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Remaster Notice

Pathfinder Remaster

The Guide to Organized Play will continue to be revised as we work to bring campaign rules in line with the Remaster.

  • Visit this Guide page for information on converting characters and adventures to the Remaster rules.
  • Follow this forum thread for update notifications and to report any issues.
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Player Options and Tools

My Organized Play

Every registered Organized Play participant has a record on paizo.com . You can access this information by direct link or by visiting paizo.com , hovering/clicking on the My Account at the top right of the screen, then selecting Organized Play. There are several tabs on your account page:

  • Summary: A list of your GM rankings, all registered characters, and character Reputation totals. You can create new characters by selecting the desired type at the bottom of the screen.
  • Sessions: A chronological list of all your games, which you can sort using the criteria on the left.
  • GM/Event Coordinator: A list of points you have earned (such as AcP and GM table credits), a list of events you are coordinating, and a button to create new events.
  • Boons: A list of all currently available boons in each program. See the Player Rewards section below for rules on Boons.

If you find an error in your session list, send an email to orgplayreportingerrors@paizo.com with details and any supporting documentation you have for the correct data.

Player Rewards

In addition to adventure rewards, players can also choose to use the optional rewards systems in this section.

Achievement Points

Players earn Achievement Points (AcP) by participating in and reporting Paizo Organized Play games. AcP is an online currency used to purchase character Boons. Each Organized Play program has its own separate pool of AcP. The Boons tab of your My Organized Play page lists AcP Boons available for purchase.

Events are given different multipliers for the base AcP earned based on number of games played, regularity, and so on. Current event classifications are:

Table: Event Type and AcP

Event type Examples AcP multiplier Player AcP
(1 Scenario)
Standard • home games
• one-time events 		1.00 4
Standard Plus • regular local gamedays
• conventions with <15 games run 		1.25 5
Standard Convention conventions with 15-74 games 1.50 6
Premier Convention conventions with 75+ games 1.75 7
Premier Plus Convention PaizoCon, Origins, GenCon 2.00 8

Table: Typical AcP Rewards

Adventure XP Player / GM Standard Standard+ Standard Con Premier Con Premier+ Con
1 XP
(Quests, Bounties) 		Player 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 2
GM 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
4 XP
(Scenarios)		 Player 4 5 6 7 8
GM 8 10 12 14 16
12 XP
(Adventures, AP books*)		 Player 12 15 18 21 24
GM 24 30 36 42 48

* Not all Adventures and Adventure Path volumes award 12 XP. See individual sanctioning documents for details.

Advancement Speed

Players can choose before each adventure to play the scenario on slow advancement speed. Playing an adventure using slow advancement earns half the rewards (not rounded) of standard speed, including experience points, Reputation, gold, and Downtime days. You can use either the full Downtime rules or the abbreviated Downtime rules.

Boons

Boons are small in-game rewards distributed for a variety of reasons, including playing certain adventures, attending events, and supporting charities. Boons must be stored or recorded alongside your adventure Chronicles and presented to GMs on request.

Achievement Point, Chronicle, and Game Reward Boons can be found on the Boons tab of your My Organized Play page. To purchase a Boon, select a character from the dropdown list, then click the purchase button of the desired Boon. A list of purchased Boons appears at the bottom of the page, including a link to download a PDF copy of the Boon sheet for each Boon.

Boon sheets are part of your records, stored with your Chronicles in either digital or physical form and available for inspection.

Boons have no cash value. You cannot sell a Boon to another player.

You can only apply one copy of any Boon to a character unless the Boon states otherwise.

By contrast, as a player you can earn more than one copy of some Boons. The following rules are the default for how many copies of a Boon a player can earn:

  • Chronicle Boons are earned by completing adventures. You can earn up to two copies of each Chronicle Boon, one as a player and one as a GM. You can use Replays to earn additional Chronicle Boons.
  • AcP Boons are bought with Achievement Points (AcP). Unless otherwise specified, you can buy as many copies of AcP Boons you qualify for as you can afford.
  • All other Boons limit you to one copy each.

As usual, specific rules override general rules, so the text of an individual Boon takes precedence over the default rules above.

The supplemental materials to this Guide include lists of Achievement Point Boons (including Faction Boons) and retired Boons. Unless otherwise stated, Boons that are no longer available for purchase ("retired") can still be used in play.

Types of boons include:

  • Achievement Point Boons: Players earn Achievement Points (AcP) by participating in and reporting Pathfinder Society games. AcP can be used online to purchase Boons.
  • Advanced Boons: A Boon with the Advanced trait is typically more powerful than other Boons. Characters can only benefit from one Advanced Boon during an adventure.
  • Chronicle Boons: Some adventures award an additional Boon. Once the game has been reported on paizo.com, players and GMs can download the Boon from the Boons tab of your My Organized Play page and apply it to the character that received credit for the adventure.
  • Fame Boons: Fame was a currency earned during Year 1 which has since been replaced with Achievement Points (AcP). Boons can no longer be purchased with Fame, but boons purchased with Fame before January 1, 2021, remain valid. A small number of Boons were retired instead of being converted to AcP boons; they are reproduced in Retired Rewards for reference.
  • Game Reward Boons: Certain in game accomplishments (such as reaching a certain level of Reputation with a Faction) grant a reward. Games must be reported on Paizo’s website to meet these requirements. Once a character has met the requirement, the Boon can be assigned and downloaded from the player’s Boons tab.

Free Wayfinder Boon

All agents who have gone on at least 2 missions are awarded a free wayfinder, available by downloading the Wayfinder boon in the Achievement Points Boon store (Boons tab of My Organized Play ). You can also purchase a wayfinder using the Inherited Wayfinder Boon.

Boons That Unlock Over Time

Some Boons allow players to unlock access to character options over time by checking boxes after meeting the criteria. The following additional rules apply to such Boons:

  • Adventure Completion Boons: These are Boons that allow you to check one or more boxes after completing any adventure. After completing a given adventure, you can check off the relevant number of boxes on any one of these Boons. Note the Boon affected on the Chronicle for the adventure.
  • Downtime-donation Boons: These Boons require the PC to spend Downtime. PCs can check boxes on only one of these Boons per day of Downtime, and cannot use Downtime spent on the Boon for other purposes (such as retraining, Downtime Crafting, or Earn Income).

For the purpose of checking off boxes on the Boons above, treat adventures that grant more than 4 XP as Adventure Path volumes.

Legacy Background Boons

Certain character backgrounds represent unique character hooks for connecting your characters more closely to past (or ongoing) storylines. These backgrounds are unique to the Pathfinder Society campaign.
PFS1 Legacy: For each of the 11 seasons of the Pathfinder Society (first edition) campaign, you can unlock a special legacy character background by completing five or more of that season’s scenarios. Once unlocked, a player can use a PFS1 legacy background for any number of characters.
PFS2 Season 3: There are also 7 character backgrounds tied to one of the Pathfinder Society (second edition) Season 3 plot arcs. Each of these Boons costs 4 AcP and gives a single character Access to a special background.

See PFS Legacy Backgrounds for full text of these Boons.

Factions and Reputation

Factions have existed within the Pathfinder Society since its founding. Each Faction supports its agents working within the Pathfinder Society. Agents’ allegiance is first to the Pathfinder Society, followed by any Faction allegiances. In fact, most Factions within the Pathfinder Society actively cooperate despite their differing goals.

Factions List

Each currently active Faction is listed below. The name of each Faction links to a page with additional details, including current Faction leader and goals.

Envoys' Alliance : “Strength in Community”
The Envoys’ Alliance is dedicated to the membership of the Pathfinder Society, focusing on recruiting new members and supporting existing members.

Grand Archive : “Chronicling the Past”
The Grand Archive is dedicated to scholarship, seeking out, documenting, and sharing the archeological findings and scholarly work of the Pathfinder Society.

Horizon Hunters : “Glory Lies Over the Horizon”
The Horizon Hunters are dedicated to exploration and telling the tales of their exploits.

Radiant Oath : “A Light in the Shadows”
The Radiant Oath is dedicated to altruism, focusing on acts of compassion, the cause of good, and the benevolence of the Pathfinder Society.

Verdant Wheel : “Truth Sprouts from the Ashes”
The Verdant Wheel is dedicated to nature and its preservation, with an expansive and inclusive sense of what forms that preservation can take.

Vigilant Seal : “Protect, Contain, Destroy”
The Vigilant Seal is dedicated to protection, focusing on responsible exploring and ensuring dangerous items and entities are neutralized one way or another.

Faction Reputation

By representing a faction during adventures or participating in adventures vital to a faction’s interests, a character gains Reputation with the represented faction. The greater a character’s Reputation the more respected and influential they are with that faction. Characters can represent more than one Faction in their career, but only one per adventure. Some scenarios grant bonus Reputation with particular factions; this doesn’t prevent characters from choosing to represent a different Faction.

Pathfinder Society uses the Reputation subsystemGMC pg. 200, GMG pg. 164GM Core page 200
Gamemastery Guide page 164
(click to close) with the following modifications:

Table: Reputations
Reputation Reputation points
Ignored 0-19
Liked 20-59
Admired 60-119
Revered 120+

Reputation in PFS does not use negative values. Major infractions earn Infamy.

Character rewards unlocked by Reputation are found on the Boons tab of your My Organized Play page.

Faction Boons

Factions make certain Boons available to their agents at the appropriate Reputation Level. Agents who qualify can purchase these Boons from the Boons tab of My Organized Play using Achievement Points.

For the full text of all Faction Boons see the Achievement Points Boon List in Supplemental Materials.

Accessory Perks

The version of the Accessory Perks policy posted on paizo.com is the official version and takes precedence in the case of any conflict with the summary below.

Paizo Organized Play offers in-game benefits to players who show their support by bringing and displaying visible accessories. Qualifying accessories must be:

  • produced by Paizo and sold on its webstore; or
  • produced by a licensed partner of Paizo and visibly promote Paizo, Pathfinder, Starfinder, or associated properties.

Event organizers are permitted and encouraged to expand the definition to include merchandise that directly promotes a particular convention while at that convention. Merchandise that exclusively promotes other companies or intellectual properties does not qualify for these perks except for such convention merchandise.

Qualifying accessories include a wide range of Paizo products (excluding rulebooks and adventures), from t-shirts to dice to board games. See the full policy for details on qualifying accessories and their benefits for each of the Organized Play programs.

Retail Incentive Program

The Retail Incentive Program (RIP) rewards players with benefits for their characters when they patronize retailers who provide space for Organized Play activities. Purchases made at the location within a stated time period are added together by table and unlock benefits at different levels for the next game played, including some that reduce the severity of failures. Implementation methods vary from store to store and are posted for attendees to review. For more information, read the full policy and consult your Event Organizer for details.

Group Purchases

Players are permitted to pool their money to purchase items or spellcasting services for use in the current adventure. If the PCs buy an item using pooled money that they do not use during the adventure, one PC can purchase the item at the end of the adventure by reimbursing the other PCs what they paid into the pool. If no PC wants to purchase the item, the PCs must sell the item back for half value, reimbursing each PC half of what they paid into the pool. The rule against PC-to-PC exchanges does not apply to these group purchase reimbursements.

Retraining Characters Level 2+

Once you begin a session as a second level character, you still have multiple options for changing your character’s choices. You cannot use Rebuilding (for level 1 characters) or Retraining to build a character that could not be built without using either of those two tools.

Complete Retraining: There are two AcP Boons which allow characters to clear and retrain character decisions from all levels. Evolving Destiny is for characters with 47 or fewer XP (level 4 or lower). Career Change is for characters with 48 or more XP (level 5 or higher). For more information on purchasing either, see the boon text .

Partial Retraining: For rules on only retraining certain character options, see Downtime Retraining.

Additional Downtime Options

For rules on using Downtime to Earn Income, see Adventure Rewards. Other rules for using Downtime are found below.

Slow Advancement and Downtime

Playing an adventure on slow advancement earns half the rewards (not rounded) of standard speed, including Downtime days.

Hirelings and Downtime

Hirelings can complete Downtime tasks for you, but this uses up your Downtime days. Therefore, you cannot aid them, they cannot aid you, and you cannot have your hireling do one thing while you use your Downtime days to do something else.

You can use either the hireling's skills and feats or your skills and feats. You cannot use both, except for a character's feat that modifies a hireling's abilities (Hireling Manager, for example).

Downtime Crafting

You can spend your Downtime to craft following the rules for crafting equipment on pages 236-237 of the Player Core with a few modifications. It is assumed that between adventures, you have access to the tools and workshop necessary to craft equipment. Equipment crafted between sessions is marked on the Chronicle or on a separate record tracker.

Use DCs from the DCs by Level table GMC pg. 53, CRB pg. 504GM Core page 53
Core Rulebook page 504
(click to close) with the following adjustments:

A few other limitations on crafting:

  • Characters can Craft uncommon or rare items only if they have Access to the applicable formulas.
  • Crafting requires that you spend 2 days in preparation before making Crafting checks (or 1 day, if you have the item's formula). Crafting tasks can be continued across as many Downtime days/units as necessary to complete the item.
  • Characters can stop crafting and pay the remainder of the cost required to finish the item at any time.
  • Only one crafting project can be started during a Downtime unit.

Downtime Retraining

Using Downtime to retrain character options GMC pg. 440, CRB pg. 481GM Core page 440
Core Rulebook page 481
(click to close) works as written with a few clarifications:

  • Some items are changeable for free, such as name, gender, appearance, or other cosmetic designators.
  • Changing a selectable class feature takes 28 days.

If characters earn enough XP to level up while still in the process of retraining, they can choose options legal for their new build, though the ability is not usable until the retraining is complete. An option being retrained is lost at the time the new option becomes usable.

Spellcasting Service Costs

Use the standardized costs of spellcasting services below in place of the more general published table. PC pg. 295, CRB pg. 294Player Core page 295
Core Rulebook page 294
(click to close)

Condition Removal Spells

These spells require a counteract check as written, but that check automatically succeeds when you purchase a casting. The spells must be cast one spell rank higher than the spell rank of the originating effect. They automatically succeed in removing the condition. Each purchase removes one effect from one source, so it might be necessary to buy multiple castings.

Spell Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5 Rank 6 Rank 7 Rank 8 Rank 9
dispel magic* 7 gp 18 gp 40 gp 80 gp 160 gp 360 gp 720 gp 1,800 gp
clear mind,
sound body, or
sure footing**		 7 gp 18 gp 40 gp 80 gp 160 gp 360 gp 720 gp 1,800 gp
cleanse affliction*** - 18 gp 40 gp 80 gp 160 gp 360 gp 720 gp 1,800 gp

* Each casting of dispel magic removes one spell effect.

** Each casting of clear mind, sound body, or sure footing removes one effect causing one of the following conditions: blinded, clumsy, dazzled, deafened, enfeebled, fleeing, frightened, grabbed, paralyzed, sickened, or stupefied.
Heightened (4th) Add confused, controlled, drained, immobilized, or restrained
Heightened (6th) Add doomed or petrified
Heightened (8th) Add stunned

*** The Pathfinder Society provides castings of cleanse affliction to clear poison and disease from PCs at no cost at the end of every mission. This free service does not include removing curses. When you purchase a casting of cleanse affliction, you can use it to remove one curse on a creature or allow a creature to rid itself of one cursed item. Removing a curse requires a casting at spell rank 4 or higher.

PC Level Dependent Spells and Rituals

The cost of these services depend on the level of the target:

No Tabs

Level Atone* Resurrect**
(intact body)		 Resurrect**
(part of body)		 Resurrect**
(no body)		 Raise Dead***
< 1st 50 gp 200 gp 1,350 gp 11,250 gp 200 gp
1st 70 gp 275 gp 1,550 gp 11,850 gp 400 gp
2nd 90 gp 350 gp 1,750 gp 12,450 gp 600 gp
3rd 110 gp 425 gp 1,950 gp 13,050 gp 800 gp
4th 130 gp 500 gp 2,150 gp 13,650 gp 1,000 gp

Level Atone* Resurrect**
(intact body)		 Resurrect**
(part of body)		 Resurrect**
(no body)		 Raise Dead***
5th 150 gp 575 gp 2,350 gp 14,250 gp 1,200 gp
6th 170 gp 650 gp 2,550 gp 14,850 gp 1,400 gp
7th 190 gp 725 gp 2,750 gp 15,450 gp 1,600 gp
8th 210 gp 800 gp 2,950 gp 16,050 gp 1,800 gp

Level Atone* Resurrect**
(intact body)		 Resurrect**
(part of body)		 Resurrect**
(no body)		 Raise Dead***
9th 460 gp 875 gp 3,150 gp 16,650 gp 1,200 gp
10th 500 gp 950 gp 3,350 gp 17,250 gp 1,400 gp
11th 860 gp 1,775 gp 3,550 gp 17,850 gp 1,600 gp
12th 920 gp 1,900 gp 3,750 gp 18,450 gp 1,800 gp

Level Atone* Resurrect**
(intact body)		 Resurrect**
(part of body)		 Resurrect**
(no body)		 Raise Dead***
13th 1,490 gp 3,950 gp 19,050 gp 5,650 gp
14th 1,570 gp 4,150 gp 19,650 gp 6,050 gp
15th 2,400 gp 7,200 gp 20,250 gp 12,900 gp
16th 2,500 gp 7,500 gp 20,850 gp 13,700 gp

Level Atone* Resurrect**
(intact body)		 Resurrect**
(part of body)		 Resurrect**
(no body)		 Raise Dead***
17th 4,290 gp 21,450 gp 29,450 gp
18th 4,410 gp 22,050 gp 31,050 gp
19th Characters at this level require rank 10 spell casting to restore
20th Characters at this level require rank 10 spell casting to restore


*The atone ritual has an additional cost of 30 days of Downtime spent engaged in a task chosen by your deity. For the purpose of PFS play, the atonement is considered to be complete when the ritual is cast, but the character must still spend its subsequent 30 days of Downtime atoning and cannot use that Downtime for any other purpose.

**The resurrect ritual has 3 different prices depending on the amount of the body present:

  • Body present and relatively intact:
    • Does not remove negative conditions present at time of death
    • Target returns clumsy 1, drained 1, and enfeebled 1 for 1 week; these conditions can't be removed or reduced by any means until the week has passed.
  • Only a small portion of the body present:
    • Does not remove negative conditions present at time of death.
    • Target returns clumsy 1, drained 1, and enfeebled 1 for 1 week; these conditions can't be removed or reduced by any means until the week has passed.
  • No body part present:
    • Does not remove negative conditions present at time of death.

***The raise dead spell does not remove negative conditions present at time of death. Its target returns clumsy 2, drained 2, and enfeebled 2 for 1 week; these conditions can't be removed or reduced by any means until the week has passed.

Characters With Disabilities

All characters have access to the following assistive items regardless of sourcebook ownership:

Note: items are listed above by their names in the Player Core sourcebook. Player Core drops the word "basic" at the beginning of item names that included "basic" in Lost Omens: Grand Bazaar.

The Society provides these items to PCs who need them for free and replaces them at no cost if they are lost or destroyed. The items are provided at character creation or at whatever point in the character’s adventuring career they become necessary. These assistive items have an effective price of 0 gp for the purposes of resale.

Blind Characters

Characters that are blind from birth or are otherwise permanently sightless cannot detect anything using vision. They automatically critically fail any Perception checks based on vision, are immune to visual effects, and can’t be blinded or dazzled. However, such characters do not have the blinded condition.

Blind characters who either can’t or choose not to remove their blindness hone their other senses. They are not off-guard to creatures that are hidden from them (unless they’re off-guard to them for reasons other than the hidden condition), and they need only a successful DC 5 flat check to target a hidden creature. Normally, such characters can’t remove their blindness later; if they somehow do, they lose these benefits.

Visually Impaired Characters

A permanently visually impaired (but not blind) character takes a -2 or -4 penalty to Perception checks that rely on vision (player’s choice). Wearing corrective lenses negates the -2 penalty or reduces the -4 penalty to a -1 penalty.

Deaf Characters

Characters that are deaf from birth or are otherwise permanently without hearing cannot detect anything using hearing. They automatically critically fail any Perception checks that require hearing and are immune to auditory effects. However, such characters do not have the deafened condition.

Deaf characters who either can’t or choose not to remove their deafness gain additional benefits. They have enough practice to cast spells and activate magic items without issue, but if they perform an action they are not accustomed to that involves auditory elements, they must succeed at a DC 5 flat check or the action is lost. They gain the Sign Language feat PC pg. 262, CRB pg. 266Player Core page 262
Core Rulebook page 266
(click to close) for free at character creation, and they can take the Read Lips feat PC pg. 261, CRB pg. 265Player Core page 261
Core Rulebook page 265
(click to close) even if they do not meet the prerequisites. Normally, such characters can’t remove their deafness later; if they somehow do, they lose these benefits.

Hearing Impaired Characters

A permanently hearing impaired (but not deaf) character takes a -2 or -4 penalty to Perception checks that rely on hearing (player’s choice). Wearing hearing aids negates the -2 penalty or reduces the -4 penalty to a -1 penalty.

Characters With Missing Limbs

A character missing an arm and who is not wearing a prosthetic cannot use two-handed weapons and items, and must use two actions if an Interact action would require two hands, at the GM’s discretion. If a character missing a leg or foot is not wearing a prosthetic or using a crutch, their speed has a 10-foot penalty.

Characters With Other Mobility Restrictions

A character who is unable or finds it difficult to walk on their own can obtain a wheelchair or traveler’s chair for free at character creation or at whatever point in the character’s adventuring career they become necessary. An impulse control module can also be added to the chair for no cost if required.

Playtest Rules

These are the general rules for Pathfinder Society Playtests. See each playtest announcement for any rules specific to that playtest.

Playtest Period

Each playtest runs for a specified period. Once this period has expired, players can no longer use the options being playtested until their publication in a future Paizo product.

Playtest Characters

Playtest options can be accessed by creating a custom character using the rules presented in the playtest document. This character functions as a pregenerated character.

Creating a playtest character: Depending on the level range of the adventure, the player can use a 1st-, 3rd-, or 5th-level character created using the eligible playtest options and the following guidelines:

  • 1st Level: The character can be made using the character creation rules in the Character Creation section.
  • 3rd Level: This character follows the same rules as above, except that instead of 15 gp starting gold, they can select one 2nd-level and two 1st-level permanent items. In addition, the player can spend up to 25 gp on other available equipment.
  • 5th Level: This character follows the same rules as above, except that instead of 15 gp starting gold, they can select one 4th-level, two 3rd-level, one 2nd-level, and two 1st-level permanent items. In addition, the player can spend up to 50 gp on other available equipment.

The Guidelines for Treasure for New Characters and Choosing Items GMC pg. 61, CRB pg. 510GM Core page 61
Core Rulebook page 510
(click to close) apply to these equipment choices.

Credit: Choose which of your characters will receive the credit at the beginning of the adventure. Chronicles earned for playing a playtest character follow the same rules as for Chronicles earned by playing a pregenerated character.

Boons and Other Character Options: For the playtest character to take a character option that would normally require a Boon, the playtest character must have all of their credit assigned to a character that has access to that character option.

GM Opt In

Because playtests use additional rules that some GMs might not be comfortable with, each GM must opt-in for playtest characters to be used at their tables. Please consult your GM prior to the game!

Current and Past Playtests

This list contains all previous playtests. Make sure to check the dates to see if a playtest is still ongoing.

Battlecry! Playtest 

29 April to 21 June 2024
This playtest included the commander and guardian classes. The character must take a playtest class, and cannot take archetypes.

War of Immortals Playtest 

1 September to 2 October 2023
This playtest included the animist and exemplar classes. The character must take a playtest class, and cannot take archetypes.

Kineticist Class Playtest 

8 August to 5 September 2022
This playtest included the kineticst class, published in Rage of Elements. The character must take a playtest class, and cannot take archetypes.

Dark Archive Playtest 

''20 September to 29 October 2021
This playtest included the psychic and thaumaturge classes. The character must take a playtest class, and cannot take archetypes.

Guns & Gears Playtest 

5 January to 5 February 2021
This playtest included the gunslinger and inventor classes. The character must take a playtest class, and cannot take archetypes.

Current Version: 6.01
10 September 2024

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