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Adventure Card Game Developments, and a Goblin Scalawag

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

We've got three new people to introduce to you today. Two are real, and one is a vicious killer. Can you tell which is which?

Salutations.

My name is Brian Campbell, and I'm writing to you as the new Lead Editor for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. I am ancient. "I have crossed oceans of time..."

Okay, so maybe I'm not so ancient, but I've been working in the game industry as a writer and editor for the last twenty years. One of my first jobs was editing trading card games for a company down in Renton, Washington, one that shall remain nameless here, although it is known for being magical from time to time. It has a lot of magic, and some of its cards are magic cards, but I won't tell you which company it is.

I first started playing Pathfinder around the same time I was working in a different department of that company, one that made roleplaying games with dragons and dungeons. Since then, I indulged in my obsession with massively multiplayer online games by writing for a few of them, but I kept playing Pathfinder. I now spend my time sequestered in an arcane realm scrutinizing the wording on cards, which is precisely where I should be. In my spare time, I play different types of games, read books on my Kindle, and contemplate the mysteries of the universe while drinking various microbrews. And of course, you might see me playing cards.

∗ ∗ ∗

Hello, Pathfinders!

I'm Tanis O'Connor, the new adventure card game designer here at Paizo HQ. I work with Paizo's incredible staff of designers, developers, and editors, and also with the PACG design team at Lone Shark Games. Alongside Brian Campbell, introduced above, and the estimable Vic Wertz, I'm doing my best to make the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game the best game possible. I'm also working on a few other goodies which will be the subject of a near-future blog post.

A little bit about me: prior to signing up with Team Paizo, I was a developer on the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game for Lone Shark Games, and worked on both the Rise of the Runelords set and the Skull & Shackles set. My involvement in the RPG community goes back over a decade, including a stint as a developer and rules editor at Wizards of the Coast, and several years as an author, developer, and organizer for the March of Bissel in the RPGA's Living Greyhawk Organized Play campaign. I'm psyched to be working with the amazing and creative team here at Paizo.

Enough about me; let's talk about you! We have a bunch of good stuff in store for you with the upcoming Skull & Shackles set, beginning with an entirely new playable character for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, to be released as a promotional card set for Free RPG Day on Saturday, June 21. Everyone, meet Ranzak:


Character Art by Ben Wootten

Ranzak is a nasty little bugger who likes eating, stabbing, and stealing (not necessarily in that order). Like any other character, he comes complete with character, role, and token cards, and he can be used with any Pathfinder ACG set, so feel free to let him pillage his way through Rise of the Runelords while you're waiting for Skull & Shackles to come out! There will be a few different ways you can pick up Ranzak:

  • Go to a store that's participating in Free RPG Day on June 21 and get yourself a free copy while supplies last. Find your local store here.
  • Subscribe to the Adventure Card Game here on paizo.com, and you'll get a free copy of Ranzak (as well as a couple other promo cards) along with your Skull & Shackles Base Set and Character Add-On Deck in August.
  • After Skull & Shackles is released in August, buy Ranzak on paizo.com, while supplies last.
  • Buy Ranzak from us at PaizoCon or Gen Con, while supplies last.

Below you'll find Ranzak's story, in his own words.

∗ ∗ ∗

Ranzak not always pirate. Ranzak not always Ranzak either. One time, Ranzak be Longlung diver named Squidbreath. Other Longlungs eaten by biggest sea monster of all—Swirly Doom. Squidbreath fierce and Squidbreath brave, so Squidbreath flee Swirly Doom and paddle mighty Longlung ship away. Years pass. Squidbreath stab. Squidbreath steal. Squidbreath eat good Squidbreath meal!


Art am made by Ranzak (who is best artist duh, so why me even have to tell you?)

Squidbreath make friends to do battles on goblin ship. Friends eat many pirates, get many loots. Squidbreath see longshanks chiefs all have magic bird that eat cracker and tell true secret. Squidbreath and friends sneak sneak sneak to longshanks cave, wait for longshanks sleep, and steal magic bird. Magic bird squawk, "Ranzak! Ranzak! Ranzak! Ranzak! Ranzak!" Magic bird maybe talk too much.

Squidbreath know magic bird always squawk true, so Squidbreath make name Ranzak. Ranzak now have great magic, and friends jealous. Friends have bad luck on many ends of many knives. Now Ranzak need new friends to help get more plunder!

You need friend?

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Tags: Ben Wootten Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Skull & Shackles
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1 person marked this as a favorite.

I don't know any of these references. :/

I thought of this, despite that it's a last name and has an extra "n."
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Welcome Tanis and Brian! Great to see the growing PACG team.
Orbis Orboros wrote:

I don't know any of these references. :/

I thought of this, despite that it's a last name and has an extra "n."

This was my first thought as well. I wonder if this Tanis is also insane(ly smart)...

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Designer
Erixian wrote:
Orbis Orboros wrote:

I don't know any of these references. :/

I thought of this, despite that it's a last name and has an extra "n."

This was my first thought as well. I wonder if this Tanis is also insane(ly smart)...

I have opinions on that.

Orbis Orboros wrote:

I don't know any of these references. :/

I thought of this, despite that it's a last name and has an extra "n."

Why didn't I think of that reference!? The only reference I thought of was the Dragonlance one as well. Borderlands is brilliant! I love the characters, especially Tannis in all her insanity(ly smartness.) In fact, my wife wants to cosplay as Tannis, since they kind of look similar! BTW, I think Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is the best add-on ever!

(Sorry for the tangent.)
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Erixian wrote:
Also, I am curious about the role card that will need some explaining. When you build your character, you do not have a role, so I am assuming that Ranzak being a scavenger is not the only thing on the rules card. I am interested in how the role affects play. I can only assume that it will affect rebuilding characters between Scenarios, or maybe a benefit for taking less desired cards. I am interested.

The "Ranzak is a scavenger" deck setup bit is one rule; the bit regarding one of the powers from his role card is an entirely separate rule that has nothing to do with deck setup.

Pixel Hunter wrote:
Orbis Orboros wrote:

I don't know any of these references. :/

I thought of this, despite that it's a last name and has an extra "n."

Why didn't I think of that reference!? The only reference I thought of was the Dragonlance one as well. Borderlands is brilliant! I love the characters, especially Tannis in all her insanity(ly smartness.) In fact, my wife wants to cosplay as Tannis, since they kind of look similar! BTW, I think Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep is the best add-on ever!

(Sorry for the tangent.)

Agreed. Best DLC ever.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
Tanis O'Connor wrote:
Nor was I founded in the late Twentieth Dynasty as a parallel religious center to Thebes.

Your denials of that fact just make it clear: You know where the Ark is.

Pathfinder ACG Designer
Vic Wertz wrote:
Tanis O'Connor wrote:
Nor was I founded in the late Twentieth Dynasty as a parallel religious center to Thebes.
Your denials of that fact just make it clear: You know where the Ark is.

Now, Vic, our jobs will be a lot harder to do if our heads are melted off or we're turned into demons.

Well, if our heads are melted off, anyway.
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Designer

No time for love, Dr. Jones!

I missed short round in the last movie.
Mike Selinker wrote:
Brian Campbell wrote:
I've written for more White Wolf books than I can remember: dozens and dozens of them. I've also got some writing in the 20th Anniversary Editions of Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Mage: The Ascension. Oh, and when I first moved out to Seattle, I was the editor for Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.
Not to mention one of my esteemed collaborators on the game Betrayal at House on the Hill.

Wow, so apparently you've designed my two favorite board games...

um...thanks!
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Designer

To be very clear, Bruce Glassco designed Betrayal. I was the lead developer, and I put the team together that made it happen, but Bruce was the genius who came up with it.
Mike Selinker wrote:
To be very clear, Bruce Glassco designed Betrayal. I was the lead developer, and I put the team together that made it happen, but Bruce was the genius who came up with it.

Okay, cool. Still, thanks!

Looks like Ranzak is available to pre-order now. Remember, if you are a subscriber, you'll be getting him in your subscription. But if you aren't, seems you can purchase a copy to be sent to you in August.

(Also, seems like there is a glitch in the subscription that is charging subscribers for Ranzak, but he's free to subscribers, as noted on the product page.)
Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer
1 person marked this as a favorite.

Yeah, we'll fix that glitch before anyone gets charged.
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