With Pathfinder Player Core 2 releasing at the start of August, we know players are anticipating the remastered versions of some of their favorite classes! In a series of blogs starting right here, we’ll be alternating between talking about the changes to four of the classes and showing off some fun fiction and art starring the iconic characters of Player Core 2.

The champion is the premier divine warrior, with some of the best armor and defenses in the game. They’re devoted to their deity and their tenets. One of the major changes to the remaster was dropping alignment, which the champion has always featured heavily, so we know everyone expects big changes to the class!

We’ve already put basic compatibility rules for the champion in the Pathfinder FAQ—see Pathfinder Core Rulebook Errata (Remaster Compatibility)—but the Player Core 2 version will present a much more thorough overhaul. So what do fans of this class have to look forward to?

Seelah, the iconic champion, battles a tyrant devil. Art by William Liu.

Before the remaster, a champion’s alignment and their choice of champion cause established a strict set of hierarchical rules to be followed. Each good and evil alignment had a cause tied to it, like the lawful good paladin, chaotic good liberator, and neutral evil desecrator. The remastered version still has a cause, but the focus has shifted away from being so strict and static. Now we use edicts and anathema tied to different character choices to guide your roleplaying.

Let’s take the paladin as an example. They used to follow the two tenets of good, two tenets of the lawful good paladin cause, and any edicts and anathema for their deity. A champion under the remastered rules would choose the justice cause. They would follow the edicts and anathema of their deity, plus the following from the cause of justice.

Edicts follow the law, respect legitimate authorities or leadership

Anathema take advantage of another, cheat

More emphasis on edicts rather than an unbendable code loosens some of the restrictions on their roleplaying to allow more well-rounded, nuanced characters. There’s a better balance over “should nots” instead of all “must nots.”

A champion can optionally choose a sanctification. If you’ve read Pathfinder Player Core, you’re familiar with holy and unholy sanctification—a choice based on your deity that lets you commit yourself to the battle for souls between the holy planes and unholy planes. Champions can choose sanctification based on their deity, though unholy sanctification is an uncommon option. Each sanctification gives you another edict and anathema, and adds the holy or unholy trait to all your Strikes.

Some, but not all, champion causes require a certain sanctification. Justice, mentioned above, does not. The Player Core 2 causes are justice, liberation, and obedience (open to all); desecration and iniquity (open only to unholy champions); and redemption and grandeur (open only to holy champions). If you are already playing a champion and want to update them to the new options, you’ll probably be able to keep the core of that character. Though you can always shake things up with the new grandeur cause, which is based on the brilliant splendor of celestials.

Other Changes

This class has seen a huge number of other changes we think will make it more satisfying to play, but we don’t want to keep you here all day with one blog post. So here’s the short version!

• You now have a defined champion’s aura for your reactions, aura feats, and other abilities, which lets other rules alter and refer to the range of your divine abilities more easily.
• The divine ally ability has been changed to blessing of the devoted, and the mount has moved to a 1st-level feat. You can instead choose the blessed swiftness option to move faster—whether you’re mounted or not.
• Feats saw a ton of change, like the new Defensive Advance feat and updated structure for Mercy. We focused on broadly useful feats plus maintaining some backward compatibility, but we did run out of room. You’ll see oath feats moved to Lost Omens Divine Mysteries. We’re hoping to find a book in which it would make sense to remaster litanies at some point, but we don’t have one that can hold them yet.
• You choose a focus spell based on your deity’s divine font options. As before the remaster, you can choose lay on hands if your deity allows the heal divine font or touch of the void (formerly touch of corruption) if they allow the harm divine font. However, there’s also a new option for a deity with any font, specially made for defense-minded characters. Introducing shields of the spirit!

Shields of the Spirit [one-action] Focus 1

Uncommon, Champion, Concentrate, Focus, Sanctified, Spirit
Requirements You are wielding a shield.

You Raise your Shield, causing ephemeral spirit shields to float within your champion’s aura. The shields last until the start of your next turn or until you’re no longer raising your shield, whichever comes first. While one of your allies is in your champion’s aura, the shields grant them a +1 status bonus to AC, and each time an enemy makes an attack against the ally, the enemy takes 1d4 spirit damage (even if it misses).

The benefit applies only while an ally is in your aura, ending for any ally that leaves and applying to any that enters later. As normal, you don’t count as your own ally and therefore don’t get the benefits of the spirit shields yourself.
Heightened (+2) The damage increases by 1d4.

Logan Bonner (he/him)
Pathfinder Lead Designer

Ten hut! Fall in! There’s less than two weeks remaining in the Battlecry! playtest for the new commander and guardian classes, so if you haven’t had a chance to register your feedback, report to https://paizo.com/pathfinderplaytest to download the PDF and find the links to the surveys. There’s been a lot of interest in the playtest so far—it was downloaded more times than the original Pathfinder playtest in the first few days!—but we can use every last one of your forward reports. Of course, the boffins back at home base have been paying attention to what you’ve had to say so far in the surveys and on the forums and are starting to formulate ways to make these classes even better.

We’ll have a lot more intel from the feedback front once the playtest closes. It’s too early to note what exactly we’ll be tweaking and how we’ll be changing it, but here are a couple little tidbits of information.

• The commander will receive more tactics for a diverse set of playstyles, especially master and legendary tactics!
• We saw that there was some confusion about the Hardness and statistics for the commander’s banner, so we’re already looking to make sure that will be clarified.
• Similarly, we have noticed a few wording issues with the guardian’s threat technique and have flagged that class feature for future work.
• We’re also closely examining the numbers of the guardian’s Taunt ability, with the hopes of creating something that will really sing.

Two armies clash in the forests of the River Kingdoms. Art by Rogier van de Beek.

I’d also like to share a couple of anecdotes from my own playtests of the guardian! The first, which occurred over PaizoCon weekend, saw a 4th-level party dealing with a “swamp witch,” who was just an ogre glutton and a boggard swampseer working together. The guardian of that party used Area Cover to turn a successful basic Reflex save into a critical success, preventing the group’s fighter from taking any damage! For the second playtest, we put together some 16th-level characters to face an ancient adamantine dragon! The guardian’s ability to withstand damage was put to the test, but he stood firm against the threat and even managed to grapple the fearsome opponent for a round. Overall, these playtests have allowed me to see the classes in action and better understand how people might play them, which will help the team better refine their mechanics.

We don’t yet have sketches for our new iconics but rest assured that Wayne Reynolds is in the trenches producing his usual stellar art. Personally, I’m so excited about what we’ve got in store for these two characters. Now, you might be able to guess some facts about one of the iconics, but I’m certain you’re going to be surprised by the other one! If you’ve got some theories, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Jason Keeley (he/him)
Senior Designer

Happy Pride! The Starfinder team would like to introduce you to our newest iconic character, Dae!

Dae (they/them)* is a sparkly celebrity from a free planet in the Veskarium, a nearby star system ruled by a warlike empire. Dae was born on Pulonis, the pahtra** homeworld—a magical jungle world wracked by intense magnetic storms that degrade technology and bless the planet with spectacular aurora displays. Born last in a large litter from a remote agrarian village, Dae has always loved to make a dramatic entrance, and their birth was no exception.

A magnetic storm raged over Pulonis during Dae’s birth, and coils of lavender, rose, and golden light fractured the sky over their village in slow, chaotic waves, shutting down power in every household and scrambling comms as tech infrastructure suddenly failed—a disaster for a pahtra ending a long labor by delivering a runt the midwife thought might be stillborn.

Dae asked the old folks about it later, and they said the storm was Meyel tearing the sky apart as she danced for joy.Dae fought through the storm of the century alive, dragging a souvenir of the event with them: a tiny orb of starfire that blazed like a miniature sun.

Dae is a solarian. At the time of their birth, they miraculously manifested a stellar mote. At first, Dae’s family believed they’d imagined seeing it, as the mote was a speck and appeared for only a second; it was surely a trick of the light. Then the spark emerged when Dae cried out in hunger, or flared into being when the baby woke up alone in their cradle. Somehow, it could never be captured on video, even when everybody thought they had seen it.

Dae’s mote became more stable as they grew. Soon they learned how to command it, shaping it into armaments: a dazzling sword of starlight, a flaming ribbon, a shield made from the aurora they were born under. As Dae practiced forging their mote into new shapes, they discovered its attunement with gravitic energies. Cycling between these extremes helped them keep control of the reckless stunts they performed, using their mote as an anchor to keep balance or as a flashlight to see down dark tunnels.

Dae is a famous performer, and they have wanted to be seen from the moment they scrambled out into the world. From dancing to executing dangerous stunts and elaborate dramatic scenes, Dae has always been down for whatever it takes to draw a crowd. Showing off was always the norm for them (their aunties and littermates could tell you some wild stories), and they grew up performing at local cultural festivals and winning awards at regional talent shows.

For a long time, Dae uploaded their vids for a small but loyal following on local infospheres. Then serendipity—or Meyel herself—struck again: they met Miiyu, a pahtra celebrity pop star. Scrambling to dodge the paparazzi, Miiyu ducked into a local café, ran for the back door, and nearly smacked right into Dae, who was performing a stunt in the café’s back alley in view of their live-recording camera drone. After recovering, clocking the live feed, and seeing Dae’s dance moves, Miiyu invited them to costar in a music video. The video was a hit, and Dae later joined Miiyu as a backup dancer for her sold-out world tour.

Miiyu’s no-strings-attached endorsement boosted Dae’s career. But that was months ago, and Dae’s only just begun to shine. Next up, they want to see the galaxy outside the Veskarium. They’ve used their pay from Miiyu’s tour to book their own personal “tour” to the Pact Worlds system, starting with the space station at the center of the galaxy.

Now, Dae’s a rising star hoping to do fame their way. They’re not looking to line the pockets of some greedy exec or get tied down with fine print; they care about putting on a show and exploring the galaxy, which is why they vibe so well with Chk Chk. After meeting as interns working for the Starfinder Society, the pair became the best of friends. They’ve even traded friendship bracelets (Dae wears theirs every day) and have shared a mystical bond that lets them speak straight into each other’s minds (with permission).

Where will Dae go next? That’s up to you! Stay proud and playtest. <3

*Dae, like many pahtras*, is agender, a nonbinary gender identity that isn’t male or female. Dae uses they/them pronouns. So, when you see “they” and “them” used in place of gendered pronouns like “she” or “him” referring to Dae, that’s why.

Dae is an alien stellar knight and space pop star who doesn’t care what you think of their gender, but real people with agender and/or nonbinary identities do care if you maliciously misuse their pronouns or make fun of their gender expression, so please act in the spirit of fun and kindness when gaming with people in your community.

**Pahtras are bipedal felinoid aliens (they’re alien cat-people who walk on two legs) from Pulonis, a planet in the Veskarium whose people have been fighting a brutal war for independence from the vesk-run empire. Pulonis recently achieved freedom and joined the Pact Worlds, a federation of independent planets dedicated to maintaining peace and prosperity in the galaxy. The Veskarium is currently at war with the Azlanti Star Empire and has yet to retaliate against the former colony.

— The Starfinder Team
-Thurston Hillman, Managing Creative Director (Starfinder)
-Jenny Jarzabski, Senior Developer
-Jessica Catalan, Senior Developer (Starfinder Society)
-Dustin Knight, Developer
-Mike Kimmel, Developer

Hail and well met, Pathfinders and Starfinders! With Father’s Day coming up, we wanted to give you a guide for the best Father’s Day gifts for the Paizo gamer in your life—and showcase some Dad Creators!

Starfinder Beginner Box

Learn the rules of Starfinder while you play through the Starfinder Beginner Box! Dungeons With Dadrecommends this as a great starting point for playing Starfinder with the kids! The pre-generated characters and a dungeon that teaches you skills as you progress make for a great game night.

Pathfinder Beginner Box

Newly remastered, the Pathfinder Beginner Box teaches you the ropes of Pathfinder Second Edition as you solve the mysteries of the Menace Under Otari! Paul Benson from GeekDad reviewed the original Pathfinder Second Edition Beginner Box back in 2020—calling it a great resource for players, veteran and new alike!

Pathfinder Elemental Stones

Harness the power of the elements with this Pathfinder board game! Designed in-house by Paizo Games Lead Designer and proud board gaming Dad, Joe Pasini! Elemental Stones is a pattern-building game with a secret role element to keep you on your toes. Great for family game nights!

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults

Give Dad a chance to continue the adventure of the Pathfinder Beginner Box with Abomination Vaults! This best-selling megadungeon adventure path is a great follow-up to Menace Under Otari, taking adventurers deep into the dungeons of Belcorra Haruvex! Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults is available in hardcover for Pathfinder Second Edition and Fifth Edition.

It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day blog without tipping our helmets to Keskodai, the Iconic Mystic from Starfinder First Edition! Keskodai is such a dedicated father; he keeps his child with him in a protective cylinder.

Follow Keskodai’s child, Chk Chk, into Starfinder Second Edition, where he will be stepping up as the new Iconic Mystic! Keep up with the Starfinder Playtest at starfinderplaytest.com!

OPC Musings

Happy June, everybody! Convention season is in full swing. I’m writing this update on the last day of PaizoCon Online, where we’re going to clock in at nearly 400 tables run online. We’ve also had nine successful PaizoCon@ events running dozens of tables, and ran two interactive specials totaling over 100 tables! A successful event, if I do say so myself.

In a couple of weeks I’ll be headed out to Origins in Columbus, with a quick turnaround afterwards to attend the American Library Association Expo in San Diego. Once I get home from those two trips, it’ll be time to pack the pallets for Gen Con in Indianapolis! And then I’m off to PaizoCon Europe! What a whirlwind. I hope the cats remember who I am in September!

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on June 26, 2024.

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-18: Equal Exchanges – Tapestry of the Mind*
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-19: Demonic Afterparty*
Pathfinder Quest (Series 2) #19: The Elsewhere Feast

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Scenario #7-03: Aucturn Asunder*

*part of a subscription

Sanctioning & New Options

We’ve got a whole mess of new player options for both campaigns this month, let’s take a look!

Sanctioned Content

Howl of the Wild and Mechageddon! were both released last month, and both are now sanctioned for use in their respective campaigns! Boons are available for Howl of the Wild ancestries and other uncommon content, and sanctioning for Mechageddon! is posted on its product page. This marks the last content release for Starfinder first edition, but the playtest is just around the corner!

New Boons

Both campaigns also have new boons available! In Pathfinder Society, we’ve created an Avid Collector boon for uncommon items from the GM Core. We’ve also created a new Special Materials Access boon, which will allow your characters to purchase or craft items, armor and weapons of a special material. Full text of both of these boons is available on the Pathfinder Society FAQ.

Starfinder Society also has two new boons to celebrate the launch of Year 7! Starfinders can now have finitrium augmentations installed, unlocking new abilities, and can become First Ones Scholars which should be useful in our upcoming Year of Era’s End. Check them both out on the Starfinder Society FAQ and in the boon store.

Release the Poppets!

Finally, as announced in our Organized Play Updates panel at PaizoCon, all Pathfinder Society players now have access to the poppet ancestry! This comes just in time for our upcoming poppet-themed Free RPG Day adventure, releasing later this month. Previously-purchased poppet boons also have gained the traditional free resurrection ritual.

GM Recognition

Campaign Service Coins

This month, a new Campaign Service Coin was awarded! We award these coins to members of the community who have gone above and beyond to provide an exceptional program to the community at large. Campaign Coins are awarded based on nominations; if you believe someone in your community is deserving of this award (whether or not they are a Venture Officer), send an email to organizedplay[at]paizo[dot]com with their name and reasons.

Congratulations to:
Kate Baker, who now holds a campaign coin and OP ID #904

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had three GMs earn their 5th rank!

5th Glyph (PFS2): Philip Newton, Travis St. Ames, Travis Zimmerman

Until next time - Explore! Report! Cooperate! And I’ll see you on the road!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Check out this guest blog submitted from our friends at the Order of the Amber Die! This is part 6 in their adventures in the Abomination Vaults. Find previous entries in the links below.

The Black Powder Cadre met its match!

It took eight levels of the Abomination Vaults to finally run into something that not only exposed a severe weakness in our party, but also exploited it. Again, and again. Let’s see, what could possibly shut down a party of mostly human gunslingers? Magical darkness should be near the top of the list. Make it heightened darkness, just to mess with those darkvision elixirs. How about a community of creatures that can throw darkness back at our desperados like a box of bang snaps? Well, the caligni we encountered on level eight did exactly that, and hit us from so many directions in the dark that we had to snag a high Perception DC just to find our own wounds. Then we learned there was another community of caligni below us on level nine. Yeah, this was a rough marathon.

To get to level nine we had to get past level eight, and we were in new territory here. We had switched authors from Vanessa Hoskins to Stephen Radney-MacFarland—a grizzled veteran whose plethora of work in this industry takes us back to when our own veterans had a lot more hair. In fact, level eight of the Abomination Vaults paid homage to an adventure module that carries plenty of nostalgia around our table: Against the Cult of the Reptile God. We first played it in ‘96, and our GM liked it so much that he ran it again for us in 2005 and 2009. Level eight of the Vaults even hinted at some of our favorite scenes from the soggy, humid dungeon we remember: the infamous “mud room,” the off-limits door with a very clear warning on it, boats to traverse the level, and even the naga boss you can only reach by water.

If you need to catch up on this project:

• Introduction
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5

For this marathon we were joined again by Joe O’Brien from the Glass Cannon Network, rocking the same Beast Gunner archetype as before. Joe wanted more of our typical marathon experience this time, which means playing fourteen or more hours in a day, crashing on an air mattress near the table, then doing it all over again at 6:00 a.m. when Adam blasts our soundtrack to wake the team. You’ll eat well though, and there’s always a bonfire at the end of the weekend. To Glass Cannon fans, we’ll say that Joe handled the extreme playtime pretty well, and is starting to stack up some session hours for that Order of the Amber Die membership!

• Adventure: Eyes of Empty Death
• Marathon Length: 62 hours, 30 minutes
• Session Hours: 38 hours, 30 minutes

Highlights from Marathon 6:

□ On level eight we found ourselves surrounded in a temple by caligni stalkers and their endless darkness. Put it this way: we got good at flat checks. As if things couldn’t get worse, something called an owb showed up. A creature with a background as shadowy as the caligni themselves, this thing can turn you from our cadre’s shared blue colors to drab gray—and even turn your gun gray, which is where we drew the line. Joe came through with the Beast Gunner, landing a couple of devastating shots from his drake rifle that allowed us to walk away alive and most importantly, blue.

□ If you’ve followed our projects over the years, then you know we despise gugs, in-game and out. We came across another one, which held something called a fulcrum lens that we unfortunately needed. One of our snipers, Mazatl, practicing the Way of the Spellshot and wearing what Erick calls “dungeon camo,” crept into position. Erick is even known to wear a ghillie suit at the table to mimic his cloak of elvenkind. Can you find Mazatl in the photo? The sniper aimed for the head and landed the first shot, but the gug still tore into us for six rounds before we put it down.

□ Think you can predict what a Pathfinder megadungeon has in store for you? Enter level nine, with its 10-foot scale in the original version of the adventure. We’re going to have to lay this one out on the patio to get a full pic for the next blog. It’s also level nine where you really get a sense of just how interconnected this megadungeon is to the Darklands that surround it, which is evident as the worked stone in the levels above has now shifted to caverns. Since we’ve delved The Emerald Spire and measured its square footage, we can say that level nine is what helps the Abominaton Vaults achieve its title as the largest megadungeon in Pathfinder history!

□ A massive dungeon level just meant more reach for our shooters. We’d been waiting nine levels to see the 150’ range on both the harmona and arquebus truly rip, and honestly, in a dungeon we never thought we’d see it. When Breen spotted four ceustodaemons on some kind of guard duty, it just meant long range fun. We opened initiative, and one was on the ground before they heard the shots.

□ Level nine was full of towering bioluminescent fungi, which meant breaking out the blacklights for the truest experience. It also meant getting ourselves into a fungal forest firefight with reaper skull puffballs. Don’t be fooled by the name like we were; these things are badass. Go look at the illustration inside Eyes of Empty Death and tell us that the miniatures we had to represent them weren’t darn near perfect, too. Better yet, an exploded puffball is worth 150 gp! Zoric, the cadre’s Unexpected Sharpshooter, scored both money shots and made it rain.

Character Deaths

□ None, but everyone in this party owes another thank you to Breen, Way of the Pistolero. When you’re surrounded by hostiles and bleeding out, it’s our pistol phenom that will pull you to safety and cauterize your wounds—popping off rounds in the process.

The Arsenal

Order of the Amber Die doesn’t have a session zero before our campaigns begin. We start somewhere around session negative eight. In one of those meetings, our player captain had us brainstorm ways that we might cause awkward encounters throughout an Adventure Path by making an entire party of gunslingers. No one suggested anything close to what we came across on level eight of the Vaults. We encountered some drow who took us to their outpost on the level below, packed with none other than the Darklands equivalent of our own gunslingers: the Drow Shootist archetype and their repeating crossbows. We hit it off almost instantly, and soon we were sharing stories over a game of cards, including tales of the best and luckiest shots we’ve landed during our time in the Vaults. Even the art for Quara, their leader, showed her with a bandolier and a set of dueling boots that matched plenty of members in our cadre. She also had a scar across her face from—guess what—a gug. Naturally, we ended up at their firing range, where they allowed Vlai to have his dwarven scattergun (with large bore modifications) for a friendly competition. With all three targets destroyed in a single 15’ radius hit, we won.

Best Quote from Marathon 6

(fierce battle in a caligni temple)

Adam: “Caligni stalker is near death, cornered, attacks Axayaca. Gotta go to the Amber Die for this one.”

Matt (to Joe): “This is when the Amber Die usually goes off.”

Joe: “...”

Adam: “First attack hits… Second attack… 20! Attack you again, agile, -8 penalty… NATURAL 20!”

Current Situation

Well, we’ve made it to the final game of the season—this next marathon is the last one either way. We’re trying not to let the pressure get to us; we keep telling ourselves it’s just another marathon. If we do succeed in defeating Belcorra, then drow aid must be accounted for. Not only are they a source of items, trade, and safety, but the drow have become our friends—we certainly don’t have many on the surface. From conversations with their scouts, we’ve learned of a dragon’s lair on level nine. The drow avoid it. Which, of course, meant that we took a party vote to fight it. Come on, you know it’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any Pathfinder player to slay a dragon with a party of gunslingers!

More Content

Our table was brought to life with the help of Blue Table Painting for the miniatures, and Black Bard Studios for custom adventure-specific miniatures/terrain.

Follow Order of the Amber Die:

-Facebook
-Instagram
-X (Twitter)
-YouTube
-The Abomination Arsenal thread

Hello, Pathfinders!

So, I’ve been pulled back and forth in a million directions this season! First, I was assigned all the way up in Irrisen to look at some new gadget or something, so I was trying to find a fashionable winter coat, until I was informed that I was “desperately needed” on the grounds of Absalom.

Which, let’s be honest, isn’t Absalom where I do my best work?

Alright, news on the street:

First of all, the Knights of Lastwall are BROKE. Like B-R-O-K-E, broke! At least, that’s what it says on all of the posters put up around the city centers advertising a charity dinner and upcoming carnival. There have been some preemptive donations made toward the campaign to fund them against the Old Baphy war, but according to my insider source in the Coins District, someone recently made a HUGE contribution from a strange account in the north. Maybe Ulthun’s new girl?

Illustration by Christoph Peters

Next, it looks like we’ll finally have some new leadership over in Nirmathas! As I was sorting out archival mail, I learned that Agents Anemone, Bog’s Companion, and Pattypan of Gold Bits have been filling out paperwork and starting to help get everything back into shape after Oraiah left. Good for them!

And for a very serious note, one of my sources says there’s been strange movement at the docks, with ships coming in from Mediogalti Island. There’s only ever a bare bones crew, and they seem to have no idea what’s stored in the bright red crates. The crates are collected by a different person each time, and they sign with a stamp that sort of looks like a scythe, but also looks like a messed-up bug, but also looks like a squashed book. It’s a pretty bad stamp.

Art by Giorgio Falconi

I’ll find out more information and update all of you as soon as I can!

See you next time, Pathfinders!

With adoration,
Your Beloved Venture-Gossip

Explore! Report! Cooperate! Gossip!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

It is with a heavy heart that Paizo announces the passing of longtime software developer Gary Teter. Gary was a pioneer in the development of the Paizo website and its core behind-the-scenes software systems that have helped to deliver Pathfinder and Starfinder products for more than 20 years. He was integral in the creation of our subscription programs, forums, and more–all at a time when such technology didn’t exist.

Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.

We’ve asked the Paizo team to share their thoughts below, and we encourage members of the community to do the same.

Thanks again for all your hard work to make Paizo the success it is today, Gary. You will be missed.

-Erik, Jim, Lisa, Maggie, Mike, Rei, and Vic

Gary Teter came to Paizo way back in 2004 at a pivotal point in the company’s history. We started off as a magazine company, and the process of inputting subscriptions and renewals was eating up the small profit that magazines made back then, so we decided to try to do it through a website. But this was in 2004, and there just weren’t any website options you could purchase, so we considered building it ourselves, which was a daunting task.

Gary was brought in as we were struggling to figure out what to do. He brought vision and hard work to the table, and lo and behold, we launched paizo.com and brought subscriptions online. Once the magazines went away, that same subscription service morphed into one of the financial backbones of the company. I’m not sure Paizo would be here today if Gary hadn’t started working for us. Since then, he kept the machine going for twenty years!

Gary also brought a sense of humor to Paizo. Remember “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” when Gary made it so everything you posted turned into pirate language? Or the secret Smurf thing where your avatar changed into a Smurf whenever you mentioned them in a post? That was Gary.

I loved working with Gary during those early years of paizo.com. The website was a blank page, and we could dream about what we wanted it to be. Some things were instant successes, like side carts. Others were left on the cutting room floor (I’m looking at you, Paizooties). But through it all, Gary had a love for the customer and did his best to make their experience on paizo.com a great one. He would spend late nights trying to shave off shipping costs just to save folks a little more money.

Gary will be missed at Paizo.

Lisa Stevens
CEO

Gary Teter was never among the most well-known employees at Paizo, but if you’ve ever interacted with paizo.com in any way, you’ve felt his influence. And if you’ve ever noticed some feature here that no other website has, Gary almost certainly played a major role in creating it.

Gary was Paizo’s third-longest tenured employee, after Erik Mona and James Jacobs. Paizo’s original webmaster, Rob Head, hired Gary in March 2004, while Paizo was still just publishing magazines.

When we hired him, paizo.com was mainly a collection of static pages, one for each of our magazines, plus a sidebar for brief news updates. You could subscribe, purchase back issues, and not much else. Twenty years ago, Gary was working furiously on changing that, adding message boards in August, and launching a real web store offering thousands of gaming products in November. While the site has evolved over the years, the paizo.com you know today is still built on the foundations Gary and Rob created two decades ago.

But as important as Gary’s contributions to the website were, his role in shaping the paizo.com community was in many ways even more impactful. With the launch of the message boards, Gary took on the role of “PostMonster General,” acting not just as the community’s first moderator, but helping to set the tone for all interactions on paizo.com.

Gary was serious about his work and always interested in the ways that evolving technology could be used, from the utterly confusing construction that is ents and loaves to using a chatbot to turn an ordinary deck of cards into a mystery game to play with his son.

Gary strongly believed in doing things the right way with a customer-first attitude. Whenever I would approach him with a complicated idea that I thought our customers would appreciate, he would explain the inherent difficulties that kept every other website from doing it, and then he’d figure out how to make it happen, and he’d usually do it quickly and do it well.

Gary also always approached things with humor. He once demonstrated a new feature in our back-end software to our sales manager, who flippantly complained that it had one flaw: not enough pancake bunnies (referencing a then-current meme involving a Japanese rabbit known for balancing baked goods on its head). So Gary added “Pancake Bunny Mode” to the tool, in which lines of animated rabbits loaded up with syrupy goodness marched across the screen—a feature that you could toggle on or off… unless you were the sales manager, in which case there was no off switch.

Gary was occasionally courted by companies that offered him much more money that Paizo ever could, but he genuinely loved paizo.com and the paizo.com community, and he told me several times over the years that he never wanted to work anywhere other than Paizo for the rest of his life. Gary’s contributions to Paizo were foundational and crucial, and I’m greatly saddened that he won’t be here to help guide paizo.com into its third decade.

Vic Wertz,
Chief Technical Officer (Retired)

I remember the change that crept through Paizo after Gary came aboard so many years ago. From over in the editorial department, his influence was subtle at first, but then Smurfs started showing up on the message boards. To me, those little blue gremlins were probably the most visual (and unexpected) of the manifestations of the glory that was Gary. But beyond the boards and the machinery of the virtual world, Gary was someone I always felt welcome to chat with, be it a happenstance greeting in a breakroom that developed into a full-on conversation, a discussion at a work gathering about the intersection of internet and gamer culture, sharing quirky cat-themed anecdotes, or just some good old reminiscing about the early days of Paizo. His presence in the very early Paizo chat rooms was always welcome and comforting, as was his sense of humor. He put humanity into Paizo’s infrastructure in ways I expect I’ll still be discovering, marveling at, and appreciating for years to come. I’ll miss you, my friend.

James Jacobs
Creative Director

I first met Gary, like many who interacted with him, online. I first found my way to this community through the message boards, and Gary was the guy running the show back then. He had an interesting way of moderating conversations and keeping the community entertained and on point. It was this community and the people in it that led me to freelancing, and though it sounds weird for someone in the tech side of the company being responsible for a word jockey starting his career, that’s the case. Gary was not only fun to chat with, he was also supportive. In the way-back times, a few of us started a chat room that served as a somewhat real-time version of the message boards where regulars would hang out and keep up with each other. I was in that chat room all the time and so was Gary, who was the first Paizo staffer we asked to join. It was in that chat room where I really got to know Gary. From the Smurf “prank” to the odd threads and experiments that went way over my head, Gary was always up to something interesting, and I swear, half the time you could see the twinkle in his eye even through text. When I finally joined the company and moved out here, it was nice seeing a familiar face in the office that was outside of my immediate department. We even lived in the same apartment complex, so I’d see him around outside of work too. Gary was a delightfully strange man, with a head full of concepts, ideas, and plans that I couldn’t even fathom with my puny word-focused brain. So, thank you for all the education and entertainment. We’ll miss you, Gary!

Adam Daigle
Director of Game Development

Gary Teter was a passionate developer with a soft spot for retro hardware and clicky keyboards. When we were still in a physical office, it wasn't unusual to see Gary rolling by my window atop his Solowheel on his way home at the end of the day. Once we all started working remotely, Gary lamented the loss of the day-to-day impromptu conversations that would happen just by virtue of having desks near each other. Those conversations could be about anything from how we might solve a particular technical challenge to why we didn't have more (or any) pneumatic tubes in the office.

Professionally, Gary loved solving complex or tricky problems and took great delight in a satisfying solution. He made a lasting impact with his creativity and dedication to his work. I especially appreciated the sense of whimsy he injected into our daily conversations and many of the things he did. His depth of knowledge and creative ideas will be missed. He was a one-of-a-kind personality who will always be remembered at Paizo.

Rei Ko
Vice President of Technology

It's difficult to share memories of a coworker and feel like you did them justice. Working together is such a specific context that you can spend years with someone and never feel like you got the full picture of who they truly were. So I will resist the urge to lay out some sort of comprehensive, definitive statement on Gary Teter. I’m not qualified to do that. I will simply tell what I can, in the hopes that others will fill in the gaps in my telling to form a more complete picture.

Gary was a wizard. If you told him you needed something built, he would go read the book on that thing and come back having built it. He would build his own tooling so he could have exactly what he needed to get his job done. He would cast magic with code.

Gary was one of the most customer-oriented colleagues I've ever worked with. Regardless of the other factors in play, he was always deeply grateful to the people who purchased Paizo products—the people who enable so many of us at the company to do what we love for a living. Every feature he implemented had an eye towards surprising and delighting customers, as well as treating them fairly and honestly, whether they found out about it or not. It was a matter of personal principle. He couldn't not do that.

Gary believed that learning was a lifelong process. Twenty years into working on the code-base for Paizo, he was still researching new algorithms, frameworks, and techniques—either for use on the job or just for fun. He always had a handful of pet projects at home to work on after he'd signed off for the day: an audiophile amplifier here, a spectrum analyzer there. A few years prior to the pandemic he learned to ride an electric monowheel because, in his own words, "I just decided that I wanted to be the kind of person who could ride a wheel, mostly because it looked awesome, and I’ve always thought that sort of thing would be impossible for me, and that it was time I let go of preconceived notions about what I could and couldn’t do."

Gary was a trailblazer. If you needed to get 30 people from here to there across all manner of difficult terrain, he’d figure out the exact route to take. Perhaps someone else would have to arrange the provisions, and another person would need to load and balance the wagons, and a third person would keep the caravan together along the way. But the path itself? The guy with the machete hacking through the underbrush 50 yards ahead, shouting back, "It's this way!"? That was all Gary. It wasn't until I reached the end of this paragraph that I realized that there's another name for that person:

Gary was a Pathfinder. And now he's gone.

And Paizo is the lesser for it.

Brian Bauman
Software Architect

Gary was one of the first people I spoke to on my first day at Paizo, and I distinctly remember thinking, “Oh, right, I work in the TTRPG industry now. Of course I’ll be working next to a bespectacled, bearded ponytailed guy named Gary with an esoteric sense of humor.”

That was only my first impression, of course; over the next six years, he made countless others. He was an old-school geek who embodied the absolute best of classic weird online and programmer culture. He was the owner of a desk that resembled the Iron Throne if it had been built from 20 years of Paizo products. He was the guy in our weekly Zoom meetings who always had a wall of oscilloscopes or something that looked like a half-built robot on a workbench behind him somewhere. And, like others have said, he was an incredibly smart and talented coder who cared tremendously about his work and what it meant to the Pathfinder and Starfinder communities. It didn’t matter whether he was working on code to save customers money by shipping in as few packages as possible, an uncheatable die roller for the play-by-post boards, banishing spambots to an endless Sartre-esque digital labyrinth, or some shamelessly goofy forum feature; he approached every projects with the same level of deadly seriousness and took enormous pride in ensuring that it was done right, no matter how ridiculous it was.

It's hard to imagine a paizo.com without Gary and his contributions, and his passing will leave a tremendous void not only on Paizo’s tech team, but in the company as a whole. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones, and I am proud and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him for as long as I did.

Andrew White
Digital Products Lead

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By Joe Blomquist
This encounter is a prequel for the Mechageddon! Adventure Path that represents the player characters’ (PCs’) ongoing training after enlisting in the New Valor Defense Force. Run this encounter after completing Simulation 1: Valko Derby, after the PCs have leveled up and created their own mechs (or upgraded the mechs from Simulation 1 to tier 2).

THE LAST STAND OF KARNATH! — CR 6

After catching Firefight’s notice playing Valko Derby, the PCs were invited to step out of the valkopods and become the real huzkars by joining the New Valor Defense Force. NVDF training is comprehensive for all recruits, regardless of prior vocation, to prepare them for military duties and potential challenges from combat training and mech repair to physical fitness and aircraft piloting. All potentially dangerous training occurs in simulated environments utilizing some of the galaxy’s best virtual reality technology. As a result, NVDF training pods are a familiar sight to every NVDF recruit, even if they aren’t offered many chances to train in the simulated valko cockpits. But with the placement exam schedule communicated well in advance, the prevailing mood is a flux of excitement and anxiety as everyone hopes for the chance to prove themselves. Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene.

Commander “Raptor” Wano’s voice issues a disembodied message as his training assistant, Lieutenant Bastian-5, helps the recruits into individual cockpits in the training center’s testing chamber. “Recruits! Today is your placement exam. Do well and you might find yourself in the 3rd battlegroup as the 13th, 14th, or even 15th Valko squadron under my command! Thanks to an agreement with Storyteller Productions, today’s exam will feature colossi from the popular Kaiju Riot holovid series. As you know Lt. Bastian-5 is a huge fan of those movies—time to make them proud. Today you get to be the heroes!”

Art by Guilherme Olivieri

Culture or Profession (Charisma-based) (Recall Knowledge)

The Kaiju Riot! series of films is well-known on Daimalko and has small cult followings all over the galaxy. NVDF recruits have likely seen one or more of the films and that film knowledge could help them in the upcoming simulation. For more benefits of watching these films, see Trivial Knowledge, below.

10+: The Kaiju Riot! series follows the often-terrible exploits of a lone colossus, Gadrakor. In early films, Gadrakor brutally destroyed several Daimalkan settlements. Critics applaud these early films for teaching the benefits of environmentalism through cinematic media. Eventually, Gadrakor became a hero, defending Daimalko against unspeakable horrors.

15+: Pop star Jollys Vass got her start with the hit Don’t Fall, a ballad written from the perspective of two damai lovers who were separated during Gadrakor’s rampage in Kaiju Riot! 1. In that film, Gadrakor’s characteristics were based on questionable information about an illusive colossus called a drakogor. In the years since, groundbreaking field research about real drakogors has provided new material for the sequels.

20+: In Kaiju Riot! 3: The Doom from Beyond, Gadrakor teams up with a nearly invulnerable mechanical version of himself from the previous film, Mechagadrakor, to face a demonic version of himself, the space emperor colossus King Gadrakor.

25+: Gadrakor and his iterations have all the same abilities as a real drakogor: they can absorb energy attacks to power their breath weapons, which deal sonic damage, and have a hardened mantle that adds to their natural armor. Encourage the PCs to swap out their simulated mechs’ weapons to avoid giving the enemy an advantage.

The Mission

The PCs’ simulated mechs begin in the center of Karnath, an ancient Daimalkan city lost to colossi attacks long ago. The simulation completes almost instantly, finalizing the holographic details of a breezy spring afternoon with streets empty except for the PCs. A Daimalkan orb rests in a hollow built into the bronze statue the PCs’ mechs are positioned around. Four wide streets wind in all four cardinal directions leading away from the monument. Tall office buildings and empty residences line each block except for the planetary transit landing pad northwest of the PCs.

When the PCs are ready to begin, Commander Wano’s voice gives the final orders before the simulation begins. “The Gadrakors have only one goal: Destroy the orb. To pass this exam, you only have to stop them. Defeat all your enemies and protect the orb. Good luck, recruits.”

PCs and Mechs: This encounter is designed for four level 2 PCs. As part of their ongoing training at the NVDF Academy, the PCs have been learning the ins and outs of various mech configurations to better prepare them to their assignments as huzkars in the new modular Apex valkos, or as support crew for others who are assigned that role. As a result, players should create Tier 2 mechs for their PCs using the rules in Starfinder Tech Revolution.

Map: This simulation uses the monument side of Starfinder Flip-Mat: Metropolis. The PC’s mechs begin the encounter huddled in the middle of the map around the monument. 1 square represents 10 feet of terrain.

Trivial Knowledge: Watching the Kaiju Riot! film series has given the PCs prior knowledge of their opponents’ capabilities. The PCs can attempt the normal Recall Knowledge checks to identify their foes’ abilities prior to the beginning of the encounter. They may attempt these checks using Culture or an appropriate Profession skill instead, using the same DCs.

Creatures: The three holographic colossi the PCs face are inspired by the popular holovid, Kaiju Riot 3: The Doom from Beyond. The three kaiju begin the encounter near the edges of the map and have a single goal in mind: destroy the orb at the center of the monument the PCs are protecting. The colossi act well as a team, contrary to their adversarial roles in Kaiju Riot 3. King Gadrakor relies on its roar and fearsome presence to throw the PCs off, while Gadrakor tries to draw them away from the monument or take them out with its breath weapon. Mechagadrakor is the key to their strategy. If nobody attacks Mechagadrakor, it moves adjacent to the monument and spends the next two turns attacking the orb. The other two eventually attempt the same tactic until the PCs target them with attacks. All three colossi fight until they are destroyed.

Gadrakor — CR 3
Unique Variant Drakogor
XP 800
N Huge magical beast (colossus)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, sense the masses; Perception +8
Aura frightful presence (80 ft., DC 12, shaken 1d4 rounds)

DEFENSE HP 40
EAC 14; KAC 16
Fort +7; Ref +7; Will +4
Defensive Abilities Resistances electricity 5, fire 5

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +12 (1d6+7 P; critical burn 1d10) or claw +12 (1d6+7 S; critical bleed 1d6) or tail slap +12 (1d8+7 B; critical knockdown)
Ranged particle laser blast +9 (1d4-3 F; critical burn 2d6; range 60ft.)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Offensive Abilities breath weapon (60-ft. cone, 4d6 E&F, Reflex DC 12 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), living battery, roar (DC 12)

STATISTICS
Str +4; Dex +1; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +13, Intimidate +8

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Living Battery (Ex) Drakogors recharge their breath weapons by consuming energy attacks. When a drakogor takes at least 10 damage from any weapon that targets its EAC, as a standard action on their next turn they redirect the energy into a breath weapon dealing the same type of damage as the attack.

Roar (Su) Gadrakor’s roar creates unsettling vibration. Gadrakor roars as a standard action. Creatures within 100 feet must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude save or become sickened for 1d4 rounds. Creatures who are shaken from Gadrakor’s frightful presence are panicked for 1 round (no save). Once a creature has been exposed to Gadrakor’s roar, it cannot be affected by any other drakogor’s roar for 24 hours. This is an emotion, fear, mind-affecting, and sense-dependent effect. Other drakogors are immune.

Mechagadrakor — CR 3
Unique Variant Drakogor
XP 800
NE Huge construct (colossus)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +8

DEFENSE — HP 40
EAC 15; KAC 17
Fort +3; Ref +3; Will +0
Defensive Abilities hardened mantle; Immunities construct immunities

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +12 (1d4+7 P; critical burn 1d10) or claw +12 (1d4+7 S; critical bleed 1d6)
Ranged particle laser blast +9 (1d8+5 F; critical burn 2d6; range 60 ft.)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Offensive Abilities breath weapon (60-ft. cone, 4d6 So, Reflex DC 12 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), living battery

STATISTICS
Str +4; Dex +1; Con –; Int +1; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +13, Intimidate +8
Other Abilities unliving

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Living Battery (Ex) Drakogors recharge their breath weapons by consuming energy attacks. When a drakogor takes at least 10 damage from any weapon that targets its EAC, as a standard action on their next turn they redirect the energy into a breath weapon dealing the same type of damage as the attack.

Hardened Mantle (Ex) Mechagadrakor has a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against critical hit effects. In addition, it reduces the damage it takes from a critical hit by 3 to a minimum of 1 unless reduced by other means.

King Gadrakor” Art by Sophie Medvedeva

King Gadrakor — CR 3
Unique Variant Drakogor
XP 800
LE Huge magical beast (colossus)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, sense the masses; Perception +8
Aura frightful presence (80 ft., DC 14, shaken 1d4 rounds)

DEFENSE HP 40
EAC 14; KAC 16
Fort +7; Ref +7; Will +4
Defensive Abilities ferocity; Resistances fire 10

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +12 (1d6+7 P plus grab) or claw +12 (1d6+7 S plus grab) or tail slap +12 (1d10+7 B; critical knockdown)
Ranged particle laser blast +9 (1d4 F; critical burn 2d6; range 60ft.)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Offensive Abilities breath weapon (60-ft. cone, 4d6 A, Reflex DC 12 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), roar (DC 14)

STATISTICS
Str +4; Dex +1; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +13, Intimidate +8

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Deadly Grasp (Ex) When King Gadrakor succeeds at a combat maneuver to maintain a grapple, it can make a tail slap attack as a move action.

Roar (Su) King Gadrakor’s roar creates unsettling vibration. King Gadrakor roars as a standard action. Creatures within 100 feet must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or become sickened for 1d4 rounds. Creatures who are shaken from King Gadrakor’s frightful presence are panicked for 1 round (no save). Once a creature has been exposed to King Gadrakor’s roar, it cannot be affected by any other drakogor’s roar for 24 hours. This is an emotion, fear, mind-affecting, and sense-dependent effect. Other drakogors are immune.

Development: The orb has 100 Hit Points. If it takes enough damage to reduce it to 0 or below, the orb is destroyed and the simulation ends in failure. If the PCs manage to defeat their foes, the simulation ends in victory the moment the last Gadrakor falls and the opening chords to Jollys Vass’ triumphant Don’t Fallstart to play.

CONCLUSION

If the PCs successfully protect the orb, when the simulation ends they are formally offered spots in the NVDF’s 3^rd Battlegroup as huzkar recruits. The next step in their training will be piloting brand new Apex mechs! If the simulation ends in failure, the PCs can enter remedial training before attempting the placement exam again, or accept positions in Valko Support, Infantry, Tank command groups, or even as Skywatch air support pilots. At this point, the group is ready to level up once more and begin their Mechageddon! campaign.

Map by Damien Mammoliti

Welcome to PaizoCon Online 2024, the celebration of all things Paizo, which begins today! Join us for free, fun panels at twitch.tv/officialpaizo. Meet friends and network on our Discord, with prizes, activities, staff AMAs, and more!

It’s the Annual PaizoCon Sale!

From now through May 27th, use PAIZOCON2024 at checkout for a discount on a number of cool things, including:

• 10% off Player Core & GM Core sketch covers
• 10% off WizKids minis
• 20% off Goblin Firework Fight and Elemental Stones
• 20% off all backlist Starfinder 1E (anything pre-Mechageddon!)
• 20% off all backlist Pathfinder accessories (Flip-Mats, spell cards, condition cards, etc.)
• 20% off 40+ Foundry products including Organized Play adventures!

The sale code does not apply to backorders, preorders, or subscriptions. It does not stack with the Paizo Advantage. Order while supplies last! Sale ends at 11:59 p.m. Pacific on May 27th.

Shop the PaizoCon Sale Today!

But wait, there’s more! Many of our partners have amazing offers to help you unleash your hero:

• WizKids: 20% off Pathfinder Battles
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A final note that for Mental Health Awareness Month, Paizo is partnering with Take This, an organization dedicated to mental health in gaming. You can join us and members of the team of Take This on Sunday at 2 P.M. PST for a panel on therapeutic TTRPGs and safety in therapeutic roleplay. We can’t wait to chat with them!

We’re also having a virtual silent auction for Pathfinder and Starfinder Society boons like the starsinger, skittergoblin, and more, with all proceeds benefitting Take This!

We can’t wait to see you all this weekend however you choose to join us, whether it be watching the livestreamed panels or participating in our Events Discord. Happy Gaming!

Roll20's commitment to Paizo is soaring in 2024. We're listening and responding to Pathfinder and Starfinder player requests and are thrilled to share the latest updates.

New Pathfinder Character Sheet & Builder

The Pathfinder Character Sheet and Builder on Roll20 is undergoing an upgrade featuring a new look, new functionality, a completely redesigned user experience. The best part? We want your feedback to help influence the final product launching later this year!

An ever-evolving Community Preview is available on Roll20 Characters, perfect for playing with your group at your in-person or online table. Our team recently introduced Custom Effects and made significant progress in enhancing Traits handling. We’re currently focused on updating the Spells tab, so a new release should be available soon!

If you’re a Pathfinder player or GM, we encourage you to explore the preview and share your thoughts with us through our feedback form! To see what players have thought so far, take a look at our latest blog post. Stay tuned to the Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster page for the most recent Roll20 updates, previews, and FAQs related to the project.

Permanent Price Cuts on Pathfinder & Starfinder

We’ve implemented permanent price reductions on nearly 100 titles on Roll20, so you can expand your Paizo library at more affordable prices!

New Pathfinder Bundles

Building on the excitement of lower prices across the board, we’re excited to announce the introduction of six new Pathfinder Bundles, curated to offer convenient single purchases based on how you play and plan your campaigns.

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Strength of Thousands Bundle: The Magaambya, the world's oldest and most prestigious magic academy, founded by a legendary wizard, faces threats from his enemies. As heroes grow from students to teachers, they hold the fate of the academy in their hands. Can they safeguard this revered institution against its adversaries and preserve its legacy?

Deluxe Adventures Bundle: Embark on five thrilling adventures offering endless excitement and challenges! Unravel mysteries in a darkened town, face cosmic horror, navigate political tensions, confront ancient rivalries, and explore forgotten ruins with untold secrets.

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Stolen Fate Bundle: When powerful forces threaten destiny, heroes chosen by a magical Harrow deck must intervene in this Adventure Path. Racing to control scattered cards of this artifact, they face a crucial challenge: losing means ruin for most of reality.

Commitment to Pathfinder Core

Roll20 is fully committed to the new Pathfinder Core Rulebook line! We offer complete rulebook integration, including monsters you can drag & drop right onto your table, and character options you can drop right onto your character sheets!

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Nerd out with us! Why we love Pathfinder

Join Roll20 staff as they dive into their favorite parts of all the recent Pathfinder updates, including Pathfinder Core and Roll20 Characters.

Roll20 is your gateway to adventure, where every roll counts! Start your journey, customize your story, and explore like never before. Get started today with Roll20—Your adventure awaits!

Hello, explorers!
Pathfinder Howl of the Wild is now officially out! I hope everyone’s been having fun making new characters, whether they’re minotaur druids, centaur wild mimics, or awakened koi witches with the Ripple in the Deep patron who navigate on land in enchanted supramarine chairs that double as their cauldrons! I hope, too, that you’re enjoying some new animals to throw at your PCs, or just having fun reading the tale of Baranthet and the Zoetrope’s crew as they fly about Golarion!

Of course, this book had its own crew in the form of wonderful writers and designers who each brought a taste of the wild to the project and were sure to keep the writers’ room well supplied with animal gifs and links to nature documentaries. Get to know some of them below and feel free to shout out any bits you enjoy!

Light writer plate of crew upon returning from their journey, from official Zoetrope expedition logs. (Art by Ivan Koritarev)

Rigby Bendele (they/them)

When James pitched Howl of the Wild, I was immediately hooked! I want to bring a sense of embodiment to TTRPGs so that players and GMs have tools to understand what it might be like to live in a world so fantastic, so I was looking forward to focusing an Attenborourgh-style lens on Golarion’s natural world. While working on my sections—the athamaru ancestry, holdfast, some of the big game siege weapons, and the Warden of Caverns and Burrows—I hoped to make the world seem fantastical from its skies to its lowest depths. This book is going to be a great tool as I continue to run my own games and design adventures, and I can't wait to see how everyone uses it in their games.

Chris Bissette (he/they)

Hello! I'm Chris Bissette, a game designer from the UK. Writing for Pathfinder has been a dream of mine for over a decade at this point, and I'm delighted to have finally had the opportunity on Howl of the Wild. Monsters were my first love in RPGs and getting to put together the dischorans for this book was some of the most fun I've had writing games.

When I'm not writing for Pathfinder, I can usually be found working on my free and very imaginatively titled dungeon crawler A Dungeon Game. On socials, you can find me on Bluesky @loottheroom.bsky.social.

Jeremy Blum (he/him)

I wrote the ostilli host archetype for Howl of the Wild, the anti-behemoth weaponry (anybody catch the Godzilla reference in there?), and the decapod dinghy, which is basically Catbus as a giant crab. Contributing to this wonderful celebration of nature's finest offerings was a nice shift, as it immediately followed the work I did to redesign Linvarre for the Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide, which should now be in everyone’s hands. I've also penned some rad stuff for the Tian Xia Character Guide and have several unannounced Pathfinder contributions in the pipelines.

Outside of the Paizo sphere, my biggest project is Mappa Mundi: An Exploration + Ecology RPG for Three Sails Studios, a small three-man company based in the UK. It's a TTRPG about mapping the wilderness, studying monsters like a biologist instead of fighting them, and returning the art of storytelling to a voiceless world. Our recently released playtest could be used in conjunction with Howl of the Wild to run a gorgeous, monster-observing campaign that spans Golarion and beyond, since the themes are quite similar! Mappa Mundi's full release will crowdfund in 2025, so if you're interested, please follow me on Twitter and Bluesky for the latest news.

The ethereal rift chameleon (art by Adam Shafi) and the lithivorous stony bat (art by Maichol Quinto)

Brite Cheney (he/they)

Hey folks! I’m Brite (pronounced Bright), a TTRPG freelancer and prop maker. You might have seen my recent Pathfinder Quest, The Winter Queen’s Dollhouse, among other works. I had a blast writing a narrative section for Howl of the Wild and trying to capture Baranthet’s unique voice. He is so inquisitive and adventurous, yet simultaneously levelheaded. I hope you all enjoy meeting the crew of the Zoetrope and all the other wonders hidden in this book. I also hope your players “enjoy” the marp and its adorable gold-eating habits.

When not writing for or playing games, I make and sell hand-crafted props and accessories for TTRPG, cosplay, and LARP. You can find links to all my work, including where to contact me for custom commissions, at https://linktr.ee/mrgwillickers. I can also be found on Blue Sky, Mastodon, Instagram, Twitter, and all other socials @MrGWillickers.

Rue Dickey (they/he/xe)

Hello, hello! I've been around the Paizo blog quite a bit this past year since joining the marketing team, but I'm super excited to be dropping myself into this blog—because Howl of the Wild is the first Pathfinder project I’ve ever written for! A thousand thanks to James Case for scooping me out of the river for this project and giving me an opportunity to work on Pathfinder. It's opened a number of doors for me, and I love getting to be a part of the game I love (and market, haha). For Howl, I worked on the hexmoth and the zoophonia muse, and I look forward to seeing what everyone does with the cool stuff in this book! Please feel free to @ me on socials about your Howl stuff. I want to see it!

Twitter: @ilananight13
Bsky: ilananight.bsky.app
Website: https://ilananight.space

Matthew Fu (he/him)

Hi everyone! I first wanted to say that it was a fantastic experience to be able to work on this project alongside so many other talented writers. Getting to see so much positive feedback on the creatures that I wrote (apothecary bee and hardhead mole) has already done numbers to lift my spirits, and seeing someone refer to my beastmaster feats as "swanky AF" really made my day. I wanted to give a quick shoutout to James Case and the rest of the Paizo team for having me on this project and allowing me to pour my heart and soul into this project. I can't wait to see what kind of characters my friends and the community at large come up with given the sheer quantity of high-quality work that can be found in this book.

Also, be sure to check out some of the other Pathfinder 2E material that I've written alongside other fantastic authors at Eldritch Osiris Games!

A centaur bard (art by Wilmar Ballespí Escarp) and a surki warrior (art by Ivan Koritarev)

Steve Hammond

Hello everyone! I'm Steve Hammond, and I wrote a few beast items, the tardigrades, and had the distinct pleasure of writing the surki ancestry! They are the first ancestry I've written, and my time working on them was really special. The response to them so far has been great, and I can't wait to see more of the characters you create with them!

I'm not really on social media these days, but I pop up in a few books here and there. Most recently, I worked on War of Immortals. Thank you all for your lovely words and praise for the book. Everyone on this team did incredible work, and I cannot wait to work with them again.

Dustin Knight (he/him)

Greetings, Pathfinders! I'm Dustin Knight, Starfinder developer and proud freelancer for the incredible tome of beasts and critters that lies before you! Working on the swarmkeeper archetype was a blast and fulfilled one of my long-time bucket-list entries of designing an insect-themed archetype. While I've yet to incorporate my own swarm of creepy-crawlies, I'm a big fan of bugs, especially bees! If you'd like to help your local pollinators, you can find resources such as Lawns to Legumes that can help turn your yard into a pollinator's paradise.

I also wrote some of the spells in Howl of the Wild, including antlion trap, summon stampede, and summon warden of the wild. You can catch me on dozens of different Paizo-adjacent Discord servers, including my own for Pathfinder Infinite creators and fans under the username KitsuneWarlock. You can also catch me at PaizoCon on the Paizo Events Discord where I'll be answering questions, posting memes, and participating in some panels! I'd love to answer as many of your questions as I can and hear about the insects you'll be using with your future swarmkeepers!

Christiana Lewis (she/her)

Greetings and salutations! This was my first ever TTRPG writing experience, and I’m so grateful to James Case and the whole team for their support. I had the unique privilege of writing up the Zoetrope’s design and seeing it be brought to life by the artists was an incredible experience I’ll never forget. Working with Paizo really set the standard for what I expect as a freelance writer. I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this special book.

I’m currently working on some other TTRPG projects, all of which will be announced in time on Twitter. You can find me at @carpechristi on all socials. In the meantime, I love streaming TTRPG Actual Plays with my friends (which, let’s be real, are just paid opportunities to flirt with each other), collecting special edition novels, and crocheting absurdly long scarves.

The spell-eating hexmoth and the spell-singing virtuosic lyrebird (art both by Vira Linevych)

Jonathan "Ryomasa" Mendoza (any)

Howdy! I'm Jonathan, and I wrote the rumindrol and the beast guns for Howl of the Wild! This book was my first experience writing for Pathfinder and Paizo in general, and I'm happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed the creative spirit and collaborative nature of working on this book alongside so many talented people! I hope you use the rumindrol to remind players who think nothing of stepping into the dark, forbidden places of the world that there is a reason we fear the unknown, and I hope that the beast guns help you attain the gunslingin', yeehawin', fantasy-anime-nonsense vibes so many of us enjoy. You can find me nerding out and/or yeehawing over on Twitter (I will never call it anything else) or reach out through my website.

Dave Nelson (he/they)

Dave Nelson is a queer and neurodivergent freelance writer and editor with multiple credits for Pathfinder. This time, he put his degree in Classics to work to bring you the minotaur ancestry and the bestiary section on hydras. They also spent hours throwing cat toys while writing the clawdancer archetype, and they watched nature videos of birds for the winged warrior archetype. He also managed to write a few new spells, like divine beasts and albatross’ curse.

You can find him lurking on Bluesky at @davicthegrey.bsky.social and an updated list of their credits at https://davicthegrey.carrd.co/.

Mikhail Rekun (he/him)

Здравствуйте, уважаемые читатели! My name is Mikhail Sergeyevich Rekun, and I’m a Russian-speaking Ukrainian-American historian, educator, and author. I’m also a Pathfinder author of long standing—if you’ve suffered at the hands of a kholo, been lost in the Dark Archive, or had to dodge a laser-bear, that is my fault. I regret nothing.

In this particular venture, I was responsible for writing the merfolk ancestry, the sky fisher, and the character of my beloved buggy protégé, Ten. The merfolk ancestry was a particularly interesting challenge—usually, the trick with ancestries is filling them out, but here, we had a veritable buffet of myth, legend, and pop culture to choose from. If you want to weep tears of pearl, lure sailors to their doom with your voice, or merely stroll down the harbor walk with your new pair of legs, Howl of the Wild has you covered.

And if you like the sky fisher, well, would you like to know where you can find even more horrific beasties? It just so happens that I am also the creative director for the Luminant Age Campaign Setting, and we have a small bestiary of vampire dogs and teleporting rats over at https://luminant-age.itch.io/. Check it out!

A merfolk fighter (art by Ivan Koritarev) and an awakened turtle kineticist (art by Damien Mammoliti)

Kai Revius (he/they)

Hello everyone! I’m Kai, and contributing to the Howl of the Wild team as a freelancer was my first foray into professional writing. I had a blast and hope to do it again in the future!

It was my joy and privilege to help bring Dr. Gulnara Pom to life, as well as provide some new animal companions, beast armor, and beast armaments. As a child, I was heavily influenced by Brian Jacques’ Redwall series and jumped at the opportunity to create my very own badger. As a Forever DM/GM, my approach for the items and animal companions was to provide players with interesting or surprising things that I would love to see at my own table. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing art of a giraffe in full barding or anything flying squirrel related! As far as items go, my favorite was a particularly stinky maul. I love when I can utilize a piece of equipment for roleplaying! The best place to find me is @KeenKoala on Twitter/X.

Simone D. Sallé (she/they)

Hi, fellow nature enthusiasts! I'm so excited for you all to tag along with Baranthet and the crew of the Zoetrope on their quest for the wardens of the wild. This has been my favorite book to work on so far, both as a writer and an edit lead, and I can't wait for everyone else to dive in (or burrow, if that's more your Speed). In addition to co-creating Baranthet with James, I got to write Baranthet's narrative introduction, conclusion, and the climactic chapter of the crew's adventure! I also upheld my contractual obligation to seed mushrooms into everything I do by way of the primal witch patrons. There are such fun new creatures, lore, and player options in this book, and I know I'm not the only one ready to build at least six new PCs.

I'm difficult to track down on social media these days, but you can always send notes to Almas University, c/o Baranthet Zamendi—he'll know where to find me.

Kendra Leigh Speedling (she/her)

Hello! I’m Kendra, frequent freelancer for Paizo (credits at klspeedling.com). For Howl of the Wild, I did the bio for Charikleia, the Techniques and Tricks story, the sharks (my favorite ocean creatures!), and the Warden of Peaks and Skies.

When writing, I had to decide the type of contest to choose the new warden. A sky race made sense for flying creatures, but I didn’t want it to be that straightforward. I thought about what qualities the wardens might value, and one that jumped out to me was the interconnection of the natural world; while nature can be harsh and unforgiving, nothing within it exists in isolation, and I felt the wardens would be mindful of that. Maybe the true test would be the candidates’ willingness to aid others and accept help in turn. I wondered if it was too trite, too saccharine. But I decided that if I often need the reminder that assistance isn’t cheating or failure, just a part of existence, well… maybe someone else might need that, too.

The storm’s rough out there. Help others fly if you can, and don’t begrudge yourself the need to shelter under someone else’s wing for a while.

The powerful ascendant griffon (art by Damien Mammoliti) and the shocking magnetic gecko (art by Maichol Quinto)

Kyle Tam

Hello everyone! I'm Kyle, a writer from the Philippines, and this is my first time writing for Paizo! For this book, I had the pleasure of introducing everyone to your favorite navigator, Lythea, and writing the thunder snake! I've written my own tabletop RPGs as well as writing for other people’s games, and I've also published my fair share of short stories, all of which you can find at https://whatkylewrites.carrd.co/.

I LOVE mermaids, so it is with absolute joy that I took on the task of bringing Lythea to life! She's basically the kind of character I'd love to play in a campaign of exploration, at one with the land, sea, and sky thanks to adaptive technologies giving her the best of all worlds. The thunder snake concept came to me by looking at electrical cords and adjustable lamps, watching the way coils and wires moved—so you can imagine it like a giant electrical plug!

Thank you so much for supporting Howl of the Wild!!!

Ruvaid Virk

Good day, friends! Ruvaid Virk, sometimes Paizo contributor, here. It's so wild that they keep letting me on these books, but I'm super grateful for it. First, I'd like to say how proud I am to have contributed to this cool book alongside other fantastic authors. Field biology was one of my favorite undergrad classes, and seeing this book come together has brought me an untold amount of joy. Only one thing could make this better for me, and that's if all of you would share your favorite parts of the book. Now, maybe you're wondering, "That's cool, Ruvaid, but what did you work on?"

Surprise, dear reader, for I have seeded a trail to answer that very question—one that can be found by tracing steps back through these sentences of mine.

That's right, it was the griffon section! Well, that, and some of the beast armaments and alchemical items.

I hope you guys enjoy this awesome book. There's a ton of cool things in here that I can't wait to play with for myself.

Should you want to know more about me or my works, you can follow me on the bird site at @Darth_Ruvaider or the sky site @darthruvaider.bsky.social. I've got plenty of exciting announcements to make this year, so stay tuned!

Andrew White (he/him)

Hello! I’m Andrew, Paizo’s digital products lead and contributor to such projects as Book of the Dead, Rage of Elements, and the first volume of an Adventure Path that just so happens to go great with all of the new character options you’ll find in Howl of the Wild! For this book, I had the amazing opportunity to write a bunch of weird new alchemical items, the ethereal wildlife section, six new dinosaurs, and the werecreature archetype. I absolutely loved working on this project, and I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the designers who not only gave me all these awesome assignments but who also let me put a devil T-Rex that shoots unholy fire beams out of its eyes into their nature book.

You can find me on Twitter and slightly-less-awful-Twitter at @plaguecontrol and @plaguecontrol.bsky.social respectively, and my freelancer portfolio at https://andrewwhite.carrd.co.

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Lastly, to celebrate Baranthet’s long journey to find the wardens of the wild, we leave you with a glimpse of their majesty, just beyond the spoiler text below:

[To gaze upon the wardens of the wild, click here]

The Warden of Caverns and Burrows & the Warden of Forests and Meadows (art by Mirco Paganessi)

The Warden of Oceans and Rivers & the Warden of Peaks and Skies (art by Mirco Paganessi)

That is all, dear readers!

Until another day,

James Case
Senior Designer

Hail and well met, Pathfinders and Starfinders! This month’s new releases take you on a tour of Golarion’s wilds, dive into the Abomination Vaults once more (this time in Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition), and ask you to suit up and save Daimalko!

Don’t forget, this weekend is PaizoCon 2024—our community celebration of all things Paizo! Join us on twitch.tv/officialpaizo and hop into the paizo.events Discord server to get in on the excitement!

Never miss a release with our Paizo Subscriptions—for everything from rulebooks to accessories.

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Pathfinder Howl of the Wild

A WILD ADVENTURE!

A sound echoes across the world’s farthest wildernesses: the howl of countless animals and beasts! This all-new, 224-page Pathfinder rulebook dives deep into the wilderness like never before! With new ancestries, character options, animal companions, wilderness foes, and more, Howl of the Wild provides a traveler’s pack worth of value for players and Game Masters alike!

Pathfinder Howl of the Wild is available in standard hardcover, Special Edition faux leatherette bound hardcover, and PDF formats. Don’t forget to check your FLGS for the hobby retailer exclusive sketch cover!

Starfinder Adventure Path: Mechageddon!

SUIT UP, SAVE THE WORLD!

On a rugged planet crawling with colossi, terrifying kaiju that demolish cities with fearsome power, courageous mech pilots battle monsters to protect the world’s people. As the war for control of planet Daimalko rages on, a mysterious third power plots to use an ancient artifact to purge the planet of all life. It’s time for Daimalko’s defenders to suit up against a new threat!

Starfinder Mechageddon! is available in standard hardcover, Special Edition faux leatherette bound hardcover, and PDF formats.

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults (5E)

One of Pathfinder’s most popular and exciting campaigns comes to D&D Fifth Edition at last!

When the mysterious Gauntlight, an eerie landlocked lighthouse, glows with baleful light, the people of Otari know something terrible is beginning. Evil stirs in the depths of the Abomination Vaults, a sprawling dungeon where a wicked sorcerer attempted to raise an army of monsters hundreds of years ago. The town's newest heroes must venture into a sprawling dungeon filled with beasts and traps to prevent a spiteful spellcaster from rising again!

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Abomination Vaults (5E) is available in standard hardcover, Special Edition faux leatherette bound hardcover, and PDF formats.

Pathfinder Adventure Path #202: Severed at the Root (Wardens of Wildwood 2 of 3)

Under surprising new leadership, the Wildwood Lodge begins a campaign of violence. Shocked, the PCs and their allies form a new lodge in exile to oppose this new regime. As they recruit new friends to their cause, the PCs must deny the Wildwood Lodge a powerful relic created by the renegade druid Ghorus, all while investigating the strange, primal magic the Wildwood Lodge has uncovered. If the PCs are to prevail, they will need to track down one of the Verduran Forest’s most dangerous inhabitants and convince her to aid their cause—or ensure she cannot aid their enemy.

Keep your campaign going with the Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscription and get a free PDF when your copy ships!

Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Treasure Trove

A wealth of riches!

To some, adventuring is all about getting treasure and Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Treasure Trove sets the scene for a haul of legendary scale. Each side of the Flip-Mat presents one of two treasure-laden locations adventurers can explore to get their loot. One side presents a fortified temple vault protecting priceless relics, while the other shows a secluded cavern lair of a dragon or other large and covetous beast. Spread this map out at your table and enrich your experience!

Pathfinder Battles: Leshy Window Boxed Set

Delight your tabletop with the Pathfinder Battles: Leshy Window Box Set! This set features eight charming miniatures representing a veritable grove of nature spirits from the Pathfinder role-playing universe.

This set includes eight types of Leshy, such as the fanged Flytrap Leshy, the prickly Cactus Leshy, the adorable Gourd Leshy, and even the cheery Fruit Leshy, to name a few.

Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Era’s End

A Starfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st- through 4th-level characters.

Under the watchful eye of newly elected First Seeker Sarmak, the Starfinder Society travels to the machine planet of Aballon to undertake an archaeological survey of the ancient city of Eternity. Using a relic known as the Eternity Drive, the Starfinders launch initial explorations, uncover long-forgotten information about the fabled First Ones, and clash with a violent faction of anacite extremists named Those Who Call.

Starfinder Society Scenario #7-02: Zo! vs. Zo

A Starfinder Society Scenario designed for 3rd- through 6th-level characters.

Objection!

For years, Zo (the city) and Zo! (the bombastic undead media mogul) have been engaged in a legal dispute over their shared name. Finally, both parties have agreed to a trial on the planet of Triaxus to put the matter to rest for good. In a bold move, Zo! calls in a favor from the Starfinder Society, requisitioning a team of Starfinders to represent him in the trial. Make your case to the jury, ready your counterargument, participate in a trial by combat against a team of crack combat-lawyers, and smile for the camera in the live broadcast of the decade!

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-16: A Lie Told to Strangers

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 3rd- through 6th-level characters.

Poorer citizens of Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers, have been going missing, and while many think they've simply left to emigrate to New Thassilon, a purported haven for outcasts, an independent journalist feels that there's something unsavory going on. Kaer Maga doesn't have much in the way of authorities, and those who hold any power aren't taking her seriously, so she's turned to the Pathfinder Society. The PCs need to figure out what's going on, and if it is unsavory, perhaps put a stop to it.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-17: Stranded on Yesterdays’ Tide

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st- through 4th-level characters.

The Pathfinder Society has heard reports of a ship sighted over and over, apparently following the same path before vanishing each week. This unfortunate ship is stuck in time, repeating the same week over and over. The crew has tried everything to escape this fate, and gave up years of the same week ago. The PCs must find a way to return things to normal and save the crew from an eternity of this single week.

Starfinder Society Special #5-99: Battle for the Bulwark

A Starfinder Society Special designed for 1st- through 8th-level characters (subtiers 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 & 7-8).

The Exo-Guardians faction once maintained an impressive fortress known as Sangoro's Bulwark. Years ago, mysterious forces attacked the bulwark, and the fortress was lost. Now, under the command of Ixthia the Unbreakable, the Starfinder Society launches a massive operation to reclaim Sangoro’s Bulwark, rescue any survivors, and destroy the foul forces that dared take the lives of the Starfinders stationed there. The battle for Sangoro’s Bulwark has begun!

From Our Partners:

Our partners at Archives of Nethys, Demiplane, Fantasy Grounds, Hero Lab Online, and Roll20* are dropping new content this month as well! Buy your PDF on paizo.com to get a discount via the PaizoConnect API. Or pay full price on their platforms, sync your account, and get a complimentary PDF on the Paizo Store.

*Roll20 is no longer a part of PaizoConnect and discounts and complimentary PDFs do not apply.

Pathfinder Remastered Core Collection – Brazilian Portuguese Translation

Our translation partners New Order Editora are currently crowdfunding to translate the remastered Core Rulebooks into Portuguese!

Subscribe Today!

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Guest Blog by Meredith Gerber (she/her) | DriveThruRPG Partner Relations Manager

The Infinite Masters Program with Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite is a group of skilled and incredibly creative individuals. Over the years, the Infinite Masters have provided some of the best-in-class titles to pair with your adventures.

“One of my greatest joys each month is getting to write a blog showcasing the top performing and newest releases on Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite. The Infinite creators have such amazing ideas, and I’m always looking forward to what they’re cooking up next.” –Rue Dickey (they/he/xe) | Marketing & Media Specialist

The Infinite Masters Program is currently by invitation only; DriveThru and Paizo take suggestions from the community about who would be great fits for the program. Infinite Masters offer support to one another, giving suggestions and constructive criticism, and fostering collaboration that has been part of our best sellers in recent years.

“Despite the vast amount of content for Pathfinder and Starfinder we generate at Paizo, our long production timelines and resource limitations mean that we can neither be as nimble or prolific as our community sometimes demands. Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite allow the community to meet their own demands for MOAR! and with much more responsive timelines. Seeing the professional and inspired creations of the Infinite community are a great joy, and provide an incredible amount of encouragement to all of us here at Paizo.” –Mark Moreland (he/him) | Director of Brand Strategy

There is no end to the Infinite community’s imagination; Masters continue to surprise us with every single release. The group has grown since its inception, with new creators invited every few months. They generate some of the coolest content to pair with your Pathfinder and Starfinder adventures and we’re grateful for not only their creativity, but their willingness to be so communicative and open about their hopes about the program.

While this is only a handful of Infinite Masters in this Infinite Masters Spotlight, we hope that you check out all the Infinite Masters and take their incredible releases with you on your next journey!

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Foam and Fortune: Adventures In Soap Scum Cove

“I enjoy writing for Pathfinder Infinite because it allows me to create intricate and immersive products with endless possibilities, engaging both players and GMs with rich storytelling experiences. Paizo's support and diverse products enable me to create varied narratives to explore wide ranging themes, energizing my creativity and passion for writing.” –Tom Robinson (he/him)

Player Core 1 Expanded

“Pathfinder Infinite is a place for me to share my love for the game we play, and its history, with others who might feel the same way. That leads to chances for great collabs like this, where we push each other to expand what it means to be part of a class” –Arkon (he/him)

Ruins of the Enigmatic

“The inclusivity of the Pathfinder Infinite community is a highlight when writing as a Pathfinder Master. Paizo offers a rich world of lore in which to base any campaign not only including Golarion, but the planes and even the gods themselves!” –Simon Hunter (he/him)

Godsrain Contingencies

“The Pathfinder Infinite program started at an interesting time in my life, proving people could enjoy what I wrote, helping with income during some financial straits, and getting on the ground floor of several burgeoning creatives. Writing can be lonely, so I love how we've tried to make a collaborative and uplifting space, and I'm going to continue to try and help—so any of you thinking about it, come in, the water’s fine, we want to support you! The Godsrain Contingencies were inspired by the Godsrain Prophecies released in the lead up to the War of Immortals. I already wished I could do something for the event but knew I had to wait for materials—but then this stellar story by Erin Roberts came out. Weekly I thought, just a little each week and somehow it ballooned into a two-month wild ride of 38 pages. I still can't wait to see what comes next.” –Heleve Savore (she/her)

Together with Elements Archetypes

“I like writing for Pathfinder Infinite because of the supportive community of authors and players. This community is what led to a collaborative project, Together with Elements Archetypes, where several writers have contributed archetypes to bring the power of the elements to all sorts of characters. Everyone's creative strengths shine with support from the community-based writing process that went into this title.” ­W. Brian Lane (he/him)

Combination Weapons Unleashed

“I really enjoy writing and creating content for Infinite since it lets me flex a lot of my creative muscles as I engage in the process of layout editing, drawing art assets for my work, and collaborating with others. Pathfinder 2e is such a huge game that there are tons of ideas just begging to be expanded upon and explored, which is what led me to make many of my products, especially Combination Weapons Unleashed. Opening up more ways to enjoy the game we all love in creatively fulfilling ways is why I continue to create!” –Conner Berkheiser (he/they)

Golarion Unseen: Ancestries

“Pathfinder Infinite gave me an opportunity to contribute to the lore that fascinates me and let others enjoy it as well. My work, Golarion Unseen: Ancestries, is my passion for these four Ancestries coming to the forefront for you all to see.” –John Holmes (he/him)

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We welcome anyone to come create within the Pathfinder Infinite and Starfinder Infinite playground! Infinite Masters are not the only ones allowed to make releases! If you’re ever interested in designing for the program, check out our Get Started article and start making! We will see you on Infinite!

Hail and well met, Pathfinders! Paizo is proud to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI Month)—this May and every May!

A variety of characters from Pathfinder and Starfinder, featuring art by Roena Rosenberger, Raphael Madureira, Klaher Baklaher, Pixoloid Studios, Sammy Khalid, Alexander Nanitchkov, and Gunship Revolution (left to right)

Originally designated “Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week” in 1977, AANHPI Month was codified into the American calendar of holidays and heritage months in 1992. Each year, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) dedicates a new theme for AANHPI Month, giving a focal point to how we celebrate the contributions of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders. The theme of this year’s AANHPI Month is “Advancing Leaders Through Innovation.”

According to the FAPAC press release, this theme “pays homage to the visionaries and trailblazers who have shaped our AANHPI history and continue to influence our collective future.” Anyone can help uplift these current and future leaders by supporting organizations that foster AANHPI creatives, support AANHPI mental health, and provide opportunities to AANHPI youth. The following list is non-exhaustive, but a good start for people looking to volunteer or donate:

• Stop AAPI Hate
• Asian Mental Health Collective
• National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
• Asian American Arts Alliance
• Empowering Pacific Islander Communities

This year, we at Paizo would like to take a moment to spotlight some phenomenal AANHPI creators, reviewers, and streamers in the Paizo sphere! For starters, we’re proud to be sponsoring an all-AANHPI cast stream of Mountain of Sea and Sky, showcasing character options from the upcoming Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide! Catch the stream Saturday, May 25 at 6 p.m. Pacific time on twitch.tv/stellaluna!

Looking for more AANHPI creatives in the TTRPG space to follow? Here’s some community recommendations!

• The Rules Lawyer
• The Gallant Goblin
• Goblets & Gays
• The Atomless
• Unwavering Force
• Asians Represent
• Tablestory - Gatewalkers

A hearty thank-you from all of us here at Paizo to the wonderful AANHPI creatives, players, and community members that help make our worlds brighter and better!

In Solidarity,
Rue Dickey
Marketing & Media Specialist

This encounter serves as a prequel to the Mechageddon! Adventure Path, framed as the player characters (PCs) trying out an arcade game that doubles as a recruitment tool for the elite Daimalkan mech corps known as the New Valor Defense Force. Run this encounter during downtime when the PCs are exploring a space station or city. The PCs might be invited to play through a Valko Derby simulation at an arcade, a recruitment center, a festival, or a resort on Daimalko or anywhere in the galaxy—whatever makes the most sense for your campaign.

Valko Derby — CR (varies)

Valkopods—more often called mech pods in the Pact Worlds—are specialty game consoles found at high-end arcades, military recruitment centers, trade shows, and in the homes of some affluent collectors. The 6-foot half-globe pods are constructed of durable plastics with transparent aluminum and structural steel frames. The pods are programmed to simulate the experience of being in the cockpit of a mech, starship, or other war vehicle. Hyper-realistic terrain and foes generated by the simulation provide a challenge for the operator, and the simulation provides a score based on the operator’s reactions and maneuvers.

Valkpods aren’t just for fun. A form of this technology is used for military training in the Pact Worlds, Veskarium, and on Daimalko, where the tech was initially tested. Networking connections allow many pods to sync simulations for large-scale experiences while the simulated feeds are broadcast to viewing terminals, betting houses, and infosphere sites. Read or paraphrase the following to set the scene.

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Holos blast a hypercolored message above a row of globular arcade cabinets, each large enough for a person of any conceivable anatomy to fit comfortably inside. “Mech pods—Play Now!” The signs repeating flash is accompanied by booming music and the roar of simulated laser cannons. A humanoid pilot dressed in a red and white suit stands outside the massive cabinets. A crowd of excited people bustle around her. “Hey there! Ever ride in a mech before?” She calls. “Now’s your chance. Our sponsor, Apex, installed this set of networked valkopods—you call them mech pods in the Pact Worlds. Apex engineers programmed a special simulation just for today: A demolition derby! Want to play?”

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Art by Denis Medri

Resa "Firefight" Prosst (LN female ifrit) is a decorated pilot. After acing her training, she was promoted quickly to squad leadership and earned a role as DCVG (Deputy Commander Valko Group) of the 3rd Battlegroup of the New Valor Defense Force, a military sworn to protect the city of New Valor from rampaging colossi. She’s not just here for public relations—she’s tasked with recruiting high-scoring players to join up with the NVDF.

On Daimalko, huzkars (the local name for mech pilots) are minor celebrities as well as military personnel. Most Daimalkans regard mech pilots as heroes since many are injured or even perish defending cities from colossi, terrifying monsters that move through populated settlements like unstoppable forces of nature. Without mechs, Daimalko would be unlivable; in fact, the entire planet was decimated by the colossi’s first emergence many years ago. Rebuilding has only been possible because of organizations like the NVDF.

Derby Rules

Once the derby program loads, the PCs find themselves virtually piloting humanoid-shaped Daimalkan mechs within a massive digital stadium divided into zones by glowing markings. Each team begins the match in the goal zone that matches their team’s colors. The PCs are blue and begin in the southern zone. Enemy players’ mechs are red and begin in the northern zone.

As soon as the starting siren sounds, the teams can move around the map and engage their foes. Roll initiative to determine the order in which players and enemies act. Teams score points in two ways. If a mech makes it to the opposing goal, the pilot scores 2 points for their team. If a pilot scores a final blow on an enemy mech (destroying it), they score 4 points for their team. If a mech is destroyed, it cannot score points even if it is already inside the enemy goal, and that player (PC or enemy) is out of the battle for the remainder of the match. During the match, a glowing holographic display above the simulated stadium displays each team’s current score. Once all mechs on one team have been defeated or six rounds have passed, the match ends. The entire field glows in the winning team’s colors as a victory celebration and final scores are displayed.

The Map: This simulation uses the digital side of Starfinder Flip-Mat: Stadium. One square on the map represents 10 feet to accommodate the Huge combatants. The programmed terrain simulates a massive sports arena. Once the match begins, the tiered bleachers are filled with a simulated audience. Any mech that moves into (or is forced into) spaces outside the play area and into the crowd suffers an automatic system failure based on the chart found in Starfinder Tech Revolution page 114. Enemy mechs forced into the crowd are staggered until they return to the play area.

The glowing circle in the middle of the arena temporarily boosts a mech’s movement speed. Whenever a mech begins its turn inside the circle, the mech’s base speed increases by 10 feet.

PCs and Mechs: This encounter is designed for four 1st-level characters. The mech pods are programmed to use simulated representations of dozens of different mechs, but for this program, all players use the same type of mech: the duello class valko. For the duration of the simulation, the PCs’ mechs have blue glowing stripes to differentiate them from their opponents, which are red. If you’d prefer to adapt the simulation for different mech models, the PCs can instead build tier 1 mechs using the rules in Tech Revolution.

The basic duello class mech is detailed below.

Duello Class Valko — Tier 1

Huge skirmisher
Operators 1; PP 1 (2/turn, max 6)
Speed 60 ft.
Senses blindsense (vibration) 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision

DEFENSE
HP 19; SP 5; Hardness 0
EAC 19; KAC 20
Fort +3; Ref +4
Immunities construct immunities

OFFENSE
Base Attack Bonus +8
Melee scythe (upper limb—1d6+5 S)
Ranged laser rifle (frame—1d6+1 F; critical burn), missile battery (frame—1d4+1 F&P)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with scythe)
Strength +4

Creatures: The simulation always pits teams against their each other in even numbers. So, for each PC, one opposing duello mech appears with red glowing stripes inside the opposing goal. The enemy mechs are piloted by other players in their own valkopods networked together with the PC’s valkopods.

As soon as the sirens denote the start of the derby, the two duello opponents on the outside edges of the opposing team run up the sides of the arena. They intend to get to the blue goal as fast as possible and lend fire support to their allies from there. The remaining enemy mechs choose individual targets, focusing on PCs who lead the charge across the arena. They use up as much ammo as possible from a distance before switching to scythes for melee combat. All enemy mechs fight until destroyed.

Red Team Duello Mech — CR 1

XP 400
N Huge construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +5
DEFENSE HP 20

EAC 12; KAC 14
Fort +1; Ref +1; Will -1
Immunities construct immunities

OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft.
Melee scythe +9 (1d6+5 S)
Ranged laser rifle +6 (1d6+1 F; critical burn 1d4) or missile launcher +6 (1d4+1 F&P)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with scythe)

STATISTICS
Str +4; Dex +2; Con -; Int +1; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills Athletics +10, Piloting +5
Languages Common
Other Abilities unliving

Development: If either team moves all surviving mechs into the opposing goal zone, the simulation ends and that team wins. If either team defeats every enemy mech, they win by default. If both teams end the derby with an equal number of combatants in the opposing goal, the simulation resets, allowing all players to return and try again.

When the match ends, the PCs exit their valkopods and notice a crowd watching a holovid of their match. Firefight’s eyes are intent on the screen as she takes notes on a datapad. She gets the PCs’ attention as soon as she notices them.

GREETINGS HUZKAR! YOU HAVE BEEN RECRUITED BY THE NEW VALOR DEFENSE FORCE

Firefight takes note of players who show enthusiasm and skill during the simulated battles. She sees the PCs’ potential and eagerly tries to recruit them. If the PCs beat their opponents, she plays to their egos, praising them and saying that “New Valor needs your help,” or “all of Daimalko is in danger!” If they lost the match, she asks if they’d like another shot at winning, but “for real this time.” She answers the PCs’ questions about her organization, explaining that they’re a military corps who defend the city of New Valor from colossi attacks. They’re based on the distant planet Daimalko (unless the PCs begin this encounter on Daimalko, they’ll need to take a shuttle there for further training). If the PCs are interested in joining, she sets up an appointment for them at a nearby recruiting office where they can fill out formal applications and complete their physical assessment.

VALKO DERBY COMPETITIVE PLAY

If players are interested in using the Valko Derby rules for PVP matches, replace the NPC mechs with even teams of players. If there’s an odd number of players, include an NPC to fill the empty slot.

Map: Firefight specifically programmed this Valko Derby to reference her love of the sport kaijuball, but any map can be holographically recreated for a battle. Throwing in cover and level-appropriate hazards or traps isn’t just an option, it’s encouraged!

Mechs: The duello class valkos are perfect mechs for low-level PCs, but if your players want to customize their own, build mechs appropriate to the average level of the PCs using the rules in Tech Revolution. Both sides should build their mechs with the same amount of Mech Points in their pool and should limit movement to ground based for a fair challenge.

Map by Damien Mammoliti

Welcome! We’re a week out from PaizoCon and you’ve got a whole slate of reveals for new stuff to look forward to: Pathfinder Player Core 2,Pathfinder War of Immortals, Pathfinder Howl of the Wild, the list goes on! But some of you might be looking back thinking, “Sure all this new stuff is great, but I’d really love some updates and clarifications for some of these books I bought right before the remaster started.”

Well, good news! We’ve got a slate of errata for you. Right about now, you should find some new entries over at https://paizo.com/pathfinder/faq for Pathfinder Guns & Gears, Pathfinder Rage of Elements, Pathfinder Lost Omens Firebrands, and Pathfinder Lost Omens Ancestry Guide. I’ll let you read those entries to see the specifics, but some highlights include a broad update in the Ancestry Guide entry for re-standardizing the flight feats of certain ancestries like sprites and strix to bring them more in line with the new standard we’ve set for ancestries with inherent flight following the Remaster. We’ve also got a swath of minor updates to combination weapons to align with the new standard set by the swap function of the Interact action in the Remaster, and some much requested clarifications for Rage of Elements.

This also marks the beginning of a return to normalcy for us following the flurry of activity around the OGL events of last year and the need for us to pivot to the Remaster project and the introduction of the ORC license. With all of that in the rearview mirror and a clear road leading into a bright blue horizon ahead, we’re looking to get back on track for the annual errata cycle we had announced right before those plans got altered. As part of this pivot, we want to set some clear expectations for what the future we’re working toward is going to look like for FAQs and errata.

• Hardcover Rulebooks: This includes books like Player Core, Guns & Gears, Rage of Elements, etc. Our goal for this product line is for it to receive two errata and FAQ cycles per year on an as-needed basis, one in the spring/summer and one in the fall/winter. This current drop is the spring/summer cycle, so you can expect one more errata update before the end of the year!
• Lost Omens Books: This line of books will receive one errata and FAQ update cycle per year on an as-needed basis, coinciding with one of the two hardcover rulebook cycles.
• Adventures: Our Adventure Path line is a monthly periodical and the player content produced in it is intended for use with the associated adventures. The standard for player content presented in adventures is that it is of uncommon or rare rarity and directly tied to the story it is presented with; using this content outside of the associated adventure inherently requires GM review and approval (or appropriate sanctioning for use in Pathfinder Society organized play). We do not currently have any plans at this time to include adventure content in a scheduled errata cycle. We may still do errata around particular reprints, such as when compiling an adventure for a hardcover release.

So, that’s our roadmap for the errata and FAQs going forward! If you’re planning on playing some Pathfinder Society games at PaizoCon, make sure to check for any updates your character might have received!

Catch you next time!

Michael Sayre
Design Manager

Guest Blog by Meredith Gerber (she/her), DriveThruRPG Partner Relations Manager

For PaizoCon this year, we wanted to invite the community to a Micro Game Jam. We received over 20+ submissions, all from different levels of creators from first-timers to Infinite Veterans! These two-page submissions offer a ton of variety inspired by PaizoCon 2024’s theme of Educate, Entertain, and Inspire.

You can check out ALL the titles here!

If you’re like me and want to learn about all 20+ titles, we have included them in this blog to give you a quick glimpse of each title! These titles are in order of submission. We hope that you enjoy these and use them in your games at PaizoCon 2024 (and beyond!)

I Don't Wanna Be a Pirate, But I Cannae Pay the Bucks, and I Need a Duck

Created by: Druid GM Designs

This is a quick-start guide to using iNaturalist, a citizen science nature website, to find images of animals, plants, and the like for use in gaming. Applicable to players, GMs, and publishers.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/473321/I-Dont-Wanna-Be-a-Pirate-But-I-Cannae-Pay-the-Bucks-and-I-Need-a-Duck

Vaudevillian Muse Bard

Created by: Ian Speidel

Most people take life too seriously, and you want to change that. Your muse may be a great comedian, someone who can effortlessly lift the spirits of those around them, or even the concept of humor itself. Art inspired by a vaudevillian muse is often absurdist and irreverent, though it can also contain biting satire or scathing criticism of the powers that be.

As a bard with a vaudevillian muse, you support your allies by lifting their spirits and combat adversaries with lighthearted antics.

This new muse adds seven new feats allow you to make pratfalls, modify casting certain spells, and find hilarious new ways to mock your enemies while the three new focus spells will really leave your foes with pie on their faces!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/476767/Vaudevillian-Muse-Bard

Numerologist

Created by: gameipedia

If you know what this is you are probably crying tears of anguish or joy, if you dont know what this is, I'm sorry.

Numerologist is a class archetype for Pathfinder 2e made for the PaizoCon 2024 Game Jam with the theme of Educate, Entertain, and Inspire!

It will Educate you on prime numbers, Entertain your friends with your ability to (hopefully) do quick math, and Inspire your GM's nightmares!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/477416/Numerologist

Dacilane Academy Teacher's Handbook

Created By: Minty Belmont, Sasha Laranoa Harving

Study the surreal and educate the adventurous at Dacilane Academy! Featuring skill feats perfect for teachers, a magus hybrid study for those pulling from the ethereal, a wizard arcane school suited to educate and inspire, and ranger feats for those who seek to take down troublesome proteans, this Pathfinder 2nd Edition product is perfect for characters new and old.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/477439/Dacilane-Academy-Teachers-Handbook

World Renditions

Created By: Iris Gormless, Joshua T

Beneath all worldly processes is a steady, beating rhythm; all bards know this, but few truly feel the pull of inspiration to explore the fundamentals of their magical knowledge to greater breadths. Within are a duo of unconventional muses inspired by breadths of real-world cultures, that might push your Bard to take their art in strange new directions;

• The Mute Muse, a mourner that divests others of their sorrows whilst also plunging their opponents into eternal repose.
• The Phenomenon Muse, a naturalist that invokes the energies that move in the earth and on the wind.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/477938/World-Renditions

Flumph Gate! -or- Undulations across the Infonet!

Created by: Joseph fox

In celebration of Paizocon 2024, here is the means to introduce the setting's original inspirational entertaining educators into the future that they never meant to happen.

This single page PDF is designed to print out and slip into any GM's binder for a dangerous rainy day and includes:

• a monster stat block representing a typical flumph that can be easily augmented with class templates into a wide variety of NPCs!
• stats for allowing players to create a flumph PC of their own!
• two potential plot hooks to introduce flumph into a campaign set in space or planetside!
• VTT token artwork!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/478290/Flumph-Gate-or-Undulations-across-the-Infonet

The Goblin Gog Crawl

Created by: Elise Cretel

The Goblin Grog Crawl is a 2-page mini adventure created as part of the PaizoCon 2024 Game Jam! Get ready to steal, brawl, make deals, or sweet talk your way into reclaiming goblin loot at the Tipsy Tavern, The Dragon Roost, and other pubs frequented by humans! You don't have to be a goblin to go on the grog crawl and drink a little troll swill!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/478679/The-Goblin-Grog-Crawl

Remembrance

Created by: Vishesh Bhartiya

Remembrance is an adventure outline for 5th-level characters where the PCs explore the memories of a former Steward Director, experiencing first-hand his early years, his service during the Swarm invasion, and his later days in office. Also contained within is a brief look at the mechanics of the Sensorium, the technomagical device used to traverse memories.

This outline draws upon the lore found in the Starfinder Core Ruleboook, Pact Worlds and Near Space books, as well as rules and aliens found in the Alien Archives and Attack of the Swarm adventure path.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/478708/Remembrance

The Caring Necromancer

Created By: Jared Thaler

Not all necromancers view their undead minions as disposable cannon fodder. Some view their creations as works of art, others view them as the closest thing they will ever have to children, and some just can’t stand the inefficiency of constantly having to restock their forces with fresh corpses. Whatever their reasons, caring necromancers need magic that goes beyond the mere raising of corpses.

This One Page Ruleset contains 8 new spells that GMs can use to flesh out their NPCs and give them a little personality or Players can use to keep their undead friends safe or patch them up when they get hurt.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/478895/The-Caring-Necromancer

Way of the Gunsmith

Created by: Daniel Vitti, Arcanum Press

The Way of the Gunsmith is a new Gunslinger Way granting a series of deeds and access to new feats available to a Gunslinger character in the Pathfinder 2e RPG. The Gunslinger is described in the Guns & Gears sourcebook.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/478869/Way-of-the-Gunsmith

Teacher Archetype

Created by: Sam Striker

A support archetype allowing a character to teach their allies skills and techniques, including weapon proficiency and spells! Works well with martial, spellcasting, and skill-focused classes. Inspired by the author's experiences as a teacher!

Complete archetype for Pathfinder 2nd edition, with 10 feats (plus dedication) and access to 5 feats from outside the archetype.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/478995/Teacher-Archetype

Focused Aptitude: Unarmed Mastery

Created by: Ruka Amick

Created for the PaizoCon 2024 Game Jam under the theme "Educate! Entertain! Inspire!'' This short 2-page supplement gives you a selection of unarmed focused options focused on the classes in Player Core, but includes options for characters all all walks of life - so long as they like to punch (or claw, or tail-swipe) people.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/478997/Focused-Aptitude-Unarmed-Mastery

A Breath of Cordite

Created by: Kate Tremaine

Hired to provide support on a milk run through the pirate-infested waters of the Shackles, the PCs come face to face with a new but feared pirate in Jessina Alousin and her vessel, the Groaning Phoenix. The Phoenix is rumored to hold a magical secret that lets her sail in any way she pleases, even into the wind. Duel fierce boarders, cross swords with the Dark Fate herself, and discover the secret hidden in the lowest hold of the Groaning Phoenix in A Breath of Cordite!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479074/A-Breath-of-Cordite

Ashrah's Abandons : Melodrama Bard Muse

Created by: Kathrin Garcia

A new bard muse focusing on the epic and dramatic! with abilities like Temper the crowd allowing you to potentially lower and even cancel critical strikes against your allies!

This was intended for "Educate, Entertain, Inspire!" Game Jam done for PaizoCon 2024! my first game jam AND Pathfinder infinite product so I hope you enjoy!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479145/Ashrahs-Abandons--Melodrama-Bard-Muse

To Learn or Not to Learn

Created by: Luc Dumain

Always wanted to learn a few more languages?

To master one specific weapon?

To get that one fun class feat from level one but that you really can't afford to sacrifice a feat for it?

Then here comes the Learning subsystem! A simple system that can be applied to any character wishing to learn more abilities: Languages, Skills, Skill Feats, Lores and even Class Feats!

Be it with the help of a teacher, or a book, or simply by yourself... Learn more! Do more! And have fun!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479153/To-Learn-or-not-to-Learn

Chronicler: A Bard Archetype

Created by: B.D. Anderson

Do you wish that your Bards were a little less charismatic and more of an intellectual? Do you love telling stories about your adventures with other players? Or do you like just info dumping all the cool lore you know about a setting with the thinly held pretext of it being in character?

The Chronicler Bard is for you!

This Class Archetype changes out your charisma and perfomance based abilities for a focus on intelligence and storytelling. Supported with eight brand new feats to help you weave your tale alongside your new storytelling assistant.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479222/Chronicler-A-Bard-Archetype

Educate, Entertain, Inspire! The Art of Monster Channeling

Created by: Kevin Glusing

Give yourself a reason to use the monster books usually reserved for the GM!

Educate: With the monster channeler archetype, you can learn new abilities from the monsters you battle, then turn them against your next, unsuspecting enemy.

Entertain: Gain access to an entirely new collection of options you may have never used otherwise as a player.

Inspire: Plan ahead with your GM, or find exciting new twists on abilities as you select your favorites to keep long after your enemy is defeated.

Included in the 2 pages

• The monster channeler archetype
• 7 new feats
• A list of sample adaptations you can gain from Monster Core monsters

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479229/Educate-Entertain-Inspire-The-Art-of-Monster-Channeling

The Trial of the Muse

Created By: Wyatt Stevens

The festival of the muses is the most exciting time of the year for the town of Fugue and the Bard College of the Four Muses as they host a legendary musical festival for all to join in. This year will be more exciting than most as the doors to the inner sanctum of the muses have once again opened. What trials will await our adventures and what will they learn in The Trial of the Muses.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479231/The-Trial-of-the-Muse

Erudition Duet Archetype

Created By: Tan Jim Son

Made for the Educate, Entertain, Inspire! one-page game jam.

Establish a mentor and pupil relationship, an erudition duet that learns and grows each step together. As you traverse this path you will teach each other new skills, cultivate teamwork and enable combination attacks.

https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479289/Erudition-Duet-Archetype

Roving Intern Archetype

Created by: Helen Savore

Sometimes when you set forth on an adventure you’ve already had a lifetime of experience, are world weary, and simply know this is what you must do. But for others, they’re on the road to learn. A real frontier education. The Roving Intern Archetype is 14 feats of learning features from your party, aiding them in return, and generally accumulating knowledge.

• Don’t forget the Beverage Runs
• Benefit from a Broad Grasp on topics
• Be shown Like This from your mentors

Comes with Pathbuilder and Foundry Integration.

Part of the PaizoCon 2024 Game Jam - Educate, Entertain, Inspire!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479314/Roving-Intern-Archetype

The Aetherial Loom

Created by: Wim De Hert

Fabled, yet known only by the initiated few, the Aetherial Loom is a legendary artefact. It consists of three key elements: the Loom itself, the Weaver, and the Shuttle. The Loom spins the threads of existence out of nothingness, these threads are passed on to the Weaver, who defines the patterns and structures into which the fates align, using the Shuttle, which through the inevitability of time finds its way through the weave.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479155/The-Aetherial-Loom

Elementary, My Dear Acadame

Created By: Evelyn Hannon, Astride "Dr Umbrus" Couillaux

Professor Janius of the Acadamae, nervous about today's demonstration of their special arcana altar designed to draw elementals from different planes to the Universe, has asked for the assistance of students - and well paid adventurers - to come and assist them and make sure nothing bad happens. What could go wrong? A roar filled adventure for four 3rd level characters.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479336/Elementary-My-Dear-Acadame

Legacy of the Storm Serpent

Created by: Max Forrest

Follow in the footsteps of the illustrious Storm Serpent to learn the secrets of her long-lost fighting style. This supplement includes feats for Monk characters who pursue the Storm Serpent Style and a ritual for devout followers of the divine.

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479359/Legacy-of-the-Storm-Serpent

A Coven's Brilliant Predicament

Created by: Kate Tremaine

Relaxing in a tavern after a long day, the PCs are asked for help by a citizen of the town. A coven led by several local witches has experienced some troubling accusations and is calling to a small group of skilled visitors for help.

Or are they perhaps just looking for a convenient scapegoat...

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479368/A-Covens-Brilliant-Predicament

The Magic of Boolean Algebra

Created By: Patrick Starrin

Educational puzzles that teach Boolean algebra, a branch of math fundamental to computer programming and digital electronics. Players and GMs alike can learn a valuable STEM skill while playing their favorite tabletop RPG!

Link: https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/product/479372/The-Magic-of-Boolean-Algebra

Hello Starfinders!
PaizoCon Online 2024 is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to usher in a new season of the Starfinder Society! Welcome to the Year of Era’s End!

Under the watchful eye of newly elected First Seeker Sarmak, the Starfinder Society embarks on an archaeological expedition to Eternity, an ancient and mysterious city of the First Ones on the planet Aballon. Using a relic known as the Eternity Drive, the Starfinders launch initial explorations, uncover long-forgotten information about the First Ones, and clash with a violent faction of anacites named Those Who Call.

Starfinder Society Scenario #7-01: Intro: Year of Era’s End is a repeatable scenario for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Letterio Mammoliti! This is the first of three metaplot scenarios in the Year of Era’s End!

Meanwhile, news breaks across the infosphere that Zo (the city) and Zo! (the bombastic undead media mogul) are finally going to put an end to their ongoing feud! Long embroiled in a legal dispute over their shared name, both parties have agreed to a trial on the planet of Traixus to put the matter to rest for good. Ever ready to create a spectacle, Zo! hosts a competition to determine who has the right to represent him in the trial. The winner? You, of course! Make your case to the jury, ready your counterargument, participate in a trial by combat against a team of crack combat lawyers, and smile for the camera in the live broadcast of the decade! Oh, and get ready to shout ‘objection!’ I know I would!

Starfinder Society Scenario #7-02: Zo! vs. Zo is a delightfully over-the-top adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Jenny Jarzabski!

Illustrations by Fabio Di Bernardi and Lucas Fernando

For those of you who’ll be participating in PaizoCon Online 2024, we’ve got one more adventure hitting gaming tables this month: Starfinder Society Special #6-99: The End Awakens! Join a team of rookie Starfinders tasked with performing routine surveys on a newly discovered planet that the expedition’s leader, Palivhar Chooser of Hues, believes is Krethiskar, a “missing” planet from the Szandite Collective. Unfortunately for the Starfinders, something’s hibernating on Krethiskar, and it’s about to awaken!

Written by Joseph Blomquist and Mike Kimmel, this interactive special is designed for 1st- through 4th-level characters. For further previews, check out our previous blog post on this year’s Organized Play Interactive Events.

I wish you all the best in escaping Krethiskar alive!

Take care, everyone! Happy gaming!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

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Greetings Pathfinders!

This month we’re heading out west, with one scenario set in Kaer Maga, a place we haven’t been for some time, and another off the coast in waters near the Ironbound Archipelago.

To start off, it seems poorer citizens of Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers, have been going missing, and while many think they've simply left to emigrate to New Thassilon, a purported haven for outcasts, an independent journalist, Nellie Bow, feels that there's something unsavory going on. She’s found her investigation hampered by rumors spread by an unknown party. Without any other options, she's turned to the Pathfinder Society. It’ll be up to you to figure out what’s going on, and put a stop to anyone taking advantage of any desperate dreamers in the City of Strangers.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-16: A Lie Told to Strangers is dark mystery adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Alison Cybe.

Left to right: illustrations by Allan Santos da Silva and Andrea Tentori Montalto.

Meanwhile, our next scenario has its roots beginning years ago, with the return of Xin Edasseril from its exile outside of time. A ship off the coast of the reappearing city was somehow caught up in the eddies of released time. Though it’s been years, rumors have slowly spread and the Pathfinder Society has heard reports of a ship sighted over and over, apparently following the same path before vanishing each week. This is that same unfortunate ship. It seems it is somehow stuck in time, repeating the same week over and over. The crew has tried everything to escape this fate, and gave up years of the same week ago. You must find a way to return things to normal and save the crew from an eternity of this single week.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-17: Stranded on Yesterday’s Tide is an adventure featuring themes of cosmic horror for 1st- through 4th-level PCs written by Bill Fischer, one of our new developers on the Narrative team.

Have an excellent May, and I hope we see you all online at PaizoCon!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Just north of the coastal lumber town of Otari lie the swampy reaches of Fogfen, a mire nestled in the depths of a seaside forest that would have had a notorious reputation for being the dangerous haunt of monsters even without the presence of the looming tower known as Gauntlight. At first glance simply a lighthouse, the tower stands amid a ruined fortress, its heights looking out over the tree line at the coastline and town to the south. To those passing by, its position in a landlocked swamp is curious, even nonsensical, but its light’s sinister use is not for the guiding of ships through troubled waters.

For where Gauntlight shines, the monsters rise.

Of course, those who have played through Pathfinder’s Abomination Vaults Adventure Path already know the secrets that lie within the mysterious Gauntlight and have explored the sprawling dungeons that wait below its ruins—the eponymous Abomination Vaults. These dangers, mysteries, treasures, and secrets shall now be revealed to a new category of hero, however: those built for the fifth edition of the world’s oldest roleplaying game!

This new hardcover edition of the classic Abomination Vaults Adventure Path has been rebuilt to take full advantage of the 5E ruleset, giving players an entire megadungeon to explore alongside a richly realized local town to live in. Be it as a resident or visitor, defend Otari against the rising tide of monstrous threats soon to emerge from the dark labyrinth below! There’s enough content within this product’s pages to bring a party of 1st-level adventurers all the way up to 11th-level, with dozens of strange new monsters, mysterious legends, powerful treasures, and unguessed-at legacies to encounter along the way!

Your latest 5E campaign is here. Will your heroes be able to stand against the sinister forces of the Abomination Vaults, or will Gauntlight simply shine upon their graves?

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Narrative Creative Director

The Mechageddon! Adventure Path tells the story of the New Valor Defense Force, a group of brave mech pilots who battle massive monsters to defend their city on the wasteland planet, Daimalko. The players take on the role of new recruits looking to join up and become heroes. As the player characters (PCs) complete missions defending New Valor, their reputation grows. They become local heroes, then galactic celebrities! Eventually, they gain permission to take on exciting offworld missions from wealthy sponsors. But while the heroes are enjoying the perks of fame, an ancient doomsday clock ticks down to disaster back home… unless they can stop it!

RAPTOR

Commander Vadien “Raptor” Wano (LN male damai soldier) acts as commanding officer for the PCs and Tempest Squadron during their training and throughout their careers as huzkars—the Daimalkan name for a mech pilot or operator. Raptor is a seasoned huzkar, having piloted his mech against colossi and on mercenary missions in local systems. He was one of the first pilots selected for the launch of the program that became the New Valor Defense Force. Raptor is one of eight huzkars who fought every skirmish in the Month of Fire campaign and survived.

THE ENEMY

Daimalko has been under attack by colossi—the Daimalkan name for kaiju, or giant monsters—for generations since the Awakening devastated the planet. Colossi come in a variety of forms, some more vicious and destructive than others. Recently, there seem to be more frequent attacks; something is causing aggressive behaviors to increase across species of colossi. Perhaps finding the cause will give your heroes an upper hand in the battle to save Daimalko?

THE TECH

But Raptor doesn’t expect you to fight alone! Throughout this campaign, you level up two characters: your hero and your mech—known on Daimalko as a valko! Eventually, you might add a starship form to that list. Most encounters inMechageddon! are designed for mechs, but there are plenty of opportunities to show off your pilot’s abilities, too.

Everyone begins with a basic mech, choosing one of the lynkor models provided by the NVDF or a fully custom version if you prefer. Check out the Mechageddon! Player’s Guide for more information about creating a hero, choosing a mech, and picking a callsign and squad name!

Starfinder: Mechageddon! is a high-octane epic telling the story of our heroes (and their mechs!) as they battle monsters and help rebuild a broken world. This hardbound adventure path takes PCs from 3^rd to 18^th level with bonus content—side jobs, adventure seeds, and more—to customize and extend your story.

Get Starfinder: Mechageddon! in PDF, standard hardcover edition, or faux leatherette bound Special Edition. Starfinder: Mechageddon! is also part of the Starfinder Adventure Path Subscription. Mechgeddon! features the mech combat rules introduced in Starfinder Tech Revolution, available in hardcover or PDF.

Hiya, Starfinders! It’s Jenny Jarzabski, Starfinder Senior Developer and Sparkly Space Princess. It’s no secret that Mechageddon! was my dream project, but I’m not the only one who feels that way. A group of amazing authors teamed up to make this project a reality, much like the squad of mech pilots you’ll be playing in your Mechageddon! campaign. What we created together is special not just because of its epic story, unforgettable characters, gorgeous art, high CR encounters, and new rules content; it’s special because the whole team is so passionate about Mechageddon! and poured their hearts and souls into its creation.

This passion was evident in the extracurricular hangouts, playtests, and planning meetings the authors scheduled with and without me. To prepare for the writing phase, the writing team got together for a few movie nights. We watched a lot of epic anime and cheesy 80s movies, bonding over our shared passion for mecha media. It was important to us to highlight certain tropes and themes, and our time together created synergy between the adventures and backmatter articles. But don’t worry, Mechageddon!isn’t all anime sparkles and action movie schlock. (Not 100%, anyway.) The authors each brought their own perspectives to the project, pulling inspiration from their lived experiences, favorite media, and more.

On the surface, a tabletop campaign like Mechageddon! is a fun way to pass the time playing a game with your friends. But for many of us, it’s also a way to escape our problems and worries for a few hours. The magic of tabletop storytelling is that it can be a way to explore our dreams, desires, and fears in a safe setting, or a way to play out scenarios that imagine better worlds or tell cautionary tales of timelines gone wrong. In that respect, Mechageddon! can be whatever you want it to be, but here’s what it means to us.

Art by Miguel Regodón Harkness

Joseph Blomquist (he/him)
Adventure 1 Author

I was ten years old, the ideal age for mecha indoctrination, when Robotech hit American shores. Sure, I’d already enjoyed Americanized anime in Battle of the Planets, Voltron, and Tranzor Z, but Robotech was different. For the first time, there was character-driven, dramatic storytelling in an animated show about alien attacks and giant robot combat, and halfway through the first season, my favorite character died! This was a big change for cartoons in the states, and I was sold—hook, line, and sinker.

From there, my media interests changed. I immersed myself in the anime that were the basis of Robotech: Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, Genesis Climber Mospeada, and most importantly, Super Dimension Fortress Macross. My interests grew to encompass the Fang of the Sun Dougram and Gundam. While my friends identified with their heroes from He-man, GI Joe, and Thundercats, my tastes involved giant robots piloted by the types of heroes that propaganda movies could be made about. And don’t even get me started on kaiju!

My interest in games followed suit with a love of BattleTech, Mekton, and Heavy Gear taking up a great deal of my playtime. So, when my D20-based RPG of choice began building towards mecha stories, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. But I was lucky; I’d already written for Starfinder, and I had been running games for Paizo Organized Play since the beginning—I was a known quantity. Regardless, when Jenny asked if I would be interested in contributing to the project, there was nothing that could have kept me away.

Mechageddon! is one of the most fun projects I could ever have hoped to be a part of. For “research,” I watched a lot of movies, like Pacific Rim and Robot Jox, in addition to diving deep into some of the anime I’d missed over the years—especially the later Macross stuff (oh, how I missed you, Macross). There was a timely renewed interest in BattleTech, Heavy Gear got a new edition, and I had the opportunity to seed some of the tropes and brilliance of the shows I loved into my writing.

Mechageddon! is a love letter to the anime, films, and media that came before it. The adventure is full of dramatic moments and enough giant robot combat to whet any appetite. It’s an adventure where the people you meet matter and where encounters are harrowing and full of meaning, dropping hints and plot points for the future. It’s like no Adventure Path you’ve seen before. For my part, I worked alongside two of the best authors in the Paizosphere, and the three of us even met outside of our shared server to put together something of a story bible to inform our tale that could seed dozens more adventures! I envy you, fearless reader, for the journey you will get to experience and the stories you will tell.

Until that day, New Valor stands!

Oh, and I can be found rarely ever writing on my blog, or on social media under the name DoctorMono.

Dennis Muldoon (he/him)
Adventure 2 Author

Mechaggedon! Oh, what a joy! Over the last few years, I’ve written for nearly every line Paizo publishes, but this is without a doubt the biggest, most challenging, and most exciting project I’ve ever worked on. I love how Starfinder allows us to tell so many different types of stories, and the mech rules are one of my favorite tools in the GM toolbox. My own love for mechs dates to my childhood watching Transformers, Voltron, and of course, that seminal classic, Robot Jox.

For Mechaggedon!, I wrote the middle volume, the space where the plucky heroes get to catch their breath after the initial rush, take stock of their new careers as mech pilots and heroes of New Valor, and find their place in the wider universe. What could go wrong? This volume presents the players with choices to make, opportunities to build relationships and earn allies, and space to truly make their mechs their own. I’m particularly proud of the variety of missions presented in this volume, as they draw inspiration from sources ranging from space operas to westerns to real-world corporate labor politics, before ultimately tying together to lead to something bigger. I can’t wait for you all to play it!

Rigby Bendele (they/them)
Adventure 3 Author

I wish I could sit down and tell you every little detail I included in my volume of Mechageddon! However, since I wrote the final book, that mean sharing major spoilers for the plot. Since I can't do that, I'd instead talk about my inspirations!

Devilman is one of the most influential works of art I've ever experienced. It is also deeply weird and even unenjoyable at points, with a complex lore and timeline that honestly hurts my head to think about too much. For my adventure, I drew much on what I found meaningful about Devilman, from its corruption narratives, to the feelings of apocalypse it conveys, to downright weird demon designs. Mechageddon! (at least my section) is also deeply informed by my experience as a queer person, my relationship to religion, and the strange ways that religion might function in a world where you could meet many of the gods. My volume is in part about trying to fight an apocalypse you don't want to be in, but also about what it means to want love from a god who will never love you back. In that way, it's also about work, and about how many people believe that a job you love can never love you back.

Mech stories are also tied into stories about bodies. I finished writing Mechageddon! the day before I underwent gender-affirming surgery. In my section, there's many kinds of bodies and relationships to them: kaiju bodies, bodies that have changed (positive), bodies that have changed (negative), big robot bodies, and more. You also may be thinking, "Wow, Rigby, that's doing a lot!" Well, yes—but this adventure is also a deep dive into the mech genre and will be hopefully played across hundreds of hours with your friends. Many of these things end up naturally intertwined. The demands on the body are often the demands of capitalism, or the demands of patriarchy, or the interpolation of white supremacy into our own desires.

Okay, okay, that's the big philosophy. It's also about punching demons while being in a mech suit, the relationship you have with other pilots, and saving the world! The point is this: it’s going to be fun,it's going to be big, and it's going to be a story you'll remember!

Kate Baker (she/her)
Contributing Author

Hello! I’m Kate Baker, and I can’t wait for you to experience Mechageddon! I couldn’t resist contributing to an Adventure Path that lets the PCs run around in giant mechs. What could be better? I enjoyed watching Pacific Rim, Robot Jox, and even the dubious Robot Wars (on MST3k) to get inspiration. I worked on backmatter, creating both a mech that you’ll encounter and a Side Job you can go do for some extra cash. Just don’t forget to bring your mechs! You can follow more about what I’m up to on BlueSky at @katebakerGM. 

Anthony Dollinger (he/him)
Contributing Author

Mechs are rad.Anyone who’s known me for any amount of time knows that I am a mecha fan, so taking part in Mechageddon! was an opportunity I immediately jumped at. I can distinctly remember walking into a bookstore in New Orleans in 1995, seeing this cool mech book on the shelf, and realizing that MechWarrior was more than just a one-off of the distant past. Many years later, a resurgent Macross’ newest series helped to remind me that everyone loves giant robots no matter what flavor they come in. They have a magic to them that can be used to tell unique stories and lift spirits. In that way, Mechageddon! was something of a dream come true to work on, especially as I was able to design new mechs and had the opportunity to bring the city of New Valor to life. I hope that what we’ve put together can lift your spirits, wherever you are, and help you to remember love as you strive to defend New Valor.

Mikko Kallio (he/him)
Contributing Author

Hey there! I'm Mikko, a cloud architect by day and a game designer when the stars come out. My journey as a Paizo freelancer began in 2014, and since then, I've left my creative mark on around 50 fantastic products. For Mechageddon!, I wrote a Side Job in which you and your trusty mechs venture to a planet of dinosaurs. Get ready for high-speed thrills, breathtaking views of wind-kissed hills, steamy jungles, and fiery volcanoes, plus a hearty dose of head-banging riffs courtesy of Abysshead—the undisputed overlords of the Pact Worlds music scene. Hope you have a blast playing it!

My fascination with mechs and towering robots goes way back. My earliest influences came from shows like Power Rangers and Transformers, and who could forget that iconic moment when Ellen Ripley hops into a power loader and takes on a xenomorph queen? Legendary stuff. A newer fascination of mine is Scythe, a world that seamlessly weaves diesel-punk mechs into a reimagined 1920s setting.

Let me wrap up with a story. Flashback to 2017, when Paizo presented me with an intriguing challenge: writing an interactive special named Assault on Absalom for the Pathfinder Society. One of the missions in that adventure involved unearthing an ancient weapon, and my imagination was on fire. What if this weapon took the form of a gargantuan construct? What if the players could pilot it, controlling distinct limbs and weapons? And so, Gulgamodh emerged—a sentinel that dutifully guarded Absalom and perhaps inspired the seeds of future mech wonders.

Chris Wasko (he/him)
Contributing Author

I had a ton of fun writing an alien, a mech, and a Side Job for Mechageddon! The first came easily after I found a video of a starfish walking along the beach. The creature's form was so familiar and yet so alien, so I thought of how I'd stat it if I turned it upside down and made it mech-sized. Considering its environment reminded me of the long history of otyughs as both violent monsters and a source of curious social encounters, a perfect fit for my armored junkyard behemoth. The latter two took some time, and ultimately became homages to my online Roll20 campaigns that withered as life got complicated.

My Mummy's Mask campaign fell off right after Book 5, when the PCs encountered the flying pyramids of ancient Osirion. Not having those mythical structures as some form of airborne vehicle in the Starfinder setting's distant future struck me as a ripe design space, especially for a book about mechs. Meanwhile, my Fly Free or Die campaign wound down in the middle of my own installment, Crash and Burn. The party was composed of eight people with variable schedules that usually led to split sessions of four PCs each, so I would write concurrent homebrew adventures alongside the published content so the two groups could swap stories offline. One of those original adventures involved an ecological mission to Osoro to study the irokirois, one of my favorite Alien Archive creatures, which I adapted into what appears in Mechageddon! I hope you enjoy our work!

Nick Wasko (he/him) and K. Fox (they/them)
Contributing Authors

Nick and Fox have been writing together since Nick Wasko won Paizo's RPG Superstar Season 9 contest. Nick inspired Fox's interest in Pathfinder and Starfinder, and together they enjoyed creating new mechs for this Adventure Path. Nick and Fox drew upon their backgrounds in health care for the idea of the Hecatomb, which draws upon the operator's life force to function. High-level characters have plenty of health, so sacrificing hit points to power a mech made a better thematic and mechanical fit for a high-risk, high-reward playstyle among low-level players.

Meanwhile, the Terrotodile started out as a thought experiment for mechs designed for purposes other than combat. Its original intent was to protect laborers mining for resources, but like so many inventions meant for the betterment of society, it was repurposed for battle. Nick and Fox enjoyed this opportunity to explore a departure from the high-powered war machines often seen in this genre. Since they’ve recently struggled to make time for tabletop gaming, they are especially excited for the opportunity to contribute to this project. You can find more of Nick's work with Paizo here, or his academic writing here. For more of Fox's innovations outside of tabletop gaming, check out their adaptive clothing designs.

(Jenny’s Note: DO IT! The fits are super cute AND MOST OF THEM HAVE POCKETS!!!!)

Diego Valdez (he/him)
Contributing Author

I’ve always enjoyed robots and mechs. I’ve been a huge Transformers fan since I was small, and I regularly build Gundam models (as well as watch the shows), so creating a mech was an opportunity I was excited for. I wanted to make something a little more unique, different from a robot with a theme. One of the best toy lines on the market, in my opinion, are the Diaclone Reboot figures. They’re super modular, so it’s easy to swap parts and make your own creations. I really like that, so I wondered: What if I could do that for a Starfinder mech? With that, the Mobile Disunion was born. Just like the Diaclone Reboot figures, the Mobile Disunion can be customized by players and their characters. Swap out the legs, the arms, the head—whatever you want! Like with a Transformer, you can even change the configurations in combat. I hope everyone enjoys playing with the Mobile Disunion as much as I enjoyed creating it (and playing with some of my toys while I did)!

Jenny Jarzabski (she/her/xe/xem)
Narrative Lead and Contributing Author

Mechageddon! is a love letter to one of my favorite things in all the universe: mechs. But you knew that. Now listen up, because I’m about to tell you a secret! I wasn’t really into mechs growing up. I know, I know; it’s SACRILEGE! But listen, the mecha media in the United States at that time targeted a more masc audience, and I was more of a princesses and ponies type of kid. If Sailor Moon had summoned a sparkly mech and fired its moon tiara magic laser, I would’ve been all in, but alas, that wasn’t on offer at the time. It wasn’t until much later in life that I discovered the joy of mechs that transform and power up to catchy music using the power of friendship.

One day a friend showed me a video clip from what would become my favorite mecha anime, Macross Delta. In the video, a group of magical girls team up with military mech pilots to defend a city from an alien attack, and they do it by singing. I desperately wanted more context for this video, so I dove into the show headfirst. Fast-forward to now: I’ve become a Macrosssuperfan, a player of MechWarrior, a builder of model kits, and an all-around mecha enjoyer. 

What really draws me to mechs, though? First and foremost, mecha as a concept is inherently both badass and ridiculous, and there’s as many wonderfully absurd gems out there as there are epic, grimdark treatises on the realities of war and the nature of humanity. But I’ve identified some themes most mecha media shares, regardless of where they fall on the spectrum from military drama to super sentai. I’m inspired by these themes of friendship, loyalty, courage, and hope in the face of doom. And who among us wouldn’t hop into a gigantic robot and help their friends save the world if they had the chance?

Now’s your chance!

I should clarify that we’re not actually saving the world, but that we are going to save a planet in a TTRPG adventure. And for the record, while saving the real world isn’t part of this campaign, I encourage you to do your best at that, too.

From all of us on the writing team, we truly hope you enjoy the book we made for you! Use it well.

Hello, Pathfinders and Starfinders! We hope you’re all excited for PaizoCon Online in just a few weeks, but we’re here today to talk about another event. Gen Con 2024 is taking place August 1-4 in Indianapolis and, as always, we’ll be out in force to bring the games to you!

Signups for all Gen Con events open on Sunday, May 19 at noon Eastern time, and based on past years, tickets to our events will sell out fast. We don’t want you to miss out, so today we’re taking the time to highlight some of our most exciting events so you can wishlist them if you so choose! If you have general questions about registering for events at Gen Con, please visit their website.

Programming

We’ve got a handful of exciting on-site panels and live shows happening at Gen Con this year! For folks who can’t attend, these live events will be recorded and uploaded onto our YouTube channel after Gen Con.

A Drift Through Space-Time—Starfinder Second Edition Playtest Live Show
Thursday, Aug 1st at 2:00pm EST
Thurston Hillman, Creative Director of Starfinder, leads a party of Pathfinder AND Starfinder Second Edition heroes through an adventure that crosses the boundaries of space, time, and magic.

Starfinder Second Edition Roadmap Panel
Friday, Aug 2nd at 1pm EST
Join the Starfinder development team for a journey through the cosmos and a look into the future! This panel will reveal upcoming products in the Starfinder line as we embark on the exciting journey of Starfinder Second Edition!

Playtest Makes Perfect (What Makes a Good Playtest) Panel
Saturday, Aug 3rd at 2pm EST
As we kickoff the Starfinder Playtest, the Starfinder development team presents a panel about what makes a good playtest! This panel will discuss how playtest rulebooks differ from standard releases, what makes for good playtest feedback, and how to get more involved.

On top of these on-site panels and events, Paizo will also be hosting a handful of panels on twitch.tv/officialpaizo. Be on the lookout for a virtual programming schedule closer to the con, as we finalize dates and times for the streams!

Gaming

As always, all our gaming will take place in the Sagamore Ballroom! We’ve expanded our space from the previous few years, allowing us to squeeze in more game tables, a character creation station, a VTT demo area, and even a satellite booth!

You can view all our gaming offerings at this link. Here are some of our featured spotlight events!

Pathfinder Second Edition

At Gen Con, we’ll be closing Year 5 of Pathfinder Society with our finale adventure for high-level characters. We’ll also be launching Year 6: Year of Immortal Influence with two brand-new scenarios that are fully compliant with the Remaster ruleset! Bring your new Player Core 2 characters and jump right into the action!

• PFS2 #5-20: The Rakshasa’s Court, for 7th- to 10th-level characters
• PFS2 Intro: Year of Immortal Influence, for 1st- to 4th-level characters
• PFS2 #6-02: Rain Falls on the Mountain of Sea and Sky, for 1st- to 4th-level characters

Our Pathfinder Special is always a packed house, and this year, we’re getting nautical! Characters from 1st through 8th-level can join us for our Saturday night marquee event. This event absolutely will sell out, and while we’ll try to seat as many walk-ups as possible, we make no guarantees. Note that we have pregenerated characters only up to 5th-level, so those playing at 7-8 tables must bring their own characters or be reseated.

• PFS2 #6-00: Salt of the Ocean, for 1st- to 8th-level characters

Our Pathfinder Academy offers fun for the whole family! Kids from 5-18 can join our experienced GMs for Pathfinder Society adventures with custom kid-friendly pregenerated characters and can learn how to adventure with the best of them!

• View all Pathfinder Academy adventures here.

We’ll also be offering a limited number of Pathfinder Quests! These shorter adventures have more seats reserved for walk-up players, though we have some early tickets on sale as well. Dip your toe into Golarion and join us at one of these tables!

• View all Pathfinder Quests here.

Starfinder First Edition

PaizoCon features the launch of Starfinder Society Year 7: Year of Era’s End! While this is our final year of first edition play, there’s a bright future on the horizon for Starfinder Society. You can check out our introductory scenario, or join us for a new release at Gen Con!

• SFS1 Intro: Year of Era’s End, for 1st- to 4th-level characters
• SFS1 #7-04: Inheritors of Gadrathar, for 5th- to 8th-level characters
• SFS1 #7-05: The Day the River Died, for 3rd- to 6th-level characters

This year’s Starfinder Special is a simple survey mission to a newly discovered planet. Surely nothing could go–wait, did you say Swarm? Oh no! Characters from 1st through 4th-level can join us for our Friday night interactive special event.

• SFS1 #6-99: The End Awakens, for 1st- to 4th-level characters

Starfinder Playtest

Be the first to experience the Starfinder Playtest at Gen Con Indianapolis! Purchase your playtest book at our booth in the exhibit hall or the Sagamore Ballroom, build your character, and bring them to one of our playtest scenario tables! We’ll be offering two-hour sessions of the first two playtest scenarios; we’ll also be offering short demos of the Starfinder Playtest in Hall C from 8am-6pm. These demos are first-come, first-served, so show up early to grab a spot!

• Starfinder Playtest Scenario #1: Shards of the Glass Planet, for 1st-level playtest characters
• Starfinder Playtest Scenario #2: It Came from the Vast!, for 5th-level playtest characters
• Starfinder Playtest Demo, first-come first-served in Hall C

Board Games

More of a board gamer? No worries! Paizo’s board game offerings will also be on offer at Gen Con! Join us for a demo session of Elemental Stones or Goblin Firework Fight and see if you can beat our demo team at their own game!

• Pathfinder Elemental Stones
• Goblin Firework Fight

We can’t wait to see you at Gen Con this fall! Expect more information about all our programming as we get closer to the show. May the odds be ever in your favor this month, and don’t forget: event signups open May 19 at noon Eastern!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Rue Dickey
Marketing & Media Specialist

Welcome to the fifth Starfinder Second Edition Field Test!

The Starfinder Second Edition Playtest is coming soon—but for some, August isn’t nearly soon enough! To give you some insight into the process of creating a new edition of Starfinder, the Starfinder team has released four Field Tests so far. These small snapshots of our work in progress have previewed three classes (the envoy, mystic, and soldier) as well as new ancestries. For our fifth Field Test, we’re doing something a bit different: encounters! So, it’s time to make some Starfinder characters, if you haven’t already. These Corpse Fleet raiders and Aeon Guard soldiers aren’t going to fight themselves! (However entertaining that would be…)

Who needs regular zombies when we’ve got cybernetic zombies?
Illustration by Mirco Paganessi

Field Test #5 includes two encounters, one for 1st-level characters and one for 5th-level characters. Each encounter includes everything a GM needs to throw their party right into the action: a basic narrative setup, a battle map, multiple enemy stat blocks, and enemy tactics. We’ve even included the text of our new weapon traits so you know how the enemies’ weapons work, and some discussion of our encounter design principles so you can see what we’re going for.

The first encounter tasks the player characters with defending a data center from Corpse Fleet privateers. If the initial encounter isn’t enough for you, there’s a bonus stat block for groups who want an extra challenge against a tough enemy! (Spoiler alert: some of you may die.)

This Aeon Guard trooper wants you to make a character. For target practice.
Illustration by Roberto Pitturru

You’ll need 5th-level characters for the second encounter, which pits the player characters against a group of Aeon Guard troopers. Careful! Rumor has it that they’ve got some sort of ferocious beast protecting them. I’m sure it’ll be fine, though. You’re going to make an amazing Field Test character. And they totally absolutely won’t die. Definitely not!

In all seriousness, please feel free to use this content in whatever way you like. The Field Tests are only snapshots, and we realize that you can’t really create a full Starfinder party yet, unless you double up on some of the classes we’ve previewed so far. That’s okay! This content is meant as a preview. Have fun with it. Mix it up. Maybe give enemy stat blocks to the players and let them play out a Corpse Fleet vs. Aeon Guard battle royale!

What’s next? When’s the playtest?!
It’s only a few short months until Gen Con 2024, when we’ll officially be releasing the Starfinder Playtest Rulebook! The PDF of the rulebook will be a free download, and you’ll also have the option of buying a softcover print book if you prefer a physical format for your playtest rules! We’re printing a limited quantity, so if you want a piece of Starfinder history, consider grabbing a copy.

Along with the rulebook, we’re releasing two playtest scenarios (Shards of the Glass Planet and It Came from the Vast! ) and a full 64-page module, A Cosmic Birthday , filled with more encounters and lore. Watch this space for news about more scenarios and another adventure module releasing in the following months. Finally, on June 22, 2024, you can pick up even more free Starfinder Second Edition Playtest stat blocks in our Free RPG Dayproduct!

I’m sure you can’t wait to make characters, play the adventures, and provide playtest feedback. We’re not quite there yet—but we will be soon! In the meantime, check starfinderplaytest.com for the latest news and information about Starfinder Second Edition, enjoy Field Test #5, and be sure to check out our Starfinder panels and play some games at PaizoCon Online 2024! (Alas, we don’t have an entire panel dedicated to the many benefits of making attack rolls against Aeon Guards, but it’s on our bucket list.)

Starfinder PaizoCon Panels

Friday 5/24
Keynote: 10–12 p.m. (PST)
Starfinder Second Edition: 12–1 p.m. (PST)
StarFriends Live Playtest Extreme!!: 4–6 p.m. (PST)

Saturday 5/25
Transitions from Starfinder First Edition to Second Edition: 12–1 p.m. (PST)

Sunday 5/26
Mechageddon!: 4–6 p.m. (PST)

Download Starfinder Field Test #5

— The Starfinder Team

-Thurston Hillman, Managing Creative Director (Starfinder)
-Jenny Jarzabski, Senior Developer
-Dustin Knight, Developer
-Jessica Catalan, Starfinder Society Developer
-Mike Kimmel, Developer

Paizo’s made a name for itself on its adventures—even before the rise of the Pathfinder RPG, we were creating standalone adventures and Adventure Paths. There’s an old industry adage that “adventures don’t sell,” and while it’s true that a product like an adventure, which is aimed only at the GM, will sell less than a product aimed at players, I’ve never agreed with the theory that creating and publishing adventures is a waste of resources. To me, adventures are the whole point of an RPG—without adventures, GMs have nothing to run and players have nothing to play.

While a custom-created adventure by your own GM will always be able to speak to your table’s gaming preferences, creating adventures takes a lot of work. With published adventures, a GM can not only save a lot of time in preparing for a game or a campaign, but also find inspiration in them or learn how adventures are written, both of which help a GM get better at their craft. And when you don’t have a group to game with, even the simple act of reading a published adventure can help you feel that you’re still connected to your hobby until you find a new group to game with.

Published adventures have another advantage as well—they create shared experiences for gamers to talk about. It’s one thing to be at a convention or go online to talk about an adventure your PCs went on and how you barely made it out of the dungeon alive, but when you’ve done this with a published adventure, other gamers out there in the world who have been on the same adventure feel a connection to your game, and a greater discourse can be born out of that experience much in the same way as talking with friends about a recent movie or video game everyone’s been watching or playing.

As big a part of Paizo’s history as adventures are, it’s no surprise that we have several categories of adventures to choose from—and with the recent adjustments to our Adventure Path lengths and the formats of our standalone Adventures, I figured it’s time to chat a little bit about how Paizo’s three categories of published adventures are different, so you can figure out which category works best for your current campaign. Adventures are broken down into three size categories: Small, Medium, and Large.

Small: Scenarios and Quests

Our shortest adventure offerings are Scenarios and Quests. These PDF-only products give you a shorter game experience meant to play out over the course of two hours or so (in the case of a quest) or a single game session (a scenario). These are all part of Paizo’s Organized Play program, but they work just as well for a home game that needs a quick encounter or a short filler adventure in between longer storylines. You can think of a Scenario or a Quest as a short film.

Medium: Standalone Adventures

Our standalone Adventures have recently undergone an upgrade—from this point onward, starting with the upcoming adventure Prey for Death, our standalone adventures will be hardcover 128-page books. A standalone Adventure will typically present a single storyline that covers several sessions of gaming—as a general rule, you can expect your characters to gain somewhere between 3 to 6 levels over the course of a single standalone Adventure. This format allows us to explore larger storylines that need more room than a single volume of an Adventure Path to play out, but that don’t require the commitment to a three-part campaign—and also allow us to get a bit more experimental (such as with Prey for Death, which expects the players to all be Red Mantis Assassins—or at least closely allied with them!). We’ve got some more fun experiments in the works going forward for this line, so stay tuned! You can think of a standalone Adventure as a feature-length movie.

Large: Adventure Paths

Our Adventure Paths have been going strong for over 200 volumes, and while we’ve made some adjustments to their length (shifting from six-part campaigns down to three-part ones), this line of adventures isn’t going anywhere. An Adventure Path is published in three volumes that come out monthly; it can cover months or even years of gaming. You can expect your PCs to gain about 10 levels over the course of an entire Adventure Path. This format lets us tell long, sprawling stories that cover a wide range of themes, to explore ongoing events in the world of Golarion, and to present new parts of the world in great detail. You can think of an Adventure Path as a season of episodes for a television series.

Any Questions? Ask in the Comments!

Of course, these general details only scratch the surface. If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask! I’m always eager to answer whatever you might want to know about Paizo’s Pathfinder adventure line. Seeya in the comments section below!

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Creative Director of Narrative

Happy Mechsgiving! Welcome to Mechageddon!, a hardcover Adventure Path for Starfinder First Edition featuring mech combat rules from Tech Revolution. In this Adventure Path, a group of new recruits suit up to protect their city from vicious kaiju called colossi. This blog features the free Mechageddon! Players Guide, in which you’ll learn more about creating your hero and building your own custom mech!

Art by Miguel Regodón Harkness

Download the Mechageddon! Players Guide Here

Hyped about your hero? Looking for a team? Join us on discord at https://discord.gg/wWFGWtfm87 to connect!

Illustration by María Rosario Arteta Chagüi

We’ve spent this past year exploring the far reaches of Golarion, including making further contact with Arcadia, exploring plots in Jalmeray, and running from akatas in Minata, as well as investigating the mysterious past of The Waterfall, one of the leaders in the Decemvirate. Now, as the year turns yet again for the Pathfinder Society, everything seems... peaceful?

Though, a new socialite has arrived in Absalom, Lady Hesla Embersplitter. She has no family, no background, no claim to fame, and yet, she’s entranced the hearts of the people and leaders of the community, including two very powerful forces: the Peacebuilders and Watcher-Lord Ulthun II. However, something seems... off about Hesla. And the weather across Golarion seems to be shifting, as though some dark change is on its way.

Welcome to the Year of Immortal Influence!

Illustration by María Rosario Arteta Chagüi

There are seven Pathfinder Society Scenarios that influence the Year of Immortal Influence’s metaplots, and each will be marked with a special metaplot icon on the cover. More information about the metaplot, as well as upcoming locations and characters, will be revealed during the News from Organized Play panel at PaizoCon 2024!

The Year of Immortal Influence’s first metaplot scenario kicks off with Pathfinder Society Intro: Year of Immortal Influence, an adventure for 1st- to 4th-level characters written by Rigby Bendele. This scenario takes place during a fancy charity dinner, hosted by Lady Hesla as she seeks to raise money to fund the Knights of Lastwall. This scenario debuts at Gen Con 2024 with one other Pathfinder Society scenario.

This year is about uncovering secret plots and plans to unravel one of the most vulnerable areas in Avistan, even as the enemy wears a pretty face!

Remember Pathfinders: Explore! Report! Cooperate!

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

OPC Musings

At the time you’re likely reading this, I probably feel terrible! I’m having my tonsils removed two days before this blog is published. Everyone keeps telling me I can eat all the ice cream I want, which is true, but I’m an adult now. I have to buy the ice cream myself, and that takes some of the fun out of it! Luckily, I have a wonderful husband to take care of me, and I’ll be back up and running just in time for convention season!

Speaking of… I’ve got quite the travel schedule this summer: PaizoCon in late May, Origins in mid-June, and then a quick turnaround to go to the ALA Expo with our Community Manager a few days later. I’ll have a few weeks of rest in July and then it’s off to Gen Con and PaizoCon Europe in August! Hopefully my cats will remember me by the time I’m back.

Before we jump into the blog, I want to shout out the Mox Gauntlet! Team Paizo is raising money for charity and participating in this annual board game tournament. If you donate to me you can get cat pics, a Harrow reading, or even a one-shot GMed by me! You can learn more and donate on my participant page here.

Digital Adventure Releases

These adventures will be available on May 29, 2024. Most of these will be playable at PaizoCon prior to their release date!

Pathfinder Society

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-16: A Lie Told to Strangers*
Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-17: Stranded on Yesterday's Tide*

Starfinder Society

Starfinder Society Intro: Year of Era's End*
Starfinder Society Scenario #7-02: Zo! vs. Zo*
Starfinder Society Special #5-99: Battle for the Bulwark

*part of a subscription

SFS Year 7 Rule Updates

Starfinder Society Year 7 launches at PaizoCon at the end of the month! Upon commencement of the convention (May 24), the following species will become always available for play:

• barathu (Alien Archive)
• borai (Pact Worlds)
• ghibrani (Starfinder #5: The Thirteenth Gate)
• morlamaw (Alien Archive 3)
• prismeni (Starfinder #49: A Light in the Dark)

Players will still need to own the indicated sourcebook but will no longer require a boon to play any of these species.

Additionally, two new boons will be available for purchase that week! I won’t give any spoilers just yet, but they’re the direct result of player actions over the past year of play. Stay tuned for those at the convention!

Death of a God

On our livestream last month, we announced the first major god who will die in the upcoming War of Immortals meta-event. Obviously, this death will have an impact on the Pathfinder Society campaign. Developer Josh Foster wrote a blog to talk about the exact rules surrounding the god’s death; check it out here!

Sanctioning Updates

The sanctioning machine is back in full swing! Last month we posted sanctioning for the Seven Dooms for Sandpoint Adventure Path, as well as the brand-new Tian Xia World Guide!

We’re hard at work on the major May releases, Howl of the Wild and Mechageddon! We aim to have them both ready for PaizoCon so you can play your new awakened animals and centaurs right away. GMs, prepare to make the hallways larger!

After that, it’ll be pretty quiet until July, when Player Core 2 crashes in for Gen Con and the Tian Xia Character Guidefollows a mere month later. Hope you’re all ready!

GM Recognition

GM Ranks

Whether stars, novas, or glyphs, achieving a 5 ranking in any program involves a substantial amount of time. To achieve the 5th milestone, a GM must run 150 games, of which at least 50 must be unique scenarios and 10 special scenarios as well as run between one and three games for venture-captains (program dependent). A conservative estimate of the time needed to reach the 5th milestone is 650 hours!

This month, we had one GM earn their 5th rank!

5th Glyph (PFS2): Zachary Davis

Convention News

Just a quick roundup of convention updates to close us out!

• PaizoCon Online tickets and badges are now available! Grab your seats in our new releases and our two specials, including the freely-repeatable PFS2 2-00: The King in Thorns, on Events!
• PaizoCon@ events are also up and running! See this blog for more information about our nine worldwide locations.
• The Gen Con event catalog will go live this weekend, and event signups begin on May 19. We’ve got a blog in the pipeline next week to talk about everything Paizo has to offer in Indianapolis.
• I’ll be attending PaizoCon Europe this year! It will be just outside of Geneva, Switzerland August 15-18. More details to come as the organizers pull things together, but if you’re across the pond, come say hi!
• Finally, convention season is in full swing with dozens of conventions happening worldwide with a Paizo presence. Check out our Convention Calendar for more information!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

In advance of the Zoetrope’s return from its Golarion-wide voyage, expedition leader Baranthet has sent a collection of journal entries—accompanied by sketches of the creatures from expedition scribe Charikleia—detailing some of the fantastical beasts that call this world home.

Baranthet: Art by Gunship Revolution.

There seem to be two entries, one related to elemental birds, the other to unicorns! Let’s see what he has to say.

Elemental Birds and the Power of the Storm

A scientific illustration of a variety of chaos falcon feathers. Art by Luca Sotgiu.

The elements have a life of their own. I have always believed that birds embody these elements particularly well—phoenixes, thunderbirds, and tidehawks to name a few—but each of these creatures is so different from one another. They make their homes in different habitats and approach life with such different philosophies that they rarely meet without clashing.

My question, dear reader, has always been about the connection between these birds. Most sources say there is no doubt the three creatures have a common ancestor. What could that creature be? And does it still live?

I needed to trace the birds back to their commonalities for an answer. The Zoetrope could not take us back in time, but my studies could, and I soon found several similarities within a handful of creation myths. In ages past, the world was said to be in an everlasting tempest. Volcanoes spat fire into the sky, lightning jumped between clouds of ash, and sharp ice fragments whipped through the wind. It was the storm from which all other storms were born. How fitting would this primordial tempest be as the birthplace of the species of elemental bird from which the others evolved?

I searched volcanoes for the creatures known as chaos falcons, waiting for a violent eruption to give me a glimpse into the world of the past. It was in the Kullan Dei mountains that I at last found it.

This journal entry was written for Pathfinder Howl of the Wild by Caryn DiMarco.

How odd, it seems Baranthet also included some notes about the chaos falcon’s “abilities.”

CHAOS FALCON — CREATURE 10

Dive-bomb [two-actions] (earth, fire, primal) Requirements The chaos falcon is Flying; Effect The chaos falcon Flies twice straight down. If they reach the ground or a similarly solid object at the end of this movement, their landing shatters that surface into sharp shards, and droplets of molten stone deal 4d6 fire and 3d8 piercing damage (DC 26 basic Reflex save) to all other creatures within 20 feet.

Storm Bolt The chaos falcon's bolt Strike always deals the damage type of their storm nexus aura.

The chaos falcon, wreathed in fire, water, and electricity. Art by Shafi Adams.

A Sanctuary for Unicorns

A scientific illustration of unicorns grazing, drinking water, and frolicking in a field. Art by Luca Sotgiu.

During our journey, we were lucky to stumble into the Monkeros Sanctuary, a hidden forest doubling as both a nature reserve and home for a small herd of unicorns. Of course, I will not share its location—indeed, publicizing the location of any unicorn poses a terrible danger to them. With that in mind, many who support the sanctuary do so without ever seeing the unicorns they protect. A rare few academic visitors are allowed along with a handful of mercenaries, both vetted through the churches associated with Monkeros and further by the unicorns themselves.

Although unicorns have the capacity for speech far surpassing my own eloquence, their nervousness around outsiders makes direct interviews difficult. It was only by enlisting the aid of ten-year-old Theom, the son of a visiting scholar, that I was able to establish something of a dialogue with the most outgoing of the unicorns. Theom knew the unicorn as “Periwinkle,” which she seemed happy to accept—much like our own Ten has adopted their moniker. Even in the oldest stories and tales, the true name of a unicorn is always missing. It seems too much of a coincidence that this detail is so persistently lacking; I’m left to believe that unicorns must have a very good reason to protect the secrecy of their true name.

This journal entry was written for Pathfinder Howl of the Wild by Jessie “Aki” Lo.

Another note—perhaps Baranthet has found a system of denoting abilities across the wide variety of Golarion’s wildlife... Apparently, unicorns comprise not just the eponymous species, but many others as well, such as the flying alicorn.

ALICORN — CREATURE 15

Draw in Magic [reaction] (arcane, concentrate) Trigger A creature within 30 feet of the alicorn Casts a Spell; Effect The alicorn attempts to counteract the triggering spell (counteract modifier +28, counteract rank 8th). If successful, the alicorn can choose to gain the effects of the triggering spell as its sole target.

An alicorn—a stronger, winged version of a unicorn—in mid aerial dive. Art by Jessé Suursoo.

Pathfinder Howl of the Wild releases May 22nd, 2024 in standard hardcover, special edition hardcover, and PDF formats. Plus, check your FLGS for our hobby-retailer exclusive sketch cover hardcover!

Subscribe to the Pathfinder Rulebooks line to get the PDF free when your physical copy ships!

With the death of Gorum, war runs rampant across the world. The nations of Golarion clash over border disputes, natural resources, and ideological differences. For such grand conflicts (as well as your typical dungeon encounters), we introduce two new classes who can help turn the tide of any battle.

The commander is an Intelligence-based tactician with unparalleled authority over the battlefield. By drilling specific tactics with your allies during your daily preparations, you can signal them with your unfurled banner during a fight to take additional actions. Call for a Defensive Retreat to allow each of your squadmates to Step up to three times (away from enemies, of course) as a free action. Using the Double Team tactic to allow a squadmate with an opponent in reach to Shove or Reposition that foe as a free action. If they are successful and move that creature adjacent to you or a different squadmate, you or that squadmate can Strike that opponent as a reaction. The commander is no slouch in the fight themself, being trained in martial weapons and all armors, so if you want to lead your fellow adventurers to victory, be sure to playtest the commander!

Illustration by Alexandre Chaudret

The guardian is a Strength-based protector who excels in the use of armor, both for their own benefit and the aid of others. You gain the effects of armor specialization at 1st level, and you can also Intercept Strikes meant for your allies, taking the hit but gaining resistance against that damage. Because of your armor, you’ll be a little more difficult to hit than your friends, so what’s to stop monsters from simply ignoring you? Your Taunts! By Taunting a foe, you make yourself a more tempting target and impart penalties to their attacks on anyone else. If you are the type of player who enjoys keeping others safe from harm, be sure to playtest the guardian!

Illustration by Sammy Khalid

This playtest will run for almost two months, beginning April 29 (today!), and continuing through June 21, 2024. In addition to playtesting these classes in your home games, you’ll be able to try them out in our organized play program by making your own Pathfinder Society characters using the rules located in the Guide to Organized Play. The commander and guardian classes and all related options are available to all players during this playtest.

Our friends at Demiplane are also hosting a free character builder for the commander and guardian classes, available at www.pathfindernexus.com/playtest, for those of you interested in taking advantage of their digital toolset to generate your characters.

Once you’ve had a chance to get a feel for the new classes, please be sure to leave your feedback at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BattlecryClassSurvey and https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BattlecryOpenResponse to let us know what you think of them and where you think they could be improved! We’ll also have dedicated playtest forums here on paizo.com to discuss these classes and options with your peers. We’re looking forward to hearing what you have to say! We’d also love to see stories of your adventures with these classes on social media!

Check out the playtest!

Jason Keeley
Senior Designer

Michael Sayre
Design Manager

Welcome back to another exciting collection of Pathfinder Infinite & Starfinder Infinite Top Performers!

What is Infinite?

Pathfinder and Starfinder Infinite is a program that allows you to create content (adventures and locations; monsters; character classes, archetypes, and backgrounds; fiction; etc.) based on Paizo’s intellectual property (IP), including Pathfinder’s Lost Omens campaign setting, and to make some money while you’re at it. Your work might even be recognized by the community and earn you an invitation into the Infinite Masters elite creator program.

For more info on Pathfinder Infinite, Starfinder Infinite, and how to get started, check out the FAQs!

March’s Top Performers

Titles are ranked by an average of units sold and revenue earned and presented in alphabetical order. Asterisks indicate titles that have been on a best-seller list previously. Because they’ve consistently topped the list, and due to the number of their titles that typically take up spots, “Team+” and “Team Index” have asked to be removed from the calculations for ongoing top performers lists. This will allow newer publishers or book series to get more attention. Thanks, all!

Pathfinder Infinite Top Performers

Godsrain Contingencies*

When Yivali held death in her talons, she feared delivering such terrible warnings without also hope. Included in her annotations was research into what the world might become if each god’s death were to occur, and thus what contingencies could be made.

This product contains a handful of player options for each scenario. While there is a primary focus on the fallout for followers of each god, there are options for many types of players. The centerpiece is the return to service ritual and how each gods death leads to which potential successor gods, what that new relationship looks like, and providing potential benefits.

Kitsune of Golarion Remastered*

Providing an in-depth expansion of Pathfinder Second Edition's vulpine ancestry, Kitsune of Golarion Remastered provides players and GMs alike with everything they need to make this vibrant ancestry of shape shifting fox folk feel at home in the Age of Lost Omens. Based on Gold Best-Selling product Kitsune of Golarion, this product aims to not only remaster, but redefine the content from this original offering into an indispensable product for the entire table, tailless or not.

Player Core 1 Expanded*

Has inspiration struck, but Player Core 1 doesn't have a subclass to fit? Whether you are looking for a Cleric spy, a swaggering Rogue, or a Druid with a will of Steel, you will find myriad options within, made by 4 Infinite Masters and specially tuned for the PF2e Remaster! Feats, subclasses, focus spells, and more for the classes of Player Core 1.

The Ritual Trove: More Rituals and Feats for Mystical Characters

Many consider magic a fickle force commanded only by experts, adventurers, and otherworldly beings. But certain powers can be conjured by anyone with the time, skill, and determination to do so—provided you know the right words and gather the right materials. Despite their accessibility, these carefully guarded rituals are more powerful than your average spell, weaving effects both lasting and far-reaching.

The Ritual Trove is a collection of new rituals for your Pathfinder Second Edition campaigns.

Together with Elements Archetypes

Elemental Planes soar far above the Universe within the Inner Sphere, but a person could stumble into portals across Golarion. The planes are out of reach, but walk among us. Geniekin are striking, and kineticists flash, but there are many others with subtler connection.

Check out Together with Elements Archetypes for a chance for all your not just kineticist characters to play with the power of the elemental planes. Detailing 12 new archetypes (plus 1 reprint), and 123 new feats, spread over 26 chock full pages with options to compliment all types of play styles.

Starfinder Infinite Top Performers

The Adamantine Bastille: The Once Unbreakable Prison of the Starfinder Society

The Adamantine Bastille: The Once Unbreakable Prison of the Starfinder Society offers a futuristic, science-fantasy prison setting for your next Starfinder adventure or campaign!

Whether you are looking for a supplement to use at your table of a Starfinder Society Organized Play scenario set within the Adamantine Bastille, an evening's one-shot adventure, a side-trek for a campaign set on Absalom Station, or a detailed, dynamic, and decidedly thought-provoking setting for your next campaign, The Adamantine Bastille setting book gives you all the tools you need.

Monstercology Galatica: Autumn Aliens*

The Monstercology Galatica is an attempt to catalog and describe all of the many and varied creatures that we share the galaxy with. We understand that with millions of stars and billions of worlds – plus those that visit the galaxy from other planes – this is a nearly impossible endeavor. But if we do not try it, then we can never succeed. This is but one small excerpt of the greater Monstercology Galatica, focusing on creatures most often seen during the later parts of the year.

Space Cowboy’s Arsenal*

A certain type of adventurer resides in the vast frontiers of space—wayfarers and drifters, hunters whose next meal rides on their cunning, their aim, and the price on their bounty's head. They carve out their existence beyond the fringes of civilization; the easy life is as alien to them as another man's gun, and just as fickle. They prefer the unpredictable and uncharted, far from prying eyes and folks what ask too many questions. Never tied to one place, these vagabonds stay strange and savvy, doing what they can to keep alive. When the galaxy needs a job done, they call for the rough and tumble Space Cowboy.

Starfinder Infinite: Mech Threat Manual*

Towering mechs, ancient elementals, territorial kaiju and many more mech-scale threats can be found in Starfinder Infinite: Mech Threat Manual! Inside, you’ll find a spread of the latest mech creations of the Outer Sphere, deadly carnivorous mechform mimics, oozes that can slip inside a mech to throttle the operator or take over the machine entirely, and more. This book provides a variety of themed threats for use in mech combat at all levels of play, and all mechs within were made in accordance with the recommended alternative rules for creating NPC mechs from Starfinder: Tech Revolution. 

Starfinder Infinite: Safe-Haven

Presenting Safe-Haven, the first Starfinder adventure toolbox! What is an adventure toolbox? An adventure toolbox is a grab-bag of useful content, including a rich cast of characters, a highly detailed location, a web of story threads and more. Follow the journey of Director Rehala Ito Fyndiir as he attempts to open an ancient safe constructed of the potent starmetal horacalcum, which bends time around it. See the settlement that sprung up around his obsessive project and drew experts, infiltrators and honest civilians from all corners of the Pact Worlds. Discover the hidden secrets and lives of more than half a dozen fully fleshed-out characters… or break all of the above up into pieces and use them in your own campaign! An adventure toolbox is designed to be easily changed to fit any level, and modular enough that story threads, characters and locations become a resource that can be repurposed, redesigned and re-themed to your heart’s content. 

New & Exciting from Infinite Masters!

Want to see what’s been cooking in the Infinite Masters’ alchemy lab? Here’s a selection of new products from some of our Infinite Masters—and some pieces that have caught their eyes!

• Adventures in Jalmeray – This book is now available in Print on Demand!
• Arkon’s Arkive: Darechasers – Rules and flavor for the Darechaser Archetype.
• Beyond Feats: Deviant Classifications – 10 new deviant classifications and 40 new feats.
• Chronicles of Aegis Adventure Guide – Pathfinder First Edition player options and a gazetteer of De Anavin.
• Dragon Adjustments – Creature adjustments for the dragons in Pathfinder Monster Core.
• Encounters of the Expanse: Levels 1-10 – Pre-built encounters in the Mwangi Expanse.
• Golarion Unseen: Endling Champions – An archetype for champions who have lost their deity.
• The NPC Omnibus – 36 NPCs for Pathfinder Second Edition.
• Side Quests and Mini Adventures – Five short adventures for various levels.
• Warriors’ Prowess – Feats of Convenience – 25 low-to-mid level martial feats.

Hello everyone,
James, Eleanor, and Ianara here, your leads for the Tian Xia project. As of yesterday, the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide is officially out! This is a region of our setting that we know many of you (not to mention us at Paizo as well!) have been looking forward to for some time, and it’s great to be able to share this look into the continent with you. Tian Xia takes inspiration from Asian fantasy and folklore, and we knew that we wouldn’t be able to bring this vast range of stories to life without an all-star team of writers and designers, many of whom also worked on the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide, which releases in August. Get to know some of them below!

James Case
Senior Designer

Eleanor Ferron
Senior Developer

Ianara Natividad
Senior Editor

Eren Ahn (they/them primarily)

안녕하세요, 여러분! My name is Eren, and I had the incredibly fun opportunity to refresh Daikitsu and Lao Shu Po for the Tian Xia World Guide as well as contributing some lore around the mystical imugi. As someone who loves exploring the relationship between mortality and divinity, it was an absolute dream to have the opportunity to expand on Tian Xia's pantheon. I hope you all fall as deeply in love with the Lady of Foxes and Old Rat Woman as I did while writing them.

You can find me sporadically talking about my writing on Bluesky (by the time you're reading this, I'll have posted more detailed threads on my contributions for this book, if you're interested in reading about my process) and talking about everything else on Twitter. You will also see me in a couple of months for the Tian Xia Character Guide!

Alyx Bui

Hear ye, hear ye! Here come the imperial dragons of Tian Xia! I had the pleasure of crafting and writing on the Imperial Dragons and the peoples and land of Zi Ha! This was a massive collaboration between so many talented writers and artists—Basheer Ghouse to place Arindham, a forest dragon within the Valashmai Jungle, with Jay Zhang to place Luong Phung, a sea dragon within Xidao, with Jacky Leung to place Shen Ra, a sky dragon within Po Li, with Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen to place a sovereign dragon, Pham Duc Quan within Xa Hoi, and Grady Wang to place an underworld dragon, Zhu Long, within Chu Ye.

For Zi Ha, it was brilliant to connect with Kienna Shaw, as we placed the samsaran peoples and their origins in this magical land. We wanted to make sure that we inserted a non-colonial view of this world. I wanted joy and wonder to come out of these harsh, wintery lands—from bioluminescent fungi and large, carnivorous plant hunting to festivals that honor the mountain peaks, dragon cycles, and the long day and night phases. Enjoy the epic lore of Shei Long, a Sky Dragon, and the moon deity Tsukiyo! Continue the conversation with me on X (Twitter) @daredevilalyx!

Two rulers of Tian Xia, Empress Amatatsu Ameiko of Minkai (art by Gunship Revolution) and Empress Nai Yan Fei of Goka (art by Vira Linevych)

Banana Chan (she/they/he)

I'm Banana and I wrote a bunch of stuff for Tian Xia, but what I need EVERYONE to know about is the Great Flood, based on the creature Xiangliu. It's one of my favorite mythical creatures because of how silly it looks in drawings, but if you could see it in real life, it would probably be a body horror disaster. It has the body of a giant snake or eel with nine human heads attached to it. I'd been wanting to write about the Xiangliu for the longest time, so I'm extremely grateful that Paizo gave me that opportunity.

Connie Chang (they/he/she)

Hey there! I'm Connie Chang, and I wrote Quain, a location full of wuxia fantasies, grandmasters, and cultivation! As a queer and trans diasporic Chinese person, I'm a huge fan of the wuxia and xianxia genres as a way to explore historical fantasy beyond western imaginations—so of course I jumped at the chance to help create something with Paizo. I'm especially interested in seeing the stories that will bloom from centuries-old, deeply complicated rivalries between grandmasters!

Social media: Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch

The exuberant pixiu (art by Gunship Revolution) and the monstrous Great Flood (art by Mylene Bertrand)

Hiromi Cota (they/them)

Hai tai! Wanne Hiromi yaibiin! Hi! I’m Hiromi! For folks unfamiliar with me, I’ve worked on over a hundred books and games, usually as a writer or game designer. I’m excited to have worked with Paizo, as I’ve wanted to for years. I’m even more excited to say that I also got to work on the Tian Xia Character Guide and pen the tie-in fiction The Matsuri! Hopefully, I’ll have more opportunities to work with Paizo in the future. If I do, you’ll find out about them from my Bluesky account @hiromicota!

For the Tian Xia World Guide, I worked on Kwanlai. I had fun providing an in-world explanation as to why Kwanlai is principally populated by tengu (a Japanese creature) but has a Chinese name. The answer, in short, is colonialism. In real life, Japan colonized Uchinaa and foisted the exonym “Okinawa” upon my people. So, it was natural for me to depict the Lung Wa conquering the nation of Ootoya and foisting the exonym “Kwanlai” on the Ootoyans. Another fun tidbit in the writeup is takoyaki (battered and fried octopus) becoming a popular snack due to Wanshou (a nation ruled by a kraken) attacking Kwanlai.

Dana Ebert (she/her)

Dana Ebert (nonchalant female human writer) is a common author to find credited in Pathfinder publications, and the Tian Xia World Guide is no exception. Known for fanciful and often extravagant prose, her work reimagining Minata is most evident in phrases like "swallowing dragons like krill" and "churned the sea like a mortar and pestle." In addition to authoring the chapter on Minata, she contributed substantial Minata-adjacent content to the Tian Xia Character Guide. When she's not writing for Pathfinder, Dana is a full-time content creator at TPK Brewing Co., a tabletop roleplaying-themed brewery she co-owns in Portland, Oregon.

The sorrowful dragon Luong Phung (art by Gunship Revolution) and the draconic emperor Pham Duc Quan (art by Gunship Revolution)

John Godek III (he/him)

Hi! I’m John, a mixed-race Filipino American gamer, gamemaster, freelancer, and podcaster. For the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide I wrote the Oceans of Tian Xia as well as several new Tian ships, along with Yamatsumi the mountain god and General Susumu. I was very excited to work on these as I spent my early childhood in Hawai'i and Philippines, and later sailed the seven seas as I started my career.

As a freelance game designer, I’ve written mostly for Paizo but also some for Evil Robot Games and Legendary Games. As a gamemaster, I earned my 5th Nova in 2021 and have volunteered at dozens of gaming conventions. As a podcaster, I produce three podcasts on the Know Direction Network: Digital Divination, with Paizo Senior Designer Jason Keeley and D&D Designer Ron Lundeen; Intrepid Heroes, an RPG actual play where we just completed the Devastation Ark AP and soon begin a Scum and Villainy adventure run by Jason Keeley; and Presenting - Gamers Making Games, a podcast where I have interviewed over 100 game designers, developers, artists, and editors. In addition, I am also GMing a Fists of the Ruby Phoenix campaign and playing Outlaws of Alkenstar and Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse. In my non-gaming life, I am a university professor teaching entrepreneurship and social venture creation in the Seattle area.

You can reach me on Twitter @JohnGodekIII and find my podcasts at https://knowdirectionpodcast.com/ or on YouTube.

Daniel Kwan (he/him)

Hello! My name's Daniel! I'm the co-host of the Asians Represent Podcast and am a freelance game designer and cultural consultant with over 40 games credits! The Tian Xia World Guide is my second Paizo contribution and certainly the one I'm most excited about. I had a blast bringing my love of weapons, horror, and mythology to life for the project. It is such an honor to be part of such a diverse team of Asian creatives who have worked so hard to bring life to Tian Xia! Fun fact, some of my fellow freelancers and I started a home game to test out many of our contributions during the development period!

Twitter: @danielhkwan Website: https://danielhkwan.carrd.co/

Two of Tian Xia’s deities, the goddess of liminal spaces, Lady Jingxi (art by Carl Springer), and the lovers-turned-rivals Mugura and Nrithu (art by Carl Springer)

Jacky Leung (he/they)

Hey, everyone! I'm Jacky Leung, and it's been a while since I worked freelance for Paizo. Tian Xia was an amazing experience to revisit as a player and a creator. I had the pleasure of writing for Po Li and expanding life in a country ruled by the theologic elite and how people governed by oracles thrive despite its previously sheltered portrayal in earlier works. I had the opportunity to provide faces to the extremely secretive Oracular Council that governs Po Li, introduce the equally secretive Lapis Watchers, and expand new iconic locations for players to explore such as Tuotuo, the Enlightened City—a historical education center containing special archives housing racks of prophecies and oracular writings. Beyond the nostalgic glamor lies also the Emperor's Footprint, a site rumored to contain mystical properties, a supposed asteroid, and stunning panoramic beauty—just highly dangerous and full of monsters, I'm sure it's fine. I hope folx gets to experience the social and political dissonance that awaits them when adventuring through Po Li; it was a fantastic challenge.

You can find me on Twitter/X under @deathbymage and Bluesky under deathbymage.bsky.social. You can find my website and portfolio here: https://deathbymage.carrd.co/.

Jessie "Aki" Lo (she/her)

I'm a freelance writer, artist, GM, producer, editor, and TTRPG performer who just can't say no. Tian Xia was my first big Paizo gig, but if you want to see more of my little grabby hands making a gorgeous mess of Pathfinder 2e, you should check out my podcast! Goblets and Gays is an award-winning, Pathfinder 2e Actual Play podcast. With our first campaign "Blood of Kings" wrapped up, we're in the middle of releasing our second campaign "Tyrant of the Dark Star". ToDS is a grim dark Pathfinder 2e Remastered actual play set in the gothic-horror homebrew world of Noxlight.

Goblets and Gays Twitter and Podlink

A woman demonstrating the technology of ancient Yjae (art by Alexander Nanitchkov) and a member of the seafaring Nisama people (art by Riley Spalding)

Adam Ma (he/him)

Hello friends! I'm so excited for you all to sink into this beautiful world. For many of you it will be a marvelous opportunity to immerse yourself in a land rich with cultures perhaps outside your own. I'm right there with you. This was my first contribution to Pathfinder's rich world, and I never expected to go so deep into exploring my own culture and heritage through the lens of Wanshou's horror and paranoia. Just remember, if anything bad happens to your party while exploring this flooded land, it's definitely not a coincidence and probably your party member's fault. You know which one I'm talking about.

I work on all kinds of TTRPG content, so if you're into grand adventure with a bit of horror, then we'll get along great! If you're a fan of my contribution to Tian Xia and want to follow my other work you can find me on Bsky and Twitter as 34thGingerbread - or you can visit my website: https://www.adam34th.com/

Tan Shao Han

Hi! I'm Tan Shao Han / 陈绍涵 (family name Tan/Chen, 陈; generational name, Shao 绍; personal name, Han 涵), a TTRPG creator, lecturer, and cultural consultant from Singapore, Southeast Asia. I'm proudly part of the RPGSEA TTRPG design movement based in Southeast Asia! I grew up a steady diet on wuxia media (movies, books, TV series, manhua), and am happy to re-imagine and create settings (the histories, lands, and peoples of Goka and Songbai) in the Tian Xia World Guide to inspire the telling of new wuxia-influenced stories in your Pathfinder games! It has been an absolute privilege to work on the Tian Xia books, alongside great colleagues and supervisors whom I now have the pleasure to call my friends.

Outside of freelancing with Paizo, I also run an indie TTRPG company, Curious Chimeras. If you're interested in more of my takes on Chinese fantasy, check out my recent indie games: Swordfarer, a wuxia journaling game of jianghu melancholia and friendships and Shrine, a xianxia storytelling game of karma, despair, and reincarnation. To find out more about the other amazing TTRPGs and creators from Southeast Asia, please check out https://across-rpgsea.com/ as well!

Urakadussi, the High Matriarch of Xidao (art by Sammy Khalid), and Zhanagorr, Divine Savior of Wanshou (art by Nicholas Phillips)

Ruvaid Virk (he/him)

Hello, y’all! Ruvaid here. You may have seen my name in previous Paizo books such as Dark Archive, Impossible Lands, and Rage of Elements. For the Tian Xia World Guide, I wrote the entry for the nation of Hongal. I have a deep appreciation for Mongolian culture from which Hongal draws inspiration, and I endeavored to bring as much respect to my words as possible. I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading about Hongal as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

If you’re looking for a South Asian/Muslim freelancer for your next project, or should you simply wish to perceive me, you can find me on Twitter @Darth_Ruvaider, or the other one @darthruvaider.bsky.social. Until next time, and happy Pathfinding!

Grady Wang (he/him)

Howdy, I'm Grady and my work on Chu Ye in the World Guide was my first-ever assignment for Paizo! I'm so excited that it's finally out! This nation has incredible potential for grand stories, from its historical contributions to medicinal knowledge to the present-day four-way clash between its greedy oni ruling class, a scrappy humanoid rebellion, an underworld dragon out for revenge, and a jealous god. I was also thrilled to be able to draw upon my Chinese and Taiwanese heritages to expand Chu Ye’s culture and its experiences under occupation.

My next contribution will be in the Character Guide coming later this year, which contains Tian Xia’s unique takes on medicine. You can also find me online at The Gallant Goblin where my partner and I review TTRPG products on https://www.youtube.com/thegallantgoblin, sell kobold plushies at heroplush.com, and produce expanded content for Pathfinder at https://www.pathfinderinfinite.com/, where we just released the first community print-on-demand product, Adventures in Jalmeray, which is an anthology of three adventures set in Jalmeray (Lost Omens: Impossible Lands) designed by an all-Desi team of writers!

A member of the spellcasting dovlokhuud (art by Vira Linevych) and a magical student of Tang Mai (art by Carl Springer)

Hail and well met, Pathfinders and Starfinders! This month’s new releases dive into the culture and history of the nations of Tian Xia, send Starfinders to confront the founder of the Order of Dawning Fate, and place you at the heart of a Wildwood negotiation breakdown!

Join us next Friday, May 3^rd,for Paizo LIVE on twitch.tv/officialpaizo!

Never miss a release with our Paizo Subscriptions—for everything from rulebooks to accessories.

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Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide

BIGGER THAN YOU REALIZE

Dragons once served as the stewards of this land, commanded by Heavenly decree. Can you live up to their lofty expectations, or will you flounder and fail like countless kingdoms before you? Prophecy is dead and history hangs on a feather; even the slightest breath might change the course of peoples and nations. Strike out and seize your destiny in an uncertain future!

This massive gazetteer features a look at the history, cultures, and peoples of Tian Xia, with summaries of over 20 distinct nations and kingdoms on, above, and under the continent. It’s accompanied by a giant poster map displaying this region of the Pathfinder setting in beautiful detail.

Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide is also available as a special edition hardcover bound in faux leather with foil debossing and an bound-in ribbon bookmark.

Pathfinder Adventure Path #201: Pactbreaker (Wardens of Wildwood 1 of 3)

A TREATY IN PERIL

The annual Greenwood Gala—a convention for primal power brokers and a festival associated with the Green Faith—is ruined when saboteurs assassinate several of the region’s eminent leaders. To keep tensions from erupting into more bloodshed, the PCs must maintain order long enough for the Wildwood Lodge to choose a new leader and restore peace. The Wardens of Wildwood Adventure Path begins with “Pactbreaker,” a complete adventure for 5th- to 7th-level characters.

Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Showtime Multi-Pack

LIFE IS A STAGE!

If your adventurers need to entertain a crowd or disrupt a sinister performance, the Pathfinder Flip‐Mat: Showtime Multi‐Pack has you covered! The four sides of this Flip-Mat Multi-Pack present three venues on which to perform an opera, stage a mock battle, or house a cozy tavern sing-along. Two sides combine to depict a grand theater, while the others show a large amphitheater and a wintry inn, perfect places to sing rousing bardic ballads. Put on a show for your players with these exciting performance scenes!

This set includes two Flip-Mats, each measuring 24" × 30" unfolded and 8" × 10" folded. A Flip-Mat’s coated surface can handle any dry-erase, wet-erase, or even permanent marker. Usable by experienced GMs and novices alike, Pathfinder Flip-Mats fit perfectly into any Game Master’s arsenal!

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-16: Dawning Fate

A Starfinder Society Scenario designed for 7th- through 10th-level characters.

For a century, the villainous Order of Dawning Fate has operated in the shadows, remaining anonymous and untouched despite extensive criminal activity, political manipulation, and espionage. Thanks to the efforts of countless Starfinders and their allies across the galaxy, the Order of Dawning Fate is crumbling—their members are exposed, their holdings are under investigation, their proxies are moving to cut ties, many of their highest-ranking members are dead or arrested, and their supply of the rare starmetal finitrium has been cut off. Yet a threat remains…

Zhaneni, founder and mastermind of the Order of Dawning Fate, has evaded capture, retreating to her personal demesne on the planet Kax to wait out the turmoil alongside her closest ally and fellow founder of the Order, Evethriel. As the Stewards, Veskarium, and numerous other galactic bodies move against the Order’s now-exposed agents and holdings within their respective jurisdictions, First Seeker Ehu Hadif and Ixthia the Unbreakable dispatch Starfinders to confront Zhaneni and destroy the last remnants of Project Dawn—the hybrid machine that amplifies Zhaneni’s natural precognitive abilities, enabling her to see and shape the future.

Time is not on your side.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-14: Poisonous Council

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 3rd- through 6th-level characters.

The Pathfinder Society is running low on a critical alchemical catalyst, and all their usual suppliers have run dry. The Supplies and Procurement Division is desperate and has put a call out directly to agents. They know of one alchemist skilled and knowledgeable enough to make the catalyst: Tragshi the Herbalist, master of the Daggermark Poisoner's Guild. The Society has used what contacts they have remaining in Daggermark to arrange a meeting, but the chief poisoner isn't one to give things away for free. The PCs will need to do several errands for her, proving the Society's worth to the guild and to Tragshi herself.

Pathfinder Society Quest (Series 2) #18: Student Exchange

A Pathfinder Society Quest designed for 1st- through 4th-level characters, playable in 2-3 hours.

The PCs have been placed in a sort of exchange program, wherein the Magaambya, the oldest school of magic still operating in Golarion, will judge their worth as a foundation for future cooperation. Teacher Ot has been tasked with showing the PCs the ways of the magical school as well as with taking their measure. The future of this partnership lies in the PCs' hands.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-15: Cleansing the Flame

A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 5th- through 8th-level characters.

The Burning Sun orc hold has spent the past year guarding the body of Mahja Firehair as she fights her Crucible in the afterlife. Unfortunately, there have been strange attacks on Freedom Town as of late. Desperate for answers and hopeful for assistance, Uirch reaches out to the Pathfinder Society to investigate the mysterious attackers and see if their flames belong to the Whispering Tyrant or to another enemy lying in wait. The Pathfinders will need to investigate the town while ensuring that an enemy of mythical proportions doesn't see their plan succeed and interrupt Mahja's Crucible.

From Our Partners:

Our partners at Archives of Nethys, Demiplane, Fantasy Grounds, Hero Lab Online, and Roll20* are dropping new content this month as well! Buy your PDF on paizo.com to get a discount via the PaizoConnect API, or pay full price on their platforms, sync your account, and get a complimentary PDF on the Paizo Store.

*Roll20 is no longer a part of PaizoConnect and discounts and complimentary PDFs do not apply.

Gods of Lost Omens Miniature Set – 10% off for a Limited Time!

In honor of our War of Immortals Kickoff Announcement and the looming death of Gorum, Our Lord in Iron, take 10% off of the Gods of Lost Omens Miniature Set when you purchase them on paizo.com!

Mystery Loot: Pathfinder Lost Tome

Our partners at Foam Brain recently released their Pathfinder Lost Tome Mystery Loot set! Each mystery bag includes a pin that folds out into a playable miniature, a themed metal D20, and an encounter card to use at your table! Buy them online or check your FLGS for a hobby exclusive sketch dragon promo pin!

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New Year’s first fireworks danced across Changdo’s night, their exuberant sparks half-reflected upon the Sea of Ghosts. Ling Zhiyu, courtesy name Wenhan, Sixth-Rank Clerk of the Ministry of Truth, Junior Secretary of the Lower Oracular Council, set down his brush to admire the distant pyrotechnics.

This far from the city, the celebrations looked almost peaceful. Whenever possible, Zhiyu spent New Year here, at this shoreside teahouse, preferring to stay away from the devotees jostling to light the auspicious incense to welcome the Eternal Emperor’s spirit, away from wending swells of dragon dancers bearing the throne’s five colors, and most of all, away from the Ministry of Faith’s magically amplified, self-congratulatory platitudes for yet another year of Po Li’s glory.

The Sea of Ghosts’ lapping waves broke the oracle’s reverie, their leisurely cadence not unlike the murmuring of some unknown tongue. Zhiyu smiled despite himself. No point thinking such dour thoughts during New Year. You'll invite Heaven’s displeasure... and more importantly, spoil everyone’s mood here. They’ve suffered enough.

Facing the vacuous waters, Zhiyu spoke loudly and clearly to no one at all.

“Yes, elders. Happy New Year to you too. May your heart realize ten thousand desires, may your descendants lead long and healthy lives, may the Eternal Emperor hasten your reincarnations for your loyal service. You can see, Changdo still stands, bright with lanterns, altars, cooking fires, and fireworks. You did not fight the War of Widow-Makers in vain; every New Year is your everlasting gift to us all.”

The currents settled. His invisible audience seemingly placated, Zhiyu returned to his table’s reports, and was pleasantly surprised to find the teahouse’s proprietors had discreetly left some fried niangao and a fresh pot of aged Tuotuo tea. These refreshments were not unwelcome; there was much to attend to, from goiter and beriberi coinciding with recent fads of grain diets emulating the Eternal Emperor’s piety; stirring instability in the West with Lingshen and Quain; troubling developments on the East with Hwanggot and Bachuan. So much to do! But for now, tea and rice cakes. Zhiyu sipped gratefully, smiled his thanks to the teahouse’s owners, and returned to his paperwork, as fresh fireworks and celebratory songs filled the night.

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“Oracle Ling looks tired. He’s always working so hard, even on New Year.”

“You know how it is, my beloved. There are some oracles who work very hard, because there are so many who don’t...”

“Close your mouth, my foolish husband. These things! You shouldn’t even think them, let alone speak them... nobody, especially us, can afford to pay the price.”

On this solemn note, the teahouse owners’ whispered conversation reached a brief lull. Fireworks flared above, in the shape of a celestial peach tree; a sign of life’s renewal and promise. Husband and wife contemplated the sky together, a shared silence; then, both spoke abruptly at the same time.

“Do you suppose we can ask Oracle Ling...”

“Maybe it’s as good a time as any to ask Oracle Ling...”

They laughed quietly at this simultaneous blurting of their hearts’ nervousness. Who could blame them? They were but humble merchants without clan or fame, whose usual clients were fishers who plied the Sea of Ghosts for minnow and perch. Oracle Ling was by far their most prestigious guest, a virtuous official without outrageous demands or haughty airs, who paid in full and tipped well.

To ask an extra favor of him, and especially on this New Year, when families traditionally would have their Reunion Dinners, and officials would vie to fete the Ministers in grand court banquets... Oracle Ling must be truly busy to forsake those commitments and opportunities. What right would they have to disturb his schedule with such a selfish request?

---

Zhiyu yawned as he completed his report on the Gokan trafficking of false Po Lian relics and rubbed the poultice of chrysanthemum and wolfberry over his tired eyes.

I suppose it's time.

The waves stirred, as if in assent.

Zhiyu forced a smile, trying to let the wisdom in his mind fade away, to return from realms of divine insight dwelled by praiseworthy sages. He stood up quietly and tiptoed to the teahouse.

---

“Excuse me.”

The proprietors nearly jumped from shock. Zhiyu reprimanded himself; he had not wanted to cause any disturbance, but alas, that was exactly what had happened. Ah well, let's get on with it.

“Good sir, good madam, I understand you would like my help with something. I understand you have a child, of the right age for a Test of Fate, and you would like to see what the Heavens are willing to reveal about your child’s destiny.”

This time, the proprietors were truly in shock. How did the esteemed guest know all these? But then, he was an oracle...

“I understand your grandparents were from Lingshen and Quain, who fought here to defend the Imperial City during the War of Widow-Makers...”

The wind hissed, like a thousand knives drawn all at once.

“...and your parents stayed behind, but Changdo has not treated you all that well. Due to the present... succession disputes. Of things much bigger than you or me, our politics, histories, cultures...”

The wind stopped abruptly, A sleeping waterbird woke in surprise, and uttered a mournful cry.

“...and so, you have no lands, no clans, no names, no sponsors; no choice but to take on the regrettable work of doing business on your own. And you wonder... will your child inherit the same fate?”

Wife and husband nodded as one, their eyes red-rimmed and knuckles white-edged.

“If you will permit me, I will perform the Test of Fate for your child, and let his destiny be revealed in Heaven’s gaze. I apologize I must inconvenience you to visit my residence, because my luopan, almanacs, yarrow stalks, and other divinatory tools are at home.”

The couple fell to their knees in gratitude; Zhiyu stepped forward to help them back up. As they ambled to the oracle’s tiny manor, the night sky above Changdo seemed lighter somehow, and not just for the fireworks that flooded its inky expanse.

Illustration by Maichol Quinto

About the Author

Tan Shao Han (he/him) is a writer, editor, consultant, and researcher of Asian histories and cultures. Shao Han grew up with Chinese storytelling from gong'an (magistrate detectives), wuxia (heroic martial artists), and zhiguai (strange tales), which influenced his work on the upcoming Tian Xia World Guide and Tian Xia Character Guide. Outside of his work for Paizo, Shao Han is part of Curious Chimeras, an indie TTRPG company in Singapore, Southeast Asia. Currently, he is developing Sundered Flames, a Pathfinder Second Edition–compatible dark wuxia adventure, as well as remastering Shrine, a xianxia game of vulnerability and vengeance based on the Palanquin TTRPG. You can find more of his work at www.curiouschimeras.com.

To bring this and other Tian Xia stories to life in your Pathfinder game, check out the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide (releasing in April) and the Pathfinder Lost Omens Tian Xia Character Guide (releasing in August), both available for preorder now. Customers who subscribe to the Lost Omens product line will receive both books and a complimentary PDF of each upon their respective release!

Chaos erupts at the Greenwood Gala over the Verduran Forest’s best interests! Cool-headed wardens needed!

In the heart of the Verduran Forest, the largest woodlands in Avistan, druids and Green Faith adherents gather annually to share what they’ve learned from the natural world at an event called the Moot of Ages. Nearby, other forest denizens gather for the Greenwood Gala, a festive three-day event filled with feasts, games, and exuberance held on the river’s banks. The gala ends with a symbolic renewal of the Treaty of Wildwood, an agreement that has allowed a modicum of peace between those who call the forest home and those who harvest resources from it.

This doesn’t stop people from airing their grievances, yet the tone of such disagreements tends to be respectful. This year is different. Resentment has grown so deep and toxic that attendees are wielding their grudges like a keenly honed axe. Anyone stepping up to calm the situation is going to be forced to pick a side.

Inside the Wardens of Wildwood Player’s Guide, you’ll find player-friendly, spoiler-free lore and tips to create an exciting character suited for the Wardens of Wildwood Adventure Path. Contents include:

• An overview of the Verduran Forest, the Wildwood Lodge, and the annual Moot of Ages.
• Character advice, including ways different character classes and ancestries might excel in this Adventure Path.
• Six new character backgrounds specifically designed for this Adventure Path, including Fey Friend, Green Faith Pilgrim, Verduran City Folk, and Wood Warden.

Order The Wardens of Wildwood Adventure Path and download the Player's Guide Today!

Guest blog from Ben Loomes, Syrinscape CEO and Creative Director

Hello! Ben, the CEO and Creative Director of Syrinscape here. My favorite adventure of all time is Red Hand of Doom, which I've run four times—once in its original 3.5 system, and three times adapted for Pathfinder. The first and second SoundSets I ever built for Syrinscape are named "Bugbear Battle," after the very first encounter in Red Hand, and "Witchwood," after the spooky dangerous forest where much of the opening adventure takes place.

I am VERY excited to run Seven Dooms of Sandpoint! This amazing adventure was co-written by James Jacobs. I'm a not-so-secret über-fan of James, so I’m always excited to see new stuff from him.

Let’s jump from the first two Sandpoint SoundSets created for Syrinscape to the latest two. Number 1,081 (“Bones and Ashes”) and Number 1,082 (“Strange Times in Sandpoint”) were built to support the opening of this fantastic NEW adventure. Nowadays Syrinscape has a few more content creators than just me; while it’s still much of my music in there, Chris Körding built these sounds AND contributed even more rich evocative music of his own.

Back in 2009, Chris was playing Rise of the Runelords when, as he describes it, "Syrinscape came along and released the official soundscapes (SoundSets) for the adventure I was playing and I was blown away by the richness and textures and what it provided to the gaming table. Needless to say, Syrinscape became a permanent addition to every gaming session.”

Chris adds, “Fast forward to 2024 and Adventure Path 200! But this time I get to bring it to life for Syrinscape. Expanding from the original adventures and sounds, what could I do to propel it to the roaring 20s?" Nowadays, Syrinscape is more powerful—it can run more channels of sound, with individual reverb units set for every channel, and run sounds which are positioned binaurally for an increased sense of immersion. So, what has Chris done with these new capabilities? He’s had fun, that’s what!

Syrinscape supports all the key locations in this “new” Sandpoint with specifically crafted ambiances. Traps and dramatic events are meticulously crafted for maximum shock and affect. Encounters feature dramatic music to help keep everyone focused and specifically voiced creatures to trigger all those subconscious fears! And of course, as always, Syrinscape is 100% customizable.

When it comes to the music we have created, Chris says, “Don’t want piano hits? Just stop the element. Need some extra choir sounds? Just hit play on THAT element and you have your angelic voices. All of this can easily be done with the power Syrinscape puts into your hands.” With a SuperSyrin sub, you can even compose your own music and upload it to play along with the ambiances we designed. Syrinscape’s support for the Seven Dooms for Sandpoint Adventure Path is rich, specific, and immersive.

If you haven’t used Syrinscape at your table before, now might just be the time to give it a go! And if you are playing remotely with a team of headphone-wearing warriors, Syrinscape has you sorted with our new Web Player, which lets you share your audio with any of your friends ,wherever they are, with just a simple link they can open in any browser. We hope you love what we have built for this adventure. We believe that using Syrinscape in your Pathfinder and Starfinder games will deliver a world-class gaming experience so everyone in your game will have an amazing time, including you!

Ben Loomes
Syrinscape CEO and Creative Director

Hello Starfinders!
The Order of Dawning Fate is crumbling, but the founder and mastermind behind their organization, the calculating witchwyrd Zhaneni, remains at large! It’s time to confront Zhaneni and destroy the last remains of Project Dawn—the hybrid machine that amplifies Zhaneni’s precognitive abilities and enables her to see and shape the future. Time is not on your side!

Wait… isn’t there another founder we’re forgetting?

Starfinder Society Scenario #6-16: Dawning Fate is an adventure for 7th- through 10th-level characters written by Linda Zayas-Palmer! This adventure is the finale of the Year of Fortune’s Fall metaplot.

Take care out there, Starfinders! The future’s worth fighting for!

Jessica Catalan
Starfinder Society Developer

Illustration by Josef Kucera

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Greetings, Pathfinders!

It turns out that all the various consumables handed out on missions require a pretty solid support network, and now a supplier of a rare catalyst aiding in mass production is retiring, leaving the Society to turn towards a more troublesome source–Tragshi the Herbalist, head of the Daggermark Poisoners’ Guild. Fortunately, Tragshi is open to the idea, as the Outlaw Council, a meeting of various leaders of the River Kingdoms, is happening in Daggermark soon, and Tragshi has agreed to supply what the Society needs if they can be seen taking orders for her, letting her show off politically. She says there will also be other sundry tasks that need doing as well, but there’s a pretty good chance that the Pathfinders might end up dragged into an internal power structure within one of the most dangerous organizations in the Inner Sea.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-14: Poisonous Council is an adventure for 3rd- through 6th-level characters written by Tineke Bolleman.

Illustration by Biagio d'Alessandro

The Burning Sun orc hold calls for the Pathfinder Society’s assistance in protecting the corpse of Mahja Firehair as she continues to undergo the Crucible. Lately there have been strange attacks on Freedom Town, centered on the house protecting her body and filled with signs of sulfur and occult magic. While the council of Freedom Town suspects the Whispering Way, Uirch has other concerns and requests that the Pathfinders investigate to find out who might be at the root of this chaos and find out their intentions with Mahja’s body, never suspecting that he may also be the target of this strange attacker.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #5-15: Cleansing the Flame is an adventure for 5th- through 8th-level characters written by Isis Wozniakowska.

Illustration by Fabio Di Bernardi

Finally, we have the next All Ages quest. The Pathfinder Society has long desired a closer relationship with the Magaambya, and Kreighton Shaine has finally gotten a chance to achieve that. He’s selected some of his finest students to show the instructors at that storied institute of magical learning just what Pathfinder can do. The future ties between these organizations are in your hands!

Pathfinder Society Series 2 Quest #18: Student Exchange is an adventure for 1st- through 4th-level characters written by Jackson Wood.

Illustration by Vlada Hladkova

That’s all for this month, Pathfinders! See you next time!

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Shay Snow
Pathfinder Society Developer

Hey there Pathfinders! In our stream on Tuesday, we announced the god who will die in the War of Immortals. This blog discusses how that god’s death will affect characters in Pathfinder Society.

This blog contains spoilers for the War of Immortals! If you don’t want to know which god dies, click away now!

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Seriously, I’m not joking. The god’s icon is like 5 lines down.

Now’s your last chance.

Okay, you’ve been warned!

Take it away, Josh!

Alex Speidel
Organized Play Coordinator

Illustration Jeff Carlisle

Greeting Pathfinders,

By now you’ve all learned which of the core 20 will be dying—Gorum. Many of you may have characters that through one way or another draw power from Our Lord in Iron, and I can imagine that you’re all wondering what this means for those characters going forward. Our setting is one where dead gods don’t grant spells, no matter how fervent their remaining believers. We’re also running the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign in a living setting, and that means that setting-altering impacts will happen, and that they will matter. So, starting at Gen Con, August 1st 2024, Gorum will no longer be alive to grant his faithful power.

Illustration by Ksenia Kozhevnikova

What that means is that any character with an option than relied on Gorum, such as a cleric, gets a free rebuild immediately. You don’t have to use it right away, but if you want to play your character on or after August 1st, you won’t be getting power from Gorum. I know many of you have characters intensely devoted to the gods they follow, and I’ve seen some really incredible Gorumites in my time volunteering for Pathfinder Society and since coming on as a developer. You don’t have to erase that fervor though. Just as we allow the reporting conditions for our scenarios to shape our setting, changes to the setting can be a part of your character’s story. We have some of the most creative players out there, and I look forward to seeing how you incorporate this twist into the characters you play.

Illustration by Francesco Graziani

The death of Gorum is going to hugely impact the setting, but we’ll also be releasing some Godsrain scenarios, so you’ll be able to play through some of the setting-altering aftermath of Our Lord in Iron’s demise. I know some of you will still be disappointed that a character you’ve put a lot into has to change, but we can’t keep our promise of a living setting if we don’t have those setting changes impact everyone. Though Gorum will be gone, your characters’ stories will continue. And I can’t wait to show you some of the scenarios we’ve shaped around this massive event, stories you’ll be able to contribute to because this is a living setting.

But that’ll have to wait for another blog. So, to reiterate, as of August 1st, Gorum will be dead, and any option explicitly receiving power from him won’t work. Any character using such an option, like a cleric, will receive a free rebuild. Until then, play your Gorumites’ hearts out.

Happy gaming everyone. It’s been a blast watching everyone’s theories and reactions throughout this announcement process.

Josh Foster
Pathfinder Society Developer

Yesterday, we announced a slate of new products set to release over the latter half of this year that are all tied to the War of Immortals event. While I’ll get to those below, I know the real reason you’re reading the blog, so without further ado, the identity of the member of the Core Twenty who is going to die as part of the War of Immortals is…

Gorum, God of War, is going to die in the War of Immortals event. Illustration by Ivan Koritarev.

Our Lord in Iron, Gorum! Now, the how, when, and why of this deific death are elements of War of Immortals we’re not quite ready to talk about yet, but we promise: Gorum is going to die “on screen” in an adventure in which your player characters play a role. We’ll have more details about that as the adventure’s release approaches. In the meantime, let’s take a brief look at the slate of products coming in the second half of 2024 in which Gorum’s death and the larger War of Immortals metaplot will play out!

First on the list are an adventure and adventure path that have already been announced. In July, we’re releasing Pathfinder Adventure: Prey for Death, a 128-page hardcover adventure for 14th-level characters, written by former Paizo Developer Vanessa Hoskins. In this adventure, you’ll play members of the Red Mantis, the notorious and mysterious assassins guild and cult of the mantis god, Achaekek, who must clear their names when treachery threatens to besmirch their honor. Not only is Prey for Death the first tie-in to the War of Immortals storyline, but it’s also the debut of the new ongoing format of the Pathfinder Adventure product line!

Also in July, we’ll kick off our 40th Pathfinder Adventure Path (!!!), entitled Curtain Call, with Pathfinder Adventure Path #204: Stage Fright by veteran designer Richard Pett. Stage Fright starts characters as 11th-level adventurers who, over the course of the AP, help to produce an opera based on their own prior adventures while simultaneously facing a new threat that only the most powerful of heroes can stop. The connections between a theater-based campaign and the death of one of Golarion’s most powerful deities may seem tenuous, but you’ll have to trust us on this: the ramifications of Gorum’s death and the ensuing Godsrain affect all aspects of the world. And players of the Curtain Call Adventure Path will have a front row seat!

In September, we’ll be releasing the first of a pair of e-book short fiction collections exploring the event, a compilation of Erin Roberts’s smash web fiction series, The Godsrain Prophecies, complete with additional material exploring the identity and motivations of the mysterious seer who first penned the prophecies.

In October, we’ll publish Before the Godsrain, an anthology of short and flash fiction featuring four Iconic characters: the barbarian Amiri, the wizard Ezren, the cleric Kyra, and elven rogue Merisiel. These stories—mostly previously published on the Paizo Blog—explore the characters’ origins, character, and prior adventures and set the stage for something we’ll chat about a little bit later.

Also in October, Paizo is proud to announce the tentpole release of the War of Immortals event, the aptly named Pathfinder War of Immortalshardcover rulebook. This 240-page hardcover (also available in special edition, retailer-exclusive sketch variant, and forthcoming pocket edition) will introduce mythic rules to Pathfinder Second Edition, as well as two brand new classes—the first original classes built on the remastered foundation of the Pathfinder Player Core—the animist and exemplar! In addition to loads of new character options, War of Immortals also explores Gorum’s death and the ramifications. Most notable among these is the Godsrain: a literal shower of the slain god’s blood, shattered armor, and divine essence that falls upon Golarion and every world on which he was worshiped, leaving war and mythic power in its wake. A book called War of Immortals would hardly be doing its job if it didn’t explain the selfsame conflict, an extended period of conflict in which gods struggle to survive a slew of divine deaths and mortals vie for the newly available god-sparks upsetting the balance of power.

October also brings our second War of Immortals tie-in adventure path, Triumph of the Tusk, beginning with Pathfinder Adventure Path #207: The Resurrection Flood, by Brian Duckwitz and John Compton, and adventure for 3rd-level characters. Triumph of the Tusk is a three-part monthly campaign in which an eclectic band of dignitaries become battle-hardened survivalists fighting for the orcs’ homeland and independence. “How does this tie into the larger War of Immortals?” you might ask. Well, let’s just say that Gorum isn’t the only god who’s going to die during this event, and some ancestral pantheons are going to get hit harder than others. For more info, you’ll just have to wait until October!

In November, we round out the products we’re announcing today (though the consequences of the Godsrain and War of Immortals will continue into 2025 and beyond) with two exciting new releases. The first, Lost Omens Divine Mysteries, explores, well, the divine mysteries of the setting and provides an overview of the gods and faiths common throughout the Age of Lost Omens, reflecting the changes to the setting brought about by the War of Immortals. You’ll notice that Arazni is featured prominently on the cover, and that’s because she’s graduating into the ranks of the Core Twenty to fill the vacancy left with Gorum’s death. While she won’t take on his mantle of war, she will nevertheless rise to more and more prominence within the setting as a new status quo materializes.

Finally, November also sees the return of long-format Pathfinder fiction to print with the much-anticipated Pathfinder Godsrain by fan-favorite author Liane Merciel. Unlike previous novels published under the Pathfinder Tales brand from 2010 to 2017, Godsrain will debut as a deluxe hardcover with wraparound dustjacket and will feature Pathfinder’s popular Iconic heroes as its protagonists. In this exciting tale, Amiri, Ezren, Kyra, and Merisiel will witness Gorum’s death, receive their own nascent god-sparks, and even meet one of their patron deities as they take on a desperate quest to prevent the greatest threat Golarion has ever known from escaping an ancient prison. Can they use their unique talents, newfound mythic power, and the blessings of the Dawnflower to maintain the seal on the Dead Vault? You’ll just have to read and find out!

The advent of the War of Immortals on Golarion will necessitate seasoned warriors, and we’re answering that call with the newly announced Battlecry! Class Playtest, launching on April 29, 2024. During this public playtest, players will have the chance to put two new war-themed classes through their paces before their release in an as-yet-unannounced product coming in 2025. The commander is a martial support class that can issue commands to her allies, granting them extra movement, actions, reactions, and more. The guardian is an armored tank, who can taunt opponents and maximize the effectiveness of heavy armor to be a bulwark against nearly any threat. Be sure to try these exciting new classes out in just a few weeks!

That’s all the announcements we have for now, but we’ll have a lot more to say about these releases and more in the coming months, beginning at PaizoCon in May. Until then, you can catch up on yesterday’s stream on Twitch or YouTube and join the conversation here, on the Paizo Forums, or any of the many social media communities where Pathfinder fans congregate.

Mark Moreland
Director of Brand Strategy

Hail and well met!
We hope you’ve had a chance to look at the 2024 Programming Schedule, because game signups are officially open!

If you haven’t already purchased your tickets, check out this step by step breakdown for getting badges via Tabletop.Events this year.

Game Signups

And here’s a step-by-step breakdown for this year’s game signups!

1. Find the game you would like to sign up for on the Schedule of Events. This schedule can be filtered by many different criteria including name, event type, date, and time. Click on the event entry (either the name or the number to the left).
2. On the right side of the screen, click the large green button that says “Get Ticket for YOUR NAME.” This will add the event ticket to your cart, but you’re not done yet!


3. You can go and add more tickets to your cart if you like, as your tickets are saved for two hours. Once you’re all done, click “Checkout” in the cart to the right of the screen.


4. Click “Check out for Free.” You’re all set! You can view your schedule on the “My Schedule” page at any time.

Please note that there is a limit on our new content this year. To ensure everyone gets a chance to play the new scenarios, you may not sign up for more than one session of a new release. These new releases are:

• SFS1 Intro: Year of Era's End
• SFS1 7-02: Zo! vs. Zo
• PFS2 5-16: A Lie Told to Strangers
• PFS2 5-17: Stranded on Yesterday's Tide

Submitting Community Events

While the main schedule has been released, community gaming event submissions are still open! These can be RPG events featuring Pathfinder or Starfinder, as well as other systems or even other types of games entirely! Want to introduce people to your favorite indie RPG? Looking for players for the new board game you just bought? Finally want to settle who the best Mario Karter in the community is? You can host all these events and more!

1. From the PaizoCon convention page, go to “Host” in the top bar, then click “Submissions.”
2. Click “New Submission” and choose an event type. For this explainer we’ll be using an RPG event, but most events will ask for the same or similar information.
3. Fill in the requested information! Let the staff and prospective attendees know as much as you can about the event you’re submitting. Once you’ve filled in the information, click Create!
4. After submission, staff will review events and either approve them (adding them to the schedule), contact you for more information, or reject them. We reserve the right to reject events for any reason.

You can submit events at any time before May 24, 2024. 

If you have any questions about event submissions, please reach out to us at paizocon@paizo.com

Other Activities

Portfolio Review Sign Ups

Portfolio reviews are now open to general attendees! Anyone is welcome to fill out the form, book a slot for portfolio review, and join us on the Paizo Events Discord server! Get thoughtful and detailed feedback on your illustrations from Paizo’s art directors and narrative team. Learn what we look for and how to get there. We are here to help! Sign up to have our team review your portfolio, and we’ll give you a constructive critique on your work.

The art and writing reviews are separate, so you are welcome to sign up for both, but please only sign up for one review per subject.

Review Guidelines

• Reviews will be done over Discord; please remember what time you signed up and join the Discord chat at your time as to not intrude on someone else’s review.
• Please only choose one slot per review subject; we have a limited number of times and want to give as many people a chance as possible.
• Please link to your portfolio so we have a chance to review your work beforehand.
• No AI generated work.

Appointment reminder emails will be sent out the week before PaizoCon, and again the day before a scheduled review. We can’t wait to see your work!

Sign up for an art review! | Sign up for a writing sample review!

Friends of Paizo:

We’ll once again be joined by multiple friends of Paizo in the Discord this year! Chat with, ask questions of, and learn more about the amazing work of teams like BKOM Studios, Foundry VTT, Roll20, and more!

Last year’s convention was entirely online, but this year we’re introducing PaizoCon@! Our new pilot program allows you to experience PaizoCon in person with your fellow Pathfinders and Starfinders at participating local game stores! Check back on this blog to learn more.

We look forward to seeing you all online this year!

Get your tickets for PaizoCon Online 2024 today!

One of my favorite places aboard the Zoetrope was the menagerie, where I would tend to the flora and fauna we’d taken aboard temporarily for further study. Unfortunately, things were decidedly less peaceful this evening as I raced up the steps to the upper deck, pausing to catch my breath before a small blue creature scampered past me along the ship’s outer railing, giving me a dreadful start.

“She’s still not eating, Baranthet.” Charikleia came around the side, gingerly navigating the narrow space between the railing and the Zoetrope's menagerie. Through the structure’s glass walls—perfect for letting in natural light—I could see our other specimens settling in for the evening amid the lush vegetation, under ballast rocks, or near the drinking pond. The little blue creature, however, swiveled her enormous amber ears in my direction as Chari spoke, resolutely ignoring the seedcake in Chari’s hand.

“Hmmm.” I leaned down and peered at our guest, who chirped plaintively at me in a way that sounded like speech. “Chari—”

“I agree,” she said, already scribbling notes. “That sounded like language. Can you understand us, little one?”

The creature surveyed us solemnly, then without warning sprang from the railing and scrambled through a window.

I let out a rather undignified yelp of surprise and hustled to the nearest door, Chari following soon after. Dr. Pom was at the helm this evening (she was always a bit more alert at night), and the Zoetrope was well underway; we couldn’t have our small guest accidentally falling overboard!

The tiny patter of paws overhead led us upstairs to the mess deck, where, sure enough, the creature perched in the doorway to Grefu’s kitchen, sniffing the air with a disappointed look.

“Well now, who’s this?” Grefu turned from a simmering pot and looked from the creature to us. “I didn’t set a place for an honored guest.”

She emitted the sound—a word?—again, but Grefu looked as nonplussed as the rest of us.

“Well, it’s not Jotun or Thalassic,” muttered Chari, surely making a mental note for our records. Before I could reply, the creature shot between the legs of the chairs and dining table and tore back downstairs. Grefu shrugged and returned to his work as Chari and I gave chase.

The creature was perched on a crate as we came downstairs to the storage area but looked almost disapprovingly at us before scrambling down the stairs to the next flight. We heard a “Goodness! What—?” from Dr. Pom as the creature chirped at her and continued down another level, then a clang a few seconds later. She must have already reached the engine room on the next deck down.

The Zoetrope’s newest guest. Art by Vira Linevych.

 “Hey; I need that!” called Ten as the creature emerged clutching a small gear in her hands. She chirped at them, placed the gear gently on the ground, and took off once more.

“She’s very energetic,” I observed to Chari, pausing to catch my breath.

“And she’s not speaking Surki either,” said Chari, who seemed unaffected by our unexpected evening exercise. “Oh no!”

We heard a distant splash and ran down another level to find the creature sputtering and pulling herself out of the access pipe leading down to the aquatic deck. She looked rather affronted as Lythea swam up the pipe and broke the surface, inadvertently splashing a few droplets onto the creature’s head.

“So sorry, little one,” our navigator said, holding out a hand. “How can we help?”

The creature instead clambered up onto Chari’s arm, flicking water from her ears. She chirped again. It sounded so familiar! I was increasingly convinced that lyrical chirp was, in fact, a word in a language I’d heard before.

“I’m going to stop for my notes before we go back up,” Chari called over her shoulder, turning down the hall toward the crew quarters. I followed her, thinking to peruse my own small collection and check again for any clues as to this creature’s identity.

“Professor, is that you?” Telero opened the door at the end of the hall, emerging from the shuttle bay just as I stepped into my own room. “Hey, who’s this?”

The creature, catching a glimpse of the darkening sky through the branches of the shuttle bay door, squawked and leapt from Chari’s shoulder to her head, climbing up one of her horns and chattering at Telero. He quickly closed the door behind him and approached slowly. “Hey there, it’s okay, friend,” he said. “You’re safe. What’s your name?”

The creature blinked at him, then chirped that same familiar syllable.

Telero frowned in confusion. “Gold?”

I’d become distracted while opening the door to my own room, bemoaning the untidy stack of scrolls and maps I’d meant to organize the previous day, but I turned at this. “Wait, did you say—?”

The creature leapt from Chari’s head and shot into my cabin, papers flying as she disappeared under my desk. I crouched at once to see her clutching my long-missing volume of The Thrilling Tales of Spiridendra (so that’s where it had gone!). She chirped once more.

“She’s saying ‘gold’ in Fey,” Telero said, he and Chari crowding in behind me.

“Of course,” I breathed, looking back up at Chari.

“A marp!”

“They usually communicate in both Common and Fey, but perhaps this one is too young,” I reasoned, reaching out for the book as she began to lick its gold embossing experimentally. “Wait, please! I’ll trade you.” I slowly reached into my pocket and withdrew a gold piece. “Would you like to return to the menagerie? We’ll make sure you’re well fed!”

The marp reluctantly relinquished her grip, but cheered up when she grasped the gold piece with her small hands. We climbed back up to the menagerie, the marp riding on Chari’s shoulder and crunching happily.

The rest of the crew gathered around to exclaim over our guest and her unique menu. (Ten dashed off and returned with an armful of metal scraps to see if the marp found anything else to her liking, but as you’ll see in Charikleia’s notes, gold remains the preferred meal.) As I looked around at my companions, the moonlight streaming through the menagerie’s glass dome, a wave of joy overcame me, as it has so often done on this journey—the joy of discovery, of reaching shared understanding, and of building communities. The joy of belonging.

The Zoetrope hummed quietly under our feet, whisking us away to our next adventure.

About the Author
Baranthet Zamendi cultivated his love of the natural world at a young age, enamored with his grandmother’s awe-inspiring tales of the legendary Wardens of the Wild. He briefly attended Almas University before returning home to rebuild Droon’s public library, eventually becoming its head archivist. His upcoming book on the crew of the Zoetrope and their search for the wardens is his first, but he’s already planning his next adventure.

Support for Mr. Zamendi by
Simone D. Sallé is a senior editor at Paizo and has written for numerous Pathfinder and Starfinder books, including more of Baranthet’s tale inPathfinder Howl of the Wild, the primal treatise and witch journals in Pathfinder Secrets of Magic, and Starfinder Bounty #12: Under Pressure. When she’s not extolling the virtues of the en dash, she enjoys playing as many narrative games as her schedule allows and wandering the woods with her Disreputable Dog.

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Good morning, explorers! While we’ve taken a look at the crew you’ll see throughout Howl of the Wild, we realized there’s one more character we still needed to introduce: the Zoetrope itself! This unique airship serves as a home to our eccentric crew as they search Golarion for the Wardens of the Wild and features its own onboard menagerie, darkroom, research deck, and aquarium for all their exploratory needs.

The Zoetrope in dock. Art by Gunship Revolution.

If your characters want to have their own adventures alongside Baranthet and the rest of the crew, we hope the following map, wonderfully illustrated by Damien Mammoliti and based on concept art from our very own Kent Hamilton, will come in handy.

Map of the Zoetrope. Art by Damien Mammoliti.

It's hard to believe our foray through the Zoetrope logs is at a close. But this is just a taste of Baranthet’s story, and we hope that you’ll want to take part when Howl of the Wild releases next month. Look forward to seeing some more tidbits about all the creatures, options, items, and more coming in the book, and let us know what sort of expedition your characters are thinking about going on!

But that, explorers, is a story for another day.

James Case
Senior Designer

Pathfinder Howl of the Wild releases May 22, 2024 and is available for preorder now. Customers who subscribe to the Rulebooks product line will receive the book and a complimentary PDF upon release!