New Scenarios: Over the Mountains and Through the Woods

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

Spring has arrived, and that means that the Organized Play team is in full gear preparing for convention season. Tonya talked about some of the exciting offerings we have coming up next month at PaizoCon in last week's blog, so if you haven't seen that yet, I recommend checking it out. I've attended PaizoCon for the past six years, and I've always had a wonderful time. Sometimes I play pretty much the whole time, sometimes I GM more, and other times I keep my schedule light so I can focus on meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends, but I've always found it well worth the trip.

But what do we have to offer for you this month? We have two more adventures to introduce, both of which send the PCs to nations that we have never before visited in Organized Play. The first, Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-18: Scourge of the Farheavens, takes place just off the northeastern edge of the Inner Sea map, in the plague-blighted land of Iobaria. I'll turn it over to Michael Sayre, who took the lead on this project, to tell you more.

Scourge of the Farheavens takes place primarily in Iobaria, which was an exciting proposition simply for how little time the Pathfinder Society has spent in that area. Getting the opportunity to explore this relatively under-supported area of Golarion and learn more about the people who live there was an exciting proposition, particularly given that this scenario will give the PCs a peek at the god-caller traditions of a Sarkorian clan. Jason Owen Black did an amazing job of breathing life into the decimated remnants of the Farheavens clan and the harsh living conditions of the Iobarian wilderness, while Sebastian Rodriguez's illustration of Dolok Darkfur conveys exactly the right mix of ferocity and loneliness. As much as I love the rich depth of the characters and environment in this scenario, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that this scenario features some harrowing encounters that convey the true dangers of the Iobarian forests in appropriately deadly fashion.

Our second scenario this month, Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-19: Clash in Kaimuko Wood, sends the PCs into the aasimar nation of Tianjing. The country's military is ill-prepared for the ancient threat that lurks in Kaimuko Wood, and evil forces plot to take advantage of their weakened defenses. Thanks to the Pathfinder Society's successful efforts in Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-12: Shrine of the Sacred Tempest, a highly trained group of tengu mercenaries has agreed to lend their swords to the PCs' cause. With the tengus at their command, the PCs journey to a troubled fort and finally brave a part of the forest so tainted by abyssal corruption that it burns with unholy flame. Author Jerall Toi brings rich and compelling NPCs to meet—take a look at the masked leader of the tengu band, Tai Dan, brilliantly illustrated by Hannah Boving. But this scenario certainly isn't all about roleplay, as Kaimuko Wood is crawling with creatures that are eager to make sure the PCs and their allies never escape the forest.

Illustration by Hannah Boving

That's all for now. Happy gaming, everyone!

Linda Zayas-Palmer
Developer

Unseasonably Warm?

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

If you haven't heard the stereotypes, Seattle has a rather dreary reputation for being constantly cloudy, rainy, chilly, and damp. That's only about 80% true; our summers (starting a little before PaizoCon) are quite beautiful and warm. However, it's around late February that I'm rather desperate for the feel direct sunlight and warmth. Apparently this month's scenarios got the memo, and both involve a swelteringly welcome break from the northern hemisphere's winter.

In the first, author Nicholas Wasko takes us down to the rough-and-tumble port of Bloodcove, the heart of Aspis Consortium activity in the Mwangi Expanse. Pathfinder Society Scenario #9–15: The Bloodcove Blockade is a Tier 3–7 scenario that continues an ongoing storyline that began in Season 8. The Consortium's up to its usual tricks of exploiting the Mwangi Expanse's mineral and cultural resources, but lately the organization's taken an interest to a particular site in the Kaava Lands. The catch? Much like how tree roots anchor the soil, these ruins and the surrounding jungle have kept a powerful fiend locked away. As a result, the Society's trying to shut down the Consortium's imminent strip-mining scheme for more than just ecological conservation. That means sneaking into Bloodcove to sabotage the operation, and the Exchange faction's itching to leverage its economic muscles to blockade the port and strangle out the Consortium's dangerous plans. Naturally, Exchange faction PCs have a special opportunity here, courtesy of Guaril Karela.

Nicholas Wasko's done a nice job with this adventure, which involves lots of urban danger, a dash of intrigue, and a lot of dealing with fun NPCs. What I really appreciate here is his attention to detail in portraying Bloodcove, which straddles the silt-choked Vanji River and is built atop an extensive grove of mangrove trees. Not only does the mangroves' flavor play an important part in several encounters—such as with the illustrated Erwyn Harvacus, leader of a druid circle who keeps the ever-growing mangroves from swallowing the city—but it's also beautifully depicted in the scenario's custom map by Robert Lazzaretti.

Illustration by Maja Djeke

Of course, it's no surprise when traveling toward the equator leads to warmer weather. We're playing a fantasy RPG, aren't we? Where's the supernatural weather? Where's the ritual to inject the sweet relief of spring into winter's cold clutches? Look no further than Pathfinder Society Scenario #9–14: Down the Verdant Path, a Tier 1–5 scenario by Scott Sharplin. Ever since Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–15: The Overflow Archives, we've known that Scott has a special talent for telling stories with whimsical themes, and #9–14 is no exception. Down the Verdant Path takes the PCs to Andoran, where they must untangle the secrets behind a strange weather phenomenon: in the middle of winter, there's a verdant explosion of summer weather! The PCs' journey takes them into the depths of the Verduran Forest and beyond, introducing them to a host of "colorful" characters like the gnome Azure (pictured here).

What else is special about Down the Verdant Path? It's the first ever adventure to include a Concordance of Elements (i.e. "the Concordance") special faction opportunity! Back in December we announced the new Concordance faction, dedicated to maintaining the elemental balance of the cosmos, studying the multiverse's natural complexity, and calming areas of elemental instability. For the Concordance's debut, we wanted to reinforce that the faction's more than just a "nature faction" eager to hug pixies and high-five druids. No, this organization recognizes that even natural forces can grow wildly out of control and require intervention, and that's just what you get to do in this scenario. We're excited to see how the faction grows and what you think of it.

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

Guide and Faction Journal Cards

An updated version of the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide is now available on the website. Not only has Linda Zayas-Palmer put in a lot of work updating several major sections (including the spell hierarchy for buying scrolls and the retraining class synergies), but there's also now a faction entry for the Concordance, complete with five new faction traits. We've also updated the Season 9 Faction Journal Cards with a Concordance card. Thanks, Linda!

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

Quoth the Tengu, "Adventure More"

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

One of the great advantages of working in the organized play medium is that we produce so many scenarios. That means that when there's a lot of fan interest in a certain area, group, or topic, we can usually look a little further down the schedule and say, "I think we could make some room here." Every since Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-13: Of Kirin and Kraken we've had more requests for adventures set in Kwanlai and featuring tengus. For that matter, ever since Taldor was a Pathfinder Society faction, players and GMs have asked me when they'd be able to bring about serious reform in that nation—admittedly some were asking so that they could snag a better noble title. This month we're doing both, and we're really pleased with the scenarios releasing today.

For all Kwanlai's outward appearance as a unified nation, it's a diverse confederation of tengu clans that often contend with each other over power, religion, and deeply rooted feuds. The isolated village of Yiangma is a spectator in many of these feuds, instead dedicated to maintaining an ancient shrine with heavenly ties. However, the village's priests have not sent any report to its archon contact, Zepha, in a long time. Concerned that something might be wrong, Zepha tasks the PCs in Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-12: Shrine of the Sacred Tempest with traveling to Yiangma to check in, after which they are free to study the settlement's priceless relics and history for the Society.

In this Tier 1-5 adventure by Justin Juan, the PCs explore a village comprised almost entirely of tengus, immersing the PCs in rural Kwanlai's culture and the greater region's history. Naturally, we couldn't present a Kwanlai scenario without highlighting the tengus' favorite deity, the tempestuous Hei Feng, and we're very excited about the excellent illustrations by Tom Ventre that appear in this scenario. It should also come as no surprise that any task so closely tied to an archon also has strong Silver Crusade connections, too. Finally, if you're dismayed that such a fun scenario's too low level for your beloved tengu character, I'm happy to report that there's a Tier 5-9 scenario coming up in this region in a few more months.

Illustrations by Tom Ventre

Ever since my colleague Crystal Frasier and I began planning the War for the Crown Adventure Path, we wanted to tell the story of Taldor's succession conflict from the perspective of multiple campaigns. Not only does that approach demonstrate that such major events don't happen inside a vacuum, but this development has also remained one of the Sovereign Court faction's top projects. Taldor's senate has been fiercely debating the antiquated rule of primogeniture, the nation's practice of passing the crown only to a male heir. On one side is Princess Eutropia, the reform-minded daughter of the current ruler. On the other is Grand Prince Stavian III, her increasingly paranoid father. The Sovereign Court backs Eutropia, and in the past several months' scenarios, Pathfinders have assisted this faction—both to help Lady Morilla as well as to secure historical resources that the Society's long wanted to study. Now it's all come to this: an imminent senate vote that coincides with a major Taldan holiday.

Remember how I mentioned Crystal and I were coordinating stories? One of my favorite elements is how this month's Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-13: The Lion's Justice happens at the same time as many events in Pathfinder #127: Crownfall, the first installment in War for the Crown, each portraying the action from a different angle. Sounds tough to coordinate? It's definitely taken some forethought and effort, yet our jobs were made so much easier by convincing Thurston Hillman (also our Starfinder Society Developer) to write both adventures. This experiment in product interaction—and this Tier 7-11 scenario with Sovereign Court ties—wouldn't have been the same without his tireless contributions.

And if these bold illustrations by Sebastian Rodriguez are any indication, it's all paid off beautifully. Anyone who's mocked Taldor's competences has clearly never had to face down its greatest knights.

Illustrations by Sebastian Rodriguez

Finally, you'll notice that #9-13 has a rather weird boon on its Chronicle sheet, and I'd like to explain that for anyone wondering.

Spoilers for The Lion's Justice

For a long while we've noticed that the Pathfinder Society doesn't have much of a retirement plan. Sure, there was the old wisdom that one's career ended at 12th level—which we've since dispelled with sanctioned modules and ongoing seeker-level content—but what happens after a PC decides to hang up her greatsword, change careers, or even retire in-world?

To this end, we've included a boon with the Legacy tag on this scenario's Chronicle sheet. A Legacy boon doesn't necessarily have any mechanical benefits. Instead, its primary purpose is to note the meaningful impact your character had on the world, whether that's changing a country or just changing a life. We also intend for Legacy boons to convey some in-world perk with long-lasting effects, much as is the case in this adventure, with your character having a place where everyone's always ready to treat her like family. Finally, adding a specific tag allows us to consider future boons that might interact with Legacy boons, allowing us to tie together these events more cleanly.

Overall, though, it's a reminder of something good that you did. Enjoy!

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

2017, A Big Year for Pathfinder Society

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Every year goes by so quickly, yet every year I end up looking back and realizing just how long it's been—and how much we've accomplished—since January. 2017's no exception. All the work that went into getting Starfinder Society going, we've been keeping busy bringing you more stories, adventures, art, and memories in Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. While we've enjoyed all of the scenarios, there's a handful that I feel really defined 2017.

This year we tried something new: publishing a new series of quests mid-season. Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-16: House of Harmonious Wisdom really knocked it out of the park, and the positive feedback has encouraged use to launch a similar series in early 2018.

Season 8 was our opportunity to travel to the elemental planes, and we scheduled two scenarios on each plane with an aim to present one urban adventure and one "wilderness" adventure. To me, Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-19: Treacherous Waves by Eleanor Ferron really captured the flavor of the elemental planes and of Vialesk, the foremost city on the Plane of Water, with colorful characters and daring scenes that flit between dry and wet environments.

Illustrations by Hannah Boving, Sebastian Rodriguez, Akim Kaliberda, and Giorgio Baroni

Every season comes to an end, and we try to bring everything together with a bang—often in a confrontation with loathsome foes. Ever since the "All for Immortality" series, we've scheduled at least one Tier 12+ scenario per season. For Season 8 we knew our goal from the very beginning, and we knew it was a worthy challenge for our seeker-level characters: break open the Untouchable Opal and free the being trapped within. The result, Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-25: Unleashing the Untouchable, is a truly epic adventure by Robert Brookes.

Multi-table interactive specials are pretty great, but they're also an immense amount of work to assemble. To both deliver more multi-table content and change up our traditional format, we created a "modular special" with easily replaced parts that we can swap out with new content over time. Pathfinder Society Special #8-99: The Solstice Scar tread new ground with Andrew Hoskins as the author, and we've already finished the next installment that's set to appear at conventions beginning in mid-January.

Speaking of multi-table interactive specials, no retrospective's complete without the Gen Con centerpiece. This year Absalom itself came under attack in Pathfinder Society Special #9-00: Assault on Absalom by Mikko Kallio, and the Pathfinder Society's factions pooled their resources and expertise to help fight off the invasion. This was one of the smoothest-run specials yet!

The Season of Factions' Favor kicked off with a trio of great scenarios, and one in particular really set the tone for Season 9. Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-02: A Case of Missing Persons by Alex Greenshields continues the ongoing saga of Major Colson Maldris, and the looks of disbelief I've seen on people's faces when they play this one... they give me life. The Liberty's Edge struggle this scenario introduces also kicked off our Leaders in Liberty contest and voting. I can hardly wait for the next installment in Spring 2018.

Illustrations by Tom Ventre and Josef Kucera

The elemental planes have plenty of conflict, and conflict begets adventures. Heaven's a different story, as it's easy to think that no matter what happens there, a horde of archons is ready to jump on it. For more than a year we'd been considering an adventure in Heaven an unattainable goal... then we checked the reporting data for a Season 7 scenario and saw that participants had overwhelmingly chosen exactly that. Thus began Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-06: The Shores of Heaven, a delightful and heavenly story that brought out the plane's potential in a compelling way with compelling characters. Cole Kronewitter did an excellent job.

Just as some factions are struggling with leadership or learning to flex their muscles in new ways, others are tackling an internal threat that threatens to destroy the organization entirely. The Scarab Sages got to show off their strength and destroy an ancient evil in Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-07: Salvation of the Sages, one of the most extraordinarily fun and over-the-top scenarios I've had the pleasure to develop in a long while. Just as he helped kick off the Scarab Sages storyline in Season 5 and drive it forward in Season 6, I enjoyed having Matt Duval to tie things together with this adventure.

Ever since The Confirmation, no season's been complete without a new replayable (aka evergreen) scenario. Last year we published the first replayable adventure above 1st level, and we knew that this year we wanted to provide a similarly compelling mid-level experience. Brian Duckwitz delivered with Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-09: Beyond the Halflight Path, which delves deep below the eclectic city of Kaer Maga in pursuit of numerous objectives that change with each retelling.

And even with this long list I'm omitting tons of great adventures, from Mike Kimmel's trip under Merab's streets to Crystal Malarsky's archaeological peacekeeping mission to Larry Wilhelm's voyage into a live volcano to many, many more. What were your favorites?

Finally, no season's complete without some excellent artwork. Here are some of our favorites from 2017, compliments of Akim Kaliberda, Giorgio Baroni, Hannah Boving, Josef Kucera, Sebastian Rodriguez, and Tom Ventre. Also, although I don't want to provide spoilers by posting it here, we also adore Sean MacDonald's cartography from Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-20: Torrent's Last Will, for which I've seen some of the most dazzling printed maps.

See you in 2018!

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

Introducing the Concordance Faction!

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

In Season 8 of the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, the Pathfinder Society set its sights far from Golarion. Pathfinders soared through the skies of the Plane of Air, swam through the endless oceans of the Plane of Water, embroiled themselves in genie politics on the Plane of Fire, and brought lost and forgotten secrets to light on the Plane of Earth. And while they were hopping through the planes, the Pathfinders ran headfirst into the plans of a group called the Concordance of Elements. The Concordance first came onstage as a fierce opponent to the Pathfinder Society, but ultimately became an ally. In the interests of keeping this blog low on spoilers, I'll just say: nothing like an angry demigod to help two groups set aside their differences. But what began as an alliance of desperation evolved into a genuine partnership.

So what is the Concordance? It is an ancient and diverse organization whose membership spans multiple planes, with a particular focus on the elemental planes. Its members take great interest in the interplay among the primal forces of air, earth, fire, and water. They believe that the stability of the multiverse ultimately depends upon these forces—and many others—remaining in balance.

Each member has her own ideas about how to maintain this equilibrium. Some of them set upon a perilous quest for understanding in places where elemental forces are at their strongest, from howling blizzards to ferocious thunderstorms to active volcanoes. Others seek to refine the balance within, mastering magical forces or fighting styles that evoke multiple elements. Still others search for yawning planar rifts and other massive disturbances to study or seal away.

As an organization, the Concordance believes that each individual member's personal journey of discovery is important. Its leaders, collectively known as the Cycle of Five, spend much of their time in meditation and reflection, leaving its agents free to act with relative autonomy. Of course, agents who contribute more to the Concordance's collective knowledge and overarching goals gain deeper access to its ancient reservoirs of elemental knowledge and power. Such ambitious agents would do well to seek out opportunities to make a name for themselves. Fortunately for Pathfinders interested in gaining influence, the Society's contact in the Concordance is a direct emissary to the Cycle of Five. He is our new faction leader: Ashasar, Liaison to the Seat of Balance, a Suli druid with an airship-shaped air elemental companion, as well as three other elemental companions who will be showing up in future scenarios.

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

So what does the Concordance bring to the Pathfinder Society? It brings a fresh perspective on Golarion combined with a rich reservoir of planar and elemental knowledge. The Pathfinder Society has shown the Concordance that Golarion is a world worth exploring in much more detail. From the erratic magic of the Mana Wastes to the Abendego-battered Sodden Lands, the Concordance has just begun to scratch the surface. The Concordance is a nature faction, but it's not a typical nature faction. Its members respect nature, and typical nature-themed characters like druids and rangers are quite welcome in its ranks. Still, you're more likely to find someone in the Concordance trying to channel the essence of a hurricane than you are to find them attempting to befriend every plant and animal they meet.

If you're interested in learning more about the Concordance, check out the scenarios that have already featured their story:

• Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-99: Through Maelstrom Rift (6th-level Pregenerated Characters)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-08—Tyranny of Winds, Part 1: The Sandstorm Prophecy (Tier 1-5)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-10—Tyranny of Winds, Part 2: Secrets of the Endless Sky (Tier 1-5)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-12—Tyranny of Winds, Part 3: Caught in the Eclipse (Tier 3-7)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-17: Refugees of the Weary Sky (Tier 7-11)
• Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-24: Raid on the Cloudborne Keep (Tier 5-9)

Since this is the Year of Faction's Favor, we would be remiss not to give our newest faction a chance to shine. We've got opportunities coming up in February for both Pathfinder Society campaigns. In Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-14, the Society will call upon the Concordance's expertise to investigate bizarre phenomena in the Verduran Forest. Meanwhile, in Season 4 of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Guild's, Ashasar will help the PCs quell an unnatural storm. The Concordance will also appear in the upcoming Player Companion Disciple's Doctrine.

Interested in joining the Concordance? Ashasar is about to start an active recruitment drive, traveling from lodge to lodge across the Inner Sea and beyond. If your character would like to become a part of this new initiative, keep an eye out for the faction's formal launch in early 2018. As with other faction changes, you'll be able to switch your character over to the Concordance freely without spending Prestige Points. As a part of this launch, we'll be updating the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide to include the Concordance and giving the faction a shiny new Faction Journal card.

Linda Zayas-Palmer
Developer

Enter the Social Arena

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

The Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild is kicking its campaign storyline into overdrive with this month's scenario, Starfinder Society Scenario #1-05: The First Mandate. This scenario is the first in an unofficial multi-part series of adventures that slowly peels back some of the mystery surrounding the Scoured Stars incident. Of course, any good mystery needs a strong cast, and this month's scenario also introduces several new important NPCs to the campaign.

Illustrations by Sebastian Rodriguez

Fellow staffer and editor extraordinaire, Lyz Liddell, took up the challenge of writing this important scenario. She not only produced a strong story, but she also introduces us to a cast of unique characters that we will be seeing more of in future scenarios. The First Mandate begins with the PCs attending an important gala, where First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo intends to announce the future mission of the Starfinder Society in the wake of achieving a significant recovery from the events of the Scoured Stars. Radaszam "the Dealmaker" stands beside Luwazi, offering the services of his private mercenaries and the Acquisitives faction in ensuring the announcement occurs off without incident.

Here's a quick look at the tags that accompany this scenario:

• Faction (Acquisitives)
• Faction (Second Seekers [Luwazi Elsebo])

The art I'm including here showcases two of the major NPCs introduced in this adventure, but rest assured that there are several more. For veteran Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild participants out there, you'll note that The First Mandate takes a lot of cues from a well-known Pathfinder Society scenario, namely Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-09: The Blakros Matrimony. As the author of that venerable scenario (wow, I'm getting old) I obviously had reservations about passing this outline on to any freelancer, but I can safely say that Lyz did a fantastic job of bringing a scenario that incorporates social influence—and some other explosive encounters—to the far future!

I suspect that players and GMs alike will start concocting all sorts of theories about the ongoing campaign storyline after playing this adventure. I also anticipate some "theory crafting" of the motivations for some of the new NPCs—especially our blue-skinned android displayed in this post. Along with my usual request of "please leave a review—they really do help," I also encourage our campaign participants to post their opinions in a spoiler-marked thread in the Starfinder Society boards. One of the things that the organized play team really enjoys seeing are some of the "conspiracy theories" regarding campaign storylines. I suspect this scenario will throw some gasoline onto that slowly growing fire of the Starfinder Society storylines.

Come back next month, when we preview our next scenario Starfinder Society #1-06: A Night in Nightarch, our first scenario at Tier 3-6, and our first look at the nefarious drow of Apostae!

Until then!

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

Faction Overview: Acquisitives

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Illustration by Josef Kucera

True to their history, Acquisitives are the most mercenary of the Starfinder Society factions. Their goals often involve promoting the Starfinder Society to the extent that it will increase the personal reputation of all members. They stockpile funds and resources, believing that by maintaining such a treasury, the faction can make itself indispensable to other factions within the Society. Indeed, many Starfinders pledge themselves, to varying degrees, to the Acquisitives faction for access to these assets. This influx of recruits is the direct byproduct of the Acquisitives' existing cache of resources, not to mention their preference of sending Starfinders on missions leading to personal glory and monetary enrichment.

All right. It is time to start dropping some major bombs in these blogs—oddly fitting, because at their core, the Acquisitives are mercenaries who have probably dropped a lot of bombs in their time.

When the Organized Play team started assembling our all-star faction team, we wanted to make sure that the factions catered to a variety of character builds. We wanted to avoid a situation where a player who made a "lawful good paladin" felt compelled to pick one faction over another because that faction was the only right choice. (Note: there are no lawful good paladins in Starfinder). The character themes present in Starfinder lined up perfectly with our intent, and many of our internal talks revolved around asking questions like, "Ok, so this faction is going to be something interesting to Ace Pilots and Priests?" It was an iterative process between all members of the team and helped us create factions where every character should have a place. Perhaps none of our factions better exemplify this design style than our final announced faction: the Acquisitives.

The Acquisitives faction is a direct result of mercenaries and other externally hired operatives recognizing the gains made from an alliance with the Starfinder Society. Several of these "hired hands" came to realize that there were plenty of credits and fame to be had from forming a more permanent contract with the Starfinder Society. So, rather than wait for their contracts to run out once the Society's latest recruitment drive concluded, the Acquisitives faction formed to give any outside contractor a fast track into the Starfinder Society. Basically, the Acquisitives are like a "union" (but NOT of the shadow variety) that promotes Starfinders, effectively creating intergalactic celebrities within the Society. Acquisitives characters are all about gaining personal fame and wealth, while working within the strictures of the Starfinder Society.

Players are going to get a chance to feel what the Acquisitives are about in Starfinder #1-00: Claim to Salvation, written by Pathfinder Society and Pathfinder Adventure Path veteran (as well as notorious knife-fighter—ask me sometime), Larry Wilhelm. This is because Claim to Salvation is a prequel to the events of the Year of Scoured Stars. In this adventure, the players take on the roles of the iconic Starfinder characters, employed as mercenaries by the Starfinder Society. Wait… why does the Starfinder Society need mercenaries? Oh, that's right! Something went terribly wrong in the Scoured Stars system. In order to keep the Starfinder Society together, First Seeker (Luwazi Elsebo) went to some radical lengths to keep things going until a new generation of Starfinders could finish training.

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

Radaszam "The Dealmaker" (N male vesk operative) is the official Acquisitives liaison to the Starfinder Society. He spends equal time managing the Acquisitives as he does operating his own independent mercenary outfit, the Obsidian Spiders. Most of Radaszam's administration focuses on helping Acquisitives become celebrities, both within the Starfinder Society and without. He recognizes the importance of creating modern Starfinder icons for the public to recognize, and knows that such celebrities will only encourage further generations of Starfinders to step forward. Similarly, he recognizes the need for cutting any loss-leads, giving him a somewhat vicious edge when it comes to his administrative decisions. I'm really looking forward to exploring Radaszam, as well as the Obsidian Spiders, in some of our earliest scenarios following the Gen Con release!

Now it's time to talk about some boons (and if you're forgetting the boon types, be sure to look back at our blog about Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild's boon system). One boon type we've yet to highlight is the Starship boon, so how about we show one off?

Abundant Ammunition (Starship Boon)

Your faction provides you with ample starship ammo for important missions.

Prerequisites: Acquisitives: Tier 1

Cost: 1 Fame

Benefit: When this boon is slotted, select one starship weapon with the limited fire special property on the group's starship. The selected weapon increases the value of the limited fire value by half (rounded down). For example, a limited fire 5 weapon would become limited fire 7. This boon can be used to improve weapons gained as a result of other Starship boons.

Special: Multiple copies of this boon can be used on a starship, but each copy must affect a different weapon.

I understand that it's hard to recognize the significance of this boon without seeing the full starship rules. But from the playtests John and I have run, I think it's safe to say that any starship with missiles… well, that starship really likes having more missiles! Also, the Abundant Ammunition boon serves as an appealing low-cost boon for starship customization. Given how many starship boons can only be applied to a starship once, having this boon around is an excellent backup to ensure you can maximize the number of starship boons your ship can bring into battle!

We really wanted to showcase a Starship boon, just to give an example of what players can do to further modify their starship. But why stop there? So, for this final pre-Gen Con faction blog, how about I show off another boon?

Sponsorship (Social Boon)

The Acquisitives have connected you with an organization interested in using you to promote its brand and merchandise.

Prerequisites: Acquisitives: Tier 2

Cost: 2 Fame

Benefit: By slotting this boon, you gain an additional Promotional boon slot. This allows you to slot up to two Promotional boons as long as you meet all the prerequisites for those boons, such as possessing the appropriate product or having the necessary volunteer recognition. You cannot slot the same Promotional boon multiple times, nor can you slot two Promotional boons that offer the same effect (such as two boons that both provide rerolls).

Normal: You can normally only ever have one promotional boon slot.

Ok, so this boon is just fun. The Organized Play team got a good chuckle when we brainstormed several of the boons listed in the guide, but this one was one of our favorites. The immediate thought that comes to mind when a character takes this boon is that of a NASCAR race driver, bedecked in "flair" from corporate sponsors. Another example, closer to my interests, would be something like Captain Amazing from the movie Mystery Men (also bedecked with appropriate "flair"). I bet that some players out there are going to have a ton of fun with the themes behind this boon.

By taking this boon, a character can benefit from multiple Promotional boons by sacrificing his or her Social boon slot. This means that a player coming to the table with a Paizo T-shirt and a Starfinder Character Folio could benefit from both the Promotional boons associated with those items. We're planning on including several different Promotional boons for the launch, including service coins, pins, and even something for the convention crowd. Expect to see a bit more on this when the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide officially releases.

And that's a wrap on our factions' reveals, but not a wrap on Starfinder Society blogs. Stay tuned for next week, where we provide some more information on two of our exciting Gen Con releases, Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Quest: Into the Unknown and Starfinder Society Scenario #01-00: Claim to Salvation.

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

Faction Overview: Dataphiles

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Illustration by Josef Kucera

Churches, corporations, governments, and other organizations all have secrets. The Dataphiles work to uncover these secrets, deciding what to share and what to store in their vast data vaults inside Archive's Cortex, a sector of the Lorespire Complex in Absalom Station. While not all information is shared beyond the Dataphiles' archives, the simple act of guarding knowledge acts as a guiding light for the Dataphiles. Data comes in many forms, and the Dataphiles employ more than just computer-specialists in their ranks. Those Starfinders skilled at withdrawing information from sentient creatures—either by coercion, discourse, or trickery—are highly valued. As their sites of interest are among the best-defended installations in the galaxy, the Dataphiles also have a pressing need for trained combat specialists—whether to have a strong arm protecting a hacker during a delicate operation, or to have an armed ally capable of getting the prize out alive.

If you have been following Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild news from the start, you have probably heard about the Dataphiles. They are the first faction we announced almost four months ago over on the Know Direction Podcast. It is quite appropriate if you've listened to entire that podcast and are still ravenous for more information on the Dataphiles; after all, the Dataphiles are all about getting as much information as they can!

You can't have a futuristic setting without addressing important things like computers, corporate espionage, the flow of information, and hackers. The Dataphiles specialize in researching, finding, codifying, and controlling any information they can get their hands on (or other suitable appendage... yes that's an ongoing theme in Starfinder descriptions). The organized play team really wanted to have an organization that would appeal to not only computer specialists, but to those characters interested in accumulating vast amounts of key information. We see the Dataphiles as letting us explore some themes from modern organizations, like Anonymous or Wikileaks, while also letting us throw in a scenario or two where the PCs can "Hack the Gibson."

This brings us to the leader of the Dataphiles, the android, Historia-7 (LN female android mechanic). In keeping with the Dataphiles theme, rather than give all the details on Historia-7 and history with the Starfinder Society, I think it's appropriate to present some tidbits of information that might be important to Historia-7. I'll leave it to all you intrepid data seekers out there to figure out what you can from these details.

• You'll have a chance to meet Historia-7 in Starfinder Society Scenario #1-01: The Commencement. (Ok, easy start)
• Historia-4 compiled a significant record on the divergence of Corpse Fleet construction practices from those of their Eoxian counterparts, submitting the details for publication in the Starfinder Chronicles.
• Historia-6 strongly supported the election of First Seeker Jadnura, and was subsequently lost during the Scoured Stars incident.
• Kuthona.

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

I hope you will all have some fun scrutinizing these tidbits.

Now, it's time for our regularly scheduled boon reveal! This week's boon is something very different from what you've seen with our previous previews. Much like the capstone boon we showcased last week, this week's boon is another informal category of boon that John and I concocted after several cackle-filled meetings. To set the mood, "It was a vibrant and joy-filled PaizoCon when Thurston and John first conjured the idea for the meta boons..."

So here it is!

Digital Presence (Slotless* Boon)

You work to propagate a thriving digital community.

Prerequisites: Dataphiles: Tier 1

Cost: 0 Fame (see below)

Benefit: If you complete a scenario that you played online, such as by using a virtual tabletop or a play-by-post format, you earn 1 additional Fame and 1 additional Reputation with the Dataphiles faction.

Special: You can only benefit from this boon a number of times equal to your current Reputation Tier with the Dataphiles faction (maximum four total times at Reputation Tier 4). Each time you fulfill the requirements of this boon, mark it on your Chronicle sheet along with the associated Reputation Tier. Have the GM sign beside this notation.

*After receiving some editorial and community feedback, we're moving away from the term "Untyped Boon" and are now using "Slotless Boon" instead. This should be a clearer title for how these boons work, and avoid any confusion about how many boons of this type you can slot.

Story time! Each faction will have a boon like the Digital Presence boon. These unique "meta boons" operate outside of regular play conditions, often requiring player-initiated actions to achieve. As you can see with the Dataphiles' boon, we're trying to encourage online play—after all, it seems pretty appropriate for a faction that's all about information and technology. Because we wanted these to be bonuses, rather than things you had to buy to take advantage of, the meta boons are all about giving characters a small Fame and Reputation bump for completing certain out-of-game objectives. But to make it more than a one-time objective, we opened it up so that a character can benefit from these bonuses up to once per Reputation Tier (so, up to 4 times on a high-level character).

Ok, so that's it for our latest faction reveal. Come back next week when we talk about our final Starfinder Society faction: the Acquisitives.

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

Faction Overview: Wayfinders

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Illustration by Josef Kucera

The Wayfinders represent some of the Society's foremost experts in first contact scenarios. An organization dedicated to fully pursuing the Starfinder Society's mission statement of exploration, the Wayfinders are at the forefront of expeditions to scan a planet, set foot on an asteroid, or greet a previously unknown species. Wayfinders have a natural passion for exploration, be it through social situations with new species or discovering ancient alien ruins.

Before I start this blog, I want to congratulate some of you on being excellent detectives. The Organized Play team worked diligently in putting together a release schedule for our Starfinder Society factions, which we're now in the process of unveiling. At PaizoCon, several of you approached me and mentioned something about "the Wayfinders" and I feigned ignorance and made jokes about magical compasses. It appears that one of our scenarios let this secret out way earlier than anticipated... so, it's about time to dish out some facts.

With the Wayfinders faction, we have a group of like-minded Starfinders with a common interest: exploration. Starfinders working with the Wayfinders specialize in going beyond the Pact Worlds and into the star systems beyond. They eagerly travel into the Vast to seek out new life and new civiliz... they eagerly explore the Vast and engage with alien species, learning about foreign cultures and crafting strong alliances between the Starfinder Society and alien organizations. Many outsiders consider the Wayfinders' boundless enthusiasm for exploration as reckless; some even cite the recent Scoured Stars incident as a reason for the Starfinder Society—particularly the Wayfinders—to take a more cautious approach to exploring the Vast.

A faction as dedicated as the Wayfinders deserves a dedicated leader. Fitch (CN female ysoki technomancer), not only provides active support to fellow Wayfinders, she also goes out of her way to help Starfinders without ties to her faction. Starfinder Society #1-03: Yesteryear's Truth, by Paizo's own Jason Keeley, is a fine example of Fitch stepping in to energetically support fellow Starfinders going on missions into the Vast. I suspect many players will enjoy interacting with Fitch, especially after getting a chance to meet the faction leader onboard the Wayfinders' flagship: the Master of Stars.

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

Now, I've backed myself into a corner when it comes to showcasing these factions. In the last two blog posts, I've shown off some boons related to the factions. So, I suppose it makes sense to showcase something specific to the Wayfinders. Like I did with the last two previewed boons, I'm going to showcase a different category of boon for the Wayfinders. Allow me to introduce something we've been calling a capstone boon.

Alien Allies (Untyped Boon)

Your tireless contributions to the Wayfinders' cause has not only uncovered unknown worlds; you've also introduced a new species into the Society.

Prerequisites: Wayfinders: Tier 4

Cost: 4 Fame

Benefit: When you select this boon, it does not apply to your current character. Instead, select one of your Starfinder Society characters with 0 XP. That character can select a new playable race without expending the personal boon slot. That character cannot slot a different race boon into the personal boon slot, but can slot another type of personal boon. The rules on this new race will be made available in a future update—and may vary by season.

Special: A new character can only benefit from this boon once. You can only purchase this boon once per character.

Ok, I guess I can't just smoke bomb out after dropping something like that, can I?

Each of our factions will have a capstone boon. These boons are all untyped boons that apply to a new character in the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. The Wayfinders' boon is something that the organized play team knows is popular: access to new races. As the boon says, the specifics of the new race aren't yet detailed, which is quite intentional (I swear, I'm not skimping out on work). John and I have schemed together and already have potential candidates for this new race, but the result will come down to player choice. Hint: Just like in Pathfinder Society, the reporting conditions will be very important to the continued narrative of the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild campaign.

Alrighty, another week, another faction complete! Check back soon, when I present details on the Dataphiles—a faction we've talked about before, but have some new ‘data' to share (*badumtish*). Ok, that joke was bad and I'm sorry... but believe me when I say, you'll want to come back to read about the Dataphiles and a new subset of boon that's sure to shake up how people think about gaming in the organized play format!

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

Faction Overview: Exo-Guardians

Thursday, July 12, 2017

Illustration by Josef Kucera

The creed of the Exo-Guardians is to protect the Pact Worlds from external threats. In the context of their membership within the Starfinder Society, this most often relates to participating in missions to acquire relics or technology of a defensive nature. Exo-Guardians excel in missions that lead to such discoveries, but they also serve an important secondary role within the Society of "sending a message" to threats that interfere in Society business. Be it a derelict starship overrun with mindless alien vermin, or a supposedly impenetrable fortress operated by forces opposed to the Society, it's often the Exo-Guardians who come in to handle the situation.

One thing was clear when developing factions for the Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild: some players just want to shoot bug-like aliens. The Exo-Guardians were one of the earliest factions we developed because we wanted players to have a faction with a clear goal that fit into a science fantasy universe. In the case of the Exo-Guardians, that goal is "make sure bad aliens don't punch us in the face, possibly by punching those aliens in the face (or other appropriate body part, in the case of aliens without faces) first." This is the faction that you can regularly expect to see going on a "bug hunt."

The Exo-Guardians have some recognizable elements of the highly successful Silver Crusade faction from Pathfinder Society, but there are several key differences. The Exo-Guardians are also a faction with a long history within the in-game Starfinder Society organization, but recent events have not been kind to them. In a setting without paladins as a core class, the Exo-Guardians are somewhat more flexible in terms of what they are willing to do to protect the Pact Worlds from external threats. The Exo-Guardians let us explore some tough questions, like how far would you go to protect your home from external threats?

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

Luckily, if you're worried about this faction quickly becoming a faction of bloodthirsty evil characters, the Exo-Guardians faction leader has your back. Zigvigix (LG host shirren soldier) is a shirren with a plan—specifically a plan that aims to have the Exo-Guardians restored to their pre-Scoured Stars incident grandeur. I am already excited at how Zigvigix has turned out in print, and pretty soon you'll be able to meet them in Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Scenario #1-01: The Commencement. (And if you're worried about pronouncing Zigvigix's name all the time, don't fret. The Commencement's author, Eleanor Ferron, already coined a nickname I think will catch on...)

Before I go, here's a look at one of the faction-specific boons that members of the Exo-Guardians can purchase with their Fame. If you haven't already checked, I highly recommend giving that a read over last week's blog on Starfinder Society Boons.

Collector and Examiner (Ally Boon)

The Exo-Guardians host a variety of professionals interested in researching alien life from the Vast. You've become associated with one such researcher.

Prerequisites: Exo-Guardians: Tier 1

Cost: 2 Fame

Benefit: This ally boon represents a growing relationship between you and a researcher among the Exo-Guardians. At the end of a scenario in which you've slotted this boon, you can return one, and only one, "mostly intact" cadaver of a defeated significant enemy (Starfinder Core Rulebook 242) that your ally can study. Mark the creature type (such as aberration, fey, or ooze) of the collected cadaver on your Chronicle sheet. While this boon is slotted, you gain an insight bonus to Engineering, Life Science and Mysticism skill checks to identify creatures of the same creature type as previously collected corpses. The bonus is equal to the number of corpses of that creature type collected, up to a maximum of 3. The bonus represents your access to correspondences between you and your examiner ally; it does not mean the examiner is physically present during the adventure.

I'm really excited to see exactly what sort of wacky concepts players come up with for their "Examiner" allies!

That's all for this week. Stay tuned for next week's blog, where we provide an overview and some details for our next faction: the Second Seekers!

Thurston Hillman
Starfinder Society Developer

Sealed Heroes, Sealed Friends

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Illustration by Javier Charro

PaizoCon is just a few days away, and Pathfinder Society will be there in full force! Let's take a look at what's debuting that the convention.

The first is Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-20: Torrent's Last Will, a Tier 7-11 adventure that continues the our ongoing Plane of Water storyline that began with Treacherous Waves. A sahuagin warlord has captured a powerful artifact that threatens the Society and its allies. In this adventure by Cole Kronewitter, the PCs embark on an expedition into the dangerous depths of the Plane of Water, in the process teaming up with undine soldiers and a haughty brine dragon. Whereas some of Season 8's adventures have kept to the safer corners of their respective elemental planes, "Torrent's Last Will" makes the most of its aquatic setting in terms of hazards, encounters, and locations. Pack your swim trunks!

The Pathfinder Society recently won the Sargava Chalice in the eponymous footrace, but few know that the trophy cup is actually a cyclops relic dating back to Ghol-Gan. In Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-21: Champion's Chalice, Part 2: Agents of the Eye, the PCs carry the chalice deep into the Kaava Lands, where the relic can grant them a unique window into the past and a fallen empire. Author Nicholas Herold takes us to a long-forgotten corner of Golarion's history in this Tier 1-5 scenario, and it's up to the PCs to avert an imminent crisis with the help of desperate allies.

Illustrations by Sebastian Rodriguez

PaizoCon is also one of our most popular times to release special events, and this year we're doing something a little different with some very familiar aspects. On its surface, Pathfinder Society Special #8-99: The Solstice Scar is a multi-table interactive special like many that have come before, including ways in which individual tables can contribute to the entire event's goals and affect neighboring groups. In terms of structure, though, it's a very different beast. Whereas past interactive specials have been central to a season's storyline and never changed, "The Solstice Scar" is what I've referred to as a modular special—a special event whose pieces we can swap out. What you'll have a chance to play at PaizoCon, Gen Con, and later conventions is Version A, which consists of three 90-minute parts of the ongoing story (Parts 1, 2, and 3). Around the beginning of 2018 (we're still nailing down an exact date), we're going to swap out one of the parts, introduce Part 4, and re-release the adventure as Version B. Not only does Version B advance the story, but it's also playable for credit again as though it were a completely new adventure! We'll be releasing several version over the coming seasons, providing events worldwide a regularly updated special event that they can offer mid-season.

With a strange new format, we needed a tested author who's handled strange assignments before. Andrew Hoskins took the challenge and has written the first four parts of the adventure, beginning with an incident in the Blakros Museum and spiraling into an epic journey across Avistan to study an ancient Kellid ritual, uncover a forgotten chapter of the Shining Crusade, and do battle with a truly reprehensible evil. I look forward to joining you in its debut on Sunday night at PaizoCon!

Speaking of PaizoCon, the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild and Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild represent only a fraction of what's going on this weekend. We'll be announcing Season 9's name and theme at the PaizoCon Preview Banquet on Saturday night. Immediately afterward, I'm hosting the much-beloved post-banquet trivia contest, whose prizes include gift certificates, the acclaim of your peers, and ample opportunities to troll me by writing weird answers to questions (an equally beloved tradition). If you'd rather ask questions than answer them, you should also attend the Organized Play Q&A panel from 5-6 pm on Sunday. The whole team will be there to answer your burning questions about Season 9, Starfinder Society, and much more!

Beyond that, watch for us in the halls. We're happy to chat about our work, your experiences, freelance work opportunities, and what could happen in future adventures. After all, the modular special concept came out of a conversation Linda and I had while hanging out in the Sagamore Ballroom, and Thurston and I figured out a major portion of Season 8's plotline while having a chat at the Paizo booth at Gen Con. Who knows what great things we could brainstorm this weekend.

See you there!

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer

Adventures in the Isles

Monday, February 20, 2017

2017 has been a busy year so far! Tonya recently announced our revised Retail Support Program to provide boon support to public, non-convention events. Linda and I are busily outlining and assigning the rest of Season 8, we've locked in Season 9, Linda's made tremendous strides in updating our FAQ, and we're preparing the next batch of scenario product pages—including at least one surprise for an upcoming convention. The team's also enjoyed incorporating significant crossovers between the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild and the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild, including some fun Adventure Card Guild developments to the Scarab Sages narrative in the ongoing Season of Plundered Tombs. On top of that, we're busily flying around the country to meet with organized play communities in person, with Tonya having attended DunDraCon in San Ramon, CA this past weekend and Mark and Linda attending TotalCon in Marlborough, MA next weekend. On top of that, I've been helping out on several cross-department collaborations that I imagine we'll announce a few months from now.

During this busy time, we're fortunate to have several guest developers helping us with scenario development: Thurston "Thursty" Hillman and Ron Lundeen, both veteran authors and familiar with the intricacies of Pathfinder Society. We're happy to have them collaborating with our in-house developers, and you'll find them featured prominently in the credits for recent scenarios.

Illustrations by Hannah Boving and Sebastian Rodriguez

Speaking of scenarios, we have two great ones due out this Wednesday. The first is Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-14: To Seal the Shadow by the talented Jason Keeley. Especially when we've introduced new races to the campaign, I've really enjoyed dedicating a scenario to meet a representative member of that species or visit a significant settlement. We've done so with nagajis, a samsaran, a kitsune, and even a bit for tengus, but the wayangs have enjoyed only a few paragraphs of ethnographic exploration so far. For more than a year I've been looking for the right time and right author to travel to Inahiyi, the hub of wayang culture in Minata, and Jason did a great job presenting a major festival that the PCs attend to commemorate one of the wayangs' great historical events in the shadow of an extinct volcano. My inner anthropologist is excited that we at last release this delightful Tier 1-5 adventure, which features several inspired wayang illustrations by Hannah Boving.

February also sees the third installment in the ongoing Gloomspires exploration (see Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Hall of the Flesh Eaters and Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-19: Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts for earlier scenarios) by Tom Phillips: Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-15: Hrethnar's Throne, a Tier 5-9 adventure. This scenario was especially interesting to outline with Tom, as it's this level of the site that first caught Mark Moreland's and my eyes during RPG Superstar, kicking off this entire series. The PCs return to the Gloomspires with Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry, having obtained a reliable means to overcome a lethal barrier and explore what lies beyond. Don't think this is a predictable dungeon-crawl, though; the Gloomspires is full of surprises and jealous rivals, including one of my favorite scenario opening scenes in a long while and this evocative hobgoblin pirate illustrated by Sebastian Rodriguez.

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer

Elementals Armed to the Teeth

Monday, January 23, 2017

Illustrations by Enrique Barajas and Sebastian Rodriguez

It's been about a week since I returned from my sixth SCARAB, a delightful 4-day gaming convention in Columbia, South Carolina that I've been attending since before I started working at Paizo—and it's now one of the biggest Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild events worldwide. Each year it's been a great experience, and this year was no exception. I've definitely returned with some fun stories. I'll fondly remember the high-level group of adventurers who navigated a dungeon almost entirely by repeatedly casting augury, and the high-level group that nearly decided to throw both major NPCs under a bus and declare themselves queens of a small village makes for a thrilling tale. I can't forget the giantslayers who neither understood giant nor could identify a peryton, referring to instead as a "deer-headed marmot-squeezer." Perhaps best of all was getting through an entire scenario without rolling initiative because we decided that throwing a immense rival party on another plane of existence was a much more fun alternative to raiding someone's home. Thank you Del Collins II, Matt Polkowsky, and the SCARAB crew for putting on a great event, and thanks to David Shaw, Amanda Plageman, Brent Gass, Matt Beebe, Leslie Foster, Chris First, and many others for some great games.

Speaking of great games, the team has two more fun adventures debuting this week. The first is the conclusion of the 3-part series Tyranny of Winds, which has taken the PCs from the elemental wastelands of eastern Osirion to the stunning djinn capital of Armun Kelisk on the Plane of Air. In Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-12: Tyranny of Winds, Part 2: Caught in the Eclipse, a Tier 3-7 adventure by Jason Evans, the Society has learned of an immensely powerful enemy, and the Pathfinders' one-time foes have become allies of convenience to ensure their mutual survival. If the Society's to stand a chance, it needs to secure one of the few weapons that this new threat fears: the Horn of the Hurricane, which is trapped within the lawless harbor Port Eclipse. Not only is this a hotbed of enemy activity, but the Pathfinders' best contact for how to reach the weapon has disappeared there. Plan for subtlety but brace for a climatic finish with this exciting finale with ties to the Grand Lodge faction!

The Pathfinder Society's been busy on other elemental planes, too. Having recently concluded a dangerous deal on the Plane of Fire, the Decemvirate now knows of a powerful tool lost within the Kullan Dei mountains (something we first hinted at in Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-02: Ward Asunder). However, retrieving this doesn't just mean succeeding where a famed local hero could not; it also requires braving the icy mountains that still rumble with roiling magma. Tier 7-11 scenarios like Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-13: What Sleeps in Stone are so often a great opportunity to present adventures in extreme locations, and there's little more exciting than going into an active volcano. It gets even better when the volcano isn't just capable of swallowing the PCs—it's alive! Larry Wilhelm brings you a thrilling story, but if you want to survive, watch your step!

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer

So Much New Material!

Monday, July 25, 2016

Gen Con is in less than two weeks, and Paizo always pulls out the stops with new publications to wow the crowds in Indianapolis. This year we're bringing a big pile of exciting titles, including Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror Adventures, Pathfinder Player Companion: Legacy of Dragons, and of course the much-anticipated Pathfinder Society Pawn Collection. You'll see even more at the end of August, with Pathfinder Player Companion: Haunted Heroes Handbook, as well as Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Planes of Power, which serves as a key sourcebook for the upcoming Season of the Stolen Storm!

Illustrations by Hannah Boving

But why stop there? Gen Con's traditionally the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild's opportunity to release a few extra adventures. This year, thanks to the July release date being so close to the convention itself, it's almost as though they were one and the same—at least that's how it's felt around here! As a result, we have 11 exciting adventures we're featuring at the convention. Let's take a look!

Nearly six years ago, the Pathfinder Society traveled to a promising archaeological site known as Azlant Ridge outside Bloodcove at the edge of the Mwangi Expanse. Ever since then, I've heard players ask what became of that site and if the Society had uncovered more of its mysteries. At long last, we've returned, guided by contributor and veteran Pathfinder Society author Ron Lundeen, taking your Tier 3-7 characters deeper into the Terwa Uplands in Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-27: Beyond Azlant Ridge! This was also our opportunity to depict the unflappable Juliet Dias, the expedition's manager shown below.

Something's rotten in the state of Thuvia, and although the Pathfinder Society has uncovered a vile plot and helped thwart it, the mastermind is still on the loose. Thankfully, a key member of the plot has reconsidered her loyalties and has reached out to the Society for help, as she has learned that the villains intend to cast the Thuvian city-states into civil war in a bid for personal power. Political intervention isn't the Society's standard practice, but if a band of elite agents can thwart this conspiracy, avert disaster, and also eliminate the ringleader of the Korholm Agenda, it's worth entering hostile territory. Luis Loza brings Season 8 to a climatic, Tier 7-11 close in Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-28: Ageless Ambitions in Aspenthar, domain of the ambitious Prince Zinlo (pictured below)!

In April we began a grand undertaking with Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-20: All for Immortality, Part 1: First Taste of Eternity: the reintroduction of dedicated, high-level content in the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. So far the feedback we've received has been really encouraging—certainly making us consider more Tier 12-15 content in the future—and working on the series (including some ludicrous hard mode options) has been a lot of fun. Of course, high-level content benefits from high-level settings, and what better place is there for a Pathfinder to go than the heart of the Aspis Consortium. I've left the fate of the Consortium is in your hands in Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-29: All for Immortality, Part 3: Serpents Fall!

And because I'm a glutton for punishment, I took on a second adventure during this busy time: an exciting sequel to last season's Pathfinder Society Special #6-98: Serpents Rise that sends a motley band of 8th-level Aspis agents and misfit hirelings deep into Nidal to infiltrate a threat to the Consortium's authority. We debuted Pathfinder Society Special #7-98: Serpents' Ire at PaizoCon 2016, and it's undergone some polishing since then to trim its run-time, making it a great fit for Gen Con this year.

The pregenerated character adventure model has proven an exciting way to tell stories happening outside the Grand Lodge—especially when showing what's in store for the campaign's next season. Developer Linda Zayas-Palmer has also worked behind the scenes on many of our best scenarios and the Campaign Clarifications document, and this time the stars aligned for her to apply her narrative mastery and author the spectacular Pathfinder Society Special #7-99: Through Maelstrom Rift. An organization known as the Concordance of Elements has sensed a dangerous anomaly on the Plane of Air, and the ruling council (including one of its representatives pictured below) has dispatched an eclectic team representing the united elemental forces to avert the looming disaster and discover its cause. If the idea of playing a proud genie, a miniature dragon, or an elemental serpent made of living lava strikes your fancy, don't miss this great adventure for 6th-level pregenerated characters.

Phew! Time to catch my breath for a moment.

Illustrations by Sebastian Rodriguez and Dion Harris

In Season 4 of the campaign, the Society spent a lot of time in Varisia. We've taken an extended break in the years since, but with the imminent release of the updated Pathfinder Adventure Path: Curse of the Crimson Throne, the prospect of visiting Korvosa again was just too good to pass up. You may recall that the Society has a good friend, Zeeva Foxglove, who runs the nearby Green Market, and she's contacted Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch with a desperate plea for assistance. Scott Sharplin spins us an engaging urban adventure with mysteries, plots, and just a hint of pseudodragons in the Tier 1-5 Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-01: Portent's Peril.

One of the greatest strengths of Pathfinder Society scenarios as a medium is that they allow us to explore such a wide variety of places in the course of a year. I'm always looking for more ways to feature Tian Xia, and we planted a pretty significant plot hook near the end of Season 6 in the hope of traveling to the sorcerer kingdom of Dtang Ma. An unlikely ally (the friendly disembodied head pictured below) has pointed the Society to an abandoned temple that still contains historical records dating back a millennium or more. The PCs tread on sacred ground, though, and they must watch their step if they are to scale a mountain, study this lost site, and save a lost soul. Contributor Mikko Kallio shows off his story-telling talents in Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-02: Ward Asunder, a Tier 3-7 adventure.

Two years ago, hundreds of Pathfinders gathered in the halls of the sky citadel Jormurdun to reclaim it for study. The Society turned control of it over to the dwarves of the Five Kings Mountains shortly thereafter, and they have industriously worked to restore their ancestral home. The duergar of the nearby Darklands are none to thrilled about this development, and in a recent attack, they captured a host of dwarves, put them in chains, and began driving them south toward a future of slavery or sacrifice. Jormurdun has asked the Society to intercept the duergar before they escape, but taking on such a large force won't be easy. Mike Kimmel takes the PCs deep underground to gather allies and launch a daring rescue in Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-03: Captives of Toil, which has special opportunities for members of the Liberty's Edge faction.

Wait, you want more? Sure, I've got three more gems for you.

We're debuting a new set of six 1st-level quests by Eleanor Ferron, and Jenny Jarzabski, and Landon Winkler. In Honor's Echo, the PCs assist a disenfranchised Taldan nobleman, the descendant of the heroic Honaria Alcasti whom the empire used as a scapegoat centuries ago. In order to restore the family's name, he and the PCs search Taldor, Andoran, and Qadira for evidence of Honaria's good deeds and make a case before one of Taldor's most influential figures. Like past quest series, Honor's Echo is for 1st-level pregenerated characters, but we are decoupling past quest series (i.e. The Silverhex Chronicles and Phantom Phenomena) from the pregenerated character requirement.

Gen Con is also the debut of Pathfinder Academy, an extension of previous years' Kids Track program. This year we're adding a five-quest series dubbed Transitions that teach players key lessons—attacks of opportunity, splash weapons, combat maneuvers, conditions, and more—as they graduate from the Beginner Box to the full Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. After each short lesson is an adventure that highlights those rules and follows the story of the heroes tracking down villainous Aspis agents who have stolen holy relics from Magnimar. By the end, the players are ready to participate in some Pathfinder Society adventures. In fact, we've dedicated several tables to kid-friendly games—some even run by young GMs! Seth Brummond, Andrew Hoskins, Bob Jonquet, Nathan King, Lucas Servideo, and Michael VonHasseln contributed a combination of adventures, lessons, and wisdom to make this project a reality.

Finally, there's the big interactive event: Pathfinder Society Special #8-00: The Cosmic Captive by Matt Duval! The asteroid known as Aucturn's Tear flies through the solar system every 56 years, but strangely it has begun glowing brightly in the night sky while opening portals to another realm as it passes by planets. Hmmm... the more I talk about the story, though, the more I spoil the adventure. Let's boil it down to a few key points. First, we're exploring new design territory for interactive adventures, combining both traditional aspects of the interactive experience with a host of new ways to affect other tables. Second, it's loaded with elemental goodness—and not just the “I'm immune to critical hits” elementals, but also fun elemental themes and locations. Third, it's the first interactive adventure to combine the Roleplaying Guild and Adventure Card Guild into one giant event. Finally, it's a stellar debut to an incredible new season: The Season of the Stolen Storm!

We'll see you at the Best Four Days in Gaming!

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer

First Taste of Seeker Play

Monday, April 25, 2016

Spring is in full swing in Seattle, causing the mercury to rise, dousing Redmond with pollen, and sending many of us into allergic conniptions. I hadn't planned it this way, but this is perfect timing to talk about what Paizo's backyard and this month's scenarios have in common: heat and flowers. That is to say we're traveling to Thuvia! This year the shipment of the legendary sun orchid elixir—a tonic capable of restoring one's youth—travels to Pashow for the first time in five years, and the city desperately needs the proceeds of their sale. Of course, the shipment needs to arrive safely to avert financial ruin and civil unrest, and the city needs outside help to ensure nothing befalls this lifeline.

Illustration by Sebastian Rodriguez

I really enjoy incorporating all levels of play into these storylines, and this month level 1-5 PCs experience a major piece of the action in Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-21: The Sun Orchid Scheme by the winner of RPG Superstar Season 9, Nicholas Wasko. Pashow is ready to perform a test run of their operation, and knowing the Society's reputation for troubleshooting tough problems, the city-state's emir and the visiting dignitary Princess Ziralia (pictured here) has contracted a team of Pathfinders to perform a non-lethal raid on one of the convoys. Hopefully the PCs can uncover any weaknesses in the convoy's defenses before the real deal. Then again, when has anything gone according to plan? Nick has written a thrilling adventure with some great twists, and I'm now all the more excited for the module he'll be writing in the future.

Finally adventuring in Thuvia is exciting. Finally releasing true seeker-level content is exciting. Combining the two was almost more than I could handle, so I called in Thurston Hillman as reinforcements. He's crafted a rousing and challenging adventure befitting Tier 12-15 with Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-20: All for Immortality, Part 1: First Taste of Eternity. The convoys carrying the sun orchid elixir have left the Citadel of the Alchemist, and Pashow's enemies are closing in. Fortunately, the PCs are on hand to help where the fighting's hottest, but they're due to uncover—and resolve—an even greater threat in the process. This adventure has one of my favorite depictions of a new villain, but I'm loath to post it here because it would spoil the surprise. I'll just let Thurston's writing and Sebastian Rodriguez's art speak for themselves when you get a chance to play this first of three adventures.

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer