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Hey there James!
Any chance we can see a "little ole" map of what you are detailing in Qadira? Maybe slip it in the Paizo Blog :)
Just hoping
Zux
As it turns out, James is once again listed as a placeholder name as the author for this book. (My guess is that they'll amend the name when they correct the cover artwork)
I wrote it, and I can say that there's, umm, stuff. And some places. And traits and things. Oh, and sand.
Being a good boy, I'd rather not spill the beans on this one. Sean (the developer) still needs to tell me how much was slashed and burned, anyway. ;)
Wow! I love the cover art. I think it's the first time Seoni's been out-sexied by one of the other female iconics. Who is the artist on this one?
Edit: Also, it appears this is a PFRPG product. So it'll be 100% compatible with the new rules (without conversion)? If so, awesome!
The cover is by Eva Widermann, whom many of you met at PAIZOCON.
And yes, editorial sneakily updated this one to full Pathfinder RPG stats since the rules were finalized in time.
True, but the term Padishah Emperor has been used before, most notably by Frank Herbert in the Dune books. In fact, since Padishah means "Great King," which is more or less equivalent to Emperor, a "Great King Emperor" isn't really that strange, its just kind of like saying, "A really important Emperor," which is less strange in fantasy and sci-fi settings than it might seem in real life.
Hey, nice to see you writing more material for Paizo, Brian! Although Qadira is a pathetic backwater nation when compared to our majestic, glorious empire, I have to buy this just to laugh at their expense! ;)
You confabulating, double-talking devil's sputum! We'll cut out your forked tongues to skewer on our kebabs!
Will we be able to play a Half-Genie or a thin blood suli-jann ???
WOTC dropped the ball big time on this topic. They could have done
so much with the an Al-Qadim type setting. Sandstorm was such a disappointment. The only thing they published was a half-janni and it has a ridiculous +3 LA. Please tell me you guys came up with something better.
Hey, nice to see you writing more material for Paizo, Brian! Although Qadira is a pathetic backwater nation when compared to our majestic, glorious empire, I have to buy this just to laugh at their expense! ;)You confabulating, double-talking devil's sputum! We'll cut out your forked tongues to skewer on our kebabs!
Ah, double-talking would indicate that I was lying... which I am not, as EVERYONE surely knows! ;P
OK, I know that often times what we see here for the cover is a mock up, but I REALLY hope what I see now is the real deal, that is freaking AWESOME! A fight on magic carpets! YEAH BABY SIGN ME UP!
No, the mock up was different, and this is widermann's work, so this is the real deal. And it ree-ocks!
Dark_Mistress
(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules Subscriber)
I'm sorry, no offense to the artist (whose other work I've seen and is awesome) who can outdraw me any day of the week, but I have to dissent. Looking at the covers for the other companions, this one isn't as strong (composition wise and graphically as well). Considering that it is a companion representing an entire nation and its culture, I kind of think that more could've been done. Sorry. Regardless, I love Qadira and am going to pick this up right away. And again, seriously, no offense to the artist.
Dark_Mistress
(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules Subscriber)
Brian,
Would you say that Qadira is very similar to Katapesh and much of the material in there could be incorporated into the Legacy of Fire AP?
I am mainly looking at genies, janns, and other Arabian knights themed items, spells, and feats.
I would say that there is a certain level of material (particularly with regard to the genies connection) that can absolutely be incorporated into LoF. In particular, there are feats and traits that PCs in that AP might want to pick up, especially if they are Qadiran (or just Keleshite in general).
I would say that there is a certain level of material (particularly with regard to the genies connection) that can absolutely be incorporated into LoF. In particular, there are feats and traits that PCs in that AP might want to pick up, especially if they are Qadiran (or just Keleshite in general).Brian,
Would you say that Qadira is very similar to Katapesh and much of the material in there could be incorporated into the Legacy of Fire AP?
I am mainly looking at genies, janns, and other Arabian knights themed items, spells, and feats.
Thank you for the reply Brian.
Wow, shot up to #5 on the Top Sellers almost overnight.
Come on, guys, I wanna see this baby up at #1! It's a vanguard product, with PFRPG content even before the rules release...
No, no, Brian -- *our* book is a real vanguard product. But as I've said, I'm going to buy this so that we can laugh at the poor Qadirans here at the Infernal Library of Westcrown. ;P
No, no, Brian -- *our* book is a real vanguard product. But as I've said, I'm going to buy this so that we can laugh at the poor Qadirans here at the Infernal Library of Westcrown. ;PWow, shot up to #5 on the Top Sellers almost overnight.
Come on, guys, I wanna see this baby up at #1! It's a vanguard product, with PFRPG content even before the rules release...
Great, thats all Golarion needs is another Chelaxian laughing his "sinister devil laugh" at us Genie lovers...
Remember, we have wish magic at our disposal and powers unheard of before the coming of this tomb of knowledge. Fear us.
Kevin Mack
(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules Subscriber)
Hmm bit of a mixed bag for me. Now don't get me wrong it's a good book fluffwise it just seems a bit scattered for lack of a better word mostly in regards to the the traits with some on one page in one chapter more in a different chapter same with feats as well. It works better if all the traits are in one place but with this one a player will be flicking all over the book to find them. Also I cant for the life of me figure out why there is a bestiary in a player companion.
Hmm bit of a mixed bag for me. Now don't get me wrong it's a good book fluffwise it just seems a bit scattered for lack of a better word mostly in regards to the the traits with some on one page in one chapter more in a different chapter same with feats as well. It works better if all the traits are in one place but with this one a player will be flicking all over the book to find them.
The traits and feats are divided out primarily because the book is written to avoid such flipping. There are basically two philosophies when it comes to this stuff:
1) Put all similar mechanical artifacts (feats, traits, etc.) in one spot, and let readers flip to find them.
2) Put mechanical artifacts as close to the relevant prose text (i.e. religious feats near religious descriptions, magical school traits near descriptions of those schools, etc.), and allow readers to flip to them only during character building.
As a writer, my preference is for the second philosophy, at least for small books. Larger books can get away with chapters of feats or a two-page spread of traits, but I like to see (and place) such things in context.
Of course, everyone has their own preference, and I don't expect folks to agree with every choice I make, but I'm kind of glad the folks at Paizo left things where I put 'em.
Kevin Mack
(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules Subscriber)
The traits and feats are divided out primarily because the book is written to avoid such flipping. There are basically two philosophies when it comes to this stuff:
1) Put all similar mechanical artifacts (feats, traits, etc.) in one spot, and let readers flip to find them.
2) Put mechanical artifacts as close to the relevant prose text (i.e. religious feats near religious descriptions, magical school traits near descriptions of those schools, etc.), and allow readers to flip to them only during character building.
As a writer, my preference is for the second philosophy, at least for small books. Larger books can get away with chapters of feats or a two-page spread of traits, but I like to see (and place) such things in context.
Of course, everyone has their own preference, and I don't expect folks to agree with every choice I make, but I'm kind of glad the folks at Paizo left things where I put 'em.
Well not trying to argue but in my experience this actually leads to more flipping since most players I know will read the fluff at there own leisure but prefer to have all the mechanical components in the one place when it comes to actually build a character. Also once you already have a series of books that set out things (ie traits all in one place, feats all in one place etc) deciding to change the format and spread them all over the place just leads to confusion.
No, no, Brian -- *our* book is a real vanguard product. But as I've said, I'm going to buy this so that we can laugh at the poor Qadirans here at the Infernal Library of Westcrown. ;PWow, shot up to #5 on the Top Sellers almost overnight.
Come on, guys, I wanna see this baby up at #1! It's a vanguard product, with PFRPG content even before the rules release...
Great, thats all Golarion needs is another Chelaxian laughing his "sinister devil laugh" at us Genie lovers...
Remember, we have wish magic at our disposal and powers unheard of before the coming of this tomb of knowledge. Fear us.
Nah, we don't need to laugh sinister devil laugh ourselves... we have real devils for that, you know? And, why should we fear anyone who jumps at the word 'Padishah', hmmm? You're no real empire yourselves... unlike the Shining Jewel of Golarion that is Cheliax! ;P
Also I cant for the life of me figure out why there is a bestiary in a player companion.
The short, unsatisfying answer is 'I was asked to write one.'
The longer answer is that this book was intially written back in the winter, before the decision to shift the Companion to a player-focused format was made. Part of the assignment was to get some summonable genies of lower level onto the table (the gen), and possibly a PC-appropriate genieblooded race (the suli-jann). The half-jann was to round out both the ecological niche for genies (and give the excuse for explaining the various breakdowns of human/genie relations). There were, intially, other monsters as well, but they were cut because the book's focus shifted to be more player centered.
For better or worse, you can't really talk about Qadira without dealing with their genie population. I suppose stats for the half-jann and suli-jann could have appeared elsewhere (the gen are necessary, because of their use in the daivrat PrC, so either way there'd be a bestiary of some length), but they were left in--I assume because there's not going to be the chance to address them again for some time, and had they not been included, there would have been requests for their stats.
My best guess is that the Paizo guys decided to leave the stats in for those creatures that were relevant to the book (the gen as a familiar, the suli-jann as a playable race, and the half-jann as a creature mentioned elsewhere in the book and as a foundation for the NPC presented), but they'd need to give you a more definitive answer.
Probably a dumb question but do the print editions of these always release before the PDF versions? Never bought one right away before so I've never noticed.
I want this but don't need the paper version so had planned to buy the PDF...now I have to wait...and be sad. :( Seriously, though, one of my players in Runelords has a cleric of Sarenrae from Qadira and I want to give her some options. Sigh. Okay...I'll go away until the 22nd.
M
Dark_Mistress
(Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Adventure Path, Campaign Setting, Companion, Modules Subscriber)
From my understanding is it works like this.
If you are a subscriber you get the PDF on the day the book is shipped to you.
Otherwise the PDF is not for sale until the books are at the stores.
Edit: beaten to it, but if it makes you feel better. I have not got my PDF yet either. Because i have it set to ship with my AP, which apparently is not yet in.
So this is for the PF RPG, not 3.5? Despite the July release date?
Yes.
The release date for the book was intially for June, but when Paizo's staff descended en masse on the PFRPG core book, some things got bumped, not least of which was my little 32-page Companion.
Fortunately, there isn't a whole lot of mechanical difference between 3.5 and PFRPG, so while writing I was able to add notes to the developer (Sean) saying "this is written for 3.5; if you need the PFRPG equivalent, it's XYZ." Not that he needed it--most conversions are 1-to-1--but it helped me to remember that my intentions needed to be clear.
Anyway, when the book was bumped to July, they decided to make it PFRPG, both to increase the usability of the book going forward and to make sure that if any other delays hit, it would be current-edition (PF).
The vast majority of the information in the book is edition-neutral (between 3.5 and PFRPG; using the traits in 2E might be difficult), and most of it is easily converted (like monsters and skill references). The real difference would be seen on player-side material, namely the Daivrat PrC and the suli-jann; I know the latter was specifically noted in the turnover as a +1 Level Adjustment race for 3.5, but to lose the LA for PFRPG due to the increase in the abilities of PC races for the new game.
I hope this overly-detailed explanation helps. :P
#2 on the Hot Sellers now, having past the Bonus Bestiary. I know that little ole Qadira will never get past the much-anticipated PFRPG book, but sneaking past a *free* download (even one a month old) is fricken awesome. Thanks, guys!
I'm anxious to see what all of you folks actually think about the book.