Wayfinder (magazine)

For another meaning of "Wayfinder", please see Wayfinder.

Wayfinder is an unofficial Pathfinder and Starfinder fanzine conceived by Liz Courts and Hugo Solis, and now published by Tim Nightengale and Paizo Fans United. Each volume contains a variety of rules content, adventures, encounters, creatures, items, fiction, poetry, recipes, comics, and art contributed by members of the Pathfinder fan community. Submissions are solicited for each issue through an open call posted on the paizo.com Community Use message board.

Wayfinder issues include fan-created, non-canon material set in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting, with most issues since Wayfinder #3 themed to an area of Golarion; as such, it operates under the Community Use Policy and is distributed as a free PDF with some issues printed and distributed for free at PaizoCon. Advertisements and sales of printed back issues help cover the PaizoCon print run costs, but all Wayfinder content is required to be freely available under the Community Use Policy.

Canon content

Some Wayfinder content was canon when published or later canonized by Paizo. For example:

Canon fiction by Elaine Cunningham and Dave Gross was published in Wayfinder #4.
Crystal Frasier's description of the Crystalhue holiday and Zonzon dolls from Wayfinder #2 was canonized in Inner Sea Gods.¹²
Lissa Guillet's Dawnflower dervish of Sarenrae base class from Wayfinder #1³ was canonized as a bard archetype in Inner Sea Magic.⁴
The einherjar, a creature template from Wayfinder #6,⁵ was canonized as a standalone creature in Bestiary 4.⁶
The nycar from Wayfinder #6⁷ was canonized in Bestiary 4.⁸

Issues

Wayfinder #1 (Osirion, Qadira, and Katapesh; 77 pages)

Released PaizoCon 2009 (print), June 2009 (PDF)

The debut issue of Wayfinder was nominated for an ENnie award in the Best Free Product category.⁹

Wayfinder #2 (82 pages)

Released February 2010 (PDF)

Wayfinder #3 (Absalom, 104 pages)

link=https://paizo.com/products/btpy8ypd?Wayfinder-3 Wayfinder #3 cover

Released PaizoCon 2010 (print), July 2010 (PDF)

Wayfinder #4 (Mwangi Expanse, 88 pages)

Released March 2011 (PDF)

This issue contained several canon stories by Elaine Cunningham and Dave Gross which also appeared on paizo.com as Pathfinder Tales web fiction installments. It was named to the 2011 ENnie Awards Judge's Spotlight.

Wayfinder #5 (Varisia, 79 pages)

Released PaizoCon 2011 (print), June 2011 (PDF)

Wayfinder #6 (Lands of the Linnorm Kings, 87 pages)

Released December 2011 (PDF)

Wayfinder #7 (Pathfinder's 5th anniversary, Darkmoon Vale, Korvosa, and Varisia; 94 pages)

Released PaizoCon 2012 (print), July 2012 (PDF)

Wayfinder #8 (Golarion's seas, 96 pages)

Released February 2013 (PDF), PaizoCon 2013 (print)

This issue won the 2013 Gold ENnie award for Best Free Product.¹⁰

Wayfinder #9 (The Darklands, 115 pages)

Released PaizoCon 2013 (print), July 2013 (PDF)

This issue introduced new regular features designed for use with the Pathfinder Beginner Box, including adventures, characters, and converted creatures.