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Meet the Authors: Pathfinder Society’s Year of Boundless Wonder

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Hello, players! Like the blog from earlier today, we want to shine the spotlight on the authors who contributed to Year 4 of Pathfinder Society. The Year of Boundless Wonder may be over, but that doesn’t mean these adventures are going anywhere!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator



Letterio Mammoliti (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Signal from the Electric Laboratory

Hello everyone!
My name is Letterio Mammoliti (he/him) and I wrote Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Signal from the Electric Laboratory for the Year of Boundless Wonder. This adventure was truly a joy to write since it was set in one of my favorite regions, Ustalav! Without a doubt, the best part was creating the NPCs, in particular Revecka, and trying to tie some of their stories together. Besides, it is always great when you have a chance to put a few oozes and other mad experiments into an adventure!

My somewhat abandoned twitter is @Letterio_DM, where I should definitely be more active. I have worked on Starfinder Society Scenario #5-09: Counterfeit History and I have worked on Pathfinder Howl of the Wild, which was an amazing opportunity and a real blast!

As usual, I am grateful for the incredible patience and support of the editors, and it was inspiring to see amazing people working together for Pathfinder Howl of the Wild!


Alex Speidel (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-08: Battle for Star’s Fate

Greetings, Pathfinders. The stars are at rest, so I shall spare a moment for you.

My scenario was one of the last that Mike Kimmel assigned, and I’d been talking with him for a while about writing the first Crystal Key scenario because I liked the pitch of “we have to stop that weird alien from doing the things to peoples’ brains.” However, I was a little skittish about writing a high-level scenario, so I settled on Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-08: Battle for Star’s Fate, where I got to write about a sad automaton who wanted to look at the stars. As my favorite character is a cosmos oracle, I fell in love with Star immediately, and I’m so happy they’re living their best life in Golarion, right Shay? Right?

One thing I meant to talk about when the scenario was released was that I used the Deck of Endless NPCs to generate the friends you meet! Brinna, Croll, and Induren were all generated using the cards from the deck before I fleshed them out, which was a fun brainstorming exercise. Rasool was an NPC I loved in Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-21: In Pursuit of Water, one of my sleeper favorite scenarios, so I decided to bring him back, and Darius is a nod to my friends on the Foundry server who insist I promised them a carpenter class at some point. And for those who asked: the “tinker, tailor, soldier, spy” connection? Complete coincidence, honestly. The mind works in strange ways!

I do want to give a shoutout to our developers and editors. They’re the best in the business, and they stopped me from doing things like, and this is a direct quote, "creating an influence encounter larger than Bid for Alabastrine’s.” They saved you all, and I’m so grateful.

Catch me on Bluesky (@alexspeidel.bsky.social) or Mastodon (alexspeidel@dice.camp) or, y’know, here on the Paizo blog most weeks. Go now, the heavens speak to me once more.


Isis Wozniakowska (she/her)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-10: Arclord’s Abode

Hey everyone, I’m Isis Wozniakowska (she/her) and for Pathfinder this season, I wrote #4-10 Arclord’s Abode, the ending of the two-part story arc that I luckily got to share with fellow author Michael Bramnik. We put in a lot of work to make sure the two scenarios really felt like they tied into each other without alienating players who were only doing one of the two, and I think we both managed to achieve that in the best way. I love the character of our dear Arclord and how they develop across the two scenarios, and I had so much fun designing a Wizard’s manor gone haywire. Magic shenanigans are one of my favorite fantasy topics, and I put my heart into making this magic as wacky as I could.

On a more personal note, this scenario is one that I’m especially proud of looking back on because, while I was unaware at the time of writing it, my health condition was quickly starting to degrade from a condition I have that no one (including myself) realized was flaring back up until a couple months later. So, the fact that I finished it at all is an accomplishment I’m so proud of, and even more so seeing that it came out so well in the end. Organized Play has been a big part of my life since I came back to it as my main social outlet after I had my first hospitalization for this condition four years ago. So having this scenario be part of that ongoing comeback means a lot to me. So, I hope you all enjoy Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-10 Arclord’s Abode!

A flying skyship with two large sails and a centaur design on the rear fin

Art by Beto Lima

Jacob W. Michaels (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-11: Prisoners of the Electric Castle

Hi everyone, I’m Jacob W. Michaels (he/him), the author of Year 4’s Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-11: Prisoners of the Electric Castle. For inspiration, I initially turned to various escape heists in popular culture, but the adventure really came together when I realized I was writing Star Wars (Episode 4: A New Hope). You’re Obi-Wan disabling a “tractor beam,” and Luke, Han, and Chewie are rescuing Leia, and it fit perfectly (though Bremix is no Princess Leia, even if he would probably insult certain PCs’ height).

There are a few things I love about this adventure: I got to play with a couple of possible endings, where the climactic final fight depends on how you deal with challenges throughout the scenario. There are also a bunch of callbacks to first edition run-ins with Aslynn for longtime PFS players to find. (I’ve loved reactions when PFS veterans hear Thurl’s name!) My absolute favorite, though, is the moment players realize they’re 100% going to steal the Gale’s Claw. Those are the great moments you tell fellow gamers about and keep as a story for your PC.

This is my fourth adventure for Paizo, and I’m looking forward to No. 5. Thanks to everyone who lets me write them; the other amazing people who make them all come together—editing, fantastic art, layout, and everything else; and thank you for playing and having fun with them!


Matt Duval (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-14: Shattering Golden Chains

Hello! I was privileged to have Shay invite me to follow up on the fantastic fun of Letterio Mammoliti and Solomon St. John from Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-08: Foundation’s Price and Pathfinder Society Scenario #3-12: Fury’s Toll,respectively, and continue the adventures of the new Sedeq Lodge.

With the conflict with Fasiel ibn Sazadin coming to a head, I wanted to build on the groundwork laid in those prior adventures with Safa’s backstory and bring out Fasiel’s charming personality so players would be chomping for a chance to get a piece of him. It was also an opportunity to touch on the importance of properly wording wishes, which has been an ongoing problem for Fasiel since he was first introduced in Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-16: Freedom for Wishes. All the fun of diabolic contracts with a hefty topping of mischief.

There’s a little twist in the final encounter that I won’t spoil, but the player reaction to it is always delightful when I’ve run the scenario. The PCs have a lot of latitude on how to approach all the encounters, and it’s been great seeing what creative ideas players come up with.

I can’t wait to see where Safa’s adventures take the Pathfinders next!

I can be found on Twitter @sleepyfelix.


John Curtin (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-16: Dacilane Academy’s First Great Prank War

Hi, my name is John Curtin (he/him) and I had the profound honor of being asked to write Dacilane Academy’s First Great Prank War. Having a decade of experience working in schools and a long-seated love of mythology and folk tales, I loved being able to weave these parts of my life into my first Pathfinder Second Edition adventure, and the fact that I got to bring so much of my absurd sense of humor to bear was the cherry on top! My favorite part of this adventure was how silly I got to be. There are so many opportunities for chaotic fun when you’re writing fey shenanigans, and I really pushed myself to imagine what magical pranks could be and how they can get even wilder when fairy magic gets involved. I was also thrilled to return to Dacilane Academy and revisit the students and school—I hid plenty of references to the past adventures for the studious GM and Organized Players to uncover. I hope this adventure brings lots of laughs, and I can’t wait to hear the table stories that it spawns. Here at Paizo, I’ve got more Starfinder credits upcoming; you can read my words in the upcoming Starfinder Enhanced, and in true freelancer fashion, the projects I’m most excited to tell everyone about are still under NDA. To hear about my latest and greatest, you can follow me on Twitter @Curtin_Writes and explore the currently inactive @StarfinderFacts, at least until someone gets me a BlueSky invite.



Illustration by Nicolas Espinoz
A figure in a flowing sparkling blue gown. Their face is masked by a magical waterfall flowing from the silver crown they wear.

Lysle Kapp (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-17: Trapping the Hag’s Claw

This past year saw the publication of my first two Starfinder Society adventures and also an adventure that took on a very personal meaning for me, Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-17: Trapping the Hag’s Claw. For this assignment, as I had done for each of the Starfinder adventures, I began by delving deep into the setting’s rich and detailed lore. The Pathfinders were to face a challenging and recurring threat from their past. The PCs were to drive a collective story about bringing a decisive end to one chapter of Society’s history and laying the groundwork for the next. During this writing process, I unexpectedly lost my mother to a stroke. Suddenly, the collective story I was writing for the PCs became my own.

Fortunately, like the PCs, I didn’t face the changing chapters alone. My developer, Shay Snow, was incredibly supportive and accommodating. Both old gaming friends and new stepped up to do some playtesting, providing much needed fun and laughter along with suggestions for improving the adventure. With this support and my own memories and losses from which to draw, I set about creating an inspiring adventure filled with numerous callbacks to previous adventures (spanning across two editions!). My hope is that the final adventure honors the work of those who came before me, lays a strong foundation for games to come, and foremost, provides players with hours of fun and excitement!


Dennis Muldoon (he/him)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-99: Blessings of the Forest

Greetings Pathfinders! My name is Dennis Muldoon (he/him). This year, I was delighted to co-author this year's interactive special, #4-99 Blessings of the Forest with Ivis K. Flanagan. I've long admired Ivis as an author, a GM, and a dedicated Organized Play volunteer (as well as a friend), and it was a privilege to get to work with her on this adventure. I'm really proud of what we came up with, and I hope you all have as much fun playing it as we did writing it. My favorite part was crafting a final confrontation to be compelling and challenging at all levels, including connections between the tiers to tie them together. I look forward to hearing the tales of the brave Pathfinders who take on this assignment! You can find me on Twitter (until Groetus finally comes for it) at @dkmuldoon. 


Ivis K. Flanagan (she/they)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-99: Blessings of the Forest

One of my favorite things to GM are multi-table specials. The energy that fills a room as everyone interacts with the same story, working towards common goals, is the epitome of what society play means to me. So, when Shay offered me the chance to co-write this year's special alongside veteran author Dennis Muldoon, I jumped at the chance!

I was excited to dive into the history of the society and help bring that forward to both new players and longtime veterans. What does it really mean to be a Pathfinder? Why have we stayed out of Kyonin for so long? And why do we want to be here now? These were all questions I explored while weaving my part of the story.

In addition to unannounced projects coming up, you can find some of my upcoming Paizo work in Starfinder Enhanced. Outside of here, I am working with some other cool people on an Adventure Path that will take you to the heart of Kong: Skull Island. Check it out on BackerKit if you want more details!

When not diving into the depths of esoteric Pathfinder lore, or digging my way through the word mines, I’m disguised as a Gifted Intervention teacher, or running quests for Auryn, my feline who has me wrapped around his paw. Virtually, you can find my list of credits on my Paizo profile, and you can connect with me on Twitter @NorseButterfly, Mastodon @NorthernDreamer@dice.camp, or Bluesky @NorthernDreamer.bsky.social, where I mostly muse about teaching, gaming, and politics. Feel free to reach out, as I am always on the lookout for cool projects and fun conversations!


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Radiant Oath *
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Could we get artwork for all the major NPCs in each adventure? It always seems like there’s one missing. For example, in 4-12 there’s images for 3 of the NPCS you’re trying to convince but none for Tekawenda Ulash.

And maybe some more proofreading? In 4-13, on page 14 it says “The scrit fights until reduced to 10 Hit Points or fewer…” but the scrit only has 8 Hit Points to start with so does that mean it just immediately runs away. That page also says the Level 3-4 encounter includes a Troublesome Scrit which is supposed to be a Creature 3. Except that on page 27, it’s level 1 and if you actually compare it to the Level -1 Meddlesome Scrit, it’s actually weaker (the only difference between the two is that the Meddlesome Scrit has a Spell DC of 16 while the “stronger” Troublesome Scrit has a lower Spell DC of 15).
Paizo Employee 5/5 Managing Creative Director (Starfinder)
5 people marked this as a favorite.

First off, congrats to all the authors spotlighted here. Y'all are kicking butts and taking names! I've worked with a large number of you, and it's so rad to see you producing yet more content for our Organized Play programs.

LiaElf76 wrote:

Could we get artwork for all the major NPCs in each adventure? It always seems like there’s one missing. For example, in 4-12 there’s images for 3 of the NPCS you’re trying to convince but none for Tekawenda Ulash.

And maybe some more proofreading? In 4-13, on page 14 it says “The scrit fights until reduced to 10 Hit Points or fewer…” but the scrit only has 8 Hit Points to start with so does that mean it just immediately runs away. That page also says the Level 3-4 encounter includes a Troublesome Scrit which is supposed to be a Creature 3. Except that on page 27, it’s level 1 and if you actually compare it to the Level -1 Meddlesome Scrit, it’s actually weaker (the only difference between the two is that the Meddlesome Scrit has a Spell DC of 16 while the “stronger” Troublesome Scrit has a lower Spell DC of 15).

Now to step-in here to address a few things based on this post.

1) Organized Play scenarios have an art budget. It only allows the developer to get so much art. More art, means higher production cost on these scenarios, which is difficult for Organized Play where many scenarios are given out to volunteers for free. It's a situation where we'd need to see massive spike in sales on these products to get us the budgets we'd need to add more art. So if you want to see more NPC art, I'd suggest buying more scenarios (and getting your friends to buy them too!)

2) With regards to editing: mistakes happen. If there's major issues, politely report them through the forums and other venues where you can interact with your developers and they'll take the necessary steps to get them fixed. In some cases, these fixes might be minor (typos or the like) and might not be worth it to have 2-3 staff members involved in spotting/updating/re-uploading the necessary files. That's OK, and it's pretty standard in the RPG industry. Remember, our teams are going through hundreds of thousands of words of content; so some annoyances slip through the cracks. Give us some grace and we'll do our best to reciprocate.

ANYWHO! Back to shameless praise for all these authors (and devs), who absolutely deserve it.
Wayfinders 4/5 5/55/55/55/5 ***** Contributor
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So many excellent writers are highlighted in this blog! Thanks for all your creations!
Radiant Oath *
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Thurston Hillman wrote:

Now to step-in here to address a few things based on this post.

1) Organized Play scenarios have an art budget. It only allows the developer to get so much art. More art, means higher production cost on these scenarios, which is difficult for Organized Play where many scenarios are given out to volunteers for free. It's a situation where we'd need to see massive spike in sales on these products to get us the budgets we'd need to add more art. So if you want to see more NPC art, I'd suggest buying more scenarios (and getting your friends to buy them too!)

2) With regards to editing: mistakes happen. If there's major issues, politely report them through the forums and other venues where you can interact with your developers and they'll take the necessary steps to get them fixed. In some cases, these fixes might be minor (typos or the like) and might not be worth it to have 2-3 staff members involved in spotting/updating/re-uploading the...

1. Scenario 4-12 had artwork for the Witch’s Talon which was basically a closeup of the head of the Witch of the Owl. And both of those were just there to get taken out by the player characters. Assuming that the Witch’s Talon would have cost the same as artwork for the missing council member, having all 4 council members seems like a better choice.

2. Maybe “proofreading” was the wrong word to use. It’s more about play testing because the issues with 4-13 affect being able to properly run the scenario. I don’t care about a minor grammatical or spelling error, but having text that says a monster should immediately run away affects game mastering. Having a map that says “Enemies Start Here” but having text that says at least one enemy doesn’t start there affects game mastering.

If this isn’t the right place to mention those issues, where is? I tried to find some place in the forums but there’s a ton of stick y threads dominating that seem outdated and dead. Someone posted about the enemy placement issue in the final encounter in the comments for 4-13 but has never received a response clarifying what is supposed to be going on. I’m happy to move discussions on issues with PFS scenarios to the proper place but I honestly don’t know where that is.
Wayfinders 4/5 5/55/55/55/5 ***** Contributor
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Hello Lia!

LiaElf76 wrote:
If this isn’t the right place to mention those issues, where is?

This is such a good question. I agree that it's important to bring up problems with scenarios, and I know that I have done that myself in these forums too many times to count.

So where should you point out problems?

If it is a problem specific to a particular scenario (like the ones that you had with Scenario 4-13: Within the Prairies) I would post it in one of two places:

1) The GM Discussion Forum

I usually first search to see if there's a specific thread about the scenario that I am GMing there, and there was one for 4-13 Within the Prairies that noted problems.

2) The reviews of the product itself.

Go to 4-13's Product Page and post a review.

For problems that might cover meta-plot or trends within multiple scenarios, I tend to start a thread about the issue in the Pathfinder or Starfinder Society Forum politely expressing my dismay.

Note: The Devs and Alex read the things posted in these forums, and all the product reviews. Even if they don't respond, assume that they have read what you have to say and have taken notes.

Why not here?

Etiquette-wise I would avoid posting complaints about scenarios in these Authors-talking-about-their-scenario threads, because these are intended to be a celebration of our awesome freelancers. I'm not one of the freelancers listed in this blog, but I am a freelancer who's written scenarios and I know that I love seeing people posting positive things about my work.

So, what was your favorite scenario this season? Were there any stand-outs for you? I'd love to hear about them!

Hmm
4/5 5/55/55/5 **** Venture-Lieutenant, Minnesota—Minneapolis
2 people marked this as a favorite.

I enjoyed #4-10 Arclord’s Abode, both as a player and again as a GM. I found it to be a really fun scenario. My players groaned several times but survived the punishment.

I am really looking forward to playing #4-16 Dacilane Academy’s First Great Prank War. My girlfriend and I are going to play it with her wish-born poppet and my woman who (at a much younger age) wished her alive. We played 3-18 Dacilane Academy's Delightful Disaster with these characters and look forward to seeing how the students have progressed.

I have to say that every scenario that I’ve played or GMed in the Year of Boundless Wonder has been fun. For me, it has been the best season yet.
Wayfinders 4/5 5/55/55/55/5 ***** Contributor
1 person marked this as a favorite.

It's hard to pick a favorite in what I consider to be a stellar season, but my personal favorite as both a player and as a GM was Scenario #4-05: The Arclord that Never Was. I had such fun with this scenario! There was roleplay, puns, a mystery and one of the best NPCs we've met this season.

Hmm
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