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Pathfinder Society
Adventure Card Guild Guide
Ver sion 3.0
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Pathfinder Society
Adventure Card Guild Guide
Version 3.0February 2, 2016
AuthorsTanis OConnor and Tonya Woldridge
Contributing Authors Mike Brock, John Compton, Erik Mona,
and Mark Moreland
Editor Vic Wertz
Contributing Artists Warren Mahy and Wayne Reynolds
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game
Development Team Mike Selinker, Chad Brown, Tanis
OConnor, PaulPeterson, Keith Richmond, Liz Spain, and Gaby
Weidling, based on a game concept by Rian Sand.
Organized Play Coordinator Tonya Woldridge
Editor-in-Chief F. Wesley Schneider
Creative Director James Jacobs
Executive Editor James L. Sutter
Senior Developer Rob McCreary
Developers John Compton, Adam Daigle, Mark Moreland, and
Owen K.C. Stephens
Assistant Developers Crystal Frasier, Amanda Hamon Kunz,
and Linda Zayas-Palmer
Senior Editors Judy Bauer and Christopher Carey
Editors Jason Keeley and Josh Vogt
Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn
Designers Logan Bonner, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and
Mark Seifter

Managing Art Director Sarah E. Robinson


Art Director Sonja Morris
Senior Graphic Designer Adam Vick
Graphic Designer Emily Crowell
Publisher Erik Mona
Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens
Chief Operations Officer Jeffrey Alvarez
Director of Sales Pierce Watters
Sales Associate Cosmo Eisele
Marketing Director Jenny Bendel
Vice President of Finance Christopher Self
Staff Accountant Ashley Kaprielian
Data Entry Clerk B. Scott Keim
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Chief Technical Officer Vic Wertz


Software Development Manager Cort Odekirk
Senior Software Developer Gary Teter
Project Manager Jessica Price
Adventure Card Game Designer Tanis OConnor
Community Team Liz Courts and Chris Lambertz
Customer Service Team Sharaya Copas, Katina Davis,
Sara Marie Teter, and Diego Valdez
Warehouse Team Will Chase, Mika Hawkins, Heather Payne,
Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood
Website Team Christopher Anthony, Lissa Guillet, Julie Iaccarino,
Erik Keith, and Scott Spalding

Special Thanks: Andrew Christian, Nicholas Fees-Baumeister, Preston Hudson, Rigby Bendele, and members of the Pathfinder Society
and the paizo.com community for their constant feedback.
Event coordinators may print additional copies of this guide to provide to new players at their events. Please do not distribute this
document digitally; instead ask players to download their own free copy of the document at paizo.com/pathfindersociety. That way
Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign staff can contact them directly to inform them of updates to this document.
Paizo Inc.
7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
Redmond, WA 98052-0577
paizo.com/pathfindersociety
Guide to Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild Guide, Version 3.0 2016, Paizo Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, and
Pathfinder Society are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Rise of the
Runelords, Skull & Shackles, and Wrath of the Righteous are trademarks of Paizo Inc.

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Table of Contents

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Adventure Card Guild Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4


What Is Cooperative Play? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Adventure Card Guild Specific Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Building Your Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Running an Adventure Card Guild Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Appendix 1: Tier Advancement System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Appendix 2: Reporting, Character Tracking, and Chronicle Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Sample Chronicle Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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Pathfinder Society
Adventure Card Guild Basics
WHAT IS COOPERATIVE PLAY?

In an organized play campaign, your character exists in a


common setting shared with thousands of other gamers
from around the world.
As part of each Pathfinder Society Adventure Card
Guild (PACG) adventure, your character experiences a
short, 1-session game (or scenario) thats a single episode
in a continuing storyline (or season). You can take
your character and its accompanying Class Deck to any
Adventure Card Guild event anywhere in the world, and
though your companions might change each time you play,
the story is constant, allowing your character to evolve as a
result of your own choices. Over time, campaigning in an
organized play environment offers a unique experience as
diverse companions and unusual challenges add depth and
character to gameplay. Its a great way to meet new people,
socialize with local gamers, and play regularly in a game that
has a familiar and consistent format. Alternatively, some
players prefer to keep their Adventure Card Guild experience
limited to a group of friends, using the scenarios and reward
structure as the framework for a private home game. Either
approach is a valid and acceptable way to experience the
Adventure Card Guild story, and many players enjoy a
combination of public and private adventuring.
Because an organized play campaign takes place in a
shared environment, a few additional rules are required
to ensure that each player at every table shares a similar
experience no matter where the game is running or whos
setting it up. This guide outlines these special rules, as well
as instructions on how to jump right into the action. Please
read over the contents of this guide carefully.

First and foremost, the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game is


a cooperative experience. This concept should guide your
behavior during play and is summarized in the Pathfinder
Society Community Policy. Enjoy the game, be considerate
of the others at the table, and dont let your actions keep
your fellow players from having a good time. Dont make
decisions on behalf of other players. Dont take actions that
may harm another players character without that players
consent. If there is dispute over the rules, try to come to an
agreement as quickly as possible. If that proves impossible,
choose the path that benefits the most players. Be courteous
and encourage a mutual interest in playing, and dont engage
in endless rules discussions.

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Community Policy
At Paizo, we believe that games are for everyone, and that
a diverse community based on enthusiasm for games
and mutual respect for other gamers benefits everyone
involved. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and
safe environment for newcomers and veteran gamers alike,
regardless of gender identity or gender expression, sexual
orientation, nationality or ethnicity, religious beliefs or
background, age, neurotypicality, physical ability, physical
appearance, body size, or other differences.
Were all friends here, and were all playing a game
together with the purpose of having a wonderful time. Dont
push other players around just because your character can.
Dysfunctional or uncooperative play will not be tolerated. A
little fun banter between characters can be great roleplaying,

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but when you find yourself doing everything in your


power to undo everything another character is trying to
accomplish, youve probably lost sight of the purpose of
organized play and may be asked to leave the table. Playing
your character is not an excuse for childish behavior. Event
coordinators should work with players to resolve any out-ofgame conflicts. Extreme or repetitive cases of inappropriate
behavior will be resolved by asking the offender to leave the
table or venue.

Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild. This includes


details on what youll need to play or run the game, as well
as instructions on how to use the Paizo website to register
and report your characters.
Rules for each base set can be found online for free
at paizo.com/pacg. We strongly recommend you use the
most current version of the rulebook (which contains the
most current general rules), plus the rulebook for the base
set youre using (which contains rules specific to the cards
youre using). Players and event coordinators are expected
to be familiar with these rules. We also encourage
players to keep up to date with errata and FAQ listings
at paizo.com.

Do Not Cheat, Do Keep Good Records


Maintain the integrity of the game and do not cheat. This
includes avoiding the following: falsifying rolls, altering
Chronicle sheets, adding new cards to your character decks
without acquiring them properly, marking cards, and lying
to event coordinators under any circumstances. Keep good
records for your character. Make sure to bring your Chronicle
sheets to every event or session of the Pathfinder Adventure
Card Guild that you play. If you are asked to present your
Chronicle sheets and are unable to do so, you will not be
permitted to play your character, though you may be able
to play or start another character under the rules presented
in this guide. Event coordinators rely on accurately kept
Chronicle sheets to keep the campaign honest, fair, and fun
for everyone. So keep your records safe, keep them accurate,
and keep them with you when attending PACG events. (We
suggest a binder that can be sealed between scenarios or a
digital record thats easily accessible. To learn how to fill
out a Chronicle sheet, see Appendix 2: Reporting, Character
Tracking, and Chronicle Sheets.)

What You Need


Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild Organized Play
assumes that each player has a copy of the Pathfinder Society
Adventure Card Guild Guide (the document youre reading
right now) and a Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Class Deck.
Youll likely also want a folder or binder of some sort in
which you can store your Chronicle sheets as your character
earns them.
We strongly recommend that you learn to play the
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game before joining the
Adventure Card Guild. Guild scenarios tend to be more
difficult than the scenarios in the associated base set; thus,
theyre more appropriate for experienced players. Ask your
event coordinator if she can run a demo for you, or find a
store, club, or convention thats running an introductory
Adventure Card Guild scenario. Playing any introductory
scenario will reward you with a special mini-Chronicle sheet
to give your character a boost for the season!
Once youve got your Class Deck, build a character as
instructed in the Adventure Card Guild Specific Rules
section on page 7.
Organizers: The event coordinator, who may also be
a player, is responsible for creating and promoting her
Adventure Card Guild event, setting up and running the
game, and keeping records of who played and what happened.
She should have access to the specific Pathfinder Adventure
Card Game base set and adventure decks required by the
scenario. If a table has more than 4 players, the appropriate
Character Add-On Deck is also necessary.
Season of the Shackles uses Pathf inder Adventure Card
Game: Skull & Shackles series.
Season of the Righteous uses the Pathf inder Adventure
Card Game: Wrath of the Righteous series.
Season of the Runelords uses the Pathf inder Adventure
Card Game: Rise of the Runelords series.
Youll also need to have a copy of the scenarios you intend
to run. If you dont already have them, contact the store where
youll be running the event or your local Venture-Officer.

Organized Play Coordinator


and Venture-Officers
The Organized Play Coordinator (OPC) oversees the
Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild program and
the team of volunteers that support Pathfinder Society
Adventure Card Game activities, who are known as VentureOfficers. Together, the Organized Play Coordinator and
the Venture-Officers are responsible for coordinating
activities, handling administrative tasks, providing support
to event coordinators, arbitrating disputes, and ensuring
compliance with the rules. They are a resource for players
and coordinators alike. A comprehensive list of VentureOfficers is maintained at paizo.com/ventureofficers. If you
are interested in Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild
activities and dont have a Venture-Officer listed for your
area, email pathfindersociety@paizo.com and we will get
you started!

Getting Started

In this section, youll find information for both players


and event coordinators about how to get started with the

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Whats in Your Class Deck?

Choose
one to
be your
character sheet.

This card features advanced


options for your character; use
when instructed.

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This card represents your


character in play.

These cards make up your


character deck; see Building
Your Character for rules of use.

Whats a Class Deck?

scenarios your character has completed and the feats she has
gained. Each character you register for the Adventure Card
Guild has a unique 4-digit number beginning with 1001
appended to your Pathfinder Society number. If your number
is 999, the second character you register will be 9991002.
If youre beginning your Adventure Card Guild
experience at a public convention or game store event,
the event coordinator will provide a temporary card with
a Pathfinder Society number and confirmation code on it.
As soon as possible, visit paizo.com/pathfindersociety and
complete the registration process by entering this number
and the confirmation code, and your early adventures will be
automatically linked to your new official record.
Organizers: As an Adventure Card Guild organizer, if
you are running at a convention or large in-store event,

A Class Deck is an accessory for the Pathfinder Adventure


Card Game that contains 109 cards, including 3 or 4
characters and the cards youll use to play those characters
for an entire campaign (approximately 30 scenarios). The
Class Deck allows for cards earned during play to be added
to your deck without taking cards from the base set.

Using the Website


As a Pathfinder Society player, you must register your name
and your characters online at paizo.com/pathfindersociety.
When you register, youll receive an official Pathfinder Society
number. Keep your Pathfinder Society number handy and
bring it with you to every Pathfinder Society Adventure Card
Guild event you attend. Paizo uses this number to record the

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you may be expected to quickly fill out scenario


reporting sheets with additional tracking information
so you can report the results of your sessions online at
paizo.com/pathfindersociety in a timely fashion. See
Appendix 2: Reporting, Character Tracking, and Chronicle
Sheets for specific instructions. Please also contact your
local Venture-Officer and let her know youre running
events, as shes there to support your efforts!

Example: Advancing a Tier


Alex is playing the character Lem, and shes ready to
start playing in the Adventure Card Guild. Lem completes
Scenario 1A from Season of the Righteous and gains a skill
feat, then completes Scenario 1B and gains a power feat.
Alex misses a week at her local game store, so she does
not play Scenario 1C, but comes back to complete Scenario
1D. Her fellow players have completed Adventure 1, so
their characters are now Tier 2. Alex, whose character is
still Tier1, can play Adventure 2 scenarios with her weekly
group, but she can only get deck upgrades that have an
adventure deck number of 1 or lower. She can choose to
advance Lem to Tier 2 when he completes a fourth scenario
and gains a card feat, or Lem will automatically advance
a tier when he completes either Adventure 1 (by playing
Scenario 1C) or Adventure 2. Alexs Chronicle sheet for Lem
can be found at the end of Appendix 2.

Finding a Game
Once youve got a Pathfinder Society number and youve
built your character deck, youre ready to play your first
Adventure Card Guild scenario! The easiest way to find a
local game is to visit paizo.com/pathfindersociety and click
on Get Involved! From there, go to the Events page, where
you can search for events in your area.
You can also visit local game stores or attend gaming
conventions. Comic book and science fiction conventions
also often attract gamers. Many conventions have specific
gaming programming that might include the Adventure
Card Guild. You can also find local gamers on the
messageboards at paizo.com.
At this time, Paizo supports online play for the Pathfinder
Society Adventure Card Guild under the supervision of a
Venture-Officer. See paizo.com/ventureofficers to find one
near you.
To find participating stores near you, visit our Store
Locator at paizo.com/retailers.

Building Your Character


This section elaborates on, and in some cases modifies, the
character creation guidelines found in each base set rulebook.
Unsanctioned Play: An Adventure Card Guild character
can be played only in sanctioned and reported Adventure
Card Guild games. A character cannot move between playing
scenarios from a base set and an Adventure Card Guild
season and remain legal for Adventure Card Guild play.
Season 0 Pre-Tier Play: If you began playing a character
during Season of the Shackles before the tier system was
introduced, you must convert that character to the tier
system before playing any non-Season of the Shackles
scenario. A guide to the tier system can be found in Appendix
1: Tier Advancement System.
Tiers: A character can play a scenario with an adventure
deck number that is within 1 of his current tier. Tier 1
characters, for example, can play scenarios from Adventure 1
or Adventure 2 of any season. A Tier 3 character, meanwhile,
can play any scenario from Adventures 2, 3, or 4.
Tier Feats: A character gains feats on his character card
through the successful completion of scenarios. These
scenarios can be from any season or adventure that is
legal for the character to play. A character gains 1 skill feat
after successfully completing 1 scenario, 1 power feat after
successfully completing 2 scenarios, and 1 card feat after
successfully completing 4 scenarios. Completing the same
scenario multiple times does not count as progress toward
these tier feats. You can gain only 1 feat of each type in each
tier, unless instructed otherwise.
A character advances to the next tier in one of two
ways: either after completing an adventure and gaining its
adventure reward, or by choosing to do so after gaining the

Adventure Card Guild


Specific Rules

The unique nature of a shared-world campaign requires


alterations to the standard Pathfinder Adventure Card
Game rules to ensure that certain rules are enforced the
same way at every table, no matter who is coordinating the
table. For rules questions not addressed in this section,
please consult the most current version of the rulebook,
followed by the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game FAQ,
and then the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game forums,
all of which are at paizo.com/pacg. Venture-Officers are
also a source of rules clarification. If you still have not
found an answer, contact the Organized Play Coordinator
at pathfindersociety@paizo.com.
Its impossible for the campaign management staff to
cover every possible situation or rules interpretation. As
such, you may encounter rules combinations or questions
during the course of a scenario that arent covered in the
base set rulebook youre using, at paizo.com/pacg, or in
the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game FAQ at paizo.com.
In these cases, the event coordinator has the freedom to
adjudicate the rules as needed to ensure a fun and fair
gaming experience for all.

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card feat for his tier. If you advance a tier by completing an


adventure, you automatically gain any remaining feats for
your tier, and you gain a die bump for use with this character
(see Die Bumps below). A characters tier is recorded on
his Chronicle sheet (see Appendix 2: Reporting, Character
Tracking, and Chronicle Sheets).
A character can only get deck upgrades that have
adventure deck numbers equal to or less than his current
tier. If a character gets a deck upgrade of a number higher
than his tier, he must treat that upgrade as a number equal
to his tier. A character cannot start a scenario with a card in
his deck that has an adventure deck number higher than
his tier.
Die Bumps: A die bump is a new type of single-use reward,
usually given to characters that advance a tier by completing
an adventure. Your character can use a die bump to add 1
to or subtract 1 from a check result. Multiple die bumps
can be used on a check, and multiple characters can use die
bumps on a check. When you gain a die bump, note it on
your characters Chronicle sheet and cross it off when that
character uses it.
Resurrection: If a character dies during a scenario, the party
may decide to collectively spend 3 die bumps at the end of
the scenario to bring that character back from the dead. It
is not permitted for players to be coerced into using their
characters die bumps for this purpose. If a character is
resurrected, cross off the expended die bumps and treat the
character as if he had not died. The resurrected character
gains the rewards as if he had not died.

Pl ay

3. Use cards that have the set


indicator 1 and the Basic
trait.
4. Use cards that have the set
indicator 1 without the
Basic trait.
5. Use cards that have the set
indicator 2 and the Basic
trait.
6. Use cards that have the set
indicator 2 without the
Basic trait.
and so on, up to the adventure deck number equal to
your current tier.
All the cards must come from your Class Deck, with two
exceptions: You can add 1 of each of your classs ownerassociated promo cards from the Pathfinder Battles: Iconic
Heroes miniatures line (see Promo Cards on page 10), and
you can substitute any character card of the same class
(along with a matching role and token card) from a base set
or Character Add-On Deck. For example, if youre using the
Monk Class Deck, you can use the monk Sajan from the Rise
of the Runelords Base Set or the Monk Class Deck, and you can
add the Temple Sword from the Iconic Heroes miniatures
to your Class Deck box.
If possible, build your character deck before the game.
If thats not possible, or if you need some help getting
started, go to paizo.com/pfsacg/resources and download
one of the Adventure Card Guild Character Sheets; these
downloads include pregenerated starting deck lists for the
iconic characters in each Class Deck. These pregenerated
characters are sanctioned for Pathfinder Adventure Card
Guild play.
Card Feats: When a character gains a card feat, she must
add a card of that type to her deck using the order illustrated
in the example above, then apply a deck upgrade, if its
relevant (see Upgrading Your Deck on page 9). Remember, a
character can never begin a scenario with a card that has an
adventure deck number higher than her tier.

New Char acter

Choose 1 of the characters in your Class Deck box.

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Higher-Level Char acter

If youre coming late to the Adventure Card Guild or


want to play with an established group or event, you
have three options.
Option 1Build Your Own Character: If the scenario
youre playing has an adventure deck number of 3 or
higher, you can use any cards that have the set indicator
B, as well as any cards with an adventure deck number
at least 2 lower than that of the adventure youre about
to play. Your character (and role card, if youre playing a
scenario with an adventure deck number of 4 or higher)
cant have any feat boxes checked when you start play.

Your character deck must meet the Cards List requirements


on the back of your character card. You must choose cards
from your Class Deck box in the following order.
1. Use cards that have the set indicator B and the Basic trait.
2. Use cards that have the set indicator B without the
Basic trait.

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Option 2 Play a Pregenerated Character: If you dont


have a character of the appropriate tier for a scenario you
want to play, you can play a pregenerated character of the
appropriate tier for the scenario. Pregenerated characters
have odd-numbered tiers; if youre playing an evennumbered adventure, use the character with a tier thats
1 lower than the adventure youre playing. For example, if
youre playing a scenario from Adventure 4, you must play a
Tier 3 pregenerated character. Register the character after the
game; you can continue playing it as your own character.
Option 3Take One for the Team: If you play a
pregenerated character deck for a scenario (possibly for
expediency or table balance) but intend to build your own
character deck for later scenarios, you can transfer any
rewards and play credit you gain playing the pregenerated
character to your future character. (Youll still need the Class
Deck of the pregenerated character to play it, of course.)
We call this taking one for the team. If you register your
pregenerated character, this does not count as taking one
for the team. That character simply becomes a registered
character and keeps all his rewards.
If you take one for the team, when you fill out your
Chronicle sheet, fill in the number of the Adventure
Card Guild character who will receive the rewards youre
transferring. When that character advances to a tier that
equals the adventure deck number of the scenario you
played while taking one for the team, that character gains
the transferred rewards before playing any scenario in that
tier. Remember, you can gain scenario rewards only once per
character, so you cannot transfer a reward to a character that
earned that reward from the same scenario. For example,
if you take one for the team by playing Kyra in 005C, and
your character Melindra advances to Tier 5 later, Melindra
could opt to gain the reward before playing any Tier 5-legal
scenario. If she advances to Tier 6 without gaining the
reward, however, Melindra loses the reward and play credit.
You cannot take one for the team in solo play.

The Box
Adventure Card Guild players each have a Class Deck box
in addition to the game box. When anything refers to
the box, it always means the game box, except in the
case of rewards. If a reward refers simply to the box, in
Adventure Card Guild play, it means your Class Deck box. If
a reward refers to the game box, it means the game box.

Death and Dying


The standard rules on dying apply, but when you start
your new character, use the Building Your Character rules
on page 7. Dont forget to register the new character at
paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/myAccount.
If your character is dead at the end of a scenario and is
not resurrected by the expenditure of 3 die bumps, your
character does not gain the scenario reward, even if the rest
of the party does, though you are allowed to upgrade your
new character deck (see Upgrading Your Deck below). Build
your new character before the party begins upgrading.
When your character dies but your party wins the scenario,
your fellow players can use the cards you gained during the
scenario when they advance their characters, but they cannot
use any cards from your Class Deck.

Earning Scenario Rewards

The rules about trading cards during setup do not apply in


Adventure Card Guild play. You must begin each scenario
only with cards from your own deck, cards awarded by
scenario rewards that have been noted on your Chronicle
sheet, and cards given to your character as part of the
scenario youre playing. Cards given or exchanged during
play should be returned to the owner when the game is over.

A major difference in Adventure Card Guild play is the


method by which you improve your deck after completing
a scenario. This happens in two steps: earning scenario
rewards and upgrading your deck.
The procedure for earning scenario rewards (or
adventure rewards, or Adventure Path rewards) follows
the standard rules with one exception
instead of
taking a card from the box, take a random card of the
same type from your Class Deck box. The card you take
cannot have an adventure deck number higher than that
of the scenario you completed. For example, if you just
completed a scenario in Adventure 2, and the scenario
reward was a random item from the box, take an item
with an adventure deck number no higher than 2 from
your Class Deck. If you dont have an appropriate item,
you do not gain that reward.
If the party ran out of the allotted time for the scenario,
players do not earn scenario rewards, but they can upgrade
their decks.

Removing Cards from Play

Upgrading Your Deck

If you encounter a boon that require you to remove it from


the game to activate its power, you must instead exchange
that boon with a random boon of the same type from the
game box and encounter that card.

In Adventure Card Guild play, you dont get to keep the


cards that youve acquired or otherwise gained during the
scenario. Instead, you use them to determine which cards
you get to take from your own Class Deck box. Each player

Dont Trade Cards When Setting Up

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receives exactly 1 deck upgrade (that is, 1 card) per scenario,


excluding scenario rewards.
Begin by sorting all newly acquired cards by card type and
place them in the center of the play area. Identify new cards
by the Adventure Path logo in the upper right corner. If the
number of cards in the play area is less than the number of
players, roll 1d6 and consult the table below. Add a random
card of that type to the play area. Continue rolling and
adding until the number of cards is equal to the number
of players.
d6
1
2
3
4
5
6

and completing the same scenario multiple times does not


count toward your tier feat advancement.

Promo Cards
Each Adventure Card Guild characters Class Deck must
contain no more than 1 copy of each of your classs ownerassociated promo card from the Pathfinder Battles: Iconic
Heroes miniatures line. Each promo card is indicated with
an Iconic Heroes banner in the top left and a set indicator
of P in the top right.
For example, Agna can add 1 copy of the Teapot and 1 copy
of Biter to her Ranger Class Deck, because those cards have
Harsk listed as their owner, and Harsk is in the Ranger Class
Deck. Agna cannot have any other promo cards in her Class
Deck. She can select the Teapot as a deck upgrade when she
gets one. Harsk, as per the owner trait rules in the Wrath of
the Righteous Base Set rulebook, can select the Teapot as part
of his starting deck. Promo cards must be added to a Class
Deck box at the start of a scenario.
Organizers can add up to 12 promo cards to the game box,
but no more than 1 copy of any 1 card.

Card Type
Weapon
Spell
Armor
Item
Ally
Blessing

Each card in the play area represents a potential deck


upgrade. Discuss your choices for deck upgrades with your
party and come to a consensus, as each player gets 1 card
from the available upgrades (duplicates are not allowed).
Resolve any contested upgrades with a die roll; the highest
roll wins.
When you choose a card from the play area, instead of
adding it directly to your character deck, choose a card from
your Class Deck box of the same type with an adventure
deck number no higher than that of the chosen card. If a
card has a letter for the set indicator, treat its adventure
deck number as 0. Add the Class Deck card to your character
deck and put the original card back in the game box. For
example, if you choose the potential deck upgrade Dagger
+1, a card with a set indicator of 1, you would add a weapon
with a set indicator of B or 1 from your Class Deck box to
your character deck and return the original Dagger +1 to
the game box. After you upgrade your deck, record on your
Chronicle sheet the type and set indicator of the card you
gained. For example, if you gained a weapon card with a set
indicator of 1, record it as Weapon 1.
After upgrading your deck, when rebuilding the rest of
your character deck, choose extra cards, if needed, from
your Class Deck. Follow the hierarchy in the New Characters
section on page 8.

Solo Play
Solo play is permitted in Adventure Card Guild scenarios,
although we encourage you to find other players. If you
play solo with multiple characters, each character can gain
deck upgrades and scenario rewards as normal, but only 1
character can be registered as an official Pathfinder Society
Adventure Card Guild character, and only that character can
gain a Chronicle sheet for the scenario. You cannot play with
multiple characters in the same scenario outside of solo play.

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Accessory Perks
Players who show their support for the Pathfinder Society
Organized Play campaign by purchasing special accessories
gain the following perks.
A player using an UltraPRO Pathfinder Adventure Card
Game Character Mat receives the following bonus: once
per scenario, at the start of your turn, you can discard a
card to draw a card.
A player wearing any of the shirts or using any of the
Pathfinder messenger bags listed at paizo.com/freerolls
receives the following bonus: once per scenario, after
you roll the dice, you can reroll 1 die; you must take the
new result.

Replaying Scenarios

Card Sleeves

You can replay any Adventure Card Guild scenario as


many times as you like, as long as your character is of
the appropriate tier (see Appendix 1: Tier Advancement
System). Your character can gain the reward from a given
scenario, adventure, or Adventure Path only once. You can
upgrade your deck each time you complete the scenario,

Any deck or pile of cards used in Adventure Card Guild


play must contain either all identically sleeved cards or
no sleeved cards. Organizers can sleeve the cards in the
game box if they wish, but in order to comply with this
rule, additional sleeves may be needed, or some cards may

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need to be temporarily unsleeved. If you want to sleeve your


character deck, you must bring additional identical sleeves
to use on cards you accumulate during play.

versus combat ability. Adventure Card Guild characters need


to work together to survive and succeed. Try not to muster
a table of players whose characters are all of the same class,
and try to keep the number of players similar at each table.
If more than 1 player wants to play the same classor even
the same characterthats okay, but when possible, try to sit
such players at different tables.

Running An Adventure Card


Guild Event

As a Pathfinder Society Organized Play event coordinator


running a session at a convention or an in-store event, you
have a variety of duties. First and foremost, your goal is to
ensure that the players have a fun and safe time, and that
the facility staff is happy to have your game at their location.
When you are running an event in an allotted time slot,
the game needs to be focused on accomplishing the goals
of the scenario and dealing with encounters. While we
certainly encourage you to allow fun, engaging roleplaying
and table talk, its up to you to keep the pace going to
ensure the scenario finishes within the allocated time.
When possible, encourage the players to engage the story
by reading the Read the Following Aloud text out loud
and, when they complete the scenario, concluding with the
Development text.
Go to paizo.com/pathfindersociety/events and register
your event. From here, you can download reporting sheets
for your games. After the scenario concludes, complete a
reporting sheet. The reporting sheet tracks players and
reward information, and is designed to help you report
the results of your sessions online in a timely fashion. See
Appendix 2: Reporting, Character Tracking, and Chronicle
Sheets for specific instructions.
If you have players new to the Adventure Card Game, use
an available base set to run them through a demo of the
game. Instructions on how to run a demo from the Skull &
Shackles or Wrath of the Righteous base sets can be found
at paizo.com/pacg.

After the Event


Approach each table and inquire how the scenario went.
Gather Pathfinder Society numbers, character information,
and complete the reporting sheet. Distribute the Chronicle
sheets to players and remind them that the rewards for each
scenario can only be gained once. Make sure that players sort
the cards used in the scenario back into their appropriate
spaces in the game box, and youre done!

In Closing

If you still have questions that this guide hasnt answered,


check out our forums at paizo.com/pfsacg, contact your local
Venture-Officer, or email pathfindersociety@paizo.com.
Enjoy the game!

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Legal Table Size


We strongly recommend making 4 players your standard
table size. The minimum table size for a Pathfinder Society
Adventure Card Guild session is 1 player, although you
should consider sitting down and playing with that person.
Table size is capped at 6 players. If you have more than 4
players at a table, the appropriate Character Add-On Deck
must be added to the game box.

Mustering an Event
Events should be scheduled for 2 hours. This includes
15 minutes of setup time before the scenario begins, 90
minutes to complete the scenario, and 15 minutes for players
to adjust their decks after play. When mustering players at
tables, make sure all characters are of a tier valid for play with
the scenario. Find out what classes players have brought, and
try to provide some party balance in terms of party healing

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Appendix 1:
Tier Advancement System

gain only 1 feat of each type in each tier, unless instructed


otherwise.

Converting a Character
to the Tier System

All starting Adventure Card Guild characters are Tier 1.


Your characters tier determines
the adventures she can play;
the deck upgrades she can access;
the feats she can receive.
A character is eligible to play a scenario if its adventure
deck number is within 1 of that characters current tier.
Example: A Tier 1 character can play in either Adventure
1 or 2 of any season, while a Tier 3 character can play in
Adventures 2, 3, or 4 of any season.

If you began a character during Season 0, and you wish


to play that character outside of Season of the Shackles,
youll need to convert that character to the tier system.
Note the number of skill, power, and card feats you
have and which feats you took. Then uncheck those
feat boxes on your character sheet.
Count the number of scenarios your character played
in her f irst adventure. If your character completed
at least 1 scenario in that adventure, she gains a
skill feat from among those you previously chose. If
your character completed at least 2 scenarios in that
adventure, she gains a power feat from among those
you previously chose. If your character completed at
least 4 scenarios in that adventure, she gains a card
feat from among those you previously chose. If your
character completed the adventure, she gains a die
bump (and note that on your Chronicle sheet).
Repeat the previous step for each adventure youve
played any scenarios in.
Determine your characters current tier by adding 1 to
the number of die bumps she gained; note the tier on
your Chronicle sheet. Then go through your character
deck. If you have any cards that have adventure deck
numbers higher than your tier, replace each with
a card of the same type that has an adventure deck
number equal to or less than characters current tier.
Count the number of scenarios your character
completed since you completed your most recent
adventure. That is the number of scenarios your
character completed at her current tierif she earned
more than 1 feat of each type per tier, check your math.
Note your characters current number of scenarios
completed at this tier on your Chronicle sheet.

Tier Feats and


Advancement

After the successful completion of a scenario within


an adventure, a character receives a different type of
feat (skill, power, or card) based on how many unique
adventures that character has completed. The feat is
gained in addition to the standard scenario reward. Once
a character receives the card feat for a given adventure,
he can choose to advance a tier; at the completion of the
adventure, he must advance a tier. Though it is possible
to advance a tier without completing an adventure, and
then advance another tier by coming back to complete
that adventure, it is not recommended. Automatic tier
advancement is designed to help players who miss a
session to keep up with their play group.
A character gains feats on his character card through
the successful completion of scenarios. These scenarios
can be from any season or adventure that is legal for
the character to play. A character gains 1 skill feat after
successfully completing the first scenario he completes
each tier, 1 power feat after successfully completing
his second scenario of the tier, and 1 card feat after
successfully completing his fourth scenario of the tier.
Completing the same scenario multiple times does not
count as progress toward these tier feats, but the character
is still eligible for deck upgrades as usual. A character can
Game
Scenario 1A
Scenario 1B
Scenario 1C
Scenario 1D
Scenario 1E

Feat Gained
Skill Feat
Power Feat

Card Feat

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Advancing a Tier

In this example, Adventure 1 is composed of 5 scenarios.

Advancement



Optional Advancement to Tier 2
Automatic Advancement to Tier 2 and a Die Bump

Reward
Scenario Reward 1A
Scenario Reward 1B
Scenario Reward 1C
Scenario Reward 1D
Scenario 1E and Adventure Rewards

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Appendix 2:
Reporting, Character Tracking,
and Chronicle sheets

website during the convention or shortly thereafter. In


retail games and at smaller conventions, the coordinator
may wish to designate a player at each table to f ill out the
reporting sheet.
Regardless of the location of play, do not forget to
report the resultsreporting is very important to the
success of Pathf inder Society Organized Play!

This appendix explains how event coordinators f ill out


their Adventure Card Guild reporting sheets and report
their results online. It also instructs players on how to
register their characters, f ill out Chronicle sheets, and
check the status of online reports about their characters.

Register and Monitor Your


Character Online

To register a new off icial Adventure Card Guild character,


log on to paizo.com, click the Pathf inder Society logo
on the left side of the page, and click the My Pathf inder
Society link at the top of the page. Click on Register a
New Card Game Character at the bottom of the page.
Follow the instructions, and note the number of the new
character. Once the character is created, youll be able to
click the Sessions link next to its name to see a record of
its play.

Creating Events

To create an Adventure Card Guild event at a game


store or convention, youll need to speak to your local
Venture-Officer. To find your local Venture-Officer, go
to paizo.com/ventureofficers. Your Venture-Officer will
handle the event creation process on the website and let
you know what materials youll need to run the game.
If you want to run a home play session, youll need to
download the bundled scenarios at paizo.com (available
for purchase in the month after they debut at stores and
conventions). Then go to paizo.com/pathfindersociety,
log on to My Pathfinder Society, click on the GM/Event
Coordinator tab, and follow the steps to Create Your Event.

Filling Out a Chronicle Sheet

This section details how to f ill out a Chronicle sheet for


your character as he plays through an adventure. Weve
attached an example Chronicle sheet, and the story below
explains how it was f illed out.
Though each Chronicle sheet has its associated
adventures name at the top, you can use it as a continuous
log sheet, rolling over to the next adventures Chronicle
sheet, if you need to. Alternatively, you can use it to
record only scenarios that belong to the Chronicle sheets
associated adventurewhatever works best for you. The
goal is to keep a complete and accurate record of what
your character has played and when.
Example: Alex is playing Lem the bard. She begins her
journey in Season of the Examples Adventure 1. Shes
written her characters name and class at the top, along
with Lems Pathf inder Society character number, now
that shes registered him at paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/
myAccount.
Her party successfully completes Scenario 1A, and she
takes the scenarios reward for Lem, which is access to
the Pony loot card from the box. Good for Lem! Alex also
talks the other players into letting her take a weapon 1
deck upgrade for Lem, so that Lem can get his mitts on
his coveted Dagger +1 from his Bard Class Deck. Lems
completed one scenario, so he gains a skill feat. Alex
bumps Lems Charisma by 1.
Next, Alex plays Scenario 1B and wins, opting to take
the scenario reward, but not getting a random reward
that she liked. She did wrangle a blessing B deck upgrade,
so that Blessing of Erastil card Lem wants will be going
into his deck. Lem also gains a power feat for winning his

Reporting Results

Once you have completed a scenario and f illed out


everyones Chronicle sheets, the event coordinator needs
to report the results of the scenario.
Whether youre running a game at home, at a store, or
at a convention, you should have a reporting sheet for
each session you run. These can be found in the back
of off icial Adventure Card Guild scenarios or online at
paizo.com/pathfindersociety. As youre checking over
players completed Chronicle sheets, make note of each
characters Pathf inder Society number, character name,
and any rewards earned during the scenario.
As soon as possible after the session ends, go to
paizo.com/pathfindersociety and click My Pathf inder
Society at the top of the page, then click on the GM/
Event Coordinator tab and click on Report. Follow the
instructions carefully, entering the information from
this reporting sheet into the form on the website. Youll
note that we collect less information online than each
players Chronicle sheets containthis is intentional.
Event coordinators at retail stores and conventions are
generally responsible for printing out reporting sheets,
distributing them to volunteers for each session they
run, and reporting the results of each session. After the
completion of each session, simply f ill out the items on
the reporting sheet and turn it in to the coordinator. The
coordinator will then input all that information on the

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second scenario, and Alex chooses to increase his hand


size to 7. Her Lem likes to live dangerously.
Alex had a schedule conf lict the following week, so she
doesnt play Scenario 1C with her group. Her next play
session is Scenario 1D. The team wins again, and Alex
gains a reward for her Pathf inder Society Roleplaying
Guild character. None of the deck upgrade possibilities
were interesting, so she didnt take any. The rest of the
party completed the adventure and advanced to Tier 2,
and theyve promised to replay the scenario Alex missed
after the next game. What a collegial bunch.
At the next session, the team begins Adventure 2. The
other players are Tier 2 and Alex is Tier 1, so they can all
play Scenario 2A. After succeeding at the scenario, Lem
has completed four scenarios and gained a card feat. Lem
can choose to advance to Tier 2 after this scenario, but

since the group has agreed to replay Scenario 1C, Alex


decides to keep Lem at Tier 1 for one more game. She
chooses an ally slot with her card feat, and Lem gains an
ally 1 deck upgrade to go right into that slot.
The replay of Scenario 1C is exciting, coming down
to the f inal turn, and the team is victorious! Lem has
now completed f ive scenarios and one adventure. Since
Lem completed the adventure and gained the adventure
reward (unlocking Ranzak for Alexs future Adventure
Card Guild play), Lem automatically advances to Tier
2, and hes completed zero scenarios in that tier. Since
he completed an adventure, Lem gains a die bump that
he can use to inf luence events in a future scenario. The
future is bright for both Alex and her heroic half ling
character, Lem.

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Season of the Example:


Adventure 1
Alex

Scenario:

A.K.A.

Player Name

1A

No

Replaying?

No

Yes

Taking Reward?

x Yes

123456
Character Name

No
Tier

Scenario Reward

Loot: Pony

Gained skill feat (Charisma).


Scenario: 1B

Success?

No

Replaying?

No

Yes

Taking Reward?

x Yes

No
Tier

Scenario Reward

Coordinator Initials and Pathfinder Society #

Deck Upgrades

x Blessing B

Gained power feat (hand size).


Scenario: 1D

Success?
No

Replaying?

Yes

Taking Reward?

x Yes

No

No
Tier

Coordinator Initials and Pathfinder Society #

Deck Upgrades

Bob #24601
6/10/2015

Completed 3

Notes:

Scenario:

2A

Coordinator Initials and Pathfinder Society #

Success?

x Yes

No

Replaying?

No

Yes

Taking Reward?

x Yes

No
Tier

Scenario Reward

Ally B

Deck Upgrades

x Ally 1

Gained card feat (ally). Choose not to advance a tier.


Scenario: 1C
Notes:

Success?

Yes

No

Replaying?
Yes

Taking Reward?

x Yes
Notes:

No

No
Tier

Scenario Reward

Item B

x Armor B

Advanced to Tier 2: bonus die bump.

Completed 4
Coordinator Initials and Pathfinder Society #

Bob #24601
6/24/2015
Completed 5
Coordinator Initials and Pathfinder Society #

Success?
No

Replaying?
Yes

Taking Reward?
Yes

Bob #24601
6/24/2015

Deck Upgrades

Scenario:
Yes

Bob #24601
5/27/2015
Completed 2

Scenario Reward

RPG reward;
See RPG
character #12.

Bob #24601
5/20/2015
completed 1

Notes:

Yes

Character Class

Deck Upgrades

x Weapon 1

Notes:

Yes

1001 Bard

Pathfinder Society #

Coordinator Initials and Pathfinder Society #

Success?

Yes

Lem

No

Scenario Reward

No

Tier

Notes:

x Die Bump Gained

Deck Upgrades

Die Bump Used

Completed Adventure Unlocked Ranzak

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