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The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part XVII: Use the Pathfinder Society's Resources To Do Good in the World

Monday, July 11, 2011

When the existence of so many factions within the Pathfinder Society began to become apparent, many were dismayed, especially those who took umbrage at the Society's resources being used for ethically questionable purposes or personal gain. Unable to eliminate such elements as the Shadow Lodge from the ranks of the organization, an influential group of Pathfinder clerics, paladins, and servants of good-aligned deities banded together to form their own faction—the Silver Crusade—as an answer to these undesirable offshoots of the Society. While a crusade in name only, the Silver Crusade models itself after the staunchly good silver dragon, making a valiant effort to use the Society's influence, reach, and resources to do good throughout the Inner Sea region and beyond.

If there's one thing the faction system has taught us since Pathfinder Society Organized Play began just a little less than three years ago, it's that players want to be good guys. Until now, that means most people have been playing Andoren Pathfinders who fight against tyranny, oppression, and slavery. But what about those paladins who don't want to be asked to act against the law or clerics who are less concerned with politics than they are healing the sick and helping the downtrodden?

The answer, of course, is the focus of this week's blog, the fourth of five new factions and one I expect to be very popular among players currently in Andoran only because of lack of other "good" options. This faction is the Silver Crusade, led by Sarenite paladin Ollysta Zadrian, an ex-Pathfinder with countless connections within the organization. While the faction's name may bring to mind knights in shining armor and religious zealotry, it's less a traditional campaign or holy war than a crusade of the mind and motivations—a group of like-minded Pathfinders set on helping one another spread the word and good will of their respective faiths wherever the Decemvirate may send them.

Continuing our previews of Pathfinder Society tie-in content in the forthcoming Pathfinder Society Field Guide, here's a look at one of the faction-specific prestige awards members of the Silver Crusade can purchase with their Prestige Points once they've earned enough Fame.

Beacon of Good (Fame 5, 2 PP) The Shining Crusade gives you a shining wayfinder (see page 55) emblazoned with the emblem of a silver dragon. If you lose your shining wayfinder, you can purchase a new one for an additional 2 PP. Members of the Silver Crusade who are caught selling shining wayfinders for their own profit are exiled, and must switch factions.

Now I bet you're wondering what a shining wayfinder is, right? It wouldn't be much of a tease if I gave you everything, though, would it? Oh, okay. You've been patiently reading these for 17 installments now, so I guess I can give a bit more: a shining wayfinder functions like a normal wayfinder, but also lets the user cast detect evil at will and protection from evil on herself once per day.

That's all you get from me this week, though. No more. You're just going to have to wait until next Monday for me to talk about the fifth and final new faction: the Shadow Lodge! Have a good week, Pathfinders.

Mark Moreland
Developer

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Tags: Factions Pathfinder Society Silver Crusade
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Grand Lodge 4/5

Finally somewhere for my paladin of Iomadae to go and not lose prestige points because he refuses to assissnate or be involved in one and other such foul deeds. Thanks Mark and Hyrum.
2/5 *

I'd be surprised if this isn't the most popular faction, as long as the penalties for switching factions at the start of the season, aren't too great.
Grand Lodge 5/5
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Argh, I hate these articles. They are such a giant tease! I don't want to wait for new content any more. Congratulations Mark, you have me over excited.
Dark Archive 1/5
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Jason S wrote:
I'd be surprised if this isn't the most popular faction, as long as the penalties for switching factions at the start of the season, aren't too great.

Switching from the Andoran faction is a reward in itself and NO penalty would be considered too great.

Dark Archive 1/5

Man! and I had really hoped that The Wonderseekers would become a proper faction...
Sovereign Court 3/5

Is this an error - Beacon of Good (Fame 5, 2 PP) The Shining Crusade gives you a shining wayfinder...?
The Shinning Crusade is the Crusade in Mendev (IIRC) and thus this should say The Silver Crusade gives you a shinning wayfinder. However, shouldn't it be a silver wayfinder to more fit with the crusade's name?
I think they should follow the One True Path.
Theocrat Issak
1/5

Technically the Shining Crusade was the crusade that ended with the imprisonment of the Whispering Tyrant. The crusades against the demons of the Worldwound are simply called the Mendevian Crusades.

That said, it does indeed seem like a small error.
The Exchange 4/5

I didn't think there is a faction I could hate more than Andoran. I see I was proved wrong.
Silver Crusade 3/5

Time to change some factions
Liberty's Edge 4/5 5/55/5 **

Good, maybe now I will hear less complaints from my own faction when I Mur... umm... take rev... umm... Liberate Slaves from the Evil of slavers!
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Sounds cool!
Grand Lodge 4/5
Joseph Caubo wrote:
I didn't think there is a faction I could hate more than Andoran. I see I was proved wrong.

Pfffttt...Don't be a baby Joe :) I'm making sure all my characters that play at your table are Silver Crusade!

Silver Crusade 5/5
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Well I for one am happy to see this faction. This faction is run by a Sarenite Paladin? I have a Qadiran cleric of Sarenrae, Imam Gabriel Al Katheer, who is going to make a bee line for this faction happily leaving the money grubbing partisans of his homeland behind.

It will be interesting to see how the populations of the Andoran, Osirion, Taldoran, Qadiran and the Chelaxian, factions redistribute with the adition of the Silver Crusade, the Lantern Lodge, The Grand Pathfinder Lodge, the Scarnzi and the shadow lodge.

Will the Andoran faction shrink with its alignment being CG, and the shining Crusade's alignment being LG?

Will Chiliax loose members to the Scarnzi the other "bad guy" faction?

Will Osirion loose members to the Grand lodge?

How will the shadow lodge fit in?
2/5 *
ElyasRavenwood wrote:


Will the Andoran faction shrink with its alignment being CG, and the shining Crusade's alignment being LG?

Will Chiliax loose members to the Scarnzi the other "bad guy" faction?

Will Osirion loose members to the Grand lodge?

How will the shadow lodge fit in?

I'm curious too! I love human experiments... hmmm.

Grand Lodge 4/5 *

The Shadow Lodge?!

I would expect Cheliax to lose more members to the Shadow Lodge faction than to the Sczarni.
The Exchange 4/5
Michael Brock wrote:
Pfffttt...Don't be a baby Joe :) I'm making sure all my characters that play at your table are Silver Crusade!

It's unfortunate that all of them have to die. I hate it for 'em. Those Nat20s are going to be flowing like beer at a brewhouse.

problem, evil? [/angelictrollface]
Sovereign Court 3/5

I did note that nobody was leaving the TALDOR faction. That's a shame, since I was under the impression that the General Goldfrapp the Naked TALDORAN of the TALDORAN Trebuchet Army in Absalom faction had been approved. I will make sure I speak with Hyrum and Mark at GenCon and this this fixed before NeonCon so that this adjustment can be rectified.
Shadow Lodge

Go Cheliax! You might not be allowed to be evil, but you can sure dream about it!
Silver Crusade 5/5
Enevhar Aldarion wrote:
I would expect Cheliax to lose more members to the Shadow Lodge faction than to the Sczarni.

Yes it will be interesting to see how the populations of the factions change now that there are five new players on the field.

Michael Brock wrote:
Finally somewhere for my paladin of Iomadae to go and not lose prestige points because he refuses to assissnate or be involved in one and other such foul deeds. Thanks Mark and Hyrum.

Emphasis mine.

Uhm... I started in a scenario where I got exactly that order...
Shadow Lodge 4/5

Well, don't leave us hanging, necro-tease. How did you handle it?

And thanks for the bump, I had never heard of a Shining Wayfinder. My Half-Orc Cleric will be interested.

It's in a running pbp, I have no idea how I'll handle it! I'm new to PFS and didn't expect that order from the Silver Crusade so I guess I'll see what happens. Any advice? I'm playing this old gnome noble lady who's gone on her first adventure after helping out her husband. She wants to help and protect people, not assassinate them! At this rate she'll probably run back to her husband and continue teaching the scribes how to spell.

sorry for the necro btw
Shadow Lodge 1/5 Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8

Is it an older scenario?

Since Silver Crusade wasn't introduced until Season 3, scenarios from Seasons 0-2 don't have Silver-Crusade-specific missions, so you get assigned a mission from one of the original 5 factions instead.

That sometimes results in weirdness.
Benchak the Nightstalker wrote:

Is it an older scenario?

Since Silver Crusade wasn't introduced until Season 3, scenarios from Seasons 0-2 don't have Silver-Crusade-specific missions, so you get assigned a mission from one of the original 5 factions instead.

That sometimes results in weirdness.

Ah this seems to be te case. It's a season 1 scenario. Thanks for clearing that up. Orders are orders! *draws dagger* ;)

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