Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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PaizoCon 2017 will mark two momentous milestones….the 10th PaizoCon (if you include that very first one in 2008) AND TEN YEARS of Pathfinder! Wayfinder #7 marked the 5 year anniversary for Pathfinder by establishing the theme to include all Pathfinder products published to date. We thought we should build off that concept, but pick it up where #7 left off in 2012, and continue it on through 2016. It’s about as open-concept for a theme that we are willing to attempt!
Goal
The goal for the fanzine is to create a collection of fan-created articles and supporting art set in Paizo’s Pathfinder Campaign Setting world of Golarion.
The theme for Wayfinder #17 will be Another Five Years of Pathfinder 2012-2016! What does this include? Glad you asked!
- Skull and Shackles (February 2012)
- Shattered Star (August 2012)
- Reign of Winter (February 2013)
- Wrath of the Righteous (August 2013)
- Mummy's Mask (February 2014)
- Iron Gods (August 2014)
- Giantslayer (February 2015)
- Hell's Rebels (August 2015)
- Hell's Vengeance (February 2016)
- Strange Eons (August 2016)
Please use the Inner Sea World Guide as your main reference, along with any of the aforementioned Adventure Paths and their supplements (as well as the handy-dandy PathfinderWiki and the Archives of Nethys)! Preference will be given to articles that follow the issue’s theme. Writers are invited to submit articles that fit within the following categories:
- Advice: Share valuable information or experiences with new GMs or players in the world of Golarion. Submission size: 750 words.
- Bestiary: New creatures to terrorize your PCs! Each creature counts as a separate submission. Submission size: 750 words per creature. However, because multiple creatures are combined to form a single bestiary article, smaller entries will be considered as long as they are complete. (i.e., a hard target word count of 750 words does not apply to bestiary entries. See the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary for examples of proper formatting and content.)
- Fiction: Wayfinder now accepts fiction submissions directly from the public. Joining a writer’s group to help with editing and development is still highly recommended. Submission size: either 750 or 1,500 words.
- Flavor Articles: People, organizations, events, poetry, or other aspects of life in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting. These articles should build on the material already available in other sources. Flavor articles may include some rules material, such as item, location, or spell stat blocks, if necessary. Submission Size: 750 or 1,500 words.
- Golarion Gazetteer: Expand and explore places or towns on the Inner Sea maps that have little to no information about them in the campaign setting literature. If applicable, you may submit up to a 1/2-page map of your chosen locale. Submission size: 1,500 words.
- Of Chance and Skill: Games, new to or adapted for Golarion, to play at your table. Submission size: 750 or 1,500 words.
- New Rules: Articles devoted to new archetypes, prestige classes, class abilities, feats, spells or magic items for the world of Golarion. Multiple smaller entries (i.e., magic items) can be grouped together submitted as one article. Those tied together by a central theme will be favored as full articles; those with a variety or more random selection will be cherry-picked for inclusion in an article (such as Heroes’ Hoard). Submission size: 750 or 1,500 words.
- Realm Building: Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Campaign contains rules for building armies, cities and kingdoms. This column is focused on building upon those rules. Submission size: 1,500 words.
- Side Trek Seeds: Side trek seeds are short outlines that provide GMs with ideas, either as side treks for a Pathfinder adventure or as mini-adventures set in Osirion. Each side trek seed counts as a separate submission. Please refer to earlier issues of Wayfinder for the layout for this article. Submission size: 325 words.
- Poetry and Song: Music and poetry often define a culture. Share your vision of the best-known songs and poems of the Inner Sea, with special emphasis on the issue’s theme. Submission size: 35 to 50 lines in total.
- Weal or Woe: Two 7th-level or lower NPCs (including statblocks—one potential ally, one potential adversary. Include hooks for how PCs might meet each NPC and how to use them in a campaign. Include a boon that can come from the Weal character and a drawback from the Woe character. Please reference earlier Wayfinders for the layout for this article, and try to avoid lengthy and complicated stat blocks, as they take up more space than regular text, and can cause problems with layout (i.e., not enough room for art). Submission size: 1,500 words.
Guidelines
- Thou shalt not disregard canon, thou shalt build upon it.
- Keep in mind thy audience. Keep it PG-13. No slash fic/porn fantasies, cheesecake/beefcake/fan service. These are prohibited by the Community Use Policy.
- Short and sweet. Refer to the word count requirements for each type of submission. These are HARD targets, not a range. Articles submitted with word counts more than 5% above or below the target numbers will not be accepted.
- Limit of up to THREE submissions per person per issue. So, pick your three best ideas!
- Do not submit an article that relies heavily on another submission, whether the other submission is yours or someone else’s. Any submitted articles that reference (an)other article(s) must be pre-approved by the Editor-in-Chief.
- Stick to the theme. Articles that do not relate to the monster theme will not be accepted. Articles should feature or be about monsters, not the typical player races (humans, elves, dwarves, etc.)
- Submissions used to defame, harass, or threaten board members are not tolerated.
Submission Instructions
- Conditions for Submissions. All authors and artists must agree to have their works reproduced for this and other Wayfinder products, be it for translations into other languages (we will be responsible for the truthfulness of the translations), special publications, or use on a Wayfinder website. All of Wayfinder’s publications are NON-PROFIT, and authors and artists will be given proper credit where due.
- Send all submissions to: wayfinder.fanzine@gmail.com with the subject line containing “Wayfinder #17 Submission:”, followed by the article title.
- All text submissions must be submitted in DOC or DOCX format (doesn’t matter if you use Office or OpenOffice). Note: Files sent in RTF, TXT, or any other format than DOC will be rejected.
- For people who use open-source software, like OpenOffice and LibreOffice, and save their files as .DOC files, there is a mismatch between file types when trying to open the .DOC files in versions of Word from 2013 and up. It results in losing the last few lines of text. Those lines can only be viewed on Word 2010 or earlier. If you use these open-source programs, you MUST put one or two carriage returns after your last paragraph before you save the document as a .DOC file. Otherwise, we will have great difficulty being able to read and edit your submission.
- Do not use fancy fonts or colors or styles for formatting - these will get stripped out in the editing and layout process. Use the standard body font for the program you’re using - bold and italics are fine. Ask us for an example of our style templates, if you’d like to use that. Tables must be tab delimited (DO NOT USE FORMATTED TABLES).
- Use standard Pathfinder RPG formats for stat blocks. Familiarize yourself with the style and wording choices used in Paizo products and apply those same style and wording choices to your submissions.
- At the top of your submission, in the body of the article, provide the following information: article title (and subtitle, if any), author name(s), contact e-mail address(es), and word count of the submission. For example,
- Accepted entries will go through editing passes for clarity and concision. Depending on time constraints, you may or may not receive feedback from the editing process.
- Failure to follow these instructions or to meet one or more guidelines will result in rejection of the submission.
- DEADLINE: January 1, 2017, 11:59 Pacific. All entries will be handled on a first come, first serve basis. Some articles may be rejected depending on the final size of the PDF.
Advertising
- Fan projects operating under Paizo’s Community Use Policy are welcome to advertise their websites and materials.
- Third party publishers wishing to advertise their Pathfinder Roleplaying Game-compatible projects in Wayfinder #17 are welcome to advertise as well. Space is available for 1/4, 1/2 and full page ads.
- Email wayfinder.fanzine@gmail.com for questions about placing an ad. Be sure to include “Wayfinder #17 Advertising” in your subject line.
- RESERVE YOUR AD SPACE BY January 31, 2017
- ADS MUST BE RECEIVED BY February 28, 2017
I'll have to think about this one - all of the Paths I love best are in the previous set. ^_^
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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Also, note that we are changing the way we take magic items (up there under New Rules articles).
Now we will take either a full article of magic items that all tie into a central theme (and we'll keep it intact and use it as an article) OR we will take a collection of magic items that adhere to the theme of the issue generally, and will cherry-pick the ones we like from those for use in an article like "Heroes' Hoard" or some market/shop/bazaar article that needs a list of magic items.
If you are just submitting general magic items (and not a tight themed article of them), every 750 words you write counts as 1 submission, OK? If you write only 500, that's OK too, but it counts as 1 submission to your max of 3.
If you are going for the themed collection of items as a complete article, it will definitely need to hit the hard targets of 750 or 1500 words, or it will risk being rejected, or cut apart for single items we like most.
Clear?
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Definitely the issue to try and contribute to if you love the Cheliax stuff. Probably the last chance for quite a while.
INCONCEIVABLE!
The Empire of Cheliax should be in EVERY issue!
The jewel in the crown of this continent, under the beneficient rulership of the only Queen with proven divine authority at her right hand!
You should not be pandering to the dregs of society, as you did in your last greasy pamphlet.
Pages wasted on the pigsty gruntings of that disgusting midget, and his anarchist nonsense.
I have never witnessed so much deluded wafflings in one publication, as I did in your issue 15.
Layabouts and shirkers, demanding political autonomy! I assume next year, you will be petitioning for voting rights to be given to sheep and chickens!
Or even, halflings!
One day, we shall be free from your lies, you are so self-satisfied.
We do not need you. If you want to break free, then begone.
When you make a dog's breakfast of your alleged utopia, you will crawling back for handouts, like death on two legs.
I bid you good day, sir. And pray that you eventually learn some good manners and an appreciation of your betters.
I can only hope there are some on your paper's staff, who have not been fooled by the tracts of Ranters and Levellers, that I could beseech to direct the editorial position back toward a pro-Royalist stance.
If I could only reach you, that would really be a breakthrough.
Alas, so sad, it ends. As it began.
Yours in anticipation,
(The Alluring) Castrovel
How would you feel on some alternate rules for Mythic as a new rules article?
Clarification: is the theme based solely on the APs, or are all the other products released during that time also fair game?
...and should we include with our submission what product our submission is based on? I think it would be cool if each AP had a symbol that could be included after the title of each submission.
Ooops cut and paste error:
Stick to the theme. Articles that do not relate to the monster theme will not be accepted. Articles should feature or be about monsters, not the typical player races (humans, elves, dwarves, etc.)
Hmmm...
-New mythic rules for new classes, and new mythic feats? There SHOULD be one for the wicked witch's familiar...
-Winter shamans? And if winter comes...
-An Oracle of Fire & Ice?
-Some stats for good gigas?
I'll have to think about this one - all of the Paths I love best are in the previous set. ^_^
Strange Aeons starts in Ustalav... seems like an opportune location for kyton-themed and changeling-themed stuff. :)
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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Clarification: is the theme based solely on the APs, or are all the other products released during that time also fair game?...and should we include with our submission what product our submission is based on? I think it would be cool if each AP had a symbol that could be included after the title of each submission.
Ooops cut and paste error:
Stick to the theme. Articles that do not relate to the monster theme will not be accepted. Articles should feature or be about monsters, not the typical player races (humans, elves, dwarves, etc.)
First....yes, actually, that would be a GREAT idea. Include what product your article is based on. Excellent.
Next....dang it, yes. That is a holdover from Wayfinder #14. Ignore the rest of that and just "STICK TO THE THEME", which is pretty darned broad, so it shouldn't be too hard.
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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Clarification: is the theme based solely on the APs, or are all the other products released during that time also fair game?
I generally consider the rules portion to be utilized to the fullest extent regardless of the theme. The APs give us the regions and a line of products to write towards. If you are writing based on Carrion Crown, I expect that you'll be tapping the Ustalav materials in the Inner Sea World Guide, Rule of Fear, and the AP volumes.
Your goal is to write material that supports or "fits into" the Adventure Path gameplay. So, if I'm playing Carrion Crown, an article introducing something cool that either the GM or the players can potentially use in their game sessions is the point of all this.
Does that answer your question?
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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I may have something that would fit this theme.
It does make use of a feat from Wayfinder #12 that I've altered a bit. Would that be much of an issue?
As long as you give the original article and author credit for it by referencing it properly for us to list.
But, yeah, we love it when people are inspired by previous Wayfinder issues.
I am making myself some Mythic feats tied to WotR characters.
On another front: for issue #15, someone proposed the idea of a NPC Codex-type article. Do you think it could be good for this issue too? I have some Heralds of Summer's Return in mind.
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Your goal is to write material that supports or "fits into" the Adventure Path gameplay. So, if I'm playing Carrion Crown, an article introducing something cool that either the GM or the players can potentially use in their game sessions is the point of all this.
Does that answer your question?
Darn, I started plotting out a piece of fiction with references to something like 5-6 pfs scenarios.
I think I'll be polishing some of the work on giant archetypes that I've been doing just for my home game.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Article one (archetypes) done.
Possibly foolish question by a first time submitter.
I would like to find a beta reader/editor for feedback. How do I do this?
I would of course do the same for others.Now onto my Weal or Woe article.
I can't speak for other Wayfinder editors, but I am susceptible to bribery via treats.
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I can't speak for other Wayfinder editors, but I am susceptible to bribery via treats.Article one (archetypes) done.
Possibly foolish question by a first time submitter.
I would like to find a beta reader/editor for feedback. How do I do this?
I would of course do the same for others.Now onto my Weal or Woe article.
Didn't expect the editors. They after all have coupious amounts of free time.
Will PM about suitable bribe.
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Article one (archetypes) done.
Possibly foolish question by a first time submitter.
I would like to find a beta reader/editor for feedback. How do I do this?
I would of course do the same for others.Now onto my Weal or Woe article.
I'm happy to have a look at it.
I've done this before, for others, and I've had archetypes and WoWs of my own accepted.The thing that lets down many crunch articles is the formatting.
Take a look at the official material, to see the established style used by Paizo (this is always bold, this part is always italics, this lower case, where things go in a stat block, the difference between item cost and price).
Another good resource are the RPG Superstar forums, both for seeing what a top 32 submission looks like, and for what gets you dinged.
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I may have something that would fit this theme.
It does make use of a feat from Wayfinder #12 that I've altered a bit. Would that be much of an issue?
If it helps, my point-of-view NPC from issue 15 also appeared in issue 11, so it's a sequel of sorts.
I had similar concerns, that I'd be seen as double-dipping from the well, but took the chance, since it seemed to go down well first time.
I'm certainly considering revisiting some mounted Chelaxian whoopass, but need to check if any of the material from the last four years has made my idea obsolete.
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I think I'll be submitting something this time around :)
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So, random thoughts;
I immediately twig to the (over)ambitious notion of an article that applies to all 10 of the selected APs, either a selection of 10 monsters, spells or magic items, one themed for each AP in the list.
So, for beasties, an article might include a sea monster, a thassilion ioun construct, a type of winter fey/snow maiden, a 'angel of blades' servant of Iomedae, a 'mummy' that is powered by a bound elemental (with different abilities depending on what sort of elemental is bound within it), a tiny robot clockwork spider usable as a familiar, a planar giant (for 'continuing the adventure' of Giantslayer), a Milanite 'spirit of freedom,' a countering Asmodean 'spirit of tyranny,' and some sort of living manifestation of the Yellow Sign. And that's just beasties. An article with 10 spells or 10 magic items (or, more off-the-beaten-path, 10 combat feats, or even 10 Side Treks), themed to those adventure paths, would be *much* less work, and much shorter. :)
Riffing off of articles already present in the pirate-themed Wayfinder (for Skull & Shackles), or the Osirioni-themed Wayfinder (for Mummy's Mask), or a Cheliax-themed Wayfinder (for Hell's Rebels or Hell's Vengenace) could also be a fun idea.
I was thinking about a new mini-location with a mini-gallery of characters for Reign of Winter, but don't know if it's okay.
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Kerney, I apologise for not getting back to you earlier. We had some team changes at work, on top of a new phone system to learn, so I had to pull some longer hours with training events and micromanaging added.
I'll get a reply to you asap, of at least first impressions, with deeper analysis to follow.
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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Will this be a normal sized issue?
Or would the event justify a supersized portion?
OH NO NO NO. We will hold to 76 pages as much as we can. (It could creep up to 80 pages if the content is REALLY good, though). This one gets printed, and we can't afford to do those big issues anymore (both time and money wise).
If you haven't noticed, the last two issues (#14 and #15) had very few ads. Interest in placing ads in Wayfinder is down, and so is the extra funding that comes from that. Cutting back of the number of pages helps defray costs. We are likely going to have to ramp down the number of copies we print this next PaizoCon, as well. Our reserves are dwindling.
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Kerney, I apologise for not getting back to you earlier. We had some team changes at work, on top of a new phone system to learn, so I had to pull some longer hours with training events and micromanaging added.
I'll get a reply to you asap, of at least first impressions, with deeper analysis to follow.
Sounds good. I totally get that life happens.
Sent all three pieces yesterday... one Bestiary, one crunch, one NPC Gallery. And now crossing my fingers...
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Random other ideas floating around my brain;
Five Years of X.
Where X = a class type, and rules for it.
So, Five Years of Witchery, for example, would include 10 individual rules elements for witches (or witch-themed characters, who may not necessarily have levels in the witch class, such as changelings or some sorcerers or druids or whatever), one based on each of the 10 APs in question. For Iron Gods, a clockwork/robot familiar. For Wrath of the Righteous, a celestial-themed hex or spell. For Strange Eons, an Outer Dark patron. For Reign of Winter, a changeling race trait based on ties to a wintery mute hag. Mix stuff up, include a Feat, a magic item, etc. and not just a half-dozen themed hexes or spells. The challenge would be to come up with 10 suitably different elements (which not all classes would as easily lend themselves to...), while keeping each one relevant to the AP it's themed for.
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Who's in charge of the writer's group? I'm keen to join.As in to submit or as in to review?
If you want to submit something, it's open to all...as long as the guidelines are respected.
Thanks Andre, to answer your question... this...
Fiction: Wayfinder now accepts fiction submissions directly from the public. Joining a writer’s group to help with editing and development is still highly recommended...
Made my first Wayfinder submission, not sure if I tied it to the Strange Aeons adventure path enough but worth a shot.
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Sorry for being AWOL, but I've found my office will be closing soon, and there's been a flurry of activity on my end, to find out what my options are.
It's possible I may make a significant career change, something I possibly should have done years ago.
I've been in a rut for a while, through fear of not being employable outside my niche, but with the help of the various carers charities and school staff, I'm being told that may not be the case.
Once I get this hurdle over, I'll be back on focus again. We'll see what a reinvigorated me can do, when I'm not wasting hours commuting, and have some free time.
One month to go! Dust off those APs and get something in! We're looking forward to your submissions!