Paizo is doing something it almost never does. The Pathfinder publisher has announced 13 Omens, a brand-new modern horror RPG that does not use the Pathfinder or Starfinder engine at all. It is only the third standalone system Paizo has put out in 25 years, and it has a clear UK pin in the diary already: Director of Game Design Jason Bulmahn and Lead Designer Joe Pasini are heading to Birmingham to demo 13 Omens at UK Games Expo from 29 to 31 May 2026.
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Find events near youThe pitch is rules-lite supernatural horror set in a dark mirror of the modern world, "beset by horrifying specters, bloodthirsty killers, cursed places, and secrets best left unknown." Paizo describes it as designed to be played in a single evening, with a shared communal dice bag at the centre of the table. As the night escalates, Omen Dice get added to the bag, ratcheting up the danger until things go very wrong indeed. Character death is, in their own words, "extremely likely."
That is a notable shift in tone for a publisher best known for thousand-page hardback Pathfinder rulebooks. Bulmahn has been with Paizo for over twenty years and was the lead designer on the original Pathfinder RPG, while Pasini has been a Lead Designer there for a decade, so this is not a side project handed to outside contractors. No release date or pricing has been confirmed yet; Paizo is asking interested players to sign up at the 13 Omens landing page for updates.
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Set up your group for freeUKGE has had a strong run of being where major RPG launches debut for UK audiences, and 13 Omens is a perfect candidate for a single-evening organised play slot. If you fancy running a one-shot the same week the book lands, list a horror night for your community and let nervous players sign up.
Sources: Paizo | Geek Native | EN World | TTRPG Fans
