Prepare to Raise Hell

Friday, June 24, 2016

In this final preview of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Path of the Hellknight, I figured I'd touch on the Hellknight arsenal—rules-wise the book's meatiest chapter—and wrap things up with glimpses of the remaining three major Hellknight orders. So let's dive right in!

Hellknight Arsenal

The most rules dense section of Path of the Hellknight comes at the very end. While there's certainly plenty of content in here for GMs planning to pit their PCs against Hellknight foes, in truth, this section is designed to give players a ton of new options for their Hellknight characters. A host of new traits, feats, spells, and equipment provide a spectrum of new ways to make your character feel more like a driven and entrenched Hellknight, while details on existing cavalier orders and inquisitor inquisitions recast existing options to further the Hellknights' agendas. You'll also find new options for those taking the Hellknight prestige class, the Order of the Ennead Star cavalier order, and more. There is a ton of super cool content in this chapter worth showing off...

So, moving right along to our final three major Hellknight orders!

Illustrations by Damien Mammoliti and Richard Suwono

Order of the Pyre

Symbol tower rising from flames

Headquarters Citadel Krane, near Ostenso

Leader Lictor Rouen Stought (LN female human ranger 6/Hellknight^ISWG 4)

Members atheists, former cultists, members of mainstream religions, victims of dangerous radicals

Armor Features bladed armor, horned and skull-like helm

Favored Weapon glaive

Reckoning Burn yourself over an open flame. Once per day as an immediate action, you can gain fire resistance 10 for 10 minutes. This does not stack with resist energy or any other abilities that provide fire resistance and overlaps with protection from energy.

Whether unhealthy beliefs take root in the minds of religious fanatics, practitioners of strange mystical arts, or students of radical philosophies, the Order of the Pyre strives to stamp out all outlandish convictions. This philosophy has given these Hellknights a well-earned reputation as cultist hunters who are intolerant of religion. Yet the Order of the Pyre also seeks to thwart philosophical revolutions and the insidious spread of dangerous ways of thinking. The order uses the faiths and mores of Chelish society as the standard of acceptable beliefs. The Inner Sea region's most common deities are acceptable to them, as are orderly philosophies such as diabolism and the Prophecies of Kalistrade. However, the order views whatever doesn't mesh with Chelish thinking or doesn't have an existing role within society as dangerous.

Followers of the Pyre can expect to learn more about the group's witch-hunting methods, their costal citadel and black armored fleet of ships, and a variety of feats and magic items perfect for hunting down practitioners of dark faiths an traditions.

Illustrations by Damien Mammoliti and Richard Suwono

Order of the Rack

Symbol a spiked wheel

Headquarters Citadel Rivad, near Westcrown

Leader Lictor Darcyne Wrens (LN female human sorcerer 10/Hellknight^ISWG 1)

Members denigrators of art and poetry, patriots, technology-haters, traditionalists

Armor Features muscular design, sleek helm, flayed cloak

Favored Weapon longsword or whip

Reckoning Endure internal burns. Gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saving throws to resist poison. This increases to +6 against ingested poisons.

The Order of the Rack numbers among the Hellknight orders that the public most loathes. The order has a reputation for raiding the homes of those who speak out against the status quo, and for breaking up groups of malcontents before they become guilds, unions, or revolutionaries. They are the enemies of foreign ideals and innovations, not because they lack merit, but because they detract from what these Hellknights perceive to be the traditional values of southern Avistan. Art and technology are viewed as wasteful or dangerous, especially when they meet in union. None can say how many valuable printing presses Hellknights of the Rack have destroyed, or how many thousands of pages of unique stories, songs, and philosophies they have burned in the shadow of Citadel Rivad. All of this is summarized in the Order of the Rack's symbol, the torturer's wheel, which the order sees as the embodiment of wayward thinking and the suffering manifested by those permitted to indulge their ideas.

Those seeking to join the Order of the Rack can expect to learn more about this groups strict hierarchy, their hazing traditions, technologies and texts targeted for destruction, the Hellknight's first citadel, dozens of character options, a new poison, and a variety of crippling feats. Developments within the order also see the rise of a new commander, Lictor Darcyne Wrens, and the full story associated with that power shift.

Illustration by Damien Mammoliti

Order of the Scourge

Symbol star of bleeding lashes

Headquarters Citadel Demain, near Egorian

Leader Lictor Toulon Vidoc (LN male human rogue 2/fighter 4/Hellknight^ISWG 10)

Members constables, informants, the poor, victims of organized crime

Armor Features serrated breastplate, horned helm

Favored Weapon heavy mace, scourge (see page 48), or whip

Reckoning Lash yourself with a scourge or whip. Take 1 fewer point of bleed damage per round when you are affected by an ability or effect that causes bleed damage and gain a +4 bonus on Heal checks to stop bleeding.

The oldest organization of Hellknights, the Order of the Scourge seeks to root out corruption in any form. Its members hunt for political manipulation and abuses of power, but their efforts also include an endless war against organized crime. At the fringes of its influence, the Order of the Scourge might hunt gangs of burglars or cutpurses, but in the heart of Cheliax these Hellknights crusade against faceless guilds of thieves, sprawling criminal organizations, and nobles for whom crime has become a family business. This regularly pits the Order of the Scourge against some of the most dangerous powers in Cheliax, including members of the nation's government.

Illustration by Mariusz Gandzel

Members of the Order of the Scourge can also expect much more on their particularly urban group's methods, Citadel Demain—the de facto headquarters of all Hellknight orders—tenets, characters options, the new faceless enforcer vigilante archetype, and more!

That's it for glimpses into Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Path of the Hellknight! Look for it on your local game store's shelves soon or snag it right now here on paizo.com. I'm already looking forward to hearing about all the new Hellknight characters the book spawns, not to mention how all these merciless tools finally let you stamp out the forces of chaos in your campaign.

Best of luck lawbringers!

F. Wesley Schneider
Editor-in-Chief

Where Are You From?!

Friday, September 18, 2015

This Inner Sea Races art preview focuses on human ethnicities. Our next preview will be non-human humanoid races. Enjoy!

Illustration by David Alvarez

Illustrations by Mariusz Gandzel, Eva Widermann, Keri Ruediger, and Nemanja Stankovic

Sarah Robinson
Managing Art Director

Occult of Indy

Friday, July 24, 2015

Download Standard | Download Widescreen | Download Mobile
Illustrations by Caio Maciel Monteiro and Wayne Reynolds.

Many of us are heading out to Indy next week for Gen Con 2015. In the Paizo booth there will be a huge display made from Pathfinder RPG books, and the latest of them's going to be Occult Adventures. Here's a last preview at the fantastic art before it officially releases on July 29! See you in Indy!

Illustrations by Igor Grechanyi, Caio Maciel Monteiro, and Mariusz Gandzel

Illustrations by Federico Musetti and Subroto Bhaumik

Sarah Robinson
Managing Art Director

We've Got Class, And We Know It

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

You've asked, so we've answered! Last August, we released seven Class Decks for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. These decks provide new characters and boons that can be added to any PACG Adventure Path, and they're your gateway to the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild Organized Play program. You've made it clear that you want more, and we're happy to oblige.

This August, we'll begin new monthly Class Deck releases, starting with the paladin in August, the monk in September, and the druid in October. After we complete the 11 core classes with the barbarian in November, we'll begin exploring classes outside the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. As with the previous Class Decks, each deck contains 109 cards, including boons that can take your character from the start to the end of any Adventure Path. Meet Maznar, a character from the upcoming Druid Class Deck:

Illustration by Mariusz Gandzel

Maznar is part of a small sect of dwarf druids revered by his people and by many inhabitants of wild places. He follows the Green Faith, a philosophy that commands respect for nature. Maznar draws on the power of his spells and his animal friends to protect himself and his party.

There's one big difference between the previous seven Class Decks and the new one. After hearing a lot of feedback, we decided to focus each new deck on three characters instead of four. This allows us to add more support for each character and her roles throughout her entire progression while continuing to bring you innovative character designs. Pre-order the Paladin Class Deck today!

Adventure Card Game Team at Portland's GameStorm This Weekend

The card game design team will be at GameStorm in Vancouver, WA this weekend, testing various goodies. Come find us in the Game Lab at the Vancouver Hilton!

Until next week, Pathfinders!

Tanis O'Connor
Adventure Card Game Designer

Invasion of the Pawn People!

Wednesday, January 7, 2014

Beware! A few days from now, an invasion of over 200 of the most notable denizens of the Pathfinder Campaign Setting will be flooding into game stores and subscribers' mailboxes. Cleverly hidden inside the Inner Sea Pawn Box like a modern-day, miniature Trojan Horse, these characters are set to assault game tables the world over. Check out the full list of included pawns, as well as a preview of several of the new pieces of art ordered for the set!

Inner Sea Pawn Box Set List:

Small
Aspis Consortium Spy (2) Balazar, Summoner Bellflower Tiller* (2) Bellflower Tiller* (2) Bleachling Lunatic	Charau-Ka Warrior (5) Chuffy Lickwound Daggermark Poisoner (2) Eagle Knight Halfling Enora, Arcanist	Mogmurch Okeno Liberator Pathfinder Loreseeker Poog of Zarongel Priest of Desna	Priestess of Nethys Priestess of Norgorber Priestess of Zon-Kuthon Reta Bigbad Usaro Rebel (3)
Medium
Absalom Guard (6) Adowyn, Hunter Adril Hestram Alahazra, Oracle Alain, Cavalier Aldori Swordlord* Aldori Swordlord* Alkenstar Shieldmarshal (4) Anaphexia Assassin (4) Android Monk (2) Android Warrior (2) Arcanamirium Sorcerer (2) Arclord of Nex Aspis Consortium Commander Aspis Consortium Soldier (3) Aspis Consortium Thug (3) Averaka Giant Slayer (2) Belkzen Warchief (2) Blackfire Adept Summoner (3) Blackraven Scout (4) Bloatmage* Bloatmage* Blue Warder (3) Chernasardo Sniper (3) Crowe, Bloodrager Cyphermage* Cyphermage* Daggermark Poisoner (2) Damiel, Alchemist Decemvirate Member Drow Matron Duergar Slaver (3) Duskwarden (3) Eagle Knight Commander (2) Eagle Knight Soldier (4) Eando Kline Feiya, Witch Fierani Demon Hunter (4) Geb Blood Lord Gillman Warrior (3) Gillman Wave Rider (2) Grandmaster Torch Gray Gardener (4) Gray Maiden (4) Gray Maiden Commander Green Faith Druid (4) Green Faith High Druid Hakon, Skald Half-Orc Pit Fighter (2) Harbinger Disciple (3)	Harrower* Harrower* Hayato, Samurai Hellknight Armiger (4) Hellknight Signifer* Hellknight Signifer* House of Perfection Monk (3) Imrijka, Inquisitor Ironmaster Ytharia Vulane Iroran Champion Jinx Eater (2) Jirelle, Swashbuckler Keleshite Entertainer Kess, Brawler Kitharodian Academy Bard Kitharodian Academy Performer Knight of Ozem* (2) Knight of Ozem* (2) Knight of the Ioun Star Kortash Khain Korvosan Shingles Runner (3) Kuru Cannibal (4) Lantern Bearer (3) Lion Blade of Taldor (4) Lirianne, Gunslinger Low Templar (3) Magaambya Arcanist (3) Magaambya Instructor Maurya-Rahm Advisor Mendevian Crusader* (3) Mendevian Crusader* (3) Molthuni Soldier (4) Mushfens Cabalist (3) Night Herald Cultist (3) Old Ones Cultist (3) Old-Mage Jatembe Oloch, Warpriest Order of the Chain Hellknight (3) Order of the Gate Hellknight (3) Order of the Godclaw Hellknight (3) Order of the Nail Hellknight (3) Order of the Pyre Hellknight (3) Order of the Rack Hellknight (3) Order of the Scourge Hellknight (3) Pactmaster of Katapesh (3) Padrig Pain Taster (2) Pathfinder Braggart Pathfinder Chronicler Pathfinder Explorer	Pathfinder Hunter Pathfinder Priest Pathfinder Sneak Pathfinder Spellcaster Pathfinder Venture-Captain Pathfinder Wanderer Pathfinder Warrior Pirate Marauder (4) Priest of Abadar Priest of Asmodeus Priest of Calistria Priest of Cayden Cailean Priest of Erastil Priest of Gorum Priest of Gozreh Priest of Iomedae Priest of Irori Priest of Lamashtu Priest of Nethys Priest of Norgorber Priest of Pharasma Priest of Rovagug Priest of Sarenrae Priest of Shelyn Priest of Torag Priest of Urgathoa Priest of Zon-Kuthon Priestess of Abadar Priestess of Asmodeus Priestess of Calistria Priestess of Cayden Cailean Priestess of Desna Priestess of Erastil Priestess of Gorum Priestess of Gozreh Priestess of Iomedae Priestess of Irori Priestess of Lamashtu Priestess of Pharasma Priestess of Rovagug Priestess of Sarenrae Priestess of Shelyn Priestess of Torag Priestess of Urgathoa Prophet of Kalistrade* Prophet of Kalistrade* Puddles Peddler Pure Legionnaire (4) Pure Legionnaire Commander Quinn, Investigator	Razmiran Cultist (4) Razmiran Priest (2) Red Mantis Acolyte (2) Red Mantis Assassin (5) Red Mantis Elite (3) Red Mantis Leader Reiko, Ninja Riftwarden (4) Risen Guard* (3) Risen Guard* (3) River Kingdoms Brigand (4) Rough Rampager (3) Sable Company Marine (3) Sczarni Crime Boss Sczarni Mystic (2) Sczarni Thief (4) Seltyiel, Magus Shackles Pirate* (4) Shackles Pirate* (4) Shackles Pirate Captain* Shackles Pirate Captain* Shardra, Shaman Shoanti Gladiator (3) Silent Enforcer (4) Sister of the Golden Erinyes (4) Sleepless Detective (3) Sodden Scavenger (4) Strix Warrior (4) Strix Witch Taldan Noble* Taldan Noble* Technic League Spellcaster (2) Thrune Agent* (2) Thrune Agent* (2) Tian Monk* (2) Tian Monk* (2) Tian Sage Ulfen Guard Commander Ulfen Guard of Taldor (2) Ulfen Hunter (2) Ulfen Longboat Captain Ulfen Raider (5) Usij Cabalist (3) Uskwood Druid (2) Ustalavic Duelist Varisian Merchant (2) Varisian Wanderer (3) Way of the Kirin Agent White Witch (2) Zadim, Slayer
Large
Absalom Wave Rider (3) Alain on Donahan God Caller with Eidolon	Jarl Gnargorak Knight of Ozem, Mounted (4) Mistress of Blades Maidrayne Vox	Mounted Hellknight (4) Qadiran Horselord (4) Ruthazek the Gorilla King	Sable Company Marine, Mounted (3) Shoanti Burn Rider (3)

* Indicates box includes multiple images for this character type.

Illustrations by Konstantinos Skenteridis, Mariusz Gandzel, and Alberto Dal Lago

Illustrations by Konstantinos Skenteridis, Ramon Puasa Jr., Chenthooran Nambiarooran, and Subroto Bhaumik

Mark Moreland
Developer

Piracy on the Sanctioned Seas!

Monday, December 15, 2014

Illustration by Mariusz Gandzel

For many Pathfinder Society players, the end of the year is a time to reunite with friends and family—and get the old gaming group back together! If you haven't heard the news, there's a new Pathfinder Module at large: Plunder & Peril. Ready for some more tidings of good cheer? It's now sanctioned for Pathfinder Society Organized Play! You can download the Chronicle sheet from the product page or Additional Resources page.

This module is actually a set of three smaller adventures that can be played back-to-back to tell a bigger story, and there's a Chronicle sheet for each part of the module. If one of your characters is feeling particularly piratey, you can apply all three Chronicle sheets to her and earn a fourth sheet as a bonus! For even more swashbuckling action, combine this module's rewards with those for theSkull and Shackles Adventure Path to create a true Pathfinding terror of the high seas (it's now possible to get a character from 1st- to 14th-level playing almost nothing but pirate-themed adventures)!

Is that still not enough ship-to-ship action for you? In conjunction with Tannis O'Connor, I have added a little something extra to the Chronicle sheets for those of you participating in the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild's Season of the Shackles.

Happy gaming!

John Compton
Developer

Prepare to Set Sail

Thursday, April 5, 2012

We're just a few weeks away from shipping out the first chapter of the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path to subscribers. To get your peg legs itching, here are two pieces of art from Pathfinder Adventure Path #55: The Wormwood Mutiny. Both depict life aboard a pirate ship, albeit on different sides of the coin. Whether you find infamy and plunder upon the high seas or end up swabbing the decks, anchors are lifting soon and the life of a pirate awaits! Be sure to check back next week for the release of the free Skull & Shackles Player's Guide.

Illustrations by Craig J Spearing and Mariusz Gandzel

Mark Moreland
Developer

Two New Kami

Thursday, November 10, 2011

We’re coming up on the release of Bestiary 3 in the near future, and as readers of the Jade Regent Adventure Path have noticed, we’re already using monsters from that book in the adventures! This is more or less a necessity, since when you travel to the far side of the world, you expect to see brand-new creatures and monsters, after all. We’ve been filling the Jade Regent bestiaries with all sorts of monsters inspired from Asian mythology and folklore, but we need more—and that’s where Bestiary 3 comes in.

One of the new types of monsters introduced in Bestiary 3 and the Jade Regent Adventure Path are the kami—usually (but not always) benevolent native outsiders who exist to protect that which cannot really protect itself from the advance of humanity and civilization. Pathfinder #52 and Bestiary 3 present several kami, ranging from CR 2 all the way up to CR 20.

Presented below are two of the kami who have roles to play in “Forest of Spirits.” We’re simply presenting their statistics here—what roles they play in the adventure must remain a secret until you play it or run it for your group!

Kami Subtype: Kami are a race of native outsiders who serve to protect what they refer to as “wards”—animals, plants, objects, and even locations—from being harmed or dishonored. All kami are outsiders with the native subtype. A kami possesses the following traits unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry.

• Immune to bleed, mind-affecting effects, petrification, and polymorph effects.
• Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10
• Although they are native outsiders, kami do not eat, drink, or breathe.
• Telepathy.
• Fast Healing (Ex) As long as a kami is within 120 feet of its ward, it gains fast healing. The amount of fast healing it gains depends on the type of kami.
• Merge with Ward (Su) As a standard action, a kami can merge its body and mind with its ward. When merged, the kami can observe the surrounding region with its senses as if it were using its own body, as well as via any senses its ward might have. It has no control over its ward, nor can it communicate or otherwise take any action other than to emerge from its ward as a standard action. A kami must be adjacent to its ward to merge with or emerge from it. If its ward is a creature, plant, or object, the kami can emerge mounted on the creature provided the kami’s body is at least one size category smaller than the creature. If its ward is a location, the kami may emerge at any point within that location.
• Ward (Su) A kami has a specific ward—a creature with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower (usually an animal or vermin), a plant (not a plant creature), an object, or a location. The type of ward is listed in parentheses in the kami’s stat block. Several of a kami’s abilities function only when it is either merged with its ward or within 120 feet of it. If a kami’s ward is portable and travels with the kami to another plane, the kami does not gain the extraplanar subtype on that other plane as long as its ward remains within 120 feet. If a ward is destroyed while a kami is merged with it, the kami dies (no save). If a ward is destroyed while a kami is not merged with it, the kami loses its merge with ward ability and its fast healing, and becomes permanently sickened.

Illustration by Eric Belisle

Shikigami CR 2

XP 600
LN Tiny outsider (kami, native)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11

Defense

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 19 (3d10+3); fast healing 2
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8
DR 5/cold iron; Immune bleed, mind-affecting effects, petrification, polymorph; Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10

Offense

Speed 30 ft.
Melee improvised weapon +4 (1d4+2/x3)
Ranged improvised weapon +6 (1d3+2/x3)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +8)
  At will—invisibility (self only), statue (self only)
  3/day—hide from animals, purify food and drink
  1/week—commune with nature (CL 12th)

Statistics

Str 8, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 17, Cha 14
Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 11
Feats Alertness, Catch Off-Guard^B, Iron Will, Throw Anything^B
Skills Heal +9, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +11, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +15, Survival +9
Languages Common
SQ improvised weapon mastery, merge with ward, ward (minor works of civilization)

Ecology

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or gang (3–8)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Improvised Weapon Mastery (Ex) A shikigami gains Catch Off-Guard and Throw Anything as bonus feats, and adds its Charisma modifier instead of its Strength modifier to damage done with any improvised weapon, as attacks it makes with such weapons seem supernaturally lucky in landing damaging blows. Although a shikigami is Tiny, it never provokes attacks of opportunity when it attacks an adjacent foe with a melee weapon. If a shikigami critically hits an opponent with an improvised weapon, it deals x3 damage.

Illustration by Mariusz Gandzel

Zuishin CR 10

XP 9,600
LG Medium outsider (kami, native)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, see invisibility; Perception +20

Defense

AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+6 armor, +3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 123 (13d10+52); fast healing 5
Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +14
DR 10/cold iron; Immune bleed, mind-affecting effects, petrification, polymorph; Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 21

Offense

Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect, 40 ft. without armor)
Melee +1 holy halberd +18/+13/+8 (1d10+7/x3)
Ranged +1 holy composite longbow +20/+15/+10 (1d8+5/x3)
Special Attacks healing arrow, holy weapons
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +18)
  Constant—detect evil, see invisibility
  At will—cure light wounds, dimension door
  3/day—alarm, breath of life, dispel magic, neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, restoration
  1/day—dispel evil (DC 20), heal, true seeing

Statistics

Str 18, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 21
Base Atk +13; CMB +17; CMD 34 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Improved Initiative, Improved Precise Shot, Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow)
Skills Fly +10, Heal +20, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (nature) +16, Perception +20, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +18
Languages Common; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ merge with ward, ward (gate, doorway, or shrine)

Ecology

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or warband (3–8)
Treasure double (+1 composite longbow [+4 Str], +1 halberd, masterwork breastplate, other treasure)

Special Abilities

Healing Arrow (Su) As a swift action, a zuishin can infuse an arrow it fires to carry any of the following effects: breath of life, cure light wounds, heal, neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, or restoration. Using one of these effects consumes a use of the same spell-like ability. The zuishin must make a touch attack to deliver the effect to the target—the target takes no damage from the arrow.
Holy Weapons (Su) Any weapon wielded by a zuishin is treated as if it had the holy special ability. A zuishin creates arrows out of nothing as part of its attacks with any bow it wields.

James Jacobs
Creative Director