As the doors opened in Indianapolis for Gen Con 2024, Paizo Inc. broadcasted a Keynote Address on their official Twitch channel, welcoming attendees to the show. Paizo Publisher and CCO Erik Mona handed the Keynote off to the Pathfinder and Starfinder developer teams for a series of project updates and announcements.

Starfinder Second Edition

The Starfinder Second Edition Playtest launched today with the release of the Starfinder Second Edition Playtest Rulebook, Starfinder Playtest Adventure: A Cosmic Birthday, and Starfinder Playtest Scenarios 1 & 2: Shards of the Glass Planet and It Came From The Vast! The Starfinder Second Edition Playtest runs from August 1^st through December 31^st. Players and GMs alike are encouraged to test out 6 classes, 10 ancestries, magic items, spells, feats and more; feedback can be submitted via the surveys on starfinderplaytest.com!

During their segment of the Keynote, Thurston Hillman (Associate Publisher) and Jenny Jarzabski (Starfinder Senior Developer) announced another upcoming playtest—the class playtest for mechanic and technomancer.  These classes will be playtesting in early 2025. Finally, Jenny and Thurston gave a glimpse at the first product coming for Starfinder Second Edition: Starfinder Galaxy Guide. This setting book, coming May 2025, gives an overview of many planets in the Starfinder setting to prepare GMs and players for the full release of Starfinder Second Edition at Gen Con 2025.

Pathfinder War of Immortals Meta Event

Michael Sayre (Director of Rules & Lore) kicked off a series of segments about the upcoming War of Immortals Meta Event. Pathfinder War of Immortals, an upcoming rulebook featuring two new classes, releases October 2024. This book also features mythic rules, archetypes inspired by myths and legends, and mythic monsters for heroes to face.

James Jacobs (Creative Director, Narrative) gave an overview of the adventures and Adventure Paths that crossover with War of Immortals. Releasing at Gen Con, Pathfinder Adventure: Prey for Death is a deluxe hardcover adventure that places players at the center of the inciting incident as Red Mantis Assassins. Another Gen Con release, Pathfinder Adventure Path #204: Stage Fright (Curtain Call 1 of 3) kicks off the Curtain Call Adventure Path—where the Godsrain interrupts opening night of the players’ heroic opera! Finally, the Triumph of the Tusk Adventure Path, starting in October 2024, picks up in the aftermath of the War of Immortals as player characters are called to aid the orcs of Belkzen.

Luis Loza (Creative Director, Rules and Lore) previewed the upcoming setting book Pathfinder Lost Omens: Divine Mysteries. This book remasters all of the previous divine content in Pathfinder Lost Omens: Gods & Magic, as well as expanding on prior articles, adding new gods to the Golarion pantheon, and offering new divine and occult archetypes for characters. Divine Mysteries releases November 2024.

Finally, Mark Moreland (Director of Brand Strategy) gave a glimpse between the pages of Godsrain: A Pathfinder Novel. This hardcover novel by Liane Merciel marks a return to Pathfinder fiction after nearly a decade. Following four iconics—Kyra, Merisiel, Ezren, and Amiri—as they attempt to stop a spawn of Rovagug from freeing the Great Destroyer from his divine prison. Godsrain: A Pathfinder Novel releases November 2024.

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Tian Xia

Project leads James Case (Pathfinder Lead Developer) and Eleanor Ferron (Pathfinder Senior Developer) gave an overview of the previously released (and ENnie Award nominated) Pathfinder Lost Omens: Tian Xia World Guide before diving into the upcoming Pathfinder Lost Omens: Tian Xia Character Guide. The Tian Xia Character Guide introduces six new ancestries, several new heritages and versatile heritages, archetypes, and more inspired by Asian fantasy, folklore, and culture.

Pathfinder Product Announcements

James Jacobs returned to announce several products coming up in the Narrative line for Pathfinder. Pathfinder Adventure: Claws of the Tyrant is a hardcover compilation of three adventures—one low level, one mid-level, and one high level—all tied to the Gravelands and Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant. The first Adventure Path of 2025 is Spore War, a high-level adventure path that sets players up for a conflict with Treerazor, the “boss monster” of Pathfinder Monster Core. And finally, the next Adventure Path, starting in Spring 2025, is Shades of Blood, an action-packed Adventure Path centering on vampires in Azlant trying to block out the sun.

Landon Winkler (Pathfinder Developer) announced the first Pathfinder Lost Omens setting book of 2025—Pathfinder Lost Omens: Rival Academies. Rival Academies brings together representatives from schools across Golarion in a World’s Fair-style festival of magic, science, and invention.

Pathfinder Quest

To close the Keynote, Jason Bulmahn (Director of Games) gave an update on Pathfinder Quest. Pathfinder Quest, a cooperative dungeon crawling board game for 1-4 players, will be crowdfunding on Backerkit in Spring 2025. This date was pushed back from Fall 2024 to ensure that Pathfinder Quest is the best it can be–complete with custom molded miniatures, map tiles, and more.

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Paizo Inc. can be found at Booth 203 and the Sagamore Ballroom at Gen Con Indy. They are also presenting several panels and a live show at the event.