Illustrations by Eric Belisle and Wayne Reynolds. Widescreen version here.

Monsters Are Coming!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The time draws nigh for Bestiary 3, so while you sharpen your blade and prepare your spells in advance of the monstrous onslaught, here's a little something to keep your mind on your task.

Christopher Carey
Editor

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Tags: Eric Belisle Monsters Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Wallpapers Wayne Reynolds
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1 person marked this as a favorite.

Nice pics

a Yuki-onna

a Tanuki

and a weird looking version of the ki-rin?


New wallpaper: YAY!

New bestiary: YAY!

Wait...a tanuki illustration that doesn't show off his infamous attribute? BOO!

;-)

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

New wallpaper: YAY!

New bestiary: YAY!

Wait...a tanuki illustration that doesn't show off his infamous attribute? BOO!

;-)

Yeah... turns out, a tanuki with a giant bulge in his pants would cause more problems for us than it would solve, since we're an American company after all... :-(

That said... the tanuki DOES have a slam attack that he can use when his hands are full with weapons. How that slam attack looks when he attacks, we leave up to the GMs of the world.

And yes, the third one is a ki-rin. And not a weird looking one—just one we wanted to look different than the one that's been in D&D all these years (we generally try to put our own spin on monsters we present who have long traditions in D&D).


Wonder if we can expect any new playable races.


I will greatly miss it's unicorn horn and the tuffs of fur at it's ankles wich are of course the thinks i liked best about it's appearance. Plus it looks too much like a goat when it used to be like a deer.

Scarab Sages

Dragon78 wrote:

Nice pics

a Yuki-onna

a Tanuki

and a weird looking version of the ki-rin?

Which is the cute one with the hat?

Contributor

Dream Daemon wrote:
Dragon78 wrote:

Nice pics

a Yuki-onna

a Tanuki

and a weird looking version of the ki-rin?

Which is the cute one with the hat?

The tanuki.


Lance LeDuc wrote:
Wonder if we can expect any new playable races.

I think we can expect some of the races seen in the Advanced Races preview and some of the APs in Bestiary 3.

Dragon78 wrote:
I will greatly miss it's unicorn horn and the tuffs of fur at it's ankles wich are of course the thinks i liked best about it's appearance. Plus it looks too much like a goat when it used to be like a deer.

From what I've seen, antlers are the more traditional route. Besides, having a unicorn horn would just make it an "Asian unicorn" when it really has a lot of its own unique qualities.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
James Jacobs wrote:
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

Wait...a tanuki illustration that doesn't show off his infamous attribute? BOO!

;-)

Yeah... turns out, a tanuki with a giant bulge in his pants would cause more problems for us than it would solve, since we're an American company after all... :-(

That said... the tanuki DOES have a slam attack that he can use when his hands are full with weapons. How that slam attack looks when he attacks, we leave up to the GMs of the world.

Bob Barker reminds you to please have your tanuki neutered.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:

Yeah... turns out, a tanuki with a giant bulge in his pants would cause more problems for us than it would solve, since we're an American company after all... :-(

If it was fine for Pom Poko (released under the Disney banner), it should be fine for you guys. Though they did refer to them as "pouches" in the English dub.

Grand Lodge

My first thoughts upon seeing the cover art was a comical one. Well it was two fold.

Hidden out of respect for others views:

One- You spelled "Oriental Bestiary 1" wrong

Two- The cover instantly made me think of my kids excitement for Mists of Pandaria

The blog recently had my hopes for this product already spiraling. The cover art cements it.

I expect major animosity for my views but not everyone is into the oriental thing flooding into Pathfinder of late

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

You got your Eric Belisle in my eastern fantasy.

Me likes.

Liberty's Edge

6 people marked this as a favorite.

No animosity Ravenbow, just pity. I pity anyone close minded enough to think there fantasy world is the only one allowed to exist. Heaven forbid people want Asian influences in there fantasy world when you don't. I think after 2 Bestiaries loaded with Eurocentric fantasy critters people would be happy to see a change.

Here's hoping Paizo does MORE monsters based on other groups, I'd LOVE to see a Bestiary based primarily on Indian or even African creatures, so I can make a fantasy world just as varied as the one we live in.

Also hoping Tanuki is a playable (1/2 CR) race, just so I can make a Tanuki Gunslinger, just because I can, and I'll take the ticking off all the 'but I don't want that in my world' goofs as a free bonus.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Ravenbow wrote:

My first thoughts upon seeing the cover art was a comical one. Well it was two fold.

** spoiler omitted **

Yeah! Diversity is the worst... Wait.

Don't forget B3 is ALSO updating classic D&D monsters, bringing in African and Old Europe monsters and MORE. From everything I've seen Bestiary 3 is the international Bestiary.

More options for GMs means more fun for the game.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Get Your Filthy Western European Pseudo-Medieval Crap Out Of My Fantasy, kthnxbai.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Now hold on guys he did say comical -- which is to say he sees humor in it, not that he's against the diversity. I'm sure we can all see humor in places that we might not actually go ourselves.

However just to be clear I would like to see Paizo respond to the allegations of Tanuki abuse...

Much like Mario did.


I know nothing of typical asian monsters / myths but I guess I would have liked that tanuki with its traditional attributes, I mean it's not like you try to non-sexualize everything (looks hard at oracle/monk).

Anyhow I really like the creatures, especially that Tanuki, you get get away with anything if you look cute like that.

Contributor

For the record, this is not an "Asian bestiary." There are some Jade Regent-style monsters in there, but also a ton from very different traditions, including a bunch unique to Pathfinder. The three creatures picked for this particular wallpaper aren't representative in that respect. (You'll notice that the actual COVER of this book has a cyclops, grave knight, and kappa.)


Lots of passive-aggressive snide remarks and open hostility, here. Does the fact that Ravenbow happens not to like this "oriental thing" somehow threaten your worldview and/or enjoyment of the game? Does it automatically mean he is *solely* into Western European "pseudo-medieval crap"? Does harboring no love for a particular thematic aspect automatically label him as an enemy of diversity to be barracked on sight? Is he saying only *his* fantasy should be allowed to exist?

No, it doesn't, and no, he isn't. Seriously, people, think before you post. Knee-jerk reactions are the bane of civil discourse.

Myself, I'm no particular fan of oriental mythology, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy beasties inspired by it in my game or that their inclusion in a bestiary makes me any less willing to buy it. At the end of the day, it's just another critter.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.

If there's a single "theme" that binds Bestiary 3 together, it is that there's a lot of monsters from non-European mythology represented. That does mean that there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more... but there's also monsters from Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, and other writers, and also monsters from Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and also monsters that are 100% brand new made-up just for this book.

All I can ask is that you check the book out in the store once it's out.

Contributor

1 person marked this as a favorite.
James Jacobs wrote:

If there's a single "theme" that binds Bestiary 3 together, it is that there's a lot of monsters from non-European mythology represented. That does mean that there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more... but there's also monsters from Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, and other writers, and also monsters from Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and also monsters that are 100% brand new made-up just for this book.

All I can ask is that you check the book out in the store once it's out.

Squee! Can't wait until my favorite one is shown off. :D

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Viriato wrote:

Lots of passive-aggressive snide remarks and open hostility, here. Does the fact that Ravenbow happens not to like this "oriental thing" somehow threaten your worldview and/or enjoyment of the game? Does it automatically mean he is *solely* into Western European "pseudo-medieval crap"? Does harboring no love for a particular thematic aspect automatically label him as an enemy of diversity to be barracked on sight? Is he saying only *his* fantasy should be allowed to exist?

No, it doesn't, and no, he isn't. Seriously, people, think before you post. Knee-jerk reactions are the bane of civil discourse.

Myself, I'm no particular fan of oriental mythology, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy beasties inspired by it in my game or that their inclusion in a bestiary makes me any less willing to buy it. At the end of the day, it's just another critter.

I wasn't the first person to make derogatory remarks about how eastern material makes a book spiral into oblivion.

This whole "western elitism" has to die. In fire.

Grand Lodge

Viriato wrote:

Lots of passive-aggressive snide remarks and open hostility, here. Does the fact that Ravenbow happens not to like this "oriental thing" somehow threaten your worldview and/or enjoyment of the game? Does it automatically mean he is *solely* into Western European "pseudo-medieval crap"? Does harboring no love for a particular thematic aspect automatically label him as an enemy of diversity to be barracked on sight? Is he saying only *his* fantasy should be allowed to exist?

No, it doesn't, and no, he isn't. Seriously, people, think before you post. Knee-jerk reactions are the bane of civil discourse.

Myself, I'm no particular fan of oriental mythology, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy beasties inspired by it in my game or that their inclusion in a bestiary makes me any less willing to buy it. At the end of the day, it's just another critter.

Step away to actually get some work done and bam!

First off, thanks for the kind words Viriato

Secondly, wow are people overly excitable as of late. To put a fine point on it, do I want oriental stuff in my fantasy? Personally? No, but does that change the way I would have approached my humor? No. There have been few (point one out please) posts regarding B3 that were NOT asian themed monsters. I couldn't find one in the blog.

Anti-diversity huh?.... how one grasped at that from my post is beyond me. I work in an asian environment, my boss is asian, my wife is half asian, and I am paying for my daughter to go to school in Tokyo, and my most prized possession is a 300+ year old Katana that sits on the mantle in my den above the (fake) fireplace.

Yep I am one anti-diverse, oriental hating bastage alright. (/sarcasm has been turned off)

Regardless dot dot dot pause B3 seems to have a certain flavor to it so far as advertised. Gawds forbid someone say something to derail your happy little forum fandom.

Until something comes about to show otherwise, I will stand by my original funny thoughts. Oriental Bestiary 1.

ps- Because of this post I printed the pic that started all this, doctored it to have the word Bestiary crossed out and Asian Bestiary stamped over it in red and a huge 1 over the 3. Just for spite.

BECAUSE ITS FUNNY

Grand Lodge

Liz Courts wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:

If there's a single "theme" that binds Bestiary 3 together, it is that there's a lot of monsters from non-European mythology represented. That does mean that there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more... but there's also monsters from Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, and other writers, and also monsters from Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and also monsters that are 100% brand new made-up just for this book.

All I can ask is that you check the book out in the store once it's out.

Squee! Can't wait until my favorite one is shown off. :D

Aztec Norse and Indian? Now you have my interest.

Paizo Employee Director of Game Development

Liz Courts wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:

If there's a single "theme" that binds Bestiary 3 together, it is that there's a lot of monsters from non-European mythology represented. That does mean that there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more... but there's also monsters from Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, and other writers, and also monsters from Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and also monsters that are 100% brand new made-up just for this book.

All I can ask is that you check the book out in the store once it's out.

Squee! Can't wait until my favorite one is shown off. :D

Me too! Me too!


They had my interest at Beastairy 3, 4, 5, etc.

I don't expect every monster to be to my liking but I never say I am not interested in monsters from mythology regardless from what country/culture it originated. As long as the monsters are well done, have good art, and book has few monsters I do not like, well like the last two beastairies did, then I am sold.

Liz Courts..."Squee"? really a monster got you to "Squee" is it a pony of some kind, a new kind chimera(kitten, puppy, bunny) or the cutest destroyer of worlds you ever did see.

Abraham Spalding that Mario vid was awesome.


Liz Courts wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
...there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more...
Squee! Can't wait until my favorite one is shown off. :D

An "Aztec Warrior", similar to a terracotta warrior except made entirely from chocolate? ;)

Damn, now I'm craving dark chocolate.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Ravenbow wrote:
Liz Courts wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:

If there's a single "theme" that binds Bestiary 3 together, it is that there's a lot of monsters from non-European mythology represented. That does mean that there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more... but there's also monsters from Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, and other writers, and also monsters from Pathfinder Adventure Paths, and also monsters that are 100% brand new made-up just for this book.

All I can ask is that you check the book out in the store once it's out.

Squee! Can't wait until my favorite one is shown off. :D
Aztec Norse and Indian? Now you have my interest.

I apologize for my own remark.

There is a sentiment of exclusionism on the boards that raises my hackles. (I don't want guns/Asia/aliens in MY fantasy is a popular way of putting it).

In any case, my apologies for reading too much into it.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I am so excited for this. Honestly, Pathfinder Bestiaries are one of the main reasons why I love Paizo. The art is fansastic! The monster rules are simple; not to mention, I know where one monster starts and the next ends. I am sure this bestiary will not dissapoint especially, when the monsters are not focused on the traditonal western monsters that have filled other bestiaries (not saying the western monsters are bad :D). I love the fact that Inuit monsters are in this book and more curious to see what other suprises are in this book.

Contributor

Ambrosia Slaad wrote:
Liz Courts wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
...there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more...
Squee! Can't wait until my favorite one is shown off. :D

An "Aztec Warrior", similar to a terracotta warrior except made entirely from chocolate? ;)

Damn, now I'm craving dark chocolate.

No, it's definitely not made out of chocolate.

...Mmm. Dark spicy chocolate...

Contributor

The same goals we exhibit in Pathfinder AP's Bestiaries in so far as presenting monsters with greater world cache continues in Bestiary 3 - largely because it's the same minds putting together the same products (just like for Pathfinder's APs I put together the original list of monsters that would be in this book). As with Bestiary 2, you'll see quite a few familiar faces from past APs in this tome, quite a few creatures from the history of RPGs, quite a few from world folklore and mythology, quite a few from the works of famous fantasy and sci-fi authors, quite a few entirely new bits, and so on. But it's not just all about finding cool monsters.

Creating the list for this book's contents meant doing a detailed analysis of the creatures types, CRs, and roles of every monster in Bestiary 1 and 2 and making sure this book served to fill in gaps. I have a list of awesome monsters from fiction and legendry that I want to see us stat up, but they're just not all right for any one book. With this one, I think we found a near-perfect state between fascinating creatures with rich histories, monsters that fill in holes you might never ever have known existed, and entirely new ideas that utilize our rules in some delightfully devilish ways.

Some other parties also proved most generous in letting us include their works herein, and we've still got TONs of ideas for more if that something we decide to do. But those are stories for later, after B3's release.

Overall, I think folks are going to be as or more pleased with Bestiary 3 as they were with B2. I am. :)

Liberty's Edge

This is a fantastic wallpaper.

I can't wait to read Bestiary 3


Yeah the Pathfinder Beastairies are among the big selling points to me. Heck if wasn't for a monster manual I would have never got into D@D(2nd edition) in the first place. I love monsters, art, mythology, and having them in one book with a lot variety is just awesome.


James Jacobs wrote:
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

New wallpaper: YAY!

New bestiary: YAY!

Wait...a tanuki illustration that doesn't show off his infamous attribute? BOO!

;-)

Yeah... turns out, a tanuki with a giant bulge in his pants would cause more problems for us than it would solve, since we're an American company after all... :-(

That said... the tanuki DOES have a slam attack that he can use when his hands are full with weapons. How that slam attack looks when he attacks, we leave up to the GMs of the world.

And yes, the third one is a ki-rin. And not a weird looking one—just one we wanted to look different than the one that's been in D&D all these years (we generally try to put our own spin on monsters we present who have long traditions in D&D).

If Disney can do it, Paizo can do it. NO EXCUSES!!!

EDIT: Slam attack: Nice.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:
Wait...a tanuki illustration that doesn't show off his infamous attribute? BOO!
...the tanuki DOES have a slam attack that he can use when his hands are full with weapons. How that slam attack looks when he attacks, we leave up to the GMs of the world.
If Disney can do it, Paizo can do it. NO EXCUSES!!!

I eagerly and fearfully await the Tanuki Style feats for the monk. :)


Is the anthropomorphic tanuki a fey creature?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

the tanuki song


Rats. I thought you found a video of the song where they sing about their magic "sacks." Yes, Disney distributed! I laughed so hard the first time I saw Pom Poko.

Paizo Employee Director of Game Development

""It has been reported that Tanuki fell from the sky using his scrotum as a parachute." -Villa Incognito


James Jacobs wrote:


Yeah... turns out, a tanuki with a giant bulge in his pants would cause more problems for us than it would solve, since we're an American company after all... :-(

You really should stage a coup. And undermine culture. And, of course, supplant the dominant religious groups. I know you guys like your green money, but what about orange stuff with "In Sarenrae We Trust" on it?


Ravenbow wrote:
I expect major animosity for my views but not everyone is into the oriental thing flooding into Pathfinder of late

So you like to keep Asian folklore out of the huge melting pot Pathfinder already is, with stuff from Greece, Scandinavia, the British Isles, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, parts of Africa, the Middle East....

Well, basically everywhere except Eastern Asia.


Please tell me the yuki-onna are NOT always evil...

...I want at least SOME respect for the original myths in their case.


Viriato wrote:
Does the fact that Ravenbow happens not to like this "oriental thing" somehow threaten your worldview and/or enjoyment of the game? Does it automatically mean he is *solely* into Western European "pseudo-medieval crap"?

Note that Pathfinder is inclusive, not exclusive. It's definitely not just Western European pseudo-medieval stuff.

If it were, I could see such complaints as reasonable. After all, if the game was inspired just by medieval Europe, I could sympathise with a genuine concern not to stray off focus by including Japanese elements.

However, the game is not. D&D never was, either. It has always been a big bundle of anachronisms and putting all the world's cultures into a big blender. Neither space nor time were kept pure.

Thus, this unwillingness to see some Far East into the game as well (or, rather, some more - the ogre mage has been in the game since forever, and that's Far East. It's not the only thing, either.) seems less reasonable.

Plus, the fact that right now, they current Adventure Path (APs being their flagship product line) is Japanese flavoured makes a focus on Japanese and other Eastern Asian stuff very reasonable. And it's how Paizo always works: the other product line support the current AP.


Ambrosia Slaad wrote:
Liz Courts wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
...there are monsters from various Asian mythologies, from Japan to China to Indonesia, but we've also got monsters from Inuit mythology, Aztec mythology, African mythology, Norse mythology, Indian mythology, and more...
Squee! Can't wait until my favorite one is shown off. :D

An "Aztec Warrior", similar to a terracotta warrior except made entirely from chocolate? ;)

Damn, now I'm craving dark chocolate.

Panna Cotta Warrior?


Adam Daigle wrote:
""It has been reported that Tanuki fell from the sky using his scrotum as a parachute." -Villa Incognito

And the sailcloth from Skyward Sword takes on a much weirder aspect.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16

F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
Some other parties also proved most generous in letting us include their works herein, and we've still got TONs of ideas for more if that something we decide to do. But those are stories for later, after B3's release.

I'm very interesting to hear more about this. Especially when combined with James' mention of creatures from Robert E Howard.


Unfortunetly the Yuki-onna are LE Incorpereal Undead.


Not in the games I will run. =w=


Icyshadow wrote:
Not in the games I will run. =w=

I agree.

Change type to fey and change alignment to CN


Icyshadow wrote:

Please tell me the yuki-onna are NOT always evil...

...I want at least SOME respect for the original myths in their case.

Apparently, they were almost always evil in older legend, but nowadays, they aren't any more.

Pathfinder goes back to the roots. Those snow maidens have evil roots. So the evil makes sense.

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