Prepare for Free RPG Day: October 16, 2021

Friday, September 24, 2021

Roleplaying Game fans get ready!

Free RPG Day works with top RPG publishers to create the can’t-miss RPG event of the year at hobby game stores around the world. Participating stores will have piles of exclusive new RPG adventures and other exciting new RPG related items!

As the world begins the slow crawl out of COVID and back to something resembling normalcy, every store will probably be handling events differently. While some locations may have in-store gaming, others may not yet be there. Please check with your local retailer about how they may be featuring or distributing the Free RPG Day items.

Here are the new adventures we’ve made just for the event. They’re perfect for giving new players a taste Pathfinder and Starfinder!

Free RPG Day 2021 Starfinder: The Starfinder Four VS. The Hardlight Harlequin

The Starfinder Four vs. the Hardlight Harlequin

POWER UP!

Everyone across the galaxy enjoys the occasional diversion in a holographic amusement chamber, whether it’s relaxing on a sandy beach or taking part in an action-packed adventure on a war-torn battlefield from the safety of home. But what happens when the digital settings and inhabitants of these simulations come to life and threaten a group of innocent fun seekers?

Thanks to some inadvertently malicious code created by a proud game designer, such a calamitous event has occurred on a small moon hosting an entertainment expo! The building is slowly but surely being digitized while the game designer’s mind has been taken over by a comic-book villain. Only a group of newly recruited Starfinders can save the day!



Free RPG Day 2021 Pathfinder: Threshold of Knowledge

Pathfinder: The Threshold of Knowledge

On the Brink of Greatness!

In The Threshold of Knowledge, players take on the role of one of five students from the prestigious Magaambya, the oldest school of magic in the Inner Sea region. When a teacher goes missing, it's up to these new heroes to step up and solve a wicked mystery that threatens the existence of the Magaambya itself!

Threshold of Knowledge is a short adventure for 1st-level characters that takes the heroes into the Magaambya and the nearby city of Nantambu. In addition, the five pregenerated characters provide a quick way to jump into the adventure right away in this exciting offering for Free RPG Day! Grab some dice and some friends and play the role of new heroes in training!



These products will only be available in print at your FLGS on October 16. Later, they will be for sale on paizo.com and downloadable and as free PDFs. Find past Free RPG Day products here!

Find Your Retailer

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Tags: Free RPG Day Pathfinder Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Pathfinder Second Edition Starfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game
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Grand Lodge

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Huzzah!

Wayfinders Contributor

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Wow. I don't know which I want to GM more.


6 people marked this as a favorite.

No more skittermanders? I has the disappoint


4 people marked this as a favorite.

Hope to see more of the crew of Nakonechkin Salvage someday!

Second Seekers (Jadnura)

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Yay! Can’t wait!

Marketing & Media Manager

4 people marked this as a favorite.
The Fifth Wanderer wrote:
No more skittermanders? I has the disappoint

Not this year but never say never.


4 people marked this as a favorite.

Thank God, no skittermanders

Horizon Hunters

6 people marked this as a favorite.

A little disappointed we're not seeing the Hookclaw Tribe for Pathfinder, but c'est la vie.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Will this be sanctioned for play in Pathfinder Society?

Paizo Employee Organized Play Coordinator

3 people marked this as a favorite.
steelhead wrote:
Will this be sanctioned for play in Pathfinder Society?

We intend to sanction both adventures for credit, yes!


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Sorry, don't have a local game store. Wouldn't go there right now if I did.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I'm unreasonably happy that we're getting a holodeck gone deadly adventure for Starfinder.

Marketing & Media Manager

5 people marked this as a favorite.
Thomas Keller wrote:
Sorry, don't have a local game store. Wouldn't go there right now if I did.

That's why we are allowed to sell them about 30 days after the event.

Advocates

2 people marked this as a favorite.

More Vlaka?

Ludmila Volkova approve~

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Will these be repeatable scenarios?

Paizo Employee Organized Play Coordinator

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Will these be repeatable scenarios?

No.

Marketing & Media Manager

1 person marked this as a favorite.
HWAskins wrote:
My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?

Great! Free RPG Day adventures are self-contained and do not require other maps or books. I suggested working with your local game store to prep for the games. They are only available through retailers on October 16. I should think they would help you prep.

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Aaron Shanks wrote:
HWAskins wrote:
My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?
Great! Free RPG Day adventures are self-contained and do not require other maps or books. I suggested working with your local game store to prep for the games. They are only available through retailers on October 16. I should think they would help you prep.

Thank you Aaron. My local game store was able to get me both adventures. I will be scanning and printing the maps for the GMs during the event.

Wayfinders Contributor

3 people marked this as a favorite.

Having read the Starfinder one in preparation of GMing it for Free RPG Day, let me say that the writers knocked this one out of the park. It is freaking adorable.

I will not say more until after Free RPG day to avoid spoilers, but the Starfinder RPG adventure is an utter delight this year.

Hmm


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Looks great but will have to wait the 30 days as the local store is not likely participating and I'm only running online anyway.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

No local Free RPG around us, so guess we're waiting a month too.

The retrospectively applied shafting on table credits last year, and the herculean efforts involved in getting Free RPG games going though have somewhat put us off anyhow.

There should be scope for VCs to get electronic copies well ahead of time so the GMs can arrive prep'd, people should not be running showcase events cold with a scenario that they are running cold. What's worse is that we don't even know for sure the kits will arrive at the store for the actual day as shipping is random, so we could be merrily advertising an event that fails to materialise on the day.

Wayfinders Contributor

3 people marked this as a favorite.

I agree with you. We are fortunate that local Free RPG products usually arrive a week ahead so that the store can provide its GMs with an advance print adventure so that we can arrive and prep in advance. A good thing, too. I want to make minis, hand outs, gear cards and a sheet of spells for one of the pregens so that players who don't know Starfinder can jump in and play.

I am sorry that shipping to Australia is so dicey, Shifty. It does sound awful to try to plan events when there is such uncertainty baked into the process.

Hmm

Marketing & Media Manager

6 people marked this as a favorite.

November 19 is the day we can contractually release the products on Paizo.com. :)


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:
I want to make minis, hand outs, gear cards and a sheet of spells for one of the pregens so that players who don't know Starfinder can jump in and play.

This.

And I want to print out the maps in full colour, and to do that I need to scan the map in the scenarios and blow them up to scale - and that often means a bit of editing to remove secret doors and generally tidy up, a challenge PDFs don't add to the already busy pile of prep.

VO's could use advance drops for prep, with an embargo from running prior to the day. Even if they just clear through the RVC it would save a headache.


3 people marked this as a favorite.

Kinda bummed this isn’t digital as well. I get and applaud what you’re trying to do, but the pandemic is very much alive and kicking for many of us.


4 people marked this as a favorite.
entheogenesis wrote:
Kinda bummed this isn’t digital as well. I get and applaud what you’re trying to do, but the pandemic is very much alive and kicking for many of us.

Again, it releases digitally a month later.

Marketing & Media Manager

5 people marked this as a favorite.
Shifty wrote:
Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:
I want to make minis, hand outs, gear cards and a sheet of spells for one of the pregens so that players who don't know Starfinder can jump in and play.

This.

And I want to print out the maps in full colour, and to do that I need to scan the map in the scenarios and blow them up to scale - and that often means a bit of editing to remove secret doors and generally tidy up, a challenge PDFs don't add to the already busy pile of prep.

VO's could use advance drops for prep, with an embargo from running prior to the day. Even if they just clear through the RVC it would save a headache.

Thanks for being so generous. Linda announced on last night's Paizo LIVE that Org Play was prepping to have both these adventures sanctioned on Free RPG Day.

We are contractually limited by this language:
"Print and/or PDF versions of the product may not be disseminated anywhere else until November 19, 2021 (Exception: You may use, give away, or sell printed copies of the product during any convention at which you are vending within the exclusivity period.)"

We are not vending at any cons.

This may be the reason VOs are not getting the support they want. I still think going directly to your FLGS is the only option. I will bring this to Alex's attention on Tuesday when we are all back in the office. Perhaps different language could be negotiated next year, since Org Play program is beneficial to retailers.


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Aaron Shanks wrote:
I still think going directly to your FLGS is the only option. I will bring this to Alex's attention on Tuesday when we are all back in the office. Perhaps different language could be negotiated next year, since Org Play program is beneficial to retailers.

And given the Org Play program is beneficial to, people, and people are…customers…the benefits actually go many ways. And to grow the Org Play…

Sorry Aaron. I get that you are being very helpful, and clearly pointing out the sticking point. So it’s definitely a good idea to definitely change the legal wording so everyone can get helped out.

Tell Alex HMM and Shifty asked for it, because, those guys are PFS stalwarts across two continents. Growing your player base. As far as you let them.


Where can we see these scenarios being offered to be played in our areas?

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:
Where can we see these scenarios being offered to be played in our areas?

The "Find your retailer" at the bottom of the blog is a link to a place giving all the free RPG day participants

Wayfinders Contributor

6 people marked this as a favorite.

Stalwarts across two continents.... Those words made my day, Oceanshieldwolpf. Thank you.

However, I think that we have to understand that Free RPG Day is something that Paizo likely has little control over -- aside from making the adventures in the first place. The contract is not only between Paizo and the Free RPG Day organization, but is the contract that all publishers who make Free RPG Day adventures must agree to in order to be included in the event. If you can negotiate something else -- awesome! VOs would LOVE to be able to prep these events and make them wonderful. But I'll understand if this turns out to be something that Paizo cannot change.

Free RPG Day is only really free to the player base. Those vendors who participate (and I bet the majority are in the US and Canada) have to pay for their packets, which is a risk to them if the people who show up for Free RPG day just take the goodies and don't buy stuff. I have tried to get my local store involved (and even offered to go halves on the vendor packet) and they still did not want to take the risk.

At the moment, there is only one store in the Twin Cities Metro that participates due to the cost to vendors. So... In order to encourage those game stores to buy in, the Free RPG Day organization offers an exclusivity period for participating vendors. If you buy the vendor packet, your store gets the perk of being able to run the Free RPG day games during that entire month (and hopefully attract new customers in the process.) This means that I am volunteering to GM at a store that I otherwise don't usually go to, and will try to buy stuff there to reward them for participating. And who knows? If they do well, maybe I can convince my regular store to try it next year.

At least we'll all be able to get those free PDFs once the exclusivity period ends.

Hmm

Marketing & Media Manager

1 person marked this as a favorite.

It’s true, I have 0% knowledge about whether or not we can negotiate anything next year. Just wishful thinking on my part.

Wayfinders Contributor

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Well, I have the same sort of wishful thinking. You cannot get something unless you ask. So... I am happy if Paizo asks the question well in advance of next year's contracts. The answer will likely be no, but hey... we both could be surprised.

Hmm

Liberty's Edge

Has the chronicles been released yet?

Can players use their on character?

Wayfinders Contributor

There are chronicles, but I had to ask my VOs for them. I assume that means that they're on the VO-only Discord. Although players could use their own character, I recommend that everyone uses the pregens, and that we limit to groups of 4 players where possible for the SF adventure. I have not read the PF adventure as I am not GMing it.

Hmm

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

There are chronicles, but I had to ask my VOs for them. I assume that means that they're on the VO-only Discord. Although players could use their own character, I recommend that everyone uses the pregens, and that we limit to groups of 4 players where possible for the SF adventure. I have not read the PF adventure as I am not GMing it.

Hmm

Really? Do is Discord the official channel now?

Grand Lodge

Quote:
Really? Do is Discord the official channel now?

Pretty much for the last 1.5 years.

The PFS2 adventure is designed for five 1st-level characters. The scenario contains 5 L1 pregens. It does not say anything about using the pregens only, but obviously you will want to for new players. The maps are custom for the scenario.

Sovereign Court

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gary Bush wrote:
Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

There are chronicles, but I had to ask my VOs for them. I assume that means that they're on the VO-only Discord. Although players could use their own character, I recommend that everyone uses the pregens, and that we limit to groups of 4 players where possible for the SF adventure. I have not read the PF adventure as I am not GMing it.

Hmm

Really? Do is Discord the official channel now?

The chronicles will likely be posted publicly the end of this week (The standard Thursday blog post would be a perfectly timed spot, wouldn't it?) The ones Hilary references are most likely a convenient early bonus for VOs to use.

Wayfinders

Im really excited
This mission looks like a lot of fun, good amount of adventure and combat for FRPGD
Seems like a bit more prep work for the GM than usual… but overall a good one
Im kinda glad its a departure from the Skitters

Wayfinders

HWAskins wrote:
My local game store has given me a slot per session for either SFS or PFS. My question, do we know what maps are going to be used? I would like to order them prior to the game and have time to get them in. If they are custom maps, would it be possible to get the images 3-4 days prior so that I can print them out?

Custom maps for sure


Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?


keftiu wrote:
Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

Pathfinder Second Edition: Core Rulebook

Amiri: Human Barbarian (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Ezren: Human Wizard (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Fumbus: Goblin Alchemist (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Harsk: Dwarf Ranger (Levels 1 & 5)
Kyra: Human Cleric (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Lem: Halfling Bard (Levels 1 & 5)
Lini: Gnome Druid (Levels 1 & 5)
Merisiel: Elf Rogue (Levels 1, 3, & 5)
Sajan: Human Monk (Levels 1 & 5)
Seelah: Human Champion (Levels 1 & 5)
Seoni: Human Sorcerer (Levels 1 & 5)
Valeros: Human Fighter (Levels 1, 3, & 5)

Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide

Feiya: Human Witch (Levels 1 & 5)
Jirelle: Half-Elf Swashbuckler (Levels 1 & 5)
Korakai: Tengu Oracle (Levels 1 & 5)
Quinn: Human Investigator (Levels 1 & 5)

Can be found here.


3 people marked this as a favorite.
keftiu wrote:
Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

If you mean in Threshold of Knowledge:

Spoiler:
Female elf monk
Female human fighter
Female grippli rogue
Male human cleric (of Tlehar)
Male half-orc sorcerer

Wayfinders Contributor

2 people marked this as a favorite.

For the Starfinder adventure we have the following pregens:

Pregen List for Starfinder Four vs the Hardlight Harlequin:

All pregens are level 4

Chox - agender bolida gladiator soldier
Error - male android outlaw technomancer
Gliko - agender raxillite icon operative
Ritta - female vlaka solar disciple solarian

Speaking of the pregens, I scanned the SFS pregens so that I could print them, but I am hoping that Paizo releases a better quality PDF of the pregens well in advance of the event. My current printouts aren't as readable as I like them to be.

Hmm

Wayfinders Contributor

4 people marked this as a favorite.

In case this helps other GMs:

I made a very quick cheat sheet of Err0r's spells that I will include with the pregen to help newcomers to Starfinder just jump in and start casting their spells.

Hmm


ZamuelNow wrote:
keftiu wrote:
Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

If you mean in Threshold of Knowledge:

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you...I completely missed the question with my earlier response...sigh...


ZamuelNow wrote:
keftiu wrote:
Can I ask what the PF2 pregens are?

If you mean in Threshold of Knowledge:

** spoiler omitted **

Thank you!


One minor error I noticed in one of the pregens for Threshold of Knowledge:

Spoiler:
The cleric doesn't have his deity's granted skill. While nothing explicitly calls out Crafting in the adventure (thus it doesn't break anything), lacking it means no one in the party has Crafting at all.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Fun little note: the pregens from the PF2 scenario are briefly called out as potential NPCs in book 4 of Strength of Thousands.

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