Illustration by Roberto Pitturru

Do Not Underestimate the Sneakiness!

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Working on Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Intrigue brought out our inner deviousness—this book has so many ways to inject a little craftiness into your Golarion games, especially for players and GMs who are using the recently released Ultimate Intrigue. Now that Inner Sea Intrigue is about to hit the streets, we thought we’d show you some of our favorite toys from the book!

Inner Sea Intrigue riffs seamlessly off of Ultimate Intrigue in that much of its content showcases these new rules as they affect and exist in Golarion. One of many examples is the specific archives presented. Using the research rules found on pages 148–153 of Ultimate Intrigue, the book presents four places of research that feature prominently in the setting. They are Forae Logos, located in the Wise Quarter in Absalom; the Jeggare Museum, located in Korvosa in Varisia; the Magaambya, located in Nantambu in the Mwangi Expanse; and the Quarterfaux Archives, located in Caliphas in Ustalav.


Illustration by Konstantin Vavilov

By making Research checks and reducing the archives’ knowledge points, players can discover many of the fascinating truths kept in these libraries. Many such discoveries are in-world details that pertain to the history of the archives’ locations, the magic that has thrived there, and other key elements. Some of the most difficult-to-unearth discoveries, though, are adventure seeds in and of themselves.

Take this gem, found in the depths of the Jeggare Museum, for example.

"A small island in Lake Skotha on the Storval Plateau is known as Chorak’s Tomb, and is rumored to be the home of an ancient weapon that belonged to a runelord rival of Karzoug. However, no one has been able to get close enough to verify this story, as all trespassers are driven away by bombardments of boulders and rune-covered ballista bolts."

As with other "Inner Sea" hardcover tie-ins we’ve done in the past (including Inner Sea Magic and Inner Sea Combat), we also had the opportunity to present dozens of new character options, from new talents for investigators, rogues, and vigilantes, to new archetypes and prestige classes directly tied to the intriguing elements of the Inner Sea region. The prestige classes included are the Lion Blade of Taldor (updated from its 3.5 iteration) and the enchanting courtesan (inspired by the character Vreva Jhafae in the Pathfinder Tales novel "Pirate’s Promise"), while the new archetypes include the Anaphexia thought-killer, the bonded investigator (who gets a familiar to aid him in his research), the Nexian spell-spy, the tinkerer (who learns to craft a clockwork familiar that she can adapt to an increasing number of situations as she levels up), and many more!

Whether you’re a GM running a campaign with intriguing elements, or a player whose PC prides herself on her sneaky, duplicitous ways, there’s no better supplement to an Inner Sea campaign than Inner Sea Intrigue!

Amanda Hamon Kunz and Mark Moreland
Developers

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Tags: Konstantin Vavilov Pathfinder Campaign Setting Roberto Pitturru Ultimate Intrigue
Silver Crusade RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

7 people marked this as a favorite.

LOL OMG Merisiel the waitress is one of my favorite illustrations EVER!


6 people marked this as a favorite.

Somebody finally made their Perception check to find me!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

14 people marked this as a favorite.

Yeah... I'm pretty pleased with how Maid Merisiel turned out.

Dark Archive

cartmanbeck wrote:
LOL OMG Merisiel the waitress is one of my favorite illustrations EVER!

So much this, it's absolutely fantastic! :D

Contributor

3 people marked this as a favorite.

I never realized that I wanted a clockwork peacock in my life until now....

Sovereign Court

2 people marked this as a favorite.

This blog may have two of my absolute favorite pieces of Paizo art. You guys really do hire the best.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I love Merisiel. She is my favorite Iconic.
I noticed that for the first time in any artwork done of her that she does not have the large green jewel in the middle of her forehead.
I guess this means it is not embedded there, but kept in place by some other means (magic, stickum)?
Or has some magic hidden it?
Or is the picture a mistake?


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Charles Scholz wrote:

I love Merisiel. She is my favorite Iconic.

I noticed that for the first time in any artwork done of her that she does not have the large green jewel in the middle of her forehead.
I guess this means it is not embedded there, but kept in place by some other means (magic, stickum)?
Or has some magic hidden it?
Or is the picture a mistake?

I'm undercover in that shot. Took my gem off to blend in with the rest of the help to finish my secret mission!

The gem is just stuck on there with a piece of elf glue. It's just (fancy) jewelry, but I'm glad you like it!

You DO like it, yes?


3 people marked this as a favorite.
Merisiel Sillvari wrote:

I'm undercover in that shot. Took my gem off to blend in with the rest of the help to finish my secret mission!

The gem is just stuck on there with a piece of elf glue. It's just (fancy) jewelry, but I'm glad you like it!

You DO like it, yes?

It's very attractive on you, yes. ^_^


What class is the tinkerer archetype for?

Scarab Sages Developer

7 people marked this as a favorite.
Dragon78 wrote:
What class is the tinkerer archetype for?

Alchemist. A lot of us in house are VERY excited about it. :D

Designer

5 people marked this as a favorite.

Between Maid Merisiel and poisoning-disguised-waiter Damiel from the influence system art piece in Ultimate Intrigue, we're getting close to being able to staff an inn filled with disguised iconics. Now all we need is a disguised innkeeper!

Customer Service Manager

6 people marked this as a favorite.
Mark Seifter wrote:
Between Maid Merisiel and poisoning-disguised-waiter Damiel from the influence system art piece in Ultimate Intrigue, we're getting close to being able to staff an inn filled with disguised iconics. Now all we need is a disguised innkeeper!

I do know how to ensure patrons get a good night's rest.

Readies Slumber Hex.

Silver Crusade

4 people marked this as a favorite.

Courtesan prestige class?!

Yes, please and thank you.

Silver Crusade Contributor

2 people marked this as a favorite.

I'm waiting to see the enchanting courtesan before I build my vishkanya for PFS. Looking forward to it! ^_^

Sczarni

Oooooo, I really need a another Alchemist for PFS(fingers crossed) Tinkerer here I come.


Love the artwork. Definitely ADVENTURE GUIDE WORTHY for a future PACG game featuring those characters.

Adowyn, Enora, Hakon, and Zadim could use some an alternate illustration for my Meet the Iconics guide; currently Hakon's got a heroic story illustration to close out his biography and Zadim's choice at the end of his biography is being evaluated by Sarenrae.

Silver Crusade

2 people marked this as a favorite.

I love the idea of formatting setting information in research rules!

I'm also excited to see new investigator talents.


3 people marked this as a favorite.

Oh, Ezren needs to be the inn keeper. He really looks the part already! Also I really hope the familiar investigator works with the psychic investigator.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Valeros as the barkeep.

Seriously, take the armor off of him, give him an apron, he'll do just fine. He's a follower of Cayden, after all, too!


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Quote:
They are Forae Logos, located in the Wise Quarter in Absalom; the Jeggare Museum, located in Korvosa in Varisia; the Magaambya, located in Nantambu in the Mwangi Expanse; and the Quarterfaux Archives, located in Caliphas in Ustalav.

Always good to get more info on the settlements and cities of the Mwangi Expanse! I hope we'll get some juicy fluff about Jatembe and his ten magic-warriors! :D

Quote:
However, no one has been able to get close enough to verify this story, as all trespassers are driven away by bombardments of boulders and rune-covered ballista bolts.

Oh ho ho! So either the Shoanti are occupying the island and using forbidden rune magic of Thassilonian to defend it or some of the island's original defenders (or their descendants) are still alive to this day. Mysteries ABOUND it seems! :D


1 person marked this as a favorite.

This blog makes me very eager for this book. Especially the new world information and those two PrCs.


5 people marked this as a favorite.
Rysky wrote:
Courtesan prestige class?!

Appearing exclusively in "dance halls" across Golarion!!

Silver Crusade

Cthulhudrew wrote:
Rysky wrote:
Courtesan prestige class?!
Appearing exclusively in "dance halls" across Golarion!!

... goddamn dance halls...

Silver Crusade

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

We need a "Dance Hall Manager" bard archetype badly.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Oooooo.... I am... wait for it... INTRIGUED BY THIS!

Dodges the first five thrown boots/rotten tomatoes/daggers, but eventually takes a frying pan to the noggin

Silver Crusade

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

Can I request Reiko in a goth loli maid outfit? And no probs with such outfit revealing anything related to the "is Reiko a boy or a girl?" situation, Alto Saotome made a precedent that your gender doesn't matter when it comes to that particular costume.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Are the pieces of uncoverable research more fleshed out? Like what kind of sword would a rival of a Runelords use?


We could call that dance hall manager bard archetype "Huggy Bear";)


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Gorbacz wrote:
Can I request Reiko in a goth loli maid outfit? And no probs with such outfit revealing anything related to the "is Reiko a boy or a girl?" situation, Alto Saotome made a precedent that your gender doesn't matter when it comes to that particular costume.

The glue that holds up the stockings makes me break out in hives, so no thanks.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber
Eliandra Giltessan wrote:

I love the idea of formatting setting information in research rules!

Same here!

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

"When reiko offers you cookies, you take the cookies...." :)

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