Unleash the Krake... Undead!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

In mere weeks the most vile undead masterminds of the Inner Sea region (and one that's actually pretty nice most of the time) will be released upon unsuspecting PCs everywhere. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Undead Unleashed features 15 unique undead creatures ranging from CR 3 to CR 23, as well as maps of their lairs, details on their minions, histories, and current plans. While not exactly adventures, each lair provides enough information that a Game Master can easily build an adventure within. Each undead is designed to be modular enough that a trek through its lair can help a party bridge a gap between levels or fill a night when some members of a gaming group can't make it. At the same time, their rich backstories provide GMs with enough plot hooks and secret motivations to make even the CR 3 ghast villain the mastermind behind an entire adventure.

This book gave us the opportunity to detail several characters first mentioned in the earliest days of Pathfinder, about whom fans have been asking questions for years. Want to know more about Walkena, the child mummy god of the Mwangi Expanse? He's in here. How about Erum-Hel, the mythic Lord of Mohrgs, whose defeat at Iomedae's hands is considered one of her holy Acts? He's in here. What about the Wight Mother of Isger, who spreads disease and undeath from Finder's Gulch in Isger? You guessed it—we included her as well.

As to who the other 13 undead creatures are, you'll just have to wait and see, but here are a few pieces of amazing art from the book to whet your appetites further (and provide a few hints at the creatures' types, if not their specific identities).

Illustrations by Carmen Cianelli, Mac Smith, Ekaterina Burmak, and Carlos Villa.

Undead Unleashed will be on its way to subscribers soon and available everywhere later this month!

Mark Moreland
Developer

Pathfinder Battles Preview: Taking Another Look

Friday, December 16, 2011

The official release date for Heroes & Monsters is now only a few weeks away, and by this point I’ve revealed every miniature in the set in one form or another. Later today our friends at WizKids will be bringing over first-run outputs of the approved sculpts for the next set, Rise of the Runelords, so my mind is already on the next amazing set. But those previews will have to wait until next month, as I want to take one more pass through Heroes & Monsters to show off some of the final versions of minis you’ve only previously seen as computer models or unpainted practical sculpts.

First up we have the uncommon Dire Rat, one of the earliest miniatures we revealed for the set. Your comments (and our own impressions) said that the computer-generated 3D sculpt of the rat looked too “clean,” so I asked WizKids to add a layer of filth over the whole guy to really sell the idea that he just stepped out of a sewer. I’d say they nailed it. Gross!

Speaking of early reveals, next up we have the rare Lich, previously seen only as a computer sculpt. The final production-run miniature shown below reveals nice metallic effects on the shoulder pads and chestplate, while WizKids’ talented paint operations have added a cool speckled highlight effect on what originally appeared to be a flat black cloak. This guy really looks like a badass, and I love the way the detail at the hem of his cloak gives the whole thing a sense of texture. I can’t wait to put this guy on the table and see my players run for cover.

Next up we have the common Lizardfolk Champion. This is your first look at this guy in color, and honestly, I’m not sure our camera is up to the challenge of showing off how good the Champion looks, especially for a “common” figure. I count eight different colors, from his black toenails to the touch of blue at the top of his crest. The Lizardfolk’s curved tail and weapon pose give it a great sense of three-dimensionality. We call him a Champion, but at the common rarity, he makes a great troop-builder figure for a Lizardfolk squad. More Lizardfolk will certainly follow (with plenty of variety within the types), but this guy gets us off to a good start.

Speaking of amazing commons, the Orc Warrior is one of my absolute favorite figures in the set. Not only is he an amazing likeness to the illustration in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, but he’s got more detail and a better paint job than most prepainted orcs that preceded him (although I also really like the Orc Brute from this set). There will DEFINITELY be more orcs in the future, and we’ll be careful to match the skin tones, size, and general “look” to make sure all of them work well together.

Lastly we have the only iconic character in Heroes & Monsters, the rare paladin Seelah. Although the way this photo frames her face makes her seem like a bit of a Popeye look, the mini looks really nice in hand. The metallic silver and gold of her armor really pops, and I love the design WizKids pulled off at the hem of her skirt. There will, of course, be more iconic characters to come, with Rise of the Runelords getting two, bringing the total (including the four in Beginner Box Heroes) to 7. Only 14 to go before we’ve covered them all!

That’s it for this week! WizKids is bringing a pile of new minis over later today, and I can’t wait to start planning preview blogs for the next set! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to know about Heroes & Monsters, and I’ll do my best to help out!

These things are almost in your hands! I can’t wait to hear what you think of them once you get to see them for yourselves!

Erik Mona
Publisher

Pathfinder Battles Preview: Spooky Salutations!

Friday, October 28, 2011

All-Hallow’s Eve is almost upon us, so I’ve decided to shake up the regular preview regime and show off a few spooooooooky Pathfinder Battles miniatures from the forthcoming Heroes & Monsters set, regardless of their distribution rarity within the set.

First up is the Zombie, one of the most iconic horror creatures of all time. We figured that most GMs would appreciate a horde of these undead critters, so we’ve placed him in the common rarity—the better to overrun your player characters, of course!

This guy was a real struggle to get right. The first digital sculpts we received had his hands in the air like he was some kind of dancing fool, but after a bit of tweaking I think he’s finally in a correct “grasp/lunge” sort of stance. The photo doesn’t quite do justice to the details on this figure. Parts of his skull and ribcage are peeking through holes in his rotted skin. Yuck!

Next up we have the Werewolf, a fearsome foe from myth and legend. This lupine horror lunges straight at your player characters with one set of claws up in the air for a killing strike! I especially like the way that the Werewolf still has remnants of his human outfit, such as the torn bits of his pants around the waist and the single leather bracer on his left hand. WizKids has also added a nice drybrushing effect to highlight the contours of the rare Werewolf’s fur. And though I don’t have a photo to show this week, gamers will be happy to know that the regular Wolf in this set has exactly the same color fur, meaning that you could use both miniatures to represent different stages of the Werewolf’s lycanthropy.

Lastly we have a creepy rare critter that you definitely don’t want showing up outside your door whispering “trick or treat.” Keeping the door shut won’t keep him out, because he is incorporeal and can walk right though! Beware, the Spectre!

Super-dedicated Pathfinder fans might notice that this Spectre miniature is not based on the Spectre illustration in the Pathfinder Bestiary. That’s probably OK, I reasoned, since the illustration of that creature in the Bestiary wasn’t originally a Spectre either, and its wispy bottom half and dwarf upper half didn’t strike the right pose for a miniature, anyway. Knowing that we needed a Spectre in our set, we looked through our entire art archive and pulled the best-looking “spectral dead” image we could find. Thus was born this nasty critter, who can double for just about any type of incorporeal undead in the game.

Yes, it would be an even cooler miniature if we’d figured out some way to incorporate transparent plastic into the figure, but for this first set we didn’t have the time to do that kind of trickery.

I’m happy to report that that isn’t the case for future sets, however, and plenty of creepy and cool minis with see-through bits are just over the horizon

So there you have it. Three of the creepiest minis from Heroes & Monsters, soon to be appearing on your gaming table. They won’t make it in time to share Halloween with you, but since they’re scheduled for a December release, I suggest making room for them at Christmas dinner.

I hear they’re ravenous.

Next Week: I reveal photos of some of the set’s amazing common creatures!

Erik Mona
Publisher

Beginner Box Sneak Preview

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Learning to play the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is about to get easier than ever before, as in just a few short weeks the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box hits the shelves of a game store near you! With the imminent release of this mighty boxed set—filled to bursting with easy-to-master rules, multiple adventures, creature tokens, dice, a Flip-Mat play surface, pregenerated character sheets, tons of tools to start building your own campaign, and much, much more—here's the first of several previews to whet your appetite for innovative new ways to tell the stories you've always wanted to tell and bring the adventure of tabletop roleplaying to whole new audiences.

To start things off, check out a few pages from the Bestiary chapter of the new Game Master's Guide, or one of the four pregenerated character sheets included in the set, this one detailing everything you'll need to play the dauntless cleric Kyra.

Game Master's Guide Bestiary Preview: From the heart of the Beginner Box's 94-page Game Master's Guide, here are eight fearsome and familiar foes, exhibiting just a hint of their streamlined rules, and proving that easy to use doesn't mean any less deadly. Download the PDF preview (1.6 MB zip/pdf)

Cleric Pregenerated Character Sheet Preview: What good is a pregenerated character if you don't know how to use it? Check out a complete Beginner Box pregenerated character sheet, designed to not only allow players to dive into the action immediately, but also explain each key ability and character feature at a glance, making sure players are spending their time adventuring, not looking up rules. This sample sheet is only one of four included in the Beginner Box. Download the PDF preview (1.8 MB zip/pdf)

The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box releases this October, but be sure to check back right here in the coming weeks for more details, discussions, and exciting revelations about the newest and most exciting way to learn and play the Pathfinder RPG!

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Illustration by Craig J Spearing

Editors at Work

Thursday, May 12, 2011

While we soldier on through our biggest deadlines of the year, please enjoy this piece of art from Pathfinder Adventure Path #47: Ashes at Dawn. Dude looks like I feel.

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Feat of Magic

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Due to hit subscribers and store shelves in just a few days, we are continuing our look into Ultimate Magic. This week we are diving into the feats chapter, with a bonus look at spells.

At 20 pages long, the feats chapter is by no means huge, but it does feature a little something for just about every spellcaster in the game, with a few options for nonspellcasters thrown in for good measure. While a number of these feats are here to complement one of the new archetypes, some fill out some holes left by the APG. For example, Extra Evolution gives the summoner more points to use when building his eidolon. Looking through the feat lists, though, I am drawn to the feats that allow characters to explore the game in new and interesting ways. Take a look at this one.

Eldritch Heritage
You are descended from a long line of sorcerers, and some portion of their power flows in your veins.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, Skill Focus with the class skill of bloodline selected for this feat (see below), character level 3rd.
Benefit: Select one sorcerer bloodline. You must have Skill focus in the class skill that bloodline grants to a sorcerer at 1st level (for example, Heal for the celestial bloodline). This bloodline cannot be a bloodline you already have. You gain the first-level bloodline power for the selected bloodline. For purposes of using that power, treat your sorcerer level as equal to your character level – 2, even if you have levels in sorcerer. You do not gain any of the other bloodline abilities.

Bloodlines—they're not just for sorcerers anymore.

Moving on, this book has a number of metamagic feats, as well, for every spellcaster to play with. While a number of these add effects to spells that deal a specific kind of energy damage, my personal favorite (due to some recent frustrating encounters) has to be this one.

Piercing Spell (Metamagic)
Your studies have helped you develop methods to overcome spell resistance.
Benefit: When you cast a piercing spell against a target with spell resistance, it treats the spell resistance of the target as 5 lower than its actual SR. A piercing spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Not surprisingly, this book also includes a sizable number of new spells for every spellcaster in the game. There are new symbol spells, new spells for the polymorph subschool (undead anatomy has been long awaited), and plenty of unique spells for some of the newer spellcasting classes (like witch and inquisitor). In addition, there are a lot spells designed specifically to add a bit of interesting flavor to the spellcaster's arsenal. Looking to flesh out your evil bard? Take a look at this spell.

Illustration by Tyler Walpole

Haunting Choir
School necromancy [mind-affecting, pain]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You create a spectral choir and conduct its tortured, ghostly moans, deluding listeners into believing they are suffering the torments of the dead. The transparent singers occupy a 10-foot cube, but they are intangible and do not interfere with creatures in any physical way, nor can they be attacked. Creatures within 30 feet of the choir experience wracking pain that causes them to take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. Individuals who exit the area of effect take these penalties for an additional 2 rounds before the delusion wears off.

I was about to wrap up the blog right there, but then I remember seeing this spell. I will end with this festive magic. Next week, we will wrap up our previews with one last look at the words of power alternative spellcasting system. Enjoy.

Snapdragon Fireworks
School transmutation [fire, light]; Level bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S, V, M (a bundle of sulfur wrapped in cloth)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect dragon-shaped fireworks
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes
A favorite display at halfling midsummer festivals, this spell lets you create fireworks in the shape of tiny dragons. Once per round, as a move action, you may designate a target 5-foot-square within range and launch a pyrotechnic in that direction. The pyrotechnic takes a zigzag path from you to that square, always missing creatures and objects in its path, and detonates in that square with a bang and a colorful burst of fire and light. Creatures in the target square take 1d4 points of fire damage and are dazzled for 1 round (Reflex half, a successful save negates the dazzled condition). Normally when this spell is used as part of a festival, the chosen target is high in the sky to increase visibility and protect observers.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Magic Archetypes

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

For the next month or so, every Tuesday we are going to be digging into some of the new rules and options you will find in Ultimate Magic, which is due to release in May. This week, we'll take a look at some of the new archetypes that take up a full 32 pages of this 256 page tome.

One of the first things you will notice about this book is that the new classes from the Advanced Player's Guide receive archetypes in this book (except the cavalier, who does not use magic). Here is an example of a new alchemist archetype, the vivisectionist.

Vivisectionist (Archetype)
A vivisectionist studies bodies to better understand their function. Unlike a chirurgeon, a vivisectionist's goals are not related to healing, but rather to experimentation and knowledge that most people would consider evil. A vivisectionist has the following class features.
Sneak Attack: At 1st level, a vivisectionist gains the sneak attack ability as a rogue of the same level. If a character already has sneak attack from another class, the levels from the classes that grant sneak attack stack to determine the effective rogue level for the sneak attack's extra damage dice (so an alchemist 1/rogue 1 has a +1d6 sneak attack like a 2nd-level rogue, an alchemist 2/rogue 1 has a +2d6 sneak attack like a 3rd-level rogue, and so on). This ability replaces bomb.
Torturer's Eye: At 2nd level, a vivisectionist adds deathwatch to his formula book as a 1st-level extract.
Cruel Anatomist: At 3rd level, a vivisectionist may use his Knowledge (nature) skill bonus in place of his Heal skill bonus.
Torturous Transformation: At 7th level, a vivisectionist adds anthropomorphic animal to his formula book as a 2nd-level extract. When he uses this extract, he injects it into an animal as part of a 2-hour surgical procedure. By using multiple doses of this extract as part of the surgery, he multiplies the duration by the number of extracts used.
At 9th level, a vivisectionist adds awaken and baleful polymorph to his formula book as 3rd-level extracts. When he uses the awaken and baleful polymorph extract, he injects it into the target (not a plant) as part of a 24-hour surgical procedure. He can make anthropomorphic animal permanent on a creature by spending 7,500 gp.
At 15th level, a vivisectionist adds regenerate to his formula book as a 5th-level extract.
Bleeding Attack: A vivisectionist may select the bleeding attack rogue talent in place of a discovery.
Crippling Strike: At 10th level or later, a vivisectionist may select the crippling strike rogue talent in place of a discovery.
Discoveries: The following discoveries complement the vivisectionist archetype: alchemical simulacrum*, concentrate poison, doppelganger simulacrum*, feral mutagen, parasitic twin*, plague bomb*, poison bomb, preserve organs*, sticky bomb, tentacle*, tumor familiar*, vestigial arm*, and wings*.

Of course, the classes from the Core Rulebook receive a number of new archetypes as well. Take a look at the Undead Lord archetype for the cleric.

	Illustration by Eric Belisle

Undead Lord (Archetype)
An undead lord is a cleric focused on using necromancy to control undead. Her flock is the walking dead and her choir the keening spirits of the damned. This unliving congregation is the manifestation of her unceasing love affair with death.
A cleric cannot take the undead lord archetype unless her deity's portfolio includes the Death domain or a similar domain that promotes undeath. An undead lord has the following class features.
Death Magic: An undead lord must select the Death domain (and the Undead subdomain from the Advanced Player's Guide, if available in the campaign). She does not gain a second domain. In all other respects, this works like and replaces the standard cleric's domain ability.
Corpse Companion (Su): With a ritual requiring 8 hours, an undead lord can animate a single skeleton or zombie whose Hit Dice do not exceed her cleric level. This corpse companion automatically follows her commands and does not need to be controlled by her. She cannot have more than one corpse companion at a time. It does not count against the number of Hit Dice of undead controlled by other methods. She can use this ability to create a variant skeleton such as a bloody or burning skeleton, but its Hit Dice cannot exceed half her cleric level. She can dismiss her companion as a standard action, which destroys it.
Bonus Feats: All undead lords gain Command Undead as a bonus feat. In addition, at 10th level, she may select one of the following as a bonus feat: Channel Smite, Extra Channel, Improved Channel, Quick Channel, Skeleton Summoner*, Undead Master*.
Unlife Healer (Su): At 8th level, the undead lord's spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used to heal undead heal an extra 50% damage. At 16th level, these effects automatically heal the maximum possible damage for the effect + the extra 50%. This does not stack with abilities or feats such as Empower Spell or Maximize Spell.

Well, that about wraps up this week. Next week, we will take a look at the magus. Before I go, here is one last bit to get you excited for this book. A complete list of all the archtypes found in Ultimate Magic (except for those sneaky magus archetypes, I'll save those for next week). Each one of these classes has other rules bits associated with them as well, but we will talk about those in a future blog. Enjoy.

Class Archetypes
Alchemist: The chirurgeon, clone master, internal alchemist, mindchemist, preservationist, psychonaut, reanimator, and vivisectionist archetypes.
Bard: The animal speaker, celebrity, demagogue, dirge bard, geisha, songhealer, and sound striker archetypes.
Cleric: The cloistered cleric, separatist, theologian, and undead lord cleric archetypes.
Druid: The dragon shaman, menhir savant, mooncaller, pack lord, reincarnated druid, saurian shaman, shark shaman, and storm druid archetypes.
Inquisitor: The exorcist, heretic, infiltrator, preacher, and sin eater archetypes.
Monk: The high-fantasy qinggong monk archetype.
Oracle: The dual-cursed oracle, enlightened philosopher, planar oracle, possessed oracle, seer, and stargazer archetypes.
Paladin: This section presents the oathbound paladin archetype.
Ranger: The magic trap using trapper archetype.
Sorcerer: The crossblooded and wildblooded archetypes.
Summoner: The broodmaster, evolutionist, master summoner, and synthesist archetypes.
Witch: The beast-bonded, gravewalker, hedge witch, and sea witch archetypes.
Wizard: The metal elementalist and wood elementalist wizard schools and the scrollmaster wizard archetype.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Part I: PaizoCon and Beyond

Monday, March 21, 2011

Though we're still in 2011's first quarter, we in Pathfinder Society Central are already plotting out details of Season 3, which will officially begin in August at Gen Con. Before we can move into the next season, however, we need to conclude Season 2. I guess now's as good a time as any to announce the final four scenarios of the current season—The Year of the Shadow Lodge.

At PaizoCon, as always, four new scenarios will debut to tie up all the loose ends with the ongoing metaplot of the season, and foreshadow the themes and challenges of next year. In this case, we've got the two part Shadow's Last Stand arc, set in the Andoren capital of Almas. Part I is At Shadow's Door, by Steven Robert, and Part II is Web of Corruption by Patrick Renie. Pathfinder Society campaign coordinator Hyrum Savage will send the PCs deep into undead-ruled Geb in You Only Die Twice, and Michael Kortes will pit the PCs against a team of deadly assassins in The Mantis's Prey. Players closely following the conflict between the Shadow Lodge and the Decemvirate will find all their questions answered in these four action- and intrigue-packed scenarios.

Because we've got some fairly significant changes and expansions coming to the campaign as it enters its fourth year, we decided to vary things up a little with July's releases. Instead of two standalone adventures left dangling between the conclusion of one year-long story arc and the introduction of another, we'll be putting out a three-part, first-level adventure arc called First Steps, designed to act as an introduction for new players, or old players starting new PCs. In this series, PCs will undertake their first missions as Pathfinders, learning what it means to be a member of the world-spanning organization, getting familiar with Absalom—their new home base—and meeting the heads of all the factions as well as some of the Society's most persistent enemies.

Adam Daigle starts it all off with In Service to Lore, followed by Stephen Radney-MacFarland's To Delve the Dungeon Deep. Larry Wilhelm wraps it all up with A Vision of Betrayal. PCs will end the series at second level, and choose their faction at the series' conclusion, deciding which of the motivations or play-styles most fits their character. As if this weren't exciting enough, all three scenarios will be available for free.

Stay tuned to this blog for more announcements about the future of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign in the coming weeks.

Mark Moreland
Developer

Golarion Day: They're Coming to Get You, Harsk!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

And just like that, Undead Revisited is shambling off to the printers! I previewed some of the art for this book a few weeks back, showing off how ten of the iconic heroes are doomed to meet grisly ends when this book hits store shelves. As with all books in the Revisited line, each chapter ends with a sample stat block—in the case of this book, a sample undead or new variant. Among those ten stat blocks we have a fallen Knight of Ozem and a fallen Hellknight, two undead dragons, a demonic mohrg and a daemonic devourer, a priestly lich and a kingly wight... and the following two critters from the entries on nightshades and the spectral dead—I'll let you all guess what exactly these are.

Illustration by Florian Stitz	Illustration by Francesco Graziani

All in all, ten fine and quite compelling reasons why those poor iconics are dropping like flies in this book! As for which of these ten undead got to Harsk... you'll just have to wait and see!

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Illustration by Christopher Burdett

Golarion Day: Death to the Iconics!

Thursday, February 24, 2010

So we have this book coming out soon called Undead Revisited. A 64-page book that's sort of a spiritual sequel to Classic Horrors Revisited, I suppose, in that it's got ten six-page articles that explore all sorts of scary monsters. But whereas Classic Horrors Revisited focused on frights that come from myth and legend, Undead Revisited focuses more on undead who were mostly created whole cloth for the game. A few in here, like the wight, are certainly from mythology, but most of the undead in this book are things like bodaks, devourers, graveknights, nightshades, and raveners—creatures made up for the game and only very loosely (if at all) inspired by overall stories featuring undead and threats from beyond the grave.

Anyway, when I was ordering art for the book, I decided to have a little fun. Each chapter opens with a half-page illustration, so why not show these horrible undead doing what they were born to do—kill player characters? So for each chapter opener, you get to see some violent undead monster killing off one of our iconics—pictured here, the iconic alchemist Damiel meets his end at the shadowy hands of a shadow.

Of course, there's only ten chapters, and when you count the three most recent additions to the party (the samurai, the ninja, and the gunslinger), we've got over double that in iconics. That DOES mean that only ten of the iconics get offed in this book. So make sure to check out Undead Revisited when it comes out to discover if YOUR favorite iconic bit the dust!

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Golarion Day: Subdomains for Everyone!

Thursday, February 17, 2010

The Advanced Player's Guide introduced a new concept for clerics—subdomains. It then went on to list subdomains available for the core 20 deities. Which is fine and good, if you happen to worship one of those deities. But what if you worship Besmara? Or Zura? Or the Lost Prince? Or Ymeri?

This post answers those questions. Listed below are the subdomains available for all of the other deities who are mentioned by name in the upcoming Inner Sea World Guide. Keen-eyed scholars of Golarion lore will note that there are even more deities beyond the ones I'm listing below, but in an attempt to keep this blog post from getting too huge, I'm limiting it to JUST the additional deities we mention in The Inner Sea World Guide. That way this post also serves as a sort of stealth preview for that book! If there's another deity from another book who you JUST HAVE to know the subdomains for, post a request in this blog's messageboard section below and I'll answer them as I get the chance.

Other Deities

Achaekek: Blood, Deception, Devil, Murder, Tactics, Thievery

Apsu: Archon, Construct, Dragon, Exploration, Toil, Trade

Besmara: Deception, Oceans, Protean, Tactics, Thievery, Storms

Dahak: Catastrophe, Deception, Demon, Dragon, Rage, Thievery

Ghlaunder: Catastrophe, Cloud, Demon, Fur, Rage, Wind

Groetus: Catastrophe, Insanity, Loss, Night, Protean, Stars

Gyronna: Demon, Insanity, Nightmare, Rage

Hanspur: Exploration, Murder, Protean, Trade

Kurgess: Agathion, Family, Fate, Home, Resolve, Trade

Milani: Azata, Defense, Freedom, Purity, Restoration, Revolution

Sivanah: Deception, Insanity, Memory, Protean, Thought, Wards

Zyphus: Blood, Catastrophe, Daemon, Decay, Murder, Undead

Archdevils

Baalzebul: Devil, Murder, Undead, Wind

Barbatos: Arcane, Devil, Divine, Trade

Belial: Catastrophe, Devil, Lust, Rage

Dispater: Deception, Devil, Leadership, Thievery

Geryon: Devil, Ferocity, Oceans, Resolve

Mammon: Construct, Devil, Metal, Toil

Mephistopheles: Devil, Language, Memory, Thought

Moloch: Ash, Devil, Smoke, Tactics

Demon Lords

Abraxas: Arcane, Demon, Memory, Thought

Angazhan: Decay, Demon, Fur, Growth

Baphomet: Demon, Ferocity, Fur, Resolve

Cyth-V'sug: Caves, Decay, Demon, Growth

Dagon: Catastrophe, Demon, Oceans, Rage

Deskari: Blood, Catastrophe, Demon, Tactics

Gogunta: Demon, Murder, Undead, Oceans

Kostchtchie: Demon, Ferocity, Ice*, Tactics

Nocticula: Demon, Loss, Lust, Night

Orcus: Demon, Divine, Murder, Undead

Pazuzu: Cloud, Deception, Demon, Wind

Shax: Demon, Leadership, Martyr, Rage

Socothbenoth: Demon, Exploration, Trade Lust

Zura: Blood*, Demon, Murder, Undead

The Eldest

Count Ranalc: Exploration, Loss, Martyr, Night

Green Mother: Caves, Decay, Growth, Lust

Imbrex: Family, Home, Metal, Resolve

Lantern King: Deception, Love, Lust, Thievery

Lost Prince: Ancestors, Insanity, Martyr, Memory

Magdh: Curse, Fate, Thought, Wards

Ng: Exploration, Seasons, Thought, Trade

Ragadahn: Ancestors*, Dragon, Oceans, Saurian

Shyka: Arcane, Catastrophe, Divine, Insanity

Elemental Lords

Ayrzul: Caves, Metal

Hshurha: Clouds, Wind

Kelizandri: Ice, Oceans

Ymeri: Ash, Smoke

Empyreal Lords

Andoletta: Archon, Defense, Memory, Purity

Arshea: Agathion, Freedom, Love, Lust

Korada: Agathion, Purity, Restoration, Resurrection

Ragathiel: Archon, Leadership, Martyr, Rage

Sinashakti: Azata, Exploration, Fate, Trade

Valani: Azata, Growth*, Seasons, Storms

Horsemen

Apollyon: Catastrophe, Daemon, Loss, Night

Charon: Daemon, Ice, Memory, Undead

Szuriel: Blood, Daemon, Ferocity, Tactics

Trelmarixian: Daemon, Decay*, Insanity, Seasons

The Fallen, False, and Forgotten

Aroden: None

Great Old Ones: Dark Tapestry, Insanity, Language, Memory, Nightmare, Stars

Lissala: Devil, Language, Leadership, Memory, Thought, Wards

Peacock Spirit: None

Razmir: None

Ydersius: Demon, Leadership, Martyr, Saurian, Tactics

*Although this subdomain would normally not be available to worshipers of this deity, in this case an exception is made due to the deity's close association with this theme.

Oh... hmm. Art. Yeah. Ummm... since this blog post is something of a preview of The Inner Sea World Guide, and since she was once a demigod herself (although not anymore; she lost that status when she died and got turned into a lich), here's Arazni, the Harlot Queen of Geb!

Illustration by Carolina Eade

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Illustration by Alex Aparin

Golarion Day — SPOILER: There Are Vampires in Ustalav

Thursday, January 27, 2010

So, we're back in busy mode this week, which means that I don't have a big pile of words to share with you today. But part of what made this week busy was shipping the upcoming Rule of Fear off to the printer. Which has a cover. And the art on that cover is pretty cool, wouldn't you say?

James Jacobs
Creative Director

Golarion Day: Chopper's Revenge!

Thursday, January 13, 2010

Last week, with the first installment of Golarion Day, I put out a call for everyone to start sending in ideas for future blog posts. Those requests are pouring in, but it's gonna take a few weeks for us to sort through them and match requests to the right content and all that. But keep the suggestions coming!

This week, though, I thought I'd show off a bit of my office Sandpoint campaign. This game's one of the largest I've ever run—the initial goal was to have it be a game that the entire editorial pit could take part in as a team-building exercise. But as we've hired more folks, and as friends of current players have joined, the size of the group has exploded into an intimidating group of nine players. The campaign itself is called The Shadow Under Sandpoint. You can check out the campaign journal over on our boards—it's generally only a few game sessions behind where we're at.

Illustration by John Gravato

One of the tricky things about such a large group, of course, is designing encounters that challenge the group. You can't just boost the CR of the bad guys and make them individually tougher, because that'll only mean that the bad guy will have a much better chance to kill a few PCs before he's defeated—you don't want to kill PCs in every fight, since that's a downward spiral. Instead, I've found that having one particularly tough boss monster surrounded by lots of less powerful minions works really well—gives everyone in the party someone to face off against, but also lets me have big key encounters with major bad guys.

Such was the case several months ago, when I knew the PCs were going up against the ghost of an infamous local murderer named Jervis Stoot. Old Stoot (known as Chopper back during the height of his murdering days) is part of Sandpoint's history, and those who've played in "Rise of the Runelords" have probably heard his name. He was never a villain in that Adventure Path, though, so that made him a perfect source for a logical foe for the PCs to face in this campaign.

So when I designed Stoot, I made him a ghost that would provide a challenge to the party (they were all about 4th or 5th level at the time), but who also had some built-in options to call upon allies. Giving him a new ghost ability that allows him to summon birds and command avians made sense (he was a Pazuzu cultist back in the day, after all!). The fight ended up playing out over two sessions—one atop the old light while Stoot had possessed the town sheriff, and then a second after they defeated the possessed sheriff and chased the ghost back to his island den to finish him off. In both cases, I threw in some bird swarms to help amp up the terror and mayhem, resulting in what normally would have been a CR 8 encounter, but when you have nine players, that's what you gotta do!

(And don't tell my players, but they've not seen the last of old Stoot's ghost yet! That's why I'm not listing the way in which you can permanently put Stoot to rest, after all...)

In any event, if any of you are playing a game set in Sandpoint, or if you're looking for a cool, flavorful ghost to use, I thought for today that I'd throw Stoot's stat block in for folks to check out. You'll note I did something a little weird with this ghost—he should normally only have two special ghost abilities, but I gave him three—corrupting touch, avian mastery, and malevolence. In order to balance things, I also gave him an additional weakness and nerfed his malevolence ability. In other words, feel free when you're making villains up for your home game to fiddle with the rules!

JERVAS STOOT CR 6
XP 2,400
Male human ghost rogue 5
CE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13

DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 15 (+5 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 61 (5d8+35)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, evasion, incorporeal, rejuvenation, trapfinding, trap sense +1; Immune undead traits
Weakness avians

OFFENSE
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee corrupting touch +6 (6d6; Fort. DC 17 half)
Special Attacks avian mastery, malevolence 1/day (DC 17), sneak attack +3d6

STATISTICS
Str —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 20
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 16
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Toughness
Skills Bluff +11, Climb +8, Craft (woodcarving) +9, Craft (metalworking) +9, Escape Artist +11, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +13, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +15
Languages Common, Thassilonian
SQ fast stealth, surprise attack

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Avian Mastery (Su) Stoot can command and influence all normal birds as if via dominate animal at will. He can control any number of birds within a 60-foot radius in this manner. Once per day, he may cast summon swarm as a spell-like ability to summon a swarm of crows (treat as a bat swarm sans the wounding ability).
Weakness to Avians (Ex) Damage inflicted on Stoot from any avian's natural attacks is resolved as if he did not possess the incorporeal defensive ability. This includes creatures that have assumed the form of an avian.

James Jacobs
Creative Director

DISCLAIMER: I know how much fun some folks have checking our work on stat blocks, but since I'm more or less copy/pasting these stats directly from my campaign notes without going back to give them the same level of checking I'd give something going into print... there might be an error in there somewhere! (This is also an excuse for me to see how harrowing it is to format a stat block for a blog post... wish me luck!)

The Kobold King Says Get Your Superstar Entry In!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Illustration by Warren Mahy

Tomorrow at 2pm PST the first round of RPG Superstar™ 2010 will end. The judges will go over the entries and pick the best 32, and the winners will move on to Round 2. Ultimately, we'll get down to the Top 4, who will all receive a contract to write for us. The ultimate winner will get to write a Pathfinder Module, while the remaining members of the Top 4 will get to write Pathfinder Society Scenarios.

Last week, Sean told you we'd give you a sneak peek of the Round 2 rules, and here they are: In no more than 450 words, design an archetype for one of the 11 core classes in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook or the 6 base classes in the Advanced Player's Guide. Note that we mean actual archetypes, not new domains, subdomains, alternate classes or subclasses (such as the antipaladin), sorcerer bloodlines, or wizard schools.

Don't know what an archetype is? Check out page 72 of the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide, or start reading here in the free online Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PRD).

There is no twist in Round 2! We'll reveal the full rules next week, but first things first—you can't compete unless you pass Round 1!

If you've ever wanted to be published in the RPG industry, this is your chance. Three hundred words isn't a lot, and if your dream is to write for Paizo, you owe it to yourself to get that idea in before time runs out. And really, what do you have to lose?

Besides, you don't want to make the Kobold King angrier than he already is...

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

Illustration by Eva Widermann

Dancing with a Monster in the Pale Moonlight

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Early last year a promise was made, a promise to those GMs who go beyond the call of duty. The promise was a special scenario, exclusive to 4-star Game Masters and Venture-Captains. Hints were dropped by Mark Moreland back in October that something special was coming, and now I can tell you that the special 4-star GM scenario will be released in January and enjoyed worldwide soon after.

"The Midnight Mauler," a Tier 1–7 scenario written by the always amazing Crystal Frasier, sends members of the Pathfinder Society to the former crown jewel of Ustalav's royal courts, the decaying city of Ardis. Tasked by the Society to look into the fate of Absalom's former Master of Blades Vonran Vilk, what they find will lead to exploration, diplomacy, murder, haunted pasts, and tragic love. Can the PCs discover the identity of the Midnight Mauler before it kills again? Find out in 2011!

Hyrum
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

Illustration by Dave Rapoza.

Wallpapers Are Back!

December 20, 2010

Last Friday, Managing Editor extraordinaire Wes Schneider spoke a little about the upcoming Carrion Crown Adventure Path. This amazing AP starts with Pathfinder Adventure Path #43: "The Haunting of Harrowstone" and a stellar cover by Dave Rapoza. In honor of the upcoming AP, and as a new feature on the Paizo blog, we're proud to offer the first of many new wallpapers. Just download the image below and in no time you'll be able to gaze at Feiya and Merisiel kicking the snot out of skeletons to your heart's content, all from the comfort of your office chair. This might be the first new wallpaper in a while, but it definitely isn't the last, so keep an eye on the blog for more in the coming weeks.

Hyrum Savage
Marketing and Organized Play Manager

Illustration by Dave Rapoza

Carrion Crown Is Coming

Friday, December 17, 2010

In a flurry of crunched stat blocks and flung pages, the last two weeks have seen us send two volumes of Pathfinder Adventure Path off to the printer, Pathfinder Adventure Path #42: "Sanctum of the Serpent God" and, right on its heels, Pathfinder Adventure Path #43: "The Haunting of Harrowstone". While the former brings the Serpent Skull Adventure Path to its climactic close, the latter marks a total shift, taking us from the wild jungles and hidden ruins of the Mwangi Expanse to the foggy moors and haunted ruins of Ustalav, the seat of gothic horror in Golarion. Longtime readers know that every new campaign gives us the opportunity to not just explore new themes, lands, and menaces, but to also reinvent Pathfinder's look for a new series.

And Carrion Crown looks incredible. Beyond Dave Rapoza's fantastic cover and the work of numerous talented interior illustrators, art director Sarah Robinson and graphic designer Andrew Vallas have put together something really amazing that perfectly captures the brooding menace of this grim campaign.

I'm probably more than a little biased, though, as besides the fact that gothic horror is my preferred cup of tea, the campaign is taking place in Ustalav, one of my favorite corners of Golarion. While Carrion Crown continues our long tradition of sword-swinging, spell-slinging high adventure, its inspirations come more from the pens of Bram Stoker, Mary Shelly, M. R. James, Shirley Jackson, and H. P. Lovecraft than J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and Jack Vance. Think of it as a campaign set in Transylvania rather than Camelot or the Hyborian Age.

In the weeks before the Carrion Crown Adventure Path begins, check back here for more previews on what to expect from the campaign. Things kick off in the coming months with "The Haunting of Harrowstone," a ghost story that sets the tone for the series perfectly. That same volume also includes details on the sleepy town of Ravengro, new rules and examples that vastly expand the haunts presented in the GameMastery Guide, a creepy new series in the Pathfinder's Journal (by yours truly), an outline of the entire campaign, monthly details on the legends and superstitions of Ustalav, and something a little bit different added to the campaign's Bestiary to increase your toolbox of classic horrors. We've also built a ton of support for the campaign into our Pathfinder Campaign Setting and GameMastery lines, but I'll show off some of that awesome insanity a bit later.

So get ready to start wrapping up those Serpent Skull campaigns, as the Carrion Crown Adventure Path kicks off 2011 with terror.

F. Wesley Schneider
Managing Editor

Rumbles in the Jungle

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Mwangi Expanse isn't the friendliest place you might ever visit, and as the concluding volumes of the Serpent Skull Adventure Path prove, it's not getting any nicer. Check out some of the jungle's weirdest and wildest denizens, brought to you in Pathfinder #40: "Vaults of Madness, Pathfinder #41: "The Thousand Fangs Below", and Pathfinder #42: "Sanctum of the Serpent God" by bold explorer and naturalist Chuck Lukacs.

Illustrations by Chuck Lukacs

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Celebrating Take Your Monster to Work Day

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Most of us aren't in the office today. But the printer proof of Bestiary 2 is!

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Illustration by Wayne Reynolds

Ultimate Magic

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

With Bestiary 2 down, it's time to start working on the next massive hardcover: Ultimate Magic. Check back at this spot soon for details on the second part of the Ultimate Magic playtest.

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Illustrations by Florian Stitz
Illustration by Scott Purdy

Why Do That Juju?

Friday, September 3, 2010

There's a line when it comes to what sort of material we put in our products. We try not to tread over the boundary of what might be offensive, provoking, or generally beyond what you might see in a PG-13 rated movie. But every now and then we test those limits—or abjectly bound past them. In Pathfinder Adventure Path #39, the ol' "questionable content" line gets a little hazy; not because of sex or violence, or whatever have you, but because of religion.

There's no doubt religious elements influence the characters and plots of the Pathfinder RPG—clerics, paladins, monks, and witches are playable classes after all, and untold armies of cultists have fallen before legions of adventurers. But we've long danced around one religious tradition with a lengthy history of involvement in sword and sorcery fantasy: voodoo.

We've kept away from this topic—one I've personally wanted to cover since back in the Dragon magazine days—for several reasons, the primary one being that vodou is a living religion practiced and respected in several parts of the world, and no one here knows enough about it to judge what might be offensive. What we do know about, though, are films like The Serpent and the Rainbow and stories like Robert E. Howard's "Hills of the Dead" or "Black Canaan." We also know the "juju zombie," a toughened up zombie who's been in RPGs for years and years (with a name inspired by African fetish magic and in, coincidentally, Bestiary 2). So, motivated by the Advanced Player's Guide's presentation of the oracle, a divine caster who worships a pantheon of patrons and cultivates a host of strange abilities, now seemed like a perfect time to test our luck and take a swing at a new tradition of magic inspired not so much by real-world vodou but more by voodoo films, stories of bayou magic, and swamp and sorcery fantasy.

All of this comes together in Mike Shel's article in Pathfinder Adventure Path #39's "The Path of Juju." Now, oracles can look forward to a new juju mystery allowing them to tap into the mysterious secrets of nature's deadliest wildernesses, while casters of all types might create a host of strange new magical items, from soul trapping powders to the infamous ganji doll. It's all in there, ready for GMs looking to tell tales of swamp magic and mystery or PCs ready to challenge the cities of men with the true power of their ancient beliefs.

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

The Foxes Have Landed (part II)

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Sara Marie: Those were some delicious biscuits! Over.

Crystal: This time we should say something less confusing and less likely to end with us eating biscuits. Like "Hedgehog."

....

Crystal: Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: I like porcupines better. Porcupine.

Crystal: Where are you, anyway? I got lost when the cave raptors were chasing us. Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: Let me turn on a light... Looks like I'm in Sarah's office. There's art all over the place. Porcupine.

Crystal: She must have left in a hurry. Does it look trapped? Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: I don't SEE anything that looks like a trap. Where are you? You're better at spotting traps than I am. Porcupine.

Crystal: I don't know. I dropped my darkvision when that lurking ray grabbed at us. Where ever I am, smells nice! Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: There's a folder marked "TOP SECRET" sitting right on top of her desk! I'm going to see if I can get a closer look. Porcupine.

Crystal: No wait! The "top secret" folder is Midwestern family recipes! It's almost certain to be booby-trapped!

Sara Marie: Where else should I check?

Crystal: Check the refrigerator. I think that's where she keeps the special art. Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: You're right! This thing is chock full of art-like pictures. Most of it seems like stuff that's already released. Porcupine.

Crystal: You should see what's in the dishwasher!

Sara Marie: Oooh wait! .... What's this! .... It's marked "Future Cover Art". Porcupine.

Crystal: Stuff from the future, huh? Sounds neat! Open it and see if a paradox destroys us all! Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: Wow! These are amazi-- ...Umm... I just heard a "click" sound. Is that bad? Porcupine.

Crystal: You've either stepped on a mine, or else let her lucky cricket out of its cage. Possibly both. I'm not certain if the cricket explodes. Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: PORCUPINE IS LEAVING THE NEST! REPEAT PORCUPINE IS LEAVING THE NEST!

...

Crystal: Sara? Sara, are you okay?

...

Crystal: SARA?!

...

Sara Marie: I'M OK! COPY THAT? I AM OK!

Crystal: Stop yelling or the cave raptors will find us again. Hedgehog.

Sara Marie: Where ever you are... Watch out! These people know how to lay traps! On the up-side, I made it out with two incredible pieces of artwork!

The NPC Guide: The Babies Are Back!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Cave raptors are sated and have finally released me from their grim, stony world—it's time to blog!

Back when I served as a lowly intern, a weary and overworked Sean K Reynolds offered me my very first Paizo gig. The encroaching Pathfinder Chronicles: NPC Guide would need dozens of generic stat blocks if GMs were to treasure it above even their own families. A not-insignificant portion of my sanity died off as I stared into the abyss of an estimated twelve billion 1st- to 5th-level nonplayer characters, but ultimately the turnover made its way back to Sean and his shiny, shiny knife.

In any creative industry, there's a phrase that goes something like, "Your babies will get cut first." Meaning that in any creative project, your favorite elements or that extra something special you really loved creating will probably end up on the cutting room floor. The NPC Guide was no exception, and several of my favorite characters ended up cold and lifeless at Sean's feet. But now, through the miracle of the Internet, I have the power to bring them back!

So behold these glorious characters, free of charge! Behold the glory that is the Internet!

Er... I mean, check out these sweet NPCs, coming straight to you as a super-sized web enhancement for the NPC Guide. This first installment of five is only the beginning; we'll toss up more batches from time to time, so stay tuned.

ALKENSTAR: GUNMARSHAL CR 3
Hero or villain, the Gunmarshal stands as a proud icon of Alkenstar's victory over the chaotic Mana Wastes. Even gunslinging rogues and bandits are influenced by honor and tradition afforded by that pride.

Spoiler:

XP 800
Dwarf fighter 4
N Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Perception +6
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex) (+4 dodge vs. giants)
hp 22 (4d10)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities; +1 vs. fear
Defensive Abilities bravery +1
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee short sword +5 (1d6+1/19–20)
Ranged revolver +8 (1d6) or Rapid Shot +6/+6 (1d6)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 18 (22 vs. bull rush or trip)
Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Gunslinger (see below), Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (revolver)
Skills Acrobatics +5, Craft (guns) +9, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (engineering) +7, Perception +6 (+8 unusual stonework), Survival +8
Languages Common, Dwarven, Kelish, Osiriani
SQ armor training +1, stonecunning
Gear studded leather, revolver, short sword, gun cleaning kit, cigars (3), smokestick, tindertwigs (3)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Gunslinger (Ex) This character does not provoke attacks of opportunity when attacking with firearms. See page 59 of the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting.

BELKZEN: THUNDERING CHOIR MUSICIAN CR 1
Though feared for their swords and the mad gleam in their eyes, the one memory that forever haunts those who've warred against the orcs are the drums. Carried for miles across hills and rocky plains, the ominous drumbeats of orc thundering choir musicians weigh on the minds of men like the heartbeats of tireless predators, never stopping, never slowing. The thundering choir musicians are fierce warriors, but the rhythm of their drumbeats and chants is their foulest weapon, whipping other orcs into murderous frenzies and inspiring terror in the hearts of even the bravest men.

Spoiler:

XP 400
Orc bard 2
CE Medium humanoid (orc)
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception –2
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor)
hp 13 (2d8+4)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1
Weaknesses light sensitivity
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee longsword +4 (1d8+3/19–20)
Ranged masterwork sling +2 (1d4+3)
Special Attacks bardic performance (13 rounds/day, standard action), countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire courage +1
Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +3)
1st (3/day)—cause fear (DC 12), cure light wounds, remove fear
0 (at will)—dancing lights, daze (DC 11), message, resistance, summon instrument
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 6, Cha 13
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Extra Performance
Skills Appraise +5, Craft (leather) +5, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility) +0, Perform (Percussion) +6
Languages Common, Orc
SQ bardic knowledge +1, versatile performance (percussion), well-versed
Combat Gear thunderstones (4); Other Gear studded leather, longsword, masterwork sling, bullets (20), lucky human foot, masterwork drums

DRUMA: KALISTRADE PROPHET CR 1
By achieving wealth, the Prophets of Kalistrade prove themselves more righteous than those around them. They travel to discover converts and new business opportunities, furthering their enlightenment. Part entrepreneur, part cultist, they open doors and pull strings for those they consider friends, or financially hinder their detractors.

Spoiler:

XP 400
Human expert 3
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +0; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11 (+1 armor)
hp 10 (3d8–3)
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee quarterstaff +2 (1d6)
Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d8/19–20)
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 11, Con 9, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12
Feats Persuasive, Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion]), Profits of Kalistrade (see below)
Skills Appraise +7, Bluff +1, Craft (jewelry) +6, Diplomacy +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (local) +2, Knowledge (nobility) +3, Knowledge (religion) +5, Linguistics +5, Perform (Oratory) +0, Profession (merchant) +7, Ride +1, Sense Motive +8
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Kelish
Other Gear padded armor, light crossbow, quarterstaff, copy of The Prophecies of Kalistrade, mercenary contracts
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Feats The Kalistrade prophet has the Profits of Kalistrade feat, which grants him a "resource pool" of 300 gp, allowing him to obtain goods of this value even in settlements too small to have something that expensive. See page 73 of the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting.

FIVE KINGS MOUNTAINS: DWARVEN TRADITIONALIST CR 2
In the eyes of some dwarves, the civilizations of the surface world slowly erode dwarven culture and values, tearing away at their heritage like the rain wears away great stone monuments. Elves bear inefficient frippery, while humans buck the social order, and the less said about halflings and gnomes the better. These traditionalist, xenophobic members of dwarf society would love nothing more than complete isolation from other cultures, and perhaps even to return to the depths of the Darklands. While this usually amounts to little more than talk, the numbers of these radical conservatives swell on occasion into dangerous political groups and gangs.

Spoiler:

XP 600
Dwarf expert 2/warrior 2
LN Medium humanoid (dwarf)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 18 (+7 armor, –1 Dex, +2 shield) (+4 dodge vs. giants)
hp 30 (4 HD; 2d8+2d10+10)
Fort +5, Ref –1, Will +4; +2 vs. poison, spells, and spell-like abilities
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee masterwork dwarven waraxe +5 (1d10+1/×3)
Ranged light hammer +2 (1d4+1)
Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc humanoids
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 13 (17 vs. bull rush and trip)
Feats Alertness, Power Attack
Skills Craft (armor) +7, Knowledge (engineering) +3, Knowledge (history) +3, Perception +0 (+2 unusual stonework), Profession (blacksmith) +8, Sense Motive +5
Languages Common, Dwarven
Combat Gear caltrops (3), potion of bull's strength; Other Gear masterwork banded mail, masterwork heavy steel shield, masterwork dwarven waraxe, light hammer (2), genealogy books, masterwork artisan's tools

GEB: BLOOD LORD INITIATE CR 2
The practical seat of power within Geb rests with the Blood Lords. Administrators and necromancers both, any family of repute attempts to position their members within its ranks. The most fortunate embrace undeath, gaining immortality as vampires, ghouls, or other intelligent undead.

Spoiler:

XP 600
Ghoul necromancer 2
NE Medium undead
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 24 (4 HD; 2d8+2d6+8)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2, undead traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +3 (1d6+1 plus disease and paralysis) and 2 claws +3 (1d6+1 plus paralysis)
Ranged ray of frost +4 (1d3)
Special Attacks channel negative energy (DC 15, 6/day), grave touch (1 round, 6/day), paralysis
Spells Prepared (CL 2nd; concentration +4)
1st—cause fear (DC 14), shield, reduce person (DC 14), ray of enfeeblement (DC 14)
0 (at will)—arcane mark, bleed (DC 13), detect magic, ray of frost, read magic
Prohibited Schools illusion, conjuration
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 15, Con —, Int 17, Wis 11, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Command Undead, Improved Channel, Scribe Scroll, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +6, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (planes) +8, Linguistics +9, Perception +5, Profession (politician) +6, Spellcraft +10, Stealth +7
Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Kelish, Osiriani, Vudrani
SQ arcane bond (amulet)
Combat Gear scroll of mage armor, wand of true strike (15 charges); Other Gear acolyte robes, government seal, spellbook

Crystal Frasier
Production Specialist

Gold Fever!

Monday, February 8, 2010

As I write this the finishing touches are going in on our newest Pathfinder Module, City of Golden Death, the climactic conclusion to the Price of Immortality campaign arc. Written by our own Events Manager, Joshua J. Frost, the adventure takes the PCs to the notorious Isle of Terror, where they'll face agents of the Living God Razmir, ageless menaces from ancient Thassilon, the undying machinations of the Whispering Tyrant himself, and even greater perils! Here's a sneak peak of some of the scenes your PCs can expect to face when the module releases in just a few short weeks. Enjoy!

Illustration by Andres Espara

Illustration by Jorge Maese

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

NPC Guide Concept Preview

Monday, December 21, 2009

Pathfinder Chronicles: NPC Guide has a lot of stat blocks—about 100, at this point in development. Most of the book is the first chapter, one page per NPC and generally one NPC per country in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting, each with a history and illustration. Here’s a little preview of some of these named PCs.

Illustrations by Christopher Ocampo

Krun Thuul of Belkzen, an orc military genius
Brinian of Brevoy, an arrogant young Aldori sword lord
Halig of Geb, a ghast priest of Zon-Kuthon who hungers for power
Bjorn Grimsong of the Land of the Linnorm Kings, a warrior prince with a borrowed name
Thaim of the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, a young hunter on a mission, mammoth in tow
Lord Achimair of the Sodden Lands, a sahuagin warlord with a bad temper

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Chronicles

Carrion Hill Preview #1

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Carrion Hill is a 5th-level urban horror adventure in the style of H. P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror. Chock full of mythos goodness, this book has references to the Outer Gods, underground ghoul societies, and (of course) the spawn of Yog-Sothoth. Here's a quick peek... avert your eyes if your will is weak!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Modules

Kyle's Magnificent Menagerie

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Some of you may have already noticed a striking stylistic similarity between the fun cartoon goblin illustrating Pathfinder #1's introduction and those strange little monsters that used to appear in Dungeon to illustrate the Dungeoncraft column and the table of contents. That's because both series are done by one of our favorite artists and creative minds, Downer creator Kyle Stanley Hunter.

Much as he did in Dungeon, each month Kyle will be giving us his unique take on a key monster found in that month's volume of Pathfinder. For "The Skinsaw Murders," for instance, he's produced a fearsome ghoul, and future adventures will bring ogres, giants, and more.

We're all super-excited to have Kyle onboard for this and some other super-exciting secret projects a bit farther down the road, and for those of you unfamiliar with his work, I highly recommend checking out Downer: Wandering Monster or his personal website at www.superunicorn.com/kyle/, both of which contain galleries featuring dozens more of his trademark "mini monsters."

James Sutter
Assistant Editor, Pathfinder