New Adventures Against the Crimson Throne, Part 1

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Now that copies of the hardcover edition of Curse of the Crimson Throne are shipping out and we've provided the players with a mini player's guide to help create their characters, it's time to turn the attention to the new content in this version of the classic Adventure Path. All of you who are intending to play in this campaign, be warned, there be spoilers below!

Those GMs who ran Curse of the Crimson Throne in its first incarnation will find a lot of new content in the hardcover edition, but most of this content is relatively well-integrated into the text of the adventure. In some cases, this new content is simply material that we had to cut from publication the first time around, due to space limitations. But in others, it's brand new material that I created during the project's development—new content that may have been suggested by customer feedback, or may have simply been something that I was inspired to include to make the campaign more exciting, fresh, and memorable. One such addition was revealed last week—the Betrayed campaign trait gives players an option for characters who might be a bit less reputable than the classic campaign traits assume. But of course, that's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Here's a sampling of my favorite new additions to the first four chapters of Curse of the Crimson Throne!

Chapter 1: Edge of Anarchy

The Lamm Legacy

Folks were disappointed the first time around that the villain built up by the Campaign Traits, Gaedren Lamm, didn't have a stronger presence in the campaign overall. While the hardcover edition doesn't expand Gaedren's role significantly (he was never meant to be a recurring villain, but a convenient foil to help bring the party together in the first place), it does give him a son—Rolth, the vile necromancer the PCs first learn about later in this chapter and first encounter in Chapter 2. By making Rolth Gaedren's son, this villain has a built-in reason to hate the PCs—he may not have loved his father, but he can certainly ache for revenge against those who bring him to justice! Further increasing Rolth's role in Korovsa, I decided to make him into the notorious Key-Lock Killer, a murderer only barely mentioned in the "Guide to Korvosa" as being the city's most prolific serial killer. The PCs will be able to find clues to Rolth's connection to Gaedren, as well as to his secret life as a serial killer, among the various treasures they can loot in Gaedren's den.

Chapter 2: Seven Days to the Grave

A Chance at Redemption

In addition to expanding on Rolth's role in the campaign, in this chapter I was able to expand a bit more on the role of the crazy elf Jolistina. In the original, she wasn't much more than a lunatic for the PCs to fight, but this time around, the PCs can do much more than just fight her. If they're careful or caring, they might be able to get Jolistina on their side and perhaps even help her along a path of redemption!

Chapter 3: Escape from Old Korvosa

More Rakshasas

In the previous edition of Curse of the Crimson Throne, the rakshasa had something of a glass jaw, and as such we were able to use a large number of them in the adventure without worrying about overwhelming the PCs. But with the publication of the Pathfinder Bestiary, we updated the basic rakshasa so that it more properly filled its role as a CR 10 monster. Which was good for the rakshasa, but not so good for Arkona Palace, which had a large number of these foes spread throughout the manor. My solution wasn't to remove rakshasas, but to swap some out for less powerful but still frightening marai rakshasas. Not only does this keep the dungeon's original themes in place, but it gives it more variety in the foes your players will face.

Chapter 4: A History Of Ashes

Deathhead Vault

While the additions to the previous chapters were largely in the realm of bits and pieces here and there to add flavor or clarify, we reach our first significant amount of new content in chapter 4. Not only did I rebuild the format of the original adventure to be less linear and more of a sandbox (without that distracting "Shoanti going to war" subplot that ended up going nowhere), but I added an entire new section. In large part spurred by customer feedback that players were disappointed to leave Korvosa for two whole adventures, but also because I was never satisfied with how the Gray Maiden's stronghold was handled "off camera," I added a whole new set of encounters as a third part to A History Of Ashes. Here, the PCs return to Korvosa after their allies are contacted by Boule, the guildmaster of Korvosa's thieves' guild, who has information on how the PCs can infiltrate the stronghold of the Red Mantis assassins AND the Gray Maidens. Doing so will not only allow the PCs to rescue Marcus Endrin from his fate, but explains exactly why the Gray Maidens and Red Mantis assassins mysteriously relocate their headquarters to Castle Korvosa in the campaign's climax. Of course, there's a lot more going on in Deathhead Vault, the underground complex the assassins and maidens use as their headquarters—pet catoblepases, creepy outsiders, and an undead arbiter are only a few of the dangerous foes the PCs get to face off against in this significant addition to the campaign!

More Art!

And of course, I don't want to leave you without showing off some more of the new art we ordered for the hardcover edition. Check out these new interpretations of classic fights from the original adventures!

Illustrations by Bryan Sola, Richard Suwono, and Subroto Bhaumik

And that's enough for this week—tune in next week for a preview of the new content in the last two chapters and the extensive appendix for the hardcover edition of Curse of the Crimson Throne!

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Happy Anniversary, Korvosa!

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

The Founding Festival is upon us, and what better way to celebrate the city of Korvosa than with a preview of the updated Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path that made it (in)famous?

As with the hardcover edition of Rise of the Runelords a few years ago, one exciting element of revising Curse of the Crimson Throne was the opportunity to look through all the comments people posted on our messageboards over the years. Feedback, observations, obituaries for dead PCs, obituaries for dead villains, complaints, misunderstandings, corrections, and so much more awaited discovery as I made my way through all those posts in the early days of work on the revision project. But one thing stood out over and above everything else—folks had fallen in love with the city of Korvosa so much that they hated leaving it!

While the journey into the Cinderlands and the exploration of a certain infamous castle very much remain integral elements of Curse of the Crimson Throne's hardcover revision, I took to heart the complaints folks had about leaving Korvosa behind for two adventures. The fact that this occurred after your player characters likely gain access to fast travel spells like teleport, wind walk, shadow walk, word of recall, transport via plants, and so much more only further complicated the issue. After spending half an Adventure Path defending a city, why would heroes abandon it when returning is often just a spell away?

There's all sorts of tiny new additions to the campaign, the single largest addition to Curse of the Crimson Throne takes place between books 4 and 5. I won't go into great detail about what this addition consists of, but it DOES involve a return to Korvosa to take care of two particularly vexing groups that your PCs will grow to love hating during the campaign. Expect to encounter some familiar faces, some brand new foes, and at least one established Korvosan NPC who may or may not have a brand new secret (and a lot of brand new powers) to be surprised by!

Illustrations by Miguel Regodón Harkness, Bryan Sola, and William O’Brien

And while showing you illustrations of some of the foes your characters will meet in this new section will spoil those surprises... I can't NOT show off some of the new art from the new book! See if you can recognize some of the new looks for old friends and enemies!

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Hell of a Time

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

With this month's release of Pathfinder Adventure Path #106: For Queen & Empire, the Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path is heading toward its thrilling conclusion! Will the knights of the Glorious Reclamation succeed in their crusade to reclaim Cheliax in the name of Iomedae, or will the villainous Thrune agents defeat the upstart rebellion and secure the rule of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune? Let's take a brief glimpse at what's to come.

In Pathfinder Adventure Path #107: Scourge of the Godclaw, the PC villains leave behind the politics and parties of Egorian, and embark on a much more dangerous mission: creating a legendary weapon that can defeat the armies of the Glorious Reclamation in one stroke. To do so, however, they'll need to retake a captured Hellknight citadel, help a paladin fall, take on a gold dragon who was a companion of Iomedae herself, deal with a secret Hellknight order, and carry out some seriously vile rituals across all of Cheliax.

With that done, it's time for our villains to finally take the fight to the Glorious Reclamation itself in their newly conquered capital in Pathfinder Adventure Path #108: Hell Comes to Westcrown. But first, the wicked PCs get to try out their new weapon. Have you ever wanted to play a nightwalker? Well now you can (temporarily at least), and there are plenty of do-gooder knights to test yourself against. Finally, the villains go toe-to-toe with the Lord Marshal of the Glorious Reclamation and her allies—with the fate of Cheliax hanging in the balance!

There's a lot more still to come of course, but until then, check out some of the exciting art featured in the final two volumes of the Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path!

Illustrations by Bryan Sola, David Alvarez, Alexander Deruchenko, and Alexandur Alexandrov

Rob McCreary
Senior Developer

Give 'Em Hell

Thursday, February 25, 2016

An order of Iomedaean knights called the Glorious Reclamation is stirring things up in Cheliax and House Thrune needs your help fighting them in the Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path—the first Adventure Path specifically for evil characters.

To help people get ready for this diabolical campaign, we've released the Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide. This free download provides a wealth of hints, tips, and advice to help players make the best decisions possible for their evil villains. In addition to this character advice, this Player's Guide includes some basic information about Cheliax and House Thrune, six pregenerated evil characters from the covers of Hell's Vengeance, as well as 11 new campaign traits perfectly suited to this Adventure Path.

Don't waste any time! Grab the Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide and get ready for Pathfinder Adventure Path #103: The Hellfire Compact—the introductory adventure for the campaign! Strap on your armor, pick up your weapons, and get ready to be bad!

We acknowledge that folks are having trouble accessing downloads (as evidenced by the big red notice all over the site), and are so appreciative of the support that's been pouring out for the Humble RPG Book Bundle: Pathfinder benefitting Extra Life. While you're waiting for your copy of the Player's Guide, check out some of the awesome artwork below featured in the first two volumes of the Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path!

Illustrations by Bryan Sola and Roberto Pitturru

Illustrations by Firat Solhan and Roberto Pitturru

Adam Daigle and Chris Lambertz
Developer, Community & Digital Content Director

Download Standard | Download Widescreen | Download Mobile
Illustration by Wayne Reynolds.

Hell Hath Fury!

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

There's only one week until the release of Hell's Vengeance! In "The Hellfire Compact", players take the role of evil characters to further the efforts of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune. Last week Wes gave folks a look at what evil details players can expect in Hell's Vengeance, and this week Managing Art Director Sarah Robinson has put together an art preview (including a sneak peek at what's to come in the second volume, "Wrath of Thrune").

Illustrations by Alexandur Alexandrov and Bryan Sola

Illustrations by Alexandur Alexandrov and Ekaterina Burmak

Be sure to look out for the Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide next week and catch up with our Iconic Villains on the Paizo blog!

Chris Lambertz
Community & Digital Content Director

Hell Ain't a Bad Place

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Illustration by Bryan Sola

"The Hellfire Compact" kicks off the new Hell's Vengeance Adventure Path, Paizo's first Adventure Path for evil Player Characters! I had the honor (and deep cathartic pleasure) to write the first in the new series, wherein the forces of devil-influenced Cheliax strike back against a legion of noble invaders.

But lest you assume that this be six volumes of mustache-twirling, here's seven things you might not know about (or can look forward to in) "The Hellfire Compact!"

Illustration by Ekaterina Burmak

1. Small Evils So you're evil! But you're first level. That means you're probably the meanest fighter around... with a short sword, or the baddest wizard in town... with magic missile. Sure, you can still mess a few goody two-shoes up, but you're a ways off from indoctrination into the Hellknights or raising that army of the undead. So, part of my challenge with "The Hellfire Compact" was to highlight "small evils." While you'll find true devils and murderous monsters aplenty in the adventure, you'll also engage with wickedness rooted in simple greed, enviousness, resentment, alcoholism, bad parenting, and other all too familiar evils. You'll also be asked to commit evil acts, but slaying angels and good dragons aren't for you yet. Can you execute an innocent? Crush a town's faith? Murder a protective house spirit? Put an end to a pair of heroes' perfect retirement? Fight a puppy? Oh, there's still arrogant paladins and obnoxiously good outsiders to punish, but evil starts small and, as is often the case, might even be a little too familiar. If you're going to do this, you better think long and hard about why your character is hard as nails, because no one's Sauron at level one. So... do you have the stomach for evil?

2. Faux Western I was halfway through writing this adventure before I realized, "Whoa! This is a western!" And it sort of is! While it's not set in a dusty, one-horse town, it's got pretty much everything else. Sheriff? Check. Ranchers? Check. Evil landowner? Check. Hanging? Check. Mounted combat? Check. Mysterious, masked good guy? Check. Gang of baddies terrifying innocent locals? That's you! It wasn't entirely intentional, but once I realized it, I sort of embraced it for the first and second acts. For the third act, well... there aren't a lot of tree forts in westerns, but two out of three ain't bad.

3. Final Countdown There's revolution brewing in Longacre and you're in charge of stopping it. Your not being villains just to be villains, you're being villains to keep nastier villains in control. You have three weeks to bring the boot down on the burgeoning revolution and crush its sympathizers. You'll have to measure your deeds, making sure you're quelling the uprising and not driving more people to the rebel cause. If you do nothing, Longacre will be a revolutionary bastion in three weeks. If you act rashly, it might happen sooner. But if you measure ferocity and intimidation in the proper proportions, no one will ever step out of line in Longacre again.

4. Your Own Creepy Dream Home! You're going to be in Longacre for a while, so you better have a place to stay—and, trust me, the local innkeeper doesn't want you. Fortunately there's a whole, unused, slightly dilapidated, probably not haunted house right on the outskirts of town just waiting for new owners. So, if you've always dreamed of owning your own personal Crimson Peak, now you can!

5. Boy Dryads The number of boy dryads in official Pathfinder products rises to two—and this one wants to teach you all about clonal colonies. (For Pathfinder's first "guyad," check out the Pathfinder: Origins #5 comic.

6. @#$%-Up Some Leshys Take that, adorable plant-people!

7. Strange Aeons Foreshadow Six months from now, the Strange Aeons Adventure Path is going to start. I also wrote the first adventure for that AP. There's a single line in "The Hellfire Compact" that suggests a tragic event unfolding in Ustalav. Think you can guess what it is?

There's plenty more (and plenty worse) to come, but I'll let you read about it or play it yourself.

"The Hellfire Compact" comes out this month. And to help you prepare for the campaign, keep an eye out for the Hell's Vengeance Player's Guide later this month. Also, you might want to consider preordering Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Path of the Hellknight, another book I wrote all about playing characters who could fit perfectly into this campaign: Hellknights! (More details on that soon.)

So, if you've got the stomach for evil and more than just a thing for black armor, start your Hell's Vengeance campaign with "The Hellfire Compact." The road to Hell starts here and it surely is paved with good intentions...

...Those of the paladins and cherubs you're about to crush.

Good luck, villains!

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief

Sign a Deal with the Devil!

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Hungry for all the diabolical details about Cheliax, the nation at the heart of the Hell's Rebels and Hell's Vengeance Adventure Paths? Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Cheliax, the Infernal Empire has you covered!

Never before have we revealed so many secrets about this Hell-bound nation, from its politics and history to its diverse cities to everyday life under the iron thumb of House Thrune. Among many other things, this gorgeous 64-page book also lays out the stark reality of crime and punishment in Chelish society, as illustrated below.

Illustration by Tomasz Chistowski

If traveling through the infernal empire is more your style—those tines are rather confining, after all—the book also offers an array of magnificent location art and maps, as well as accompanying details. Take this illustration of Khari and the Arch of Aroden, for example.

Illustration by Tomasz Chistowski

Of course, all of these Chelish places would be little more than window dressing if it weren't for the complex folks who inhabit them. The book discusses dozens of individuals who play vital roles in shaping Cheliax and its myriad locations into living, breathing places ripe with intrigue and opportunities for adventure. Below are illustrations of two such individuals, as well as a sneak peek at one of the book's six new monsters!

Illustrations by Alexandur Alexandrov, Konstantin Vavilov, and Bryan Sola

Amanda Hamon Kunz
Assistant Developer

Let (Im)mortal Combat Continue!

Thursday, October 29, 2015

We've got the results in from Round 1, and we're ready to show off Round 2 of our Bestiary 5 previews—not to mention a chance for you to win a copy of Bestiary 5!

Without further ado, let's show off our winners from Round 1!

Illustrations by Bryan Sola and Ben Wootten

Thought Eater CR ??

A nimbus of glowing, intangible matter envelops this strange skeletal creature with a birdlike beak.

N ??? aberration (extraplanar)

Ecology

Ecology any (Ethereal plane)

Organization solitary or group (1–3)

Treasure none

With your votes, the Thought Eater beat out the Monstrous Humanoid it was paired against! Back into the ocean with you, Monstrous Humanoid! The Though Eater might have some problems with its new opponent, though...

Wyrmwraith CR ??

This ghostly, skeletal creature appears to once have been a dragon, but it is now something far less noble.

CE ??? undead (incorporeal)

Ecology

Ecology any

Organization solitary or cadre (1 plus 2–4 dread wraiths)

Treasure double

The Wyrmwraith crushed the Fey by one of the wider margins in the contest. Sharp-eyed fans may have noticed a glowing green dragon on the cover of the Advanced Class Guide, but now it has stats (and if it has a statblock, you can kill it...right? Guys, where did you go?)

Adam Daigle (Developer): "Dwarfed by the wyrmwraith, the thought eater is going to have to be clever to win this battle of the strange skeletons!"

Mark Seifter (Designer): "A lot of people have been saying that the wyrmwraith's phenomenally greater power level will cinch this fight, and it does have the ACG cover on its side, but fundamentally, this is a creature that detests its own existence, whereas the thought eater, while humble, has a go-getter attitude and isn't afraid to team up with adventurers."

Illustrations by Tomasz Chistowski and Subroto Bhaumik

Deep Merfolk CR ??

This gaunt mermaid has a long, semitransparent tail with a vivid red crest and caudal fin.

N ??? humanoid (aquatic)

Ecology

Ecology any oceans (trenches)

Organization solitary, family (2–4), or tribe (10–15)

Treasure standard (spear, other treasure)

Orthos correctly guessed that the humanoid was an "eel-humanoid mermaid-like thing", and the Deep Merfolk won against Outsider C. No love for creatures of the heavens, it seems—mortalkind wins again! But can it win a second time?

Twilight Pitri (Barhisad) Manasaputra CR ??

Cerulean light surrounds this towering four-armed figure in a vibrant corona.

LG ??? outsider (extraplanar, good, lawful, manasaputra)

Ecology

Ecology any (Positive Energy Plane)

Organization solitary

Treasure none

The Twilight Pitri Manasaputra is not the only manasaputra in Bestiary 5, and many of her abilities tie heavily into elements from Occult Adventures—but to see which ones, she'll have to make it to future rounds!

Ashley Kaprielian (Accountant): "Let's hope that the Twilight Pitri can slap some enlightenment into this Deep Merfolk before she's unmade. The Deep Merfolk is cool, calm, and elusive under pressure though, so this will be an epic battle between these paragons of light and darkness!"

Mark: "Let's face it, I have to give the twilight pitri credit for surviving the destruction of the previous Multiverse, and it could deep freeze the deep merfolk in an instant, but the deep merfolk is a mortal humanoid, so I think she's got this by just exploiting the pitri's aversion to meddling in mortal affairs. The pitri would have done better against the wyrmwraith or pakalchi."

Illustrations by Brynn Metheney and Jose Parodi

Su CR ??

This emaciated quadruped has a mouth full of jagged teeth and a cluster of bald, mewling offspring clinging to its back.

CE ??? magical beast

Ecology

Ecology any forests

Organization solitary, pair, or troop (3–6)

Treasure incidental

Alas, John, the Su stomped Magical Beast A by nearly twice the votes, offering no quarter and certainly no mercy. The fight between "who's art is creepier" is gonna be a tough one with its next opponent...

Pakalchi Sahkil CR ??

Thorny vines with tiny red flowers grow from this emaciated woman and flow like a train behind her.

NE ??? outsider (evil, extraplanar, sahkil)

Ecology

Ecology any (Ethereal Plane)

Organization solitary, pair, or plot (3–7)

Treasure standard

DeciusNero was the first to identify Outsider B as a sahkil fiend, and this particular variant is the pakalchi! I would say this creature is spooky good...but there is nothing "good" about any sahkil!

Adam: "Dragons are always tough contenders, so I'm glad that my pakalchi sahkil beat it in the silhouette round. Now that she's squaring off against the su, a beast one of my PCs squared off against recently, she has to bring it to make it to the next round. I'm confident she'll strike fear into her opponent and pull off a win."

Ashley: "It's a good thing the Pakalchi Sahkil can fight blind, because those whelps have a face only their mother could love. I would be angry all the time too if I had six kids clinging to me. The level of malice in this ring is enough to make even Zon-Kuthon take notice."

Mark: "This one's a slam dunk: The su brings its whole family to bear, using its young as psychic batteries for its magic, but the pakalchi specializes in breaking the bonds between loved ones, so this is the perfect match-up for her."

Illustration by Joshua Meehan and Daniel López

Roiling Oil CR ??

This viscous heap slides like an inky spill. It's the color of a starless night sky, and a thick odor permeates the air around it.

N ??? ooze

Ecology

Ecology any underground

Organization solitary

Treasure none

No tempura for me, alas! The Vermin gets to scuttle back to the ocean in peace and comfort, while the Roiling Oil will slither along to face its next victim!

Lotus Leshy CR ??

A plant whose body resembles a blooming lotus flower exudes an air of serenity.

N ??? plant (leshy, shapechanger)

Ecology

Ecology warm lakes or ponds

Organization solitary

Treasure standard

Dragon78 also correctly identified the Lotus Leshy as our representative flora of Bestiary 5! It's definitely winning in the cute department, but will it be enough?

Mark: "Roiling Oil is an unintelligent ooze and lotus leshy is an adorable plant possessed of mystical wisdom. The ooze might be able to resist the leshy's dream pollen attack, but the leshy is smart enough to keep out of the slower ooze's way and find something to slash it with from afar."

Now that you've seen the entrants for Round 2, head on over to the Voting Booth to place your bets! If you vote on a winning creature, you'll increase your chances to win a signed copy of Bestiary 5, or be one of four winners of a digital version! The second round of voting closes at 12:00 PM Pacific time on November 4th, 2015, and remember, each round will give you more chances to win!

Vote Now!

What's that? You want more creatures in this feature? Well, alright then! Here's a few representatives from the creature types that didn't make it into Round 2.

Illustrations by Ertaç Altınöz, Aleksey Bayura, and Jose Parodi

Until we meet again,

Liz Courts
Community Manager

Sand and Snow

Monday, May 4, 2015

Illustration by Marek Madej

April has been a busy month. In addition to the hard work we're putting in on PaizoCon's adventures, there have also been big announcements with each of the past three Monday blogs. First it was the release of Faction Journal Cards, then the announcement of Pathfinder Unchained, and most recently an announcement about the role of Pathfinder Unchained in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign.

Phew! With all of that, there's hardly been time to preview the April scenarios! As the Year of the Sky Key starts to wrap up, we're finding more and more pieces of that broken Numerian relic.

The first scenario is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-18: From Under Ice by Venture-Captain (and Open Call participant) Andrew Hoskins. The PCs are bound for the tumultuous border between the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and Irrisen—a tough voyage made easier by their Varki guide. This is a particularly exciting adventure because of how important the PCs' decisions are and how many ways the adventure can turn out.

Our second adventure is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-19: Test of Tar Kuata by Pedro Coelho, whom you may remember from the finale of the thrilling Destiny of the Sands series. He returns us to Osirion once more, but this time to visit one of the most famous monasteries in northern Garund: Tar Kuata, home to Iroran monks and the dwarven ascetics known as the Ouat. Despite being a temple of self-perfection, Tar Kuata lacks the heroes needed to chase a growing threat from the desert.

Illustrations by Bryan Sola and Marek Madej

John Compton
Developer

Wrath and Other Sins: How We Chose the Next Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Set

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Hello! Wrath of the Righteous marks the third Adventure Path for our humble little Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, and we are just pleased as punch that you would pony up your hard-earned nickels to—

Man, to hell with that polite nonsense. Or rather, to the Abyss with it. Let's gas up our panhead Harleys, set fire to the gas station, and head off on a power ride into a canyon of flames.

Wrath of the Righteous is all the sin you want in one game. Designers Paul Peterson and Tanis O'Connor will march you lockstep through the gory battlegrounds of the Worldwound in the next couple weeks. For now, I'm going to describe how we got to the gates of the Abyss, and why we barreled right on through.

The First Sin: Pride

When we were considering the next Adventure Path, we thought about what had come before it. Rise of the Runelords was a catalogue of essential fantasy tropes: there were goblins and ogres and dragons and giants and everything under the sun. Skull & Shackles was a lot more focused and personal: you were kidnapped pirates trying to stay alive in a sea of sharks and buccaneers. As epic as those adventures were, they seemed... manageable. You could get your brain around how to defeat the challenge. We wanted something crazy impossible for the next set, something that would make everyone say "How exactly do you expect us to beat THAT?" Basically, we wanted to show off. So we pridefully looked around for the most impossible thing. Going into the Abyss to stop a demon prince's invasion of the world sounded pretty, pretty good.

The Second Sin: Sloth

Illustration by Miguel Regodón Harkness

I've made no secret of the major influence that the videogame Diablo had on the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. The plot of Diablo is pretty simple: there's a demon lord named Diablo, and he's not a very nice guy, and so you kill everything in your path to get to him. Blizzard made two more Diablo videogames after Diablo, and they were exactly that thing two more times. Maybe that thing was the best thing ever. I have probably sat on my couch for a full three months of my life playing Diablo. Yes, I could be using that time to go outside and interact with the world. To heck with that. There's demons to kill. So when it became apparent that we could write an entire Adventure Path about carving a swath through the Abyss, I was on it like a Shakespeare sonnet.

The Third Sin: Gluttony

Wrath of the Righteous is about being mythic heroes. I mean, seriously mythic. Kings of the world, really. Everything is just bigger in the Worldwound. We wanted all that stuff. Of course, we had a real challenge ahead, because we needed every character we've ever created to work in that environment. We had to come up with a lot of clever trickery to make that all work. But basically, we did it because we like to eat the most awesome things, and nobody was gonna stop us from eating all of them.

The Fourth Sin: Greed

And oh, the toys! The Pathfinder RPG folks had built up all these artifacts and relics and other boss things that just didn't make sense in an intimate story like Skull & Shackles. We made a thing called a Boomcrown for you. Also, we made a bow that fires dragon breath. And that's not even scraping the surface. Would you like to ride a Dire Griffon? Got that for you. Wanna cast a spell called Terraform? No problem. Maybe have a goddess as an ally? All of this and more can be yours! It's so cool.

The Fifth Sin: Lust

I would like to introduce you to my friend Nocticula. She's a demon lord who controls a realm made out of the corpses of demon lords she's killed. She's got a cavalcade of succubi and incubi and other demons of lust, ready to bring down the will of the mortal world. She's a super-hot nova of sex and violence. And she's your friend. That's just the kind of thing that keeps our attention in Wrath of the Righteous.

The Sixth Sin: Envy

And okay, here's the basest reason we wanted to do Wrath of the Righteous. We were working on Rise of the Runelords when the Pathfinder RPG guys were designing the RPG version of Wrath. Throughout the day, we would hear them chuckling at the latest evil machination that James Jacobs and his team had come up with. They were having so much fun. And quite honestly, we're not the kind of folks who can abide people having fun without us. So we stole their fun. I'm sure they will get it back someday.

Illustration by Bryan Sola

The Seventh Sin: Wrath

With all those rationalizations under our belt, we set about to designing Wrath of the Righteous, breaking everything along the way. One of the coolest things about this game line is how the sets seem to take on the personality of one member of the design team. Rise of the Runelords is Chad's: it's a sweeping arc of everything one can pack into a fantasy game. Skull & Shackles is Gaby's: it's a jaunty adventure on the high seas, with all the yo-ho-hoing her galvo-obsessed brain can handle. The organized play seasons are Tanis's: they're a big inclusive tent under which all gamers can gather.

Wrath of the Righteous is Paul Peterson's. Paul is the designer of Smash Up and Guillotine and other violent-sounding games. If I'm going to find someone to design a hellscape, he's my guy. And so he'll be leading you through Wrath of the Righteous. Buckle up, because it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Mike Selinker
Adventure Card Game Designer

Strategy Guide Art Preview!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

With the Strategy Guide shipping out to players at long last, it's time to take a look at a few pieces of the fantastic art contained within its pages.

The conjurer, a wizard theme, summons extraplanar creatures to aid and defend his party, augmenting their fighting capabilities with magic.
Illustration by Mark Molnar

The stargazer cleric uses divination to predict threats she might face, prepare her spells as needed, and employ her magic to deadly effect.
Illustration by David Alvarez

The trickster is an expert in appearing to be something she's not and hiding in plain sight, and this rogue uses magical performances in battle to win the day.
Illustration by Maichol Quinto

The smasher is a barbarian whose destructive rage lets her bash down otherwise insurmountable obstacles.
Illustration by Mark Molnar

Each theme has an associated icon that appears throughout the text to indicate theme-specific character building ideas and other tips.
Illustration by Bryan Sola

Combat tips and tricks enable players get the most out of their character's class, skills, and even size.
Illustration by Tim Kings-Lynne

Ideas for better roleplaying and storytelling offer players and GMs a spectrum of tools for making their game richer.
Illustration by Bryan Sola

Discussion of narrative play situations such as solving mysteries, meeting important NPCs, and exploring help players find ways to let their characters shine both in and out of combat.
Illustration by David Alvarez

Check out all the options and more excellent artwork in the new Pathfinder RPG: Strategy Guide by ordering a copy today!

Jessica Price
Project Manager

S(More) Story of the Season of the Shackles

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Hello, Pathfinders! The inaugural season of the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild marches on, and I thought you might like an update on how the pirate PCs are progressing.

Avast, mateys! Story spoilers for Adventure #2 of the Season of the Shackles lurk below!

Love is in the air here in the Inner Sea, and the Lady of Tidewater Rock needs your help to choose a helpmeet! She's got a bevy of suitors, but her eye lingers on one "Heartbreak" Hinsin, apparently despite his ominous name. There are many who'd raise an objection at this proposed wedding, including the oh-so-charming Master Scourge, but you're around to help ensure that love conquers all. Surely Hinsin's heartbreaking days are over?

Never trust a man with braids in his beard.
Illustration by Bryan Sola

Having earned the lady's trust, you embark on a mission to deliver supplies to an isolated settlement badly in need of supplies. The hapless hamlet has fallen afoul of a tribe of marauding grindylows, and the tentacled little terrors (yuck) are intercepting all attempts to reach them. Lady Smythee has enlisted a ransacking goblin pirate and his weidling vessel to help you sneak up on the grindylow hideout. After a whole lot of really gross-looking monsters, and some truly incorrigible behavior from your goblin pirate ally, you manage to get relief to the settlement, and Lady Smythee rewards you generously.

Apparently, your reputation precedes you among the aquatic denizens of the Shackles, because a badly crippled fishfolk woman offers to handsomely reward you for enacting a little vengeance upon the sea devils who maimed her and stole her spawn. Pirates and revenge go hand in hand, so you eagerly set out to slaughter some sea devils and make a little old lady happy.

Back in the land of two-legged employers, "Heartbreak" Hinsin and Lady Smythee are sponsoring a wedding regatta, and the prize is a sweet new ship. The rules of the race: "Many men enter; one man leaves." Your uncle Mad Max would be proud. Will your doughty band of pirates have what it takes to take down the other sailors? You'll have to play to find out!

MOAR CARD SPOILERS

Are you implying that most people don't carry around bags of sticks?

Today you learned that Lini likes to whittle. She carries around a bag of wood from forests she's visited and whittles and polishes it. Our girl's a touch OCD.

My god likes me better than you.

From Iconic Heroes Set #2 comes a special blessing just for clerics, who know how to get every ounce of goodness out of a god's blessing.

Until next time, Pathfinders!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

A Visitor's Guide to Osirion

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

"Welcome, travelers, to the ancient land of Osirion, where the countless ages are preserved beneath the sand, awaiting your exploration. Please use the following promotional illustrations as a reference when deciding to brave our welcoming and accommodating land."

— Sekmekh Binwari's Most Reputable and Honest Truthful Guide to Osirion

Sothis, the Stormhaven of Osirion, is the finest metropolis in all of the Inner Sea, with a history more storied even than that of Absalom.
Illustration by Yong Yi Lee

Though they may look intimidating, the crocodiles of the Rivers Sphinx, Asp, and Crook really just want a hug.
Illustration by Lindsey Wakefield

The gnolls of the southern desert are decidedly less friendly than their reptilian counterparts, but rumor has it they enjoy rare meat and painfully witty puns.
Illustration by Tim Kings-Lynne

The Khopeshman of Sothis may take his name from his favorite weapon, but he's actually taken a vow to never use his sword against a living creature. Have no fear breaking the law in his presence.
Illustration by Bryan Sola

The Ruby Prince is cursed and can never wear a shirt.
Illustration by Tim Kings-Lynne

Mark Moreland
Developer

Return to the Runelords

Thursday, May 23, 2013

My favorite part of the new Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords is the opportunity it gave us to revisit Rise of the Runelords in art form. There was only so much room for art in the original adventures, and while we were able to order a bunch of new art for the Anniversary Edition of the book, there was still more that needed to be illustrated. This card game gave us a chance to right that wrong!

Anyway, they say a picture's worth a thousand words, so I'll let the images speak for themselves. See if you can recognize all of the iconic Rise of the Runelords locations and events pictured!

Illustrations by Paolo Puggioni and Bryan Sola


Illustrations by Tim Kings-Lynne

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Finally An End To All Those Paladin Threads...

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Illustration by Bryan Sola

Pathfinder Player Companion: Champions of Purity is on its way to stores and subscribers soon, and I thought I'd take this opportunity to point out some of my favorite parts of this book. While it has all the delightful crunch readers have come to expect in the Player Companion line (including new feats, magic items, spells, bardic masterpieces, subdomains, inquisitions, and a whole ton more I don't want to give away), the most exciting part about this volume for me is the careful and thought-out discussions regarding alignment and playing good characters. Some of the most interesting matters considered in this book include:

• Explorations of the methodologies, advantages, and challenges of each good alignment. Examples of philosophies followed by characters of various good alignments ensure that no two chaotic good characters are the same, while suggestions on how to play alongside characters of opposing or conflicting alignments make certain your group doesn't fall apart just because the paladin caught the rogue stealing something.
• Thoughts on putting good characters in bad situations and tips on how to handle moral quandaries as they apply to rules for characters such as paladins as well as for purely roleplaying purposes.
• A discussion of redemption and how this might play into capturing villains both mortal and otherworldly. While that misled farmer stealing his neighbor's sheep might be redeemable, how does one go about handling a tiefling foe or even a crib full of goblin babies? Examples of possible penances and other ways characters might go about achieving atonement abound.

If you're tired of playing the same old lawful good holy knight or even just want to put a new spin on your chaotic good barbarian, Champions of Purity is an absolute don't-miss. Coming soon!

Patrick Renie
Developer