Tickets are on sale for PaizoCon 2019!
Taking place this Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27 in Seattle, Washington, PaizoCon is four days of fantasy and science fantasy Paizo games, panels, and more. In its 12th year, PaizoCon “is an annual celebration of Paizo games and community.”
My son and I have been enjoying PaizoCon for the past seven years, since he was nine years old, getting in tons of Pathfinder Society, as well as other Paizo-related and non-Paizo game sessions, game demos, and Pathfinder and Starfinder delves. Beyond gaming, we’ve painted miniatures in the Reaper Paint n’ Take, been taught terrain making, listened to sessions on gamemastering, world-building, the secrets of Golarion, had opportunities to draw live models in fantasy garb, and so much more.
All of Paizo’s staff is on hand, supporting the con, with many offering both Paizo and non-Paizo related game sessions. If you have a favorite Paizo creator or staffer you know from the Paizo forums, this is your chance to meet and maybe game with them. The PaizoCon banquet provides upcoming Pathfinder and Starfinder news, and with Paizo staff and industry celebrities at each table, this is another chance to spend time with those that are creating the games we love.
At around a thousand attendees, PaizoCon is small enough to allow you to partake in all aspects of it, and see the creatives you want, all while being large enough to offer a ton of gaming opportunities.
‘Pathfinder 2.0’
This year’s big hubbub will be Pathfinder Second Edition. With the release scheduled just a couple months later at GenCon, PaizoCon attendees will be some of the first to get to play the final ruleset. If you’re a Pathfinder Society player this will be your chance to live through the transition from first edition organized play into second edition. If what I’ve heard is true, the Sunday night PFS special will see the fall of many original Pathfinder Society players, through some tragic event, making room for a swath of new firsties, as the society is looking for new blood to fill their ranks.
Starfinder or the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game more your thing? There’ll also be many organized tables playing both of these as well! Beyond organized play, there’s also plenty of opportunity and space for pick-up games, and the Glass Cannon Podcast (one of the guests of honor) has a dedicated gaming room where you can play even more games!
Guests of Honor
This year’s gaming guest of honor is Liane Merciel author of Pathfinder Tales: Hellknight, contributor to Paizo’s Nidal: Land of Shadows and Faiths of Golarion as well as awesome non-Pathfinder writing. The artist guest of honor is none other than Wayne Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds’ work has set the artistic tone of Pathfinder since its inception, having defined the look and feel of Pathfinder’s iconic characters, as well as creating the artwork on every Pathfinder hardcover Paizo has published. Wayne’s work was evident throughout the Pathfinder Playtest rulebook and I’m sure we’ll be getting a sneak peek of some final Second Edition art at the con!
I’ve started taking advantage of the guest artist’s commission openings to have them create an original drawing for me at PaizoCon. Like an imbecile, I did not take advantage of this at my first PaizoCon when Wayne Reynolds was also the guest artist, so I’m ecstatic for a second chance at getting a piece from this iconic Pathfinder artist.
The last set of special guests is the Glass Cannon Podcast. With multiple highly entertaining Pathfinder and Starfinder related actual play podcasts, the GCP is sure to offer many great sessions and live-plays. On Saturday they’ll be continuing their live Strange Aeons game, sadly this conflicts with the banquet and is already sold out, but the GCP has a dedicated gaming room, and will offer other chances to meet and play with them!
You Should Come!
PaizoCon is the one convention I’ve consistently attended for years. I always get in a ton of great gaming and meet entertaining new people. Tickets are on sale now, and it’s important not to wait until the last minute as high demand gaming sessions are awarded by a lottery that happens well before the con, so keep that in mind.
Tickets for the four-day event are $75 and $45 for the banquet ($10 off if purchased together).
There’s also a four-day kid’s badge available at $40 “This special discounted Kid’s Badge entitles your child (10 years and under) to access the convention, seminars, games, and paizo.com store. We will have special ‘Kid’s Track’ programming available in the Organized Play Grand Ballroom, as well as other age-appropriate events.”
If you want to learn more about PaizoCon you can check out GeekDad’s prior articles on PaizoCon— like I said, I’ve been enjoying this con for years!
Last, not to promise anything as I have no idea what will go into it this year, but the swag bag has consistently been the best I’ve received at any con, well worth the cost of admission!
Disclosure: Paizo has provided tickets for GeekDad to PaizoCon in the past.
