Announcing Ultimate Add-On Decks!

Thursday, July 20, 2017

In next week's blog, we'll preview the Magus Class Deck, the first new character deck for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game since the Summoner Class Deck last September. During the break, we reevaluated what we wanted to do with the line, and came up with wild ideas like Pathfinder Tales, Hell's Vengeance 1 and Hell's Vengeance 2, and Occult Adventures 1 and Occult Adventures 2.

The other thing we wanted to do is to supplement our extant class decks, especially the first seven (Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard). We like those decks, but we want to see what they'd be like if they had the benefit of some of the concepts we've come up with since Skull & Shackles.

We also wanted to beef up some of our favorite characters. For example, Tarlin, from the Cleric Class Deck, likes 2-Handed weapons, and we want to give him more of those. In the same deck, Zarlova's Theurge role expands her Divine Attack spells power to include Arcane Attack spells, which she could use more of.

Tarlin and Zarlova, cheering from the gallery.

We'd been thinking about this for a few years, and really started to talk about it heading into PaizoCon, where we discussed the issue with some of our fans. Turns out they'd been thinking about it too. Two of them—Tyler Beck and David Jacobson, who did the initial design for Season of the Goblins—proposed the concept of tying some sort of upgrade pack to reporting organized play sessions, which was the last hook we needed to greenlight the idea. So here it is.

Starting in March 2018, we will release four special character decks: the Ultimate Combat Add-On Deck, the Ultimate Magic Add-On Deck, the Ultimate Intrigue Add-On Deck, and the Ultimate Equipment Add-On Deck. We want to pack these things as full of great cards as we can manage, so each will come with just one character specifically tied to the cards therein. In Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild play, you'll be able to use these decks with their respective characters right away, and you'll be able to earn the ability to add them to other character decks! (I'll come back to that in a bit.)

Each deck will contain cards of all six boon types, but each will focus strongly in specific areas. Any character can use any of these decks, but some will fit more naturally with certain classes than others.

Ultimate Combat, the March deck, is bristling with weapons, armors, and Mount allies that any fighter or barbarian would want. Clerics, rangers, and paladins are also going to like this deck. The iconic samurai, Hayato, will make his first PACG appearance here, so expect to see some cards from the Dragon Empires in this deck.

Ultimate Magic, the April deck, is loaded with spells and items targeted at clerics, druids, sorcerers, and wizards. Pretty much any slinger of spells will want the bounty found herein. Included in the deck will be a new version of the iconic arcanist, Enora. She likes to read, so expect lots of cards that have the Book trait.

Ultimate Intrigue, the May deck, focuses on weapons, allies, and items that are great for bards, rogues, and mind-bending sorcerers like Qualzar. This deck will introduce the iconic vigilante, Aric—he who is (spoilers!) known by night as the Red Raven. Quite frankly, we have no idea how the vigilante is going to work yet; for all we know, he might have two character cards! Which is why he's soloing here in this deck, because lord knows what cards he'll need.

Ultimate Equipment, the June deck, has lots of weapons, armors, and items that are great for rogues, wizards, and—well, pretty much anybody. Debuting in the deck will be the iconic ninja, Reiko. You never know what a ninja has up her billowing sleeves.

Because the Ultimate Add-On Decks are designed to be useful to a broader range of characters than a typical class deck, we'll be releasing them as part of the main Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Subscription rather than the Class Deck Subscription.

Now, I mentioned that PFSACG players could play the characters I named right away, but you'd have to earn the ability to add the Ultimate Add-On Decks to your other character decks. We're going to do a new series of unlocks in Season of Factions' Favor, which starts at Gen Con this August. I have to keep some of the details secret for now, but by reporting your play sessions, you'll be able to add one of the Ultimate Add-On Decks into the class deck of another character (either a new one for you or one you've been playing for a while). Details are still being worked out, so don't hold us to anything just yet.

Regardless, we think you'll like it. Especially if you're currently playing Tarlin or Zarlova.

Mike Selinker
Adventure Card Game Lead Designer