Nova for SFS.

5th Star: LeRoy Byrd

5th Nova: Nikolaus Beattie

Congratulations to our new 5-rank GMs, and thank you for your dedication! If you believe you’ve achieved your 5th rank but haven’t been announced, email us at organizedplay@paizo.com.

Upcoming Conventions

In addition to our major shows, convention season is in full swing! We have tons of events around the world scheduled for this summer, and we encourage you to support your local shows! Any convention that has filed for event support can be found on our conventions calendar.

Until next time—Explore! Report! Cooperate! And enjoy the Year of Redemption’s Rise!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Illustration by Nicholas Phillips

Wonder abounds!

Following the dramatic conclusion to the Year of Shattered Sanctuaries, the Pathfinder Society has been entrusted with a vast hoard of treasure! The Grand Lodge’s vaults overflow with an abundance of magic items and valuable relics. The structure even holds a few strange creatures, such as a wise-cracking animate skull that claims it can’t remember anything about its past yet insists it can still cast powerful spells. It’s up to the Pathfinders to learn what these oddities are, where they come from, what they do—and why a nefarious enemy from the Society’s past wants to claim the contents of the vaults for herself!

Welcome to the Year of Boundless Wonder!

Illustration by Nicholas Phillips

The intro scenario for Year of Boundless Wonder debuts at GenCon 2022 (August 4–7; both in person and online) with Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-01: Intro: Year of Boundless Wonder by yours truly. In this repeatable adventure for characters of 1st–4th level, you can earn credit for playing it multiple times with multiple characters—offering additional incentives to those who wish to introduce their friends to the Year of Boundless Wonder even if they’ve already played it!

Stay tuned for more information in our Organized Play Monthly Update blogs and check back next week for a look into Mike’s process for crafting the plot and primary themes of the Year of Boundless Wonder.

Explore, report, cooperate! Wonder abounds!

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hello, Starfinders!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Illustration by Luiz Lanzarin

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

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

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

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

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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

Irlah Kestiwhitt: Illustration by Josef Kucera

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

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

Mike Kimmel
Pathfinder Society Developer