Archive2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 Paizo Launches RPG Superstar 2012Open Call RPG Design Challenge Seeks New Talent— Paizo Publishing is proud to announce RPG Superstar 2012, the fifth season of its popular RPG design contest. The search for the newest talent in RPG design begins December 6, 2011 on paizo.com. ... Over the last five years, RPG Superstar has... (read more)Paizo Launches RPG Superstar 2012Open Call RPG Design Challenge Seeks New Talent Paizo Publishing is proud to announce RPG Superstar 2012, the fifth season of its popular RPG design contest. The search for the newest talent in RPG design begins December 6, 2011 on paizo.com. "Over the last five years, RPG Superstar has discovered some of the best new RPG designers in the business,” said Lisa Stevens, CEO of Paizo Publishing. "We’re excited to see the great new talent out there, and look forward to working with the winners for years to come!” RPG Superstar consists of five RPG design challenges spanning several weeks. After a team of celebrity judges winnows down all open call submissions to 32 finalists, members of the paizo.com messageboard community post their comments and vote on following round submissions until only four finalists remain. This year’s ultimate winner will write a Pathfinder Module to be published by Paizo. Three runners-up will win assignments to write Pathfinder Society Scenarios, meaning all finalists will be offered professional writing contracts with Paizo Publishing, and an opportunity to begin their freelance careers with high-profile RPG releases! Last year Sam Zeitlin’s The Midnight Mirror emerged victorious as 2011’s RPG Superstar winner after a week of public comment and fan voting at paizo.com. His winning adventure releases in February as a full-color printed Pathfinder Module. Paizo has selected four judges to oversee the competition. RPG Superstar veteran judge and Paizo Developer Sean K Reynolds leads a team of seasoned professionals including Ryan Dancey, the father of Open Gaming and the CEO of Goblinworks (designers of the forthcoming Pathfinder Online MMO), Legendary Games president and Necromancer Games founder Clark Peterson, and RPG Superstar 2009 winner and frequent Pathfinder author Neil Spicer. Additional guest judges will assist with each installment of the multi-challenge contest. The judges will critique each round’s entries before the public vote. Starting at 2 PM Pacific Time on December 6, 2011, contestants will be able to submit their RPG Superstar entry at paizo.com/rpgsuperstar. For the first round, that entry will be a wondrous item designed for use with Paizo's Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Each entry must be 300 words or less, and must include all of the proper mechanics and flavor. Contestants must submit their entry by January 6. Judges will select the top 32 entries to be announced on January 24; those 32 contestants will be assigned a new design task and their entries will be posted on paizo.com for the public to read, critique, and vote on. The designers garnering the most votes in each round will continue on to subsequent rounds. Specifics for each challenge will be announced as each round begins. The winner of RPG Superstar 2012 will be announced on April 3, 2012. Complete rules and a submission form are available at paizo.com/rpgsuperstar. Do you have what it takes to be the next RPG Superstar? Go to paizo.com/rpgsuperstar and start your journey now! About Paizo Publishing Paizo Publishing®, LLC is a leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels. Paizo's Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game, the result of the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming, is currently the best-selling tabletop roleplaying game in hobby stores. Pathfinder Adventure Path is the most popular and best-selling monthly product in the tabletop RPG industry. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the nine years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than 50 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry. Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo and Pathfinder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. Paizo Licenses Pathfinder MMO RightsGoblinworks to Produce Next-Generation Fantasy Sandbox MMO Paizo Publishing, LLC has licensed the MMORPG electronic gaming rights to its smash-hit Pathfinder Roleplaying Game intellectual property to Goblinworks, a Redmond, Washington game developer and publisher that will create Pathfinder Online, a next-generation fantasy sandbox massively multiplayer online game. Founded by Paizo co-owner Lisa Stevens (Pathfinder RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade, Magic: The Gathering), game industry veteran Ryan S. Dancey (Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition, EVE Online), and experienced MMO developer Mark Kalmes (Microsoft, Cryptic Studios, CCP), Goblinworks is an independent company that will work with Paizo Publishing to bring the award-winning world and adventures of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game to the online gaming market. The process has only just begun, and there is plenty of opportunity for gamers to get in on the ground floor of this exciting new project. Paizo and Goblinworks are committed to soliciting player feedback about the Pathfinder Online project, and more information can be found at goblinworks.com. Pathfinder Online will cast players as heroes in a unique online fantasy world filled with sword & sorcery adventures and kingdoms inhabited and controlled by thousands of competing players. Players can explore, develop, adventure, and dominate by playing fighters, rogues, clerics, or any of Pathfinder's many character classes, or they can go beyond the standard options to create nearly any type of character imaginable. Find lairs, ruins, and caverns filled with monstrous creatures and incredible treasure. Build glittering cities of castles and bustling markets. Take to the battlefield with vast armies to seize and hold territory. Players change the world and create new stories as they compete for resources, land, and military might. The possibilities are endless. "I've been hoping for a chance to work with Lisa and the Paizo team on a Pathfinder project for years, and now that we're joining forces to produce Pathfinder Online, I couldn't be happier or more excited," said Goblinworks CEO Ryan S. Dancey. "My goal is to bring the high-quality experience Paizo has delivered for Pathfinder to the MMO platform, and to give players another fantastic way to experience the world of Golarion." About Paizo Publishing Paizo Publishing®, LLC is a leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels. Paizo's Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game, the result of the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming, is currently the best-selling tabletop roleplaying game in hobby stores. Pathfinder Adventure Path is the most popular and best-selling monthly product in the tabletop RPG industry. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the nine years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than 50 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry. Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo and Pathfinder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. About Goblinworks
Goblinworks is the developer and publisher of Pathfinder Online, a next-generation fantasy sandbox MMO. The company is located in the Seattle suburb of Redmond. It was founded in 2011 by a dedicated group of creative professionals with backgrounds in tabletop hobby gaming and online videogame development. Goblinworks is dedicated to creating a fun, immersive online gaming experience for the fantasy roleplaying enthusiast. Its goal is to deliver the best sword & sorcery massively multiplayer game on the market by starting with a carefully designed core of features and iterating on the content continuously after launch, with the input and feedback of the player community. Paizo to Host PaizoCon 2012 July 6-8Convention to Celebrate 10 Years of Paizo Paizo Publishing, LLC will host PaizoCon 2012 at the Marriot Redmond Town Center in Redmond, Washington July 6—8, 2012. This year, PaizoCon celebrates 10 years of Paizo and the 5th anniversary of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game with special guests, product previews, and blockbuster events. The small, intimate convention gives YOU the opportunity to meet, greet, and game with some of the best and brightest of hobby gaming’s veteran authors, artists, publishers, and designers. The entire Paizo Publishing staff will be on hand to answer questions, run exclusive Pathfinder events, and play games with attendees. Additional Guests of Honor and event details will be announced in the coming weeks. PaizoCon 2012 features three days of gaming, panels, workshops, and fun! A 3-day badge costs $40. You can register for PaizoCon 2012 online at paizo.com/paizocon. When you register, be sure to sign up for Saturday night’s Paizo Preview Banquet ($20), where Paizo will show off advance looks at upcoming Pathfinder releases, and attendees can rub shoulders with the Paizo staff and industry guests. Special room rates at the Marriott Redmond Town Center are available. Call (425) 498 - 4000 and ask for the PaizoCon room block. Be sure to book by June 13, 2012 to qualify for the special rate of $85 per night. “It’s been an amazing 10 years for Paizo,” said Paizo Publisher Erik Mona. “PaizoCon is our annual chance to meet face-to-face with Pathfinder players and members of Paizo’s messageboard community. With this special anniversary year, PaizoCon is sure to be an epic event!” In addition to special guests and the banquet, PaizoCon 2012 will feature the debut of new Pathfinder Society adventures and a raft of unique gaming experiences provided by the Paizo staff and the convention’s many special guests. Keep your eye on paizo.com/paizocon for more details as they develop! About Paizo Publishing Paizo Publishing®, LLC is a leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels. Paizo's Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game, the result of the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming, is currently the best-selling tabletop roleplaying game in hobby stores. Pathfinder Adventure Path is the most popular and best-selling monthly product in the tabletop RPG industry. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the nine years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than 50 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry. Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo and Pathfinder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. Paizo Names New Organized Play CoordinatorMike Brock Joins Paizo PublishingPaizo Publishing has named Mike Brock as Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator, overseeing the massive Pathfinder Society Organized Play worldwide shared-world RPG campaign. A former Pathfinder Society regional coordinator from Atlanta, Georgia, Brock brings years of local campaign management experience to the international stage. Brock’s tenure will begin in October of 2011. “Mike has done a wonderful job managing the Pathfinder Society program in Atlanta,” said Paizo Publisher Erik Mona. “He has a list of ideas as long as a greatsword he’d like to implement to make the campaign even better, and we are thrilled to have him as a member of our adventuring party.” Mike Brock said, "It is a privilege to have been chosen by Paizo to oversee Pathfinder Society, and I'm very excited about getting started when I arrive in Seattle. I'm looking forward to working with the Paizo staff, venture captain coordinators, and the Pathfinder Society community to help improve and grow." Now in its fourth year, Pathfinder Society Organized Play is a massive, worldwide shared-world Pathfinder RPG campaign with more than 10,000 participants. Players create their own characters and run them through sanctioned Pathfinder Society events at game stores, conventions, and in their own homes. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a fully supported tabletop RPG, with regularly released adventure modules, sourcebooks on the fantastic world of Golarion, and complete campaigns in the form of Pathfinder Adventure Paths like Carrion Crown and The Jade Regent. The Pathfinder RPG is also compatible with the 3.5 edition of the world’s oldest roleplaying game. About Paizo Publishing Paizo Publishing®, LLC is a leading publisher of fantasy roleplaying games, accessories, board games, and novels. Paizo's Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game, the result of the largest open playtest in the history of tabletop gaming, is currently the best-selling tabletop roleplaying game in hobby stores. Pathfinder Adventure Path is the most popular and best-selling monthly product in the tabletop RPG industry. Paizo.com is the leading online hobby retail store, offering tens of thousands of products from a variety of publishers to customers all over the world. In the nine years since its founding, Paizo Publishing has received more than 50 major awards and has grown to become one of the most influential companies in the hobby games industry. Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo and Pathfinder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. Paizo and WizKids Launch Ongoing Pathfinder Battles Prepainted Miniatures LineHeroes & Monsters Set to Debut in December, More Sets Planned
Paizo Publishing and WizKids Games announce Pathfinder Battles, a new ongoing prepainted miniatures brand to debut in December with Heroes & Monsters, a blind-packed, randomized set of 40 miniatures based on the smash-hit Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Additional sets will follow throughout 2012 and beyond, including a 60-figure Rise of the Runelords set scheduled for June 2012. These sets join the already announced Pathfinder Beginner Box Heroes pack of four high-quality nonrandom prepainted plastic miniatures, due in October 2011. "Response to our initial Pathfinder Beginner Box Heroes set has been overwhelming," said Lax Chandra, President of WizKids Games, "A full line of Pathfinder Battles miniatures will enable us to provide gamers with a huge variety of figures based on the award-winning imagery of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game." "WizKids continues to blow us away with their sculpts for the Beginner Box Heroes and Heroes & Monsters sets," said Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens. "Every day we've been getting amazing images from the WizKids sculptors, and we cannot wait until these figures hit gaming tables all around the world." Pathfinder Battles prepainted fantasy miniatures will be available at paizo.com and through WizKids distribution partners worldwide starting in December 2011. Pathfinder Battles Q&A:
About Paizo Publishing About WizKids Games Paizo Announces Bestiary 3 and Advanced Race Guide HardcoversNew Pathfinder RPG Hardcovers Offer Monstrous Options for Players and GMsPaizo Publishing today announced two new hardcover rulebooks for the smash-hit Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 3 and the Advanced Race Guide. Bestiary 3, which releases in November 2011, offers more than 300 new monsters for the Pathfinder RPG, with an emphasis on creatures from international myth and the best of Paizo’s Pathfinder Adventure Path series. The Advanced Race Guide, set for an April 2012 release, offers expanded options for player characters using the seven “core” races, as well as brand new information on every single PC-appropriate monster in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules. Both books supplement the red-hot Pathfinder Roleplaying Game line, which continues to establish itself as a leading brand in the tabletop roleplaying field. "Game Masters can never have enough monsters to throw at their player characters," said Paizo Publisher Erik Mona. "And with the Advanced Race Guide, we’ll finally allow the players to get in on the monstrous action, giving them all sorts of options for non-standard creature characters alongside expanded play options for popular PC races like humans, elves, and dwarves. There’s never been a better time to be a monster!"
Bestiary 3 presents hundreds of new creatures for use in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Within this collection of creatures you’ll find grave knights and savage cyclopes, kappa and colossal kaiju, clockwork killers, mysterious sphinxes, imperial dragons, and so much more! Yet not all these monsters need to be foes, as fleet-footed sleipnirs, cunning vanaras, whimsical faerie dragons, and more companions from myth and modern fantasy join heroes on the path to legend. In addition, new rules for customizing and advancing monsters and an expanded glossary of creature abilities ensure that you’ll be prepared to challenge your players wherever adventure takes them!
This definitive sourcebook for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game provides tons of new character options for all seven “core” player character races, from archetypes that allow elf characters to explore their connection to nature and magic to feats and spells that let a dwarf character carry on the legacy of his multi-generational clan or a gnome explore her connection to the First World or delve deep into her weird obsessions. Additionally, the Advanced Race Guide offers meaty sections on a dozen “spotlight” races that make interesting and exciting player character options, such as goblins, aasimar, tieflings, dhampyrs, drow, the elemental races from Bestiary 2, and several others. All PC-appropriate monster races in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, including creatures from all three Bestiaries and The Inner Sea World Guide, receive race options equivalent to those presented for the core races in the Core Rulebook, for the first time allowing players to create and play characters like merfolk, grippli, duergar, stryx, and every other appropriate monster currently in the Pathfinder game. Lastly, the Advanced Race Guide includes an extensive section that allows players and GMs to build their own custom races, either to emulate more powerful creatures that already exist in the game or to create wholly original characters unique to their campaign. This section will be the focus of Paizo’s next major Open Playtest effort, which will kick off in late fall 2011. About Paizo Publishing Paizo and WizKids Launch Pathfinder Pre-Painted MinisBeginner Box Release Resurrects Pre-Painted Plastic Fantasy Miniatures
Paizo Publishing and WizKids Games announce a new partnership whereby WizKids Games will produce a special set of pre-painted plastic miniatures for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, an introductory boxed set slated to release in October 2011. “We’re excited to bring the Pathfinder property to life via 3-D pre-painted fantasy miniatures” said Lax Chandra, President of WizKids Games, "Paizo’s Pathfinder RPG has emerged as a leader in the RPG category and we are looking forward to working with their great brand.” “WizKids essentially created the pre-painted plastic miniatures category, and they’ve only gotten better in the years since,” said Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens. “We are thrilled to work with WizKids to bring our iconic characters to tabletops all over the world.” Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box pre-painted fantasy miniatures will be available at paizo.com and through WizKids distribution partners worldwide starting in the fourth quarter of 2011. Frequently Asked Questions:
About Paizo Publishing About WizKids Games Paizo Announces Japan Relief AuctionOriginal Wayne Reynolds Artwork of Iconic Samurai "Nakayama Hayato" and Special Edition Hardcovers to be Auctioned on eBay to Benefit Japanese Quake and Tsunami VictimsPaizo Publishing announced today an eBay auction to raise funds to help victims of the Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami. At auction is an original painting of Paizo Publishing's iconic samuari, "Nakayama Hayato," by world-famous artist Wayne Reynolds. Other items being auctioned include staff-signed Special Edition versions of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, and available for sale at paizo.com are autographed copies of the sold-out 1st printing of the Core Rulebook. "All of us at Paizo have been devastated by the recent events in Japan, and when Wayne Reynolds contacted me with the idea to auction his original Pathfinder art, I knew this was a tangible way Paizo could help those impacted by the destruction," said Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens. "We're hoping to harness the power of our fans in an effort of goodwill to help those in need." The iconic samurai Hayato will appear in August 2011's Ultimate Combat, a 256-page hardcover reference that reveals the martial secrets of the Pathfinder RPG rules like never before. Hayato represents the samurai class, a warrior with more honor, dedication, and resolve than any other. Trained from an early age in the art of war and sworn to the service of a lord, the samurai holds a position of power and respect. In him, the common folk see honor and sacrifice. He is an honorable warrior, dedicated to the realm and the leaders that guide it. To learn more about Hayato's background and to see Wayne Reynolds's amazing artwork, please visit the Paizo blog at paizo.com/paizo/blog. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Red Cross Society, an organization with extraordinary disaster response capabilities. It has mobilized eleven teams to heavily damaged communities in Japan to provide assessments and first aid and to supply emotional support and relief. To take part in this special event, please visit the Paizo eBay storefront at http://shop.ebay.com/paizopublishing/m.html or the Paizo website at paizo.com. About Paizo Publishing Sam Zeitlin Voted RPG Superstar 2011Contest-Winning Adventure to be Printed by PaizoAfter five rounds of intensive competition, amateur game designer Sam Zeitlin (Arlington, VA) has won RPG Superstar 2011, the largest annual tabletop roleplaying game design contest in history. The popular vote of paizo.com's more than 100,000-strong fan community chose Sam Zeitlin's The Midnight Mirror Pathfinder module submission over the final-round submissions of competitors Cody Coffelt (Boise, ID), Jerall Toi (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), and Sean McGowan (New York City, NY). Zeitlin will receive a contract to write the full adventure, which will be released by Paizo in early 2012. Paizo challenged amateur game designers from around the world to show off their skills in RPG Superstar 2011, the fourth season of Paizo's search for great undiscovered game designers. Judges Ryan Dancey, Sean K Reynolds, Mark Moreland, and Neil Spicer narrowed the field to 32 would-be RPG Superstars, and guest judges Paizo designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland, cartographers Jared Blando and Robert Lazzaretti, and Paizo's Creative Director James Jacobs provided their advice as the contestants answered each new challenge. In the final round, we asked this year's Top 4 to propose a 32-page Pathfinder Module for use with Paizo's Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Contestants Cody Coffelt, Jerall Toi, Sam Zeitlin, and Sean McGowan responded with four excellent submissions, but there can be only one RPG Superstar 2011, and so after the judges offered comments, the general public selected one winning proposal to be published by Paizo in early 2012. "This was my third year as guest judge for RPG Superstar," said Paizo's Creative Director, James Jacobs, "and once again the contestants all impressed me with their creativity and writing skill. From where I'm sitting, there's not one winner but several, since making it to the final few rounds of RPG Superstar gets you a lot of attention even if you don't win the grand prize! Well done, everyone!" On behalf of our judges as well as the whole Paizo Publishing family, congratulations to Cody Coffelt, Jerall Toi, and Sean McGowan. Though only one contestant earned the title of RPG Superstar 2011, for the first time in Paizo history, the runners up will be contracted to write a scenario for the Pathfinder Society, Paizo's organized play program. Keep an eye out in the months ahead for when these scenarios will be released. RPG Superstar will return in 2012. About Paizo Publishing RPG Superstar Announces 4 FinalistsPaizo to Publish Grand Prize Winner’s Pathfinder ModuleFour amateur game designers have advanced to the final round of Paizo Publishing’s RPG Superstar 2011, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying design contest in history. Professional gaming cartographers Robert Lazzaretti and Jared Blando joined celebrity judges Ryan Dancey, Sean K Reynolds, Mark Moreland, and Neil Spicer to critique a fully mapped complete Pathfinder RPG encounter. The Top 4 finalists for RPG Superstar 2011 and their winning semifinal entries are:
Having designed new magic items, archetypes, villains, and encounters, the Top 4 will now be required to write a full adventure module proposal for an installment of Paizo’s award-winning Pathfinder Modules line of “one shot” adventure modules. Paizo’s Creative Director James Jacobs will join the celebrity judges to comment on the four submissions, and the 80,000+ users of paizo.com will vote on their favorites. The proposal with the highest number of votes will be published by Paizo as a 32-page Pathfinder Module in early 2012, while the other three will be contracted to write a Pathfinder Society Scenario for Paizo's world-wide organized play campaign. Previous RPG Superstar-winning modules include 2011's Cult of the Ebon Destroyers by Matt Goodall and 2010’s Realm of the Fellnight Queen, by Neil Spicer. Contestants must submit their 3000-word Pathfinder Module proposal to Paizo by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, March 11, 2010. On March 15, the entries and judge comments will be revealed to the general public, who will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorites. Voting ends on March 21, and the 2011 RPG Superstar and his winning Pathfinder Module proposal will be announced on March 23, with the winning module to be published in early 2012. For a complete schedule for RPG Superstar 2011, plus rules and FAQs, visit paizo.com/rpgsuperstar/previous/2011. About Paizo Publishing RPG Superstar Down to 8 FinalistsAdvancing Designers Tasked to Write an Encounter Set in GolarionEight amateur game designers have advanced to Round 4 of Paizo Publishing's RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying design contest in history. Paizo Designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland joined Pathfinder Tales author (Prince of Wolves) Dave Gross, celebrity judges Sean K Reynolds and Mark Moreland from Paizo, former Dungeons & Dragons Brand Manager and creator of the Open Gaming Movement Ryan Dancey, and RPG Superstar 2009 winner Neil Spicer to critique complete villain designs based on archetypes created in the previous round or from an official Paizo source. As a special Round 3 twist, the 16 finalists had to base the villains on artwork provided specifically for this purpose. "If you think you have the chops, and you have a burning desire to do roleplaying design for a living, then participating in RPG Superstar is the best way to prove it. At the very least you’ll improve your craft through a crucible of constructive criticism," said guest judge Stephen Radney-MacFarland. "Even before coming to work at Paizo, whenever I taught game design classes, I recommended RPG Superstar to my students who wanted to take their game to the next level." The Top 8 finalists for RPG Superstar 2011 and their winning entries are:
The Top 8 will now be required to design a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game location set in Golarion, the world of the Pathfinder RPG. The location must come complete with lore, a full encounter, and a map. Contestants must submit their entries to Paizo by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, February 18. These Round 4 submissions will be commented on by the four regular judges plus two special guest judges, professional cartographers and regular Paizo contributors Rob Lazzaretti and Jared Blando. On February 22, the entries and judge comments will be revealed to the general public, who will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorites. Voting ends on February 28, and the Top 4 (by votes) will move on to Round 5. The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, who will be announced on March 22, 2011, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2012. The winning 2010 RPG Superstar module, Matt Goodall's Cult of the Ebon Destroyers, releases in February 2011. For a complete schedule of RPG Superstar, including rules and a FAQ, please visit paizo.com/rpgsuperstar/previous/2011. About Paizo Publishing 16 Finalists Advance to RPG Superstar™ Round 3Advancing Designers Now Creating Memorable VillainsAfter a record number of votes in this year's Round 2, sixteen amateur game designers have advanced to Round 3 of Paizo Publishing's RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying design contest in history. Ryan Dancey, father of the Open Gaming movement, joined celebrity judges Sean K Reynolds and Mark Moreland from Paizo and RPG Superstar 2009 winner Neil Spicer to critique 450-word class archetype concepts submitted by the top 32 Round 1 survivors, and a public vote resulted in 16 advancing submissions. The finalists must now create backgrounds and Pathfinder RPG stat blocks using one of 32 preselected villain images and an archetype, either from a previous round or from any published Paizo product. All finalist submissions, complete with judge and reader commentary, are posted to the paizo.com messageboards. "Round 2 this year presented a huge challenge for the Top 32 competitors. Archetypes aren't easy, and they require a very different design approach than creating new wondrous items, as the contestants did in Round 1," said judge Mark Moreland. "Despite the steep learning curve, many of the archetypes we received were quite impressive, and I'm confident the Top 16 will deliver even more innovative and interesting villains in Round 3." The Top 16 finalists for RPG Superstar 2011 and their winning Round 2 entries are:
The Top 16 will now be required to create backgrounds and Pathfinder RPG stat blocks using one of 32 preselected villain images and an archetype by 2:00 PM Pacific time on Friday, February 4. These Round 3 submissions will be commented on by the four regular judges, plus the guest judges: game industry veteran and Paizo Designer Stephen Radney-MacFarland and Pathfinder Tales author Tales and former Dragon editor Dave Gross. On February 8, the entries and judge comments will be revealed to the general public, who will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorites. Voting ends on February 14, and the Top 8 (by votes) will move on to Round 4. The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, which will be announced on March 22, 2011, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2012. The 2010 RPG Superstar champion module, Matt Goodall's Cult of the Ebon Destroyers, releases in February 2011. For a complete schedule of RPG Superstar, including rules and a FAQ, please visit paizo.com/rpgsuperstar/previous/2011. About Paizo Publishing Paizo Announces PaizoCon 2011Guests of Honor Include Ed Greenwood and Tyler WalpolePaizo Publishing, LLC is proud to announce that it will host PaizoCon 2011 at the Coast Bellevue Hotel in Bellevue, Washington June 10-12, 2011. This small, intimate convention gives YOU the opportunity to meet, greet, and game with some of the best and brightest of hobby gaming's veteran authors, artists, publishers, and designers. Guests of Honor at this year's show include Ed Greenwood, legendary author and creator of the Forgotten Realms and Tyler Walpole, artist extraordinaire (Pathfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft TCG). Other guests include Wolfgang Baur (Kobold Quarterly), Stan! (Super Genius Games), Dave Gross (Pathfinder Tales: Prince of Wolves and Master of Devils), and artist Kieran Yanner (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2). The entire Paizo Publishing staff will be on hand to answer questions, run exclusive Pathfinder events, and play games with attendees. PaizoCon 2011 features three days of gaming, panels, workshops, and fun! A 3-day badge costs $35, and attendance is capped at 500 attendees. You can register for PaizoCon 2011 online at paizo.com/paizocon. When you register, be sure to sign up for Saturday night's Paizo Preview Banquet ($15), where Paizo will show off advance copies of three hotly anticipated products: Ultimate Combat, the Jade Regent Adventure Path and a Super Secret New Product that will be debuting at the show. Plus, each attendee table will feature at least one special guest. Special room rates at the Coast Bellevue Hotel are available. Call 1-800-716-6199 and ask for the PaizoCon room block. Be sure to book by May 25, 2011 to qualify for the special rate. "We couldn't be more excited about PaizoCon 2011," said Paizo Publisher Erik Mona. "Not only do we want to share our future products with our customers and messageboard community, but we are looking forward to the opportunity to game with the folks who have become the heart of Paizo Publishing: our readers." In addition to special guests and banquets, PaizoCon 2011 will feature the debut of four new Pathfinder Society adventures and a raft of unique gaming experiences provided by the Paizo staff and the convention's many special guests. Keep your eye on paizo.com/paizocon for more details as they develop! About Paizo Publishing Paizo Announces New Pathfinder RPG Hardcover: Ultimate CombatNinja, Samurai, and Gunslinger Classes Now in Open Playtest at Paizo.comPaizo Publishing announced today that open playtesting for Ultimate Combat, a new hardcover rulebook for the smash-hit Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, is now underway. The playtest introduces three new 20-level classes�the gunslinger, ninja, and samurai�in addition to new feats and simple firearm rules. The playtest cycle will last for three weeks, until Monday, February 14th. Pathfinder players are invited to download the free playtest documents on paizo.com and post their thoughts and suggestions to the ongoing discussion on the official Paizo message boards. Ultimate Combat, a new 256-page hardcover reference, reveals the martial secrets of the Pathfinder RPG rules like never before! Tons of new tricks and techniques for combat-oriented character classes put a sharp edge on your weapons and a sure step in your tactics, ranging from new barbarian rage powers to new cavalier orders, tons of new rogue talents, and more than 60 new archetypes for nearly every Pathfinder RPG character class, including spellcasters like wizards and clerics. Ultimate Combat is set for an August 2011 release, and will have a MSRP of $39.99. For more information about the Ultimate Combat playtest please visit our website at: http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5lbsx About Paizo Publishing Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo and Pathfinder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. Paizo Announces RPG Superstar™ 2011 Top 32Finalists to Design New Class Archetypes by End of WeekPaizo Publishing today announced the finalists for RPG Superstar, the largest open-call tabletop roleplaying game design contest in history. Judges Sean K Reynolds, Ryan Dancey, Neil Spicer, and Mark Moreland selected the Top 32 from a record number of submissions in an initial contest to design a wondrous item using the rules from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, available in stores around the world and in electronic form on paizo.com. The Top 32 wondrous items are now on display at paizo.com, complete with judge commentary and additional comments from 2010 RPG Superstar finalists Alexander MacLeod and Jim Groves and winner Matt Goodall. Gamers are invited to contribute their own comments to the entries. "This has been our most successful RPG Superstar to date," said Erik Mona, Paizo's Publisher. "We received a record number of submissions and the quality of the submitted designs was better than ever. We can’t wait to see what the winners do next." The Top 32 finalists for RPG Superstar 2011 are: Artus Nemati 2011 alternates include: Eric Reed The Top 32 will now be required to design a new character class archetype to the specifications of the RPG Superstar judges and submit that concept by 2:00 PM (Pacific time) on Friday, January 21. These Round Two submissions will be revealed to the general public on January 25 with judges' comments, and the public will then get to discuss the entries and vote for their favorites. Voting ends on January 31 and the Top 16 by votes will move on to Round Three. The ultimate winner of RPG Superstar, announced March 22, 2011, will write a Pathfinder Module to be published in early 2012. The 2010 RPG Superstar champion module, Matt Goodall's Cult of the Ebon Destroyers, releases in February 2011. For a complete schedule of RPG Superstar, including rules and a FAQ, visit paizo.com/rpgsuperstar/previous/2011. About Paizo Publishing |
