Paizo and Pathfinder Seminars at Gen Con

Monday, July 23, 2012

This past year has seen many additions to the Pathfinder brand, including Pathfinder miniatures and the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition. The Pathfinder Tales line has grown three times what it was a year ago. And, we saw the conclusion of the tenth Adventure Path! There has been so much Pathfinder goodness, it amazes me to look at my bookshelf and see it able to hold against the strain of all the new, awesome products that have been added.

Next year will see an even greater increase not only in our current product lines, but expanding into other areas such as comic books and online games. The goblin will be brought to life, so to speak, in the form of a plush toy. And, there are other secrets I, and many other Paizo staff, would love to tell you about, but you will have to attend our expanded seminars schedule at Gen Con to get the lowdown on these.

At Gen Con 2011, we had 7–8 seminars that touched on future products, secrets of Golarion, and the like. With this being Paizo's tenth anniversary as a company, and the 5-year anniversary of the release of the first Adventure Path, there was simply no way for us to fit everything we wanted to tell you and show you in those few seminars. So, after much discussion, we decided to double the number of seminars offered at Gen Con this year. The following is a listing of seminars, a short description of what each will entail, and the guests that highlight each.

Thursday, August 16

Pathfinder Society Organized Play Q&A (10:00 AM–11:00 AM)
Want to learn how to get involved in the fastest-growing organized play campaign in the world, with games running at conventions, game stores, and homes in every state and all over the planet? Already an active Pathfinder Society player with questions about the campaign? Join Paizo Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock and Pathfinder Society Developer Mark Moreland as they discuss all aspects of the largest Pathfinder campaign of all time.

Pathfinder Adventure Path Q&A (2:00–3:00 PM)
With the release of the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition this summer, Paizo celebrates 5 years of Adventure Paths. Join Pathfinder Creative Director James Jacobs and developers Rob McCreary and Adam Daigle as they reveal 2013's Adventure Paths, take your questions about past Adventure Paths, and share details on the brand-new campaign, Shattered Star!

Paizo Publishing: 2012 and Beyond (4:00–5:00 PM)
Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens, Publisher Erik Mona, Creative Director James Jacobs, Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider, and Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn reveal upcoming Pathfinder RPG hardcover rulebooks, Adventure Paths, and more in this spoiler-rich discussion of things to come.

Friday, August 17

Pathfinder RPG Rules Design Workshop (10:00–11:00 AM)
Pathfinder designers Jason Bulmahn, Sean K Reynolds, and Stephen Radney-MacFarland lead a hands-on workshop on rules design, as they discuss current design projects with attendees, and work with the audience to develop rules from concept to execution.

Pathfinder Tales Author Summit (12:00–1:00 PM)
Paizo's Fiction Editor James Sutter (Death's Heretic) leads a panel of Pathfinder Tales authors as they discuss their novels, characters, and their process as professional authors. Guests include Dave Gross (Prince of Wolves, Master of Devils, Queen of Thorns), Robin Laws (The Worldwound Gambit, Blood of the City), and Howard Andrew Jones (Plague of Shadows).

The Art of Pathfinder (1:00–2:00 PM)
Join Paizo's Publisher Erik Mona, Senior Art Director Sarah Robinson, and the Paizo art department as they discuss the award-winning look behind the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and take your questions about the visual aspect of the Pathfinder lines.

Writing for Paizo (2:00–3:00 PM)
Interested in contributing creative material to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game? Would you love to have your adventures, monsters, or game material published by Paizo? Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider, Senior Editor James. L Sutter, Creative Director James Jacobs, Game Developer Sean K Reynolds, and Pathfinder Society Developer Mark Moreland share secrets of the craft and chart the path to publication in this informative seminar.

Pathfinder Player Companion: Inside the Overhaul (4:00–5:00 PM)
In August, the Pathfinder Player Companion goes monthly, with new features, a brand-new look, and tons of new excitement. Join Paizo Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider, Senior Editor James L. Sutter, and Developer Patrick Renie as they outline the new changes and reveal exciting new territory in the months ahead.

Saturday, August 18

Pathfinder Society Organized Play Q&A (10:00–11:00 AM)
Want to learn how to get involved in the fastest-growing organized play campaign in the world, with games running at conventions, game stores, and homes in every state and all over the planet? Already an active Pathfinder Society player with questions about the campaign? Join Paizo Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock and Pathfinder Society Developer Mark Moreland as they discuss all aspects of the largest Pathfinder campaign of all time.

Rise of the Runelords Fifth Anniversary Round Table (11:00 AM–12:00 PM)
The very first Pathfinder Adventure Path returned in a revised and collected hardcover edition this summer. Join Paizo Creative Director James Jacobs, Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider, and authors Wolfgang Baur and Greg A. Vaughan as they reveal the secret history of the Pathfinder Adventure Path that started it all.

Pathfinder RPG Rules Q&A (12:00–1:00 PM)
Join the Pathfinder RPG design team for an up-close look at the rules of the Pathfinder RPG. Pathfinder designers Jason Bulmahn, Sean K Reynolds, and Stephen Radney-MacFarland take your questions and discuss the philosophy behind the Pathfinder game rules.

All About Pathfinder Online (1:00–2:00 PM)
Paizo is partnering with Goblinworks to produce a new MMO. The developers explain the project and will answer questions from the audience.

10 Years of Paizo Publishing (3:00–4:00 PM)
A cast of Paizo superstars including CEO Lisa Stevens, Publisher Erik Mona, and Creative Director James Jacobs, and Chief Technical Officer Vic Wertz look back on 10 years of Paizo Publishing, from Dragon, Dungeon, and Star Wars Insider magazines to paizo.com to the Pathfinder RPG and beyond.

Secrets of RPG Editing (4:00–5:00 PM)
Want to learn how to avoid those nasty errors in the RPG product you're writing or publishing? Paizo Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider, Editors Judy Bauer and Christopher Carey, and Developer Patrick Renie administer an editing test challenge and reveal the ins and outs of successful RPG editing.

Sunday, August 19

Golarion: Inside the Pathfinder Campaign Setting (10:00–11:00 AM)
Paizo Creative Director James Jacobs, Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider, and Fiction Editor James L. Sutter reveal what's going on in the wide world of Pathfinder's official campaign setting, from secrets of the world's creation to an overview of upcoming products to general questions from the audience.

Mike Brock
Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator