Looking Backward into the Future

Monday, October 3, 2011

One of the results of an early-August Gen Con and a Pathfinder Society release schedule based on putting out material at the end of the month is that it always seems like an eternity between when a new season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play kicks off in Indianapolis and the next set of scenarios comes out at the end of September. But the wait is over and Season 3 continues with two exciting new adventures, released last week.

As we mentioned in the store blog last Wednesday, both of this month’s scenarios include elements from past scenarios—in this case from the very first season of the campaign! One of my goals as developer on the Pathfinder Society Scenarios line has always been to give a larger sense of continuity within the campaign. Now that we’re into the first full season that I mapped out from square one, it was the perfect opportunity to start implementing some of this.

Brand new threats from Bestiary 3 are sure to torment poor, unfortunate souls in two new Pathfinder Society Scenarios.
Illustration by Alberto Del Lago.

In Pathfinder Society Scenario #3—05: Tide of Twilight, the Pathfinder Society sends the PCs on a mission resulting from research into a relic attained way back in Pathfinder Society Scenario #23: Tide of Morning from June 2009. While the two scenarios can be played in either order and the ties between them are loose, players and GMs who played Tide of Morning at PaizoCon two years ago will recognize some thematic elements and subtle allusions to the early scenario. And who knows, if folks like this spiritual sequel style, more missions may come about as a result of the information gleaned from the lorestone of the Verduran Forest next season.

Going back even farther, Pathfinder Society Scenario #3—06: Song of the Sea Witch features a prominent NPC from the very first scenario ever, and one of the most popular scenarios to date, Pathfinder Society Scenario #1: Silent Tide. In Silent Tide, the PCs spent much of the adventure working to undo the effects of hapless historian Yargos Gill’s meddling in things beyond his understanding, and yep, you guessed it; Yargos is at it again. Players from a certain faction who saved Yargos from his first adventure with the Pathfinder Society will also note that the effects of their actions have impacted the storyline, and their fulfilled faction mission from Silent Tide speaks to their new faction mission in Song of the Sea Witch.

I’m eager to hear what folks think of these homages, both what you think worked well, and what could make the campaign’s internal continuity even stronger. Further, what NPCs, locations, magic items, or dangling plot threads would you like to see woven back into the Pathfinder Society tapestry in scenarios to come? Comment below!

Next week, Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock has some exciting announcements to make about the organization’s growing army of volunteer coordinators.

Mark Moreland
Developer