Worldscape Workbook—Under the Moons of Mars

Interesting! Although, I must point out something. "That's the reason that you don't see as many fighter archetypes as you see for other classes" is wrong. It has the third largest archetype list in paizo products with 56, only to be outdone by the druid with 58, and the rogue with 60. Either way happy holidays Erik!

I wondered if maybe someone would call my bluff on that one. Thanks for doing the math! I sit corrected!

I'm loving Worldscape so far, and #3 is the best yet. Can't wait for the next one.

That 2 page spread (page 6 on comixology, not sure about print) is fantastic.

Thanks for the inspired work.

That makes me really happy to hear! Thanks, Ultimatepunch! I'm really enjoying working on the series. Getting to write tales featuring these characters (including ours!) is a huge privilege and responsibility.

The next one is totally insane, btw. A departure in some ways from the previous three issues, and the point at which the series pivots toward an endgame. I hope you enjoy it! :)

I thought the comics may have peaked with Jim Zub, but I was wrong! I am loving this series, and the character options are the gravy to my mashed potatoes! Thanks Erik.

Thanks, Captain! I really appreciate the compliment!

Got my Issue #2 with my latest batch of subscriptions, and not having a scrap of buyer's remorse. Very interested in seeing what rolls out next, and enjoying my ride as a subscriber.

"From my perspective, it really stinks when the rules don't allow you to play a concept you want to try out, or even worse punish you for it."

Could this be an argument for lifting the Int prerequisite on Combat Expertise, and all its many successor feats? Or removing it as a feat tax entirely?

Either for specific archetypes (such as Carter's and Sonja's), or (fingers crossed) across the board?
The ability to adopt a cautious stance against a worthy opponent, or press furiously through or horde of lesser foes (and to drive them before you, and hear the lamentation of their women), is the very essence of the acrobatic, unarmoured warrior style pioneered by Burroughs and Howard.

But the Combat Expertise feat always been a roadblock on the route to such dynamic combat, and a reason most Fighters Can't Have Nice Things.

Yet I'm sure I'm not alone in having martial-arts using friends, or knowing club bouncers or security guards who can relieve a troublemaker of their weapon and plant them on the floor, yet have no academic qualifications to speak of.

Will no-one think of the low-to-averagely intelligent, but dextrous and danger-savvy combatants?

When I saw that big yellow thing hanging in the tree, and then saw the smaller things inside the big yellow thing, I went, "No way. I can't believe they went there." The level of grit is a tad higher than what we usually see in Pathfinder Comics, but then again, it's to be expected when Golarion meets Barsoom meets Earth.

Seriously cool art. Just wow. And I am really, really hoping the Nex angle is further explored as the series goes on.

I'm really hoping you guys come up with a hardcover for all these races and archetypes down the road, and more importantly, and Adventure Path set in that Golarion nexus of worlds...

I'm stoked!

"From my perspective, it really stinks when the rules don't allow you to play a concept you want to try out, or even worse punish you for it."

Could this be an argument for lifting the Int prerequisite on Combat Expertise, and all its many successor feats? Or removing it as a feat tax entirely?

Either for specific archetypes (such as Carter's and Sonja's), or (fingers crossed) across the board?
The ability to adopt a cautious stance against a worthy opponent, or press furiously through or horde of lesser foes (and to drive them before you, and hear the lamentation of their women), is the very essence of the acrobatic, unarmoured warrior style pioneered by Burroughs and Howard.

But the Combat Expertise feat always been a roadblock on the route to such dynamic combat, and a reason most Fighters Can't Have Nice Things.

Yet I'm sure I'm not alone in having martial-arts using friends, or knowing club bouncers or security guards who can relieve a troublemaker of their weapon and plant them on the floor, yet have no academic qualifications to speak of.

Will no-one think of the low-to-averagely intelligent, but dextrous and danger-savvy combatants?

Lots of interesting points, here. Not sure we can ret-con this at this stage in the game, but thanks for pointing it out. I think that is a bit of a silly requirement, personally. That said, if you don't give classes any reasons to put points in non-prime stats, they probably never will.

All of the rules content will be included in Dynamite's hardcover collection when it releases next year. That said, I kind of expect them to show up somewhere else, too.

Lots of interesting points, here. Not sure we can ret-con this at this stage in the game, but thanks for pointing it out. I think that is a bit of a silly requirement, personally. That said, if you don't give classes any reasons to put points in non-prime stats, they probably never will.

Unchained Fighter could get free Combat Stamina and free Combat Expertise feats at 1st, and the option to swap out any of its armor feats for any other combat feat (in decreasing order from heavy, tower, medium, shields, light - that's a total of 5 feats!).

That should help level the playing field. Slap to that the 'no armor' archetype Erik just came out with, and you'd have a seriously fearsome fighter methinks... (yes, I understand a wizard can still mess your day, but such an 'unchained fighter' could also mess up a wizard's day with proper planning...)

All of the rules content will be included in Dynamite's hardcover collection when it releases next year. That said, I kind of expect them to show up somewhere else, too.

Please, do go on! :)

Addendum: I've been rather fascinated by Golarion's existence vis-à-vis 1922 Earth's Rasputin and other mentions here and there... so anything that builds on that interaction between worlds (AP please) would be awesome. Interplanetary Teleport: does it work across different galaxies? Earth 1922 Catholics: how do they get judged by Pharasma? Thank you! :)

The Worldscape is outside of time, in its own way, so it's not a requirement that the Reign of Winter timeline parallels hold true.

Thun'da is from the 1940s. Tarzan is from the 1910s. Red Sonja and Kulan Gath are from the Hyborean Age, some time between the period when "the oceans drank Atlantis" and the beginning of recorded history.

That's not to say it wouldn't be fun to tie those things in. Were we doing a "Worldscape 2" series, I might be tempted to use Rasputin as the arch-villain, depending on what other properties we get to play with.

There was a brief, shining moment when it looked like the Flash Gordon characters were going to be a part of this, and the arch villain was going to be Ming the Merciless.

I'd still love to do that version of the series one day! :)

That's not to say it wouldn't be fun to tie those things in. Were we doing a "Worldscape 2" series, I might be tempted to use Rasputin as the arch-villain, depending on what other properties we get to play with.

There was a brief, shining moment when it looked like the Flash Gordon characters were going to be a part of this, and the arch villain was going to be Ming the Merciless.

I'd still love to do that version of the series one day! :)

Wouldn't you need Starfinder to fully detail Flash Gordon?

The Worldscape is outside of time, in its own way, so it's not a requirement that the Reign of Winter timeline parallels hold true.

Thun'da is from the 1940s. Tarzan is from the 1910s. Red Sonja and Kulan Gath are from the Hyborean Age, some time between the period when "the oceans drank Atlantis" and the beginning of recorded history.

Evidence of Shyka's followers at play, I'm sure! ;)

Oh, and let me correct my dates. AFAIK, from various posts by James Jacobs:

Real world year (i.e. printing year i.e. NOW) 2016 AD = Golarion Year 4716 AR = Fictitious Earth Year 1921 AD
(events of "Rasputin Must Die!" were published in 2013 therefore set in 4713 AR = 1918 AD)

Also:

Gulthor wrote:
Well, Reign of Winter was released in 2013, meaning that it's set in 4713. In that AP, we discover that the year on Earth is 1918.
Strange Aeons is being released 2016-2017, or 4716-4717, meaning that the year on Earth is 1921-1922.
In 1921, the Nameless City was released - considered to be the first story in the Cthulhu mythos. In 1922, the Necronimicon was discovered/unearthed as part of the Cthulhu mythos.
I'm hoping that I'm giving the design team enough credit, here, but I expect the events in Strange Aeons to tie-in with the events that occur within the Cthulhu mythos timeline based on the date they've established in Reign of Winter.

James Jacob wrote:
Note that "The Nameless City" is also the story in which the two words "Strange Aeons" first appear.

:)

More random notes about Golarion:

1. It exists in the same prime material plane as fictitious 1921 Earth. So far the general idea is that Earth 1921 is amazingly distant from Golarion and perhaps even in a different galaxy.
2. Distant Worlds provides explanations as to why the Plane Shift trick (to the Outer Planes then back to the prime to another planet or galaxy) or Greater Teleport spells do not work when trying to go to another planet, galaxy, etc. within the same Prime. Basically, it's something about the infinity property of planes and kinda the same reason why you never know where you'll arrive when you say, Plane Shift to an Outer Plane. Plane Shifting back to the prime thus usually brings you back to the same point you exited in the first place (i.e. Golarion, if this is your homeworld, as opposed to Earth 1921 or some other planet around the Golarion sun)
3. As of the Second Darkness adventure path, and later reaffirmed via Distant Worlds, the spell "Interplanetary Teleport" is required to access different planets or galaxies within the same Prime. It is a 9th level spell, and the general principle in the Pathfinder game is that you'll never be able to replicate a certain spell or effect with a lower level spell or effect, hence the impossibility of doing the Plane Shift trick or Greater Teleport trick. The only other canon method to go to other planets in the Golarion solar system is via the permanent elf gates located in Kyonin.
4. Certain people have theorized that Greater Teleport has a certain range limit, and that if you can cast it at will, and if you are able to cast it in a vacuum, you could in theory use it to go to distant places (i.e. you look up to the moon, cast it, and appear somewhere in between, in space, cast it again, and again, and again, and again, and then at some point your appear standing on it). This is just fan-made theory at this point and not official Pathfinder lore (i.e. good for home campaigns if you feel like it). My opinion is that it cheapens Interplanetary Teleport and the elf gates.

Also, here's the 3 main classes of starships so far in Golarion: (list not updated for a while now... please find me more starship classes if you can! :) )

Slowest:
Starflight (Su) A mi-go can survive in the void of outer space. It flies through space at incredible speeds. Although exact travel times vary, a trip within a single solar system normally takes 3d20 months, while a trip beyond normally takes 3d20 years (or more, at the GM’s discretion)—provided the mi-go knows the way to its destination.

Average:
Starflight (Ex) An oma can survive in the void of outer space, and soars through vacuum at incredible speed. Although exact travel times vary, a trip between two planets within a solar system should take 3d20 days, while one to another system should take 3d20 weeks (or more, at the GM’s discretion), provided the oma knows the way to its destination.

Fastest:
Starflight (Ex) In outer space, an outer dragon (i.e. lunar, solar, time, void or vortex dragon) can survive in the void and fly at incredible speed. Travel times vary, but a trip within a single solar system should take 3d20 hours, and a trip beyond should take 3d20 days or more if the dragon knows the way to its destination. An outer dragon can carry one rider of one size category smaller than itself, four passengers two sizes smaller, eight passengers three sizes smaller, or 16 passengers four or more sizes smaller. Passengers are protected from the void of outer space.

Don't forget the flumphs!

They're interplanetary travellers, too!

(Feeling protective of the goofy space pancakes, after my tale in WF14...)

The Worldscape is outside of time, in its own way, so it's not a requirement that the Reign of Winter timeline parallels hold true.

Thun'da is from the 1940s. Tarzan is from the 1910s. Red Sonja and Kulan Gath are from the Hyborean Age, some time between the period when "the oceans drank Atlantis" and the beginning of recorded history.

Mordred stretches things out a little, too.

Great instalment again, Erik. Each issue feels like fifty pages of action.

Erik Mona wrote:

Thun'da is from the 1940s. Tarzan is from the 1910s. Red Sonja and Kulan Gath are from the Hyborean Age, some time between the period when "the oceans drank Atlantis" and the beginning of recorded history.

Mordred stretches things out a little, too.

I'll say it again: Shyka the Many (the Eldest from the First World who can control time or at least manipulate it and exist simultaneously within all time streams?)

Golarion has the luxury of having a reason to make it all work together and consider it canon! (if they want to! :) )

There was no blog for issue 4, and issue 5 is about to come out. It has been almost 2 months since we heard from Mr. Mona. I hope everything is OK.