Pathfinder Companion: Taldor, Echoes of Glory (OGL)

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Pathfinder Companion: Taldor, Echoes of Glory (OGL)
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Chivalry Tarnished

Knights, fair maidens, heroic adventures, and righteous quests—these are the legends of old Taldor. But the once powerful empire has fallen from its former glory. Now rival nobles battle each other with bitter knights and proxy armies for personal power rather than honor. A smoldering truce with Qadira again threatens to ignite into war, and Taldor’s daughter states look down upon her with contempt. Yet there is still greatness in Taldor, a stone foundation under the flaking gold adornments. Sons and daughters of forgotten royal bloodlines hear change on the wind—but is it the whisper of greatness to come, or the death rattle of an empire long past its prime?

This Pathfinder Companion describes the country of Taldor and its capital of Oppara. Become one of the Lion Blades, a secret agent prestige class for the empire! Learn the magic of the oppressed church of the Dawnflower! Rise to greatness from humble origins with new feats! Gain the ostentatious magic of Taldor’s wealthy elite! Taldor needs champions—are you ready for the challenge?

Written by Joshua J. Frost

Pathfinder Companion is an invaluable resource for players and Game Masters. Each 32-page bimonthly installment explores a major theme in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, with expanded regional gazetteers, new player character options, and organizational overviews to help players flesh out their character backgrounds and to provide Game Masters with new sources for campaign intrigue that can be shared with players.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-169-5

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

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Bringing Back The Glory Days!

5/5

Taldor has that feel of Greyhawk...old school gaming with a gritty edge to it. The book itself is beautifully illustrated and well layed out. I do wish it gave me a little more information on the local areas and some different crest designs for the region but hey...what you don't provide means I can improvise. Its almost like Paizo set up the base for something amazing...then allowed you to take it over and make it your own. I don't need to be hand held through what a game designer thinks is HIS/HER definitive vision of Taldor. I actually like the set up and release for me to be able to fill in the blanks. FOR TALDOR! FOR THE GLORY OF YOR!


Portuguese BR

3/5

Mesmo a intriga palaciana não sendo o forte de sistemas como o Pathfinder RPG, o livro é competente em demonstrar aos jogadores diversas formas de se lidar com ela e incluir elementos dela no histórico de seus personagens. O livro está cheio de idéias interessante, mas boa parte dele é só isso, idéias. Talvez por ter sido lançado no pior periodo do limbo entre o D&D 3.5E, e o Pathfinder RPG ele tenha uma aproximação meio irresponsável em relação a parte mecânica (introduzindo muita coisa desbalanceada para baixo) e pouco pode ser diretamente aproveitado, mas certamente o livro se mantem com uma das melhores fontes de informação sobre Taldor, mesmo que o reino mereça um livro (desta vez voltado para o mestre) quando for conveniente.


Nice new perspective on Taldor without ruing what I already knew . . .

4/5

There are lots of interesting points about Taldor in this book that detail the country for those that want more details. That's good, but it goes beyond that to explain where there are likely adventures, what kind of political maneuvering is going on, and how Taldans see the world around them.

Reading this made me want to run a campaign in Taldor, and previously I viewed Taldor as that "past its prime" country. Its still, well, fading, but there is lots of life left in the place as an adventuring region.

If you like "Sword and Castle" style fantasy, this is actually a really good area to run that kind of campaign.


Review from a DM's perspective

2/5

I had high hopes for this one. Taldor is one of my favourite region write-ups in the Gazetteer, and the artwork looked superb.

On delivery, yes the interior artwork continued to look superb, and strikes me as very much invoking the atmosphere of the grandiose "King's Quest" PC adventure games which I adored in the 90s (tangent: these games have been re-released by AGD Interactive for free). Taldor is King's Quest all over, and to see it brought to D&D tables is something I'm very, very enthusiastic about.

Sadly, though, when you look beyond the illustrations of the Taldor Companion, the writing falls flat. I can't really pin it down but simply didn't find a single city or area write up that I found inspiring. So there's this amazing fey-haunted forest sitting right in the middle of the country, a monastery in the mountains to the east which tries to blend Kelesh and Tuan martial arts, etc etc ... all ideas very well conceived. But when you look at the write-up, you're let down. Or at least, that's what I felt.

So from a DM's perspective, I found it really flat - nothing to edge me into writing adventures for the region. Given that so far this is the only write-up of Taldor we have that's disappointing. I'm not oblivious either to the fact that the guide needs to be player-friendly and spoiler-free. But I'm not looking for outright hooks, I'm looking for inherently inspiring locale write-ups.

From a player's perspective I found the regional traits so-so. I liked the idea behind most of them (very nice character background ideas all over), but the mechanical execution didn't impress me as most of them seemed to be copy-pasted from the freely available Web Enhancement on generic Traits in Pathfinder.

All in all, it's a glossy and beautifully illustrated book (some of the best artwork I've seen in Paizo products, and that's saying a lot as they are amazing when it comes to art), but the writing is sub-par.


Excellent Guide to Taldor

5/5

This smallish supplement is an excellent guide to Taldor. The descriptions of the country are vivid and bring to life the images of an old and once glorious empire whose time has passed. I especially liked the old canal system and the mercenary pirates out to get the Qadiran ships.

This is a excellent resource for players who want ideas on character background or for DMs for adventure ideas.


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Sovereign Court

Nice! Even if I wasn't planning on joining the Taldor faction in the Pathfinder Society, I'd still be really looking forward to this. Can't wait!

Liberty's Edge

It's good that we throw the poor subjects of that scarred and bitter land the occasional bone. Small reminders of their long-past glory days should at least keep them placated.

I mean, if we don't use soft power to keep up their morale, we'd eventually need to invade and liberate the poor bastards before they killed themselves.

You know how it is.

Dark Archive

Andrew Turner wrote:
I mean, if we don't use soft power to keep up their morale, we'd eventually need to invade and liberate the poor bastards before they killed themselves.

That is what we will do with your country and Taldor eventually!

Freedom is overrated. People need rules and those who enforce the rules. And only Cheliax can provide both!

Sovereign Court

Off course what you peasants don't realise is that our natural superiority will eventually lead to our regaining our preeminent position on the world stage.

Oh and I would like to complain about our language being referred to as common

Sovereign Court

Ah, the squabbling of children. And the benevolent father watches with a smile, egging them on. As usual, age and experience trump youth and enthusiasm.

Sovereign Court

Wellard wrote:


Oh and I would like to complain about our language being referred to as common

Ah, my dear Wellard, it is like the old Taldan proverb - "Common sense isn't terribly common." The sophisticated tongue of Taldor is admittedly widespread, no doubt due to its mellifluous tones and insightful syntax, leading to those more primitive, immature nations associating it with their common-as-mud inhabitants.

Sovereign Court

As an Oppara-trained world-class actor, I must say that this tome is long overdue. Taldor was once an empire not because of its military might, its powerful clergies, or other material trappings. No. It rose to lead the world because it was the center of the arts, the written word, and philosophy. When high culture meets the primitive, the primitive wants to learn and yearns for enlightenment.

Taldor crumbled because our leaders put their trusts in the hands of men led by greed, thirst for power, or military expansion. Instead of working hard at remaining the center of enlightened humanity, Taldor was overcome with sloth and relegated active involvement and control of the land to others under false pretenses of superior philosophy. One's fortune cannot be hoarded under lock and key, but must be put to active use in sponsoring other worthy ventures. To sit and wait and hope that existing assets will grow of their own accord is madness!

So, with every role I take and every script I choose, I take pride in my Taldor, and attempt to show its many, many glorious aspects. The people of Taldor need to be inspired into excellence once more, and cannot afford to accept the second prize anymore. Aroden came, showed us the way, and we now have it in us to replicate his great works, or nay: achieve new heights of glory by ourselves!

Sovereign Court

Theodric de LaMontagne wrote:


So, with every role I take and every script I choose, I take pride in my Taldor, and attempt to show its many, many glorious aspects. The people of Taldor need to be inspired into excellence once more, and cannot afford to accept the second prize anymore. Aroden came, showed us the way, and we now have it in us to replicate his great works, or nay: achieve new heights of glory by ourselves!

Exactly, Andoran, Chelaxian ... these are merely wayward members of our great family. They are just a bit distant for now, but with the right amount of persuasion ... they'll eventually come back to us.

Sovereign Court

If those lesser nations could ignore their jealousy before, they'll find it much harder to scoff at our resurging glory now in full color.

*clap clap* Bring me my afternoon tea!

Dark Archive

A question for the Paizo staff: does this Companion include details/info about the noble households or factions within taldorian nobility, and eventually the related rivalries-alliances-secrets?
Also, does it have some geographical infos about provinces/feudal domains other than the usual (excellent) section about cities and notable spots?

I'm currently putting the final details on the general plots of a short campaign of mine, which at high levels will be set in the royal court of Taldor (thanks, Dynasties & Demagogues!) and at low levels is set in the southern border with Qadira, so any "Pathfinder canon" data about it shall be highly useful.

If so, waiting for a couple of months for the Companion is really not a problem, as I still have a boatload of groundwork to cover up (thanks, Toolbox+Ultimate Toolbox!).
If not, it's time to be creative and jut down the details *evil_grin*.

Thanks!

Dark Archive

Vendle wrote:

If those lesser nations could ignore their jealousy before, they'll find it much harder to scoff at our resurging glory now in full color.

*clap clap* Bring me my afternoon tea!

HA! Your petty decadence and empty boasts shall be put to test this year, when the TRUE glory of Cheliax shall be unveiled! Beware, as the secrets of our glorious nation will be unleashed on the unsuspecting world! You will quiver in your boots as Hellknights and unspeakable horrors shall tread the land, and sacred rites of Asmodeus shall echo from all the dark places of the world!

Our time is coming... and woe to all who deny our rightful claim to greatness!

Liberty's Edge

Very cool - this one looks really interesting!


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Theodric de LaMontagne wrote:
Taldor crumbled because our leaders put their trusts in the hands of men led by greed, thirst for power, or military expansion.

Sounds like someplace else I know.

Sovereign Court

golem101 wrote:
noble households or factions within taldorian nobility,

Taldan Nobility, thank you, please. You wouldn't very well like it if we referred to your Chelaxian nobility, would you? Taldor very generously provided you devil kissers with a mother tongue, please endeavor not to abuse it.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

I've updated the cover to match the finished product. If you see more gold than blue, clear your browser's image cache.


Great cover.

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

I've also updated the description.

Scarab Sages

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber

Nice cover!

Sovereign Court

I... kinda liked the old cover better.

Scarab Sages

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber

The old cover was a painting from Skeletons of Scarwall (PF#11).

Dark Archive

cappadocius wrote:
I... kinda liked the old cover better.

No, this one suits you Taldorian dandies better... and, of course, the marvelous companion describing *OUR* mighty empire will have a cover that will completely blow your minds (and drain your souls, naturally)!

Contributor

1 person marked this as a favorite.

We went all-out on the Taldan heraldry; notice that the two knights on the cover have different emblems. For the interior art, there are at least three different combinations of the heraldic emblems, indicating different noble families and such. They care about that sort of thing, and a knowledgeable person can look at another's heraldry and realize, "oh, you serve so-and-so, who is descended from the third son of king-blah-blah-blah; too bad most of that side of the family went mad, and they were left with nothing and have no real chance at ever gaining the throne...."

Sovereign Court

I SO want this!
Absolutely no doubt about it.

Sovereign Court

Not long now!

I normally wait for the hard copy to arrive before reading anything beyond the contents page, but I'm not sure I'll be able to restrain myself this time.


I have a question on a Religion trait...

Divine Warrior (Iomedae):
fluff removed for copyright sake
Your divine spells gain a +1 trait bonus to melee
weapon damage.

How does this work? Spells gaining a bonus to weapon dmg?

Contributor

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Um, isn't that obvious?

;)

First, take a pen and cross out the words "melee weapon" from that sentence.
Second, read the sentence again.
Third, wag a finger at Sean for stealing too much of Jason's beer and letting that happen.

Scarab Sages

While you squabble amongst yourselves we are finding ways to poke through your defences. Be weary of the stalker of the desert

Dark Archive

Phoenix1990 wrote:
While you squabble amongst yourselves we are finding ways to poke through your defences. Be weary of the stalker of the desert

Go on and stalk the desert while we harvest this overripe fruit in Amsodeus' name!

Sovereign Court

Tharen the Damned wrote:
Phoenix1990 wrote:
While you squabble amongst yourselves we are finding ways to poke through your defences. Be weary of the stalker of the desert
Go on and stalk the desert while we harvest this overripe fruit in Amsodeus' name!

The fruit may be rotting, but that is a necessary step for the seeds of a new age of glory to take root!

It's typical of the young and naive Chelish to mistake a temporary wane in power for the apocalypse. It was after all, their gross overreaction to Aroden's death that allowed Asmodeus to sink his talons into that wayward colony in the first place.

Sovereign Court

Calixymenthillian wrote:
Tharen the Damned wrote:
Phoenix1990 wrote:
While you squabble amongst yourselves we are finding ways to poke through your defences. Be weary of the stalker of the desert
Go on and stalk the desert while we harvest this overripe fruit in Amsodeus' name!

The fruit may be rotting, but that is a necessary step for the seeds of a new age of glory to take root!

It's typical of the young and naive Chelish to mistake a temporary wane in power for the apocalypse. It was after all, their gross overreaction to Aroden's death that allowed Asmodeus to sink his talons into that wayward colony in the first place.

*clap!*


Sean K Reynolds wrote:

Um, isn't that obvious?

;)

First, take a pen and cross out the words "melee weapon" from that sentence.
Second, read the sentence again.
Third, wag a finger at Sean for stealing too much of Jason's beer and letting that happen.

Thanks for the clarification. At first, I thought the bonus only applied to Holy Sword, Spiritual Weapon and similar spells.


OMG!!!!!!! Christophe Swal must have done his Sarenrae holy symbol research on the Pathfinder Wiki....... O_o... Check Sarenraes holy symbol cape of the guy on the back cover!!! :D

Spoiler:
I made that one!!!


Um...

Is the Lion Blade prestige written for 3.5 or for some version of Pathfinder I'm unaware of? Its skill block looks more 3rd edition than pathfinder.

Was this intended or just something that slipped by?

Dark Archive

Sighter wrote:

Um...

Is the Lion Blade prestige written for 3.5 or for some version of Pathfinder I'm unaware of? Its skill block looks more 3rd edition than pathfinder.

Was this intended or just something that slipped by?

Everything will be in 3.5 until the Pathfinder rules are released at GenCon in august.

It has been said the the final version of the rules will be closer to 3.5 than to the beta, so it shouldn't be very hard at all to convert.


David Wickham wrote:
Sighter wrote:

Um...

Is the Lion Blade prestige written for 3.5 or for some version of Pathfinder I'm unaware of? Its skill block looks more 3rd edition than pathfinder.

Was this intended or just something that slipped by?

Everything will be in 3.5 until the Pathfinder rules are released at GenCon in august.

It has been said the the final version of the rules will be closer to 3.5 than to the beta, so it shouldn't be very hard at all to convert.

Ah. Thank you good sir! I did not know that.

Yes, its very easy to convert, considering that its just some skill things. I just figured it was better to ask and know, and knowing is half the battle you know.

Scarab Sages

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber

Have the pdf and am really happy with this product on a skim through. Art is fantastic. Oppara looks incredible (and a map!!) and like the 1300s-1400s Byzantine feel (even with Northman guard no less)...

Thanks for this work.


Silly detail-obsessive question:
in the Companions related to one of the PFS factions (Osirion, Taldor and the upcoming Qadira, Cheliax and Andoran), why do some of the covers include the nation's coat of arms in the art while others don't?

Osirion doesn't (maybe because it was the 1st one)
Taldor does
If the covers are final, Qadira won't, Cheliax will and Andoran won't.

Any technical or practical reasons? Having the coats for the whole series seemed sleek and cool!

The Exchange

Andreas Skye wrote:

Silly detail-obsessive question:

in the Companions related to one of the PFS factions (Osirion, Taldor and the upcoming Qadira, Cheliax and Andoran), why do some of the covers include the nation's coat of arms in the art while others don't?

Osirion doesn't (maybe because it was the 1st one)
Taldor does
If the covers are final, Qadira won't, Cheliax will and Andoran won't.

Any technical or practical reasons? Having the coats for the whole series seemed sleek and cool!

Quadira is a far-flung satrapi of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh. Its coat of arms is as a child's scrawl before the awesome designs of the Empire!

Silver Crusade

This is going on my "want" list.

Contributor

Andreas Skye wrote:

Silly detail-obsessive question:

in the Companions related to one of the PFS factions (Osirion, Taldor and the upcoming Qadira, Cheliax and Andoran), why do some of the covers include the nation's coat of arms in the art while others don't?

Osirion doesn't (maybe because it was the 1st one)
Taldor does
If the covers are final, Qadira won't, Cheliax will and Andoran won't.

The covers you see on upcoming products are almost always placeholders. The final cover usually isn't done until a couple weeks before the product is finished.

I just checked, and the actual Qadira cover in the file we sent to the printer does have the country flag on it.

Liberty's Edge

cappadocius wrote:
Ah, the squabbling of children. And the benevolent father watches with a smile, egging them on. As usual, age and experience trump youth and enthusiasm.

Methinks that was Age and Treachery...

Sovereign Court

Ah Byzantium...a watchword for backstabbing, treachery and doing your equals and betters down. I love it...throw in some gratutitous religious persecution a seething underclass too disorganised to raise a revolt without outside prompting and a superiority complex worthy of Justinian himself and you have a powderkeg waiting to explode.

I still think its Golarions version of Aquilonia though.

Silver Crusade

I just got this the other day. It defintely has all sorts of possibilities, especially with the Lion Blade PrC. Plus, the idea of elephant cavalry is rather cool.

Scarab Sages

Tharen the Damned wrote:
Phoenix1990 wrote:
While you squabble amongst yourselves we are finding ways to poke through your defences. Be weary of the stalker of the desert
Go on and stalk the desert while we harvest this overripe fruit in Amsodeus' name!

Well, as a Chelish thee should know about dominions rotten to the core. At least Taldor has a small chance to redeem itself. Indeed, my Taldan "friends" would be wise to except responsibility for that Devil-worshipping mess, and maybe Osirion might assist Taldor in keeping Qadira, whose power we've both broken, permanently stuffed back into its lamps and bottles...

PS: the Taldor Companion was a very informative reading! I enjoy its strong medieval-european-flavoured background and the potential politics.

Dark Archive

Zeugma wrote:
Andreas Skye wrote:

Silly detail-obsessive question:

in the Companions related to one of the PFS factions (Osirion, Taldor and the upcoming Qadira, Cheliax and Andoran), why do some of the covers include the nation's coat of arms in the art while others don't?

Osirion doesn't (maybe because it was the 1st one)
Taldor does
If the covers are final, Qadira won't, Cheliax will and Andoran won't.

Any technical or practical reasons? Having the coats for the whole series seemed sleek and cool!

Quadira is a far-flung satrapi of the Padishah Empire of Kelesh. Its coat of arms is as a child's scrawl before the awesome designs of the Empire!

BAH! If you want to talk about impressive heraldry, there's nothing on Golarion that compares to our majestic Empire's glorious, awe-inspiring, feared and immortal colors flying above a contingent of proud Chelaxian forces! Why, my eyes moisten at the mere thought of such a sight!

Scarab Sages

Asgetrion wrote:


BAH! If you want to talk about impressive heraldry, there's nothing on Golarion that compares to our majestic Empire's glorious, awe-inspiring, feared and immortal colors flying above a contingent of proud Chelaxian forces! Why, my eyes moisten at the mere thought of such a sight!

Well, all that smoke and brimstone from Cheliax would make anyone's eyes water!

;-)

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Here's a quick legend for the numbers listed on the map of Oppara on p. 15. The information is incorporated into the location descriptions, but I feel it's useful to have it grouped for easy reference.
.
.
.

Famous Locations in Oppara
1. The Senate (p. 20)
2. The Imperial Palace (p. 19)
3. Basilica of the Last Man (p. 19)
4. Seven Towers (p. 18)
5. Statue Garden of Porthmos (p. 20)
6. The Shining Obelisk (p. 20)
7. Memorial Arch of Prince Jalrune (p. 20)
8. The Serpent Column (p. 20)
9. White Hall (p. 20)
10. Oppara Arena (p. 20)
11. Rhapsodic Colege (p. 20)
12. Grand Bridge of the Empire (p. 19)
13. Kitharodian Academy (p. 20)
14. Lionsgate (p. 17)
15. Crownsgate (p. 17)
16. Central Canal (p. 18)
17. Central Canal (p. 18)
18. Canal Row (p. 17)


I know this is an older product, and the new campaign setting guide's coming out soon, but I recently picked this up and as I don't really have a good eye for mechanics and such I was wondering if there are any suggested mechanical adjustments (other than the obvious dropping of XP costs for creating the magic items listed)?

Contributor

Pricing magic items didn't significantly change from 3.5 to PFRPG.


Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Pricing magic items didn't significantly change from 3.5 to PFRPG.

I meant more along the lines of 'crafting costs' (since in Pathfinder you don't have to pay XP to craft magic items any more). But what I mean is that I'm just wondering if the feats and prestige class in the supplement need any sort of drastic adjustment aside from some tweaking to accommodate skill changes.

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