Carrion Hill Preview #2

Monday, October 12, 2009

The Pathfinder RPG Bestiary has reached our warehouse, and we've loaded it with hundreds of updated monsters for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. However, some of our favorites didn't quite make the cut and had to be left out of the book. Fortunately, we're clever and sneaky, and found a way to get one of the extra monsters into the Pathfinder Module Carrion Hill. After all, in an adventure with Lovecraftian horrors, this shapeshifting creature should feel right at home.

Illustration by Tyler Walpole	Illustration by Hector Ortiz

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Modules

They're Gonna Catch You All!

Wednesday, August 9, 2009

My evil murder dolls. Let me show you them.

Left to right, we have Draggy, Fluff Gugg, Mr. Straw, the too-scary-to-have-a-name Mwangi Fetish, and Molly Missy. They will be visiting your characters with their own special brand of pain and murder soon. And perhaps your nightmares even sooner!

Illustration by Tyler Walpole

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

Carrion Hill Preview #1

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Carrion Hill is a 5th-level urban horror adventure in the style of H. P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror. Chock full of mythos goodness, this book has references to the Outer Gods, underground ghoul societies, and (of course) the spawn of Yog-Sothoth. Here's a quick peek... avert your eyes if your will is weak!

Sean K Reynolds
Developer, Pathfinder Modules

Snagged from the Vault: Pathfinder RPG Bestiary

Monday, July 6, 2009

As promised, we shall continue to astound and delight you with pictures pilfered from the pages of the infamous Pathfinder Bestiary. Featured here today are four mighty and terrible creatures from the Great Beyond. We leave it in our readers' capable hands to determine which type of fiend each illustration represents...

Art by Tyler Walpole	Art by Tyler Walpole
Art by Ben Wooten	Art by Kevin Yan

Vadid and Nahk
Preview Purloiners

Illustration by Tylor Walpole

Roots & Beginnings: Book of the Damned (Part 2)

Friday, April 24, 2009

As promised, here is part 2 of "Roots & Beginnings: Book of the Damned":

Wes: "There are a lot of interesting stories about demons in Hebrew mysticism and collections of angelology. Sean K Reynolds lent me a fantastic book, the Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels, by Gustav Davidson, which was a major source of inspiration. Another interesting source was accounts from the Book of Tobit, which features Asmodeus as the primary villain.

"There was also a lot of ancient Middle Eastern mythology that I tried to fit in. It's interesting how in ancient history, when a large religion such as Christianity gained prominence in an area, the old gods were demonized. Moloch and Beelzebub are good examples of this. Moloch was a relatively benevolent deity in the Fertile Crescent in ancient times. What's interesting is that the word 'Moloch' might refer to the either the deity itself or to the method with which worshipers sacrificed to it. Adherents possessed a kiln shaped like a bull, and put seven sacrifices into seven slots in the oven—one was an amount of flour, there were several animals, and the last was a human child. There was nothing inherently malevolent about this—nor particularly uncommon for the age—it was just the way they practiced their religion.

"1st Edition portrays Moloch basically as a scary devil with horns. Paizo's version of Moloch promotes him to the general of Hell's legions; he is a monstrous suit of armor with a bull-like helm, beneath which there is nothing but living fire. He's disciplined, severe, and merciless, but aside from commanding Hell's war machine, he's also very mercenary in his recruitment for his legions in that he's willing to provide services for those who honor him; if people sacrifice to him, he fixes their problems. Should one burn offerings to Moloch to stop a flood and save their village, he's probably more likely to step in and stop the flood than most deities. The caveat, of course, is that Moloch is an archdevil and whether one worships him as part of a militaristic cult, as part of the traditions of one's people, or just because his standing offer of aid is tempting, serving him damns a soul to his fortress realm in Malbolgia after death. But when faced with dying at the hands of a foe, infernal intervention for either benevolent or selfish reason might be worth the price of later damnation. There's a lot of this throughout the book, evil disguised as goodness or at least the right—or easy—choice for the moment. Sure, Asmodeus, the archdevils, and the armies of Hell could easily murderer mortals and claim their souls, but why when, with the proper nudging, most mortals will damn themselves.

Thanks for reading "Roots & Beginnings: Book of the Damned"!

David Eitelbach
Editorial Intern

Illustration by Tylor Walpole

Roots & Beginnings: Book of the Damned

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting gave readers a glimpse of the tortuous layers of Hell and the diabolical machinations of the archdevils who rule them, and The Great Beyond, A Guide to the Multiverse, scheduled to be released in June, will further whet the appetites of those who crave to add a healthy dose of the infernal to their game. The definitive treatise on Hell, however, is being written by none other than Paizo's own F. Wesley Schneider: Princes of Darkness—Book of the Damned, Volume 1. I had the chance to speak to Wes recently about the sources he consulted when writing this daunting tome, and how he managed to reconcile the mythological roots of Hell with the lore of previous editions of the game.

Wes: "The two primary sources of inspiration are obvious: Milton’s Paradise Lost and Dante’s Inferno. Other influential real-world sources included the Lesser Key of Solomon—and the Dictionnaire Infernal.

"The problem is these sources have been used over and over in the game and in third-party supplements. The way the entries for individual demons are written in the Lesser Key, for example, they already sound as if they were appearing in RPG products. I tried to avoid using the entries that have been bandied about the game frequently, as they've had enough coverage already. I didn't want to use too many of the fiends from mythology that have already appeared in products like Necromancer's Tome of Horrors and Green Ronin's Book of Fiends, as they have lives and details of their own. The 1st Edition Monster Manual II has a list of names of demons—some are made up and so we can't use them, but the ones from obscure mythology were perfect.

"The problem with Hell, in my opinion, is that it is the red-headed step-child to the Abyss. Whereas the Abyss is infinitely large, full of an infinitely diverse number of cool monsters, Hell has been stereotyped as a place of boring rigidity ruled over by scary-looking dudes with whips and pitchforks and goatees. When I wrote The Book of the Damned, I wanted to get rid of these stereotypes, and to make the archdevils actually monsters, because that would be much cooler than just generic cackling overlords. I tried to draw on the mythology that was already established for them but make them more like monsters. A good example is Geryon—in the original game he was just a snake man with a spear. Classical Greek mythology, however, portrays him as a warrior possessing a human form from waist down, but with three torsos and six arms. For The Book of the Damned I mixed the both the mythological and game interpretations of Geryon into something at the same time evocative of past images, but still new and very cool.

"The biggest differences between the Pathfinder version of Hell and the classic interpretation in the game is that we play up the "law and order" aspect—it's more about tyrants and the hierarchy of Hell, in that while Hell is first and foremost a punishment, it also has a goal and intention, and the personalities there are ancient and have neat concepts behind them. Beyond just Asmodeus and the archdevils, there is a whole host of deity-like beings: infernal dukes (of whom there is unlimited room for further development and details), malebranche (powerful diabolical warlords sent out to conquer specific worlds), and a few other tiers I’ll save as surprises for the final book. The biggest thing is that there is a lot going on and it's interesting, and it sticks to both the lore of the game and the mythological roots; it also draws on interesting history of deities that have been subsumed by other religions."

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Roots & Beginnings: Book of the Damned"!

David Eitelbach
Editorial Intern

The Roof is on Fire!

Friday, April 17, 2009

You may have noticed a preponderance of previews lately on the Paizo blog. As exciting as it is to see new art and sneak peaks of things to come in Pathfinder, the number of previews in fact correlates directly with the amount of work we have to do here in the office. In short: things here at Paizo have been pretty crazy. With the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary just around the corner, the Editorial Pit has become a scene of furious activity, as everyone works to get products out the door. Even the interns aren't immune to the frenzy! Here is glimpse of what is going on at Paizo this week:

Sarah Robinson is putting the final touches on Pathfinder Adventure Path #23: The Impossible Eye.

Wes Schneider and James Jacobs are busy developing the final chapter of Legacy of Fire, Pathfinder Adventure Path #24: The Final Wish

Sean K Reynolds continues his simultaneous development of Qadira, Gateway to the East and Jason Bulmahn's Crypt of the Everflame, the first Pathfinder Module to use the Pathfinder RPG rules.

Chris Carey and James Sutter have their hands full editing the Pathfinder RPG and Pathfinder #24.

Jason Bulmahn has spent the week entering changes and making last-minute tinkering with the Pathfinder RPG.

Vic Wertz, Lisa Stevens, and Erik Mona have sequestered themselves away while they edit the Pathfinder RPG.

And Hank Woon and David Eitelbach are busy doing development for Pathfinder #24 and writing blogs, of course!

Here's an illustration by Tyler Walpole from Pathfinder Companion: Qadira that pretty accurately summarizes the state of things around here right now. Now back to work!

There comes the sound of a whip cracking.

Worth Waiting For!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Even though Free RPG Day is still 70-some days away, we just got in our first look at this year's offering, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bonus Bestiary, here in the Paizo offices, and for a freebie, just let me say wow!. Way more than just a preview of the upcoming Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, this 16-page mini-manual of monstrosities shows off new rules for monsters straight from the Pathfinder RPG, a rundown of just 257 of the monsters you can expect to appear in September's Bestiary, and updated statistics for 13 classic monsters—including the allip, carytid column, faerie dragon, and shadow mastiff—not to mention a few other surprises slipped in there. Also, although it's been hiding on the product page for a while, here's Tyler Walpole's action-packed cover, which kind of gives away one more monster hiding in the book. You can pick up your totally free copy of the Bonus Bestiary in print at local game stores as part of Free RPG Day on Saturday, June 20th. Free PDFs of the book will also be available right here at paizo.com on Free RPG Day and thereafter (with a limited number of print copies also being available for cheap soon after). Good stuff, and I can't wait to show off more from it—like a ton of awesome new monster art—in the coming month.

Oh, and for cthulhudarren from the boards, you can expect to see stats for your favorite monster in here too. Enjoy!

Wes Schneider
Managing Editor

Snagged from the Vault: Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Our latest foray into the treacherous Vault has met with success once again, dear readers! Today we bring you a preview of the dreaded ghul, the restless undead spirit of a fallen genie, illustrated here by Tyler Walpole. The ghul appears in the bestiary of Pathfinder Chronicles: Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh, due out in April. Fear the power of the genies, even in death!

Vadid and Nahk
Preview Purloiners

Sometimes a janni dies in a state of disfavor with Fate; as a parting curse from its race's age-old enemy Ahriman (lord of the divs), such an ill-favored genie may come back from the dead as a ghul, a ghoul version of genie-kind. Ghuls are easily recognized as inhuman by their donkey hooves, which shame them greatly; most ghuls take great pains to hide their hooves from view. Ghuls feed upon carrion much as their lesser ghoulish kin, but prefer the fresh blood of mortals, especially children and innocents. They haunt desolate cemeteries and necropolises feeding upon the interred as well as mourners and gravediggers they can catch. They despise the light of the sun (though it does not harm them), so such locations are usually safe during the day, though there are no guarantees that a hungry ghul might not brave the dreaded light to obtain a tasty-looking morsel.

Illustration by Tyler Walpole

Snagged from the Vault: Pathfinder #20—House of the Beast

Thursday, February 26, 2009

At much risk to ourselves, my colleague and I braved the defenses of Paizo's well-guarded vault to bring you, our loyal readers, this exclusive preview of Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #20, House of the Beast. Now we must flee, before our pursuers discover us...

Sunlord Thalachos is Sarenrae's favorite angel, liaison to the mortal world, the hosts of astral devas, and the ranks of superior angels (including the Empyreal Lords). At 8 feet tall and 300 pounds, he is an impressive figure with a rich baritone voice, always speaking with clarity and precision. His metallic skin is as hard as steel to any that wish to do him harm, but as soft as velvet to anyone kind, merciful, and good. He is the champion of the Dawnflower in Golarion and her favorite weapon against the spawn of Rovagug (though she only calls upon him for this when no mortal heroes are available). Before the death of Aroden he often delivered prophecies on behalf of the goddess, and several stories in The Birth of Light and Truth were penned by oracles whom he personally escorted through Sarenrae's realm. Now the only similar duty he bears is appearing at auspicious births.

Look for the full article on Sunlord Thalachos in Pathfinder #20's bestiary, along with the full description of Sarenrae's faith!

Vadid and Nahk
Preview Purloiners

Artist: Tyler Walpole	Artist: Ben Wootten

Art of Dragons Revisited

Friday, January 2, 2009

So with all of the snow we've been having lately, I thought it'd be appropriate to show off some cold-weather-appropriate artwork. As it turns out, we've got just the thing in the upcoming Dragons Revisited—an entire chapter on white dragons! There's a chapter on all ten of the classic dragons, in fact, but it's those white dragons I'm afraid about whenever I wander outside these days.

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

Bigger Beasts of the Black

Monday, December 8, 2008

So last Monday, I introduced you to the Land of Black Blood and listed a few of the indigenous creatures that dwell in this eerie underground world. But things like ghost bats and ether frogs and stirge hounds are small potatoes; they barely warrant stats at all when you're talking about an adventure for high-level characters. So you can bet that in Pathfinder #18's bestiary that there are quite a few strange and creepy creatures that should give the PCs a run for their money. Pictured here are but two of them—the earth-based shaitan genie and the thrice-envenomed demonic Xacarba, illustrated by Tyler Walpole.

James Jacobs
Pathfinder Editor-in-Chief

Could It Be Worse?

Friday, October 24, 2008

Through dark magic and foul rites drow corrupt the unworthy of their society into horrifying creatures—skittering, spider-legged abominations known as driders. But what about other races? If the drow work such perversion upon their own brethren, what terrors might they inflict upon their enemies? With demonic magic and deadly alchemy the fleshcrafters of Zirnakaynin rework their captives into terrible new forms, better suiting their cruel desires and sadistic pleasures. Take the muscle-burdened ghonhatine and pain-wracked irnakurse for example, just two of the new fleshwarps detailed in Pathfinder #16's "Abominations of the Drow." Can you guess what they use to be? And are you sure you really want to know?

F. Wesley Schneider
Pathfinder Managing Editor