Organized Play: PAX East 2019 Preview

The Penny Arcade Expo – East (PAX East) is one of Boston’s largest conventions and hosts vendors and players interested in tabletop, arcade, and video gaming. New games are available to demo, old console games are available for nostalgia, and anything you could ever want in terms of gaming and gaming accessories is for sale.

What We’re Offering

We’ll have six concurrent demo tables of Pathfinder, Starfinder, and Pathfinder 2e Playtest. Just walk up to HQ, give your name, and start playing! Games will last approximately 45 minutes and start every 15 minutes (giving our volunteer GMs a much-needed 15 minute break to stretch and prepare for the next session).

Where to Find Us

We will be located in the tabletop gaming area, which is past the Expo Floor. If you’re standing facing the tabletop gaming area with your back to the Expo Floor, we will be in the back-left corner.

Extras

If you haven’t ordered your T-Shirt yet, we’ll have order forms with us. There is also a charity raffle to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital.

PAX EAST

Multi-Venue Interactive Special: Year of the Shadow Lodge

Earlier this year, Metro Boston Organized Play approached our Regional Venture-Coordinator, June Soler, with an idea: let’s run an interactive special at multiple venues at the same time. (An interactive special is unique experience with minimum table requirements that is normally only available at conventions. Events at one game table can impact play at another table–even if those tables are different levels.) Using Slack to communicate in real time between venues, our test run of #8-99 The Solstice Scar, Part C was a success.

We’re excited to announce our next distributed special. On Saturday, April 13th, 2019, from 12:30-4:30 PM, we’ll play #2-00 Year of the Shadow Lodge, by Tim Hitchcock.

“When a famous Pathfinder returns to the Grand Lodge in Absalom with a long sought after Azlanti artifact of power, the Society celebrates the achievement by throwing a massive party in Absalom’s arena. When the artifact is stolen during the party, it’s up to you and the other bands of Pathfinders present at the celebration to get it back before it can be used to destroy the Grand Lodge—or worse.”

For this special, we’re teaming up with The Autism Project to give sensory-sensitive players an opportunity to participate. It’s important that everyone can participate in the way that is most comfortable for them. Follow the links below to reserve your seat at this adventure:

The Adventure Pub (Arlington, MA)
Woburn Public Library (Woburn, MA)
Table Top Games (Westport, MA)
The Autism Project (Johnston, RI)

We encourage everyone to support The Autism Project.

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Paizo Announces Titles for First Wave of Second Edition Releases!

Big announcements from the West Coast yesterday! Paizo launched a dedicated Second Edition subsite and announced the titles of several books that will be available come August 1st of this year! Here’s a breakdown of the thirteen products (so far!) that are being offered. As always, you can join us on our Slack to discuss!

Pathfinder SE Core Rulebook (Regular or Deluxe edition)

This 640-page book is being marketed as “accessible” to new players while providing the options for complexity that some players thrive on. Looking forward to seeing what’s inside!

Pathfinder SE Bestiary (Regular or Deluxe edition)

At 360 pages, this book should contain a trove of both familiar and perhaps new monsters and creatures for players to interact with.

Pathfinder SE Campaign Setting: Lost Omens World Guide

The first volume in Paizo’s new Campaign Setting Subscription, this book will jump-start any player’s understanding of the new world that Paizo has built.

Pathfinder SE Adventure Path: Age of Ashes (PFSE AP 001: Hellnight Hill)

This AP, written by the amazing Amanda Hamon (seriously, follow her on Twitter) is the first volume in the new Adventure Path Ongoing Subscription. This will be the first AP written entirely with Second Edition rules, and as it’s designed for 1st-level characters, is the perfect way to start your campaign.

Note: The Metro Boston Lodge will be offering this AP in Campaign/Adventure Mode as soon as it is sanctioned for Organized Play.

Pathfinder SE Adventure: The Fall of Plaguestone

This Module is part of Paizo’s new Module Ongoing Subscription. This Adventure was written by Second Edition’s Lead Designer himself, Jason Bulmahn. Murder! Mystery! Intrigue! Mutants?

Note: The Metro Boston Lodge will be offering this Module in Campaign/Adventure Mode as soon as it is sanctioned for Organized Play.

Pathfinder SE Map: The Fall of Plaguestone

This is the first map in Paizo’s new Maps Ongoing Subscription. It’s 24″ x 30″ and designed to go with The Fall of Plaguestone module, though I suspect it’ll be reused again in the future.

Pathfinder SE Accessories

In addition to the published books, Paizo is also launching a new line of Pathfinder Accessories that feature art from the new Iconic Heroes!

A Combat Pad / Initiative Tracker
A Condition Card Deck that continues the Decks’ goblin-themed history
A GM Screen featuring three Iconics battling a dragon, and a second web-exclusive GM Screen featuring three Iconics.
A Character Sheet Pack with three Iconics on the front cover

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Special Preview: Games with Terrain

So often in Organized Play games, we use Flip-Mats, hand-draw maps (for colorful, reusable maps, I suggest using wrapping paper with a 1″ grid on the back!), and “theater of the mind.”

Metro Boston GM Eric Nielsen takes things one step further: he brings his amazing collection of 3-D terrain tiles from Dwarven Forge to the table, and all you have to do is show up to be a part of this amazingly immersive experience.

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Eric will be bringing his terrain set-up to Adventure Pub in Arlington on March 16th and March 30th. The sign-up links are below:

PFS #4-18: The Veteran’s Vault (3/16/19 from 2pm-6pm)

While many Pathfinders meet unfortunate fates in their ongoing explorations of the dangerous world of Golarion, some retire with decades’ worth of treasure in their coffers, and their lives still intact. When one such Pathfinder approaches the Grand Lodge with the hidden location of her treasure vault, it falls upon a new generation of Pathfinders to retrieve from within a valuable keepsake. That they can keep anything other than the ex-Pathfinder’s locket makes the assignment all the sweeter.

PFS #8-22: Wrath of the Fleshwarped Queen (3/30/19 from 2pm-6pm)

When members of the Shoanti Axe Clan saw fire shooting up into the sky over Varisia’s Caliphak Mountains, they rushed to investigate. They found a pair of doors inscribed with runes from ancient Thassilon, along with clear signs that the doors had recently been opened. In recognition of the Axe Clan’s expanding alliances, the Shoanti offered both the Society and a priest of Soralyon from Riddleport the opportunity to explore the ruin and neutralize its dangers. Now that the priest has vanished within the complex, the PCs must uncover the ruin’s history before the Shoanti lose faith in them and take matters into their own hands.

Here’s some more examples of Eric’s amazing builds:

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March 2019 Player Profile: +1 Pen of Smiting!

Editor’s Note: I was so excited when +1 Pen of Smiting agreed to be featured in this month’s Player Profile. I met Pen when they were a player at my SFS #1-08: Sanctuary of Drowned Delight table at Arisia 2019. We were all blown away by Pen’s ability to quickly capture the moment in adorable little drawings. Check out our interview, below!

How would you describe your style as an artist?

Messy, silly, sloppy, but pure. Somewhere between Cathy Lee Guisewite and Sandra Boynton, aspiring to shake hands with Phil Foglio.

What are some of your favorite games?

Does Pictionary count? (Editor’s note: YES!) Board games I like include Scythe, The Red Dragon Inn, and Splendor. RPGs include Dungeons & Dragons 5e, Pathfinder, and Monster of the Week. I don’t play online games anymore as I have children and want to keep them.

Are there any particular characters you like drawing more than others?

I like charismatic characters who live larger-than-life, have sharp wits and/or sick senses of humor. Obviously I’m projecting 😀

What got you into drawing art for RPGs?

I love drawing at my own table, when a group of friends are all cracking up or shouting over make-believe heroics or awesome fumbles, capturing the moment when a character gets to shine. Last summer, I was in-between contracts and, frustrated, wanted to tap into the things that made me smile. Not being in a campaign myself, I decided to invite myself to other people’s gaming tables–virtually, anyway–and draw THEIR heroes. I haven’t figured out a way to stop since.

(It is also a way to give back to a creator who is sending their hard work out into the abyss–I know how THAT feels!–so my cartoons were one way to show them and their fans that someone is listening. It can be a way to introduce new listeners to fun content and also a fun way to say “Thanks!”)

How can we follow you and your art?

At a safe distance, preferably. Online I can be found at:

Twitter: twitter.com/PenOfSmiting
Instagram: instagram.com/penofsmiting
Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/blog/penofsmiting

and especially at
Patreon: patreon.com/penofsmiting
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/L4L0CIOW

Supporting my art lets me do more, do it better and do it for YOU.

If players want to commission some art, what’s the best way to reach you?

Smoke signals are cool, but email is most effective at penofsmiting@gmail.com

Editor’s Note:

Here’s some of the amazing, on-the-fly art Pen did during our game at Arisia!

Arisia Art

MBOP Welcomes New Venture-Agents!

The Metro Boston Organized Play Lodge is pleased to announce we’re onboarding three new Venture-Agents to help manage the increasing volume of players and stores we’re playing at! In addition, we’ve done a little reorganization to help spread responsibility out based on our VA’s time commitments, so please check out the full list of people and stores below. Don’t forget to sign-up for games on Warhorn!

The best way to reach out to your local organizers is through our community Slack. If you haven’t signed up yet (it’s free!) just click here: http://bit.ly/2GbWdfG