Sealed Heroes, Sealed Friends

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Illustration by Javier Charro

PaizoCon is just a few days away, and Pathfinder Society will be there in full force! Let's take a look at what's debuting that the convention.

The first is Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-20: Torrent's Last Will, a Tier 7-11 adventure that continues the our ongoing Plane of Water storyline that began with Treacherous Waves. A sahuagin warlord has captured a powerful artifact that threatens the Society and its allies. In this adventure by Cole Kronewitter, the PCs embark on an expedition into the dangerous depths of the Plane of Water, in the process teaming up with undine soldiers and a haughty brine dragon. Whereas some of Season 8's adventures have kept to the safer corners of their respective elemental planes, "Torrent's Last Will" makes the most of its aquatic setting in terms of hazards, encounters, and locations. Pack your swim trunks!

The Pathfinder Society recently won the Sargava Chalice in the eponymous footrace, but few know that the trophy cup is actually a cyclops relic dating back to Ghol-Gan. In Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-21: Champion's Chalice, Part 2: Agents of the Eye, the PCs carry the chalice deep into the Kaava Lands, where the relic can grant them a unique window into the past and a fallen empire. Author Nicholas Herold takes us to a long-forgotten corner of Golarion's history in this Tier 1-5 scenario, and it's up to the PCs to avert an imminent crisis with the help of desperate allies.

Illustrations by Sebastian Rodriguez

PaizoCon is also one of our most popular times to release special events, and this year we're doing something a little different with some very familiar aspects. On its surface, Pathfinder Society Special #8-99: The Solstice Scar is a multi-table interactive special like many that have come before, including ways in which individual tables can contribute to the entire event's goals and affect neighboring groups. In terms of structure, though, it's a very different beast. Whereas past interactive specials have been central to a season's storyline and never changed, "The Solstice Scar" is what I've referred to as a modular special—a special event whose pieces we can swap out. What you'll have a chance to play at PaizoCon, Gen Con, and later conventions is Version A, which consists of three 90-minute parts of the ongoing story (Parts 1, 2, and 3). Around the beginning of 2018 (we're still nailing down an exact date), we're going to swap out one of the parts, introduce Part 4, and re-release the adventure as Version B. Not only does Version B advance the story, but it's also playable for credit again as though it were a completely new adventure! We'll be releasing several version over the coming seasons, providing events worldwide a regularly updated special event that they can offer mid-season.

With a strange new format, we needed a tested author who's handled strange assignments before. Andrew Hoskins took the challenge and has written the first four parts of the adventure, beginning with an incident in the Blakros Museum and spiraling into an epic journey across Avistan to study an ancient Kellid ritual, uncover a forgotten chapter of the Shining Crusade, and do battle with a truly reprehensible evil. I look forward to joining you in its debut on Sunday night at PaizoCon!

Speaking of PaizoCon, the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild and Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild represent only a fraction of what's going on this weekend. We'll be announcing Season 9's name and theme at the PaizoCon Preview Banquet on Saturday night. Immediately afterward, I'm hosting the much-beloved post-banquet trivia contest, whose prizes include gift certificates, the acclaim of your peers, and ample opportunities to troll me by writing weird answers to questions (an equally beloved tradition). If you'd rather ask questions than answer them, you should also attend the Organized Play Q&A panel from 5-6 pm on Sunday. The whole team will be there to answer your burning questions about Season 9, Starfinder Society, and much more!

Beyond that, watch for us in the halls. We're happy to chat about our work, your experiences, freelance work opportunities, and what could happen in future adventures. After all, the modular special concept came out of a conversation Linda and I had while hanging out in the Sagamore Ballroom, and Thurston and I figured out a major portion of Season 8's plotline while having a chat at the Paizo booth at Gen Con. Who knows what great things we could brainstorm this weekend.

See you there!

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer